The 72 Hour Residual Income Plan By Jimmy D. Brown of Membership To Go

One of the questions I get asked a lot is this:

“Jimmy, after being a full-time internet marketing for more than a decade, what’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew back when you started?”

Good question.

The answer is simple: I wish I knew about fixed-term memberships back in the late 90′s so I could have built a residual income base much earlier in my “career” than I actually did.

SIDEBAR: “Fixed term membership” is a phrase that I personally created and introduced to the internet marketing crowd, although the concept itself wasn’t original to me. A “fixed-term membership site” (FTM) consists of content shared via autoresponder to paid members for a specified period of time.

There are a variety of reasons why a fixed term membership is a better model than the “traditional” membership site that are explained at the above referenced site, so I won’t go into them here.

But perhaps the most significant is the fact that all you need is that FIRST LESSON created in order to launch the site, as opposed to needing a bunch of content to stockpile a “traditional” membership site.

That’s important because you LITERALLY can have a FTM up and running in just a couple of days.

What I want to teach you in this article is a simple way to quickly setup an FTM site without writing a word of the content.

If you want to create residual income in 72 hours or lesson, here’s what you do…

Step 1: Buy Quality PLR Content.

It begins with purchasing a private label rights license to “quality” content. Choose this carefully as you’ll be converting it into your membership site lessons. You want it to be first rate since your name is going to be attached with it in the end.

A) Look for content that “teaches a process”. In other words, you want content that is very “how to” in nature. The materials you purchase PLR to sell should teach the reader how to accomplish a desirable result.

Examples: How To Build A List, How To Lose 20 Pounds, How To Shave 10 Strokes From Your Golf Game, etc.

This is important because the “fixed term” model works best when your members learn a series of steps for reaching a desired end result.

B) Look for content that is written by a qualified expert. Preferably you’d like content that wasn’t created specifically for a PLR sale, but rather was originally sold as an actual product. This will generally yield a better class of content. (Especially if you’ve purchased the product in the past and KNOW personally that it’s good stuff.)

C) Look for content that is lengthy enough to be divided into at least 12 lessons of 5-9 pages each. In other words, you’ll need 50-100 pages of meaty content to use for a 3-month FTM site that offers members weekly lessons.

Step 2: Extract Marketing Materials.

After you’ve purchased the content, you’ll want to “extract” some marketing materials. By “extract” I simply mention that you take out small portions of the content and convert them into a variety of marketing materials.

A) The default recommendation that I generally make is this: you want 2-3 ezine articles, 4-5 short blog posts (think “tips”) and one short report (7-15 pages).

B) If you can find PLR offers that INCLUDE bonuses specifically created to promote the content, that’s even better. The “best” PLR offers include marketing materials (in ADDITION to the product content itself) that were created specifically to promote the product you are licensing. These are your best options.

You’ll use these extracted marketing materials to promote the FTM site once it is completed.

Option 1: Use the materials yourself. (IE Post articles to directories, post tips to your blog, send out report to your list, etc.)
Option 2: Get affliates and joint venture partners to distribute.
Option 3: Be smart and do both of the above options.

Step 3: Setup FTM Membership Site.

The biggest part of your time will be used in actually setting up the FTM membership site. But, even that can be done in just a couple of days.

Here’s the general overview (clearly this is an abbreviated version … it’s NOT a tutorial on how to do this)…

A) Register a domain and secure hosting.
B) Write the first lesson and set it up on a member autoresponder list.
C) Create a sales page and a download page with access to the member list.

That’s it. You’ve got an FTM site setup.

So, that’s how you use PLR content to setup an FTM site. The overall model here is solid. It’s an easy way to create residual income from scratch virtually anytime you want to do so. If you locked me in a room with no content on my computer at all, I could have an FTM site setup in lesson than 24 hours using this model. I’m guessing that any intermediate marketer could do it in 72 hours and certainly in less than a week.

If you’re looking for the kind of content that I’ve been talking about, then you’ll want to check out Membership To Go. It’s a complete, one-year fixed term membership site that you can license for your own use. This has never been offered before and it includes EVERYTHING you need to get started, including private label rights to the membership content, its sales letter, presell report, articles and other marketing materials.

Set it up at your site, sell as many memberships as you want, keep 100% of every sale.

Get all the details at: MembershipToGo

A fixed-term membership site is the ultimate “set it and forget it” way to generate income online. You create the site one time and it basically runs on autopilot.

—————–
Jimmy D. Brown is the founder of the PLR industry and creator of MembershipToGo.com., an “everything included” membership site package that you can setup at your site and keep 100% of every sale you make.

