The Post-Consumer Economy

Regardless of the temporary surges in the stock market, renewed consumer confidence, or drama in the news media, economies based on growth and eternal prosperity is over. The world is now in the “Post-Consumer” economy.

What defines this economy? I suggest it is defined by sustainability, green economics, mass transit, renewable energy, decentralization, population control, universal health care and education, demand based on needs vs. wants, and a leveling of wealth.

To the wealthy, greedy elite, and their “wantabies” this may sound like socialism, but I maintain it is the future reality. Some population experts expect a world population of 11 Billion by 2050, almost a doubling of current levels in 40 years…a generation. Many nations on Earth can’t sustain their current populations now, let alone a 50% increase. Resources like food, fresh water, strategic metals, energy, etc are not available for a population of 11 billion souls, at any price.

This unpopular, to some, position is one I have maintained since earning a BA in Political Science back in 1971. Then the “Military-Industrial Complex” was going strong. While changes have occurred since, the overall standard of living for the average human on this planet has decreased. It will continue to worsen, unless proper planning and acceptance of these issues takes place. Ignorance of basic needs like food, fresh water, and quality of life for all, rather than a select few will result in disaster. Global warming and all the associated perils are already beyond the ability of mankind to reverse. Recognition of the “Post-Consumer” economy is just a first step.

To quote a fictional person, “The rights of the many, outweigh the rights of a few!”

Creative Marketing Ideas

The following creative marketing ideas are specifically about finding new places and ways to advertise. This has always been an area ripe for new ideas. What prompted me to write this page is an article I recently read on a company called Show Media.

Show Media has advertising displays on top of 3,000 taxis in New York. They charge client (which include Levis, Nike and other big companies) $200 per month for each ad, and they pay $100 to the cab company. That leaves enough room for healthy profits. Founder Laurence Hallier says that a typical campaign, which would cost $40,000 per month for exposure on 200 taxis, is seen by 25% of the city's residents - each day.

That got me to thinking about what other creative marketing ideas and opportunities are out there in the area of advertising. The following is a short list I am coming up with as I write this. Some of these may already exist.

Street Signs - In these tough times, many cities are looking for additional revenue. Could placing advertising on street signs provide it? In addition to providing monthly revenue, the company that arranges this might have to make new signs for the city, saving it this cost.

Personal Car Ads - I know this is being done in some areas already. What is needed is a simple system. Have a place where a driver can pull in, have a sign attached to his or her car, and get a check for keeping it there for six months.

Kite Ads - In areas with consistent breezes it might be possible to have kites flying most of the day with large ads on them. Beaches are a natural location, but this may work in other places as well.

Sidewalk Audio Advertising - As people walk by certain locations an ad automatically plays. Advertisers could be charged by the number of times an ad plays (getting a good deal when more than one pedestrian happens to be there to hear it). Another angle here is to sell the units to specific businesses. A restaurant might have a recording that is triggered by each passer-by, saying something like, "Hello, come on in right now and you'll get a free drink with your sandwich."

Yard Sign Advertising - I'm not sure about the legality of this in most places, but many yards have signs supporting political candidates or announcing that some company just replaced the windows or did the landscaping, so why not have paid advertising? Residents get a monthly check for each sign, and advertisers pay twice that, leaving room for a profit for the company that does this.

Mural Advertising - This one might be an opportunity for a budding artist. He could find a building that is ugly and ask the owner how much he would want to have a nice advertising mural on it. Then he could find advertisers who will pay enough to leave him with a decent profit. The owner of the building might have to get final approval on the planned mural and agree to leave it there for a couple years.

Odor Advertising - Have the smell of fresh cooked food pumped onto busy sidewalks, alongside a sign or audio ad promoting a restaurant.

Advertising With Plants - Bushes could be trimmed into the shape of a company logo. Flower beds could be planted with logos or even in the shape of words for advertising. Cornfields near airports could have ads cut into them to be seen by plane passengers above.

Marketing Games - A company might get word-of-mouth advertising by making it into a contest or game. Participants sign up online and get a number which they give out with their recommendation. The person who has referred the most customers after a year wins a big prize.

DVD Ads - There is already advertising for other movies IN DVD movies, but what about on the box that the DVD comes in. I'm not referring to the one that it is sold in. Many movie rental stores have their own blank boxes that they send out all of their movies in. Could they sell advertising on those? It could be for local products or services (a restaurant, for example), or products available nationally.

Those are the ten creative marketing ideas that I could think of in the forty-five minutes it took to write this. You can probably add a few to the list with a bit of brainstorming.

About the author:
Copyright Steve Gillman. Learn more Ways To Make Money, and get the free Unusual Ways (To Make And Save Money) Newsletter, plus e-courses and ebooks, at: http://www.UnusualWaysToMakeMoney.com

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Advertising for Free

Advertising for Free
by: Omar Radaidehf


Advertising for free sounds impossible when mentioned, especially if we're talking about effective advertisment . But there are several ways by which the cost of advertisement can be reduced or even eleminated (money wise) though at the expense of some extra time, and with the help of some imagination and creativity.

A business wanting to advertise, through article marketing, can write articles related to their field of expertise and can submit them to media and publications having interest in that particular field. The advertising article can have information about the company and dealership opportunity. new websites have sprung up which offer free services such as article submission and press releases and articles can be written for these websites and then broadcasted for free, which will be viewed by hundreds of people everyday.

