The Same Old Scams Keep Rotating

Nothing annoys me more than knowing people are still being scammed of their hard earned money. One scam I thought had dwindled away (for the most part) was the Nigerian scams. But, today I received something disguised as a comment on an article I had written requesting that I go to a particular website, provide banking information and a check would be sent to me to deposit into my account.

Why? you may wonder. There was a comment included that said I appeared friendly from my profile. While I do consider myself a friendly person, I have not met anyone in all my years that has just wanted to give me money just because. Neither am I naive.

Can you imagine what would have happened if I had sent in my personal banking information to them, or deposited a check into my account from this strange individual? What if I started writing checks based on the belief that this newfound money was in my account? I shudder to think about it. While I didn't take those steps, I know someone out there will based on the belief that their situation is different. Perhaps they are more trusting.

Remember, be careful. Various scams are in full force, more than ever. Before doing anything, check and then double check. If you are uneasy- don't do it. If it seems to good to be true-remember it is!

Make it Fun and Involve Your Child in Your Business

I know you are probably looking at that statement, and saying “are you kidding?” Our schedules are busy, and there barely seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish tasks as it is.  But by setting aside time now to explain things to your child regarding business, responsibilities, commitments, and the importance of organizational skills-this can prove to be rewarding for them in the future. The most important lessons begin at home, and here are a few simple steps you can take to make this happen.

 

Explain and Demonstrate Responsibilities

 

Children learn not only what you say, but they learn things by what they observe you doing. If you have a common habit, there is a strong possibility they may want to mimic it. Ensure it is a positive habit. Make a habit of setting aside time monthly to discuss finances with your child. This doesn’t have to be anything long and complicated, but make it age appropriate. They must understand that the means to accumulating wealth and running a successful business is by saving, investing and planning for those rainy days that are guaranteed to come. Your status will have nothing to do with the labels you wear because sooner or later those will become worn out. The younger this is explained and understood, the better.

 

Understanding Finances is Fun

 

Make it a fun experience to learn about money. The more fun you have while learning, the stronger eagerness and interest will emerge. Find board games such as Monopoly that allow you to have hands on experience with paper money, buying and purchasing properties, earning additional funds etc. Also, check to see what opportunities your child has at school to obtain additional knowledge about money and get them involved in it.

If They Want Your Money, Beware!

With the economy still in a volatile state, consumers are hanging on to their purse strings tighter than ever. I, too find that I am watching my pennies a little more to stretch them further. One thing that makes me angry is when I hear about people being scammed. When I hear complaints about this occurring, I will spread the word. Recently, I have been hearing about more people networking to connect with others that are interested in starting a business or improving the one they have already established. Now, don’t get me wrong I am in no way saying networking is bad, but what is bad is when you are tricked in to spending money  you don’t need to. Several consumers contacted me stating they had connected with others online and were instructed to send a payment to be “a part of the business group.” This caused my alarm to go off immediately. For one a book or product wasn’t being purchased. A seminar wasn’t happening. This was strictly a means to be allowed to sit in. Why should you have to pay for that? There may be times when this becomes necessary, but I want you all to know that there are other free ways to connect with others in your area who maintain similiar business goals. Before you open your wallet, take a closer look at who you are networking with.

Promotional Pens Can Be a Viable Marketing Strategy

When you are putting together a marketing plan for your company, there are many things to consider but the most important thing is to determine how much you want to pay. As a small business owner, you need to find several ways to make your business successful but you may not have a lot of money to do it. Some of the costs that you will be looking at include:

1. Newspaper advertisements - These can be effective but the days of the newspaper are long gone and there are a lot of high rates for advertising. You will typically pay $1,000 for a full page ad, even in a local paper, and only reach a few hundred people. This means for each person you reach, you are spending as much as five dollars. Only a fraction of these people will come to your store.

2. Television advertisements - These are well-known and seen by many people but they are horribly expensive. You will pay thousands of dollars and reach thousands of people, yes, but is it worth it? You need to reach a lot of people to bring in enough sales and often this is too expensive for most small businesses.

3. Radio advertisements - The same thing is true for radio advertisements. You reach a lot of people but not a lot come into your store as a result.

So, what can you do and where can you go for your marketing strategy? There is only one place for a small business to turn and that is to the promotional gift marketing strategy. Promotional gifts are great because they allow your company to get exposure to hundreds of people for a fraction of the price of regular advertising. If you put your company name and logo on a pen, it will reach roughly 10 to 20 people over the course of the life of that pen. If only 10 percent of those people buy from you, that is one to two people coming into your store. If they each buy an item worth $20, you have gained a big return on the investment of a two dollar promotional pen.

That is how easy it is to market your company through promotional pens. You can reach a lot of people, you can do it cheaply and you do not have to worry about doing this every week. A pen will last for years and it will advertise your company that entire time.

DiscountMugs.com is a large distribution company based in Miami, Florida. They are web-based and factory-direct which allows them to keep prices lower than the rest of the competition. They also have a huge selection of promotional products from wine glasses and shot glasses to tote bags and pens.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1517714_15.html

Author: Amin Ramjee

Have You Seen This Person?

Today, I am going to skip writing my usual blog in order to post additional important information. Kathy Chou, the 19 year old friend of my daughter- is missing. Please see the attached article, and if you know anything make a call to the Renton Police Department.

When Your College Graduate Returns Home

Many parents are not only running their homebased businesses on a daily basis, but they are also dealing with the everyday events that occur in their lives such as: appointments, children, ill parents, and for many this year a child that is graduating from high school as well as all the responsibilities that come along with that. While this may be hectic, what about those individuals that are now dealing with a child that has completed college and has been unsuccessful at locating a job? Read my latest article on this subject.

Coming Soon!

Stay tuned for the upcoming exciting section of this blog which will feature fabulous free items, and opportunities you will want to take advantage of.