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How To Ensure Long-Term Business Success

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Brett's Ramblings

2. What's New?!

3. Feature Article: "Starting a Business: 5 Steps You
Can't Afford To Skip"

4. Quick News Bytes

5. Tutorial: Selecting a Host For Your site

6. Freebies

7. In the Next Issue

8. Final Words, Article Submit Info., Subscribe,
Unsubscribe, Contact the Editor.


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1. Brett's Ramblings
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Welcome everyone! Nice to have all of you with me today.
And to all our readers from Deutscheland... it's a real
pleasure to see so many new subscribers from the
Old Country.

So where have I been some of you ask? Well, first this
alien abducted me, and then there was that tornado thing,
and then... but you're not interested in excuses, right?

So let's get to the good stuff.

Have you heard about The Newbie Club? If you haven't,
then hop right on over and take a peek. Even old, errrr,
experienced guys like me (those are BLOND hairs, not
gray!) can learn new tricks.
http://www.newbieclub.com?teach_me

The guys at The Newbie Club have put together a super
easy learning system to help you understand all those
things about technology that make you scratch your
head - everything from computer basics, to site building,
to making money on the Internet.

No geeky tech talk either. They use real words. What a
concept, huh?

And here's a really good reason to pop over for a look...

... a free copy of their eBook "Your Own Internet Business -
An Overview." This is the first in a series of eBooks and it
tells you what you *need* to know about the online
business world.

You see, this eBook delves into *what* you should know,
rather than jumping right into *how-to* stuff. Hey, the Internet
is a big place and it's hard knowing what's important and
what isn't. Click on over to grab your free eBook at:

"Your Own Internet Business - An Overview"
http://www.homebiztools.com/ebook.htm
<a href="http://www.homebiztools.com/ebook.htm"> Click Here</a>

OK, that's enough rambling. Let's move on, and as
always, I encourage you to e-mail anytime with your
questions or comments. Thanks for reading and Enjoy!

Brett
mailto:brett@homebiztools.com


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2. What's New?!
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==> Allen Says' Private Member's Site
This is the place where many new entrepreneurs get their
start on the Internet. As a member you get resell rights to
Allen's products absolutely free. A great way to go if you're
ready to get your online business started.
http://www.homebiztools.com/warrior.htm

==> Netting Dollars Radio Show
Hosted by Monique Harris, famed co-author of "Make Your
Knowledge Sell" (http://myks.sitesell.com/bkp.html), this
online radio program has lots of good stuff to help you start
and operate an online business.
http://www.nettingdollars.com


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3. Feature Article - Starting a Business:
The 5 Steps You Can't Afford To Skip
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by Brett Krkosska

Do you like ice cream?

Close your eyes for a moment and think about your favorite
flavor. Luscious and delightful swirls dancing over your
tongue... tickling your tummy... caressing your senses...
calming your emotions...soothing your body...

Mmmmmm.

Bet ya want to go get some right now, don't ya?

But wait.

Now imagine you are 10 miles from the nearest ice
cream store. And you have no car. And it's raining outside.
Raining real hard. And the evening news just announced
that Al Gore is closing the store in 30 minutes to make
way for Warbler Roost National Park.

Do you still want some ice cream?

Perhaps you'd rather get that fat-free yogurt out of
the freezer. Yeech!

You see, starting a business is comparable to our quest
for ice cream. You've got to make up your mind what you
want before embarking on the trip, otherwise you'll end
up with yogurt. To reap the rewards you must "do the due."


THREE SUCCESS TRAITS

When starting a business, there are three important traits
that can make the difference between your success or
failure. Never underestimate their ability to drive you
towards success in your chosen venture. As you look
them over, consider how willing you are to integrate these
traits into your thinking. They are:

1. A burning desire to get what you want.

2. The conviction that you deserve what you want.

3. The commitment to meet hardships head-on.

Embrace these traits and you can get what you want -
even if Al Gore is standing in the way.


THE FIVE STEPS

1. Turn Your Ideas Into Goals

An idea is like clay. It floats around in your head - shifting,
changing, waxing and waning. In order for an idea to take
shape in the real world, it must be linked to an end result.
A goal is simply the marriage of an idea with the intended
results - it hardens the clay.

This step is really just a mental exercise. When you get an
idea follow it through to its conclusion. Explore the various
avenues your idea can follow. If you feel energized with the
Three Success Traits, then it is worthy as a goal.

2. Write Down Your Goals

When you have hit upon a business idea that energizes
you, turn it into a series of goals. The more specific you
are about your goals, the fewer wrong turns you'll take
along the way. Be absolutely clear about who, what, when,
where, and how your destination is to be reached.

Putting your goals on paper makes them solid. Writing
things out empowers you with purpose and makes your
aim true. Not doing so is like trying to shoot an arrow at
a target with your eyes closed.

