Mobi websites: The BIG revolution on small phones.

Mobi websites: The BIG revolution on small phones.
The world is on an ever changing spree. The last fifty
years have seen more changes in the world of electronics
than the last 200 years. Bulky computers gave way for slim
sleek desktops.

The un-portability of desktops made people think and invent
laptops. The laptops eventually became too heavy and
cumbersome to be carried around so they gave way to palm
tops and blackberries. Now, the situation is different.

The Internet as we know it will soon be making way for a
new revolutionalized version called the mobile internet.

Picture this: An executive needs to make a presentation
about the latest market trends. Earlier, he would need to
go to his desktop or open his laptop to surf and gather
information from the net. These days he just connects to
the internet with his Blackberry and accesses the mobile
internet. In minutes, he has all the information he
requires.

Scenarios like these are becoming more and more common with
the advent of phones like Nokia N5 and Blackberry.

Now the arrival of the Mobi internet has further enabled
the busy executive to explore the net as per his
convenience. What is Mobi internet? Mobi internet is the
internet which has been specially designed for mobile
phones and wireless devices such as PDA's. Mobi internet
offers more than just web browsing. It offers features such
as Global Positioning Service (GPS) amongst others.

We all know that mobile internet is the new rage these days
amongst the young crowd. However, there are many businesses
and websites which are migrating from the regular internet
to the mobi versions. What are the advantages of mobi over
regular internet for businesses?

There are more mobile users than laptop or desktop users.
With mobi, your website can be viewed any time and anywhere.

Most consumers like browsing on their mobile phones while
waiting at the bus stand or at leisure. There is a better
chance of getting hits on the mobi net than on the
laptop/desktop as these are used purely for work and
business purposes

A 'dot mobi' name tells your customer that the site is
mobile friendly

If you buy the mobi version of your company's website now,
you will not need to worry once the mobile internet space
starts getting crowded. The mobi websites are slowly but
surely increasing. The pioneers get the maximum visibility.

In developing countries, mobiles are cheaper than laptops
and desktops. A mobi website will ensure the visibility of
your business amongst millions of people.

Most people would love using their mobile phones for
browsing the net since no one likes to hold a mouse or tap
on a keyboard for long. However, there are not many mobile
friendly sites available. Go mobi, you will gain more
customers.

It's predicted that the cost of mobile internet advertising
will go into billions of dollars. Be one of the first to
take advantage and get a profit from advertising.

Mobi internet is the new kid on the block which is slowly
becoming a rage. Mobi websites are a great indication to
the internet buffs that your site is mobile friendly.

So, invest in mobi site and see the difference. Like they
say the "early bird gets the worm".

Invest in mobi internet and score over your competitors in
the years to come.

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Sly Filters (Europe) Ltd already have a mobile version of
their website which benefits its current and future
customers. Go to
http://slyfilters.com/blog/sly-filters-goes-mobi to see why
how they have gained the advantage over their competitors.

5 Strategies for Creating Effective Follow Up

5 Strategies for Creating Effective Follow Up
For a solo professional having an up-to-date contact
management database is one of the KEY administrative
systems you have to have for your business. And, even more
important, is having a system in place to create effective
follow-up. Your business is built on following up leads
and building relationships.

If you don't have a contact management system in place, you
will not be able to follow-up effectively with prospects,
you could lose clients, and you will not be able to build
your business.

Your contact management system needn't be a 'bells and
whistles' expensive database but it does need to be easy to
use, easy to maintain, and easy for you to find your
contact data. Once your contact management system is in
place you need to ensure that you keep it up-to-date and
are using it to follow up with prospects.

Spreadsheets are a great tool for keeping track of your
contacts, but even they have their limitations,
particularly if your database is starting to get very large
- anything over 100 contacts really needs to be on a
computerised, contact management database.

One of my favorite contact management system is ACT! It
really meets all of the criteria above in that it's:

Easy to use;

Easy to maintain; and

Easy to find contacts.

