Throwdown In The Cyberhood-Conn VS. Cow

Written by Christine Senter on May 13th, 2008

If you’ve read anything in the MMO, then you’ve probably heard of either Garry Conn or John Cow. Perhaps you’ve heard of both of these people. Both of these gentlemen run websites that help their readers make money online. However, they go about it in totally different ways.

For those who don’t know, Garry Conn is one of my best friends. He is also my business partner, and my blogging partner. He is probably one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met, and he’s honest to a fault. If you screw something up, or if you do something that is less than honest, he’ll call you on it in the loudest manner possible. And that’s just what he’s done to John Cow.

That has led to a new throwdown in the MMO community. A competition between Garry Conn and John Cow. In essence, each of these men are going to start a new niche blog, run it for a total of 30 days, then auction their sites on SitePoint.com.  There is even a nice little article about the whole thing, written by Matt Magain.  In the end, the site that gets the highest bid, wins.  Not only do they get the money from their site, but they get the money from the other site as well.   So, how does all this effect you? Glad you asked.

Garry Conn has created a virtual class room for anyone that wants to come in and be part of this historic event. He is going to showcase everything he does, and anyone who signs up for his free class will be able to see how he does it, step by step. When all is said and done, all those who signed up for his class will be able to copy everything he’s done and use it for their own sites and make money online.

So run over to Garry’s site and sign up for you spot in the virtual class room and watch history in the making. This is going to be both interesting and entertaining, to say the least. Who will win this competition? I guess we’ll find out in less than a month.

MoreNiche Affiliate Program

Written by Christine Senter on May 8th, 2008

I joined a new affiliate program tonight, but I’m not going to jump over here and tell you it’s the coolest thing since sliced bread. Why??? Because I don’t know that to be a fact yet. They have a lot of incentives, but at the moment, very few offers. So, anyway, here’s the deal.

First of all, the name of the site is MoreNiche Affiliate Program. One of their incentives is that they give you $15.00 just for signing up. Ok, that’s pretty cool. And yes, I did get my $15 bucks almost immediately. The next incentive is to get 5 people to sign up under you. They want you to throw in some email addresses, but honestly, I don’t feel comfortable doing so. For every person you get to sign up under you, they’ll give you an additional $20, plus 5% commission for life. Now, here’s the catch. Those that sign up after you have to make a sale in order for you to get your money.

As of right now, they only have 3 payment options. You can be paid by check, epassporte, or by direct deposit. According to what I’ve read in their forums, they are thinking about adding PayPal and/or Moneybookers as a payment option in the future. Also, minimum payout is $100 by check or epassporte, with a $30 charge. If affiliates opt for the direct deposit, then minimum payment is increased to $130.

As I’ve already said, they don’t have a lot of offers at the moment, but I’m hoping they come up with some new ones in the near future. A few of their options sound really good, but there are a couple that I wouldn’t be caught dead writing about. As time goes on, I’ll let you all know how things are going with this site. If things work out, I’ll be sure to let you know. If not, I’ll let you know even sooner. Because if this turns out to be a load of crap, I won’t hesitate to tell the world.

But, as for now, this seems like a nice little site. I will give it a real go, just to see if it’s worth it. I don’t want to say it’s the best site in the world, or the worst, without really giving it a chance. I guess time will tell.

Move Your Business Online

Written by Christine Senter on April 30th, 2008

We live in a day and age when everyone is looking for a way to make money online. However, for those who work a full time job in the real world, it may not be such a big thing. But, for those who own their own businesses, it might seem that there is absolutely no time for this whatsoever. That doesn’t have to be the case. You can put your business online and bring in a wider clientele.

When we hear the term “home based business”, we’ve gotten to the point where we automatically think of all those scam jobs and services that promise miracles and deliver heartache. What I’m talking about is taking the business you already own, and creating an online presence that the whole world can see. Or at least the world in your backyard.

This is exactly what Johnny Goad, of Clarksville Home Inspections, did. He took his personal business and created an online world around it. Now, he not only deals with home inspections, he tells people how to improve their homes for sale, what to look for when buying a home, and a lot more. This gentleman is very informative and knows his business. You can do the same for your own business.

If you own your own business, you know how hard it can be to make a name for yourself in the real world. By creating a web presence, you bring in new customers, offer your wisdom to others, and increase your own productivity. Now that’s a home based business.

Mr. Lister Online Classified Ads

Written by Christine Senter on April 27th, 2008

It seems that there are a lot more classified ad sites online, than I had previously known about. Not long ago, someone left a comment here and told me about their favorite classified ad site, so I wrote a post about it. Well, that led to someone else leaving a comment about their favorite site, so I thought I’d do a little more research about that site as well.

