What's a Funded Proposal?

I've 'stolen' a new Blog I wrote for over40s-online-that I think you might find useful. 


Click Here

How to Get To Page #1 On Google for Your Name or Business-Free!

 Google me!


No this isn't an exercise in naval gazing, rather a question that is becoming increasingly relevant by the day for those in business-Online or Offline. Like it or not if I meet you at a party and you mention your business, if I have even a modicum of interest I'll Google the business name AND wait for it-YOU!


We're becoming increasingly time poor with a million distractions and the quickest way to get a perspective or angle on something is to see how they are represented by that behemoth that is Google.


There was a quote attributed to Napoleon, in reply to a comment that his fame would be fleeting stated:
 

Fame may last but a short while but obscurity is forever

On a personal level you may choose to be obscure but from a business point of view it is a terminal condition. I know of large companies that are great at what they do and provide great customer service but....they are on a very slippery slope, because they have virtually no online presence. If I Google them, I will however enter the world of their competitors, who will pitch a similar service and more than likely 'steal' some business.


You are a brand. Brands have relevance only to the degree of their viability. If you have a Facebook or Twitter following of 1000, that's great for your social standing, and may spill into some business, but essentially they are social networking sites not primarily business building forums. 


The good news however is that it is incredibly easy to get listed on Page 1 of Google under your name, unless you have a very common one, simply by getting your Profile on to as many sites as possible.


Definitely get your profile on any sites you're currently using, with links to your websites or blogs etc.

Set up a few article submission site profiles. EG: Ezine Articles. You can copy and paste and hence reduce the time involved to just a few minutes. I've just started using Self Growth.com-a ready made template full of useful resources, which is free and will get you noticed by Google. Blogspot has got me to #1 on various high competition searches. A couple of really simple Blogs-just like this infact can get your name out there very quickly. For example:


If you Google my name, which has a slightly unusual spelling you will see the effectiveness of this strategy. None of it involves paid advertising. 


Examples:
Over 40s Blogging-Page #1-Versus competition of 2 billion web pages!
Over 40s online-#1-Page 1-Versus competition of 6.7 million
over 40s online marketing-#1-Page 1-Versus competition of 18.8 million.
Kiaran Finn-first 4-5 Pages almost exclusively.
Your Net Biz Australia-#1 and #2-Page 1-Versus competition of 800k


The above is not representative of monetized value, but it does show how just a little focused effort can get you in front of more searchers than many a big organization, with massive misspent advertising budgets.


Please share your experiences regarding Google Search.


As always I welcome your connection via Twitter, Facebook or Google Friend.

I hope your day is progressing well-Cheers Kiaran

To Twitter Or Not To Twitter-That Is The Question

With apologies to Mr Shakespeare, this really is the contemporary question that online participants are asking daily. There is a real partisan fervor to the debate between the Pro-Twits and the Nay Sayers.


My take on the debate is as follows:

What is your agenda for being on Twitter?-Really, be honest!

• Is it for the reflected social kudos of accumulating thousands of 'followers'? 
• Is it to create a data base of thousands that you can pitch (mutually spam) your business opportunity? Is it to share information with friends and colleges?
• Or is it to simply connect with as many like minded people as possible for mutual inspiration and entertainment?

This question needs to be addressed in order to establish whether or not your strategy is working or simply wasting your time. 

My impression is that if you are following more than 100 people the quality of the connection will be weak. If you are unsure if anyone is listening to you-ask a simple question and see how many respond. My experience is that if you have 2k following you may get one or two replies! wow! Think about it, everyone's pitching and no one's listening.


Here's an absolute gem strategy.


Forget about Automated Messaging. Every couple of days jump on your twitter page and check out a bunch of followers have a look at their websites and pick a dozen or so that seem genuine then Direct Message them with a personalized comment.
EG: 
"hi John thanks for the connect -I see you're from NY was there last year liked your quote about adversity-Cheers Kiaran from Perth"

This absolutely works at creating real connections. Why? Because virtually no one takes the time to do so. I've done this with people who have 20k followers and got back genuine replies.


