I'm probably late on this, but I have recently learned how to autotweet my blog posts to my Twitter account using Google's URL shortening service. First of all, you'll need to burn your feed which is basically creating a Feedburner account for your blog. Just go over to feedburner.google.com and sign up. Next you'll want to click on the "publicize" tab and choose "socialize" under services on the left hand side as pictured below:

Once you're on that page, choose the options you want and you're done. Each time you create a new blog post, it will be sent to your Twitter account by Google's URL shortening service at goo.gl. You'll also be able to view stats of when it was tweeted and how many users clicked.

When I'm not out and about, working, exercising, or anything else, my face is usually planted in a book. I have a lot of books and I have been wanting an Amazon Kindle for quite awhile. It was just one of those items I'd never get around to buying. Finally, I ordered one and it is everything I expected and more.

Saving Space and Better Organization

Since I like to read, books can pile up quickly. I have stacks and stacks of books. I am slowly donating them to the local library. The kindle will for sure begin helping me save space in the book department. I also like the organization. The kindle lets you create collections which can help keep everything in order. You can store up to 3,500 books.

Cool Features

Reading on the Amazon Kindle is awesome. There is no glare and the E Ink Pearl Technology really does make it seem as though you're reading on paper. It is also very light and easy to hold. There are buttons on either side that let you page forward or backward. The built-in wi-fi allows you to download books quickly. Amazon also creates a kindle email address for you which you can use to send PDF files to your kindle.

What I was also surprised with was the option to use text-to-speech. If the book you're reading allows it, you can turn this feature on and have the kindle read English language content out loud. Another neat feature is that it never gets hot to the touch.

Easy to Use

When it arrived, there was nothing to set-up. Amazon already connected my kindle to my account. If you are giving one as a gift, it is easy to deregister it and register to another account. I charged it up and according to Amazon, the battery should last for 3-weeks with wi-fi turned on and about a month with it turned off.

Conclusion

If you enjoy reading, you will really enjoy reading on an Amazon Kindle. It is probably the best e-reader on the market. Take your books everywhere in one convenient, light-weight package.

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I am part of a network marketing company and for the most part, I truly do like the company I'm involved with. They have excellent products in the health and fitness industry and I use them regularly. When I got started with the company, I admit, I was excited. After all, I was now in "business" for myself, right? Well, after about a year and a half of being a network marketer, I've come to some conclusions that I wanted to write about.

Selling

Don't be fooled by how easy it is to start your own business at home, part-time, making your own hours, being your own boss, yadda-yadda stuff. In the end you are selling. If you don't sell, you don't make money. However, selling is a good skill to develop if you plan on owning any type of business, so in this sense, being involved with an MLM can be beneficial.

Recruiting

This is the basis of growing a large network, thus, earning more income and doing less work. In the beginning, you have to hustle if you want to build a large organization. For some people, they achieve this in record time, while others struggle with the process. As for myself, I vowed that I wouldn't pursue my family and friends. I already knew how most people viewed MLM's. I didn't want to be "that guy" that pushed the opportunity on everyone I knew.

However, I got caught up in the possibility of success and figured if other people could build big downlines, so could I. This led to a 90-day challenge started by my upline. In a nutshell, I caved and began reaching out to my friends to consider the opportunity. I felt slimy doing it. No matter how I tried to sugar coat it, convincing myself that I was simply sharing the business with them, it felt awkward. I also felt obligated to expose the opportunity to strangers. Even more awkwardness.

I do give credit to the company in terms of making the recruiting process easier. They provide plenty of tools (dvd presentations and such) that does all of the talking for you. However, it is still your job to follow-up with people. It is a lot of work to convince people to join your network. It is also a lot of work trying to keep people who have signed-up. If they don't make money immediately, they are quick to lose interest and quit.

Is it Really Your Business?

Although most MLM's say you're running your own business, you're really doing all of this work for another company. Consider that you spend a huge amount of time marketing another company and promoting their products. You're helping to build their brand. After reading The Millionaire Fastlane, I realized network marketing is awesome - if you're the one who started the company and control it.

Creating Wealth

Can you get rich in this industry? Short answer: yes. People have become millionaires in network marketing, however, it is not easy and most people never make it.

