My Old Antarctic Home

For some reason I found myself thinking about Antarctica this morning. Probably because I've been recently corresponding with a few prospective customers from New Zealand, which was one of my favorite stomping grounds after leaving "the ice" (as we called it) after a season of working in McMurdo a number of years ago.

It may also be because today, on the beach at Cherry Grove (North Myrtle Beach, SC), the wind is just howling - and it sounds just like it used to in McMurdo on some of the nastier days.

Aside from the internet marketing work I have embraced over the last year or so, I would have to say that working in Antarctica was some of the most enjoyable time I have ever spent. It wasn't necessarily the jobs themselves, but the people who made it such a blast.

Please indulge me as I take a little trip down memory lane...

During the numerous seasons I spent at McMurdo, I recall thinking that we were all part of Peter Pan's "Lost Boys," and that we just were all a bunch of kids at heart. There really weren't that many of us back then - during my first season in 1984 I think there were about 900 men and less than 100 women. Living conditions were a bit more primitive than they are now, but none of us seemed to care.

For my first few seasons, I worked in the sheet metal department with a group of the most hilarious and fun-loving group of guys I have ever known. Sometimes, we would laugh until we would be a quivering mess, slumped over the sheet metal table - laughing so hard that tears would be falling down our faces. Who knows what we were laughing about... I recall, at Christmastime when everyone would be looking forward to mail. If there wasn't any mail on any given day's flights, we would woefully sing a modified version of "The First Noel," replacing the "Noel" refrain with "No Mail...No Mail..." and a few other choice lyrics. What we did to butcher or modify other songs is not fit for print.

Sometimes our personal renditions of various songs, stories or poems would take on a rather bawdy form. I recall a number of us in the "Foldaway" - the large building housing the carpenters, electricians, plumbers, welders, and sheet metal workers, participating in a type of "round robin" style of poetry, where each person would take a juvenile-type of poem, and re-write a line while illustrating it in our own special way. The result would be about an 8-frame comic of some of the most insane rhymes one could think of. They were, of course, the kind of poems where "you had to be there" in order to understand their meanings. I still have copies of these (maybe one day I can scan one when I get back up north).

I still stay in touch with a few of my old friends - my songbird singing partners Ann and Dawn, with whom I spent countless hours learning how to sing madrigals (thanks to Ann!) - and we became known as the McMurdo Madrigals, where our star (and only) performance was at the Art Show that our friend Neal (who is beyond genius)somehow cooked up. The imagination and different talents people had were unbelievable.

On my occasional visits back to NJ, I see our former construction superintendent Steve - who is now my brother in law. Art is still going back & forth to the ice and New Zealand with the National Science Foundation, and we talk on occasion - but a visit with all these people would be far better!

I often think of Gary and Mike and Nick in the sheet metal shop, and wonder where they are, and if they still laugh as much as we did then. The sheet metal department holds some memories for me that are downright sacred. I miss my fellow "Bio Blondes" Kristin and Lisa, and Steve and Jim (who were honorary Bio Blondes) with whom I worked at the old Bio Lab (which was dismantled after my winter over season). Hmmm. We laughed like crazy in there, too!

Wintering over with Dave, Dawn, and J.B. was amazing - we spent hours upon hours singing folk tunes...

I have hilarious memories of laughing insanely with Neal over scenes in "The Sound Of Music" that he re-interpreted in a manner that absolutely defies description... the fun group in the Chalet - Stephanie, Diane, Art, and Dawn... and singing backup with Kerri for Neal, Dane, and "Falling Bodies," the band that entertained at any excuse for a big base-wide party.

Ahh. I find myself smiling over these memories as I sit here on the beach of Cherry Grove - looking over the ocean, wondering about all the people who were part of my life, and hoping that - wherever they are, they are doing well, and have the same fond memories that I do.

Nearly 20 years later, I have accepted that I will not be returning to Antarctica, although revisiting New Zealand is certainly a high priority for me. But, as I watch from the sidelines as the "new watch" get ready to deploy each October (there are a number of people from northern NH who participate in this annual adventure these days), I can only hope that they are enjoying their experiences at least as much as I enjoyed mine.

Thanks for indulging my little journey back to the land of the Lost Boys, those crazy years on the ice - back when "the men were tough, the women were few, and the penguins were nervous..."

Working from Home in the Travel Industry

When I was a kid, one of my fantasies included working in a travel agency. At the time, my only experience in travel was going down to "The Shore," as we called it growing up in New Jersey. I pictured working in a sunny office, helping eager families choose their motel or bungalow for their summer week or two in Ocean Beach or Wildwood.

My experiences in travel have broadened somewhat since childhood, but my interest in marketing vacations hasn't changed. Just the methods have. Perhaps you’ve noticed that some of the travel agencies in your town have closed their doors. Up in the northern White Mountains of NH where we have a home, we’ve seen two travel agencies leave town.

Considering how easy it is to find good travel deals on line, this turn of events is not surprising!
Nowadays, we book almost every trip we take online with the vacation travel club we belong to.

We did feel a little bad when we saw the writing on the wall, and noticed the “For Sale” sign in front of our former travel agent’s building. We had always enjoyed working with her, and seeing what exciting trip she would come up with for us.

For several years, as the internet changed from something I vaguely heard about in the news to my primary tool for my livlihood, I heard the whispering – “travel agents will be doomed by the internet!” or “travel agents will all be going out of business.”

Of course, that’s utter nonsense, since there are plenty of areas where the population still supports a local travel agency - and there are plenty of people who still want someone else to prepare their travel arrangements.

Just not in our rural area.

But, why the doom and gloom? If you love travel (whether or not you have experience as a travel agent), then why not hop on the “Working at Home Online” train?

There are plenty of opportunities working from home in the travel industry these days. Spending less than 5 minutes in an online search will prove that to you!

You’ve seen the advertisements touting the benefits of working from home on line – but you need to focus. For example, if you like NASCAR, but there are no NASCAR related jobs in your neighborhood, then find products in that niche and begin selling them online!

If you like travel, then focus on a travel product. Don’t let the lack of travel agencies deter you. There are PLENTY of opportunities for working from home in the travel industry – and yes, they are now online. You can easily find any number of travel related MLMs and affiliate programs (for all you NASCAR lovers, I don’t know if there are any affiliate programs for you!)

