How to Become an Information Broker

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    A Home-Based Business Online
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   September 4

Editor: Elena Fawkner
    Publisher: AHBBO Publishing

   Contact By Email

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1.   Welcome and News from the Publisher
2.   Home Business Idea of the Week - Referral Service
3.   Online Business Idea of the Week - Dating Service
5.   Continuing Tutorial Series - How to Become an
Information Broker
6.   Guest Article - Common Sense by Bob Osgoodby
10. This Week's Web Site Pick
12. Subscription Management
13. Contact Information

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1. Welcome from the Publisher
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Hello again and a warm welcome to all new subscribers!

This week sees the introduction of a brand new feature at A
Home-Based Business Online. Many of you have expressed an
interest in working from home but are not yet sure about making
the leap to self-employment. The answer? Telecommuting! To
help those of you in this position, both this newsletter and the
website will contain a current listing of telecommuting positions.
Sample listings will be included every week right here, but for
a more extensive source, you can always visit the website's new
Telecommuting Corner at .
Telecommuting Corner will be up and running towards the middle
of next week so be sure to visit soon!

Another new feature that has been introduced at the website this
week is a new Free Reports page. This page contains many free
reports for you to copy and redistribute or resell however you
like, compliments of A Home-Based Business Online! Bookmark the
page - it's at - because
new reports will be added on a regular basis. They would be a
great supplementary product line to the manual we are creating
in our ongoing tutorial series - How to Become an Information
Broker.

Writers, as always I am happy to showcase your work both here
and in the Reference Library so submit your articles (including
resource box)to Contact By Email -- this is a great way to
get free publicity but please make sure your work relates to
ideas or resources for home-based or online businesses.

Finally, this newsletter is for YOU! If you have comments or
suggestions for topics you would like to see addressed, or would
just like to share your experiences with other subscribers, I
want to hear from you! Please send comments, questions and
stories to: Contact By Email

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2. Home Business Idea of the Week - Referral Service
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There are many different referral services you can run, either
as a stand-alone service or together with other types.

Here are some businesses you could specialize in: plumbers, hair
salons, auto maintenance, child care, real estate agents, travel
agents, lawyers, dentists, musicians and DJ's, printers,
restaurants, even house sitters. Basically, any high-
competition business will appreciate a referral service.

How can you make money? If you provide the service free to
consumers, you can either charge a monthly or annual fee to
businesses listed with your service, or you can collect a
commission on each successful referral. Or, depending on the
type of service you run, you can charge the consumer. For
instance, if you are running a roommate referral service, both
parties (the searcher and the potential roommate) can be charged
a fee.

This business will be a lot easier to run if you have a
computer, but it's not totally necessary. If you do have a
computer, you can use a database program to store information on
the businesses or people you have listed. If you aren't using a
computer, you can keep the information in a 3 x 5 card file.
Otherwise, all you'll need to start are business cards,
stationery, and a business phone.

Identify the types of businesses you'll keep information on,
then develop a survey geared toward the type of business they're
in. Ask what types of work they specialize in, what their
average charge is, how long they've been in business, if they
have customers who can give a testimonial for them (call these
people and get their permission before you use their testimonial
- also, try to make sure they're not just the businessperson's
brother-in-law, that they're actual customers who can give a
real opinion), and other pertinent information. Get these surveys
out to each of the businesses in the categories you've selected,
and keep their responses in your file.

Put together a flyer advertising your referral services. Then,
distribute the flyers by contacting your local "welcome wagon"
service, offering them flyers to insert into their packages;
posting them on grocery store and church bulletin boards;
leaving them on car windshields in mall parking lots; posting
them in laundry rooms at apartment buildings; and leaving them
anywhere large groups of people will see them.

When a customer calls for a referral, give them the information
you've collected from the businesses. They will appreciate not
having to make three dozen calls in order to make an informed
decision. The customer testimonials will help people make a
good decision.

Keep in touch with the people you've given referrals to, so you
can get their opinion on how the business did. If you get
complaints from customers, drop the business from your files.
If you get good recommendations, move them to the front of the
list.

You will be offering a much-needed public service with this
business. Stress to potential businesses that you can refer new
customers to them, and they should be willing to pay commissions,
or a subscription fee.

Give it a try, and you can make a decent amount of money in the
referral business!

