Topic: An Introduction free software and Internet services.

We've all been in this situation; You have a project to complete. You have little time to do it, and a limited budget for computer software. What is the best solution? Start by checking your options to get the software (and many Internet based services) for free.

It works.

How do I know this? Because I've personally saved thousands of dollars on the software solutions I've needed for my own needs and my clients. I've been doing it for nearly 20 years as a consultant and the owner of a retail computer store, and you can too. Even if you're not the owner of a retail computer store or even a consultant.

I'm talking about hundreds of software applications and solutions, from MS Office compatible software to Tax preparation software to virus protection software. Along with everything in between and many additional services, such as a free Internet based answering machine service, java scripts for your web site, graphics for your web site, or even software to reduce the size of your graphics. The list never ends.

The bottom line is if you use these programs, they will change the way you work and play, at work and at home. You'll be more efficient and have more fun while you're "working" on your computer. In my humble opinion, plain and simple, if you're not utilizing all of the business tools on the Internet (including the free ones), you're either working too hard or not making as much money as you could, or both!

John Davin

It's true. You can access thousand of dollars of free software and Internet services if you know where to find them. And I'm talking about quality software applications and services. The ones you'd be happy to use yourself and to recommend to a friend. Do you believe it? Well, here are some examples.

Examples of free software:

I will show you where to find these useful programs, from MS Office compatible software to Tax preparation software to virus protection software to label printing software, to java scripts for your web site, graphics for your web site, or even software to reduce the size of your graphics and much, much more.

Examples of free Internet services

I will also show you where to find free Internet services such as Free Internet access, free e-mail, free Internet based answering machines, free programs that automate your marketing campaign such as e-mail responders, and much, much more.

The list never ends. You name a need, and I can usually find a solution for you.

Can I guarantee a free software package for every need?

No, I cannot guarantee that you will find a free package or service for every need, but I will do our best to research a topic if you request it. If you operate a specialized business, there may not be any free software that does exactly what you want to do, so the worst case scenario is that you have to say to yourself, "Well, I used this book and found other useful programs that I did not know even existed, got those programs for free, and I saved money on those needs, so I still came out way ahead of the game!".

So, even if you don't find every program you need for free, chances are you will find helpful utilities that you did not know exist and still will be saving money, perhaps hundreds or thousands of dollars, especially if you own a business.

The most important point here is that if you use these programs, especially the utility programs like , ICQ and Mapquest, etc., they will change the way you work and play, at home and at work! You truly will be more efficient and have more fun while you're "working" on your computer, at home or at the office. Your computer and the Internet will become your new office, and that is why we names our series of books "MyNewOffice".

As I said earlier, In my humble opinion, plain and simple, if you're not using the Internet as your new office, and utilizing all of the business tools on the Internet (including the free ones), you're either working too hard or not making as much money as you could, or both!

So, how do you get started finding software and Internet services?

Well, you should read this entire manual completely before you do anything else. Go through each of the different ways we outline below for finding free software, and choose your best option, whether it be shareware, freeware, demo versions, evaluation versions, free services, or any of the other sources we provide.

If you don't believe that this happens, here is just one great example of a software program everyone in business can use. If you save hundreds of dollars on this software package alone, think if all the other places you can spend your money, and all the other software packages you can now afford!

A true Microsoft Office Compatible Program - FREE!

602Pro PC SUITE 2001

The new version of the free alternative to Microsoft® Office, has it all! The suite is composed of four full-featured applications: a word processor, spreadsheet, graphics editor and digital photo organizer.

PC SUITE is FREE for commercial and noncommercial use in its single PC installation package.

·         Read a review of the software here.

·         Download your free copy right here, right now!

That's just one of the hundreds of progams and utilities that you can download for free, directly from the vendor, directly from the Internet. That's good news. But I have better news. You're about to read about at least 7 additional ways you can get free software and free Internet services!

Freeware: Totally free software!

Sources of Freeware:

A list of our favorite programs.
Freecenter - one of the best site for free software sources and reviews!
Freewarehome - IMHO the best site for free software sources and reviews!
: Try this CD if you'd like to buy a CD Rom full of 600MB + of Freeware software. Perfect for those who have a slow Internet connection or want a complete collection of free software on hand at all times.

What is Freeware software and how does it work?

Freeware software is just that. It is FREE software, plain and simple. You will find literally thousands of excellent programs available to you as Freeware, from file compression utilities to amortization tables to file editors, and on and on.

The authors of Freeware place their software in the public domain with the goal that you use it and benefit from it at no cost, ever!

Now, I know that sounds hard to believe, but let me assure you that there are hundreds if not thousands of excellent Freeware software programs available, with no strings attached, that will save you money, time and effort.

I truly believe many Freeware authors truly wish to share their knowledge and programming skills with mankind and that is truly a noble effort. In addition, I have seen authors write an excellent software package, distribute it free as Freeware, simply for brand name recognition and traffic to their websites, where they then have a chance to sell you a similar product or service. In my view, this is simply creative marketing and an example of capitalism working in today's market to offer you and me as consumers, a valuable service at no cost.

What are some examples of Freeware software?

The Linux operating system (use in place of the Windows 95/98/etc. Operating systems) is one great example of freeware software. One of the advantages of this Freeware is that if you are a programmer, you can actually download the source code for the program and make changes and updates to the software as you see fit.

This is one of the most powerful packages available to day, and it can be complicated to install, and thus it is one that the average user may not want to use. I do not recommend the average user to download this and install it today, but for those who are adventuresome and do not want to pay for the Microsoft operating system, they will have a HUGE library of software. Linux.com is a great web site to download these programs, many of which will include the source code so you can modify them.

However, the Freeware that most end users use will not need to be modified. Most users will simply install the software on their computer and USE IT AS IS. For example, if you are considering buying a new home and need to calculate your new house payment, you surely don't want to make changes to the software and the amortization table. You just want to download it to your computer from the Internet, install it, use it, buy your house and forget it! It really is that simple, and there are thousands of free programs like this ready for you to use today as freeware.

I will provide links to resources for more Freeware below, but we will not talk about Freeware after this point. We will be combining Freeware and Shareware in one category, as explained below.

Of course we have a list of our own favorite software, click here to see it!

Our directory of our favorite freeware!

Shareware - Free and "Try before you buy" software.

Sources of Shareware:

cnet.com - A great site for software downloads.
http://www.jumbo.com - Another great site for software downloads.
http://www.tucows.com - Another great site for software downloads.

Here's a great site that offers many links to other sites that have Shareware and freeware software. http://www.startingpage.com/html/downloads.html

What is Shareware software and how does it work?

Shareware is similar in many ways to Freeware. In fact, many times, Freeware is listed as shareware! In either case, the author writes and distributes the software to the end user, usually at no initial charge or cost.

However, not all shareware is FREE. Some of the differences between Freeware and Shareware are that even though most shareware software programs are free, and work well just as soon as you download it, many of the shareware authors use the format to allow you to try their software to evaluate it before you by it, or they may allow you to use a basic, working version of the software and offer inexpensive upgrade options to more powerful versions of their software. You will find that many shareware programs work very well to do the basic things you want to do without any upgrades or updates.

In the "Try before you buy", versions, the software is usually fully functional, and the end user is free to use and evaluate the software, with the intent that if the end user likes the software and decides to keep and use it, he or she will send a registration fee to the author of the software. This registration fee assures the end user that he or she will also receive documentation, updates and product news about the shareware program.

Again, many shareware programs are totally acceptable without upgrades or paid registrations, and in many cases are much less expensive than commercial programs.

Let's take a quick look at what types of programs you can find as shareware.

What specific programs can you find as shareware?

Amortization tables
Atlas Programs
Automobile Repair Schedules
Banner Makers
Bible On-A-Disk
Calendar Printing Programs
Construction Estimator
Cookbooks/Tracking recipes
Credit Repair
Database Programs
Desktop Publishing
Disk Compression
Disk Fixer
Education
Games
Genealogy
Graphics
Form Letters for business
Hardware Diagnostics
Hardware Tutorials
Home Financing
Home buying programs
Legal forms/advice
Lotto Prophet - how to play the game!
Menu Programs for your PC
Music - How to play instruments
Music - How to write/compose music
Resume Writing
Screen Savers
Software Tutorials
Spelling Checkers
Spreadsheets
Statistics
Thesaurus
Travel Tips
Utilities (Thousands!)
Will Writing Programs
Word Processing
Virus Protection
Virtual Reality
Zip Code Finders

Business Applications:

Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
Billing Statements
Business Cards (create/Print)
Business Plan Development
Check Printing
Check Account Reconciliation
Desktop Publishing
Forms (create/print)
General Ledger
Inventory Control
Invoicing
Job Costing
Letterhead (create/Print)
Newsletters
Payroll

Here are a few of my favorite shareware (or Freeware) programs.

Microsoft Office Compatible Software:

SPECIAL UPDATE: We will need to review two Microsoft office clones because one of the vendors (Sun for StarOffice) has changed their guidelines for giving away their MS Office clone. As noted, you can get a free copy of the Star suite for educational purposes, but Sun no longer offers a free download of the software from their web site, not even for the older version (5.2).

So, if you really want totally free, you can still opt for the free Office clone at this site: http://www.software602.com, as listed below,

But back to the Star Office package for a minute because it is such a tremendously valuable program. Here are the details from the Sun official web site at the time of this writing. (For current updates, click here:

http://wwws.sun.com/software/download/desktop_app.html

SUN: No-cost Licensing for Education and Research Institutions Education and Research institutions, including K-12 (Primary/Secondary), Colleges, and Universities qualify for special no-cost licensing, paying only for media. In addition, Sun is also providing academic institutions with specially-priced support options.

What's included:

·         StarOffice Writer - A universal word processing application for creating business letters, extensive text documents, professional layouts, and Web HTML documents

·         StarOffice Calc - A sophisticated application for performing advanced spreadsheet functions, such as analyzing figures, creating lists, and viewing data

·         StarOffice Impress - A tool for creating effective eye-catching presentations

·         StarOffice Draw - A vector-oriented draw module that enables the creation of impressive 3D illustrations

·         StarOffice Base - A powerful data management tool that allows data to be moved between documents

Compatibility with MS Office:

From the official web site: Users can read, write, and edit Microsoft Office files to maintain current investments and coexist with other office suites

If you are not a student, faculty or staff, or if you don't care to download the software from the Internet, you can buy the entire package on CD rom and have it shipped to you for approximately $76.00 from Amazon.com. You can purchase the older version (5.2) for approximately half that, at $39.95. Either package is still at an excellent price compared to the price of $475 plus or minus for MS(R) Office, as you get the documentation on CD as well.

