Tuesday, April 17, 2007

A Personal and Professional Problem Solving Review

Abstract
This article reviews some major Internet contributions to personal and professional problem solving, while elaborating on a major contribution that offers a great deal to the reader. The article is directed at a reader who has a personal or professional problem bogging her and is looking for a way out of her predicament.

Introduction
The aim of this article is to review some major Internet contributions to personal and professional problem solving, while elaborating on a recent major contribution (http://www.triplacc.com/) that promises a great deal for the reader. The article is directed at a reader who may have a personal or professional problem (http://www.triplacc.com/) bogging her and is looking for a way out of her predicament.

Whilst problem solving is a topic that has received considerable intellectual attention, as evidenced by Wikipedia's entry on this topic, most of the discussion has focused on the analytical structure and history of problem solving without really covering what the daily person needs to solve his or her problem. This absence of a pragmatic and meaningful approach to problem solving is what we try to address here. The approach that we have adopted below is to review the major Internet contributions to personal and professional problem solving, while elaborating on a recent major contribution that promises a great deal for the reader.

Contributions to Personal and Professional Problem Solving
These are reviewed under three separate headings: general problem solving, personal problem solving, and professional problem solving.

General Problem Solving
Wikipedia has provided a brief intellectual account of the history and structure of problem solving. This is a free online encyclopaedia that has good introductory definitions and content on various academic topics. Its main weakness is that its presentation satisfies only an academic curiosity, with little pragmatic analysis of the topic. The writing style is highly technical and as such is not amenable to a wide audience. It does not teach problem solving skills, but merely describes the nature or structure of problems.

The Free Management Library adopts a pragmatic approach to problem solving and recommends good practical books on the topic. Its main weakness is that it offers limited scope, covering only managerial problem solving.

The RHL School provides Mathematics resources for teaching school Mathematics. However, that is all it does. It has limited scope, dealing only with mathematics problem solving, and for school kids only.

MindTools offers excellent tools for business problem solving. The tools are actually specific techniques or methods for business / managerial problem solving. Its weaknesses are that the content is technical and that it is intended for business professionals only.

Thoughts on Problem Solving offers a simple and practical account of problem types and problem solving. It covers a broad range of problem types, but does not address the daily needs of individuals. It also treats problem solving in a general way.

The Mathematical Association of Victoria describes a range of resources on Math problem solving, but covers only Math.

Personal Problem Solving
Web4Health is a health and psychology problem solving site. It is oriented towards personal health problems, and its weakness is that it covers only health.

Wikipedia provides some content on personal problem solving under its general problem solving entry, but again the style is highly technical and therefore is not amenable to a wide audience.

Professional Problem Solving
MindTools is an excellent professional development site with excellent content on self-help and professional problem solving. However, its problem solving component is technical and is intended for business professionals only. It is an elaborate self-improvement and managerial problem solving site.

Free Management Library offers a pragmatic approach to professional problem solving plus recommended practical books. However, it covers only managerial problem solving.

A Promising Contribution
We now look in some detail at what appears to be the most comprehensive, pragmatic, and visitor-oriented problem solving contribution (http://www.triplacc.com/) on the Internet. This site seems to have followed the philosophy that to be of the greatest use to people a problem solving site must combine pragmatic discussions of their personal and professional problems (http://www.triplacc.com/) with merchant products (http://www.triplacc.com/products/products.html) that provide more complete information.

The site provides free information in the form of news, articles, and advice, which direct the reader on what to do to solve her problems. Complementing this, the site also provides merchant products (http://www.triplacc.com/products/products.html) which discuss in detail how the reader can go about resolving her problem.

