:Forest Folk

Let’s face it; we are a society of big spenders. We spend billions of dollars per year on everything from fast food burgers to trendy cars. However, the fact that we spend big doesn’t mean we don’t have an eye towards saving. As a matter of fact, quite the opposite is true. We like to save money nearly as much as we like to spend it and the vast majority of consumers are all too happy to take advantage of coupons, deals, and discounts.

It’s funny how times have changed. In days gone by, it was moms and grandmas who diligently used coupons and scouted for promotional discounts. Those women sure knew how to save a buck. Today, men and women alike search for and take advantage of coupons, coupon codes, and discount offerings. In fact, even children are getting in on discount hunting. After all, toy stores, game shops, and fast food chains offer quite attractive promotional deals. Some discounts are so good that even the tiniest tikes can spend their allowance money and still have some left to save.

The advent of online coupons has revolutionized bargain hunting. Many people, who cringe at the thought of clipping coupons, are all too happy to search for coupons, discounts, and incentives online. Searching the Internet for coupons requires surprisingly little effort and even the busiest consumers manage to find time to look for money-saving promotions. In fact, there are many consumers who simply will not make purchases unless they can find online coupons or deals to help them save some cash.

Wondering how to find online coupons? That’s easy; use a search engine. Search engines are wonderful for finding all sorts of things and money-saving deals are no exception. Though in the past you had to search through newspaper ads and brightly colored circulars for promotional discounts, deals, and coupons, things are drastically different today. Now you can simply boot up your computer, open, your browser, go to your favorite search engine, and find hot deals and online coupons for everything from chocolate and wine to clothing and electronics.

Among the most popular search engines are Google, Yahoo, and Excite. However, there are many search engines and each computer user usually has a favorite. Essentially, it really doesn’t matter which one you use.

To find deals and promotions, surf on over to your favorite search engine and type “coupons” in the search box. You are likely to be presented with thousands of hot deals and coupons. Such promotions are available for just about any product you can imagine and many of them are printable for offline use as well. Take some time a look through some of the coupon sites. Each site will have a different type of setup. Choose to bookmark the sites that appeal to your personal preferences.

Keep in mind that some sites allow their online coupons to become stale. Avoid sites that do this. Who wants expired coupons? Instead, look for sites that boast the latest, most up-to-date coupons. Doing so will save you both time and frustration.

There are numerous sites on the Internet, dedicated solely to posting online coupons. While you could search for coupons yourself, doing so would be very time-consuming and you’d have trouble finding the best deals. Coupon sites compile money-saving deals for you. With such sites to hand, saving money is a breeze.

Some deal and discount sites do more than offer coupons. Some sites also provide free product reviews and buying guides. These extras are great as they provide the perfect accompaniment to online coupons. You can save money, of course, using the coupons and promotional deals and also make certain you are buying the best products by reading reviews and perusing buyer’s guides.

You can find a coupon for nearly anything you wish to purchase. Many people think of coupons as useful for portable items only. However, there are coupons available for everything, including business services and travel. You can find an online coupon to redeem in the purchase of an incorporation kit for your business and, on the same site, find a coupon to help you save money on your next vacation or business trip.

No matter what your income, online coupons should have a place in your life. Even if you have plenty of money, you are not likely to enjoy just throwing it away. That is exactly what you do, by paying full price for something, when you could have a saved a considerable sum by looking for an applicable coupon, deal, or promotion. With all the money you save using online coupons, you can save for a vacation, help fund a loved one’s education, buy a new outfit, or even just put some cash away for a rainy day.

James Brown writes about Aj Madison Coupons and Coupon Codes

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Are you the rebelmouthy and opinionated? Do you like the thrill of change, always eager for the next new venture? Is your idea of security to never be the victim of a corporation’s downsizing or reengineering? Are you a fiercely independent risk-taker who can comfortably handle the uncertainty of being responsible for your own paycheck?

Answering “yes” to all these questions put me squarely in the entrepreneurial ring more than two decades ago, and I can honestly say I’ve never been happier. Or richer. Or more in control of my life and career.

I started with only $100 in seed money and my experience as a registered nurse. After putting in long shifts at the hospital, I worked part-time from my home for more than a year before my business gained enough momentum that I could quit my day job. I continued to work from home until my business income reached $1.2 million.

Did I have a secret formula? No, I was going on passion, commitment and intuitive vision, but I do have a formula now.