Did I Give Up on Network Marketing?

Not quite. I don't actively recruit for my downline, although I do get the occasional new sign-up. My focus is on selling the products via the web. I treat it more like another affiliate marketing opportunity than anything else. I am still learning about this industry and I do enjoy the commissions from selling the products. Maybe in the future, I may get back into the recruiting portion. For now, I'll just keep learning and using it as another income stream.

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I enjoy reading business books but most that I have read don't manage to hold my attention and I have to force my way through finishing them. The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime is one of the few business books I've read that I couldn't put down. I was reading this book in every free moment I had. I made tons of highlights (something I don't find myself doing with most business/entrepreneur books) and I already plan on re-reading it.

About the Author

M.J. DeMarco is the former founder and CEO of Limos.com. Like many of us, he wanted to be free from the "slowlane" which he describes as believing wealth is to be found in 401(k)s, mutual funds, working a 9 to 5, and saving for 40 years. Before cracking the code to wealth, M.J. worked many a dead-end job, tried his share of scammy "get rich quick" programs, and a few network marketing companies. After a lot of trial and error, M.J. was able to retire young in the "fastlane" and he shares how it's done in this book.

The Truth Hurts

I admit, I read a lot about myself within the pages of this book. I'm the person he is describing when talking about bad debt, being a consumer rather than a producer, and basically being a sidewalker. The truth can hurt but often times, it is what we need to hear in order to stop making the same mistakes. Those mistakes and more are what keep many of us in the slowlane. The slowlane is what is often preached by the so-called gurus: get a good job, invest in a 401(k) and mutual funds, and maybe you'll be rich by the time you're 65.

M.J. also speaks about the hypocrisy of the so-called business gurus. Many of these gurus promote the slowlane but are obtaining their own wealth using the fastlane.

The Fastlane

Simply put, the fastlane is where its at! The fastlane chapters go into detail for your plan of attack. Forget about doing what you love and the money will follow routine. Heck, I even preached that before because it was all I ever heard. How many times have you been told to do what you love and the money will follow? I agree with M.J. in that doing what you love isn't always the way to wealth.

Simply owning your own business and being your own boss does not mean you are on the right road to the fastlane. There are many business owners that work long hours and never have enough time to spend with their families. The Millionaire Fastlane will explain how to get on the right road, what pitfalls to avoid, and get you in the right mindset.

Conclusion

I give this book 5 stars, two thumbs up, and high praises all around. I couldn't put it down and I look forward to putting what I've learned from it to good use. M.J. DeMarco wrote an excellent book and I'm glad he didn't give up on it. It is sure to help so many people on their path to wealth.

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For the those of you who actually follow this blog (300+ rss subscribers as of this writing), I wanted to create this short post on what I do when I'm not blogging here. My posts on this blog are infrequent (I'm trying to improve) and the following is part of the reason why.

1. Freelancing

I am currently a freelance web developer and have been for years since resigning from my previous job. Honestly, I'm burned out on it and my goal is to eventually quit freelancing and earn 100% of my income from my web sites. Freelance work still offers a lot more freedom than working for someone else, however, I'm still trading time for money and it feels just like another job. The upside is that because I choose my own hours and work I want to do, I am able to devote much more time to my personal web sites and affiliate marketing projects.

2. Blogging

I write for several blogs and while I like to get back on track with posting on each of them at least once a day, it can be difficult with my freelance work. Blogging is fun and serves as a therapeutic outlet for me as well as another income stream. I'd like to develop all of my blogs into successful businesses. If that is your goal as well, I recommend reading Make Money Online: Roadmap of a Dot Com Mogul which is based on turning a blog into a business.

3. Reading

Although I post much more frequently on my fitness blog, the reason why I don't so much here is because I'm immersed in a book that is business related. If you are one of the few readers of this blog, you'll notice that my most recent posts are book reviews. Business books are some of my favorite to read and when I come across a good one, I'm sure to share it. I recently purchased an Amazon Kindle in order to cut down on the amount of physical books I purchase. Plus, I just like the convenience of the Kindle and all of its features.

