Crusher finance

Where to Start

2010-02-03T23:39:00.002-05:00

Now that it is clearly going to be a long and protracted recovery, many people are confused and nervous about where to put their investment dollars. My suggestion is to not rush into any investment. Unless you are an experienced day trader and investor, you should take your time and research where you put your dollars. Your first priority should be to invest in stable, conservative investments to build a base. Some of these are the more familiar stock sectors like energy and agriculture. Some other ideas would be gold and other precious metals. Once you have a solid base, then you should look into diversifying. I’ll start to offer ideas on where to diversify tomorrow.

The New Crusher Finance

2010-02-03T09:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the new Crusher Finance Blog. Starting today, there are going to be a lot of changes here and I hope you find them helpful, entertaining and informative. To start, a little disclaimer, I am not a professional in finance, investments, or anything to do with money. Everything you see here is purely my opinion gained through personal research and knowledge gained as an observer of certain markets. I have very little invested and most companies or stocks reviewed here I have no stake in what so ever. I endeavor to be completely transparent in all postings and will fully disclose any connection to any entities mentioned here.

Basically, I want you to be able to trust that what appears here is purely for information purposes and is an honest assessment of the known facts. No guarantee is made as to the accuracy or value of anything posted, though every effort will be made to provide as much accuracy as possible. That said, I hope what gets posted here will help in your future investments.

Business success through Goals

2007-09-20T11:39:00.000-05:00

To focus your business efforts and be able to monitor your progress, you should take time to regularly set and review goals.

There are three types of goals that need to be set in a business: long term goals, intermediate goals and immediate goals. When setting your goals, you should plan a time to review your goals and progress. All goals should be interrelated to the main goal of making your business as profitable as possible.

When setting goals, you should start by setting your long term goals and working from there. Long term goals can be somewhat more general than other types of goals and can be adjusted over time. Your long term goals are your destination and that can change over time and depending on the circumstances. Your destination in business can change based on market conditions as well. There can be many different ways to get to your long term goal and all of these are filled with intermediate and short term goals.

Your intermediate goals are ones that are smaller steps to the long term goal and are more measureable and are the goals that you can use to keep your enthusiasm and motivation up when you may be feeling discouraged. These goals are more detailed and should be set with a specific, measurable element so that you can check your progress.

Immediate goals are short term and may arise out of an urgent need to meet an obligation, and emergency, or a client request. Many of these goals are not set until the day they are needed to be met.

A possible example of the different types of goals is as follows – Long term: where you want to be in 5 – 7 years, intermediate: goals to be met in 1 to 6 months, Immediate: goals to be met in 1 to 5 days.

Planning sessions should be made to check progress on these goals on a regular basis and to make any necessary adjustments. You should take time to plan on a weekly basis, review your performance and make adjustments to your work plan so you can better meet your goals. It is good to set these planning periods for either the first thing at the beginning of the week or the last thing at the end of the week. You should make these planning times sacred so that they do not get changed or interrupted. That way they become habit and you do not get distracted into doing something else.

Setting goals, tracking progress and making necessary adjustments is a strong way to increase your chances of success. As the saying goes, “Fail to plan and you plan to fail!”

You Must Focus Before You Can Get the Full Picture

2007-09-10T08:42:00.000-05:00

If you are like me, and most other people trying to start a business online, you have been searching for information on what to do. It seems that all you have to do is think about internet marketing and your inbox will fill with offers, "gurus" making all sorts of claims, people claiming to have the solution for your every problem, and people offering small tidbits of information. The sheer volume that's out there and trying to get into your inbox can be staggering.

This overwhelming flow of information mixed with useless junk quickly exhausts many people to the point that they just give up. Besides, who has time to read all the information and letters that come your way. If you are like most, you have a hard drive full of e-books, free products, audio downloads, and video clips, all meant to be the source of that one tidbit of information that will make your business start to roll. Getting all this information, whether you paid for it or not, is great, but the problem becomes putting it into practice. To sort through all the pdf's and mp3's that you have, and then figure out where to start can be a daunting task to say the least.

That's why most people just give up. But as Winston Churchill said, "It's always too soon to quit."

So what do you do?

First, you should unsubscribe to as many lists as possible, leaving only a couple that you trust and that have been sources for good information in the past. Next, it is important to plan your business. You can take the time and plan it out in extreme detail, into a formal business plan, or you can just do an informal preliminary outline and get started. Either way, you should have an idea of what exactly you plan to do in your business, whether it be selling handmade coffee mugs, or being an affiliate for other businesses and putting ads on your website, you need to have a clear idea of your business direction.

