Be Your Own Boss - The Top 10 Reasons to DO IT!

1. Be there for your family. This is frequently the number one reason for starting a business. Being there for your children, your spouse, or your aging parents.

2. Make yourself wealthy. Why would you continue to work on making someone else wealthy when you can use all that hard work toward your own future?

3. Choose your own hours. Work when you want, where you want, for as long as you want. It doesn’t get any better than this!

4. Write your own paychecks. You don’t ever have to ask for a raise. You work for it. If you need more lncome, you know exactly what you need to do to get it.

5. Tax Benefits. You’ll save thousands in lncome taxes when you know what you can deduct as business expenses. Check with your accountant!

6. No Commute. Actually, you will have a commute - from your bedroom to your home office (which may even be in your bedroom!). The average working American wastes hours per day sitting in traffic on the way to and from work. No more!

7. Live where you want! You no longer have to worry about being close to your employer. City, suburbs, or mountain home … it’s up to you.

8. Eliminate your overhead. You don’t need to rent a big fancy office and furnish it with expensive equipment. It’s called your house! A spare room or just some space in an existing room will do.

9. Vacation days whenever you need them! Need a day off? Take it!

10. You are the best boss you’ll ever work for.

What are you waiting for?

Tags: boss, business expenses, choose your own hours, fancy office, live where you want, make yourself wealthy, paychecks, tax benefits, vacation days, worry

Popularity: 70% [?]

When writing your ads, you need to understand that the Headline is the MOST important part of your advertisement. You’ve got 3 seconds to get someone’s attention. If your headline fails to capture the attention of the reader and your ad fails to speak to the reader in such a manner that will indicate that you have the solution to THEIR problem, the remainder of your ad will be ignored and you won’t make any money.

Your ads must focus on the problem of the consumer, by providing the solution to their problem. Your focus should not be on the product itself.

In order to do so, you need to put yourself in the consumer’s shoes to determine the root cause driving their search for a solution.

In simple terms, you MUST figure out what their problem is and cater to them by providing a solution, and your ad must be strategically designed to let the reader know that you can help them by solving their problem. Only by doing so are you speaking to the emotions of the consumer, which will ultimately dictate their decision to investigate your ad further and make the purchase.

For example, if you are attempting to sponsor others by telling them in your ads that “It’s Great” this is likely why you aren’t making any money.

Telling someone that “It’s Great” doesn’t indicate to the reader that you have a solution to THEIR problem. This person could care less if your offer is simple if what you are offering doesn’t help them eliminate THEIR pain. Let me give you an example by comparing the two ads below. In this instance, the reader’s problem is that they hate their boss and want to quit their job. The sooner, the better.

Which ad do you think is going to pull the better response?

Ad Number 2, without a doubt. Why?

The headline of Ad Number 2 grabs the reader’s attention by addressing the reader’s problem (wanting to walk away from the job yesterday). It makes a statement that the reader will automatically agree with and offers an immediate solution to the problem that the reader has just admitted that he has. It “gets inside the mind” of the reader and connects with THEIR problem and their feelings. Ad Number 2 makes the reader feel that it is about THEM, and not your program or product and is more likely to pay attention to the ad.

Ad Number 1 is “telling.” The headline does not imply that you have a solution to the reader’s problem. It simply tells about what YOU have. For the reader who is in search of a solution to their problem, Ad Number 1 won’t even catch their attention. If they even bother to look at Ad Number 1, they are likely to think “Big Deal. What does that do for the fact that I hate my boss and can’t stomach to look at his face for o ne more day?” and they will just move on without giving your ad serious attention.

The question that comes to mind for most people who are in search of a solution is “HOW?” Your ad needs to imply that YOU have the answer to this question. Then, and only then, will the reader open their mind to looking at what you have to offer.

We must bear in mind that people are on the internet are searching for a reason. They are looking to fulfill a need of their own – not a need of yours. You need to keep this in mind when you write all of your ads. Think about what the person who is reading your ad might want. Here is a hint… most people want more money but they don’t know HOW to get it.

