I was driving in my car running some errands when a radio ad came on. It was talking about Netflix and how they now offer the option to not only watch your favorite movies online or via mail, but that you can now watch your favorite tv shows as well. This set my mind to thinking. How can tv shows make money in the online world, the ‘new media’ realm where you control what you want to watch, where you want to watch it, when you want to watch it, and how? From many of my excursions into the television industry, I know that most of the money tv shows earn come from the ads that play during each episode. There is also the option to “place products” into the episode slyly enough for you to not notice the subliminal ad. This strategy works well in movies also.

Anyways, the thought occurred to me that the easiest way tv shows can make a living online is to partner up with companies such as Netflix and Blockbuster to syndicate episodes where the public wants them. There is also throwing it up on iTunes, Hulu, and Zune Marketplace that can bring in some easy revenue. Problem solved, cue the applause and cheers from an audience that has been waiting for this moment.

If you are a tv show producer or are thinking of becoming one, factor this into your equation. The tips pay out better here, trust me.

How do you get customers?

Well, to put it bluntly, you MARKET to them. No, we don’t advertise to them, read that article I linked up first then continue reading here.

It takes a creative mind to pull customers in. Something that will reach out to them, and show them the solution to their urgent need.

How do you capture the entire market’s attention?

You can do something stupid and completely blow up your reputation, causing ripples in the market. Or you can do something no one has thought about to capture them, but understand this. You cannot serve everyone. Remember the old saying, “If You Try To Be Everything To Everyone, You’ll Be Nothing To No One”?

Take that idea in perspective. Look at the bigger picture. Why do you market to certain segments of people? Why are all these marketing surveys, segments, action plans, and spread the message being conducted by companies big and small?

Because you want to capture your custom customer.

What’s the inside scoop?

Customer comes from the word ‘custom’ which comes from a latin word meaning ‘habit or usage’. It is quite fascinating if you think about it. A person, custom made, just for your business is waiting out there for you to capture them. You have no idea who it is, so you send a message to your market, hoping that they are in the mix. They hear about you and BAM!, deal closed.

Forget about advertising to everybody, that is dead. Besides, we know that reverse psychology works pretty well in this area. Market only to that select group, and sooner or later everyone and their cat will hear about you. There is enough of the market for every business to have their share, you just need to find yours. That is why you have marketing campaigns. That is why you guard the customers you do have with an iron fist (at least I hope you do). That is why you are in business.

There are customers custom-made just for your business. What are you doing to make them notice you?

Not exactly the introduction you expected to read about right? You probably were expecting me to say something along the lines of “I hacked Facebook and got some massive dough, let me show you my insider secrets!”

No, I am not that kind of person. Nor do I expect to be. I am the kind of guy who provides you with some solid information you can use. I am the kind of guy who wants to document my journey online. I am the kind of guy who wants to give you something of value.

To that end, and in response to the unexpected introduction you just read, here is what I have up to this point.

That introduction is basically what my mind was going through at the time before I started making solid money online. Using allegory is as close as I can come to explaining my predicament at the time without giving away private information.

How did I do it? How did I make my first $100 online?

1. I searched for an Urgent Need

I thought to myself, “What do people need help with? How can I help them?” My thoughts stumbled across Facebook Fan Pages. The more I thought about it, the more I uncovered that I knew alot about Fan Pages that I could teach people and that this was something big enough for companies to have. 400 million targeted potential customers in one place with dirt cheap access to all of them and companies just flirting around the issue? I knew I had to do something.

2. I provided customers with the exact solution

I figured many businesses knew about Fan Pages, but had no idea how to create/maintain/promote one. I also knew of other companies who just jumped in without looking and stepped in a couple problem areas that could have been avoided if they had guidance.

3. I Planned In Advance

Not everything was planned out, but most of it was. I cannot stress this enough when starting out online. You need to have some key aspects planned out, such as name, upsell flow, content, offer, and price, before you start “officially working on it”.

4. I Started Free

When I started putting the wheels into action, people already started coming in, but I wasn’t even finished! I was still in the midst of making my skeleton, which was barely operating at this point, yet people were coming in. I knew at that moment that my idea had paid off and continued with renewed vigor.

5. I Strategically Positioned myself to take advantage of all the Free Traffic/Exposure

In the name, where it was located, and how I started, I strategically positioned everything to take advantage of all the free traffic out there on Facebook. I never spent a penny advertising, they all came to me. This particular step required some thinking on my end to make sure this idea worked, the rest came in all by itself naturally.

