Thrive Learning Institute Spurs Entrepreneurship

For Thrive Learning Institute, promoting entrepreneurship is a sure fire way of over-coming the suffering economy and fostering self-sufficiency and personal responsibility, all things needed to ensure a prosperous and happy country.

There are many different kind of people in the world with a huge array of differing talents and skills. An inspection of the differing details found amongst humans can reveal staggering extremes and bizarre cultures which can seem worlds apart. However once we get our hands out of the contrasts and into the comparisons the insights to be had can change the course of a life just by their comprehension.

Basic to all humans is the unrelenting need to create something of worth. From simple tools to the ceiling of the Sistine chapel Humans have always found a way to create something that brings enjoyment and added productivity to life.

In today's culture creativity is being snuffed out in at alarming rates. One of the tell tale signs of a famine of creativity is declining rates of entrepreneurship. The greatness of America rode on the backs of freedom loving creative people who produced products that rewarded society who in turn rewarded their makers.

in this time of economic crisis we need now, more than ever, a new influx of innovative, visionary entrepreneurs to revitalize the deteriorating trait of creativity and in turn revitalize the suffering economy. Prosperity is driven by human creativity and the most essential entrepreneurial trait is creativity.

Thrive Learning Institute is focused on the nurturing and mentoring of aspiring entrepreneurs. We are optimistic that these are people who will carry the economy out of its fragile state and back into a robust, thriving and hopeful world. The clients who come to us have inspiring vision and a salt of the earth work ethic that is so desperately needed.

The proliferation of the internet has broken down almost all barriers of entry to getting into business and can often cost as little as $10 for a domain name and $5/month to host your website on the internet. Once you're their the entrepreneurial possibilities are endless and its up to your creativity and work ethic to provide society with a solution to a problem which they in turn will reward you for.

Thrive Learning Institute provides world class coaching on three main business models (among several others): Affiliate Marketing, Drop Shipping and selling on Ebay. These business models are extremely easy to get into and will wet the appetite of anyone looking to make money for themselves and not for someone else. The principles of success in this models are the principles of success in for every business and once mastered they will open the world to you.

Affiliate Marketing: This business model is very simple and very easy to get into. However because of its ease competition is high but certainly not insurmountable. When you're and affiliate marketer you affiliate with people and /or businesses who own products and promote their products. For every sale you generate you get a percentage of the sale price. With this model you learn to master the art and mechanics of marketing. There are infinite things to learn from affiliate marketing that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Additionally the potential profits of affiliate marketing are huge. Many people have made fortunes just by promoting other peoples products.

Some other benefits of the affiliate model are the fact you don't need a product, employees or have a boss. You don't need to worry about customer service either so its a very hands free way of making money.

Drop Shipping: This business model will introduce you to working with manufacturers and distributors. As you work with them you'll learn how to set up systems for shipping products and communicating with the providers. You'll also be introduced to the world of customer service which can make or break your business.

Drop shipping will give you much better returns than affiliate marketing obviously because you're the one going straight to the manufacturer or distributor to provide the product to your customers. This a great next step in your entrepreneurship education.

Selling on eBay: eBay is an easy, small-scale way to get into business. Although its hard to build a business you can eventually sell through eBay its awesome to use as training wheels and if you're not worried about building a business you can sell you can make tons of money on eBay too. I know a guy who was pulling in $35,000 in sales every month just from eBay. He also decided to quit because for him it just turned into another job.

With these three basic avenues to take Thrive Learning Institute will guide you as you begin learning how to unleash your creativity in a way that will benefit society and yourself in huge ways. Entrepreneurship can be learned and mastered and is not in any way something you're born with. As you learn these powerful principles your creativity will be unleashed on the world and you'll never want to go back to the drudgery of employment again.

The economy needs you. We need your ingenuity if we're going to pull out of this mess. We, at Thrive Learning Institute, are confident you can become a creative, productive entrepreneur and live the life of your dreams.

The 4-Hour Work Week, A Staple For Any Entrepreneur

I recently finished reading the popular book by Tim Ferriss, The Four Hour Work Week, and I must say I was very impressed. Tim is a serial entrepreneur and veritable renaissance man. Included in his About Me section of his blog are these accomplishments:

• Graduate of Princeton university in Neuroscience and East Asian studies

• First American in history to hold a tango record

• National Chinese kickboxing champion

• Acclaimed bestselling author whose book has been #1 on the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists

If that doesn't grab your attention I don't know what will. He has written about his experiences traveling the world, learning and mastering 6 languages at breathtaking paces. On top of being a wildly successful entrepreneur he has also had extraordinary success in the non-profit sector, spearheading campaigns like LitLiberation and advising DonorsChoose.org.

