DAROCAS D.I.Y BUSINESS ZINE

YOGA ON THE COAST: Interview with YogaBreaks.org.uk

2011-10-21T15:03:00.002+02:00

double click on photo above - to enlarge

by Karla Darocas

I recently helped Nicole & Gary of Yoga Breaks in Spain with their Internet marketing strategy. In the process, I discovered some interesting information about their unique entrepreneurial enterprise and how using a DIY strategy in Spain has worked for them

INTERVIEW

Q. Would you please profile your business for my readers?

A. We run a Yoga Holiday & Retreat business here on the Costa Blanca. It's called Yoga Breaks in Spain (http://www.yogabreaks.org.uk/ ) . From March to November we run yoga holidays at two very special, small hotels on the Costa Blanca. We absolutely love what we do - still ! We get to meet such a wide variety of people and share good times with them in our beautiful Spanish landscape. Being an entrepreneur is one of the best lifestyle for us!

Q. How long did it take you to set up your entrepreneurial business?

A. Well, our first ever yoga holiday was launched in the spring of 2004 at a gorgeous hotel in the Costa Blanca mountains. Luckily for us, 2 of the 4 people on that holiday were close friends of ours so they were on our side from day one. The whole experience was nerve wracking & tiring. We tried to do everything ourselves - from teaching yoga & meditation to picking guests up at the airport. We were hosting all the meals and being the guide on the walks. Thankfully, everything went well - better than we could have hoped - & those 4 guests returned home recommending us to their friends & family. Now, some 7 years later, we see around 12 people on each holiday, most of which come to us through word of mouth or past guests returning.

A. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to set up a DIY business?

Q. Do something that you know extremely well. You will meet people who know as much or more than you & so you have to know your subject inside out!

Have a good team around you. You must only work with people who are as passionate about what they do as you are. Our team of therapists, cooks, activity guides & teachers are the backbone of what we do.

Focus on attracting clients that love what you do as much as you do!

If you're going to have people come & stay at your wellbeing business, make sure you choose somewhere stunning for your location. It must be somewhere that soothes the soul each time you look out at the view.

You must have a friendly website like - http://www.yogabreaks.org.uk/ A personal site like makes a big difference to someone’s wellbeing business. We started our yoga holiday business with a basic website, which we've built upon and tweaked over the years. In a wellbeing business it is important to ensure that anyone viewing the website - ie. a potential customer - feels as though they are reading a letter from a friend, so the content and words used need to be friendly and understandable. Yoga Breaks in Spain is not some huge, multi-national business, so we can afford to be more relaxed and informal with the words that we use on our website.

Q. If you could change one thing about your DIY life, what would that be?

A. I spend a lot of time on the computer. I'd love to have someone tell me what I could do - to be more efficient - ie. spend my time on the things that are going to make the biggest difference!

Q. Is there anything you would like to change about living and working in Spain?

A. Yes, I'd love to see Spanish businesses deliver much better customer service - especially now, during "crisis" time. The Spanish need to be more customer-focused.

Anyone interested in reading about their yoga holidays in Spain can visit their website: http://www.yogabreaks.org.uk/

VOLUNTEERING SHOWS THE WORLD YOUR SOCIAL CONSCIENCE

2011-09-14T09:12:00.000+02:00

by Karla Darocas

According to a survey by the business social networking website – LinkedIn.com, now more than ever volunteer experience is valuable information that could give job hunters and entrepreneurs the boost they need to get promoted or hired.

Business managers, entrepreneurs and clients alike are impressed more by someone with a social conscience, according to Nicole Williams (Connections Director at LinkedIn). Volunteer experience is that next level of assessing if that person is someone worth hiring or doing business with.

American poet, author and naturalist once said this about human nature, “Not only must we be good, but we must also be good for something.”

This is such a true statement in the fact that we all must find our roles on this earth and search for our true purpose in order to know what skills and talents we are gifted with.

Teens can really get a leg-up by volunteering their time at a local event or with a charity. Not only will they get experience they will be able to try different skills and talents until they find out what they are really good at. Plus, volunteering helps with self esteem builds contacts and looks very good on a resume.

Career seeking individuals find that volunteering is the best way to make new relationships in this tough job market. A connection in the right place is important when hiring decisions are often made based on WHO you know. Plus, volunteering shows leadership and involvement and in today’s job market – both of those qualities are in high demand.

Entrepreneurs find that volunteering is about adding a layer of legitimate experience to their portfolio and by meeting new people and building relationships that will lead to clients. People with money trust entrepreneurs who are action-based and volunteering is a great way to show those investors that you are a “doer” and not just a “talker”

When you can find a cause that you can commit to, volunteering shows the world that you have a good heart and a social conscience. These are qualities that go a long way in the business world. If given a choice, most people would rather hire - or do business with - a person who gives time and value to their community – than a person who does nothing to contribute to the greater social worth.

-end-

BUSINESS FEEDBACK IS ESSENTIAL TO BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

2011-08-28T19:14:00.001+02:00

By Karla Darocas
All too often, I see business people struggling to make ends meet. They get caught up in the cycle of repetition, never taking risks and never asking for feedback. They do not see how they have trapped themselves into a vacuum.
Taking risks, moving in different directions, and obtaining feedback area all vital to business performance. Feedback helps businesses people to evaluate what is working in their enterprise and of course, what is not working.

It doesn’t matter what size of business you are, feedback from your clients, business associates, competition, friends and family is critical to learn, improve and to grow in a more professional manner.

Let’s take a look at some other reasons why feedback is essential to your business performance.

1. Feedback helps you to protect and to build your reputation. Every day millions of people flock online to read and share reviews about products and services. It is very important to allow your clients a way to communicate their opinions about your business. Displaying these reviews and testimonials will build your reputation. You must promote and encourage feedback – both good and bad. Bad feedback helps you to debug and find problems with your business and its performance so that you may make changes and fix them before they impact your reputation.

2. Feedback helps you to boost your sales and your consumer confidence. Research indicates that more than two-thirds of consumers today refer to online reviews and ratings before making purchase decisions from on or offline businesses. A simple form on your website will help you to capitalise on that phenomenon and word-of-mouth marketing - by enabling you to share real, honest opinions and comments from your customers, and turn shoppers into buyers.

3. Feedback helps you to improve your customer service and satisfaction. Studies have shown that most unhappy customers don't complain, they just look for another company to give them what they need. This means you could be losing customers without even knowing why. It is important to give your customers an interactive method to provide insightful, honest feedback (good or bad), ultimately creating a more satisfying customer experience.

4. Feedback helps you to stay connected with customers. Staying connected and communicating with customers can help you build loyal lasting relationships. Relationships can get more reviews and feedback to improve your business.

Now that I have shared this lesson on the importance of Feedback to your Business Performance, why not share some feedback with me? Visit my website and sign my Guestbook. Tell me how my articles in this newspaper are raising your awareness about your business? Visit me – http://www.karladarocas.com/

RUNNING AN ONLINE SHOPPING PLATFORM - JUST GOT A EASIER

2011-08-04T12:05:00.001+02:00

By Karla Darocas

Why do I keep reviewing software applications with crazy names? Well, here I go again. I just have to tell you all about an internet programme that is fairly new on the scene. I have been using it myself to run an aloe vera products shop and now I am teaching this new programme to DIY students who want to set up online shops too - for example craft suppliers and antique dealers.

The software is called – nopCommerce and it is an “open source” e-commerce solution which means it is free – like all “open source” software. It is basically a shopping cart programme that you can turn into a real online store or just use it as an “add-on” to your current website to sell products.

This is a super nice programme for DIYers and I have found it very insightful for educating students on the business of retailing and running an ebusiness in general.

The software not only facilitates the retailing of your products with a shopping cart and easy hookup to a PayPal account, but it also helps you to keep track of your stock inventory too.

It has built in features that help you with your promotions like Gift Cards, Polls, Blogs, Discount Coupon Codes and Reward Points System. And, it helps you to keep in touch with your clients with Newsletters and Forums.

An important component that is very much needed in Spain is a multilingual interface. I only use English and Spanish in my shop, but this programme supports a large variety of languages. Of course – that is just the interface; you must type in the descriptions of your products in the different languages yourself. However, the software makes that job fairly easy as well.

