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Are home business startup kits worthwhile?

March 24, 2009 By Michael S. Brown 4 Comments

As a successful entrepenuer, marketer and business expert I get several questions involving how to make money with an online business.  It seems in recent times more of these type of questions are popping up.  One question I want to answer in particular in this post is about home business start up kits or the cookie cutter business in a box techniques.  To be a little more clear I am talking about turnkey businesses that 200 billion other people have access to.  Read below and I am going to share why a home business in a box is NOT a good thing to get involved in.

The problem  isn’t that you can’t find a good niche this way, some could be very good, but the fact it lacks the most important element:  YOU.

I want you to think about a few names real quick Starbucks, Mcdonalds, Craftsman.  I could literally build a GIANT list here but let’s just look at the 3 we have here.  Why do they lead their industries?  First, let’s look at Starbucks is their coffee the best?  Arguably I’d say no, some people might disagree with me.  But, what has set them apart from virtually every other coffee chain?

Their individuality, which involves the following: their logo (think branding), the design of their coffee shops, market share (they are everywhere).  Now keep in mind that you can go to any fast food chain and get a regular coffee for a $1 at Starbucks it’s at least $2 for the same coffee which might be similar quality as the fast food cup.  Of course, at Starbucks you can get 50 other kinds of coffee and flavors but I wanted to point out the price point of their regular cup.  It’s their branding (individuality) that sets them apart.

Let’s look at Mcdonalds.  Mcdonalds is a giant marketing genius.  They have it all, branding (the golden arches, Ronald Mcdonald and other characters, the Big Mac, super size, Chicken Mcnuggets) and market share (they too are everywhere).  Mcdonalds may not have the best food (still argubly very tasty) but yet they are dominating their market.

Now the next company I want share with you is going to help me complete my point fully.  You see Mcdonalds and Starbucks share one thing that the next company doesn’t have, Market share.  However, this next company still has something that both the other companies have…… Branding and individuality.

Craftsman tools.  Everybody has heard of them (at least in the U.S.A.).  You can only buy them at Sears stores which means they have a limited market share.  However, they sell millions of tools each year because they are branded as “the strongest or toughest” and “the best”.  Craftsman has that individual feel and they help you bridge the connection between high quality and long lasting with their lifetime guarantee.

All three companies we looked at are well branded and that’s the biggest connecting factor.

Now, let’s take a look at why the home business startup kits in large part do not work.  Let’s just look at the specs of one (which will remain nameless) and let’s assume you own this cookie cutter business package.  The product promises your buyer the following…. (this product also has the typical cookie cutter name)

*Make money online (make $10,000 a month!)

*work from home

*Work 1-2 hours a week.

Keep in mind the inside is much like every other product out there….. very basic and not really step by step.  Probably not even enough to really help someone make money online and especially not $10k a month.

What would set this offer apart from the 50,000 other ones?  This will cause much less people to buy as they’ve seen and heard it all before.   The other problem would be the buyers would likely refund as they won’t learn much, will be disappointed in the training and down right bored.

So how would you set something that teaches what 50,000 products others products do apart from the pack?  I will use one of my courses to help demonstrate.

#1.  Brand it - think of something with some individuality.  When I came up with the name Niche Blitzkrieg for one of my courses it’s something that get’s recognized, the name makes it stand out.  Love or hate the name it grabs your attention.  Blitzkrieg means “lightning war” and is used in various other areas like chess and of course was a term used in WWII.  But, what sounds better, Niche Blitzkrieg or Niche Lightning War?  Even if other similar products with similar names spring up they’ll have to compare it to Niche Blitzkrieg.

#2.  Uniqueness &  Quality - Make your product better, be unique and different.  You can pass the same information to someone and make it different enough that it connects.  Notice just like Mcdonalds and Starbucks your product doesn’t have to be the best just make it unique.  However, I always stress quality….. always.  The higher quality you can make it the better for not just you but your buyers.  With Niche Blitzkrieg I teach people how to make money with their own small online businesses, nothing new there.  However, what sets it apart is it’s unique design, feel, teaching style, high quality and presentation.

