Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly Newsletter

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Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #58 Dec. 27, 2002
Aaron Turpen, Editor, aaron@aaronzwebworkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of the
Aaronz WebWorkz E-Zine. You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instruct-
ions are at the end of this newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Little Known Tax Deductions That Can Save You Big
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Surfing Lessons
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


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Little Known Tax Deductions That Can Save You Big
by Diane Hughes (c) 2002
Diane Hughes is an accomplished Internet entrepreneur and
editor of the popular ProBizTips Newsletter. Subscribe to
her newsletter for more tips, tricks, and secrets of the
trade -- plus get HUNDREDS of eBooks, software and tools
just for subscribing!
http://www.ProBizTips.com

Editor's Comments: It's about that time again...time to
start planning for filing your taxes and for your strategy
for next year.
------------------------------------------------------------

When you say "end of the year," most small business owners
think of two things immediately. The *second* is the
holidays. The *first* is taxes! While almost all of us pay
taxes quarterly, we still have to file in January. That
means November and December are spent getting ready. When
you're gathering all your information together for your
accountant, don't forget about these regularly overlooked
deductions.

Mileage

Sure, most of us already know that we can deduct a mileage
allowance from our taxes. However, many of us (especially
dot coms who don't travel much) don't bother to keep track
of our travels thinking it won't be worth the trouble. Oh,
but it is!

I had the same mind-set, but - at the urging of my
accountant - decided to keep track and see for myself. I'll
never neglect to do it again! Even though almost every
place that I travel is nearby, when I added up all the 10-
mile trips to the office supply store, the bank, etc., it
turned out to be a hefty total. Haven't kept track this
year? Start now.

Go back and look for deposits in your check register. This
would have meant you traveled to the bank on that date...
write it down. Do you have receipts from the office supply
store? You must have traveled on that day, too. Write that
down. Keep all your information on a log sheet with the
date, number of miles traveled round trip, and the purpose
of the drive (i.e., office supply store, bank deposit,
etc.). You'll be pleased to find that even short, weekly
trips all throughout the year can add up to 800 - 1,000
miles or more. Multiply that times the 2002 allowance of
36.5 cents per mile and you get a $292 - $365 tax deduction!

Bad Debt

Did you sell products or services to someone who did not pay
you? Have you tried to collect the money without success?
You can write those losses off and get a deduction for them.
No, it won't equal the total amount of the money you lost,
but it is better than nothing.

Simply gather the information about the sale, the invoice
you submitted to the customer, and documentation of your
attempts to collect the amount owed. You do not have to
file bad debt deductions in the same year they occurred, so
if you have old losses, gather the information now so you
can include it on your 2002 return.

Travel

Almost any trip can become a business trip if you plan it
right. Even if you're traveling to your 20-year high school
reunion, you can write off your travel expenses IF you play
your cards right.

While mingling with your old chums, collect some business
cards, and hand out a few of your own. Ask people what they
do for a living (in tax talk that relates to "market
research"), and set up a phone call or two for when you
return home.

I know one woman who took a pleasure trip to England.
However, while she was there, she took tons of pictures of
museums, landscapes, etc. She gathered brochures and picked
up some information from a few local vendors. She used
these things to justify her trip as business travel for her
set design (theater) company.

No, you don't have to spend the entire trip talking/doing
business. Just be able to document that you did some
business while you were there. You can also take deductions
for lodging and meals while you're on your trip so save your
receipts!

As you can see, there are many tax deductions available to
you. To find out about more, set up a "pre-tax" appointment
with your accountant or tax pro. They can give you infor-
mation on additional tax deductions that might apply to your
particular industry. When you add up all the small stuff,
you can end up with some major tax savings!

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From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------

I hope everyone had a great Holiday this year! We had snow
here in Utah just in time for Christmas day. Getting
together with family and friends is what the holidays are
all about and we had plenty of that!

Traditionally, this time of year (just after the holidays
and into the first few days of the new year) is the "slump"
for retail sales. Most service-based businesses also feel
the "down time." For many, this is the perfect time to
quickly take care of the end of the year paperwork and
fanalize it.

See you all next week!

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Readers Talk Back!
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"Aaron,
Been on your list for a loooooooooooooooooong time now, and
still, every week you have some amazing material! Always
informative, but interesting. Keep up the excellent work -
more people should aspire to you for newsletter basics."
--Spidina

Editor: Thanks, Spidina!

"I recently seen in an ezine that you have used Norton
SystemWorks and ZoneAlarm FireWall together! I have those 2
systems (older version of Norton and a free version of
ZoneAlarm) and want to use them together, but have heard
that they conflict with each other! Is this true and is
there a way to remedy it? I am contemplating switching over
to AVG Anti-Virus System (it's free) in the near future and
wondered if ZoneAlarm has any problems with it or any other
concerns I should be aware of!

"Any advice and information you can provide on this would be
greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time and Enjoy the
Holidays!"
--Joe C.

Editor: Hi, Joe. I have used both pieces of software for a
long time now - Norton since the 2000 edition and ZoneAlarm
(both Basic and Pro) for nearly the same amount of time. I
have never had a conflict or problem with the two working
alone or together. They are truly great pieces of software.

"I'm very excited to hear about the new technology upgrades
from IBM to make processors smaller. That is really cool."
--Bob E.

------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to send a comment or letter to the editor
for inclusion in this newsletter, please address it to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject=TalkBack!.
All are welcome to give their opinion, criticism, or kudos!

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Surfing Lessons

by Joe Bingham of NetPlay Newsletters,
Copyright 2002 All rights reserved

Editor's Comments: Some more great stuff from Joe!
------------------------------------------------------------

I suppose anyone could hop on some kind of floating device
and walk out into the ocean, then ride the force of the
incoming waves back to the shore. But is that surfing?

I believe anyone could also log on to a search engine, type
in key words, then see where it takes them. But is that
surfing?

No! There's more to it than that. There's an art to it,
games you can play, and humor to be found. Therefore, let
NetPlay give you a surfing lesson!

Yeah, you all know how to find 'stuff ' through searching,
but let's 'surf' NetPlay style and make it fun!

Start Basic. Salt is a pretty basic thing, right? Not much
out there that can be confused with salt, is there? Well,
sometimes even search engines get confused.