There are many more home-based business ideas like this at
with more being added all
the time.

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3. Online Business Idea of the Week - Dating and Escort Service
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Starting and operating a successful Dating Service can bring in
$60,000 or more per year for the sharp, aggressive, imaginative
business person. The secret to success with a business of this
kind is marketing that presents your services with flair while
still maintaining good taste.

Most successful escort services are natural expansions of
businesses begun originally as Introduction and Dating Services.

This is a business idea that's perfectly suited to the online
medium. Your website should be tasteful and welcoming and
should include, among other things, an online registration/
application form and searchable database.

Your registration/application form should include (in addition
to the usual questions such as name, address, telephone number,
marital status, place of employment, hobbies, likes and dislikes):

-> a short personality test which can be obtained with a bit of
research on the internet or at your public library. For ideas,
samples, and even tests you can use intact, be sure to check some
of the modern women's magazines. And don't discount the idea of
registering at an already established business of this type; or
possibly you can see their application form without actually
involving yourself any further. Or inquire among friends and
acquaintances who have registered with a dating or escort service.
Be careful not to infringe someone else's copyright though;

-> near the end of the application, you should include a short
paragraph pointing up the fact that your organization, in
addition to bringing people together as a dating service, also
provides an escort service for out-of-town visitors and local
non-members. You then pose the question: "Would you be
interested in these kinds of dates, which would include all
expenses, and a minimum fee of $25 for what usually amounts to a
very delightful time with an interesting person. Your only
obligation ever is to be your usual charming self, and enjoy."

-> a legal disclaimer to negate any responsibilities or promises
implied and/or not specifically stated within the application.

When it comes to your website, try to make it upbeat, upmarket,
attractive and welcoming. It should appeal to the more
conservative or mature as well as younger clientele.

Include a "scrapbook" page on your website with portrait or
candid shots of your members and clients. These pictures can
pose a problem for you while you are in the beginning stages of
your business - so don't hesitate to gather pictures of various
relatives, friends who are not necessarily located in your area
- or even visit a nearby campus and ask if you can take pictures
of some of their best looking men and women. You will need to
get a release signed by each one, and you simply explain that
you are putting together a picture display book of terrific
looking people for the promotion of your business, and their
names and any other information will not be publicized or
released.

Publish a weekly or monthly newsletter or ezine and include
updates about your site, "success stories" about relationships
formed as a result of your introduction etc. Actively seek
subscribers to your newsletter. A proportion of those who
subscribe will decide to become members once you earn their
trust.

You may also want to organize get-togethers for members in
various geographic areas. One particularly good idea would be
to host or arrange dinners on a regular basis where members can
simply book to attend, paying you an administration fee for your
services, and meet other members on a group basis.

This is a business that will provide pleasure and profit to a
person who is out-going, fun-loving, gregarious, but who is
sensitive to the needs of others, and enjoys seeing people "get
a new start," or seeing more reserved ones "come out of their
shells." It takes more to get started in this business than it
does for some other endeavors, but this is one that can start
small and grow, improve, and even spread to franchising size.

Finally, please check your local municipality's laws and
regulations. Some areas require operators of dating/escort
businesses to be licensed.

If this business idea interests you but you don't want to start
your own business from scratch, look into Single Search National
(a computerized matchmaking service). They can be contacted on
(800) 779 8362 or at 13176 N Dale Mabry #202, Tampa, Florida
33618.
-

There are many more online business ideas like this at
with more being added all
the time.

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5. Continuing Tutorial Series - How to Become an Information
Broker - Part 3 "Your Information Product"
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INFORMATION IS PRICELESS...ALMOST!

The biggest, and by far the hardest decision when starting a
mail-order type business has always been WHAT TO SELL! Once you
finally made that decision, you were faced with the dilemma of
acquiring your product! That's what makes this opportunity so
unique. These two giant hurdles have already been bypassed. You
are reading your first product right now!

As I've already explained, the best product in the world is
without a doubt... INFORMATION. Not just any information, mind
you, the information must be specialized and marketable. It must
be specialized so that it can be marketed to a target audience
and it must be marketable in today's world to sell. That's where
this manual comes in. The information contained in this manual
is on the top of the list of most sought after information in
the world right now! When you purchased it, you also purchased
the right to copy, print, resell, and sell the rights to resell
this valuable information!!