I personally like the Affiliate Programme customization and I will be using this feature to bring other website owners into my Spanish aloe vera shopping experience. They will be able to feature my aloe vera products on their website – and each product will be linked to a code and processed via my website store. When the purchase is complete – my affiliate person will receive a percentage of the sale, just like a real live sales person would.

Another great feature is that the pages are setup to be search engine friendly and you can SEO (Search Engine Optimization) until to your fingers explode.

The customer experience is nice as well in this software. They get to build a Wish List of products and they can view their order history or status any time they want. They can build their own address book. They can create different billing and shipping addresses, which is perfect for sending mail-order gifts.

The many features of this programme goes on and on – and each one is a vital component of running any enterprise.

The nopCommerce software runs on a basic Windows hosting package that supports an SQL database – which together costs about 45 euros a month. The programme comes with two built-in pre-design templates and you can get others for free off the Internet. Customising the templates is not hard if you know some basic CSS manipulation (Cascading Style Sheets).

The best part – for DIYers is that there is a great online support community who are working together to build ecommerce websites of their own and offer each other guidance and ideas.

For some of us, who are getting too old to stand on our feet all day and work in the retail world, but love the experience and the enterprise, opening a cyberstore might be a good option. At least you will not have to worry about being fired or sent into early retirement. Shopping online is the way of the future because it is a “greener” solution and more and more people are enjoying the thrill of mail-order once again. Companies like Marks & Spencer’s now have cheaper rates of shipping to Spain, from their online shopping website, because of all the British buying their favourite items. Can you imagine the money and carbon footprint saved by not going back and forth to the UK?

FEEDBACK PLEASE - info@darocas.com

HOW STICKY IS YOUR WEBSITE?

2011-06-29T09:25:00.000+02:00

By Karla Darocas

When I work with my communications students to teach them about the development of their website, I try to make them understand that being in control 24/7 of all aspects of their website is very important. Why? Because websites are very powerful marketing tools that costs very little to create but can reach a large volume of people. Can you imagine running an estate or rental agency without a website?

I try to encourage my students to “think outside the box” and get down to creating websites that are functional but that are also “sticky”. While other website builders are pushing their clients to jump through optimization hoops and bending their backs to find workable keywords and harassing other people to build links associates, I teach my students to build sustainable websites that stick in people’s minds and hearts.

“Stickiness” is one of the most overlooked aspects of site promotion. Does your site stick to your visitors? Do you make a good impression? Will they remember your site and tell other people? And most of all, will they come back?

Most statistics programmes like Google Analytics have a component whereby you can track how long a visitor is staying on your website. If clients are just hitting your website and then surfing away, then you are missing key elements in your website design and sales.

How to get “sticky” with your website… some tips!

CONTENT IS KING – and always will be.

The content of your website will determine everything about your enterprising efforts, because if your website is not entertaining, educational, fun, and friendly nor offers value – it will not be “sticky”. Without great content, your website is useless. Content is the reason people visit a website, stay on a website and come back to a website.

Three years ago, I wanted to clear out my garage but I did not have a van to take my items to either a rastro or an eco-park, so I built a website to help myself get rid of my unwanted items. That website not only helped me to clear my garage, but to this day it continues to help people recycle their unused items. The reason people return daily to this website, www.CBbuy-sell.com – is because it is like a giant rastro online, where visitors can shop for bargains 24/7. The content is always changing as members load up their personal items to the site.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Another way to build “stickiness” into your website is to have a way for your visitors to get involved. You need to offer them a reason to come back by making them feel part of a community. Often people, who use the Internet a lot, are stuck at home or in an office (like me). When people find a website that lets them post queries and get answers, or lets them share ideas or make personal or business connection, you will get them coming back. Facebook is the ultimate example of a website that hooks in visitors by engaging them in a community relationship with old and new friends as well as family. It is a “one-stop-shop” for interactivity!

FRIENDLY FACE

Websites that are not “personalised” do not assimilate well with visitors. Unless a visitor sees a friendly smile and the whites of your eyes, they will not “trust” you and they will leave. Think about going into a shop and the clerk is hiding behind a magazine and doesn’t look up to acknowledge your existence. Are you going to feel engaged by this experience to buy something? Not likely. Time and time again, a photo with a winning smile will make your cyber viewers feel connected and excited to do business with you and your website.

TASTY TREATS

In the real world, you might get people stuck on your shop by offering coffee and cakes, but in cyberspace you need other forms of treats to keep them coming back. Free items that you can give away on your website are always popular. You can try giving away free photos, poems, quotes or ebooks. Of course, if you have products that you can give away, try running a contest. Or another idea is to give people a bonus point system for answering an opinion poll. These are just some ideas, but again “think outside the box” and come up with unique or unusual “treats” to keep your clients “stuck on you”.

-end-

GIMP IS A GREAT FREE GRAPHICS SOFTWARE

2011-06-08T09:45:00.007+02:00

by Karla Darocas

When summer spreads her sensational, sultry, lazy days upon us, my IT student roster goes flatter than a wig in the rain. This is when it is my time to learn something new and exciting in the IT realm.

Recently, I installed Windows 7 operating system on my computer only to find out that some of my old software standby's were of no use. They were “not” compatible, a trick of the trade that often companions new operating systems.

One of my old favourites was suddenly rendered obsolete and to buy a new one was going to be big bucks. That software is the leading graphics programme called PhotoShop; a standard tool of the graphic trade and mine was now trash.

I had heard via the designer network that there was a powerful player to rival Photoshop that was getting a lot of press. That graphics ground-breaker is better known as GIMP.

While the name GIMP suggests a lame and lazy so-and-so, this software is anything but soft. Basically, the items that set PhotoShop apart from the rest of the digital imaging software crowd has always been its use of layers. Layers let graphic artists create levels of activity and then when finished these layers they are merged into one graphic design. Well, GIMP does layers too! So that is a bonus for me and any other graphic designer.

The other thing that GIMP does that was always a PhotoShop domain is create transparent .GIF files. Transparent .GIF files are used in logos and other graphics where transparency is needed. For example, if you want your logo to look good on a variety of websites with different backgrounds then you will want a transparent .GIF file.

GIMP is also a great instrument to fix digital photos. It has a entire repertoire of tools to enhance, crop, colour, modify and stylize your photos.

GIMP also has a big cash of graphic free-style tools for drawing, painting and designing. The fun continues with a large variety of fill-patterns like leopard skin, wood and rock to name just a few.

GIMP does not fall short on filters either. I love the Sparkle filter, not found on PhotoShop.

All in all, I was really pleased with GIMP and of course the price was right – FREE!

If you have any questions about GIMP, give me a shout – info@KarlaDarocas.com

NOTE * IF YOU running something other than Windows 7 - this software might install in Spanish if you are located in Spain. No worries - you can easily change to English by Following these Instructions :)

In windows, add a new environment variable 'lang' with a value of 'c'.
( right-click on My Computer -> properties -> Advanced -> Environment Variables )

GREAT FREE SOFTWARE
VISIT THIS LINK - CLICK HERE

DO WHAT COMES NATURALLY & BLAZE A BUSINESS TRAIL

2011-05-30T11:02:00.001+02:00

By Karla Darocas

My grandfather was a farmer and he was very good at it. He loved to watch his garden grow, nurturing the fruits and vegetable of his labour. In my youth, when I was still seeking my direction in life and finance, he would say to me, “Do what you find easy.” His logic was that if something was too difficult to do, then it was not for me.

It was a step in the right direction for me because in the end I did find my path and I did take his advice and stayed focused on doing the activities that I found came naturally to me like writing, art and teaching. To this day, I still do what I love.

I sometimes see people running around promoting businesses that have nothing to do with them. They make phone calls upsetting their friends and family with silly products or schemes. They spend money on advertising, collect email addresses; spend more money on petrol and buying tables at tradeshows – and for what? To promote a product that has nothing to do with them so they can make a mere 30% commission? Their expenses and time do not even begin to neither qualify nor justify their crazy enterprise.

If only these foolish people would take a good look in the mirror and ask themselves what they could do to generate revenue that would flow naturally, from their heart, experience and intellect. I believe that these people would be a lot happier and richer!

Ann Martin of Benitachell, Alicante

Take for example Ann Martin of Benitachell. Here is a woman who began baking cakes three decades ago and even though she tried her hand at being busy in many other ways, it was baking that was cooking in her heart.

“In England, I started baking cakes when my son was three years old,” explains Ann who emphasises that her son is now 30 years old.

