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John L. Dilbeck's News Archive
John L. Dilbeck's Ramblings
Whatever strange and wonderful ideas tickle this big brain of mine.
ISSN: 1533-8193
Being a voracious reader, I go through lots of news and stories. When I find one of interest that I think will benefit you, I write about it here. Your feedback is always welcome.
News Archives
(See menu at left for the old archives.)
February 2004
Calls for VoIP regulation
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, February 29 2004 at 4:49 PM
Category: telecommunications
Senator, others call for VOIP regulation. WASHINGTON - A U.S. senator, a state public utilities commission and a telephone company executive have asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress to slow down their rush toward declaring voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service essentially free from government regulation. [InfoWorld: Telecommunications]
Six Steps to SFI Success
Posted by johndilbeck on Saturday, February 21 2004 at 7:31 AM
Category: sfi
This message was sent to all members of my SFI powerline on 2/21/2004.
Hi,
It's John Dilbeck, again, and I'm either your sponsor or Powerline Team Leader with SFI -- or both.
We're getting more members on our team every week and it's gratifying to watch our group grow. As we put more effort into marketing the SFI opportunity and into selling products, the whole team will benefit.
Have you read the special report, "Six Steps to Six Figures," yet?
There is a very-well-defined path to success with SFI, and that's what makes it, in my opinion, such a great company with which to be affiliated.
You can read the special report at:
www.sfimg.com/Training/SixSteps.sfi
Note that you have already completed Step 1: Become an SFI Marketing Group affiliate.
Sometimes the first step is the hardest. You've made the decision to see what SFI is all about and to determine how it fits with your desires, goals, and plans.
Why did you join SFI?
I joined because I was already earning commissions from several companies, but they were all one-time commissions whenever I sold something for them. I was looking for two things that would help me grow my income and improve my financial security: residual income and leveraged efforts. Plus, I love working from home and not having to deal with a boss or a commute to work. I love setting my own goals and doing my best to create my own destiny -- and I absolutely hate asking anyone for a day off when I want to do something else.
Just by joining SFI, I -- and you -- have already started leveraging our efforts, because SFI has millions of people helping to brand the company on the Internet, and because they provide us with quite a few gateways to promote the company and the products we offer. We offer training, support, and encouragement through direct contact and through the SFI discussion board.
SFI offers over 600 products you can sell, and earn a commission for each one.
I love the middle of the month when my SFI check arrives and I get to deposit it in the bank. How about you?
One thing that's required for getting a check from SFI is to complete Smart Start. That gives you a quick overview of SFI, the compensation plan, and some of our products. When you complete SmartStart, you'll have your gateways activated so you can start promoting them.
To become an affiliate with SFI, you already responded to one of my gateways where you filled out a form and joined as an affiliate -- and I thank you for taking that step.
Perhaps you wanted to build a home-based business. Perhaps you wanted the free Secrets of Internet Millionaires offer:
Secrets of Internet Millionaires
Perhaps you're just kicking the tires to see what SFI is all about.
One of the beauties of SFI is you can take all the time you want to look at the company from the inside and it won't cost you a single penny. Take all the time you want.
We're here and ready to help you grow your business whenever YOU decide you're ready. It will take time and effort to get there, but there is a very good chance that you can increase your income by the amount you desire in a couple of years or so. There's no guarantee, but there's a much better chance with SFI than you'll ever have with your current boss.
One step at a time is how you get from new affiliate to Group Leader.
If you complete SmartStart within ten days of joining as an affiliate, you'll be a FastTrack affiliate.
Finishing SmartStart gives you 5 SVP and that makes you half-way to being Multi-Income Qualified. (That's Step 3 on the Six Steps.)
Once you complete Smart Start, your gateways are activated and you can earn a one-time commission when you sell something. But, one of the reasons SFI is so attractive is that you can earn income from several other income streams, too. Becoming MIQ opens up three more income streams. You'll start earning residual income for any sales you make. That's like being paid to work this week, and getting another commission check every month that particular customer purchases again.
(Some of our products don't pay residual commissions, they only pay a one-time payment. Some of the new telecommunications products are like that. It's such a competitive jungle with cell phones, long distance, and such that we only get paid a single sign-up commission for them, but this is no different than it is with other companies with which I work.)
All of you getting this message today have completed Step 1. You're an SFI affiliate and the company and I are here to help you progress and earn.
Some of you have completed Step 2 (Smart Start) and now your gateways are active and you can start promoting them. There are lots of ways to do this, and you can find much more information at www.sfimg.com, the SFI discussion boards, or I'll be happy to help every way I can if you email me at jd@johndilbeck.com. I'm here to help you progress and earn more.