#3.  Be honest. You never hear Starbucks, Mcdonalds and Craftsman make outrageuous boasts.  However, many of the businesses in a box style setups come with “off the wall” boasts or claims that people can hardly match. The thought process by the designers of the business in a box start up kit products is that outrageous boasts will be the way you’ll be able to convert sales!  Instead, shoot people straight tell them the truth and they’ll love you.  People who have a good experience and are not lied to in the beginning will buy from you over and over again.  Honesty is what has helped take my business from scraps to a very nice living.  When quality, uniqueness and honesty collide what happens is something very special.  Model your business this way and you’ll experience a steady growth of happy and engaging customers.

Bottom line: I personally would pass on a turnkey home business startup kit or similar styled products.  Instead you should consider just learning the techniques to make your own products or sites.  In the long run you’ll reap the benefits of your own unique branding, customer service and style.  You may never fully recover the original cost you put into buying a turnkey system since it’s going to be the exact same system 50,000 other people are promoting as the next big thing.

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Zero-Fee Home Business Trials

March 18, 2009 By Michael S. Brown 1 Comment

If you’ve considered buying an online product that teaches you to make money from home you may have noticed the rash of Free (or almost free) Trial offers springing up almost everywhere.  It seems these products are nearly a “dime a dozen” anymore.  Large affiliate companies are promoting there products and selling thousands of copies per day so the odds are you’re going to see one soon enough if you haven’t yet.

Sadly, most of these type of products have hidden terms stuffed deep within their terms of service that the marketer or company hopes you never see.  Since they don’t want you to see it they also try endlessly to distract you from reading it or often times keep you from even realizing it’s there.  Once you sign up for one of these products you may never even get your product and worse yet you’ll have anything but fun trying to keep them from charging your credit card!

How can this all be changed?  Well it can’t and won’t change.  Marketers and companies will continue to do this because it makes them a fortune, fast.  But, that doesn’t mean you can’t do something about it.  The biggest weapon against this is to protect yourself from this and read the terms of service before purchasing.  It’s also wise to educate yourself with sites like the one you’re at right now before ever buying a product.  But, what I want to discuss in this post isn’t about what to avoid and what marketers are shady or even what companies are shady.  I want to discuss how a company can actually do a Free Trial the right way!  I call these  Zero – Fee Home Business Trials and it’s the way I believe a FREE trial should be done.

#1.  A free trial should tell someone what they are getting upfront.  That’s right, not hide everything within the TOS.  Whether this is done by video or text it should be honest and straight forward from the very beginning.

#2. If it’s truly free you shouldn’t have to put in your credit card number.  Watch out for this one if you are signing up for a free offer and it mentions that it’s free and you have t put in your credit card information.  Another thing to watch out for is the $1 (almost free trial) because with those you MUST enter your credit card information which means that if you didn’t read the terms of service chances are you’re going to get an additional charge(s) somewhere.

#3.  You as a consumer should get ample time to actually test the product.  If the free trial only last a couple of days and you have to wait for the product chances are the company is just looking for an easy way to charge you whether you even got a chance to try it out or not.  This can also be a clue that a company thinks their product isn’t very good if they offer a very short trial period and hope to simply prevent you from being able to cancel in time.  7 days and more should be an ample trial period.  If the product is physical the 7 days should begin after the product is received and not while it’s being shipped.  Of course, going back to rule #2 they should have no way to “CHARGE” you since this type of offer should not ask for a credit card upfront.

#4.  You should be given the option to upgrade.  If you like the free product or free trial then you should have the option to upgrade.  Of course for the upgrade you’ll need to enter your credit or debit card and then you’ll be given access to the upgraded features or products.  This is the point where the company should be honored for making a product that you actually want to learn more from. There’s nothing wrong with a trial fee – as long as the customer has a VERY EASY way to cancel – and preferably can even get their trial fee back.

#5.  Even the upgrade should offer a money back guarantee just in case the rest of the product doesn’t live up to the demo.  30 days or more should be ample to determine if this product is right for you or not.

#6.  Both sides should understand their role and both parties should be accountable unless for some reason either side breaches the agreement.  So if the merchant/company doesn’t deliver on their end what they claim they will, that would be considered a breach.  Likewise, the consumer should be held accountable and held to the terms they agree to during purchase.  As a consumer you always have the option to turn down something that sounds “to good to be true” or seems the least bit dishonest.  Of course, read over the terms of service as if you’ were about to make an important business investment and make sure it makes sense to you.