“He wanted a clown cake but I could not find one anywhere so I decided to make my own. I went to the Ideal Home exhibition that year and there was a Wilton cake stand. There they taught me to use icing. In short, and with lots of practice, I made that clown cake.”

The clown cake was a big hit with her son and with the guests. Her efforts resulted in lots of orders from friends and family. So, she bought more cake tins and baking equipment and practiced at her passion. The orders kept flooding in. Then Ann and her husband moved to Spain.

“When we moved, I gave away most of my baking tins because I thought I would be too busy to bake,” she explains.

“But I missed baking. I discover that it was the one thing that I enjoyed so much. I finally decided to make baking into a business.”

Debbie Smith of Javea, Alicante

Debbie Smith of Javea is another example of a person who found that helping people just came naturally to her and decided to wrap a business around her knowledge.

“I first came in contact with people who suffer problems from substance misuse whilst working for the prison service and with Addaction,” explains Debbie who this year launched CostaRehab Services.

“When I moved to Spain, I realized that I had a lot of skills and knowledge that could be used in the community, for the community. All of my training in the UK meant now that I can help people in Spain.

Debbie came to the realization that being “knowledge-confident” and having a natural way with helping people created a sensational business model. For Debbie, it meant that she can make an optimistic contribution to the community and in people’s lives.

“It gives me a buzz when I make a positive impact on someone’s life whether big or small,” she concludes.

“I am a very enthusiastic person and with using my motivational interviewing skills to empower people, I can make changes to others lives!”

In short, if there is something you do that makes you happy and keeps you motivated to participate with life and people, then you might just be sitting on a good business idea.

-end-

HOW THE INTERNET OPENS UP A WORLD OF WONDER

2011-04-21T19:42:00.003+02:00

Everyday, I thank my divine destiny for giving me the chance to become a professional educator and help people learn about computers and especially the Internet.

I am always astonished when I stumble onto someone who has no knowledge of computers or the Internet, as I have become such a jaded geek. It makes me respect and appreciate the times we live in and the fact that we can live in different countries and not loose touch with our friends and family. Thanks to the Internet, we can get access to information that was only intended to certain professionals like doctors, lawyers, car mechanics and so on. But most of all, we can continue to learn and use the old grey matter to make decisions, be creative and explore the wonders of the world

My favourite thing to do is introduce Facebook and Skype video to grandparents who have family aboard. Like magic, via the marvel of technology and the push of a button, grandparents are connected to their children and their grandchildren at full capacity.

Facebook is like a family picnic whereby grandparents can not only interact with their grandkids, but get to know their friends too. And Skype video is just a mind-blower to grandparents of another communications age. When they open their Skype programme and connect via video to their whole family being transmitted into their home computer or laptop, the excitement is infectious.

Here is another example and a special heart-warmer of a story. Recently, I had a man call me up for computer lessons. He had just bought a brand new laptop and did not know the first thing about computers. Here was a man who had been a big time businessman with wife and kids, who over the years had managed to let all these things slip away. He sold the business, his wife divorced him and the kids moved away. He explained that his wife did all the computer work for the business and all the communicating with the children. He was now alone and I would say – a wee bit lost and lonely – and he was looking for something to fill the void in his life.

Each lesson was a task as he slowly came to learn how to use a mouse, to left and right click, to find his cursor and so on. But after each lesson, his mind and imagination started to open up.

“This is really incredible”, he would exclaim, over and over while shaking his head in disbelief as I unveiled all the different functions of the computer and the plethora of programmes available to him.

I created a Gmail email account for him and suddenly he had a “persona” and identity in the cyber world. Then as a practical workshop experience, he booked his own online airline ticket. The joy that came to his face was like a light to a dark corner.

Next was Facebook and I had to explain to him, that Facebook is like being at a public bar. Of course you can speak with people at your own table but there are going to be eavesdroppers – but that is okay. The good point was that if you wanted to share information or an announcement quickly with your friends and family, you just need to post it to your Facebook wall. Once he got the concept, off he went to search for his three sons, who were scattered about Europe. The big twinkle came back into his eyes when he saw how popular his sons were and how many friends they had. He was able to view their photo albums and reconnect with them on a friendly and personal, yet remote level.

Of course all of the new laptops these days have video camera in the screen and this is a real bonus for new learners. So once I loaded the Skype software for him, he and I practiced video calling each other. You have never seen someone laugh and make so many faces of sheer joy, surprise, marvel and amazement. There was a permanent grin perched proudly on his face.

I asked him as to what other functions did he want his computer to do for him. After a bit of fishing, I found out that before he was a big business man, he was a wild music loving disc jockey. So, we signed him up to Spotify, which is an online music service with a gigantic database of songs that you can play for free. He was quick to search for his favourite songs from his past life and as music floated out of this computer, his emotions were quick to surface.

Here was a man living in a very small, closed world – locked into a local reality full of boring repetition and limited experiences. Now, after only a short week of lessons, there was a changed man in my office. A man who can book airline tickets, keep in touch with his boys, surf to his favourite football league webpages, watch online movies, have a face-to-face chat with family and friends abroad and hopefully, watch some grand kids enter the world.

WebDwarf: Funny Name BUT a Mighty DIY Website Design Tool

2011-03-15T10:39:00.001+01:00

If you know how to drag-and-drop on a desktop, then you can build a website with this free and fun website design tool. I started teaching this to students who could not afford the other website design tools, which cost stupid money!

Web Dwarf is an easy-to-use yet robust tool that makes creating sophisticated web pages a snap! Just like in desktop publishing, you can quickly grab what you need (photos, graphics, text) – drop it all onto the worktop area, which has a nice layout grid and spell check before saving.

There are many pros to using this free software…
PROS ***
1. It is free – we like free – free is good :)
2. It is easy to get your photos and text exactly where you want them on the page – you do not need tables and cells.
3. The layout guides on the worktop have a “snap-to” grid – so you can get everything lined up just right!
4. The text editor has a wide range of option for your titles, subtitles, colours, styles, fonts – go crazy or not..
5. The Code editor is really cool – making inserting those favourite YouTube videos and PayPal buttons a breeze
6. When you go to the HELP link there is a full-equipped Tutorial that you can load. Under the same link is a sublink called – Tip of the Day – and there are some cool ideas in there too.
7. I like the Vector editor for making rectangles, ellipses, weird shapes – that add to your design – just like in desk-top publishing.
8. Making the hyperlinks – in any colour you want – is really easy. You can link to pages, word and pdf files, and images or load up an email address.
9. WebDwarf comes with some ready-made templates to get you going – you can easily modify a template then use it as the template for your other pages. This keeps your website looking and feeling good!
10. There is a built-in FTP tool to upload your website pages – that is easy to use – if you know what your codes are.

CONS***
1. You have to upgrade to their “paid-for” version in order to get your meta-tags, title and keyword inserted in order to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – but that isn’t a really big deal – because there are other free tools to help with this process.

HOW-TO INSERT A PHOTO INTO BLOGGER

2011-03-15T10:26:00.003+01:00

PHOTOSCAPE MAKES PHOTO EDITING FUN

2011-02-25T14:04:00.002+01:00

Original Photo - Notice the horizon line of the sea
"double click on photo to enlarge"

I have now started teaching a great digital photo editing software programme called PhotoScape. It is very user friendly and has a lot of robust options that go beyond the call of “editing” duty.

PhotoScape is good for beginners as well as pros. It installs quickly on Windows 98 / Me / NT / 2000 / XP & Vista.

Here are my top 10 reasons to use and enjoy PhotoScapes and its cool tools and key features…

1. Photo Viewer: This feature enables you to view your folders photos in your MyPictures folder on your PC either one at time, in groups or as slideshow.

Ediiting Photo - straight horizon line, sharpened, brightened,
border added and Text added
"double click on photo to enlarge"

2. Editor: The photo editing tools are really great and can be tweaked to get very interesting results. You can resize your photo, add brightness and color adjustment, white balance, backlight correction, remove red eye, cropping - plus add a host of other filters such as grey scale, sepia tone – and more!

3. Some of the really fun editing tools include a host of different frames and masks in order to really make an impression. You can also add balloons to put in text to make your photos into cartoons. You can add other text to title your photos. You can add drawings onto your photos. Plus, one of my favourite tools is the custom rotate that allows you balance up those horizon lines on your seascape photos.