6. I converted from Free To Paid

I left the free option open for about two weeks, then shutdown the free offer I had going. I stuck a price tag on it and stuck it back on the shelf. I expected traffic to drop, which it did, but people still came and purchased based on the pricing structure I had planned out beforehand. I even made a cold sale over the phone, which left me energized for at least a week! (Gotta thank Wells Fargo for all that sales training when I was a teller)

7. I Upsold to a Premium Option

Yup, contained within my plan to get their foot in the door was the first small purchase and the subsequent value I added in the content I provided. I wanted to provide them with enough value that they would be happy and clamor for more. Some did, and I gave it to them. They are extremely happy, know exactly what to do, and are all fired up to handle what they have.

What do I do?

I Create Fan Pages.

What do you do?

All of these decisions are eventually faced in the lifetime of an entrepreneur, often many times during their life. The same idea holds true for bloggers, podcasters, and every other new media vocation.

Why don’t we take a look at two popular brands and break them down. Perhaps it will help you in the decision making process…

McDonald’s

McDonald’s is known for its many fast food hamburger chains scattered across the globe. The initial idea was developed by Dick and Mac McDonald. They wanted to provide a way to give meals to people as quickly as possible. Their equity was purchased by Ray Kroc who then set out to expand it to the four corners of the earth. The result is that McDonald’s is now a worldwide brand worth many billions of dollars. Every kid from Generation Y to the present has McDonald’s branded permanently in their mind because of the mass marketing effort of McDonald’s. Can’t tell me it didn’t pay off well…

What is McDonald’s known for?

• Big Mac – This one product continues to pull in massive sales in part because of a well executed marketing plan.
• Marketing to the younger generation- You get new plastic toys! (Who doesn’t want one when you are little?) Consequently, when you are older you just walk in there out of habit.
• Food tastes good. Yup, nothing like sprinkling sugar on the fries to make them taste better and a soda, juicy burger, and the occasional salad or other goody. Hence why America is now plump as well.
• Affordability. How many times do you walk into McDonalds to find you are dead broke and can’t buy anything? Unless you are dumb enough to forget your wallet when you go in…
• Speedy Service. That was coined by the original owners and still holds true to this day. I’d like to see a system like that somewhere else on the world that is as efficient about what they do than McDonald’s. Personal Opinion Note: If I am short on time, I will go into McDonald’s to buy something fast.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary is one of a kind. He is a fireball of energy and strives to answer every question that is thrown at him. He grew up in New Jersey and was always fascinated with business. He started cutting grass, selling flowers, and then selling baseball cards. He was good at it too. Baseball card sales in his high school years amounted to “three thousand bones a weekend“! He then became interested in wine and read every magazine on the subject. He worked as a clerk in a wine shop, then created his own brand, opening a wine shop and then expanding it to unheard of heights. His tactics, as crazy as they were, are what pushed him into the position he holds now. When he stumbled upon new media/social media, he bit into it like a bull dog and refused to let go. Wine Library TV came out of that. Out of all the people I know in this space, Gary defines how New Media and Social Media should looks like.

He is now an accomplished author, video blogger, brand consultant, and speaker. That and he still holds his position at Wine Library. Contrary to what you may think, Gary actually does alot more for his wine company marketing-wise whenever he is interviewed. He has become associated with the wine world.

What is Gary known for?

• One line sayings. Gotta admit I love hearing the “legacy is greater than currency” and “CRUSH IT” quotes he throws out from time to time.
• Explosive Introductions. Yup, Gary is never without one. It turns alot of people off when he hollers his introduction to the video camera, but the rest become excited and engaged in a snap.
• Wine. Gary bleeds wine. It is all he ever talks about, and he knows what he is talking about. His opinion on wine undercuts the rest and brings a new light to it.
• New York Jets. You can’t go long without him speak on the Jets. If is blood is wine, his heart is the New York Jets. He knows everything about them too. He has to if he is to fulfill his dream of buying them.
• Passion. Not a day goes buy that he doesn’t portray it. He loves what he does and wouldn’t trade anything in the world for it.
• Authenticity. Gary is 100% real. Unedited and uncut, every vlog post and winelibrarytv show he has done in one take.
• Personal Branding. Gary epitomizes how personal branding should be done.

What can McDonald’s or Gary teach you about branding?

1. The brand is your defining point. Everything is built off of it.
2. Have a unique story. No one likes the same old bland status quo.
3. Personal brands depend on the person, iconic brands depend on the decisions of the company.
4. If the person dies, their brand will continue on in a solidified state. If the icon dies, so does the company.
5. Icons are remembered for all time, so is a person.
6. Iconic brands become an authority symbol, personal brands become a person.
7. People tend to trust iconic brands as they mature, same with a personal brand. With the personal brand however, a trust level is built with that person.

Hope that helps you out. I for one am enjoying building a personal brand.

Am I missing anything? Am I totally wrong? Is there something you’d like to share? I’ve pulled the soapbox over, would love to hear your two cents.

Geese fly in the classic v-shape formation, each leading one at a time, giving the leader time to rest as they fly south for the winter. Notice here that no one goose leads for the entire length, he’d be DEAD before they reached the destination! Nor do two of them duke it out for first place, it would waste too much energy.

