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Tag: dollars

  • Good Morning America Inbox Dollars – Scam?

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    Recently, Good Morning America featured an online company named “Inbox Dollars”. It wasn’t such a surprise that this company is completely internet based, but the surprising part of it, was that this company deals with online paid surveys. If you have ever looked into paid surveys, then you will know exactly why this is so surprising (so many of these companies scam people by making consumers pay to get access to their surveys).

    Now, on Good Morning America, Inbox Dollars explained that people can earn money in several different ways through their website:

    * Reading Email

    * Shopping Online

    * Trying Brand Name Products

    * Taking Surveys Online

    * Playing Games

    So this is not just an online survey site at all. There is much more to it. Now the way Inbox Dollars works is complicated, yet very simple to the end user. People may wonder how Inbox Dollars can just pay people for reading emails, playing games, or trying products. Well, to put it simply, on the email part, you will get about 2-3 emails per day to read. These emails will be advertisements and you get paid just for viewing the advertisement. You will also get paid if you take advantage of the advertisement, some may be free trials and others may be reduced prices. Either way, you get paid for reading the email. The rest is optional. But Inbox Dollars can pay you just for reading the email because they get paid by the advertiser for showing you the ad. So for the games and brand name products, it is presented to you in a very similar fashion.

    In regards to the online surveys, it works in the same way. If a company has a survey questionnaire that they need filled in, they look for survey companies, like inbox dollars to have these completed. The survey company pays inbox dollars and inbox dollars pays you a portion for you to complete the survey. The problem with other online survey companies is that they never pay you. But with Inbox Dollars, they have over 3.5 million members and have been in this business for years. They know the value of their members and in order to keep them, they must pay them.

    Last but not least, Inbox Dollars is 100% free to join. No fee for membership, EVER. Some survey sites will actually charge you to get access to their surveys or survey sites. Most, if not all of those sites are scamming you in one way or another. In most cases, the surveys they give you access to are just surveys from some other free site you could have found on your own. They are basically just charging you a fee to take your money and feeding you surveys they found for free on Google themselves. In addition, most of these sites are not the actual survey owners, so it is not their responsibility for paying people for the surveys, so you never know if you will actually get paid for the surveys they give you.

    I hope you have found this information useful and helpful in your search for legitimate online companies for making money. If you would like to see our top 3 online paid survey companies, please visit the website below.

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    Source by Samantha A Bennett

    Views: 0

  • Top Network Marketing Company – Why Are the Products So Expensive?

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    I’m sure you’ve heard this question before, Why are top network marketing company’s products so expensive?

    This is one of those ever-present questions that networkers and direct sales people will continue to encounter (probably) forever–and there’s always more to it than meets a simple answer.

    One key is not to side-step it. There are good and genuine reasons for legitimate, premium-priced products–and of course there are over-priced ones as well. Honesty is best, as always, and I’ll endeavor to give you the general truth with my answer to the question.

    Special Products at Special Prices

    First, the products available through top network marketing companies sales and distribution model are mostly what are called “specialty” items. They are higher priced products to begin with, having more costly ingredients and more complex designs or formulas; they are simply more expensive to make and package. Some well-known non-network marketed examples are Clinique makeup and fragrance products, Apple computers, iPods and iPhones, Armani clothing, Mercedes and Lexus automobiles.

    Unless you’re dealing with a scheme or a scam, these premium products outperform their cheaper, off-the-shelf counterparts, giving consumers more and better benefits. Since they have greater value, they cost more.

    If these products are being outsourced by the networking company (produced by a “third-party” vendor/supplier), they tend to be manufactured in smaller production runs that do not allow for all the optimal low-cost advantages of buying and making in the high volumes mass-marketers enjoy. The manufacturing processes are more complex and exclusive. The profit margins are higher. This results in a higher quality product with more attention to detail and quality control.

    The reason manufacturers and marketing companies select network marketing and direct sales is because these higher-priced products are of higher quality, and they therefore require special methods of distribution and sales.

    Simply put, they cannot compete with the lower-priced, lower quality “commodity” products, which are sold based mainly on discounted mass-market pricing and brand awareness alone. Think Wal-Mart and Costco.