602 PC Suite : Another FREE MS(R) Clone!

What they say: "Fast. Compatible. Free. Three words that define today's user requirements for an office suite. 602 PC SUITE 2001, the new version of the free alternative to Microsoft® Office, has it all! The suite is composed of four full-featured applications: a word processor, spreadsheet, graphics editor and digital photo organizer."

What I say: I've tried this software package and found it very easy and straight forward to use. I would use this software any day. You can visit this site to download your free copy today. http://www.software602.com

As you know by now, I always tell you to "Try before you buy!" But in this case, you don't even have to buy it if you like it. It's free! So, go download the software, try the software, see if it does what you need it to do! If not, go back to Microsoft office. It's that simple really!

The only bad part of this is that the package does not include a database. However, if you do need a database, you can still purchase Microsoft Access or find a shareware version to use, or you can purchase an copy of the Lotus Suite package for less than $30 anywhere on the Internet and have a very usable database, along with a good word processor, spreadsheet and more! It's something to think about, right?

My view of MS(R) office clones:

The way I see it is this: If you can save $475 or so on your office package and spend that money on an advertising campaign or your family, or whatever is important to you, that's a smart move in my book. In fact, Actually I use many Microsoft (R) products and am happy to promote them.. So, when I recommend free software or other software than Microsoft it is not because I have an ax to grind with Microsoft, or their products.

However, I do feel that competition keeps new and improved, lost cost software coming out for you and me, and I just see that there are many options out there for you as a consumer. Bottom line, if you can get the software you need and save $10 or $100 (or a even hundreds of dollars) on your software, perhaps you can find another good use for your money.

ICQ: - Instant messaging software

With ICQ, you can share files, send instant messages to friends and business associates over the Internet and much more. I particularly find ICQ useful when I'm on the phone and someone needs a quick answer to a question. I can quickly reply with "Yes, or no, or perhaps even maybe," without the person on the phone even knowing I was "talking" via keyboard to an employee or a prospective customer.

I could spend big bucks on a different package, but with millions of users, this software has been tested and improved over and over, and matches any other program out there.

Download your free version here!

Scan for viruses on your computer!

Do you suspect that you might have a virus on your computer? Did you uninstall your anti-virus software for some reason, or did you never even take the time to load it?

The solution: Just visit http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_corp.asp and scan your entire computer for viruses, live through the Internet, for FREE! Because it is live through the Internet, it will take a while, so just get a cup of coffee or go for a walk. But be assured it when it is done, and you will feel safer and your computer will be safer.

Free e-mail software packages: Here is a review of Cnet (A trusted source of computing information and software)

Description: Eudora 5.1 is a robust e-mail client whose features include multiple address book formatting options and the ability to filter, redirect, and forward mail. It supports QuickTime and HTML-enriched e-mail, letting you include stylized, formatted text and in-line graphics in your messages. Other features include a multi-paned interface; background mail checking and sending; the ability to import existing settings, e-mail, and address books from Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, or Netscape Mail programs; a Qualcomm PureVoice plug-in that allows voice message exchanges; and a customizable interface, including movable, dockable window groups and toolbars. Eudora also features support for regular expressions in filters, field autocompletion, an automatic spelling checker, and a filter that will "speak" the name and subject of incoming messages (requires sound card).

But do these programs work?

A Testimonial from a computer store owner:

Before we list the resources for where these programs can be downloaded, I'd like to share a bit of background on my use of shareware and freeware software.

I can tell you the Shareware concept works because you can find a shareware program for just about every program you will ever need. And I'm talking about hundreds of software applications and solutions, from MS Office compatible software to Tax preparation software to virus protection software. Along with everything in between.

As the owner of a retail computer store in 1981, I was fortunate enough to discover shareware software and the thousands of free and "Try before you buy" programs written by talented, up and coming software authors. I was happy to find these programs for my customers, because I was able to save my clients hundreds and thousands of dollars for the software solutions they needed. This concept opens up a new world of computer programs to you too!

But how does shareware software work?

It works like this. You decide what program you need, read the reviews of the available programs, and go ahead and download the software to your computer. Then you install it on your computer, test it, register and upgrade it (if necessary) if you decide to use it. It's that simple.

The good part about shareware software is that once you've used it, you can copy the process over and over, with hundreds of programs. And you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars on your computing needs.

But are the programs really free?

As we stated, many shareware software programs are totally free.

However, there are also many programs that are free, but offer reasons for you to upgrade. This allows the authors to earn income so they keep writing free or inexpensive versions of their software. As I mentioned, in many cases, I have seen authors write one excellent software package, and distribute it free, simply for brand name recognition and traffic to their websites, where they then have a chance to sell you a similar product.

In any case, just about all the programs I have used over the years offer a great value and they are very much worth your time to explore. Here are the different ways shareware software is presented to you as the end user.

Option # 1

The basic software is free, and performs most of the functions you would ever need. For example, you may have a database that works great for the free version (single user), but once you want to share the database with more than one person over a network, the author charges a small fee for the new version of the software that supports multiple users.

Option # 2

Other versions may be "Crippled", meaning they have all the options you need to use, but some are disabled. The best example would be an amortization program for calculating your house payment. You can use the software to find out what the house payment will be, but if you need to print out all 30 pages of the amortization table, you might have to pay a small fee ($5 or $10.00) to the author to allow you to print it. Once you've paid the small fee, in most cases you will be able to use the software for as long and as many times as you like.

It is important for you to remember that the shareware author can sell the software upgrade for $5.00 or $10.00 because they do not have the expenses that a true
commercial programming company would have, with employees, buildings, multiple phones, etc. In addition, distribution is inexpensive because you simply download the software from their web site, from a site that lists hundreds of shareware programs, or even from a CD Rom. If they have very few expenses, they can offer the software for free or offer and an upgrade at a lower price. It's that simple.

Option # 3

Other versions are fully functional, for a limited time, say 30 days. The end user is free to
use and evaluate the software, with the intent that if the end user likes the software and decides to keep and use it, he or she will send a registration fee to the author of the software. At that point, as with most upgrades, one of two things will happen:

1. The author will send you to a link where you can download the correct version of the software to use.

2. The author will send you a key that you enter on the screen when you load your software, which will unlock the features you desire, such as printing, from my example above.

Why do you want to register the software?

What does this registration fee do for you and the author? There are many good reasons to register your software.

1. It assures the end user (you) that he or she will also receive documentation for the program.

2. It assures the end user (you) that he or she will also receive updates and product news about the shareware program.

Of course it also gives the author of the software a reason to contact you (through e-mail) periodically about updates to the software, but you can simply ask them not to contact you if you like.

Basically, shareware software is a working relationship of TRUST with the user and author. The shareware concept is based upon trust... you trust the author to write good software and provide upgrades and documentation, and the author trusts you to send him/her payment if you decide to upgrade the software.

Is shareware software really as good as commercial software?

Now, you may be asking, "Is there an abundance of good, inexpensive software I can use and save money at the same time over commercial software?" You bet there is! As a matter of fact, many of today's commercial programs (sold in retail stores/mail order catalogs) started out as shareware software.

One of the best known commercial programs at the time of this writing is Procomm Plus, which started out as PROCOMM, a shareware version. The authors made many upgrades as shareware until they had enough sales to make it viable to offer it through commercial channels.

In fact, starting in the early 1980s, I handed out hundreds of copies of Procomm at my computer store to my customers, for just about every computer I ever sold. I liked the program as much or better than any commercial program on the market at the time and it save my customers a ton of money, even when they registered the software for the updated versions.

If you've been around computers for a while, you have probably also heard of of PC File/PC Write and other programs marketed by Jim Button of BUTTONWARE. I also used their programs for my parents real estate office back in the 1980's, as well as additional shareware programs used for loan amortization's, home buyer pre-qualifications, and many other specialized software programs.

How can you access shareware software?

Shareware software can be distributed in many ways. The most popular ways today are downloading the software from sites on the Internet or purchasing a CD rom with thousands of programs that you can copy to your hard drive on your computer. Here are the options, starting with CD Roms.

Distributed via CD Roms via the Internet.

At one time (before the Internet was so popular), CD Roms were the most popular and most used way to get shareware software. Companies compile up to 600 Mb of programs one on CD rom so you get a good sampling of all shareware programs, then simply copy the ones you like to your hard disk drive.

There are many excellent CD Roms full of shareware, but your best option is to hit the Internet first.

Distributed by computer stores.

Many computer stores offer shareware software for their customers. Some stores actually copy a large number of shareware programs to the hard drives of new computers at the point of sale. That way the software is already unzipped and installed for you when you buy the computer. Other computer stores offer programs on their web sites for you to download.

Still others try to make money by selling shareware software on diskettes or CD Roms to persons who come into the store.

You will also find many vendors selling shareware software at computer shows around the country.

Distributed via the Internet

This is probably the most popular way to get shareware software. All you need to do is go to a site like download.com, type in the key words that relate to the software you need, choose the program you like, download it to your computer, unzip it, install it, and use it! You may want to register the software for updates and news as mentioned above.

Here are some of the most popular sites for accessing shareware software.

http://www.download.com
http://www.shareware.com
http://www.jumbo.com
http://www.tucows.com

Of course we have a list of our own favorite software, click here to see it!

Our directory of our favorite software!

NFR (Not for resale)

NFR software packages are sold to you 100% complete, but they cannot be resold. Most NFR software is sold to computer store owners and consultants so they can demonstrate the software to clients. The consultant can also train their fellow consultants how to use and sell the software.

In addition, many will use the software in their own offices for their own needs, and you should consider using the NFR version to save money if you are a computer reseller or consultant. An example of this is that our computer store used our Business Works Accounting package for years as our main accounting package.

Can you qualify for NFR?

This is a hot option if you qualify. Who qualifies? Well, Not For Resale software is usually sold to computer consultants and retail computer stores. The goal of NFR software is to allow the people who advise end users (customers on software packages) to actually use and test the software without paying full price for the software, if they pay anything at all. This is a win-win situation for everyone, as the customer benefits when the vendor knows how to use the software they are selling and supporting.

But do you have to be a computer geek to get this software for free?

No. In fact, you might not know anything about computer hardware, but you might know about their industry and their software better than most everyone, so you qualify. You may want to:

1. Review and recommend the software.

2. Train end users for their software package.

3. You may even want to resell the software for the vendor.

And that's what they really want. They want people telling others about their product and training them how to use it.

If they can recruit someone like you and can "Train" you on their software by letting you keep a $2.00 CD rom with their software on it, they're glad to do it!

So, what you must to do to qualify for NFR software is to demonstrate to those who decide these matters that you do in fact influence purchasing decisions, or that you could be a good support person or a trainer for their software.

A good question to ask yourself: Are you:

* A business consultant?
* A computer consultant?
* Desiring to become a dealer for their software?
* Desiring to become an affiliate dealer for their software?

