Thursday, May 8, 2008

Part 1 of 5 On The Home Business Set-Up Guide

Part 1 of 5 On The Home Business Set-Up Guide

by: Alvin

Dear Reader,

These articles will provide a step by step guide on how to start and run a home based business based on my experiences and other home business owners. This is part 1 in a series of 5 articles. They are written in a basic format and where possible main points are summarised in an attempt to be understood by all. I have tried to minimise the technical jargon as much as possible.

So lets jump right in and see what we need to know about starting and running a home based business.

Regards,

Alvin

http://www.parttimeincome.org

I publish Home Business Tips, a fresh and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people like YOU! If youre looking for the best rated home business opportunities, latest time saving tools and helpful support from a friend in the business, come by and a grab a F-R-E-E subscription today at: http://www.parttimeincome.org

What type of business?

The following is a list of business that can be run from home. Look through the list and note any that grab you, these may give ideas to explore and develop. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, there are many home based business opportunities out there!

Aromatherapy
Beauty therapy
Book keeping
Computer repairs
Desktop publishing
Event management
Furniture restoration
Graphic design
Hairdressing
Interior decorating
Network marketing
Resume writing
Tutoring
Web design

Will it work?

Many people waste their resources on good ideas, but not viable business propositions. You need to conduct a feasibility study to test the idea and help you make a decision whether you need to pursue it or not. More on this later.

Essentials you must consider for a home based business:

A good idea
Money
Time
Customers
Location

Remember this is a business and a business requires time and money. Be sure you allocate sufficient amounts of both of these when you do your research.

A good place to start your research is to see if someone else has done it before at another location. Find out if they were successful or not and why. This may involve a simple e-mail or a telephone call, you will be surprised how many people are willing to tell you their story.

Legal matters

A decision will need to be made on the legal structure to operate the business, eg: sole proprietor, limited company. You are best to check with a qualified professional, like an accountant, to determine what will be the best for you.

Business costs

You have to take things seriously, a business needs capital to start up and operate. You need to calculate business expenses and the following list will help you think about and estimate some costs. Remember these are listed to stimulate you and because your business may be different, you may have different costs.

Business expenses

Start up capital
Telephone, fax, computer

Operating costs

Insurance
Cleaning
Gas & electricity

Administration costs

Office supplies
Consultant fees
Information technology expenses

Trading costs

Interest charges
Leasing
Packaging materials
Travelling expenses & networking

Break even point

Knowing costs are important to calculate sales needed to reach break even point. This is where the gross profit is the same as your operating costs. If your business doesnt make enough money to reach break even point, plus profit for all your efforts, this business idea may not be feasible.

Borrowing funds

You may have sufficient cash to start and operate the business. Typically you could approach family, banks and financial societies to help you kick start your idea.

When you borrow money make sure you know:

How much you need
What you will do with it
When and how you will repay it
What collateral you can offer

Target market

You must know the group of people you want to sell your product or service to:

Who they are
Their location
When & how often they buy
How much are they willing to pay
Their age

The competition

Most times there are already others doing what you are going to do. Think about what way you can compete with them:

Price
Quality
Knowledge
Service

This way you and your customers will be clear on your competitive advantage.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is a tool to help you determine whether your business will work. SWOT stands for:

Strength
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

Strength and weaknesses are factors inside your business which the business has a control over. These are what your business is good and bad at.

Opportunities and threats are factors outside your business which the business has no control over. You will find that your opportunities will emerge from your strengths, while your weakness would become threats to your business.

Suppliers

When you have determined what products you need, find a supplier. Research various suppliers and explore what they can offer you. Negotiate the best possible price and trading terms you can. Working closely together with suppliers will form a strong backbone for your business.

Cash flow forecast

This management tool is essential and gives you a summary of your monthly earnings and costs over 12 months.

The basic format of a cash flow forecast is:

Starting balance
Add projected cash inflow
Deduct projected cash outflow
Result is budgeted cash balance

Usually when you first start a home based business it may be easier to do a three month cash flow projection. List the actual monthly results and this will let you know how accurate your projections are and gives you and idea of a trend so you will be project the next 3 months.

Click Here To Get Other Resources On Home Based Business Ideas & Opportunities

I Am Making As Much Money Part Time From My Home Business As I Was Working Full Time In My 9-5 Job. Want To Hear My Story?

http://www.parttimeincome.org

About The Author

Is Your Computer Strong Enough For A work From Home Internet Business

By Tom Worsley

If you are planning on doing business online with one of the many work from home based businesses available on the internet, then you are going to want to make sure your computer is up to the task.

Although it is possible to get by with a Pentium 1, at todays prices there is no reason to do so. Pentium 4 computers and AMD equivalent computers have dropped in price enormously.

I have to admit, I am still using an Intel Celeron 766 Mh computer but I upgraded the ram to 384 Mb and the hard drive to 80 Gb. Also a high speed internet connection is a must. I am connected to the internet from 8:00 Am to 2:00 Am (18 Hours) continuously every day. This means my security including firewall must be set up properly and working. But thats another article for another time.

Why do you need a powerful computer for your work from home internet business? Well before I upgraded from my Pentium MMX 233 Mh computer I was spending more time re booting from freeze ups and cleaning my hard drive than I was actually working at my internet work from home based business. Yes I started out over 5 years ago using a Pentium MMX 233 with only 160 Mb of RAM and a 3 Gb hard drive, proving that it is possible to build a work from home internet business on an old slow computer. But why would you. I upgraded to a used Celeron 766 Mh computer with 256 Mb of RAM for $200 Canadian. And here in Canada you can buy a Pentium 4 or AMD equivalent for just $400-$500.

I recommend the following main features when looking for your work from home internet business computer.
1. Pentium 4 or AMD Equivalent.
2. 256 Mb of RAM minimum. 512 Mb is better.
3. 80 Gb hard drive or better
4. Ethernet for high speed internet connection.
Your video card is less important unless you plan to play games on your work from home business computer. Cheaper computers come with onboard video which is just fine for business purposes.

Try to get at least a 17 inch monitor. Get an LCD monitor if you can afford it. It will save you all kinds of desk space giving you more room to work.

These are my recommendations for your work from home internet business computer based on my past experiences with my own work from home internet business. They are just guidelines only. In fact you could spend thousands of dollars more than what I have suggested here. Wouldnt we all love to have an AMD 64 computer with 2 Gb RAM, dual 200 Gb raided hard drives and a 21 inch LCD monitor!

About the author:

Tom Worsley is a successful work from home Internet marketer and independent representative for Strong Future International (SFI), Owner and Webmaster for http://kawarthapublishing.com. This article may be re-published on your site or in your newsletter as long as this resource box is included.

5 Critical Steps to Protecting Your Computer on the Internet

Spyware, viruses and worms... oh my!

If you are connected to the internet, you need to make sure you get your computer set up properly if you want to avoid problems down the road.

With all the viruses, spyware and other threats on the internet today, no computer should be set up without the proper protection.

And that protection needs to be in place as soon after you hook up your new machine as possible.

The following five steps will make your computer a much harder target for threats. You still won't be completely immune to problems, but 99% of the time the threat will pass you by, looking for the easy mark.

1. Running a Personal Firewall

A personal firewall is software that basically makes your computer invisible to hackers, worms and other threats that can infect your computer over the internet.

Setting up a firewall is the absolute first thing you should do if you're going to connect to the internet. Without a firewall, your computer could get infected in as little as one minute after connecting.

If you have a brand new computer running Windows XP Service Pack 2, there is a firewall built into Windows. It will already have been turned on when you first set up your computer.

If you're running an older version of Windows, even an earlier version of Windows XP, there is no firewall automatically set up for you. In this case there are two possibilities:

- Your computer came pre-loaded with a firewall such as Norton Internet Security or McAfee Internet Security
- You have no firewall installed and should download one ASAP.

If you don't have any personal firewall software installed, you should do so right away. Zone Alarm is a very good firewall program that has a version that you can download and install for free.

You can download the free version of Zone Alarm from http://www.computer-help-squad.com/zonealarm

2. Turn on Windows Updates

Again, if you're running Windows XP Service Pack 2 this is already set up, but otherwise you should turn on Windows Updates. Microsoft releases updates for security problems and other bugs in Windows on a regular basis.

These updates will keep your computer running better, and they often fix security issues that could compromise your information or privacy.

If you are running Windows XP Service Pack 2, you can double-check that automatic updates are turned on by clicking Start, then click Control Panel, then double-click Security Center. The window that opens will tell you if automatic updates are turned on, and lets you turn them on if they're not.

To turn on automatic updates in earlier versions of Windows XP, click on the Start menu, click Control Panel and then double-click on System. On the "Automatic Updates" tab, click the option to "Automatically download the updates and install them on the schedule I specify."

To turn them on in Windows 2000, click on Start, click Control Panel and then double-click on Automatic Updates. Again, click the option to "automatically download the updates and install them on the schedule I specify."