    Specialty products are “education-intensive.” They need greater explanation; for example, what formula, ingredients and/or processes makes the product more expensive than those mass-market goods available through direct response marketing (such as the Internet and mail-order) or retail chain store sales. Many require demonstration.

    Mass-market products depend on advertising, promotion and merchandising at “point-of-purchase,” all of which are required to get consumers’ attention, let them know the product exists (to create “trial” especially if it’s “brand” new), and to give them enough compelling reasons to purchase and keep on purchasing.

    Going head-to-head with nationally advertised products, many to most of which are heavily discounted and sold at the lowest price possible, is a tough game for just about all smaller businesses to win. Imagine trying to sell vitamins or nutritional beverages or “prestige” cosmetics against a major manufacturer selling through Wal-Mart, or a natural toothpaste against a tube of Crest® through Kroger or Publix supermarkets.

    Specialty products are perfect for the person-to-person, information-rich education, demonstration and service oriented methods of network marketing.

    And that’s where the important second aspect of network marketing’s “higher price” comes in: the added value which you as a “distributor” add to the specialty products you sell.

    Added Value Added

    Network marketing and direct sales representatives add significant value to the product they sell and they are well paid when they do so successfully.

    We reach consumers with the awareness of new products and services that ads and merchandising–no matter how persuasive or promiscuous–would not be able to reach out and touch. And by virtue of our one-on-one, personal relationship with these buyers, we appeal to them with a level of trust and service no mass-market, retail product advertiser could hope to compete with.

    The extraordinary level of service Network Marketers provide is not available when buying through mail order or retail outlets. It is a real and tangible benefit, part of the product’s value–and its price.

    For example: Someone tries a network marketing anti-aging health product. It’s personally presented for them–either in person or via mail–with a host of educational material about the product: scientific studies, article reprints, even books or tapes explaining how the product was made, how to use it, its unique features and its benefits.

    Within one to two days, the network marketer again contacts the person to follow up, asking how they are doing, checking to see that their customer is following use directions properly, make recommendations, etceteras. These service calls continue daily, bi-weekly or weekly until the customer is satisfied and happy.

    The network marketer will also continue to send informative and educational material such as updates from scientific literature. He or she will also let the customer know about other products the company offers that this particular customer with his or her unique needs and wants might also enjoy.

    This is an extraordinary level of service that is a real and tangible benefit for the consumer. This kind of personal and knowledgeable attention is not available when buying through the Internet alone, or mail-order or most all retail outlets. It is one of the things network marketers are paid for and it is part of the product’s value–and its price.

    Are there cases where the above education and service are not offered? Of course.

    Are there products that do not have special ingredients or qualities that support a higher price? Sure.

    And are there times when a network marketed product is simply more expensive to pay for the multiple-level commission structure? Yes.

    Back in the early 1950s, a dog grooming service was opened in New York City to serve people living in the exclusive Park Avenue, 70th and 80th Streets area. They charged $25 to shampoo and clip a dog. They had no customers. Then they jacked-up their prices to $250 per visit–and were an instant success. The Cadillac Seville, when first introduced in test-market showrooms priced at under $10,000, bombed; at $14,000 the very same automobile became an instant best-seller.

    Value is a perception. The relationship between quality, benefit and price, i.e., value, is in the mind of the consumer-beholder. Businesses price goods and services according to what the market will bear. Successful marketers come up with just the right mix of value-benefit-price.

    The majority of network marketing direct sales products are of the genuine higher-quality variety, not available in stores, special in ingredients, design and making.

    Most offer the convenience of in-home or on-line ordering and to-the-door delivery. They are also special in terms of…

    Marketing and Customer Service

    The network marketing “sales person” adds value to the product through his or her education, service and sales to the customer.

    All of this has its price. And according to consumer trends and the explosive growth of network marketing direct sales companies and their products worldwide, more and more people every day think it’s worth it.

    What’s the truth about the price of products offered through network marketing? Are they too high? And if so, why?

    The full answer to this one is complicated. If you need a short one, mine is:

    High? Usually, yes.