Before you jump headlong into the “internet working from home” pool, but after you’ve weighed the advantages of working from home – along with the benefits of working from home (and there are many! But that’s a different story.), please check the credentials of whichever program floats your boat (pun intended, if working from home in the travel industry is what you want!).

Make sure that your program – whether it’s an MLM or affiliate program has a solid, stand-alone product. One you can confidently offer to the person who just wants to go on vacation without worrying about whether or not you’re going to try recruiting him or her to join your business, or take a timeshare tour.

For example – and I refuse to name companies here – I know people who regularly ask me to join their travel businesses in true MLM fashion. They know I love travel – and typically, they know that I’ve had a lot of experience in MLM. For me, I have noticed that personally contacting people I know in an attempt to interest them in my “working from home opportunity” dilutes my relationship with them. I don't want them avoiding me when they see me at the supermarket.

Hey, that’s just me. You may have different feelings and levels of success with that.

And that’s fine.

BUT… If the friend happens to have an opportunity and can use customers as well as a sales force, I’m all in! I have a very dear friend who is a member of a travel MLM, and if her price on something beats mine, I’m in. For one of my last vacations, I booked a car through her site and got a 2 week rental for less than $200. No joke.

I just want to be sure that whatever working from home opportunity I choose has a stand alone product.

Because I enjoy travel so much, I want to be able to offer someone who loves to travel an opportunity to do JUST THAT. Travel.

Stand alone product. And, so that is what I market. You can buy it, or not buy it. You can join as an affiliate – or not.

Hey, if the customer is interested in learning how to earn commissions marketing the luxury vacation membership him or herself, I’m all over it. But, it remains their choice – and not until they bring it up.

Because, there are so many people out there who really just want to travel – and they want a good deal. Which we have.

One of the best analogies I ever heard in relation to this is “Don’t try to sell a steak to a vegetarian.” It’s true. Remember: Not everyone wants a work at a home business opportunity. So, why try to sell them that?

But, they might enjoy travel, and might be seeking a way to enjoy luxury vacation travel for a lot less than they’ve been paying.

So, keep these things in mind when you are looking for ways you can be working from home in the travel industry – or working from home on line in general. Once you have decided on what you are going to market online, you'll need to put a system in place - an internet marketing system and plan of work to market successfully. But that's a chapter all its own.

Start with an opportunity offering a high quality, stand alone product. It’s critical.

What Finding Sharks' Teeth on the Beach Has to do with Internet Marketing

So, what does finding sharks’ teeth on the beach have to do with internet marketing?

Well, quite a bit, as it turns out. And I'll share this with you here.

See, when we got down to Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina to escape the cold and snowy winters of northern New Hampshire, we noticed a lot of people beachcombing for different shells and – sharks’ teeth.

First of all, we need to note that the only reason we could uproot ourselves from the bitter northland for warmer climes is due to the amazing opportunities that the internet and internet marketing have given us. For this, we are thankful.

Anyway, as we settled in, and began walking along the ocean front, we decided that we, too, would look for sharks’ teeth.

And so we did. Every day, for a month, we looked for sharks’ teeth. But, nary a tooth was to be found.

This was getting frustrating.

Finally, one day we noticed a couple down by the Cherry Grove Pier who looked like they were completely engrossed in whatever they were finding in the sand. Intrigued, we approached them and asked what they were finding (Note: Down here, everyone – and we mean EVERYONE is exceptionally friendly, so we weren’t concerned about approaching strangers.).

Well, not only were they looking for sharks’ teeth – they were FINDING them. Lots of them. We asked if we could see them – they showed us numerous types and sizes, and they even knew what type of shark some of them were from (they even had a Great White Shark tooth – which served as a reminder as to why we do not want to ever encounter one…).

A week or so later, we decided to walk a little more slowly than our usual pace – just in case we could more easily spot a tooth. Because typically, we were hurried, more intent on getting exercise with the hope that we’d spot a tooth. And every day we said, “THIS is the day we find a sharks’ tooth!” We kept visualizing what it would be like when one of us finally said, “Honey, I found one!”

And all of a sudden, about two weeks or so ago, it happened. We were strolling along – not intent on exercise, but on finding a shark’s tooth. John bent down, picked something up – and said, “Honey, I found one!” And sure enough, it was a sharks’ tooth!

Now, moseying along ahead of us was a gentleman who was also a shark tooth hunter. He had a plastic zipper-lock bag with a bunch of them – and one was very large.

We asked him where and how he found all of them. He explained that we needed to concentrate our search on where the tide was going out, leaving a “wash” of debris behind – almost like a sluicing action one might see in a gold pan or sluice.

Well, wouldn’t you just know it! Within minutes, I found a sharks’ tooth, too! Then another. And another. Before we knew it, and several days later, we had amassed a collection of about 24 sharks’ teeth.

Then, a few evenings ago, I went out for a breath of air on the beach. It was nearly sunset. I noticed that the “wash” from the previous high tide was quite high on the beach since the day before saw extremely high winds, and subsequently, high and rough wave action.

I thought of what the various experienced shark tooth hunters had taught me, and I decided to search in this particular spot. Lo! Within a minute I saw a sharks’ tooth.
And another. And then another. In less than 40 minutes, I came home with 12 full sharks’ teeth!

And to think that less than a week or so before, we hadn’t found even one.

So. What does any of this fascinating story have to do with internet marketing?

Plenty. Because as I marveled at how we were transformed from well-intentioned, but uninformed beachcombing dilettantes, ignorant of the knowledge that would help us find that elusive prize – the coveted shark’s tooth, into beachcombers who were now having success and finding sharks’ teeth easily, and on a daily basis – it hit me. It hit me hard.

Internet marketing success is NO DIFFERENT than hunting for sharks’ teeth. What is it we all want in our internet marketing efforts? We want sales. We want customers. We want like-minded members to join our organizations.

If you decide to market online, but don’t know: 1) what your customer looks like, 2) where to find your customer, and 3) how to find your customer – then you are just like we were when we started searching for sharks’ teeth.

But, the second we 1) slowed down, 2) asked someone what they looked like, 3) learned how and where to find them, and 4) focused on the search until we found one, we became successful.

So, what this means to you, as an internet marketing specialist, is that you – we – all of us, need to do the following:
1) Slow down – don’t work in a frenzy, jumping from product to product, marketing strategy to strategy. Don’t try to focus on more than one thing at a time. It doesn’t work. My eyes prove this – I cannot look at the computer screen while at the same time clearly see the ocean in front of me.