Nope, they do it the most efficient way possible. Each goose leads for a time, then falls back to let another lead while he rests to wait his turn again. That way, they get to the destination that much faster and farther than possible by one or two geese.

Every single business in every industry works the exact same way. As a matter of fact, so do nations. Hint: I’ve been studying Western Civilization I for the past three weeks and it has been interesting to watch each nation rise to power, take the stage for a time, then fall back and give it to another nation.

Where are you in the formation? Comment below.

It goes as follows:

There once was a businessman, who, after he had created a product to solve an urgent need, set out to market. He stopped in many places. Villages, cities, states, and everywhere else he saw his product could do the most good. Some of the product he sold fell upon deaf ears, no one wanted to buy what he had to offer. Some of it fell upon interested people who put it on a shelf and let it collect dust. Others fell upon those who needed it. They started using it, but quickly became disillusioned and requested a refund. Still other fell upon those who recognized this product, eagerly bought it and consumed it entirely. Through them word started spreading and soon the businessman was looking at an increase of thirty, sixty, even a hundred times more then he ever thought possible.

What is the meaning? It means that you, as a business owner, will always have these four types of customers. The ones you want to go for are those where the “seed falls upon good soil…and produces… even a hundredfold…”

The rest will take care of itself.

What’s your application to this parable?

When marketing your company, there are certain ways to go about it. You have many mediums to promote in, including social media, to be aware of as well. Some mediums are more potent then others, yet each one has its own benefits associated with it. For example, in television commercials; people are listening, reading, and watching all at the exact same time. Compared to print, where someone is just reading something, you are capturing more senses and engaging that person with your message. With social media, you are engaging that person’s senses and encouraging them to respond, building a relationship with an individual that is impossible with television, radio, and print combined. But that is for a later article, lets take a look at a case study of marketing gone wrong.

Case Study: iNET Web

iNET Web is a website design and hosting company located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. They began in 1998 with the intent to “crush every Waukesha web development competitor in not only price but also design”. They have done just that through their radio ads, effectively downplaying every competitor and taking the market over by force.

Two unforeseen problems came up with this stance, and here is the predicament that now looms over my hometown of Milwaukee.

1. It incenses the “Competition”

Marketing 101 for any company regardless of industry teaches owners to focus on telling their own story. Business owners are encouraged to differentiate and sell their unique benefits for the consumers benefit. It is slightly different from the presumed my-product-is-better-than-your-product argument that companies regularly initiate in, but an important difference nonetheless. Think of it this way, are you in business just so you can “crush your competition” or to provide a solution to a consumer need? Act that way. Market your company that way. Your company is not here to give you an ego boost, you are in business to provide a way of living for yourself by providing the solution to the consumers’ need.

iNET Web effectively created a large rift and threw the competition into it, silencing all opposition. As a result, I barely hear of other website design companies. The ones I do hear of? They despise iNET. The flip side? Some of these companies I stumble across make pretty impressive websites and love their customers to pieces.

This is a fine line, yet this could spell death for your company no matter how profitable you are. Not only does this make your “competition” mad at you, it also splits the market and prevents you from working with your “competitors” down the road. Listen closely, your competition is not in business to bash you, they are in business the same reason you are: to make a profit. There are more than enough people in your market for everyone to benefit from, you physically cannot serve everybody in that market. Neither can your “competition”. That is an undisputed fact. As you understand this, you will start to view your competitors in a different light. Now, rather than “bashing” them, you will see how all of you can work together to serve your market; to both widen and deepen it.

2. It keeps the Market in the Dark

Would you be very happy with someone if they deliberately kept you in the dark? At first no, you would just assume that is exactly how things should be. Then somebody walks by your darkened room’s window with a candle. How would that make you feel? Confused? Mad? Jealous? Yup, all that and an insatiable desire to learn more about that light. Questions would be running through your mind, answers waiting to be uncovered. If the person who originally locked you up and taught you about your “dark room” came by, you would probably tackle him to the ground and give him a sound beating before running out the door after that light.

That is the exact situation the website design/hosting market in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is now facing. Business owners are walking around without a clue what their website is and what it could be. They are walking around in that dark room. They are deliberately left out of the loop, fed only the bits and pieces certain companies want them to hear. Not only is this saddening to hear, but it also makes me mad.

I know this as I walk around that very market (I used to run a website design company in Milwaukee as well) pulling out tidbits of information to gauge what is going on. The reports brought tears to my eyes. How could this market stay in the dark for so long? How could they remain this uneducated about the Internet? How could they not see how immensely powerful their website has now become? If they saw the light, they would break down that door running after the light. My response to this was to flip on my webcam and record something to educate that market, in a way hoping to be that light that would pass by their door.

