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How to Evaluate an Affiliate Program There are thousands of affiliate programs offering wide range of benefits to their affiliates. However, many of these programs and the claims they make are not to be trusted. Good affiliate programs provide tremendous earning opportunities, but they need to be evaluated to distinguish them from doubtful ones. There are several factors to consider before someone decides to join any affiliate program. Products: Organizations which operate affiliate programs generally have some products to sell. These products can be in form of physical products, e-products or services. It is important to ascertain that the organization has some products to sell and that it recruits affiliates to help them in running their business. One should be very careful with any organization that has recruitment of affiliates as their main business. It is best to avoid such organizations because their affiliate structure is like a house of cards which can crumble at slightest impact. The organizations which have products to sell and market them thru affiliate programs cut down on the cost of advertising and distribution. This amounts to considerable savings which they share with their affiliates. If a new affiliate is already familiar with the products, this can be helpful but this is not a necessary pre-condition to join affiliate program. New affiliates can learn about the products quite fast. Organization's Track Record : It is not difficult to find out about the organization before joining it affiliate program. Search engines are one of the sources which can be used for this purpose. Verifying the testimonials presented by the organization is another source of information. The organization should have proven track record of operating their programs for several years successfully. If the organization is new or just starting, the person starting the program should be well known with good credibility. This is precaution against joining organizations which promise get-rich-quick scheme and then disappear. Support Available to Affiliates : Most of the new affiliates joining any affiliate program are new to the field of marketing on the internet. They need guidance and support for promoting their business and earning money for themselves. It is in the interest of the organization to help their affiliates to succeed. These organizations are in their business for considerable longer time than the affiliates, are more knowledgeable about their market and about the ways of promoting their products. They are in best position to provide their affiliates with proper guidance. Many organizations have excellent support system by way of trainings, tutorials, articles, books, marketing plans, marketing tools, forums just to name a few. These are generally available from websites accessible to the affiliates. Apart form the promotional material and information available from the website, personal guidance can be vital. A new affiliate may not be familiar with all the resources available and will look for mentoring at least in initial stages. It should be remembered by the affiliate that her success will add to the success of the organization, the organization is obliged to help her. Payment : Another factor to consider is the mode and frequency of payment to the affiliates. The affiliate should make sure that this suits her. Just to give an example - many organizations make payments thru PayPal, but PayPal does not transmit money to all the countries. Such details should be checked before putting time and effort for any affiliate program. Affiliate Structure : There are many different ways in which organizations build up their affiliate structure. Many organizations have single tier structure in which affiliate is only paid commission for sale. Other affiliate structures are 2-level or multi-level deep in which the affiliate earns also from the efforts of personally sponsored members. In turn, the affiliate is expected to help her sponsored members to earn for themselves. This is one great feature of multi-level marketing leading to leveraged earning. You can read my article on leveraged earning at this beauty katalog pszczelarski books There are still more variations in the structure. Some organizations allow a limited number of affiliates directly under each affiliate. There is no "ideal" affiliate structure. But it is important to have clarity in the structure and the affiliate should understand the structure. Compensation Plan : There is lot of variation in compensation plans starting from simple commission to more elaborate plan in which affiliates additionally earn thru the efforts of their sponsored downline members and also from a common pool. I personally favor plans which have provision for leveraged earnings where teamwork really counts. Residual earning is another attractive feature of affiliate marketing which can build into sizeable income over a period of time. I am not against any compensation plan so long as it is understandable and appears reasonable. You have perhaps noticed that I have put this factor as the last consideration. However it is an important consideration after all other considerations are found acceptable. Persistence Pays - It takes time to build up business with any affiliate program, no matter how good the program appears. After joining any affiliate program after thorough evaluation, one needs to stay with the program giving it time to build the earning. Get-rich-quick scheme do work some times but they are rare exception rather than the rule and cannot be depended upon. This small slogan should be ingrained in the thinking when someone joins an affiliate program: PERSISTENCE PAYS. Sanjay Johari contributes articles regularly to various ezines. His website contains information, articles, resources, opportunities and more for small business owners and home based business owners.
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Book Summary: Mind Your Own Business


This article is based on the following book:


Mind Your Own Business


A Maverick’s Guide to Business, Leadership and Life


Doubleday & Company, Inc., 2003


ISBN 0-385-50959-6


208 pages

A maverick is an independent person who will not go along with the other members of a group (Oxford ESL Dictionary). This book provides priceless stories and insights from a maverick of the business world; an exemplary business leader who prefers not to follow orthodox beliefs in business, nor be eaten by the hyped up ideas of the present. Instead, he chooses the course of action that is appropriate for the changing times.