If you also answered “yes” to the questions above, and if you have a passion for the thrill and independence of being an entrepreneur plus commitment to follow through on that passion, this 7-part breakout formula will take you wherever you want to go.

One Part Research
First you have to know where you’re going, so research your chosen industry. Identify types of businesses that match your passionate vision and aptitude. Explore areas that show growth potential and, using your experience and insight, look for a need not presently being filled.

Find a successful company similar to the one you envision owning, and study how it started and how it grew. Learn as much as possible about the entrepreneur behind it. Devour books and publications related to your business concept. Talk to other entrepreneurs to discover their best practices.

One Part Vision
As an entrepreneur-in-training, you’ll need to build basic and advanced leadership skills. A successful entrepreneur is a bold visionary, seeing what others cannot and willing to follow that vision despite naysayers. Many entrepreneurs never finished college, but that hasn’t stopped them from owning large companies like Dell Computer and small companies like neighborhood restaurants and consulting firms. They relied heavily on their visions, not on MBA programs.

Entrepreneurs handle ambiguity with ease. They get a thrill out of leading the way into unfamiliar territory and thumb their noses at failure. Fearless pacesetters, they are usually mystified to find they’re weak at operations and management.

That’s okay. Other people can manage for you, but you must be the guiding force that inspires your managers and staff to follow your vision. You’ll shoulder responsibility and hold yourself personally accountable for the outcome. As a leader you have to focus on the big picture and trust others to focus on the details. People who do it all are self-employed but not entrepreneurial.

Three Parts Action
You must also be an actor. You act and get things done by delegating, subcontracting and leveraging other people’s talents. You’re innovative and unflaggingly determined, willing to put in fast-moving 16-hour days to reap the rewards of independence, creative freedom and unlimited financial gain.

Learn to be a marketing genius. Everything is marketing, from the way you say “good morning” to the contacts you make on an airplane to making a sales call. You sell ideas, products and services to potential purchasers by getting inside their minds and creatively communicating benefits.

Above all you must grow your enterprise and make a profit. People who say, “I love it so much I’d do it for free,” are not entrepreneursthey’re volunteers. Most entrepreneurs are willing to start small and grow slowly, but they fully expect to make money. There is nothing noble about being poor or failing financially.

Two Parts Strategy
When you know where you’re going and have the courage to act, the only thing missing is the strategy for getting you there - but this is no small thing. Jumping into business without a strategic plan is like jumping in the ocean without knowing how to swim.

To create the strategic plan, envision your enterprise exactly as you want it to be. Then write down your goals and objectives for achieving that vision. For each goal, create a strategy and a target date for achieving it.

Assess your strengths. You already possess knowledge, skills and experience your enterprise will draw on. One of my strengths is that I’m persistent and go for it all the way. List all your strengths that apply to your enterprise.

Then appraise your challenges. They might involve market penetration, profitability, expertise, competition or location. Challenges change as your enterprise changes. My first challenge was getting clients to recognize the need for a new type of consulting service. When my company grew, a new challenge surfaced: my weakness as a manager. Without addressing that weakness, I might have worked solo forever, never achieving the bigger vision. That challenge led me to seek the right directors to support my vision. How will your challenges impact your goals?
Finally, act like a CEO. Create an income and spending plan. Know where your money is going, question every expenditure and keep the cash flow positive. That means taking in more money than you pay out, plain and simple. Make a budget and stick to it.

A CEO gets things done through delegation, so create a framework of people who can help you achieve your entrepreneurial vision. Even if you work solo, you can benefit from a myriad of talented consultants, vendors and subcontractors. From day one I hired a subcontractor to assist me with client projects, which worked so well that I put off hiring my first employee for ten years. Eventually I recognized that to stretch toward a bigger vision, I needed employees. Expect your framework to change as your vision grows, but build it only as big as you need.

I always joke that I’m a working CEO, a style that makes things happen. But no enterprise is unsinkableeven the Titanic sank its first time out. In 1990 I hit an iceberg when my largest clients dissolved their law firm. Thankfully, through my vision, strategic plan and framework, I had the necessary lifeboats in place. My business stayed afloat and took a new course that changed my business forever.

After being an entrepreneur for more than two decades, I’m happier, more alive and more constantly challenged than I ever imagined when I started out working in my one-bedroom condo. Answering “yes” to some simple questions about myself made all the difference. If you’re mouthy, opinionated, independent and your desire for adventure leads you to entrepreneurship; I guarantee this tested formula will take you wherever you want to go.

