How To Escape Your Job?

'How To Be A Freelance Sales Agent'

What is a Sales Agent?

A Sales Agent is a self employed salesperson who works, usually alone, for perhaps several non competing companies. The Sales Agent obtains orders for those companies and is paid commission on those orders.

The Sales Agent usually works in a specific area of industry and within geographical limits. It is usual for the Sales Agent to keep his agencies within the same industry. A major advantage is the ability of a Sales Agent to offer his customer a range of products rather than the single product that an employed salesman can offer.

How do I become a Sales Agent?

You can start tomorrow. You may operate under your own name or you may trade as a company. It is not necessary to register the company if you do not want to form a limited company. (speak to an accountant on this).

If you use a name other than your own you are described as xxxxx, (your name), 'Trading As', xxxxx (your company name). In all circumstances you must inform your local Inland Revenue Office that you have commenced trading, (sorry but the dreaded Self Assessment comes in).

Will I make it as a Sales Agent?

Most important is that you have some sales experience. And if you don't then find a DSA (direct selling association) member company and learn the ropes. It is possible to come from a non selling background and build a tremendous business, earn plenty, become an effective Sales Agent witha DSA company and earn whilst learning to sell. Selling is about taking the hard knocks and not becoming disheartened. Being a Sales Agent is even more so because if you don't sell you don't eat. If you are not afraid of having variable earnings and are determined you can make it a success, you will. Often you can enhance income by getting your own sub agents and that can be a wonderful income stream

What about commission?

It will depend on what you sell. If you are selling quick turnover, high volume, repeat order products around 10% is the norm. If you are selling high value items with long lead times 20%, even 30% is required. You will have to wait a long time for the sale to mature and you are at greater risk of losing the order. When getting started look for highly consumable or repeatable that you cannot buy on the shelf of your average shop

Set up costs

Not a lot, if you already have transport to get you to the customers. You will need a telephone and some headed notepaper. If you have a computer this will save on this cost and also make letter writing and accounting less costly. Things like visiting cards are sometimes supplied by your principals, you will need to project you own image as an independent agent by having your own printed material. Resist the temptation to print these on your computer. They usually are cheap and look it.

Where do I find agencies?

The major place to find genuine agency opportunities is by joining MAA or AgentBase. Many 'so called' agencies are advertised in local and national newspapers but beware. Some of them are 'Pyramid Schemes' and some need you to invest thousands of pounds and no return if it goes wrong. The DSA website is good and also the MAA or AgentBase publishes a regular magazine carrying adverts from Principals seeking Sales Agents in all industries. Once you are established many agencies are passed on by word of mouth from other Agents who work for the same Principals as you do.

How many agencies to hold

Initially only one until you have gained some experience. Once you feel comfortable with the concept of being your own boss you can expand your number of agencies gradually but do not collect agencies. Remember each one has to be serviced and all Principals seem to want you to spend all your time pushing their product. Too many agencies can call your integrity into question.

How about job security?

A surprising amount. There is a piece of legislation called 'The Commercial Agents Regulations 1993' which dictates that you must have a contract with your Principal and that contract must have certain protection and obligations for both parties enshrined in it. Copies of this can be obtained on the HMSO Website, Free legal advice and many other benefits for members are afforded by joining the 'PROFESSIONAL SALES ASSOCIATION'. Tel 0207 407 8833.

Conclusion

Most Sales Agents consider themselves to be at the pinnacle of their sales career. They rely on their professionalism, salesmanship and customer relations to earn their living. In return it is theoretically possible to enjoy an income far in excess of that usually earned by a paid salesman.

The only limit to the size of their earnings is the amount of time, effort and salesmanship they put in. Not for them the petty squabbles, rivalry and jealousy that arise when such earnings are within a company structure.

My own reasons for this are not just the potential earnings I really enjoy the satisfaction derived from nobody telling me what to do, when to do it, how much I will get paid and when I take free time.

I really enjoy roaming around the world doing business!

If you are new to this or need to make money before waving two fingers at the boss (no matter how you feel about your employer be polite as they will be your best prospects) and running a business your way needs some practice simply join an MLM company or go to the DSA website as these companies are great at getting you in business very fast.

A great business to take a look at is here

Opportunity Presentation

This business cost me about £200 to start and has returned more than £1 million in income.

Once established it takes a few hours a month to run .

I will not give you a 100% promise of £1Million as the variable factor is your skills and how hard you work. What I will do is show you how to start a business,
supply you with all the support needed to become successful and pr...ovide
you with the required knowledge necessary to build up a
profitable, viable business as a manufacturers agent and work from home business.

Give me a call and I will get you started!

Cheers
Richard
0845 056 9325

30,000 emails a month for only £69.95 !!!

Now you can send 5,000 emails a month for just £19.95 + VAT; or top up to 30,000 emails a month for only £69.95

In the olden days of the 80's and even early 90's we used to send out direct mail and 5000 A4 letters could cost you a couple of grand to send with letter, brouchure, envelope, paying staff to stuff, lick and post!!

Now one simple email can link to a website and we can be in front of thousands for very little.
I want to bring some of these great deals to your attention as we all expand our business in tough times.

As the old saying is never more true than today

"When the going gets tough ..... the tough gets going"
.

They say

"WeCanDoCRM is free for contact and customer management; and free to add email templates and build your first campaign. You only need to upgrade to Pro Networker when you have campaigns to send; and then there's no commitment beyond the month. Come and try it now -- just click here to get started.