I don’t think you would want to be that company (person) in their way when they see the light and attempt a mad dash towards it.

For those two reasons…

iNET Web is a Marketing Failure in my book.

Want to learn more about iNET Web as well as my own personal story with them? Watch this video on iNET Web Bashing.

Now that you understand what not to do, what thoughts do you have and what do you intend to do? Any company you’d like to see a case study on?

Wow, the more I reminisce on the movie and watch it, when I have the chance, the better it gets each time. Avatar sure isn’t exhausted on my list, I’m still pulling out some social media goodies for you to enjoy! Here are a couple more…

The first post I wrote on my review of Avatar has been getting some good views lately, when the idea struck me to expand upon it. Avatar has now grossed $1 Billion dollars, has been trending on twitter for the past four weeks, and is doing quite well. Two thoughts I want to impress on you.

1.You Have An Avatar

Interestingly enough, that is your social media (online) presence. Everything you do online is your online presence. After dabbling around in social media for a while, you will most likely find yourself lost in the vibrancy of this world. But one key question remains.

How are you going to merge your offline and online world together effectively? You can’t live in just an offline world at the risk of becoming exiled, so what are you doing to educate yourself? Integrated into that question is another question. What are you doing to bring your business online and expose it to 1.7 Billion+ people?

2. Pick Your Side

Enough with fooling around and asking questions on “What is Social Media?” Every person and every business on the face of the planet is instead asking “How do we use Social Media?” 84% of businesses can’t be wrong if they are starting to implement some kind of social media marketing campaign, including Pepsi. You have a choice to make, which side are you playing on? Are you still playing by the old rules, or the new ones? Are you still going to stay in the traditional advertising realm, or hop over to the much more vibrant world of social media? You have a choice to make, and you’d better make it fast. Neither side is going to wait for you.

In Avatar, Quaritch and his side are only concerned about making the big bucks. Who cares what the cost. Interestingly enough, the mineral they are mining is called “Unobtanium” (anyone notice the irony?) and the largest source is located beneath Hometree, where all the Na’vi live. Anyone notice the parallels?

Traditional Media is trying to blow this off as a plink in the bucket, while unawares are trying to leech and destroy the base Social Media Marketing is upon. This is going to come to a head sooner than you think, I am already starting to hear the horns of war. There will be an inevitable clash between Traditional/Old Media and New/Social Media.

You’ve seen the influential power New/Social Media has had over countries, businesses, and people. The results speak for themselves. There is not much time left to think, NOW is the time to act. Ah, but just wait. You need to come at this from a different angle. You need to approach this the smart way. Don’t run in without a brain in your head. Jake Sully knew this, which is why he was smart about the way the battle unfolded in Avatar.

What are you doing to implement Social Media in your life and your company? Comment below.

© Stephen Poff

You are in the art museum marveling at a masterpiece when you notice there is a green smudge running across the bottom of the painting that should not be there. Regardless of whether it was a careless stroke by the artist or not, what just happened? Instantly your liking of the painting took a hit.

The same should be with your blog, research paper, forum post, or any other form of writing you undertake.

I’ve read many blogs. Possibly even too many… (nah, scratch that. I’ll be reading blogs forevermore) I’ve read enough to know this fact. Please double check your work!

Currently, Chris Pirillo is doing a YouTube series slamming poor grammar and writing skills (Note, there is language and it is meant to be offensive, but in a humorous kind of way). Chris can get away with it as he has been on the internet for quite a while now and he has a degree in English, so I can understand where he’s coming from.

It is a simple yet most often overlooked fact in today’s age. Here are a couple tips to remember:

1. Solidify your thoughts

By reading what you just wrote, you will be able to clarify your thoughts. If you need to make changes, now is the time to do it before you publish it. It also confirms what you were thinking, and typically your mind and the words on the page will click together. It never hurts to read what you just wrote and is much more beneficial if you do in the long run.

2. Uncover Errors

If there is a comma missing, punctuation misplaced, or a word spelled wrong, you will usually find it on the second read-through. You may also find a word that looks similar, but because the spell checker didn’t flag it, it will go unnoticed unless you read through and realize that the word is actually spelled differently.

Trust me, it will make you look better in the long run if you double check your work.

A picture is worth a thousand words yet if one part is wrong, it ruins the entire masterpiece.

What are you doing to correct that?

When you first start out in WoW, as its called by its rabidly loyal fan base (probably should write another post on that…), you begin at level one. Currently the maximum level you can reach is 80. You start out with quests which range from anything to having to hunt down and kill a thief to finding a stupid chicken that is running away from you while little fishies jump out of the water and bite you. The quests get harder and harder as time goes on, but at this point you are starting to catch on with the technicalities in how to do certain things. You are gradually leveling up, yet haven’t met anyone. Don’t worry, some of the quests become so hard that you cannot finish them without a guild or calling on friends you run across in game. Just like life eh?

