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 #75 April 25, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Dealing With Business Slow Downs
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Get More Traffic Using These Powerful Offline
Advertising Techniques!
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Dealing With Business Slow Downs

© 2003 Vishal P. Rao
Vishal P. Rao is the editor of Home Based Business
Opportunities - A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas
and resources to help you start a home based business. Visit
him at: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com

Editor's Comments: In our current economy, this article will
probably hit home for most of this publication's readers.
Some good information here!
------------------------------------------------------------

When times are slow for your home-based business, chances
are you won't have the luxury of waiting and seeing if
things improve. You'll need to take steps quickly to get
back on track.

These suggestions will help you get business back to normal:

1) Add Products And Services

During slow times, your very instinct might be to cut
corners, but in the case of your catalog of products and
services this could spell disaster. Instead, you want to
select additions carefully based on the needs and desires of
your clients.

Think of it this way: let's say you provide web design
services. Your client hires you for the design work, then
goes elsewhere to get a logo, hosting, and content. Having
to hire four different companies just to complete one
project is not cost-effective or time-efficient for your
client.

So what if you could offer web design and hosting or web
design and everything else necessary as well? Chances are
you'd have a definite advantage over your competition.

Even if you don't have the skills or ability to handle those
aspects of the project, you could team up with other
companies like yourself who also want to boost business and
give themselves a competitive edge.

No matter what product or service you primarily provide, you
could find ways to provide additional necessities to your
clients.

2) Step Up Customer Service

Hopefully, you already provide good service and support to
your customers, and you are probably already aware of how
critical this is to your business's success. But when times
get rough, customer service is even more crucial and you
need to go beyond the call of duty to convince clients that
their business is important to you.

For example, you may want to guarantee responses within a
few hours, instead of a few days. You may want to follow up
with thank you cards or phone calls. If a problem does
arise, act immediately to take care of it and rectify the
situation to the client's satisfaction.

Remember not only is that customer's business at stake, but
also the potential business of every single person he or she
is acquainted with.

3) Market More

Business is slow; budgets are tight. So what usually gets
trimmed first? Marketing. Do you know what the results are?
Disaster!

When you conduct marketing, you are not selling yourself to
generate business today or even tomorrow. Marketing is an
investment in your business's future. In fact, research has
shown that most marketing efforts don't pay off for at least
six months.

So think about that. Let's say you cut back on marketing in
June and you weather the economic down cycle, what's going
to happen in December? Absolutely nothing! Because all of
your potential clients have been won over by the marketing
efforts of your competition which were conducted during the
summer.

Instead of cutting back, a slow down is the time to boost
marketing. Get back in touch with past clients, attend
seminars, pass out fliers. After all, if work is slow, what
else are you going to be spending your time doing?

4) Keep A Positive Attitude

Times are hard. Your nerves are on edge. You're feeling the
pressure. When a past client calls to ask how things are
going, do you tell them the truth and hope they take pity on
you? Do you wallow in a self-defeating attitude? NO!

If you want to get through the hard times, you have to keep
in mind two things:

a) No one is going to do business with a failing company and

b) Hard times are only temporary.

Let's think about this. If you called up a company about
business and the representative says, "It will be great to
be finally getting some new clients" or "Things have been
horribly slow around here lately" are you going to trust
them with your project? No.

The first thing you are going to be wondering is why they
haven't been doing well. And that's what your potential
clients will wonder about you as well.

So how do you keep from breaking down on the phone with your
clients? By remembering that business is a cycle and just as
things are bad now, they will turn around and you will be
doing well again. The only thing permanent is giving up.

5) Branch Out

When things are slow with your business, you can take the
opportunity to do all those things you always wanted to do
but never had the time for.

Why not write some articles or an e-book related to your
business, then sell them or publish them to earn more money
and to further establish your credibility.

Or take a shot at teaching a class on e-commerce, computers,
or a topic related to your business at a local college,
vocational school, or adult learning center. Even if you
don't get paid, the exposure could do great things for your
business.

You could also start giving speeches, take some business or
technology classes, or take on some part-time work that will
give you more experiences that will help you compete in the
market when things go back to normal.

Although ups and downs are simply an inevitable part of
business, dealing with them effectively can make the
difference between staying afloat or going under.

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

This is the last week of prizes for our anniversary month
here at Aaronz WebWorkz! Thanks to everyone who part-
icipated in this, our two year anniversary! The prizes this
week include the $60 hosting package which had more entries
than any of our other giveaways.