4. Another incredible feature is the Batch editor. With this feature, you can load up those massive large photos you’re your super digital camera took and resize them all at once to a smaller size that is easier for uploading to the Internet and Facebook. Also, if you had your camera set to the wrong lightening for example, you can batch edit your entire group of photos to balance up your lighting and add a filter or two to make your photo perfect!

5. Do you like to collage your photos? Well, PhotoScape makes that easy too with a bunch of different templates that you just have to open and drag your photos onto it – and boom – instant collage!

6. How about making a big wide landscape photo to use as a banner or panoramic. Then just choose the “Combine” tool and this will attach your photos horizontally – or vertically if you wish.

7. Do you want to make a quick animated graphic you’re your photos? Then use the “Animated GIF” tool in PhotoScape.

8. If you have a colour printer – you will appreciate the “Print” function of this software. You can print a portrait shot, carte de visite, passport photos, wallet photos and others.

9. If your want to divide your photo into multiple parts, then try the “Splitter” tool.

10. Screen Capture is another great tool if you want to take a snap shot your computer screen to remember how your desktop should look before a rebuild or take photo of a webpage to remember.

To DOWNLOAD your FREE copy of this programme – visit the TOOLS page - see tab above :)
*end*

LONG DISTANCE LEARNING BECOMES A REALITY WITH TEAMVIEWER

2011-02-07T12:50:00.002+01:00

For many years, friends and acquaintances from different parts of the globe have asked me if I could teach them how to build their own website, or make their own graphic, or videos, and other software applications over the Internet. Of course, I had to decline as there wasn’t any way to enable this kind of long distance learning because the software programmes needed to be seen to be understood. Just describing what to do and how to do it – over the phone – was not a viable reality for beginners or anyone who needed to be “shown” what to do because that is how they processed their learning.

Well – that changed recently thanks to a new bit of software that is free and easy to install called TeamViewer. Now, if a client in Canada, USA, England or just down the road wants to learn website design and development with a software programme such as FrontPage or Expressions Web, then I can help them with the aid of TeamViewer.

TeamViewer lets me open a connection to my students’ computer – and together the two of us can role play the step by step methodology of the website design software. Or we can go through the steps of editing a video on Movie Maker and then uploading it to YouTube – or edit photos in PhotoShop and then upload them to KodakGallery and sharing them with family and friends… you get the idea!

These are just some examples, but it is unlimited as how this revolutionizes the way I can help people to help themselves on their PC’s.

TeamViewer has another mode that can also aid me with helping my students move very large files that would bog down or bounce from an email service. For example, if a student has designed a flyer and the graphics are very large because it has to go to the printers, they can let me know where it is on their hard drive, and I can transfer it over to my hard drive and look at it – make corrections and then slide it back over to their computer again!

Basically, TeamViewer is a remote desktop tool that is easy to use by connecting two computers over a server. All a user has to do is open the TeamViewer programme and it opens a gateway or “session”. That session displays a session ID and session password. Once that is established, the user (who in this case is my student) emails me those details. I open my TeamViewer programme and enter the session ID and password and choose between – viewing the desktop of the student in order to teach the software application – or choose the file transfer mode. And that is it – we are working together without leaving the office or cozy home!

Contact me if you would like to learn more about long distance e-learning and how TeamViewer could help you!

DOWNLOAD TEAMVIEWER

TEACHING OUR KIDS TO BE ENTREPRENEURS

2011-01-13T10:58:00.000+01:00

This is a topic that I feel strongly about and I think that every parent really needs to address this issue for the future of their children.

We are no longer living in the age of iron where machines and factories can create a steady source of jobs. We now live in the age of silicon where machines are networked and creating your own work is a large part of modern economics. The reality is that democracy relies on small business to keep its engine running!

Sadly, a large part of the educational system is still geared towards teaching children to be followers and aim at a career and become a spoke in a wheel. The reality is that educational intuitions of all ages need to be focused on teaching children to be creative leaders in order to think freely and make dedicated choices and take risks.

I was lucky and grew up on a farm in rural Ontario, Canada. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to be a farmer’s daughter until I got older and found that I was taught to be a creative and enterprising thinker. On the farm, no one hands you money, you have to work for it in your own enterprise and a farm is the ultimate entrepreneurial business. Thanks to my parents being entrepreneurs, it was only natural that I became an entrepreneur too.

I lived for a short time in California back in 2000, and it was there that I got involved with the Young Entrepreneurs of America association. This group was started in 1987 and grew very quickly establishing chapters in 38 countries.

Here are some tips that I learned about teaching entrepreneurship to kids…

1. Start an enterprise with your child. I had a fresh vegetables and egg stand at the bottom of the driveway when I was a kid. Start a lemonade stand during the summer in your neighbourhood with your child. The profit ratio should be large given the amount of lemons in this country. Besides lemonade, there is dog walking, babysitting, weed pulling, just to name a few. Whatever business you start with your child, they will learn how to create a product or service, how to pitch, advertise, negotiate, take risks, make refunds if necessary – but most importantly, they will learn the value of controlling their own destiny.

2. Set an example for your child. You can take your child to rastros and craft and trade shows and introduce them to artists and entrepreneurs. Support small businesses in your community and let your kids know that you do. Best of all, have a small business and show them first hand how to be an entrepreneur.

3. Teach your kids that whatever product or service they offer that their creative enterprise matters and needs to be rewarded with money. Too often hard work goes unrewarded because many have been taught to not speak up to get their financial reward. Teach your kids to be tough but tactful when requesting payment.

4. Teach your kids the importance of maintaining a financial budget. Just one look at the amount of teen credit card debit is a prime example that kids do not understand their fiscal responsibilities. You can start young with financial rewards for cleaning their rooms, but then create a budget with them to help them spend their rewards responsibly.

5. Teach your kid to reinvest in their enterprises. The bottom line is – if you have no products, you are out of business.

6. Teach your kids to conserve their cash flow for when business is slow. For example, when running a lemonade stand that makes money on a sunny hot day, but business is sure to slow down on a rainy day.

7. Teach your children to be respectful of their clients and to provide good customer service. Understanding that being an entrepreneur means giving your “word” is “cool” and that if you break your bond – bad things happen, like you loose money, clients and reputation, will go a long way in the world at large.

8. Also, they must learn to take rejection well and not to be disappointed if business is not good. These fundamental learning curves – learned at an early age, will help your children to take challenges in all areas of their life.

PERSUASION IS KEY TO THE PERFECT PRODUCT PITCH

2010-12-17T16:24:00.000+01:00

A lot of my students ask me about how to pitch their products better to generate more sales. The first question to ask yourself is “do you love the product or service you are trying to pitch?” If the answer is yes, then read ahead. If the answer is no, then don’t bother going into this article because it will not do you any good!

The bottom line to “pitching” is to know in your heart of hearts that you love this product or service and that you are not going to fraud anyone by introducing or selling it to them.

Anyone can adopt better selling techniques but the consumer is not stupid and they will not let go of their hard earned cash, if you don’t believe in yourself and your product or service. Plus, if your product is a fraud, you will destroy your credibility within your consumer marketplace.

So, once you believe - then you can pitch. Here are some pointers to make a perfect persuasion pitch…

1. EXCITE – Get passionate about your product and let your clients know and feel your excitement. Express to them that you are “really excited” about this product or service and maybe they will pay attention to your pitch. Give your client the permission to be exited about the product too by making your facial expressions full of fun, personality and enthusiasm. The slogan for the new era is “fun” and if you are stagnate and boring, you pitch will be dull and people will tune out.
2. EDUCATE – Enlighten your clients by explaining how your product fits into the new trends in your industry or lifestyle. Qualify how your products will save money, time, energy, and the environment. Explain how your product is easier to use, to clean, to customize, etc... Creating a positive association with important social and economic issues will persuade your client to choose you over someone else. The message you tell about the product is as important as the product itself.
3. ENTERTAIN – Start to tell your clients a story that begins with “imagine”. Keep the story short but provoke your clients to use their imaginations to visualize life with or without your product or service.
4. CONNECT – Share your personal side like where you grew up, when you married, how many children you have, etc… Be the real “person” behind the product. Remember that people don’t buy products if they don’t like the person pitching the product.
5. SELL THE BENEFITS – Finally, set your product into orbit by pitching the benefits of it. You show the features, the bells and whistles, but you explain the “why” or the “benefit” behind the feature. Benefits usually fall into categories that deal with saving time and money, assuring safety and peace of mind, increasing sex appeal, or being convenient and easy.