Please give me feedback on your findings?

Be a linchpin not a cog!

Why do you have a front lawn?
It's a tradition.

Lawns were invented as a way for the landed gentry to demonstrate that they could afford to waste land.

By taking the land away from the grazing sheep, they were sending a message to their neighbors. We're rich, we can happily waste the opportunity to make a few quid from our front lawn.

In every city there are expensive hotels that are noisy, with £50 breakfasts, no parking, blinds that don't make the room dark and rooms that don't have enough space to swing a cat let alone hang it up with your suits.

We are paying extra to stay therby ensuring we'll be surrounded by others just as wealthy and just as interested in showing it.

Rich people will always indulge the desire to stand out, otherwise what was making it, or keeping it all about?

I think we are seeing a new rich:

Spending on and investing in time, not things..

The new trend in spending money is to buy craftsmenship and not the efficiently mass produced.

It will not be a better price than Matalan, but the very fact that you can pay for an artisan to create it, an artist to design it, a talented worker to bring it to life--that act makes a powerful statement about what you can afford and what's important to you.

Instead of a bigger house, it's a house that's built from scratch by craftsmen. Instead of a bigger steak, it's a handmade dish of locally grown organic vegetables...

In these days of quoting, losing margin all through price cutting and bad selling

Keep your eyes open for another way, use showmanship to display niche quality, tell a story rather than "this is the best price and value" story .

Price & value is just one pitch available yet rarely the most effective for the audience you may be trying to reach....

Stand for something in these unique times and be prepared to fail!

If you need a marketing consultant to discover what you stand for then give up as they will make thousands and if you to search for a marketing angle, you're unlikely to find one.

Standing for something means giving up a lot of other things, and opening yourself to criticism. Most people in any industry aren't willing to do that, which is why there are so few linchpin's in the world.

First, decide it's great to fail and to make a big noiuse while failing.

This will put you on the right path as you go searching for the way to capture that right way and share it with the world.

Now sack your salaried sales staff, find a sales agent, a great sales agent, a selective agent, one that's almost impossible to get through (as they are seeing customers or recruiting a sales team) to, one that commands respect and acts as a filter because after all, that's what you're seeking, a filtered, amplified way to spread your idea.

Often, businesses hire 'consultants & trainers' to solve a specific problem for the lowest possible cost. And a good team at the right price is often the right approach. WRONG!! Average people get average results and I say pay the most you can afford..... Also link it to sales performance.

Spend more and get something great. So seek out and find a linchpin who combines inspiration and professionalism and initiative and pushes back on your quest to be the best and dump.

When you interact with someone like that, you might pay more but you get far more than you paid.

Get self employed sales agents who sell nothing and earn nothing or sell lots and earn lots! Be prepared for some hard-work in finding the good guys as they are not easy to find and want to earn a good six figures.

You can cut the costs of pampering a salaried sales force and increase sales at the same time.

There's a lot of pressure for freelance agents to fit in, conform and comply. It seems easier to generate new business that way. That's not the sales agent you want though.

You need the person who's willing to push themselves out to an edge and will follow the only path that actually leads to success.

And then it's not just the agent I refuse more business than I accept! For me I need to see the client to cares enough about the project and in making a difference to have the guts to hire me.

The Client ofetn seem to not progress to the finishing line, lose focus, change price, worry about what the agent makes rather than the increase on bottom line business profit (so looking up the wrong end of the telescope) , sometimes clients are not trustworthy and just can't keep thier word!

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." George Orwell

Whether you are a client my thoughts are the same as Seth Godin who says focus on the following:

What works to change mindsets, to spread important ideas and to create an audience for work that matters? What's worth your effort and investment as a marketer or creator?

In the race between 'who' and 'how many', who usually wins--if action is your goal. Find the right people, those that are willing to listen to what you have to say, and ignore the masses that are just going to race on, unchanged.

Quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality and a bit more quality will be a good start!

One example is Pixar

At every turn, Pixar messed up the marketing of their new movie. It has a hard to spell name, no furry characters, not nearly enough dialogue (the first 45 minutes is almost silent), no nasty (but ultimately ridiculous) bad guy, hardly any violence and very little slapstick. Wall-e didn't get a huge Hollywood PR campaign or even a lot of promotion, it doesn't feature any hot stars and as far as I can tell, the merchandising options are quite limited.

Can you imagine the meetings?

Can you imagine the yelling?

Pixar, recently purchased by Disney, could crank out multi-billion dollar confections. They know all the moves, they have the chops to create merchandising powerhouses. And with just one movie a year, they certainly must have been under huge pressure to do just that.

And yet, instead, they make a great movie. A movie for the ages. A film, not 90 minutes of commerce.

The irony, of course, is that they'll make plenty of money. Bravery often pays off, even if paying off is not your goal. Especially if that's not your goal.

Marketing isn't always about pandering to the masses and shooting for the quick payoff. Often, the best marketing doesn't feel like marketing at all.

Give British business a break!!

Whilst working hard to keep open the business owners of Britain have been forced to increase the minimum wage up to almost £6 an hour and I can promise you that thousands of husband & wife business owners are not even paying themselves this!

Larger S.M.E.'s are now being forced to give the new higher wage and allow extra time off for training.

