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).

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.

• 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.

According to Glenn, the owner of FakeReviewsSuck, any site that uses affiliate links qualifies as a "Fake Review Site", which while often can be the case is NOT a defacto truth. MANY legitimate affiliate reviews are actually what are best described as "Independent Broker Reviews" in which the site owner is guaging how suitable a particular product is based on the typical demographics of that websites audience or subscriber-base.

3/17/2009 UPDATE: Glenn has since updated his site to reflect what I would consider an accurate description of the nature of the disclosure of affiliate links at WorkAtHomeTruth at this time. I'm also starting to believe that contrary to how this blog post started out he is NOT just going around spamming his site-link to drive up adsense revenue.

.

3/19/2009 Update – I've had some good debates with Glenn now in various forums and while we don't agree on everything I actually now think he's coming along at a good time as far as affiliate disclosure issues are concerned. And admittedly, even though I'd been thinking about how to properly do affiliate disclosure since March of 2007, the discussions/debates I've had with Glenn did kick me into gear to finally figure something out.

I'll repeat the most important part of what I posted at Scam.com recently:

"Glenn, thanks for updating your site. I appreciate that. And I have to admit that you did help me to FINALLY figure out how to accurately describe the reviews and motivate me to at least get up my disclosure policy which is about a year late because I didn't know how to give an ACCURATE description of my reviews as I'll explain below…

I can buy your disclosure issue to some degree. I've struggled with how to do it correctly myself as have most of the big name affiliates and professional bloggers. Some have suggested using the Pay Per Post model of calling them "Advertorials" or "Sponsored Reviews" which is NOT what they are. Other's have suggested calling them "Affiliate Reviews" which means nothing to the average person.

What you don't realize apparently is MOST of us started back in 2000 where it was just assumed we weren't out to screw over people so whether we disclosed an affiliate link or not was a non-issue. Nobody even thought about it. In fact, nobody really thought about it until 2006 and only now is it being rediscussed at any length again, because no perfect solution was reached over the past two years."

3/20/2009 Update - Glenn pulled the WorkAtHomeTruth site off of his list. I'm actually not sure how I feel about that. I thought the way he had posted about it in the image above made a nice distinction that people should be aware of affiliate links on review sites, but that didn't always mean the reviews were fake.

I actually hope Glenn keeps at what he's doing. He's very technically gifted in a different field, so there's no doubt that if he keeps at what he's doing on his FakeReviewsSuck site he could really help keep pressure on the affiliate industry (he's not getting that much traffic yet, but could get a huge amount over time).

It seems that we actually agree more than I thought at the beginning.

However, I do believe that this post contains important information to reflect on, especially towards the end, so I'm keeping it "as is".

Glenn of FakeReviewsSuck Gives Forum Moderators Some "Joy":

In fact Glenn from FakeReviewsSuck.com seems to be a one-trick pony hell-bent on spamming his affiliate links not only on the WorkAtHomeTruth site here, but even boldy spamming his affiliate link at Scam.com here where the moderators IMMEDIATELY removed his spam-link and gave Glenn the nice big warning:

WEBSITE LINK REMOVED>> NO ADVERTISING

Click here for an image of Glenn of FakeReviewsSuck getting moderated for posting a spam link at the Scam.com forum which CLEARLY states in its rules that advertising is NOT allowed on the forum.

3/17/2009 UPDATE: Glenn has since explained that the link that was removed was NOT his site, which I do find believable.

Glenn didn't fare much better at 419Legal where he quickly got the following message after joining:

"Mod edit: Link removed / Reason: Breach of forum rules = A signature with a link can be added after 50 posts"

Click here for an image of Glenn of FakeReviewsSuck getting moderated for not following forum guidelines…AGAIN (Hmm. I'm starting to think maybe Glenn's mottivation for posting on those forums isn't as "altruistic" as he wants people to believe).

Now, I'm not 100% sure what the following reply to Glenn at WebHostingTalk meant, but I THINK I do. If you have an opinion, feel free to post it in the comments section:

Did Glenn of FakeReviewsSuck Develop Amnesia?

On the FakeReviewsSuck site Glenn states:

"One of the slimiest marketing practices on the Internet is the fake review. Some marketers will say ANYTHING to make a sale." and then goes on to say "The way to spot these affiliate marketing sites is to check whether or not they contain affiliate links."

Click here to see a screenshot of Glenn's claims about review sites and his questionable method for determing if a review site is "fake".