With all the different sources of business information out there, it may seem difficult to focus on one business type. This is true, and you may wish to expand into other areas later, but trying to do it all at once will quickly become a mountain that looks impossible to cross. Break it up into smaller parts, and work on one or two at a time to get them running well. On the internet, once you do something, it can be set up to run automatically and continue to provide revenue while you turn your focus on other endeavors.

Focus your work on one aspect of your business, guiding that area to success and then moving on to another area and focusing on that. That will help move your business forward without seeming impossible.

Getting Rich as a Science

2007-07-25T07:36:00.000-05:00

With current self-improvement trends, "The Secret" and "The Law Of Attraction" getting so much hype these days, it's good to know that they have many of the same ideas as the classics written in this genre. "The Science of Getting Rich" was written almost 100 years ago by Wallace D. Wattles, but stills holds value in today's world. This book and several written within that same 20 year period hold many of the key concepts being re-emphasized today. The Science of Getting Rich could easily be applied today and still create some incredible results.

In the early 20th century, when Wattles wrote this manuscript, several other leaders of business and prosperity thought also came out with their own books on similar subjects. There is a singular theme throughout several of these books, that you must focus on your one purpose and pursue it completely until you have acheived your success. Mr. Wattles does an excellent job portraying this concept. starting with the idea of a singular Intelligent "Thinking Stuff", the author leads you through the steps of developing faith, and using this universal intelligence to move things towards you to create your riches.

If you are of the belief that wealth is a finite quantity, you should read this book and let the arguement be made to the contrary. Napolean Hill and others have also written on this idea of an unlimited wealth and a universal force of intelligence designed and working to create more always. The explanation here is a bit different, but has the same point, that you can bring into being that which you create in your mind, and constantly focus on.

Mr. Wattles goes further by giving you step by step instructions on how to change your thinking and way of doing things to begin your journey to wealth. His approach is very straightforward and does move the process of getting rich into a science of sorts. The ideas put forth by Mr. Wattles are similar to those in "Think and Grow Rich" and other contemporary books on the subject. Speakers like Tony Robbins and others also use the techniques espoused by Mr. Wattles.

To apply these teachings, it is best to read the entire book once straight through. Then you should go back through it, studying one chapter a day and to continue going through it until the principles found in it are almost second nature. When you can apply his teachings without forcing them, they will begin to work wonders in your life. The biggest thing to remember is to keep faith that what you are learning are proven techniques and merely need to be applied faithfully. You can find "The Science of Getting Rich" several places on the web as well as in many online e-courses, which will help guide you in your study.

Create a solid business by building a list

2007-07-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

Everywhere you go to get information on building an internet marketing business, the most often repeated statement you will hear is "The Money is in the List." And you will also find a lot of different ways to build your list. The first thing that you have to understand is that you MUST have a list. If you don't, you are going to struggle to build your business.

One way to create and build a list is to offer a free e-course or book in a niche that people will be interested in. But having a great offer does you no good if you are not able to get people to see it. One place that I've found to have people look at your offer is on social networking sites like myspace. They kind of act like a first line filter for your prospects. You have to have a list of friends and groups to make posts to. To get friends on your list, you just have to ask to be added. This is fairly easy, you can just click on browse and then click on the profiles and click add to friends. Probably about 60% of those you request will accept you as a friend. This will build your friend list and eventually the number of people who see your bulletins.

While building your friend list manually is the only way recommended by MySpace, there are software programs that will automate the process. Programs like Friendblaster Pro automate the process and make things go a lot faster. It's a program that you can get for free and it automates thing so that the mundane tasks can be taken care of while you spend your time on more important things. You must be careful when using these programs as they may be contrary to MySpace policies.

Once you have a list of friends built up, you can post bulletins informing your "friends" of your niche and what you are offering. Then you have to have them go through an opt-in process, signing up for your list in order to get the freebie. You should use an auto-responder to manage your list at this point.

An auto-responder is a program or service that takes your subscribers information and keeps it in a database for you. The auto-responder then will send out e-mails which you preprogram out to your list when you specify. These are another part of automating the repetitious tasks of your business. They are also a great way to increase the contact you have with your subscribers. The more you have regular contact with your subscribers, the more your list will trust and have confidence in what you are presenting them with.

