A Simple Product Creation and Product Launching Formula

If you tried to think of people involved in product creation, who would come to mind? You may think of Edison, Franklin, or maybe Henry Ford. Would you ever think of yourself as someone who can create a quality product? Product creation is actually relatively easy and product launching is not that tough either! If you follow a few easy to understand steps, you could be starting the product creation and product launching process sooner than you think.

The first step in creating your information product is to know and understand your market. This can be very time-consuming, especially if you are unsure of what to do or where to look to know your market. Studying your niche market and understanding the buzz words and buying patterns can ease the process dramatically. Personally, I would recommend networking with someone who has had success in the niche market you are considering and learn from their results. If they are into product creation and not very business savvy expect some hesitation. If they only sell products and have nothing to do with product launching or product creation you may your first affiliate (sales person)! Something else you can use to find hot trends is with the Google Trends tool.

The second step is the product creation process. Take your niche market and brainstorm ideas and topics relating to it. There are a lot of product launching contests going on recently relating to a newly created internet marketing tool. There are so many aspects to the mentioned niche that literally, and unfortunately, anything can be considered an Internet Marketing tool. The reason that anyone can basically create an Internet Marketing tool is because of something called Private Label Rights products.

What I use private label rights products for, and highly recommend them in this specific manner, is to cure writer’s block especially when it is lingering. Many people base their entire product creation and product launching on a private label rights product. This is where you can start to shine and build a strong brand for yourself. If you set goals for yourself, short-term goals to be exact, you can see your product creation come into being much faster and there is a good chance with less revision needed. If you keep hitting time restraint road blocks; however there is nothing wrong with a slow and steady approach, you can consider outsourcing portions of your project. Outsourcing can be an extremely huge benefit or just as great of a disaster.

You can find someone to outsource work to at a freelance site such as Guru.com or eLance.com. When reviewing proposals it is almost mandatory you perform a background check on them as you are in essence hiring them. Doing a background check on freelancers is as easy as asking for samples of their work and reviewing feedback on the freelance site from previous customers. Depending on the size and requirements of your project this can add up to a decent sized investment, so caution is very important. One tip I always recommend to people looking to hire an individual is to ask them what they can provide you that no one else can. This simple question gives them a chance to “toot their own horn” and acknowledge where they feel most competent as far as their skill set.

The final portion of the product creation and product launching formula is the launch. This can literally make or break the effort, time, and maybe (if you invested) money you put in to your project. There are numerous aspects to product launching and although their relevance is debated in terms to their effect, experts agree all must be followed. The person in your field who you asked for product advice from can help you substantially if you have kept in touch. If not, the first thing you need to do is to create a visually appealing website with flawless design work.

I also mentioned outsourcing before, this is one aspect of product launching I have little strength in and I always outsource this portion. The website does not have to be large however the content (ad copy in Internet Marketing) must be stellar and as perfect as possible. This is where advertising knowledge or experience is beneficial. When the site is set up you now put a lead capture form on your website.

I put two lead capture pages on all products I create on the internet and is one of the best methods of getting a solid start when you are in the product launching stage. When you gain information from a prospect or someone looking to get paid for referring sales you are able to provide them updates or specials. Many people abuse their prospect or affiliate lists by in turn emailing them with a new product daily and I find the recommendations to be totally unrelated to their original need, problem, or interest.

Another stage in the product launching stage is creating a free report or demo version of your product to entice the product to sign up to your email list. Using proper follow up with this can help generate numerous sales for you. One thing you need to ensure is that your free product completely relates to your main product that you are looking to sell.

You are now ready to advertise your product launching to customers as well as the opportunity to sell for affiliates. This is the single aspect that many product creations and launches fail on. It is actually not entirely difficult. One thing you can do is write articles (and a good amount of them) on topics relating to your product. I am a huge advocate of giving a solution in forums. When you join a forum you are normally offered the opportunity to create a signature. In your signature, you should enter the link to your opt-in or lead capture page. When you respond to posts, you are advertising your opportunity.

It is not impossible to create a product and it does not have to take a long time. You need to setup a plan and stick to it. If you get stuck, look at similar and successful products to your own and try and see how they did it. When you sit down and brainstorm you will be surprised with what you can imagine.

