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Motivation is just about the most important element for success in any work at home business. If you don't posses this key element with your business or your websites, then it's very unlikely that you will succeed.

Granted, it is difficult to stay motivated at all times...and we all go through low valleys with our home businesses. But it's through these valleys that we grow and learn from our mistakes.

How do you stay motivated and focused?

There are a number of things that you can do to accomplish this...

Marketing Ideas:

When promoting your business or website, always try and conjure up fresh marketing techniques/methods. If something hasn't been working for you, then move onto something new. The ideas are literally endless with marketing. And the most important thing...there are tons of free promotion out there for the taking. Remember, you don't have to pay for advertising in order for it to be effective. It could be...networking on message forums, exchanging links with other business owners/webmasters, article marketing, getting listed in directories, ezine ads, signature advertising, and others. But, that's a whole other article topic there. The idea is to always strive for fresh marketing ideas. Now, we can't neglect the tried and true "word of mouth." Quite effective, give it a try!

Purchase New Products For Your Business:

Now, we all know that in order for you to be a success with your business, you have to know your products and have a passion for them. You have to love the products you are selling! The better you know your products and love them, the more likely it will be that you will keep getting the sales. What better reason to purchase some of your favorite, featured, new products that are in stock? Show them off! If it's makeup, jewelry, or what have you...take them with you wherever you go. Show the new products off to your friends and family. Be enthusiastic about your products!

The same goes with a website. If you are not a home business representative for a company, but own a website...tweak your website to your liking. Make it something you love and can be proud of! If you love your website, then you will love showing it off and promoting it. If you find yourself getting bored with it or it has become outdated, change it...update it! Whether it be content, color, theme, whatever. Tweak it until you really love it. It's also a good idea to make your website as appealing as you can for your target audience.

Change Your Atmosphere:

Now this one may sound silly to some...but this has worked for me. If you have a particular room for an office, move the furniture around if feasible...If it is a very small room, then you won't have many options as to moving things around. But you can change colors or themes for your office. What colors or themes make you feel most creative? What colors or themes make you feel happy? What colors or themes make you feel most productive? It's something to think about. Purchase a new day/month/year planner. Perhaps a new calendar or a new writing notebook.

Exercise...Take A Break:

Exercise is great for both the mind and body! It's also a great way to clear the mind when you feel overworked or stressed out. When you find yourself not in motivation mode and are lacking in that much needed gusto...take a brisk walk to clear the mind. You may be surprised at what happens. Most of the time when I take a break from my time online, whether it be a walk, lunchbreak, or just watching some TV...I come back refreshed, and even sometimes, with some new ideas.

Stay In Contact With Your Customers:

Always stay in touch with your customers. Call them up. Check to see if they are satisfied with the products they purchased. Are they enjoying the products? Offer some friendly advice. This could also lead into an additional sale for you...and that always creates more motivation! Try and get to know your customers and even establish a new friendship.

Network With Other Business Owners Or Webmasters:

If you haven't already, join some home business or work at home message forums and get to know and network with others. Use your signature on these forums. This will not only get your business out there, but you will also find useful information on most of them. Make sure you always read the rules of the forum first though. Ask questions, offer advice on things you are knowledgeable about. Make friends and have fun.

Music:

If you're a music lover, have some soft music playing while you are working. This isn't for everyone though. Some people prefer not to have music playing and want it quiet. It's all in what you like or prefer. And for some people, music can give that much needed extra push in getting started with the work day. Try it sometime. You might be pleasantly surprised.

The idea here is to do everything you can to remain focused, motivated, and even challenged for being the best you can be at moving forward with your business. Do some research and look up more motivation articles and tips. Motivation is the key to success.

Wishing everyone an abundance of both!

Article written by: Tammy Embrich

Tammy is an Internet Marketer and is the Owner of: http://www.onestopwebemployment.com

And Owner of: http://www.real-wah-jobs.com

Tammy's two WAH websites focus on free telecommute job leads and more.

Sending an email with no links to follow is like mailing a direct mail appeal without enclosing a reply device or return envelope. Costly.

Email fundraising only works when you inspire donors to go online. Online is where you get their donation. Online is where you secure their advocacy. Online is where you encourage their involvement. Thats why your email appeals, alerts and newsletters must give donors something to do, and must give them somewhere to go to do it. That place is your website.

Websites alone might raise some funds but they wont build relationships. And email letters might inform donors but they wont advance your cause unless you drive those donors to your website to act.

The easiest way to show you what I mean is to show you how Mothers Against Drunk Driving does it. Their email newsletters are filled with links.