Well, that’s not even the end of it. You’ve officially just started. Soon you may join a guild, think of your friend group in real life, befriend someone and become good friends, and start venturing into other things. Now you are starting out with responsibilities. Guild rules, friends, quests, better gear, and so the list starts to grow. Just like real life eh? (PS, the guys who built this game were pure geniuses are they not?)

Things start moving at a regular pace, additional things keep piling up on your plate and being consumed as you use them, and in general you are starting to enjoy this game very much. But I haven’t even shown you the kicker.

Level 80 is the most highly coveted level you can reach in WoW, hands down. Not only for bragging rights and pretty awesome gear (see pic), but a whole new world opens up to you. Hey, wait a minute, I thought this was my life you say? What are you talking about “new world”? Let me show you.

Not many people reach level 80 because they either become bored or frustrated. But those who break the little wheel of being a lowbie (what levels under 80 are called) find they can do whatever they want. Level 80 entitles you to gear unavailable anywhere else, and you get to run higher level instances. You also start out with Arena matches. Basically in arena matches you and your group are pitted against a group of equal score to see who will be the victor. Last man standing wins. Now comes the race of getting better gear to outdo your opponents, match up to battle a raid boss, and test your skills to see if you know your character inside and out. Not only that, but also the other characters you battle against and aid, inside and out. Level 80 is where everything becomes a game. Everything is moving at a faster pace and you become excited in trying to beat the challenge. Ha! But how does this apply to life you say?

This is very similar to those who are part of the middle class, and those who are rich. This is very similar to those who ultimately become successful in life, and those who settle for mediocrity. This is very similar to those who spin the wheels of the rat race, and those who create their own game. Do you see how this applies now? The fun begins at level 80. The fun begins when you break the cycle of the rat race and create your own game.

Are you game?

Note: If you want access to the vault where this coaching is stored, here is the link: http://bit.ly/socialmediavault

Now I’m not going to go around like other spammy websites in the blogosphere recommending you to buy this product of mine (pretend I’m waving something around), join an e-mail list (I only provide you with blog post updates and secret tidbits when something is new on my site), or *insert internet scam here*. I know waay too many people in my space that bounce around too much, and are losing my trust little by little.

When I was a Child…

From early childhood on, I’ve been fascinated with technology. Can’t tell you exactly why (my dad was a “car guy”), but I always loved looking into how some gadget worked, rip it apart, then put it back together. You can ask my mother for the details on things I smashed, ripped, pulled apart, or explained how such a piece worked if you’re interested. I always thought scientists were the coolest guys in the world, and they still are, and how you could specialize down to a niche so small only a handful people knew of it.  But that niche was so vibrant the world would hear about this awesome new technology that’s discovered sooner or later, and then flocks of people would come in to see what its all about and be wrapped inside the amazement of the discovery. At that point in time I wanted to be either the President of the United States, or some scientist in a tiny vibrant field of research. That defined me up until my teenage years. What happened then? Well, in a nutshell some of my schoolwork came to a screeching halt when I stumbled upon the internet. I guess the DNA for geek was already in me, as I stayed on the computer for hours tapping countless nodes of information. I lived a block and a half from a library, and soon every book on HTML, JavaScript, BASIC, and anything even related to computers was checked out and read countless times. I absorbed HTML through osmosis, and soon was hard-coding webpages on my computer when the dial-up was offline. This world was fascinating to me, as it was new, so I wanted to learn everything about it.

What does this have to do with Social Media?

Well, hang on, you’ll find out… Everything changed in my world three years ago when I first learned about blogging, podcasting, vlogging, and something called, “New Media”. I looked into it and knew in a heartbeat that THIS is where I wanted to stake my flag. This held a small community of vibrant people that quite literally can shake the world upside down and rightside up again. I didn’t dip my feet in, I LEAPT in! I was in the trenches learning everything I could, talking to everyone I could, and engaging with people on a level unheard of in today’s world! I got pretty cozy in this space, until something started creeping into my head. There was something missing. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but I knew deep in my heart that an integral piece of the puzzle had been left out. For months I kept turning up empty and frustrated. Then I attended New Media Expo 2008. Here, I found the missing puzzle piece. What was it? SOCIAL MEDIA!

What about Social Media?

Lets just say that its the engine to a car named “New Media” shall we? It fits pretty well. At last I found the missing part and threw it into action. Let me just say that flooring the gas pedal and pealing down the street was the best feeling in the world at that point. Something exploded, and not long after people started noticing something had changed in the way I had done things, so they started asking questions. I’d help them out, then watch their eyes pop as they went speeding off down the road as well.

Why am I saying all this?