Start a Home Based Business in Retirement? Part 3 – The Truth Vs Hype About Home Based Businesses

You’ve retired and you’re considering starting a home based business to solve your problem (not enough income to do what you want to do, or you’re bored spending your time watching Oprah and Dr. Phil).Your friends and family say that all the home based businesses you find on the Internet are SCAMS, and you’d be better off trying to live within your retirement income and spend your time watching Oprah and Dr. Phil.Well, some of them are scams, but most are legitimate opportunities.The problem is that even many of the legitimate opportunities raise unrealistic expectations by hype such as:* Start making a six figure Income Immediately.
* Unconditional $1,000 guaranteed weekly income.
* Earn $200K per year with no work.
* You can earn a six figure income with no selling.
* Get paid hundreds and even thousands a day without selling a single thing.
* Work 10 minutes a day at home. You will easily make $1,000.00 a day. No experience needed. No selling on your part. [This one is my favorite.]Then they tell you that you can do all this in your spare time.Home based businesses have a bad name because ads like these lie to you. Naive people believe them. When they end up losing money, they bad-mouth home based business.Do you wonder why they tell you not to quit your day job?Well, the reason is that it can take years before you start earning any significant money!The TRUTH is that a home based business is like any other business. You can make a lot of money in a home based business, but like any other business, it takes hard work, marketing skills, and an investment of time and money.There are a lot of legitimate business opportunities available. To find the one that best fits your needs, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!You can be successful in any home based business venture you choose if you are willing to learn how to market it, but there are great differences between the products they offer and their compensation plans. So before you sign up, you should find one that has a product that you will be comfortable promoting and one that has a compensation plan that meets your needs.The compensation plan is particularly important to you because as a retiree, you don’t want to wait five or ten years before you can make the big bucks.Another factor that is crucial for success is finding a sponsor who will help and support you while you are learning how to market your opportunity and your products.In later articles I will address how to successfully market your opportunity and your products, and what you should require of your sponsor before joining his opportunity.But don’t be taken in by the hype. If you’re not willing to work hard and learn successful marketing skills, you should NOT start a home based business.If I can be of help to you in sorting among all the conflicting claims, do not hesitate to email me.

7 Tips for Choosing a Property Management Company

#1 Choose a company that knows the local market.
Knowledge of the local market means that your property manager knows what renters are looking for. If your property management company is a good one, they will think of the property as if they were a renter. Making smart and cost conscious recommendations to the owner that will increase overall return while improving the property so that it becomes more desirable, will help increase rental rates, lower turnover and decrease vacancy. Your property management company should make sure that your property always stays competitive in the leasing market. This knowledge will help maximize your rents while minimizing your time-on-market.

#2 Set up a meeting with the property manager and make a plan.
If the property management company you are choosing is a good one, they will set up a meeting with all new property owners and make a game plan. Getting to know your property manager will help improve the interaction and can give both the owner and the property manager a good idea of how they will work to improve the return for that property. Each property plan is different and is based on the goals, plans, and budgets of the owners. Designing a property plan that is right for each owner’s needs is the key to successful property management.

#3 Don’t take our word for it… ask our clients!
Nobody can give a better picture of the company’s service than a current customer. Ask your property management company to give you the names of three clients with similar properties. Get in contact with those people and ask them questions that you feel are important to the success of your property. They can tell you best and can usually give a good picture of the strengths and weaknesses and their contentment with the service.

#4 Make sure you’re getting premium customer service.
Probably the most common complaint about management companies, both from tenants and owners, is that their customer service is terrible. Wouldn’t it be great if you could reach your manager whenever you needed? Choosing a property management company that strives to offer great customer service and actually delivers will mean the difference between headaches and satisfaction. Good customer service is something you should expect and a company with good customer service has to make sure the other aspects of their business are on point because they are always telling you about it. Keeping owners informed with frequent communication about the market and how their property is being managed is necessary in any management relationship.

#5 Show me the money!
Property management companies typically collect rents between the 1st and 5th of each month. It should take no longer than eight days to collect rents and prepare all monthly statements for each property. That money is the property owner’s and should be in their bank accounts as quickly as possible. Earning interest on the rental revenue can really add up in the long haul. Some management companies will try and keep the revenue in their account as long as possible so that all interest earned is earned in their accounts, not the owners. We don’t do that. Our job is to collect your money, not hold onto it.

#6 Make sure your management company knows accounting.
Accounting for revenues and expenses with investment property can be a difficult task. Organization and great accounting skills will ensure your property management company is accounting for your property correctly. At the end of the year when tax season comes up, all of your income and cash flows should be easily accessible and in the correct order to make your tax paying easy.

#7 Your management company should maintain good relationships with tenants.
Your management company should keep up good relationships with their tenants. Tenants are a customer of the property and should be treated as such. Keeping happy tenants results in lower turnover, which means lower re-leasing fees for homeowners. Happy tenants will also make releasing much easier because they tend to keep homes cleaner and are easier to work with when it comes time to show homes to new prospective tenants. A reputable property management company with a good name in the eyes of the tenant is not easy to come by. Choose a company that cares, it will increase your property’s return.