Lifestyle Entrepreneur and Online Marketing Success Blog - Internet Riches - e-Riches 2.0 by Scott Fox

3 Breakthroughs for Everyone's Success - The Most Level Playing Field in History

Success has traditionally been the province of the "establishment", especially white males.  But the Internet is changing that, especially for many people who were raised to think that "success" was beyond their reach.

The Internet explodes 20th century business paradigms that were based on scarcity of resources, information, or the difficulties of physical distribution.   Consequently it can offer previously disenfranchised people of all sorts a more level playing field than ever before.

Here are three breakthroughs that make Internet-based business the best opportunity in history for many people who might not have been raised to expect it:

1. On the Web it doesn't matter what you look like.
2. You don't have to "know anyone" to succeed in e-business.
3. E-commerce takes the capital requirements out of capitalism because software and distribution are so cheap.

The combination of these 3 factors creates fundamental shifts in the ways people interact and in the economy. 

15 years ago if you were reading this, the odds would have been overwhelming that you were a highly educated, white, male who lives in the United States.  Today, I'm hoping that many of you who will see this are of other races, nationalities, backgrounds, castes, and otherwise diverse. 

It's not that I have anything against white males, I'm one myself -- I just believe that the benefits of the Internet revolution deserve to be shared.

And it's not that online success is easy or the answer to everything because there are still real inequities in the world that need to be addressed by all of us.

BUT today whether you are obese, housebound, a racial or sexual minority, physically handicapped, or just plain UGLY, you have a chance to relate to others on a commercial basis without any of that other stuff getting in the way for the first time in history. 

The combination of these factors means that many, many people who were raised without the expectation that they could be successful business owners today have a chance to become exactly that.  This is because e-commerce success is based more purely than ever simply on your ability to deliver value to customers. 

The key is to recognize this change and position yourself to profit from it.  In other words, today anyone, including you, can afford to start a business if they do it online.

How about you?  How about now?  Set up a website using any of the services I recommend here and promote yourself to CEO!

p.s.  If you know of a minority e-business success story, please let me know.  I am looking for inspiring examples of online success by non-standard entrepreneurs for my next book.  You can submit success stories here.

F-ree Copies of Internet Riches at Book Expo this Weekend

Want a fr-ee autographed copy of Internet Riches?  Join me at Book Expo America this weekend.

Book Expo America comes to Los Angeles this weekend.  30,000+ booksellers, publishing professionals, educators, and authors are gathering for the annual celebration of the publishing industry.

600+ authors will be in the house, including famous best-sellers like Dean Koontz and Michael Connolly, along with a keynote speech by Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos, and dozens of educational panels for book retailers, librarians, writers, and publishing executives.

Thanks to my friends at the American Management Association (AMACOM Books), my publisher, I'll be appearing at BEA for the first time, too. 

Please visit the AMACOM booth on Sunday, June 1 from 1000am to 1100am if you'd like to meet me. 

I'll be happy to sign your fr-ee copy of the new paperback edition of Internet Riches!

Customer Mind-reading: What Should I Sell Online?

What should you sell to make money online? 

This common question has an easy answer - You should sell what people want to buy.

This answer may sound like double-talk but today customer "mind-reading" is more possible than you may realize.  How?

Through the Internet, of course.  The Web offers you more customer competitor research tools than were ever available to entrepreneurs in the 20th century. Directly from your PC desktop, online research can tell you what people are interested in and what they are buying. Even better, many of these tools are FR-EE.

Here are some resources you can use to start your own research.  These links will show you how many people are searching on specific keywords, trends in topics and products, and help you determine the best approach for your e-commerce web site:

• Google "Sandbox" Traffic Estimator
• Google Ad Words
• Yahoo Buzz
• Google Zeitgeist
• Word Tracker - paid service but offers free trial
• Site Build It - paid service that includes Word Tracker usage

The key here is to remember:  If you want to make money, focus your efforts on selling what people want to buy - not just want you want to sell.

So, don't start a web site or invest in e-business tools until  you have a clear vision of what you are selling to whom and the profit potential of that target market.  Instead you should save your money (and even more so your time) to invest until after you have determined a profitable niche to target.  Use these tools to help you do that.

Radio Guest: Jon Wuebben, Web Copywriting Expert

My podcast guest this week is Jon Wuebben, CEO of CustomCopywriting.com.  Jon is an expert at copywriting for the web - both for sales and for SEO.

He has a new book out called Content Rich: Writing Your Way to Wealth on the Web.  It's an excellent guide to teach anyone the basics of the short, punchy, action-oriented copy that can make your web site and emails sing.

Tune in this Thursday at 2pm ET / 11am PT to listen to me interview Jon.

If you'd like dial-in information to join the call live, please register here by taking a short survey about my new book.  We'll be taking live questions about Copywriting if you have them.

[You can find this interview archived as a podcast at ScottFoxRadio.com.]

Time on Your Hands this Weekend? Try Site Build It.

Holidays are great.  We all need breaks. But holidays can sometimes leave you with time on your hands.

When you're used to being busy, suddenly having a few hours unscheduled can be surprising.  It's not enough time to really go DO something but still enough time to wish you had more productive plans...