Now when Microsoft releases updates, they will be downloaded for you automatically and Windows will tell you when they are ready to be installed.

3. Install & Update Antivirus Software

Most new computers come with antivirus software these days. You might have Norton, McAfee, PC-Cillin or another brand. No matter what program you have, you will need to update it when you get connected to the internet.

It doesn't matter how new your computer is - there will be new viruses, and new updates for the antivirus software, since it was loaded.

The exact process is different for each brand of antivirus program, but most of them will have an icon in the bottom right corner of your desktop, beside the time. The icon might be a picture of a shield (McAfee), a stethoscope (Norton) or something else.

In most cases, if you point to the icon for your antivirus and click the right mouse button, a menu will pop up with an update option. It could be simply called update or could be something like Live Update or Download Latest Updates. If you click on the update option (with the left button this time) it will install the newest updates for you.

If you're not sure which icon is for your antivirus software, just point to each one for a few seconds and a little title should pop up telling you what it is.

4. Install Anti-Spyware Software

Spyware - and other things known as adware and malware - is becoming as big a problem as viruses. Spyware programs can cause a lot of problems with your computer, not to mention they can track your personal information and you never know where it's being sent.

Some new computers might includes antispyware software, but most of them don't yet. There are quite a few anti-spyware programs available, some free and some not. The one I recommend is from Microsoft and is one of the free ones.

One of the reasons I like it is because it always runs in the background and will automatically catch a lot of spyware before it gets on your computer.

Many of the other programs don't catch it until you run a scan. Not only does this allow things to get on your computer, it also means you have to actually remember to run a scan.

You can download the free Microsoft Antispyware from http://www.computer-help-squad.com/antispyware

5. Set up a Free Email Account

This last item is not as critical as the first four, but I would highly recommend you set up an email account with one of the free services like Hotmail or Gmail.

Once you're on the internet, you'll find a lot of useful information that you want that requires you to provide an email address. In some cases, these people will end up sending you a bunch of spam.

If you use a free email account to sign up for anything that you don't know for sure you can trust, it's not going to fill your main email with a bunch of junk.

This goes for anything really, not just online information. If you're entering a contest or signing up for anything offline and you don't know where your information could end up being used, I would suggest using your free email address.

If worse comes to worse, and your free email address gets inundated with spam, you can always just set up a new one and let the old one expire.

Some of the better free email services are www.hotmail.com, www.gmail.com and www.yahoomail.com.

If you've had your computer for a while and never done any of these things, you should still take these steps to get it set up properly. It will definitely save you a lot of time - and possibly money - as you use your system.

About the author:
John Lenaghan offers easy-to-understand advice at the Computer Help Squad website. Find out more about these 5 steps - sign up for our newsletter and receive your free 5-part guide at http://www.computer-help-squad.com/5steps

The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups

The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups

by: Keith Edmunds

Backups of company data are carried out for two main reasons. The first is to cater for those times when a document is inadvertently deleted or damaged and you wish to recover the original document; the second is as part of a disaster recovery plan in case something catastrophic happens to your computers (e.g., victims of a fire or theft).

Backups cost time, money and effort to implement, and they are of no value right up until the time you need them. This means they tend to be given a low priority, but ultimately they may easily represent the difference between your business surviving and failing. In this TipSheet, we look at the most common mistakes businesses make with backups.

1. Backup often

Re-entering data is tedious and frustrating. Backing up your company data once a week means that the most you should ever have to re-input is one week's worth Backing up your company data once a day means the most you should ever have to re-input is one day's worth. Frequent backups lessen the impact of data loss.

2. Don't keep any volatile data on desktop PCs

In many organisations, documents are kept on the hard drive of desktop PCs. It is unlikely that this is backed up regularly, if at all. A PC can easily be replaced: last week's quotations may not be so easy to replace. In particular, check that email is not stored on the local hard drive (this is very common in small to medium size businesses). All documents, spreadsheets, email, etc should be kept on a central server, which is in turn backed up regularly.

3. Automate the backup process

Backups are tedious to do. At 6:30pm, most people would prefer to set off home or join colleagues in the bar rather than stay in the office to find the correct tape and start a backup. Automating tedious tasks means they get done.

4. Monitor the backup process

While automating backups is a good idea, do check that they are running correctly. Make sure new files are being backed up; make sure the files of new users are being backed up. A quick check once a week could avert a much more serious problem later.

5. Keep backups offsite

If your business premises suffer a fire or flood, it is likely that backup media will be lost as well. Fireproof safes only protect media for a given time, typically one hour - if you use one, check the manufacturer's specification. If you always keep your backup tape in the server then when it is stolen the thief will probably throw the tape away. It's worth nothing to him, but it could represent bankruptcy to you.

6. Produce a "backup recovery" manual

A major disaster is not the time to try to remember how to recover data from your backup media. Have an idiot-proof, step-by-step procedure written - with a copy stored off-site - detailing how to reinstate your company data.

7. Test the recovery procedure periodically

Without warning, give the backup recovery manual to a member of staff and see how long it takes them to recover data. Many organisations never do this! No one involved with creating the manual or the backups themselves should be involved in the test. The results of the test should be analysed and the manual updated accordingly. A recovery test should be carried out at least twice a year. This proves both that the backups themselves are usable, and that your organisation understands how to use them if necessary.

About The Author

Keith Edmunds has been helping companies get the most from their IT investment for over twenty years. He is the Managing Director of Tiger Computing Ltd (http://www.tiger-computing.co.uk) and may be contacted at keith.edmunds@tiger-computing.co.uk

Protection for your computer system - Painless and free !

Painless (and FREE) P.C. Protection

Viruses, Bugs, Worms, Dataminers, Spybots, and Trojan horses. The Internet is a veritable minefield of things that can invade your PC and affect its Security and Performance.
You can do something about it and you can do it FREE, using some or all of the following programs and tips.

Anti-Virus protection.
One of the best Free programs for this is AntiVir Personal Edition Anti-Virus software. Download it from:
http://www.free-av.com
Install on your PC and leave it running to block any incoming bugs or viruses! It can also be used to scan your system for any previous invasions, but be patient, this takes about 15 minutes to complete. Worth running periodically, to check all is ok.

FireWalls and Broadband.
If you are on Broadband, consider using Firewall software. Most good ISPs now supply free. (eg AOL). If yours doesnt, you can get a reasonably good Free personal firewall system from ZoneAlarm at http://www.zonelabs.com .
Tip DONT leave your PC connected to the Internet when you are not using it! Reduce the chance of something loading while you are not monitoring things !

SpyBot finders and Ad blockers.
Various programs available on the web, both Paid and Free. You can get good results from using 2 Free packages that are available. These are SpyBot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware. Downloads available at
http://www.lavasoft.de for AD-Aware
http://www.safer-networking.org for SpyBot
Using both of these packages ensures that, you get with one, any bots that the other one misses.

Suspect you have a virus ?
If you think you already have a virus, a good Free tool for checking and killing them is McAfee Stinger. Free download at:
http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=stinger

Some General Tips
Get in the habit of , every time you disconnect from the web, deleting ALL files from the following folders:
C:/WINDOWS/Cookies
C:/WINDOWS/Temporary Internet

Beware Boys Toys and Freebies! Think, if someone wants to spread a bug, get tracking software onto your PC etc, the best place for them to do it is places where you go to get freebies to download! The above sites are normally ad free, but be aware that if you download porn, free music, free games, free software, there is often a price to pay. Always use the above programs after visiting ANY of these sorts of sites!

About the author:

John Roberts ia a freelance Training Consultant and Director of JayrConsulting Ltd John is an active member of TrainerBase at http://www.trainerbase.co.uk and is always open to discuss any training related issues

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Zone Labs vs. Windows XP Service Pack 2 Firewall

Windows XP computer users fall into two categories: those who have personal firewall software and those who do not. Knowing that the majority of computer users go without a firewall, Microsoft has included an internet security firewall into the latest XP update called Service Pack 2. If you had no prior firewall, the day you download the SP2 update is a happy day for you.

If you already have a personal firewall such as Zone Labs, McAfee or Norton, then a question arises as to which one you keep, because any computer repair store geek would say you should not keep both the XP firewall or your existing software because it has the dynamic Microsoft name behind it, or go with a more niche company for security such as Zone Labs.

What is this Firewall Thing, Anyway?

First, what is a firewall? A personal firewall protects your computer from malicious users by blocking unauthorized access. Who needs a firewall? The term firewall gives the impression that only large companies need a wall of fire to block attacks. You probably feel your computer is too small to attract an attack. But lets not forget that hackers are hackers because they are students of behavior! They know that millions of people think theyre not targets and forego internet security. They build viruses to seek out such vulnerable computers, which can lead to a multitude of computer problems, not to mention identify theft.

Perhaps if firewalls were renamed, personal identity insurance, more people would realize the need to own it! So, does the Windows firewall do the job? While it will block incoming attacks, it will not block programs already installed on your computer from sending information out.