If you need more help with scripting the perfect pitch for your product, but you are not a wordsmith and need help, I will be accepting new students in the New Year!

Merry Christmas & Success to All – Karla Darocas – www.Darocas.com

GREAT GRAPHICS ARE KEY TO GOOD BUSINESS

2010-11-30T08:33:00.002+01:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words then having high quality graphics on all of your marketing materials will tell your prospects that you are a “real” business professional who wants to make a lasting impression. The graphics you choose will play a major role in the success or failure of your business.

I always tell my student to “stand in your client’s shoes” and consider the prospect when they comes across your product/service marketing materials or online shopping website. Think about their thoughts and emotions just when they’re about to decide if they want to buy from you or not.

If they do not know you – and have no previous buying experience from you, they are not going to let go of their money. Would you?

Scams are becoming more and more commonplace nowadays. Thus customers have every right to be wary. To aid their confidence, I always suggest that a nice, smiling photo of yourself or your team of professionals is on all of your marketing.

Your logo is your most important graphic. Why? Let me count the ways…

1. Because it is the first impression that your business makes when out in public. It is the face of your business

2. Because it expresses the personality of your company and give insights into your unique characteristics and what you are trying to sell.

3. Because it is the most prominent visual element on all of your marketing materials that “IS” the identity of your brand.

You really only have just a few seconds to express your business attributes. A unique high caliber logo shows that you are sincere about offering a high quality product and service.

What are some key points to creating a great logo?

A great logo should be simple, flexible and adaptable. If your logo is complex and unreadable it will not adapt to branding your materials. A simple logo is often the most recognized and the most memorable. When I say – “Nike” – you can quickly imagine their swoosh check mark. Then when you see all of the merchandise that has that logo – from shoes to shorts, you know that it is speaking for the brand, for the company.

A great logo speaks to your market segment quickly. If your client is in a car and driving by a billboard and sees your logo only for a second – they should be able to identify in that second what your company is all about.

Your logo can be one of the most important investments that you make in your business. It can be used on marketing and merchandising, which is a popular way to build consumer confidence, brand your products and services and if you sell them – say hats or beach towels; you can make some extra cash!

PAYPAL IS YOUR BEST BUSINESS ECOMMERCE FRIEND

2010-11-12T09:30:00.000+01:00

When teaching ecommerce to my students, I always encourage them to use PayPal. I often hear people saying bad things about PayPal and its service fees, but these people don’t have a clue how powerful PayPal really is – because if they did – they would be kissing their computers.
Why do I recommend PayPal for website ecommerce? Let me count the ways…
1. PayPal has a large community of members. Many, many people are very comfortable with using the service. It is easy and signing up to an account isn’t too hard. There is a bit of tricky part when you want to connect your account to your bank – you need to know how to use your online banking account. But – even this is super easy.

2. PayPal is a trusted payment gateway offering your clients the online protection that they want.

3. PayPal buttons are easy to make and easy to post into the code of your website or blog.

4. PayPal’s shopping cart is free and customizable. You can give it a look and feel to match your website.

5. They accept Visa and Mastercard worldwide. And, for many people these days, they have their credit cards on a regulated percentage payback method – so using your card is a great way to budget your expenses.

6. Paypal lets you accept different currencies. That is great if you have a product that is worldwide like a software item or an audio download.

7. For people who are selling items in Spain, PayPal lets you calculate your shipping fees and co ordinate them with the current rates. Go to www.Correos.es to find the current shipping rates. I always use Paquete Azul – as this has tracking for my shipping. Very secure!

8. You can withdraw money from PayPal at any time and transfer the money to your bank. It says that it takes up to 4 days, but I have had the conversion take less than that.

9. There are no monthly fees to be part of the system. So you only pay the commission if someone buys your items. If you want – you can easily add a surcharge to cover this percentage as there is a component built into the system when you create your button.

10. PayPal has excellent billing and client tracking software – which comes free to members. If you had to pay for billing and tracking software for you ecommerce website – you would not be happy!!

11. You can have your choice of Buy buttons or Subscriptions – like for a newsletter – or there is a Donate button for non-profits and others who just want some generosity incentive.

12. Of course, PayPal is owned by Ebay – so they make adding PayPal to your Ebay auction account very easy.

13. You can save time by using PayPal’s Invoice Template. You will be able to select a template when you are using the Invoicing tool. Up to 10 templates may be saved.

14. After your client has paid for their items – you can easily route them back to your website – automatically.

15. If you don’t want to go to the work of making buttons – then setting up an account with an email address and having your clients forward the money that way – makes it easy too!

So – there you have it. The fees may look big – but the bundled services and easy-to-use interface makes PayPal a global favourite ecommerce solution.

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BEST BUTTONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS WEBSITE

2010-10-22T16:09:00.010+02:00

When you are designing you business website, it is interesting to note that researchers has discovered that “Call to Action” buttons perform better than just normal text links. A button that urges the viewer of a sales promotion message to take an immediate action, such as Buy Now or Click can really make an impact on your website. In fact, a business website without Call to Action buttons is considered incomplete and ineffective.

What do you need to know about the creation of your Call to Action buttons in order to get the reaction you want?

1. Size can create an impact simply by being big. The more important the button the larger the size. The eyes are drawn to the button because of its larger size in relation to surrounding elements. A web page may have multiple calls for action. To indicate the relative importance of a call to action with respect to other actions, you can vary their sizes.

2. Prominent place on the website will grab attention. The placement of call to action buttons on a web page is critical to drawing the eyes of visitors. Placement in prominent locations such as the top section of a web page can lead to higher landing page conversions because users will likely notice the call to action button and take action. By putting the button in a very prominent area, it is more likely that the user will notice it or remember it later, after they have looked at the website content. Placing a button in the middle of a web layout with no elements can be an effective way of drawing attention and enticing an action.

3. Contracting colours will help the button to distinguish itself. Decide what colours make the most impact with your website design and then contract the buttons to make them stand out from the background and other elements on the webpage. Dark and light buttons that contrast will also grab attention.

4. Use white space to make your buttons stand out from other elements on the webpage. The use of white space around a button is an effective way of making it stand out. Even a small button that is surrounded by white space – will stand out.

5. Call to Action wording on the button that will make the user feel the urge to act. These buttons usually start with an active verb: learn, place, add, submit, get, modify, edit, etc. You need to convey a sense of urgency with your phrasing. The words and the text must be bold, confident and commanding. It must convince them that they should not wait any longer or the result will be a missed opportunity. For example, with "Buy Now" buttons often there will be another button that says "Intro price", which subtly suggests that the longer the user waits to take action, the higher is the risk of having to later pay more when the introductory price has passed.

Using words such as "now", "immediately" and "right now" can convey urgency but they can also scare certain people. So adding more comforting words such as “free”, “easy”, “no spam emails”

6. Use clear, easy-to-read fonts. For example, use Verdana, Arial, not Times New Roman or Courier. Don't use unusual fonts which stand out solely by their inappropriate look.

Of course there will always be web users who are hesitant to take action no matter how great your buttons look. This is because they have had a bad experience and their trust has been burnt. So – to increase button use and build trust you must learn to anticipate the users’ skepticism and tell them what they will gain by taking action and clicking your button. When designing a button, think of all the potential questions users will have, and make sure that you answer them in time. For example – will this product really be free or just free for 30 days?

A "call to action" is a "request" for your site visitor to do something. It can request a sale, a contact, a subscription, a lead, or whatever meets your objectives. Good “call to action” buttons will increase the likelihood of the visitor doing whatever you request, which equals a "conversion."

You can use these button for your website - Simply Right Click and Save Them :)

SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENTS BUILD BETTER BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT

2010-10-08T09:52:00.000+02:00

Sponsorships can really help propel the aims and goals of a charity, special project or event. Appealing to the generosity of a company or an individual can benefit an organisation. However, just like any business agreement, a written contract that formally and legally binds the deal is very important. A Sponsorship Agreement contact will ensure that both the sponsor and the receiving party are clear about the terms and conditions of the deal and what is being asked of both parties.

So what is needed in this agreement?

As will any business arrangement, it is good form to present your contract on formal letterhead with your organizations logo, name, slogan and website.

Next you will need to title your contact in capital letters – SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

The next section will ask the Sponsor to fill out their name, position or title, address, telephone number, email and website address if they have one.

Under this will be the exact same details for the organisation – already filled out.