If you do become a dealer or reseller for their software, ask about the "One to go, one to show" package. Many times you will be lucky enough to pay what is called the "One to go, one to show" price. This means you pay the normal wholesale price, and you get one copy that you will sell at retail prices (you keep the profit), and you will keep the other copy of the software for your own use.

How do you get started?

You basically have two options for acquiring your NFR software.

1. You can go directly to the manufacturer (author) of the software. They will have a link on their web site, or you can contact them via e-mail or call them at their corporate offices.

2. You can go to a distributor such as Tech Data, Ingram Micro D, Merisel or other distributor that actually has the software in their catalogs and you simply order it directly from them, particularly in the "One to go, one to show" case.

If you are interested in selling computer software without a lot of hassles (collect the money, ship the product, take care of returns and warranties), a great place to start is this site at http://www.localtechshop.com/teampcsales/Home.asp.

You can have a web site like this one in about 24 hours! If you'd like more information just contact me at jddavin@mynewofffice.com

In review, what I am saying is that you don't always have to be a "True computer consultant" to become a dealer for many packages, but they require that you you have a reseller tax id number, so that they know you are serious about being in the business of selling their software. They also do this so that you follow all the rules as far as collecting taxes and such, and don't get them into trouble!

Of course another option is to become an affiliate reseller.

As an affiliate vendor, you may not make as much per sale, but you avoid many of the headaches of selling software, but we're not to that part of the book yet! All we will say at this point is that the Internet is changing the way people buy their software, which is changing the way vendors sell their software. The Internet makes it easier to demonstrate software, easier to sell it, easier to distribute it, easier to support it, and easier for you to get a "free" copy or to make money by making referrals for it!

Evaluation software.

Evaluation copies are commercial software packages that you can use to evaluate, so that you can make an educated decision on whether or not to purchase the product.

You may be able to get your very own, fully functional evaluation software package at no cost (or at a drastically reduced cost), for a variety of reasons.

Do you qualify? You might if you :

1. Purchase software for a large corporation or institution?

2. Have the ability to influence purchasing agents or prospective customers?

What we are telling you here is that even if you are not a purchasing agent, you may still qualify for a copy of an evaluation version.

If you currently train users on the software, are writing a book on the software, send out a related newsletter, have a web site that has high traffic in the same area of interest as the software package, or influence people to buy specific software solutions in any other way, you may be able to get an evaluation package.

Of course if you do any of the above, the vendor may want to talk you into becoming a dealer or reseller. Many people do not have time to be a full time dealer, but you may want to consider the affiliate program as a way you can earn a free copy of the software or even earn commissions from making referrals, either verbally or from your website, newspaper articles or whatever other means you have of making a referral, as an affiliate. More on that later.

Here is an expanded explanation of how you may be able to get evaluation software at no cost or a reduced cost.

 

1. Do you purchase software for a large corporation or other entity?

If so, contact the author of the software and discuss the number of users you have at your organization, which translates into the number of licenses you may need (and how much money it may mean to him or her), and ask for an evaluation copy of the software so you can make an educated decision about the purchase. Be sure to state:

* The needs of your corporation.
* The number of licenses you will need.
* The expected date of your next purchase.
* Your purchasing department contact information.

The last option is can be the one that clinches the deal because you are telling them you are serious about making a purchase, that you have the ability to provide a PO (Purchase Order) if you like the software. After all, in this case, that is the reason that you want the demo (free) version, is that you hope to you like the software so you will have reason to purchase a site license.

Be fair and don' t waste the vendor's time if you really do not plan to buy the software. It's not fair to them and it keeps them from giving it to the people who really deserve it.

 

2. Do you advise users about software purchases, or influence their decisions?

If you send out a related newsletter, have a web site that has high traffic in the same area of interest as the software package, or influence people to buy specific software solutions in any way, you may be able to get an evaluation package, even if you don't want to become a dealer or reseller.

You may however want to take it a step further and earn commissions from making referrals, either by making a verbal presentation or from your website, newspaper article or whatever other means you have of making a referral.

If so, you should check out the section on becoming and affiliate of the software package. Many people get free software or earn residual income (money that comes in month after month) by making a link on your web site to the product (a text link or banner) or whatever other means you have.

Why would they do this?

Take a look at how expensive advertising can be these days. One would pay $10,000 for a full page ad in a computer magazine. Perhaps $1,000,000.00 for a 60 second commercial on the Superbowl. Those are just two examples of why many companies are happy to try alternative, less expensive (and many times more successful) marketing campaigns.

A better solution would be for the vendor to advertise in an e-zine written by an expert about their software, for a group of people interested in related software and services. Most vendors would much be happy to know that 30 people who want to buy an e-mail responder are reading an article written by you, about their product in your "e-zine marketing 101"

This is an example of a targeted marketing campaign, which is much better than spending money on other forms of advertising such as television where they may reach 12 year old girls yelling for Brittany Spears. Think about it. It makes sense!

 

Do the evaluation packages expire?

Some companies may send you an evaluation copy that expires after 30 days. Be sure to ask the company for a copy that does not expire. If you have more than one person who needs to evaluate the software, ask for a copy that can be loaded on more than one machine.

The bottom line is this. If you can make it worth their while to give you free copies of their software, you'll get free copies. If you don't follow up with purchases or even leads for the software, you'll probably not get free updates when they become available. Be sure to do your best to be honest and give them a value for their free software.

I make no guarantee that you will qualify for any of these options. I see my job here is to get you to think out of the box and find ways to save money on your software purchases, and let you do the work. That is my goal. Another goal is to help you know when it is best to purchase commercial software programs, and there simply are some programs that are the best in their field, and they are not free.

Click here for the link to the MS Word compatible document you can edit to send to get your free copy of your software.

Where to download "Try before you buy" - trial versions.

Here are a few "try before you buy "commercial" programs that and be downloaded directly from the Internet without any requesting permission. They are not free programs, but it's nice to test your software before you buy! I have listed programs that last more than 30 days, and that usually retail for about $400 or more.

For example, in my humble opinion, Dreamweaver is one of the absolute best programs on the market for creating websites! If you're a student and can get it for $99.00 or so, just do it and have it done! That's my advice. Save your money where you can and spend your money where you have to. But no matter whatever other advice you do or do not take from me, take this word of wisdom. Always find a way to demo a software package before you buy it! Always!

Examples:

DreamWeaver:
From the Company website:

Macromedia Dreamweaver 3 is the solution for professional Web site design and production. Develop groundbreaking sites, automate production, and enhance team efficiency. Control your code with Roundtrip HTML and the revolutionary Quick Tag Editor. Accelerate workflow through integration with Web applications, Microsoft Office, and leading e-commerce and application servers. Only Dreamweaver can be customized using HTML, JavaScript, and XML, giving you the power you need for rapid Web development. With Dreamweaver, you'll build better Web sites faster.
Download a trial version at:

http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/ Macromedia

Fireworks 3 -
From the company website:

Macromedia Fireworks 3 brings efficiency to Web graphics production. Quickly create buttons, animations, and page comps. Everything remains editable, including files from leading graphics applications. Save production time with the History panel, step-by-step button maker, and the Library. Integrate Fireworks code seamlessly into Macromedia Dreamweaver and other leading HTML editors. Only Fireworks lets you script the entire application to automate workflow.

Download a trial version at:
http://www.macromedia.com/software/fireworks/ Macromedia

Flash 5
From the company website:

Design and deliver distinctive, low-bandwidth Web Sites with Macromedia Flash 5, the professional standard for producing high-impact Web experiences, used by over half a million Web authors worldwide. Designers easily create engaging graphics with the familiar Macromedia user interface, and developers build advanced Web applications using scripting, forms, and server-side connectivity.

Download a trial version at:
http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/ Macromedia

Director 8 Shockwave Studio
From the company's web site:

Macromedia Director 8 Shockwave Studio is the solution for developing magnetic Internet destinations and powerful multimedia. Director combines graphics, sound, animation, text, and video to create streaming, multi-user, interactive Web content that is easy to deploy for CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and the Web. Macromedia Director 8 Shockwave Studio streamlines the authoring process with centralized, automated functions that make it easier to manage assets, edit complex animations, build graphics on the fly, and create content for low- bandwidth delivery. Director 8 Shockwave Studio eases the development of Shockwave content, which continues to enhance the Web experience of over 130 million people.

Download a trial version at:
http://www.macromedia.com/software/director/

Free Software - for students and educators - and huge discounts!

If you're a student, staff or faculty, you're truly blessed with a plethora of free* software. We'll talk more about that in a minute.

First, I want to tell you that you also have the opportunity now to buy just about any commercial software package at HUGE discounts. For example, in my college days, Dreamweaver (the premier package for creating home pages) cost near $500 retail, and it could be purchased for $99.00 if you qualified for the academic version.

Now, we understand that our main focus is on free software, but we also want to make sure that you do not miss the huge discounts you can find only as a student. You may never get another chance to learn how to use this software for this price again.

Just remember to read the licensing agreement, as many packages are legal only as long as you qualify for the academic status, and it cannot be used for commercial purposes (making money).

Now, back to the free software information.

If you do get free software because you are a student, teacher or staff in an educational facility, in part, you need to thank Apple computer. Have you ever wondered why there are so many Apple computers in educational institutions? It's because they know giving away free hardware and software to educators and students works. Yes, Apple does make an excellent computer for educators and students, but there is more to their success in this field than the quality of the computers. Apple has for many years given away free computers to educational institutions, for many reasons, with great success.

Here's why:

1. When you graduate, you will probably purchase a computer like the one you've used in school, period.

2. Go to reason number 1.

Other companies understand the value of getting their software to educators and students inexpensively. For example, you can get a free copy of Staroffice - StarOffice[tm] 6.0 Suite - A MS Office compatible package from Sun.

Here is the offer at the time of the writing of this book:

"No-cost Licensing for Education and Research Institutions Education and Research institutions, including K-12 (Primary/Secondary), Colleges, and Universities qualify for special no-cost licensing, paying only for media."

Basically they give away the software free, hoping to sell their expensive servers and services to you or your employer once they get their foot the door. I'm happy to say that open architecture packages are still available, so I you're not a student, faculty or staff, the source for the software is available to you under the open architecture title, where the main goal was to share software and ideas for the betterment of mankind. Profit is ok, but in no way was not the goal of this concept in any way.

In fact, this is how the Internet was used in the beginning. As you know, only the military and educators had access to the Internet in the early days, and many programs we placed into public domain to be shared by everyone.

The Linux operating system started out under many different names as freeware I'm glad to say the operating system is still free today, but many other programs have fallen to the power of the almighty dollar.

