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What Innovation Can Do to Your Life

1/4/2022

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​It's a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't. The power of innovation. If you've ever marveled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten was not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential. ​Do you know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again?
innovation poster
It's the same with innovation. It takes a  bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily  when called. This article will teach you a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.
Don't listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't. And the help you will probably get comes in the form of negative feedback. If all those geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.
man shaking digital hand through laptop
Spend time on it. I cannot stress that enough, although please do not mistake this tip to tell you to quit your day job entirely. Do not. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to squeeze both in. 

Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.
Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure you have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.
people in standing meeting
Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are. 

Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need an expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't. ​
Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think of the hare and the tortoise. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. 
New Way sign
Sometimes you just want something so bad you become virtually unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going. 

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times. If you have nothing, record or type it on your phone. 
​I hope this article has helped you bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there.
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​TPPro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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"A Piece of Blarney Stone" Ten Ways To Empower Your Communication

18/3/2022

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​The Blarney Stone is a historical stone, or actually part of the Blarney Castle in Ireland where it was believed that kissing the stone can grant you the gift of gab. Yeah, it seems strange in this day and age, but who are we to question tradition? It's not like I'm saying that Santa Claus doesn't exist (OOPS!).

There is so much to know about conversation that anyone, even I, could ever realize. 
blarney castle
You can go through watching talk shows; radio programs; clubs dedicated to public speaking; ordinary conversations; certain rules still apply when it comes to interaction through words. It may sound tedious, I know, but even though it's your mouth that's doing the work, your brain works twice as hard to churn out a lot of things you know. So what better way to start learning to be an effective communication is to know the very person closest to you: yourself.
1. What you know
Education is all about learning the basics, but to be an effective speaker is to practice what you've learned. We all have our limitations, but that doesn't mean we can't learn to keep up and share what we know.

2. Listening
It's just as important as asking questions. Sometimes listening to the sound of our own voice can teach us to be a little bit confident with ourselves and to say the things we believe in with conviction.
old lady speaking with grandson
3. Humility
We all make mistakes, and sometimes we tend to slur our words, stutter, and probably mispronounce certain words even though we know what it means, but rarely use it only to impress listeners. So in a group, don't be afraid to ask if you're saying the right word properly and if they're unsure about it then make a joke out of it. I promise you it'll make everyone laugh and you can get away with it as well.
​4. Eye Contact
There's a lot to say when it comes to directing your attention to your audience with an eye-catching gaze. It's important that you keep your focus when talking to a large group in a meeting or a gathering, even though he or she may be gorgeous.


three people on bench in front of picture mural
5. Humor
A little bit of humor can do wonders to lift the tension, or worse boredom when making your speech. That way, you'll get the attention of the majority of the crowd and they'll feel that you're just as approachable, and as human to those who listen.

6. Be like the rest of them
Interaction is all about mingling with other people. You'll get a lot of ideas, as well as knowing what people make of them as they are.
7. Me, Myself, and I
Admit it, there are times you sing to yourself in the shower. I know I do! Listening to the sound of your own voice while you practice your speech in front of a mirror can help correct the stress areas of your pitch. And while you're at it, you can spruce up as well.

8. Smile
A smile says it all, much like eye contact. There's no point in grimacing or frowning in a meeting or a gathering, unless it's a wake. You can better express what you're saying when you smile.
mans speaking in public
9. A Role Model
There must be at least one or two people in your life you have listened to when they're at a public gathering or maybe at church. Sure, they read their lines, but taking a mental note of how they emphasize what they say can help you once you take center stage.

10. Preparation
Make the most out of preparation rather than just scribbling notes and often in a hurried panic. Some people like to write things down on index cards, while others resort to being a little more silly as they look at their notes written on the palm of their hand (not for clammy hands, please). Just be comfortable with what you know since you enjoy your work.
Empower yourself when it comes to public or private speaking. It never hurts to be with people to listen how they make conversations and meetings far more enjoyable as well as educational.
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TPPro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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"Who's the Boss?" 10 ways to start taking control (time management, goal setting, record tracking)

11/3/2022

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Many of us develop negative thinking patterns because we become frustrated by our challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even harder for us to manage those challenges and move forward. 

Practicing positive thinking allows people to focus on our strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows us to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck. The following tips provide practical suggestions that you can use to help you shift into more positive thinking patterns:
1. Take Good Care of Yourself
It's much easier to be positive when you are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest.

2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful For
Stress and challenges don't seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference.
hiker reaching summit
3. Look for Proof Instead of Making Assumptions
A fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are thinking, but our fears are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member's bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don't waste time worrying that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there is something to worry about.
4. Refrain from Using Absolutes
Have you ever told a partner "You're ALWAYS late!" or complained to a friend "You NEVER call me!"? Thinking and speaking in absolutes like 'always' and 'never' makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering.

​5. Detach From Negative Thoughts
Your thoughts can't hold any power over you if you don't judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don't follow it.
motivation words on board
6. Squash the "ANTs"
In his book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," Dr. Daniel Amen talks about "ANTs" - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like "Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me," or "The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!" When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!
7. Practice Lovin', Touchin' & Squeezin' (Your Friends and Family)
You don't have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn't touch!
runners on track
8. Increase Your Social Activity
By increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way!

