This blog entry is for me but you can read it if you want.
On my to-do list is going to the BYU library and find Directories in Print. It’s 3 volumes of directory of lists for just about any niche you can think of.

Rachael of Utah Mama’s has tapped into professional women who have quit to be moms. She has an incredible talent pool for a fraction of the price. How? She gives them what what they need–flexibility.

Possible cross-marketing with Hip Mama. Do they have an affiliate program?
HireaMom - I wish there was a web site that linked these women up with women starting businesses who need expertise. Also other businesses that wanted a part-time former executive to solve or work on specific business problems.

Check out www.supportyourlocalmama.com and www.todaysmama.com. There were 3 women there — all moms in very different circumstances.

Big Wave lets you listen to magazines on your ipod, on CD, DVD, or Mp3. I’ll send Kim some of my articles to wave. Rick should do voice talent for them. I want to listen to Business 2.0 and Revenues. Then go back to the print version and read the best parts.

The “Around Utah” section of Utah Business Magazine gave me a dozen story ideas.

It’s interesting how business challenges change and how each stage introduces unique challenges. Some need funding for great ideas, others need great ideas for their funding. Some design asethically pleasing web sites but lack database programming skills. Others program elegant databases but their site looks bad.

My LinkedIn network just expanded. I need to find Kelly again. She actually started the business she was talking about a few years ago.

I’m just skimming the surface here or as Jim says, waterskiing.

I’m reading “The Internet Business Manifesto” by Rich Schefren. It’s a free download. It’s not a quick read, running about 30 pages. Savor it. I’ve never seen a more valuable freebie.

If you’re frustrated and overwhelmed by the details of running an online business. If you try really hard but your results don’t show it. If you feel like you waste a lot of time and risk burnout but still keep going because you’re sure something will work out. Read and apply the ideas in this article.

Yesterday my car air conditioning quit (I don’t usually meet angels at auto repair shops, but then I’d never been to the Tunex directly off the freeway in Draper, Utah). I had a lot on my mind, a lot of worry. I knew there had to be better approaches to what I was trying to accomplish.

That evening I was talking to a former coworker when he stopped me. Janet, are you stressed? he asked. I guess it showed.

If you don’t have a plan for your online business you’ll get frustrated chasing dreams that never materialize as you’d hoped. If you want to work less and make more you should pay attention.

The difference is you running your business according to a plan or responding to whatever sounds good at the moment.

“It’s about 100 times easier to sell to an opportunity seeker than it is an entrepreneur. Why? Because the opportunity seeker has no criteria – if you can convince him or her that they can make money with it, you’ve made your sale. An entrepreneur, on the other hand, has to compare what you are offering to their current plans.”

Today at a networking session Paul Allen gave me a great idea. Paul is a literal library of ideas and connections which he freely shares. I’m indebted. He said get the right group of people and cross-promote.

I got home and saw Rich demonstrate exactly that. I couldn’t believe how quickly he got the word out. Over 16,000 people have already downloaded the manifesto. A marketers dream.

Thank you Rich and Paul. With that I’m turning off the computer and finishing the article. I’ll blog more about it later.

Jellyfish (what a name), is basically a big affiliate who shares its cut with consumers. So if they make 20% of the sale, you might get 2%. They say it’s an efficient and effective advertising strategy (I agree). I’ll try it and blog more later.

I see the power of not being an affiliate for a bunch of companies but for zeroeing in on a business and doing an affiliate mashup. So you have a travel site that has it’s own niche. It is it’s own travel business. It interacts with the affiliate travel site to offer packages (value-added if possible). You make it social (a community, like people sharing tips: while I was in Africa I decided to…). You make money on everyone who books but you don’t handle the details.  Sounds good to me.

Today I got an email that said: “Your Mom Know-How has been chosen from thousands sent to ClubMom’s Wisdom Corner, reviewed by our editorial staff, and published on ClubMom.com.”

I don’t know how competitive it actually is to get your story on ClubMom but it sounds great. It says 5 stars. Unfortunately no backlinks.