    Too high? Sometimes… yes, but generally no.

    So, if they are high, why? Let’s start with looking at what kind of products we’re really talking about here.

    The Truth is, Specialty Products Cost More

    Network marketing is predominantly a “specialty products” business: The products we sell most often tend not to be the type you’d find in supermarkets, drug stores or any other mass merchandiser. They are not the kind that combines the lowest possible price for the least acceptable level of quality. For a conventional retail parallel, look at the products in a natural or health food store, beauty salon, boutique or upscale department store.

    Specialty products cost more to make. The ingredients are unique and high quality and production is low quantity–the amounts manufactured usually are not great enough to take advantage of the economies of scale enjoyed by big-time, high-volume, mass-market producers. So these products more expensive–both to make and to buy.

    Also, specialty product makers usually cannot depend on major advertising to increase sales: they don’t have that kind of money. So they have to use more expensive forms of distribution, such as small, individual retail outlets whose profit margins are higher than mass-market stores and chains.

    Profit Margins and Markups

    Here’s an example: a discount chain drug store might be able to markup a bottle of vitamins that normally sells for $3.00 wholesale for less than the normal 33 percent retail profit margin. And, because they buy in large volumes, they’ll get the product for less than $3.00 to begin with.

    A natural or health food store might buy that same product at the full $3.00 wholesale price, and use a markup of 50 percent to get their full 33.3 percent retail profit margin.

    To the consumer, buying at retail, here’s the difference: $3.99 at the drug store and $4.50 at the health food store.

    And then there’s “what the traffic will bear.”

    There are sexy boxes of imported chocolate that go for $38.00 each, and poly-bags of 50 mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups you can get for less than $3.80. If your taste tends towards expensive, you’ll generally pay more–in “margin” percentages to middle-people and in total dollars.

    Let’s look at a comparison of one single product offered through the conventional manufacturer-to-retailer distribution system and the exact same product sold through network marketing.

    $$$ From Conventional Manufacturer to Consumer

    We know specialty products cost more to make; again, the ingredients are unique and high quality, and the production is low quantity, so they are simply more expensive.

    Manufacturers speak of “Cost of Goods” (CoG): that’s the figure that a product costs the company to make, including overhead, ingredients, packaging and labeling, sales commissions (such as broker’s fees), etc.

    The very minimum a manufacturer needs to sell that product for is double, or a 50 percent margin. Considering that most competitive businesses operate on a six percent pre-tax profit, that leaves them 44 percent to pay for everything else. So, the $2.00 CoG product they make, they sell for $4.00.

    Now, some manufacturers sell direct to retailers–not many, but a few do, and when they do, they’ll take a higher profit margin to pay for the Cost of Sales (CoS).

    However, most manufacturing companies deal through distributors, who charge for warehousing, shipping and selling the products to retail stores. Normal wholesale is a 25 percent markup, which you get by multiplying the purchase price–plus freight if not included–by 1.33. So, our $4.00 item would be sold by a wholesale-distributor to the retailer for $5.32. (Again, plus or not freight costs which can run 10 to 15 percent additional.)

    To achieve a 33.3 percent profit margin, the retailer has a 50 percent mark-up–or higher. Our $5.32 product ends up on the shelf at $7.98.

    Now, this is the minimum scenario–not what normally happens except in the more strongly competitive markets. It’s not the least bit unusual to find the manufacturer selling that $2.00 CoG product for $5.00 or $6.00… the distributor working on 35 percent instead of 25 percent… and a retailer – especially from a specialty market segment–look for a 50 percent profit (i.e., a 100 percent markup), instead of “only” one third.

    And if all of that were true, the retail price of the product through that sales and distribution system would be more like $14.95.

    $$$ In Network Marketing Direct Sales

    Let’s work this one backwards (because that’s how most of the numbers are figured for your commissions).

    If the networking company’s product sells to consumers for $15.00 it will have an average retail commission to the networker of from 20 percent to 40 percent. So, using a 30 percent retail commission, the company’s “wholesale” price to the mlm distributor will be about $10.50.