2) Learn from people who already successful. Hey, this is no secret. Every internet marketing guru out there will tell you to follow success.

3) Learn strategies that are proven to be successful, and then implement them. And keep implementing them until you, too, find your first shark’s tooth. Then, by some kind of wonderful magic, you will find more and more of them.

What if – after talking with all the people who are successfully finding sharks’ teeth, day after day – what if I walked away and said, “Well, he doesn’t know anything! It must have been luck! I’m going to look around the base of the Palm trees next. Surely, there must be a shark tooth there…”

What if I did that?

Even worse, what if – after all that discussion, all that initial interest – I decided, “Nah – it’s not worth it to find one silly little tooth.” And then I just walked away, thinking, “Maybe I’ll just find something easier to identify on the beach.”

Hmmm. Beached jelly fish are certainly easier to identify.

Hopefully, you would say that I am a fool for ignoring what is clearly a proven strategy for finding such an intriguing part of nature.

Yet, how many of us do that very same thing, day after day! We say we want to learn a good internet marketing strategy. We pay money – sometimes a lot of money – to learn from those who are successful. Then, after one or two limp gestures, we drop it.

Maybe the next strategy will succeed...

Maybe...

Miracles from 2008

As I sat in meditation moments ago, my mind began contemplating the year that is about to end this evening. I opened my eyes, and was gazing out at the Atlantic from our winter rental here on the beautiful South Carolina beach. I marveled at the miracle that made it possible for us to leave our cold and snowy northern home for the winter – and as I marveled at that, I began to think of all the other miracles of this past year.

And I was inspired to write this post.

I have not yet attained millionaire status; however, if the miracles of 2008 are any indication, I am surely on my way – not only monetarily, but spiritually as well. May I share with you the multitude of things that awe and inspire me about this past year?

Thank you.

As I review the year, I realize that early in 2008, my focus began to sharpen. I am so grateful for the first 45 days of 2008, wherein I detoxified my body and mind to a state where mental clarity became the norm. How grateful I am.

In 2008, I made my first large affiliate sale, resulting in a real commission check – made out to me – and I no longer needed to visualize something that hadn’t yet happen. Because now it DID happen, and I could visualize even more of them. This first success made me realize that success truly is within my reach. How grateful I am.

I am so thankful for that experience, and thankful I didn’t quit the way I used to quit when success wasn’t mine overnight.

I am also thankful that, as 2008 continued, my other websites began producing sales. I didn’t quit 6 months after getting my websites up and running, even though I wasn’t yet earning enough to live on. How grateful I am.

I am extremely grateful that I have learned to calm my mind and become patient – and through this calmness and patience have seen my faith deepen.

Many times during 2008, I felt thankful that we had discarded our television 4 years prior. I am thankful that I avoided newspapers and newscasts, because I was unaffected by others’ pessimism about whatever was happening in their economy. The time I did not spend in front of the television set or newspapers was spent in learning to visualize my goals and intentions, and these were untainted by whatever was happening to others.

During 2008, as I walked along the quiet country road where we live in northern NH, I often found myself thankful that I didn’t really know or “hang out” with anyone in town – because my solitary walks became walking meditations wherein I could formulate new visions for my life. When I had first moved to that area, I felt lonely because I didn’t know a lot of people or have friends there. Once I turned my vision inward, I realized what a gift that the solitude truly has been for me. How grateful I am.

I am so grateful that 2 years ago I lost my job – another in a series of grant-funded work that always evaporated when the funds dried up. If I had been able to keep any of those jobs, I could not have packed up and left NH when the snows fell this year. I’d still be shoveling, scraping ice, driving on snowy mountain roads, and spending money on heating oil, plowing, and firewood. Instead, thanks to the fact that my jobs were gone, I was able to work on becoming an internet marketing entrepreneur – AND go to a beautiful southern climate for the winter. How grateful I am.

I am also thankful for laptop computers and cell phones which make it possible to work wherever I want to be.

Although this sounds sad, I cannot begin to say how thankful I was when, 6 days before we were to leave NH for SC, that we were both home when our beloved little cat, “Kitty,” suffered a stroke – and that we were both with her, petting her and loving her as she made her transition over the rainbow bridge. If we had both been at a job, our little Kitty would have suffered and died alone. Another miracle is that the vet – who is only in our rural area 3 days/week – was there and still open when this occurred. How grateful I am for the 9 years we had our pet. How grateful I am.

I am thankful that I reconnected with friends that I thought had moved on. I spent many pleasant hours with some of these folks, and heard new insights and gained a new appreciation for who they are. What a blessing these friends are.

We are told that the real estate market is doing poorly. There is a small city in northern NH where more than 120 single family homes are for sale, and few are selling. During 2008, we had a small single family house in that town that we needed to sell. How thankful I am for the miracle of the house selling within 7 days of being put on the market. How grateful I am, and awed, when I think of the person who bought the house – who we discovered was born 4 doors down the road, 68 years before, who had moved away 40 years earlier, and who just decided to “come home” to his hometown. How grateful I am.

I realize it is by no accident that, over the course of this last year, I have stumbled upon remarkable books, some written in the early 1900's, about the universal Law of Attraction. These books are not widely discussed today, as other, more contemporary books have since been written. Nonetheless, these older volumes resonated with me, and have quickened my progress in my own ability to visualize and act on my goals. How grateful I am.

I am overwhelmed with thanks that my husband joins me and supports me on my path, and that together, we spent the 2008 holiday season volunteering in our new winter community instead of purchasing and opening gifts. This experience was unlike any other we have ever had, and touched our hearts and changed our lives forever – and we will never be the same. How grateful I am.

Throughout the year 2008, I have learned to hear, listen, and follow the intuitive messages speaking within my spirit. I have been led along the path, guided to make certain turns – and have learned to trust the direction I find myself following.

I am seeing potential I never saw before.
I am meeting friends I never knew existed.
I am being introduced to business and marketing strategies that – a year ago – I had never even heard of.
I am trusting and loving myself as I never have before.
I am feeling a depth of love in my heart for others that I never thought could be so strong – so strong that tears come to my eyes whenever I contemplate it.

I am so grateful for the joys, miracles, and awe that 2008 has brought to me – and I have touched on but a few of them here. These words I have written come nowhere near the feelings and thoughts that are bubbling within my heart and mind.