You will be interested to check out the Membership To Go Bonus

When it comes to the subject of getting web traffic the word “GOOGLE” will simply pop into everyone’s minds. Yes, it is true that this search engine giant has been responsible for bringing business websites the majority of their traffic for many years, but the word the world I would like to point here is “majority”.

With that said, it does mean that Google isn’t the only source of traffic out there. There are in fact, other great sources of traffic as well. And no, I am not trying to ask you to replace your main traffic funneling source. There is nothing as drastic here. What I am merely suggesting however, is to find a SUPPLEMENTAL traffic source on top of what you already have now.

So where is this source?
Fortunately we don’t have to look too far for that one.

YouTube

Did you know that YouTube now is the second largest search engine after Google?
Social media has been on the rise and from the looks of it, it will continue to rise for a long time to come. And that is where you next source of traffic can come from.

Millions of people visit YouTube each day, and even a mere 1% of that traffic coming to your site can really boost your site’s traffic. And yet many online businesses don’t ever consider creating a video and submitting it on YouTube.

Is the opportunity to tap into just a fraction of the millions of viewers not an enticing enough of an idea? OR is there something that is holding them back?

So let’s explore the most common misconceptions about using videos and sites such as YouTube for an online business:

No Viewers

Yes, some businesses actually think that nobody is going to watch their videos. I just mentioned that there are millions of viewers visiting YouTube, each and EVERY day. If your video is optimized correctly (through proper keywords in title, tags and description) it will be HARD not to get found.

Plus, if your content is great it will be shared among other people which only makes it being viewed by even more people.

In addition, having an audio and visual medium is a great way to diversify your reach. Many people find that it is boring just to read plain texts, like a blog post. So videos are a great way to reach these target audiences.

And anything that engages the audio and visual senses are most likely to be remembered and therefore your business or brand will definitely be lingering in your viewers mind longer and better. If it does make a lasting impression or positive impact, they will certainly keep coming back for more.

It Has To Be A Hit

Let me tell you now, it DOES NOT have to be a hit.

You shouldn’t measure the success of the videos that you have uploaded purely on the views alone. In content marketing, videos must serve a bigger and greater purpose than just garnering views.

If the content itself provides valuable information for its intended target audience, and if your target audience really finds it helpful and they genuinely like it, then you have already achieved what you have set out to do.

So focus more on delivering value for your viewers and not thinking if the video is going to rack up tons of views.

It Needs To Spell Quality

Unless you are a video recording and editing company, then your videos doesn’t have to look like a high-budget video because the CONTENT of the video is what matters more here.

Even if the whole video “looks” great if your content is lousy or appalling than it’s just as worthless for your target audience. You will only receive a negative rating and reviews and people will definitely avoid those kinds of videos.

You don’t need to invest a ton of money into video recording equipment. Even normal HD camcorders are sufficient to get the job done and they have come to be very affordable now.

There are many quality software and video editing tools out there (some are free) which can help you without costing you an arm and a leg.

Only Short Ones

One myth that many believes is that your videos should only be a couple of minutes long each. Any longer and your target audience will start to lose interest and get bored.

Well, it all depends on the kind of video that you are posting. If your video is meant to be only informing your viewers about an up-and-coming Webinar (Web-based Seminar), which just involves you informing your audience of the time, date, what will be discussed and who will be involved, then a video length of 2-3 minutes is sufficient.

On the other hand, the video on the actual Webinar itself should be lengthier than that. It doesn’t make sense to have a full blown Webinar that’s only 2-3 minutes long now doesn’t it? Videos like these are perfectly normal to have a running time of 30 minutes and upwards.

If you feel that a video is indeed too long, then you can split it and turn it into a video series. Viewers love video series and it is the perfect reason to keep them coming back if they want to know more.

So determine beforehand what kind content that you are recording and from there you can determine the appropriate length that your video should be.

When it comes to your business and reaching a wider target audience, you should explore all possible channel of traffic and not just stick to a single source. Businesses should always go to where the market is and social media is where it’s currently at. Concentrating on just one source and you will be missing out on a lot.

The truth of time-management success secrets for business owners is that managing time is all about managing yourself. You can’t get more time in the day. Time is finite and can’t be replaced. But there are things you can do to train yourself to effectively use the time you have.

You probably hoped your days of clocking in where over when you started a business, but now it is almost more important that you create a schedule and stick to it. The difference is that you can create the schedule that works best for you. The only exception is that when you own a store front you naturally need to be open when your clients are there, but if you function better after 10 am, you can always hire someone who functions best before 10 am to be there in your place and vice versa.