    Let’s say that your company pays out a full 50 percent in “downline” or organizational commissions. That means that the company’s lowest from-the-warehouse price for the product would be half of wholesale, or $5.25.

    That’s right in the ballpark for specialty manufacturing, distribution and sales.

    It’s a Question of Value

    There is also a greater value, beyond the “specialty products” issues of ingredient quality, cost of manufacture and so forth and that’s the education, information and service delivered by the person-to-person distribution network.

    Learning the product’s proper use, additional uses, history, all about the ingredients, etceteras, is all part of its value. And products offered through word-of-mouth network marketing have more of this “added value” than any others.

    This last point begs the question:

    “Are products purchased through network marketing higher priced to make up for the compensation or commission payments to distributors and their networks?”

    Can they be? Yes.

    Are they… usually? No and Yes.

    In an authentic, intelligent, sincere and sensible network marketing direct sales company, one that’s well-managed and directed… a company that understands that the financial health and well-being of the men and women in the field MUST lead their mission, decisions, strategy, policies and procedures… no.

    But that new ostentatious corporate headquarters in the prestige location… corporate jet… an army of “distributor service” personnel… rock concert “conventions”… $50,000 “big name” keynote speakers… resort vacations and incentive cruses to exotic locations paid for by the company… luxury car allowances… are all expenses that need to be paid for. Where does that money come from?

    Directly (in terms of potential commissions that will not be paid out to people) or indirectly (in over-priced products and/or inflated charges for marketing materials, self-replicating websites, business building tools and trainings), the money comes from only one place… the men and women in the field.

    “So… do network marketed products cost more?” Sometimes yes and other times no.

    Can they be more expensive than similar items of equal value offered in a conventional market such as a retail store? Yes, they can.

    In fact, you can find numerous examples of both conventionally retailed products and networking products of similar sizes, shapes and qualities at prices that vary by as much as 30 to 40 percent or more.

    The only sure rule in product pricing the world over is, “What the traffic will bear…” No matter what distribution and sales route the product travels. It’s not so much a game of “Let the Buyer Beware,” as it is and always will be…

    “Let the Buyer Be Aware.”

    Factor in the at-home shopping convenience… the customer service… the satisfaction guarantee… personal attention… education and information–and in today’s increasingly competitive global marketplace, the “aggressive pricing” posture being taken by more and more networking companies around the world–along with the generally superior quality of the products available through network marketing and direct sales…

    … and I believe a growing number quality-conscious consumers will agree with me, top network marketing company’s products represent outstanding value.

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    Source by John Milton Fogg

    Views: 0

  • How to Quickly and Confidently Spot a Fake 1893-S Morgan Silver Dollar

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    1893-S Morgan silver dollars are so renowned, that more exist today than were originally minted. Most Counterfeit 1893-S Morgans consist of altered versions of existing genuine Morgan dollars.

    The majority of 1893-S Morgan silver dollars are certified, so why would I need to know how to tell a fake one when I see it? Hasn’t NGC and PCGS already done that for me?

    I’ve seen fake 1893-S Morgans both graded and raw. I have to assume PCGS and NGC graders both know how to spot a fake 1893-S Morgan, so when I see an example of a counterfeit slabbed in a legitimate looking holder, I have to figure the holder is as fake as the coin.

    I also run across fake coin denial. Owners of these coins don’t want to admit they were fooled into buying a counterfeit coin. That’s a hard pill to swallow, especially when the owner paid top dollar for a graded coin with the confidence of it being blessed from a major third party grader.

    The 1893-S date/mintmark is the most valuable of the Morgan designed dollars. Because of this, most counterfeit versions have been made by altering either the date, or the mintmark.

    Learning to tell a fake 1893-S Morgan is simple, because ALL 100,000 coins were made from the same obverse die and two reverse dies. That makes the diagnostic really easy.

    They all have the same obverse characteristics and not terribly different reverse characteristics. Any coin that doesn’t possess the telltale diagnostic characteristics is a fake. Learn what to look for, and you can spot a fake raw coin AND a fake graded coin.

    The date is probably the easiest thing to pick out. Unlike other dies from the S, O, or P mints, the date has a flaw and a certain characteristic the altered coins won’t possess.