Because I want to help you. I want to bring you into this vibrant community and open your eyes. I want to see you speed off down the road with an ecstatic look of glee your face. I’m finally putting the plan in motion and I want to see you hop aboard with me. I am going to be teaching a course on Social Media over the next few months, and I want you to be a part of it. There is no cost to attend, it is all free training. You are welcome to bring as many friends to the party as you can, I have more than plenty of food for all. Here is the breakdown:

Note: All of these sessions are now over and are in my vault. If you want access to the vault, here is the link: http://bit.ly/socialmediavault

• November 4, 2009 @ 6pm CST: Teleseminar on “Social Media 101″. I’ll cover the basics and get you to start drooling over the potential this platform provides to you.
• November 11, 2009 @ 6pm CST: Teleseminar on “Twitter”. I’ll cover all the basics of twitter and bring you up to speed with this vital tool.
• November 18, 2009 @ 6pm CST: Teleseminar on “Facebook”. Facebook has changed the way we interact, I’ll bring you up to speed with this tool as well.
• November 25, 2009 @ 6pm CST: Teleseminar on “LinkedIn”. A little known tool that will do wonders if you know how to use it.

Anything in particular you notice that is missing? Have a question? Leave it in the comments below, and I’ll respond back to you. How can I take advantage of this coaching? http://bit.ly/socialmediavault. This is my first offering to the public, so you can bet I’m a tad freaked out (heh, that word doesn’t even do justice to what I feel) by what I’m doing. My mind is yelling at me right now saying that I’m out of my mind, but I’m overcoming this obstacle to provide you with something of value. I’m not going anywhere, I plan on staying here for the long term.

What I want to do is give you a FREE 30min consultation with me. I will be giving away one spot every week on Friday in conjunction with the “Follow Friday” meme brought about through Twitter. What will it be on? Social Media, New Media, Podcasting, Personal Finances, or Small Business/ Entrepreneurship. You choose the topic you want. I’ve been involved in Social Media/New Media for the past 3 years, and Personal Finances/Small Business for at least 8. I want to share with you the knowledge I know, and help you out. I want to see you succeed.

Now, the all important part. What do you need to do to win this? I need you to answer the following question below:

“How has the economy affected your life/business?”

If you answer it on twitter, use the hashtag #FFwk1. Otherwise you can leave a comment. You are allowed one blog comment entry and one twitter entry at maximum. At 8pm CST I will close the challenge. I will then group both the twitter and blog comments together and pick a tweet/comment at random. I will announce the winner over twitter, and will then contact them privately to setup a consultation time.

How much is this worth? I charge $200/hr for a private consultation. If I were you, I’d be banging down the door right now. How bad do you want it?

This could also be titled, “How to File an LLC Yourself”, but I decided against it…

• For anyone interested, this is the exact steps I did to create my company.

If you want to go the easy route, “fill in the blank” option, may I recommend LegalZoom.com?

The first thing you need to do is figure out what your small business will be about. Have that down pat first. LLC’s tend to work for “small businesses” and the “entrepreneur type” in the beginning. As you grow and mature your company, you can look into Corporations for a business structure.

I wanted to create a website design company about 5 years ago, but didn’t have the money to invest in a lawyer to write up and file the documents. My dad did the same thing with his home repair company, but I wanted to see if I could file the papers myself and save a boatload of money. Turns out I could, it just takes attention to details and double checking everything before you send it off.

After I decided on what I wanted to do, I had to think of a name. I thought up of a couple ideas, clever name twists, and wrote them down on paper.

After I had a list of possible names, I googled each one in quotation brackets to see if it pulled up in a search result. If it did, I would cross it off. If it didn’t, I would visit GoDaddy and see if the domain name was taken. If it was, I would cross it off the list. If it wasn’t, I would then go to my states DFI (Dept. of Financial Institutions) website (In this case, I live in WI, so I would go here): http://wdfi.org/ and “Search Business Records” there. If the name pulled up in their records, I would cross it off. If it didn’t, I would consider that a possible name for my LLC. It took me roughly a week doing it this route, but I’m glad I did. I found a really good name, and it made perfect sense to me (meaning it had an inside meaning that only I knew).

I then went to register my LLC in my States (WI in this case) DFI records. I clicked on the “Create a Corporation or LLC” link, and clicked “Limited Liability Company – Wisconsin”. This may or may not be different in the state you live in, and the laws governing that DFI, so always browse your States DFI website first.

For Wisconsin, they have a “What You Need” list, so be sure you have all the information and payment they need before you file. Also be sure to read and double read over the information and the steps they give you, you don’t want to make a mistake and have to pay for it to be corrected later.

Once you have all that information, click the “start filing link” and fill in the information they ask you to provide. Once that is finished, and you have paid your respective fee, print off the confirmation receipt and information and hold onto it! You will usually get an e-mail within a week saying your LLC was filed and accepted. In that e-mail, you will be provided with a link to the “Official Articles of Organization”. Print them off, and guard them with your life! That, and file them away with all your other important papers, and know where they are at all times. There are occasions you will need to pull them out, like making a copy for creating a business banking account, but for the most part they will sit in one area.

