Holiday Shopping SOLVED!!!

Let me guess... There are people you love, people you like, clients, bosses, co-workers, etc. AND... you'd like to buy a perfect Christmas gift for all of them! Right??

But alas... your budget for Christmas this year just doesn't seem to equal what it would cost to buy all those gifts! Right??!! Some of you have NO budget… Right?! So what do you do??!! I’m here to help.

You likely know that I'm a big believer in creating your own economy, and that there is a HUGE difference between YOUR economy and THE economy. That said, I think we can all agree that there has been an economic down turn. Whether it's affected you personally, or not, I feel confident that you know someone who's been affected by what's going on in our economy at this time.

Regardless if you have personally been affected by the economy or not, here are my simple solutions for Christmas and Holiday spending this year. They are working for me, and they will work for everyone who is committed to not overspending this year. (Yes friends, these techniques will work for Hanukah and New Years too!)

1. Your friends and family love you for YOU not for the gifts you give them.

I am a famous over-spender at Christmas time. No matter what my budget is, I usually spend twice that! (And my budget is usually several thousand dollars... and yet I seem to go over anyway!  ARG!!)

This year will be different. My family and I have decided that our money is better spent on other things this year, instead of extravagant gifts. So we are doing token gifts, or JUST CARDS!!! THAT'S IT! (Seriously.)

For my friends (as a general rule)... I'm doing “nothing”. That's right, I said nothing. Perhaps a card here or there. Perhaps a token gift. Maybe I’ll meet them for a coffee. But I refuse to do the old Christmas hustle this year and spend money that is better used in other areas of my life right now. So they get my love, my friendship, and if we can coordinate our schedules, my time. (Our most valuable asset, by the way.)

Other ideas that are super cost effective: Poems, Love Notes, Coupons for stuff from you (Eg. massages, clean their kitchen, take them to a movie, help them with their filing, help them organize their closet, etc.) There are an unlimited amount of things you can give a "coupon" for that people will absolutely love! (And appreciate more than that ugly $10 watch you saw. You know, the one with all the rhinestones.)

Some of my best gifts, given and received, have been home-made; or the gift of someone's time to help me get something done that I needed.

The fact of the matter is, my family and my friends will love me if I give them presents this year or not. And if they don't... they didn't really love me in the first place.

2. Client/Boss/Business gifts can be simple and thoughtful, and inexpensive!!

I understand that your clients and business associates may not be as understanding as your loved ones. Mine aren't!! I also understand that a thoughtful Holiday gift can mean more business in 2010! So, what to do about business gifts??!!

I personally am going to be giving $25 - $100 gift certificates to fabulous restaurants in their area... and I'm only going to be spending $2 - $12 for each of them!!! Yes, you heard me correctly on the price!!!!
Wanna' do the same?? Of course you do!

Here's how:


Go to: http://www.yourcashbackbuddy.com/

Click on the arrow that says "GO" and sign up for your own VIP, CASH BACK shopping portal

Once there, click on the "Restaurant Site". (It's at the very top in the middle.)

Shop

When you are ready to check out, use the discount code: SNOW

You will also get 12.5% cash back on your purchase!!

Who loves 'ya baby??!!

Tips to make the gift as lovely a possible:

1. Print the gift certificate out on nice paper.

2. Put it in a card. (You can also order cards from your VIP ShopYTB site, and you'll get cash back on your purchase.)

3. If you can, hand deliver your card with a bow on it. It looks more like a present.

You will have only spent $2 - $12 on each gift, and people LOVE them! Why not??!! They get to go out to eat with a gift certificate! Everyone loves that!! AND you chose a restaurant in their neighborhood. How very thoughtful of you!!

3. For people that you are getting presents for no matter what… Get CASH BACK on your purchase!

You're going to shop anyway, why not get cash back?!!

Follow the same instructions above to get your VIP Cash Back Shopping portal at http://www.yourcashbackbuddy.com/

You'll get to shop at over 700 stores and get up to 25% cash back on EVERYTHING you buy!