But, I wanted to share them in the hope that they spur you to contemplate the miracles that may have occurred in your life – and to anticipate the miracles that are yet to occur in 2009 and beyond.

I wish you all a blessed and happy new year.

Forming SMART Goals to Crystallize Your Vision

I recently wrote about how positive thoughts and mindset are your most powerful tools in Internet Marketing.

We reviewed the importance of staying in the present moment. If you missed that article, please feel free to either scroll down to below.

Today I'll talk about formulating goals that are S.M.A.R.T.

Before we discuss this, however, please be sure you understand the importance of keeping your thoughts in the present moment. This is critical, because all of your goals MUST use words that keep each goal in the only moment when ANYTHING can be accomplished – and that is now. This very moment. Not yesterday, and not tomorrow. Now. Again, I briefly review this topic in the article mentioned above.

As we move into making S.M.A.R.T. goals for ourselves, I want to point out that there are entire websites dedicated to this well-known and well-used acronym. If this is a topic that resonates with you, I recommend that you visit one of the many excellent sites that cover this in great detail. Simply type in the search term “SMART Goal Setting” or some similar term. You will find numerous variations on the acronym, but, for our purposes, we’ll break it down as follows:
S = Specific.
M = Measurable.
A = Attainable.
R = Relevant or Rewarding (some sources use “Realistic” – we’ll stick with Relevant and Rewarding for our purposes).
T = Time-Based.

Let’s review each term separately:
S = Specific. When we write goals, they should have a razor-sharp focus about what, exactly, you want to have happen. It answers the question “What?” What is it that you want?
Example: Instead of having a goal to “have a lot of money someday,” try “have $10,000 cash flow every single month by October 2009, over and above business expenses.”

M = Measurable. How will you tell whether or not you are making progress toward your goal? Different goals will call for different types of measuring criteria. This answers the question “How?” How is this going to be accomplished?
Example: If your goal is to walk for 30 minutes each day, the way you measure progress towards that goal will be somewhat different than if your goal is to walk 5 miles every day. Your measurement criteria for the goal of walking 30 minutes each day may be to begin with 10 minute increments for the week, 20 minute increments for the second week, etc. If your goal is to walk 5 miles every day, your measurement criteria may be in half-mile increments for each week. In either case, the way you see your progress is easily determined by the criteria you have chosen.

A = Attainable. You want your goal to be something you can commit to reaching without giving up. The goal should push you – but not overwhelm you.
Example: Instead of having an initial goal of running 10 miles without stopping within the next month if you have never been a runner, how about starting out with a goal of running 2 miles without stopping? Again, I’m not saying don’t reach for the stars – I just want to be sure you stick with your commitment towards your goals. If you find yourself running 2 miles without stopping fairly easily, then by all means, up the ante and go for that 10 miles!

R = Relevant (also, Rewarding). Your goal should have meaning to your life and purpose. If it isn’t relevant to your life, or rewarding, you won’t want to spend a whole lot of time or effort on it, will you? It not only needs to impact who you are and what you’re doing – it also needs to be completed by you, and not someone else.
Example: Let’s say you love to sing, and want to find a way to earn some extra money through your singing. As you brainstorm goals to move you in that direction, the goal of “By March 10th, research 10 different venues in town that are open to auditioning new singers” is relevant – because YOU are the one who will need to attend the audition, and singing is important to YOUR life. However, forming the goal: “listen to 10 new CDs of different famous singers by March 10th” isn’t relevant to your desired result. How would committing to listening to some CDs get you closer to earning extra money by singing? Certainly, listening to others can be inspiring, but unless it compels you into taking some action, it’s not relevant – and if you’re not taking action, it’s not a rewarding goal either.

T = Time-based. When will you reach this goal? In a month? 6 months? If you don’t put some kind of time commitment to your goal, when will you actually make any progress toward your goal? Without any sense of urgency and importance to accomplishing your goal, it can get very easy to fall into, “Oh, I’ll start tomorrow,” or “Maybe I’ll get going next week sometime…” Setting a timeframe for your goal will help keep you accountable. It answers the question “When?”
Example: You may have a goal of earning $10,000 per month online. When do you intend to get to work on this goal? If it’s that important to you, you should crystallize your starting point, as well as mid term points where you can account for your activities toward the goal. In what month and year are you anticipating reaching this goal? Without a starting and ending point framing your goal, at what points would you know to do a check up on your progress?

Ok. So that briefly reviews the idea of the SMART goal. Let’s see if we can come up with a goal that meets all the points we just touched on.

NOTE: For purposes of this example, this goal assumes that I am already earning some money through online marketing, and the starting point is December 1, 2008. Here’s the goal statement (notice that the wording is in present tense – it’s happening right now, even though I am using certain calendar timeframes to help define measurement criteria):
GOAL:
“Beginning today, I implement one new strategy from the ABC Training Manual daily until each of the 10 named strategies is in effect – an effort which, monitored and updated on a daily basis, results in my earning an extra $1,500 or more per month from my website’s sales, building up sales each month so that I am earning $5,000 or more from my website’s sales each month by March, 2009.”

S = Specific: Is the goal specific? Yes, it gives an exact figure that we can visualize occurring – for example, we can picture deposits being placed in our checking account as they add up to the goal.

M = Measurable: Is the goal measurable? Yes, it gives us a “ruler” in the form of the method we will use (the strategies of our company’s training module) so we can begin looking at our progress. We also have the measure of progress by days for the 10 strategies – we either implement one each day, or we don’t. At any point, we can stop and examine what it is we are doing and adjust our activities to bring us back into alignment with the goal.

A = Attainable: Is the goal attainable? Yes, because it is something that, due to our plan and right attitude will be well within our reach in the given amount of time. It is definitely going to stretch us – but it isn’t going to overwhelm us. We will feel great as each day we see the progress that keeps us going.

R = Relevant and Rewarding: Is the goal relevant and rewarding? Yes, because once we see ourselves implementing the strategies and seeing the income grow, we will feel that our efforts are rewarding. We have the relevant strategies at hand that will help propel us to the goal. Just because we may not yet have implemented the marketing strategies, they are a critical part of the goal that will prove to be very rewarding as we move forward.