Down the right side of each email donor newsletter is a simple, vertical navigation bar that looks like this:

>> HELP SUPPORT MADD
By making a donation today, youre making a difference for tomorrow. More>>

>> VICTIM SERVICES
After the crash, theres the impact. MADD is here to help you. More >>

>> TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Learn what simple things you can do to help save lives and prevent injuries. More >>

>> FORWARD TO A FRIEND
Share the latest news with your family and friends. More >>

Why this is effective:

1. Its strategic. MADD has a three-fold mission, Activism, Victim Services and Education. These simple, consistent links in every newsletter advance that mission by encouraging subscribers to speak out (Take Action Today!), help victims (Victim Services) and educate others (Forward to a Friend).

2. Its donor-centered. Notice that every one of these four links speaks directly to you, the donor. You are making a difference. You can save lives. MADD is here to help you.

3. It teases. Each link tells you just enough to understand what lies on the other end of that More >> link, but no more. You must click the link to satisfy your curiosity.

4. It stresses action. Three of the four links contain active verbs. Help support, Take action, Forward. In direct mail we call this the call to action. It calls the reader to act. The quickest way to encourage your donor to donate, sign a petition, take a survey or simply read more is to command them to do so.

To see what this entire email newsletter from MADD looks like, visit http://www.raisersharpe.com/z/madd.htm

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About the author
Alan Sharpe is president of Raiser Sharpe, a full-service direct mail fundraising agency that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Sign up for free weekly tips like this, and discover other helpful resources, at http://www.RaiserSharpe.com.

When we build an Internet business, we naturally wish to become a large-scale, global company. But, do you feel more comfortable in an overcrowded mall as one of hundreds of faceless customers-- or as a valued guest in a cozy shop? Do you like your specific needs to be as important to a salesperson as his own?

The less business you have, the better are your chances of success. Sound unrealistic? Well, here are the facts:

The smaller your region, the better your customer service.

You probably remember surfing the net, looking at hundreds of vacation rental sites. Was destination important to you or, did it make no difference? Personally, I can't imagine that someone would search for just some kind of property somewhere in the world.

I see a difference between Sydney and Rome and prefer sites dedicated to specific destinations. Why? That's easy. It's because I like the individual attention I get. If I have questions all of my questions (even about the color of the walls in the bathroom) will be answered with care and in detail. Plus, I can get information about which banks have the best exchange rates, where the best eats are and, well, about anything and everything a traveler wants to know about really.

The network does not replace live interaction.

Even the most informative web pages can not replace live interaction, when you get specific replies to your specific questions. You should read the web page to find the info you need. We all value our time and prefer to talk to a live person and get an immediate reply. Multi-user portals are simply unable to achieve that close interaction between a web site owner and web site visitors, whereas small web sites can.

As a web-site owner, you will gain negotiating skills. These will show you are trustworthy, and help you to succeed in the rental business.

Tenant details are invaluable.

If you have been in the business of leasing or renting real property for several years, youll have quite a database of tenant and owner contacts. Storing every detail about them can help you regain them as clients. Before the high season begins, send them a newsletter about a new option, discount or benefit for your website visitors and include a brief reference to their family. For instance, tell them how cute those twins, John and Jack, were, who decorated your wallpaper with their creative paintings last year, or, ask about their little dog Sparky, who misused your flowerbeds and lawn.

Your tenants will appreciate your attentions and will make early reservations. You could hardly expect that at large vacation rental portals.

'Closer' money.

If you charge property owners for listing their properties on your small vacation rental website, its easier for you to collect payments from them. Local transactions are easier, faster and more secure than payments from all over the World at international vacation rental web portals.

Document your financial relationships.

Operators of large vacation rental websites have owners from different countries with different local laws, so it is hard to control all the agreements and negotiations between property owners and tenants, but a small vacation rental website dedicated to one specific country or region shows more professionalism and generates more trust if it offers rental agreements prepared on behalf of property owners and guests.

If you operate a website dedicated to one region, you can compose legal documents valid for your region and appropriate for your owners and guests. Such rental agreements should describe the most likely disputes that can arise between owner and guest: furniture and fixture damage, insurance, guest and owner responsibilities, abandonment, payment schedule, etc. People feel more comfortable when their financial arrangements are backed up by legal documentation.

The smaller your region, the more income opportunities you have.

Would you like having more happy clients, who naturally turn to positive testimonials and word-of-mouth advertising? The owners of small rental websites can cooperate with local service providers and get good commission from this cooperation. For instance, they can agree on discounts with souvenir shops and hand out discount coupons to their guests. Discount coupons issued specially for a specific villa or house work best. The same can be done with restaurants, car hire and yacht rental services, etc. This will no doubt contribute to generating interest and building trust on your vacation rental website.

VIP attitude is more important than VIP house.

Even if the house for rent is not the essence of luxury, you may win your clients favor with your professional demeanor and attentive attitude. I have seen dozens of examples in which good attitude has compensated for the shortcomings of a property. Remember: you lease impressions, not properties.

Be Sincere.