And here's a tip I have for you - you don't necessarily
need the latest version, especially if you're going to use
it just for yourself. I bought my first version of ACT!
(ACT! 6.0 2004) off Ebay for $20. If you're going to buy
software off Ebay check that it's being sold as 'brand new
and unregistered'. This was a very small investment for me
to make to see if I liked the system and once I knew it was
ideal I had no hesitation in upgrading to the latest
version.

Keeping your contact management database up-to-date can
seem a bit daunting, particularly if you have a lot of
contacts. Here are my top 5 strategies for creating
effective follow-up and keeping your contact management
system up-to-date.

1. Update as you go along! Whenever you speak with or
email a contact take a few minutes afterwards to update
your database with this information BEFORE moving on to the
next task. For example, did your conversation end with you
promising to contact them again in a months' time? If so,
note this down and create a follow-up task there and then
so you don't forget.

2. Touch base regularly. Each month go through your
database and see who you haven't had any contact with over
the last few months. Send them a 'just getting in touch
with you' email, or call them.

3. Don't forget good old-fashioned snail mail! Even
snail-mail has gone all hi-tech. A great follow-up tool,
and one that I currently use, is Send Out Cards - it's
really quick and simple to use. You can choose to send
either a card or postcard, and it makes for a great
'stay-in-touch' service. And just as simple to use as
email, only more personal! You can even upload your own
handwriting font to personalise your cards even more.

4. Send a newsletter. Okay, it's not exactly personal
one-on-one follow up, but it is keeping you in touch with
your database. Very often your newsletter will generate a
response from your reader, which means you will be able to
turn this into a one-on-one communication with your contact!

5. Keep the process going! Make it a habit to update your
database regularly. If you don't get the opportunity to
update your database as you're going along (Tip #1) spend
20 minutes at the end of each day reflecting on what you've
done during the day, who you've contacted, what the outcome
was, and enter all of this information into your contact
management system.

Follow these 5 tips and you will soon see your business
start to grow through effective follow-up!

----------------------------------------------------
Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton,
teaches professional speakers, coaches, and authors how to
operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business.
Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7
EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at
http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com

The Top Income Generating Mistake New Business Owners Make

The Top Income Generating Mistake New Business Owners Make
Are you looking for the next Pet Rock, Furby or Red Bull?
Have an idea for the next new thing you know will make you
a millionaire?

Hold on there. Before you throw your life savings into
that "new idea", you may want to spend some time with the
tried and true.

Starting a new business with a new idea may sound exciting,
but you better have some deep pockets for your start up
budget. You also better plan on working twice as hard to
get income in the door.

Think about it. Your business is new. Your product is
new. You not only have to convince people they should buy
from you...you have to convince them they need your product
in the first place!

The number one thing you need to make your business
successful is income. Your first priority every minute of
every day should be making sales. Businesses with income
and profits survive. Businesses without income crash and
burn quickly.

Customers buy things they like and know. They are wary of
"new". Experience has taught them that "new" is not always
better.

Your new business has a much better chance of being
successful if you start with a product or service that has
an established market. By all means, find your own twist
and make it better than the competition, but please avoid
the unfamiliar.

Most fads are not overnight success stories.

Red Bull created the market for energy drinks, but the
founder lost more than a million dollars in his first two
years of operations. It took six years for the company to
become profitable. Dietrich Mateschitz has moved well
beyond millionaire status in the last 17 years, but he had
to come up with a million dollars in start up capital (half
was his) and risk his life savings to make energy drinks a
worldwide phenomenon.

Beanie Babies took off so quickly they seemed to be an
overnight hit, but the truth is that this business success
was hard earned. H. Ty Warner started Ty, Inc. in 1985
with a $50,000 inheritance, a home mortgage, and his life
savings. The company's sales grew to an estimated $1
billion in 1998 after Beanie Babies launched in 1993, but
Warner was not a newbie to the stuffed toy industry. He
had 20 years experience at Dakin Inc., a San Francisco
stuffed toy manufacturer, prior to his plunge into the toy
industry. He marketed another line of stuffed toys for
eight years before Beanie Babies were created to launch him
beyond millionaire status.