9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help another Person
Everyone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return.

10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat Rumination
If you find yourself ruminating, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focusing on something negative. It's never productive, because it's not rational or solution-oriented, it's just excessive worry. Try changing your physical environment - go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music. ​
​When it comes to the corporate world, protocol is pretty much a religion. Knowing the things needed to do are the basics of productivity, but interaction and having a steady mind makes up the entire thing to true productivity. There are those who seem to work well even under pressure, but they're uncommon ones and we are human and imperfect. To get these little things like stress under our skin won't solve our problems. Sometimes it takes a bit of courage to admit that we're turning to be workaholics rather than tell ourselves that we're not doing our best.
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TPPro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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The Five Basic Principles of Online Marketing

4/3/2022

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Ask the experts about the most vital parts of online marketing, and you'll invariably come up with a list of five major responses. The five critical online marketing principles are:
  1. Dead Ends 
  2. Giving and selling 
  3. Trust 
  4. Push and pull 
  5. Niche marketing
 Dead Ends
The dead end principle means that your web marketing effort can't just exist. It must give prospective customers a reason to look around and take action. Otherwise, it's the same as having them see your ad, then turn around and go elsewhere. Your ad was a dead end to them, they didn't get anything out of it. No matter how informative your website is, with gorgeous graphics and a winning layout, if it does not ​encourage your visitors to take certain actions, then it is just taking up web space and isn't filling a purpose.
dead end
Therefore, when you're designing your web marketing strategy, before even building your site, you'll need to ask yourself how you'll obtain your visitors. You'll then need to choose which activities will get you to these results, and which of them can be done in-house, as others are outsourced.
Giving and Selling
The giving and selling principle refers to the fact that when people shop online, they expect to receive something a little extra. Therefore, one fantastic method for attracting customers to your website is to give something to them for free, and then attempt to sell them something else. The strategy typically goes as follows: the first step is to attract people to your site using a good amount of free information. 
gift box
The second step is to inform these prospective customers about your products and services. The free stuff doesn't need to be something tangible. Even the information has value, and then once they're hooked, they're ready to learn about what you have to sell them.
Trust
Trust is an extremely important principle for web marketing. In fact, many experts believe that it is the most important of all the other principles for selling your products and services. Without this trust, people simply won't buy from you and you won't have a business. Trust is built in a number of ways. This can include selling well known and respected name brands, by clearly displaying your privacy, shipping, and return policies, by joining well known and respected organizations, and by offering guarantees that you'll stand by. 
handshake and laptop
A customer-friendly system based on quality and transparency allows you to build your credibility and will earn the trust of your prospective customers, leading to more sales of your products and services.
Push and Pull
The push and pull principle works by pulling people into your website using attractive content, and then pushing your information to them on a regular basis using email. This can be done in a number of ways; most commonly, this has to do with opt-in programs such as newsletters and updates about sales and other promotions. Since websites are relatively passive, it is extremely useful to add an active element to your marketing campaign that will remind your prospective customers of your existence, and entice them to act on what you have to offer.
woman and megaphone
Niche Marketing
Niche marketing has become a vital part of the web marketing industry. It is a recognized fact that to be successful, especially with an online business, you need to know your niche, and market directly to them. With a small business, finding the niche must be filled in order to give them enough leverage against the competition. 
laptop and network
A niche allows a business, no matter how large or small, to focus on a certain corner of the marketplace, limiting the competition, and focusing on the precise type of person who is most likely to become a customer. The key to niche marketing is to begin with a business plan to identify and define your focus and purpose, and then build your website and marketing strategy based upon the vision you've outlined. This encourages consistency and accuracy throughout your web marketing efforts.
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TPPro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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Persistence Is The Best Learning Tool

25/2/2022

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas A. Edison

What do these people have in common?  Walt Disney, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Joanne Rowling (Author of the Harry Potter books), just to name a few.

Well, I'll give you a hint. You might say they all attended the same school. Took some of the same courses, in a manner of speaking.
​Every one of them is famous today, and is considered to be the model of a successful person. However, at times in their lives, and not just during the early years, they had pretty much either failed, or had not achieved anything of note in their lives.

They all attended, in one form or another, the school of hard knocks. But, they learned in that school, and they eventually accumulated enough knowledge, enough common sense, enough experience, enough guts, maybe, to rise to a point where their names have been recorded as a part of history.
backpacker at top of mountain
Oh sure, circumstances played a part. Had not World War II happened along, Winston Churchill would have remained a has-been rather than becoming one of the world's most famous statesmen. Had Abraham Lincoln caught a fatal disease in his youth, we would never have known his name, and how much of our world would be different?
​We have to look at our lives and our circumstances in this light. I AM here now, and I CAN make various choices. One of the choices is to do nothing. One of the choices, however, is to take a stand, give it an old college try, go out swinging...pick your literary cliche.

