I recently put out the word that I wanted to interview small business owners for an upcoming project, the Empire Building Kit.

These were the criteria: you had to net at least $50,000 a year with two or fewer employees, you had to be willing to talk about money in specific terms, you had to share your biggest mistakes as well as your greatest successes, and you couldn’t be a professional blogger.

(Obviously there’s nothing wrong with professional blogging — I just figure that bloggers get enough attention already. Besides, if you want to create a business, there are much easier models.)

I heard back from 300 people with all kinds of different backgrounds, but Lisa’s email stood out from the rest.

I have a dog-walking business in Minnesota. Can I contribute my story?

I’ll be honest: I didn’t think much of it at first. A dog-walker? Shouldn’t we be talking about affiliate marketing, information products, and Facebook ads?

Walking dogs around the park for cash isn’t really my thing, so I assumed I’d say no.

But then Lisa told me how much money she makes: $88,342 in 2009, and now on track for $105,000 in 2010.

That got my attention. She makes six figures as a dog-walker? Wow. Now that’s a story.

And in marketing, of course, story is everything. If you can build a real business around something you’re passionate about — in this case, Lisa loves dogs — I think that’s worth some attention.

Follow your passion? Yes . . . sort of

The thing about following your passion to the bank isn’t so much overrated as it is incomplete.

Finding a way to get paid for doing what you love is both feasible and sustainable. The trick is to construct a lifestyle business around something you’re passionate about that other people are willing to spend money on.

The difference is crucial: I can be passionate about eating pizza and playing video games, but so far I haven’t found anyone willing to pay me for it. Therefore, I have to orient my business not only around my own interests, but also around what other people are willing to pay for.

I built the rest of the Empire Building Kit around conversations and insights from people like Lisa. The photographer, the triathlon coach, the translator, the guy who makes baseball art, the murder mystery host, and so on.

You’ve probably never heard of most of them, but they’re doing very well doing something they love.

Last month I released the product on board a 44-hour Empire Builder train from Chicago to Portland. It was a huge success, with rave reviews from our inaugural group of emperors — and a freaked out merchant account that wanted to know why so many sales were rolling in.

Long story short, today I’m doing it again. It’s for 24-hours only, before I get on a plane and head overseas as part of my quest to visit every country in the world. If you’re interested in joining the inaugural group of new emperors, I’d love to have you on board.

All the details

The goal of the Empire Building Kit is to help people build a business in one year by doing one thing every day.

To that end, I’ve compiled a truckload of resources and hand-holding to make sure that happens. The Kit includes:

15+ Case Studies. From 300 initial respondents, I narrowed it down to more than 15 thriving emperors from at least as many different backgrounds. I asked for their stories, their secrets, what they wish they had known before they started.

The case studies come in a variety of formats: video interviews, MP3 files, PDFs, with complete transcripts. So you can get the most out of them no matter what your learning style.

365-step Email Series. You get one mini-lesson today, one tomorrow, and 363 more over the rest of the next year.

According to the folks at Aweber, it’s officially the longest follow-up series in their history. The key is: if you do one thing a day, it will be much easier than trying to do everything at once. But you also have to make sure you’re doing the right things, so we help with that too.

A 52-step Product Launch checklist. Even if you’re not launching from the “bloggers’ lounge” onboard an Amtrak train, something always goes wrong with a product launch.

Use this checklist to avoid big mistakes, and dramatically increase revenue. One step produces an average revenue increase of 30% every launch, no matter the price of the product. Another step ensures you can sleep at night by not screwing up the confirmation emails. And so on.

“Show Me the Money” module. All the details from behind the scenes of my own Unconventional Guides business. You’ll learn how much money each product brings in, where I’ve screwed up, where I hit it big, and so on.

Ok, so I could go on about all of that for a while. But what you really get is insight and context from people who have successfully cracked the code of following your passion. They all talk about money, they are all extremely candid, and they’re all real people doing fun things while getting paid.

Care to join Lisa and the rest of us? You can find out all about it right here, but it’s only available for 24 hours, ending Wednesday morning at 9am Pacific Time.

And if it’s not a good fit for you, of course, that’s fine too. Most importantly, I hope your business is as enjoyable as Lisa’s — and as enjoyable as mine.

About the Author: Chris Guillebeau travels the world and writes for a small army of remarkable people at chrisguillebeau.com. Follow his live updates from every country in the world at twitter.com/chrisguillebeau.

#1 copywriting secret: copy must be specific to its audience to work best.

It’s a term that’s used by virtually everyone involved with Internet marketing: target customer. You’ve heard it a million times.  You may even be able to define its meaning.  But, are you actually focusing on this target when you write copy, or are you missing the mark?

It’s a common mistake in copywriting: one I see very often.  People want to push information at a group of readers instead of pulling a single target customer toward them through effective communication.  The difference?  One is all about you, and the other is all about them.

I’ve seen copy that completely ignored the site visitor.  It didn’t make a single mention of the word “you” or “your.”  It was all “we, we, we” and “our, our, our.”  Considering that your target customer has all the money and they are the ones whose business you want to win, I’ll bet you can figure out where the focus should lie.  It’s time to stop “we-ing” all over the place.