For a goal to be successful it must be a statement of
achievement, and not a casual wish. A wish begins with
the words "I hope" or "I want," while a statement of
achievement shouts "I am" and "I have." When I decided
to publish this newsletter my primary goal statement was:
"I am the publisher of a trend-setting newsletter."

3. Create a Business Plan

Your plan is a chart for success. It identifies the issues
relevant to your business and helps you to move logically
through the start-up phase. A good business plan can
spare you months of wasted effort, not to mention fistfuls
of cash.

Try the Small Business Administration Classroom for an
explanation of the components found in a business plan:
< http://www.sba.gov/classroom/bplan914.html >

Business Plan Pro has sample plans and a free tool that
guides you through the creation of your own business plan:
< http://www.bplans.com >

4. Visualize Your Goal Daily

Create a picture in your mind's eye of you reaping the
rewards of your successful business. See yourself enjoying
the fruits of your labor. Feel the exhilaration of having
achieved that which you want. See the color in your
surroundings. Feel the floor beneath your feet.
Taste the air around you. Be there.

5. Tell The World and Take Action

Tell people about your plans. Share your goals with people
that can offer support and encouragement. Doing so opens
up paths of assistance you may need along the way. People
who believe in you have the capacity to bring you new ideas,
resources, and contacts that you could not get on your own.

When all is said in done, taking action is the most important
thing you do. Many new entrepreneurs fail at this point.
Without action dreams stay dreams and goals go unfulfilled.

Do at least one thing every day that moves you toward
your goals. As you take action, review your goals to avoid
unnecessary moves, and don't be afraid to modify and
enhance your goals as needed.

But always, always stay the path.

Now, go get 'em Tiger! And if you please, bring me back
some chocolate mint ice cream in a waffle cone. Yummy!

--------------------------------------

You are invited to reprint the preceding article. Just include
the resource box below.

Brett Krkosska is a freelance writer and business consultant.
Visit http://www.homebiztools.com for FREE advice, software,
Internet services, and more.

================GET HIRED!================

Resucast.com is one of the largest on-line employment
services on the Internet. Developed by five recruiters with
over 30 years of industry experience, they will distribute
your resume to people who actually hire!
http://www.homebiztools.com/homejobs.htm


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4. Quick News Bytes
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GETTING READY FOR YOUR NEXT JOB MOVE
Ready to ditch your employer? Is your employer ready to
ditch you? How to get ready...
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2622697,00.html


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6. Tutorial: Selecting a Host For Your Site
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Your site needs a place to call home. Choosing a good
home is an important job. In fact, not choosing well can
be a bad thing for the health of your business.

Not all host providers are created equal. Some keep
up with technology and offer the latest in speed and
performance, while others do not. Some are truly
interested in helping your business succeed, and
others are not. This article will help you choose well.


TECH TALK

As you search for a host you'll run into lots of jargon, and
a whole bunch of acronyms. Things like NT, UNIX, PERL,
CGI, OC3, and more. Goodness. In this article you'll find
a few of these obscenities. But...

....no need to be intimidated. Just refer to Webopedia
any time you run into a confusing term. This site is an
online dictionary of tech terms - well worth a bookmark:
http://www.pcwebopaedia.com


GRAB A WORKSHEET

Jumping around the Web looking at features offered by
various hosting companies can leave your head spinning.

Here's a great worksheet by eFuse.com to help you narrow
down the field of possible hosting companies:
http://www.efuse.com/Grow/isp_worksheet.htm


THE BARE NECESSITIES

To build a useful and functional site you should insist on
a few basics. These are things you'll not want to disregard,
even if you're not sure what they are right now.

1. Responsive customer support. In the real world things
can go wrong. If there are problems with your site you
need 24/7 tech support. Someone should be manning
the phones anytime day or night.

2. Fast connection to the Internet. Your host should have
multiple T1 lines at the very least, while T3, OC3 lines or
better are preferred.

3. You must be able to work on your site via FTP anytime
day or night.

4. POP e-mail accounts and autoresponders. Many bottom
end packages will only give you a few e-mail accounts and
no autoresponders. Often, it's worth the upgrade to a
mid-level package to get these features.

5. Your host should perform daily back-ups.

6. Server traffic logs are an important instrument in helping
you understand who your customers are and what type of
information they are seeking from your site.

6. Your host should be able to meet your needs as you
grow. This means you should have access to your own
CGI-bin, multiple domain availability, and support for
scripting languages such ASP, PHP, and PERL.


HOSTING ENVIRONMENTS

Your site is housed on a host computer. The environment
that exists within that computer can basically be broken
down into two categories:

Shared Server

A shared server, or virtual server, simply means your site
is hosted on one machine with several other sites. You
have your own server software and can manipulate your
site in various ways, such as through the use of forms or
the type of downloads from your site. Prices range from
about $20 to $250 per month.