I can recommend places to build your website, places to advertise, and things you can do online -- and offline -- to market our products and grow your business. Just don't bother your friends and neighbors or take the short-sighted route and send any Spam emails. When you start becoming successful, your friends, family and neighbors will ask you how you did it.
Spam will just kill your business before you even get started. It doesn't work, it's rude, and SFI will terminate your affiliation without recourse if you do it.
SFI is a business and is here for the long haul. Slow and steady will build your business, too.
If you've made the commitment to complete Step 3 and become MIQ, then you're really starting to make progress. Remember, you don't have to pay anything to become MIQ. However, if you want to get off to a quick start, you can set up a standing order for IAHBE and for $29.95 you'll be MIQ every month. I recommend this approach.
Why?
Because, you won't really make a lot of progress before you become MIQ. You have to open the residual income stream.
But, you won't really be spending $30 every month, in the long run. For every month that you are MIQ, you'll be banking a share of the PTL bonus pool, which generally averages in the mid-$20 range every month. So, if you become MIQ and remain so for several months (with no breaks!), you'll be banking one PTL bonus share for each month you remain MIQ. When you become PTL, you'll receive a check for all the banked shares at the amount they are worth that month.
(If you skip a month and drop your MIQ status, you'll lose any banked shares, so that's why it's easier to set up a standing order for any of the 10 SVP products. Then you don't have to worry about it.)
So, if you remain an IAHBE member for, say, six months before becoming PTL, you'll have six banked shares. When you become PTL (which is Step 4, by the way), you'll get a check for six times the current PTL bonus pool amount, because you have six banked shares. If it is $25, then you'll get a check for $150.00. This reduces your cost of IAHBE to about $5 per month, and the free book that's available every month is worth more than that!
(Or, perhaps you prefer to buy the liquid nutrition or cleaning products. For instance, my mother was just diagnosed with gall bladder problems and has had to change her entire diet. I've decided that with such a restricted diet, she needs extra vitamins and minerals and the Veriuni liquid nutrition supplement looks like a perfect solution. So, I'll be buying a bottle for her every month. On top of her getting a product that she needs, I get 10 SVP points and my sponsor will get a commission. Win-win-win.)
Plus, IAHBE contains a great selection of materials to help you learn how to be successful in marketing. It's a great deal, and even if I were to leave SFI (and I have no plans for that), I'd continue to be an IAHBE member.
You can learn more about the International Association of Home Business Entrepreneurs by going to www.iahbe.org or, if you're already an SFI affiliate, you can join by going to the affiliate store at:
affiliate store IAHBE page
(If you're reading this and you're not an SFI affiliate yet, you can learn more about IAHBE at:
International Association of Home Business Entrepreneurs
and you can choose to become an SFI affiliate at:
Become an SFI affiliate )
But, you don't have to do this (purchase a standing order for IAHBE) to become MIQ!
You can also become MIQ by selling enough products to earn at least 10 SVP each month. Sign up 1 IAHBE member, sell one bottle of liquid nutrition, sell any magazine subscription with 10 SVP or more, or any combination of products, and you are MIQ for the month.
(Step 4, by the way, is to become a Powerline Team Leader, PTL, and to start building your own powerline team. To become PTL, you need to personally sponsor at least three affiliates and produce at least 40 SVP of sales volume every month.)
You CAN progress through SFI without spending ANY money out of your pocket.
You're not here to be a consumer; you're here to build your home business.
YOUR BUSINESS.
And you don't have to pay a penny for all the SFI employees, computers, Internet access charges, bandwidth, or anything else. SFI provides that to you for nothing. So, you don't have to build the infrastructure and manage the systems and employees. You don't have to stock products and ship or deliver them. You don't have to arrange contracts with suppliers.
That frees you up to do nothing but market products and services. The more you sell, the more you earn.
When I start a new business, and I've owned several, I expect to spend thousands of dollars and take at least 3 to 5 years to earn a profit. It's been just over a year since I joined SFI and I'm earning a profit, already.
You can do it, too. I'm even hoping you'll be much more successful than I am.
New Riser Leads Co-op.
Last month, I expanded my marketing efforts and decided to start a Riser Leads Co-op. It's in place and working.
If you're in my powerline, I'll be sending affiliates your way in the coming weeks and the only requirements to accept the affiliates as your personally-sponsored affiliates is to complete SmartStart and then become MIQ. I'm going to send up to three affiliates your way. If you don't take me up on the offer, it will rise up to someone else in the powerline. If nobody takes me up on the offer, the new affiliate will become my personally sponsored affiliate.