The next section is all about the intent of the sponsorship. It will need to explain is a few words how the organizer will use the sponsorship money to better aid the organisation and fulfill the goals and objectives or mission. This is not a mission statement, but a very clear representation of how the sponsorship is to be used.

The next paragraph will be where you specify the value of the sponsorship and include in detail – a) the cash value of the sponsorship – b) the labour agreement and any other specifics or aspects of the agreement. It is important to give detailed descriptions of all promised activities from both the organiser and the sponsors in order to make it very clear what is expected of both parties. If this is a sponsorship for a specific event, be sure to include the dates when the sponsorship details must be accomplished.

The following paragraph will need to explain in detail the consequences of not fulfilling the agreement for both the organization and the sponsor. Should the sponsor fail to contribute what he or she promised, there must be an agreed-upon course of action. Likewise, should the organization fail to hold up its end of the bargain, there should be similar agreed-upon repercussions.

This next section has a space where both parties must sign and date the agreement. If there are multiple pages – then having a initialization on each page is a good idea as that says that parties have both read each and every page. If there is a representative or lawyer for either party who wishes to sign the document, then they can add their signatures or initials as well. The representative or lawyer can also be the witness to the signing. If it is a big project with a lot at stake, then having the contract read and signed by a licensed notary is a good idea.

Finally, you will need to attach any legal documents related to the agreement. Allow a space on each attached document for signing or initialing from both parties, noting that each side is aware of how these documents relate to the signed agreement.

In conclusion, doing things the right way can save time, money, confusion and friendships.

ACT LOCAL, ACT GLOBAL

2010-09-24T11:10:00.004+02:00

Online Marketing is Essential to Business Survival

When I first started in the Internet, my website was only the 40th website to be listed. Now, according to Netcraft there are 227,225,642 websites as of September 2010.

Daily, consumers flock to the Web to research local products and services, so visibility for your business via the Internet literally spells success or failure.

In conclusion, online marketing is NOT optional anymore and you need every resource possible to succeed, especially in a local market. Here is some of my survival advice that I give to my students.

CONTROL YOUR WEBSITE

I can’t stress this enough… you must be in control of your website 24/7. You must be able to make changes and updates by yourself. If you wait for a website designer or webmaster to update your site, you are wasting valuable time and money.

GET ON GOOGLE MAPS

Everyone I know uses Google to search for business and services. It is the giant these days in the Internet search world. However, most people don't realize that "Google Maps" is the most basic component of local online marketing with Google. Get all the details at Google.com/places .This tool is one of the fastest ways to get found in Google and best of all... it's free!

BASIC SEO

If you own your own website, you can build it to be a search engine magnet. SEO stands for "search engine optimization" - which means making your website relevant when someone searches for your business name or terms related to what you sell. It is like fishing, if you put enough worms on your hook, you are going to catch a fish. Building all the content, information, and text on your site around a central theme is the #1 thing you can do to increase your chances of ranking well in Google and other search engines.

ADD VALUE-ADDED OFFERS

Most people don't make offers on their websites. Their web pages look like everyone else's and say basically the same things. You must make offers on your site that spur people to action. Offer a discount or faster service. Give an incentive to come in today. Most importantly: make your offers big, bold and obvious on your site while giving people a reason to do business with you right now!

DRIVE TRAFFIC

You won't make money with your website if the right people don't see it. Social networks are a great way to drive traffic to your site. I use LinkedIn.com to drive the bulk of traffic to my website. I belong to several of its social networks like Costa Blanca Entrepreneurs, Costa Blanca Property Buy & Sell, Friends of Costa Blanca, Friends of Spain and Business Friends Valencia. It is also a great way to make new business contacts who can talk about you and your products when they are out at their network meetings. Facebook is another social network that can drive traffic to your site by establishing a good social network. According to the Nielsen Company, the five top social networking sites for Spain are Facebook, Tuenti, MySpace, Badoo, and Fotolog.

CONSISTENT FOLLOW-UP

The biggest online marketing mistake I see people make is NOT following up with prospects and customers. Use email and other communication tools to keep in contact with your prospects and customers and give them reasons to do business with you (by making offers) while providing useful information they want. In business, the ones who make the big money know that the fortune is always made in the ”repeat” business.

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BASIC BUSINESS CONTRACTS ARE THE BASES OF BETTER BUSINESS WISDOM

2010-09-08T10:27:00.001+02:00

Basic business wisdom suggests that no business arrangement should be entered into unless a signed contract is in place. You wouldn’t sell your car or hire a contractor to remodel your house without a contract in place, would you?

The same goes for any business environment where money and labour are involved. A basic work contract can help assure that you, your freelance workers and your clients are all on the same page and understand the nature and ethics of the project and the work involved.

A work contract clearly spells out payment terms, due dates, protection of company secrets and ethics, reasonable sickness leave, reasons for termination and allows for revisions and clauses that answer the numerous questions that arise during the course of the work term or project.

In terms of legal protection, a work contract that is signed and dated will hold up in any course of law, hence keeping all parties within the contract on their best behaviour. Normally, better business wisdom dictates that if a subject, who wants work but will not sign a basic work contract, is a liability risk.

A basic contract conveys to your freelance contract workers and clients that you are a professional business person and that you take your work very seriously.

From the perspective of the freelance worker, a contract protects one from surprise changes in the scope of the work involved in the project. And by way of the client, a contract protects one from paying for work that doesn’t meet the contractual requirements.

By signing a basic work contract, it means that all parties are in agreement to act in good faith towards each other. A breach of contract is when one party does not do what the party agreed to do in the contract. The other party then has the right to go to court to ask the judge to compel or force that party to follow the terms of the contact. This is how a contract is enforceable. Oral contract are much harder to enforce because there is no evidence, such as a written agreement, to show what the parties agreed to or what the consideration was.

Utilizing a good basic business contract helps all parties think out the bottom line and make decisions before the work has begun. It is a way to make certain that all parties maintain trust and confidence through mutual co operation.

If you need a basic work contract to mimic – visit my site http://www.karladarocas.com/ – You can copy and alter to suit your business circumstances.

GOOD LUCK

YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH

2010-08-28T20:38:00.003+02:00

STRATEGIES TO EXPAND YOUR CONTACT LIST

It’s not what you know – but who you know. How often have you heard that when looking for work? It is a fact that knowing the right people will make your professional life a lot easier and more lucrative.

In order to get to know those profitable people, you will need to work at it and gain their trust. Here are a few strategies that will help you to expand your valuable contact list.

REFERENCE LETTERS

A good reference letter is used to introduce you as a professional and vouch for your integrity, character, and abilities.

When I moved to Spain from Canada, I realized very quickly that no one was going to give me teaching or consulting work until I had a few local references under my belt. Even though I have two college diplomas and a university degree, those academic certificates were not as impressive as a juicy testimonial letter from a well know member of the business community. Because I have been teaching since 1990, I am very confident at what I do so it was easy for me to email a well respected publisher and ask him if he didn’t pay his employees enough money because his website looked like a dog’s breakfast! Of course, he emailed me back within minutes and asked if I could do better? My answer was – sure I can do better, in my sleep – and for FREE – if you give me a written testimonial.

From that first reference, my network started to grow and within a few months I had over 2000 names on my contact list. My teaching, name and reputation spread quickly and I was able to achieve many of my goals and objectives.

NETWORKING

Networking is another way to grow your contact list. It is only by repeated visits to a networking club meeting that you can breed a confidence level with other members. It might take two or three meeting before you decide to break out of your personal space and connect with a member either for professional or personal reasons.

Although it takes more time to get to really know someone, business networking via social networks is now very popular all over the Internet. Eavesdropping is a common practice on a social networking websites. Only after observing how someone conducts themselves within a group environment, will an online social member reach out to make a connection. I use LinkedIn.com for my business networking and there are some really active groups if you search for groups within Spain or the Costa Blanca.

Networking can also be done while off duty. Never discount the interesting and high profile people that your bartender or hair dresser might know. I have acquired tremendous contacts through strangers on airplanes, massage therapists, beach goers… you just never know who is going to aid in your career advancement unless you network.

WRITING & BLOGGING

If you are indeed an expert at what you do or you have a product that you know everything about, then write about it and have people sign up for more information.

This is a great way to increase your network. If you can help a person in trouble by writing troubleshooting tips from cooking to computers, you have gained a fan. If that fan signs up for your newsletter then there is another person in your network. If that person raves about you to their friend and they sign up – your contact list grows.

