Barbara Ling - Cutting Edge of Making Money Online

Blog is moving to http://virtual-coach.ning.com !

Barbara — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:05:26 +0000

Hey all,

Brief, pithy and to the point - I’ve finally begun creating my dream of a social network that welcomes all people with knowledge to share and those who want to learn! Please visit my site Virtual Coach and post your questions about anything and everything…the VC community and I will be happy to answer them to the best of abilities!

See you there!

Barbara

Copyright © 2009 Personal Edge Insights - Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@www.barbaraling.com so we can take legal action immediately.
Plugin by Taragana

Post from: Barbara Ling. Thank you for your time! If you've already subscribed to my feed, please download your FREE copy of 24 Hour eBook Digital Product Creation at http://www.barbaraling.com/Ace/24HoursLite.zip - I think you'll find it most useful indeed. -- Barbara

Killer Creative Way to Help Your Causes - VOTE!

Barbara — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:06:23 +0000

Morning all,

We’ve all be bombarded in the past with contests for everything imaginable.

But how’s this for a twist? Instead of receiving the goodies, the winner donates them to their favorite cause/charity?

That’s what Jill Caren is doing right now!

Read the following, and then if you feel she is a worthy recipient, visit TechMamas and vote for Jill - she’s #16. The URL is http://tinyurl.com/6mkd3f .

To wit:

Did you know that animals being left behind in homes where people had foreclosures or are walking away from their homes is skyrocketing? There is an epidemic of animals that are simply being left to fend for themselves wondering why their owners have left them….this is where the SPCA comes in. Our countywide SPCA clinic is underfunded and commits themselves to placing animals, they are a no-kill shelter and desperately need additional funds and equipment to do what they are so passionate about. With record numbers of animals being picked up and saved-they need help.

If I were to win this package, I would keep one laptop to help grow my web design business, where I also donate 5% of every project to our SPCA as well as the Best Friends

Animal Sanctuary which you can visit at http://www.bestfriends.org/. Here is a link to our SPCA where you can see some of the great animals that need my help!

http://www.monmouthcountyspca.org/

The remaining items from the package would go directly to our local shelter where they can either use the equipment in their own offices, or raffle them off to earn additional funds to care for the animals-either way this would be a great help to their strapped resources!

Thank you for this amazing opportunity to do something great for my community. I always wish I could give more financially to them, but that has just not been possible, but this would be a great way for me to help them which I so badly want to do!

Having just adopted a rescue dog, I can highly recommend the MCSPCA - they’re doing an outstanding job for the community and could really benefit from the goodies listed above.

Thus…..please go and vote. The thousands of dogs and cats the MCSPCA help will thank you for it!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps - speaking about the voting, have you seen:

Please click here to continue your search.

Turn the recession to YOUR favor

Barbara — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:55:42 +0000

Morning!

Has your income started to delve into the deep dark reaches of virtual black holes?

If so, you’re certainly not alone! The economic ickness of today has compelled the actions of making money and ends meet even more important than ever.

But allow me to interject one rather interesting notion….

Have you ever realized the benefits the recession can offer you?

True…they’re sure as heck NOT financial! But they entice you to learn about savings and cost-cutting like nothing else.

I’ve recently experienced this…and wanted to share the following with you.

As you might have read, my family just welcomed Grif Pendragon Ling to our home. A 6 month old GSD/husky mix, he has a gorgeous white coat, wonderful temperment, and fits into our family just peachy.

Thing is, though….dogs….cost money. Well, not the dog himself (shelter prices range from really low to perhaps $300 for a purebred)…but the doggie accessories. Like….food! And …. toys! And….you get the idea.

Well! I figured, hmmmmm…..let’s scout about online to see what other alternatives to feeding doggies exist. And I came across the Raw Diet for Dogs - it’s basically whole foods that peoples eat that dogs love as well.