The important thing is that you create a real schedule that will work for your needs during the hours you plan to work. Mark out time for doing each task that you need to do in a given day, week, month, and year. If you have tasks scheduled, you’ll be more likely to do them, and you will feel good about having done them. Your daily tasks should be prioritized putting money-making tasks first. Even though it is important to do other tasks too, doing the money making tasks first will ensure that the bills are paid. Consider outsourcing the most mundane non-money making tasks to someone else, and make a strict schedule for tasks that need to be done but don’t make money.

For example, it is important to participate in social media, however, it can be a huge time waster. Automate what you can such as automating an announcement of a new blog post with specialized software that will do that. There is even software like hootsuite.com, which allows you to schedule future posts as well as many other features. It might take a bit to set it up, but once you do it many social media tasks will be completely automatic. Then, you can schedule your time to participate in social media by replying to just 10 combined social media comments and posts per day. Alternatively, you can set a time limit for how long each day you’ll participate on social media. Don’t try to convince yourself that playing “Words with Friends” is business related social media. Do those types of things on your personal time.

Schedule some personal time throughout your day in a manner that works best for you and your family. For instance, if your children get off school at 3:30 pm and you need to be there for them, obviously you need to hire someone to be in your place in a store front, or if you work from home, you need to work around the time available to you. While you can outsource childcare to a nanny or sitter, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to if you hire or outsource strategically. Organize your days around what you feel is important then manage that time well by sticking to your schedule as close to possible.

It is amazing how much more time you have in your day when you self-manage the time that you have. Time is not an unlimited resource therefore it is important to have a plan of action each and every day that allows you to get the most bang for your buck. If you’re nervous about outsourcing consider this: If you can outsource any tasks whether it has to do with your business or home life, and it costs less than you earn hourly doing your money making tasks, why wouldn’t you do that? The more time you create for yourself to do money-making tasks, the better off you are.

By Jimmy D. Brown of iBusiness Owner

The vast majority of your prospects aren’t all that passionate about your offer.

Truth is, they’re kind of lukewarm. They’re interested, but they’re not taking their credit card out. Instead of making a buying decision, they decide to “think about it.”

Of course you know what happens: They forget about your offer. They don’t return to your store or sales page. Some of them may even make the conscious decision to NOT buy your product.

So what can you do to get your prospects to get excited and take action NOW?

Simple: Offer them an incentive if they order now. Do it right, and you’re virtually guaranteed to make more sales!

Generally, an incentive can take two forms:

1. You offer a discount. One idea is the straightforward discount, such as offering a percent-off. Another ideas is to offer a discount on the overall package, such as by offering free shipping.

Tip: You can even make it a limited-time discount so that your prospects feel a sense of urgency.

2. You offer one or more bonus products. Again, you can even make the bonus offer limited to increase the sense of urgency.

Offering a discount is a pretty straightforward incentive. So let’s talk about how to offer a bonus as a buying incentive.

Here then are the seven keys to offering bonuses that generate extra sales:

• Make sure the bonus is desirable. Point is, if your prospects don’t care about the bonus product, then it won’t help you generate any sales. So make sure it’s something that your prospects already want. Something that gets them excited!

• Create a valuable bonus. Just because you’re giving the product away for free with a purchase doesn’t mean this bonus should be worth little to no money. Quite the contrary – it should have a high perceived value in the prospect’s mind.

• Choose bonuses that are easy to deliver. This is particularly true if you’re selling downloadable products online, such as software or information. Point is, you want to be able to deliver the bonus instantly – right alongside the main product – without you having to manually deliver the bonus.

• Supply an exclusive bonus, whenever possible. If the prospect can get the bonus somewhere else, he might just do that. So try to offer exclusive bonuses to help make the buying decision easy.

• Offer a bonus that compliments the main product. For example, let’s say you’re selling a book about retirement planning. Offering retirement-planning worksheets and software as a bonus would be a great incentive.

• Sell the bonus. If you’re selling via a sales page, don’t just list the bonus. Instead, sell it just the way you’re selling the main product, meaning you should list the benefits of this bonus product or service.

• Remember that you can offer products OR services. Let’s say you’re selling exterior landscaping supplies and information. As a bonus you can offer a free consultation where you provide specific landscaping ideas for buyers. Or if you’re selling a copywriting product, you can offer a sales letter critique.

Conclusion

Offering an incentive is a simple, yet highly effective way to generate more sales and grow your business. To discover still more ways to grow your business, visit iBusinessOwner – you may just learn strategies you never even knew existed!