Once the business has gained some recognition, within no time it will gain popularity .

Free bulletin board located in the neighborhood, like in grocery stores, libraries, and salons, are another good idea. Advertising circulars can be posted on such boards for free. Circulars for mass distribution can be handed out at the mall, shopping center, bus stops, particularly on weekends when there is a big rush. Students can be hired on part time basis for this purpose.

Promotional advertisement can be printed on the envelopes used by the business firms. Both the sender and the receiver can view this advertisement. Promotional offers can be sent to customers by postcards, which should be utilized to its full, leaving only place left for writing the address.

Some of the new mail order publications offer free first time and seasonal deductions for advertisers. Other publications offer pay per inquiry space. Inquiries can be made about stand-by space, which means that the publication holds the submission of advertisement until the space is not sold and in that case, thirty three percent saving can be achieved. Usually local newspapers provide these kinds of offers.

If the business is involved in ad sheet or catalog publishing, other publishers can be contacted for the purpose of bartering an advertising exchange. They can place advertisement in their publication, in return for placing their advertisement in the business’s publication.

Free offers can be provided to the customer. This can be done by emailing or printing newsletter about information regarding the area of interest of the targeted customers and can be made popular by using tag lines. Attach a free coupon with it, which the customers can use it for shopping, if a criterion is met like minimum purchase of $ 50. By this the response will be huge and most of them will purchase something or the other to avail the free offer. The basic ingredient for advertising for free is imagination and research. Opportunities should be searched and a strong working force should be applied to increase the sales.

Cinco de Mayo at Maria's Santa Fe

Maria's, my favorite place in Santa Fe, NM for food and Tequila

Apocalyptic Marketing

Whether or not you may believe in the End Times, Armageddon, the Apocalypse, or the prophecies of 12-21-12, many others do. As that prophetic date approaches, there exists a marketing niche worth millions, perhaps billions of dollars.

A current local story tells of someone selling “Flu” surgical masks along the roadside for $5 each. He sold 800 the first day!

I strongly recommend against any type of scam. There is certainly enough value related products and information that will not only work to enhance safety and the feeling of security concerns about any possible Armageddon. Many of these products have multiple uses: disasters, camping, power failures, etc.

Apocalyptic Marketing follows a normal marketing path: Networking, communication, advertising, sales, market research, the Four “P’s”, and all those AMA things.

Some ideas to consider:

1. Books, pamphlets, instruction & information DVD’s, teaching

2. Supplies: dried food, equipment, 3-day emergency packs, Geiger counters, first aid kits, etc.

3. Shelters/bunkers, remote land, rural second home sites, off grid farmsteads, solar power, etc.

4. Hands on training in first aid, martial arts, fire arm safety, building skills, cooking, survival, crafts, animal husbandry, etc.

5. Local emergency supplies depending on area & possible disasters: tornado alley, tsunami coastal area, earthquakes, nuclear power plants, etc.


Some existing Internet sites:

Emergency Essentials: www.beprepared.com
Emergency Supplies: www.emergencyanddisastersupplies.com
Survival Unlimited: www.survivalunlimited.com/
US Bunker: http://www.usbunkers.com/
Rural Land Sales: http://www.landwatch.com/
Solar Energy: http://www.realgoods.com/

As you do your marketing plan, you’ll soon get the idea, and realize you’re not alone in this endeavor. Marketing a reliable product for profit, benefits buyer and seller. Even if the optimistic, “rose colored glass” view, nothing happens by 12-21-12, it is a win-win situation.

Quintessential Careers: Building Your Personal Brand: Tactics for Successful Career Branding

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.



What is it that all successful companies have mastered -- and what job-seekers looking to advance in their careers need to master? What is it about Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Starbucks, Disney, and McDonald’s? What makes a consumer buy one product over another -- and makes one job-seeker much more sought after than others? The answer is marketing, but more specifically it is the power of branding. And branding isn’t just for products anymore.

Branding can be described as many things, but it’s best defined as a promise… a promise of the value of the product… a promise that the product is better than all the competing products… a promise that must be delivered to be successful. Branding is the combination of tangible and intangible characteristics that make a brand unique. Branding is developing an image -- with results to match.

Branding (some call it self-branding when talking about individuals) is essential to career advancement because branding helps define who you are, how you are great, and why you should be sought out. Branding is your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from others, and describing the added value you bring to a situation.

Most job-seekers are not proactive in establishing and building their career brand, letting their actions speak for them when seeking promotions or new jobs. But why not take the time to master some very basic tactics that can help build your career brand and make you a much more attractive employee or job-seeker? Remember, if you don’t brand yourself, others will for you. And while you may be happy and secure in your job now, you really never know when that will change.

Management guru Tom Peters, writing in his book The Brand You50 (Reinventing Work): Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an "Employee" into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion! states: “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc.” He adds, “You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description.”

This article takes you through five easy tactics for building and strengthening your career brand.

Gain Experience/Track Accomplishments
Building your brand begins with tracking your past accomplishments and gaining strategically important new experiences. Your accomplishments are the foundation of your career brand.

But before you seek out new work, take the time to plan and focus on what you want your brand to stand for -- and develop a strategy for gaining experience in areas of your brand in which you are weak.