This is a man worth listening to. His book breaks down the step by step process to liberating yourself from the drone like mentality that all too often comes with being an employee. You can see why we at Thrive Learning Institute would recommend this book to our clients. It is a great resource for successful and productive entrepreneurship but more importantly lifestyle design after you've achieved the success you want.

One of the basic and most important concepts Tim explains in his book is the difficulty and process of filling the void created by having all the time in the world and enough money to utilize it. Too many of us are addicted to work for works sake and we feel guilty when we aren't busying ourselves. What would you do if you had $20,000 coming in every month? Would you just sit around and accumulate stuff? Would you go out and buy that fancy car you've always wanted or buy a disgustingly gilded house in the wealthiest part of your neighborhood? What happens when you have all the stuff anyone could dream of? Eventually you'll get bored and go nuts.

That's why its important to have a plan in place to fill the void of not having to work 40 hours or more per week with something productive and interesting. What have you always wanted to learn? Where have you always wanted to travel? What can you do to improve the world? What causes or charitable organizations could you start that would make a dramatic, powerful impact on the world?

If you don't have the right the motivation you'll never make it as an entrepreneur. You may achieve the riches we all dream of but you'll fail at being happy.

Tim takes us through 4 basic steps to reaching a place in our lives where we are in control of our lifestyle.

1. Definition

2. Elimination

3. Automation

4. Liberation

1.Define your dreams and goals. Define what you will do and what you wont do when you have the freedom and resources to control your own life.

2. Eliminate the 80% of your efforts that are only producing 20% of your results. Tim is a huge advocate of The Pareto Principle or the 80/20 principle which defines your output in such a way that you can consistently find that 20% of your efforts produce 80% of your results and vice versa. Analyze your life and take out the unproductive parts. Limit yourself to only the necessary and important.

3. Automate your business. This is the part where Thrive Learning Institute comes in. When you start any business you must start with the goal to create a system independent of you. Do not make yourself a bottleneck for information. You'll only build a prison around yourself and defeat the purpose of building a business in the first place. You want to be able to walk away from your business and still have confidence that it will generate as much income or more than last month. Tim explain in detail exactly how to do this, flowcharts and outsourcing companies included.

4. Liberty is the most basic of all human desires. To do what we want when we want and with who we want is ultimate freedom. Most of us don't have never had that level of freedom before so Tim helps to get us in the right frame of mind to cope with such limitless possibilities.

The Four Hour Work Week is a staple for any aspiring entrepreneur. Not only will it motivate you to succeed but it will show you how to succeed both before and after the achievement of wealth. At Thrive Learning Institute we strongly encourage you to check out this book. Click the link to pick up the Four Hour Work Week today.

Make money offline using internet marketing with Thrive Learning Institute.

Dropship Companies

In this post Thrive Learning Institute will teach you the easiest way to sell a physical product online. When many people get started trying to sell products online they usually get stuck on the first step which is finding the actual product. By knowing how to find quality dropship companies you will be leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.

What is Dropshipping?

Sometimes companies will ship out products one at a time rather than making customers purchase them in bulk and ship them out themselves; this is known as dropshipping. One form of dropshipping is Blind Dropshipping; this occurs when the company that is dropshipping puts the receivers business name and address on the package as a return address.

Where are Dropshippers Found?

Dropshippers may be found through Dropship directories, manufacturers, and joint ventures.

Dropship Directories

These are online databases created by companies that go to trade shows and determine which companies are willing to dropship. The companies are then divided into categories based on the products they offer. Some common dropship directories include, but are not limited to, worldwidebrands.com and 123shipper.com. There may be a fee associated with the directories but they are well worth the fee for the time which will be saved by using a directory instead of taking the time to research. Some Dropshipping Directories will even offer discounts

Manufacturers

Larger manufacturers may not dropship but smaller manufacturers may. It is important to call or email the manufacturer about a specific product and tell them you are starting an online business. Next, ask if they are able to Dropship or if they have a distributer over your area or region that can. If they cannot Dropship, they may be able to list someone who can.

What Fees are Associated With Dropshipping?

It is important to know the fees which are associated with Dropshipping. There are three different ways fees may be applied: price markup, fixed rate, and a monthly fee. Price markup occurs when the manufacturer and the wholesaler mark up the price in order to make a marginal profit. Some Dropshippers may apply a fixed rate per product; say around $25. There may be a monthly fee to be a part of the warehouse allowing you to pay one flat rate for the entire month, regardless of the number of products.

Make sure to always ask the Dropshipper what kind of fees they charge. If all three fees apply, chances are a profit cannot be made on the product. However, there may not be any fees applied. Research and make sure the best deal is being made.

