-•- HomeOfficeDigest.com Newsletter - Issue 139 -•-
>>> Back to The Past Issues Page <<<

The thoughts and prayers of HomeOfficeDigest.com's staff go out to all
of the victims and families effected by September 11th's tragedy.
This edition of our newsletter has parts geared towards some
of the concerns that this catastrophe has raised in many Americans
and American supporters. Our next issue with revert back to our
regular format.

THE HOME OFFICE DIGEST NEWSLETTER
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Here is your issue of the HomeOfficeDigest.com newsletter.
This e-mail is never sent unsolicited.
Our e-zine is mailed twice a week to a 100% opt-in database.
There are currently over 43,000 opt-in subscribers.
You can visit our website at: http://www.homeofficedigest.com
To be removed, please see the bottom of this e-mail.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


HOW YOU CAN HELP
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

American Red Cross - Disaster Services

Today, we grieve with America. Our hearts go out to all
those who have lost loved ones, or whose family members
or friends have been injured in the September 11th tragedies
in New York City, Washington, D.C. and outside of Pittsburgh,
PA. We wish to express our gratitude to all those who have
been helping...and continue to help in rescue efforts.

You, too, can help by giving blood for the many victims as
well as sending your donations to aid the American Red Cross
Disaster Services. The phone numbers and address are below.
You can also use the http://www.redcross.org Web site to make
donations online. Thank you.

Number for blood donations: 1-800-448-3543

Number for donations via charge card: 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7669)

Para Espanol (Spanish speaking) 1-800-257-7575

Address for mailing in checks:

American Red Cross
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, D.C. 20023


FEATURED ARTICLE
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

BUSINESS IS LIKE A WHEELBARROW...
NOTHING HAPPENS TIL YOU START PUSHING!
© 2002 By Patricia Deere Ring

It's not hard to get a business on the Internet! You can
choose a name, make sure no one else is using that name, get
a web site, and start working. But not everyone is
successful at what they do. Many sites fail and go off into
that unknown land where dead sites go.

In order to succeed and make it to La-La Land, it takes some
determination, perseverance, and lots of hard work. Ooh, no
one wants to do that, but just like in the "real" world, it
is necessary.

First, consider the product you want to sell or the service
you want to provide. How many others are offering the same
item? Is it a needful or desirable item? Who would want it?
Why? No one knows you have this "fantastic" item or service,
so now you need to tell MILLIONS what you have and hope they
want it. Right? Well...

Consider what your product or service can do for others. You
must now start an advertising campaign, just like the real
world, only different. The Net has so much hype and fantasy
that you have to compete with you'll need a new slant in
order to sell what you have. How about "honesty"? That's a
new thought! Be HONEST in describing your product/service to
others. There are those who use this in their work, and it
is making them successful. Honest!

What about "integrity"? Stand behind your product/service
with an iron-clad guarantee! And truly be there when support
is needed or questions are asked. If you're going to use an
e-mail address as your contact point, answer those e-mail
messages quickly and accurately. Consider putting a phone
number on your site where people can hear a human voice.
That is always appreciated.

Ever thought of "responsibility"? Most business owners think
their responsibility ends once the customer has the
product/service. It shouldn't! Offer your help for those
that may not completely understand what to do with what
they've bought. There are those who buy without full
understanding! Others have questions - some small and easily
answered and some more complicated. Help them!

Is your wheelbarrow getting heavy yet? It should be!

Keep pushing! Add some extra benefits to your load! Everyone
wants something for nothing - FREE. Give it to them. Add on
some extra bonuses - don't be stingy. It's definitely better
to give than receive. That's certainly true on the Net!
You'll end up getting a lot more in return than you gave. It
always works that way!


Now, push! That's right - push! You'll need to advertise
your great offer. If you're on a tight budget, go to a
search engine and look for "free advertising". You should
find a lot. Use it! If your budget isn't quite that tight,
use some of the lower priced ads. When you start getting a
little income, use a portion of it to advertise. Paid
advertising will reach people you might not be able to reach
any other way. Use it!

Word of mouth is a GREAT way to get out the news! Tell your
friends and ask them to tell others. Use announcements,
press releases, any thing you can find or think of to tell
others what a great product/service you have for them.

Well, the wheelbarrow is full and you've started pushing! It
won't come overnight. Forget those hyped ads about making
TEN MILLION DOLLARS OVERNIGHT - they're not real. It still
takes old fashioned blood, sweat, and tears to succeed -
anywhere. Hard work will go further than anything you have
to offer towards making you successful.

You want to be rich - work smarter and harder. Don't think
for a minute those millionaires out there didn't have to
work for it. They loaded their wheelbarrows and pushed.
Those that are still making it, are still pushing - one way
or another!