So, besides doing your job, ask for new and challenging assignments that will build your brand. Consider freelancing or consulting. Use volunteering to gain experience. If you’re a student, seek out multiple internships.

Complete Education/Training
For many careers, a minimum amount of education is necessary, but to excel in your career you may need to complete additional education, training, or certifications. Getting additional education can greatly enhance your career brand.

It may be hard in terms of time and finances, but find a way to do it. Some employers even offer an educational reimbursement benefit.

If you are unsure if you need more education -- and you probably do -- seek out a mentor, someone highly respected in your field (who has branded himself or herself well), and ask for advice.

Promote Yourself
You can have an amazing brand, but if no one knows about it, you are not going to have much success with your career development. And no one more than you has more reasons to promote your brand.

Throw modesty out the window? There is a fine line between bragging and promoting -- and you need to learn it -- but it’s always better to err on the side of promoting your brand than not.

One of the oldest tools of promotion for job-seekers is the resume, and you certainly need to start there by listing all your key accomplishments, skills, and education on your resume. You may even have your positioning statement (qualifications summary) on your resume… but don’t stop there.

Begin developing two career portfolios -- a print one and an online one. If you don’t have a personal Website, now is the time to buy a domain (such as myname.com) and let the world read all about the benefits of your brand. Your portfolio should include all important brand artifacts: resume(s), mission statement, detailed accomplishments list, samples of work, articles and working papers, speech transcripts, awards and honors, testimonials, and more.

One interesting trend we’ve seen is of employers “Googling” the names of prospective job-seekers -- typing each name into one or more Internet search engines -- and basing initial candidate screening decisions partly on the number (and quality) of hits for each job-seeker. The lesson? Your brand needs to have a strong online presence.

And finally, don’t forget to promote your brand on the job. Workers often assume the boss knows your accomplishments, but often times s/he does not. Certainly at review time, have a list of all you have achieved since your last review, but also consider finding ways to let the boss know your successes throughout the year.

Become an Expert
Nothing builds credibility in a career brand more than establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

Start by writing articles that showcase your knowledge -- and getting them published (ideally) in noteworthy media outlets. Consider self-publishing.

Seek out conferences and meetings where you can give speeches and presentations.

Play up awards and other recognition that can help label you an expert.

Get quoted by offering your thoughts, ideas, and opinions to journalists and reporters.

Consider constructing a professional Website where you can publish all your articles and speeches.

Build Relationships
Nothing in marketing is more powerful than a promotion tool called word-of-mouth, which can be defined as what people say about you.

Thus, nothing is more powerful in building your career brand than what your network of contacts -- your friends, colleagues, customers, clients, and former bosses -- say about you and your set of skills, education, and accomplishments.

And keeping your network strong involves nothing more than relationship building. Keep in good contact with your network and be sure they know of your most recent successes.

But the best brand-builders don’t stop with their current network; these folks are in constant network-building mode. Search out new professional associations as well as the growing number of online networking communities.

Final Thoughts
Once you identify and build your brand, remember to continue strengthening and protecting it. There will always be competing brands (job-seekers) ready to fill any gap you leave behind. You are indeed founder and CEO of Me, Inc., and the more you do to cultivate your career brand, the more successful you’ll be with your current employer and in the job-search.




To better understand how these marketing terms apply to job-hunting it helps to first understand the terminology. To that end, go to our Marketing Concepts Glossary. And for a general introduction to marketing and career development, read: Using Key Marketing Tools to Position Yourself on the Job Market.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of EmpoweringSites.com. He is also founder of MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of Quintessential Careers Press, including the Quintessential Careers electronic newsletter, QuintZine. Dr. Hansen is also a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Finally, Dr. Hansen is also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years. Visit his personal Website or reach him by email at randall(at)quintcareers.com.

10 ways to Celebrate Earth Day

by Robert Budlow

Even though some geophysicists suggest that the Earth is approximately 4.7 billion years old, when do you think the first Earth Day was celebrated as a holiday in the US? If you guessed anytime greater than 50 years, you would be wrong. The first recognized Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. It was not a celebration at all; in fact it was just the opposite. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin, known as the “Father of Earth Day” created this idea as an environmental protest, “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.” Over 20 million people took to the street that day to support the protest. In fact the EPA was founded as a direct result from this first Earth Day.
Now, nearly 40 years later there seems to be a resurgence of environmental conscious and Earth Day is more a celebration rather than a protest. So, what are some relatively easy things you do to help the environment today and well into the future?

1. First and foremost, you should recycle. Ink Cartridges are a killer. So are most electronics. Don’t just throw out your old cell phones, printers, computers, glass, batteries, newspapers, plastic stamped with a #1 or #2 on the bottom, solicitation mail (aka junk mail), cereal and shoe boxes. They all should be recycled.

2.Reuse bags. Bring bags back to the grocery store and refill them with new groceries. Better yet, bring a canvass bag.

3.Replace your light bulbs with CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights)

4.Unplug chargers (phone, computer, etc.) and turnoff lights and other electronics when not in use.

5.Use organic and natural landscape techniques. Pesticides are not necessary to produce a green lawn.

6.Install programmable thermostats. Each degree up or down not only consumes less energy, but is better on your wallet too.

7.Use less water: Don’t run the water while you’re brushing your teeth, and take shorter showers.

8.Use Refillable water bottles. Those small plastic water bottles are a killer on the environment.