    First, look closely at the 1. Does it line up exactly with the dentil directly under it? Can you draw a line right through the center of both?

    Next, study the last numeral. As the date progresses, it slopes upward to the right, in relation to the edge. The 3 is noticeably higher than the 1 at the beginning. This is the easiest way to quickly spot a fake.

    There are things to check in the “T” and “R” on LIBERTY, but they would need a microscope to detect. There’s a tiny die scratch in the “T” and a detail that resembles “rabbit ears” in the base of the “R”. ALL genuine 1893-S Morgans have this detail, if you happen to have a microscope check out this diagnostic detail.

    You don’t really need to turn the coin over to make any more diagnostics on it.

    Further diagnostics will only tell you how the alteration was made. The genuine “S” mintmark is clear and rounded. It isn’t a mushy blob. The top serif on the “S” is a vertical line, while the bottom serif is more like a triangle.

    The next mintmark giveaway is the alignment of the “S”. It should be perfectly aligned. I’ve seen the “S” mintmark noticeably slanted, and it shouldn’t be. Also, the “S” is slightly filled in between the upper curve and the slant of the “S” as well as the lower curve and the slant.

    Since most counterfeit 1893-S dollars are altered, continue to study the coin with a 10X glass. Rotate the coin and look for tooling marks around the 9 or 3 for signs of a date alteration on the obverse. Altered coins are usually the 1898-S, 1883-S, or 1893-P.

    As collector values continue to increase with the 1893-S, the fakes will get even better. With emerging technologies, counterfeits will become almost perfect replicas of the original. My hope is that as technologies to accurately copy a coin advance, technologies to detect such copies will also keep up.

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    Source by Paul St. Julien

    Views: 0

  • Tony Robbins – Personal Power II – Day 17 – Wealth Conditioning

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    “Money is nothing but a means to measure the exchange of value between people.”

    ~ Tony Robbins

    Many of us have pain associated with wealth in an approach/avoidance dance. Because of events in our past, we can call these “wealth wounds”. There can be lots of sensitivity about financial issues and so if these wounds are not healed, it is impossible to gain a ton of financial resources.

    Generally speaking, poverty and lack brings out the worst in people and abundance brings out the best. People who are living in poverty tend to have the highest criminal records, the most drug use and the most unhappiness. Being one of the consistently broke group of people doesn’t help you or the group. You can do more good by becoming wealthy in order to be able to give back.

    There are seven reasons why most people never make it financially.

    1). They associate negative things to having or making money. Remember, the past does not equal the future.

    2). They do not set having an abundance of money as an absolute must. Unless we decide what is a necessity, not an option, how can there be any improvement?

    3). Having an effective strategy of building wealth is non-existent for them. To condition yourself for great wealth, strategies must be developed for

    • attracting money into your life
    • managing your dollars
    • sharing your money, which will give you much happiness

    4). They are unable to follow through consistently on their financial goals. Finding ways for your money to work for you, such as harnessing compound interest which can take a lot of pressure off if you have time to watch it grow.

    5). They depend too much on the “experts.” There is no one who cares more about your money than you do. Experts are valuable, but you need to take care of your money and taxes. If you make errors in these types of decisions and planning, you will be ultimately responsible, not your professional.

    6). They become financially complacent. Many people take their wealth for granted. Whatever you fail to use, you will lose. It is a good idea to note that if you do well with what you have, you’ll be able to get more and, if you don’t actively create welth, itwhat you have will be taken from us. Don’t hoard what you have.

    7). They allow financial challenges go from bad to worse into financial ruin. Most likely, the road to wealth is not a straight line. If and when problems arise, stay in the game and ask great questions to help get back on track.

    Be willing to transform crisis into opportunity. By having financial faith, you can learn from the situation and find even more opportunities.

    The assignment:

    Give yourself a financial checkup to find out your “wealth wounds” so you can heal yourself quickly:

    1). Ask yourself to list the beliefs that you have that hold you back.

    2). Is there a specific amount of money that is an absolute MUST? Is this number the “must” for your life, or is this number the ability to live comfortably by paying your current bills?