I’m always looking for WAHMs (work at home moms) who are affiliate marketers. I’ve  found maybe 3.

Here it is, the long awaited ClubMom tip: Be an Affiliate Entrepreneur

MarketingSherpa named the Top 10 Blogs or podcasts 2006. Revenews Blog, featuring (among others) Declan Dunn and Jeremy Palmer is among the winners. It’s on my Bloglines.

MarketingSherpa Exlusive: 1,041 Affiliates Reveal How Merchants Should Improve Their Programs. Copy it because it’s only free for a few days.

Just released today:

The most comprehensive affiliate manager and affiliate training program in the affiliate marketing industry.

Every week I meet with CEOs who want to get in on affiliate marketing. I usually refer them to my friend Chuck who is a consultant (and I will continue to). But if want to learn RIGHT NOW, this affiliate training course can’t be beat.

Created by Anik Singal of Affiliate Classroom. This course is promoted by all the big names in affiliate marketing. Names like Jeremy Palmer, Shawn Collins, Revenews, Revenue Magazine, Cafe Press, Rosalind Gardner, Cafe Press, and the list goes on…

I won’t pull punches, this program costs a lot. But I guarantee it’s worth every cent you pay. It has a 90 Day Money Back Guarantee. Nothing out there compares.

It’s an insider’s view to an entire industry that many people are just beginning to be aware of.

Expect a big box of materials, including:

1. 4 Hour DVD “Affiliate Manager Boot Camp”
   Led by Anik Singal, CEO - Affiliate Classroom, Inc.
2. 10 Module Workbook 200+ Pages of Expert Advice - Fully Interactive with Many Quizzes Throughout
3. 15 Hours of Audio Interviews
   Audio interviews with experts such as Yanik Silver, Mike Filsaime, Jeff Mulligan, Shawn Collins, Rachel Honoway (Kowabunga), Linda Woods (PartnerCentric), representatives from Commission Junction and LinkShare.
4. 8 Cheat Sheet Checklists
   All the checklists an Affiliate Program Manager needs to make sure they are covering ALL grounds in their program.
5. 6 Templates
   All templates needed ranging from “how to write your affiliate newsletters” to the snail-mail you can send to recruit super affiliates - just copy and paste our templates!
6. Many BONUSES!!
   Amazing bonuses such as additional surprise interviews, Shawn Collin’s 2005 AffStat report, a full 1-year subscription to Revenue Magazine, a Premier membership to Revenews.com - the list goes on!

If you’re an affiliate you’ll learn how to make more money. If you want to make a career change to become an affiliate manager (there is incredible demand right now!), you’ll learn how.

If you want to be a better affiliate manager, it will teach you from an expert. This resource will save you a lot of frustration and time learning things the right way the first time.

The Affiliate Manager Training Course

I’m going to Affiliate Summit in Florida in a few weeks (starts July 7). I waited too long and didn’t get into the hotel. I found another reasonably priced hotel close but decided to check out Priceline. They have an affiliate program through Commission Junction. I got a 3-star hotel within walking distance for $69 a night (+$9.99 a night for wireless internet). Can’t complain about that.

Hope to see some of you there!

I like what I read in Revenews about Google testing the affiliate marketing model. With affiliate ads site owners won't just get paid when someone clicks on an ad. They'll get paid when someone clicks AND buys something. That should help cut down fraud.

The reason why Google won't be much of a threat is because Google is an auto-pilot model. They create things and set them free into the marketplace. They don't get too involved in the details.

Affiliate marketing is about the details. It's built on relationships. Any serious affiliate won't rely on Google. It will provide another way for web site owners to make money. But for most it probably won't generate the income that affiliate marketing does. For that you need people, like affiliate managers and account reps.

If you call Google's customer service you'll go through a phone tree then told to go to their web site. Customer service isn't what Google is about. They are plug and play.

Therefore I don't see this move as being a threat. In fact, it may help expand the affiliate market as more people become comfortable and understand the affiliate marketing model.

I'm looking for people who have had bad experiences with affiliate marketing.

If you have had a bad experience with affiliate marketing, please write me your story at grocerybike@gmail.com.