The site addresses a multiplicity of market segments, positioning them to address the various needs of a visitor over a period of time, and such that at any given time a customer may belong to one or more of the market segments. The market segmentation follows standard practice on the Web for niche markets. Aligned with the target markets are compatible products (http://www.triplacc.com/products/products.html), a set of which addresses a particular market through a separate product catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/products.html). There are four general classes of products offered: ClickBank products (http://www.triplacc.com/products/products.html), Google products, eBay products, and SiteSell products (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/sitesell.html). Google and eBay products are presented on each page of the site. SiteSell products are applicable only to self-employment seekers. ClickBank products are grouped into product categories that match the target markets.

The market segments and their product catalogues are as follows.

General Problem Solving (http://www.triplacc.com/problem-solving/gen-prob-solv.html)

This market consists of visitors who want to learn the general methods of approaching their problems. In addition, the customers are grouped into those looking for:

Problem Solving Methods (http://www.triplacc.com/problem-solving/problem-solving.html). These are people looking for problem solving methods not of a personal or professional nature. Their needs are met through the Problem Solving Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/prob-solv-pc.html). Personal Problem Solving Methods (http://www.triplacc.com/problem-solving/personal-problem-solving.html). The needs of these visitors are met through the Personal Problem Solving Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/pers-prob-solv-pc.html).

Professional Problem Solving Methods (http://www.triplacc.com/problem-solving/professional-problem-solving.html). The needs of these visitors are met through the Professional Problem Solving Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/prof-prob-solv-pc.html).

Educational Problem Solving (http://www.triplacc.com/educational/education.html)

This consists of visitors who have educational problems and are looking for solutions. Their needs are met through the Educational Product Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/educational-pc.html).

Employment Problem Solving (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/employment.html)

These visitors have employment problems and want real solutions. They consist of three groups:

Career Planners (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/career.html). These people are seeking career advancement solutions and want to formulate a plan for their career direction. Their needs are met through the Career Development Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/career-pc.html).

Job Seekers (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/job-search/job.html). These people have a career plan already and are seeking jobs that fall within their plan. Their needs are met through the Job Search Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/job-search-pc.html).

Self-Employment Seekers (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/self-employment.html). These persons don't want to work for another person, cannot work for another person for one reason or another, are entrepreneurs looking for new opportunities or for advice, or are employed persons looking to go it alone. Their needs are met through the Self-Employment Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/self-employment-pc.html), and through SiteSell Products (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/sitesell.html). SiteSell offerings consist of SiteSell's e-Commerce Philosophy (http://www.triplacc.com/sitesell/sitesell-e-commerce.html), Site Build It! (http://www.triplacc.com/sitesell/site-build-it.html), Net Marketing e-Books (http://www.triplacc.com/sitesell/internet-marketing-ebooks.html), and SiteSell University (http://www.triplacc.com/sitesell/sitesell-university.html)

Financial Problem Solving (http://www.triplacc.com/finance/finance.html)

These are typical people with financial problems or successful people who want to expand their wealth. There are six classes of them:

Debtors or Persons Crippled by Debt (http://www.triplacc.com/finance/debt/debt.html). These persons have a debt problem and are seeking ways to overcome it. Their needs are met through the Debt/Credit Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/debt-pc.html).

Persons with Miscellaneous Financial Problems (http://www.triplacc.com/finance/general/general.html). These persons are looking for insurance, credit cards, tax advice, and grants. Their needs are met through the General Finance Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/gen-fin-pc.html).

Investors or Investment Seekers (http://www.triplacc.com/finance/investments/investment.html). These persons are looking to invest money. Their needs are met through the Investment / Stock Trading Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/investment-pc.html).

Loan Seekers (http://www.triplacc.com/finance/loans/loans.html). These people are looking for loans. Their needs are met through the Loans Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/loans-pc.html).

Mortgage Seekers and Home Owners (http://www.triplacc.com/finance/mortgages/mortgage.html). These are looking for mortgages or re-mortgages. Their needs are met through the Mortgages Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/mortgage-pc.html).

Wealth Seekers or Accumulators (http://www.triplacc.com/finance/wealth/wealth.html). These are looking for means to amass wealth. Their needs are met through the Wealth Generation Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/wealth-generaction-pc.html).