    3). “Never leave the site of setting a goal or making a decision without taking some action towards its fulfillment. Make sure you do some action to set you on the course for financial mastery.

    4). Find something in today’s session to start feeling like you’re making progress. Remember, tiny actions lead to a pattern of habits which ultimately can be used to create the financial freedom we all deserve.

    5). You can make a list of financial terms or aspects of financial management that are not fully understood. Find the people or resources who cn provide answers about these things.

    6). Remember we talked about complacency? Write a paragraph about the “why” you will follow through with your plan and avoid complacency. Recognize the excuses you used in the past. Mastery is the only option now.

    7). Ultimately, what frees us from fear, is the belief that we are much more than anything that could ever happen to us financially. Write down one or two situations that seemed very difficult that you pulled yourself through. Remind yourself that you have this capacity to turn challenges into success.

    Sometimes our “wealth wounds” are most tender to try and heal, but the good news is that there are ways to heal them. One way is to find someone who has successfully gotten where you’d like to be. You can “model” after their example if you find out exactly what they did and then follow that pattern.

    Taking the time to do these exercises will teach you more about yourself. Fine tuning the skills in this lesson will provide additional ways to condition yourself for success.

    Onward.

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    Source by Deb Bauer

    Views: 0

  • Bullying Tactics of the Australian Government Over Gay Marriage

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    To say that most Australians are underwhelmed and disgusted by the latest move on the part of the Federal Government is an understatement. Most are just stunned by the hate it expresses towards gay people and the wriggle tactics it is using to avoid resolving the most important question at the moment. Now it has declared there will be a postal ballot to decide the issue of gay marriage.

    If that doesn’t take one’s breathe away nothing will. Already there are so many cracks in it that the quality of such a move is about as good as a wet cigarette. Many people in remote areas of Australia do not have a postal box because they don’t engage in that type of correspondence.

    Aside from the many issues that people have for or against the government’s decision there are so many other factors that come into play. We have a big multicultural community with people from many religiously focused countries, such as the Muslims and Catholics. That would mean that their attitude could be greatly against such a move.

    There is also the question of whether or not people will even care to return their votes. Many are already stating they won’t, and I personally feel the same way. Now there is a challenge to the High Court, lodged by a Tasmanian Senator, Andrew Wilkie, and highly supported by others, including a former judge of that institution.

    The cost of this tom-foolery is some 170 million dollars. Before one chokes on their biscuit they need to also know that this government has squeezed every cent they can from the poorest of the country. Unemployment and other social security measures have been so reduced that many are living well below the poverty line.

    Their excuse is because the budget is in so much debt that by taxing the lowest paid more and reducing welfare, as well as altering the Medicare system to save more money, they had to exercise these measures. As soon as one takes them to task over the mismanagement and bullying that is going on they instantly blame the Opposition.

    While this is called the lucky country it is also one that has apparently lost its way through the dictatorship and bull-headedness of government members. There have been some bad Prime Ministers and governments in the past but right now they look like mavericks compared to today’s effort.

    While come 26 countries have already passed laws allowing gay marriage the outright block to it in this one is unforgivable and based on religious ignorance.

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    Source by Norma Holt

    Views: 0

  • Where to Invest 300 Dollars and How to Double It

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    There are many good reasons why doubling your money is a good idea, but by far, the best reason is that if you can sustain such a feat, you can make a large fortune very fast and compounding is the key and the answer to rapid wealth accumulation.

    One example is starting with just $300; you could literally have over $1 million dollars in 14 events or compoundings. If you took out a calculator now to prove it to yourself you will see how quickly $300 dollars turns into a million dollars if you double the result every time.

    The question and the whole point is however, how long will it take you to double your money the first time and how will you do it. Furthermore, the question is whether the process you came up with is scalable. It is relatively easy to double $300 dollars quickly but how will you double $500,000 dollars.

    The answers to these questions are detailed and convoluted but not difficult. Look at it this way, if you can add just 20% to your $300 dollars in one week, you can double it after four weeks. So if you can sustain that for 13 months you could indeed have your first million in just over a year.