Kids, Myspace, and keeping them safe

2007-06-12T14:42:00.000-05:00

Keeping Kids Safe on MySpace

There are a lot of teens who are using MySpace. Individuals over the age of 14 are eligible to use MySpace so as a result there are many teenagers who are members of the online MySpace community. These young members may appreciate the opportunity to express their creativity, express their feelings, meet new friends or stay in touch with their old friends but they should also be aware that there is the potential for danger on any Internet community. Making kids aware of this is helpful but there is also a certain degree of parental involvement which is necessary to keep kids safe when they are online.

Enforcing Household Internet Rules

Kids who use MySpace, or the Internet in general, should be restricted to a few household rules regarding Internet usage. Putting these rules in place can be very helpful in reducing the potential for danger. Some of the general Internet rules parents might consider are:

* Do not post full name and address online or even school location. This will help to prevent stalking which could become a problem if online predators know where your child lives or go to school.
* Restrict Internet usage to specific hours during the day. This can prevent overuse of the Internet.
* Do not agree to meet online friends in person without consent. Ideally the parents should also accompany their children on these meetings and should ensure the meetings take place in a well lit, public location such as a coffee shop as opposed to a secluded spot such as an individual’s home.
* Do not respond to threats or harassment. Kids should be taught to ignore this type of behavior and report these instances to parents or the Internet service provider instead of responding to the threats. Responding to threats or harassing messages can exacerbate a potentially harmful situation.
* Internet usage should be restricted to high traffic locations in the house. For example kids should only be allowed to use the Internet in computers which are in locations such as the family room or kitchen as opposed to allowing kids Internet access in their bedrooms.

Monitoring Online Interactions

Parents whose children have a MySpace account should monitor their child’s online interactions on a regular basis to ensure these interactions are not potentially harmful. Parents should be particularly concerned when children are interacting with older individuals who engage in activities which are not appropriate for the child’s age or when the children are interacting with those who might be a negative influence on the child.

Parents should also be aware that those their child is interacting with may not be honest about their identity. For example a parent may think it is harmless for their 15 year old daughter to engage in flirtatious banter with a 16 year old boy but there is the possibility that her online friend is really a much older individual. Parents should monitor these activities for suspicious behavior or suggestions of meeting in person.

Reviewing the Terms of Service

Finally, parents who want to keep their kid safe on MySpace should familiarize themselves with the online community as well as the terms of service and privacy policy. This will give the parents a better idea of the type of activities their children are engaging in and being exposed to as well as the safety precautions which are in place to help you protect your child.

Myspace links The past to the future

2007-06-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

Finding Old Friends through MySpace

The MySpace community is a wonderful forum which allows members to make new friends. While most users of MySpace are aware of the opportunity to make new friends through their interactions in the community, some of them may not realize MySpace can be used to find old friends with which you have lost contact. Although most people have the best of intentions of staying in contact with friends, this often does not happen. There are a number of reasons including careers, family obligations and social commitments which prevent old friends from staying in touch. Fortunately, MySpace offers a way for these old friends to reconnect. Although there are countless ways for old friends to find each other on MySpace we will describe three methods for finding old friends on MySpace which are popularly used by members of the community.

Let Them Come to You

The easiest way to reconnect with old friends on MySpace is to let them find you. Joining MySpace and creating a website profile may be all it takes for some members to find old friends within the community. If you are looking for an old friend, chances are they often wonder about you as well. If this old friend is already a member of MySpace they may occasionally search for you by name, nickname or interests throughout the community. MySpace has a search feature which gives users a variety of options which can help them to find long lost friends.

While this may seem like a passive approach to finding old friends on MySpace it can be very effective. It is especially effective when the lost friend is already a member of the community and is actively seeking to reconnect with you as well.

Do Your Research

A more time consuming way to reconnect with an old friend on MySpace is to search for them. This process can be incredibly time consuming and possibly fruitless or it can be extremely easy and rewarding. When searching for an old friend, begin your search by entering their complete name into the search feature and using the search by name button. If your old friend is a member of MySpace and has used his full name you will find him easily. There may be multiple results especially if your friend has a common name but you will likely recognize your friend when you come across his MySpace website.

If entering your friend’s complete name does not return any useful results you can also try entering their nickname. Members who do not use their full name when registering on MySpace often use a nickname as their moniker. Even if they don’t a search of the nickname may lead you to your friend’s website if his other friends refer to him by this nickname in their comments left on his website.

Finally, you can try using keywords related to your friend’s favorite hobby in searching for an old friend. This method is likely to be the most time consuming and may return countless result of those who share the same hobby as your friend.