The Maverick’s Way: New Old Thing

What is effective? This is the question answered by the maverick. He reconciles the good things from both the Old and New times, and focuses on what is really effective in confronting the challenges of 21st century business dealings.

A maverick thinks outside of the bed, knows that it pays to be daring, does not allow technology to tyrannize, finds strength in diversity, maintains balance and harmony among people, sets leadership by example, has a strong ethical base, and values employees and customers. A maverick knows his customers and believes strongly in his products.

To a maverick, a company is a not just a big candy store. It is a living instrument with living human beings. It should have a HEART.

Keys to Leadership

The leader leads. He exercises critical judgment, which will have a great impact on his people.

The leader defines the company. The leader’s responsibility is to explicitly present and advocate the company’s purposes and goals.

The leader inspires. He gives sense and meaning to the job. He makes his people realize, that beyond profit there is an underlying meaning, value, and deeper reason for the work they do.

The leader should be the evangelist. He should be able to exercise his influence, to sell the values of ethical conduct.

The leader must see the company as a coherent whole. He should be aware of the diversity in the company and bring this together to promote the whole.

The leader must know that there is no better way to create a family in the workplace than to encourage the family at home. Harman International introduced the anti-domestic violence program in the company, which reinforces the idea that the company cares.

The leader should never underestimate the value of disciplined hard work.

The leader empowers subordinates to do their jobs. He should institute programs for the guidance and training of his people. He should always keep the lines of communication open.

The leader promotes closure. He should know the right time to get things done.

The leader knows what he doesn’t know. The leader is not afraid to ask clarifications, if he does not understand a particular subject.

The leader knows the meaning of two minutes. He should respect the time of others and that of his own.

The leader teaches.

Above all, the leader develops others. As Lao Tzu advanced: “the leader having accomplished great things, the people all feel they did it themselves…”

The very best leaders go beyond the mere setting of example. He should be able to cause a leap of imagination and faith in his people.

The leader recognizes that people are often at their very best the moment they have been let go. There are times when an employee doesn’t like the work anymore, or he is unable to appreciate how the whole enterprise works- this is the time to set him free.

A Company Must Be Profitable

1. A solid financial base is fundamental.

2. Debt should not exceed equity. A debt to equity ratio of 1 to 1 or better should be the


goal, so that a company’s leader and key executives do not spend all their time on mere survival -paying bills, meeting the payroll, and keeping the banks happy- but moving forward and meeting bigger challenges and doing more visionary work.

3. There should be a regular process for annual strategic planning and budget-planning.

The Fundamentals of Profit and Loss

1. Manage expectations, not the profits. Keep the shareholders informed, to eliminate doubts of manipulating numbers.

2. The Chairman and CEO should be financially literate. They should know what the numbers really mean.

3. Good growth and profitability requires the exercise of critical judgment. The leader should make certain that the budget is one the company can live with.

4. In repurchasing the company’s own stocks, make sure that it will add to the company’s earnings.

5. Look into the availability of funds so that the balance sheet will not be compromised.

Make an Edge in the Business World

1. Writing. It is a unique and powerful skill you can use for clarity and persuasion.

2 Public Speaking and Story-telling. Speak directly, and without notes, to your audience. Individuals respond to a well-told story.

3. Thinking. People do not respect sloppy thinking in a leader. Thoughts should be carefully considered then expressed directly, crisply, and clearly.

About the Book's Author:

Dr. Sidney Harman (‘39), currently chairman of Harman International Industries, Inc., has been active in education, government, and industry. He served for three years as president of Friends World College, a worldwide, experimental Quaker College, and is the founder and an active member of the Program on Technology, Public Policy, and Human Development at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Dr. Harman is chairman of the Program Committee of the Board of the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies and a member of the Board of the Carter Center of Emory University. Dr. Harman served as the Deputy Secretary of Commerce of the United States in 1977 and 1978.

A pioneer of the high-fidelity industry, Dr. Harman founded the well-known Harman Kardon, Inc., in 1952. He is widely known for the Quality of Working Life programs he initiated at the company’s plants, especially for the program at Bolivar, Tennessee, which has become a model for such activities in American industry and a principal case study at business schools in the United States and abroad. Dr. Harman has written extensively on productivity, quality of working life, and economic policy, and is co-author, with Daniel Yankelovich, of Starting With the People, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1988.

Dr. Harman has served as a trustee of the Martin Luther King Center for Social Change, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and the National Symphony Orchestra. He is chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Public Agenda Foundation; chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Business Executives for National Security; a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Council on Competitiveness; and a member of the Board of the Leadership Institute of the University of Southern

Summary By: Regine P. Azurin

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