Resources

DISCLOSURE NOTICE: These are all resources that I  find useful and feel very comfortable suggesting to others. In most cases, these are affiliate links for which I receive a commission if you choose to use the product or service.

Relevant to Getting Started

I encourage you to subscribe to Collaboration and Growth Tips for Your Home Business (see right sidebar).  You will immediately receive a series of 12 messages that cover the basics for getting started with an online business (as well as for what is required in order to collaborate with other marketers).

I also recommend working with a business coach to be sure you have clarity regarding business fundamentals.

  • Learn more about coaching and consulting here.
  • At Coaching Cognition, there are scores of trained business and life coaches, of which I am one.  You will need to register (free) to peruse all of the coaching profiles.

Determining Your Niche

Every business starts with a laser-focused niche. The resource for niche clarification that I recommend depends on the type of marketing you hope to implement. (If you are not sure about this, then that is the first issue to explore with a coach – see above.) Which of the two models more closely represents your interest?

1. Do you plan to be in business primarily as a coach, consultant, service-provider, merchandiser based on your own-designed products, or a blogger? Then I recommend Cindy Schulson. Your best bet, and what I highly recommend, is her well organized, step-by-step program called “Your Clear Path to Ideal Clients.” However, you can get an idea of the basics that Cindy teaches from her free report called “Ten Steps to Finding and Attracting Your Ideal Niche.”

2. Do you plan to be in business primarily as an affiliate marketer?  Then I highly recommend the following two training materials from Kevin Riley …

  • A video – Niche Research for affiliate marketers. One hour webinar. (If you get the book below, forget the webinar.)
  • A book – a Step by Step Guide to Mini Affiliate Cash Sites. It works well for beginners, while the more advanced marketer will benefit as well. It includes keyword research, product research and much more. It is written in great detail and well illustrated. You won’t feel lost

Creating Your Funnel Plan

The best resource is the Marketing Funnel Mastery course available through the School of Online Business at Marketing Merge.  The program includes 12 Lessons, many worksheets.

For quick, compact, cheap information, I recommend “Newbies Guide to Setting Up A Sales Funnel.”

Relevant to Your Own Products

Every entrepreneur needs to have a product. Once they have a product, they need a means to sell it.

Do you want to make it easy for others to help sell your product? There are several “entry” level affiliate systems.  Each system has its pros and cons.  However, I have listed them in the order that may be least expensive and simplest to use (make your own comparisons).

Other Resources

  • Best General Training Resources: I am a member and if you check this link you will see a partial idea of all the benefits (not including discounts to the twice-a-year conference): Niche Affiliate Marketing System (NAMS).
  • Establishing a Blog as Home Base.
  • Syndicate Your Content. Drive traffic by increasing your visibility and creating social buzz. See Build Buzz for Your Blog.
  • Joint Ventures.
    • Practical aspects of planning and working together with a JV partner: JVs Made Simple by Jeanette Cates and Connie Green.

 

Tools I Use

  • Great Premium PlugIns
    • Premium CommentLuv: Encourages people to comment on your blog posts and incentivizes visitors to share the post on Twitter and other social media.

      The CommentLuv Plugin
    • SEOPressor:  Get schooled in on-page-SEO while you write your posts.
  • Enounce – MySpeed: This is software for PC or Mac that can be used to speed up (or slow down) the play speed or many types of videos including webinars. Very handy way to make better use of your time. Call it a productivity aid.

  • iMindMap:  Premium Mind-Mapping Software. Includes a free basic version. iMindMap Basic

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