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Plan To Succeed With Information Product Creation: Why You Need To Split Your Process Up

One of the keys to succeeding in information product creation is to break the process up into discrete steps. This frequently isn’t an instinctive reaction for the typical information marketer. Especially on the internet where small sized learning products are the norm.

However, it is extremely important to your ultimate success. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if you don’t do this you probably won’t succeed… even when you are starting out let alone as you move forward.

Your product creation system should do this for you if only to help you to understand the overall task.

But why?

In this article, I’m going to ignore chunking and focus on the practical aspects. That’s not to say that chunking isn’t important. It is. It’s important to understanding and to learning the process. But while you can use the same chunks as you move forward, long term your focus needs to be on the operation of the system not the understanding of it. Unless of course you are constantly training new people!

So why is chunking important to long term use of the product creation process? (Yes, I know systems design uses a different term for this process but I’m not teaching you systems design. So I’m going to use the word learning content designers use.)

The first reason that having individual discrete tasks is important is one of schedule estimation. Frequently it is very difficult to estimate how long the total task of creating a product will take. After all, the size and type of the products matters as does the number of products in your product funnel. And those are just the most obvious elements. However, estimating a discrete task is often much easier. The total can then be estimated as the total of the discrete tasks.

Secondly, scheduling a large task can be problematic. However, by segmenting the task into a number of discrete tasks, you gain a much greater flexibility in scheduling. Not only that but as your business begins to add people you are able to schedule multiple people to the product creation.

Finally, segmenting a large task into smaller discrete tasks allows you to have much better control over the product creation. This affects two different areas — status and quality.

By segmenting your process into discrete tasks you are able to schedule and record the progress at much more detailed level. As a result you are more in control of the status of the product creation. You know what everyone is doing. When they should complete it. And how much it should cost. You also know exactly what has been done.

You also improve your overall quality. Instead of waiting until everything is done you can check quality as you go. This allows you to immediate react to low quality products without absorbing their costs. This means that you have less rework and your rework costs less. And if the product is not going to meet its quality requirement you will know about it in time to stop the development, change the requirement or fix the product.

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Top 10 Home Based Business Ideas in Today’s Digital World

A couple years ago I would have never thought about the top 10 home based business ideas; but like everything and everyone, things change. In today’s economy so many people are scared of starting a home business, but it really isn’t that bad. While you hear and see on TV that people are tightening their pocketbooks, there is one thing for sure; there is no recession on the internet.There are millions of families that have been affected by the current global financial crisis. Some have lost their homes, their jobs and everything they have owned. Others are looking to build the backup plan or additional income to get them through the tough times. Many are turning to different home business ideas because they offer the flexibility, low cost and lower risks models compared to the traditional brick and mortar business.Here is my list of what I consider the Top 10 Business Ideas and what they potentially involve:Blogging – A very low cost of generating income from home; is on the internet and is individual that do this are known as “bloggers”. Blogging is very easy to set up, maintain and gives you the ability to write about topics that you like. There are millions and millions of people online reading a wide range of content on a daily basis. With blogs you could become very successful by attracting certain readers and offer them products and or services that help them. You could also “rent” out space on your blog to different marketers, which in turn provides you with additional income.Home Based Franchise – The possibilities are near endless of starting a home based internet franchise; and many are recession proof. I have known people to start the own internet franchise but this is much more risky than joining a proven, time tested internet franchise. While an internet franchise can be a huge learning curve for many, I have found this as the most rewarding in more time for what I like to do but also the compensation is normally higher.Home Based Tutor – Although you may not have thought about this as an option, it has become a very viable one. No matter how bad the economy gets, people are always looking for additional education to enhance the situation that they are in. Many parents are doing everything in their power to obtain the finest education for their children, sometimes even taking out a second mortgage on their home. With the standard education; many people are obtaining tutors to give themselves and their children an educated edge over others. As unemployment rises, many are going back to school and they require some additional tutoring to help with the learning curve.A Food Home Business – No matter how grim it gets, people still have to eat and many are starting to cut down the amount of times that they go out to restaurants. With a food home business, you want to focus on a niche that is still needed year after year. Many people start a bakery offering wedding cakes, birthday cakes and other different treats involving chocolate. The chocolate industry is booming due to the satisfaction it gives to people and the lower cost compared to other treats.A Staging Home Business – With the real estate industry plummeting at an uncontrollable rate, home owners need help staging their property to sale. Home owners trying to sell their homes are turning to home staging experts to prep the home to its highest potential. Not only do home owners request home stagers but also banks and real estate agents; to prep and sell the property quickly.Virtual Assistant- Many companies are trying to reduce their operating costs while improving their profits. Companies have been and will continue to outsource, which gives you the ability to become a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant provides assistance and support to businesses, entrepreneurs, executives and really anyone that needs help but does not want to hire a full time employee. This is a very low cost in high demand home based business idea.Caregiver – no matter what happens, we are all getting older and caring for the elderly is now and always going to be in high demand. Many of the individuals now that need adult day care are also tightening their wallets but there will come a time that they need additional care and support that you could provide.Trading Assistants – During a recession more and more people start selling their personal belongings to get by for another month or two. Many people have heard of eBay and Craigslist, the problem lies with many not feeling competent enough to use them. Many people believe it or not, still do not have an email address or never used a computer. For this reason trading assistants exist, they help sell other peoples products in which they obtain a percentage of the sale price.Cosmetics Consultant – the demand for cosmetics will always be there, mo matter what. Many times during the toughest times is when products like cosmetics are at their peak. There are two primary reasons for this:People want to continue to enhance their visual appeal to maintain their employment or to gain new employment.It makes people feel good about themselves, improving self confidence in turn improving productivity.Affiliate Marketing – This is the home based business idea that many people use online and offline the same. This has become very popular and has exploded as unemployment rises and the recession continues. Becoming an affiliate marketer allows you to make a great deal of money while working from home; selling products like cosmetics, vitamins, soap, educational products and many more.While I cannot say that I have tried all of the Top 10 Home Based Business Ideas, I can say that I have been involved with a few of them. All of these ideas have pro’s and con’s, each has its own level of risks and rewards. I have had my home based business for quite awhile now and love the freedom and the financial benefits that come along with it.