First, the pocket knife, multi-tool set goes to Kathy G. who
won the porcelain doves our first week! Lucky Kathy!

The keychain multi-tool set for this week goes to Rob K. who
won the keychain multi-tool set last week! What luck!

Finally...drum roll please...the $60 hosting package goes to
Jeff L. of http://www.lobsterpotdirect.com! Awesome!

Thanks again to everyone for a great month of fun!

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Readers Talk Back!
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"Awesome newsletter, Aaron! I read every week."
--John C.

"Thanks for the press release article this week. I do a lot
of press releases for my business and charities that I am
involved in and that article was a great help in making mine
look more professional. Uber cool!"
--Nancy Z.

"Wow thanks to Fran for the great words."
--James C.

"I have been hearing a lot about press releases and how
great they are supposed to be for a business. Yet I rarely
see them in the regular news. How do they work then?"
--Bob L.

Editor: Well, Bob, it's pretty simple. Choose your "outlet"
for the story carefully. If you're sending a press release
talking about a new product that your business sells, craft
a press release to emphasize the NEWSWORTHINESS of that
product and don't focus on the fact that you're selling it.
Then craft ANOTHER release which emphasizes how your
business is using this product in an innovative way: how are
you selling it, do you have an interesting supply chain, is
the product versatile in the market (appeals to more than
one sector), etc. This release will be aimed towards
business-related publications.

I rarely do a press release for my own business, but I do a
lot of press releases for charities, political things, etc.
If the subject is current, the idea is "fresh," and the
information is solid, you'll have success with your
release. Remember that the point of a press release is NOT
to write a story for the media. The idea is to get them
interested. Once they're interested, you can send them a
"fact sheet" that gives them the information they'll need
for their story.

------------------------------------------------------------
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!

------------------------------------------------------------
Get More Traffic Using These Powerful Offline Advertising
Techniques!

By Grady Smith
Grady Smith offers low-cost copywriting services that
deliver a solid response. Need more traffic, leads, or
sales? Visit his website today and get a FREE critique and
quote detailing how Grady can help you increase profits:
http://www.cheap-copy.com

Editor's Comments: Speaking of press releases, here's some-
one who can help you with one. :)
------------------------------------------------------------

With the invention of e-commerce and online storefronts
we've ushered in a new low-cost way to promote and run a
business. But still the fact remains that most businesses
online are completely neglecting the affordable advertising
methods available to us in the offline world.

With over 500 million households online, and even more
accessing the Internet from work, now is the time to expand
your marketing and bring the offline world to your website.

Advertising offline, using the methods I'm about to detail,
is an effective way to bring new prospects to your site that
you wouldn't have reached through your online efforts. The
Internet is a cluttered land -- full of flashing banners and
pop-ups -- that sometimes distracts our prospects. But by
reaching out to them offline we're able to once again grab
their attention using time-tested techniques, and in the
end, bring them online for the purpose of visiting our site.

Here's three effective ways that might not be new, but are
often neglected as a way to bring new visitors to your
website:

===================
CLASSIFIED ADS
===================

If you've done your marketing homework you know there's an
easy to identify audience that is in need of your product.
And by taking your advertising offline, you now have a wide
array of targeted publications to reach your audience.

Almost any product has a magazine or trade publication that
reaches those interested in it. And by creating a classified
ad that builds enough interest, it's easy to simply provide
a link to your website and get strong traffic for your
efforts.

Plus, since we're talking about using a URL instead of a
long postal address, the expense is relatively low to run
these ads.


===================
PRESS RELEASES
===================

Again, you can use the offline press to announce your web-
site. And this is a free way to do it. Trade magazines might
be interested in running a promotional story about your
site. Or, maybe newspapers across the world will want to run
something and give you free publicity.

A strong offline press release can open new doors of free
advertising and shouldn't be passed on.


===================
MAILING LISTS
===================

An old staple of the mail order marketer, mailing lists are
still a targeted way to bring new prospects to your website.

In fact, I've found that the response is better when
compared to asking the prospect to write for more infor-
mation. The Internet allows an interested person to simply
type in a URL instead of filling out a form, finding a
stamp, and getting the response to the mailbox.

There are different mailing lists available, and with a
little searching you're sure to find one that targets your
precise market. Then you can mail a full-blown direct mail
package to these lists or simply send out an inexpensive
postcard that directs prospects to your Website.