Here's a suggestion:  Take some time this weekend to investigate your own Internet business.  More specifically, check out Site Build It.  It's a great system that can help anybody develop their own online business.  They offer a free tour and an ironclad 100% money-back guarantee from their CEO, Ken Evoy, too.

Here are some links to get you started: My Review & Explanation of Site Build It Video Tour of Site Build It Site Build It sales pages If you've been reading my stuff, I know you've been thinking about an idea for an online business anyway.  Maybe this weekend you can find that extra couple of hours to dive in and finally get started!

BONUS FR-EE MP3:  I was on a radio program with the CEO of Site Build It last week.  You can listen to this 1 hour radio interview, courtesy of Peter Anthony Holder's "Holder Tonight" program on CJAD-Montreal/CFRB-Toronto.  Right click to download this fr-ee MP3 file to your PC and then click to play.

Lot's of inspiring information in this recording as Ken Evoy and I discuss the best bets for today's online entrepreneurs.  Check out Site Build It and get started! 

Quote: The best way to predict the future...

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."

- Alan Kay

A quote from the 365MotivationalQuotes.com collection. 
Subscribe for a fre-e daily dose of inspiration delivered directly to your email inbox!

Memorial Day - The Price of Your Hot Dogs is High

Memorial Day really is a holiday worth celebrating, or at least pausing to reflect upon.  Unlike say, Columbus Day, which celebrates a now ancient (and disputed) accomplishment, or Halloween, which is a lot of fun but doesn't have much underlying meaning in the 21st century, Memorial Day is for real (at least here in the United States).

For those who are only paying attention to their annual picnics or the Indy 500 race this weekend, Memorial Day means more than you get Monday off from work. 

The holiday was started in the U.S. after our Civil War to commemorate all the men and women who had died in the bloodiest conflict the world had ever yet seen.  After the terrible battles of World War I, Memorial Day was expanded to commemorate all those who have died in military service for the country.

So, in between your hot dogs and beers, please join me in celebrating the arrival of summer but also in taking a moment for those who have fallen, too. 

The modern US economy is a miracle of productivity that offers opportunity to everyone reading this.  But we are only able to enjoy its fruits thanks to the sacrifices made by the many, many, many people of the armed services who have died to protect and preserve its liberties.  Without their ultimate commitment to our national ideals, our hot dogs and beer would not be as sweet, and quite possibly would not be available at all.

Memorial Day is their day, not just yours.  On your way to the BBQ, please give them a thought and remind your kids and friends to do likewise.

Radio: Jim Blasingame's Small Business Advocate Show

Here's a fr-ee recording of a radio interview I did this morning with Jim Blasingame.

I was up very early for the 425am call time (drive time radio on the East Coast comes early!) but it was worth it.  Jim's nationally-syndicated "Small Business Advocate Show" is a great resource for small business owners.  Plus, it's fun to talk with Jim because really knows what he's talking about.  We get on so well that we talk right through the commercial breaks and just turn the mics back on so the audience can hear us when the ads are finished.

Listen to this 1/2 hour of the "Small Business Advocate" show for some informative dialogue about Internet business opportunities, business models, and my latest thoughts on the Social Networking revolution, too.

Or try this link: http://www.askjim.biz/embed/link-i.php?f=20080523-B

HTML Tutorial - Fr-ee

How are your HTML skills?  Could be better, right?

I found this fre--e online tutorial for HTML basics today.  (Thanks, Google!)

It covers the basic concepts which should be useful for you (either as an introduction to the topic or as a quick refresher if you already understand HTML tags well).

I'm going to use it to help train my new staff members.

http://www.goodellgroup.com/tutorial/index.html

Reminder: E-commerce Web Design Basics - Free Teleseminar Call-in Details

Can a better-looking web site bring you more traffic and business?  YES.

Join me for a fr-ee teleseminar Thursday 5/22 titled "Web Site Design: Critical Basics for Your E-Commerce Success".

On this free conference call I will discuss many of the important design factors critical to the success of your web site business.  I'll also be taking YOUR QUESTIONS LIVE!

Topics will include:

• Web site navigation and usability
• Keyword density for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Copywriting
• Common mistakes of new web site owners
• Reporting analytics
• Site updating strategies
• Cost-effective hosting strategies

So please call in early to join us and have your web site design questions ready!

Time:  200pm ET / 1100am PT
Date:  Thursday, May 22

Registration Link:  This Teleseminar is available FR-EE to anyone who completes a short survey about Mr. Fox's next book.  Please click Here to take the survey and RSVP for this Teleseminar.

You will receive the call-in details after completing the survey.

Quote: You miss 100 percent of...

"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take."

- Wayne Gretzky, Canadian hockey player (1961 - )

A quote from the 365MotivationalQuotes.com collection. 
Subscribe for a fre-e daily dose of inspiration delivered directly to your email inbox!

Success Magazine relaunches!

Success magazine is back!  Founded way back in 1890, Success is the "grand daddy" of self-improvement publications that has now been updated for the 21st century.

The magazine stopped publication for a few years but new owners have just relaunched it in April.  The updated format and editorial helped make the re-launch one of the most successful in magazine history - the first new issue of Success had an astonishing 72% sell-through rate at a major national bookstore chain! 

Of course, there's also a new web site at (you guessed it):  Success.com.

I'm a fan of this magazine because it's