So, fill it up, and HAPPY pushing!

-------------------------------------------------

Patricia Deere Ring is a freelance writer and craft
entrepreneur living in Tarkington Prairie, Texas with her
husband who is now retired. She can be reached by email at
mailto:pring@contentbuilders.com or on her web site at
http://www.contentbuilders.com


WORDS OF THE WEALTHY
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A bear market is simply a time when few (if any) people are
buying. Therefore, it's the worst time to sell. History shows
that periodically, the market will pull back and correct itself.
This is normal but often difficult to accept.


TREASURE TIP
^^^^^^^^^^^^

Unless you know exactly when you're going to pass away, you
don't know how much time you have or how much money you'll
need. The perfect financial life would consist of exactly
enough money to live on until the day you die. Because of
all the variables, there is no perfect financial life; you
have to plan for an uncertain future. How do you do it?
Start saving now!


FINANCIAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Post-disaster money do's and don'ts
By Julie Bandy . Bankrate.com

The shock of terrorist attacks is numbing, but their actions will
not undermine your finances.

Here's the big picture: The Federal Reserve Board, the institution
that controls the flow of cash in our monetary system, issued a
reassurance just hours after the attack, letting the nation know
more cash can and will be pumped into our system if necessary. On
Wednesday, the board added an unusually large $38.25 billion in
temporary reserves into the U.S. banking system. Plus, the FDIC
protects your money in the bank.

But, you wonder, is there anything special I should do to protect
my personal finances? Is my money really safe? Here are some do's
and don'ts for those who were not directly affected by the terrorist
attacks.

Do: Pay your regular monthly bills more promptly this month.
With the nation's air carriers grounded, the U.S. mail system
will be slowed down at least for the next week or so. Allow
for a little extra time so your payments will be timely.

Do: Consider paying your bills online, by phone or directly to
payee. If you haven't used the online-payment option for your
bills, check it out. You'll save on postage and be assured that
the payment is on time. Some companies, especially utilities
offer consumers the opportunity to pay by check over the phone
at no additional fee. Another option is to deliver your payment
to the payee. If your mortgage is sent to the bank's processing
center far away, you may be able to drop off your payment at its
local branch to avoid late-fee worries.

Do: Be more diligent in your record-keeping.
Keep good records of your monthly bill payments and hang on
to all your ATM receipts, bank deposit slips and the like.
You should do this anyway, but it would be wise to keep more
detailed records of your payments just in case you need it
for back up.

Do: Track 'borderline' checks.
If you know you're close to being late on a payment, monitor
your bank account and follow it closely. Payments you dropped
off at the post office over the weekend or early in the week
may have a tough time clearing if they have a long way to go
and a short time to get there. As a pre-emptive measure, contact
the payee to let them know you may be a tad late this month.
Under the circumstances, they may cut you a break.

Do: Make sure your payments have been received.
Contact your mortgage company, credit card issuers and other
companies you do business with to make sure they have received
your payments. It's better to be proactive now than to be scrambling
later to prove you made the payment.

Do: Give blood.
The burn victims especially are in need of the plasma. Make a
monetary donation to your local Red Cross or other organization
offering aid to the families directly affected by the attacks.
Click here for more information.

Don't panic.
You don't need to buy a gun, carry a wad of cash or lug around a
100-pound bag of rice.

Don't hit up your ATM for a large amount of cash.
There's no need to hoard cash. Our nation's banks are open and
operating normally; the infrastructure is not damaged. We have
electricity to operate the ATMs and the assurance of the Federal
Reserve Board and the FDIC that our cash reserves are secure.

Don't rush out and fill your car with gas.
The nation's largest oil companies including, ExxonMobil and
Chevron put a freeze on prices and pledge to keep distribution
steady. We don't need to stockpile gasoline. In fact, one gas
station in Oklahoma that had raised gas prices to $5 a gallon
on Tuesday is now offering to refund his customers the amount
they overcharged in panic.

Don't cancel a planned financial transaction.
If you planned to close on a house this week, or are ready to
sign the papers for a refinance, do it. America's financial
institutions are secure.

Don't fall for scams.
Be on the lookout for "disaster deals" -- no such thing. Consumers
need to be extra vigilant with personal information. Do not release
any personal banking information such as account numbers or balances
to anyone.


HOME OFFICE DIGEST ADVERTISING
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Home Office Digest advertising is very popular and very limited,
so make sure to reserve yours today! Only 10 ad spots are reserved
each newsletter issue. Plus, we mail a maximum of 1 solo mailing
a day to our 43,000+ opt-in subscribers. For more advertising
information, or to place your order, go to:
http://www.homeofficedigest.com