AdWords: Google is Your Friend!

Google is the creator of dozens of useful tools, especially when it comes to the realms of internet marketing. Of these tools, one in particular stands out -- Google AdWords.

In short summary, Google AdWords allows you to get your website "sponsored," and placed in the first few entries on Google. You only pay Google when someone clicks on your Ad (thus, visiting your website), so it's relatively easy to make sure that this form of marketing is profitable.

While this is highly beneficial, you should only consider this service strongly if you are selling a product or service that has a real profit margin. Since you will be paying anywhere from 5 to 50 cents per click, you want to be sure that each "conversion" covers the cost of your marketing, and leaves you with a decent profit for your effort.

For example, if your online business is an affiliate website, and you gain profit only off of the Ads on your site, and you get an average of a dollar per Ad Click on your site, you probably don't want to spend a lot of money to get the clicking traffic to your website.

However, in e-commerce sites, Google AdWords provides an amazing marketing tool for your company. With appropriate keyword research and Ad writing, you may end up paying as little as a few cents per click. Since "target conversion rate" for an online business should be around 3%, that means that for every 33 clicks, you should have a sale. Imagine, for example, that you're paying 10 cents per click for traffic that is already searching for your product. With a 3% conversion rate, that means you're only paying $3.30 per sale. Depending on your profit margin, this may be an incredible boost in overall sales and profit.

AdWords requires a lot of research and a fair amount of maitenance to run effectively. To find out how a coaching company can help you in setting up an effective Google AdWords Campaign, help you market your website, and help you increase profit in your small online business, visit www.thriveli.com.

The Power of a Logo

One thing that commonly comes up during the creation of a business is building a Logo. Many people feel that having a company logo is unimportant, or at least not something that should be a preliminary concern for their business. Others (often those trying to sell you the logo) argue that a logo is the single most important thing you can do to help your business. As usual, the truth lies somewhere in-between the two extremes.

So, what is a logo? What is the real power of a logo? What does it do for you? Why is it important? What's a good amount to pay for one? What should you keep in mind in designing your logo? These are just a few of the common questions regarding logo design, and I'll go into each of them briefly.

What is a logo?
A logo is an image or stylized text (or a combination of the two) which identifies your business. It is not a photograph, it is not a picture of your product, and it is not a description of your business.

This logo should definitely be located on your website. It should also be located on all printed marketing materials, banner ads, business cards, etc. People should come to associate your logo with your company, so using it repeatedly will help ingrain the image into the minds of your clients.

Here are a few famous logos to help give you the idea of what a logo is:




What is the real power of a logo?

There are two major points to mention with a logo. The first major power of a logo is professionalism. Having your own logo gives a clear sense that your company has invested into itself. This makes your company feel more legitimate to your buyers. This is the primary way a logo will pay for itself. People are far more likely to buy from an online business that looks and feels professional.

The second major power of a logo is memorability. It is easier to remember your company when you are using a logo. You may know McDonalds without its logo, but when you see the golden arches, you instantly recognize "This is McDonalds." And what does this mean for you and your business? First, it makes marketing more effective by making your website and company more memorable. Second, it makes your website itself more memorable. Customer loyalty is one of the major keys to success, and having a solid logo can strongly help with this.

These are, of course, the reasons why a logo is important as well. No, a logo will not double your sales! No, it will not make your business miraculously appear on the first page of the google search engines. But it will increase your conversion rate, and it will increase your return customers.

What's a good amount to pay for a logo?

This is a difficult question to answer, but mostly because there are a lot of details that go into a logo. How complex is the logo? Is it just stylized text, or does it include a custom image or graphic? How many versions of the logo will you receive? How many revisions are you allowed to make?

A good price may be anywhere from about $99 to $999 for a solid logo for a start-up company. What we recommend is that you find a company that will give you at least 1 set of revisions (in other words, doesn't hand you a logo and refuse to do extra work on it), and preferably will give you two sets of revisions or more. We also recommend that you either find a logo creation company that will give you multiple logo concepts up front, or will give additional logo concepts if you are not satisfied with the first version. We also recommend that you find a company that will provide more than simply stylized text.

A good cost to pay for this type of logo is between $300 and $400. As an example of a good company, Clover Logos is the primary logo design company we recommend at Thrive. They have assisted dozens of our clients in creating an excellent, professional logo to help their business succeed.

What should I keep in mind when designing my logo?

You should keep in mind about 80 different things while designing your logo. However, there are a couple of basic principles to follow.

First -- make sure it reflects the tone of your business. Don't have a black and gray corporate logo for your children's toys business, and don't have a pink, yellow, green and orange bubble text logo for your office supplies business.

