That causes me to ask… have you heard of Nopalea?

If you’re in Texas, the name, at least rings a bell. “Nopalito” is a form of cactus found in certain Mexican dishes… even breakfast tacos around here. It’s just that till now nobody thought much of their potential for health – and in a form that’s easy for anyone to incorporate into their diet.

Like so many natural substances, the Nopal cactus (Opuntia Ficus Indica) has heretofore unknown healthful qualities we’re just now uncovering. Some people though consider it the perfect anti inflammatory wellness drink. I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say. It does, however, contain rare and potent antioxidants that are scientifically proven to help the body reduce inflammation.

Interested in learning more? Readers of my blog can try Nopalea for free (only pay $9.95 for shipping) by calling 1-800-203-7063. While Nopalea has sponsored this post I am passing along the “Free Offer” without any other connection to the company. Try it if you want.

Some are “crowd funded” in the sense of asking many strangers to chip in amounts of cash to their liking. While that may seem “small potatoes”, it’s worked remarkably well for some ventures. I’ve even been acquainted with a musician using such a service to “crowdfund” $12,000 for a CD recording project.

But there are other types of venture capital firms that use the internet to link to companies seeking funding. BusinessPartners.com is one such venue where investors, start up consultants, and those with growing businesses can potentially meet. As their website notes:

“Business Partners is a global Internet based service that connects Entrepreneurs, Business Owners, Early Stage Companies, and Established Corporations with Angel Investors, Venture Capital Firms, Venture Capital Sources, Investment Funds, Investment Banks, Corporate Investors, Potential Business Partners, Strategic Alliances, Businesses for Sale, Business Consultants, and target data for Mergers and Acquisitions.”

While crowdfunding and peer to peer lending may support smaller operations, larger projects with greater capital requirements and more sophisticated needs will likely term to online communities that serve as a source of “one stop shopping” for issues related to funding a business start up.

Thanks to BusinessPartners.com for sponsoring this blog today.

It makes you wonder… could he (or we?) do better?

Did you know that more than one project sought $100,000 in funding but closed the door to new investors when people committed over $700,000? Wow! That’s amazing.

I wonder how many home/small businesses  are not using this to their advantage?

If you’d like to know how to get started… check out this great article:

Mashable’s 9 Essential Steps for Kickstarter Campaign anyone hoping to fund a business venture should check out!

The income tax is more convoluted than ever… tax simplification schemes quickly degenerate back into more rules and possible credits and deductions for those who know about them and qualify.

That’s why tax preparation for the foreseeable future will be a viable business opportunity. I’ve personally known several people who make a living that way. Some made enough to basically only work hard 6 months of the year… but they worked like dogs then of course!

But NOW is the time to think about this option if you’re serious. You can’t become a tax preparer when everybody is worried about taxes. You have to study ahead.

The big “tax prep” franchises even give their little course in the fall. Unfortunately it’s getting harder for INDIVIDUALS to enter the field. There have been so many scoundrels telling people about imaginary tax deductions, it’s increasingly important to consider whether you need to be a Registered Tax Return Preparer to protect YOU as much as protecting your clients. If that’s your course, the time to start working on it is today and not next fall.

It’s important to be trained at a genuine training provider. Check for one that is reputable. You may even want to work with one that bears the logo of an IRS Approved continuing education provider. Here’s what that looks like…

Thanks to Fast Forward Academy for sponsoring this post.

If you can write an app that makes $1000 in the first year on it’s own, RIM will GIVE you up to an extra $9,000! They’re guaranteeing that good apps can be worth up to $10,000 for new developers.

Here are the details…

Apps have to meet certain quality standards and make minimum sales, but it still sounds like a good idea…

Here’s how Gumroad works…

The feels are higher than a credit card merchant account probably, BUT you don’t have to get those accounts AND you don’t have to master the art of setting up secure download sites, etc.

Personally if I could use PayPal and something like the$7 Offers Script (affiliate link), I would because the money comes in right away… no 30 day wait.

BUT if you’re used to waiting 30 days anyway, this would be no big deal.

If you’re interested, you can check out their video here:

An introduction to Gumroad. from Gumroad on Vimeo.

Brought To By Outright.com

Though everyone is taking about “social media marketing“, the reality is that NOW is a great time to be doing email marketing in conjunction with Facebook and Twitter. iContact allows you to automatically schedule posts to these platforms as well as email all you customers. Where I currently reside, many businesses have caught on and sign up folks for their email lists by sending at least a $5 coupon by email and promising future coupon. Lot’s of people sign up.

Because inexperienced marketers are thinking Facebook is the place to focus their efforts, they’re failing to be building mailing lists now and focusing all their efforts on Social Media and neglecting email. Hopefully you won’t be one of them. By having a contact “Like” you on Facebook AND receive email, you are doubling your chances of making new sales… it’s just that simple.

Rather than focusing on email marketing software per se, the industry standard and what I suggest is a web based system that allows you to schedule posts aheaad and which doesn’t send out email from your domain. Professional email companies like iContact can assure internet providers that they’re not sending out spam when a few complaints could get you quckly blacklisted as a spammer.

Whatever you do in 2012, don’t let your business fall prey to the vagaries of walk in business… have an email marketing system to create new business on a more predictable and repeat basis using email marketing.

Thanks to icontact for sponsoring this link!

Many folks visiting this site are interested in Starting a Small Business. SmallBusienssMe.com has a number of resources to help with that. You can see their start up guide for 2012 here. I’d only add that the main thing is to find a business that you can be PASSIONATE about because to succeed you will have to LIVE your business. It will be – if I’m not misusing the word –  your “calling”. That will be the only way to succeed. If you begin your business planning how you’re going to get exotic drinks on the beach instead of finding joy in the work you actually DO daily, it probably won’t work out. Joy and passion in doing your business will help you overcome and work past the hardships that otherwise will stop your world be competition! Oh well, off my soapbox!

If you already have a home or small business you may want to stop by just for the tax tips and read their material on Small Business Taxes. As April 15th draws near, it pays to make sure  you’re maximizing your legitimate deductions.

You’ll know you’re at the right place when you find this in YOUR browser!

Thanks to SmallBusinessMe.com for their sponsorship today!

Anyway, I open my email today and I’m approached by this advertiser wants to sponsor a blog post…

The FIRST thing they want to make very clear is that they will NOT pay for links posted in PLAGIARIZED or “SPUN” articles!

My first reaction is that such a comment “first thing” is a strange way to begin a relationship. To paraphrase the Shakespeare line “Methinks he doth protest too much”!

And so it would prove…

But a lack of human skills is frequently lacking in the business world. The funny (or rather “sick”, “insane”,”maddening”, your choice) is that the website seeking links that is so against PLAGIARISM is a website selling term papers to college students so they can go out and party instead of spending all their time working!

No kidding, that’s pretty much what their website says.

Funny how people who want to prostitute themselves so that others can plagiarize recognize the evil of the practice when it comes to promoting their business!

As Homer Simpson would say… “Doh!”