You may think your great business idea will be the next Pet
Rock (Gary Dahl became a millionaire in a matter of months
back in 1975), but your chances of this happening are a lot
like buying a lottery ticket. Lottery millionaires exist,
but a heck of a lot of people buy lottery tickets to create
that handful of millionaires. And a dollar spent on a
lottery ticket does not compare to all the life savings
wasted on unproven business ideas.

Running a business is complicated. When you start, it's
best to sell something that has a proven track record. You
will be better prepared if you spend a few years working in
your chosen industry before you start your own business.
If you don't have industry experience, make sure you either
beg, borrow, or buy a system to help you get going. Even
better, find a mentor that can help you through the rough
spots.

Save the new ideas until you have something going. If you
provide good service, sell a good product, and do what you
say you will do when you say you will do it, your income
will grow steadily. Establish your customer base first.
It's much easier to sell new products to customers that
already know and love you!

----------------------------------------------------
Todd Jensen, "The Profit Engineer", has helped hundreds of
business owners make their business more successful and
profitable. For tips and strategies on how to boost your
business success as well as increase your profits, visit
http://www.theprofitengineer.com or
http://www.freebusinessstartupinfo.com

Make Money with Your Joint Ventures?

Make Money with Your Joint Ventures?
The answer is a resounding yes! It doesn't matter what
industry you're in, type of business or number of employees
(if any besides you!), creating joint ventures will help
you gain new market exposure and make money as well.

By finding joint venture partners that "fit" you and your
business, you can access new prospective clients and income
streams, without adding any overhead or inventory costs.
This puts more profit in your pockets!

What exactly is a joint venture?

Joint ventures, also known as JV, are a relationship
between two (or more) businesses to mutually enhance their
activities - in this case we're talking about sales and
marketing.

By pooling some of their resources together - such as their
email lists, products and services, clients and prospects -
the JV partners can split expenses (if any) and garner lots
of benefits through their dual efforts. What they stand to
gain is credibility, a way to provide additional value to
their customers, more revenue, access to a larger and
targeted list, and so on.

There are many different kinds of joint ventures - you're
really only limited by your creativity and vision for your
business.

Some common and simple examples of joint ventures are:

1. Affiliate Programs

Affiliate marketing is a web-based marketing practice that
basically uses one website to drive traffic to another
website.

Instituting an affiliate program is like having instant
access to a powerful sales force - without having to fork
over any money for salary and training costs. There are
minimal or no up-front costs and you only reward your
affiliates when a new customer results from the affiliate's
marketing efforts.

2. Cross-Promotion Strategies

Cross-promotions have been around forever as a marketing
tactic and that's because they work. By partnering up with
a company that serves a similar customer base as you do,
you can instantly gain access to a much larger pool of
potential clients.

Ideas for cross promotion can be based on products,
services, events, programs and so on. It can be as simple
as: your JV partner sends out an email to their client
base about information on your website that could benefit
them, and you instantly gain tons of exposure without
spending a dime.

In addition, you can offer your clientele "new" product
offerings (your joint venture partner's inventory) - and as
a bonus, you earn a commission on any products that your
clients do order from your partner's business.

3. Co-sponsor a Tele-seminar or Workshop

You can have a joint venture that is based around an event
such as a workshop, tele-seminar, speaking engagement,
virtual tele-summit, and the like. The venture allows you
and your partner to combine your database/subscriber lists
to send out invitations and cross-promote the event. As
well, a joint venture can give tremendous value to
participants - over and above the value you might possibly
provide on your own.

Plus, you have someone to share the hard costs,
organizational details and headaches with!