Health Problem Solving (http://www.triplacc.com/health/health.html)

This consists of visitors with health problems. They fall under the following categories:

Addicts (http://www.triplacc.com/health/addiction/addiction.html). These are people with addiction problems. Their needs are met through the Addiction Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/health/addiction/addiction-pc.html).

Disfigured Persons (http://www.triplacc.com/health/appearance/appearance.html). These people have appearance or beauty problems. Their needs are met through the Beauty Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/appearance-pc.html).

Disable Persons (http://www.triplacc.com/health/disability/disability.html). They have obvious disability and are looking for solutions fitting their predicament. Their needs are met through the Disability Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/disability-pc.html).

Unfit Persons (http://www.triplacc.com/health/fitness/fitness.html). These ones want fitness programmes and advice. Their needs are met through the Fitness Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/fitness-pc.html).

Medically Ill Persons Looking for Alternative Solutions (http://www.triplacc.com/health/alternative-medicine/alternative-medicine.html). They want complementary medical solutions to their problems. Their needs are met through the Alternative Medicine Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/alt-med-pc.html). Medically Ill Persons Looking for Conventional Solutions (http://www.triplacc.com/health/western-medicine/regular-medicine.html). They are looking for Western medical solutions to their problems. Their needs are met through the Western Medicine Catalogue 1 (http://www.triplacc.com/products/reg-med-pc-1.html) and Western Medicine Catalogue 2 (http://www.triplacc.com/products/reg-med-pc-2.html).

Women with Health Problems (http://www.triplacc.com/health/womens-medicine/women-medicine.html). They want alternative and Western medical solutions to their problems. Their needs are met through the Women's Health Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/womens-med-pc.html).

People with Eating Problems (http://www.triplacc.com/health/nutrition/nutrition.html). They are looking for dieting solutions. Their needs are met through the Nutritional Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/nutritional-pc.html).

Psychologically or Mentally Ill Persons (http://www.triplacc.com/health/psychological/psychological.html). These are people with mental problems who want advice. Their needs are met through the Psychological Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/psychological-pc.html). Obese Persons (http://www.triplacc.com/health/weight-loss/weight-loss.html). These are overweight people looking to cut their weight by whatever means that gives lasting solutions. Their needs are met through the Weight Loss Catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/weight-loss-pc.html).

Conclusion

This article has reviewed some major Internet contributions to personal and professional problem solving, while elaborating on a comprehensive contribution that promises a great deal for the reader. The article meets the need of a reader who has a personal or professional problem bogging her and is looking for a way out of her predicament.

World's Best Personal and Professional Problem Solving Site


About the Author

A A Agbormbai is the editor and webmaster of Personal and Professional Problem Solving (http://www.triplacc.com/) - a web site that fills a vacuum on the Web. He has a PhD from Imperial College London and enjoys an interdisciplinary upbringing having worked or studied in aerospace engineering, information systems development, and management.

Solving Employment Problems at the World's Best Personal and Professional Problem Solving Site

Keywords:
employment problem solving, employment solutions, employment problems, self-help, self-improvement, self-growth, self-reliance

Abstract
This article introduces the employment solutions module of the world's best personal and professional problem solving site, describing competitive offerings, the customer profile, problem-oriented solutions, target markets, product offerings, and usability features. It concludes that the module is a major contribution to the information superhighway.

Introduction
The aim of this article is to introduce the employment solutions module (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/employment.html) of the world's best personal and professional problem solving site (http://www.triplacc.com/). The article is addressed to readers who may have an employment problem bogging them and who may therefore be seeking a way out of their predicament.

It is a common fact of life that we all have problems and that we are often frustrated or we tend to lash out because of our inability to find accessible and reliable information about our problems. This specialist site fills our employment needs - as our pragmatic friend for solving our employment problems.