If you pass on the offer three times, you may not get any more affiliates from my co-op. I'm willing to help you grow your business, but you have to do your part, too.
I think that's enough for one message!
I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy some time with your friends and family.
All the best,
JD
Yahoo Dumps Google
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, February 19 2004 at 10:39 AM
Category: internet
"The change occurred at 9:30 p.m. PST Tuesday when Yahoo relaunched the search properties for its U.S.-based sites, including its Yahoo.com flagship home page. Yahoo replaced Google's results with its own Yahoo Search Technology, which combines an array of recently acquired search technologies, such as Inktomi and commercial search provider Overture Services. Yahoo also owns AltaVista and the Web search technology of Fast Search and Transfer. " [C|Net News.com]
MDI Telecom and Internet tools
Posted by johndilbeck on Tuesday, February 17 2004 at 9:12 AM
Category: internet
Last Friday, in the February 13, 2004 issue of my Home Business Tips newsletter, I discussed my introduction to MadisonDynamics, Inc., a new company recently created by Fred Stege of TrafficOasis.com and Simon Grabowski of GetResponse.com.
I'm still not sure what I think of the company as a business opportunity, but I wanted to pass along some information about their first products. (Sorry, fellow Mac users, these services are PC only.)
Their basic product is iCON Communicator, which provides worldwide, interactive conference calling, desktop application sharing, co-browsing features, with unsurpassed sound quality and text chatting for one low monthly rate. Operated through Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP), iCON Communicator consists first of all of excellent interactive voice and chat communication.
Their second product, iPROBuilder enables the average person to build a superb, professional-looking web site -- one that doesn't look like it was made with sitebuilder software. With iPROBuilder, you can create profit-pulling web sites in 24 hours or less, with no technical or design experience. This product includes all the bells and whistles: an easy-to-use online sitebuilder, domain name registration, unlimited web hosting, unlimited e-mail accounts, pop-ups, opt-in mailings, and much more.
Now, while I don't know much about iCON Communicator, I have been following the development of iPROBuilder, in it's original -- and still growing -- incarnation as Website Wizard. This product, produced also by Simon Grabowski, has been adding features continually over a couple of years or so. I have an account for iPROBuilder, but I'm unable to test it so far because it remains a Windows PC-only product and doesn't work with Macs. However, I've looked at sites created with the system and they look very promising.
I'm a very happy customer of GetResponse.com, which seems to be the very best autoresponder service available, and I have a Pro account with them that hosts my newsletter and does a few more things for me. (You can see for yourself the quality of their service by going to the site and signing up for a free account. Create an autoresponder and see how it works for you. Be sure to take Simon's free course on autoresponders to learn more about them. By upgrading to a PRO account, you can create unlimited autoresponders, each with unlimited follow-up messages.)
I've looked for months for sites that help folks with no technical skills build good websites. I still feel that Site Build It! is still a better product -- and it works on both Macs and PCs -- and it has proven to be very effective where it counts the most, building targeted traffic to websites. However, I think iPROBuilder may be a good tool for a large segment of the market, and it does have the advantage of being able to pay on a monthly basis, rather than the annual payment required for SBI.
Based on my experiences with GetResponse.com, I'm assuming the products offered by MDI will be top-notch in quality.
Check them out for yourself and see what you think.
Heritage Development Plan for Cherokee County
Posted by johndilbeck on Tuesday, February 17 2004 at 9:03 AM
Category: cherokee_county_nc
Agenda: final input on comprehensive plan update (meeting #3 of 3)
Facilitator: Ron Ruehl, NC State Heritage Development Officer, western NC region
Saturday, February 28
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Andrews Community Center*
*please note the change in location (the old furnace died at the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center, and total heating system replacement is now in progress there)
Important Note: for organizations based in Cherokee County with an emphasis on the arts, history, cultural and historic resources, and the natural environment: the updated heritage development plan will be used by a variety of regional and state entities to identify and find ways to support Cherokee County's heritage development initiatives and achieve the economic benefits of heritage and eco-tourism. It will serve as the reference for Cherokee County's priority initiatives being undertaken by local governments, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, community clubs and associations, and other community development oriented entities.
If your organization has any role to play in heritage development, please make sure it's actively represented in the process. The resulting plan document will be the authoritative reference for Cherokee County, and will include:
(1) a roster of contact and other important information about heritage development related organizations based in Cherokee County;
(2) an inventory of sites and attractions;
(3) a calendar of major annual events;
and most important:
(4) summaries of priority projects requiring funding support now, or in the future ("brick and mortar" as well as other program or development funds).
If your organization has not received the input forms package, Gabby Hudson says call her at the Chamber of Commerce (828-837-2242) and she'll be happy to oblige.