Search Word: "salt"
Search results:

Salt and Pepper Shakers --- relevant
Aromatherapy --- I guess so
Magic of Licorice --- huh?
Gifts and Collectibles --- what, like salt statues?
Buy CD's --- there's probably a band out there with 'salt'
in their name
Bagels --- I assume it's an ingredient
Fly Fishing --- what was I searching for?
Forget "salt" why don't you try to win over $11 million
--- that one always comes up.

When the search engine is not confused, it can still
entertain by coming up with some very unique items. This is
surfing!

Search Word: "diapers"
Search Results:
(mostly normal stuff, but a couple of interesting items)

Bird Diapers --- mfg. by a car wash co., no doubt.
Diaper Shaped Cake --- what flavor would you make that
anyway? You wouldn't dare make it a chocolate cake, would
ya?
Forget "diapers" why don't you try to win over $11
million --- there it is again.

Let's try another word, something a little more complicated.
Let the internet guide and teach us this time.

Search Word: "happiness"
Search Results:

Pure Gold in Pure Water --- and you drink it, it says!
Movies and Videos --- 2 hour happiness, I guess
Financial Independence --- certainly would help!
Online Dating --- WRONG!
Free Baby Stuff --- true happiness
Counseling --- I'd rather go back to dating
Woodworking --- happiness through power tools!
Compare prices for happiness at xxxxxx.com --- all that
time you wasted searching, and all along you could just
buy it!
Forget "happiness" why don't you try to win over $11
million --- my happiness is not for sale, not even at $11 million!
This one is starting to bother me.

There's also 'word wars' you can play. Use homographs,
where two words with different meanings have the same
spelling. For example: bass

Do I mean a smallmouth bass or a bass guitar?
Let the internet decide.

Search Word: "Bass" ------ Word War! ---------
Search Results: ( In top ten)

Bass, low sound --- 7 hits
Bass, the fish --- 1 hit
Bass, shoes --- 2 hits --- Wow, a surprise contender!
Forget "bass" why don't you try to win over $11 million ---
OK, I am going to get back at this thing!

Then there are words that just totally confuse things.
The search engine just doesn't know where to go.

Search Word: "jack".
Search Results:

The Name --- different Jacks
Auto Parts --- lift with jack
Electronics --- plug into jack
Your Jack Area Guide --- just in case you don't know jack.
Movies --- watch jack
Gambling --- lose jack
Cell Phones --- call jack
Alabama Area Guide --- find jack
Shopping Guide --- buy jack back
Forget "jack" why don't you try to win over $11 million ---
that's it!

Interestingly enough, I put in "surfing" and actual Internet
surfing didn't come up until item # 7! You see, Internet
Surfing is an underdeveloped art! For this reason, I hope
you have enjoyed your NetPlay Surfing Lesson.

Oh yeah, the $11 Million thing. Well, there's not much I can
do, it's going to be there no matter what I do. Except
embarrass it, that is. Look what I got the dumb thing to
say:

Search Results For: 12 million dollars
Forget "12 million dollars" why don't you try to win over
$11 million.

------------------------------------------------------------
If you wish to send your own articles to be reviewed for
inclusion in this publication, please send them to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com.
------------------------------------------------------------
Except where noted, this publication and all of its
contents are copyright (C)2002 by Aaronz WebWorkz, all
rights are reserved. To reprint an article, send an email
to mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com for permission.
------------------------------------------------------------
List Maintenance:
To subscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:subscribe]

To unsubscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:unsubscribe]

This newsletter is produced by Aaronz WebWorkz, a complete
online services provider. To view information or to see
back issues of this publication, please go online to:
www.AaronzWebWorkz.com. Please direct all comments or
questions to the editor
(mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com).

------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #57 Dec. 20, 2002
Aaron Turpen, Editor, aaron@aaronzwebworkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of the
Aaronz WebWorkz E-Zine. You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instruct-
ions are at the end of this newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Technology Update, December 2002
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
The New Froogle
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Technology Update, December 2002
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz

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

The best thing about this time of year is not the Holiday
Season and all of its gift-giving glory, but that companies
tend to debut their latest offerings during this time and
nearly all products marked as “2003 model” are on the
market! It's paradise for gadget-freaks, technophiles, and
those wanting good deals on “last year's” hardware.

Digital Vinyl
Verbatim has released a cool new line of CD-Rs which are
sure to pique your nostalgia instincts. These little disks
look like 45-rpm records, complete with grooves! Really
cool. I saw these in Target a few days ago. Sadly, I was
unable to convince my wife that these were a “necessary
purchase.”

Mpeg for Linux Users
If you use the Linux OS, you've thus far had a terrible time
listening to Windows Media audio/video files. A new piece
of software called Ffmpeg changes that! This codec allows
these files to be played by Linux players such as MPlayer.
You can get the codec at: http://ffmpeg.sourceforge.net

Voice Access to Applications
We've all seen the “promise” on packages that allow you to
“talk” to your computer and make it do stuff. So far, these
have been mediocre at best. Well, on a larger scale, IBM
has announced that a new service called WVAA (WebSphere
Voice Application Access) will be available on the 20th of
December (today). This software will allow customers/users
to dial into current WebSphere hosted applications in their
corporation and access them using touch-tone and voice
commands and have information read to them from the system.
For traveling sales, disparate corporate locations, and so
forth this will be extremely useful. Assuming it works.
For big business only, by the way, since a license for this
runs $60,000 per processor.

That's only some of the new products to hit the market this
year. Woo! I didn't even get into some of the cool new
hardware coming out for cell phones, PDAs, notebook
computers, and such. If you have a USB2.0 port, you're in
even more luck as there are TONS of cool things you can buy
to plug in. I'm hoping to get a Nike Coolpix digital
camera. After that, a conversion to run the sound card
output to my stereo system will be in order – maybe that
wireless kit from Turtle Beach... As Macho Man Randy Savage
would say...”OOOOOOOH YEAH!”

AltaVista Updates
Other Stuff coming down the pike includes AltaVista's new
return to the search engine market that promises to change
things (hopefully for the better) again! They're promising
to begin updating 50% of their database daily. They've also
added a new “query builder” (software that pulls information
from an index for a database – in this case website
information) called More Precision as well as other tools to
give suggested links (related search terms and such). Maybe
AltaVista will again climb to the top of the search engines
on the web! Http://www.altavista.com

Security Patches
If you're in the business of caring for a sizeable network
of computers, you know how big your headaches get when new
patches from software vendors such as Microsoft are
released. You have to evaluate, test, and then implement
these patches – usually onto tens, hundreds, or even
thousands of separate computers. Ugh. Software which
specializes in “patch management” has hit the market with
some force. Popular software now on the market such as
BigFix (Internet Effects) and PatchLink Update (PatchLink)
are getting more and more attention from IT managers looking
to simplify the updating process (the most time-consuming
part of patch upgrades).