By Jimmy D. Brown of iBusinessOwner

One of the most powerful, high-converting forms of traffic that you can generate is via word-of-mouth. Think about it for a moment…

When you use traditional advertising, you’re basically tooting your own horn. People tend to be a bit on the skeptical side with regards to your products or services. They put their defensive walls up. They think, “Well of course he’d say that – he’s trying to sell me something!”

But now imagine that this same prospect receives your advertising message from a friend. Maybe the friend says, “Wow – you need to check out that new sports memorabilia store on 10th Avenue. You’ll LOVE it!”

Will this prospect check it out? You bet! And that’s because someone he knows and trusts made the recommendation.

You understand now why word of mouth marketing is so powerful – and why you’ll want to make sure you put it to work for your business, too.

Here’s how:

1. Create something worth talking about. People won’t talk about your business if it’s not buzz worthy. So if it’s not naturally buzz worthy (i.e., worth talking about), then need to create something for people to talk about.

Examples:

• A publicity stunt. Kick start the viral effect by sending out press releases, using social media to spread the word and advertising it.

• A contest. A big, exciting contest with awesome prizes tends to create a buzz. But if you create a contest that includes a referral component (e.g., “get an extra chance to win by telling your friends”), then your contest becomes even more buzz worthy.

• Something controversial or even offensive. Be careful with this one, as doing it the wrong way can alienate your prospects. But do it right, and you’ll draw then closer. For examples, just look at what partisan political commentators say on their radio shows and on their blogs.

• Something extremely unique, useful or entertaining. Here you can create a useful tool, report, video or other resource that your prospects are likely to pass around.

• An amazing deal. Create coupon codes to offer a “once in a lifetime” deal – then watch your prospects share these codes with their friends!

2. Make it easy to share. In other words, don’t create hoops.

Example: If you’ve created a viral video, then put it on YouTube.com so that people can access it and share it easily.

3. Give an incentive to encourage sharing. If you create something share-worthy (like a humorous video), people will naturally share it. But if you give people an incentive to share it, you’ll get even better results.

Example: The online bank ING often runs a referral promotion. The person who gets the referral receives $25 if they open a new bank account. But the person who provides the referral also gets an incentive if his friend joins: Namely, he too gets $25 deposited into his account.

4. Provide a call to action. Whether you’re incentivizing your word of mouth campaign or not, you still need to provide a call to action. This is where you specifically tell your prospects and customers to share your marketing message.

Examples:

• “Tell your friends about our new line of products and you’ll receive 5% off your next purchase every time one of your referrals becomes a paying customer!”

• “Give your Facebook friends a laugh – click here now to share this video!”

5. Offer tools to make sharing easy. Finally, you can offer tools to make it easy for your customers and prospects to tell their friends. Examples of tools include:

• Business cards, flyers or paper coupons that people can distribute.
• Social bookmarking buttons.
• “Tell a friend” forms.
• Facebook and other social media widgets (so people can share with one click).

And there you have it: Five keys to unleashing the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

Of course this is just one way to expand your market reach. When you join the iBusinessOwner site today, you’ll discover plenty of other ways. Plus you’ll discover other ways to increase your market reach, get new customers and make more money. So visit iBusinessOwner.com to see what it’s all about – do it now, because you won’t be disappointed!

By Jimmy D. Brown of iBusinessOwner.com

Your prospects won’t buy from you unless they trust you.

Read that again, because fully understanding that deceptively simple sentence is crucial to the bottom line of your business. If you can’t establish trust, you can’t make sales. Period.

So, how do you start building trust? Like this:

1. Offer great customer service. Whether you have a prospect contacting you for the first time with a pre-sale question or you have an existing customer needing help, you need to provide prompt, professional service.

2. Start a blog. A blog gives you an opportunity to interact with your prospects and customers. It also gives you an opportunity to show value to your prospective customers. When they see what kind of help you give away for free, they’ll be excited to become a paying customer.

Tip: Don’t yet have a blog? Go to WordPress.org and download the free files.

3. Interact with prospects on social media sites. Yet another way to build relationships (and trust) is by using social media sites, especially Facebook.com and Twitter.com. There you can interact one-on-one, as well as provide good information.

4. Use your prospect’s name. Using someone’s name helps build rapport. Online you can collect your prospect’s first name when he joins your newsletter list. Offline, be sure to ask for his name so that you can use it during your sales talk.

Tip: Don’t overuse someone’s name, as that can backfire and make them feel uncomfortable. Using it once or twice during an initial meeting should be enough.