In the world of network marketing and internet marketing, those with experience and "success" can almost to a person tell story after story of failure, embarrassment, defeat, rejection, and depression. 
woman climbing wall
I've never met a person yet who joined a program and was making appreciable amounts of money in just a few days.  I've HEARD about such things, and I am sure that there are a few who have either had the skill or luck to create a huge network business practically overnight.  However, it doesn't happen to most of us.
​What DOES happen to most of those who sign up for a network marketing program is that while we AREN'T experiencing overnight success, we DO experience failure, embarrassment, defeat, rejection, and depression, not to mention other "...slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." This combination of negative pressures without any offsetting positives (I'm talking about income) in the early stages of a network or internet business causes most of the so-called "failures" and drop-outs in the networking world.
graduation caps
The sad part is that most of these people do not truly become "failures" until they give up. Yes, some will never be successful, but that is true about everything from brain surgery to law to flipping burgers. Some people are just not going to be good at certain things. Some people are going to be in the wrong place at the wrong time almost every time, but that does not mean that they are failures or should be branded as such by themselves or by anyone else.
​Temporary failure, if we can see it that way, is not just a course in the school of hard knocks, it is a coach. Just as a coach may pit a boxer, wrestler, or entire team against a tougher opponent in hopes of teaching them to overcome such opponents, failure gives us the opportunity to learn new skills and to unlearn old, useless skills. Those who continue to grow through this process are the ones who will eventually be labeled "successful".
success
It is necessary to see the obstacles that a new marketer faces as training experiences, not as insurmountable or immovable objects.

The sad part is that so many people recruiting for network marketing programs go out of their way to play up the potential gains of the business while failing to prepare the new player for the difficulties of the game. Many of us who have achieved varying degrees of success in network marketing or internet marketing can tell many of the same stories. We tried all kinds of programs, methods, and techniques. We bought, or bought into, all kinds of books, programs, software, and miscellaneous mumbo-jumbo. We did it because we were ignorant, and perhaps a little greedy, but eventually we learned, and eventually we succeeded.
​I now make a living off the internet, the mystical target, the six-figure-income. However, beside me is a bookcase full of books, on top of my work station are all kinds of software, loaded onto my computer are many programs, tucked into nooks and crannies around the room are folders full of papers. Among all of these are many things that I use to promote and grow my business, but, to tell the truth, I could probably dispose of ninety percent of it and never miss it. 
man celebrating win
I have spent so much time following the wrong paths, and so much money (my term is "accidental tuition") buying things that did little or nothing for me. And yet, I cannot truly regret all that because I never gave up the idea that some day I would succeed, and each "failure" was just another lesson learned. Eventually, all those lessons reached the point where one day my wife looked at me and said, "You know all those ads you used to read to me about making a six-figure-income?"

I replied, "Yes. What about it?"
She said, "You are."

I had graduated from the school of hard knocks, at least for the time being, but I did not graduate because I was brilliant. I graduated because I didn't give up.

Wow! Me and Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln.....! Okay, I'll shut up now, but I started with a quote and I'll end with one.

"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." - Walter Bagehot

Donovan Baldwin
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TPPro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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The 7 Secrets of Internet Marketing

18/2/2022

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​Many marketers have been shifting their marketing budgets to the web over the past few years. Marketing online allows you to target specific audiences and easily track return on investment, commonly referred to as ROI. Unlike traditional marketing methods, results of Internet marketing campaigns are almost immediate. This allows you to better evaluate what elements of your campaign are producing results and which are not. When buying online media, you must be willing to shift your marketing dollars to the online methods that produce a positive return.

To be successful at Internet marketing, you must understand the essential secrets of Internet marketing. These secrets allow you to achieve success by finding the right audience, communicating your message properly, and leading consumers down the path to purchase. These secrets include:
​1.  Website Directory Listings. Before you begin any marketing campaign, make sure that the website you're promoting has been listed in the common directories such as DMOZ, Yahoo!, and Google. Even if you're using a marketing page off of the root directory of your website, be sure that the primary site is listed. This ensures that prospects can continue to find your marketing pages long after you've launched your campaign. 

2.  Generating Traffic. In order to realize a return on your investment, you need to generate traffic to your marketing pages. 
online marketing
There are a number of ways to do so online.  Some of the most popular include Google AdSense, Overture, and Look smart. Other methods include affiliate programs and targeted website advertising. Research other websites that have the audience you're looking for and negotiate favorable ad rates for your online marketing campaign.
​3. Marketing Pages. Don't lead prospective purchasers to a generic website. If you do, potential buyers won't know what to do next. The easier you make if for prospects to take advantage of your offer, the better. Whenever creating a marketing campaign online, provide a specific page for leading purchasers of your product or service or a billboard that showcases the offer. Take the guess work out of making a purchase and more consumers will buy.
group meeting at office
4.  Testimonials. Customer testimonials are the most powerful way to sell your product or service. When consumers hear from those who have purchased and used your product or service, they gain a certain level of trust and comfort in what you have to offer.  Solicit testimonials after each purchase and use those that are most convincing to prospective purchasers.
5.  Create a Compelling Offer. Be sure to offer something that no one else is currently offering. If your offer is similar to your competitors or is not very interesting, consumers have no reason to learn more.  Of course, providing something for FREE is often a great way to entice potential customers. Maybe it's a 3-day free trial or a free evaluation of some kind. Be creative, try something new, and measure the response.
google browser
6.  Developing Trust. Before anyone buys from you, your website or company needs to be seen as reputable. This means that consumers can purchase from you and not worry about the safety of their credit card information, personal information, or anything else being exchanged. A good method for developing trust is to purchase and display safety and reliability icons such as BBB Online, Trust-e, and VeriSign.
7.  Provide a Guarantee. Nothing makes a consumer more comfortable with a purchase than offering a guarantee. Perhaps you can offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee or a money back guarantee.  A guarantee is a great way to ease the risk of making a purchase. If your competitors are offering a guarantee, you want yours to be equal or better.
digital marketing
​Internet marketing is an incredibly powerful medium for segmenting your prospects and delivering targeted advertising. Online, you can easily measure your return on investment and refine your marketing campaign over time to improve results. 