Time to Train will give workers in businesses which employ more than 250 people the legal right to request time off to take up relevant training.

The right will be made available to all employees from April 2011. This phased approach will give smaller organisations and businesses more time to prepare for the introduction of the new right.

“We need to empower people to speak about training opportunities and the benefits they can bring to a business’ success.

“Many companies and organisations are very good at training their staff, but we need to make sure that all businesses are advising employees on what is on offer.

“This is where a regulation like Time to Train will be able to help people. It will give them the confidence to ask about training and skills, allowing them to take control of their own careers.”

Kevin Brennan Skills Minister

Is this the same Kevin Brennan who had a widescreen television delivered to his family house in Wales then claimed the £450 cost back using his London second home allowance?

The legal right will allow employees to request time to undertake relevant study or training that employers are required to consider seriously. The training should improve the employee’s effectiveness in their job and contribute to improved business performance and productivity. Employers are not obliged to approve every request - they can be turned down if there is a good business reason to do so.

The legislation was included in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act, which received Royal Assent in November 2009.

Guidance for employers on the new right was published in January and is available through Business Link. Guidance for employees has been made available on the DirectGov website.

Are you a business owner or an employee?

Leave your thoughts on this new scheme and we can all compare notes

Cost savings of up to 60% on the overall price of sending a letter

We can now send physical mail direct from their computer to addresses across the UK for less than the cost of a second class stamp following the launch of an economy service from imail. The new black and white option for double-sided letters is available for as little as 29p per item, making it the cheapest solution of its kind currently available in the UK and offering savings of up to 65 per cent.

The charge for sending a double-sided A4 letter will start from just 29p, with each additional side costing 2p up to a maximum of 8 sides, making it the most cost-effective mail service for multi-paged invoice runs.

The black and white service will enable companies to create, customise and send double-sided letters via an easy-to-use use web browser or downloaded print driver. The solution complements the existing full-colour offering available for letters, flyers, mailshots and postcards, providing a low cost alternative to communicating with customers, prospects, partners and suppliers. It is suitable for companies of all sizes and offers considerable savings when taking into consideration printing, production and postage costs.

With the need to print, envelope and frank mail effectively eliminated, sending mail via the black and white service is not only completed in a fraction of the time compared with a traditional solution but also removes costly production overheads. This makes it ideal for last minute and targeted campaigns or offers with users able to send their mailings as late as 6pm for nationwide delivery. The service also affords flexibility through its option of one or two day definite delivery.

Guy Buswell, Chief Executive of UK Mail Group commented: “imail has seen significant growth since its launch and this latest option will widen the appeal by offering greater flexibility, cost efficiency and choice for mail requirements. It has become the leading desktop to doormat mail delivery service available within the UK because of our continued commitment to service innovation and excellence.”

UK Mail, part of the UK Mail Group (formerly Business Post), launched imail last year as the only alternative to the first class postal service. This unique service allows users to create, proof, print and post letters, postcards and marketing material direct from a PC, MAC or laptop with cost savings of up to 65 per cent, whilst also reducing the carbon footprint of a letter by more than 80 per cent. Hydroaromatic armorial evacuable detrition metaproduction blendable lignification vacuumizer expotential thalline perityphlitis apprehension. Football lauric creophagous renography heterotrophy column heterophthalmia?
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Cost & Time Savings Cost savings of up to 60% on the overall price of sending a letter

Creating your letterhead electronically saves on pre-printed stationery 24/7 access at the touch of your fingertips providing an immediate, time-saving service

A more flexible posting window operating up until 6pm for next day delivery imail substantially reduces the time and cost of sending mail to the UK from overseas

Provides complete solution for small and medium-sized businesses - no franking machines, no trips to the local post office, no missing the postman, no running out of en Brand & Quality Control

Increased brand consistency and control through management of logo and font use - and use of template letter controlled by the administrator function

Coordination of time-sensitive correspondence enables enhanced flexibility and control i.e. marketing communications

Functionality including document recall, electronic archiving and detailed billing

A built in returns handling solution for more efficient customer data validation Improved address accuracy via postal address validation facility.

Also leads to cost reductions Mail merge facility for larger volume mailings.

Simply write your letter and attach your csv file and we will handle the merging, printing, fulfilment and postage removing all the hassle from you High quality print production by state-of-the-art print machines common through the UK Mail print centre network Environmental Pluses

An 80% reduction in your carbon footprint by dispensing of the need to collect physical mail items and move them around the country imail is printed on 100% recycled paper imail utilises the Royal Mail responsible product range Duplex printing is another way we ensure that imail minimises any impact on the environment.

Call or email for free envelopes and no running out of headed paper!
It’s all too easy to dismiss the various costs incurred by your current printing and mailing solutions. It’s not just the price of the stamp you need to consider, it’s also the time spent and materials used in producing the letter. We all know time is money.

So how does UK Mail’s imail compare cost-wise with the price of producing a conventional letter?

imail can give you up to a 60% saving on the total cost of your print, production and postal costs.

The postage cost for an imail item delivered next day is 32p, (that’s 4p less than a Royal Mail stamp) and just 15p for a imail two day delivery, (that’s a whopping 12p less than a Royal Mail second class stamp!)

The charge for your print and production is just 19p per imail item for a full color 2 sided letter, printed by state of the art printing equipment and insertion into quality recyclable C5 envelopes.