They want to know HOW what you have to offer them is going to result in money in their bank account.

If your ad copy is pathetic, it doesn’t matter WHERE you advertise or how much you spend, you won’t make any money. The tips that I am going to give you are those that I have learned through trial and error, and they work, period.

Juicy, long winded copy should be reserved for the sales page of a website (or an eBook), NOT in your advertisement compelling the reader to visit your website. If your ad is too long and rambling, the reader won’t retain a word that you are saying to them.

Whether I am advertising in a pay-per-click campaign, or I am advertising in an eZine, I rarely use more than a three or four line Google type ad (with only a few exceptions, which I will review later on this page.) I won’t have all day to spend writing rambling ads about how wonderful something is. I quickly gain the reader’s attention with my headline, I tell it like it is, give the reader access to the information that they are seeking so that they can look at it for themselves and make their own decisions.

If your ad’s headline (whether you are advertising on Google, by email, in eZines or any other medium) is boring, you can just forget it. Most people won’t even bother reading the rest of the ad and you will receive very few responses. It’s okay to be outrageous, creative, humorous, blunt, bold and even downright rude if it pulls attention. You might think it’s “not nice” or “politically correct” but I will guarantee you that my “socially retarded” ad will out-perform your “nice” ad any day of the week, hands down. Here are a couple of examples:

People click on ads because they are intrigued by them. They pull attention (even if it is negative attention).

I’m not suggesting that you verbally annihilate people or kick them, but I am suggesting that you make bold, shout-out-loud, attention getting kind of statements in your subject lines, but make them in a matter-of-fact way.

If you cannot find it within yourself to be outrageous, at a bare minimum, you are going to have to peak the reader’s interest in order to get them to read what you have to say and investigate what you have to offer. A proven method of doing so is to ask a question as I did in the example above, because the reader will automatically answer the question to him or herself. If you ask the right questions, the reader answers the question in his or her own mind in the affirmative (such as “Tired of being broke?”) they are more likely to read the rest of the ad. What you have done by creating this kind of “connection” with the reader has significantly increased your chances that he or she will give your ad the attention you are seeking.

When someone is frantically searching the internet looking for an immediate answer to their problem, it is usually because they are in a LOT of pain. They need an answer, and they need it NOW.

Short, sweet and straight to the point does the job every single time!

Mastering the art of effective ad copy takes practice, testing, time, patience and a willingness to make adjustments so that you can repeat the process and gauge your results. Make it fun. There are no “standard rules” as to what works and what does not. Only your results can dictate what is and is not effective. However, the information that I have provided you in this section will let you know what I have found to be effective and what is ineffective…

Tags: advertisement, emotions, grabs, i hate my boss, money, pay attention, sooner the better, work period

Popularity: 96% [?]

Each state has what is called a Statewide Classified Ad Network (SCAN.) The SCAN is best defined as a “mother” company which comprises a network of many of the smaller independently owned and operated newspaper agencies in any given state. Each SCAN has its own flat-rate fee schedule for publishing your ad in each of the participating newspapers within its network. Many of the networks consist of several hundred newspapers. Therefore, when you order classified advertising through the SCAN for any given state, your ad is published in EACH of the participating newspapers, instead of only in the newspaper in your local area! This means your reach is by far greater than it would be if you simply ran an ad in your local newspaper, and you get your ads for just pennies on the dollar!

Below, is the contact information for each of the SCANs and its corresponding circulation information:

Alabama Press Association
3324 Independence Drive, Suite 200
Birmingham, Alabama 35209
Phone: (205) 871-7737, Fax: (205) 871-7740
Total Circulation: 850,000
Number of Publications: 118
Deadline: Monday/5 p.m.
Web Address: http://www.alabamapress.com

Arizona Newspapers Association
1001 North Central Avenue, Suite 670
Phoenix, Arizona 85014
Phone: (602) 261-7655, Fax: (602) 261-7525
Total Circulation: 1,102,080
Number of Publications: 88
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.ananews.com