Inc. Top 10 Entrepreneur Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD is the founder and president of Vickie Milazzo Institute. She is credited by The New York Times with creating the legal nurse consulting profession in 1982. She is the recipient of the Nursing Excellence Award for Advancing the Profession and the Stevie Award (business’s Oscar) as Mentor of the Year. Vickie has revolutionized the careers of thousands of RNs. She is the author of Inside Every Woman: Using the 10 Strengths You Didn’t Know You Had to Get the Career and Life You Want Now, coming March 2006 from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Order this top 5 Amazon.com bestseller now. Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright or other rights.
Copyright © 2006 Vickie Milazzo Institute, a division of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc., Houston, Texas.
All Rights Reserved.

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It is estimated that almost one in every four American people claim some kind of Irish roots. This is an amazing statistic given that the entire population of Ireland is just over five million people. During the famine times in Ireland in the mid 18th century literally over one million people starved to death while another million people fled to the four corners of the globe. America was the preferred destination of choice but the route was a treacherous and perilous one for those brave enough to take it.

A whole new industry has now sprung up in Ireland with thousands of Irish Americans tracing their family roots every year. Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy being but two famous Irish American names. Genealogy has become big business in Ireland in the past decade with dozens of companies only too happy to assist eager clients trace their family origins. Family crest names and family tree charts are the most common items sought after.

Imagine however being able to actually own your own little piece of Ireland, complete with title deed for less than an evening’s entertainment? Couple that with an original heart rendered poem in parched paper detailing the history of this piece of land and you have an ideal gift for any family member of friend with an Irish attachment. This gift is all the more unique in that the plots of land in question are bogland, which the Irish government and local agencies are stringently trying to protect as a piece of Irish heritage. Bogland is where turf is cut and is unique to certain parts of Ireland. Turf is a fuel that is burned in fires and smells beautiful in comparison to other fuels used in fires.

Imagine the joy and pride of being able to say that you “own a little piece of Ireland”. You are of course welcome to visit and stand on your own plot at any stage or even welcome to meet the poets author Conor Ward, a retired teacher, historian, bard, and owner of the land in question.

Dara Ward is an expert on all things Irish. He is the webmaster for his family operated business Irish Gifts Dara also operates one of Ireland’s best run travel websites Ireland Travel.

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Unless your small business is situated under a rock, you’ve probably heard something about email marketing by now, and you may have even wondered if it’s time for your small business to get into it.

In its simplest terms, email marketing means communicating with consumers through email. But there’s a big difference between trying to talk to consumers who never asked to be talked to in the first place, and talking to your own customers, who at some point have said, “Yes, I’d love to hear from you.”

That’s where permission email marketing comes in. Permission email marketing means giving valuable information to consumers who have requested to receive it. It is the ONLY legitimate way to send an email marketing campaign, and it is the only way your small business can benefit from email marketing.

But how do you get your customers to say “I do”?

If you have an online business, or if your offline business has a website that receives many visitors, compiling subscribers can be as easy as adding a subscription box to your website. You would offer users something valuable, like a periodical newsletter or emails with discount coupons and, in return, your users would subscribe to your mailing list.

Sounds great. But what if your business is primarily offline, and what if you don’t even have a website?

Many businesses think that’s reason enough to step out of email marketing altogether. But what they’re missing here is that compiling a permission email marketing list offline can be as easy, if not easier in some instances, as building a list online.

We have advised many clients on tips to collect email addresses at the point of purchase. Here are some of our favorite tactics:

- Collect business cards, Offer a prize.
This is one of the oldest, most proven methods of collecting customer information in-store. Your prize doesn’t even have to be huge. If you own a restaurant, it can be as simple as a free dinner for two. If you own a hair dresser, it can be as easy a 50% off coupon towards their next cut. The beauty here is that customers who submit their business cards have expressed genuine interest in your products or services. So when you contact them by email with further offers, you know you’re talking to people who want to buy what you’re selling.

The one thing to keep in mind here is that you MUST inform users that by submitting their business cards, they are agreeing to receive email communication from you. This can be as simple as adding a sign to the business card drop-off box saying: “We will send you an email to notify you if you have won. We may also send you periodical emails with special offers and announcements. If you do not wish to receive emails from us, please write ‘No Email’ on your business card.”