T = Time-Based: Is the goal time-based? Yes, because we have given ourselves a sense of urgency but at the same time have given ourselves a reasonable timeframe in which to accomplish the task. By outlining the initial 10 days of activity (implementing one new strategy per day), and giving ourselves a few months to monitor and update – all of which can be checked and accounted for on a daily basis – we have an excellent starting point as well as a finish line to aim for.

I have one further clarification to make regarding the way I worded this goal. I mention that “I implement one new strategy from the ABC Training Manual daily until each of the 10 named strategies is in effect.” You may be thinking that this is the only vehicle that will result in my earning the extra $1,500 or month per more.

This wording is not meant to limit the ways in which the extra money may come to me – it is a starting point. This goal may well be a “sub goal” – one of several smaller goals that are part of a bigger picture or bigger goal that is not evident in these examples.

I believe it is important to remain open to how goals might be accomplished. Please do not limit yourself to attaining goals through means that you can only perceive with your five senses, because there are possibilities you may not yet have been exposed to or introduced to yet that could far exceed any expectation (again, see the article I wrote earlier about mindset).

There are certain spiritual proclivities that I have when it comes to my own goal setting that may or may not agree with your own ideas or beliefs. In my case, I may indeed word a mini goal as I did in the above example, but I may also add that I am open to receiving the extra $5,000 per month in a way that has yet to be revealed to me.

I believe that it is perfectly acceptable to change goals as circumstances change. But, the important thing is that you have a starting point, and that it is written down. At very least it will help you to crystallize in your mind the picture of what it is you want to achieve!

Ok. If you are feeling up to a little exercise, here are a few hypothetical scenarios and corresponding goal statements that do NOT meet the SMART criteria. What can you do to change them?

Have fun!
Scenario #1: You want to get back into your old jeans which stopped fitting you approximately 20 pounds ago. You want to slim down before your college reunion, which is scheduled for November 2009. It is now July 2009. You know you need to cut back on the junk food, which you indulge in nearly 3 times a week. You also don’t exercise much – there’s just no time.
Ok… here’s the goal:
“On November 1, 2009, I weigh 20 pounds less than I do on July 1, 2009 by eating less junk food and beginning and sticking to an exercise program.”

Scenario #2: You want to start a home based business, preferably online. You don’t know where to begin – but you do have a good computer and high speed internet access. You would like to earn $1,000 extra per month for starters since you are still working full-time. It is April, 2009, and you would like to have something started by June, 2009, and be earning $1,000 extra per month by December, 2009. Some of the things you have decided you could enjoy marketing include luxury travel memberships.
Ok… here’s the goal:
“I have an online business selling luxury travel memberships for XYZ Company, and since each sale brings approximately $1,000 commissions, I am selling one or more memberships each month, beginning in November 2009.”

I hope this goal exercise has been helpful to you! Again, if you want more training regarding the S.M.A.R.T. goal, type the term into your favorite search engine, and study the various sites out there.

Remember the theme of the James Allen book, “As a Man Thinketh:” As you think, so you are, and so you will become. So, let's get SMART with our goals now!

Your Mindset and Thoughts: The Most Powerful Tool You Have in Internet Marketing

Here is the copy of an article I just submitted to an eZine - hopefully you will find it helpful!

Ok. So you have bought into an internet marketing program. You did your homework, and found a product that you really would like to sell, because you enjoy using it – or would like to use it – yourself.

You went ahead and jumped right in. You bought the whole program, and you also bought into an automated marketing system. You feel great about this! The system you bought is the perfect vehicle for getting potential customers to your site!

So… You straighten out your folders, neaten your desk, sharpen your pencils, and then you… You what? What do you do?

Hmmm. Perhaps you log in to your site – maybe it’s an affiliate program back office where there are lots of links to training tips. Perhaps you start searching the internet to see who else is marketing your product, and to see how they’re doing it. Your mind begins buzzing with confusion.

Perhaps you see a bunch of people out there all of a sudden, and it seems like everyone is marketing – gulp – the same program. “Oh no!” you may wonder. “How can I compete with them?”

A chill runs through you. What do you do now? Your thoughts go from excitement to fear to doubt…

Ok. This is where your mindset comes into play.

The first thing you do is take a deep breath, and let it out – and while you are letting it out, you say to yourself, “Well, of course there are other people using this system! Of course other people are marketing this product! If they weren’t, there would be no demand for it! If there wasn’t any competition, I’d be in big trouble, because that would me no one wants the product. Boy, am I glad I have a product people want!”

Do you get it? First of all, to put the fear of competition to rest, understand that competition is important! When you market your product, you are not going to use the exact same words in your advertising as everyone else does! You are not going to have the exact same ideas for ezine articles or press releases that others do!

You will have your own moments of inspiration. You will have your own ideas for what might be a good advertisement. You will have your own story to tell. But – not if you keep harboring fear and doubt.

The important thing here is to have your mindset right. Here are some quick tips (and believe me, if you ever have browsed through the “Self Help” section of a bookstore, you’ll notice that there is no shortage of material on this subject! – so, when I say “quick tips,” I mean it! Take these as starting points!). And please remember – we are only concentrating on mindset and thoughts in this article.

We’re going to concentrate on getting your THINKING straight.

In a nutshell, this is the age old wisdom repeated in volume after volume of self-help works: “What you THINK about, you BRING about.”

Ever heard that? It’s in the Bible, quoted by the famed James Allen in his landmark book “As A Man Thinketh,” and many, many others. If you’ve ever heard of the movie “The Secret,” this is one of the main topics. If you have ever heard of the universal law of attraction, this is one of the primary points.

Your thoughts determine your ultimate outcomes. Have you ever heard people say that they want something, but their voices say otherwise. They may say, “Oh, yes! I just know I really want to succeed,” but their faces are saying, “Yeah, right. It’ll never happen to me.”

Don’t laugh! Have you ever caught yourself in that negative thought habit? Thinking things such as: “If I’m lucky…” “Well, we’ll see what happens…” “I’d better not get my hopes up too high…” – stuff like that?

Well… STOP IT! Decide to release or surrender any negative thought habit you have RIGHT NOW. You must if you are going to master your thoughts and mind – rather than have THEM master YOU.

“Kath, that’s not so easy,” you may be saying. Perhaps not on your first go around. But, once you get into the habit of correcting and releasing your self-limiting thoughts, and replace them with “can do” thoughts, it’ll get easier.