Many downloads you agree to will have spyware attached, and spyware often phones home with information about the user. Windows XP firewall will not stop this which is why computer experts suggest that for maximum protection you should go with a full firewall protection like the ones offered by Zone Labs, Norton and McAfee in lieu of XPs.

About the author:
John Lenaghan writes about solving computer problems for the Computer Help Squad website, where he provides valuable tips and advice about internet security, computer upgrades and other computer related topics.

Spyware Protection Software

Spyware protection software is the easiest way of removing spyware from your computer and keeping it away. It detects and removes all pieces of spyware and adware automatically. Spyware is extremely difficult to remove manually and should only be removed with spyware protection software.

Spyware protection software is designed to not only get rid of spyware viruses but will shield you and your computer from destructive hackers, data thieves, malicious e-mail attachments, and other emerging Internet threats. It keeps these dangerous viruses from getting into your computer in the first place.

You might be asking if there are free spyware cleaners available why would you want to purchase spyware protection software. The free spyware cleaners are good programs to get rid of spyware viruses you already have on your computer now. But how much of your personal information, passwords and even credit card numbers did these programs send out before they were removed?

Also, many spyware programs automatically reinstall themselves even after they are removed. So you have a false sense of security because the hacker designed the spyware program to start right back up again. Free spyware cleaners should be a warning to you and not a permanent solution to solve spyware and adware problems.

Spyware protection software is designed to find all of these hidden programs and disable them before they have a chance to work. It is the best way of removing spyware and adware from your computer and keeping it away. Whether you take our recommendations or someone else's it's important that you get spyware protection software installed immediately.

Spyware dangers have become so common, they have now moved ahead of viruses as the number one danger facing computer users today. It's worth a little time and a little cost now to invest into quality spyware protection software. Your personal information and computer are at risk until you do.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This article is provided by http://www.spyware-information.com where you will find free spyware cleaners, downloads, removal software, valuable tips and updated articles about adware and spyware removal programs to protect your identity. For other informative spyware and adware articles go to http://spyware-information.com/articles_1.html

3 Summer Computer Tips

3 Summer Computer Tips

Written By: Sharron Senter

1 Summer Computer Travel
Holiday travelers should be on alert when arriving home from long weekends, such as the Fourth of July, a popular time for computer viruses to spread.

Most computer users have a tendency to turn off their computers when away on trips, which means youre not getting newly-released anti-virus patches or anti-spyware updates; the two most common areas that cause computers problems. We recommend you update anti-virus and anti-spyware scans before opening e-mail or going online after an extended absence.

We consistently see an increase in calls for virus related problems immediately following long weekends. Avoid the problems altogether by updating your security software before using your computer. For a free listing of viruses, spyware threats and trends, visit: www.VisitingGeeks.com/downloads.htm

2 -- Should You Leave Your Computer Running?
One question we hear frequently is, "Should I leave my desktop computer on or turn it off?"

There are 2 schools of thought
Turning it on and off numerous times during the day subjects the microcircuits to flexing and fatigue due to change in temperatures. Over time this could lead to a break in the circuitry and result in system failure.

Leaving the computer on all the time puts excess wear on the mechanical components (the hard drive spindle motor and cooling fans).

Best compromise. First user in the morning turns it on; last user turns it off.

We leave our desktops on all the time allowing for scheduled utility tasks to run during overnight hours. We also restart the systems (to flush the RAM and reset the operating system) on a regular basis and routinely remove the case covers to clean out any dust that may have accumulated, especially around the fans and screens.

3 -- Stop Popups!
Never click inside the window of a popup. Instead, close it by clicking on the X in the upper right corner. Many people are fooled into installing spyware applications by popups that promise to clean their system. If you receive a message saying it can help, assume its spyware and dont click!

About the author:
About the Author
Sharron Senter is co-founder of http://www.VisitingGeeks.com- an on site computer repair, security and networking company serving north of Boston, Southern NH and Maine. Visiting Geeks technicians are crackerjacks at squashing viruses, popups and securing and making computers perform faster. Learn more about Sharron at http://www.SharronSenter.com

Five Ways To Start a Money-Making Ad

Advertising is more affordable than ever thanks to ezines, small newspapers, and an exploding number of trade publications that cover specific industries.

I often place classifieds ads for as little as $3 in ezines that reach thousands. Local papers and trade pubs sell short classified ads for $13 to $50, with small display ads (those box ads) going for $100 to $300.

Of course, to keep the cost down, you may have to write your ad yourself. The hardest part of writing an ad is always the very beginning. Once you get the ad started, the rest is easy.

Here are five ways to start your ad. Use these simple time- saving formulas to get a great ad going. Don't worry about compromising quality. These are the exact same tricks top professional copy writers have used for decades, even for million-dollar ad campaigns.

1. Start with the word FREE! It's the most popular word in advertising--because it WORKS. FREE trial consultations, FREE samples, and FREE limited-time offers all get attention and get your ad rolling.

2. Start with the word NEW! Announce a new product, service, or idea. NEW tables just in, NEW opportunity to make money, NEW information just developed.

3. Start with a DO YOU? DO YOU make enough money, DO YOU suffer from heartburn, DO YOU get tired of ads? Questions pull the reader into the rest of your ad. A question makes the reader think the answer. As subtle as this seems, it's a powerful first step in getting people to think seriously about buying.

4. Start with $10,000...or any other big amount of money. $10,000 a week for life, $13,000 is what you can save each month, $5,000 off this month only.

For years we've tested ads on AOL in front of their millions of members and visitors. Big money numbers and "FREE COMPUTER" pull the best response. Now, the folks that click on the ad may not be the kind who are going to buy, but there is no question that this method gets lots of attention.

5. Start with "I tried it." Happy quotes from customers work far better than having the ad copy say the same thing. "I haven't been sick for years," "I work just 2 hours a week and still earn cash," "I cut expenses in half!"

Testimonials work. Get them from customers, friends, experts known in the industry, or celebrities. Many times you can offer a free product or service in exchange for a testimonial from an important person. Others actually appreciate it if YOU write the comment for them, then get their approval to use it.

Here are a few more tips to make writing an effective ad quick and easy: keep sentences short-- only two words? Fine! Also, start sentences with actions words: save, buy, learn, enjoy.

When you mention a feature of your project or service, link it with the benefit it will give the customer. People aren't necessarily impressed that your new potato chips have a nifty new ridge design. They DO care that the ridge design provides added flavor and crispy crunch. The line should read: Nifty new ridge design adds delicious flavor and crispy crunch!

Give people several ways to buy or contact you. I like to include a web site address, email address, and phone number. If many of your customers order by mail, include your mailing address. Often you can limit the address to just your street location and the zip code.

Keller Flynn writes killer ads and selling sales letters for DrNunley's http://WhizLetter.com See his popular 900-Word Ultimate Sales Letter that turns your site's visitors into buyers! Reach him at keller@whizletter.com or 801-328-9

Keeping it Clean: Virus Removal Basics

The day you learn your computer is infected with a virus or spyware is a lonely yet aggravating day. Youll be angry that you fell victim, and may feel helpless because of your lack of knowledge about virus removal or pc repair. But dont worry - youre not alone! Unfortunately, youre actually part of a club of tens of thousands of people who feel the same way every day!

According to AVG, virus protection usually doesnt detect adware or spyware both of which can wreak havoc on a computer. Thousands of people each day are infected with malicious programs! Worry no longer and stop feeling helpless because this guide is a basic computer virus repair guide that will help you identify and remove viruses and malware.

Are You Running Antivirus Software?

If you already have virus software perform an update for the latest version and then run a system scan. If you do not have such software, download a free copy of AVG virus protection at http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/us/tpl/tpl01. This will give you free real time virus protection, email scanning and virus removal tools.

Next, download and run Ad-Aware to remove spyware, adware, and other troublesome programs http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/. Then download SpyBot Search & Destroy http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html. By using Ad-Aware and SpyBot you will have excellent protection against files that are often missed by virus protection.

To check for and eliminate browser hijackers, download and run CWShredder at http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html.

With the above programs simply run a scan and follow the prompts to remove any infected files or unwanted programs. Once that is done, upgrade your operating system, or download any needed patches, then reboot your computer.

These steps wont solve every problem, but they will fix a large percentage of the things that cause your computer to act up.

About the author:
John Lenaghan writes about solving computer problems for the Computer Help Squad website, where he provides valuable tips and advice about internet security, computer upgrades and other computer related topics.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Optimize Your Business: 7 Easy Ways To Speed Up Your Computer

Copyright 2005 Keith Gloster

Let me ask you a question?

Have you ever purchased a piece of software for your business which clained it could make your computer run faster only to discover that it hadn't?

Or, maybe you bought an optimizing software tool and the only thing that got optimized was your wallet!

Unfortunately, it turns out that most software of this type look at the problem from the wrong direction and only target one or two of the things you need to do. That's why they never seem to speed up your machine.

And even if they do speed up your computer the speed does not last because of other things that eventually slow your computer down again & make it ineffective.