- Start a V.I.P. Club
Many consumers like the idea of belonging to something exclusive, and receiving offers that are extended only to a select group of people. The labor on your part is minimal. It’s as easy as keeping a notebook by the cashier. As a customer comes up to complete a purchase, casually tell them about your businesses’ V.I.P. Club and ask them if they would like to join. Customers will appreciate this if you position it as a rewards club, or a way to say “Thank you, we love to have you around” to your most loyal customers. Of course, you should offer V.I.P. Club membership to any of your consumers, as you may find, once you start emailing them offers, that’s a great way to build your most loyal customers. Make sure the offers you send them are, in fact, exclusive, and that you email V.I.P. Club members often enough, but not too often to become annoying (once or twice a month is usually a good interval).

Again, when you’re collecting customer emails for the V.I.P. Club, make sure your customers know they’re signing up to receive email offers from you.

***
These are just some ideas to get your permission email marketing subscriber list started. The best news here is that compiling a list is actually the toughest part of managing an email marketing campaign. As long as you’re using an email marketing manager program that’s specifically designed for small businesses like yours, the rest of the process is a breeze.

Creating a campaign involves little more than selecting a professionally-designed template, typing text and choosing a few good images. Your campaigns will be scheduled and sent automatically, so you’ll never have to worry about being involved in that part.

What you will get to do (and this is probably the most exciting and most rewarding part of email marketing), is analyze your campaign after it’s been sent. You’ll be able to see how many people opened your email message, how many people clicked on each link within the message and, best of all, exactly who did what. Now that’s what we call accurate, detailed, and immediate consumer research (you actually get to track your consumers’ actions from the exact moment they happen). And while you would previously pay a fortune just to get this research data, today your small business can send professional email marketing campaigns and track detailed consumer behavior for less than it would cost you to print store flyers.

It’s the new age of marketing, and there’s never been a better time for your offline small business to get into the game.

Robert Burko is president and founder of Eliteweb.cc, an Internet portal and suite of Fortune 500 tools designed for the specific needs of small businesses. Eliteweb’s permission email marketing manager is perfect for online or offline small businesses. Click on the link above for a no-commitment 30-day Free trial.

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Restructuring, redundancy, redeployment; mergers, acquisitions; downsizing, upsizing, expansion, streamlining; cost cutting, cost savings, cost justifications.

All the above signal change, and if you’re like most people, change might just sit a bit uneasily with you. This is true whether you’re changing where your desk is positioned or changing jobs. It’s very rare to have no reaction to change.

Though, of course, some people thrive on it and actually have a hard time maintaining any kind of status quo.

In this day and age of working practises, it’s unusual to exist with no change in your job or working environment. Yes, some people still do stay in one job for life, but that is no longer the norm as it was just a decade ago. People change jobs and even careers at a remarkable pace these days and yet, somehow, their emotional reaction to change hasn’t caught up with what they’re actually doing.

Now all the psychologists will tell you that even when you’re doing something by choice and that will supposedly make your life better (like changing job or moving house), you will still experience stress. So imagine how stressful things can be if you didn’t choose the change yourself; if it was imposed on you.

In the workplace you can almost be guaranteed that in most cases, one change after the other will indeed be imposed, not chosen. When this happens, there’s all kinds of resentments and disgruntled feelings that sweep around the office like flu: Why weren’t we consulted? It’s not going to work anyway. I could do a better job than them planning this move. Etc.

If this sounds familiar and is something you have in the past, or are going through now, we have a couple of challenging tips that might make it a whole lot more manageable.

First, you could decide to choose to go along with it all without a single gripe. ‘What?’, we hear you shout. Yes, you could take a look at whatever situation you find yourself in and choose something to agree with about the change. It doesn’t have to be something major, or even the key reason the change is happening; it should, however, be something you genuinely think is good. Sometimes (more often than not) we get so focused on the downside of change that we overlook the fact that there may very well be lots of upsides at the same time.

Second, initiate some change yourself. This, too, can be quite small, but its affect can be far reaching. The reason for this is the difference between passive choosing and active choosing. When change is imposed on us, we can go quite passive, either through frustration, anger, fear, anxiety or a combination of all of those feelings.

Once we become active, we create more energy, we get things moving, we feel less a victim to change than an active participant.

Finally, the thing about being actively involved in change is that you get to stay in charge of some of it, however minor a role, and you are seen to be someone who makes things happen.

Not a bad thing in an ever changing world.

Jo Ellen and Robin run Impact Factory who provide Change Management Training, Presentation Skills, Communications Training, Leadership Development and Executive Coaching for Individuals.