Taking this route, I only had to pay $130 for my LLC. There is an annual fee and report I have to provide my states DFI with every year, but it goes pretty smoothly. I saved having to pay $100-$1k+ because I filed it myself!

So, that’s how I did it, and saved money in the process. What route did you take or are planning on going? Comment below and lets get a conversation started around this.

A couple tips for LLC’s:

When you file, file as a “member managed LLC”. You could go for “Manager managed LLC”, but then there is the possibility of a LLP or Partnership problem down the road.

Also, you have to use LLC/ a limited liability company/limited liability co. when you mention your company. You can’t just use the name alone, except when buying the domain name for the company. I prefer to use the LLC option to make it shorter and easier to remember.

Here is another point a friend e-mailed me!

(7-28-09)Scott L.: An LLC is organized, not incorporated. Corporations are incorporated.

Have anything you would like to add regarding LLC’s?

Hope this post helps!

Remember Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent? She had an awesome voice for singing and everyone was floored by it. She didn’t make it that far though, but she left a mark nonetheless. She became so popular that if she had instantly monetized on what she was doing, regardless of whether she won or lost, she would have enough money to live on and more!

Here are a couple tips if you plan on becoming a contestant on the show, or if you are already on the show and are looking for some ideas:

• One point I would like to make clear first off: Be Yourself. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not or try to copy another person. The judges will like you for who *You* are.
• Start recording your own content in high-quality format.
• Get a blog, facebook page, twitter account, and youtube channel and start posting regularly and interacting with your audience.
• Start selling albums of your singing/how to videos/dancing gig/ etc. (This is where the recordings come in)
• Go on tours to spread your realm of influence (if possible).

If you do that, I can guarantee you will outlive your popularity on America’s Got Talent and make a pretty decent living at the same time. Thoughts?

What would it be on you ask? It might be either New Media, Podcasting, or Young Entrepreneurship. I’m still debating on it, and would love to hear your thoughts on what you would most enjoy reading. I have a couple pretty good book titles for either, but I’ll keep those a secret until the book nears completion.

What would the format be? I’m thinking a how to book. Possibly bringing in some experts in the space that I choose and interview them to be included in the book.

But then again, its not up to me. Its up to what you want to read and what you would most enjoy. Tell me what you think, lets get a conversation going around this…

8-13-2009 Update: I will be writing a book for Young Entrepreneurs. Title is in the works and I am busy fleshing out the idea…

First, understand the categories.  Laptops are broken down into several categories.  Netbooks or mini-notebooks are inexpensive, lightweight, and portable but they are primarily designed only for light uses like basic e-mail, basic internet, and typing.  Ultraportables, or thin & lights, are larger than netbooks but in most cases just as light and more powerful.  You can use these notebooks for most tasks, but they can become expensive depending on the features you want in them.  Standard laptops can handle average tasks but usually aren’t good for high end uses that a gaming latop provides.  They tend to be medium sized and are generally cheaper than everything but a netbook.  Gaming Laptops are both feature packed and expensive, but they make up for these deficiencies by offering the largest screens and best overall power.

Second, think of your primary task.  When most people are asked what they need out of a laptop, they respond with some variant of “I just need it to work”.  But your life will be much easier if you just decide what one thing you’re buying the laptop for more than anything else.  Are you buying one because you’ve always wanted to blog from a coffeeshop?  Then make sure you get something portable, either a netbook or an ultraportable, and be willing to shell out for style points so you can show off.  Are you looking for something just to go online and check your mail?  Then make sure you get something inexpensive, either a netbook if you can handle the small screen or a standard if you can’t.  Or did you want to play new games and watch HD videos?  That’s more in line with a gaming laptop.  As you can see, understanding the categories is like understanding what primary task each genre of laptop is designed for.  Simply match up your own with the category, and you’ve already narrowed your search down tremendously.

As for the details, feel free to experiment.  Most vendor websites, from Toshiba laptops to Dell laptops to Lenovo laptops and others, are informative and offer great customizability.  Each vendor will have a series of similarly labeled laptops devoted to a single category, and since you already know yours you’ll know which to pick.  Then by going through the process of choosing amongst all the available features a few times, you’ll gain an understanding of what choices you can make and what they’re worth.  When all is said and done, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision and know you’re getting your money’s worth.

Here are a couple places you can visit to help you in the quest for that “perfect laptop”:

http://laptoplogic.com/laptop-finder/

http://laptoplogic.com/dell-laptops/

http://laptoplogic.com/hp-laptops/

http://laptoplogic.com/toshiba-laptops/

Comments are open, and if you have questions, feel free to ask them. I will be more than happy to help you.