As a matter of fact, many of the things needed to make a computer run better have nothing to do with speed or memory!

"In order to really make a computer run well you need to do several things that work together and form a complete computer speed system."

Here are just a few "speed secrets" you can use right now to increase the speed and performance of your Windows XP system:

Secret 1 Graphics take up tons of memory on the Windows system. Much of the stuff that is being done with the graphics settings goes unseen. You can gain a ton of speed just by making this one change.

To change your graphics Settings:

Click on Start
Control Panel
then open System
select Advanced
and click Performance Settings
then click Visual Effects

Click on custom and reset some of the graphics manually or use the available Windows default settings that are less of a memory burden.

Secret 2 Improve your startup & boot time speed. My programmer assures me there is a way to do this but I cannot understand it. This also improves your computer experience because installing new programs and upgrading programs always requires a reboot. You may need to hire a programmer to do this for you.

Secret 3 Memory optimization using the paging file or virtual memory is the secret to more RAM. If you find your computer trashing the hard drive quite often, this is a sign of bad virtual file management (it can also be a sign that you don't have enough RAM, the more the better, always!).

To change your Virtual Memory Settings:

click on Start
Control Panel
then open System
Select Advanced
and click Performance Settings
then click Advanced
and look at Virtual Memory
then click Change
Select a drive and select custom

Confirm the proper drive is selected and reset the minimum.

Secret 4 Improve internet connection speed and internet bandwidth speed by adjusting your maximum transmission unit. Better known as MTU. Don't try to do this one yourself. Have an expert programmer do it because it can only be done from the registry.

Secret 5 System Restore takes up lots of memory in it's default settings. You can lower the settings to the bare minimum and still be able to restore your computer if needed.

Here is where to find it:
Head to Start
Select Control Panel
Select System
Select System Restore Tab
select a hard drive
go to settings and move tab to desired level

Secret 6 You can disable and stop the Indexing Service if it is running and gain speed and memory.

here is how:

Head to Start
Select Control Panel
Select Performance and Maintenance
Select Administrator Tools
Select Services
Select "Indexing Service" (Double Click)
Select General Tab
In the Startup type: select "Disabled"
Select the Ok button to close the panel

By implementing a complete computer speed system for your business computer, you will extend the life of your computer, increase productivity and avoid downtime due to unpredictable computer crashes.

About the author:
Keith Gloster provides free tips and advice on computer speed optimization. You can learn about an amazing new e-book and some valuable Free computer software when you visit, www.free-mlm-leads-generator.com/cgi-bin/pl/pl.cgi?snp."Computer Speed Secrets Revealed!" New E-book Reveals 82 Unique & Easy Ways To Speed Up Windows XP And Your Computer.

Ten Simple Ways To Beat Computer Eyestrain

If you work in an office, do your eyes hurt by the end of the working day? You aren't alone: about 88% of all people who work with computers experience a type of eyestrain known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). After all, a computer screen isn't exactly the most natural thing to look at. Perhaps a couple of thousands of years of evolution would solve the problem but I am sure you aren't prepared to wait this long. Fortunately there are a few simple things you can do to minimize computer eyestrain.

1. From time to time look into the distance, to readjust the focus of your eyes

The human eye has trouble staying focused on computer images and text. Our eyes involuntary drift away, so we tend to force them to remain focused on the screen.

This flexing of the eyes' focusing muscles, all day long, is a real struggle for your eyes. So take your gaze away from the screen as often as possible. The key, here, is not to take long breaks but to take frequent breaks. Every few minutes look away from the screen and focus on a far away object - out the window, for example.

2. If you wear contact lenses, go for the best quality not the lowest price

Because computer users blink less often, their eyes tend to dry out, and some contact lenses contribute to this dryness even more. Ask your doctor to prescribe contact lenses that don't dry your eyes.

Acuvue Advance with Hydroclear or Focus Night and Day might work well for you. See suggestions on soft contact lenses for computer users.

If money is an issue, find out how you can get discount contact lenses online. This usually turns out to be 50% - or more - cheaper than buying them from the doctor's office.

3. Close your eyes for a few seconds

Because looking at the computer is a constant struggle for the eyes, people concentrate and tend to blink much less often than normal. This causes dryness of the eyes.

It is difficult to force yourself to blink more often, but you can close your eyes every time you are waiting for your machine to do something.

4. Take a short break every hour

It is recommended that you take 10 minutes away from the computer for every 50 minutes spent at it. Move around the room, stretch your back and do a few simple exercises.

If you can teach yourself the habit of closing your eyes often, looking away to readjust your focus and taking short but frequent breaks, your eyes and your head will feel much better even after long hours of work.

5. Make page designs "eye friendly"

If you have to do a lot of online research, you probably have seen pages that look like they were designed to inconvenience the reader as much as possible. Don't you love those pages with tiny, white type on a black background?

Most Web browsers let you change the font size of a page; in Internet Explorer it is done by opening the View menu, and then choosing Text Size. And here is a trick for dealing with pages with dark or busy backgrounds: drag your mouse across the text to select it - it inverts the colors, and you will see dark text on a light background, just as nature intended.

6. Whenever possible print pages for reading; don't read from the screen

Reading printed material is much less stressful, for your eyes, than reading from the screen. And you will be more productive too - it is a proven fact that people read printed text 25% faster than they read text from the computer screen.

7. Adjust the light

When working at the computer you don't need a very bright light. Direct sunlight and lighting in most offices are way to bright. Put the blinds down on a sunny day. It is best to turn your monitor so the window is on its side, not in front or behind it. Soft light of a desk lamp from the side is also an option. If the light in the office is too bright, you can wear tinted computer glasses.

8. Adjust the brightness of your monitor

The color white, on your computer screen, shouldn't shine like a light source. You can adjust the brightness of your monitor to a little bit below default. However, remember to keep the contrast high, otherwise it will be even more difficult for your eyes to stay focused.

9. Get your eye examined every 12 months

If you need vision correction it is important that your eyeglasses or contact lenses fit your needs. Wearing corrective eyewear that isn't up-to-date increases the stress on your eyes.

10. Ask your eye doctor about special computer glasses

These are usually multifocal glasses that help you to focus better on computer text. They can also be tinted, which helps if the lights in your office are too bright.

Follow these simple rules and you will notice that, by the end of the day, you won't feel so exhausted and your eyes won't hurt nearly as much, if at all.

About the Author: Tanya Turner is a contact lens expert and a founder of www.1-contact-lenses-consumer-guide.com/, where you can find unbiased information about eye health and all types of contact lenses with reviews and pictures

Home Business PC Security For Dummies

The Internet is a powerful tool for home-based businesses. If used effectively, it can be your best friend; but if you dont secure your computer, it can be your worst enemy. Im sure youve had your fill of warnings about the latest killer computer virus. So Im not going to harp on about the latest threat, or the potential for damage. What I WILL do is provide some protection tips and links for the layperson.

(And now for the obligatory disclaimer: Im no tech-head Im an advertising copywriter and website copywriter. So this article is certainly not definitive or exhaustive. Its simply an overview of some useful and easy to use solutions which should meet most of your requirements. I have no affiliation with the vendors or their distributors, and would encourage people to shop around before buying.)

When you run a home-based business with one or two computers the main things you need to protect against are malicious hackers, worms, viruses, hijackers, trojans, spyware, and adware. For most people, the following tools are all you need.

Firewall e.g. Outpost Firewall Pro

Basically, a firewall stops unwanted stuff getting in. Agnitum Outpost Firewall Pro is powerful and easy to use. You can get it from http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpost/ for USD$39.95. It claims to provide the following protection.

Detects and blocks all intrusions by hackers
Blocks data theft attempts
Operates your computer into stealth mode, making it invisible to intruders
Analyzes your inbox and Quarantines Internet worms and viruses
Monitors network activity of your PC
Protects your children from illegal, inappropriate web sites
Provides full access to a thorough history of your connections
Prevents data leak from your PC
Averts invasions of your privacy through the Internet
Conceals your surfing habits when browsing the Web

As a general note, your firewall will be the hardest security software to use because it'll ask you a lot of questions, such as:

Such and such program is trying to connect with such and such server on the internet.
Such and such server is trying to connect to your computer (these are the ones you have to be very careful of, as they may be people trying to hack your computer).
A particular application has changed in some way. Do you want to make changed components shared with all other applications which interact with it?
A program is attempting to change a registry value. Is that ok?

You'll also get a lot of these sorts of questions when you first install the firewall. Once you've set up a few rules, they'll go away because the rules will handle most things.

You can also set the firewall to block active content (javascript, activex, etc.) on websites you visit and emails you receive. If you normally visit only trusted websites and you don't get much spam, you don't really need this feature. But if anyone is visiting dubious sites, or if you get a lot of spam, or you're just very careful, it's a useful feature. TIP: If you do a lot of web surfing, configure Outpost so that whenever you visit a new site, it asks you if you want to allow or block active content (select Options | Plug-Ins Setup, then click Settings, then choose the Exclusions tab and check the box at the bottom of the screen Add Web sites to the exclusions list on the first visit).

