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MaryLifeBlog joins the ranks!

April 27, 2009 By Paul (Founder, WorkAtHomeTruth) 6 Comments

Update: 5/6/2009: MaryLiveBlog.com version has made it’s appearance…

It’s official. MaryLifeBlog has joined the legion of sites enticing you to sign up for a program by telling you that she makes $5,000 a month posting links on Google – a claim Michael Brown talks about in his write up about the many sites claiming that you can make money posting links on Google here.

Of course, the MaryLifeBlog site isn’t alone in her quest as we’ve seen in the discussion “BradsMoney – Where’s that Government Check?”

And like many other people from many of the other “Make Money Posting Links on Google” sites “Mary Steadman” of MaryLifeBlog tells us that  “A year ago I was an account manager for a (drum roll) a pipe manufacturing company” and that it “was Not exactly what I dreamed of when I was growing up”.

Who would have guessed that so many account managers for (drum roll) pipe manufacturing companies would end up making (drum roll) “$5000 a month posting links on Google?” (cymbal crash).

9/21/2009 update

Breaking news! It appears that Kevin Hoeffer – the fake storyteller on many popular fake blogs has left his fake wife Audrey to tie the knot with fake storyteller Mary Steadman who runs an impressive sites rampant with deceptive advertising promoting hiddent negative option offers, although it’s not clear with he is with at the frighteningly popular fake website KevinsMoneyTree.org discussed here.

It appears that Kevin Hoeffer and Mary Steadman may be on the run as thousands of people have reported seeing them in many of the following cities:

  • Akron, Ohio
  • Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Alexandria, Virginia
  • Allentown, Pennsylvania
  • Amarillo, Texas
  • Anaheim, California
  • Anchorage, Alaska
  • Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Antioch, California
  • Arlington, Virginia
  • Arlington, Texas
  • Arvada, Colorado
  • Athens, Georgia
  • Atlanta, Georgia
  • Augusta, Georgia
  • Aurora, Colorado
  • Aurora, Illinois
  • Austin, Texas
  • Bakersfield, California
  • Baltimore, Maryland
  • Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Beaumont, Texas
  • Bellevue, Washington
  • Berkeley, California
  • Billings, Montana
  • Birmingham, Alabama
  • Boise, Idaho
  • Boston, Massachusetts
  • Bridgeport, Connecticut
  • Brownsville, Texas
  • Buffalo, New York
  • Burbank, California
  • Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Cape Coral, Florida
  • Carrollton, Texas
  • Cary, North Carolina
  • Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  • Chandler, Arizona
  • Charleston, South Carolina
  • Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Chattanooga, Tennessee
  • Chesapeake, Virginia
  • Chicago, Illinois
  • Chula Vista, California
  • Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Clarksville, Tennessee
  • Clearwater, Florida
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Colorado Springs Colorado,
  • Columbia, Missouri
  • Columbia, South Carolina
  • Columbus, Georgia
  • Columbus, Ohio
  • Concord, California
  • Coral Springs, Florida
  • Corona, California
  • Corpus Christi, Texas
  • Costa Mesa, California
  • Dallas, Texas
  • Daly City, California
  • Davenport, Iowa
  • Dayton, Ohio
  • Denton, Texas
  • Denver, Colorado
  • Des Moines, Iowa
  • Detroit, Michigan
  • Downey, California
  • Durham, North Carolina
  • Elgin, Illinois
  • Elizabeth, New Jersey
  • Elk Grove, California
  • El Monte, California
  • El Paso, Texas
  • Erie, Pennsylvania
  • Escondido, California
  • Eugene, Oregon
  • Evansville, Indiana
  • Fairfield, California
  • Fayetteville, North Carolina
  • Flint, Michigan
  • Fontana, California
  • Fort Collins, Colorado
  • Fort Lauderdale Florida,
  • Fort Wayne, Indiana
  • Fort Worth, Texas
  • Fremont, California
  • Fresno, California
  • Fullerton, California
  • Gainesville, Florida
  • Garden Grove, California
  • Garland, Texas
  • Gilbert, Arizona
  • Glendale, Arizona
  • Glendale, California
  • Grand Prairie, Texas
  • Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Green Bay, Wisconsin
  • Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Gresham, Oregon
  • Hampton , Virginia
  • Hartford, Connecticut
  • Hayward, California
  • Henderson, Nevada
  • Hialeah, Florida
  • High Point, North Carolina
  • Hollywood, Florida
  • Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Houston, Texas
  • Huntington Beach, California
  • Huntsville, Alabama
  • Independence, Missouri
  • Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Inglewood, California
  • Irvine, California
  • Irving, Texas
  • Jackson, Mississippi
  • Jacksonville, Florida
  • Jersey City, New Jersey
  • Joliet, Illinois
  • Kansas City, Kansas
  • Kansas City, Missouri
  • Killeen, Texas
  • Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Lafayette, Louisiana
  • Lakewood, Colorado
  • Lancaster, California
  • Lansing, Michigan
  • Laredo, Texas
  • Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Lewisville, Texas
  • Lexington, Kentucky
  • Lincoln, Nebraska
  • Little Rock, Arkansas
  • Long Beach, California
  • Los Angeles, California
  • Louisville, Kentucky
  • Lowell, Massachusetts
  • Lubbock, Texas
  • Madison, Wisconsin
  • Manchester, New Hampshire
  • McAllen, Texas
  • McKinney, Texas
  • Memphis, Tennessee
  • Mesa, Arizona
  • Mesquite, Texas
  • Miami, Florida
  • Miami Gardens, Florida
  • Midland, Texas
  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Miramar, Florida
  • Mobile, Alabama
  • Modesto, California
  • Montgomery, Alabama
  • Moreno Valley, California
  • Murfreesboro, Tennessee
  • Naperville, Illinois
  • Nashville, Tennessee
  • Newark, New Jersey
  • New Haven, Connecticut
  • New Orleans , Louisiana
  • Newport News, Virginia
  • New York City, New York
  • Norfolk, Virginia
  • Norman, Oklahoma
  • North Las Vegas Nevada,
  • Norwalk, California
  • Oakland, California
  • Oceanside, California
  • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  • Olathe, Kansas
  • Omaha, Nebraska
  • Ontario, California
  • Orange, California
  • Orlando, Florida
  • Overland Park, Kansas
  • Oxnard, California
  • Palm Bay, Florida
  • Palmdale, California
  • Pasadena, California
  • Pasadena, Texas
  • Paterson, New Jersey
  • Pembroke Pines, Florida
  • Peoria, Arizona
  • Peoria, Illinois
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Phoenix, Arizona
  • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Plano, Texas
  • Pomona, California
  • Pompano Beach, Florida
  • Portland, Oregon
  • Portsmouth, Virginia
  • Port St. Lucie, Florida
  • Providence, Rhode Island
  • Provo, Utah
  • Pueblo, Colorado
  • Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Rancho Cucamonga, California
  • Reno, Nevada
  • Richardson, Texas
  • Richmond, California
  • Richmond , Virginia
  • Riverside, California
  • Rochester, Minnesota
  • Rochester, New York
  • Rockford, Illinois
  • Roseville, California
  • Round Rock, Texas
  • Sacramento, California
  • Salem, Oregon
  • Salinas, California
  • Salt Lake City, Utah
  • San Antonio, Texas
  • San Bernardino, California
  • San Diego, California
  • San Francisco, California
  • San Jose, California
  • Santa Ana, California
  • Santa Clara, California
  • Santa Clarita, California
  • Santa Rosa, California
  • Savannah, Georgia
  • Scottsdale, Arizona
  • Seattle, Washington
  • Shreveport, Louisiana
  • Simi Valley, California
  • Sioux Falls, South Dakota
  • South Bend, Indiana
  • Spokane, Washington
  • Springfield, Illinois
  • Springfield, Massachusetts
  • Springfield, Missouri
  • St. Louis, Missouri
  • St. Paul, Minnesota
  • St. Petersburg, Florida
  • Stamford, Connecticut
  • Sterling Heights, Michigan
  • Stockton, California
  • Sunnyvale, California
  • Syracuse, New York
  • Tacoma, Washington
  • Tallahassee, Florida
  • Tampa, Florida
  • Tempe, Arizona
  • Thornton, Colorado
  • Thousand Oaks, California
  • Toledo, Ohio
  • Topeka, Kansas
  • Torrance, California
  • Tucson, Arizona
  • Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Vallejo, California
  • Vancouver, Washington
  • Ventura, California
  • Victorville, California
  • Virginia Beach Virginia,
  • Visalia, California
  • Waco, Texas
  • Warren, Michigan
  • Washington, District of Columbia
  • Waterbury, Connecticut
  • West Covina, California
  • West Jordan, Utah
  • Westminster, Colorado
  • West Valley City, Utah
  • Wichita Falls, Texas
  • Wichita, Kansas
  • Wilmington, North Carolina
  • Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  • Worcester, Massachusetts
  • Yonkers, New York