Make a Plea

If all else fails, in searching for an old friend on MySpace you might consider making a plea for anyone who knows him to contact you on your blog or elsewhere on your website. You may find this leads to you being contacted either by your old friend directly or by someone who knows him and can provide you with contact information. This may sound like a farfetched search option but it is actually quite plausible. Many people enjoy the anonymity the Internet offers and are careful to avoid revealing personal details about themselves online. This may make it quite difficult for you to find an old friend on MySpace but it does not mean he is not a member. If he is a member it is likely he will find a blog posting on another website inquiring about where he is. This is because humans, by nature, can be quite narcissistic and it is not unusual for members of MySpace to routinely enter their own name into the search feature on MySpace to see if anyone is talking about them in the community.

If Looks could Kill

2007-05-31T08:02:00.000-05:00

Maintaining a Professional Appearance on MySpace

MySpace is an online community which can be a fun way for members to meet new friends, reconnect with old friends or make romantic connections. MySpace members who are interested in pursuing these types of activities online are free to create a website which reflects their personality. This will help others to understand who they are and to learn more about their preferences.

Although MySpace offers all of these fun entertainment type activities, there are some members of MySpace who utilize the community for business purposes. They may use MySpace to network, make business connections or to promote their business. In these cases care should be taken to create a MySpace website that is attractive and interesting while maintaining a professional appearance.

Avoid Slang and Abbreviations

One way to maintain a professional appearance on a MySpace website is to avoid the use of slang or abbreviations. Many MySpace websites feature slang, abbreviations and terms which are not grammatically correct. While this type of Internet language may be entertaining and may be considered acceptable among members of the community, this type of writing is not likely to appeal to potential customers or business partners. Additionally, not everyone understand the cryptic language often used on message boards, text messages and emails and those who do not understand may have trouble reading the information presented on the website.

Keep the Design Tasteful

As previously mentioned, those who are using MySpace strictly for entertainment purposes can design a website according to their personal preferences. This may include unusual fonts, garish colors, offensive images and blaring background music. While this type of design may provide a great deal of insight into an individual’s personality it is not a good idea for a business related website. Therefore those who are using their website for promotion of a business should create a more tasteful design.

There are a few generic tips which can make a website appear more professional. The use of muted colors that complement each other can make a website aesthetically appealing. Users are more likely to spend time on websites with these types of color combinations because it is soothing. Additionally, the use of a common font type and size which makes reading the text simple is recommended. The use of background music should also be avoided in professional websites as many users either do not have speakers or may view the website in a location where they do not want to hear music.

Avoid Embarrassing Photos

Finally, special consideration should be given to the use of photos on a website which is striving to maintain a professional appearance. While those who are using MySpace for entertainment purposes only may opt to plaster their website with embarrassing pictures of them and their friends, those who have business intentions should use photos more judiciously.

The photos used on a business website should invoke a professional sentiment. This may include posed photos of the website owner in a dignified location, landscape photographs or pictures of products sold by the company. Alternately those who are using MySpace to promote products or services might consider not using images as at all. Whether or not pictures are used on a website is a matter of personal preference but when they are used, care should be taken to ensure they contribute to the overall design of the website rather than distract from it.

Myspace Promotion Explained

2007-05-24T07:56:00.000-05:00

Advertising on MySpace

MySpace is an online community where users have the opportunity to create websites where others can view personal information about them and contact them. However, savvy Internet marketers have found MySpace can also be used to advertise products or service or for the purpose of self promotion. Care should be taken to review the terms of use on MySpace to ensure none of your actions are in violation of these terms but otherwise users can advertise either directly or indirectly on their MySpace website.

Why Advertising on MySpace is Effective

Advertising on MySpace can be effective as long as it is done correctly and not in a way that is viewed as spam. The effectiveness of MySpace stems from amount of users who are currently using MySpace. This includes both members who place comments as well as nonmembers who only look at other websites. With so many daily visitors it is likely there will be visitors who are interested in the products or services you are offering on your MySpace website.

Another reason why MySpace is such an effective advertising tool is there are no fees associated with using your MySpace profile to create links to your ecommerce website or to provide more information about the products and services you offer. The best way to effectively advertise on MySpace is to follow the same guidelines that would normally be followed by advertisers in online locations. This includes knowing who your target audience is and how to effectively appeal to them. This is important because a marketing campaign which does not follow these simple rules will not likely be effective.

In addition to advertising within a MySpace website there are also opportunities to advertise in the form of banner advertisements on MySpace. MySpace is able to not charge a fee to members because they generate their income through paid advertisements. Contact MySpace administrators directly to learn more about these advertising opportunities.