Virus Protection e.g. BitDefender 8 (Standard)

Basically, virus protection identifies and quarantines known viruses on your computer. You can get BitDefender 8 (Standard) at http://www.bitdefender.com/bd/site/products.php?p_id=2# for USD$44.95. It claims to provide the following protection.

Scans and disinfect infected files on access, minimizing data loss
Allows you to recover infected documents
Filters against viruses that spread via instant messaging and file sharing software
Monitors your file system, registry and Internet activity
Blocks infected e-mail messages

TIP: Set your virus protection up to do a full system scan every night. (If you choose BitDefender, do this by clicking Antivirus from the left of the main window, then clicking on the Scheduler tab.)

Various Free Utilities

Basically, the following tools grab the things the virus and firewall software miss.

Adaware http://www.download.com/3120-20_4-0.html?qt=adaware&tg=dl-2001. Scans your PC for known data-mining, advertising, and tracking components and cleans your system, so you have more privacy while you surf the Web.
Spybot - http://www.download.com/3120-20_4-0.html?qt=spybot&tg=dl-20. Searches your hard disk and registry for threats to your security and privacy.
Spyware Blaster - http://www.download.com/3120-20_4-0.html?qt=spyware+blaster&tg=dl-20. Prevents spyware from being installed on your computer.
CCleaner - http://www.download.com/3120-20_4-0.html?qt=ccleaner&tg=dl-20. Cleans up junk and temporary files and invalid registry entries and gives you a lot of extra space on your hard drive.

TIP: Update and run each of these utilities at least once a week. Youll be surprised what youll net especially if you havent purchased a full firewall system and anti-virus system.

Conclusion

In my humble opinion, its well worth your while to invest in a firewall application and an anti-virus application. There are a few freeware programs out there that claim to do the same job, but in my experience, they dont quite measure up. And when it comes down to it, theyre so inexpensive especially in comparison to the cost of downtime and/or computer repairs!

Outpost and BitDefender offer online purchases, and send you a license key in an email, which you then use to download the product. You can pay a little extra for them to send you a CD.

The applications listed above certainly arent the only ones available. Im not even claiming theyre the best. But when used together diligently, you should find you have a lot less trouble with your computer, youll have the peace-of-mind of enhanced privacy, and youll minimize the risk of lost income due to downtime.

Good luck!

About the Author: * Glenn Murray is an advertising copywriter and search engine (SEO) copywriter and heads copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at mailto:glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit http://www.divinewrite.com for further details or more FREE articles.

Useful Tools For You to Build Your Online Business

My articles may be personalized with your information as long as You give me a credit like this:( Thank you ) Source:
Nam Tran Ybarra
Publisher YouCanToo Newsletter Excellent Tips and Tricks for Net Self-Marketers http://www.icanyoucantoo.com mailto:subscribe@icanyoucantoo.com

Useful Tools For You to Build Your Online Business (part 1) By Nam Tran Ybarra

Last week, ( see issue2@icanyoucantoo.com) I gave you some good resources on how to learn HTML. This week you will learn to use some additional tools which will help you build your online business. As always, I am just telling you what I'm personally using and how it works.
So, today you can try to use this tool to help build your website fast and handle it easier: An HTML editor: AceHTML 4 Freeware . If you are like me, you like things simple and easy (and free -) then this is the right tool for you.I love it when I click on the checking error and spelling , it will automatic check and tell me where the error is and how to fix it. Really cool! Also when you type the HTML code you can see how it shows up on your browser. This is so simple with AceHTML, just one click! Infact, your HTML page and your real page shows up the same right on one window! You just type your HTML code and click refresh and Bam!!!! here is your "picture". It really is a time saver ! If you are currently using Notepad , Word pad, Netscape composer,homestead...you will be happy with this. Again, this program is extremely easy to use, and it's Free!!!! Download it here: http://www.visicommedia.com/

Useful Tools For You to Build Your Online Business (part 2) By Nam Tran Ybarra

This week we have 3 additional tools for you to build your site.You have written the HTML code , now you want to have a logo for your site.Do you see the logo IcanYouCanToo.com on my site? And the buttons on the left? Want to know how a seven day HTML learner made it? ( See issue2@icanyoucantoo.com) Well, just go here: http://www.flamingtext.com/. http://www.quickbanner.com, They have a ton of stuff for you to play with. And of course, it's free!!!!! But be careful, the graphics may load very slow depending on how large they are. A fast loading site is the key!! Remember ,the netcitizen is extremely impatient!. Here are my Extra Secrets Tips for you: After you have made your logo and button ect.. save them on your computer at a folder "images" ect...then use this tool to help reduce the size of your images.The fewer KB you use, the faster it will load on your site. This software is wonderful. It's name is Paint ShopPro .Download a 30 day free trial here: http://www.jasc.com/download_4.asp. I also highly recommend you visit here: http://www.icanyoucantoo.com/cgi-bin/t/t.cgi?webtools They have many tools that you simply just need to cut and paste to your site from a counter to a chatroom.They have an incredible tool call "humanclick". It is a tool that I think sooner or later ,every net marketer will have to have. Ok, now you go to my site http://www.icanyoucantoo.com, scroll down and you will see a small image called "humanclick", click on it, and now you can chat with me live! I think it's much more convenient than ICQ! Visitors don't have to install or download anything! And if will automatically show up"please leave a message " if I'm offline.Yes, you can "email" me much faster that way. Have you ever seen a cool tool like that? And of course it's Free! Wow!!

(c)2001 Nam Tran Ybarra
http://www.icanyoucantoo.com YouCanToo Newsletter
Excellent Tips and Tricks for Net self-marketers mailto:subscribe@icanyoucantoo.com Free valuable ebooks+ website for subscriber

Identity Theft: Safeguarding Can't Hurt

Will we ever get a break? Not right now .In San Diego, police arrested a postal worker for stealing mail and trading it to identity thieves to support his drug habit.

Another arrest involved the hacking of wireless carrier T-MobileUSA's network. According to Fox News, the attacker gained access to a database of 16 million customers including the personel information of the Secret Service agent investigating the break in.

Then there's Choicepoint. When last we left the information giant, criminals broke into their 19 billion records database. Choicepoint now acknowledges previous attacks that date back to the year 2000.

The number of identity theft victims as well as the methods of getting personal information continue to increase sharply. Yet while no 100% guarantees exist online or off, safeguarding can't hurt and one of the best ways for fighting identity theft exist in your own home.

Check your trash.

Going thru your garbage has turned into an exact science and a major goldmine for the identity thieves. The Department of Justice refers to this as "dumpster diving" Check everything you throw away then check it again.

Mark any information including financial statements, driver's license, address and especially your social security # "Sensitive" then shred it. I recommend a crosscut shredder. Throw it away in different garbage cans on different days.

Shred junk mail credit card offers and get taken off the major credit agencies' marketing lists.

If you're not doing it already, get into the habit of taking your mail particulary any bill payments directly to the Post Office. Identity thieves also target mailboxes. They frequently stake out the area and wait for the optimum time. Getting a locked mailbox doesn't hurt either.

Use anti spyware, a firewall and antivirus programs on your computer system. If performing a transaction online make sure the company provides a secure server. They should tell you but if not look for the yellow lock at the bottom of your screen.

Guard your plastic. Examine your credit card statements and request a copy of your credit report. Agencies will send you one free copy per year. If you request more than one, you get charged a fee anywhere from 9 to 20 dollars depending on the credit bureau.

Handle this with care. Eventhough you're doing the right thing in trying to protect yourself, too many inquiries are frowned upon by these agencies and could impact your credit negatively. Joining a credit monitoring company can remove that obstacle.

One caveat.You should exercise vigilance in protecting your credit cards but it's not the total solution that some experts claim. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 60% of all identity theft cases do NOT involve any existing accounts. Guard your plastic but make guarding your Social security number the top priority.

These methods of protection take on a special significance due to the identity of the criminals. According to the Better Business Bureau's 2005 Fraud Survey Report, family freinds and neighbors account for half of all identity thieves. You don't want to turn someone you know and love over to the authorities so do your best to eliminate the temptation.

Again, no 100% guarantees exists. You make transactions at the restaurant, corner store, gas station and a host of other places. We all need to deal in this world so there's always a risk factor. Stay vigilant on the things you control and the chances of identity theft can decrease.

Because at all costs you want to avoid what many victims rank as the worst part of identity theft. The nightmare of recovery.

About The Author

Daryl Campbell is a writer and home business owner.Banks say you should check your credit once a year. No problem right? Except it leaves identity thieves the other 364 days to steal it. Get the professionals on your side to watch your back 24/7. How? Go now to => http://digbig.com/4dwsx

Linneker@comcast.net

Search Engine Optimization: Elements of an SEO Strategy

An explanation of SEO basics: This article is a great primer if you're getting started with an SEO campaign or looking to hire a firm. If you're just getting started with:

- Selecting an SEO firm - Trying to start a search engine campaign - Reviewing your current SEO efforts

...read on. This article should provide you with a high-level review of the SEO process, dispel a few SEO myths, and help you understand legitimate optimization strategies.