If you, a friend, or loved one have spotted the fake Kevin Hoeffer or the fake Mary Steadman you are cautioned to stay far, far away.

They are not armed, but they are EXTREMELY dangerous (to your wallet).

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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.

Filed Under: Blog, Guest Authors, Home Businesses, Home Jobs, Other Authors Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What is HomeJob50KMonth?

March 12, 2009 By Paul (Founder, WorkAtHomeTruth) Leave a Comment

I’ve been asked a couple times about HomeJob50KMonth which is simply a site recommending two products:

  • HomeJob50KMonth recommends TheOnlineBusiness.com as it’s #1 pick and
  • HomeJob50KMonth recommends Adwords180.com as it’s #2 pick

Bottom line on Adwords180: If you’ve already done at least some pay per click marketing via Adwords, but don’t know the best way to target specific web pages via Adwords’ site targeting mechanism, I suggest you grab Adwords180.com.

Otherwise, I suggest you read the following:

Neither of those products made the WorkAtHomeTruth Top 10 Recommended Home Businesses list for the following reasons:

Adwords180 is a good product, but didn’t make the top 10 list

Adwords180 was a breakthrough product for a lot of pay-per-click marketers as it taught a then little-known method for targeting specific webpages via Google Adwords’ Site-Targeting mechanism, but it really wasn’t (and isn’t) a great course for beginners. It’s still useful for someone ALREADY DOING pay per click marketing – i.e. someone who’s already mastered the fundamentals of PPC marketing through training such as Matt Levenhagen’s CampaignBlasts Method.

But it’s really not a great product for someone to START with. If you’re already experienced in PPC marketing you might want to grab Adwords180 through the HomeJob50KMonth site here.

Why HomeJob50KMonth.com’s #2 pick – TheOnlineBusiness – didn’t make the WorkAtHomeTruth Top 10 Recommended Home Businesses list:

First I should explain what TheOnlineBusiness is. The best way to explain what TheOnlineBusiness does is to take a look at their Better Business Bureau report. Click here to read the BBB report on TheOnlineBusiness.com which states:

“Product Description: Online Business Systems is a marketing tool deisgned to assist peope in arinning a Herbalife based business completely from home using the internet along with predesigned websites and a step by step l” (it cut off there for me and I assume “arinning” is supposed to be “running”).

You can also confirm TheOnlinebusiness.com’s accreditation with the BBB here.

I don’t have any particular issues with network marketing companies (MLM) as long as the majority of the revenue is generated by natural retail product sales. I can’t really comment on Herbalife’s products since I’m not a nutritionist, but the company itself has certainly stood the test of time as far as it’s ability to survive in a field littered with failed or failing companies.

That being said I tend to steer people into running their own online businesses that they have more control over. Also, I think even though MLM started out as a low-risk way to build a business, with the power of the internet I think it’s just as easy or maybe easier to start a low-risk, low-cost business through step-by-step plans like the one I describe in the section called BootStrapping Your Business.

Note: You may also know TheOnlineBusiness.com as IncomeAtHome.com from the following talk shows:

  • Mike Gallagher
  • Dr. Laura
  • Dr. Joy Browne
  • Michael Medved
  • Laura Ingraham

The one thing I do know about network marketing IN GENERAL is that either you should find a financially sound and stable company that has been around for a long time (as Herbalife has) OR you should really understand the risks of getting involved with a newer company and make sure you know the background of the management team and make sure that an attorney qualified to analyze MLM compensation plans reviewed the companies compensation plan.

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