Now that you have you first specialized information product, it
is time to learn a sound marketing strategy. A finished product
is not of much value to you unless you know how to successfully
market and sell it.

The rest of this manual will teach you everything you need to
know about the "meat" of your business plan. Keep in mind that
you can't help but learn more and more about this incredible
venture as you go along! Therefore, you will most likely adjust
your business plan to suit your needs as you go. Anyway, here
are the five basic steps you will be taking. After the brief
outline, I will explain each step in detail.

1. Write a few good classified ads that are designed to get
interested people to contact you.

2. Prepare a short yet powerful sales letter that you will
e-mail to business opportunity seekers.

3. Utilize online marketing strategies. (Classified advertising,
e-mailing lists and online newsletters.)

4. Send your sales literature to your "prospects" via e-mail.

5. Fill orders you receive by mailing and or e-mailing your
information product to your customer.

Next week - Part 4 - Getting Down to Business

Missed previous instalments of this tutorial series? Pick them
up from the newsletter archives at

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6. Guest Article - Common Sense by Bob Osgoodby
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No this is not an article written by Thomas Paine - His pamphlet,
Common Sense (January, 1776), was one of the memorable writings
of the day, and helped the cause of American Independence. We
are talking about using common sense when surfing the net.

People in cyberspace may not always be what they seem. Someone
who is sharing a "friendly" tip about a money-making scheme
[ed: or home-based business opportunity] or great bargain in a
chat room or on a bulletin board, may have an ulterior motive.
Sometimes those friendly people turn out to be crooks!

Don't judge reliability by how nice or flashy a website may
seem. Anyone can create and promote a website. One can be
created with relatively little effort and expense in just a day
or so. Once they have exhausted their particular scam, they can
disappear just as quickly.

Many times, when visiting a web site, you will be given the
option of downloading a program to see pictures, hear music or
get other features from their website. You should never
download programs like this from websites you're not familiar
with. You could unwittingly download a virus that wipes out your
computer files or even hijacks your Internet service,
reconnecting you to the Net through an international phone
number, resulting in enormous phone charges.

Unsolicited e-mail not only violates computer etiquette, it is
often used by con artists.. Reporting "spamming," as unsolicited
e-mail is called, to their online or Internet service provider
was once a viable defense, however today it is less effective.
Many con artists use fraudulent E-mail addresses and attempt to
get you to respond via "snail mail" or to call their toll free
number. If you are tempted by their offer, reply to their
E-mail and if it is returned as undeliverable, walk away.

Don't provide your bank account numbers, credit card numbers,
social security number or other personal information unless you
know the company is legitimate and the information is necessary
for the transaction. Even with partial information, con artists
can make unauthorized charges, deduct money from your account,
and impersonate you to get credit in your name.

Do business with companies you know and trust. Be sure you know
who the company is and where it is physically located. If they
will not provide this information, you should be leery.

Above all, use common sense. Perform "Due Diligence" with those
offers that just seem "to good to be true" as they most likely
are.

Bob publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter
Visit his Web Site at http://adv-marketing.com/business to
subscribe and place a Free Ad for your business.

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10. This Week's Web Site Pick
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OFFICEME: NEW WEB PORTAL PROVIDES OFFICE SUPPLIES, SERVICES,
NETWORKING COMMUNITY FOR GROWING SOHO MARKET

You've left the corporate world to start up your own small shop,
as have millions before you. Congratulations, you're an
entrepreneur. But it doesn't take long to discover you miss many
of the trappings of corporate life: The well-stocked office
supply cabinet, the industrial-strength copy machine, the
associate who booked your travel reservations, and, most of all,
the daily feedback from your colleagues.

Now there's a new web portal specifically designed to meet the
needs of the growing Small-Office, Home-Office market.
OfficeMe.com - http://www.officeme.com - acts as a clearing
house for entrepreneurs, providing office supplies, news, travel,
fax and printing services, software and advice, says CEO Debra L.
Gonzalez.

http://www.officeme.com

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12. Subscription Management
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To SUBSCRIBE to this Newsletter:

To UNSUBSCRIBE or get removed from this Newsletter:

If you find this newsletter valuable, please forward it
to your friends, family and associates!

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13. Contact Information
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Elena Fawkner, Editor
A Home-Based Business Online
Contact By Email

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