And what about flea control? I discovered that I can make a lemon/citrus rub/dip that works far superior than any store-bought product you can imagine! My house now smells of lemons and oranges - that’s a nice side-effect.

Toys? Can you say, Dollar store? Leather belts knotted together can work wonders, as can my kids’ old stuffed plushies - Grif now has staked out a lion that he carries with him wherever he goes.

Now…this is all fine and peachy for me, but let’s ramp up the importance, shall we, and talk about YOU?

In what areas of your life can you shun the money-spending and instead devise something even better that costs a fraction of the original price?

Need clothing? Get thee hence to your local Freecycle or Thrift shop! Consider the needs of orchestra or band….only twice a year, a long black skirt might be required. Why spend $30 for something that will be worn only once? I found one via my local Freecycle that originally cost $60.

Need skin care? Mosey on over to the great free resources available to you online! Things like:

make skin care more easy than you can imagine!

Need electronics or home goodies or DVDs or books or…..check out Swap sites! Places like

make swapping and meeting local swap groups a snap.

From my online research, I reckon I’ll be able to cut down perhaps 75% of Grif’s upkeep….simply by being smart.

What about you? In what areas can YOU start consuming SMART instead of excessive? I’ll bet you’ll enjoy the same success as do I.

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

ps - gift cards are a great way to start!

USB 2.0 SD MMC RS-MMC Card Reader+ free gift

HOME DEPOT GIFT CARD $100 - 1 Day Listing ! ! !

$10 gift card for http: www.snjgifts.net

FOREVER 21 $33.99 GIFT CARD ONLINE OR IN STORE

$30 Gap Gift Card–FREE SHIPPING

Announcing Griffyn Pendragon Ling! (Joys of adopting a rescue dog)

Barbara — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:24:20 +0000

Morning all,

I’m thrilled to announce the newest Ling member, Griffyn Pendragon Ling! But before I reveal his pictures, the unique and character-building story must be revealed…

You see, it all started when our family braved the wilds of North Carolina for Thanksgiving. It was a dark and stormy night, and a moose once bit my sister, and ….

Okay, that’s an exaggeration. Really….it started 30 years ago when I was 14. An avid dog person all my life (I was raised with dogs and parrots), my family included Beulah and Brutus (basset hounds) but I didn’t have a "dog of my own", so to say…until a stray German Shepherd/collie mutt wandered onto my street and into our backyard. I caught him (you should have seen my eldest’s eyes as I was relating this story…

"Gee mom, you walked up to a strange dog? Are you freakin’ NUTS?"

"No dearest child of mine, I stayed in my spot and compelled the dog to me. Took some time but, well, dogs like me."

Anywhos, to make a (very) long story short, that’s how Buddy came into my life. I named him in honor of the first Seeing Eye dog back in 1926, who was owned by Morris Frank….the things dogs can accomplish are amazing!

During the next few years, I trained Buddy to be a comedy dog performer, and we visited nursing homes and hospitals to give uplifting humor shows. I’ll never forget that time…Buddy was truly a magnificent mutt!

During the next few decades, my life was notable dog-free. Not parrot-free, mind you…I started the newsgroup rec.pets.birds back in 1991 when Angus, my yellow-collared mini-macaw Beak of Doom, joined my life as a single adult (great birdie for a single person - he’d lie in my hands and I could bounce him up and down like a bouncy ball. Alas, after I married, Angus became more and more jealous…and when my newborn arrived, made it his mission to snag baby fingers for breakfast. I brought him over to Nancy’s Parrot Sanctuary and then later on to Foster Parrots).

Well! About 3 months ago, I realized my family was ready for a doggie, and I floated the idea to my husband…

"It’s not that I’m considering it NOW, you see….but soon. Okay?"

Now, my husband knows that "soon" to me really means "hop into my time traveling machine and make it happen yesterday." :) I got me go-ahead, but with school and the kids, didn’t really have the time to dedicate to finding the perfect doggie for our family.