Last but not least, the guiding principle for the owner of a vacation rental website is to really want to make people happy. Your main and sincere wish should be to make a guests stay as good as possible. Making a profit depends on this. You need to listen hard to what your guests are saying. Remember that when a guest rents house for his vacation, he wants a break from work and day-to-day worries. He does not want his vacation to be clouded by trivial inconveniences. Love your owners! Love your guests! Love properties!

Stacey Daniels is an advertising copyrighter and a marketing consultant of iStateSoft LLC (http://www.istatesoft.com)

More attention is being spent in this country on the topic of aging than every before. As more and more Americans enter their fifth, sixth, and seventh decades, they are looking for ways to feel younger, look younger and age healthfully. Millions of dollars are spent annually on vitamins and food supplements, cosmetics and cosmetic procedures, exercise equipment and gadgets in an effort to ward off, and even deny, the ravages of old age.

In our culture, we tend to think of aging as a breakdown or a decline in health, almost as if our bodies are failing us. However, the Chinese have a different perspective. According to Chinese Theory, aging are not considered a breakdown, but rather a normal life transition. How you age and live in your later years depends on your lifestyle in the preceding years. There are many factors, some you can control and some you cant, that affect how you will feel and look as you age.

To understand aging from the traditional Chinese framework, we need to understand the concept of Essence. Essence is one of the most important substances in the body, and is responsible for birth, growth, development, and maturation. It is also the foundation for all other substances in the body.

We inherit one kind of Essence at the moment of conception, called Congenital Essence. Congenital Essence is not only responsible for growth and maturation, but also genetic traits and constitution. As we age, Congenital Essence becomes depleted, and when this Essence is completely used up, according to Chinese theory, we die. While Congenital Essence cannot be replenished, it can be used judiciously through good lifestyle habits, and it can be augmented by another kind of essence, called Acquired Essence.

Acquired Essence is made up of nutrients from the food we eat, and can be built up by eating well. Good health, strength, and high levels of energy manifest an abundance of Acquired Essence. Any excess of Acquired Essence is stored in the Kidney, along with Congenital Essence.

Essence is stored in the Kidney, which in Chinese medicine is a system of functioning, not necessarily the kidney organ. The Kidney, according to the Chinese, is responsible for growth, maturation, sexuality and fertility. It also governs the bones and teeth, the brain, and is associated with the ear and hearing. Essence is strongly associated with the Kidney, and is often referred to as Kidney Essence.

The gradual depletion of Kidney Essence is the mechanism responsible for aging. It can be seen in weakening and brittle bones, loss of teeth, hearing loss, confusion, and memory problemsall manifestations associated with the Kidney. Weakness and lack of energy is also a common condition of depleted Kidney Essence, along with lumbar pain, as the Kidney is housed in the lower back.

Eat Well

So how, according to Chinese Medical theory, does one preserve Kidney Essence to age well? While there are many factors, good diet is the most obvious. Chinese dietary therapy is a whole discipline by itself, and many books have been written on the subject. One focus of Chinese dietary therapy is on eating and preparing foods in a way that they are easily digested. Foods that are difficult to digest use up energy, or Qi, and over a long period of time can deplete Essence. Some guidelines for eating well include:

-Avoid spicy or greasy foods.

-Avoid very cold foods, such as ice cream or iced drinks.

-Drink fluids that are room temperature or warmer.

-Lightly steam or stew vegetables and fruits, as raw foods can be difficult to digest.

-Avoid drinking too much alcohol.

-Talk to a practitioner of Chinese medicine about what foods are best suited to your specific condition or constitution.

Manage Your Stress and Moderation

Managing stress is another way to protect our health as we age. Unfortunately, many of us find stress an acceptable by-product of the busy, and often overwhelming lives we lead. Some of us dont even realize that we are under incredible amounts of unrelenting stress because we are so busy trying to get everything done. In either case, stress exhausts us physically, disrupts relationships between organ systems, creating unhealthy imbalances, and depletes essence.

Equally exhausting to our internal organs, especially the Kidney and the Spleen, (which is responsible for digestion) is overwork. This means long hours spent working or studying without adequate rest. Damage due to overwork can also be caused by excessive exercise. Therefore, working in moderation and getting adequate rest is essential to preserving Essence.

Moderation is also key with regard to your sex life. Because the Kidney is responsible for reproduction, according to Chinese medicine, sexual practices can also affect Kidney Essence. Having too many children too close together, or having sex too frequently can deplete the Essence and cause premature aging.

Adhering to the principles of Chinese medicine, by incorporating proper diet, adequate rest and moderation in all things, can go a long way toward aging with energy, vitality and good health.

Lynn Jaffee is a Licensed Acupuncturist practicing in St. Louis Park, MN. For more articles or information about acupuncture go to http://www.acupunctureinthepark.com