Example: Until recently, Sun's Microsoft office compatible software package was still free for everyone, not just educators and students. However, this recently changed for the Microsoft office compatible package, and it now is only offered for sale with for a small fee. You can visit their web site to get the exact price. It is around $75.00. Much less than the $470 you might pay for Microsoft's version, and at least you get complete manuals and registration for this price. If you really want the program for free, the source code for the office package can still be downloaded, but it's just not as easy to install and set up for the average user.

If you'd like another option, you can opt for another free Office clone from this site... http://www.software602.com, but you are not getting any special educational discount. But then the price is still "Free", so that's a winner.

Microsoft Office Compatible Software packages: (StarOffice/602)

If you are ready to choose a package, our opinion is that the Sun version will probably be better supported by the educational institutions so you may want to go with the "StarOffice[tm] 6.0 Suite - A MS Office compatible package.

Note: At the time of the writing of this book, you can get a free copy of this software for your educational institution. Here are the details.

Here are the links and a description of the Star office page.

Visit the Staroffice Package

No-cost Licensing for Education and Research Institutions Education and Research institutions, including K-12 (Primary/Secondary), Colleges, and Universities qualify for special no-cost licensing, paying only for media. In addition, Sun is also providing academic institutions with specially-priced support options

What's included:

·         StarOffice Writer - A universal word processing application for creating business letters, extensive text documents, professional layouts, and Web HTML documents

·         StarOffice Calc - A sophisticated application for performing advanced spreadsheet functions, such as analyzing figures, creating lists, and viewing data

·         StarOffice Impress - A tool for creating effective eye-catching presentations

·         StarOffice Draw - A vector-oriented draw module that enables the creation of impressive 3D illustrations

·         StarOffice Base - A powerful data management tool that allows data to be moved between documents

Compatibility with MS Office:

From the official web site: Users can read, write, and edit Microsoft Office files to maintain current investments and coexist with other office suites.

 

SPECIAL NOTE:

RE: Huge discounts on commercial software for students, educators:

As stated, if you're an educator or college student, you will also find major discounts on software from your local University campus book store or local commercial book store. The discounts will simply astound you. For example, a few years back I checked into the pricing for Dreamweaver for making web sites, and the commercial version was $595, and the student (Academic) version was $99.99.

Here are a few of our favorite sources of educational software.

Staroffice - StarOffice[tm] 6.0 Suite - A MS Office compatible package from Sun.

Software602 an excellent MS office clone.

Shareware for teachers:
http://shareware.about.com/msub_free_edu_teachers.htm

PS: Yes, the discounted versions are almost always the very same programs and packaging!

* As with any software package, check the license agreement before you purchase it . This is especially true with educational software. Many packages state that the software is for educational use only and that you will not be able to use it for any commercial use. Some licenses are valid only while you are in school. Again, read the licensing agreement to understand the intent of the agreement and the proper use of the software.

Free Software: You simply pay shipping.

Sources of free software:

Click here to visit an example site.

Perhaps you've heard of the latest software sales tool on the Internet. It's the "Here's a free software package, you just pay the shipping charges." Actually, this may be a fair offer, all things considered.

In fact, I've actually found great games for my 3 year old daughter at these sites, which retail for $29.95 or more for at a local retailer. I can get the software for free, if I pay the shipping charges, usually from $1.95 to $6.95 for shipping, depending on the vendor. My favorite categories are games and educational titles for children. For example, Reader Rabbit, All Star Typing, American Heritage Children's Dictionary and Bodyworks are all available, just to name a few!

Now, if you do decide to try this software, just be prepared to pay the shipping charges PER PACKAGE, not per order. That's one of the ways the companies are making their money, charging more than the actual cost of handling and shipping on EACH package. I'm also wonder if they get some kind of commission for each sale as well.

But back to what this means to you. I still think you get a fair value at these sites, but you will have to decide for yourself. You've probably seen the banners on the Internet. Perhaps you even thought about becoming an affiliate for their program, so you can pay even less for the software. That's what I did. I signed up to be a reseller as an affiliate so I earn a small commission when you or I buy from the site, so that lowers the price just a bit.

Here are just a few of the topics I've found on these sites:

Education
Entertainment
Hot titles
Reference
Sports
Religion
Spanish Version
Office & Desktop

Click here to visit the site and decide if this is a good solution for you. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the quality of the software, and the savings.

Free Internet Services:

Who says you can't get good service, especially for free? The Internet has changed the way businesses market their products, Many companies today offer you free services, from free voice mail to free e-mail responders to free faxing from your PC over the Internet to free web sites to free answering machines and about a thousand other free services. But why you ask? Read on!

How can they offer free services?

Some of these companies sell advertising on their site to pay for the services. But most have the hope that at some time you will upgrade to higher end version of the product, or a related product or service. It's a a win-win situation for everyone. You get quality products and services and they have the opportunity to meet you and hopefully gain a new customer.

I have used many of these programs for over 20 years. For example, I use ICQ - an excellent Instant Chat program to communicate instantly with other users on my network.

I could spend big bucks on a commercial package, but with millions of users, this software has been tested and improved over and over, and matches any other program out there.

Read more and access a few of these free services!

Other examples are a free Internet answering machine, free e-mail address, free Internet access, free e-mail responders, free greeting cards, free Web site graphics, free scripts for your web site and so much more!

The first step to taking advantage of these programs is to start by printing this list, then place a check mark by each option you wish to use, then go to each option and sign up. You'll also want to be sure you are on our mailing list so we can send you updates of new programs as we find them.

But before you do that, please make a list of the programs you need, and review it after you've read this manual. If you do not find solutions for services or software, contact us and we'll see if we can find what you need.

Remember, if you don't take the time to analyze your needs and write them down, we can't help you and you can't help yourself.

Service: __________________________________________________

Solutions: _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Service: __________________________________________________

Solutions: _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________


Service: __________________________________________________

Solutions: _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Service: __________________________________________________

Solutions: _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Before you begin to set up these free tools for your business, I want to make sure that you have written a complete business plan. I would never start a business without one, especially when you have so many excellent resources for you on the Internet.

Make sure you start by utilizing all government and free counseling services such as the SBA, (Small Business Administration) and local Score (Service Corps Of Retired Executives) office. You will also want to consult with an attorney before you start any business, as well as file for any and all necessary licenses and permits.

You can find links to most of these sites and many more services in our checklist for success.

Once you have taken this step, the next step you need to take is to make sure you fully investigate and set up each and every tool before you actually start promoting your web site or your business.

If you've tried to do business with someone who was not prepared to be offering a product or service for sale, you know it was too much effort to buy from them and you moved on to the next vendor. First impressions last forever, and you want to not only get the first sale, but to build repeat business, right? Don't be like them, start your business right and keep improving your skills and your tool set for continued success!

We tell you all of this because our main goal is to see people become successful on the Internet.

My Top 10 free Internet Services:

Here are 10+ of my favorite free services I have found on the Internet! There may be a free services you still need to pay for, but it's a great start.

1. [ ] Internet access
2. [ ] e-mail Internet address
3. [ ] Internet Answering machine
4. [ ] Free business or calling cards
5. [ ] e-mail responder for marketing
6. [ ] E-zines or newsletter via e-mail
7. [ ] Free web site from 600+ templates
8. [ ] Check for available domain names for your website
9. [ ] Accept Internet payments via via credit card or paypal
10. [ ] Check your shipping options, as
many companies provide free on-line calculations
11. [ ] Get feedback from customers with a message board
12. [ ] Sending electronic (or printed) greeting cards

You can see there are actually so many great free tools on the Internet that I simply could not keep the list to my favorite top 10. We review many more in our book, which you can find at http://www.mynewoffice.com

To make the most out of this section, your best bet will be to print out both pages, then place a check mark by each item when complete and enter any names and passwords for each service. Then place the printout in a 3 ring binder for future reference. Here we go!

 

1.[ ] Internet access

Of course you have to have access to the Internet to use these services, so let's look at free Internet access first. You can save money with your Internet access by starting out using Netzero.com and then stick with it if it works well for you.

For most of the programs we cover here, we would normally just send you a link to the web site where you could download your free software, but as you may be reading a print out of this chapter and do not yet have access to the Internet, you can call this number to request a CD at a minimal cost.

To order your NetZero CD by phone, using a credit card, for * $9.95 US ($15.95 Canada) call: 1-800-333-3633 (open 24/7) . * (Prices and terms subject to change)

You can always upgrade to cable or DSL if you find you prefer faster access or are not wanting to look at advertisements from free services. There are many other free services available besides Netzero, but Netzero seems to be the one that has been around the longest. I've used it, and I feel it is a safe place to start. You will have to read a few ads and you're limited to 10 hours to start, but it's a great way to get your feet wet.

As mentioned, we always suggest you print out our guides and fill in the forms to track your user names and passwords.

INTERNET ACCESS INFO:
Company:_____________________ Contact:______________________

Support Phone #: ( ___ )_______ Price / Mo $_____ Hours/month: _____

ID Number _________User name: ___________ Password __________

Dial up phone number: (____)____________

 

2. [ ] e-mail address



Your own e-mail is like having an answering machine and fax machine built into one. Not only does it take messages for you 24 hours per day, but you can also send e-mail messages and information to others, attaching documents, pictures, proposals and even invoices! You seriously can't be in business today with out e-mail. Thank goodness there are many free services and options available to you.

To start, you need to check if you already have an e-mail address with your Internet access provider, whether it is cable, AOL or a free service. You may also already have an account with your company, and not even know it!

If you don't have e-mail with your Internet access, but have built a web site for your business, check with your host to see how many e-mail accounts you do have. While we're talking about hosts, you might want to consider that with Siteblast (a popular web site building program) you should consider upgrading so you'll also have an on-line e-mail, filing cabinet, to do list and fax machine.

This means you would be able to access all of this information from any computer with access to the Internet. With an on-line office, you'll never miss an important meeting or e-mail because you're out of town, and you'll be able to store documents on-line so you can access them from any computer and you'll have your to do list in front of you at all times.

Just visit http://www.mynewofficehealth.siteblast.com for more information.

If you do not have Internet access at all, you still have other options. Specifically, Juno.com, and Yahoo.com. With these programs you can access your e-mail from a friends' computer or a computer at a library, or any Internet ready computer. This is especially handy if you do not own a computer.

Juno - The original service allowed you to read your e-mail by using your modem to connect to their servers without having access to the Internet. You used their specialized software to dial their private phone number to send and receive e-mail. As mentioned above, now you can also check your e-mail through their service while on the Internet, through your browser.

Yahoo.com offers free e-mail as well, also with the advantage that you can check your e-mail from any Internet ready computer.

Yahoo and Juno are well known names and very stable companies for your e-mail address. Create your new account now, and write down the information here.

Service Name: ___________________________

User Name: _______________________ Password: _________

 

3. [ ] Answering services via the Internet.