With the ease of marketing offline, and the potential for
bringing new prospects to your site, these three suggestions
are ideas you should work to implement into your marketing
strategy. When done right they open a completely new and
sometimes easier means of getting the traffic you want. And
they're deadly effective for making your hits climb when
combined with your traditional online marketing efforts.

------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------
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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 #74 April 18, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Writing for Mediocrity
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover

by Marcia Yudkin
Marcia Yudkin (marcia@yudkin.com) is the author of the
classic guide Six Steps to Free Publicity (Career Press),
and 10 other books. She has helped clients achieve publicity
everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to the National
Enquirer, from the Today Show to local news broadcasts, and
she herself has been featured in Success Magazine,
Entrepreneur, Home Office Computing, Working Woman, scores
of major newspapers all over the U.S. and four times in the
Sunday Boston Globe. She has a new site focused on press
release makeovers at http://www.pressreleasehelp.com.

Editor's Comments: I've been crafting a lot of press
releases lately for various things. I'm the press liaison
for the Libertarian Party of Utah, co-organizer of an event
happening this weekend, plus my business. Press releases
are a VERY important way to get word spread around in the
media.
------------------------------------------------------------

Despite many changes that the Internet has wrought in public
relations, the press release (also called a "news release"
or "media release") remains the major tool for attracting
media coverage. To make sure your release gets serious
attention from media gatekeepers, use this checklist to turn
it into a powerful publicity generator.

1. Make sure that the release focuses on just one main
message. Some organizations that rarely issue press
releases or simply aren't familiar with the form try to cram
everything about everything into it, which lowers the odds
that it will get picked up. Normally you should have no
problem keeping the release to one page or a page and a
half. If you have difficulty making the release that short,
see whether you might really have two main messages, which
would be better incorporated into two releases rather than
one.

2. Does your headline substantively make clear what the
release is about? What I call "mystery meat" headlines,
such as "The House That Pun Built" or "Turning Wall St. on
Its Ear. . ." (found on a press release newswire) don't
indicate whether these concern architecture, comedy clubs,
software, books, financial services or something else.
Media folks scan headlines to determine whether or not it's
worth their time to read the whole release. If the headline
doesn't make the release seem relevant to their readers,
listeners or viewers, they go on to the next candidate.
Long headlines, or the use of a subhead along with the
headline, are perfectly fine.

3. Avoid the salesy tone typical of advertising. Newspaper
editors surveyed about the releases that pour into their
offices named their number one complaint as "sounds like an
ad." Stay away from the word "you" in headlines and text in
a release and instead use the journalistic, third-person
tone typical of news stories. Put your release side by side
with the front page of your local newspaper, and if the
style matches, you're on the right track.

4. Be specific rather than providing a general overview.
Provocative facts, specific opinions and tantalizing details
make more of an impact on people reading your release than
broad-brush statements. For instance, in a release
promoting a book on alternative health care, provide eye-
catching pointers and tips from the book, not sweeping
statements that could come across as familiar and ho-hum.

5. Include necessary details. Never make media people go
to a Web site or make a phone call to learn something
fundamental like price, date, whether something comes in
various sizes and so on. These normally go at the end of
the release. Consider using a so-called "landing page" with
a dedicated page address to which you send people only from
that release so that you can more easily track Web traffic
resulting from it.

6. Finally, proofread as rigorously as if your life
depended on it. Actually call every phone number and try
every URL included in the release, as it's all too easy to
transpose numbers and end up wasting the whole effort. If
you've incorporated proper names from outside your
organization (is it "Wal-mart," "Wal-Mart" or "WalMart" or
"Walmart"?), doublecheck the correct spelling.

These changes help turn your release into something that
inspires valuable media coverage!

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

What a week! I'll actually be glad when it's past. :)
This was "tax day week" for us Americans plus all of the
other busy things always going on. I'm co-organizer of a
Bill of Rights rally that will be taking place this Saturday
(11am, South Steps of the state capitol building) and it's
turned into something much bigger than I'd dreamed when we
started putting it together a few months ago! If you are
here in Utah, come on out!

In other news, I will be putting off the usual technology
update until May. It will be larger when it prints at that
time, obviously, and may even take up the entire issue. It
will run in the May 9 issue (issue #77).

Congratulations to our winners this week!

Lisa P. won again, this time taking the stainless steel
coffee mug!

Don C. won a copy of "Confessions of Shameless Internet
Promoters" which features an article by ME!

Rob K. won the keychain multi-tool set.