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

Before you begin writing copy, take about 1,000 words and create a profile of your target customer. Jot down all the information you know about them.  Don’t guess!  If you’ve never done any target audience research, now’s the time to get started.  After all, how will you be able to write effective and enticing copy to someone you know nothing about?

Male or female?  What is their home life like?  How much money do they make?  Are they the end user, or are they buying on behalf of someone else (a business, an older parent)?  What challenges do they face that your products/services can help them overcome?  What dreams will your products/services help them fulfill?  What results will they see after they’ve used your products/services?

These are just a few of the dozens of questions you can ask about your target customer.  If you’ve never attempted to get this information, try using a Survey Monkey or some other online survey tool to collect details.

Does it Really Make a Difference?

Who would know whether you wrote copy to a group of people or to your particular target audience?  Can understanding who they are, where they’re coming from and what they need really make a difference?  You be the judge.

For the sake of example, we’ll pretend we’re Realtors and our product is a beautiful one-story, brick house on a gorgeous corner lot.  As you know, Realtors have many different segments within the single homebuyer target audience.  We’ll look at three: first-time homebuyers, growing families and retirees.

First-Time Homebuyers – Fresh out of college, these young couples probably have a ton of student-loan debt hanging over their heads.  Excited and anxious at the same time, they have no idea what to expect from all the paperwork and meetings that come when buying a home.  They’ll need guidance.  With no kids and a very limited budget, price is a primary factor: they’ll sacrifice space and amenities for a few dollars less on their mortgage payment.  After all, it’s just their first home… they’ll upgrade in a few years.

Growing Families - With student loans paid down (thanks to several promotions and pay raises) growing families are looking for more room.  They’ve got money to spend and priorities to fill.  With 2.4 children in tow, safety, good schools and short commute times rank high on their wish lists.  Experienced in the home-buying process, they are ready to show off the rewards of their hard work with a newer, bigger and better house.

Retirees – These folks are downsizing.  They’ve raised the kids, put them through college and gotten them out of the house.  As their life focus changes, they no longer want days filled with yard work and housecleaning.  They’ve got fun things to do in their retirement years.  On a fixed income, seniors still have some money to spend, but it doesn’t flow as freely as when they were working.

Can you see the difference?  You wouldn’t use the same language or highlight the same benefits within the copy when writing to growing families as you would when writing to retirees.  Yes, they are all shopping for houses.  Yes, we are selling the same one-story, brick house; but each buyer has their own needs, wants and criteria.  The copy has to be individually crafted to entice everyone on their level.

The same applies to your target audience and its individual segments.  Finding out as much as you can about them will help your copy strike a more personal and emotional chord while – at the same time – positioning your product or service as the perfect solution.

Join Lynn Terry and me on a special, free webinar Tuesday, January 19, 2010, at 12:00 noon Eastern Time where we’ll discuss defining your target audience and more copywriting techniques.  I’m sure Lynn won’t mind me telling you that I’ll offer an exclusive discount code worth 20% off on all my copywriting books for those who attend.  Don’t miss out!  Register now… it’s FREE!

Reprinted by Permission. (c) Karon Thackston 2010, All Rights Reserved.

.

Here we are going t discuss some of the most frequently asked questions about Acme People Search.This will help us understand fully what kind of  affiliate program this is.Lets get started.

1.How does my niche search engine make money for me?

The easiest way to understand how your fully automated,niche search engine earns affiliate commissions for you to see the illustration below.

Your own people search engine is advertised in Yahoo and Google and earns you affiliate commissions every time people get results!

You can set up all of this in about 15 minutes with no special web skills required.All you need to do is create your people search engine free and complete all the three steps above.

2. How much money can I make and how soon can I make it?

Just like a successful franchise,your search engine has already proven its ability to generate $3000-5000 a month in affiliate commissions.How soon you reach this level of income depend on how soon enough people start using your search engine.

The quickest way to send people to your search engine is by advertising it.That’s why Tissa advertises your search engine for free using Google Yahoo and MSN ad campaigns.Tissa will also teach you step by step how you can advertise as well to generate enough volume to reach $3000-5000 a month in earnings!

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
~ Chinese Proverb

3.How do I start earning money with my own search engine?

Tissa has made incredibly easy for you to start earning affiliate commissions with your search engine!All you have to do is complete steps 1,2 and 3 above (”Affiliatize”,”Monetize” and “Advertise”).Absolutely no special skills or experience is required.

Completing all the three steps above should take 15 minutes.Once you are done you will have your own people search engine that Tissa will advertise in Google,MSN and Yahoo for you-earning you commissions every time people get results.

4.Do I have to build,maintain, or have my own website?

No,no and no!You don’t need to know how to build a website nor must you have an existing website.All you need o do is click the button under step 2 (”Monetize”) and Tissa will build your search engines website in about 30 seconds! He will regularly maintain and update your search engine as well,so you don’t have to lift a finger.