5. Follow up with your prospects. The vast majority of people who come to your website or store are unlikely to ever return – that’s why you need to get their contact information so that you can follow up with them.

Usually this involves offering your prospects something valuable in exchange for their contact information.

Example: You can offer a free report on your website. Or if you have a bricks and mortar store, you can offer prospects a chance to win something in a contest. Just be sure in all cases that your prospects know you will be following up with them.

6. Show your value now. Don’t make the mistake of promising a lot of value in the future… but only once someone pays you money. Instead, show your value now using newsletters, a blog, social media and good customer service.

7. Be accessible. This one is of particular importance to those who have an online business. The bottom line is not to hide from your prospects. This means offering multiple ways for your prospects and customers to reach you. The more accessible you are, the easier it is for people to trust you.

8. Get personal. If your prospect or client mentions a special event (like an upcoming wedding or birth of a child), write this information down so that you can refer to it again. Then the next time you see this person (either in person or even online, like on Facebook), you can ask the person about the event. He’ll be impressed that you remembered – and your relationship will grow!

9. Give your prospects what they want. Here’s the key: Help your prospects even if it doesn’t directly benefit you.

Example: Recommend a product that doesn’t garner you a commission (maybe the product is even free). When the prospect sees that you really care about him and his problem, his trust in you will grow – and before you know it, he’ll be a loyal customer!

10. Be professional. Finally, maintain a professional appearance, whether through your own grooming, your brick and mortar store, your marketing materials or your website. First impressions count. And continued professionalism helps build trust.

Conclusion

You just learned 10 proven ways to build trust and generate more sales for your business.

To find out still more ways to grow your business, visit iBusiness Owner to discover the iBusiness Owner’s Manuals. Then ask yourself: How many of these strategies are you currently overlooking? And how much more money would you make if you employed them, starting today?

Insprints – Make Money From The Comfort Of Your Home Selling Beautiful Artwork

INTERVIEWER: In one sentence, tell us what Insprints is all about.

JIMMY D. BROWN: Insprints is a monthly membership that entitles members to download, print and sell inspirational artwork.

INTERVIEWER: The same kind of artwork that you would find in Christian bookstores?

JIMMY D. BROWN: Yes, the same kind. The only difference is, our artwork is only available through Insprints members and not through a large wholesaler which is where most bookstores buy their products. But as far as design and quality, the artwork is similar to what you’d find in retail locations.

INTERVIEWER: Where do you get your artwork?

JIMMY D. BROWN: We commission artists to create exclusive and original oil paintings based on our specific instructions and feedback throughout the creation process. The art pieces are then scanned into digital format, enhanced and adorned with Bible verses.

INTERVIEWER: Then members download and print them?

JIMMY D. BROWN: Yes, members click on a link that we send to their email address. This transfers the artwork to their computer. After that, it’s just a matter of printing out the artwork on their printer. ANY printer will work … we’ve created beautiful prints even on a $29 inkjet printer from Wal-Mart.

INTERVIEWER: Really? Even those inexpensive printers? How does that work?

JIMMY D. BROWN: The designs themselves are created with very high resolution so the color looks very good regardless of what printer you use. When you set the printer settings to “highest quality”, we’ve yet to see a printout that didn’t look beautiful … even on regular copy paper.

INTERVIEWER: So, it’s very inexpensive as a result?

JIMMY D. BROWN: That’s exactly right. An 8″X10″ print costs less than a quarter.

INTERVIEWER: So, what then? You wouldn’t just sell the print straight from the printer, would you?

JIMMY D. BROWN: No, not straight from the printer, but almost. Once you’ve printed it, you would either insert it immediately into a frame or you would use a “mat kit” for the print.

INTERVIEWER: For those who don’t know what a “mat kit” is, could you describe it?

JIMMY D. BROWN: Sure. A “mat kit” consists of a mat, a backing and a sealable polybag. What you do is take a couple of pieces of tape to affix the print to the mat. A couple more pieces of tape are used to attach the backing to give it a sturdy, professional look. Then you simply insert it into the polybag. It’s ready to sell at that point.

INTERVIEWER: That sounds very easy. How long does it take?

JIMMY D. BROWN: It IS very easy. Even my ten year old can do it. It takes about a minute. In fact, we have a training video at our site which shows the entire process.

INTERVIEWER: Okay, so at this point they’ve downloaded the print. They’ve printed it out and either put it into a picture frame or a “mat kit”. I know the next question that people are thinking, so I’ve gotta ask it: what now? How do they sell them?