Selling Products on MySpace

MySpace can be also be used to advertise products or services. This can be done either subtly or blatantly. Those who are active participants on MySpace and invest time in meeting others and making friends are more likely to benefit from selling products or services through a MySpace account. This is because most people who use MySpace are not exactly looking for information about products or services so they are unlikely to seek out this information.

However, if they have online friends who are using their MySpace account to promote a product or service they may see the advertisements and find the products or services interesting. In this case they may visit a link to an ecommerce website and consider making a purchase. However, care should be taken when advertising online. Links to your ecommerce website on your own profile are acceptable but placing comments with the same link on other members’ websites will likely be considered spam by both the other members and the MySpace administrators.
Add Myspace friends Quickly Here

Using MySpace for Self Promotion

In addition to selling products and services, MySpace websites can also be used for the purpose of self promotion. Models, actors and actresses, bands and other performers are all realizing the potential for self promotion which exists on MySpace. Members of the community can include everything which may be useful to those who wish to hire them in the future. For example, models can include professional photos while bands can have their music playing on the website for visitors to enjoy. With so many people visiting MySpace on a daily basis, it can be easy for members of the community to create quite a following for themselves.

Those on MySpace should also be aware that industry executives are now dedicating staff members to comb MySpace to try to find new talent on MySpace. In fact more than one major recording company has admitted to having interns spend hours each day on MySpace looking for exciting new artists.

Generating Traffic to Your MySpace Website

2007-05-16T09:21:00.000-05:00

MySpace is an exciting online community where members can make new friends, reconnect with old friends, network or even find potential romantic partners. While there are some MySpace members who join the community simply for the ability to stay in touch with their old friends and are not looking to make new friends. These members may keep their websites private to not allow other users to view their personal information and may not spend a great deal of time visiting public websites of other members. However, most MySpace members are interested in making a great deal of friends online and are always looking to generate more traffic to their website.

Create an Interesting MySpace Website

One of the simplest ways MySpace members can generate increased traffic to their website is to create a website which is both aesthetically appealing and interesting to others. The aesthetic appeal of a website can greatly influence the amount of repeat traffic a MySpace website receives. For example members who use garish colors and fonts which are too small or otherwise difficult to read may not receive repeat traffic even if the content of their website is very interesting and engaging. This is because other members may lose interest in the website quickly.

The other part of an excellent website design is interesting and intriguing content. A website which is aesthetically appealing may entice visitors to peruse the content but if it is simply not interesting and engaging the visitors are not likely to spend much time on the website and are also not likely to return. However, MySpace members who fill their website with exciting content are likely to keep visitors interested. When visitors are interested in the content they are likely to return and also to encourage others to visit the website as well.

Visit Members’ Websites

Another way to generate increased traffic to your MySpace website is by visiting the websites of other members. You can use the search feature to find other members who share your interests. By visiting their websites you will get a better idea of whether or not you are interested in being friends with these members. When you encounter other members you might be interested in meeting you can sent them an email or instant message commenting on their website and asking to be added to their network of friends. You can also suggest they visit your website as well. Those who make an effort to meet other members are likely to increase their own web site traffic.

Invite Friends to Your MySpace Website

Finally, MySpace members can generate additional traffic to their website by inviting others to visit them. They can speak directly to friends and family members and encourage them to view their website. Also, those who participate in other online communities such as message boards may include a link to their MySpace website in their signature so those who want to learn more about them can visit their MySpace profile.

MySpace also has an invite feature which enables members to send messages to others to encourage them to start a MySpace account. Members who have friends or family members who do not belong to the MySpace community can send them one of these invitations to encourage them to participate. The invitation can include a link to the members MySpace website to give the others an idea of what MySpace really is.

Traffic is the Key

Generating traffic to your profile on MySpace is the first step in doing anything else with your website. Without traffic, you could have the coolest site, but no one will see it and you would be promoting in vain. Once you have traffic, you can direct it wherever you want to accomplish your goal.

Promoting Your Business on MySpace

2007-05-08T07:46:00.000-05:00

The question of whether or not MySpace can be used to promote a business is certainly debatable. MySpace is intended to be a non-commercial website by nature but there is a difference between blatant commercialization and mentioning a product or service you offer and providing a link as a useful resource to visitors of your website.

This article will take a look at the opportunities to promote a business on MySpace by providing information on determining whether or not your method of business promotion is permitted on MySpace and information on how to promote your business without being accused of spamming MySpace.