However, when Glenn posted on 419Legal he states:

"Here's how it works:

Some vendors will setup affiliate programs so that advertisers are compensated based on their performance. They get paid for every sale they generate. This is an ok practice, but what the affiliate marketers do can get sleazy." (Click here for a screenshot of Glenn's post).

I don't understand. WHEN is it an OK practice? I guess only when the person recommending the product doesn't review the product. I'm pretty confused about what Glenn is trying to convey in his tangled messages (assuming he's really trying to convey anything at all, that is).

I urge you to NOW check out MY analysis of review sites to see what is REALLY involved in analyzing review sites:

• Internet-Scam-Review.com – No Thanks!
• HomeCashCourse issues and Review Sites for HomeCashCourse discussed
• SixFigureYearly – Not Recommended
• BradsMoney – Where's That Government Check…which lists nearly 500 fake review sites and exposes the routing number of the oft-featured "Google Check" as being invalid (note: I did that post back in December 13, 2008 and it's only been within the last week – TWO MONTHS LATER – that the mainstream media has picked up on the story).
• Click here to see my November 19, 2008 warning about Google Money Tree and see me helping TONS of people file complaints and recover their money – Which I DID NOT CHARGE them for and which took up a considerable amount of my time as you can imagine since there are around SIX HUNDRED COMMENTS in that blog discussion – Note: That was an offer that has been promoted by many REAL fake review sites.
  

Note: The discussion/Write-Up of Google Money Tree was used in part for this Google Money Tree warning at the National Consumers League Savvy Consumer Blog (you can see WorkAtHomeTruth linked to in the sentence: "In addition, blogs and message board focusing on publicizing work-at-home scams have noted numerous complaints about the company."

You may also recognize the NationalConsumersLeague from the following places:

• the U.S. Departent of Justice which you can see here:
  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/focuson2005/identitytheft/pfv.html
• Michigan State Police
• As a member of the Steering Committee for The Consumer Action Handbook
• As a entity that provides data and reports on fraud to the United States Department of Justice here

Note: There are MANY more blog discussions on WorkAtHomeTruth.com where I've helped people recover money (no charge) and I've personally helped one lady recover nearly $3,000 at NO CHARGE to her.

So, Glenn of FakeReviewsSuck.com Seems to Develop Amnesia and makes that post that states taht getting paid for affiliate sales is "OK sometimes"- When, Glenn? Only if you don't review the products AT all? When?

Glenn of FakeReviewsSuck.com Gives Us a Lesson in How to Post Non-Functioning Links:

Glenn also seems to have a propensity for posting non-functioning links as he has done in the two posts of his that I previously referenced. His favorite non-functioning link to post is UberAffiliateGuide.com (well, it functions NOW…put it into your browser and check it out).

Of course when I called out Glenn on the post he made on his blog and pointed out that the very site he was recommending actually TOLD people this:

"2) Don’t rate them all 5 stars. Put your best converting offers at the top and make them 5 stars, but the bottom of the review list should only be 3 stars at most. This will make the user feel like these are all more honest reviews and also make them more likely to pick the highest rated offer (which you can put as your best offer with highest payout, etc)."

And then told him:

"Guess how I do MY ratings Glenn? I do them by taking a hard and long look at what products are likely to be best suited for the visitors to my website, not by some arbitrary factor like "what's converting better"."

Actually, once again it's hard to figure out whether Glenn is telling to go to UberAffiliate for training or to warn people about about landing pages that focus on "best converting/paying offers".

Back on January 23, 2009 it seems like Glenn is telling people in this discussion to go to the Uber's Affiliate Guide (which he keeps posting incorrectly as UberAffiliateGuide.com) to learn about fake reviews and shilling:

"For example, check out uberaffiliateguide.com to get the scoop on some of the tricks affiliate marketers do.  They do things like put up fake review sites… shilling for companies that pay them the most.

But just a couple months later, it seems like Glenn is telling to go to the site to get affiliate marketing training for free:

Now, obviously there can be BOTH great training and training in less-than-savory tactics from the same site or person. But if Glenn finds those tactics so despicable, why would he recommend people be possibly exposed to those methods?

I HIGHLY recommend you go read this blog post at WorkAtHomeTruth.com so you can REALLY understand what this FakeReviewsSuck owner Glenn is up to. You'll ALSO notice that he NEVER came back to challenge how I called him out.

Although later on he seems to

Astoundingly…FakeReviewsSuck misses the BIGGEST issue about "Google Cash"!