    We are talking theory and this by far, would not be as simple as it sounds, but in actual fact it is specifiably possible. The math shows it. Putting together the circumstances that would create this situation would not be hard in the beginning. Lets consider a quick model.

    Buy a $700 dollar mountain bike you found cheap selling for $300, sell it by the end of the week for $600

    $600 buys a very very cheap little car. You clean the hub caps and vacuum the interior. You get $1250 for it in a week and a half.

    Your $1200 buys you another car worth $3000 you pick it up cheap and give it some attention and sell it for $2800 in under 2 weeks.

    Your $2800 makes a great down payment for a lot of land. A corner block that you have subdivided. You paid $30,000 now the two lots are worth $25,000 each. After sale you have $50,000 minus a loan of $27,000 leaves you with $23,000

    Repeat the above block subdivision a few times, until you get to $100,000 then possibly begin building on the lots. In a few more translations, you will be done.

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    Source by Terry Hart

    Views: 0

  • The American Wild West and the Silver Dollar

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    The idea for the American silver dollar came from a Spanish coin which was made of nearly one ounce of silver. The American colonists named it the Spanish dollar and the silver coin became quite popular.

    The first American silver dollars were minted in 1794, after the U.S. Congress voted to use the dollar as the main form of national currency. It was used along with the Spanish dollar even after the Revolutionary War. The U.S. Mint created silver dollars until the year 1803, and then ceased to make anymore until 1836 – the period of the Old American West.

    The people of the Old West preferred the silver dollar to paper bills as they felt the coins held more value being that they were made of silver. In fact, silver dollars were one of the main forms of currency in the mid to late 1800’s, second only to gold.

    The silver dollar was extremely important to the people of the American West. For those who liked to visit the saloons, it meant having a fair means of exchange for a drink rather than an unspecified pinch of gold by the bartender. It was appreciated by gamblers and river boat travelers, as well as by those purchasing goods from the local mercantile, for the same reason.

    Ordinary folk were not the only ones to carry the silver dollar. Many of the Old West’s most recognized names used them as well. Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill Cody and Geronimo were all known to carry silver dollars.

    In the Old West the silver dollar was worth far more than a dollar is today. People were able to buy a pair of moccasins for $1.00. Compare that to what you pay for a pair of shoes today and those moccasins seem like quite a bargain! Your dollar would also buy you 50 pounds of flour, 10 quarts of milk, 60 pounds of potatoes, two pounds of sugar or five pounds of butter.

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    Source by David Slone

    Views: 0

  • Direct Marketing – 5 Essential Components of Successful Direct Marketing

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    Direct Marketing produced $2.05 trillion in sales in 2012. That represents about 8.7% of US GDP in 2013. This implies several key points.

    First, competition in direct marketing is stiff. With all those advertisement dollars being spent on direct marketing, you need to ensure your message is getting through and being heard. Second, with stiff competition, you need to craft compelling messages, not once, but repeatedly. You need to do this effectively and efficiently, if you want to do more than just tread water.

    Thus, it’s important to develop a marketing strategy that optimizes your budget spend by employing direct marketing more effectively. Here are 5 essential components of successful direct marketing.

    1) Deliver a Compelling Sales Message

    Several elements go into creating a compelling sales message. Successful sales letters and other marketing content must be relevant, useful, and persuasive. Marketing content that works grabs your prospect’s attention, shows uniqueness, and builds trust with your prospect. Employ these three elements in all your direct marketing content.

    · WIIFM – Tell your prospect exactly what’s in it for him or her.

    · Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – Clearly describe why your solution is the superior one.

    · Testimonials – Let your satisfied customers “sell” for you.

    2) Follow-up Leads Promptly to Attract and Engage Your Prospect’s Attention

    You might have a lead-generating sales letter, but if you don’t follow-up, valuable leads will slip through the cracks. Follow-up a live event with a phone call, an email, or a letter that invites the prospect to take the next step.

    Offer a free demonstration of your product or service. Set up an appointment with a subject matter expert who can go into greater detail on how your company’s solution works, and why it’s better than the competition’s. Then, before the scheduled demonstration, send a white paper that explains your product in detail.