Review the Terms of Service Carefully

The terms of service provided by MySpace can provide the greatest insight into whether or not there are ways to promote your business through MySpace. Members of MySpace are asked to review the terms of service before becoming a member. Each member should carefully read through this entire agreement to come to a better understanding of which types of activities are allowed on MySpace as well as which types of activities are prohibited.

One of the stipulations of MySpace reads as follows, “Non-commercial Use by Members. The MySpace Services are for the personal use of Members only and may not be used in connection with any commercial endeavors except those that are specifically endorsed or approved by MySpace.com. Illegal and/or unauthorized use of the MySpace Services, including collecting usernames and/or email addresses of Members by electronic or other means for the purpose of sending unsolicited email or unauthorized framing of or linking to the MySpace Website is prohibited.

Commercial advertisements, affiliate links, and other forms of solicitation may be removed from Member profiles without notice and may result in termination of Membership privileges. Appropriate legal action will be taken for any illegal or unauthorized use of the MySpace Services.” This section of the terms of service stipulates that MySpace is created for non-commercial use unless Myspace.com has approved the use of a member’s website for commercial purposes. Therefore care should be taken when designing a MySpace website to ensure the website will not be deemed to be a commercial website by MySpace administrators.

When In Doubt, Ask Questions

Those who are unsure of whether or not their MySpace website, as they have designed it, will be considered a commercial website should consult with MySpace administrators. This step is not necessary unless the member is concerned their content will be perceived as being commercial.

Reviewing the terms of use agreement can provide a great deal of information but some users may still be concerned with the possibility that their website will be penalized if the administrators deem it to be commercial in nature.

Contacting MySpace is a fairly simple process. Members can use the, “Contact MySpace” link from the MySpace.com homepage. The contact page enables members to select a subject and a subtopic and submit this information. Once this is done MySpace provides some preliminary information which may be relevant. If this information is not useful to the member they can email a detailed request to MySpace.

Avoid Spamming at All Costs

If you determine there is an opportunity for you to promote your business through MySpace, care should be taken to ensure the promotion does not cross the line into spam. Spamming is taken very seriously by the MySpace administrators and it may result in links or content being deleted or the privileges of membership may be revoked when a member is found to be guilty of spamming.

Links to your ecommerce website integrated into your MySpace website isn’t considered spamming. Depending on how it is used it may not even be considered advertising, and therefore prohibited, by MySpace administrators. However, visiting other MySpace websites and placing a link to your ecommerce website on each website you visit would be considered spam. These individuals may or may not be interested in the website you provide but even if they are interested sending these links to numerous websites unsolicited, it is often considered to be spam.

Care must be taken to avoid being considered spam. Even when posting a bulletin, you must avoid outright advertising. You may just inform people to look at your blog or websit if there is something that may be of interest to them and not considered just advertising. You can include links to a blog and have advertising placed there, so driving traffic to your blog wouldn't be spam.

While there are people using these unscrupulous methods to myspace marketing, I suggest that you work to keep your business away from anything shady. It may take longer to build your business, but your reputation will be intact and that will create more value to your business in the long run.

Myspace 101

Where Can MySpace Take You?

2007-05-02T13:04:00.000-05:00

MySpace is a powerful online community which can take members virtually anywhere they want to go. MySpace was designed to allow members the opportunity to meet friends, reconnect with old friends, network and even meet potential romantic partners. MySpace may have started as a small project but has ballooned into a huge community with members from around the world. These members represent a variety of different races, regions, sexual orientations and occupations and can lead to all of the members learning so much more about the world around them.

Friends from Around the World on MySpace

MySpace is an expansive community and there are members from all over the world. This gives members the ability to meet and connect with members from different countries. Although these friendships may remain online and never turn into face to face meetings they can give an individual a greater understanding of the world around them. Through MySpace friendships with members from other countries, individuals can learn about the struggles experienced in other countries as well as the benefits of living in other countries.

Learn about Different Cultures on MySpace

Many people were raised with limited knowledge of other cultures. They may have had parents who were different races or another relative who was a different race or religion but for the most part they might have only learned in depth about a handful of other religions and cultures while they were growing up. This does not necessarily foster hate but it can lead to problems which relate to ignorance.

Members of MySpace come in contact with those of other races, religions and cultures all the time. In fact MySpace members may spend a great deal of time getting to know another member before they even know the race, religion or ethnicity of the other individual.
This ability to get to know each other first and then learn more about cultural backgrounds can lead to more tolerance of others.