Real Estate Ethics Means EVERY Day

You can’t pick – and – choose, when you will proceed, with ethical behavior, and when you might not! Real estate professionals must realize, and adopt, regular, consistent, allegiance, to the utmost degree of ethics, EVERY day! Not only is this a requirement, both of real estate law, but it’s also a central component, of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), as well as local components. However, even more important, being ethical is the right thing to do, when one represents a client and/ or customer. With that in mind, this article will attempt to review, briefly, using the mnemonic approach, why this is essential and important!

1. Empathy; emphasis: Since, for most people, the value of their house, represents their single, largest financial asset, ethical real estate agents, focus on addressing and understanding/ caring about the perceptions, goals, needs, and priorities, of those they represent! Ethics should drive one, to place his emphasis, on doing what’s best for your client/ customer, rather than being motivated, solely, on selling, to enrich oneself!

2. Value; values; visions: How an agent communicates with his client, generally indicates his focus, and visions, and where he directs his emphasis! Agents owe it to those they represent, to provide true value, while conforming to the core values, of ethics, and absolute integrity!

3. Excellence; endurance; evaluate: Consider what goes into, the way someone evaluates, his planning, performance, and strategic and action plans! Great agents maintain their endurance, in an inspiring, motivating, way, and relentlessly, seek the best scenario, for their clients! Never sacrifice the commitment to excellence, for the expediency, and/ or convenience, of a path, which is merely, good – enough!

4. Relevant; reliable; responsive/ responsibility; realistic: There is a need, to move forward, with relevant, reliable actions. Great agents are consistently, both, responsive to the specific, best interests, of their clients, and accept their responsibility, in a welcoming way! Avoid the tendency to deny, and/ or, bury – your – head – in the sand, but proceed, in a realistic, positive, can – do, manner, focused on achieving the best alternatives, for one’s clients!

5. Yes; you: Ethical behavior requires proceeding, in a positive manner, where the agent, says, yes, to doing, whatever, is in the best interests of his clients, with a quality focus, on doing what’s right! Take personal responsibility, and accept, it’s up to you, to do, what’s best!

Real estate ethics must be a behavior, used EVERY day! Will you be up to the responsibilities, and proceed with absolute integrity, and an emphasis, on service?