4. Enjoying Life

One of the perks of being self-employed is enjoying the free time you have with people you love. I do this every chance I get. Going to lunch anytime I want with my family or friends is one of my favorite ways to spend quality time. I remember the days when I'd be stuck in a cubicle, staring out the window on a beautiful day, knowing I should be spending that time better and with my loved ones. I also enjoy working out (mostly walking and body weight exercises using interval training.) Having the time to do this now is awesome and my future goal is not to be tied down to freelance work any longer to take full advantage of the freedom.

5. Network Marketing

I have switched gears tremendously in this area. While most network marketers are working hard to build their downlines, I'm focused more on selling the products in more of an affiliate marketing setting. I do get the occasional new sign-up in my downline and I provide any help they require of me, however, I do not particularly enjoy the "recruiting" portion of the business. There are probably a lot of reasons why my focus has changed and I'll more than likely write a blog post about it here.

To be honest, I had never heard of Jack Nadel until receiving his book, Use What You Have to Get What You Want: 100 Basic Ideas That Mean Business. When I finally got the book in the mail, I was surprised at its size. At 128 pages long, you may wonder what could it possibly be about and would it be worth reading? I'm here to say, don't let the size of the book deter you from reading it. It is packed full of wisdom and excellent advice.

About the Author

Jack Nadel is a recognized leader in the worldwide sales and promotion industry. After discharge as a decorated combat veteran of WWII, he started his business career in a tiny office with no money, education or experience and over the following 65 successful years, Jack has created thousands of new jobs and hundreds of products. He is the author of three business books - Cracking the Global Market, There's No Business Like Your Business, and How to Succeed in Business without Lying, Cheating, or Stealing.

What to Expect

Since the book is small, you can expect it to be a quick read. Each of the 100 ideas is placed on its own page. This makes it easy to read and easy to refer back to. Reading each idea feels like Jack Nadel is sitting down with you and offering up his very best business advice. His ideas touch on topics such as:

• Marketing
• Manufacturing
• Advisors (Accountants, Lawyers, etc.)
• Selling
• Self-improvement
• Negotiating
• And much, much more

Who this Book is For

Every small business owner would do themselves a service by reading this book. Even experienced business owners would be sure to find a gem or two in terms of business advice. Jack Nadel has "been there and done that" and he shares his mistakes as well as his successes to help other business owners avoid the pitfalls of running a company.

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Making money online is a dream for many people, particularly if you're trying to do so through a blog. Since this is a bulk of the way I earn an income, I was excited to finally read Make Money Online: Roadmap of a Dot Com Mogul by John Chow. If you have not heard of John Chow, he has been making money online with his blog for quite some time now. He has reported to make $40,000 per month from a combination of private ad sales, affiliate marketing, and email marketing.

What I Liked Most

Since I've been blogging for awhile myself, the first few chapters (minus John's personal story) were nothing new for me. However, they are essential for someone who is just starting out with a blog. My favorite were chapters eleven and twelve where he talks about his top moneymakers and private ad sales. I have been wanting to really grow my blogs and earn more income from them so these chapters were excellent.

I also liked that this book is pure info. It is a short book but everything he has written about is important to running a successful blog. While running a blog sounds like easy money, I didn't come away feeling that I could set up a blog and wait for the money to roll in. First, I know from personal experience it doesn't work that way but it would be wrong to make the reader think that it does. John emphasizes that it takes time and dedication to developing a successful blog.

Who Wouldn't Like this Book?

If you've been blogging or making money online for awhile now, chances are you won't find any new content here. However, you may still want to read John's story or read up on his methods for content generation, marketing, and money makers.

Overall, I think Make Money Online: Roadmap of a Dot Com Mogul is a great read for anyone who plans on using the internet to generate income.

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When you begin coming up with a marketing plan for your business, you may start off wanting to utilize social media. The big two are Twitter and Facebook. Most people turn to social media because millions of people use it and for the most part, it is a free method of reaching a target audience.

This post is going to focus primarily on Twitter. I use Twitter to market my blog posts, however, the method I use is fairly basic. I'll go over what I do and then talk about how power user Guy Kawasaki uses the social network for marketing his businesses.