Microsoft In Court
The Department of Justice handed down its ruling to
Microsoft in a settlement reached over the question of
Microsoft's “monopolizing tactics.” While seven of the
states involved in the suit agreed to the terms, two of them
(Massachusetts and West Virginia) do not and are appealing
the ruling. Under the current ruling, Microsoft is required
to allow system builders who license MS software (called
OEMs) to install non-MS products on new systems, give users
and OEMs more control over Windows functions, and to not
retaliate against OEMs who support rival products – among
other things. The two states are appealing because they
also want Microsoft to be forced to allow their non-system
software (Media Player, Office, etc. are examples) to be
useable on non-Windows systems - and on a few other points
involving disclosure.

HESSLA
Hactivismo (a spinoff of the Cult of the Dead Cow hacker
collective – I don’t make this stuff up) has released a new
and very novel licensing agreement for its tools – the most
popular of which is Camera/Shy and Six/Four (soon to be
updated – it’s a firewall workaround intended for those
INSIDE the firewall so they can get out). Their software
is most popular in countries such as China which implement
national firewalls that don't allow certain content to be
viewed or accessed.

HESSLA (Hactivismo Enhanced Source Software License
Agreement) is a licensing agreement similar to the GNU
Public License (which allows personal and non-profit use of
software without payment) but with the provision that
governmental entities using the software forfeit their right
to “sovereign immunity” (which allows governments to not be
sued without consent) and face lawsuits for human rights
violations of free speech and information access. This
means they can't use the software in any way (including
testing) without opening themselves to these lawsuits.

While this seems absurd since the chance for it to be used
is probably little to none, it's an important step towards
allowing those who license software to others for use to
have control over who can use it and who can't based on
their own criteria – a very important part of any true free
trade system. Hactivismo, who admits that the majority of
their end users are behind national firewalls (Myanmar and
China), is taking a step towards offering something to those
who would otherwise be blocked from receiving it. We'll see
how this works out.

Security In Government
The Federal Government's annual Computer Security Report
Card (produced by the House Subcommittee on Government
Efficiency – I said, “I don’t make this stuff up!”) shows a
significant number of agencies within the federal government
getting a failing grade. Highlights include a B- (upgrade
from C+) for the Social Security Administration while the
Department of Defense, Department of Justice, the Department
of Energy and others received “F” grades. NASA was
downgraded from a C- to a D+ and the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission received a C (over last year's F).

Apparently the government, who plans to “regulate” how the
country at large cares for its “cyber-security,” has yet to
get itself on the mark. That's about par.

Porn Burglar
A burglar in Gillette, Wyoming has been performing Internet
crimes. He breaks into homes and accesses the homeowner's
PCs to log into the Internet and surf pornography sites.
Personally, I'm hoping he gets caught in the act and somehow
perishes. This way he'll be a prime candidate for a Darwin
Award in 2003!

IBM Chip
This is pretty cool. IBM has announced that they have
worked out a process to produce transistors for microchips
that measure only 6 nanometers in length (in current chips
they are 60nans). Wow! Your electronics are about to start
getting MUCH smaller!

The Converter's Paradise
This would be the most useful thing I've seen in a while on
the Web. A site in Sweden
( http://hem.spray.se/joakim.slettengren/ )
that has a conversion program for just about every kind of
software/data imaginable! If you aren't comfortable in the
old DOS interface (or in the XP command box), a lot of
what's there will be useless to you, but there are several
Windows-based things as well. Convert .DOC files to .TXT,
WordPerfect bitmaps to Windows bitmaps, WAV to MP3, etc.,
etc. Extremely useful stuff here!

Adobe Finally On the Wagon
Users of Photoshop have long lamented (doesn't that just
sound cool... “long lamented”?) that there is no provision
within PS to use TrueType fonts (the most prolific of the
font delivery systems) in the software. The compromise,
called “OpenType,” works with most TT fonts available.
Finally!

Monitors in Your Glasses
This idea has been around for a long time, but up to now has
always involved a large headset or bulky pair of eyewear
that made you look like some kind of wired, freakish
monster. Not any more. The Massachusetts-based Micro-
Optical Corporation has found a way to fit projected
displays (usually called “heads up” displays) into a normal-
sized pair of eyeglass frames. They plan to market the
frames and lenses through outlets such as LensCrafters as an
option for many of the frames already on the market. Uber
Cool! Almost makes me wish I needed glasses... Look for
these as early as 2004.

Well, that's all this month's updates.

------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------

Well, the holiday rush is nearly over. I hope everyone has
been safe and kept their sanity during this constant rush-
hour time of year! Happy birthday to my mom, who was born
on December 26.

This month's Technology Update is HUGE, so to make up for
it, I made sure that the other article (below) is short. It
deals with the new Froogle search engine.

Have a great week!

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Readers Talk Back!
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"Regarding DB and then your comments on eBay and Paypal. I
agree with you, Aaron. There are a lot of options oute there
for people to use to sell their stuff and while a lot of
people knock the fees to get listed in search engines, ebay,
directories, and whatever, those same people would have no
idea how to run a business regardless. Too many people want
everything handed to them on a plate at no cost. Life does
not work that way."
--Melanie K.

Editor: Thanks, Melanie. I received a lot of comments on
the rant I posted last week, most of them like yours. There
were some dissenters, but no response from DB. Here's
another:

"How can you say that to Mr. DB about the fees being just
another part of business? It seems like no one can make any
$$ doing anything anymore cuz all the big businesses and
government are gouging us to death with fees and taxes. How
are the littl guys supposed to get anywhere?"
--Marc L.

Editor: Hi, Marc. I believe I answered this already. Some-
one once said "you have to spend money to make money." This
is the honest truth. Nothing is free, no matter what you
may have heard. I remember when Yahoo! was free to get a
listing in. In those days, everyone put their sites up, but
it took literally months to get listed (if at all). Then
they started offering expedited listings for a fee and
businesses swooped in on it. During that time, until
Yahoo! started charging for all commercial listings, Yahoo!
stocks were going up, but their actual value in money (their
debt to income) was in the red with BIG numbers. In order
to make money, they had to start charging for their service.