1. How does imail work?
   Using imail couldn’t be simpler. You can either use the downloadable print driver or the imail web interface. After creating your document you simply click on the post button to send your item(s). The documents are then electronically encrypted and sent to the imail server. The server routes the individual item based on postcode to one of our nationwide UK Mail print centres where the items are securely printed by our state of the art equipment and machine-enveloped for onward delivery.
   
   
2. Is imail not just an email?
   No. imail is not simply an email - it’s an intelligent solution providing users with the facility to produce an actual physical letter without the hassle that comes with producing a conventional letter, and with much more personalisation than an email.
   
   
3. When does my mail get delivered?
   With imail your mail will be delivered the next working day, unless you specify our two day option.
   
   
4. What are the cost savings that I can achieve through imail?
   imail can save you up to 60% on the total print, production and postage costs that are currently being incurred, depending on what postal service you use - See calculator
   
   
5. How does imail save me time?
   imail takes the time and hassle out of having to print, envelope and then post the item. From the click of your mouse you can send a letter direct to anywhere in the UK within seconds.
   
   
6. What stationery is used by imail?
   imail uses 90gsm plain white A4, 100% recycled paper and C5 windowed 90gsm envelopes.
   
   
7. Does using imail allow me to sign my letters?
   Yes. With imail you can add a scanned version of your signature which can be automatically applied to each of your documents.
   
   
8. Can I send multiple items through imail?
   Yes. Whether you’re sending one or 1,000 letters imail can provide you with a cost effective solution. For multiple items, imail provides a full mail merge facility. Alternatively, you can use a blank letter for one-off ad hoc mailings.
   
   
9. Can imail help me to improve brand management?
   Yes. imail allows you to control your brand through a template management system. This allows you to set up and define a series of structured templates with or without variable fields. Being able to control the use of your logo generates a stronger brand image. The logo can be printed in full colour or black and white depending on your branding requirements
   
   
10. What about the quality of printing?
    We have the same specification of high volume printer at each of our print centres (as used within the commercial print environment) to ensure that there is quality and consistency at the print and production process no matter which site it is produced at.
    
    
11. How does imail improve my carbon footprint?
    imail reduces your carbon footprint by around 80%. It reduces the need to collect physical mail items and move them around the country. In addition, it reduces the need for delivery of consumable stocks to individual users.
    
    
12. Does imail provide double-sided printing?
    Yes. Duplex printing is one of the many ways that we ensure imail reduces the impact on the environment.
    
    
13. Is imail secure?
    Yes. imail operates to 128bit SSL standard. Each user is username and password protected. All documents are securely encrypted before being sent from your pc to the imail print location where insertion and sortation is effected by state of the art equipment.
    
    
14. How do I know my mail has been sent?
    Once you have sent your item you will receive on-screen confirmation. The sent item will also show up in the archive area of your imail user interface.
    
    
15. What happens when my mail cannot be delivered to the recipient?
    All imail envelopes carry a UK Mail central return address. We then scan the item’s barcode printed within the address window which sends an electronic copy of the letter to the originator. The returned letters can be viewed in the returned letters area of your imail user interface. The returned physical items are then securely disposed of by UK Mail.
    
    
16. How do I pay for the items sent via imail?
    imail has a range of flexible payment methods to suit your business’s individual requirements. Pay as you post” enables users to pay by debit or credit card.
    
    
17. Can imail be used on my laptop?
    Yes. imail can be used on an internet enabled laptop as well as PCs. It can also be used on a MAC.
    
    
18. Can I view my letter before posting?
    Yes. imail provides you with an instant PDF proof of your letter, showing the body of the document as well as the positioning of the address block, zonal indicator and return barcode. The PDF can be printed locally for a physical copy for your records or it can be stored electronically on your computer.
    
    
19. Do I have to send my letters once they are written?
    No. imail is very flexible and allows you to draft letters that can be amended before being sent out. Alternatively, your letters can be held as pending and sent at a time convenient to you.
    
    
20. Does imail allow me to keep a contacts database?
    imail securely keeps your contacts database within your user space. This allows you to quickly populate the address field with a click of the mouse by selecting the named recipient that you require.
    
    
21. Does imail provide colour printing?
    Yes. imail provides a full colour specification with the state of the art printers that we use in our print centres being calibrated to the same specification to ensure consistency of letter production.
    
    
22. Do you have a service to create my stationery?
    Yes. Just send us a couple of sheets of your headed paper and we’ll create a template for you and add it to your imail account. Simply register and add a minimum of £5 of credit to your account and then send us your stationery. For a £5 charge we will upload your account within three days of receipt.

Are consumers "potential suckers to be exploited"?

The no-frills, low-margin online business model is pushing businesses into finding new ways of making money. But should all consumers be considered as “potential suckers to be exploited”?

A middle ground should be the place in a combination of service, quality and price.
The web allows reduced overheads and we can pass this along to our buyers and staff.

As the internet makes price comparisons even easier – and drives down prices – businesses that refuse to change will be in trouble. Any consumer sector that charges more than it needs to for basic services faces the threat of a cheaper entrant stealing a major market share.

Now a new scam is showing up with a simple 'bait & switch' tactic which means every customer is seen as someone who can and should be pushed into paying for additional things above the basic offer.


Being treated like a stranger in town so being taken around the houses in a taxi and the fare ramping up does not make us feel that good service is taking place! Would you tip the driver? NO! Will you refer others? NO! Will you get back in the same cab? NO! So why should we allow this in sales and that is online or off line.