If you are a local business you can benefit from Internet marketing as well. Look for local directories to list your business or services. Alternatively, you can supplement your local advertising with product marketing pages on your website. Internet marketing is more than just placing ads online, it's using the web to communicate the value of your products and services.
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TPPro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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Successful websites don't set out to sell

29/10/2021

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What are websites? Are they sales tools for vendors and service providers, or are they electronic guidance for potential customers? Put simply, are you selling or are you helping?

Your answer to this question may determine the success of your website. So think carefully.

How we define what a website is all depends on which side of the fence we're on. I suspect that most - if not all - vendors and service providers would say their website is a sales tool. But this is a fundamentally flawed perspective. Adopt this position, and sooner or later you'll pay for it.
​To really understand what a website is for, we need to think about who the Internet serves. It's tempting to think cynically and argue that it serves commercial interests, but that's getting the cart before the horse. The Internet serves buyers and information seekers. That's what most people use it for.

What your visitors are really looking for is a website that helps them. 
laptop, notepad and smartphone on table
A website that helps them buy when they want to buy. Helps them understand when they want to understand. And - most importantly - a website that helps them decide when they want to decide.

If you really want to build trust, credibility, authority, and site loyalty, helping visitors is the way to go. Of course, that's not to say you have to do it for free. We're all in business to make money after all. In fact, the main aim of many of your visitors will be to buy something. But it's important that you focus on them, not on you. For example, your visitors don't want to know what you have to sell. They want to know what they can choose to buy. If your primary focus is sales, your visitors will pick up on it.
To generate revenue from our websites - either directly or indirectly - we need to build them to help our readers. Don't start by asking, 'How can I sell?'  Instead, start by asking 'How can I help?' (Even 'How can I help them buy?' is a step in the right direction.)

We need to build our websites from the ground up to be a form of online help. Think of your website as a cousin of the online help provided by Microsoft Office. (If you think of Microsoft's help as the slow-witted cousin, you're on the right track) 
woman browsing on smartphone
The key to successful online help is to always try to answer one simple question: What does the reader want to know? Do they want reference information or how-to information? Do they want to know how to get started or how to get out of trouble? 

​Sure, when you're writing for a website, the subject material is different, but the question is still the same. What does your reader want to know?

Obviously, the answer to this question will be different for everyone, but there are some common questions you can ask yourself which might help you decide:
  • Who is your audience?
  • What time of day are they most likely to be searching?
  • Are they searching from home or their workplace?
  • Are they the business owner or do they have a boss looking over their shoulder?
  • Are they relaxed or in a hurry?
  • Are they spending their money or someone else's?
  • Are they looking for something which will make their job easier?
  • Or are they looking for something which will make their job possible?
  • Are they trying to solve a problem or avoid a problem?
  • Are they looking for a budget solution or a 'best of breed' solution?
  • Are they looking for something with all the bells and whistles or something which focuses on one thing only?
  • Are they looking to buy immediately (just as soon as they know they've found what they want)?
  • Are they comfortable with internet purchases?
  • Are they the final decision makers or do they need to convince someone else as well?
  • How much do they already know about your subject material?
  • How much do they want to know?
​Whether you do some real research or just make some educated guesses, it's important that you know your visitor very well. Then, and only then, can you help them. And only when you help them will you start to realize the true sales potential of your website.

Happy writing!
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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Stop and Go Marketing

22/10/2021

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​Stop and Go marketing and ENERGY go hand in hand. Stop and Go marketing says what it is. We go out to market for time periods and then we get busy with our work and stop marketing. Here is the problem with that. Using the example of a funnel filled with clients and business contacts, when we stop marketing the funnel becomes empty over a time period. When the clients dry up we go back to our funnel, which is empty and once again, we panic and rush out to market.
Are you familiar with the word and concept of retention? It means keeping your current clients rather than losing them and having to find new ones. It costs a company quite a bit less to keep a customer than it does to go get a new one. By marketing your business, it takes quite a bit less energy to keep the flow of contacts and clients coming through the funnel than it does to have the funnel empty only to begin again.
conversion funnel
Here is a great example of a metaphor that we experience everyday. "I was on the way to my hair appointment this month. I chose to take the side roads rather than the freeway.  I noticed with each block I had to either take my foot off the gas and slow down to yield or I had to come to a complete stop. In any case, I was using more gas to get moving again. At each stop I noticed two types of moving forward. I could either push on the gas slowly to continue or I had to peel out to beat the traffic. Either way I had to start again from a stop. Had I taken the freeway (after rush hour) my drive would have been consistent and I would have used less gas. Or, in marketing terms, less energy.