5.Do you pay me if i refer others to their own search engine?

Yes – and you get signed automatically for these commissions the moment you create your search engine.Just click the “Referrals” link near the top of your back office.

6.Where can I check to see how much money I’ve made?

To see commissions you’ve earned, login into your affiliate account at each affiliate network.For your convenience,links to Reunion,ClickBank, HD Publishing have been included at your back office.

Reunion,HD publishing and Adsense all pay you once a month,by check.ClickBank pays you every two weeks by check.All checks are sent via regular mail,so make sure you have provided your correct mailing address to each network.The affiliate networks pay you directly and you don’t share any portion of your earnings with anybody.Your Search Engine is simply a method for promoting affiliate products so YOU can earn affiliate commissions.(a very effective method!)

7.Where do I check for the $125 in guaranteed commissions?

Tissa guarantees commissions of at least $125 within 24 hours of starting your FREE advertising.  This means that you must have completed ALL three steps above (”Affiliatize”, “Monetize”, AND “Advertise”).

Approximately 24 hours after you’ve been upgraded to the 100% Display Rate (under Step 3), you should receive an email message with a subject line of “Commission Notification from Tissa”.

You can verify that the commission has been credited to your search engine account by clicking on the “Referrals” link above.  Under your “Current Earnings”, you will see at least $125 in your Payable Account Balance!

8.How can I earn even MORE money with my search engine?

The best way for you to make even more money with your search engine is to LEARN how to promote it effectively.  As with any business, you must learn how to advertise if you want to maximize your earning potential.  Whether you prefer paid advertising (like pay-per-click ads on Google) or free advertising (like articles and Squidoo lenses) you must LEARN how to use such marketing tools PROFITABLY.  So WHERE can you learn Internet marketing skills? I suggest you sign up for the free 30 day marketing training at the end of this post

Finally, there’s something else you can do to earn even more money with your search engine: WAIT.  That’s right – give your new online business time to grow!  When visitors to your search engine enter their email addresses to unlock their free results, our autoresponders send them follow-up emails for ONE FULL YEAR!  All the messages are encoded with YOUR affiliate IDs, allowing you to earn residual income months after their first visit!  You can build tremendous recurring income this way, but you must give your new online business enough time to blossom!

Fill in your name and email address below to access your free 30 day marketing training sent directly to your inbox.

With all the electronics in the market now – iPods, Zunes, cell phones, PS3’s, xBox’s, laptops, etc. it’s no wonder teenagers are looking for ways to make money. On top of electronics, many teens spend all their money on clothes, gas, and drugs. I think teens should be saving up their money for college, not drugs. Anyway, I conducted a survey to find out why teens want money so badly.

Here are the most popular responses:

I want to save up for a car.
I want to save up for college.
I want things my parents refuse to buy me.
I want things my parents can’t afford to buy me, due to the recession.

I even got a few responses like this:

“I don’t know. I just want the money.”

It seems like teens get jobs to meet their personal needs, or “thneeds” according to Dr. Seuss. Teens are working for non-necessities, like clothes and entertainment.

As I suspected, most of the teens I surveyed worked at fast food restaurants. What surprised me is that a good portion of the teens were working online. I looked into this and learned that it’s becoming popular for teens to do surveys and complete offers and make money online.
There are many jobs for teens available today. If you like the sound of $2,000 every month for sitting on your butt all day, then you will like Cashcrate.

What is Cashcrate?

Cashcrate is a website funded by advertisers. Big companies who want to sell their products pay Cashcrate to advertise their products. Cashcrate in turn pays its members to view these advertisements. The companies figure the more people that view their advertisements, the more their products will sell and the more money they will make.

How much money can you make?

You can make as much as you want. The more time you put into it, the more money you will make. You will start small ($25 to $50 a month), but within 6 months you can be making $2000 a month. I personally made $47 my first month using Cashcrate. I only spent a total of maybe 4 hours. Some people make over $100 a month just by doing the offers and surveys. There are also prizes for the people who make the most money for any given month. For example, in April, one person came in first place and made $105.35. That person won a $150 bonus for making so much money. If you’re looking to make A LOT of money on Cashcrate, you need referrals. Some people have over 1000 referrals and they make thousands of dollars a month. Basically, a referral is someone you tell about Cashcrate. When they sign up under your link, they become your referral.

How much time does it take?

You spend however much time you want. If you dedicate 1 hour every day, I’m sure you can make over $100 a month. Referrals take a while to get. If you really strive for it, you can get enough referrals within about 6 months to make $2000 a month.

How old do you have to be?

13 or older

Is this a scam?

No! This is legit. Scams ask you for money. Cashcrate is 100% free, so you will NEVER be asked to pay ANYTHING. You can Google: “Cashcrate testimonials” to see pictures of the checks people have received from Cashcrate.

Basically, Cashcrate is a free service and you get out of it what you put into it.

Now go and claim your share of the internet’s wealth.

Access useful tips for free traffic – this is your personal guide.

 Link to this page

 Link to this page

Tweet This Post