Perhaps most amazing is that FakeReviewssuck's Glenn doesn't even seem to realize that the ORIGINAL Google Cash has NOTHING to do with the "Google Cash" sites that have recently been promoted by questionable sites such as the ones I discussed back on December 13, 2008 in the blog post:

BradsMoney – Wheres That Government Check?

In fact the ORIGINAL Google Cash was at times recommended by the following (this may or may not still be true. I personally stopped recommending Google Cash over a year ago):

Aaron Wall – one of the TOP Search Engine Optimization Experts on the Planet recommended Google Cash in this review back in February of 2004 (and I'll be damned – that Aaron Wall scammer used an AFFILIATE LINK in his review – HORRORS!)…but ultimately came to the same conclusion as many of us did after on of the major Adwords algorithm updates – that it was much harder to make a full-time living from Adwords than it once had been (although for those of us who already had established account histories the algorithm change wasn't as big of a blow).

So who is Aaron Wall? Aaron Wall is the owner of the hugely successful SEOBook.com site on Search Engine Optimization and has been quoted and/or interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, Wired, USA Today, BusinessWeek, Business2.0, Time Magazine, The Register, MSNBC, and The Guardian.

• Click here to read the Wall Street Journal's reference to Aaron Wall's SEO expertise here.
• Click here to listen to Wall Street Journal's Kelly Spors interview with Aaron Wall (remember him – that horrible guy who used an affiliate link in his review?)

Glenn from FakeReviews – make sure you list SEOBook and Aaron Wall on your site! LOL.

MORE TO COME. This is going to be FUN!

BBB Warns Grant Companies Exploit Confusion over Stimulus Bill to Rip Off Consumers

Note: in the BBB warning they state: 'Since this press release was first issued, some websites have been taken down or edited.  Contact BBB for more details on the original content.'

Back on December 13, 2008 WorkAtHomeTruth posted a warning about fake "blog" sites promoting government grants here similar to the ones mentioned in the recent 3/3/2009 BBB warning which states: "In February, ads on Facebook directed the public to Web sites such as www.davidgetsgreen.com* and www.jakecutler.com which were set up to look like blogs written by people who are sharing the secret of how they received $12,000 in grants from the government to pay off their debt."

The BBB gives specific complaint and rating details about the following companies in their warning:

• Raven Media – BBB has logged 495 complaints as of 3/3/2009. F rating at the BBB.
• Grant Instructor – BBB has logged 295 complaints as of 3/3/2009. F rating at the BBB.
• Grant University – BBB has logged 300 complaints as of 3/3/2009. F rating from the BBB

Specific websites mentioned in the BBB warning are:

• FederalGrantSolutions.com
• FederalGovernmentGrantSolutions.com
• OfficialStimulusChecks.com
• ObamaStimulusGrant.net

The BBB warning says:

"According to the BBB Serving Utah and the BBB Serving Las Vegas, complainants state that they ordered a “free” CD and were promptly charged as much as $69.95 on their credit or debit card. Some complainants also stated that their credit card was charged by other companies as well.

When complainants contacted the businesses about why they were being charged for a “free” item, they were told that they had actually signed up for a “free trial”—as explained in the terms and conditions on the Web site—and they needed to cancel within seven days of requesting the CD or they would be charged monthly.

Complainants also stated that they never received the “free” CD, received the CD after the free-trial had expired or were unable to log into the Web site to access grant information as promised. These companies fail to provide refunds and some complainants tried to contact the company to cancel the service but ultimately had to cancel their credit card to stop being billed as much as $69.95 every month."

• Click here to read the full text of the 3/3/2009 BBB warning about grant companies exploiting confusion over the stimulus bill.

Additional notes from WorkAtHomeTruth:

The following sites are Grant offers or redirect to Grant offers from Raven Media Inc:

• Free Grant Connection
• 36HourFunding.com
• SBAGold.com
• SBAFundingExpress.com

Whatever you end up doing online, there is no getting away from Jerks. Jerks are everywhere. Usually they think they are better than you are. Their ego drives them to confront people with malicious words and actions…

Most of the time I am pretty good at ignoring them, but once in a while one will get under my skin. Sometimes they say things that are a direct blow at YOU and it becomes personal…..

BUT WAIT! I am guilty of lashing back. I'm not saying I haven't. I need to keep myself in check…

Normally the best course of action is to walk away. Choose your battles wisely.