That’s my take on the proper way to do a free trial offer as a company.  If other companies would read this and take heed on the proper way to run a zero fee home business trial  the world would be a much better place.  However, don’t expect to see many companies take the “honest” route as I described anytime soon.

Click here if you want to see how he does his Zero-Fee Home Business Trial for Affiliate Money Revolution (NO Credit Card is Required).

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How to Become Successful

February 7, 2009 By Michael S. Brown 4 Comments

I remember when I was about 17 years old I used to lay awake and dream of being successful.  What I didn’t understand at the time was being successful doesn’t mean you need to make $29 Million a Year and have the biggest house in your hemisphere.  It would take years for me to discover that success is right in front of your nose and sometimes only takes a few small changes in your life to be a success.

First let’s look at what successful means according to the dictionary: Success – having attained wealth, position, honors, or the like.

Not really as informative as I would describe it.  I believe success means that you have succeeded at what you’re attempting to do in at a particular time in your life.  For instance, if your goal is to make $100,000 a year and you achieve that, I would say you’re successful.  However, if your goal is to make $1 million per year than you’ve only achieved 10% of your success that you want to obtain. In short, success can really only be measured by the individual goals and achievements of a person and not what the world sees.

If you haven’t yet achieved what you hope to achieve and you’re still laying awake at night saying “How Can I Become Successful” then pay attention.  Below I have a list that has helped students of mine succeed with what they hope to achieve.

#1.  Set Goals. No matter what you’re doing you must set goals.  The pursuit of goals will help drive you toward the prize and even if you have yet to meet your goals, other people might look at you and see you as a successful person.  Why?  Because at this point you will probably achieve goals set by other people and just aren’t to where you want to be yet.  I am an Internet Marketer and I work from home, earn a good living and have all the free time I need to spend with my family.  Because of those things some people may think I am successful.  However, I have only conquered the tip of the iceberg of what I hope to achieve with my life.  My goals have not been met yet, some have, but not all of them have.

#2.  Stay positive. I probably sound like Tony Robbins here but trust me you need to be positive in your life.  The people who always believe they are going to fail, probably will.  The people who believe they will succeed at everything they do, probably will.  Mindset is simply to important to ignore.  Have you ever taken a test that you panicked about and thought that you’d fail?  How did you do on that test?  While some might say they still did extremely well, most will say that they didn’t achieve the grade they wanted.  I know test taking might be a thing of the past for most (as it is for me) but it’s a good example of what a negative confidence can cause.

#3.  Stop playing. This one can be a bit tricky because there are so many meanings here.  What I mean is that so many things distract us from our goals and then we tend to shy away from what we need to achieve.  Have you ever had an important task that you need to accomplish get postponed because you simply had “Other things to do?”  If you have, then you probably realized that you really would have had time for that task had you prioritized it properly.  So get the distractions out of your way and take care of the most important tasks first in your day and play when the work is done.

#4.  Stay focused. An important step when learning how to become successful is to make sure you stay focused on your goals.  I am not saying to think about them every minute of the day but more so pursuing them after the weekend ends.  You probably know what I mean.  Have you ever went back to work after a long weekend and you just didn’t feel like working?  A solution to this is to remind yourself of your goals after that weekend.  Whether you are striving to hit your short term goals or long term goals, stay focused on them.  Hang on every positive step you take towards that goal and it will help you stay even more focused than before.

#5.  Just do it. Good slogan, huh?  Well it might just be the perfect slogan for you.  As humans we tend to procrastinate as long as possible.  Then the people that do not procrastinate sometimes will lean toward perfection as an excuse, saying things like ” I can’t start that yet because I’m not where I want to be in my life.”  If we are always looking for the perfect moment in our lives to get on the road to success, it’s probably going to pass us by.  I can think of a million reasons a day why I can’t start a new task yet.  Just do it.

I really hope this helps you get a start in the right direction if you’re struggling.  Am I perfect?  No.  I fall into the same traps but then looking at this list I remember who I am, what my goals are and what I hope to achieve.  Keep in mind as you achieve more goals you get closer to the prize.  One day you’ll look back and remember the time you asked yourself how to become successful.

Add your thoughts below.  What makes YOU successful or what would you add to this list.

To your everlasting marketing success,
Michael S. Brown
Creator, Niche Blitzkrieg – The simple way to build multiple streams of income fast.
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