Today’s take-away is to participate in a mentoring program of some sort. Your mentoring might take different forms, but the point is to follow the guidance of an expert in the field. These are some of the ways you might choose to learn the art and science of affiliate marketing:

• Study a multi-part course that takes you from newbie to pro;
• Sign up for one-on-one formal mentoring on a weekly or monthly schedule, or the same type of program in a group format;
• Participate in a discussion forum, much like the Warrior Forum, or Lynn Terry’s self-starters weekly tips forum

Any of the above mentoring choices might include phone calls, teleseminars, and webinars. You might also participate in conferences as an integral part of a program. Forums for members of the various groups are not unusual. The choices are many so choose wisely. Just make sure you do.

Although I would always recommend reading books within your niche or about your business, if you choose to only read books, your reading may be a potpourri of different business philosophies, overwhelming you with the vast number of avenues presented to reach your ultimate goal.

You really need to choose one path and follow that and that’s why I believe in the importance of mentoring.

The NAMS4 conference is certainly a great place to start if you’re not sure quite which way to turn.

I highly recommend the conference for both newbies looking to get their feet quite wet, and veterans looking to glean golden nuggets from the experts. While NAMS3 is now but a memory, NAMS4 is on the horizon (August 2010) and filling up quickly.

By all means check out the information at the site and register. If you have anything to learn about affiliate marketing, this is the place to do just that. Learn. Network. Explore your options. And even have a whole lot of fun. Meeting others and making new friends is just a huge, added plus.

Click here to learn more about the upcoming NAMS4 conference and why you need to be there.

I hope to see you there in a few short months!

In the last post I mentioned Denise Wakeman’s terrific presentation and blog critiques; what I want to add is that she has wonderful resources at her website for learning all about the biz of blogging. You can check them out here and be on your way to a much better blog. An effective one will pull traffic into your world from all over cyberspace, which is exactly what you want.

Another take-away from last week’s  conference is the unbelievable potential in that crazy little tool called social media. Okay, I understand that this may be elementary for many of you, but like many other newbies, I wondered if I really needed to go that route. The answer to that is a simple, but resounding, YES.

There are virtually unlimited resources available (pun intended) to dig into Twitter, Facebook, or any of the other hundreds of social networks out there today. Tomorrow there will be more. Although the use of many were recommended by the various presenters, I liked that Bob ‘The Teacher’ Jenkins advised us to start with one – and not try to learn them all this week. That resonated well with me.

In a day or two I will share the most important take-away of all, for me personally. Implementing it will help determine the course of my business succcess, and even perhaps in which direction it will go. I highly recommend it, having already started myself this past week. Look for this post later this week.

Until then, keep taking those baby steps that will surely lead to giant rewards.

I’m referring to NAMS – the third Niche Affiliate Marketing Systems conference and workshop that Dave Perdew brought us. Hands-on for sure. Lots of support. And tracks for beginners, intermediates, pros, and everyone in between.

One take-away from this conference for me was the power of channeling traffic to your website from your blog. Done right, your blog is a powerful tool. And, like any other marketing you do for your business, you need to schedule your blog posts.

Three times a week you’ll need to post on your own, and then twice a week read and post on other sites within your niche, according to Denise Wakeman, professional blogger and trainer.

This way you stay on top of your game by knowing what else is out there and, rather than viewing other similar sites as competition, you can actually align yourself with them, developing a mutually beneficial business relationship. This was another major take-away for me from the conference.

She also did a Blog Squad hot seat session where three participants’ blogs were reviewed and critiqued by her. And for their good humor, all three received Denise’s workbook training sessions to take home with them.

In a couple of days, look for more take-aways that any newbie blogger/affiliate can learn from. I’ll share my journey with you as I go down this road because any business can benefit from using these powerful tools.

They’re already signing up in droves for NAMS4, so if you want in, just click here.  Another thing, dollar for dollar, there’s hardly a better value for your money. Just look into other similar conferences if you don’t believe me. The price point and lineup of speakers were the deciding factors for me, that’s for sure.

See you in a couple of days when I’ll have more baby steps to giant rewards!

While business success is important, always remember that family and friends and loving one another comes first.

May you be blessed this holiday season, Tiiu on behalf of The 5 Minute Bulletin Board

If you’re a SOHO professional (small office / home office), enjoy the splendor we see this time of year.

It’s so easy for us to get wrapped up in our work, and become a hermit indoors – I know, I do that. I have to struggle to remember to enjoy the gifts inherent with each season.

Why not try these few short suggestions today? They’ll offer you a better balance of working and enjoying the outdoors.

• Work in front of a window whenever possible, and if weather permits, open a window and flood your home with fresh air
• Part way through your work day, when you’re breaking anyway, go for a fifteen minute walk (your canine companion or your friend will appreciate it)
• Run errands on the prettiest day of the week so you can be out and about in the sunshine while getting needed chores done

Just a few small adaptations to your schedule like these can positively affect your outlook, and often your production. Personally, much as I love autumn, I do find that I can go long periods without leaving my office, and need to remind myself to get out more.

In fact, I’m signing off so that I can go and do just that!  Until next post, Tiiu

To me, this seems like a good assessment time. Are you on track for sales, subscriptions, or services for the year?

Whatever your home business, see if you’re where you need to be and, if not, you still have a third of the year left to try to get yourself there. While your children return to the books, why don’t you do the same?

It’s a great time to call up prospective clients, arrange a networking session with like-minded professionals in your area, or continue your education in the niche that you call your home business.

There’s no time like the present, so go for it!

Here’s to your home office / small office success, Tiiu

One simple way is working on a laptop. Whether it’s for taking work out back to your pool, packing it up in your car and driving to the beach (okay, I understand not everyone lives close to the water) or simply moving to a room with windows that flood the house with light, the laptop is flexible.

Being out in lots of light and feeling the warmth of the season can go a long way in helping you feeling like you’re not missing out, even when you’re working.

What are some other ways to incorporate summertime into your work life?

Click on the word COMMENTS just under my by-line to drop me a line with your suggestions.

Time to check out the birthdays (Happy Birthday Aubrey! Happy Birthday Jon!) and appointments and the get-togethers with friends.

But in my home office, I also know that the first day of the month is the day to catch up on last month’s filing that didn’t get done, the day to pay the bills for the next four weeks, and the day to pull out my monthly goals sheet.

What about your business, professional, and personal goals? Keep track of them, taken inventory periodically, and you’ll find it helps keeps you focused on the end result.

To your success,

Tiiu

Then just press SUBMIT, and voila!  Many thanks!

Getting to this point of publication of the website and its contents has been nothing less than pure pleasure for me. I hope and pray you’ll find it to be a good resource for you, too.

Please look around at every page of the website starting at the Home page, and give me your feedback, comments, questions, or anything else – just make an entry right here on the blog! It’s really easy. Just type and press Submit!