Bryan E. wins again, this time taking the bonus prize for
this week - the American Flag window sticker!

Good luck on next week's drawings, everyone. It is the
final week of the prize giveaways to celebrate our second
anniversary! Next week's prizes include a pocket knife and
multi-tool combination set, a keychain multi-tool, and
ONE YEAR of free hosting (a $60 value)!

http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com/contest.html

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Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"Wanted to share this with you. This is from a manuscript my
sister painted my when I was 19 and returning home from a
coast to coast bicycle tour. I think it applies to every-
thing.

"Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness and genius, power and magic in it...

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to
draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of
initiative and creation there is one elementary truth, the
ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of
events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all
manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material
assistance which no man could have dreamed would have com
his way...Begin it now."
--Fran Tully (http://www.lputah.org)

Editor: Thanks, Fran! For those who don't know, Fran is the
Chairman of the Salt Lake County Libertarian Party and a
good friend of mine. I thought I would share that great
message with everyone.

"Great organization article! I love it!"
--Bob C.

"Trademarks are something i have been thinking about for
some time now. I have products that could use registration
and the article you ran this week was perfectly on target
for me! Thank you!"
--Jayne L.

------------------------------------------------------------
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!

------------------------------------------------------------
Writing for Mediocrity

By Heather Reimer
How can you free up more of your time and improve your
traffic and revenues? Hire an experienced writer/editor
for action-provoking content. It does make a difference!
Heather Reimer has been a professional writer for 16 years.
She can create custom e-zine and web content, sales letters,
ads and articles just for you. For fast, effective and
memorable content, mailto:heatherreimer@codetel.net.do

Editor's Comments: Here's a good article on publishing for
marketing purposes (free articles and so forth).
------------------------------------------------------------

A while back, an Internet wit compiled a list of signs
that you're not spending enough time online. One sure
sign is that poor spelling and grammar still bother you.
Good one!

Unfortunately, there are no online grammar police ... just
you and me, voluntarily dotting our own "i"s and crossing
our own "t"s. And since you want to go forth and prosper
as an Internet business, you're taking the time to do it,
right?

After all, as author Virginia Shea pointed out in her
online book Netiquette, "On the Web, you won't be judged
by the color of your skin, eyes or hair, your weight, your
age, or your clothing. You will, however, be judged by the
quality of your writing."

Okay, maybe these days, people aren't as picky as they once
were about speaking and writing perfectly. Whether that's
okay or not, is up for debate. But if you lose coherency
as a result... well, that's going to cost you money and
that's not negotiable, is it?

But, for those of you with too many clients and too much
money, here are a few guidelines on writing for mediocrity:

1. Do not under any circumstances use the spell check
function or have someone else proofread your text before
uploading it. That wood be a horendus waist of time and
serbs no porpoise.

2. If you don't have valuable content, don't worry...
just substitute fancy fonts, busy wallpaper and lots of
blinking banners. Your visitors will be so distracted
they won't notice you have nothing to say.

3. If you quote someone, don't bother to get their
permission or spell their name correctly. Why? See rule #1.

4. Exclamation marks rule!!! Your prospects have likely
never seen this tactic before and so will think that urgent
punctuation (!!!) requires urgent action (!!!) on their part.

5. Don't be afraid of large blocks of text. Readers see
that dense copy and say to themselves: "Oh goody, I was just
running short of things to read!"

6. Bury your lead. This is an old journalism trick
practiced by old journalists who couldn't remember the
point of their story. This delightful writing style
requires your readers to plow through a slagheap of details
before reaching the nugget of your story. Internet users
are patient creatures with nowhere else to go, so don't
hesitate to ramble.

7. If you want your readers to take a specific action
such as order a product or "click here", don't state that
outright. Subtlety is best. Give them the benefit of
the doubt and assume they know what they're supposed to do.

8. Which brings us to tone. Your written tone of voice
is very important. You never want your readers to suspect
that a real live person is standing behind their words or,
worse yet, standing behind their product. Just pretend you
are a robot and the writing will come much easier.

9. Consistently utilize a preponderance of gargantuan
words, even in localities where a more diminutive
congregation of characters would be sufficient. This
method, employed with great success by lawyers, will
convince your humble readers that you are infinitely
smarter than they are and they will buy your product or
service out of sheer gratitude.

By following the above guidelines in writing your content,
you'll be moving the world one step closer to the day when
the entire web is a syntax-free zone and professional
writers (like me) spend our days fishing cigarette butts
out of bus station ashtrays.