Are you thinking about adding a dedicated telephone line for your computer so you won't miss important phone calls because you are surfing on the Internet on the only phone line in your home or business? Think again! Now, you can surf the Internet on your single phone line without worrying about missing important calls.

That's because the FREE Internet Answering Machine makes it possible to hear who's calling while you are surfing the Web! And with call forwarding (check for pricing from your phone company) you will never miss a phone call again.

Of course you can choose voice mail with your local company or use an answering machine at your home office or downtown office, but you'd miss many of the benefits of technology!

Specifically, you won't be able to:

·         Retrieve your messages from any phone.

·         Send your messages to your e-mail account.

·         Retrieve your messages from any Internet ready computer.

·         Send and receive fax message from your computer.

·         Save your messages for review at a later date.

·         Forward your messages to other parties.

There are many additional services available depending on which vendor you use, so we must review more than one program for you. Just remember, as with most of the services we review, you can start out with a very basic free service, then upgrade to other options or companies as your experience and demands expand.

If you wish to start out with a free answering machine, here are two great options you will want to review before making your decision.

Callwave says: "Hear Who's Calling While You're Online!
Get the Internet Answering Machine FREE, save$$$
Get your free voice mail system now!"

Here's another option from another company....

Buzzme says: "Do you miss calls while online? Get BuzMe's FREE Internet Call Waiting & Voice mail! Click here!"

Both are excellent services. Please write down your account information if you decide to use one of these services.

Provider _____________________ Phone Number: (__)_________________
Contact Name: _________________________Cost: ________ / Month / Year
User Name: ________________ Password: ___________________

Now that you know how others will reach you, your next goal is to get information about you and your services to your potential clients!

To do this, everyone thinks of a web site first, but a web site is not always the cheapest or best solution to marketing your products on the Internet. You can start out with the basics, like handing out business cards that send prospects to an e-mail responder and your own e-zine newsletter that will provide them with information within minutes and pre-qualify them to boot!

Then you can put up a really cool website, which we will also cover here! But first, here are the free business cards!

 

4. [ ] Free Business Cards

I know we're talking about Internet marketing, but you still meet many people each day who may want to purchase your product, or may be able to help you at a later date. I've heard of people making a huge sale or meeting their new partner, banker, attorney, etc., just by being out and about. So, whenever you are out and about, always be prepared with a 30 second summary of yourself, your business, and a business card that you can hand out.

The business card should include your name, phone number, e-mail address and web site on the card, along with a quick summary of what you do. Your main goal of handing out a business card is to get them to call you to request more information about you. Actually, better yet, you really want their e-mail address for your free newsletter via e-mail. If you get this, you've done well. We'll explain this further in just a moment.

You can order your free cards from a few sources on the Internet. The service is completely automated, prompting you for the information and graphics you would like to use on your cards! I've use the cards from the company below myself, and they are professional enough for anyone in any business.

What the company says:

"Get your FREE, full-color business cards from VistaPrint.com! Design stunning business cards that dazzle your clients or colorful "personal" cards to conveniently communicate all your contact information (cell phone, home phone and e-mail address) on one handy little card. These high-quality, color cards are always FREE at Vistaprint.com Click Here ".

If you order your cards elsewhere, you should still write down where and when you purchased them in case you need to reorder.

[ ] Company: __________ [ ] Date Ordered ________ [ ] Received: _________

Qty. ordered __________ Order Number: ______________ Stock # ________

Color _______ Cost $ ______

FREE TIP: Get your letterhead on your computer and save time and money!

Of course you can also print your business cards on your computer, but we have found that these cards are not as professional as the ones that you order from a professional printer.

However, you can print or fax a letter created on your letterhead on your computer, and be happy with the results. Yes I am telling you that you can create your letterhead on your computer and print your letters and letterhead directly to your printer (or fax in your PC), saving time and money!

You can also create instant letterhead for different employees and departments using this trick, and print it on different stocks of paper or even colored paper. Click here for more information on what you can print with your
computer!

 

5. [ ] e-mail responders.

Of course selling is many times a number game and a matter of meeting people, but today's technology allows you to automate your marketing campaign one step further, and actually PRE-QUALIFY YOUR LEADS with an e-mail responder! If you have read our other books, you know that one your major goals is to automatically pre-qualify the customer with an e-mail responder and e-zine newsletter!

The e-mail responder waits 24 hours per day for an e-mail request for information, then automatically sends out one message within minutes of the request for information. It can even send out a series of messages to the prospect over a period of time. In fact, some responders can automatically send up to 60 different messages on a schedule of up to one year, even if you're at home relaxing or sleeping.

The leads never get cold, and if they want more information, there are instructions in the e-mail reply about how to contact you, or how to find out how to make a purchase! If you take the time to set it up correctly, an e-mail responder can even act as a newsletter or e-zine. We'll talk more about that in the next business tool.

Need a great (and free) e-mail responder?

Try Aweber (Sign up here), one we use and recommend.

ID#: _________________ User Name: ___________ Password: ________

 

6. [ ] E-zines or newsletter via e-mail.


Now that you've pre-qualified the prospect and know that they are interested in your products, you're on easy street. You can easily and inexpensively share ideas and information about your business and services in an e-zine, or electronic newsletter. What a great idea. Most of the very successful Internet marketers use this as their main business tool.

The benefits of a newsletter are tremendous. You can keep in touch with your prospects while presenting information about your company, products and services.

It truly is the most powerful and least expensive way to keep in touch with your customers. Newsletters, if done correctly, also have very high closure rate for sales.

This truly is the basic goal of Internet marketers: To give away free information, educate the customer about your product or service, gain the customer's trust, then be ready, willing and able to fill a need with a product or service. Remember, it takes on average 7 contacts with a customer before the make their first purchase from you.

Best of all, your e-mail newsletter be your automated e-mail responder!

Think about it. A free newsletter can be so very inexpensive and easy to set up and administer. All you have to do is enter the name and e-mail address of interested parties, tell the system that they are a part of a group or distribution list, and they're now part of the group. Then all you have to do is send e-mail to that group, and everyone gets the mail! It does not cost one cent more to send the mail to 10,000 people than it does 1 person. It costs nothing! It's a whole lot less expensive than snail mail and a whole lot faster!

If you have an easy going, informative, personal e-zine, you can instantly tell everyone about your personal events like your vacation, or your family wedding, while telling them about a new business product or special.

If you want to set up a very basic newsletter, Netscape Communicator has the function to prepare group lists built, and you can use that, but you may want to explore other options such as creating a free e-group at yahoo.egroups.com, or by utilizing your free e-mail responder package with Aweber, to automate the process.

Your friends and family can join or unsubscribe to your group automatically or invite others to the group 24 hours per day, 365 days per year!

While the free programs are fine, this is the one tool that I will say that if you want a complete marketing system, you might look at a new program called Post-master.

It took me years to find a program that does everything Postmaster does. As I've mentioned, one of my goals in life has been to organize my customer list and automate my marketing campaign with a newsletter and tickler system.

· Names
· Addresses
· Phone numbers
· E-mail addresses
· Birthdays and special events
· Personal information, such as names of spouse, children, birthdays, etc.
· A reminder system to remind me of my schedule - upcoming events and meetings.
· A tickler system telling me when to follow up with a letter or sales call to my prospect.
· A chronological list of when I talked to the customer and what we discussed, going back in time as long as I wish.

Well, a few months ago, I discovered this program called Post-master. Post-master is my dream come true - an automated marketing system, including an address book, tickler system and an automated e-mail responder, which is in effect my new, automated newsletter or e-zine!

So, if you like, just start out with a simple, free program like Aweber, then you can learn about Postmaster. In any case, the free services are excellent for what they offer as an e-mail responder system, and will work to get you started.

 

7. [ ] Build a free Web site

The next logical step is to develop your own website. You will see that there are many different types of websites and many ways to get started building a website. Before you start, I strongly suggest you start out by building the easiest and least expensive website, then expand the site and your skills from that point.

Basically, I suggest you go build a free Web site on your own then come back and finish reading this section. It's that easy! You can build your own free website in about 3 minutes at at http://www.bizpros.siteblast.com, using their templates for your industry.

You might not even use this site for your official site, but it's a great way to practice building a web site, and to get an idea of what the page might look like when it is complete. You can easily create your own page by using their templates, then upgrade with the service or find another service like it. As we mention in our book on developing your own web site, you may still want to hire someone to make your website, or you might want to learn how to make your own website by programming it yourself, but at least you will have explored all of your options.

Templates are examples of websites that you can use as your own. All you have to do is answer the questions about you about you or your company, add a background color or image, and the website is complete! If you have a digital camera or scanner, you can then upload pictures of your products, buildings or employees as well.

They have templates for you if you are:

* A doctor.
* An attorney.
* A real estate agent.
* An insurance agent.
* Even a family!

Honestly, you can quickly and easily create your own website at Siteblast from start to finish, in less than one day. Less than an hour or two if you learn quickly, for either a personal or business website.

If you decide to upgrade, Siteblast also offers upgraded services such as:

Chat rooms
A shopping cart
Discussion boards
On-line calendars
On-line filing cabinet
Password protected areas
Search engine submittal

and much, much more.

You may end up working with a consultant or another service, and we cover other solutions in the book, but Siteblast is a great service and a great place to start building your web site.

 

8. [ ] Decide on a domain name for your website

Choosing the right domain name is very important as it tells people about your business and your services. The first thing to do is decide on a domain name, then go see if it is available.

If you'd like more information about choosing the right domain name, read our book on creating a website, or click here to see if your domain name is available at no charge!

Check if your domain name is available.

[ ] Search for availability of domain name:
(site 1 _________________________.______)

[ ] Search for availability of domain name:
(site 2 _________________________.______)

[ ] Search for availability of domain name:
(site 3 _________________________.______)

[ ] Search for expired domain names (registered/not paid for, now available)

[ ] Request and appraisal for the value of your website domain name
Domain name ______________________

NOTE:

This company also:

1. Provides domain registrations.
2. Lists web sites currently for sale.
3. Provides appraisals for web site names.

9. [ ] Accepting money via the Internet, via credit card or Paypal

Paypal allows you to accept payments over the Internet.

You can use the system in three ways:

1. To accept money for non-business use - which is totally free. Need to send your best friend $20.00 to pay for a ticket? Paypal is your program.

2. To send money for a purchase you make from a vendor who accepts Paypal. Buying a new computer? Pay for it with your Paypal account. You'll pay no fees and it's easy to use.

3. To accept payments for business use - which does require you to pay a small fee for using the service.

I'm sure the first 2 options are self explanatory for you, and I want to talk about option 3, even if it is not a free service, only because it is a great way to save money for accepting payments via the Internet for your on line business.

