Slave – Save – Retire
A Guide to Escaping the Rat Race

There are multiple opportunities to leave the rat race, but none are as easy as developing an internet marketing business. Let us count the strategies for leaving the rat race for good in terms of online marketing.
1. Affiliate marketing – if you don’t know what this is, just keep reading this blog. I’ll eventually will start revealing the easiest opportunity online.
2. Web Development – Master a CMS (content management system) and start developing sites for clients.
3. SEO/PPC – Master the trade. Learn how to rank sites high in the search engines and you’ll have people eating out of your hand.

Granted its not a long list, but its a start. If you can master just one of the three, you’ll escape the rat race a hell of a lot faster than working your way up the corporate ladder. How long? 1 year. What else are you going to do? Sit around the ‘lunch’ table with your buddies talking about your next meeting?

One of the biggest scams to hit the online marketing scene is Localadlink. It appears to be started by a bunch of former MLM professionals. I only state the word ‘professional’ because they’re professionals at taking money. Localadlink is nothing more than a directory of businesses coupled with pay per click advertising. Whats really the killer is they target small business owners that do not how to market themselves online. They assume they’ll get leads by advertising with hundreds of other business owners along with geotargeting their ads.

Someone forgot to fill them in that they can target as many zip codes and use as many keyphrases as they like. Business owners can also send visitors to their OWN landing page rather than to Localadlinks pages filled with 20 other businesses the visitor could choose from.

Here are a few hot sites that feature LocalAdLink and break it down:
http://www.forestmarie.com/why-localadlink-is-a-scam-localadlink-review-local-ad-link/
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/deal-discussion/880579/
http://ontopresultsllc.com/news/2009/03/06/localadlink-in-charlotte-nc/

Whats even funnier is how many Localadlink reps actually optimize their websites for that phrase:
LocalAdLink Scam

Then on their website they talk about how wonderful it is. They take home 50% of the commission from a business owner each moth. HALF!! Could you imagine telling your neighbor, “Hey, I can list you on Google for $200 bucks but I get $100 of that. So you only really will see $100 worth of traffic, if that!”

Now thats one business model everyone should run away from real quick!

Working for yourself is and has always been the dream of most entrepreneurs. However, taking the necessary steps to do it is another thing. Whats your plan? What profession are you most passionate about?

One of the most popular post on the internet sits on Steve Pavlina’s website. Its titled, “10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job”.

They pretty much all make sense and he mentions what every person in America usually wants or at least thinks about doing, leaving Corporate America.

But how do you really start to work for yourself? You need a game plan to escape that cubicle.

First, find out what your really passionate about. For me, its helping business owners see the value, track their marketing, and show an ROI when it comes to marketing online. Whether its search engine optimization or web analytics, I simply love when a business owner sees the value and he profits in his bottom line. When they are rewarded, it always comes back to me. Thats how I make money.

After you find out what your passionate about you can start to put together a game plan. How much money do you need to start your business. Usually people need 6-12 months of living expenses to feel comfortable before leaving. Others are pushed out through job losses and only have one month of living expenses. Theres been many entrepreneurs that have become successful by being laid off. You sometimes here the comments, “Being let go was the best thing to happen to me. It really kicked me in the butt and spurred me into action”.

In the next 30 days, determine what you really want to do. Hopefully it will be internet marketing and I’ll show you how to start a business in online marketing and web development!

Looks like yet another email spam from a fake name? Only 180 search results in Google for this individual. Don’t you think they’d optimize for their own name or at least have a few social media profiles somewhere?
Here’s the email below:

Dear Website Owner,

65% of people searching the Internet will never find your web site unless you’re ranked on first page of Google, MSN, or Yahoo. If I help you obtain as much as 4 times more WEB traffic to your online business by promoting you to the first page of the search engines would you be interested?

Our company is on the first page when you search on Google for our primary search term “SEO Company.” We would like to do the same for your web site so you can come up for your main keywords as well? All of our processes use the most ethical “white hat” Search Engine Optimization techniques that will not get your website banned or penalized.

This special SEO program includes:
• No upfront fees
• A month-to-month program
• More traffic guaranteed

Please reply to my email and I would be happy to send you a proposal.
______________________________________________________________________
Sincerely,
Jesusita Haygood

567 WEST CHANNEL ISLANDS BLVD
PORT HUENEME, CA 93041 – USA

Small business owners beware

Its been quite awhile since I’ve posted and much has changed. I can’t sum it all up in 2 minutes, which is about what I’ve got but in a nutshell business is crazy. Crazy good and crazy bad. How so? Clients are coming and going in a frantic economy. Thats the best way to sum it up. In my business new clients are estatic they’re looking to rank higher and then quickly get deflated once you tell them what it may cost over 12 months. (I break out my contracts on a monthly basis for the majority of clients- it helps ease their expenses and helps me plan for my future).

I’ll explain more on what types of clients and how many I’ve been able to take on during one of the craziest times in our history, also known as a recession, in another post. But just wanted to make a quick post as one day folks will enjoy reading these blog post once the site really takes off……and yes, it will take off

Social Media is indeed an excellent marketing strategy and one that should be utilized.  Twitter.com as you may already know about, is a micro blogging platform where users can post updates or information to their “followers”.