Very Easy Method for Beginners Like Me

I am new to actually using Twitter to market my business. I have a personal Twitter account that I use to follow family, friends, and others that interest me. I don't follow people back on my personal account because I like to keep my stream focused and I don't really tweet that often on it anyway.

For my business, I have set up accounts for each niche that I blog about. Those would be for health & fitness and self-employment. On these accounts, I follow back almost everyone who follows me. I know this could be automated with software but since I don't have hundreds of followers every day, I don't mind going to each profile and following back. It helps to avoid the spammers as well because I can read their streams and know they are all about self-promotion and offering very little value.

Tools: I use HootSuite but I would also recommend TweetDeck.

Method: The reason for using HootSuite or TweetDeck is because you can schedule your tweets to post in the future. I use this feature to set-up a bunch of tweets and schedule them to post throughout the day. I'll find relevant news articles or helpful tips pertaining to the niche and schedule them usually an hour or so apart. In between these posts, I will add posts to my personal blogs. This way I am marketing my business without coming across as a spammer.

Another benefit of scheduled posts is that you appear to be a regular user even if you're not using Twitter all day. When you have time, you can follow up to @replies, direct messages, or reply to user posts from your smart phone or computer.

The other cool thing about HootSuite is that it provides you with analytics (basic analytics for free users and more when you upgrade your account.)

The Guy Kawasaki Method

I won't go into extreme detail here because you can click over and read the full article by Guy which is linked below. However, in a nutshell, Guy uses several tools to streamline his workflow to include:

• TweetDeck for reading only on his desktop
• Tweetie on his iPhone
• Objective Marketer and Posterous for posting
• SocialToo to automatically follow people who follow him and to kill spam direct messages
• Alltop, StumbleUpon, and SmartBrief for interesting links
• Ghostwriters to contribute to his tweets

His entire process is really quite interesting and I suggest reading his article for full details. He also creates actual marketing campaigns which he tracks.

For now, I am happy with my basic method, however, I would like to eventually streamline my process even further in the future.

Resources:
http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/how-i-tweet-guy-kawasaki

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One thing that annoys me more than anything is when my business receipts and important paperwork begin to pile up. I do my best to keep it all organized but in the end, I'm still searching through the year's receipts and it is just plain annoying. If you're really unorganized, your pile of paperwork can end up being even more of a mess. After watching John Chow's video on going paperless, I got inspired to do the same.

A paperless office can be achieved using Evernote and a scanner. I use a Mac but I'm sure the same can be achieved using a PC. When I get new receipts, I immediately scan them and use Evernote's desktop application for Mac to save the file (I save them as PDFs) and tag them appropriately so they are easy to find. The best part is that Evernote is free and the premium service is only $5 per month or $45 for the entire year.

Make the Process a Snap

While I am using a regular flatbed scanner, I eventually want to upgrade to the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300 that John recommends in his video. What is great about this scanner is that it can scan double sided documents as well as save the PDF files directly into Evernote at the touch of a button. It plugs into your computer via usb port so no other power plugs are required.

I'm excited about going paperless. There will be less clutter and more organization.

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Starting a business can get expensive very quickly. The last thing you want is to have a lot of overhead when you barely have any cash flow. This may mean working out of your home office. Working from home can save a lot of money. There is no commuting, you're available for your family, you set your own hours, but you may not want to deal with clients out of your home. You may want to project a more professional image for your business.

This is where a virtual office may come in handy. Using a virtual office will help your business appear larger than it is. While having actual office space would be ideal, the monthly rent can wipe you out when you're trying to produce income. So what can virtual office space do for you?

• Professional business address - You can choose an office in most major cities and the addresses are actual street addresses. This is great for image when printing your address on business cards and stationary.
• Mail delivery and forwarding - Most virtual office packages offer mail forwarding.
• Conference rooms - You can book time to use the office conference room for meeting with clients.
• Receptionist service - Some packages even include a live receptionist to greet people in the lobby and answer phone calls.
• Administrative support - You can even have secretarial and administrative support.
• Directory listing - Your business can be listed in the main building's directory.

As you can see, you can have the image of a large company and actually work out of your living room if you desire. Virtual offices can save you a lot of money and provide the image you need until you can afford to lease actual office space.

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