As Seth Godin says in his book Tribes-it is almost impossible to directly connect with more than a 1000 people BUT that is all you need to build an empire.


It seems almost old fashioned but the word that comes to mind is AUTHENTIC. Authentic people are more sticky and attract other authentic people whilst cold hard pitchers seem to play the mutual spam game.


If you relate to this Blog why not Twitter me with your thoughts-Cheers Kiaran

Remember 1996? Things have changed!

Can normal down to earth people make a living online, or do you have to be a marketing and techno wizz? There has never been a more exciting time for your average person to embrace entrepreneurship. 

The internet has disolved all the boundaries and obstacles that previously stopped ambition in its tracks.

In the offline world you need a kings ransom to create any reasonable traditional business or franchise. Stock, premises, staff, shipping, accounting, human resources, stationary, signage, and a marketing and advertising budget that would bring tears to your eyes. And all for what?  80 hour weeks, stress, and a scary statistical probability of losing your shirt. Excited?

Sure online business opportunities do not represent a free lunch. There’s no secret formula that allows you to plug in, do nothing and make your fortune. But what you can do is plug into an unbelievable reservoir of mostly free resources, invest some time and energy and a relatively small financial outlay and create an empire, with little risk.

Despite this, most people will sleep walk through this historical period of unlimited opportunity only to awake years later and wonder what happened! hype? I don’t think so.

Consider this:
 

Remember 1996. Let me refresh you. That was when the Atlanta Olympics were on. Linken Park were band of the year, OJ Simpson’s first trial, Nintendo 64 released, and Bill Clinton was elected president.

I don’t know about you but that doesn’t seem too long ago.

In 1996 there were less than 20 million people online. Today there are well in excess of a Billion! It is estimated that more than one in five people on the planet is connected. the landscape has changed utterly, and you know what? It’s virtually untapped. It’s like the dawn of the industrial revolution. We’re just stumbling around in the dark trying to figure out what’s happening. 

The message is this. Tap in fast. Get involved and evolve with the technology. Those that embrace the medium will attain successes that previous generations could only dream about. For one simple reason. It’s called Leverage. The ability to leverage other peoples’ skills and resources is absolutely phenomenal.

Seth Godin-You Need To Be Remarkable

You could do worse than tuning in to this genius if you want to stand out from the crowd. I'll be reviewing his book Tribes shortly-but as a little preview into his quirky but razor sharp perception I thought you'd enjoy this Vid-Cheers Kiaran

Lead Follow or Get Out Of the Way!

I read that statement many years ago and it kinda stuck. I'm just reading a book that I'm struggling to put down. It's by Seth Godin entitled 'Tribes'. I will be reviewing it shortly so I won't discuss it in any depth here, but it's as close to a manifesto for Online Marketers as you'll ever find. It succinctly defines and reinforces my reasons for being Online, and if this Online malarkey (not a word I get to use very often!) is your cup of tea then you really need to read this simple yet profound little book.


There are a couple of dozen quotes that took my fancy but I quite like this one. It is based in the context of some tut tutting by some vacationers about him 'working' whilst on holiday. 

"Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you ought to set up a life that you don't need to escape from"

Ouch! I don't know about you, but that's an absolutely scary thought. The thought that holidays are an escape from the 95% of our life that are spent in the pursuit of paying the bills.

If anything in these blogs resonates, I'd welcome your comments and connection. Hope your life's unfolding as you'd like. Cheers Kiaran

Is MLM A legitimate Online Opportunity or Not?

This is a reprint of my recently published Ezine Article -that I hope you newbie online marketers might find useful if you are considering venturing into that mysterious world. Behind the hype and gloss, 'what's the real story?'