Making Connections Offline

We have already discussed how MySpace can help members to make friends around the world and learn more about different cultures but MySpace doesn’t have to take you miles and miles away. The fact that there are MySpace members around the world may give you the opportunity to make friends in other countries but it also means you have the opportunity to make new friends in your geographic area. Even those people who live in the smallest towns may find there are other MySpace members who live in their town. Getting to know these members creates the opportunity for MySpace members to take their online friendships offline and meet in person.

Meeting online friends in person can be a wonderful experience which can give the members the opportunity to really get to know each other better. Some members of MySpace may have joined the community just to speak to others online and may have no desire to meet
others offline but for some, the opportunity to meet others offline after fostering an online relationship may be very appealing.

However, those who plan to meet online friends in person should exercise a certain amount of caution. Initial meetings should take place in a busy, public location that is well lit as opposed to a secluded location. Additionally, those who are meeting an online friend for the first time might bring along another trusted friend for security.

With such a large global reach, this also makes Myspace a perfect forum for discussions of all kinds. The perspectives offered from people of other cultures and geographical areas will give you an opportunity to open your mind to differring points of view. This also gives you access to a larger population if you are marketing any kind of product.

Getting Started On MySpace

2007-04-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

MySpace is an online community which offers members the tools they need to create a website for other members of the community to view. MySpace also hosts these websites and provides search features which enables visitors to find information about particular members or members who have certain hobbies.

Opening a MySpace Account

The process of opening a MySpace account is fairly simple and takes place almost instantly. Members who wish to join the online community only have to provide some basic information and agree to the terms of service to be granted membership. The basic information which is required to request membership is a full name, a valid email address and a password containing alpha and numeric characters. After supplying this information and checking a box which states you agree to the terms of service your application process is complete. You are then sent an email with a welcome letter and a link which will activate your account. You only need to click on this link and enter your email address and password to activate your account.

Understanding the Terms of Service

Reading and agreeing to the terms of service is required for membership to the MySpace community but members should review these terms regularly and should be sure they understand all of the terms. This is important because violation of these terms could result in the member’s account being deleted or legal action being taken against the individual. Some of the highlights of the terms of service are:

* Members must be at least 14 years of age and must report their age accurately.
* Members are responsible for keeping their password secret and reporting suspected cases of others using their password.
* Commercial use of MySpace is prohibited unless prior authorization from MySpace is received.
* Users must not publish any copyrighted materials on their website without permission.
* Members may not post content which is prohibited by the terms of service.

Designing a MySpace Website

The process of designing a MySpace website is one of the most exciting parts of membership for many. It is also one of the most complicated part of the membership. However, it is not incredibly difficult and even those with limited HTML or other design skills can create a great website.

MySpace members have a great deal of control over the appearance and content of their website. They are only limited by their own design skills. The homepage for your MySpace account features the following links:

* Edit Profile
* Account Settings
* Add/Edit Photos
* Add/Change Videos
* Manage Calendar
* Manage Blog
* Manage Address Book

The “Edit Profile” section is the one which allows members to add the bulk of the content to their profile. This section is broken down into subcategories such as interests & personality, name, basic info, background & lifestyle, schools, companies, networking and profile songs. Some of these subcategories, such as the interests & personality section, contain titles with text boxes where members can add text and HTML code to modify the appearance of their website. During the design process, members can preview either individual sections or the entire profile. Other sections, such as the background and lifestyle section, have a series of questions where members can supply answers with pull down menus or radial buttons. These features make it easy for members to supply basic information about themselves in a quick and easy fashion. They only have to answer the questions and MySpace integrates the answers into the design of the website.

If you are looking to start marketing on Myspace, a quick way to get started is to use a template page from an affiliate company, like Crack the Myspace Code. They have several designs to choose from and by being an affiliate, you can earn money if anyone signs up from your page.

Mike Haase,
Haase Infotech

Myspace Marketing Comes of Age

2007-04-25T08:18:00.000-05:00

The benefits of marketing with Myspace may seem a bit mysterious at first glance. You may be thinking that Myspace is just a meeting place for “friends”. But in reality, it is much, much more. Just looking at the numbers available, the potential is unlimited. There are currently over 172,000,000 profiles in the Myspace community, a number that is growing by over 200,000 every day. Granted, many of those are duplicates from people who are trying to reach as many people as possible, but most are new individuals. Even if it was 50% of that number, it is still an enormous number of people to market to. Remember, most of marketing is a numbers game. Even a 1% or 2% response rate can add up to a lot of sales quickly.