A jerk can really take you by surprise and make your blood boil. It can make you want to find his physical address and confront him or her…

I think the best thing to do is just take a walk. A break.

If it's in a thread, don't look at that thread again. Sometimes you have to defend your territory or something you believe in, but don't get personal back… Just lay out the facts.

AS LONG as you are in business, you will have to deal with Jerks…

I used to think that people were generally good to each other. I grew up in a small town, in a middle class neighborhood, where everyone helped each other and were mostly friendly. No one stepped on each others toes. No one took advantage of each other…

Then I went in to business years ago and had a rude awakening… There are people that will seek you out and rob you blind…

Guard what you have. Take every precaution you can to protect your territory.

That Jerk you run into; keep an eye on him or her… Make a mental note. That might be the person that steals from you… They might be just having a bad day, but take note.

The world is full of Jerks and a lot of them have discovered the internet…

SOMETHING JERKS DON'T UNDERSTAND…

Building that type of reputation is not healthy. It will turn people against you that could have helped you. It will keep you from reaching your potential…

Build relationships. Help others. And don't be a Jerk…

Do you have a strategy?

From my observations, I see a lot of people online that are moving forward without much of a strategy. Or they are stuck using other peoples strategies and don’t develop their own based on their needs and abilities.

It is very important to understand that those that are teaching you things online, are doing what they know or have been successful with themselves. It it not necessarily the path for YOU or the only path you should take.

I use a combination of strategies… I strongly use the old saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
I just saw a guy the other day freaking out because Google was wiping out his business… He fell by around 400 visitors to his website per day which crushed his income.

Why? Because he had all his eggs in the Google basket! Google is the type of animal that can make changes that don’t make sense, have no ryme or reason, and simply just happen.

You may think you have control, but you don’t.

That’s why you must diversify. Have a strategy that takes into account these type of things…

Don’t do just one thing… Let me rephrase that… You can do one thing, but make sure that you are covered within that one thing.

For instance if you depend on Google Adwords for 100% of your income, that’s fine. Just make sure that you are not doing just one thing within that. Make sure you are not in one market or are driving traffic one way.

Things are in a continuous state of change online. You must brace yourself for that change.
Make sure you have a strategy and you aren’t just mesmerized by some opportunitiy and you lose sight of the big picture.

This is a business not just a way to make some quick cash… it can be, but generally I think most of us want to have long term results and not live on the edge…

So have some sort of strategy in place for your business that insulates you from the environment.
You should have a short term, medium and long term strategy. Where do you see yourself in 1 month, 6 months, 5 years?

How are you going to get there?

There are things I do to make money now, but there are also things that I am building now that will blossom in the future or offer long term stability.

Just sit down for a few minutes and write down some of your goals and what you want out of this business. After you know what you want and have taken into consideration the environment, map out how your are going to get there…

If you do this, you will not only find stability over the long term, but you will find peace of mind.
Matt

Note from WorkAtHomeTruth:

You can read more about Matt Levenhagen and his Campaign Blasts Method here

Are you decisive?

If you're not, it going to be a long, disappointing road.

I have been online pursuing opportunities now for a long time. You know what? I've made a lot of decisions along the way. Some of those were the right ones, but many were the wrong ones. The decisions we make define us.

There are a lot of opportunities out there that will promise you riches beyond your wildest imaginations. That's great! Except it's not that simple. I don't care what it is, it will take hard work, commitment and Decisions…

As an example, let's say you decide your opportunity is to set up a website to sell golden widgets. How would you approach this. Would you just set up a site and boom the checks will start rolling in!?

No. First you have decide how the website is going to be set up. Are you going to build it yourself? If so, whats best for your website? Do you want it set it up in PHP or do you want to use CCS? What editor will you use? Front Page?

Or are you going to decide to hire someone to build it for you?

How will you lay it out? Do you have a logo? Do you need one? What color scheme are you going to use? Do you know the effect of color on your visitors? How do you decide?

What eCommerce solution is best for you? Consider your monthly volume. If it is going to be over $1,000, a merchant account is usually a good choice. You may consider Paypal in conjunction with a merchant account. If you do consider a merchant account, you also need to look into electronic payment gateways.

Then you have to market the products… Are you going to use pop-ups? Are you going to advertise with Adwords, Banners, E-zines…

What's my Point!? You are going to have to make the right decisions for you business. There are a lot of steps from getting an idea to building the proper platform for the idea and executing it.