But, to begin with, you need the right thoughts to think - to replace the negative self-limiting thoughts with, right? Of course! So, this is where you take your goals and intentions, and put them into words of abundance so that you can begin to feed your mind with positive self-fulfilling thoughts (Note: The topic of proper wording for goals and goal-setting will be covered in a different article.).

Let’s say you have a goal to earn $1,000 extra this month. Instead of saying to yourself, “Oh, I sure would like to have $1,000 extra this month,” picture yourself looking at $1,000 deposit in your checkbook, $1,000 added to your balance column – and think, “Oh, it sure is nice having this $1,000 extra this month!” (Another Note: You need to FEEL it, too – and yes, there is a lot of literature out there on this, as well.)

Picture having the $1,000 – instead of wanting the $1,000. The mind doesn’t play favorites – if it sees you wanting, then wanting - or the feeling of wanting – is what you will continue to have. Do you really want to want it? Or do you prefer to have it?

You see, all things you can perceive with your 5 senses that are man-made began with a thought. For example, a table or a chair didn’t just appear one day out of thin air.

Someone, somewhere along the way had to have had a thought about a structure or tool that would somehow make life a little more comfortable. The thoughts might have been of a more comfortable posture, perhaps a more comfortable feeling while eating. Maybe sitting on a rock gave them the idea of a more comfortable feeling. The thoughts probably were not about “wishing” to be more comfortable. They probably thought about the postures that made them more comfortable, and opened their minds until the inspiration came to help them develop the tools. Again, this is just a simple example. But, again, primitive man’s thoughts were probably fairly simple too.

Which brings me to the next point – While you are training your mind to think in terms of your present state of abundance as a result of your business success (Again, think in the present – not the past or future.

Think in terms of “having,” not “wanting.” Think and picture having your goals right now. Practice!), don’t cram your thoughts with worry about how you are going to achieve your goals. You could not even possibly begin to imagine the multitude of ways you might find to achieve your goals. Remain completely open minded to what is out there. Help, guidance, intuition, etc., may come from a place you least expect it.

This is not “fluff.” It’s real. May I give you a true example of something that just happened to us? I’ll make it very short. We had a small property to sell, and were told over and over that we’d have a tough time in “this poor economy,” (by the way, another limiting thought), and in “this area, where nothing is selling!”

We chose to ignore such things, and we pushed on. While working on the house, and engaging a realtor to sell it, what kept going through our minds was this: “This is the perfect little house for someone who really is looking for an easy-to-heat, easy-to-maintain place here…This house is great for someone who wants a place in move-in condition…” etc. When I tell you that we had an offer within 1 week of the house being on the market, I am not exaggerating. Furthermore, the person who bought it was born on that very street – 4 doors up – and had been wanting to come back to that town for years.

You see, we absolutely refused to listen to nay-sayers. We had the idea and thought that this was going to work out. We never wavered on our faith that this was the perfect house for someone, and that the perfect someone would appear to purchase it. We completely released and surrendered any thoughts as to where this person would come from - and the person came from two states away! There is no way we could have even remotely imagined this buyer. We handed him the keys to the house today (as I write this article).

And that is just ONE example. There are many others. Don’t you want to have your own examples to tell others?

So, this is how important your thoughts are. Replace any fears about your marketing efforts by thinking about all the great things your product has to offer. Begin picturing people finding your website, and purchasing your product. Begin picturing the emails as they come in, informing you that you have an order! Begin seeing your checkbook balance grow. And – as you do so, keep your mind open to the possibilities as they come to you with regard to the actions you will take. And remember to not try to second-guess how or where or when these customers and prospects are going to come to you.

Embrace your competition. Look at what they are doing with an objective eye – one that is not fearful, but is curious. Hmm. What are they doing? Is there something that strikes you as an interesting method they are using? Use your competition as a learning tool. Be glad for competition, because it means your product or opportunity is in demand.

Once you get your mindset and thoughts working WITH you, with YOU mastering your mind and thoughts, instead of being mastered by them, you will soon find that you are ablaze with ideas and energy to help you get to your goals more quickly.

Remember to stick with it! Again, you may not have any idea where, who, how, or when your customer is coming – just keep those thoughts of abundance going. Keep your mind open. Keep the faith. And, while you are releasing all your previously limiting thoughts and replacing them with positive ones, keep working towards your goals with the knowledge you have, knowing full well that the knowledge you need will be revealed. Because you now have success on your side!

Finding Legitimate Home Based Businesses

I have been receiving a lot of emails and ads lately from people who know that I have some history in network marketing and home based business in general. I guess up here in New Hampshire, where the area boasts beautiful scenery - but not a whole lot of diversity in employment options - a lot of us are attracted to the idea of working at home.

Naturally, when someone gets involved with a network marketing group (aka MLM), the phones begin ringing while new representatives call up the top 10 people on their list (MLM folks, you know what I'm talking about!) :) and give invitations to their various home meetings.

I cannot tell you how many of these meetings I have been invited to - and how many times I have personally invited people to my own meetings. There is nothing wrong with this - many fortunes have been made in this way!

If I do not join a particular organization, it's not necessarily that I'm not interested in selling the product itself - in my case, it's just that I do not want to have to contacta network of people I know. I think I'm pretty much done with that method of marketing (I don't have a very thick skin for rejection).

But, because I do love selling, my own preference is to market via the internet.

Ah. Usually, when I'm having this discussion with someone about internet marketing, I get this question, "But Kathy, aren't there a log of internet scams out there?"

My answer is: "I don't know. I don't look for internet scams. I look for legitimate products, legitimate companies, and legitimate home based businesses." Kind of using the Law of Attraction... If I were thinking about being scammed, I'd probably find all sorts of ways to be scammed. Personally, I find lots of terrific products, and equally terrific companies.

As an aside: Because I enjoy copywriting, I do tend to look at my daily direct mail pieces I receive here at home (aka "Junk Mail"). And, because I do look fairly carefully at this stuff to see how other writers are promoting products and opportunities, I have to say that the ONLY time I have personally seen MLM or Network Marketing organizations that are scams or untrustworthy are some of the "Get Rich Quick" schemes, chain letters or astrology reports (from psychics who tell me that they are sincerely alarmed about what is about to happen to me - and that they can help me, but only if I respond to their offer) I've received via Direct Mail.

Most of the programs I've been involved with or invited to view are all high class, first rate programs with excellent products. It's just that a lot of them don't resonate with me on a gut level.