Now go to your local newspaper and run a print ad to see
what kind of response you get. You'll spend $40 (minimum)
or more for that ad to run a few days (maybe a week). Now
consider that the paper has, maybe, 10,000 readers daily and
assume that all of them will see your ad (not likely). If
you get a really awesome turnover for your ad and 1% of
the viewers respond to it (1% is pretty huge for a news-
paper listing), you'll have 100 people contact you. Let's
say, for simplicity, that you profit $1 for each purchase
that you receive. If all 100 people buy from you (also
not very likely), you'll get $100. Now you spent $40 to
get the newspaper listing, so you've profited $60 total.

Is that newspaper "ripping you off" for that $40? Should
they be required to post your ad for free? Neither should
eBay. As I said last week, eBay (and the like) are not
retailers or merchants. They are advertising vehicles.

"A little while ago you talk about antivirus programs and
stuff. What one would you recommend? I just got a new PC
after selling my old Mac and I am not sure what program to
use. Thanks."
--John S.

Editor: Hi, John. I myself use Norton Systemworks 2003 (I
just upgraded from 2002). I highly recommend this software.
Not only does it contain probably the best anti-virus soft-
ware in the industry, but it's got a great set of system
tools to keep Windows running smoothly as well. The new
"One Click" option for scanning and cleaning your system is
AWESOME and they really optimized the interface in other
ways as well. Highly recommended.

------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to send a comment or letter to the editor
for inclusion in this newsletter, please address it to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject=TalkBack!.
All are welcome to give their opinion, criticism, or kudos!

------------------------------------------------------------
The New Froogle
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz

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

Google, now considered by most to be the top search engine
online, has introduced a new shopping search engine they're
calling Froogle. It allows potential shoppers to find items
across many retail websites by conducting a search much like
a regular Google search. Merchants can supply data directly
to the search engine using special data feeds. Many online
sellers, large and small, are beginning to take advantage of
the offering.

Yahoo! Stores, TIAS.com, and Amazon.com are all putting
their items in, but notably absent is eBay. The auction
site (and most others like it) cannot put their items in
Froogle because they change too often and are dynamically
driven. More fixed storefronts with databases of items for
sale that change much less often (such as Amazon.com) are
able to use the system where as those who change hourly or
even daily (eBay) aren't.

Despite this, Google lists eBay as one of their their top
advertisers in both the Sponsor Links area and in the “Try
your search on other sites” at the bottom of search results
in Froogle. It is also expected that when eBay's
advertising agreements with AOL end next year, AOL will be
dropped almost entirely in favor of more amenable represent-
atives such as Google.

Currently, the new Froogle system is in “beta” form and so
is still undergoing testing and changes. They are accepting
singups and feeds from any merchant who wishes to
participate and, for now at least, the entire service is
free.

To visit the engine, go to: http://froogle.google.com

For more information for merchants, go to:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle/merchants.html

------------------------------------------------------------
If you wish to send your own articles to be reviewed for
inclusion in this publication, please send them to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com.
------------------------------------------------------------
Except where noted, this publication and all of its
contents are copyright (C)2002 by Aaronz WebWorkz, all
rights are reserved. To reprint an article, send an email
to mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com for permission.
------------------------------------------------------------
List Maintenance:
To subscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:subscribe]

To unsubscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:unsubscribe]

This newsletter is produced by Aaronz WebWorkz, a complete
online services provider. To view information or to see
back issues of this publication, please go online to:
www.AaronzWebWorkz.com. Please direct all comments or
questions to the editor
(mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com).

------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #56 December 13, 2002
Aaron Turpen, Editor, aaron@aaronzwebworkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of the
Aaronz WebWorkz E-Zine. You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instruct-
ions are at the end of this newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Reducing Your 2002 End of Year Taxes
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Is A Yahoo Listing Still Worth The Cost?
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Reducing Your 2002 End of Year Taxes
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz

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

In the next couple of weeks, you will be finishing out the
year according to both the calendar and the IRS. Now is the
time to quickly plan and take advantage of tax laws to save
money on your 2002 return.

If you are self-employed or if you are expecting a large
bonus at the end of the year, you can make the money you
receive at the end of the year count towards next year's
income instead. Simply ask your client/customer to pay you
in January or ask your employer to wait and give you the
check at the beginning of the year. This will push the
income into next year, thereby lowering your total income
for 2002.

Conversely, if you are or were unemployed for a large
portion of 2002, you can request an advance in payment or
paycheck for expected pay in January before the end of this
year. This way, since you'll presumably be making more
money next year, you will pull some of that income into this
year, lowering you total income shown for 2003.

For the self-employed small business owner, no one thing is
better for changing the tax burden of the year than
realizing expenses before or after the year ends. For
instance, if you plan to make a major purchase (or two) of
equipment or software for your business, make that purchase
in the year that you will need the deduction the most. If
you need to lower your liability for 2002, make the purchase
before January 1. If not, make the purchase after
January 1. The same is said for charitable contributions.
Make your contributions before or after the new year to
maximize their impact on your tax savings.

Tax-free investments can also be made to enhance their
impact on your tax liability. Invest heavily or lightly in
your IRA, 401k, SEP or other tax-deferred investments
according to your situation. Some of these investments can
be deducted from 2002 taxes as late as April 2003 - talk to
your tax advisor for more details.

If you have made a huge windfall this year and wish to
spread the wealth among family, you are allowed to give up
to $10,000 in annual, tax-free gifts to your children or
grandchildren without yourself or the recipient incurring
taxes on the gift.

As always, you can visit the IRS website to get more
information on the ways you can use tax laws to your
advantage. Just visit www.irs.gov. Now is crunch-time if
you are to take advantage of some of these strategies.

------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------

Wow, it's Friday the 13th already! Of course, that means
that tomorrow is Saturday the 14th... A little 80's joke for
those of you who remember. :)

I've been scheduled to go to Reno, Nevada in January
(a couple of days after my birthday, no less) to speak at a
conference being held by one of my clients The Online
Auction Academy. If you're interested, you can check it out
here:
http://www.auctiontrainer.com/winterconf/

Latley I've been selling on eBay much more than I was in the
past. If you have a little time, it's a great way to make
some extra side money. Especially now, during the Christmas
season. Lots of great deals to be made and had there! A
recent article I read (can't recall where, it was an online
news service) showed that eBay is currently beating
Amazon.com in the online sales game this year. I've noticed
my sales on both sites have gone up, though the trend at
Amazon.com has been more moderate.