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If I can do it you can.

Let me tell you my story… After having tried many other ways
of making money online and failed, I was left with no other
option but to try the “ebay selling” thing.

Until then I always thought it was too complicated and like many
other people trying to make money online, I was not really
interested in the fact that most of the stuff sold on ebay is
physical stuff.

I was thinking to myself, if I am going to start making money on
ebay, I am going to have a place to store all this stuff and
then make sure it is shipped out on time.

Ah, too much work, I thought to myself!

But then, I discovered “drop shipping” and you should have been
there to see the BIG SMILE that I had on my face.

Now I could really further look into, making money on ebay all I
had to do was find a product that people were buying then search
my list of drop shippers to find who had that available. When I
find a drop shipper, I then simply list the item for auction on
ebay and when the auction ends, i collect the money from the
buyer, pay my drop shipper and have them ship out the item as
soon as possible.

Now that’s what I am talking about, but it gets better…

After I discovered drop shipping I then also discovered

contrary to my beliefs, I could also sell my preferred digital
products eg. ebooks, software etc. An even BIGGER smile appeared
on my face.

What do you know? This making money on ebay, was not as hard

as I thought after all.

In some ways it is much easier than the traditional direct
selling & advertising making money on the internet is famous for.

Why? Here’s three quick reasons…

1) On ebay you don’t have to worry about traffic, traffic flows
to the site in millions everyday.

2) All you have to do is find a product people want to buy and
bada bing bada boom you are making money on ebay.

3) Almost everyone who is coming to ebay, is looking to buy
something, just give them what they want and they will buy.

So there, you have it, if you are looking into making money on
ebay, go ahead and try it. I highly recommend it especially if
you have not made any money online yet. It will give you the
confidence you need to pursue other projects.

Your secret to success is…

Research, spend as much time as possible to find items that
people are “hungry” to buy. The more you find, the more money
you will make, it’s as simple as that.

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In part one of this article series on Super Affiliates we
addressed the fact that Super Affiliates are Opt-In List
Builders, they use Autoresponders to market to prospects over
and over, and they use extensive Ad Tracking tools to manage
their advertising campaigns.

In part 2 of this article we will examine four more
characteristics of Super Affiliates.

Super Affiliates use:

Professionally Written Content

OK. So you’re not the world’s greatest writer. Whether you are
or not isn’t the point. Every super affiliate makes certain that
the sales copy and content - on their own website or within the
ads they distribute - is top notch.

If they can’t do the writing themselves, they hire a
ghostwriter, someone who IS capable of producing content that is
not only compelling but also capable of producing results. In
most instances, the only result that matters is how much money
was generated due to that particular sales copy.

Don’t think you can afford to hire a ghostwriter? The way super
affiliates view this issue is pretty basic… the better the
writing, the better the financial gain. So the bottom line is,
if they can’t write their own “killer” content, they immediately
recognize the fact that they can’t afford NOT to hire a
professional to do it for them.

Super Affiliates are:

Keyword Marketers

You might not understand all the fine details of keyword
optimization, but one thing is certain, if you want to play with
the big boys - those super affiliates - you had better learn and
understand, at the very least, the BASICS of utilizing proper
keywords.

Unfortunately, even the basics are a bit too involved a topic to
cover adequately in the confines of this particular article.
Here’s a list of some of the areas where expertise in keyword
marketing is valuable.

1. Choosing the right keywords for pay-per-click campaigns

2. Optimizing web pages to generate quality viewer traffic

3. Having the ability to determine which keywords to avoid

4. Using keywords to help select the best affiliate programs

5. Isolating product specific keywords

The more proficient you become with regard to keywords, the more
productive you’ll be as a marketer in general.

Super Affiliates are:

Market Researchers

When it comes to “marketer” ability, keywords aren’t the only
area you should concentrate on. Being able to properly conduct
research is absolutely essential to any serious-minded affiliate
marketer.

One of the primary benefits would be understanding beforehand
which products, services, or programs to avoid and which ones to
become involved in. Also, it would allow you to determine
exactly what audience you should be promoting a particular
product to.

Super Affiliates excel in:

Traffic Generation

Having all the knowledge and expertise in the world won’t do you
any good if you can’t drive sufficient traffic straight to your
offers.

Not only do super affiliates handle this type of task with ease
and efficiency, they are constantly on the lookout for new and
innovative means of generating even MORE targeted traffic. If
you hope to compete, it’s something you absolutely positively
must be proficient in.