JIMMY D. BROWN: If they have their own retail store, then it’s just a matter of displaying them in their store for regular customers to purchase. Of course, owning a retail store isn’t a requirement. This is a perfect “work from home” business. We have five training reports which teach members in a step-by-step format how to sell the prints in a variety of ways ranging from flea markets and craft malls to retail locations to fundraisers to in-home events and more.

INTERVIEWER: So you’ve got this covered?

JIMMY D. BROWN: Yes, absolutely.

INTERVIEWER: What makes this business opportunity different from others?

JIMMY D. BROWN: There are a lot of things that are unique about the business, but there are two that stand out in my mind as significant – profitability and setup.

INTERVIEWER: Okay, explain.

JIMMY D. BROWN: Well in terms of profitability, the profit margin is very nice for these designs. An 11″X14″ double matted design in a polybag has a retail value of $24.99. They cost about $2.00 – $2.50 to create. So, if you sell the $24.99 product for a huge discount price of $10.00 and you only have $2.00 in it, you’ve got a 500% markup. That’s a very nice return.

INTERVIEWER: Most retailers have a 100% markup don’t they?

JIMMY D. BROWN: That’s the aim in a lot of instances. If you sell something for $10, you probably have $5 in it. In this case if you sell it for $10, you have $2 in it.

INTERVIEWER: You say that you have $2 in it, how does that work?

JIMMY D. BROWN: An 8″X10″ print costs about a quarter. An 11″X14″ double matted “mat kit” costs about $1.75-$2.25 depending on where you get them and how many you buy. So after you spend the minute assembling the kit you have $2.00-$2.50 in it.

INTERVIEWER: That’s amazing. Do you tell members where they can buy these “mat kits” and even picture frames like you buy them?

JIMMY D. BROWN: Yes, we give them our exact sources so they can use the same vendors we use.

INTERVIEWER: Jimmy, we’re about out of time, so let me ask one final question: is this really a “Christian” business opportunity or is that just an angle to get church folks to join you?

JIMMY D. BROWN: It’s most definitely a “Christian” business. I’ve been a believer since 1984 and am active in my church. I teach adult Bible studies, have been on mission trips from local to international, publish a Christian newsletter and try to live out my faith in everything I do. Our goal with this business is to give believers an opportunity to generate supplemental or full-time income and, more importantly, to get Scripture into homes everywhere to remind us all of our Savior and His teachings.

INTERVIEWER: Jimmy, it’s been great talking with you today. Thanks for joining us.

JIMMY D. BROWN: It’s been my pleasure. Thanks for having me.

———

If you’re looking for a Christian home-based business, then consider Insprints. You can drop by the site to take the free tour to learn more about it.

It’s a great way to share Scripture, stay true to your Christian values and earn income from the comfort of your home.

Click Here To Take the free tour at: Insprints – Your Inspirational Arts Home Business (Membership)

How To G.R.O.W. A Successful Christian Home Business

By Jimmy D. Brown

As a Christian businessman since 1994, one of the questions that I get asked is this:
“How can I grow my business and yet remain true to my Christian values?”


Insprints – The Christian Home-Based Business Opportunity That Allows You To Make Money From The Comfort Of Your Home Selling Beautiful Artwork

In answering that question, I refer to the acronym “G.R.O.W.” to share what I consider to be four necessary parts of growing a home business (or any business) that is consistent with our faith as followers of Christ.

G – GAMEPLAN.

It begins with planning. While it’s true that we aren’t to “boast” about tomorrow (Psalm 27:1, James 4:13-16), there isn’t anything unbiblical about making plans for our future.

The Lord told Joshua that He had plans for his life. (Jeremiah 29:11). The Apostle Paul and Barnabas planned on visiting their brethren together in “every city we have preached the word of the Lord”. (Acts 15:36) Even Jesus alluded to advance preparation when He told a parable about counting the cost of following Him as a disciple. (Luke 14:28-31)

The only time planning is unbiblical is when it is misaligned with God’s will.

It’s from that foundation that we should do two important things:

1) Pray for INITIAL guidance.

Before we get involved in any business, it’s important to seek God’s face in the matter. This is a big, big thing and shouldn’t be taken lightly. If we start a business and it’s not what God wants, it’s disobedience. If we fail to start a business and it is what God wants, it’s disobedience.

Our primary course of action is to align ourselves with God’s will for our lives. And that includes business.

The Bible teaches that if we pray for wisdom, God will give it to us. (James 1:5) It teaches that if we trust in Him for guidance, He’ll show us the way. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Scripture says clearly that if we seek first His kingdom, everything else will be provided for. (Matthew 6:33)

So, the first step in getting a gameplan in place is asking God up front: is this for me? Is that a business that you want me involved in? Is now the right time?