I will preface the following by stating that I am not an MLM'er but many of my colleagues are, and in the current climate of financial uncertainty it is an option many are looking at.


I have tried to give a simple unbiased opinion of the pro's and cons of the industry so that you can draw your own conclusions.


Is MLM legitimate?


The recent global recession has not coincidentally corresponded to resurgence in some previously uncool forms of marketing, such as Multi-Level Marketing, Party Plan and Home Based Internet Marketing. Companies such as Amway, Tupperware, Mary Kay Cosmetics and such like are having significant successes in their recent recruitment drives.


Multi-Level Marketing has a stigma attached to it for decades, with polarizing attitudes that have contributed to family tensions and damaged friendships. Some people would be more supportive if you announced that you had joined a new age cult. The legitimacy or otherwise of these direct selling organizations is an issue of both legal and moral standing.


What exactly is Multi-Level Marketing? (MLM)


It is a marketing strategy to sell goods or services through a network of independent distributors.
Income is derived from the sales derived from the network of personally recruited members, usually as a result of personal sales and over-rides on the teams' volume.


Legal Legitimacy.


Countries have individual laws that define the legality of sales and marketing techniques. There is a Grey area that many companies need to navigate which is regarding the issue of definition.


The biggest compliance issue is that concerning pyramid selling, which is usually considered illegal. Most contemporary MLM companies are able to comply and adhere to local legislation, but often walk a fine line, as interpretations can vary.


Moral Legitimacy.


Prior to the Internet, recruitment was conducted with an almost evangelical zeal, with many organizations using huge motivational rallies and sales techniques that were frowned upon by many non-believers.


Some criticism and stigma has come from the perception that many of the bigger organizations inculcate members by indoctrination. Mass direct marketing to friends relatives and anyone with a pulse, many of whom have no interest in joining often alienates and causes relationship fractures and residual bitterness.


In recent years there has been a quite a shift in credibility and professionalism. Well-respected authors and entrepreneurs have started to endorse MLM. Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump are two that come to mind. Internet marketing allows members to strategically attract like-minded people into their network. Training is more streamlined and success is less dependent on the cult of charisma, and perhaps more equitable


Financial Legitimacy.


The compensation plans vary from company to company, and are a tool for soliciting new recruits. The power of compounding numbers can suggest that massive incomes can be earned simply from sponsoring a few people who do the same ad infinitum. Pick a number and double it ten times over and then imagine that number represented your network of distributors, who all sell and consume the companies' lotions and potions. The lure of over-ride commissions for very little work can attract many naive members, who subsequently depart disillusioned, weeks, months or years later.
Conclusion.


As a vehicle to create passive income there are many benefits to investing the time, energy and money to create a solid passive income. Like most things in life however, there is rarely a free lunch, and those that succeed will be those that combine ambition with a verifiable action plan and under the umbrella of a stable and trustworthy organization.


There are very few success stories in any form of business that succeed in the absence of a coherent mentoring program and this scribbler suggests that it is imperative you choose your mentors carefully.

 http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kiaran_Finn

 http://www.whoiskiaranfinn.com 

http://yournetbiz-australia.blogspot.com  

Online to have fun, connect with like minded people and co-inspire others to achieve uncommon goals.

The importance of Personal Branding

Due to the speed of technological advancement online, businesses are apt to adapt and evolve in a heartbeat. unlike the offline business world, in which a business can remain fundamentally unchanged for a decade or so. this not the case online.


You have a choice as to whether you promote your core business or what has been labelled as 'You Inc'
This is not for egotistical purposes, rather because online businesses are built on the foundations of vastly spread connections. These connections can take years to build up and ultimately is what will determine the value of You Inc. If your business is no longer viable and you want to move on, you don't want to have to start over and rebuild a whole new set of relationships.


There is no walk by traffic online. Credibility is earned over time and the compound benefits are potentially enormous. More and more people will Google a Business, Product, Book, Movie and yes, You before they engage.