The more people you have in your network, the more chances you will have to sell your products or services, it’s that simple!

DO YOU OWN YOUR WEBSITE? ARE YOU SURE?

2010-08-05T09:16:00.000+02:00

If you have paid for a domain name for your website then you own it – right?

That is the theory, however many unsuspecting business people in fact don’t understand how the domain name ownership process works and they get someone else to register their domain name and don’t check to make sure that the domain registration was put in their name.

Owning a domain name, which is your website’s name, is really much like owning a car. It has to be registered under the name of the owner. For business people, a domain name becomes a legal asset of your company. When you sell your company, the domain name goes with it.

After printing flyers and business cards, many people find out that they in fact don’t owe their domain name, but the registration was put in the name of the person they trusted to register it for them, often a website designer. This is an illegal process, but sadly it happens all the time.

Corrupt website designers will often take advantage of the naivety of a client and register that clients’ domain name in their own name. Then they will go ahead and design the website and get paid. However, when the client has a falling out with the website designer and wants to move his/her website to another provider or learn how to work on his/her website alone, the client finds out that they don’t own their own domain name – even though they paid for it.

Now what? The domain name (website name) is on all your business cards and marketing advertising?

In the USA, it is easy enough to take a website designer to court under the “intellectual property law” process and get the domain name back. However, here in Spain, if the website designer doesn’t want to give it back, even though it is yours and you paid for it – it is basically impossible to get the domain name back. Sad but true!.

How do you check to see if you indeed own your own domain name?

Depending on where the domain name was registered, you can try these websites to search for your ownership entitlements. www.WhoIs.net – for your most popular domains like .com, .net, .org. For Spanish registrations you can go to www.nic.es however, I find that www.GoDaddy.com/Whois has a better presentation and in English.

What to do once you find out that the domain you bought is not registered in your name?

You will need to sign up to a different registration company and file for a “domain registration transfer”. Normally, the new registration company will charge a fee to start this legal process of transferring the domain and changing the name servers and registration names. It seems a shame to have to pay this fee, when you have already paid for the domain name in the first place.

Once this fee is paid, a legal document is sent to the original person who registered the domain name on your behalf. Then, here comes the snag – if that corrupt website developer who basically stole your domain name doesn’t want to give it up – then your domain transfer will not be completed and you will be screwed. But, if they do sign the legal paperwork then you have a good chance to get it back. Next, comes part two of the process. Both parties, the releasing owner and you as the new owner, have to fill out another legal form and submit a photocopy of your passport to the new registration company. Again, if all this process goes well, you will get your domain name back.

In conclusion, your best solution is to be prepared and know the facts before you get involved with a website designer and make sure that your domain name is registered in your name. Learn how to buy your own domain names from reliable registration companies who have long track records. I use www.Serv2.net as it has an incredible support team and everything is within my control. It is totally a DIY registration and hosting company and it offers .es domain names for less money than to buy them with a Spanish registration company.

BUILDING “FREE” INTO YOUR BUSINESS MODEL by Karla Darocas

2010-07-20T11:35:00.000+02:00

To any consumer there is a big difference between “cheap” and “free”. In today’s struggling economy, business models that incorporate “free” into their marketing psychology are powerful players.

The “free” market economy has been at play in the media world for eons and is built around a three party system; a third party pays to participate in a market created by a free exchange between the first two parties. Many newspapers, for example, are free because they are not in the business of selling papers to readers; they are selling readers to advertisers. Hence, the more readers, the greater value to the advertiser.

The rise of "freeconomics" is what drives the Internet and that is because the underlying technologies behind the web have become so micro that a unit of processing power, bandwidth and storage all point in the same direction: to zero. The Web is all about scale, finding ways to attract the most users for centralized resources, spreading those costs over larger and larger audiences as the technology gets more and more capable. That is why modern web companies don’t charge their users for anything. Yahoo for example offers unlimited email storage space. Google has an entire suite of user friendly services that consumers can use for free from Blogger to Gmail to Picassa and more.

But just because web companies can offer free services and tools doesn’t mean that they are not making mountains of money. Google's pay-per-click text ads were a revolutionary idea that has generated millions. Because Google is a cyber business, they can be everywhere. The same as a newspaper, they charge the advertiser a fee to place a text advert on their free services that appear to their readers. However, Google also encourages independent websites and blogs to put these adverts on their sites as well. Google pays a percentage of their revenue to their affiliate websites, hence spreading their audience or “eyeballs” or “traffic”, as they call it in the cyber business lingo, to all corners of the universe.

Aside from web companies, the free economy business model has proven successful for music groups who offer their music tracks for free on sites like MySpace because they understand that by giving their songs away they are building their audience. Then, when they have a live show, they can sell tickets and merchandise to make their money. Many companies are now rethinking their business models in order to capitalise on the infinite marketing power of the Internet and looking for ways to incorporate “free” into their marketing psychology.

Need help to analysis your business model or to take advantage of the Internet? Karla Darocas - Business Building & Internet Integration since 1990

What is an Entrepreneurial Outlook?

2010-07-09T09:14:00.002+02:00

To be an entrepreneur doesn’t mean you need to be the smartest person on the block, but what you do need are dreams, ideas and passion – plus a simple, basic business plan, to get you off the unemployment treadmill and onto a way of life that offers independence.

If you believe in the old Chinese proverb - "Give a man a fish - he eats for a day - teach him to fish - he eats for life!", then you will understand why being an entrepreneur is a far better way to lead your life, than being unemployed, bored and often feeling depressed.

Most general descriptions of an entrepreneur are based on the premise of a person who has possession of an enterprise, venture or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome.

Many people, if not all people, will agree that entrepreneurs are passionate people and it is that emotional drive that will get results. Anyone who believes in themselves will get results. That is a given truth.

Most of my students ask me, “But what can I do with my life to become an entrepreneur?” It isn’t that hard to figure out. You just need to look at what you like to do best and with enthusiasm, often it is a hobby, and turn that into your venture. What is a venture? Again the basic definition of a venture describes a major undertaking, synonymous with an adventure.

The other aspect of launching a venture or an adventure, like turning your hobby into a business, is the experience that it creates. Fundamentally, all business, which is just a fancy word for the physical state of being busy, hence “bus-i-ness”, is about giving your clients an “experience” – your experience. This is what people pay for. It is something ethereal.

The result is that no matter what you do, it is how you do it that makes the difference. And if you can create an enterprise that can do something different, and do it better, faster or cheaper, then you are going to bring in your rewards, in this case money.

However, chasing money is not what drives entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs tap into a higher purpose of making a positive impact in their marketplace. A good example is Bill Gates. He is no longer the CEO of his company because his passion is in doing research. That is what he loves doing.

Entrepreneurs understand the psychological law of reciprocity whereby the more you give, the more you receive. It is human nature to offer something in return for a good deed. If your enterprise is offering high quality services and products, and you are positive, enthusiastic and effective, then your reward will be given to you in the form of money.

Being an entrepreneur also means that you are always thinking about ways to improve you enterprise, motive your clients, give good service and other imaginary processes that set off neurological impulses in your brain that make you stronger. Understanding this principal makes you more powerful and confident and helps you to avoid negative impulses that can weaken you.

In conclusion, everyone has the power to share their personal experiences with other people and inspire, motivate and educate their way to economic solutions. You may not make a lot of money turning your passion into profit, but then again, you may become another Bill Gates.

Let's raise kids to be entrepreneurs

2010-07-02T11:23:00.000+02:00

Bored in school, failing classes, at odds with peers: This child might be an entrepreneur, says Canadian Cameron Herold. At TEDxEdmonton, he makes the case for parenting and education that helps would-be entrepreneurs flourish -- as kids and as adults.

TIPS AND TRICKS TO THE DIY WEBSITE TRADE

2010-06-30T09:57:00.002+02:00

Learning to build your own website is easy! However, knowing all of the points that make a website work for you – isn’t so easy. So, here are a few pointers to know and remember when creating or cleaning up your website.

Testimonials: Because the website is a weird place for most people, trusting a website’s products or services is very for hard for most people to do. However, unlike a magazine, your website can link viewers to a page full of satisfied customers who have given you qualified testimonials about you, your products and services. If there is someone they recognize in your list of testimonials – it works kind like “word-of-mouth” – which as everyone in business knows is the best form of marketing.