There’s one other aspect of driving traffic that every super
affiliate adheres to. That is, driving traffic to their own
website or pre-sell page and NOT the merchant’s website.
Granted, the viewer will ultimately get to that destination (to
actually make a purchase), but they should always be
strategically guided through YOUR system first.

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The online auction world was shocked by the biggest eBay fraud
in its seven year history. What made it even more astonishing is
the fact that the crooked seller has a five history of
successful sales on eBay, accompanied by thousands of glowing
testimonials from satisfied buyers.

Stewart Richardson, owner of a Michigan store called Retired
Figurine Exchange Inc., sold small figurines to eBay collectors,
some of them costing thousands of dollars. The heart of eBay’s
seller-honesty system is “Feedback”, which allows buyers and
sellers to rate each other. Mr. Richardson earned 6,185 positive
feedback points since he started selling on eBay in 1997, with
an additional 58 negative and 56 neutral ratings from buyers who
bought from him. These scores mean that 98% of the sales Mr.
Richardson made resulted in satisfied buyers.

Richardson posted large numbers of auctions which concluded
early in January, supposedly selling hundreds of figurines from
an estate sale. He apparently sold items he didn’t possess,
listed the same item multiple times and even contacted losers in
the auctions, informing them that the winners didn’t pay and
offering them the opportunity to buy. Then on January 17, he
left for lunch and hasn’t been seen since. Estimates of his
stolen money range from $225,000-$400,000. Investigators later
discovered that Richardson spent a total of about eight years in
prison during the late 1950s and 1960s for a number of felonies,
the most serious of which was assault with intent to commit
murder.

Nor is he the only high-profile crook. Brian D. Wildman was
convicted of wire and mail fraud for selling valuable sports
card sets ? but not delivering them as promised. Other sellers
were indicted for attempting to sell a fake painting for
$135,805. In another case, sellers themselves turned into a
vigilante group, seeking justice from a 35 year old man who sold
computers and then failed to deliver. The angry buyers
apparently broke the law in their attempts to retrieve their
money back from the dishonest seller.

You and I are damaged by these reports. There are many people
who are uneasy about internet sales in general, and these kinds
of high-profile stories make it tougher for honest people. In
truth, eBay claims that fraud includes only .01% of its
transactions, but that isn’t reassuring to a nervous buyer.

What can we do?

1. Plaster your identity everywhere. Put full contact
information where all potential buyers can see it. Give as many
ways to contact you as possible. Include your picture (and
perhaps the dog and cat. Choose anything that will let
buyers see you as a real person with a stable life.

If you have testimonials and feedback from happy customers, tell
the world. It’s true that Richardson had these advantages, too,
but he is newsworthy simply because he is an exception and not
the rule. Generally, the feedback system works very well.

If you have special credentials, let buyers know. For example,
perhaps you are a nurse who sells nutritional supplements or you
are an antique dealer who has been in the business for 30 years
and can prove it.

This kind of credibility is much more reassuring than a one page
website and a free hotmail address.

2. Credit cards are the safest way to purchase anything. These
days, it is possible for most entrepreneurs to accept credit
cards through the auction sites or 3rd party processors, even if
they don’t have their own merchant account. Go even further and
explain the safety of credit cards to your buyers.

In my one and only personal experience with auction fraud, there
were dozens of other sellers who never received their
merchandise. Those who paid by credit card, like I did, received
their money back. Those who paid with cash or cashier’s checks
simply lost their money.

eBay has fraud protection, but it only covers $175.

3. Escrow is a great safeguard, although it is most practical
for higher priced sales. It works like this:

a. The buyer sends the purchase price to the escrow company, who
then verifies the funds b. The escrow company notifies the
seller who ships the merchandise to the buyer c. When the buyer
is satisfied, the money is released to the seller d. If the
buyer isn’t satisfied, he can return the merchandise to the
seller and receive his money back. These kinds of conditions are
usually specified in advance. That is, “I changed my mind”
usually isn’t grounds for return of the merchandise. It normally
has to be misrepresented in some way for a buyer return.

According to news stories, one of Richardson’s buyers sent a
registered check for $20,000. That money is lost for good. If
the buyer had been careful enough to use an escrow company that
loss would not have occurred. If you sell expensive items,
always mention this option to buyers. Even if they choose not to
use it, they will know you have nothing to hide.

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