That’s it… those are my secrets… now they are your secrets too.

Have an amazing Holiday Season!  And remember that you are worth more than your money, or your gifts. Stay within your budget, and give people the gift of your love and yourself.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Wishing you Love, Light and

Great Abundance this Holiday Season!

Contact Management Specifics!

Here are some specific suggestions for Contact Management so you can start your new Database Marketing right!!!

If you want to start for free you can use your email program.  (Eg.  Yahoo, Gmail, etc.)  HOWEVER... and you'll notice this is a BIG however... ultimately this will NOT serve you for contact management and database marketing.  You can only send emails to approx. 100 contacts at a time.  That will not work for long.  (My personal DB goal right now is 10,000 contacts!!!  That would never work in a typical personal email program.)

The Email Program I use is IContact.  This allows me to send emails and newsletters to nearly unlimited contacts with the push of a button!  I can segment my lists, send auto-responders, surveys, etc.  (The truth is, I don't know if they are the best.  From what I hear, all of these email programs have their issues)... but IContact works great for me!!  AND, I can offer you a FREE trial!  So, check it out and see if you like it!  You risk nothing, and could find your new Database Marketing Program!

For your FREE Trial, just click on:  http://www.icontact.com/a.pl/499141

The other contact management program I recommend is ACT!  This is contact management software that you can buy from almost any store that sells software.  Here you can track contacts, do reports, print lablels, and set up to-do's for each contact or group.  However... this is NOT a great program for emails.  This is more for contact management and direct mailings... but I love this too.

The important thing is to start now, start today and build that database!!

**Special thanks to my friend Denise who suggested I write this blog!

***If you have a comment or suggestion, please enter it in Comments below!

Be sure to register for my "Deals & Steals" Travel Deals Newsletter at www.YourTicketBuddy.com!

HAPPY DATABASE MARKETING!!!

Database Marketing!!!

As we continue into the age of technology, I'm finding that size DOES matter!!!  The size of your database that is!!!

I just launched my new Travel Newsletter, "The Travel Times".  I have over 1000 people in my newsletter group, and so far I've gotten a ton of opens, and clicks and only 2 people unsubscribed.  I think that's GREAT for over 1000 emails going out!

It is FAR easier to sell to your current database then find new clients to market to.  So.... build your database!!  It doesn't matter if you don't even have a database!  Start TODAY.  Put one together and start loading it up with contacts.  Then offer VALUE to those contacts on a regular basis, this will keep them coming back and buying from YOU!

I look forward to seeing how much Travel Business I get from my new newsletter!

If you'd like to receive one of my newsletters:
Go to www.YourTicketBuddy.com
Click on the Vacations Tab
Enter your information into the Deals and Steals Box (bottom right corner)

You can also enter to win a FREE DREAM VACATION from me.  Just enter the "Trip of a Lifetime Sweepstakes"! 

That's all for now.... go forth, build your database, and prosper!

In the Beginning...

So... here's the deal.  I'm an artist by trade.  Actor and Singer to be more specific.  Long ago I decided that being a "starving artist" was not only passe, but it totally SUCKED!  So... I went into IT and became a Software Developer, and worked on Wall Street for about 7 years.  Well... guess what??!!  That pretty much sucked too!  Which brings us to about 4 years ago.

4 years ago I started the search, the search for the way to make money and live a life I love WITHOUT working in a cubicle 80 hours a week.  Found out about this thing called "Passive Income" (You know... where you get paid for NOT working.) and have been hooked ever since.

After many attempts at investing, etc, some successful, some not so freakin' successful AT ALL, I've found a few that I just love.

Ultimately, I'm on the road to Multi-Millionaire so I can continue to DO what I love, while having a LIFESTYLE I love!

That's just what my blog is gonna' chronicle.  The ups, the downs, the turns and the triumphs.  I'll take you with me and give you all the helpful tips I possibly can along the way.

Who knows??!!  Maybe you'll get richer by just reading this!

HERE WE GO!!!