Your decisions will ultimatly lead to an end result… Did it work? Are you making money?… or is it a do over?

When you decide to pursue an opportunity, that is the decision that will trigger the rest of them.

You must learn to decide.

Indecision will find you broke and discouraged…

I ran across this site. The give some good advice on a number of business topics.

Click Here: How Do I Survive Until My Business is Off the Ground?
- From BusinessLink.gov.uk

What of the most difficult things to do when you first go into business is waiting for the money to start flowing… or simply to pay the bills… breaking even is always nice.

Honestly, don’t let the hype out there fool you… Don’t buy into you can get rich overnight. Most of that is a bunch of “you know what”.

It is simply not that easy.

The online world is just like the offline world when it comes to business. When you start a business expect there to be a learning curve, expect to work hard, work long hours, and even invest money before you see a decent profit.

Like this site says above:

Many businesses do not make a profit in their first year but can earn enough to cover their outgoings. Even if your business generates more than this, you may want to re-invest it to help your business develop. You may therefore need an alternative source of income while your business is growing.

Don’t sell the farm… don’t necessarily give up your day job right away. I know you hate it and are itching to strike out on your own, but think before you act…

Listen, I run my own businesses, but I didn’t just quit everything else before I started one.

I got into the insurance business in 1997. I was a full-time bartender and struggling artist…. I dumped being an artist; it wasn’t making me any money anyway.

BUT I stayed on as a bartender for a couple of years until I had a good foot hold in my new career. I’d work at the office during the week and bartend at night or on the weekends…

Then when I got into my contracting business, I started part-time, just as a weekend gig… which quickly took hold and I was able to leave insurance and do it full-time…

I don’t just do online stuff. I still have my off-line businesses now. If I make a million dollars online will I close shop offline… probably. But until then I’m going to keep my foot in both worlds. You never know what might happen… I like my bases covered… for now.

Some of the most successful people I know online either are still in an offline business or career and work online as well… or they waited until the cash was flowing big time online before they took the risk to leave their job.

Listen, this is especially important if you have responsiblities. Your wife, kids, family come first. Make sure there is food on the table.

You can still have big dreams! You can still take risks, but make sure they are calculated. What can you afford to lose??

I could certainly stop my business offline, but I won’t right now. I’m doing fine in my current situation. And it gives me more stability which my wife seems to enjoy the most!

Calculate what you can risk; consider combining another form of income until your business is rocking… there is nothing wrong with that. Businesses have done that for ages!

It is not uncommon for a business not to show a profit for a couple years even! Some of the most successful and biggest businesses in the world started that way! True story. I’m not saying it will take you that long, but just trying to show you the realistic side of life.

The key is persistence and focusing on your goals, never giving up AND caclulating your risks… If you decide to succeed, you will in time.

OR you could get lucky and strike gold your first day… ya never know!

It's amazing really. The longer you hang out online the more you realize how small the internet community is. Sure there are millions of people online, but there are tight communities people hang in…

I run into people I know in different forums all the time. I had someone e-mail me today in a private forum that I've bumped into on numerous occassions at WebProWorld.com… Out of the blue.

It's not the first time. It happens all the time.

That's a good thing. That's part of doing business online. Building relationships… but you also build personal relationships with some. You share personal experiences. You help each other through good and bad times.

It's amazing.

If you haven't already done so, find a good forum to hang around. There are some bad ones, but if you look, you'll find the good ones.

Just start hanging around. You'll start to get to know the people. Then you can start participating… or just jump in.

There are forums for everything. Whatever you're involved in. If you got a career, theres a forum for it. If you have a hobby, there's a forum for it.

I hang around mostly internet marketing, tech, and other business related forums.

I don't know where I would be today if I hadn't discovered their power.

Beyond relationships you can learn endless things. Not just anything. Things drawing from experience. It's better than a textbook. It's interactive. If you ask there is usually someone waiting with an answer. You can search databases of threads that could contain untold information…

Expereince the Power of Forums… Explore and Grow!

Note from Work at Home Truth about forums we recommend and don't recommend:

Recommended free forums:

For people new to internet marketing:

• InternetMarketingForNewbies.Cagora.com
• SelfStartersWeeklyTips.com
• DigitalPoint.com
  
• IveTriedThat.com

For intermediate to experienced internet marketers:

• WarriorForum.com
• AblakeForum.com
• WickedFire.com

NOT recommended:

• ABestWeb.com
• eWealth.com