9.Download Digital books. No trees are harmed and no ink is used to create digital books. Better yet, download digital books about the environment. Here’s one for the kids: “All the way to the Ocean.”

10.Whenever possible, use a bus, subway, ride a bike or walk.

Here are some facts you may not know:

1.The average American generates more than 3.5 pounds of trash a day.

2.About 90% of the energy used in lighting with a standard bulb is lost as heat. (See point #3 above)

3.Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as one million sea creatures every year.

4.US industry “admits” to four billion pounds of toxic pollution released per year.

5.Approximately one billion books are put into landfills each year. (See point #9 above)

On April 22, let’s all take some time to celebrate the Earth. You’ll be happy you did. So will the generations of people who will walk this Earth in the centuries to come.


Robert Budlow, father of two, is president and co-founder of Still Motion Media, publisher of MobiStories, Virtual Books for Kids, MobiStories. Recognizing that there was little content for digital screen-savvy young children, Mr. Budlow started this company with another Dad who had left his job as a Hollywood Art Director. Prior to this Mr. Budlow was founder of a direct marketing and Internet services firm based in New York City. In addition, he is also Board President of the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation. He can be contacted at rbudlow@stillmotionmedia.com

How to Become a Celebrity in Your Field

This is happening all around you, and you can see the results. Here are a few names: Martha Stewart, Britney Spears, Colonel Sanders, Colin Powel, Lance Armstrong, Paris Hilton, Opra Winfrey, Tiger Woods. Need I go on? Some of these people are extraordinarily talented; some show only a talent for getting noticed. But, it’s a good bet that there are people in their fields who are just as talented, but are not as well known. What makes the difference?

Keep in mind there are degrees of celebrity which vary based on an individual's region or field. While someone might be a celebrity to some people who are interested in their area, to others they may be completely unknown. You may be interested in becoming a celebrity retail store owner in a small city, while another person may want national fame in an industry.

What these people and others who want to be seen as leaders are doing is honing their own “personal brand.” They are following the Four Universal Rules of Personal Branding.

Universal Rule #1 – Nothing is Sold Until it is Branded. Here’s shorthand for understanding branding. Branding is “pre-selling.” We’ve moved from a selling world to a buying world. Nobody wants to be sold anything, but they do want to buy. Buyers want to investigate, educate themselves and buy the product or services they think they have discovered. They want to follow the thought leadership of someone they believe they have found. The good news is, if you don’t like selling, this is a perfect strategy for you because buyers show up at your door pre-sold.

Universal Rule #2- Visibility is More Important than Ability. That’s a chilling thought, isn’t it? But, think about it. Do you know a competitor who is incompetent but still gets business? Visibility. Visibility builds trust, and all sales are built on trust. As human beings, we have a few ways to judge people and products. One way is if we see it everywhere, we start to believe it is trustworthy. If everyone is investing with Bernie Madoff, we believe he is credible. So, if you want to be a celebrity in your field, get visible. You can’t hide behind your business or avoid the public and become a celebrity.

Universal Rule #3 – What You See is What You Think You Get. Perception drives our world. In the quest to become a celebrity in your field, you must manage perception or it will manage you. So, start with the image you project. Do you exude confidence? Do you stand out in a crowd? Are you gregarious or at least have a character that is interesting? Avoid the sin of being too conservative and reserved which is perceived as mousey and insecure, which is death to celebrity. Harry Beckwith in his book You, Inc. says “People think in stereotypes. People think and buy with their eyes. They hear what they see. Watch your visual clues to trigger the right stereotypes.”

Universal Rule #4 – People Trust People They Like, and are Impressed With. In the western psyche “like” and “trust” and inextricably linked. We have a difficult time trusting someone we don’t like and we intrinsically trust someone we do like. Buyers always prefer to do business with a person, not a company, because we know we can trust a person we know. Logic loses out to emotion every time, and people find confidence very attractive. People buy and will pay more for the way you make them feel, so make them feel good. Everyone is looking for a guru, no matter the field. We want advice we can depend on and follow. Show people you are that person.

These are the principals behind the strategy of becoming a celebrity in your field. How you apply these principals is the subject of another article.


How to Become a Celebrity in Your Field - To learn more about this author, visit Vicki Garcia's Website.

http://www.marketing-impressions.com/

Internet Business Survival

Another timely reprint, tweaking traffic, reprints, search engines, etc. In three years, not one dime in income, what the hell?


Everyone online wants to make money; however, there are many people online who need to go back to some of the basics outlined below. There is entirely too much hype, too much hoping for the "next miracle ebook" or some other short cut.

The truth of the matter is that for the average Joe or Josephine online, the internet business will not be built overnight and they will need to adhere to some of the same basic principles that those retail stores use to get customers in the door.

The first thing you need to do is realize that the Internet is a place where you have to establish your creditability on each transaction with each customer. Doing what you say, offering quality products that you yourself have tried, and maintaining an attitude that the customer needs to have the reassurance to do business with you, will get you many more dollars than high pressure sales tricks. There is no reason for a customer to trust you unless you offer your complete name, business name, address and a way to contact you within your website or your order form. A thank you note also helps the customer to confirm that their order was processed correctly and gives you a chance to acknowledge again their value to you and your respect for them.