4. Co-registrations

This is a way to build your profile, expertise and
subscriber list for your ezine or newsletter. The basic
premise behind co-registrations is that your JV partner
promotes your newsletter on their ezine sign-up or thank
you page and you promote theirs. So, when a person signs up
for your JV partner's newsletter, the "thank you" page
would include your newsletter name and a link to sign-up
for a subscription.

Joint ventures are a great way to expand your potential
client base with someone who is already targeting the
"right" people for your business. Joint venture marketing
is not only a savvy business strategy, but can
significantly boost your sales by helping you find and keep
your most profitable clients.

What do you think - could your business benefit from a
joint venture?

----------------------------------------------------
Jody Gabourie, The Small Business Marketing Coach, delivers
simple, innovative and powerful marketing strategies to
help business owners find and keep their most profitable
clients. To learn more about how she can help you take
your business to the next level, and to sign up for her
FREE special report, ezine and articles, visit her site at
http://www.JodyGabourieMarketingCoach.com

Stop Selling, Ask for A Sales Referral!

Stop Selling, Ask for A Sales Referral!
A sales referral is when you, as a sales professional, ask
a client, a prospect (or even an acquaintance or friend)
for the name and contact information of someone who might
have an interest, need or want for your product or service.
An introduction to the individual makes the sales referral
even more powerful.

But first how do you get sales referrals and introductions.
The answer is simple - ASK! You already know that you have
the right to ask. If you don't ask, you don't get. If you
ask, you have a 50-50 chance of getting one, and if you
don't, there is nothing lost as you cannot loose something
you never had.

Simple make it a habit to ask everyone and you will no
longer be making cold calls, but working strictly on a
sales referral basis. Ask more to sell more! Don't miss out
on this tremendous lead source!

The other option is word of mouth, where you provide an
outstanding service and other talks about you. However, if
you do not ask for testimonial letters, or for a sales
referral, the chances of getting one out of the blue are
slim.

You are given a sales referral because you have earned the
other person's trust and they think that you can actually
help someone else. Do you believe in yourself, in helping
others and do you trust yourself? If you don't, nobody else
will either.

A sales referral allows you to introduce yourself through
that person's name, creating commonality and an immediate
level of trust.

There are several reasons why you should ask for a sales
referral. When you call a sales referral and encounter
their voice mail, be sure to mention the name of the person
who provided their name. The sales referral tends to
respond faster and at a much higher rate compared to voice
mails you leave when making cold calls.

A sales referral has affinity with you and that begins to
create an element of trust. And quite frankly, most feel a
sense of duty or obligation to those who referred their
name. They feel compelled to call back just in case they
are asked. Either way, it works for you.

Sales referrals tend to listen and engage you more closely
when you finally reach them. Typically, they don't see you
as "just another sales rep." A tentative bond is created
in your mutual acquaintance. The sales referral is curious
and wonders why his or her name was passed on. In simple
terms, this gives you a significant edge.

Sales referrals tend to buy at a higher rate compared to
cold calls and other lead sources. There are three reasons
for this: First, people usually refer others who are in
similar situations. They tend to have similar problems,
concerns, needs, wants and opportunities. This usually
means there is a strong application for your product or
services. In short, they are more qualified.

Second, as mentioned above, sales referrals tend to listen
more closely to your message. They do not 'dismiss' you as
quickly or as lightly as they do other sales reps.

And third, the sales referral's trust is typically higher
with you because he or she can "check you out." You have an
instant credibility source. Every buyer is looking for
someone they can trust and depend upon. Having evidence of
success with a known acquaintance makes buying easier for
referral and easier for you.

Remember, if you don't ask, you don't get.

----------------------------------------------------
Bob Urichuck is an International Speaker, Trainer and
Best-Selling Author. Learn personally from Bob in the areas
of Sales, Motivation, Leadership and Team Skills. Bob
presents a series of great ideas and strategies with
combination of facts, humor, and practical concept in a
high-energy and self-discovery process that you can apply
right away to achieve results. Subscribe to Bob's Free
Newsletter, worth $297, visit http://www.BobU.com Now!