Are you marketing...
  • on the side roads or
  • the freeway?
Consistency will keep your marketing funnel filled and you will have more energy to put into your business.

​There is a perspective and a truth to a statement I heard from a successful business owner. Marketing is your job.  What you "do" is the cherry on top. What he's saying is this. When you are not out "doing" your business, you should be marketing. Keeping that focus, your funnel will be filled and you will not experience Stop and Go Marketing.
There are many other reasons we stop our marketing. Here are a few from entrepreneurs like yourself.
  • I don't know how. We can stop marketing for a while and then we think we don't know how. This reaction can stem from the next bullet point.
  • Fear. If it's been a while since we have marketed that "freezing up" syndrome can creep back in. TRUST yourself - you DO know how!
e-commerce
  • Frustration. It's not working. Have you tried something for a while and it doesn't seem to be working? That's what marketing can be - a trial and error with our services and products. After a while you will learn what works and what doesn't with each piece you offer. Once you find out what works...STICK TO IT!
  • No Time. We're working so hard and with such long hours, there is no time to get out and meet new contacts. Suggestion: Create a short block of time to address envelopes for previous clients. Put stamps on them with your return address label. Have your note cards next to your envelopes. Take a break and jot a quick handwritten note to say hello and send it off. You have continued your marketing and keeping your funnel filled.
  • I don't have a plan. Part of planning is having a plan that fits your style. Not everyone works well from Structured Plan A. You might need a more creative plan. Something fun that will keep you motivated and focused. That is the key, motivation and focus along with a plan that fits your style.
Let's summarize:
Stop and Go Marketing...
  • Drains our funnel of contacts as well as our energy.
  • Creates reactions of: I don't know, Fear, Frustration, No time, No plan

Consistent Marketing...
  • Keeps our contact funnel filled which gives us a nice flow of customers and income
  • Keeps the negative reactions away and promotes energy

Remember, we all need to market in order to have a financially successful business. It's your choice on how you want to market and what type of approach and plan will help you succeed with ease, energy and excitement.
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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7 Internet Marketing Mistakes and How To Fix Them

8/10/2021

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Here are seven simple yet POWERFUL ideas for you to reflect on. This will assist you adjust your marketing strategies...which can provide STRONG results on everything you sell.
1. You don't let people know anything about your business. They will feel more comfortable if they know who they are buying from. Publish a section called "About Us" on your website. Include your business history, profile of employees, contact information, etc.

2. You don't make people feel secure when they order. Remind people that they are ordering through a secure server. Tell them you won't sell their email address and all their information will be kept confidential.
marketing meeting
3. You don't tell people to come back and visit. Customers may not purchase the first time they visit your website. The more times they show up, the greater the chance they will buy.
​4. You don't invest in online advertising. Follow the ìFirst impression is the last impressionî rule. Your advertiser is the one who will be marketing from your side even while you are sleeping in a bed or out of vacation! Always go for economical, tested advertiser. 

5. You don't make your ad copy attractive. Your ads are not watchful. The ad does not attract your target audience. You don't list any testimonials or guarantees.
man writing on transparent board
6. You don't make your website appear professional. It should be easy to navigate through. The graphics should be related to your main theme.

7. You don't test and improve your ads before going online. You have to continually test and improve your ad copy to get the highest possible response rate.
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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SEO Tips and Strategies

1/10/2021

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Here's a list of quick, rapid-fire tips and strategies to boost your online business:
1. Choosing a Domain Name
When choosing a domain name, keep in mind to include your main keyword in the name.
If your main keyword is "Replica Watches"; then you would want a domain name like www.swiss-replica-watches.com.

2. Using the Right Keywords
Using longer keyword phrases is generally a lot easier to rank with and usually convert better. 
When performing SEO, try to optimize each page for a maximum of 5 keywords.
Search Engine Optimization
3. Title Tags
Many search engines overlook most meta-tags, but a lot still recognize the title tag. Include your most important keywords at the beginning of the title, this will increase its prominence. When optimizing the title tag, get straight to the point. Don't include stop words like "to, a, an, as, in". Search Engine Spiders overlook these words and including them really just decreases your keyword weight in the tag.

4. Description Tag
The description-tag is still in use by some search engines. Explain the page's content in one sentence. This tag still shows up in some engines, so try to make the tag read good and catch someone's eyes.
5. Keyword Tag
Many engines overlook this tag, place your 3-4 main keywords here.

6. H1, H2, H3 Tags
Break your pages up into paragraphs, using one keyword-rich H1 tag on the page preferably in the most important area of the page. Minor paragraphs should be broken up with descriptive keyword-rich H2 tags. Include some H3 tags when possible.
Internet Social Media Network
7. Internal Links
Interlink your pages using keyword-rich anchor text. To make it easy and without much sacrifice to the look of your page, you can use bread crumb navigation, like placing a link behind the keywords "SEO Services" if your website delivers digital marketing and repeating the process within the website interlinking relevant areas.