Today I ran across a tweet:

Update: layoffs tomorrow/Thurs, atmosphere here is tense. My motto? Stay positive and get my job done – control what I can control.

Are you ready for layoffs?  You shouldn’t have to worry about layoffs if you’ve got your ducks in a row. Understanding how corporate America is run and how you need to ‘run’ your own business (even if you work for a corporation) is important to staying afloat.  Corporate America doesn’t give a rats ass about you, your family, and your health.  Its time you start realizing that.  Once you do, you’ll be that much closer to taking control of your future, your life, and your family’s needs.

Have you saved enough money to weather the storm?

This is a perfect example of why you need to take control of the situation right now.  Learning a profession where you can control your own hours, your own payscale, has never been more important than it is today.

Well it should be no surprise that I haven’t posted in a while.  Thats one of the benefits of running your own business.  Spending time with family and friends over the holiday in priority number 1.  We traveled up to NY for a week and spend time up there enjoying the freezing cold weather (sarcasm abounds), but all in all, it was a nice getaway.

This can be the time of the year that actually pisses employees off the most.  Working in a corporate environment setting has major drawbacks.  Its the end of 4th quarter. That may mean you only have two days off, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  When life is coming to a close are you going to look back during this time of the year only to realize you spent more time in your office because of your boss than you do your family?

Its quite the opposite of how many look at whats transpiring over the past few months. Corporate America profits are taking a hit, the economy is in a major depression, and yet now is actually the perfect time to find that freelance passion.  Hint: Web Design and Online Marketing.  Skip the 4th quarter blues, start thinking about your future, your lifestyle, and what you can do to change it.

First and foremost, forget everything you were taught about having to get a job out of college. In order to acheive your goals in life you have to leave behind what everyone tells you.

<blockquote>What are you going to do after college? Who do you want to work for?  What companies are you sending your resume to?</blockquote>

College is 110% wrong when it comes to figuring out how to make money for yourself. Since the day you set foot in a classroom, you are drilled in the head over and over that you have to work for someone when you’re ready for the real world. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Once you realize that you’re making your employer rich and not yourself, you’ve finally realized its time to take action.

Where do you begin?  What resources does it take to build your company or yourself into a web design and online marketing entity?  You’d be surprised at how little I know with web design. In fact, it was just 12 years ago that I picked up my one and only “How to Build Websites” hardcopy.  It was of the popular series from Sam’s Teach Yourself in 21 Days if I recall correctly.

I don’t know Javascript, do not know CSS, and barely know HTML, yet this year I will have eclipsed my largest annual income ever, at over $120,000 +.  Lets get this out on the table right now. I’m not going to show you how I made 1 million dollars in 12 months.  Its called reality.  If you’ve come here looking for instant millionaire status by purchasing this package then you’re going to be in for a big disappointment.

What this blog and book will do is provide someone such as yourself the opportunity to build a successful business where you can officially quit the rat race corporate America CEO’s love.

So back to the topic, where do you begin. Step 1. Forget everything you “Think” you know about what you need to learn to create a sucessful online marketing company (web design, SEO, PPC, and social media). Once you’ve ‘cleansed’ yourself of this thought process, it will be time to move on.

My friend just called me up less than 2 hours ago to let me know he just found a job.  Problem was it was the same employer that fired him less than 3 weeks ago.  My friend, lets call him Steve, is a client relations specialist.  In corporate America, thats slang for someone who handles clients complaints or questions all day.  Steve was at this marketing firm for over 3 years.  He was there when they took off, he was there to help the company prosper and grow to who they are today.  Well, in case you’re heads stuck in the sand on a beach somewhere, you already know this economy stinks.  Steve was promptly let go after dedicating more than 50 hours a week to this small marketing firm in North Carolina.  They quickly repaid him by laying him off when times were tough.

I touched based with Steve a few times after being let go and just today we spoke via phone.  He told me that he found a job!  I was excited for him, at least now knowing he wouldn’t have to worry too much about bills.  I of course asked the million dollar question:

“Who is it? Who do you work for?”

“The same company.”

“What? Are you serious?  After treating you like crap for 3 years and firing you not three weeks ago, you decided to accept their offer?”

“Well the markets bad and I have to do what I have to do.”

Isn’t thay typical? Everyone has an excuse. Steve’s was, “its the market”.  Steve is an educated gentleman aged at about 34 years old.  He holds a bachelors degree and has very good experience at several local marketing firms.  What possesses a man to take a job with the same employer that just fired him giving his great background and work experience?  Why would Steve believe that employer will not turn around in 2 weeks and let him go again?

It doesn’t matter what walk of life your in.  When it comes to corporate America you better believe if you’re not in top management you should be prepared to get laid off or fired at some point in your life.  Theres always going to be ups and downs in the market.  Companies will grow and companies will fail.  Are you going to be safe from the reduction in workforce?