If it takes a month or two or a year or two to establish your Online Profile, well that's the price it takes to create a valuable presence.


This is not hard, however there is a set of skills involved. You can start with virtually zero credibility in your offline location, amongst family, friends and work mates, yet create a massive impact online if you know how.


To find out more, on how to build your online presence FAST, then RSS and connect for my Free Video Downloads.


Or Just Twitter me.


Thanks for dropping by. Kiaran

Blogging for Traffic

Just a quick note. This simple Blog that I published a couple of weeks ago is already at #3 out of 18 million on page 1. Just shows that you don't need to do anything too flash to get your message out there. unlike the paid adverts on the same page however this Blog costs nothing but a bit of time.

Blogging is becoming the medium of choice for many over creating complex websites. They are easily added to and no html etc required which suits us masses very nicely thank you.

#3 Blog Search out of 18 Million in 2 Weeks


If you like any of these Blogs RSS us on the side or connect on Facebook or Twitter for some collaborative Inspiration and shared resources.

So many Online Options -Where to Begin?

Largely by choice I get an average of 10-15 marketing business opportunities pitched to me DAILY! Why by choice? Well, because I engage on Social Networks such as Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to a dozen or so marketers' opt in boxes, I am pretty primed to be targeted. This does not concern me unduly or else I would vacate these forums-my main reason for putting up with these daily Tweets-Messages etc is that it gives me insight into the marketing methods of a cross section of this community, and serves as an excellent method of researching and learning.


Midst the noise there can be a challenge tuning into any coherent symphony. Sorry for over doing the metaphor! There are so many well pitched and seductive propositions that it's tempting to keep jumping from one great opportunity to the next, but alas with the consequent lack of traction.

It's unlikely any online opportunity of itself is better than any others. Some will succeed as spectacularly as others with access to the same resources will fail.

Initially it is imperative that you tune into a system that you can work. Realistically you will need to find a system that will fit your Budget. You need to make a choice as to whether you take the tortoise or the hare route. Market 1000 $29 ebooks or pursue a higher end program where 3 or 4 sales will create the same profit.


Higher end programs that cost upwards of $3k can seem riskier. The mindset of fear can kick in. Fear of loss. Fear of failure. Fear of commitment. Ironically this can also be a profound ally in your endeavours to succeed. A low cost $29 program requires so little financial commitment that this low level of commitment can permeate motivation and activity. 


Once you've burned a few bridges, spent money you probably can't afford to lose, told everyone that you're quitting your job in 6 months, the desire to make it all actually happen is probably stronger.


Of course its all contextual. A traditional business can involve investment decisions of many hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a mere $3k-$4k would be considered virtually nothing.


The message is that success online or offline is largely a factor of commitment. Commitment takes many forms. emotional, time, energy, financial with some blood sweat and tears along the way. That's why the goal, dream, aspiration has to be large enough to sustain the early stages of frustration.


For what it's worth my #1 program has a 'dip your toe in the ocean' try it out and see if it's for you limited time trial entry for $1. That's NOT a mistake. The challenge will be that the commitment is so little it may not inspire you, but I'd encourage you to click the link and check it out. 


That's it-no big sales pitch as you know I hate Hype and Gloss-Let us know what you think-Cheers Kiaran

4 STEP SYSTEM

SOME HARSH TRUTHS

The Power of Clarity.

Just a quick quote from John Assaref-in his book the Answer, that I think you'll like:

"The seed of your business is the vision. This is the groundwork for every successful business that has ever been and will ever be. It starts with the power and precision of the idea. 

What you have to get good at doing is creating the seed of what you want with great precision....the real key to building your dream business lies in the clarity and strength of the idea-the seed. The how always comes after the vision and decision"

This is a new Blog and I welcome you to RSS if you like the material or leave the odd comment alternatively connect on Facebook or check out my other Blogs that may be more to your taste. Thanks for stopping by-Kiaran!

