“Oh that would be too hard for me — I could never learn to do that.”

We’ve all heard these words… you may even have said them yourself. Tackling new skills can feel intimidating. But we only feel intimidated because we overestimate the task and underestimate our own abilities. We aren’t confident enough in our natural abilities. Take learning to drive for example.

Today, millions of very mentally un-gifted people got into automobiles and drove them. And most of them had no accident today. So how hard can it be?

Or maybe you’re thinking of learning how to do a web business.

Millions more
save money
start businesses
find jobs
lose weight
get into shape
discover someone to love
get married
find a way to attend school
start new careers

And many other things you may have been thinking are too hard, too complicated, too far beyond you.

The truth is, they’re not beyond you at all.

DO THIS:

What have you been holding yourself back from doing? No, you don’t have to list EVERYTHING you’re putting off. Just take the top one.

First:

Whatever it is, write it down on a piece of paper.

Second:

Now think of somebody who isn’t particulary smart, but who is now doing the very thing you want to do.

Been putting off learning to drive? Look at all the idiots on the road who somehow manage to get from here to there without wrecking the countryside.

What about marriage? True, most people botch it completely, but many millions actually do get it right and live in happiness.

Or maybe you’re putting off starting your own business. Same thing — you’ve met people barely clever enough to get in out of the rain, but they have businesses. And they haven’t gone bankrupt — at least not yet.

Chances are, the one thing you’re lacking is not intelligence, nor ability, nor talent. Training is no real stumbling block, either, since people regularly go get the same training you’re wanting.

No, you’re probably only lacking permission. You’re waiting around for somebody to validate you, then pick you up and prove to you that you can do it.

It ain’t gonna happen that way. The good news is, it doesn’t HAVE to happen that way.

All it takes is just deciding you’ll do it. Then just begin.

Several years ago someone told me a great two-step formula for success in any field.

Step one is start; step two is don’t stop.

So we come to…

Third:

Make a beginning, no matter how awkward, then just keep moving forward in the direction you want to go.

Honestly, it’s just about that simple.

While great intelligence can make things simpler, it can also make things much more difficult if you never learn to use it FOR yourself instead of against.

Please notice that beginnings are almost always awkward. That’s okay. Give yourself permission to be a beginner when you begin. And if you feel a compulsion to be perfect, then just be a perfect beginner.

But do keep moving… forward.

http://www.chrisfarrellmembership.com

The new FTC Rules Concerning Endorsements & Testimonials
by Chris Farrell

So I am getting a lot of questions Marilyn

(some from concerned folk) about the new FTC regulations.

Firstly — who are the FTC?

The FTC deals with issues that touch the economic life of every American.

Let me say this.

These new rules are good.

Unless you have something to hide.

Uncle Sam wants to make sure the old rules of fairness and transparency still apply.

That’s surely a good thing for us all of us.

As the web continues to grow and evolve – and remember it is still early days in this business — the FTC deem that changes need to be made to preserve a free and open Internet.

So what are these scary sounding changes?

Let me tell you.

OVERVIEW

There are two primary areas covered that could affect us.

They both affect affiliates who use testimonials – and/or reviewers/bloggers who recommend products.

* 1: Using Testimonials. The commission is now saying that advertisers featuring testimonials that claim dramatic results cannot hide behind disclaimers that the ‘results aren’t typical.’

* 2: Using Reviews and Endorsements. The FTC will require that writers on the Web clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.

Let’s look at both in a bit more detail:

TESTIMONIALS: Under the revised Guides, advertisements that feature a consumer and convey his or her experience with a product or service as’ typical’ – when that is not the case – will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect.

But what does this actually mean?

Here’s a good example that is on Joel Comm’s blog.

Say you offer a product that helps people develop a marketing strategy for the internet. One person vigorously applies the system to a great product, makes $250,000 in the first month, and sends you a testimonial praising your genius.

That’s the truth – for that person.

Another person buys your product, and does a half-hearted implementation and makes $250.

That’s the truth too, but this person doesn’t bother to tell you the results or share their implementation strategy.

As a marketer, what do you communicate to potential customers?

Under the old rules, you could happily post the wonderful testimonial from the wildly successful (and true) customer and capture the aspirations of your potential customers.

All you had to do was post a clear and conspicuous disclaimer saying that the successful customer’s results were not typical.

This “results not typical” “safe harbor” is being removed.

THIS IS THE IMPORTANT CHANGE GUYS!!!!!!!

New Rule: The Federal Trade Commission is changing its guide to eliminates advertisers’ ability to use statements like “Results may vary” as a safe-harbor disclosure that eliminates responsibility to substantiate claims.