    Follow-up, engage and spark your prospect’s interest in your solution.

    3) Promote Your Brand

    Benefits from branding give companies and edge over competitors that don’t brand. Branding helps position your product or service favorably. It also gives you pricing and distribution power. The takeaway is: never miss an opportunity to brand.

    Direct marketing affords you many online and off-line media to build brand awareness. Online media: (1) Banner advertising; (2) Blogs; (3) Email; and (4) Website. Off-line media: (1) Print advertising – sales letters, postcards, brochures; (2) Press Releases; and (3) Public Relations.

    4) Nurture the New Customer Relationship

    Lead nurturing is just as important as lead acquisition. Most companies want to develop long-term relationships with customers. That’s because they become repeat customers. And, over time, repeat customers generate more sales and profits to your bottom line.

    Outbound marketing provides many ways to build and maintain a thriving lead nurturing program. You can employ email, direct mail, social media, mobile, podcasts, seminars, phone calls, and videos.

    5) Integrate and Synchronize Online and Off-line Direct Marketing

    To optimize your message and direct marketing budget, success lies in finding the right mix of online and off-line methods. One method isn’t necessarily better than another. Instead, the secret sauce to successful direct marketing depends on how you weave these various methods together.

    You can integrate and synchronize these methods along the sales cycle beginning with message delivery. Start with a sales letter, follow-up with a phone call or email. Refer your prospect to your website for deeper marketing content, and don’t forget to brand throughout this process.

    Achieving the right marketing mix produces a “multiplier effect” that helps you close sales faster and easier. Employing different media in a consistent and coherent manner working towards the same goal optimizes your marketing efforts.

    Don’t Overlook the Value of Direct Marketing

    With so much attention focused on inbound marketing lately, it’s easy to overlook direct marketing’s benefits. However, as you can see, it still commands the lion’s share of sales. Therefore, it’s prudent to examine your marketing strategy’s focus and align your budget accordingly.

    Before you undertake a direct marketing campaign, employ these five essential components to compete effectively and efficiently for that $2.05 trillion market.

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    Source by Alex M Milo

    Views: 1

  • How to Cure Blastomycosis in Dogs

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    Is your dog suffering from blastomycosis disease? What if you could treat this horrible fungus by using natural home remedies? Well, don’t take my word for it… in this article you will discover some simple remedy you can start using right away to prevent the fungus to grow once you learn the symptoms.

    You see, when a dog contracts blastomycosis, he develops sores on the skin that tend to ooze. It is a fungal disease that usually originates in the lungs then spreads to other parts of the body. This condition can easily be misdiagnosed because it causes symptoms similar to a viral infection or cancer.

    What makes this fungal infection so dangerous is that it can be found at room temperatures, as well as yeast found in tissues. The most typical route of infection will be from inhaling of spores of the fungi from the soil, and once this occurs, it transforms to the yeast form found in the lungs, where it starts to grow.

    The most important thing is to know the initial symptoms in your dog. Sometimes, dogs will have a gradual loss of appetite followed by weight loss, depression, and fevers. Your dog may also start to cough, develop eye problems usually accompanied by eye lesions, as well as a gradual lameness as the fungus spreads.

    The most common treatment to cure blastomycosis in dogs will be an anti-fungal called Itraconazole. It’s a very expensive treatment and most vets will administer this drug for up to 90 days and will close monitor any progress. This drug has also been proven to be the safest of treatment that has fewer side effects.

    Most pet owners who have dealt with this kind of fungus in their dogs will agree that blastomycosis treatment could easily cost over 1,000 dollars, and in the majority of cases, they may not survive.

    However, more pet owners are now leaning toward natural remedy that can prevent this fungus from growing. Supplementing dogs with vitamins C, E, A and the B complexes will all be natural antioxidants against yeast and most fungus infections, but especially this one.

    The other best home remedy for this is garlic, either raw or though supplements. It is known to be nature’s

    best defense against fungus, bacteria, and yeast infections. It has often been called the wonder cure for fungus.

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    Source by Allene Hayes

    Views: 0