8. IMG Alt Tags
Include descriptive IMG Alt Tags whenever possible. This allows search engines to "read images" and categorize them. Please remember when someone hovers over the image this text will be displayed, so make it readable.

9. Body Area
It's a very good idea when SEO Optimizing a page to include your main keywords at the beginning and end of the body text. Try to include your keywords in this area without sounding robotic. A good SEO Strategy is to break up body text with header tags (H1, H2, H3) as explained above. The body area should contain 300- 1300 words Try to include variations of your main keyword or keyword phrases also. Writing in a natural sounding way is very important.
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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Online Marketing - The End Of The Beginning

17/9/2021

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The first two steps to successfully marketing online and through your website have little to do with online marketing itself. However, it’s critical to complete them before your campaigns begin. These two steps are Setting your Website Objective and Defining Your Online Target Market
Setting Your Website Objective:
Whenever a client is looking to drive more traffic to their website or is trying to raise their conversion rates, I always take them back to the beginning and ask them what the objective of their site is. This is always more insightful (and entertaining), when I’m meeting with more than one person from the company.
meeting at café
“drive more sales”, “get more leads”, “reduce product support demands”, “gain access to new markets”, are a few of the more common responses. We then take a look at their site. It will often focus on who they are, their history, their commitment to customer service; all noble things, and usually all without a strong call to action that matches their now stated objective.

Setting an overall website objective is not easy but the benefits are huge.

Not easy: Real estate on the web is cheap. Add a page, add 100 pages, there is still plenty of room to expand. So it’s easy to quickly develop multiple objectives for your site.
Additionally, many people in the company will have different views on what the site objective should be. Human resources wants the Career section to stand out. Customer Service wants the Support area to be highlighted. Sales, of course, wants to highlight Product or Solution areas, and so on. 

If you’re ruling by committee you’ll have a well balanced but underperforming site. The winning play is to have one objective that rules all others. 
webdesign planning
If the objective is to drive more sales, then the Home page must be geared towards that. It will need to highlight and focus on information and calls to action (CTAs) to take web visitors down that path.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you won’t still link to support and careers sections. You just won’t focus on them on your Home and other main section pages.

Get Specific: Now if “Drive more sales.”, is your first-cut objective, you need to get a little deeper, more specific. Will you be closing sales over the internet (a la eCommerce), or are you driving the new prospect to call you or email you? What level of knowledge should the prospect have before they contact you? Should they know the part number or should they just know that your company is the one they need to call?

Thus, your objective may evolve to “Drive qualified prospects to contact us to get detailed information on which of our products best suits them.”
So what made them a qualified prospect? Were they qualified before they came to your site (maybe they were driven to your site from a trade show), or did they get to you through a search engine and know very little about what you do.

Your objective may ultimately evolve to “Visitors should find the information to qualify themselves as good potential prospects and contact us to get detailed information on which of our products best suits them.”
table with notepad, coffee, smartphone and wallet
Huge Benefits: Once you’ve set your objective, everything becomes easier. Writing content (often the biggest challenge a company has), becomes clear. The path with which you lead visitors through your website becomes clear (e.g., entice, inform, qualify, call-to-action). Site architecture and layout become clear.

You can now focus your efforts and resources around fulfilling that main objective. The sections that are not directly relevant to your main objective still support that main objective.

Now that you’ve clearly set your website objective, the next step is to know who your target audience is and it may not be who you think.
Identifying Your Target Audience:
Who do you want visiting your site? Are they researchers or decision makers? Are they likely to “convert” on their first visit? Do they know anything about your company already? If so, how much do they know? Are they internet savvy? Are they over 40 and likely would appreciate larger type. Are they visual. Are they detailed. Are they a “people person” or do they prefer dealing with things or words. Are they likely to be highly educated? Do they like to have lots of options or lots of direction? 
meeting at office
All these questions and a lot more need to be asked and answered. Initially, you’ll use this information to help with the design of your overall site. You’ll want the proper balance of images to text. You’ll want to set the text level at the appropriate level of detail. You’ll want to write to their probable education level.

Ultimately, the answers will drive the theme of your site. They’ll drive the type of online advertising you’ll use. They’ll drive the design of advertising landing pages. They’ll drive the keyword phrases you’ll target in search engine optimization. They’ll drive your call-to-action.

Now you’re ready to start your marketing. Knowing what you want to accomplish and whom you want to accomplish it with, you’ll be able to structure the right ads, emails, keyword phrase targeting, etc. You’ll be able to focus resources on the proper additional web media (e.g., blogs, podcasts, more web pages, flash demonstrations, etc.).
​To paraphrase Winston Churchill, this will be the end of the beginning of your online marketing strategy, and you'll be ready to begin a productive and effective online marketing campaign.
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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One-way links, reciprocal links, three-way links: what works best?

10/9/2021

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​There are a lot of rumors about one-way links, reciprocal links and three-way links on the Internet. Which of these links work best for your business and which links do you need to get higher search engine rankings?
What are one-way links?
A one way link is a simple link from one website to the other. For example, if you link to http://finance.yahoo.com/ and that page doesn't link back to your website then it's a one-way link from your site to their site.