------------------------------------------------------------
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 #73 April 11, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Become An Organized Disorganizer
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Are You Familiar with Trademark Law?
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Become An Organized Disorganizer

By Noel Peebles
Noel Peebles offers you his FREE mini-course "17 Powerful
Secrets That Have Made Business Owners Into Millionaires."
100% FREE! Simply send a blank email to:
instantsellbusiness@ReportsNetwork.com

Editor's Comments: A very short, but great article that
basically outlines my secret to life. :)
------------------------------------------------------------

From experience I have found that being a good leader
is not just about being a good organizer. It’s also
about being a good disorganizer. By that I mean learning
to throw things out of balance, because that’s the best
way to bring about change.

By keeping things off balance we keep people on their
toes and we keep our minds alert to expect change.
Change stimulates emotion and encourages vision.

After running several businesses I have come to the
conclusion that leadership is about emotion not just
organization and administration. I am talking about
the excitement of pursuing a dream and the excitement
of helping staff to develop. Leadership is about
caring... caring for your staff, your customers, your
product, your service and even your suppliers. It’s
about developing something that is fun, exciting and
worth doing.

All the better if you push yourself to the front with
impatience and the determination to get things done.
Shake things up a bit. Be adventurous...try different
ways of doing things.

This is a highly competitive, rapidly changing world,
so you need to different to be seen. And be results
oriented even if it means tackling challenges in a
different way. After all, leadership is about emotion,
vision and determination with the stimulation of
change. I’ve certainly found this to be a recipe for
success.

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

Another great week has gone by! We held a drawing for three
new prizes this morning and have contacted the winners (via
email).

The Amazing String Thing Cat Toy went to Brenda M.
The Pocket Knife and Multi-Tool Set went to Bryan E.
Richard N. won another prize this week, this time taking the
keychain multi-tool pocket knife!

Next week's prize drawing includes another stainless steel
coffee mug (a popular item!), a copy of "Confessions of
Shameless Internet Promoter" by Debbie Allen (featuring ME),
and another keychain multi-tool pocket knife!

Issue 75 will have the most popular prize with the most
number of entries: the free year of hosting!

Last week's issue included a bonus prize ticket to enter any
of the drawings and very few of you took advantage of it.
Rather than send out another one this week, I thought I'd
issue a ticket for a completely new prize! Check out the
prize page and you'll see a new prize has been added to the
list for next week's available prizes as a bonus! The
ticket below is the ONLY way you can win this prize! Good
luck!

http://aww.aaronzwebworkz.com/contest.html

*************** Prize Ticket ***************
BONUS Ticket for [email]
Prize: BONUS Prize in issue #74
*************** Prize Ticket ***************

For those of you in the Salt Lake City area, I will be on
The Shari Holwig Show on KTKK-AM 630 between 3pm and 4pm
on Tuesday (April 15).

------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"That's so cool, I never win anything, so this is very
exciting! Thanks,"
--Kathy G.
[Note: Kathy won the porcelain dove jewelry box set last
week.]

"BTW, Aaron -- I am just starting out my web design business
-- so far 3 active projects and a bunch more as soon as I
can take them on. Your site and newsletter have been SUCH a
great resource for me -- I really appreciate the work you do
and that you share your knowledge so well. It's great to
have someone who with similar goals to align with."
--Lisa W.P.

"Hello Aaron, enjoy your newsletter. I would like to ask
you a question regarding getting a new search engine. I
have been using AOL but I have been finding it just does not
fit my needs anymore. Anytime I want to listen to a class
with OAA I have to use Internet explorer and I have just
purchased another computer for my home and I am not able to
have another family member online the same time I am without
AOL charging me double the monthly fees. If you would be so
kind as to give me your take on who you feel are the better
search engines.

"I would really appreciate you opinion. Regards,
--Jeanne J.

Editor: Search Engines or Internet Service Providers (ISP)?
It sounds to me like you need a new ISP.

There are a lot of good ones. I tend to go with the smaller
guys who are more local if possible. Currently I’m with
Earthlink because I use a satellite uplink. I have never
had a serious problem with them. Locally, there are several
companies like Einstein Online, Xmission, and others.

Your best bet is to look in your phone book under “Internet”
and see what’s available. Then ask around to your friends,
collegues, etc. and see what they have to say.