Let's go to the assumption that you have your website up and running and customers visiting the site, you need to make it very easy for the customer to purchase from you, hopefully over and over again.

As you know, accepting payment for the product via credit card, debit card, bank draft or other means quickly and efficiently is a goal and necessity for any business, and your Internet customers expect the same. However, it can be very expensive to set up true merchant accounts, so one solution is to use Paypal to accept credit card payments without paying the large set up fees. Many people pay $300 to $500 for a merchant account that you may not need.

If you've written a book or sell a single item or two that do not require a fancy shopping cart, Paypal might be just be your best bet. In the past few months I have found out that they also offer you the option of selling subscriptions, which may be valuable to you.

NOTE: Paypal is only totally free for non-business use, and has nominal fees for business use. This means you can accept payments for baseball tickets or an old item in your garage at no charge, but you must pay a minimal fee if you're selling a business product or service. Check with Paypal for the details.

If this sounds like what you need, click here to sign up now, with Paypal, and Paypal will even pay you $5.00 just for signing up for the free service. With 4,000,000 + users, it's catching on fast as a great way to send money over the Internet.

[10.] Free shipping services:

If you're ready to start shipping, many companies provide free on-line shipping calculators and current shipping rates so you can see if you've quoted your shipping costs accurately!

Federal Express

US Postal Service

UPS (United Postal Service)

All of these companies have great information on-line, please visit their sites to learn more.

PS: Check for offers for free shipping supplies via the US Postal Service!

 

11. [ ] Get feedback from customers via a message board.

Once the product is shipped and you've completed the sale, it's time to do two things. First of all, follow up with customers for customer satisfaction, and number two, go back to marketing your products and services.

You'll want to follow up with additional offers via your free newsletter, or you can put up a form on your site for comments to start, but another way to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak is to offer your own message board to your customers.

Business discussion boards are great for checking the pulse of customers or potential customers and for sharing goals and ideas. Just be forewarned, you'll probably get more responses and more information than you expected.

If you offer a good product at a good price, you should end up with many testimonials for your service, which will drive more sales with prospective customers on the message board.

Another benefit of a discussion board is to use it as a sounding board where you can throw out ideas and offers to your customers to find out what products and services your customers need, or at least want.

Click here to get your own FREE yahoo Message Board

12. [ ] Sending free electronic (or printed) greeting cards!



The best way to turn a good customer into a great customer is to make a friend! Take the time to send a card to your customers as a thank you for past business to start. Then find ways to keep in contact with them to make them feel special. For example, do you know when their birthday may be? Send em a birthday card! Did you see an article about them in the newspapers? Send them a congratulations card!

Wouldn't you like to hear from someone after you spent your hard earned money with them? Would you not be more loyal to them if they remembered you throughout the year?

Like we say, that's what it's all about. Having fun, being helpful, being nice and being ready for business when the customer is ready to order!

Just click here to send your greeting cards!

That's all the free services we've reviewed, but be sure to sign up for our newsletter for more information!

Now here are more free software programs!

Free Forms and more.

Sources of free forms and templates:
Office Depo - Great forms and guidelines. Just click on the fee forms section.
Creative businesses - great forms and guidelines.

What we have to say about free forms:
Now that you are in business, you'll be needing all kinds of forms and work sheets for success. You could write your own, or buy them, but why?

Example 1:

Do you need a form for new employee applications? Just print the form directly from your computer and save time and money! I know my employees were always looking for my application forms, but then I found it was much easier to print it on my printer and, and much cheaper too!

 

Example 2:

Do you need a spreadsheet to make a simple balance sheet so you know the status of your business at all times? Download this simple spreadsheet application, update and print it as often as you like!

Here are a few more examples of the free forms and work sheets we have found on the Internet:

Balance Sheet Template, Cash Flow Budget Worksheet, Customer Statement of Account, Daily Cash Sheet, Income Statement Template, Loan Application, Bank Review Form, Monthly Bank Reconciliation, Personal Statement Package, Present Value Tables, Sample Collection Letters, Trial Balance Worksheet and Unsecured Promissory Note.

And that's just a start!

You will find these forms from a variety of sources and in a wide variety of formats. Some forms will be in MS Word format, some in Adobe Acrobat format, some will be actually be working spreadsheets, and some will be plain text.

You will need software or readers to make use of most of these applications.

Here are a few sources for the readers/applications:

1. Microsoft Word

A free MS Word Clone

2. Adobe Acrobat Reader

Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader

3. Spreadsheet Applications
A free MS Excel Clone

Note:

If you don't see the form you need here, please join our discussion forum and ask for it!

Free code for programmers and web site developers:

Sources of free code:
Freecode.com/
Cgidir.com
Cgi-resources.com
ScriptArchive

What we have to say:
Now that you are setting up your own web site, you'll need all kinds of plug in applications and solutions for your web site.

Examples are: Auctions, Auto responders, Bug Tracking, Calculators, Calendars, Chat Rooms, Classified Ads, Cookies, Discussions, Games, Guest books, Hit Counters, Postcards, Shopping Carts, Surveys, , and so much more!

You could pay for them or write your own, but why? Most of these programs are simple to insert into your website because they are Java Applets or custom CGI scripts.

Note:

If you don't see the script or application you need here, please join our discussion forum and ask for it!

Earning free software and services...

Do you need a software package or Internet service to expand your business, but are not quite able to justify the cost? Many of us have been in that situation. We are one step away from having everything we need to be totally automated and ready for complete success.

We have good news for you. You can easily get many of your software and Internet services for free, if you'd care to make a few referrals or the programs you presently like and use. Now, I know that almost sounds contradictory; If you have to make a referral, is it really free? This sound about like the "But if I have to pay shipping, is it really free?" argument. Personally, I like these programs because I can save money on one program and put the money I saved into another useful place (like advertising) but I guess what you have to do is take an honest look at each offer and just decide if the offer in of value to you.

What is truly exciting is the idea that you can service like an automated marketing campaign for free , instead of paying for it each and every month, possibly for years. And we're talking about products that you need if you're marketing on the Internet.

The perfect example is Bamboo - an automated marketing tool that includes your contact manager, e-mail responder and e-zine manager. Anyone who wants to make money on the Internet needs a program like this one, and I could not agree more with their comments on their website:

"This Amazing New Automated E-mail/Database Marketing Machine Will... "Increase Your Sales by 50%, Cut the Time You Spend on E-mail in Half... And Slash Your Monthly Marketing Costs by over $100.00!"

 

Here are just a few things this software package will do for you:

Adds Contacts to Your Database
Unlimited Personalized Follow-up
Handles All Your Remove Requests
Handles Recruiting and Training
Closes Sales and Explodes Profits
Handles Unlimited E-zines

Now, this "Must have program" for Internet marketing success costs $34.95 per month. Many of us cannot justify that expense when we are just starting out, until it proves itself, so the company is offering the first month's use at only $2.95 and then you can get the service for free just by making 7 referrals to your friends an contacts in the future, after you've used it and had great success with it.

That's what this section of the book is about. Affiliate marketing on the Internet provides just such a solution for many of us, and I'm going to show you how to use it.

Why am I doing this? Well, when I heard about this plan years ago, all I could say was "Hey, that would really help me, if it worked. What an exciting concept!". Then when I found out it worked, and I was able to get my services for free and even started earning some pretty big monthly checks, I was even more driven to share the concept with others.

So, I'm going to show you how to do what I do:

1. Use high quality products and services that you already need.
2. Make referrals for others to the same products for commissions.
3. Keep doing so until you receive your products and services at no cost.

Of course if you make enough referrals that we start making extra income, well that would be ok too, right?

For now, let's stop and make a list of just a few of the services you would at least use more often if you did not have to pay for them. Basically, this is your wish list. If you don't have a wish list, keep reading for a list of programs that you may not know that you could get for free.

Program..................................................................................: Cost/Month

1.________________________________________________________

2.________________________________________________________

3.________________________________________________________

4.________________________________________________________

5.________________________________________________________

6.________________________________________________________

Now, here are a few programs that you can earn for free, if you simply make a few referrals.

Program................................................................: Cost/Month | Referral $

Web hosting ______________________________________________
Web site design____________________________________________
Search engine Submittals_____________________________________
Classified ads submittals______________________________________
e-zine management software___________________________________
Subscription maintenance_____________________________________
Newspaper advertising_______________________________________
Press release services________________________________________
Voice mail services__________________________________________
e-mail responder____________________________________________
Fax on demand_____________________________________________
Internet access_____________________________________________
e-mail____________________________________________________

There are just a few services you can have for free once you've made a few referrals. There are actually so many programs that we cannot list them all here. But more importantly for now, let's talk about why you can have them for free.

Why does it it work to make referrals?

It works because companies are quickly learning that they could pay millions of dollars in advertising for their services and products on television and radio, etc., but the are much smarter if they simply pay you and me to make referrals to our friends, for software and Internet services that we use and enjoy, which leads to many sales and a high level of satisfaction.

What we are saying in nutshell is that a happy customer (you) will make a better presentation (referral) for a product than any salesperson, and you will do it inexpensively by just making a simple referral. And you'll use your own time and your own resources to do so, so everybody wins!

For example, did you know that a 60 second commercial during the Superbowl will cost several million dollars? Or that a full page ad in a computer magazine may cost $10,000 per issue? Then, to make things worse, the ad runs 6 months after the advertising campaign starts, and by that time, the information is outdated before it is even published. Only large corporations can afford to advertise that way. Most of the companies that write new and innovative software or offer new Internet services are smaller companies or are startups that need to watch their advertising budgets while they get the word out about their programs. That's why they are happy to work with you.

If you're wondering how these companies can afford to give you a large referral fee or even your services at no cost, it is very simple, really. Think this through carefully. What does it really cost them to give you a free software package or even a monthly service, such as an e-mail responder? The CD rom they give you with their software on it may cost them $2.00 to produce, max. You could even download it from the Internet, which gives you the software immediately to test and use. In addition, it results in even less cost for them, a better solution for all.

If we're talking about a service, such as an e-mail responder, think about it this way. If they are already serving 10,000 people with their e-mail responder server, can it cost very much more to add one more person to the system, if the entire system already uses an automated process? In most cases, probably not.

Best of all, this system works for just about any product or service!

The referral system works for just about any product or service. But because this book is about software and Internet services, we will stick to that subject. We will also be happy to tell you that it works especially well for software and Internet services such as web hosting, e-mail responders and such because:

 

But how can the companies can afford to pay you a high referral fee?

1. There are usually no production costs or other costs after the research and development stage.

2. There is no physical product to ship, which presents a major reduction in distribution cost and for the costs associated with warranties and returns. The support is given through the Internet via e-mail and on-line support.