Once we know that we are aligned to God’s plan, we can launch a business and then…

2) Pray for ONGOING guidance.

When we have started a business, it becomes paramount that we continue to actively go before God in prayer and ask Him to guide our decision-making as we conduct our business.

There are a lot of variables in business. A lot of options. A myriad of choices. How in the world can we possible make the right calls apart from Him? The short answer is: we can’t.

We need the Lord. Apart from Him we can do nothing. (Matthew 15:5) But as we yield ourselves to His will we can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)

As you plan out both short-term and long-term action steps, ask the Lord to lead you. When you make decisions, both big and small, pray through them carefully. Success isn’t about dollars, it’s about obedience. If God has put you into business, He will help you run that business as long as you remain faithful to Him as your master. You can’t serve the business and God simultaneously. (Matthew 6:24)

As God leads you to make plans for you business, there’s another thing to consider…

R – REPETITION.

Strictly from a business standpoint, it’s much easier to sell more to an existing customer than it is to find and sell to a new customer. Existing customers already know about you. They have already done business with you. They already trust you. Getting them to buy more from you in the future is much easier than overcoming the barriers of finding and convincing others to buy from you.

Repeat business is critical to success, but it only works if they are SATISFIED customers. You want them to spend money with you month after month, but they won’t do it unless you follow one simple rule that you should have learned in Sunday School as a child:

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” – Matthew 7:12

How do you want to be treated as a customer? That’s exactly how you should treat others.

Stop what you’re doing and take a quick inventory. Answer that question on paper. “How do YOU want to be treated as a customer?” Right down your response. List everything you can think of. Let that list be a reminder that you are doing business with people who are made in the image of God. You are doing business with people God loves.

Treat them like you want to be treated. Treat them like God wants you to treat them.

How do you do that? It’s all about your…

O – OFFER.

Again, strictly from a business standpoint, there is a formula that I use to describe what it means to treat others as we want to be treated…

Quality Product + Value + Discount or Incentive + Great Service = Sale

Each of these parts is important.

It begins with having a quality product. Add in a fair price. Give them a discount on the price or a bonus with their purchase. Serve them well. That’s how you get a sale. That’s how you get REPEAT sales.

Once I was in the lobby of a hotel and picked up a pack of peanut butter and crackers that you could buy for 50 cents at any convenience store. When I placed them on the counter to pay, the clerk said, “That’ll be $3.00.” She didn’t get the sale. And she certainly didn’t get repeat sales.

There’s convenience. And then there’s taking advantage of people.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard is simply this: If you can’t sincerely ask God to bless it, then don’t do it.

Look at your OFFER – can you truly ask for God’s blessings? If what your business offers is overpriced, poorly created, misrepresented or takes advantage of your customers, then it doesn’t honor God. Your offer should be something you’d be unashamed to give to your King.

If it’s not, then make some adjustments. Change your price. Increase your quality. Provide better service. Present it properly.

After all, the bottom line is…

W – WITNESS.

Your business is an part of your life and as such it is a part of your testimony to others. You are a “Christian” business owner regardless of what you sell.

“Christian” is the adjective that should describe everything about your business: what business you’re in, what you offer, how you treat your customers and workers, the way you run it. Everything about your business should be consistent with the Gospel.

Wherever you’re at and whatever you’re doing, you’re to be about glorifying God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) That includes – and perhaps is especially true of – your business. Your faith is on public display in every transaction. It’s visible to all those who see your business.

Your business should never be more about money than it is the Master. That kind of love leads to all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10). Instead, you should use your business as not only a way to provide for your family, but more importantly, a vehicle by which you can share you faith in Christ.

That’s how you G.R.O.W. your Christian home business. You align yourself with God’s plan. You treat customers they way you want to be treated. You make an offer that God will bless. And you use your business to bear witness to Jesus.

Regardless of how MUCH or how LITTLE you make, that’s a business worth owning.

——

If you’re looking for a Christian home-based business, then consider Insprints. You can drop by the site to take the free tour to learn more about it.

It’s a great way to share Scripture, stay true to your Christian values and earn income from the comfort of your home.

Click Here To Take the free tour at: Insprints – Your Inspirational Arts Home Business (Membership)

7 Guidelines For A Great Home Business

By Jimmy D. Brown

There are a lot of “opportunities” to earn income for your consideration. Some good, some bad, some scams. That’s why it is important that you consider the following qualities of a truly solid money-making endeavor…

1. The Business Should Be Worry-Free With Minimal Risk.

One of the biggest problems with most opportunities is the startup costs. Either there is an expensive “franchise fee“, pricey “starter kit” or massive inventory and overhead requirements, it’s very risky for the average person to get started. Truthfully, many find these options out of their budget.