Building Your Personal Brand Online

The biggest mistake Newbie Online Marketers make is promoting the brand of their current business opportunity instead of themselves.


People are attracted to people not to anonymous business brands. You need to sell 'You Inc' before you start touting your opportunity.


Why? Because if your opportunity turns out to be a turkey and you need to start over your personal brand will allow you to regroup much quicker. It may take time but your ability to be ubiquitous in your industry garners trust and hepls you establish yourself as a leader, which is imperative if you want longevity.


It takes a few seconds to do a Google search. That's what people are doing now to facilitate their decision making and purchasing activities. This will grow in relevance exponentially, and if you and your business do not show up, then your relevance is seriously compromised.


How do you get found by Google? It's not very hard.


Get some activity happening in some or all of the following FREE online forums. Click the links below to get started on any of these sites in literally minutes.



Ezine Articles-Submit some content on any subject relevent to your Niche
Blogger-Add daily or weekly commentary as above
Wordpress-As above
Youtube-Easier than you might imagine. Is changing the way people market themselves
Facebook-Like it or not-Social networking is here to stay
Twitter-As above
Weebly-If possible register your Name as a Domain and launch your free Weebly Website in 20 minutes.


Creating an Online presence doesn't take long but can have a profound impact on your ability to network and leverage your reputation into any number of opportunities.


Dip your toe in the water and see if you like it!

Updated Link-Daily Wisdom Thoughts From the Ages To Inspire

http://kiaranfinn-online.blogspot.com/2009/10/some-daily-wisdom.html

This page has got a bit lost-but worth revisiting I reckon. Will be adding some new thoughts very shortly.
What's your favorite wisdom message or quote?

Ezine Articles Versus Blogging To Spread Your Message?

You may have stumbled onto this as a result of a Google search. Potentially thousands of people are currently Online this very minute searching for information about something of interest to you.


If you have a web presence then you have a chance of being found. Interestingly from unlikely far flung places. Only 2% of my visitors are from Australia!


Two very effective and free strategies to connect with people of like minded or 'niche' interests is via the forum of Blogs or Ezines. This is a blog so that is self evident. What exactly is an Ezine?


An Ezine is similar except for the fact it's less integrated. An Ezine is a stand alone article on a specific topic that is more information focused than the conversational style of a Blog. conventional wisdom suggests that the ideal size of an Ezine article is kept between 350 and 600 words. Short and concise. Literary style is less emphasized but some grammatical fluency is required. if you write in text-lingo you'll almost certainly have your articles declined.


The good news however is that the folks over at ezinearticles.com are great at helping you refresh some of those lost lessons in essay writing!


A key component and resource that can enable you to attract vistors to your website or blog is the resource box at the bottom of the article. You cannot use the articles as a sales page to solicit business, however you can give a two or three line description of your profile and a couple of links to your sites.


After you have had 30 or so articles accepted you get a status upgrade which i won't go into here but there are some benefits to creating a small body of work. There is also the matter of credibility. once you've had a few articles accepted you can brand yourself as a recognized Ezine author.


Below are a few random articles I've had published. Most only took maybe 20 minutes to put together and some have received hundreds of views and been republished on other forums.


ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kiaran_Finn 

Thought For the Day-From Brian Tracy

This may seem a bit harsh and confronting but there's a truth here if we accept it.

"You are today because that is where you have chosen to be. You are free to choose your actions, or inactions, and your life today is the sum total of your choices, good and bad. If you want your future to be different, you have to make better choices.


.....you can learn anything you need to learn to become anyone you want to become, to achieve anything you want to achieve. There are very few limitations and most of them are on the inside, not on the outside"

Motivation By the Inch-Al Pacino At His Best

Not everyone's cup of tea-but sometimes I like to get a dose of goosebump- rah rah-to fire up the engine of self motivation-takes a minute or so to warm up but then...!!  Enjoy