To be of the greatest use to people a problem solving site must combine pragmatic discussions of their personal or professional problem with merchant products that provide more detailed information. Typically, the web site will provide free information in the form of news, articles, and advice, which direct the visitor on what to do to solve her problems. Complementing this, the web site will also provide merchant products which discuss in detail how the visitor can go about resolving her problem. This means that the most effective, visitor-oriented problem-solving site will be an information-packed commercial site - and so is the world's best personal and professional problem solving site (http://www.triplacc.com/) and its specialist sites.

The approach that we have adopted below is to describe competitive offerings, the customer profile, problem-oriented solutions, target markets, product offerings, and usability features. Competitive Offerings

The following are the top employment sites on the Internet, along with their offerings.

USAJOBS - The Federal Government's Official Jobs Site. A US Office of Personnel Management website, the Federal Government's official one-stop source for Federal jobs and employment information. This is the Federal Government's job-search site. . Part Time Jobs Online : Hourly Job Search : Employment Guide.com. A job search and career advice site, where you can post a resume, search for employment by locale, gain career advice, and take an inventory of personal career readiness.

Employment Spot - Employment Resources, Job Search, and Career Advice. A career advice and job search site where you can find a collection of employment resources, find a job, post a job, search by location or vocation, and so on. Sun - Corporate Employment Home Page. The Sun Corporate Employment web site includes jobs, resume submission, benefits, contact information, and student, college, and international job and career resources.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This is the web site of the Federal agency in charge of administrative and judicial enforcement of the Federal civil rights laws, and providing compliance education and technical assistance in matters of equal opportunities in employment.

CareerBuilder.com Jobs. A job search site that allows you to search for 1.3 million jobs and to find new employment or work, with fresh job listings posted daily. You can have jobs emailed to you. Occupational Employment Statistics Home Page. This is a US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, web site. It proves occupational employment statistics covering employment and wage estimates for over 800 occupations.

These are all good sites that provide valuable information on specific aspects of employment. Their main limitations are as follows: 1. Many of the web sites cover only a narrow segment of employment, e.g. a particular function or the needs of a specific organisation. 2. All of the web sites do not cover self-employment. They generally focus on job search, career advice, employment law, or employment policy. 3. Most of them may be better targeted to the needs of the every day person by being more problem-focused, with solutions aligned to specific employment problems. 4. Most of them do not offer merchant products that deepen the visitor's understanding of her problem and of the consequent solutions.

The employment solutions module (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/employment.html) of the world's best personal and professional problem solving site (http://www.triplacc.com/) addresses these problems by targeting a multiplicity of market segments, adopting a customer profile that fits the typical employment-seeking person, considering the specific needs or problems that this person may face, offering incisive (problem-centred) solutions to the various problems, and offering a range of merchant products that deepen the visitor's appreciation of her problems and of the solutions that are applicable to them. Self-employment is a major part of the employment module.

Customer Profile
The customer profile or target visitor characteristics of the employment solutions module (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/employment.html) is the same as for all specialist sites of the world's best personal and professional problem solving site (http://www.triplacc.com/). The site has been designed to meet the needs of visitors who have an employment problem bogging them. It is designed for both males and females, even though it is often convenient to refer to just one sex when writing. The visitor uses search engines to research information about her personal or professional problem, with the intention of finding solutions to it. The visitor is serious about solving her problem and is therefore willing to buy products that help her to achieve her mission, provided that she can find reliable and honest information about relevant products so that she can make an informed decision about which ones to acquire. This information will help her to apply her finances economically, and hence avoid wasting money. The visitor wants high quality information products (usually in digital form) and wants to pay the cheapest price for these (without paying so much emphasis on price that she compromises quality). The visitor also wants free bonus offers that are attached to the purchased goods.

Problem-Centred Solutions
Our free solutions are organised in the form of pragmatic articles that are written by top experts. Each article addresses a specific daily problem, but does not go into detail. It explains the problem and tells the visitor what she must do to solve her problem. However, it does not tell the visitor how she must solve it - this is too much for an article. To find out about the how, the visitor must buy a product (usually an e-book or e-book set) that goes into greater depth.