Dedicated Server

A dedicated server is a machine that only you and your
site visitors use. It offers the ultimate in flexibility for sites
with large bandwidth requirements. Prices go from about
$250 per month and up.


HOSTING PLATFORMS

You will need to decide on the type of platform from which
to base your site. You can think of a platform as the
underlying structure that allows hardware and software
to drive a site.

Which platform to use is often the most vexing question
faced by new webmasters. The two most widely used
platforms are UNIX and NT. Which one you choose
depends on the types of uses and demands you expect
from your site.

UNIX vs. NT

UNIX has been in existence for some 25 years. It was
originally built to connect networks together. Over the years
there have been many applications designed to run on it.
It is generally thought of as a reliable system with full
programming functionality.

NT is a product of Microsoft and therefore a newer
development. As a Microsoft product it is designed to
operate efficiently in a Windows environment. Its thrust is
the seamless operation of varying applications with each
other. It is generally thought of as a less time-intensive and
more user-friendly system, albeit not as versatile as UNIX.

If you expect growth, UNIX is well suited to meet your
growing demands. It allows a webmaster to program
features into a site that meet individual needs. You may
find NT somewhat limiting in terms of versatility. Yet, it's
important to point out that Microsoft is a very progressive
company and this gap between UNIX and NT could well
become quite narrow in the future.

Which platform is best suited for you? UNIX lets you get
down to the nuts and bolts of programming your site, such
as with CGI scripts, to maintain a designer specific site.
Do you need that kind of control? NT lets you make use
of integrated programming, such as with FrontPage 2000,
to build a site that's easier on a business with limited
time and resources.

BEGIN YOUR SEARCH

Choosing the right host for your site is an important
decision, yet it need not be a painful one. The easiest
way to separate the good from the bad is to use a
Hosting Directory. Here are my top-rated directories
that have search capability, Top Host listings, news,
and lots of informative articles.

==> http://www.HostSearch.com
==> http://www.HostIndex.com
==> http://www.WebHosters.com
==> http://www.TopHosts.com

In conclusion, you now have the tools needed to go out and
make an informed hosting decision. Choose well and you
can enjoy a worry-free Web presence while you
concentrate on more important things... your business!


This concludes Part 2 of my 13 part series "How To Start
Your Own Online Home Business." It is designed to provide
you with the knowledge to create your own website and get
your business online. To view the table of contents in this
tutorial and read the online installment go to:
http://www.homebiztools.com/bizstart.htm

--------------------------------------
You are invited to reprint the preceding article. Just
include the resource box below.

Brett Krkosska is a freelance writer and business consultant.
Visit http://www.homebiztools.com for FREE advice, software,
Internet services, and more.

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7. Freebies for Work and Family
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==> Start your own newsletter with this Free Template.
Just click the link and send away the blank email. We'll
forward the template right to your inbox.
mailto:template@homebiztools.com

==> Password Storage
Store all passwords safely online. It's very safe and very
convenient. Give it a try, you'll like it!
http://www.passwordsafe.com

==> Free 800 Number & More
uReach.com has put together a communications package
that's the dream of every home business. Free voice mail,
800 number, fax, and email.
http://www.ureach.com

==> Fun Sweepstakes
How does a brand new BMW sound? Just post your resume
at ICPlanet.com and you're in for the drawing. Plus, you'll
get exposure in front of thousands of recruiters. Cool, huh?!
http://www.homebiztools.com/win.htm
.
==> Ask the Doctor
Got a medical question? "Doctor Trish" will answer your
question personally. It's the next best thing to house calls.
http://www.askdoctrish.com/

==> .pdf Document Creator
What the heck is a .pdf? Well, it's a format that allows you
to build an eBook which can be viewed by both PC and
Macintosh operating systems. Most other eBook compilers
are limited to PC users only. This free download is normally
priced at $97, so get it now before it's too late.
http://www.ctrlp.com



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9. In The Next Issue
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Part 3 of the tutorial How To Start Your Own Online Home
Business will be "Choosing a Domain Name."

I will also address an recent event that happened to me
and has probably happened to you, too: Street Spam.
Yes, it's real and in your town!

To make requests for topics you'd like see in future issues,
please send them to:
topic@homebiztools.com


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10. Final Words
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Thanks for reading! It is my hope that the information
in this newsletter leads you towards greater riches,
both in work and at home.

Keep an open mind and reach for the heights!


------------------------------------------------------------


Brett Krkosska
Founder, Editor, Net-a-Holic,
mailto:brett@homebiztools.com

HomeBizTools: a division of B-K Publications
http://www.homebiztools.com.
All the tools you need to work at home... in one place!