3. Subscription based programs offer economy of scale benefits and cost savings because of the automated monthly billing. All in all, the paperwork requirements are smaller for the vendor, simply because the customer uses the service month after month, and is billed automatically every month. There are no expenses for sales once the customer agrees to use the service month after month.

This means the opportunity to earn residual income is greater for you as well. Because everything is automated you earn more money, and because the customer will probably not cancel their web hosting service unless there is a problem with the service, so you will have more income, month after month after month, hopefully for years!

Here are just a few more reasons referrals are good.

1. You reward a vendor who provides a good service.
2. You take business away from a vendor who does not provide a good service.
3. You help a friend or business associate find a quality service that fits their needs.

Here are a few more reasons why the referral programs work.

If you are working as an affiliate, what are you doing for the company?

1. You are making sales for their company.
2. You are doing it through simple but effective referrals.
3. You are probably educating their customers (before, during and after the sale).
4. You are using your gas, your time, your web site, your advertising dollars, etc.
5. You are doing all of the above on a pay per action (per sale) basis.

What are you not doing?

1. You are not requiring them to pay employment taxes
2. You are not requiring them to pay for specialized training.
3. You are not being paid by the hour whether you are working or not.
4. You are not a liability to them, because you are an independent contractor.
5. You are not requiring them to provide a company vehicle or insurance, etc.

What we need to remember about what I've said above is that companies want to cut costs while increasing sales. Part of that mix is fewer employees and the related costs and paperwork associated with employees. The business owner wants to pay for action, not talk. The solution? What we've been talking about here the whole time. The solution is you as the affiliate salesperson that gets paid when you make a referral and a sale!

Does that open your eyes a bit? You should be able to see now why the companies can afford to pay you a high referral fee, or to provide their software or service to you at no cost. Of course many of the leaders of these programs will tell you that you also have the ability to earn ridiculous amounts of income if you work it right.

I believe it is possible because I have had single monthly checks as high as $4,300 for just one of my affiliate programs, but let's not talk about that at this time. Let's just talk about getting our services for free, and if we make a bit of money, well, hey, that's ok too.

This is the future of Internet marketing. Be a part of it!

If you're not sure about the future of this business model, I assure you that the Internet and marketing is changing and here are a few statistics that may open your eyes to the future of how products will be marketed through referrals, through the Internet.

According to Jupiter Communications,

"By 2002, 25 percent of the expected $37.5 billion
in Internet retail sales, not including autos, will have originated on affiliate sites."

                 -- Nicole Vanderbilt,
                 Jupiter Communications

What does this mean to you? It means that 25 cents out of every dollar spent on the Internet by the year 2002 will be the result of a referral from an associate member to an associate company. As you noticed, this will be a large amount of money as well & 37.5 BILLION DOLLARS! And that number will certainly increase month by month.

All of this information may lead you to four questions, which I will try to answer.

Question number 1.
Exactly how does a referral work?

Question number 2.
Exactly which programs can I get for free?

Question number 3.
How much money can I earn with these programs?

Question number 4.

How do you get started?

We will start with the free services that pay you to share their business plan or service. But we want to remind you of the basic goals of affiliate marketing first:

1. Find a quality product or service.
2. Find a highly needed product or service.
3. Find a product or service that is billed for monthly, automatically.
3. If at all possible, use a service that will pay you a referral if you train one of your contacts to make referrals for the program.

That said, let's start with the most basic referral programs and build up to the ultimate goal. This way you'll have a good understanding of how the entire process works and you will be able to take advantage of all the programs.

Just remember that you can earn free services or earn extra income by simply making a referral, but you may want more of a challenge and an opportunity. You may be an excellent motivator and trainer, and want the opportunity to set up a network of people who are willing to learn from you, and you will benefit from their efforts as well.

* The single payment referral plan -

With the One Payment Referral program , you get just that. You get one payment per every referral you make. You receive a flat rate fee, regardless of the cost of the item, or even whether the customer keeps using the service month after month.

Payments for these referrals can be as small as a penny or as large as thousands of dollars. For example, Paypal pays $5.00 for each referral you make. Another example is Postmaster, which pays $50.00 per referral. There are literally hundreds of services and options with the single payment plan, so you should be able to find a program that fits your needs.

The one payment referral plan can be a profitable plan for all parties involved, and an excellent way to get your services and software for free. However, choose your programs carefully, and keep in mind that we are starting out with the basic programs and that the programs that offer the most value are the services that are automatically billed monthly.

* The single payment referral plan for free services -

The hot model on the Internet the past few years has been for making referrals for free services, and earning referral fee. A good example of a program that pays a referral for their free service is an automated answering machine via the Internet. Here's an example of how and why it works well.

For years, millions of Internet surfers have suffered through the limitations of having only one phone line for both surfing the Internet and taking or making phone calls on the same line. With a new service called an Internet answering machine, users can surf the Internet on a single phone line without worrying about missing important calls. The system offers the user free voice mail and the guarantee that callers will never get busy signal.

For making a referral for this service, you earn a quick $1.00 per referral. Now, I know that you have to make a lot of referrals to make any money, so this option is best left for people who have major traffic to their sites and plan on making a lot of referrals. This program great if you want to get a free Internet answering machine or if you want to pick up a few dollars, but it is probably not for the person reading this book who wants to make some serious money, as you would have to make too many referrals.

But it is a good example of how to get your services free through the Internet and affiliate marketing. It is also an example of the "One payment per referral" plan. You get paid one time for the referral, and there is not residual income (payment to you month after month).

In this case, to get your service for free, all you have to do is make one referral per month. Of course this does not warrant a lot of your time to save $1.00, but it is a simple example of how the system works.

* The residual income referral plan -

The residual income referral plan is the most exciting because it is the one that usually offers the greatest value to you and the customer, for the most wanted products and services. The vendor pays you more over a long period of time because the customer uses the service month after month and they can afford to pay you more, each and every month, automatically, as long as the customer stays with the program.

How can this happen? Well, most services cost the vendor less to provide because there are usually no production costs, as there is no physical product. Let s say you have found a monthly service that you need for our website. You are ready to pay to use their service, but you have other places to spend your money if you can make a referral for this service.

If you have not grasped the idea of affiliate marketing, you probably see what we could all be doing to save money using this type of service. Especially for services that are billed monthly, like e-mail responders, web sites, and such services.

* The single level income referral plan -

The single level income referral plan is great for most people in most cases. In this case, all you have to do is make sure you personally make referrals. You don't have to worry about training anyone else, period. Basically, you get get paid for your efforts and your efforts alone. If you work at it, and you make referrals, you will get your services for free, or you will earn money.

The single level income plan is perfect for most people, but others want more of a challenge and an opportunity. They may be excellent motivators and trainers, and want the opportunity to set up a network of people who willing to learn from a good trainer, and are willing to duplicate their plan and efforts.

* The multilevel income referral plan - You get paid for your efforts and from anyone you train to duplicate your efforts.

The first goal in affiliate based marketing is to refer others to the program so that your service is free, especially for services that you use on a monthly basis! If you can do this, you're doing great. The second goal is to train others to make referrals for the same product or service as well, so that you earn money on their efforts. When you do this, you are doing extremely well!

Here is another example, with a twist.

This company actually offers commissions for your referrals, for basically the same service with different ways of using and paying for the service.

This service is for an e-mail responder and setting up your own e-zine.

Here's how to use these services for free with these programs.

The first option: Buy the software and use your own servers.

Purchase this software if you just want to buy the software and use it on your computer, paying a one time fee. If you make a referral, you earn a flat $50.00 referral fee.

The second option: Pay for the service by the month, using their servers.
With this option, you simply use their server, someone else's mail server, and you simply pay a monthly fee. With this option, if you make a referral, the company pays you a monthly portion of the amount they bill your referral.

1. Postmaster - earn a $50.00 commission.
2. Sign the customer up for the monthly version, and make a residual income.

So, the customer can either pay a one time fee of a few hundred dollars and never pays for an upgrade again, or they can pay less down, and make a small monthly fee to use the service. The two options are actually similar in the end result, but there are big differences in the way the services work.

Let us go over this again to make sure you understand the concept.

With the Postmaster software, the way to get your software free is to just make a simple referral and earn $50.00 per referral. After you've made enough referrals, your software is free. Presently the software sells for $250.00, so you would have to make 5 referrals. Most people would have to work quite a few hours to make $250.00, so if you can learn about the product, share it with your friends and have it to use forever, that's quite a bargain, right?

Bamboo works a bit differently. With Bamboo, the customer pays $34.95 per month for the service, then Bamboo pays you around $5.00 per month per referral. Then if you show someone else how to use the software, and they share it with someone and they sign up, you get an additional $2.50 per month as long as they are with the service. So you if you choose to use that option, you need to make 7 referrals on your first level, and then your service is free.

If you'd like to know more about this program, just sign up for the automated marketing campaign and they will tell you all about it. What I will tell you right now is that the great thing about this program is that it is MUCH more than a simple e-mail responder. It is also a contact manager complete with tickler system and more.

The second thing I like about this program is that once you have sent a referral to Postmaster for an interested party, they take care of marketing the program to the customer with an automated e-mail responder (their own!). The process of signing up the customer is automatic as well, and you'll know you have a new contact when they send you e-mail congratulating you!

You may be asking yourself: "Can I do this?"

Can you do this? Yes you can! And you can do it without a lot of money! As we just shared with you, word of mouth is the most effective way to distribute products and services on the Internet. According to Jupiter communications, 69% of people who receive a Web site recommendation from a friend pass it along to at least two to six friends. If 69% refer between two and six people, then they would be referring 1.4 to 4.2 friends, an average of 2.8 referrals, or about three. That's about the number of referrals you need to break even on the program!

This is true Internet marketing, because as you now have a vested interest to find the best services and provide referrals and reviews about services, and we are all paid for our efforts!

How much money can you really make with an affiliate program?

The potential income is staggering. If you start out slow and build up your contacts and sign-ups, you'll certainly earn enough that you might never have to worry about income again. I've seen it happen before, and I'll tell you where I believe the next Internet gold mine can be found. And of course this is an excellent opportunity to never have to pay for your service again, if that is your goal.

Most of my income in the past has come from helping others set up on-line computer stores, but my next business that I am building is my web site consulting business. This might be a good place for you to start as well.

I use two different services because there are two different types of customers who need different types of web site design and hosting services. The first service actually helps a novice design, develop and host their own websites with an automated system. The second service is for those who want to create their own web site hosting service, and just need a good host and a few extra bells and whistles for the Internet marketer that most other hosting services just do not offer.

So basically, I am telling you that my goal is to use the affiliate based program for helping others build web sites, with the end result that I will get my web site hosted for free, and perhaps even earn a few extra dollars for my efforts. Over the years, I have charged anywhere from $500 to $5,000 for building web sites. Today, if someone asks me to build a web site for them, I can still do that work and bill by the hour or the job, but I have also added Siteblast to my offerings, a referral based program, which I have mentioned as the automated web site builder.