Zoom to our North Carolina Thanksgiving trip! The kids’ aunt has a small yappie papillon-type dog over whom the kids swooned…and I realized, it’s time for our family to adopt a dog for ourselves.

Thus began my research into adopting/rescuing dogs from the animal shelter. And my oh my, what an eye-opening process that was!!

You see, Buddy taught me the joys of mutts…and ever since I had him, I knew I’d never buy from a pet store or breeder as there are literally millions (yes, millions) of wonderful dogs crammed into shelters who eventually have to be euthanized :(

Irresponsible people will buy puppies and ooooo and ahhhh over them…but when said puppies become awkard canine teenagers, and they realize they need quality training to learn how to be a good doggie around people…the owners just chuck ‘em to the shelter at the best and kick them out at worst.

Now, I will confess - I did have a particular breed in mind when I went searching for the Ling Dog. I have adored wolves now ever since I can remember….and decided that a husky or Malamute or mix/etc. would be ideal.

Big red flag now comes into play! I have been told that Huskies and Mals have a very high prey drive - anything they see that they can catch, they’ll do their darnest to introduce them to their teeth. And I have 13 free-flying Twitter Budgies in my office!

But as always, I never let mere common sense and what the rest of the world says to dictate my behaviors. So I contacted wonderful husky rescue associations like:

and started canvassing Petfinder as well to locate Siberian Huskies. Petfinder is a SUPER service - you really should visit if you’re considering adopting a dog. I couldn’t believe the quality of the doggies that were in shelters from all over the state.

Talk about an opportunity for driving! This was the first week in which the Ling family missed virtually ALL karate classes; I packed the kids into the van after school to check out various dogs from various shelters. We drove to the Linden shelter to check out this gorgeous husky - alas, because he’s quite the dominant dog, he wouldn’t fit well with my family (I have two smaller boys as well as my eldest girls), but wow, for a family without kids and with someone who knows the breed, what a perfect dog. And the Monmouth County SPCA has a stately Malamute, 10 months old who is definitely worth investigating as well.

Never being one to give up, I continued to search….and the planets were in alignment for the Ling family! 60 miles down south, I came across a white Husky (who really does look to me to be part GSD - what do you think?) - 6 months old, male, and super-friendly to boot. And here’s how the week progressed:

Tuesday….I first saw him.

Wednesday….drove the 60 miles again with the husband and my youngest - the dog was a complete marshmallow with both, so we brought him home!

Yes indeed…"speedy" certainly is my name when I want things accomplished yesterday.

And there came the challenge. Remember my 13 free-flying parakeets? Remember the fact that huskies have a high prey drive?

The first thing I did was bring the dog over to my office and watch the birdies fly overhead in a circle. And the dog…..completely, as in totally….ignored them.

Can you believe that! I must have found the only Sibe around who DOESN’T consider parakeets to be tasty bite-sized doggie snacks! ‘course, you can also check how one husky dealt with a cute kitten….what a ferocious epic battle!

And my kids! Oh wow, talk about high-energy - they romped with him, rolled him over (I taught my girls how to do the dominant alpha roll, which the dog adores), chased each other all around…..in short, this is an utterly perfect dog for the Ling family!

A name was needed, of course…one that bestowed the kind of digity about which all folks think when pondering on the Lings. And what better name than:

Griffyn Pendragon Ling!

"Griffyn" for a griffin, the mythological beastie that’s half eagle and half lion, and "Pendragon" as that was King Aurthur’s last name. :) Oh, and I spell it with a "y" as I love the welsh writing.

So! Without any further ado, take a gander at Grif!

Here’s his official photo:

And here was my admittedly pathetic attempt at using a different camera motion mode to catch the first meeting action of Grif and my eldest:

Huskies are known for being extremely high-energy, as you can see below.

You tell me - pure husky or mix?

And when the evening descends, it’s always a great idea to first indulge in a nighttime cuddle.

And that’s how Grif Pendragon Ling came into our family.