Questions? Contact Heritage Partners of Cherokee County, NC.
Link Fix It! Launches!
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, February 15 2004 at 9:10 PM
Category: sitesell
Site Build It! has just launched an integrated link-checking service.
Some companies charge over $100 per year for this type of service, but for SBI! site owners, it's just another free feature that will save you hours of work keeping your site free of broken links.
Ken Evoy, President of Sitesell, says, "LinkFixIt busily spiders through all SBI! sites once per week, looking for broken or dead links (you know the kind -- you click on the link and you get the "404 no such page" message). LFI e-mails an SBI! owner if any of his/her links (internal or external) are broken."
Broken links make you look bad and don't help your prospective customers have confidence in you. Link Fix It! makes broken links a thing of the past... all at no added cost.
Just one more great feature from the best webhosting service on the planet.
Want proof? It's results that count. Can you find any other webhosting service that can show hundreds of successful websites that rank in the top 3% of all sites on the Internet?
Take our test. How does your site or your biggest competitor's site compare?
Make Your Price Sell!, The Masters Course
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, February 15 2004 at 9:04 PM
Category: sitesell
Ken Evoy continues to offer outstanding free courses, available as Adobe Acrobat .pdf downloadable ebooks. Yesterday, he announced the newest, Make Your Price Sell!, The Masters Course.
I don't know anyone, especially those of you who run a home business and want to sell your products and services, who doesn't have a problem identifying the best price at which to sell. Many of you make the mistake of pricing too low and losing profit you might otherwise acquire.
Will this new -- free -- ebook help you price your products and services at the best point to make the most profit? There's only one way to know for sure. Download it today. There's no risk and no obligation.
"How much money are YOU leaving on the table?" Price with complete confidence & double your Net profits. Make Your Price Sell!, The Masters Course.
Looking for other free eCourses?
http://netwriting.sitesell.com/sellmoreonline.html" target="new">Netwriting Masters Course - Want to sell more? Write better. Write smarter. First, write to PREsell. Then write to SELL. The *ONLY* course on the Net that shows you how to do BOTH. And it's free!
Affiliate Masters Course - Become a high-earning affiliate champion.
Service Sellers Masters Course - Attract new clients from around the world... Or from around the block.
Make Your Net Auction Sell, The Masters Course - Start and grow a profitable Net auction business. MYNAS! --> Now Free!
Webmaster BUSINESS Master Course - Show Webmasters how to run the BUSINESS of WebMastering... Super-assisted, of course, by the ultimate PRODUCTIVITY tool.
Western North Carolina Heritage and Cultural Events.
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, February 15 2004 at 4:59 PM
Category: western_nc
On Thursday, I had the pleasure of seeing Ben Utley, owner of the NC Mountain Made website, again. It's always fun being around Ben, who has a cheerful and optimistic personality.
NC Mountain Made is a heritage database of authentic music, authors, storytellers, and handmade arts & crafts of western North Carolina. In the not-too-distant-future, Ben will be helping artisans in western North Carolina sell their products over the Internet.
He came to the monthly meeting of Appalachian Heritage Crafters and updated us on the progress he is making getting his new venture organized.
A number of our members expressed interest in working with Ben and we'll probably see some of their art on his site, soon.
Ben's added a calendar covering Western North Carolina Heritage and Cultural Events. Be sure to check it out!
Don't forget. If you're interested in what he's doing to promote and preserve our Appalachian heritage, you can sign up for his announcements list and he'll keep you informed.
I hope you have great success with this, Ben!
Home Business Tips - February 13, 2004 has been archived.
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, February 15 2004 at 7:21 AM
Category: home_business
The February 13, 2004 issue of the Home Business Tips newsletter was sent to all subscribers on Friday and now has been archived on JohnDilbeck.com.
News included a preview of MadisonDynamics, Inc and an invitation to explore their site to see for yourself what it's all about.
Resources discussed include: USCounties.com, PRWeb.com, Ryze Business Networking, AdlandPro Community, GetResponse.com, Host4Profit.com, and CBMall.com.
You are invited to read the archived issue and subscribe to future issues. I welcome all feedback.
Microsoft blocking Sitesell email?
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, February 12 2004 at 8:09 AM
Category: sitesell
Microsoft blocks email from competitor. Dirty trick, or simple ineptitude?
Got an MSN or Hotmail account? How do you feel about buying something and being kept from getting access to it by Microsoft?
Are you an affiliate for SiteSell's SiteBuildIt program? If so, how do you feel about your commissions being put at risk because of Microsoft's "spam... [Ramblings of a Marketing Geek]
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