Something I can say for sure is that moving up from the
training wheels of AOL or MSN is a big step! :)

"As the new company serving your Internet needs, we know
we'll have to work hard to prove to you we are unlike any
cable company you've ever had.

"Since 1963, Comcast has been proving just that to the
people we serve all across the country. We've done it by
focusing on one principle: commitment."
--Comcast, sent courtesy of John S.

Editor: Thanks for the article, John. For those of you who
are AT&T customers in cable television or as your ISP, this
changeover will probably affect you sooner or later. Here
in Utah, it's already happened. John is in the Bay Area of
California and it's happened there as well. Not sure about
the east end of the country. Regardless, it should be a
fairly painless change except that once they notify you,
you'll need to start letting people know that your email
address is changing. I'm not sure how long the old ones
will last in all cases, but here in the Salt Lake area,
they are allowing a six month window.

Another change taking place is my favorite spot, Mail Boxes
Etc. If they served coffee, I'd never leave! Well, now
they've been purchased by UPS and are changing their names
to "The UPS Store." That just doesn't roll off the tongue
like "M-B-E" does. Oh well. So long as their service
doesn't change, I'll keep going there.

------------------------------------------------------------
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!

------------------------------------------------------------
Are You Familiar with Trademark Law?
by Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach
©Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, offers coaching and Internet
courses on emotional intelligence to improve your life in
all areas. www.susandunn.cc and mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc
for FREE ezine. EQ products available for licensing to
jumpstart your coaching practice.

Editor's Comments: Another short article, but a good one.
This will effect you sometime, somewhere, someday if you're
in business. You'd be surprised how easy it is to get a
trademark, though!
------------------------------------------------------------

You've been using your company name for a while now and, as
things get more crowded, you're beginning to wonder if
anyone else uses it, what the law is, and what you should
do, if anything to protect it.

Did you know that FIRST USE of a trademark will grant you
common law ownership of that trademark in the particular
market in which you currently offer your goods or services,
but FEDERAL REGISTRATION grants you the exclusive right to a
trademark in the relevant market nationwide. You can go
here for more general information on trademarks:
http://www.nameprotect.com/tm_protection_reginfo.html

So is it really "yours"? Start with a free trademark search
to see if it's already taken:
http://www.nameprotect.com/cgi-bin/FREESearch/search.cgi.

If not, you can proceed here:
http://www.uspto.gov/teas/index.html to register your name
on the US Patent and Trademark Office's electronic system.

Once you have your name trademarked, NameProtect will
monitor it for you monthly, tell you about competitors,
guard against threats to your brand, and alert you if
someone is trade marking your name. Go here:
http://www.nameprotect.com/tmmonitoring.htm.

Perhaps you're wondering what the BENEFITS of FEDERAL
REGISTRATION are? Here are some:

· Provides nationwide notice of exclusive ownership which
prevents others from acquiring common low rights through
innocent adoption and use
· Creates legal presumption in court of your right to
exclusive use
· Opportunity to make it unchallengeable by keeping it in
use for 5 years from date of registration

You can go here to learn more:
http://www.nameprotect.com/reference.html#FedRegBenefits.

What are the QUALIFICATIONS for FEDERAL REGISTRATION? It
has to be distinctive enough to identify the business as the
only source of goods and services, and ordinary names
(descriptive, laudatory, geographical, personal and generic)
don't usually qualify.

STRONG TRADEMARKS include

*Fanciful. Made-up words like "Kodak".
*Arbitrary. Real words used in a different way, such as
Apple computers.
*Suggestive. Real words that suggest, but don't actually
describe qualities, like Greyhound bus.

WEAK TRADEMARKS include
*Descriptive Trademarks, like "Donuts," or "Low-Cost
Builders"
*Personal Names, like Smith's Automotive.
*Unless they develop 'secondary meaning,' like Ben & Jerry's
ice cream.
*Generic Words, like "aspirin".

Source:
http://www.nameprotect.com/reference.html#FedRegBenefits

Where else can you get information? The International
Trademark Association (INTA), http://www.inta.org . Check
out their Checklist for Trademarks + Trademark Proper Use
Kit. Join their TM Topics Email List to post questions, get
answers, and exchange ideas with members and non-members,
"from top level corporations, associations and legal firms".
Go here: http://www.inta.org/tmcklst1.htm .

And what about your URL? Global Domain Name Monitoring can
help you protect your domain name.
(http://www.nameprotect.com/freemon.html ) They provide
monthly monitoring of new, potentially infringing domain
name registrations from the general Top Level extensions -
.com, .net, .org, and more - and country-code domain name
extensions.