It might be fine when we are talking about add-on luxuries that people choose to buy, but the problem comes when the goal is to exploit customers’ vulnerability to make a fast buck.”

Using the example of overpriced extended warranties on electrical goods I don’t suppose anyone wants to abandon the benefits of competitive markets, but something is lost in society when those who work in the service sector are encouraged to see customers not as people to please and help, but as punters to be exploited.

Easy Jet has helped transform the consumer market place for air travel. Its approach has brought flying within reach of millions more people and it has forced other airlines to be more competitive. As the internet makes price comparisons ever easier, any consumer sector that is charging more than it needs to for its basic services faces the threat of a cheaper entrant stealing a major market share. This is the good news. The bad is this: no frills, low margin models encourage businesses to explore other ways of making money from their customers. This is where all the hidden extras come in.

I hear every day similar experiences of trapped customers being fleeced when they need some assistance or make a mistake like going slightly overdrawn for a few days or the hard sell pressure put on people buying electrical goods with overpriced extended warranties.

In the end this is simply shifting profit from one activity – the basic service – to another – the add-ons and hidden charges.

Be a canny consumer avoid most of these ways that make you pay above the minimum.
If it is an add-say NO!!

“Make me a millionaire and you can have half of my money.”

Make me a billionaire and you can have half of mine too!

Right here right now I will be delighted to publicly declare exactly the same as Welsh Supermarket Tycoon Albert Gubay who made his fortune through the KwikSave discount stores and Total Fitness gym chain.

After being demobilised from the Royal Navy after World War II, Albert Gubay borrowed £100 and made a pact with God: “Make me a millionaire and you can have half of my money.”

Five decades later, the tycoon has decided that he would fulfil his side of the deal. Gubay, a lifelong Catholic, will only keep £10m of his fortune to tide him over during his old age.

Born in North Wales to a Jewish Iraqi refugee father and an Irish Catholic mother, Gubay started building his fortune when he established KwikSave in the 1960s and then he sold it and did it all over again.... proper bloke.

Having sold the business in 1973 for £15m, and replicated the KwikSave business model in New Zealand, Ireland and the US, and invested the profits from those businesses into property in the UK.

Albert Gubay aged 82 currently lives on the Isle of Man and has two children with his first wife.

Will Work-At-Home Jobs Save Us From The Recession?

It’s the hottest job and being recognised only after years those in the know have enjoyed the lifestyle others only dream about .......

The best job option in 2010—one you can’t get from any job centre or even a newspaper ad.

In fact, this is being hailed as the most promising new direction for anyone who is truly motivated to better their current financial situation.

If anyone still doubts the importance of an alternative to unemployment, they should drop by a job centre plus in any major city of the country right now.

They’ll see men and women waiting in line by the thousands, to compete for what is in many cases, a handful of low-paying jobs.

If anyone still doubts the importance of an alternative to unemployment, they should drop by a traditional recruitment consultants in any major city right now.

If we could line up all those actively engaged in a job hunt we’ll see men and women waiting in line by the thousands, to compete for what is in many cases, a handful of low-paying jobs.

The simple truth is this…

What the British people need are more good jobsm or rather simple to run home based business opportunities, with the flexibility and rate of pay that allows them to support their families without having to dump their children in expensive nursery care, or settle for a substandard quality of life just to put food on the table and keep the roof over our heads.

One need look no further than your own street or village to see the devastating effects of the current economy. For some, it is a near-permanent recession.

Concern grows that it may take years to overcome the current financial situation as was mentioned in the budget as we have a deficit that will take years for the UK and for millions of families and not enough through traditional 9-5 jobs.

Now more than ever it is essential for proven, non-traditional ways of self-employment to be explored and utilised.

My thoughts are that things are tough and I wanted to see just how tough so I made a CV and started a job hunt. If you have to find a job in the morning .... you won't. I tried for shop work, sales jobs and even tried to offer my services for FREE with a sell nothing earn nothing deal...

Richard Williams.

So age they say should not work against us and this should make me a great candidate for sales....... simply unless you are lucky traditional employment does not exist.

Job categories such as retail and manufacturing are expected to continue their nosedive. In other words, if you think you can get a secure job in a shopping arcade, grocery store, or factory, you’re out of luck.

Recently as part of my ongoing investigations into the predicament of the under or unemployed of our country, I discovered my little-known job (work from home business) was the alternative all these years later in 2010. I took this up in 1993 which pays astoundingly well. In fact the hourly pay potential is six to ten times our UK typical £5.93 minimum wage.

It’s much more cost effective for a company to take sales agents aboard and some companies allow you to find your own people to also work from home and that is when the BIG money can roll in.

It’s a massive saving to the company, which in turn they can pass on as an excellent profit for their contracted agents and any people that they take into the sales team.

This is not a pitch to join my business as quite frankly my income is enough, I am not rich in money although I am so happy to have found my dream lifestyle.... meaning I have no BIG desire to charge about helping others build a business just now..... My car is the car of my dreams, we have a nice holiday home near the Indian Ocean and we work just a few hours a week.

If you are keen to do something new and want to avoid job-hunting and simply want a better lifestyle then get into direct sales and build your very own sales team.

The place to start looking is the DSA at http://dsa.org.uk/ and look for a product range that has a great future.