Obviously, I'm a little short on news to post this week. :)

------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"I love that Joe guy!"
--Madeline F.

"EBAY has the highest sales commission of any Auction site
on the Web. I then loose out with the exchange difference
between the sites. I also have to pay on top of the
transaction fee at PayPal a fee of Aussie $2-75 to retrieve
my $.

"I think it is high time we had some opposition to these
sites as they are Multi Billion $ enterprises fleecing the
world. May seen like strong words but we are paying far too
many fees to use these sites.

"Ebay Listing Fee
Ebay Sales Fee.
PayPal transaction Fee.
Withdrawal Fee.

"There is no room to make a $ as it is all being drained by
EBAY-PAYPAL.

"Hope you read my understand my email and the point I am
trying to make."
--D.B.

Editor: Hi, D.B. I get your point...sort of. This is what
got me on the eBay topic in the editor's section above. I
hear this same complaint from several people along with the
usual horror stories about PayPal and how evil they are.
I've been using PayPal for years now and have never had a
problem with them. Not once. I don't know anyone directly
who has had a problem with them either - at least, not a
problem that wasn't deserved. If the rates between the two
are too high and no one can make any money from them, then
how come there are so many people using their systems?
Someone somewhere is making money or they'd quit using the
sites' services.

All businesses have overhead: inventory, electric bills,
paperwork, merchant fees, advertising fees, etc. Take your
listings off of eBay for a week and try to match your sales
using traditional advertising and see what your profits are.
They'll be pathetic - I can tell you that without waiting to
see the results. eBay is a marketing service. Now go out
and price merchant accounts and the software and overhead
required to use them. PayPal won't look so bad after that.

Sorry to rant, but it gets to me when people start trashing
legitimate businesses because they aren't able to make money
the way they think they should. "Get rich quick" is an
illusion and is never a reality. The closest thing to it is
the lottery or Ed McMahon. Even with those you're going to
have a lot of work to do if you plan to keep any of the
money you've won.

"Thanks for the anecdote about your printer. I too have run
into problems like that. I had a laser printer that
literally caught fire after printing several thousand sheets
in one run!"
--Joe C.

Editor: HAHA! Thanks, Joe.

------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to send a comment or letter to the editor
for inclusion in this newsletter, please address it to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject=TalkBack!.
All are welcome to give their opinion, criticism, or kudos!

------------------------------------------------------------
Is A Yahoo Listing Still Worth The Cost?
by Dan Thies

Dan Thies is the author of "Search Engine Optimization Fast
Start," the ultimate beginner's guide to higher search
engine rankings - available today at
http://www.cannedbooks.com

Editor's Note: I was about to write an article updating the
latest search engine changes and ran across this great
article recently published by Mr. Thies.
------------------------------------------------------------

In October 2002, the Yahoo! portal changed the way it
delivers search results. In the past, the most prominent
results were exclusively culled from websites listed in the
Yahoo directory itself. Since October, sites listed in the
Yahoo directory no longer enjoy this privileged status.

The Google search engine now drives the primary search
results on Yahoo. While this is certainly an improvement
for users of Yahoo search, it's a disaster for many
businesses that counted on their Yahoo listing to deliver
substantial traffic.

This change has also led many site owners to question the
value of a listing in the Yahoo directory. In this article,
I will outline the pros and cons of maintaining, or paying
for, a Yahoo listing. In the process, I will delve into
more details of the recent changes.


Argument #1: Yahoo Listings Mean Link Popularity

Pro:
Even if the Yahoo listing itself delivers little or no
traffic, other search engines will rank your website higher
if it's listed in Yahoo. Because Yahoo is so important, a
link from Yahoo counts more than a regular link. Thanks to
its higher "PageRank," Yahoo means even more to Google.

Con:
Yahoo listings do not deliver nearly as significant a
contribution in this area as you might think. You can
verify this by doing a "backward links" search on Google
for any Yahoo-listed website. The most important links are
listed first, and the Yahoo listing is rarely even on the
first page of links for top ranked sites on Google.


Argument #2: Listed Sites Look Better In The Search Results

Pro:
Websites with a Yahoo listing show up in the combined
Yahoo/Google results with their title, description, and
category from the Yahoo directory. This may boost the
response when the site appears in the search results. This
applies when the URL listed in the results is the same as
the URL in the Yahoo listing.

Con:
Results listed with Yahoo information include a link to
the site's category, which may prompt surfers to pass over
your listing and go to the category. Sites without Yahoo
listings have the more inviting "search within this site"
link, which leads to more results exclusively from your
site.


So, Is A Yahoo Listing Worth It?

If you have a non-commercial site and can get listed for
free, of course! If you're not one of the lucky few,
though, you have to evaluate whether it's worth $299 a year
for what amounts to a better than average incoming link.
Everyone must make their own decision. If $299 is small
compared to your total marketing budget, it may be easier
to just continue paying. My own listing expires in March,
and I don't intend to renew it.


How Can You Profit From The Changes At Yahoo?

The obvious answer is that you must take steps to improve
your own position in Google's search results. Google's
rankings are made up of many factors, but the dominant
factor is "PageRank," which is based on the number and
quality of incoming links from other websites.

Therefore, the first step in improving your position on
the Google search engine (and now Yahoo) is to improve your
site's link popularity. This takes time, and trying to take
shortcuts can get you into real trouble - Google doesn't
like "link farms," or any program designed to artificially
boost your link popularity.


Finding Quality Link Partners Through Google

Since only links from quality sites will count for much
with Google, let's take a quick look at how you can find
these sites. Start by targeting the sites that link to
existing top-ranked sites. You can do a backward links
search for any site by typing "link:http://www.domain.com"
in the Google search engine.

An even faster method is to use the Google toolbar
(http://toolbar.google.com/), which requires Internet
Explorer 5 or greater, running on Windows. With the
toolbar's advanced features enabled, you can conduct a
"backward links" search from the "Page Info" menu for any
site you visit.

Since Google lists these results in descending order by
"PageRank," you can quickly determine the best places to
get links by doing backward links searches on the top 10-20
sites for your desired search terms, and seeking links from
the top 10-20 places that link to them.