What is SEO

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, defies easy definition. But here's a short version:

SEO: Using keyword analysis and other legitimate practices to gain the highest possible search engine and directory rankings, under a given key phrase, for a given URL.

I'll break this definition down a bit and hopefully prevent a hail of angry e-mails:

Keyword Analysis is the process of mining keyword search data to find the best balance between the keywords you need and the best potential search niche. More on this later.

Search Engine means an automated search engine. 'Search Engines' include Google, AOL Search, Ask Jeeves and MSN Search. A search engine obtains its results from 'bots' -- small programs that read your web site in much the same way you would: By reading the content on a page, and then moving from page to page via links. A directory, on the other hand, is built at least in part by human beings deciding where each site fits into the directory structure. Yahoo's directory area and Open Directory are both examples of directories.

Ranking is the numeric rank reflecting your position in the results list when someone performs a search on a particular set of keywords.

Highest Possible means getting as close to number one as you can. Often you just can't get that number one spot. Maybe someone else has a 400-page web site solely dedicated to the key phrase for which you're attempting to optimize. Or maybe they're paying a fortune in advertising. That's life, sometimes...

Key Phrase is the keyword or set of keywords someone types into the little 'search' field in Google or Alta Vista or any other search engine.

A URL is the address of one page on your site. Most search engines display keyword search results and provide a link directly to the page most relevant to those results, rather than your home page. It's very, very important to keep that in mind when you build and optimize your site.

Legitimate Practices is my pet peeve. A true search engine campaign will not use practices such as page or content cloaking, redirects, or lists of links (so-called 'link farms') but relies on good coding practices, well-written content, steady link popularity work and site features that will be as valuable for site visitors as for search engine ranking. Anything less is a short-term fix that will reduce your rankings.

So, the long version of the definition would be: SEO: Using keyword analysis, good coding practices, well-written copy, link popularity analysis and careful site organization to move a web page as close to the number one search results position as possible for a given key phrase, in both search engines and directories.

Hey, that's not so bad after all. But how do you get started? First, you separate reality from myth...

SEO Urban Legends

There are quite a few SEO myths out there. Here are my favorites:

The Keywords META Tag Matters. Mostly wrong. Only Inktomi pays any attention to the keywords meta tag. Do something basic, but don't bother putting in keywords that aren't supported by your page content.

Search Engines can read Flash, images and video. Search engines can read one thing: Text. Anything else, while legitimate as a design tool, will not help your ranking. And relying too heavily on Flash or images may reduce your site's visibility. Google is one partial exception -- it can read some Flash links, but still cannot read Flash content.

Mirroring my site in multiple locations will improve ranking. Actually, just the opposite. Duplication of content will generally have no effect or, worse, reduce your ranking in major search engines. Most search engines now have rules against this form of 'spam' and may reduce your ranking or ban your site.

'Doorway' pages improve ranking. Pages that have lots of keywords but then automatically redirect to the main site will not help you in major search engines, such as Google. And, if someone catches you and reports you to Google or the other search engine, you may be banned altogether. A 'landing' or 'bridge' page, though, that's designed to be as useful for users as for search engines, and does not redirect the user, can help by providing real, useful, keyword-rich content.

Firms promising to get me #1 rankings in 10,000 search engines for $99.95 can help. I alternate between tooth-grinding and hysterical laughter when I see these ads. First, there aren't 10,000 search engines. Actually, there are probably 10-20 to worry about. Getting listed in the other thousand or so is largely a waste of time. Second, no one can guarantee any ranking in any search engine for a specific keyword. Period. And the price is less than half the cost for an express submission in a single directory (Yahoo). Chances are anyone trying to get you to spend the $99.95 operates a 'link farm' where they list dozens, or hundreds, of sites. To learn more about how to choose an SEO firm, check out Google's article: http://www.google.com/intl/mr/webmasters/seo.html .

Firms charging me more money and guaranteeing a #1 ranking on Google can help. This is the latest SEO scam. I can get you a number one ranking on Google, too, as long as I get to pick the keyword or can get you ranked under a fairly unique company name. But no one, and I mean no one can guarantee a #1 rank under a specific keyword. Even Google says so.

Search engines are now almost savvy enough to read your pages like a human being would, so anything that will drive away a typical site visitor will also probably reduce your ranking. Things that will increase your search engine ranking include:

- Good content - Good, clean HTML code - Useful, relevant TITLE and DESCRIPTION tags - Relevant, appropriate links from other web sites

There are some basic steps that, well executed, will do more to increase your rank than an ocean of snake oil.

The SEO Process

A typical SEO campaign starts with keyword analysis, and then emphasizes insuring your site doesn't impede search engine bots and follows up with ongoing link and traffic analysis.

Step 1: Keyword Analysis. If you say the right word enough times on your site, you'll get that coveted #1 spot, right? Wrong. Choosing the right keywords starts with a list of the keywords or phrases under which you'd like to be found, and typically ends up somewhere completely different. Selecting the best keywords is a four-step process: First, list the keywords and phrases under which you'd like to be found. Next, find out whether anyone searches on those keywords, and whether they're searching for relevant items. Third, find out how many other sites are struggling for rankings under those keywords. Finally, pick keywords with the same meaning but a better search-to-competition ratio.

Don't forget about relevance, either. If you want a high ranking under 'tires', you're going to have your work cut out for you. And in the end you'll likely end up getting found for 'bicycle tires', 'automobile tires', 'spare tires' and who knows what else. Is it worth it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But you have to do your homework to find out.

There are several tools that help you research the number of searches and competitors for keywords. Wordtracker ( http://www.wordtracker.com ) is a good one -- don't depend on their results from Overture, though, unless you're specifically preparing an Overture campaign.

Keyword analysis is the hardest part of a campaign, in number-crunching terms. It requires a lot of work and may not tell you what you want to hear. But in my experience it's critical to a successful campaign.

Step 2: Search Engine Readiness. Almost every web site we review has one or more problems that will prevent search engine bots from properly reading all content. Showstoppers include:

- An all-Flash or all-images home page - A home page that automatically redirects to another page - Pop-up ads (does anyone really read these things?) - A site full of pages with fewer than 400 words on a page - Broken links - Navigation that is generated by JavaScript - No TITLE or DESCRIPTION tags

A major step in any SEO campaign is making sure that the site will present the friendliest profile to search engines. Happily, the investment in optimizing will also pay off in a faster, more universally compatible site.

Step 3. Content and Site Preparation. You've done your research: You know which keywords match your message, and your site's HTML code is one big search engine welcome mat. Now it's time to make sure that your site contains those keywords. This is where I most often see folks get confused -- should you rewrite your web content to emphasize keywords? Yes, but with extreme caution. Should you make small, appropriate changes? Yes. Here are my guidelines for content preparation.

Don't write for keywords (much). This almost always leads to stilted, hard-to-read prose. Writing keyword-rich content that really works for users is an art form. Be careful.

Do a little careful editing. If you use the word 'car' but 'auto' is the keyword you need, chances are you can do a few replacements without marring your carefully crafted copy.

Spend time on the titles and description tags. Make sure every page in your site has a unique, relevant TITLE and DESCRIPTION tag.

Never use an automatic page generator. Tools like WebPosition Gold offer to generate optimized pages for you. Don't. They tend to hurt your ranking as much as help, and they generate ugly, ugly pages.

Write more stuff. More content is almost always better. If your site is just missing a specific keyword or phrase, but you think it's important, then your potential customers probably do too. By adding a few more pages with content focusing on those absent keywords, you'll likely help visitors and improve your keyword ranking at the same time. And, the more text-rich your site is, the better the odds that you'll catch longer, stranger but really important key phrases that you can't anticipate.

Step 4. Link Analysis. Quite a few major search engines (Google, most importantly) weigh your 'link popularity' when ranking your site. A more accurate term, though, is 'link analysis', because these engines don't just count up the number of links to your site. They look for links near and containing relevant text. So a page full of links, one of which happens to be yours, won't help very much. But a link from a related site, near a short paragraph that contains relevant keywords, will probably give you a boost. Having keywords in the link itself is even better. A quick example:

'http://www.portentinteractive.com' doesn't help much.

'For search engine optimization, visit http://www.portentinteractive.com' is much better.

There are a few ways to build your link popularity:

- Contact sites that relate to yours and request a link exchange. This works really well, but obviously takes a long time.

- Syndicate your content. If you can provide an easy way for interested webmasters to link directly to relevant stories on your site, you provide an instant link popularity boost, and get your message out to boot.

- Start an affiliate program. If you sell a product, consider setting up an affiliate sales program.