Make your website easy to navigate. Make the products and the way to purchase them stand out. Do not add a bunch of other filler or banners and items that only take away from your main focus - your product or service. When a shopping cart or buy button is presented, make sure that it is a smooth transaction and ask for as little information as possible to get the order confirmed. People hate to fill out tons of lines on your form and will leave if you try to ask them everything under the sun about their situation on the first contact. Also, make sure that they are aware of your privacy policy that you will never share their information.

Remember, the goal is to either get them to purchase a product or to get them to leave their email address and first name so that you can contact them again with tips, articles, and other software or items that will be of interest to them. Let them receive something for nothing for a while as everyone loves free items and they will look forward to receiving your newsletter. Most people will not buy on their first contact with you or your website, so you need to reinforce your trustworthiness.

When you send out a newsletter, do not send it too frequently. Once a week or twice a month is much better than three times a week. Always use the same format and make it quick, swift and to the point. This is not the place to write your life history and what you did for entertainment that weekend. It is a method that you can communicate with your customer and encourage them to trust and place their confidence in you. Anything that you can do to that end will reward you many times over.

If you have a product that others are marketing, then check out their websites. Find the top people in your business and see what they are doing. You can search Google or Yahoo or any of the other major search engines to come up with these competitor's websites just by inserting keywords relevant to your industry and seeing the top ten that come up. Do not copy what they have on their websites, but just get the feel for the website and why they are having success. Make notes as you scroll through the website and see what you like about their website, how they showcase their products, their ease of use, their ability to explain their product or service in easy to understand wording, and how their guarantee works, anything that will help you to understand why someone would come to this website and feel comfortable with their decision to purchase from this vendor.

Another important point is to make sure your colors on your website convey the mood you are trying to establish. If you do not know what colors can do for your website, then do a search and some reading and learn the combinations that are pleasing to the eye. Do not load the website up with graphics that are not necessary. Even flash introductions seem to be on the way out lately. Everyone has moved back to the website being functional and less is more here. You will have more customers, more visitors, and more orders for your company if you keep things simple but professional.

Make your headline and subheadings grab the attention of the reader. Most people will not stay on a website but a short time unless they are directed through curiosity to find out more about what you are offering. So, lead their mind where you want it to be within the first headline and first couple of sentences. Avoid mundane headings like Welcome to My Website or I am so glad to have you visit - I am happy to be able to show you my products. Do use headings like Are You Afraid You Are Being Left Out?

Your goal is to direct the customer's mindset and allow them time to indulge in reading your website. If they think they will find some value within your words, products or services, then you will continue to keep their interest if you are honest with them. Usually, the first hint of the self-indulgence type of sales words and the customer is long gone.

Fulfill a need, provide an excellent service, make the website easy to understand, and do not be pushy or extreme in your declarations. Then you will have the basics down of making your Internet business lasting and successful.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Don Fletchinger specializes in teaching other people how to start earning multiple paychecks working from home. His money making website contains the best diversified business opportunities, training programs and ideas on the internet today. http://www.home-business-paychecks.com

Recession Marketing........... on TV

Months, perhaps years, after I first mentioned Recession/Gloom/Depression/Dooms Day Marketing on this blog....it appears to have found it's way to the Nightly News. Seems that Savvy(sic) Marketing folks have dreamed up this concept recently. Bad times can make money...well duh!

If I had a dollar for every idea I thought of first I would have a lest $10...or $500,000,000. After the "blind eyed optimists" and folks wearing "Rose Colored Goggles " loose steam, they get all excited and adopt the concept that Pessimism, like Greed....is good. Uh huh. Where you nimrods been sleeping?

I predict they will be teaching this in college MBA classes someday..because we will never, ever get out of this miss. A 500 point gain in the stock market is trivial when you see how much the DIA falls when the first Nuke detonates on London, Tel Aviv, or NYC.

Reputation Management: How to Manage Your Reputation Online

Here is a repost of an interesting article. I recently became a member of Twitter and Multiply.

If you've ever Googled your name, you know how important managing your reputation online can be. Each day, thousands of individuals are searching online for information about others simply by searching on Google or other leading search engines. With information being so readily available, managing your reputation is more important than ever.

How to Manage Your Reputation Online
Fortunately, managing your reputation online isn't all that difficult, but it does take work. Here are 7 basic steps you can take to ensure that your reputation doesn't become negatively impacted by what's being said about you online.

1. See where you stand. Start your reputation management initiative by Googling your name. Try it with quotes and with out (first and last name together). Look through each of your results on page one and page two of Google. Are there any there are are negative or you wish to remove?

2. Set up a Google alert. Visit Google and set up an alert for your name. After setting up the alert Google will send you and email to confirm that you wish to receive the updates. Accept the alert and each time your name is published to the Web, you'll know about it.

3. Contact website owners for name removal. If there are sites that include your name and commentary that is less than desirable, contact the appropriate websites requesting that the information be removed. More often than not, website owners will agree to remove your name and/or inappropriate information.

4. Purchase a domain with your name. Add sites and webpages associated with your name and watch negative search results get pushed lower on Google rankings. Visit GoDaddy or another provider of website URLs and hosting, and purchase a domain that contains your name. Even if your name is rather common, experiment with variations until your name can be established in the form of a dot com. Once you own a domain, publish a webpage with your personal profile.