1. What is a debit card?

A debit card is similar to a credit card. The only difference is that it is tied directly to your checking account instead of a credit line. That means if you make a purchase using your debit card, it would be similar to writing a check. The funds come out of your checking account, but you don’t have to wait 2-5 days for the purchase to show up in your records. Purchases made with debit cards show up on your bank statement typically within one hour to a day at maximum. Protection against unauthorized purchases made with a debit card is the same you would receive with a credit card.

2. What is a credit card?

A credit card is a line of credit available to you for purchases, similar to a home equity on a house. The credit card company/issuing bank will offer you a set limit when you first open up a credit card. They will also offer you a set interest rate on your card. But that is another post entirely…

Typically when you make a purchase with a credit card, it is to make sure the company you buy from doesn’t rip you off. If they do, you can have the funds sent back to you. It is also used for larger purchases that your checking/savings account might not have at the time of purchase.

3. Which should I use? Which is safer?

Good question. The final decision is up to you, but here are a couple tips to think about when making your next purchase.

• Use your credit card if you are unsure of the company you are purchasing from. If they run away, you can get your funds back. If you used your debit card, those funds are taken from your checking account, which may not leave you enough cash for other expenses.
• Use your debit card when making regular everyday purchases such as food, gas, clothes, etc. Stay away from using your credit card for these purchases if at all possible, unless it is an emergency.
• Use your debit card in place of writing checks. It it much safer, not to mention faster, to use your debit card. Remember, when writing checks, all a thief needs is your account and bank number, which is on the bottom of every check.
• Use your credit card when making large purchases. It is safer that way, but be sure to payoff that amount immediately.

A final thought. Think of your credit card as a large fluctuating checking account behind walls and armed guards. If anything happens to those funds, you will be able to get them back. Think of a debit card as your checking account. Whatever is in your checking account, that is the limit. Purchases are final, although granted you have the guards and the walls like the credit card, just don’t tempt fate to eat your checking account alive.

Disclaimer: This knowledge comes from being a teller at an international bank, and listening to other’s experiences. If you have any tips, I would be glad to include them. Comments are open.

What was the number one question you had when you started podcasting?

I am planning on writing an ebook based on that question. Something that not only you can use to look back on to remember, but also to share with others so that they don’t have to search for the answer. Feel free to comment below, otherwise I have posted the question into the following forums below…

Podcast Pickle Forums: http://www.podcastpickle.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=52163

Podcast Alley Forums: http://www.podcastalley.com/forum/showthread.php?t=145198

First off, this is a blank check:

In the “Pay to the order of” field, you will write who it will be payable to. Use a name, don’t ever write it out to cash. Doing that means that anyone can cash your check. So many times when I see people write a check out to another person, I see cash as the one who it is payable to. Bad habit, so when writing a check out, write it exactly to that person or business.

You will then write in today’s date in the “Date” field. Write in the day, for example “9-27-08″ “September 27, 2008″, whatever day it might be when writing out the check. Do not write it for yesterday’s date, or tomorrow’s date (pre-date or post-date), as you might run into legal issues when your payee wants to redeem your check. You must fill in the date, you cannot leave it blank.

Underneath the payee’s name, which was filled out in the previous step, you will see a line. In that line you will write out in written form, the amount you are paying your “payee”. This is one of the most important parts of the check. You have to write out exactly how much you are paying, for example, “One Hundred dollars and no/100″ “Twenty-five dollars and 72/100″. At the payees bank, the teller will redeem the check for whatever amount is written there, no matter what is written in the box you will fill in on the next step.

In the box you see on the right of the check, you will enter the numerical amount you are paying the payee, for example, “100.00″ “25.72″.

The last step is to sign your name on the bottom right line of the check. This is another important part of the check. When you sign there, you make the check legally binding to the payee and allow them to redeem that check for the exact written amount.

Optional is filling out the “memo” line. Usually you can write what the purchase was for (for you to remember), or for a message to the payee.

Any thoughts? Any Questions? Lets get the ball rolling on this topic and create a discussion around it. I am looking forward to what you will say.

Help Donate to the Taylor Marek College Fund. Go to: http://taylormarekpodcast.chipin.com/college to donate.

In today’s episode I will show you to put your Finances on Autopilot. In Business you will learn about Audio Branding your company. In Technology you will find out about which blogging platform to use. I recommend Blogger, WordPress.com, WordPress.org, TypePad, and MovableType.

The articles used in today’s show can be found at:

http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/starting/archive/2007/st0627.htm

If you have any questions, comments, or ideas about anything mentioned during the show, or to give your two-cents on a topic, call our toll-free line at 1-866-TMP-2860.

Update:
Due to some feed errors with the embedded video, I have decided to link to it instead:
http://thenewsroom.com/details/424178