The set of employment articles that we have chosen, to provide initial solution to a visitor's problem are as follows:

Career Advancement
Graduating with a Plan of Action (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/plan-of-action.html) A guide to career planning after graduation.

A Look at Some Out-of-the-Ordinary Jobs (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/some-jobs.html) A review of some not-usually-considered job options.

Career Discovery: Pinpoint Your Ideal Career (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/ideal-career.html) Identifying your future career direction.

Will a Personality Test Help You Find a Career? (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/personality-test.html) The use of a personality test in determining your career direction.

Get Yourself Noticed! (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/noticed.html) How to get yourself noticed for promotions.

Networking: Some Basic Tips to Improve Your Career (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/networking.html) How to use networking to simplify your job search and career advancement prospects.

Improve Your Image at Work (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/image.html) Selling yourself at work to improve your career prospects.

Over 50 and Changing Careers? You'd Better have a Plan. (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/changing.html) Career planning for over-50's.

Take this Career and Shove it - in the Right Direction! (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/shove-it.html) Redirecting your career path to suit your personality.

Chicken Soup for Job Seekers (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/chicken-soup.html) How to go about changing your job to one that better suits your life's goals.

Stressed Out? It Might Be Your Job (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/career/stressed-out.html) Understanding work stress.

Job Search

Job Search: Is It a Numbers Game? (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/job-search/numbers-game.html) Understanding job search.

How to Write a Resume that Stands Out from the Crowd (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/job-search/resume.html) Resume writing skills.

Rules for Effective Resume Formatting (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/job-search/resume-formatting.html) How to format a resume for improved job search.

I'm Changing Careers - How Do I Format My Resume? (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/job-search/format-resume.html) How to format your resume.

Would You Lie on Your Resume? (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/job-search/resume-ethics.html) Resume ethics.

Can You Afford to Write Your Own Resume? (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/job-search/your-own-resume.html) Writing your own resume versus using a resume service.

Creating a Compelling Cover Letter (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/job-search/cover-letter.html) How to write cover letters.

Five Tips to Nailing Your Job Interview (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/job-search/interview.html) Job interview techniques.

Self-Employment

Self-Employment Ideas (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/se-ideas.html) Some ideas for self-employment.

Entrepreneur: The Last Free American (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/entrepreneur.html) Becoming an entrepreneur.

Is Working from Home All It's Cracked Up to Be? (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/cracked-up.html) The truth about working from home.

Work from Home Business Money Matrix (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/money-matrix.html) A work-from-home opportunity.

How to Create a Successful Work at Home Business (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/work-at-home.html) Creating a work-at-home business.

Working From Home - The Online Business Reality (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/online-reality.html) The reality of running an online business.

Running a Successful Home Based Business on the Web (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/home-based.html) How to run a successful home-based business online.

Do You Have the Right Stuff for Home-Based Business Success? (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/right-stuff.html) The reality of running a home-based business.

A Dollar in Your Pocket and a Dream (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/dollar-in-pocket.html) Starting an online business from almost nothing.

My Secret Recipe for Home Business Success (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/secret-recipe.html) One person's approach to home business success.

Are You Spreading Yourself Thin? (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/spreading-thin.html) How to promote affiliate products without spreading yourself thin.

Starting an eBay Business - An Online Business Model that Works (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/ebay.html) How to start an eBay business.

Drop Shippers Can Make a Fortune on eBay (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/drop-shippers.html) Running a drop shipping business on eBay.

Come Blog with Me and Ride the Crest of The Blogging Wave of Internet Business (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/blog-with-me.html) Getting into the online blogging business.

Paid Surveys Online - An Easy Way to Make Money Online? (http://www.triplacc.com/employment/self-employment/paid-surveys.html) The truth about doing paid surveys.