The site is called Mr. Lister Online, and it is a classified ad service that covers everything from services and house listings, to miscellaneous items for sale. It is broken down into smaller categories, making it easier to find exactly what you’re looking for. Plus, there are wonderful pictures of the objects for sale, right on the front page.

There is a monthly fee on this site, of $5 per month. However, that fee include unlimited listings, with up to 6 pictures per listing. So that’s not too bad. Also, if you’d like to have one of your listings become a featured listing, there is another $5 fee for that service, which also includes the availability of a video upload.

According to the site’s TOS, all sales are deemed to be final and no refunds will be made except under specific guidelines. For instance, if you accidentally ordered the wrong product or there is a problem with the product you bought, the site will see to it that you get a refund. However, for the most part, all sales are final.

If anyone out there decides to give this classified ad service a shot, let us know how it worked for you. Also, if you have a favorite classified ad or auction site that you’d like for us to check out, just leave me a message in the comment section. I may not get to it right away, but I will get to it and check it out for you. If I find the site to be a reasonable site, I’ll be more than happy to pass the information on to the rest of the world.

Bay Area Classified Ads Listing

Written by Christine Senter on April 17th, 2008

I check my comments daily, trying to make sure that all real comments make their way through. The other day I found one that I almost deleted as spam, but decided to take a closer look at the site in question and found something worth talking about.

First of all, I’d like to thank Ring for bringing this site to my attention. The site in question is called Bay Area Classifieds, and it’s one of many classified sites with corresponding links from the United States, Canada, and India.

This site is an actual classified ad site, with listing for such things as daycare, furniture, medical, and even a place to find a room mate. This site was set up for the Desi community, with links to India Travel Guides, Indian festivals, and even Desi blogs.

Again, thank you Ring for showing this site to me. I’m more than happy to pass this site on to the rest of the world. After all, it’s a site that helps people buy and sell things online, and that’s what we’re all about.

Socialize With PepperJam CEO

Written by Christine Senter on April 12th, 2008

One of my favorite affiliate programs is the Pepperjam Network. I just love the way it’s set up, very chic. It’s the affiliate program for the next generation of online sellers. And now you can keep up with all the things going on with the company by hanging out with the President and CEO, Kris Jones.

Kris has written a great post at his Pepperjam blog, inviting everyone to join him at some of the biggest social networks on the net. In this post, he gives his link to such sites as Twitter, Facebook, and MyBlogLog, just to name a few. In this way, he’s making it easier to keep in contact with all those who are trying to make some money with Pepperjam.

I have never been associated with an affiliate program where the CEO goes out of his/her way to keep in contact with their members. This is pretty impressive to me, and I took full advantage of the situation. I added him as a contact at all the social networks where we’re both members.

If you still haven’t checked out the Pepperjam Network, why not do so now. If you’re already a member, check out this blog post by Kris Jones. It’s always nice knowing that the President of an affiliate program is just a normal guy.

Finding Your Unique Niche

Written by Christine Senter on April 11th, 2008

Ok, we all know that the key to running a successful blog is in the niche. Let’s face it, the “make money online” market is pretty much covered. However, that doesn’t mean that this is the only “money making” market. In fact, coming up with unique niche’s can help you make money by standing out in the crowd.

In the writing circles, the first thing you’re taught is to write what you know. This can also apply in the blogging world. What do you know about? Are you totally into antiques or toy trains? How much information do you know about these topics? Whatever it is that interests you, interests someone else.

Celebrity topics are always hot, but sub-topics can set your blog apart from the rest. Do you still follow the stars from yesteryear? Do you know more about 80’s sitcoms than you do about your own family? You’d be surprised at how many people would be interested in all this.

No matter which niche you create, there is a market for it. There is someone out there who is looking for what you know. And there are always ads waiting to be seen on your pages. You don’t have to do the same thing as everyone else. Find your own unique niche, and make your mark on the cyberworld.

Create Your Own Cookbooks

Written by Christine Senter on April 9th, 2008

Over the years, I’ve ended up with most of my grandmother’s old recipes. I’ve also acquired many of my husband’s grandmother’s recipes, as well as his mom’s. That’s a lot of recipes left lying around the house. I’ve kept most of them in a shoe box in my china hutch, but they won’t be there much longer.

I’ve come up with an idea for all these old recipes. I’m thinking about creating a recipe book on my computer. So, what’s this got to do with buying and selling online? The fact that you can do the same thing, and sell them for a few bucks on the Internet. However, there are a few things to remember before jumping the gun.