5. Start a blog under your name. Blogger is a great tool for setting up your own blog which can be used to publish information about yourself. Popular blog sites are often picked up by Google and you can control the content. Be sure to sign up for Technorati after your blog has been published. Submit your blog for review and its popularity will increase, improving search rankings and continuing to push down negative search results.

6. Free press release. Use free-press-release.com or a similar free press release site to publish favorable information about your and your reputation. This form of reputation management is easy and costs nothing. Be sure to use your name throughout the release and in the release title.

7. Author articles in your field. Publish article relative to a particular topic or area in which you've done some work or have experience. Use article distribution serivces to build online references to your content. Make sure your articles contain an about the author section that links back to your main website.

There are a variety of strategies you can use to manage online references about you, your family, or others that need to manage their reputation online. Other online sites like Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, and Squidoo, offer ample opportunity to deliver favorable search results that can push unfavorable results down in search engine rankings. The key is to start today - proactively manage your reputation and put yourself in a favorable light.



About the Author
Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert and founder of MarketingScoop.com. He has more than 13 years of marketing experience and has appeared on the TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media. Michael is also the author of SEO Made Simple: Strategies for Dominating the World's Largest Search Engine and The Webmasters Book of Secrets: Improve Search Engine Rankings.

How to Invest in a Depression

Reprint from CNN Money

How to Invest in a Depression
Posted by Two Cents Editors
March 6, 2009 10:09 am
The Dow Jones Industrial Average seems to be on a permanent downward track. The nation’s GDP has plunged into negative territory. And something once considered unthinkable—a depression—is now a real possibility. That’s the finding of Harvard economists Robert Barro and Jose Ursua, who studied the long-term data for stock market crashes and depressions from 25 countries, including the U.S. In a recently published paper, the economists conclude there’s a 20% chance that U.S. GDP and consumption will fall by 10% or more, something not seen since the early 1930s—in other words, a depression.

Of course, that would mean there’s an 80% chance a depression won’t happen. (I know which outcome I’ll be rooting for.) Still, for investors who want to prepare for the worst, you have options. “If you invest like it was the 1930s again, you can still make money,” says Lou Stanasolovich, CEO of Legend Financial Advisors, who shifted to a defensive strategy last fall. Stanasolovich’s moderate low-volatility portfolio, for example, invests two-thirds of its assets in hedge-style funds that counterbalance their exposure to stocks, such as Caldwell and Orkin Market Opportunity, Diamond Hill Focus Long Short and Rydex Managed Futures. Another 30% of the portfolio is stashed in high-quality fixed-income funds for additional safety. Since October this asset mix has generally delivered small but positive returns.

For nervous investors who don’t have enough assets to spread among a large number of funds, a simple alternative would be to shift a portion of your portfolio to safe accounts, such as bank CDs or money market funds. Granted, you will probably have to settle for yields of 2% or less these days. But inflation is also relatively low, so those yields actually give you decent real returns. And as Stanasolovich points out, “In times like these, where we are looking at deflation rather than inflation, even a 0% yield is a positive return.”

Still, a defensive allocation, while ideal for a Grapes of Wrath scenario, makes for a poor long-term investing strategy. You won’t get the growth you need to rebuild your nest egg. And sooner or later inflation is bound to spike again—some forecasters even worry that the ballooning government debt will eventually spark hyperinflation. If that were to happen, Stanasolovich says, your best strategy would be a heavy allocation to commodity funds and other inflation-beating assets. So if you do decide to revisit the 1930s, be prepared to shift your portfolio back to the future, or at least the 1970s.

Depressions have occurred about once every generation and it is complete arrogance to think it can’t happen in our time. The pattern speaks volumes about human behavior and our tendency to expect something for nothing. We are a bit overdue for the current adjustment that is upon us.

http://moneyfeatures.blogs.money.cnn.com/2009/03/06/how-to-invest-in-a-depression/

Sacrifice

The "War of Terror", the "Economic Depression/Recession" and all other social issues...where is the sacrifice? From the dawn of history, sacrifice for the common good has been essential for civilization, nations, businesses, and families to suffer through hard times.

Yet, during these current pressing times, where is the sacrifice? Sure, people are losing their homes, jobs, income, and retirement investments. But not by choice, not by self-sacrifice so that others may survive. Major company’s layoff thousands daily. How many would be laid off if all employees took a 25% pay cut, so that all may continue to work? Where are the people voluntarily offering to pay more in taxes so that projects, social services, and tax funded employees can weather the storm?

Citizens claim to be "Christians, Muslims, Jews, or other tenants of major or minor religions each holy day, but in practice, few follow their faith to serve others. Worldwide in the last 100 years people have become so self-centered, in their own little issues that helping others before self are merely a means to get on talk shows or reality television.

Sacrifice could be the solution for all of humanity to overcome war, poverty, homelessness, unemployment, and all the ills of civilization. "The rights of the many do indeed outweigh the rights of a few." From a numbers view I would say it requires more than a tithe of 10% or 15%. I would estimate as much as 50% of an individual’s time/money/assets/help for the good of the group society, or mankind. OK, now that your jaw has fallen into your lap, think about what everyone would get from such an arrangement. If 50% of your efforts and time go to help others, then 50% of their time/efforts go to help you, help your community, your nation, your world. It seems like a win-win situation, a no brainer.

Will it be done...probably not. Should it be done, of course, the survival of mankind demands it.