You should find a product that is 'repeatable & consumable' as once we find a customer we would want them to come back for more and thus save us from constanly looking for new consumers.

Ask yourself ....“Can someone with no college education or University degree or previous experience really do well with this business and can I see this as my new high-paying job ? “Yes!” replies those who are ready to get going and hurry up... get on with it and don't allow me to slow you down.

Look for (ask the company to allow you to speak with people) average people as the real test is would a single parent be able to join and be making more money than you ever thought possible, and all from the comfort of home.

“Friends and family are going to get green with envy. In fact, based on my experience, some of them will start with you and others will say NO and regret it too.

The people who joine me liked it because within the first month on the job, they started seeing money coming in. I’d say this is a great job for anybody—all you need is a computer with an Internet connection, the ability to read and speak , and you’re good to go.

No other option existed for me in 1993 as I lived on the family chicken farm and had to travel a very long way to find an opening as nothing else was in my area.”

I can say I was soon (within 6 months) is smiling all the way to the bank and never made this kind of income in my entire life, and was soon thrilled with my decision to work from home.

Personally my business started when lucky enough to be introduced to the home based business/job by my (late) mother and a chap called (late) Dusty who saw many people make a fortune around the world in the previous 15 years.

My mum was enterprising and had been involved with the early days launching AVON and been in other USA direct sales ventures. She knew how much this kind of work could change lives. So she made it something of a mission to get me to do it!

I got the buzz and this enabled me to coach anyone who was truly motivated to work, to be able to have a chance for one of these high paying jobs and that is why I took the time to write this

TODAY in 2010 we are so lucky to have the same kind of business opportunity and now with technology it is even easier to build your new dream job.

• More MONEY—instead of depending on the whims of the economy, you can create a reliable and growing income for yourself without financial risk.

• More TIME—enjoy more quality time with your family and friends, instead of working nonstop as a wage-slave just to survive.

• More OPTIONS–to support your favorite charity, give back to your community, or to pursue other interests that are important to you.

• More FREEDOM—to control your own destiny, tap into your full potential, and finally live the kind of life you’ve envisioned.

Still want to know what I do?
The company is called Forever Living Products and they have lots of enthusiastic people to coach you in your business..... Don't ask me to help as I am busy packing the Sun Tan Lotion (an FLP product of course)

Crazy marketing mistakes that will cost you money!!!

Sales letters, websites, brochures, emails, promotions, campaigns and marketing is great when done well and costly when its a howler.

I have seen the traditional advertising agency and PR companies waste fortunes....... Every company has wasted some money on software and websites and cost almost every business money!! A solution exists and that is to combine all of the above....PR, advertsising, creative, new media, websites and I will start a company to help us all.....watch this space

Mistake Number 1: Failure to Implement (FTI)

We see it all the time.

There are clear opportunities to create more sales revenue through marketing in a business - cross selling, running Google AdWords campaigns, re-running successful email and direct mail letters more frequently, writing better proposals, doing more structured follow up, creating a prospect nurturing system.

We see the opportunity, the business owner sees the opportunity - yet the "busyness" of business gets in the way.

And they fail to implement.

The sad truth is, if you don't spend time developing your marketing today, nothing bad will happen tomorrow, next week or maybe even next month.

But as the months roll by, FTI means that nothing is developed, nothing is improved and the results don't improve.

Over time, FTI saps the energy and spirit from a business. The opportunity cost is huge.

As we often say - "There are no guarantees in marketing – except that if you do nothing, nothing will change".

Make a commitment today by working on your marketing.

Mistake Number 2: Failing to Have a Testing Mindset

As a 'rule of thumb' of 10 things that you test in marketing, 2 or 3 will work first time around, 3 will completely fail and the other 4 merit further testing until they can be conclusively added to the failures or successes.

When you understand that, you accept that you need to run tests to determine what works.

Yet so many times we see people put all their money in marketing by russain roullette

They send out 20,000 flyers instead of testing with 2,000. They mail the entire list of 10,000 names before testing their idea on 1,000. They book 10 ads (they got a great deal) before testing one. They don't test multiple Google PPC Ads against each other.

And then, when the inevitable failure occurs, they give up on marketing because "it doesn't work" and they have no more budget (or spirit) left to run more tests.

Test everything, as small as you can (to limit costs and risks) before rolling it out. Testing puts you on the path to success.

Mistake Number 3: Failing to Continue to run Successful Marketing

This one comes from our friend and world-renowned marketer, Jay Abraham.

We often see otherwise savvy business people who want to replace a successful direct mail letter with a new one, or a hard working flyer with a "better" one - making wholesale changes and in the process running the risk of killing successful campaigns.

Often because they labour under the mistaken impression that it needs to be kept fresh, or because they are bored with it.

Our big major..... Major Mistake!

As long as a campaign or strategy continues to generate profit – keep it running until it stops working. We have clients who have been running the same campaigns, with the same offer, month in month out for years - and the money just keeps rolling in.

Imagine if they had 'refreshed', or replaced those campaigns?

Never turn off the tap until you have something better as a replacement.

Mistake Number 4: Throwing Good Money after Bad on Marketing that isn't Working

This is the flip side of Mistake Number 3, and it's tough to spot if you're not recording and measuring your results.

Businesses in every sector are wasting many thousands of pounds right now, funding marketing (adverts and exhibitions are two common culprits) that are simply sucking their profits.