Insprints – Inspirational Arts Home Business

With Insprints® there’s hardly any risk at all because all you need is a printer and just $30 membership fees to get you started. That’s less than a daily cup of “gas-station” coffee.

2. You Should Enjoy A Sizeable Profit Margin.

Some business models make it very difficult to generate significant profit because the margins are so small. It’s not uncommon for companies to offer 2% – 10% commissions on purchase of $12. At only 24¢ – $1.20 profit per order, it simply requires too many customers (thousands) to add up to a nice return. The best business opportunities are those which allow you to set your own price so your income is never artificially capped. At a minimum, you want to double your investment.

You can create matted and bagged Insprints® artwork for as little as $1.00 for 8″X10″s – and then you can sell them for $20.00 (actual retail price). That’s a HUGE profit margin … for every $20 print you sell, you profit $19.00. If you frame these prints, you can command even higher prices. (More on this in “Ways To Make Money”)

3. The Products Should Be High Quality And Have Mass Appeal.

There are only so many people interested in luxury vacations or expensive plasticware. Once you run out of prospects, your income dries up. The best products are those that many people want. In fact, you want something that MOST households are interested in. The larger the prospect pool, the larger your potential for sales. Most people find it’s easier to get customers for products of mass appeal than it is to find customers for specialty items.

Look around your house … what do you see? There are undoubtedly framed prints somewhere in your home. Almost everyone has artwork hanging in their home, oftentimes multiple frames in the same room. Insprints® artwork is appealing to almost everyone you know and almost everyone you’ll meet.

4. You Should Be Able To Get Started Quickly And Easily.

You’re beat before you begin if there is too much to learn in order to get started. You shouldn’t have to sit through hours of training videos, attend time-draining meetings or try to learn some complicated process. Your best option should be something that you can quickly and easily put into practice.

With Insprints® you only do things that you already know how to do. If you’ve ever printed out anything with your printer, you’re qualified. There aren’t any complicated processes to learn, nor mind-numbing materials to understand. Download. Print. Sell. You can start selling these prints within hours.

5. The Buyers Should Be Easy To Find Without Pressure.

Ever been ambushed by a “party” that turned out to be a high-pressure sales presentation? Your business shouldn’t involve pressuring your friends and family members to buy over-priced products they don’t want. Instead, you want to offer amazing deals that people actually come to you to buy. Finding these customers should be easy and plentiful, otherwise after an initial sales spike, it becomes difficult to generate income.

When you sell Insprints® artwork, the buyers are easy to find – and they won’t feel pressured a bit. Sure, you can market to your friends and neighbors if you want … but that’s not your primary customer base at all. We show you how to sell your prints in your hometown, region, state … well, as far as you want to go. And, with the internet, you can sell online to people from around the world.

6. Customers Should Buy From You Regularly.

If you’re selling luxury vacations, you’re fortunate to make a sale or two – never mind trying to get people to buy again and again (especially in a down economy). Even auto sales are limited – no one buys a new car every month or two. Your business should give you a built-in potential for repeat business.

As a seller of Insprints® artwork prints your customers likely won’t buy just one print – you can be sure they’ll come back for more. Whether they are decorating their own home, purchasing gifts for others or even re-selling the items they buy from you for a profit, this is one business model that gets customer purchases over and over again.

7. You Should Enjoy A Flexible Schedule Custom-Fit For You.

If you already have a retail business, then you need to be able to create additional income streams without creating more “work” to do. And, if you are looking for the perfect work from home business, it needs to be flexible so you can work the amount of hours you want … when you want. Look for an opportunity that allows you to set your own schedule and work the amount of hours that’s best suited to you.

One of the best things about selling Insprints® designs is the fact that you can work “full-time” or just a few hours per week. It’s flexible enough to suit your lifestyle and help you achieve your sales goals.

We think you’ll agree that whether you already have a retail business or you’re looking for a home business, Insprints® is a great fit for a variety of reasons. Not least among those reasons is the variety of ways in which you can make money with the prints.

If you’re looking for a Christian home-based business, then drop by the site to take their free tour.

It’s a great way to share Scripture, stay true to your Christian values and earn income from the comfort of your home.

Click Here To Take the free tour at: Insprints – Your Inspirational Arts Home Business (Membership)