Step 5. Submit your site. Many search engines, Google included, allow you to submit your site for free. Generally you can submit your home page and let the search engine crawl the rest of your site. Some directories and engines offer paid 'express' services, and some, like Teoma, require that you pay for URL submission. Which engines you choose depends on your budget and campaign.

Step 6. Review, Revise, and Keep Going. Think you're done? Wrong -- search engine optimization is an ongoing project. At least once per month, review your rankings, site traffic reports and link popularity and tweak your site as necessary. The tools you need to measure results are:

Site traffic reports. Any hosting company should provide you with a site traffic report, and most of the reporting tools in use today provide a 'referrals from search engines' section. Take a look at this section for a good measure of results.

Link counts. Use the link: command on Google to determine your link popularity.

Your keyword list. Search on the relevant search engines to see if your ranking has improved.

Your brain. You have to interpret what you see, and decide whether changes are warranted. There's magic formula for this. Sorry about that...

So now you'll get instant results, right? Well, not quite...

A Word About Expectations

SEO can take time. Even Google only refreshes its entire index once a month, so don't expect instant results.

If your work doesn't generate increased rankings within a month or two, don't panic. Look at your site traffic and search on the keywords you chose. Make sure that the search engine you're checking actually includes your site -- most likely the bots just haven't gotten around to 'crawling' your site.

Still stumped? Find a professional. Sure, we cost money. But you may have missed something about your site that's preventing a good keyword rank, and a second set of eyes can help.

A Solid Marketing Strategy

If you follow the basics and keep at it, you will get results. What's really important is to make sure you don't award too much weight to one area (such as link popularity) at the expense of the others. A well-rounded campaign will provide solid, long-term results.

About the Author

Ian Lurie is an Internet marketer in Seattle, WA. He started his web design and marketing firm, Portent Interactive, in 1995. Portent offers complete Internet marketing support, including search engine optimization, e-mail marketing, and web site design and development. Recent projects include SEO and production for www.princesslodges.com, SEO, marketing strategy, design and production for www.dessy.com, and, on the more whimsical side, frida.filmateria.com. Ian has a law degree from UCLA and has successfully avoided practicing law for almost ten years.

How to Organize Your Email Without Losing It - Part 2Herman Drost

One of the most annoying aspects of dealing with incoming email is spam mail (unsolicited email). It fills up your email box, takes up your precious time, and seems to only get worse.
Part 2 - Stop Spam Mail by Herman Drost

Part 1 of this article (www.isitebuild.com/organizedemail) discussed how to efficiently organize your email so you can spend more time on building a profitable business.

This could result in lost business to you.

In Part 2 of this article you will discover solutions to help you stop spam mail. This allows you to spend more time building a profitable business.

Apart from just hitting the delete button each day here are some timesaving solutions:

1. Use the filters or the message rules of your email client.

a) In outlook express (since it is the most popular email client) go to tools - message rules - mail - mail rules - new

b) Under "select conditions for your rule", check "where the subject line contains specific words".

c) Under "select the actions for your rule" check "delete it".

d) Under "rule description" click on "contains specific words" - enter words or phrases that you never wish to receive again.

e) Under "name of rule" provide an appropriate name for the rule ie JUNK.

f) Click OK

Creating this JUNK rule will automatically delete emails containing the specific words or phrases you entered.

There are many other rules you can apply (ie move certain messages to specific folders automatically), depending on what you need.

Here are a couple of web sites that list phrases and keywords frequently used in spam mail:

http://www.sv-cs.com/spam.html http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt8/spamfilter_phrases.htm

2. Use anti-spam software.

You can install software either on your computer (client side) or on your web host (server side).

a) Client Side - software that resides on your computer.

Mailwasher (www.mailwasher.net) - provides an easy way to check and manage your emails before you download them.

There are free and paid versions of mailwasher.

Spamkiller (http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/msk/default.asp)

Features:

*Block emails using both lists and preset filters *Update internal filters automatically
*Filter MSN/Hotmail, POP3 and MAPI email
*Create custom filters
*Quarantine spam mail outside of your inbox
*Import "friends" automatically into your safe list *Monitor and filter multiple email accounts
*Fight back against spammers ,br>

Paid version only.

b) Server Side - software that resides on your server. This means the spam mail will be deleted before it makes it to your inbox.

Ask your web host what spam mail software they carry and how to implement it. My web host uses spamassassin.

Spamassassin (www.spamassassin.org) this is a mail filter widely used by ISPs to identify spam mail before it reaches your inbox. Check with your web host if it is already installed.

The spam-identification tactics used include:

header analysis - identifies spammers using tricks to mask their identities in the email header.

text analysis - identifies characteristic styles used by spammers in the body of the email.

3) Get a free SpamCheck Report

Here is a FREE test you can do to make sure your newsletter gets through to your subscribers and is not stopped by spam software. Just send your newsletter to spamcheck-webselling83@sitesell.net and you'll get back a full SpamCheck Report in seconds.

Make sure TEST starts the subject line or it will be ignored.

Now your readers can stay out of the "Junk Mail Folder."

Use these techniques and tools to remove spam mail before it gets to you. You will gain more time and be able to concentrate more effectively on your business.

About the Author

Herman Drost is the author of the new ebook "101 Highly Effective Strategies to Promote Your Web Site" a powerful guide for attracting 1000s of visitors to your web site. http://www.isitebuild.com/web-site-promotion Subscribe to his Marketing Tips newsletter for more original articles. mailto:subscribe@isitebuild.com. You can read more of his in-depth articles at: http://www.isitebuild.com/articles

26 Tips on How to be Safe in Your e

Brian McGregor

The irony of eBay is that as it grows to be ever more successful, it draws the unsavoury element of the internet towards it. I'm talking about people who make it their business to attempt to defraud you and I in our eBay and PayPal transactions.

Of course, not all dodgy dealings on eBay are fraudulent. Some are just mischievous. Others are by chancers, who perhaps reckon their victims won't be bothered to pursue them.

Whoever causes it, it's left to the targeted buyer or seller to try and sort out the problem. All that we as users can do is to be extremely vigilant and cautious in all our eBay and PayPal activities.

Here is a list of practical steps, in no particular order, which buyers and sellers can take to help avoid becoming the next victim.

Hopefully you are already aware of some of these. It doesn't necessarily follow that if one of these applies the auction or person is fraudulent. But if you use your head, and build up a view of the overall transaction based based upon a number of these factors, you will reduce your chances of getting conned.

a) Stock photos and descriptions

Because they don't have the item they are "selling", some fraudsters use a stock photograph of the item. And they will probably use the manufacturer's product description too. So, stock photos and no original description might be a sign. Search for other auctions by the same seller, and see if they are brazen enough to advertise the same item more than once.

b) A price too good to be true often isn't true

A fraudster wants your money quickly, so you may find they offer to close their auction early with you as the "winner" having bid a price which you know to be somewhat of a bargain. Why would anyone close their auction early if the price hadn't reached market levels? I'll give you one guess.

c) High value or high volume, newly registered sellers

Although the vast majority of new sellers are genuine and honest, be cautious of buying from people selling high value items in bulk, very early on in their eBay career. This pattern isn't quite normal. Think back to your own first sales. You would have been tentative, and probably have tried single, low value items initially. So, a new seller fitting this profile may be someone who has perhaps been previously suspended and has registered another ID.

d) 1 day listings

Although 1 day listing are used by genuine sellers who have more than one item or who want a quick sale, unfortunately this duration is attractive to fraudsters too. They sometimes use a 1 day auction duration to gain a quick sale before their actions can be reported and acted upon. So, be extra wary on auctions with 1 day listing.

e) Invitations to trade off-eBay

This is a classic ploy of fraudsters. Having made some kind of contact with you, or you with them, they will invite you to purchase or to sell off eBay i.e. without using eBay's auction services. The attraction here to the fraudster is that they can drive the transaction along the lines they prefer, whether that be escrow, PayPal etc. Another reason why trading off eBay is not a good idea is that you have to keep your own formal records of the transaction, and you forfeit any cover from eBay buyer protection and PayPal buyer protection. Plus, and this might be a minor point, but you will not be able to leave feedback to let others know your experience with this seller/buyer.

f) Payment methods with no recourse

Fraudsters prefer to chose payment methods in which the buyer has no protection, like wire transfers where the buyer has no way of tracing where the money is going. Western Union Money Transfers and BidPay are favourites and should be totally avoided. Postal orders are similar although they are a popular payment method among the genuine sellers as they require no clearance time. Bank transfers and cheques can only provide the possibility of your bank investigating the details of the account the money was transferred into. For the best protection use Paypal and fund with a Credit Card. Note there are limits on eBay and PayPal protection, and you should make yourself aware of what these are.

g) Unusual sales pattern

If your seller's feedback indicates that they normally deal in collectables, DVDs or other specific items, be suspicious that they are suddenly listing laptops, plasma TVs or other high value items. The change may indicate that this seller's account has been hijacked.