Directories are also often culprits because it's all to easy to throw some money at an ad, let it run without measurement, then simply renew it when the sales person calls about the next issue.

It's getting your name out there and could make you bankrupt...

If the ad (or sales letter, or flyer, or whatever it might be) isn't paying for itself many times over, then you're better off without it.

And the money you save can be invested into doing more of the marketing that is working for you.

Mistake Number 5: Failure to Measure.

Amazingly, this is a mistake we see day in, day out – even from experienced marketers and savvy business people.

They simply fail to measure.

If you don't know how many enquiries, how much conversion and how much profit each of your marketing strategies is generating, then you need to find out, right now!

You've probably heard this saying - "What you measure you can manage". Well the reverse is true too - "What you don't measure you can't manage".

Are you managing this vitally important part of your business?

Mistake Number 6: Failing to Understand and Exploit Lifetime Value

Let's say you send a direct mail campaign to 5,000 people. You get 50 enquiries, 20 get a 'quote', and 5 make a purchase.

The mailing cost £3,000 and the 5 purchases bought in £1,000 each.

As your gross profit margin is 50%, on the face of it this is a clear failure. Costs of £3,000 exceed profit of £2,500 by £500.

However, when you consider that each of those 5 new clients will (on average) spend £1,000 four times per year, for the next 3 years, bringing in £12,000 each at 50% gross profit margin things change. Dramatically.

Your true numbers are £3,000 cost to create £60,000 in sales and £30,000 in gross profit.

That's £10 back for every £1 invested!

Many hugely successful campaigns and strategies are sidelined because success was measured against the value of the first sale, rather than the true value, which is the lifetime value.

Mistake Number 7: The Curse of Assumption.

You've spent years doing what you do ... you know your business inside out, and you're absolutely comfortable in your environment.

But the people you're trying to sell to probably don't know a tenth as much as you about your product and or service – so never assume they do.

Spell it out.

Tell your prospects how you will save them time, save them hassle, take away risk, make them look great, help them make money, help them succeed or whatever it is that your business can do for them.

Mistake Number 8: Failing to Call for Action.

We know that people need information in order to make a commitment (either to buy; request information, or whatever your desired action might be).

It's important to realise that they may also need a push in the right direction - to be lead.

Once you've given your prospects all the information they need to make an informed decision about you – tell them what to do next and give the CALL TO ACTION

By leading your prospect by the hand through the sales process, and by asking for the order, you can dramatically increase your conversion rates, and your revenue.

Mistake Number 9: Believing Short Copy Rules.

"People are too busy to read much these days".

This is a common, but mistaken, belief that holds many people back from creating a marketing breakthrough in their business.

While it is true that today we read a smaller percentage of everything that crosses our path in a normal day than we used to (the sheer volume of information has risen, and continues to rise dramatically), most people are reading more today than ever before.

And another truth is that buyers are readers. They want good information.

The key to creating great marketing is not to "keep it short and to the point" - but to make sure that your web pages, emails, ads and direct mail letters are so relevant, informative, compelling and inspiring that the recipient devours your message, and takes appropriate action.

For that, you will almost certainly need longer copy.

If you're still not sure, test it.

Write two letters: one as short as you can, one as long as it needs to be to make a compelling case for responding, or buying your product or service. Send each to half of your database and see what happens.

Mistake Number 10: Believing that Failure is Not an Option.

It may sound perverse, but in marketing, even a failure can be a success.

Let's say you create an advert for the local paper, promoting your latest product. You design the ad, pay the paper ... and nothing happens. No phone calls, no emails.

Failure? To a degree, yes – the ad certainly hasn't done what you wanted it to.

But equally, as long as you've measured the (lack of) response, you'll have learned not to waste your hard earned money on running that ad again (see mistake number 4!).

Even when your marketing doesn't lead directly to a sale, there are still valuable lessons that can be learned, which can save you time, money and effort further down the line.

If your marketing "isn't working" (or if you don't know whether it's working or not), sorting out these top 10 mistakes should get you on the path to much better results.

Grow in a Low or No-Growth Economy...

Officially the UK's worst ever recession is now over. Quite frankly I think we have a false bottom and I hope that my thoughts are wrong.

Should we be forced to increase bank base rates to 4 or 5% the result will be the same the early 90's when mortgage payments zoom up.

You say "yes but" 1993 saw rates of 15% and I agree... also we will feel the same as our mortgage payments double or triple and the house prices go in a free fall.

Let us all hope that I am wrong although if you're waiting for the boom to make a difference to your business - you could be in for a long wait.

I believe, more than ever, creating growth is down to you as a business operator.

Implement two or three things from the following in your business today, and you'll start to see the difference.

Implement them all, and 2010 is likely to be the best year you've ever had!

1. Talk to Your Customers - applying the BOR Rule

The people most likely to buy from you right now are the ones who've spent the BIG money (B) with you, the most often (O) and the most recently (R). And that means your existing customers. When was the last time you emailed, phoned, mailed or contacted your existing customers? You should be contacting your customers at least 5 to 20 times per year and looking for new products to sell them.

2. Increase Your Marketing Budget

When you see marketing as a cost, you spend less. Instead, calculate what profit your best marketing is generating, cancel the stuff that produces the least, do the same marketing that works in another region or country and suddenly you'll see it as an investment in your future success and growth!