What are reciprocal links?
A link is a reciprocal link if you link to a website and that website links back to your website. You send visitors to the other site and the other website sends visitors back to you.
internet router
That makes sense because all visitors leave a website sooner or later. You can send your visitors back to search engines or you can send them to affiliate websites that send you traffic in return.

What are three-way links?
Some webmasters believe that reciprocal links don't help web pages to get higher search engine rankings. That's why they invented three way links: Website A links to website B, website B links to website C, website C links to website A.
​Which links will help you to get higher search engine rankings?

Good inbound links will help you get higher search engine rankings. None of the link types above are worth more than the other.

It's important that the links to your website are from related sites and on-topic. ​
Google
If a reciprocal link is on a low quality page with links to every Tom, Dick and Harry then it won't count much. However, that's also true if the same page carries a one-way link or a three-way link.

It doesn't matter if a link is one-way, reciprocal or three-way. It does matter if the link is on a related website. Links from high quality websites will help your rankings, and links from garbage sites won't.

If you want to improve your search engine rankings, try to get links from web pages that have something to do with your site. Link building tools can help you to find these sites.
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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Mix Info Products and Affiliate Marketing for Massive Profits

20/8/2021

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​Believe it or not, finding a product to market is usually the least of your concerns. There are many ways to find a product. You can create your own information product, sell a service, or market other people’s products for a commission. Use your creativity, be persistent and course correct. After some time you will see results coming in.
e-commerce
While providing a service for people is good, it is often the most time-consuming of the three. For example, if you write resumes for people you only get paid if you work. But if you sell an already-made product, such as an information product or an affiliate product, after you are set-up you can set up your website on autopilot and make sales with little work on your part.
Let me be very clear: You will have to work. You must maintain, at an absolute minimum, your advertising. If you do not, your lead generating machine will dry up. 

You may decide to write your own information products. This is not as difficult as it sounds. You know something about something: What do you do for a career? What hobbies do you have? What do you like reading about? Correlate these ideas together, and out comes an ebook, an autoresponder course, or a special report! 
e-book
Your product does not have to be long, especially if it is a specialized product. For example, a well-written 5 page how-to article on grooming your dog could sell for $15-$20 dollars. 

Think about it: People are looking for your information because they do not want to go to the groomer’s (probably because they think it is overpriced). If they normally pay $40 per visit, and they visit once per month, they pay $480 yearly to the groomer.

​On the other hand, if they buy your information, even at $20, you will have saved them $460 (minus the cost of grooming equipment they will have to buy) and quite possibly gain a customer for life. ​
​You may choose, however, to market someone else’s product. This is called "affiliate marketing" and is probably the most popular form of internet marketing. One caveat: Pick your product well, because some products, especially those sold by the "gurus" are in over-saturated markets. 

You can be innovative and combine the two (info product and affiliate marketing). Take the example of the how-to article on bathing and grooming your dog. 
woman reading kindle
You have provided your customer with a very well-written explanation of how they can save money by grooming their dog at home. Even though they have saved money, they still need grooming tools and equipment. 

You can research the various grooming tools, looking for best price and best value, and add one or two pages to your booklet recommending these. Add value to your business by setting yourself up as an affiliate for those products, and recommend your affiliate link in your booklet. Then, when your customers click on the link to buy the grooming tools, you make a commission.
​Congratulations! You just experienced multiple streams of income, as you were paid twice: once on the purchase of your info product, and again on the purchase of the grooming tools you affiliated for. 

This is how to parlay your experiences into multiple streams of income online.
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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Keywords - The Dos and Don'ts

14/8/2021

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​Keyword Identification is critical to creating content. Selecting keywords related to your niche should be your top priority. The quality of these keywords is critical for better ranking in search engines. Researching the right keywords for your website can place your website in the main results or hide it away from your audience. You're looking for word combinations that people will regularly use when searching.
keywords scrabble
The million dollar question is: How can I do this and get the best results? I have prepared an article that will guide you through the process in 3 steps:
  • Step 1 Keyword Research, Ranking, Identification and Selection
  • Step 2 - Keyword Placement and Density
  • Step 3 - Keyword Marketing

Before I go any further, it's important to understand that keywording is one of several important steps in your SEO strategy. This alone will help but it's not the final solution for ranking

If you've already written several pages of content, that's alright, but the best course of action is to start with keyword research, selection and density. Trust me, this is time well spent. If search engines understand what you’re all about, it's easier to include your website in the results. Follow the steps I have mentioned below and your website will enjoy better ranking in search results.
Step 1
Research, Ranking, Identification and Selection
: This should be the first step while building your content, because it will be built around the keywords and phrases which have been identified at this stage. This stage is critical and if not done correctly you won't achieve the desired results. There are different ways to identify how people search on the web.
laptop on table
1) Think about what keywords you would choose while you search for certain products or services. Think from a customer point of view and not from a search engine or SEO point of view. Collect and write it down. I suggest using a spreadsheet so that it will help you in the stages as well. 

2) Another option is to ask your customers and friends how they search on the net to find your business. People think differently and might not use the same keyword phrase to find that product or service. This will be a source of target keywords. Collect and store them.