First of all, if the recipes you’ve gotten over the years, were clipped from magazines or newspapers, they cannot be used. The reason for this is that by law, they’re under a copyright. These recipes can be passed from one person to another, but they cannot be placed in a cookbook to be sold.

Another thing that I’ve run across, are old recipes that aren’t complete. What I mean by this is that most of these are just ingredients. No idea of how much to add, no details on what to set the oven at, just a list of things to throw in. There are also a few that tell you to add a “dash” of this, or a “splash” of that. Unless you can figure out exactly how much that is, you might not want to add this one.

Other than that, it’s pretty much down to deciding which ones to put in your cookbook, and where. If this is something your going to do for yourself, you can do it however best fits your needs. But, if this is something your thinking about selling, think like your customers would.

If you are going to make a cookbook to sell, you’ll also want to think about design. If you’re going to sell it as an ebook, you’ll basically need a cover design, and maybe some pics for the inside pages. If you do this, remember to keep the number of pages down. A four hundred page cookbook might be a little much.

Another option is to create your own cook books. Set it up as you’d like to see it and print it out right there. You can create a nice cover page, add your recipe pages, and then put it all together in a thin binder. Add a few scrapbooking applications for decoration and you’re done. These make great gifts, or can even be used for fundraisers.

Get all those old recipes out of the cupboards and put them to good use. Create your own cookbook and offer the world a healthy slice of the past.

Sell Your Stuff On Amazon.com

Written by Christine Senter on April 7th, 2008

I remember when I first heard about Amazon.com, in the late 90’s. Back then, Amazon.com was known mainly for selling books, and became an outlet for authors to get their books into the mainstream. Today, you can buy anything from books to clothing to garden equipment. Have you ever wondered where all those products come from?

You can sell your stuff on Amazon.com. Are you the kind of person who’s been designing your own hand bags? Or do you have a room full of used books that are just taking up space? Either way, this might be what you’re looking for. However, this might not be the best option for someone just looking to sell a few items.

With this program, you pay a monthly fee of $39.99, plus referral fees. Referrals fees differ in price, depending on the type of product. Categories range from Consumer Electronic at a referral rate of 8%, to software at a referral rate of 15%.

Once you’ve registered, it’s a matter of uploading your products onto the Amazon.com site. Your products will be shown to millions of buyers worldwide. When a customer purchases one of your items, Amazon.com notifies you so you can send the product. There is also a program that lets Amazon.com do the sending for you. After that, Amazon.com deposits your payment into your account

This could be a wonderful tool for someone looking to run an online store. Amazon.com has over 76 million customers around the world, with more than half of that being active monthly members. Your chances for making a sale are better than most other online venues.

This is only one of many ways to sell your stuff on Amazon.com. There are options for powersellers, authors, publishers, and even musicians. If you’ve got something to sell, Amazon.com has a way to do it.

Are You Selling Your Soul?

Written by Christine Senter on April 3rd, 2008

There are millions of products to be sold online. You can take things from your own home to sell online or you can sell the products of other people online. No matter what you decide to sell, you really need to ask yourself one question first. Am I selling my soul?

Many of us are affiliates of one company or another. With sites such as Amazon.com, we can sell tons of stuff for a piece of the action. However, the sad truth is that there are sites out there that will tell you that if you sell their products, you’ll be richer than you’ve ever dreamed possible. The problem is that they’re the only ones making money, and you’re helping them do it.

My theory is to bottom-line it. If you happen upon one of these sites, skip all the hype and testimonials, and head straight to the bottom of the page. That’s usually where they tell you what it’s going to cost you to get rich. If you have to spend a ton of money for the rest of the information, it’s probably not a good idea. Some sites won’t even tell you how much it’s going to cost until you give them your credit card number. That’s usually when I turn tail and run.

Another thing to think about is whether or not you’d feel comfortable selling these same products to someone else. Is it really worth it? Just because you saw a picture of some guy sitting on the beach with his laptop, doesn’t mean you’ll be next. These types of sites are famous for their big promises. I’ve personally never met anyone who actually got rich with these sites. Doesn’t mean that it hasn’t happened, but if they worked like they say they do, everyone would be rich by now.

It is possible to earn some money by selling stuff online. If you take the time to do some research on what’s selling big, work hard at promoting your own products, and do all you can to be an honest seller, you will make money. You might not make the kind of money you see advertised all over the place, but you’ll still be able to look at yourself every morning knowing that you did it without selling your soul.