Links Are Not Enough: Optimizing For Google

While "PageRank" is the dominant factor in Google's
algorithm, it's not the only factor, and you still need to
optimize your web pages. This can be a complicated topic,
but the most important factors are:
- Keywords in the title of the page
- Keywords in headings on the page (H1 or H2 tags),
especially the first heading.
- Keywords in the body text of the page, particularly the
first paragraph.


Don't Complain, Act!

By some estimates, Google now controls 2/3rds of the
searches conducted on the Internet in a given day. Not only
is Google.com extremely popular in its own right, but
Google also controls the search results on popular portals
like AOL and Iwon.com - not to mention Yahoo.

A lot of website owners are complaining bitterly about
this change. All the more reason for you to take action
now, while so many of your competitors are busy licking
their wounds. With a little planning and effort, you could
be in a dominant position on Google before they even get
started.

I wish you success...

------------------------------------------------------------
If you wish to send your own articles to be reviewed for
inclusion in this publication, please send them to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com.
------------------------------------------------------------
Except where noted, this publication and all of its
contents are copyright (C)2002 by Aaronz WebWorkz, all
rights are reserved. To reprint an article, send an email
to mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com for permission.
------------------------------------------------------------
List Maintenance:
To subscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:subscribe]

To unsubscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:unsubscribe]

This newsletter is produced by Aaronz WebWorkz, a complete
online services provider. To view information or to see
back issues of this publication, please go online to:
www.AaronzWebWorkz.com. Please direct all comments or
questions to the editor
(mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com).

------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #55 Dec. 06, 2001
Aaron Turpen, Editor, aaron@aaronzwebworkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of the
Aaronz WebWorkz E-Zine. You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instruct-
ions are at the end of this newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Computer and Internet Advice - Maintenance Tasks
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Split Pea Soup
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Computer and Internet Advice - Maintenance Tasks

Copyright © 2002 Annette Ramsey
Annette Ramsey is an Internet Marketer and Editor of the
Industry Update, a free weekly internet marketing
newsletter. To subscribe, send a blank email to
mailto:industryupdates@infogeneratorpro.com

If I can help you in any way regarding setting up and
running Your Own Internet Based Home Business, please let me
know. mailto:annette@seriousexcuses.com

Editor's Comments: I went to write an article like this
myself (as promised in the last issue of this newsletter)
and thought, "you know...someone else has already done one
of these." Sure enough, here it is! Good information.
------------------------------------------------------------

How to keep your computer in tip-top shape - with a few
mundane but necessary maintenance tasks.

The maintenance tasks I suggest you run on a regular basis
are full anti-virus checks, ScanDisk and Defrag. I run the
tasks in that order. And I emphasise full checks. Scandisk
will run either a 'Standard' or a 'Thorough' check. Select
'Thorough'.


Each of these maintenance tasks can take quite a long time
to complete and may get 'stuck' if there are other
applications running in the background or the screensaver
is turned on.

Before running Scan Disk and Defrag -

- Turn off screensaver (set it to none)

- Close all open windows and applications. Easiest way to
ensure all programs are closed and nothing will interfere
with the scan or defrag is to do the following -

- Hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys and hit Delete

- Do not select Shut Down

- Instead select each application in turn and 'end task'


Then run ScanDisk or Disk Defragmenter.

I prefer to run a freeware program which turns off all
applications, ensuring ScanDisk and defrag can finish doing
what they need to do. There are many different types of this
software out there in the WWW. Do a search on Google.


Okay, if this is all just a lot of garbled tech-speak, my
guess is that you have never run ScanDisk or Defrag before.
In which case, the first run through will take quite some
time. But if you do these maintenance tasks regularly - say
once a month - it will be much quicker. Mind you, I leave
the defrag to run while I'm off to slumber the night away.


A fine way to finish an article is at the beginning.

You may be asking where do you find these things called
ScanDisk and defrag.

Go to Start - Programs - Accessories - System Tools.

You will find ScanDisk and Disk Defragmenter in amongst all
the System Tools. Go on, click on them and take a look. You
don't have to run the programs now. Just become familiar
with them. If need be, print this article and have it on
hand for when you do run these maintenance tasks. It will
all become habit - just like checking for anti-virus
updates!

If you want more techno-speak check out this clearly written
article - http://www.rockyreport.com/scandisk_part_one.htm

Happy defragging! Your computer will love you for it!

Cheers,

Annette Ramsey

------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------

Whew, short week! My printer gave out mid-week and I had to
go get a new one. The old printer, an Epson C80 that I was
nothing but happy with up to that point, was barely a year
old. Something I didn't now about inkjet printers: they
have an operational limit. Apparently, that Epson I had was
only good for about 2,000 pages per month before you were
"overworking" it. I didn't know I printed that much, but in
thinking about it, I guess I do.

I've got invoices, software manuals, install instructions,
etc., etc. that I print regularly. There are quick notes,
research materials, and more that I print. I guess it all
ads up.

So I bought a new printer. I spent about twice what I spent
on the Epson for this new Hewlett-Packard (Business Inkjet
2230). HP gives it a working use of 10,000 pages per month.
More than enough for me. It's also faster by about 6 pages
per minute. Sweeeeet. :)

So I thought I'd mention all of this because I know that
printers aren't something that many people think about. I
know, until this point, I didn't really. I figured all that
really mattered was pages per minute and dots per inch. I
guess workload factors in too!

------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"When are you gonna have another give away?"
--Gregg Z.

Editor: Don't know yet, Gregg. I haven't had any good stuff
show up to give away, really. :) I've been slowly putting
together e-books on CD of classic literature (you can find
the current version of my CD for sale on eBay - my username
there is "aaronzwebworkz"). I'll be adding more to that
shortly as I've come across more stuff. I've still got
several of those stickers I gave away earlier left as well
as some American flag pens. Maybe I'll do a contest in the
next issue. I'll need more convincing, though. ;)

"When you sell online do you have to charge sales tax. Like
on a ecommerce site or on ebay?"
--Corey M.

Editor: Sales taxes are collected by the states, not by the
U.S. Federal government. In the majority of states, the
sales tax is aimed at the buyer (the "end user" of the
product). They are also regional-only (currently). This
means that, here in Utah and in most states - check your
local laws and consult with a tax lawyer or accountant for
sure, since I'm no expert - sales tax is only charged for
sales made in state. If I live in Utah and I sell to some-
one in Indiana, I do not have to charge them sales tax.