This is what David Vladeck who is the head of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection — has to say on this:

“In the FTC’s review of 300 ads, two-thirds used consumer testimonials. Few showed realistic claims, and disclosures of atypical results were flashed too quickly to read. ‘Results may vary’ does not adequately inform consumers that claims are outliers or extreme cases. They do not disclose results consumers should realistically expect. That is the main problem.”

Misuse has been especially prevalent in weight-loss products.

Vladeck says the revised guides do not bar use of disclaimers — they merely make advertisers responsible for ensuring that consumers are not misled by an ad in its entirety.

Of course, some advertisers are all mad and bent out of shape over this ruling, which is hardly surprising given how some online play fast and loose with the truth (anyone seen the RIDICULOUS Jeff Paul Infomercial for example…) (and don’t start me with Stores Online…)

A few have asked me about the testimonials on the Digi Camera Page.

After reviewing them just now — I see no danger for anyone.

None of the testimonials are making outlandish claims — they are all saying a similar thing — which is ‘I love the book’ sort of thing.

In fact — maybe in a strange premonition kind of way — I have always avoided using monetary testimonials from others that have used my products. Not because I don’t have any (I do) but because personally I don’t like them.

I am happy to use myself as an example — but I never liked marketers who would parade others and say ‘Mary made this using my product’.

I am happy when we hear and share success stories in the Forum — but as a testimonial for a product — I have always stayed away from this.

You will note that most of my testimonials for my products — Digi Camera Cash — Create Your First Website — various ebooks — membership site — tend to talk more of the the ‘human’ side of this business — me ‘getting on the phone and helping someone’ etc etc .

REVIEWS & ENDORSEMENTS for you Bloggers

Do you blog?

Are you trying to make money with your blog by promoting some company’s products or services? If so, you better be careful because the Federal Trade Commission has its eye on you.

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials would be revised in relation to bloggers.

The new guidelines specified that bloggers making any representation of a product must disclose the material connections they (the presumed endorsers) share with the advertisers.

What this means is that, under the new guidelines, a blogger’s positive review of a product may qualify as an “endorsement” and that keeping a product after a review may qualify as “compensation.”

So again — what is this actually saying?

New Rule: It’s saying that if you get money for something — then say so.

I think this is TERRIFIC news.

How many times have we Google a review of a product — we find a review site/blog — it gives the products a great review — and then a ‘click here to buy’ link.

Of course the review is going to be good — there is an affiliate link for it on the page!!!

For this reason alone I do not like Review sites.

I always like to say if I use affiliate links — in fact in many of my videos on this site where I recommend aweber I purposely say in the video that the link ‘below the video is my affiliate link’. Full Disclosure!

( please click here for an example of me doing this)

So bloggers have to now come clean and disclose payments for reviews.

This won’t be hard for me to comply with, since very few people send me free stuff…

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By [ http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Elaine_Drennan] Elaine Drennan

There’s no lack of Web Business advice out there but if you’re at the “starting web business” stage – stay

AWAY from it! People will be just delighted to sell you products that you just do not need or at least you

definitely don’t need YET.

So, why don’t you need them?

Because you’re not ready for them yet. I understand that it is very tempting to just jump in and start

learning, learning, learning about all kinds of things. How to get rich quick this way, that way or the other

way. How to develop wonderful skills. Before very long you will be totally overwhelmed. You won’t know which

way to turn.

Why?

Because you don’t understand the basic fundamentals of how a Web Business actually works. You don’t know

how to START.

There are two things you need to UNDERSTAND before you can utilise any information or use any skills:

1. How to build a List of Suscribers by giving away something FREE. Yes, that’s right – free.

I understand that your first instinct will be to get yourself a product and try to make sales. Afer all, that’s

what it’s all about, isn’t it? Making money. Yes, it is – eventually. But not yet.

These days it is very, very difficult to sell to people “cold”. It is now essential to build a List of suscribers by

offering them a good quality free product. You then work on building a good relationship with your List – with

a view to marketing related products to them in the future.

2. How to SELL something online – when the time is right, of course!

The point I’m making here is that making money online always involves SELLING something – whether it is a

product or a service. There are NO get-rich schemes – no magic formulas. You are always promoting,

marketing or selling something.

These are the things you need to understand if you are thinking of starting a web business. Think about them

- make sure you DO understand them.

You will then be ready to start learning some more of the basic foundation skills you need to run a successful

online business. To do this simply download my popular FREE eBook => SKILL-BUILDER =>

http://www.advantage-products.com/SKILL-BUILDER_eBook.html

See you there!

Elaine Drennan
Web Building Foundations

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elaine_Drennan [http://ezinearticles.com/?Starting-Web-

Business?-THIS-is-How-a-Web-Business-Works!&id=2765327 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Starting-Web-

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