The biggest step is to grow to a point that you can reach the large numbers to make things work. There are a few different things that you should do to reach the numbers that will make profits start to flow.

First, you must realize that the better quality your product and your sales effort, the smaller the numbers will need to be to make a profit. I mean, the saying I always heard about New York was that there are so many people there, you could set up a street stand selling dog poop and someone would buy it. You will just get more buyers selling lemonade. Another example of this is if you have ever gone into Walmart and seen something displayed and wondered why anyone would buy that. With 180,000,000 customers, trust me, Walmart has someone who will buy it.

So what do you need to do to tap into the Myspace market then? Well, there are a few things:

1. You need to build your friends list. The more friends that you have, the bigger your target audience. You can begin right away manually sending out friend requests. Don’t discriminate, because you never know who is on their friends list that may contact you without you even trying. If you have a specific product that you are looking to market, then join associated groups and request group members become your friends, too. If you are serious about marketing, you may want to try a friend requester bot. I have had a really good experience with “Friend Blaster Pro.” They even have a free version to get you started.

2. Once you have a list of friends, continue adding to it (the bigger your list, the better). Then start sending bulletins, letting anyone who is interested know about what you have to offer and how to find out more about it. Here you can have them click a link to your website or to your blog or if you have an affiliate link, they can go directly there if you want.

3. Also, post to your Myspace Blog and post a bulletin about that to your friends. You also should put links and information on your profile page. Myspace is giving you internet real estate. It’s up to you to make the most of it.

These are just a few ideas. I’m sure that there are many more that will create income from Myspace. The Friend Blaster Pro friend adding bot has several other features that give you a lot of options. The main point is that you must have the numbers to promote to or you are not going to see results.

Michael Haase,
Haase Infotech
Haase Info Tech
Check out Friend Blaster Pro Here

The Economics of Being Green

2007-03-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

With the coming and passing of St Patrick's Day, and the recent increases in the price of gasoline, I thought it might be a good time talk about the economics of being green... in an energy using sort of way. In the last couple weeks, Sean Hannity was talking with Daryl Hannah about using Renewable Energy, and cutting the Carbon load we all create. During this discussion, Sean continually made the remark that solar, wind and biodiesel are laudable products; they just aren't economically feasible right now. When they are economically competitive, it would make more sense to switch.

Well, Mr. Hannity needs to do some research on what the current costs and return on investment are. Those statements could have been factual ten years ago, but now, there are ways to make it not only cost neutral, but even save money. When the cost of electricity increases above 12 cents per kilowatt, solar is competitive. There are many suppliers making constant improvements, which combined with the tax incentives that state and local governments provide, makit cheaper to switch than not.

A big problem is the public's perception, like Mr. Hannity's is still based on the technology of the past. Those feelings used to be true. They aren't anymore, but the public needs to be educated to that fact. Just like any new technology, the early adoptors take most of the risk, paying more to be the first to have it. Now we are coming out of that early adoptor period and embarking on the widespread acceptance and affordability period. No one should be afraid to jump in now.

Click Here for more information

Making money with the internet

2007-02-06T10:39:00.000-05:00

It seems that for everyone who has any interest in making money on the internet, there are at least a dozen people with their opinions and ideas on how to accomplish this. From unbelieveable "do nothing and collect cash schemes" to "How to make Thousands on the internet in ________(you fill in the interval) days". Many of these "free" income plans, make alot of promises but seem rare to come through on their claims. How do you keep from becoming a victim and still find a way to make a living in an honest way?
I have found that research into the claims is usually the best way to start. (oh, and by the way, I don't think any of the legitimate income generating methods are without a reasonable amount of work) The plans that seem to hold the most real promise are the ones with a good structured system to implement. Most are a bit unrealistic in their claims of how much time you will spend though, so plan on at least twice the time they say and i don't think you will be dissappointed.
Keeping your eggs in one basket isn't a very good idea either though. Affiliate marketing, eBay, Ebooks and newsletters should all be used in their own way to create multiple streams of income. The more the better. And once you've put time into one area and it is up and running, it can be put on auto-pilot for a while as you put another method into play. There are several good programs available for you to put an internet business together with. Over the next few weeks, I will explore many of them and give you my thoughts. Come back often, and if you wish to hear about all my updates, send me an e-mail (soon I'll have a subscription link here to make it easier.) Til next time, Crusher

The Logic of Oil

2006-12-14T12:55:00.000-05:00

With all the stuff going on today in oil, I thought I could tell you my thoughts on the logic of Oil prices.