Some states, though, are different. They have a universal
tax of some kind (there are different names for this) in
which the seller of the item is required to pay a tax no
matter where the item is sold.

Hope this helps a little. As I said, you should talk to a
lawyer or accountant about this.

------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to send a comment or letter to the editor
for inclusion in this newsletter, please address it to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject=TalkBack!.
All are welcome to give their opinion, criticism, or kudos!

------------------------------------------------------------
Split Pea Soup
Joe Bingham, NetPlay Newsletters
Copyright 2002 All rights reserved.
http://www.netplaynewsletters.com

Editor's Comments: Another great from Joe!
------------------------------------------------------------

I am now going to relate to you one of the most horrific
incidents of my life. After which, I will magically turn it
into an object lesson on Internet marketing. If the magic
fails, however, at least you'll understand why I don't like
peas.

I couldn't have been more than 3 years old, and yet I
remember it. That fact alone demonstrates the impact with
which this single event struck my soul.

I was seated in a high chair at the dinner table. My
sister, a year older than I, was seated next to me. A
classic parent/child argument was going on over the eating
of vegetables, in particular peas. My sister did most of
the arguing, but I as well disagreed with the idea that
something as round, green, and squishy as a pea was supposed
to actually be eaten -- and on purpose even.

My mom eventually conceded and a deal was struck. We
each had to try just one single, solitary pea, and she would
be satisfied. Personally, I'd have held out for not having
to eat any at all, but since I let my sister handle the
negotiations, one beady little, gushy pea was placed on the
plate before me.

It seemed to spread around my plate, taking up much more
room than anything of such a small size should, ruining the
edges of my other foods with its noxious, spreading ooze.

I turned to my sister, basically thinking, "This is your
fault, you eat yours first." Apparently my mother agreed
with the idea as she was at the moment scooping up the
dreaded seed with a spoon and heading for my sister's mouth.

Then it happened. Up until that moment, peas had been
something gross and undesirable, but after that moment they
became something worse -- something evil.

As my sister tipped her head far back in dreaded
anticipation of the vile food being placed in her mouth, the
balance of her chair became upset and she immediately fell
backwards to the floor, hitting her head on the refrigerator
behind as she landed.

The pea had made it into her mouth just before her fall
began, but in reaction to the loss of stability, my sister
had spit the pea back on to her plate where it sat cracked
and motionless, it's ooze spreading further now as it's
shell had been broken.

"So that's how they get split pea soup," I thought to
myself.

I was horrified! Split pea soup was made after a
compilation of many children's bitter reaction to their
first taste of the squishy green vegetable! How disgusting!

I was frozen in fear. There on the floor was my sister, her
head cracked and bleeding -- just like the pea on her plate!

I looked in horror back at the pea on my own plate. There
it sat, oozing, waiting to crack my skull as well. "Not
mine, Mr. Pea!" I cried out loud shoving my plate away,
"Not mine!"

Of course, being only 3 that statement came out more like,
"Waaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" but my mom knew what I meant. The pea
was removed, and I've avoided them ever since.

Peas are evil, I'm sure of this. However, the evil seems to
set in only after they are cooked because raw peas fresh
from the garden are quit good. Later on I discovered that
being mixed with other foods greatly reduces the evil as
well.

By the way, my sister just finished up getting a Master's
Degree, so I guess her skull wasn't cracked as badly as the
pea on her plate was.

Although I think she blacked out the entire incident because
she actually likes peas.

Anyway, so how does this relate to Internet marketing?

It doesn't.

I'll bet you'll never look at peas the same again, though,
will you?

------------------------------------------------------------
If you wish to send your own articles to be reviewed for
inclusion in this publication, please send them to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com.
------------------------------------------------------------
Except where noted, this publication and all of its
contents are copyright (C)2002 by Aaronz WebWorkz, all
rights are reserved. To reprint an article, send an email
to mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com for permission.
------------------------------------------------------------
List Maintenance:
To subscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:subscribe]

To unsubscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:unsubscribe]

This newsletter is produced by Aaronz WebWorkz, a complete
online services provider. To view information or to see
back issues of this publication, please go online to:
www.AaronzWebWorkz.com. Please direct all comments or
questions to the editor
(mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com).

------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #54 Dec. 1, 2002
Aaron Turpen, Editor, aaron@aaronzwebworkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of the
Aaronz WebWorkz E-Zine. You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instruct-
ions are at the end of this newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Recent Yahoo! Changes Affect Search Results
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
THINK!
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Recent Yahoo! Changes Affect Search Results
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz

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

Yahoo announced in early November that they have renewed
their relationship with Google. This means that search
results from the Google engine are still a part of Yahoo's
search listings. Not a big change, although this is the
first time in their history that Yahoo! has used the same
engine for more than two years (they first signed with
Google in 2000).

The changes come as Yahoo makes "substantial changes" to
the barrier they've always maintained between human-edited
results listings and those brought in by the third-party,
crawler-based partners (in this case Google). Some believe
this has been a long-time coming, but many cite that it is a
move by Yahoo to slowly phase out its expensive, but often
considered more relevant, human-edited database.

The new Yahoo search page debuted November 5th and no longer
separates human-edited from crawler-based results - they are
completely blended. The old system would place human-edited
results under the "Web Site Matches" heading while crawler
results fell further down under the "Web Page Matches" area.

The up-side to this story is that the human-edited results
will still contain the "more sites about" link (whereas the
crawler-based results won't), setting them apart.

In the end, Yahoo! seems to be pushing themselves further
away from their unique roots and making themselves more
like most other search engines. While the melding of the
two engines in this way has benefits in many areas
(including relevancy), I for one see it as one more excuse
to no longer use Yahoo! for my searches. I personally see
this as Yahoo! bowing to the better engine (Google, one that
I've used almost exclusively all along) in an effort to hold
on to their supposed search engine dominance.

You can read more about these changes on Yahoo's website:
http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/ysearch/ysearch-22.html

------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend (those in the
U.S. anyway). We had a good one here. Thanks, everyone,
for being patient with the delay of the newsletter public-
ation this week. The next issue will publish on Friday, as
per usual.

I thought that, with this being the Holiday season, an
article about packaging would be in order. After all, many
of those who sell online ship product as a part of their
business and may not be aware (or may need a reminder) of
the importance of packaging. Bob Leduc (whom you've seen
in this newsletter before) has written an excellent article
on this subject - it appears below.