Arkansas Press Association
1701 Broadway
Little Rock, Arkansas 72206
Phone: (501) 374-1500, Fax: (501) 374-7509
Total Circulation: 975,000
Number of Publications: 115
Deadline: Wednesday/3 p.m.
Web Address: http://www.ArkansasPress.org

California Statewide Classified Advertising Network (Cal-Scan)
1225 8th Street, Suite 260
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: (916) 288-6000, Fax: (916) 288-6022
Total Circulation: 2,705,000
Number of Publications: 200 +
Deadline: Wednesday/10 a.m.
Web Address: http://www.cal-scan.com

Colorado Press Association
1336 Glenarm Place
Denver, Colorado 80204
Phone: (303) 571-5117, Fax: (303) 571-1803
Total Circulation: 461,262
Number of Publications: 250
Deadline: Wednesday/5p.m.
Web Address: http://www.coloradopressassociation.com/Advertising.htm

Florida Press Association
122 South Calhoun Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32301
Phone: (850) 222-5790, Fax: (850) 222-4498
Total Circulation: 2,413,266
Number of Publications: 150
Deadline: Tuesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.flpress.com

Georgia Press Association
Georgia Press Building
3066 Mercer University Drive, Suite 200
Atlanta, Georgia 30341-4137
Phone: (770) 454-6776, Fax: (770) 454-6778
Total Circulation: 1,900,000
Number of Publications: 101
Deadline: Monday/5 p.m.
Web Address: http://www.gapress.org

Idaho Newspaper Association
6560 Emerald Street, Suite 124
Boise, Idaho 83704-8781
Phone: (208) 375-0733, Fax: (208) 375-0914
Total Circulation: 315,000
Number of Publications: 45
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.idahopapers.com

Illinois Press Association
900 Community Drive
Springfield, Illinois 62704
Phone: (217) 241-1700, Fax: (217) 241-1701
Total Circulation: 1,400,000 Regionally: 910,756
Number of Publications: 212 Regionally: 96
Deadline: Wednesday 10a.m.
Web Address: http://www.il-press.com

Indiana (Hoosier State Press Association)
One Virginia Avenue, Suite 701
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Phone: (317) 637-3966, Fax: (317) 624-4428
Total Circulation: 1,015,000
Number of Publications: 130
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.hspa.com/main.asp?SectionID=1

Iowa Newspaper Association
319 E. Fifth Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Phone: (515) 244-2145, Fax: (515) 244-4855
Total Circulation: 972,239
Number of Publications: 315
Deadline: Wednesday/10 a.m.
Web Address: http://www.inanews.com

Kansas Press Association
5423 S.W. Seventh
Topeka, Kansas 66606
Phone: (785) 271-5304, Fax: (785) 271-7341
Total Circulation: 500,000
Number of Publications: 140
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.kspress.com

Kentucky Press Association
101 Consumer Lane
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Phone: (502) 223-8821, Fax: (502) 875-2624
Total Circulation: 1,000,000
Number of Publications: 66
Deadline: Wednesday/5 p.m.
Web Address:
http://www.access2media.com/PrintAdvertising/lists/kystatewideclassif

Louisiana Press Association
404 Europe Street
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802
Phone: (225) 344-9309, Fax: (225) 336-9921
Total Circulation: 1,267,511
Number of Publications: 121
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.lapress.com

Maryland/DC/Delaware
2191 Defense Highway, Suite 300
Crofton, Maryland 21114
Phone: (410) 721-5115, Fax: (410) 721-5909, Adv. Assoc. (410) 721- 4000
Total Circulation: 2,317,471
Number of Publications: 126
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.mddcpress.com/advertising/can.htm

Michigan Press Association
827 N. Washington Avenue
Lansing, Michigan 48906
Phone: (517) 372-2424, Fax: (517) 372-2429
Total Circulation: 1,700,000
Number of Publications: 122
Deadline: Tuesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.michiganpress.org