The End is on the horizon...sacrifice for others are the only solution!

TABLE TOP TRADE SHOW DISPLAYS 101

As a former Manufacturers Rep for Expo Systems and Expo Communications, I know the importance of this information, but realize that "Table Tops" are just one of many ways to exhibit your product.

Once you've taken the time to understand "who" you should be marketing to and have researched the appropriate shows to exhibit at, you will need to be certain that you are making an impact on the attendees' mind through your messaging, booth staff and Trade Show Display.

Depending on the size of the booths or table top expos that you exhibit at there are a wide variety of options to choose from, ranging anywhere from table top displays, panel systems, "Pop-Ups", banner stands, stretch fabric displays, custom modules, to full custom exhibits.

This article will focus on Table Top Exhibiting displays, which are The "Budget Exhibiting Option" of choice! Table Top Expos are offered by many Chambers of Commerce, Business Groups, Associations and sometimes as a "Budget Option" at many of the larger Trade Shows; so businesses with smaller budgets can take advantage of the opportunity to participate in a large show.

THAT'S ALL THEY COST!: For several hundred dollars, you really can't go wrong; Table Top Expos are typically very inexpensive to participate in and can be particularly beneficial if you are looking to reach prospects in a certain local market. Visit the websites of your local Chambers and business groups to look for these Table Top Expo opportunities - I guarantee that there is one being planned by a local organization "as we speak"!

WANT THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?: If you take the time to target your exhibiting efforts with a clearly defined plan, you will have a competitive advantage and leave with many QUALIFIED business opportunities.

I CAN USE MY DISPLAY EVERYWHERE!: You only need to spend several hundred dollars on a Table Top Display to present a polished image for your business. An added benefit with many of the Table Top options is the ability to use the display in unlimited ways; in your showroom, at meetings where you can set up signage, sales meetings, client presentations and MANY MORE -- just think outside the box to maximize the minimal investment spent on your display!

OK, now let's move on so I can describe the type of Display options available for your Table Top exhibiting!

PANEL TABLE TOP DISPLAY

Pro's:

- Inexpensive
- Easy to set up
- "Entry Level" type of display
- Many can be converted into a larger display
- Easily Portable

Con's:

- My personal opinion about these type of displays are that many of the Panel Table Top Displays make your image look "dated" and "cheap"
- Takes up most of the Table Top area available

POP UP TABLE TOP DISPLAY

Pro's:

- Inexpensive
- Easy to set up
- Easily Portable
- More visually appealing than the panel systems and makes a better statement about your company

Con's:

- Takes up most of the Table Top area available

DOUBLE SIDED BANNER STANDS

A personal favorite of mine that my clients find to be the most effective for Table Top Shows is Double Sided Banner Stands; they fit up against the side of the table and allow you to create MANY messages about the benefits of your company and products!

Pro's:

- Inexpensive
- Easy to Set Up
- Easily Portable
- Lightweight
- Leaves your table top space available for collateral, demonstrations, etc.
You can place them in your larger exhibits when you are ready for that type of booth, or even the lobby of your office, or bring them to meetings where you are allowed to place signage; the possibilities are limitless!...

Con’s:

- Contains small pieces that can get misplaced or lost


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Linda Musgrove, the TradeShow Teacher helps companies improve their Trade Show Results through customized Trade Show Marketing Help; with programs for individuals, or entire departments and with the Trade Show Training Manual she authored, titled: Trade Show Training, for Increased Return On Investment. Visit www.tsteacher.com to register for the FREE Monthly Trade Show Tactics Newsletter!

Article Source: http://www.marketingarticlelibrary.com

Doomsday Marketing

Domesday is coming, the Apocalypse, Armageddon, The End. It even has a date, December 21, 2012 at 11:11 AM.

All ready hundreds of books, magazine articles, TV documentaries, fictional movies are coming out or in the works. Hundreds of "Survival" companies and web sites exist to sell supplies for freeze dried food to bunkers.

This is perhaps a Billion dollar industry with world wide implications for marketing and advertising revenue. Hey someone will be selling this, may as well be you!

Here are some related links:

http://www.greatdreams.com/survival.htm

http://www.northwestsheltersystems.com/

http://www.earthmountainview.com/shelters.html

Identity Theft, Part 3

I haven't heard too much about identity theft here in the poor, meth driven NW. But the subject came to mind once again, as I received a "free" computer via "Craig's List".

The NW makes a humongous deal about being "Green" and recycling, so the thought of personal financial information left on those donated or trashed Hard Drives, never came to mind before. I have since remembered a HP 386 I bought many years ago, at a pawn shop, which contained among other things, "Quick Books" with the previous owners account info, etc. Being honest, I deleted all that crap.

Now for my present PC, the nice lady who gave donated it to me was concerned about not erasing "all data", so I simply removed her hard drive, returned it, and installed my old 80 Gig drive with all my software. I was dismayed to find out it had been erased. Oh well, I have downloaded all kinds of new software, etc. and will have to start over without my only copies of family photos & genealogy information. There may be some kind of program that can bring my data back, or anyone's info?

I have a simple solution, don't load all that info on your PC, laptop, etc. in the first place. I can't think of any reason to have credit card numbers, social security number and other confidential information saved to my computer!