Remember - there are millions of deserving doggies in rescue shelters! Adoption really is the way to go - always make certain you check out that possibility whenever considering a new dog. You’ll be thrilled you did!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps - speaking about huskies, have you seen:

Siberian Husky #71 FRIDGE MAGNET dog sign puppy gift

Siberian Husky #2 LAMINATED DOG SIGN

BOYS Red Siberian Husky Dog Puppy Sweater Gap 3 HOLIDAY

Siberian Husky Dog Handmade Trinket Wooden Box

Kodiak the Siberian Husky Flopsie Stuffed Animal Plush

NEW! My SIBERIAN HUSKY Means the World to Me!

Leap of Faith Perils

Barbara — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:00:57 +0000

Morning!

Have you ever done anything soooo bizarre….the rest of the world’s population would simply shake their head at you, wondering just where your brain vacationed so that you made such a potentially dippy decision about something that would affect not only your life, but your family and business as well?

I sure have! ‘Matter of fact, I just did that yesterday! And here’s my story.

You see, I’ve always grown up with doggies. Love dogs, was a professional dog trainer ‘way back when….I just was raised to really adore and appreciate all sorts of 4 legged canines. Dogs made far more sense than did people back then!

Zoom up to my magnificent dignified self this past week. My husband agreed that it would be most peachy to bring a dog into the family - our kids are now old enough. And of course, what better dog to find than a wolf!

Okay…not a wolf. But I’ll confess, wolves are my favorite animal - I even have a wolf beanie baby on my computer! And what’s the closest thing, dog-wise, to a wolf? Why, a husky or Malamute!

Ah yes…huskies….malamutes….doggies with, ahem, *slightly* high prey drives. During my research, I was told that it would utterly ridiculous to consider bringing home such a dog because of my 13 free-flying Twitter Budgies! I searched high and low and yes indeed, it was truly NOT recommended to add a Sibe/Mal as a flock-mate to bunches of parakeets.

Wah, thought I ….. just because everyone SAYS it can’t work, must I really…believe it? So I continued in my doggie search, and came across Gryff Pendragon, a white husky (possible mix) 5 month old male puppy 60 miles away from an animal shelter! Oh, he was wonderful - bouncy, friendly, adored my kids, adored me, adored my husband…. but what about my birdies? I really wanted to see how he’d react in a controlled environment while my birdies were zooming about the room.

So! Yesterday we drove the 60 miles again…and brought Gryff home! And would you believe, when he spotted those luscious feathered doggie interests, he…..

Completely….and Totally…Ignored them.

Can you believe that? I officially found the ONE husky who couldn’t care less about free-flying birdies! Squirrels, yes, he views them as dog treats on 4 feet, cats, I don’t know yet but aren’t holding out a whole lotta hope, but birdies….he just calmly walks by without any interest at all.

Wow.

Amazing!

And just think…if I had listened to the rest of the mortal population, I never would have considered actually TRYING out such an idea.

So! Let’s now bring this conversation back to the most important person reading it…you!

Have you ever been seized by a wacky idea at which everyone in the known universe scoffed? Were you told just how clueless you really are by even considering something the world KNOWS won’t work?

Hmmmm?

Well, here’s what I have to say….nobody else is walking in YOUR shoes.

You…and only you…know the particulars to any situation in which you might be. True, there’s always the chance the naysayers are right….but it’s up to YOU to find that out for yourself.

Never say NEVER unless you personally are content you gave things your very best shot. Your success might really surprise you in the end….as well as all those folks who predicted your downfall as well.

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

ps - speaking about doggies, have you seen:

Siberian Husky #71 FRIDGE MAGNET dog sign puppy gift

Siberian Husky #2 LAMINATED DOG SIGN

BOYS Red Siberian Husky Dog Puppy Sweater Gap 3 HOLIDAY

Siberian Husky Dog Handmade Trinket Wooden Box

Kodiak the Siberian Husky Flopsie Stuffed Animal Plush

NEW! My SIBERIAN HUSKY Means the World to Me!