Minnesota Newspaper Association
12 S. 6th Street, Suite 1120
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Phone: (612) 332-8844, Fax: (612) 342-2958
Total Circulation: 1,000,000
Number of Publications: 240
Deadline: Tuesday/5 p.m.
Web Address: http://www.mnnewspapernet.org

Mississippi Press Association
351 Edgewood Terrace
Jackson, Mississippi 39206
Phone: (601) 981-3060, Fax: (601) 981-3676
Total Circulation: 1,000,000
Number of Publications: 104
Web Address: http://www.mspress.org/index.html

Missouri Press Association
802 Locust
Columbia, Missouri 65201
Phone: (573) 449-4167, Fax: (573) 874-5894
Total Circulation: 1,021,286
Number of Publications: 209
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.mopress.com

Montana Newspaper Association
534 N. Main, Suite 202
Livery Square
Helena, Montana 59601
Phone: (406) 443-2850, Fax: (406) 443-2860
Total Circulation: 240,112
Number of Publications: 66
Deadline: Wednesday/5 p.m.
Web Address: http://www.mtnewspapers.com

Nebraska Press Association
845 S. Street
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508-1226
Phone: (402) 476-2851, Fax: (402) 476-2942
Total Circulation: 401,639
Number of Publications: 174
Deadline: Wednesday/10 a.m.
Web Address: http://www.nebpress.com

Nevada State Press Association
P.O. Box 1030
Carson City, Nevada 89702
Phone: (775) 885-0866, Fax: (775) 885-8233
Total Circulation: 380,000
Number of Publications: 21
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.lasvegasnewspapers.com/advertising/CAN

New England Press Association
( Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont )
360 Huntington Avenue 428 CP
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Phone: (617) 373-5610, Fax: (617) 373-5615
Total Circulation: 1,972,241
Number of Publications: 230
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.nepa.org

New England Newspaper Association, Inc. (dailies)
70 Washington Street
Salem, Massachusetts 01970
Phone: (978) 744-8940, Fax: (978) 744-0333
Total Circulation: 910,000
Number of Publications: 45
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.nenews.org

New Jersey Press Association
840 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 305
West Trenton, New Jersey 08628-1019
Phone: (609) 406-0600, Fax: (609) 406-0300
Total Circulation: 2,000,000
Number of Publications: 145
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.njpa.org

New Mexico Press Association
2531 Wyoming NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 78112
Phone: (505) 275-1241, Fax: (505) 275-1449
Total Circulation: 200,010
Number of Publications: 27
Deadline: Thursday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.nmpress.org

New York State Community Newspapers Association (weeklies)
1681 Western Avenue
Albany, New York 12203-4307
Phone: (518) 464-6483, Fax: (518) 464-6489
Total Circulation: 1,962,441
Number of Publications: 282
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.nynewspapers.com

New York Newspaper Publishers Association (dailies)
20 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12210
Phone: (518) 449-1667, Fax: (518) 449-5053
Total Circulation: 1,201,239
Number of Publications: 52
Deadline: Thursday/4 p.m.
Web Address: http://www.nynpa.com

North Carolina Press Association
5171 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 364
Raleigh, North Carolina 27612
Phone: (919) 787-7443, Fax: (919) 787-5302
Total Circulation: 1,616,030
Number of Publications: 99
Deadline: Tuesday/5 p.m.
Web Address: http://www.ncpress.com

North Dakota Newspaper Association
1435 Interstate Loop
Bismarck, North Dakota 58501-0567
Phone: (701) 223-6397, Fax: (701) 223-8185
Total Circulation: 272,962
Number of Publications: 87
Deadline: Tuesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.ndna.com

Ohio Newspaper Association
1335 Dublin Road, Suite 216-B
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 486-6677, Fax: (614) 486-6373
Total Circulation: 1,258,684
Number of Publications: 100 +
Deadline: Tuesday/10 a.m.
Web Address: http://www.ohionews.org

Oklahoma Press Association
3601 N. Lincoln
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
Phone: (405) 524-4421, Fax: (405) 524-2201
Total Circulation: 1,084,309
Number of Publications: 207
Deadline: Wednesday/10:00 a.m.
Web Address: http://www.okpress.com

Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
7150 S.W. Hampton Street, Suite 111
Portland, Oregon 97223
Phone: (503) 624-6397, Fax: (503) 639-9009
Total Circulation: 875,000
Number of Publications: 81
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.orenews.com

Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Associations
3899 North Front Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110
Phone: (717) 703-3030, Fax: (717) 703-3033
Total Circulation: 2,514,846
Number of Publications: 165
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.pnpa.com

South Carolina Press Services
P.O. Box 11429
Columbia, South Carolina 29211
Phone: (803) 750-9561, Fax: (803) 551-0903
Total Circulation: 1,125,961
Number of Publications: 82
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.scpress.org

Tennessee Press Association
6915 Office Park Circle
Knoxville, Tennessee 37909-1162
Phone: (423) 584-5761, Fax: (423) 558-8687
Total Circulation: 629,791
Number of Publications: 79
Deadline: Tuesday/10 a.m.
Web Address: http://www.tnpress.com

Texas Press Association/ TexScan Statewide Classified Advertising Network
718 West 5th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: (512) 477-6755, Fax: (512) 477-6759
Total Circulation: 1,750,000
Number of Publications: 299
Deadline: Tuesday/5 p.m.
Web Address: http://www.texaspress.com

Utah Press Association
SWC Network
307 West 200 South, Suite 4006
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
Phone: (801) 328-8678, Fax: (801) 328-2226
Total Circulation: 340,000
Number of Publications: 45
Deadline: Tuesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.utahpress.com

Virginia Press Association
11006 Lakeridge Parkway
Ashland, Virginia 23005
Phone: (804) 550-2361, Fax: (804) 550-2407
Total Circulation: 1,400,000
Number of Publications: 95
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.vpa.net

Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
3838 Stone Way North
Seattle, Washington 98103
Phone: (206) 634-3838, Fax: (206) 634-3842
Total Circulation: 808,319
Number of Publications: 103
Deadline: Monday/4 p.m.
Web Address: http://www.wnpa.com

West Virginia Press Association
3422 Pennsylvania Avenue
Charleston, West Virginia 25302
Phone: (304) 342-6908, Fax: (304) 343-5879
Total Circulation: 642,085
Number of Publications: 70
Deadline: Wednesday/Noon
Web Address: http://www.wvpress.org/SWC.asp

Wisconsin Newspaper Association
3822 Mineral Point Road
Madison, Wisconsin 53705
Phone: (608) 238-7171, Fax: (608) 238-4771
Total Circulation: 1,250,000
Number of Publications: 183
Deadline: Tuesday/10 a.m.
Web Address: http://www.wnanews.com

Wyoming Press Association
2121 Evans Avenue
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001
Phone: (307) 635-3905, Fax: (307) 635-3912
Total Circulation: 277,874
Number of Publications: 38
Deadline: Tuesday/10 a.m.
Web Address: http://www.wspromotion.com/Wyoming.html

Most State Press Associations accept major credit cards as payment for classified advertising.

You can place ads in Alaska and Hawaii through Noble Pacific, Sea to Sea Advertising, and phone: (360) 568-5314.

Tags: alabama press association, arizona newspapers association, arkansas press association, circulation, classified advertising, classified ad network, kansas press association, kentucky press association, louisiana press association, massachusetts, michigan press association, minnesota newspaper association, mississippi press association, missouri press association, new england press association, new jersey press association, new mexico press association, north carolina press association, north dakota newspaper association, pennies on the dollar, rock arkansas, target areas

Popularity: 100% [?]

There are over 17,000 newspapers listed here so rather than list each newspaper separately, I’ve decided to post some links that already link to each paper separately.

http://newslink.org
http://www.newspapers.com
http://www.usnpl.com
http://www.citynews.com
http://www.newspaperlinks.com
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com
http://www.refdesk.com/paper.html

Tags: citynews, newslink, newspaperlinks, onlinenewspapers, www newspapers

Popularity: 80% [?]