Second -- keep it simple. You should be able to shrink or expand this logo to the size of a business card or the size of a billboard, and it should still be recognizable.


In short summary, a logo is important for every business that wants to come across as authentic and legitimate. It is important to increase return customers. Don't kill yourself over the cost, but put it pretty high on your priority list (probably just below setting up your legal entity, website, and getting your products or dropshipper).

For more information on how a coaching company can help you with the creation and branding of your business, simply visit www.thriveli.com.

The "Buying Mood"

Though many people searching the web are interested in buying a product immediately, certainly not all people are. They may be looking to see how much a product costs, they may be comparing online products, or they may simply be daydreaming. "Wouldn't it be nice if I could buy this."

So, what can you do to turn these browsers and daydreamers into buyers on your online business? Well, there are dozens of tactics, but pretty much all of them full under the category of "setting the buying mood." Creating an atmosphere that encourages buying your product, providing incentives, and more, can help set this buying mood.

Here are just a couple of quick tips to help you in creating that atmosphere for your clients:

• Use emotion evoking images. If you're selling baby products, then you should definitely have some happy, laughing, smiling babies. If you're selling television sets, you should have a family or couple gathered around the TV, perfectly happy and content. Most people want to purchase these items because they have a specific fantasy of what the product is going to do for them. Help build that fantasy through emotion evoking images.
  
  
• Provide clearly visible incentives. And make sure you're providing something! Even if you have the same products at the same final prices, your competitor who has a visible "20% Off!" sale is going to close more than you do. Sales are a great way to do this. With many products, free shipping is another excellent way. Free gifts, buy one get one half off, and many other possible incentives will serve to increase your overall profit.
  
  
• Make sure navigation is clear and simple. Nothing discourages customers more than not being able to find the product they want on your site. If you have images of a product on your home page, make sure that image links directly to that specific product. Make sure all your categories are clearly visible on your site, immediately. People should never struggle to find what they're looking for, because if they do, they're likely to move on to the next website.
  

These are just a few of the things you can do to to increase your number of buyers by turning the casual browsers into your clients. When it comes to e-commerce, your conversion rate (the percentage of people that come to your website who actually purchase your product) can vastly alter your profit. Remember, the difference between a 2% and a 3% conversion rate could mean the difference between $50,000 and $75,000 a year.

To learn more about how a coaching company can help you build your website in a way that increases your conversion rate, and helps set that buying mood, simply visit www.thriveli.com.

"Above the Fold"

One of the fun things about "high technology" industries nowadays (like e-commerce, online marketing, website design, etc.) is that we develop our own languages.

When I say "Placing products and incentives above the fold can help increase your conversion rate," it may well sound like gibberish to many of you. So let me go into this specific piece of advise, and let you know exactly what it means.

Let's make this as simple as possible. Ignore everything else you know about what each part of the website is. When I say "above the fold" I mean "everything that is immediately visible to the naked eye on your website without scrolling down or clicking on any links." To complicate this just a little, I also mean "visible to the naked eye when your search engine browser (Firefox, IE, Safari, etc.) is maximized, and you're running in a normal screen resolution."
For visual learners, here's an image of the thriveli.com site that may help.



Everything you see on the image above is "above the fold." Now, if you've been to the Thrive Website (you can click on the image above to go there now), then you know that this isn't everything on the Thrive LI home page. There's plenty more information when you scroll down. So what you see above is "above the fold." Anything else is "below the fold."

So, why is this important? Well, there have been a lot of major studies researching how long people stay on any given website when they're trying to find something. The results have all been pretty similar -- your potential buyers will stay on your website between 4 and 8 seconds. If they haven't found something that interests them by then, they're leaving for the next Google result.

4 to 8 seconds! That's all your e-commerce website has to catch someone's attention. They're probably not going to scroll down and see what else you're saying before deciding whether to stay or not. So everything that is going to grab the attention of your potential buyers should be above the fold. If what you have above the fold doesn't win the customer, chances are they will never even scroll down to see the rest of your website.

So, let's look at the phrase I said above. "Placing products and incentives above the fold can help increase your conversion rate." So place your products and sales, discounts, offers for free shipping, gorgeous images, etc., in a place where they are immediately visible when visitors come to the website. Doing so can increase the percentage of people who decide to stay on your website.

Conversion rate is incredibly important to any website. The difference between 2% and a 3% conversion rate can mean the difference between $70,000 and $100,000 per year. In addition, a lower conversion rate means you're wasting your online marketing investments and losing potential return customers.

When it comes right down to it, there are literally hundreds of things to keep in mind in order to keep your conversion rate up. For more information on how a quality coaching company can help you achieve better results for your online business, or how we can help you start a successful online business, simply visit www.thriveli.com.