Make Real Money Online Through Social Networking Websites - Be a Great Social Citizen

A lot of people are attempting to make real money online through social networking. Websites like MySpace and Facebook are no longer places where friends get together and discuss their favorite movie or book; these are now proper grounds to make some business. A lot of entrepreneurs are realizing this potential. They are building groups of people who would be interested in their product and promoting their products to them. People are buying into these products too because they are already interested groups who are looking for products such as these.

You can make real money online too. You need not have something concrete to sell too. You can make a great deal of money from the cuts that you can keep by forwarding some services to clients that are looking for them. Many webmasters look for writing, designing and SEO needs. If you get professionals in your social networking group who can give these services, you will have made a pretty bundle of money for yourself.

Many ingenuous people make real money online through networking. You could do the same too. But you will need to go about it the right way. Here are some beginner tips.

Start with a Great Profile
A good profile means half the battle won. If your profile can tell people what they can expect from you, you can expect a lot of people to join your group. And these would be targeted people who are really interested in what you are trying to promote.

Make Invitations to People
People are not going to find you just like that, at least initially. You have to put in the effort to search those people and get them to visit you. This is your preliminary activity.

Targeting your Niche
You need to find the people who would be really interested in whatever it is that you are trying to promote through your social group. Once you have these people, they become your niche.

Increasing your Exposure
Once a profile of yours has been established, move over to another website and make a profile there. That will give you a different section of people to work with and you will be able to enhance your online exposure that way.

Copyright (c) 2009 Buddy Shearer

The Grim Reaper

Oregon's unemployment is a record 9%, This past week over 2,000 jobs were lost and up north in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft announced 5,000 layoffs.

At the same time, there is a huge (up to 85%) surge in applications for Food Stamps and Public Assistance, not only here in the NW, but all over the country.

Bailout or Stimulus Package aside, there is no short term fix, and the economic picture looks dark & gloomy through 2010. In fact State economic problems are just beginning to trickle down to the local county and city level. Those layoffs and budget deficits are months away.

The "Obama Bounce" so far is a joke. Liberal Obama supporters say this is the bounce.......that the DOW instead of going down 1,000 points, would have gone down 4,000 points if McCain had won the election. Uh huh.

Gear up for survival mode folks cause it will get much worse, and in fact, may never get better. These may be the "good old days" of prosperity in 5-10 years.

Special Prosecutor for Hank Paulson?

Would you buy a used car from this guy?

I suggest that instead of trying to impeach George W. Bush, that a special prosecutor be enabled to investigate fraud and corruption charges against the Secretary of Treasury Hank Paulson.

His actions, abrupt demands, and maleficence of the use of the $700 Billion "Bailout" is not only outrageous, but I think possibly, even criminal. His original 2.5 page "Demand" for the money, with no oversight, and basically a blank check, poured money down a rat hole. His plan allowed mergers and acquisitions of major banks and did nothing for homeowners or stockholders. Could he be corrupt? Could "kickbacks" and bribes be involved? Only a Special Prosecutor can sort this out, but taxpayers should demand it!

Communication: Learning From the Past

If President Elect Obama has learned anything from studying the past he seems to have learned that the incentive to stimulate the economy must, arguably, start with jobs. After all, if consumers do not have jobs, they have no money and cannot support businesses. The big fear is that President Elect Obama's grand plans for a 'New Deal' type of job stimulus plan is not geared toward a quick fix. It is true that changes will happen slowly and the fact is there probably is no quick fix to an economy that has fallen so heavily into despair. Even in the past with the Great Depression the New Deal did not solve the problems of the economy, it only made it possible for millions of people to once again have hope—it allowed them to survive.

Survival is the key here. Getting through these troubled times without a total collapse of our way of life is the issue only this time it is not merely a U.S. problem it is global. Technology has linked every continent to the economic crisis in ways that while in good times is invigorating; in bad times it is catastrophic. Now more than ever in history the world as a whole has a stake in the well being of each and every nation's financial health.

Statistics show that a recession usually lasts about a year. We have gone beyond that time span and it is reasonable to assume this is not going to go away by itself. The economy is not going to right itself without a great deal of help and the plan proposed by President Elect Obama is at the very least a lofty goal that shows incentive and desire to provide relief to a scrambling nation. At its best over time it may just divert the scary inevitability of what a prolonged recession leads to—depression. The job stimulus plan attacks the problem at its core. Bailing out industry, shoring up banks, and other methods of salvaging a defunct economy are attempts to bandage the symptoms rather than fight the problem at its root.

Like the New Deal of the past the new stimulus programs are varied and widespread and do indeed include some aide to struggling corporations and banks. Like the New Deal of Roosevelt's time, however, it focuses on the people and getting the economy working again from the bottom up. Keeping people in their homes, putting food on their table, and giving them jobs so that they can stimulate the industrial world like no stimulus program possibly can is what worked in the past and will work again.

Right now it is hard for anyone to focus on anything other than fixing what is broke. Perhaps once things are working once more we can study our own recent past to see what errors were made to cause such critical failure. Certainly our rosy outlook on credit and spending are the crux of a problem that must not be allowed to happen again. It is common knowledge that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. It is time we stopped repeating this particular portion of history. Some day it may be impossible to keep it from becoming total annihilation.

For more information on the job stimulus plan, visit http://www.jobstimulusplan.com.

Communication: Learning From the Past
(Thu Jan 8th, 2009, by John Parks)