3. Talk about the Benefits

Don't tell people about what you sell; tell them what it does for them. Selling dead rotting flesh that was mainly so fatty it was minced and put in a skin is never same as lighting a BBQ and setting fire to some charcoal placing on pork sausages and asking for a buyer to sell something that was firstly almost unsaleable. Selling the sizzle and not the sausage is not new. Look at your product or service then devise a sales pitch to show how it saves them time, saves them or makes them money, makes life easier or makes other people envy them, and they'll buy!

4. Apply the 80/20 Rule

20% of your customers generate 80% of your profit. 20% of your marketing generates 80% of your leads. Find out where your best 20% is, and make it your focus. Have a COTS programme (cut out the s***) and cull the moaning customer that makes little profit, takes all the time of you and your staff... Identify the customers in the 20% that make 80% and track down more of those from other regions or countries. Stick with the 20% of marketing that works and get rid of the 80% that does not work.... If you do not know which that is then you are a goon and should sell your business to someone in the 21st Century and go to Spain as it is cheap just now and you should leave business to those who can count.

5. Test Google AdWords

Google AdWords is one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways of driving high-quality, profitable traffic to your website (or your 'phone) and winning new customers. Set up an account today for £5 and a test campaign from just a couple of pounds per day. If you don't have the time, confidence or skills - don't mess around get a professional to help or run the Adwords on autopilot.

6. Ask for Referrals

When are your customers most delighted with you? Right at the point of purchase, after they've just committed to hand over their money. So ask them there and then to refer friends, family and colleagues to you. And make it easy – why not give them 5 business cards to hand out?

7. Reverse the Risk

Silence the nagging voice of doubt in your prospect's mind. For most products and services a free trial or a money-back guarantee shows confidence in your offering and can help to inspire a purchase.

8. Try a Special Offer

Adding the right special offer to a sales letter or email can increase response rates! What extra value can you offer your audience to make them take action today?

9. Abandon "Quotes" for Good!

A quote says "here's the cost now use these figures against whilst you shop around". Instead, issuing proposals, saying "for your investment, here's how we'll meet and exceed your objectives, and here's how we'll get started". If you quote for business, try this new proposal approach.

10. Cross Sell

Don't feel awkward cross selling and up selling. If you believe in what you're offering, you owe it to your customers to let them know how they can benefit. By the way, getting a repeat or additional order can be 10 times less costly than winning a new customer!

11. Test "Second Interest" Offers

If your competitors are slogging it out with 50% off" offers, try offering something different. A bottle of wine,day at the races, cinema tickets, gym membership, magazine subscription, high street vouchers, an iPod, a Radio Controlled Car, last week I saw sales triple the sale of Adria caravans by doing a show offer of holiday accomodation that cost almost nothing instead of big extra discount.The value depends on the sale you're courting, but think outside the normal money off.

New think offers work wonders, even with professional services and industrial business-to-business sales.

12. Create a Great First Impression

Every single time! Whether you're greeting customers face-to-face, on the phone, or in writing , make sure you show you're absolutely the best company to deal with and ask at the bottom for a referal.

13. Write to One Person

When you're writing sales letters, emails, web copy or any other marketing material, picture your ideal customer sitting down in front of you ... and write down what you'd say to make them buy what you're selling.

14. Form Special Alliances

Your loyal customers trust you, and will value other companies you recommend to them ... so form alliances with related but businesses and "cross refer" each other to open a new source of leads. This is low cost, high return marketing and could double the size of your potential customer base today.

15. Be Customer Focused Not Ego....

Buyers don't care that you've been in business since 1843, or that you're committed to providing excellent service, or the largest in your area. They want to know "what's in it for me". Make sure your marketing tells them how they'll benefit from dealing with you.

16. Show You Really Care

The biggest reason customers change loyalties is "perceived indifference" – they don't think you care whether they come back to buy from you or not. Make sure you show your customers that you really do value them and create a tribe or following with special existing customer events.

17. Package Your Products

Make it easy for customers to spend more, by showing them what's on offer. Offer spoons with eggs, window cleaner with windows, , prongs and aprons with barbecues ... create a product or service package and your average order value will increase by giving your clients better service.

18. Use Email Broadcast Software

If you're sending out sales emails via Microsoft Outlook or your standard email programme, you'll be staggered to see the "fail" rate. A relatively small investment in a "white listed" email company could see your success and delivery rates multiply by 500% or more. Email marketing is now very successful.

19. Be Specific with claims

People are sceptical of broad claims. "Bigger", "Better", "Faster", "Cheaper". Give them specifics that seem irrefutable to add credibility to your claims, and to give your prospects confidence in what you're offering. Rather than "over 20% more efficient", say "21.7% more efficient". Use the language of the scientist not the salesman.

20. Use "Bounce-back" Offers

A great way to get your customers back through the doors (or onto your website). When customers buy, give or send them an offer to get a free XYZ when they buy again in, or by, for example the third week of next month.

21. Go Back to the "No's" have a CSI

Converting 3 enquiries in 10? 2 in 5? Go back to the "No's" and find out what it will take to turn them into a "Yes". Ask them why they did not buy with a customer survey as called a CSI or customer satisfaction index. It won't take as much work as you think as the hard work is already done. Going from a 3 in 10 conversion rate to 3.3 in 10 will boost your new sales numbers by 10% in 2010.