Target Markets and Product Offerings

Now let us turn to the target markets and their associated product offerings. We have positioned the segments to address the various needs of a visitor over a period of time, and at any given time a customer may belong to one or more of the market segments. There are three general classes of products offered: ClickBank products, Google products, and eBay products. Google and eBay products are presented on each page of the site. ClickBank products are grouped into product categories that match the target markets. These categories and their markets are as follows.

Career Advancement. This consists of visitors looking to plan their future career and life mission. Their needs are met through the career-advancement product catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/career-pc.html).

Job Search. This consists of visitors looking for work. Their needs are met through the job-search product catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/job-search-pc.html).

Self-Employment. This consists of visitors looking to go it alone. Their needs are met through the self-employment product catalogue (http://www.triplacc.com/products/self-employment-pc.html).

Conclusion

This article has introduced the employment solutions module of the world's best personal and professional problem solving site. The article has examined competitive offerings, the target customer profile, problem-oriented solutions, target markets, product offerings, and usability considerations. It concludes that the module is a major contribution to the information superhighway.

About the Author

A A Agbormbai is the editor and webmaster of Personal and Professional Problem Solving - a web site that fills a vacuum on the Web. He has a PhD from Imperial College London and enjoys an interdisciplinary upbringing having worked or studied in aerospace engineering, information systems development, and management. The employment solutions module is one of many specialist sites of Personal and Professional Problem Solving.

Online College Degree Resource: Web-Based Tools for Finding Online Schools

An online college degree resource is an ideal tool for selecting the right degree from the university that caters to your needs. One can choose from a variety of online degree programs and courses from accredited universities and colleges from across the world.

What's on offer:
The number of colleges, schools and universities offering online college degree programs is increasing rapidly by the day. In such a scenario, it gets difficult to pin down the exact program that fits your criteria; this is when an online college degree resource can be of immense help.

These resources not only offer you names of various colleges, but give you an overview of the college, a brief description of the courses, the fee structure, duration, eligibility and a lot more of such information including links to the websites of the individual colleges. Also available are useful articles and advice from consultants and experts.

Free downloadable e-books are also offered for those who want to go through a detailed list of options at leisure. And once you have made your decision about the online degree program you want to join, simply enrol yourself by filling in the online application form.

The resources:
The first step to take while researching your educational options is to browse an online degree resource like the website World Wide Learn where you can find programs right from associate degrees to PhDs.

You will find that, because of the growing demand for online education, many of the non-traditional universities and colleges, such as the University of Phoenix, among many others, are offering quality programs that are on par with the regular campus based ones.

Another resource, such as the website Get Educated, gives you rankings for online colleges, thus enabling you to see who offers the top MBA program or a Nursing program from among hundreds of options.

Also depending on your learning skills and requirements, choose an online college than gives you the flexibility to complete your education without altering your routine. This way, you can earn your degree without having to leave your job and even enjoy the benefit of equipping yourself with a degree that will help you further your career.

Wherever you may reside in the world, an online college degree resource will help you find that right course you are looking for in a college of your choice. Simply explore the online resource sites, and you will be able to target the ideal school that suits your needs.

About the Author

Jim Zorn is web master of the Guide to Distance Learning. Visit us to learn more about online colleges and universities, distance learning degrees, majors and courses offered. http://www.guide-to-distance-learning.com

Affiliate Marketing Programs - What's A Newbie To Do?

It began with a few people earning commissions by selling books from their own home based online business websites. For those who might not know, it was mega-bookseller Amazon.com who is credited with developing the very first internet affiliate marketing program. Following the unquestionable success of that new online marketing concept, literally thousands of companies have since offered partnership commissions to virtually anyone willing to sell their affiliate products.

But, finding the right online marketing company, with the best affiliate programs is indeed a difficult task for the internet newcomer. It is a mind-blowing maze of choices, created by relentless marketing hype and online scams. There is simply no shortage of affiliate program promoters, promising immediate riches, by using their 'little work' or 'no work' techniques to acquire wealth and a new address on 'Easy Street'.