As an example, I love candles in my home - but I'm not interested in selling them. The same goes for jewelry. I just don't really care about it.

Now we can talk about selling things via Internet Marketing though! I love internet marketing. Again, I prefer to see the positive, real products and opportunities - and not spend my time looking for scams.

So, how can a person find a great internet marketing opportunity? Well, for starters - ignore all your spam emails. If you don't know the person writing to you, or it's just an advertisement for the latest "get rich quick" scam - just delete it. Don't spend any of your time or energy on it. None.

When you are searching for a product, check out the scam or ripoff websites to see who is saying what about a product or company (keep in mind that there will always be people who are merely complaining - ignore them. Go for the well-balanced, well-thought-out responses.

Check out the Better Business Bureau Online - and again, keep in mind that no one is perfect. Even the best business opportunity or product will have someone who is a detractor or has a complaint. Hey, it's a big world out there, and lots of people having lots of reactions to things. So, look for balance. If it seems like there is a heavy leaning towards problems with a company, and not a good enough rating, then keep on searching.

That's good for starters... I'll write again on this topic, because there is a lot to say! Suffice it to say that doing your due diligence BEFORE you join an opportunity is the prevention that is the best medicine!

Article Published in Ezine Articles!

I am so pleased to announce that I just had one of my articles published in Ezine Articles (http://ezinearticles.com/?id=988616)! I have reprinted it here for your enjoyment! :) I hope you get something of value from it.

Internet Home Based Business - Scam, Hype, or the Real Deal? Due Diligence is the Key!

With all the online business opportunities flooding the market today it is becoming more difficult to tell the difference between the real deal and one that exists simply to take your money and disappear the next day.

On the other hand, an online business opportunity may NOT be a scam - but it may be so steeped in hype that you don't know WHAT to believe!

Remember, there is a difference between a scam and hype. "Hype" usually overstates the value of the opportunity and a "scam" presents an opportunity that does not usually exist.

Scams usually rear their ugly heads at the beginning of the sale pitch. You may read something like "make tons of money with little or no effort" (ask ANYONE who really works a successful home based business if they "did it in their sleep!").

Another popular come-on claims that you will be making money within 10 minutes of signing up (again - ask someone who IS making it if they turned a profit within 10 minutes! I know I didn't!).

There are NO business opportunities where you can make tons of money and not do anything. Yes, it IS possible to make enormous sums of money online. But overnight?

Not likely.

It can take weeks, if not months to generate enough traffic to your site to begin making money online! Is it worth the effort? Absolutely yes! ...IF you want it badly enough to actually do the work., and IF you are investing in an opportunity built on truth, integrity, and value.

Invest in a home based business opportunity only after doing your due diligence. A lot of the hype you read is designed to entice you act right now - impulsively, based on your emotions at the moment rather than based on calm, patient, and rational review of the opportunity.

Let me ask you this: If you have a hankering for a donut one day, and happen upon a donut franchise offered for sale, would you buy it, based on your immediate craving for a donut? Of course not!

Instead, you might ask: What is the demand is for a donut shop in the area (after all - why is it for sale to begin with?)? Is there enough traffic driving by to sustain a donut shop?

In other words, you would certainly not invest in a business based on your immediate emotional response. Well, the same logic should rule your decisions regarding a home based business opportunity.

Here are some things to consider as you continue your due diligence:

1) Can you speak with someone to get your questions answered before you invest? For example, in my case, I am fortunate that we have real humans who are ready to speak with a prospect about any questions they have - sometimes within 15 minutes of filling out a simple request - BEFORE they invest!

2) What is the demand for the product you will be marketing? Don't depend on the hyped advertising and testimonials to determine actual demand. Search the internet for the product you are considering. Is there a wealth of information, and numerous vendors selling the similar products? If so - that's a good thing!

If, however, the only listings showing up on your internet search happen to be the opportunity you're looking at - well... you might be better off finding a different product to market!
The particular opportunity that I represent taps into the luxury travel market. But I'm far from the ONLY person on the internet involved in the travel industry! Travel happens to be a multi-billion dollar a year business - and not likely to be monopolized by one product or opportunity.

3) Finally, does the company offer value to the customer? Does it operate based on truth, honesty, and integrity? Follow your gut instincts! If something doesn't sound right - if you feel that the customer isn't really getting something of value, then you are wise to have second thoughts before committing. After all - how hard are you going to work promoting a product that you don't feel good about?

So, learn the truth and the facts about what it really takes to start, build, and - most importantly - sustain a home based business BEFORE you invest! You will thank yourself later!

Kathy Tremblay loves internet marketing, which allows her to reach out to people all over the globe. She is an active affiliate of the ground-breaking Global Resorts Network business opportunity. "It's much easier to succed in home based business if you start with and build on Truth and Integrity - and this includes having a real product with real value to your customers!" she says. For more info, please visit her websites here: http://truthtowealthonline.com/ or http://jointhesuccessteam.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Tremblay

What's In YOUR Self-Development Library?

I belong to a number of entrepreneurial and self-growth communities, and I'm always interested in hearing about what people are reading and learning from. What inspires them?

I started thinking about my own journey on the spiritual and entrepreneurial path, and noticed a trend in the types of books I was attracted to. I thought I'd share them with you now. If you are a person attracted to spiritual matters, home based business, self-development, the Law of Attraction, Quantum Physics, then some of these might sound familiar!

My all time favorite - probably because this book REALLY started me on "the path" is Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, founder of the enlightened organization, Self Realization Fellowship (SRF). I continue to bow to this amazing guru, and learn something new every time I pick up the book (or anything else that comes from SRF).

Other favorites on my shelf include:
The Sedona Method, by Hale Dwoskin
Creating Affluence, by Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Quantum Healing, by Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Think & Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
The Magic of Thinking Big, by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Master Key System, by Charles F. Haanel
Mystic Christianity, By Yogi Ramacharaka (a pen name of William Walker Atkinson, a leader in the "New Thought Movement" of the early 1900's)
Money Freedom, by Patricia Remele
The Unmistakable Touch of Grace, by Cheryl Richardson
The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace Wattles
Ask and It Is Given - Learning to Manifest Your Desires, by Esther and Jerry Hicks (The Teachings of Abraham)
A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, by Eckhart Tolle

As I look at this list of books (oh, there are many more!), it occurs to me that the reader may come away with the impression that all I care about is money since so many of these titles deal with financial gain.