17 BEGINNERS Affiliate marketing primers and ideas

Barbara — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:49:58 +0000

Morning!

With the economy continuing on its imitation of free-falling skydiving sans any noticable parachute, I’m finding more and more people are tentatively dipping their toes into affiliate marketing. But because it’s a relatively new thing for them, they find themeslves inundated with confusion regarding all of the choices available.

But not to fear! I’ve been doing affiliate marketing since 1998 (both as an affiliate and also as a product developer) and have it down to a fine art indeed. The following are some resources I think you’ll find to be rather helpful to you as you wend your way thru the jungles of this new and profitable beastie.

First off, what really IS affiliate marketing? At its most basic, it’s quite simple -

Someone offers a product (the vendor)
You say to yourself, Jeepers! My visitors would probably be interested in such a thing! Yippie!
You find the vendor’s affiliate program, sign up, and receive an affiliate link.
You (otherwise known as "The affiliate") add your affiliate link to your website or to your blog or … you get the idea. Perhaps the link includes a square button like what you see to the right (that’s for my Job Seeker’s Power Advantage Resume/Portfolio site - it’s a 2-tier career employment affiliate program. You can see the affiliate tutorial for it over at this link here.)
You take steps to drive your visitors to proactively click on the link. Ways people do this include writing a review of a product, writing a blog about the topic the product solves and the like.

That’s affiliate marketing in a nutshell.

Now, like teeny tiny mustard seeds grow into huge bleeping towering trees, that nutshell can blossom into venues you can hardly imagine! For example, some vendors (does Amazon.com ring a bell?) have beeyons and beeyons of products which allow you to market virtually anything and everything….and other vendors provide you with the tools to build an entire store within 5 minutes that focus on specific niches. For example, check out my Exercise Store like so:

Notice all those cool tabs that have targeted niche products? That store was built using AOM - an incredible Amazon affiliate tool that everyone should use (there are two versions, free and paid - I myself use the paid as I always want all the commissions I generate…driven to me. :) ).

But wait! There’s more! You can ALSO (you knew there’d be something like this, right?) build entire sites about niches!

Consider my site ExerGamingNews.com .

I built that when I was in my DDR kick! Not only can you find DDR jokes and news, you can also find, oh, hmmmm…DDR clubs! Look very closely to the right hand side, however - you’ll see targeted niche products (in this case, offered by eBay) proudly march down the side. And of course, I’m an affiliate of eBay as well….should anyone buy any of those auctions, I get the commission.

So! With that as a nutshell, how can you learn affiliate marketing?

First off, you can check out my ebook Beginners Make Money Cookbook over at my Rich Hermit series. But don’t buy it there - I offer readers like you a complimentary copy HERE! (Just scroll down until you see the Complimentary Download image). Besides completely demystifying how to make money online, I also have a chapter or two about affiliate marketing as well.

Next, you can check out some nifty affiliate marketing forums like:

And then don’t forget about great affiliate marketing blogs like:

Affiliate marketing, while it does take time to know the ropes, can really be a true boon to helping you bring in more and more income and beef up your bottom line. And with the economy smooshing itself as it currently is doing…that can only be a Very Good Thing Indeed.

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

ps - speaking about affiliate marketing, have you seen:

AFFILIATE MARKETING TURNKEY WEBSITE BUSINESS FOR SALE

Affiliate Marketing Package - Learn Internet Marketing

Free way of Updating your location via your iPhone - Great apps !

Barbara — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:55:13 +0000

Morning!

If you have a luscious iPhone and are a dedicated Twitter user (and confess, don’t we ALL want both of those criteria?), you might have seen those cute little Twitter updates that describe where a person is currently located.

This is accomplished via the miraculous marriage between the iPhone and GPS!

And it’s yours, free.

Just visit TwitterFon, install and enjoy!