One common newbie mistake is best described as trying to 'Run With The Big Dogs'. As tempting as it may seem, focusing your affiliate programs and internet ad campaigns on the most profitable online niches is likely to consume a disproportionate chunk of your business start-up cash. So, you may find that positioning yourself in the more competitive affiliate markets may be beyond the limits of your entry-level cash budget. And just as importantly, your affiliate target niche may also be well beyond your knowledge based comfort zone.

An internet marketing newcomer should instead focus on what they already have the most extensive knowledge of. The advantages of utilizing what you already know, regarding hobbies or small non-competitive niches, will provide the most affordable and practical entry market for the online novice. The experience gained will put you in a much better position to survive later on, at the more competitive, riskier and profitable levels.

The reasons for deciding on a career in affiliate marketing are generally as varied as the individuals themselves:

* Escape The Rat Race
* Earn More Money
* Have More Free Time
* Be Your Own Boss
* More Spending Cash

However, if you expect to succeed in affiliate marketing, education will certainly be a key ingredient. Affiliate marketing training courses are numerous and may prove to be the difference between success and failure, as you learn to use the latest software, techniques and technologies.

There is an awful lot to learn and it certainly won't happen overnight. To be sure, more than a few months may be required before you get a secure grip on the necessary fundamentals. You will need to know the basics of affiliate marketing, internet search engine optimization and cost efficient methods of driving traffic to your websites.

Your training should include the latest affiliate marketing manuals, online marketing tutorials, and internet affiliate conferences. Learn from the successes and mistakes of others through various articles, books, ebooks and other publications. These are the training tools that will not only enhance your understanding of how the various affiliate programs work, but will help you in developing the expertise to intelligently select the best affiliate companies to work with.

Affiliate marketing is no different than any other type of business, which operates in a highly competitive environment. But, that does not mean there is no room for additional competition. New ideas for making money emerge almost daily, as do marketing techniques to improve efficiency and lower your costs. So, if you have the patience and are willing to invest the time and energy required, you may certainly succeed in becoming the internet's newest affiliate marketing guru.

About the Author

Harry Monell is gaining experience and success in affiliate marketing while focusing on article publication. For additional information on affiliate marketing please visit Programs & Reviews. For other helpful articles on affiliate marketing please visit Affiliate Revenue.

Industrial CRM Commence Participates in Automation Standards Organization

Commence offers industrial companies complete "Freedom Of Choice" to select the solutions and platform that best meets the business requirements of manufacturers and distributors. The comprehensive CRM Industrial application suite is available for use on premise or on-demand as a hosted service. Industrial leaders often build departmental CRM solutions with the award winning Commence Industrial CRM Framework. These choices are why so many industrial companies choose Commence as the solution for managing customer relationships. All Commence Industrial solutions support mobile or wireless connectivity and integration to back-office accounting and ERP systems.

Founded in 1945, ISA (www.isa.org) is a leading, global, nonprofit organization that is setting the standard for automation by helping over 30,000 worldwide members and other professionals solve difficult technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and personal career capabilities. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, ISA develops standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; and hosts the largest conference and exhibition for automation professionals in the Western Hemisphere. ISA is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org).

Commence (www.commence.com) is the leading CRM system for manufacturing and distribution recently became a member of the ISA. Larry Caretsky, President of Commence Corporation suggested, "ISA provides its members with unparalleled access to technical information, professional development resources, and opportunities to network with other automation professionals. In addition to these unique benefits, membership supports a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancement of the state-of-the-art and recognition of the automation profession. Commence fully supports these goals and objectives."

Commence Corporation www.commence.com Larry Caretsky Marketing@commence.com 732-380-9100


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Professional Marketing Firm for the Manufacturing Community and Manufacturing Journalist to most manufacturing magazines