As a final note for this issue, the scam artists are out on
the 'Net in full force nowadays and I would like to repeat a
warning I published both last week and this week in the
other newsletter I produce (for the Online Auction Academy -
go to http://www.auctiontrainer.com to sign up):

SCAM WARNING
Scammers and rip-off artists have renewed their attacks on
both eBay and PayPal members. The emails they send proport
to be from the eBay or PayPal website and request that the
recipient click on a link and "log in" to their account or
give account information on a form.

These scams are easily spotted by the wary, though, and can
be avoided. eBay and PayPal both say that they will NEVER
ask for personal information (passwords, credit card
numbers, etc.) over the phone or in email. ANY request for
information from either company will always link to their
website URL and NOT ANOTHER domain.

eBay URL: http://www.ebay.com
PayPal URL: https://www.paypal.com

In particular, PayPal links ALWAYS include the "https://" at
the beginning to denote that you are accessing a SECURE
SITE. Scammers are hard-pressed to fake this.

Be careful when dealing with any email from either company
that asks for any kind of personal information. Most
commonly, these emails state that your accound "needs
updating" or "may have been corrupted during computer
failures" and similar ruses. eBay and PayPal DO NOT send
emails of this kind, but instead wait until you enter their
website to alert you to changes or updates needing to be
made.

See you again Friday!

------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"Aaron,
Can you write an article on how to properly clean up your
computer? So many people have no clue what disk clean or
defrag are! Thanks,"
--Kelley L.

Editor: Hey! Good idea, Kelley. There will be an article
on this very subject in Friday's issue. It's one of those
little details that many people overlook or don't hear about
at all.

"As a web site solution provider, how can I bill my clients
monthly maintenance and hosting charges cheaply and easily?
Is there some way to bill a credit card each month that
doesn't cost a lot? What other options are available?
Thanks for the great info Aaron! The newsletter rocks!"
--Jim S. (http://www.jimscomputing.com)

Editor: Thanks for the question, Jim. The quickest,
cheapest way to do it without buying expensive software or
setting up a system with a merchant account (if you have
one) is to simply set up the payments through PayPal as a
“subscription.” Go to PayPal (http://www.paypal.com) and
click on the “sell” header and click “subscriptions” under
“Sell on a Website.” In this way you can set them up on a
monthly, bi-monthly, tri-monthly, yearly, etc. payment
system. They will be automatically billed when the time
comes, you will receive notice of the billing, and when
payment is made, you will receive the funds into your PayPal
account and be alerted via email again.

"You only get virus updates once a week? I get daily
updates of about 250-300k each. The newest version of PC-
cillin 2003 even contains web and email protection AND a
firewall.

"Not a bad product.

"And everyone should have a hardware firewall. If the bad
guy makes it to your machine, it's too late. Hardware fire-
walls prevent external attacks while software firewalls
prevent programs doing things that you don't approve.

"You can't be too safe."
--Rob K.

Editor: Thanks, Rob. Yes, I only get them once a week or
so, depending on how prevalent things are at the time. I
have received daily updates (or nearly so) on several
occasions when a new virus has hit the 'Net. Thanks for
the extra info!

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for inclusion in this newsletter, please address it to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject=TalkBack!.
All are welcome to give their opinion, criticism, or kudos!

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THINK!

By Dave Balch, "The Stay-at-Home CEO(tm)"
"Make More Money and Have More Fun" with your small
business! Dave will show you how with his FREE newsletter,
or his FREE 'Min-E-Seminar': "Secrets of an Actual $5
Million Home Business." Visit
http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/art.htm to sign-up, for
information on speaking services, or for copies of past
articles and newsletters. Comments and/or questions are
always welcome at 1-800-366-2347 or Dave@DaveBalch.com.
(c) Copyright 2002, Dave Balch. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Editor's Comments: Another great article from Dave Balch. I
think that most people will find it a good reminder and a
great read.
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About a month ago, FedEx arrived at our door with a package.
We are busy, the package was sent "Ground" so it didn't
appear urgent, we didn't recognize the sender, and we didn't
think too much about it; we got around to opening it about 4
days later.

It was a box of fruit. Spoiled fruit.

Why are we getting a box of fruit? We didn't order any
fruit, so we figured that someone must have sent it as a
gift. We looked through all of the packing material for
some sort of document but there was none. No clues on the
outside of the box either. There WAS, however, a customer
service number on a bright green sticker.

We called the number but they wouldn't tell us who sent the
package! They said it was for security reasons or some
nonsense like that, so we asked them to find out and let us
know and, by the way, since there was no indication
whatsoever on the box that the contents were perishable, the
fruit was all spoiled.

"We're very sorry, we'd be glad to send another."

One week later they called us back (surprise!) to tell us
who sent the fruit. It was a good friend of mine, so I
wrote to him to thank him for the gift and to explain why we
hadn't written sooner.

Today, about three weeks after we asked for a replacement,
another box arrived. This one was no different from the
first box: there was no indication that the contents were
perishable, and there was no indication that it was a gift
or who it was from. It was just a box with a
customer-service sticker on the outside and fruit on the
inside.

We can all learn from others, right? Here is the lesson
from this one. Ready??

THINK!

THINK about your product and your customer.

These people should THINK about what happens when their
package leaves the shipping plant. This is a perishable
item: they should mark the outside of the box accordingly.
Why? Because both the shipper and the customer need to know
so it will be handled properly. The driver wouldn't leave
such a package in the sun, for example, and the customer
would open it immediately and store it in an appropriate
manner.

They should THINK about what happens when it arrives; what
about the poor soul that ordered this, expecting to be
giving a lovely gift? The recipient was never given even
the slightest clue about who sent it, so it was a big
mystery. The giver never heard from the 'giftee'... what a
way to run a business!

Now let's talk about you… THINK about your product or
service. Really think about it, from your customers' point
of view. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine doing
business with you without knowing all you know about your
product or service.

Are all the bases covered? It is labeled clearly so that
someone who doesn't know what it is will know enough about
what it is to open it?? Your customer may not even remember
ordering it; will they know what it is when they get it?

Maybe your product isn't a hard product but a service. Are
you giving your customers what they are expecting? If the
service is late in it's completion, does your customer know
that and know why it is late?

Put on your thinking cap. It's pretty important, don't you
think?

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