Your name and trademark are an important part of branding.
Protect yourself. Of course for legal advice, contact a
trademark or intellectual property lawyer.

------------------------------------------------------------
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]

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[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 #72 April 4, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Securing a Wireless Network
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Are You In Business To Help Customers?
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Securing a Wireless Network
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz

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

Last week, we talked about setting up your wireless network
and the options that are available. For the home, home-
office, or small office, wireless is a great alternative
which offers a lot of benefits and flexibility. The head-
aches involved were also mentioned. One of the biggest of
those headaches is security.

Just putting in an 802.11a, b, or g network is not enough.
Just because the wireless standard is supposed to be secure
doesn't mean it really is by default. The 802.11b standard,
especially, is very open to risk from outside intrusion.

Most people know that your wireless/cordless phone is, by
itself, pretty insecure. A phone of the same model or a
receiver set to the right frequency can easily pick up the
transmission - utilizing your phone or listening to your
conversation. Luckily, the limited range of these devices
and the sheer numbers of them are good limiting factors to
this type of privacy breech. Still, a phone with a cord
connected to the wall is much more secure than a phone with
an antenna.

The same is true of networking gear. A network connected by
wires is much easier to secure than a network that is
wirelessly beaming information every which way. That much
is obvious. However, the security of wires comes at the
price of flexibility. That's where the tradeoff is and on
the whole, wireless is a great alternative.

To secure a wireless network requires a little common sense
as well as a little technical savvy when configuring the
settings for the network itself. First, the actual location
of your wireless gear is important.

Try to locate the transmitters (especially the "hubs" or
"access points") in an area where, while accessible to as
many systems as possible, access to an outside wall or
window is not available. In fact, the more "centralized"
you can make your network transmissions, the more you'll
limit the options a hacker has at finding an access point
that is "safe" for him to use. If he has to be physically
in your office or in the office next door in order to use
it, he's limited as to what he can do with the network.
Because wireless networks are flexible, you can centralize
like this and, as circumstances change, move your units to
cover a broader range - always keeping in mind the area
covered outside of your "zone."

Continuing with the theme of access points, do not allow
"rogue" access points on your network. A rogue access point
is one that is not officially a part of the network. For
instance, let's say you're in a small office and one of your
co-workers, Jill, brings in her wireless access point
because she wants to be able to use her laptop on the board
room - not currently covered by the network. Instead of
requesting through channels that this be set up, she merely
brings her own in, plugs it into the network, and starts
using it. This access point probably hasn't been set to the
same security standards as the rest of your network and is
therefore a liability. Making this against the rules up
front will make others aware that it is not allowed so they
don't assume that it's "OK."

Access points can usually be set to have individual login ID
and passwords for setup. Changing the defaults is a big
step towards raising security. This can usually be done
through the access point's software via your computer.
Setting security standards like 128-bit WEP, Service Set
Identifiers (SSIDs), and "authenticating" users with a fire-
wall are also good ideas. While none of these individually
will stop an intruder who knows how to hack a wireless
system, every stumbling block helps and will slow the
intruder down.

Further, by limiting the access rights of certain users (on
any network, not just wireless setups), you limit the
possibility of a hacker getting a legitimate user's pass
codes and entering the system. If you further set the net-
work to allow only a limited number of users (say there are
10 people in the office, set up only ten user accounts and
allow no more) on at any given time, you will stop "clones"
from appearing - the same user being logged in more than
once.

Simple security measures and a watchful eye can keep your
wireless network safe from intrusion and unauthorized use.
Even a home-office should have some measure of security to
keep the sanctity of data and access.

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

A great week! Our first three prizes have been awarded in
the big Aaronz WebWorkz Anniversary drawing!

Congratulations to Kathy G., Richard N., and Lisa for their
wins this week! Details can be found at:
http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com/contest.html

As a special bonus, here is an extra ticket you can use to
enter any of the remaining prize drawings!

*************** Prize Ticket ***************
Ticket (Extra1) for [insert email]
Prize: [insert prize description]
*************** Prize Ticket ***************

Good luck!

A quick piece of news from Yahoo! Finance. The Attorney
General of Missouri has sent a letter to PayPal (owned
by eBay, Inc.) for violation of a provision of the USA
PATRIOT Act. You can read more about this here:
http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/030331/0912000807 3.html
[cut & paste as necessary]

------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"Happy Anniversary to you and Kathie,I always read your
Newsletter thru and find it very useful. I keep meaning to
find something to write about especially about marketing for
the one person freelance without any money to spare. My
clients seem to come from seeing my sites and word of mouth,
and as I work from home I try to keep my expenses to a
minimum.