Spell Check & Grammar: There is nothing worst than a website full of mistyped or misspelled words. It shouts of “unprofessional” or worst “idiots”. There is no excuse for spelling mistakes, since most word processors and website development software comes with spell checkers. The other thing that really looks bad – is when your text has no space after your comma (,) or full-stop (.) Commas and full-stops allow the reader to breath before going on with the paragraph, so make sure you give your readers some air.

Alt Tags on your Photos: Alt tags provide text to non-textual elements such as photos. They are useful in many ways and many sites large and small commonly omit them. An alt tag can give a large or short description of the photo. It will just appear when you move your cursor over the photo. They also provide much-needed information for people who surf the Webs with their graphics turned-off, or for those people who use text-only browsers. For people still on a dial-up, the alt tags can enable a site visitor to make a navigation choice before the photo is totally downloaded and rendered on their screen. Most importantly, alt tags help with search engine ranking.

Properly Sized Graphic and Photos: Before you stick a photo into your website, make sure that you size and calibrate the pixels and resolutions to meet the demands of your webpage properly. Web pages will load a lot quicker if do this job before hand. It saves the web browser a lot of work and time if it doesn’t have to do this job and your surfing speed is much more enjoyable. No one likes to wait for a big photo to appear on their screens; most just surf away. If you have a one photo or a batch of photos that need to be resized – here is a FREE cool programme for all website DIYers that is easy to use and has some super extras. Download and install – Multiple Image Resizer onto your computer. It not only allows you to resize a batch of photos but you can put watermarks, logos and text onto you photos all in one step. This is good for people like professional photographers who like to showcase their photos and don’t want people to steal them. It is also just good business practice to brand name your photos. It also has a function to put frames around your photos, which can be a nice touch to photos if you want to make them look like greeting cards or fine art photos – and again, you can put text into the framed part of the photo. Check it out - http://www.multipleimageresizer.net/download.aspx

Remember: Website development isn’t a regulated industry and there are no consumer protection facilities to report to if you get caught up in a scandal or mistrust issues with a website designer. It is like crying in the wind and money down the drain if your website goes sideways. The only way to protect yourself is by learning to do-it-yourself – like the old proverb says, “If you want something done right – do it yourself”. Check back next time for some more tip and tricks of the trade.

What personality traits make good business leader?

2010-06-29T10:15:00.002+02:00

With the economic crisis all around us, many business people are coming apart at the edges. It takes a great person with emotional stability to stride the divide and mend the gaps when they come unstuck!

Having worked with some very accomplished leaders in my day, I would sum up their most impressive traits as such:

A great leader brings out the best in each of us. They do not critique or offer negative judgment, but instead they aim to bring out the best solutions to success with self-disciplined stamina. It is their listening skills that come into play and their ability to extract quality feedback from everyone around them. They don’t bring in the “fear factor” which shuts others down too feedback and resolution. They encourage creative thinking and crazy, playful answers – which often times will hold pearls of wisdom.

The most serious mistake a leader can make is not being able to manage their behavior and engaging in self-destructiveness. I have see people who have fallen into leadership positions in organization, by hook or by proxy, and because of their self-destructive nature they knowingly do things that will cause them and the organisation to fail.

Leaders are a not dictators. They invite collaboration. They reward ideas with genuine appreciation and they demonstrate gratitude for efforts given by their members, employees and teams.

Clever leaders utilize their intuition and know how to read faces and body language. They can spot a trouble-maker or a silent genius within the organization and can have the empathy to deal with both personalities with tactful proficiency.

Brave leaders take risks that are calculated with qualified objectives and goals. They also know how to combine a certain amount of luck into the mix. They have the courage to take risks and the empathy and the ability to guide a team towards a common goal/

Gifted leaders know how to bring humour to the surface in the face of adversity and how to offer tactile handshakes and hugs to bring warm and personal resolve to any business deal.

Brilliant leaders understand that celebrating achievement makes everyone part of the process and hence part of the success.

BEEFING UP YOUR BRAND ON YOUR WEBSITE

2010-06-28T09:46:00.000+02:00

“Yeippy cowboy, what a mighty fine brand you got there!”
Did you know that the word “brand” comes from the practice of putting your name on your cattle with a hot iron? Today, in the age of consumerism, a brand is a business identity that can be a product or service or a business name. A checkmark can mean Nike shoes and golden arches can be McDonalds. Brands take on many forms and finding one to suit your needs is a very personal and professional thing to do. That is why businesses get their brand names or logos – trademarked – to keep them legally protected.

If you are in business, then of course your website will have your brand and logo on it – most likely in the header or on the sides, background or footer – but here are some more interesting tips to keep your brand looking buff!

Brand Your File Names
When creating your filename, add your business name. This can be done to html files and graphics. Search engines look at the file names as part of their search algorithm and using our brand name as a keyword in the file name, will help to improve anyone’s search when looking for you name.

Copyright Notice
Include you brand name in your copyright notice on the bottom of each page contained on the website, and keep it current! It may seem trivial, but an out-of-date copyright notice can send a message to your visitors that the website and its content and brand - may be out-of-date as well.

Alternate Domains
When protecting a brand name, you might want to register multiple domain versions and extensions in order to protect your brand. The varied domains can be parked on the main website, simply to prevent others from obtaining them. Registering alternate domain versions will help protect your brand and domain names are relatively inexpensive.

Favicon
Add a Favicon, which means favorite icon - to your website, so that your company branded logo appears in the URL box. This icon will also show up in a bookmark list, and gives the web site an added level of professionalism.

Stay Tuned Next for More DIY Website Development & Internet Marketing Tips

DIY Tips on Constructing Your Own Website

2010-06-27T09:03:00.000+02:00

Recently, I had to spend some time in hospital and I was glad that I had an online store, which was open 24/7 - that could bring in money while I was out of action.

When thinking about setting up a website that can bring business in for you, planning is key to success.

The following tips will help you in building a robust website:

Look & Feel Tips:
When you are planning your website, the most important factor is the look and feel of your website. Does it suit your clients and represent your products and services? If your clients are young – you might want to go with a slick design with small print in trendy colours. If your clients are older, then a simple design with large print in basic colours is a better idea.

The graphics and photos on your site must reflect your image, as well as your products and services. If your photos are too small – they might not make a big enough impact, as one photo can say a thousand words. If they are too big, they might take too long to download and make your client wish to leave your site.

If you are not a graphic designer and do not have an eye for balance, composition and design nor the skill to make unique graphics, then you will have to hire a graphic designer to make your logo and other important images.

Take a look at other website selling similar items or services as you are and see if you like what they have done with their column design. Do they have pages with one column that lets the viewer scroll down through a list of items, or do they have three columns and try to keep all items displayed on the page without scrolling? I personally like to scroll – than flipping through a bunch of pages – but it will be up to you make that call based on what you think your clients will want to do. Just remember – FUN, EASY, CONVENIENT are the part of the internet “experience” so try and get some, if not all, of these points into your website.

Content Tips:
Business websites are all about getting the client to take action and order your products and services. You will need to study other websites to see how they grab the buyer’s attention. I always tell my students to study the best sites like Amazon, Microsoft, EBay and see what catch words and key ideas you can borrow from them to use in your website.
Then, make sure that your contact details and how-to-order information are clearly presented on each and every page – top and bottom. Also – you will want a copyright notice placed on the bottom of every page.
Don’t forget to mention about the Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and also the Payment Security Information. All these add more credibility to your website.

Navigation Tips:
It is important to build a website that is easy to navigate. The interlinking between the web pages must be consistent with your home page. Your visitors should find it easy to navigate to any page they want.
It is important to include sitemaps. These not only help the visitors to go to the specific page they are looking for but also help search engine spiders to crawl your website easily.
Adding an internal search tool is a good feature that you must keep in mind. This would help your visitors to query so that they can get relevant matches based on their query.

Keyword & Tag Tips:
The greatest tool to help you with your keywords and tags is Google’s Keyword Tool. You need to type in a word or phrase and select a location where you are want to do business – like Spain – and a language – Spanish or English (if you are going after the expat market) and press Search. This tool will give you a run down of all the key word ideas possible based on actual Google searches.

Once you know what words people like to use to search for your products or services – you can make sure that you have those exact words and phases built into your site – both in your content and in your Title, Meta Description, Meta Keywords, ALT Tags and Header Tags.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE TIPS NEXT TIME!