This service is not perfect for every business, but in many cases, this is a better option because this Internet based program helps people build their own professional web sites in a matter of just a few minutes because they can use over 600+ templates to build their web.

You can find a web site template for just about any industry. For example:

·         Accounting firms

·         Architectural firms.

·         Dental and Dr. offices.

·         Real estate offices.

You name the industry, and you can find an excellent template for that industry.

Best of all, the sites costs just $100.00 and I earn $50.00 per sale, for just a few minutes of consultation. Then I earn $3.00 per month residual for as long as the person keeps their web site with the service, which could be many, many years. In fact, most people will never change their web site server if the company is providing a quality service, so there should be very drop out of customers with this program.

I will teach others how to sell the web sites and earn income from their efforts!

Remember when we were talking about residual income from other people's efforts? This is is an example of one of those programs. This means I can even teach others to show others how to build web sites, and I earn $3.00 (10% of their monthly fee) per month from anyone who signs up under another person who is on my team! Then I earn income from their efforts too.

Now, that does not sound like much money per sale, but when I teach others to duplicate my process, I can very quickly build a respectable income. I've done it, and I know you can do it too! As I said earlier, for the past 4 years, my income from just one program like this has been as high as $4,300 per month!

If you start with finding just 3 people who use the service from your referral, and help them each find one person who needed a web site, you would have your service for free, assuming a 10% referral fee for each person. That is $3.00 per month commission for each of the 12 new users.

If you'd like an example of how this all works, send me an e-mail and I'll send you a complete, up to date example of how it all works. This is income per month!

If the customer simply needs a host for their web site (needs the ability to upload or ftp their websites) I recommend hosting.com as a great place to start.

But let's start out with small goals and dreams, and just get our services free!

Look at these numbers: If the average person (you) referred just 3-5 people to many of these programs, your services would always be free. Of course if you sign up for the programs and tell all your friends about the services, you may make enough money to save money for a new car, college education or any other motivation but again, start out small and see where it takes you. A great idea, don't you agree? Let's go back to look at how referrals and the affiliate game works again.

How do you get started?

As you've already read, word of mouth is the most effective way to distribute products and services on the Internet. According to Jupiter communications, 69% of people who receive a Web site recommendation from a friend pass it along to at least two to six friends. If 69% refer between two and six people, then they would be referring 1.4 to 4.2 friends, an average of 2.8 referrals, or about three.

So, your main goal is to tell your friends and business associates about their products and services, with whatever means you have available to you. Contacting your warm market is a good place to start. It can be as simple as just writing a letter. It can be as simple as:

_______________________________________________________________

Dear (Insert name)

It has been a while since we talked, I hope all is well with you and your family. We (list your family) have been doing quite well, and am excited about (insert what you're excited about - new home/child/victory, etc.).

(Insert first name), I ran across these Internet services the other day and thought about you, that you might find them useful. I know you've (a: been working on computers for some time - b: just purchased a new computer - c: been thinking about buying a new computer) and thought you might enjoy them. A friend told me about them, and I use (insert ones you use, if any) and they said that we could reduce our cost for the services by just telling our friends about them. I'm all for saving a few dollars here and there, right?

Well, that's all for now, I just wanted to share these with you. Please take a minute to look them over and see if there are any services you need there. I'm going to be using more of these services in the future, so if there is any way I can help you understand them better, please contact me!

(list services here)

Paypal - accept and send money via the Internet. Earn $5.00 when you open your free account. Visit (insert your link here so you earn your $5.00 per referral.

The person who sent me this has written a book about how to get your computer software and Internet services for free. You might want to look into it. For example, it shows how to download a MS Office clone for free and save hundreds of dollars, just as a starter. Here's a link to the book if you're interested. It's called "Stop paying for expensive software and Internet services, forever!" I've found it very useful, you might too.

Let me know if you find this interesting. I'll talk to you again soon!

(Your name)
(Your e-mail address)

_______________________________________________________________

Of course there are many, many other ways to get started as well. Some that require less of your time and effort, and some require more of your time and effort. However, if you follow our outlines, and if done correctly, these marketing tips can be very inexpensive and they should not be time consuming.

Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking before we get real serious about this.

* Post a banner ad on your web site.
* Post a text ad and link on your web site.
* Post a personal testimony on your web site.
* Post banners and ads on other peoples web sites.
* Run small classified ads on sections of the Internet.
* Run small classified ads in the local newspapers/journals..
* Join a discussion board or newsgroup where you can help others.
* Join a pay per click service and pay a small fee for every hit to your web site.
* Make presentations at referral groups, like BNI or the Chamber of Commerce.
* Send out the letter at the bottom of this book to your business associates
* Advertise in related E-zines and specialized newsletters.
* Create an e-zine and write about the programs.
* Become a co-author of this book and sell it.

And we're just getting started!

Another option is to simply let others know about the programs via e-mail, fax, or letter! We even have the letter ready for you! You simply put your name on this letter and send it to your friends, asking for feedback! Click here to download the MS Word Document now!

You can view it at the end of this document or by clicking here.

Thank you for reading about my ideas... now, would you like to join my team?

I want to take the time to thank you your time and reading about the ways to get your software and Internet services for free. I'm sure you're pumped up about the opportunity to get started, but you may not know where to start, or how to make contacts, so let us help!

Join our referral club!

If you're interested in joining a club with the goal of helping each other with referrals so we all have our software and services for free, please read on! I'm glad you're still reading because if you're really interested in what I've talked about in this book, this is the section where you will learn the most. You might even earn a bit of extra income.

Most importantly, you'll meet interesting people who know how to make money! After being in this business for nearly 20 years, I have learned that success in business and successful income building is all about building associations with other successful, like minded individuals and groups. We are those successful, like minded individuals. We are dedicated to helping you get these services for free, and if it is your desire, to build a real team and a real income, with very dramatic results!

With that goal in mind, we have created our own downline club, and we will:

· Train you on the processes.
·  Introduce you to others with shared interests.
·  Place individuals in your downline automatically!

Remember, we are going to show you how to:

1. Use high quality products and services that you already need.
2. Make referrals for others to the same products for commissions.
3. Keep doing so until we receive our products and services at no cost.
4. Potentially earn extra income, possibly residual income, for your lifetime.

We will provide reviews of the programs we've joined, and the tools we use to build
our teams. We will also introduce you to the friends we've met along the way! What we are telling you is that you can use our collective experiences and skills to make money on the Internet. It's called being a part of a team.

Be assured, now is the time to join too, because we're just starting this new group, and if all goes as planned, you'll one day be one of those the people every body else talks about. "Yep, I remember when he/she was just a (insert what you do now), now look at him/her!"

Do you need a really serious tool to get started? Use our book!

Not only will we welcome you to join our team, but we'll even give you the ability to use this book as a marketing tool of your own. All you need to do is tell your friends and associates about the book and help bring other members to the Income Club so they can have their own book, just like this one!

That's it! That's the power of team building.

You'll have:

1. No inventory to keep in stock.
2. No collection of money to worry about.
3. No sales tax to collect or pay to the state.

And you'll be able to get your services for free, or earn extra income if you do extremely well.

That's it! That's the power of team building.

The business plan is very simple to work, and it is very easy to duplicate, whether you just want free services or residual income. This team can build residual income quite fast once it gets going. You remember residual income, right? Residual income is income that comes to you over and over from the efforts of building teams of people who use the same services and purchase products from the same vendors, as a team.

How does it work?

As we have stated, we will review the different business tools which can be free for making a few referrals, or that even offer residual income. When we find the right ones, we will present them to you via e-mail and provide links to our reviews.

You will then have an opportunity to join each program or you can pass on the program. All we request is that you make your decision quickly so we can build our teams quickly and efficiently.

Quite honestly, this program does not require a lot of money to implement, but if you're in this game to make money, you have to be ready to spend that small bit of money quickly to take advantage of your up line's experience and knowledge.

We do not make guarantees of any income, but we do feel we do work with very successful people who can teach you what they know and who they will lead you in the right direction for extra income opportunities.

There are very few rules to joining our club, but many, many benefits.

The rules:

· No illegal activities will be allowed.
· No pornographic programs will be accepted.
· You must be willing to work in a team environment.
· No cross-recruiting for different programs will be allowed.
· Your goals must in support of the group to support the success of the group.
· The contacts you make from this program are for the team, and all new programs should be presented for review, then offered to the group by the group.

The benefits:

· You will be in the pipeline for new and exciting tools and services
· You will receive reviews of new income generating programs
· You will be in the pipeline for strategic placement in our teams.

Need more information? Just send us an e-mail and we'll tell you more about the club!

Mail to:  jddavin@mynewoffice.com

I look forward to working with you on finding new ways to get the software we need for our businesses at no cost, with you!

I wish you happy computing future, and thank you for joining us at MyNewOffice.com

J.D. Davin
jddavin@mynewoffice.com

THE END!

_______________________________________________________________
Sources of free* software disclaimer

This information is sold as is, without warranty, either express or implied. No warranty is given for the information's quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Neither John E. Davin, M+J Associates, Davin Computer Systems, Inc., or its dealers or distributors shall be liable to the purchaser or any other person or entity with respect to any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the use or misuse of this book.

Many software programs and services have limitations, and no guarantee is provided, either implied or expressed. Some limitations may exist:

* Programs may be free only to individuals.
* Programs are free only to students, faculty or staff, and cannot be used for any commercial purposes.
* Programs may have some functions disabled unless you purchase an upgrade.

It is your responsibility to read, understand and follow all warranties, licencing agreements and disclaimers.All offers subject to change without notice. Please contact John Davin with any changes to offers listed above.

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM J.D. DAVIN

I've personally saved thousands of dollars on the software solutions I've needed for my own needs and my clients. I've been doing it for nearly 20 years as a consultant and the owner of a retail computer store, and you can too. Even if you're not the owner of a retail computer store or even a consultant.

I'm talking about hundreds of software applications and solutions, from MS Office compatible software to Tax preparation software to virus protection software. Along with everything in between and many additional services, such as a free Internet based answering machine service, java scripts for your web site, graphics for your web site, or even software to reduce the size of your graphics. The list never ends.

The bottom line is if you use these programs, they will change the way you work and play, at work and at home. You'll be more efficient and have more fun while you're "working" on your computer. In my humble opinion, plain and simple, if you're not utilizing all of the business tools on the Internet (including the free ones), you're either working too hard or not making as much money as you could, or both!

Best regards,

John E. Davin

Thank you for visiting MyNewOffice.com!

John Davin
jddavin@mynewoffice.com

You have my best and warmest wishes for success.

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