"I am really happy that I found you thru About.com Forum to
host my sites you have been so patient and helpful with my
simple questions. I have a lot to learn but being of the 3d
Generation It takes a little longer but i get there...
Kind Regards,"
--Ruth N (http://www.amimax.co.il)

Editor: Thanks, Ruth! For those who haven't read feedback
from Ruth before, she is in Israel and I host several of her
sites. She also has a cool English-style accent. :)

"Do you accept bribes to facilitate my winning your
contests?"
--Anonymous

Editor: Umm...not publicly, no. :) Actually, if you want
to pay me what the stuff is worth, we can work an "outside
of the drawing" kind of deal...

"When I set up my wireless network, I noticed that the
setup software did not include any talks about how to set
up the security features. Any ideas?"
--Bob C.

Editor: Well, Bob, without knowing exactly what the gear is,
I can only tell you that it's probably buried in the soft-
ware somewhere. In talking to a few people, I've found that
some 802.11b setups are a little lacking in this area. Not
surprising. If you're using Windows 2000 or XP, there are
several things built into the system that you can use rather
than relying on the vendor software from the hardware
provider. That's also an option.

On another note, Microsoft has acknowledged that there is a
raging security hole in all of its wireless connectivity in
Windows XP & 2000. They plan to fix this with a patch soon.

------------------------------------------------------------
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!

------------------------------------------------------------
Are You In Business To Help Customers?
Copyright 2003 Bob Leduc

Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses just like yours
find new customers and increase sales. He just released a
New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business
Fast With Simple Postcards and several other publications to
help small businesses grow and prosper. For more information:
Email: BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards"
Phone: 702-658-1707 after 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV

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

Customers want to believe you are in business to help them.
They don't mind if you make a profit by helping them. But
they won't buy from you if they believe you are only in
business to get their money.

Here are 4 ways you can assure customers that you are in
business to help them.

1. Personalize Your Sales Approach

Customers will not believe you really want to (or can) help
them when they see you trying to sell the same product or
service to everybody.

Learn everything you can about your customers and their
lifestyles. Then, sub-divide your targeted market into
several narrowly defined niche markets.

Customize your sales messages to the specific interests and
needs of prospects in each niche market. Customers should be
able to see your product or service as the perfect solution
to their specific situation.

2. Convert Everything Into Customer Benefits

One way to convince customers you want to help them is to
focus on the benefits they can get from you.

Customers don't really care about you, your company, your
products or your professional credentials. They only care
about the benefits they can get by using your products or
services.

Keep this in mind as you develop your web pages, sales
letters and other promotional materials. Present everything
in terms of the benefit it provides to customers. For
example:

...Don't just list the features of your product or service.
Explain how those features provide the benefits your
customers want.

...Don't just publicize your educational or professional
credentials. Describe how those credentials equip you to do
a better job for customers than your competitors.

3. Build A Relationship

You can also demonstrate your commitment to help customers
by building a relationship with them. Few prospects buy on
the first communication - even if they desperately want or
need what you are selling.

Stay in contact with these prospective customers. Follow up
periodically with some useful information ...and don't
charge them for it. Building a supportive relationship
proves you want to help them. It gains their trust - and
eventually a sale.

Internet Marketers: Make sure you have a way of getting the
email addresses of visitors to your web site. You need it to
follow up with them. For example, offer a complimentary
subscription to your email newsletter - or a complimentary
special report delivered by email.

4. Encourage Questions

Answering questions is another way to demonstrate your
interest in helping customers. It also captures sales you
would otherwise lose from prospects unable to get all the
information they wanted.

Encourage prospective customers to ask questions when you
are in a live selling situation.

Make it easy for customers to ask questions when they are at
your web site or in other selling situations without live
communication.

For example, provide a phone number customers can call to
speak with you or someone else who can answer their
questions. Consider using a toll-free number unless you only
do business in a local area.

Tip: Include a Q&A page on your web site with answers to
frequently asked questions. It will reduce the number of
questions you have to answer individually.

Customers know you are in business to make a profit. But
they also want to know you are in business to help them. The
4 methods revealed in this article will help you assure
customers that you are committed to helping them.

------------------------------------------------------------
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).