3) Keyword suggestion tools. There are 100's of tools on the web some of them are free and others charge a fee. This link will help you out to select the one that works best for you. Type in your keywords and phrases into these tools and you will find 100's of keyword suggestions for a particular product or service along with monthly search stats. They also indicate how much competition there is for that particular keyword phrase. It's always more challenging to rank for high search volume keywords. Choose keywords that are less competitive, so that your website will rank well for that particular keyword phrase in search engine results. Try to include long tail keywords (4 words or more). They are often less sought after and can provide a competitive edge.

Once these steps are done, use your spreadsheet to determine the ideal keywords. Google likes websites with more content. Why do you think Wikipedia is usually the #1 result in any search? Build a spreadsheet that will list the relevant keywords for your business compared to the search volume and competition it faces to be well ranked. As mentioned before, try to choose less competitive keywords. After this stage is completed, it's time to start building content for your website.

​4) If you’ve already published your website, check your web logs and gather keywords that people use to  find your site. This will guide you to adjust your content. Make sure to register your website with Google Search Console as it captures the queries used to find your site.
Step 2
Placement
This is an important step. Why? Because if the keywords are not placed properly, the search engine spiders will have a difficult time identifying and storing information from your web pages. Your most important keyword should appear in the title of the page at least once. Next, the same or related keywords should be on the heading of the page. Also use a related keyword while starting a paragraph and throughout the web page evenly. The density factor is discussed below. 
keywords on board
Density
Search engine robots are very intelligent spiders they can determine when you're trying to cheat them. They index web pages to determine how many times a keyword has been used on a particular page and can flag a website if it identifies word stuffing. Now you see now why keyword density is so important - it can hurt your ranking! An ideal rate would be between 10-15 % of keyword density on the page (based on the total amount of words).

Use different keywords related to a phrase so that the words are picked up by search engines. If the job is well done, search engines will determine a page or website as relevant and identify it as authoritative content. For example, a search for the keyword "dog supplies" shows numerous related terms like "dog supplies online" "dog supply store" etc. Select words and related expressions that will help better identify your website within the market it represents and build your content avoiding keyword concentration.
Step 3
Marketing

After curating your content with regards to keyword identification, density and placement, you're ready to kickstart your keyword marketing. Guest posting and article submission are good ways to do that, but always check the domain rating of the website or blog you're evaluating. Low ratings will not give you the internet juice your website craves. Make sure you are allowed to include links in your article (pointing to your website) and that the links are DoFollow as opposed to NoFollow.
online marketing
Use your spreadsheet with the selected keywords to place them in your article as links to make them your anchor text. These will eventually be picked up by search engines and become keywords related to your website.

Also consider including your site in relevant business listings. Search for the term "business listing {name of city where your business is located}". Some are free, others are paid and several of them provide DoFollow links to your website. The more external links pointing to your website from relevant websites (content and rating) the better. Search engines read this as authority and reward it with a better ranking.

And remember, this is not a sprint, it's a marathon. If you are well prepared slowly but surely your website will increase in importance and start showing up in search results. Make sure your design is user friendly, the content is easy to find and you offer several contact options. Visitors don't spend time on websites that they can't find what they're looking for. Happy keywording!
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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Network, Network, Network!

6/8/2021

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When it comes right down to the topic of how best to grow your online business, there is plenty of conflicting information on the internet. Why? Because everybody wants to make a dollar! Everybody has a program to sell, but few really offer a genuine program that helps YOU sell. What they offer is THEIR formula, not YOUR solution. 'It worked for me', they'll say. So when it doesn't work for you, they expect you to shoulder the blame. 'Well, you didn't do this right', or 'You didn't follow the formula'.  I don't have time for those people. 
people in informal meeting
Here's a fact: You already have the resources you need. You do not need to buy into anybody elseís program.  For that matter, you don't even need to buy into mine.  All you really need to do is remember one simple word, 'network'. Just network. Here are a few ideas to help bring it into focus.
Make Friends, Not Business Partners
This may seem contradictory to what you’ve learned or what you believe, but I’ve found the best people to do business with are the people who have earned my trust, my friends. I do not do business with those who assume I should just trust them. I’m sorry, but they’ve not earned my trust, and my trust cannot be bought. Make friends, and do business with your friends.  
friends toasting
This is one reason why I refuse to throw my website on auto-pilot. I want people to know that there is actually another living, breathing person on the other end, and I want to be accessible to those people who choose to do business with me.
Wish Others Success
When you truly wish others success, you are attracting success. I make it my mantra. ‘I wish you success. I wish you success. I wish you success.’ I truly do wish success to those I choose to do business with, because I choose to do business with those who would wish me the same success. I do business with friends.
people jumping in sunset
Then, help your friends succeed. Trade banners, trade links, and really get into the business of promoting each other. Contribute to each otherís newsletter.  Do what's right and good for both, and don’t be afraid to take chances. Try something new.
Search For New Opportunities
Look for additional streams of revenue. Find opportunities that do not take you away from your business, but enhance your business. Affiliate programs, drop ship programs, joint ventures, and even MLMs can provide that stream of revenue. But at the same time, be aware. Be careful. But be willing to follow your instincts.  
bulletin board with post-its
Just remember to make friends, not business partners.
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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