But, while monetary gain IS important in this world (after all, how can I GIVE if I don't have something to give to begin with!?), I have come to understand that everything is interconnected - that there is no separation between anything.

And all of these titles - while there may be a reference to material wealth in the title - delve far, far deeper than the superficial "want for money."

When I talk about home based business (especially internet based business and marketing), my thoughts and excitement are not just about what's in it for me, but what's in it for others, as well. The more, the merrier!

What's got me so excited about home based business (especially Network Marketing - aka MLM)? In case you have missed my other entries, it's the fact that we are finally aligned with a business that's based on truth, integrity and value. Learn more here: http://www.truthtowealthonline.com/ or here: http://www.PresentingGRN.com

So what DOES one do with an English degree?

I was just looking over my profile, and I chuckled at the part where I mention receiving a B.A. in English. Really... What WAS I thinking?

Actually, what I was NOT thinking was "Internet Marketing," or "Home Based Business." No. I think I had "Writer for National Geographic" on my mind - but since I feel out of place in Corporate America, I guess I'm glad it didn't go that way.

But, once - while working as a helo scheduler on the Ice (see my profile about Antarctica) I had the distinct pleasure of being on a helo trip with an absolutely brilliant National Geographic photographer (I think George Mobley is the name...), and watching him work really was an honor.

When I was about 7 years old, my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told him, "Either a fairy princess or a writer." He then wisely suggested that being a writer might be the way to go.

But who knew, in the late 1970's, what a writer would be doing in the 2000's? A short journey in the land of the freelance magazine writer proved quickly to pay about $2.00 per hour. That was my first foray into the world of "home based business." Surely, I was good and stuck if something didn't happen.

I almost gave up. I nearly bought into the idea that I just needed a "good job." Oh... the shudder of it all...

I played around with a variety of early models of home based businesses such as mail order. Once, my first husband and I tried an early model of network marketing. I think, if I could locate the bottles of the fiber wafers we stocked up on, they would probably be pretty moldy now - but the guy who introduced us to the concept was pretty successful. He drove a new Chrysler that his commissions paid for. Considering the fact that we drove around in a '72 Duster, that Chrysler looked pretty good.

I think that very short experience set the stage though. I have ALWAYS loved the concept of network marketing or direct selling as a home based business. Of course I never succeeded in those early years - but I never forgot about it (thank goodness!)!

Fast forward to the world of the Internet. It was on the Internet that I learned about the skill of copywriting (aka advertising writing). I love it! I have finally found a use for my writing skills. I now use them to create all the text on web pages on my Portable Garages website, http://www.portablegaragesandshelters.com/.

As far as my GRN business landing pages (http://www.truthtowealthonline.com/ and http://www.PresentingGRN.com hint... hint... hint) I have to hand the kudos for the development and writing of them to others! I've had a lot of people comment on the retail page (to sell vacation memberships to people who are not interested in the business opportunity end of things) - and while I wish I could take the credit for it, I cannot! Again, the great work of other copywriters: http://www.FineResortVacations.com

I use my skills when creating ads, running pay per click campaigns, doing internet research... and all sorts of things! I used help others develop resumes and cover letters - but I don't do much of that anymore. It's far too tempting for me to tell clients to forget about a 9-5 job and go for a home based business - preferrably an internet based marketing business - instead.

Anyway, to any of you aspiring writers or English majors out there - don't lose hope! While teaching is a grand and necessary occupation - it's certainly not the only one! Get some copywriting classes under your belt, join with a good home based business opportunity (pick me! pick me!), and broaden those horizons!

Truth & Integrity in my Home Business - Why Write About It?

Me? A "blogger?" A friend said, "Why not? After all, you like to write - and you can type fast."

Well. This is only half-true. The true part is everything the friend said. The part that's not the half-true part is the "friend" part.

Actually the friend who said this was an imaginary friend - the one who lives in my hyperactive imagination and tells me all sorts of wonderful things about me when no one else will.

This is probably because I live in a very isolated part of the country and hardly ever interact with real people - but that's why I do business online! Where else can I get customers?

I digress... Perhaps we can chat more about that later.

But this helps me get straight to the point - which is Truth & Integrity in Business. The reason I'm really doing this.

I stopped working the "9 to 5" stint over a year ago. It just didn't resonate with me anymore. Probably because there was no money in it.

Every single J.O.B. (translate either "Just Over Broke" or "Jerked Outa Bed" - take your pick) I have had in the last 15 years started with:
1) Grant funds and
2) The hint of a glorious future ahead - uh... IF funding continued. Which it never did. Ever. And I suspect I'm not the only victim of this sad state of affairs.

So. All the stuff my guidance counselor in High School would have said if he had actually ever taken the time to speak with me (stuff like: "Go to college, and get a good job with a good company and good benefits - give them your best, and come time for retirement, you'll have a nice pension with nothing to worry about...") was the FIRST pack of lies I believed regarding business.

I've heard a LOT of lies in my life. Lies from kids, lies from an ex - and lies even from my imaginary friend who talked me into "just one more grant-funded job - because this one will be different."

But, I don't want to harp on lies. Being the positive and philisophical thinker that I think I am, I prefer to accentuate the positive, and talk about Truth and Integrity.

I actually practice truth and integrity in my home based businesses. That's why I named this blog the way I did.

I suppose if I ever become a real jerk, I can rename it. But, after all I've gone through to make it in business, and to build some business ventures that really do reflect truth, integrity, and value - I sincerely doubt that I'll turn to the dark side.

If you happen to be someone who wonders, "Gee, How can I also become a person who operates a home business based on Truth, Integrity, and Value?" I invite you visit my sites and explore a great opportunity with a terrific stand-alone product - and I invite you to get in touch with me to get your questions answered. The company has integrity. The product has value. We operate from Truth. A winner!

This is a blatant advertisement - I want you to visit my sites. I want you to examine the membership. I also want you to know that there is a growing population in the home business industry who are awakening to a higher consciousness - and our lives are amazing and peaceful.

Start here: http://www.truthtowealthonline.com/ - or, here: http://www.PresentingGRN.com - and check the retail site here: http://www.FineResortVacations.com It's fun!

If you happen to be in the market for a nice portable garage, greenhouse, motorcycle shelter or party tent, visit one of my other sites - where you will see how I put my money where my mouth is: http://www.portablegaragesandshelters.com/

Well. That oughta do it for now!