h) Bad english gives you a pointer

Some fraudsters operate from abroad but pretend to be in UK or USA. As they aren't particularly adept at the english language they might use a translation tool like Babelfish to create their emails to you. So, watch out for emails that are not good english. In itself, it doesn't prove anything, there are plenty of genuine eBay sellers for whom english is not their first language. But it might add to further evidence you have.

i) Location Location Location

In the case of lazy fraudsters you might find their locations don't match up. By that I mean the auction says the goods are in the UK, but the seller's ID details show their location to be, say, Ukraine. This is not a good sign. Often in these cases if you contact these sellers you will receive an excuse as to why the item is not in the UK, and therefore can't be collected in person. In short, if an auction says the item is in the UK and the seller says that it is not, I would avoid the auction. And don't forget to cross check with their PayPal account, and see in which country this resides.

j) Ask questions

Always, always ask your seller a question. Any question. Their response, if you receive one, will help you judge how genuine the seller is. Beware auctions that carry a message asking you to contact the seller via a given email address as opposed to via the 'Ask seller a question' link. This could be an account hijacker trying to prevent buyers from 'Asking the seller a question'. They want to stop this from happening because such questions could be routed to the real account owner.

k) "eBay can vouch for me" email

A warning about a relatively new tactic used by fraudsters. If you are proving hard to land as a buyer/seller, they may claim they can get eBay to email you proof of their validity so that you can trust them. eBay, of course, will NEVER do this. The email sent out, however authentic looking, is fake and is designed to get you to part with your money or your goods. This applies equally to Square Trade and PayPal. They will never email you certifying the genuineness of anyone.

l)A PayPal warning

There are fraudsters who use stolen PayPal accounts to accept payments. To lower the possibility of this, check your seller's location as shown in eBay, and then see if it is one of PayPal's permitted countries by clicking here: http://www.workwinners.com/nlr701.htm. If PayPal don't offer their service in the country that the seller resides, be very wary.

m) Passwords

Never have the same password on your eBay and PayPal accounts. Or indeed on any other financial or personal site. Change your passwords every 30-60 days on both eBay and PayPal.

n) Escrow

If your seller asks you to use escrow, and proposes an escrow company they've used before, this is a clear indication they are fraudulent. There are many fake escrow sites which will take your money fraudulently. The only escrow site recommended by eBay is http://www.escrow.com. An alternative in the UK is http://www.auctionpix.co.uk Please don't be tempted to use any other escrow company, however professional looking their websites might be. It is a fact that 99% of escrow companies on the internet are fraudulent. They are set up solely to defraud money out of unsuspecting buyers, and to get goods without paying for them from unsuspecting sellers.

o) Pointers in feedback

Try to read the positive feedback as well as the negative. Read the way your seller responds to negative feedback as this will often give you an idea of how the seller will react if something goes badly wrong. If the seller is offering high value goods, be wary if their feedback has been built up quickly from low value purchases. Also, if the overall rating is good, but there are a disproportionate number of negatives in recent days/weeks, this might indicate the account has been taken over. Finally, be aware that feedback is not the guarantee it once was. Feedback can easily be manufactured. Also, if the user ID has been hijacked, you'll be reading the feedback of the original account owner, not the person with whom you're currently dealing!

p) Credit Card payment

For high value items, or for amounts of money you can't afford to lose, make sure you pay by credit card which has online fraud protection. This will give you some recourse if the seller is fraudulent. In this context, paying via PayPal is not the same. PayPal do have a buyer protection scheme, but there are criteria which the eBay auction has to satisfy in order to qualify. Even if the transaction qualifies, PayPal's standard protection currently has a maximum value of $1,000. Note that payment by debit card provides zero protection.

q) Address and Telephone check

Use the Ask the seller a question link, and request they email you with their address and telephone number. Any reputable seller will give you their address and telephone number. When you get the number, call it, and see if you get through to the genuine seller.

r) Keystroke capturing virus

This is a computer virus which you inadvertently download onto your PC. It's task is to capture the keystrokes you make, and to send them to the virus placer. The fraudster then uses pattern recognition software to identify and extract personal information, like username, password, credit card numbers etc. To avoid this happening to you, it is wise to have good, up-to-date virus, firewall and spyware checking software on your PC. Here is where you can get free software for each of these functions:

Virus protection - http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Firewall - http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/comparison.jsp?lid=ho_za

Spyware checking - http://www.lavasoft.com/support/download/

s) Shill bidding

Shill bidding is where people work in cahoots to inflate the bidding on an item. A seller has a "partner" who makes bids on the seller's items with a view to bumping up the bid price. They have no intention of buying the item. Fortunately, shill bidders and their associated seller can be stupid. The shill bidder will usually makes bids on other items from the same seller. Here's how to check to see if shill bidding is a feature of a particular seller. First, look at the seller's closed auctions over the last 30 days. If most of the closed auctions have no bids, it is unlikely the seller has shill bidders working with them. If all of the closed auctions have bids, take a look at the bid history. See if the same bidder appears in the list of bidders, usually with aggressive bidding and normally at the start of the auction. If so, you may have uncovered a shill operation, so avoid that seller's auctions.

t) Keep your transaction information

Keep your own record of the transaction when you're buying. Don't just rely on eBay. You want a record of the seller's identification, the item description, emails sent and received, plus the time, date and price of your bid.

u) "I noticed your bid...."

Never deal with anyone who contacts you after seeing your bid on another auction. They will say something like, "I saw you bidding on that digital camera. I have the same model available for sale. I don't have time to list it on eBay. It has more accessories than the one you lost out on. You can have it for xyz." If you bite, they'll probably take you down the fake escrow route. Also, if you entertain this proposition, you're operating outside of eBay and therefore have no auction protection whatsoever.

v) Changed eBay ID

Never deal with anyone who has a changed ID icon next to their name. This icon menas they've changed their ID in the last 30 days. Few legitimate people change their eBay ID. When was the last time you changed yours? There's a 1% chance that an ID change is genuine, but 99% that it is fraudulent. Why take the risk?

w) Changed email address mid-stream

If a seller or buyer changes their email address on you in the middle of a transaction, stop dealing with them. It is likely their previous email account was closed down due to some irregularity - such as a previous victim reported them. If you think about it, why would any genuine buyer or seller change their email address whilst corresponding on a transaction they wish to conclude expeditiously?

x) Complications

Never get involved in any transaction where the seller/buyer tries to introduce a third person into the financial arrangements. They might ask you to pay xyz, who will then pay the seller, and you will receive a discount or commission for your co-operation. Such proposals are always fraudulent. They prey on greed. Don't be tempted.

y) Time is of the essence

This is a scam which is has more potential for success than traditional phishing attacks, as it is time sensitive. The fraudster searches for high value auctions that have just ended. The bid history for an auction contains hyperlinks to each bidder. The fraudster checks to see if the winning bidder is selling any items of their own. If so, they go to that auction and embed a request for payment from the first auction within a question for seller. This works because winning bidders are expecting request for payment shortly after an auction ends. A variation of this is to offer a bidder a "second chance". This time the "Ask the seller a question" email pretends that the real winner has backed out, and offers the item at a lower price. The buyer, believing the story, is lured into paying to whom they believe is a genuine seller. Many eBayers have heard of the second chance system, but have no experience of it. This unfamiliarity coupled with the fact that a few weeks might have passed, makes this an effective method for fraudsters. The moral of this story is never get involved in any transaction which arrives in your inbox via the Ask the Seller a Question feature.

z) eBay IDs

Never us your email address as your eBay ID, or part of your eBay ID. Fraudsters have software which monitors internet traffic looking for information such as this. If your eBay ID and email address are the same, it is simple for a fraudster to plausibly communicate with other eBay members in your name.

That's all in my list. If you have any further ideas on how to prevent fraudulent transactions on eBay, please let me know and I will promote these through future newsletters.

In the meantime, be aware, and be safe in your eBay buying and eBay selling.

About The Author

Brian McGregor specializes in showing website owners how to make more money from their sites by applying inventive and original use of eBay. For a free copy of The eBay Traffic Funnel which shows you how to use the power of eBay to make more money with your website, visit http://www.more-auction-sales.com/websites/

brian@workwinners.com

Computer Maintenance and Virus Protection Tips

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Part 1 of 5 On The Home Business Set-Up Guide

Is Your Computer Strong Enough For A work From Home Internet Business

5 Critical Steps to Protecting Your Computer on the Internet

The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups

Protection for your computer system - Painless and free !

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Zone Labs vs. Windows XP Service Pack 2 Firewall

Spyware Protection Software

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

3 Summer Computer Tips

Five Ways To Start a Money-Making Ad

Keeping it Clean: Virus Removal Basics

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Optimize Your Business: 7 Easy Ways To Speed Up Your Computer

Ten Simple Ways To Beat Computer Eyestrain

Home Business PC Security For Dummies

Useful Tools For You to Build Your Online Business

Identity Theft: Safeguarding Can't Hurt

Search Engine Optimization: Elements of an SEO Strategy

26 Tips on How to be Safe in Your e

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