Looking for other iPhone goodies? Here’s some excellent resources for you to enjoy:

It’s amazing the kinds of goodies you can scout about online…if you know just where to uncover their lair.

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

ps - speaking about the iPhone, have you seen:

Black Friday tips and tricks

Barbara — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:33:20 +0000

Morning!

Today is Black Friday! If you’re an individual who adores living on the cutting edge of utter insanity, you might be seized by a delightful urge to brave the traffic and pounce on the superDeDuper sales that are currently screaming for your attention.

And if so, I’d certainly be remiss if I didn’t offer you some excellent advice to ensure you make the most of your courageous adventure!

And let’s begin:

1.) Be aware of time!

Many retailers will not only offer bargains for this Friday, but even more so if you arrive, say, before 12 noon and the like. Thus, if you’re reading this article at 1pm, you’re kinda sorta out of luck.

2.) Hunt down Early Bird Savings

Not only might prices be less at a particular time, but savvy stores will stock up on popular items with the caveat, No Rain Checks! Thus, once they’re sold out…they’re history, they made like a drum and beat it! Here’s where your friend The Internet and various/sundry coupons/circulars will be your buddy for life - you can uncover super bargains via home store web sites.

3.) Wear nice warm comfy clothes

Especially if you’re standing on line at a God-forsaken hour while your ears are slowing being frozen into rock-hard flapjacks stuck to the side of your head…you want to make certain you’ve dressed appropriately to handle the Arctic temperatures. After all, if the doors open and you’re more cold than absolute zero, chances are…the other insane shoppers will probably mow over you once the starting bell has run.

4.) Know where your prey resides

Looking for women’s clothing? PS3s? Caviar? Make a beeline STRAIGHT to where your goal is beckoning with open arms. Other peoples might simply want to stroll calmly about the store, gazing upon the yummy bargains that are beckoning like a siren’s call….not you! If necessary, use GPS satellite tracking to ensure the precise location of your life’s desire.

5.) Tag Team!

If you have a shopping buddy, split up the responsibilities and let your friend pounce on one set of bargains while you plow over other shoppers in search of the rest. A corollary to this is for you both to practice the art of tripping shoppers in front of you, opening that crucial space required for a mad dash to the final sale. Tag teams can work wonders this way.

Looking for online help? Check out:

This should give you plenty of great resources to help you plan out your Friday. Me, well, after having driven 1,900 miles in the past 4 days…I’m just giving myself a well-deserved rest and letting my fingers do the walking on Amazon.com. It’s much more gentle on my sanity.

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

ps - speaking about Black Friday, have you seen today’s current deals?

Today’s Awesome Deals!

Don’t shoot for being an HONEST person, instead….

Barbara — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:34:50 +0000

Morning!

Today’s post comes from that most magnificent of insightful individuals, the secret cartoonist behind http://www.Nicky510.com . If you’re not on his mailing list yet, you have not a clue as to what you’re missing - you can sign up for free and receive goodies like the below.

And I quote:

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.

George Washington

I’ve written of George before and likely will be doing so again. The more one reads of him the more one realizes just how amazingly lucky this country was to have found him.

Notice that he doesn’t say "I’m an honest guy." That this is true is inherent in his sentence construction. And he isn’t saying that he’s clearly going to be honest now and forever. His first utterance is "I hope." He hopes that he shall be strong enough and virtuous enough to continue (here’s where it’s clear that he considers himself to, in fact, be honest at that point in time) to be an honest man.

George realizes that maintaining this condition isn’t easy - far from it in fact. Every day events conspire to work against that goal. It’s so much easier to stray from the path of honesty than to hold to it, especially as doing so quite often comes at an price that’s immediately obvious and clear.

What’s less obvious is what’s lost when one turns away from honesty.

It’s a truism that once a person is known to be dishonest, even just a little, the assumption of dishonesty remains in all future actions. Is he telling the truth? Maybe and maybe not. However, for the honest man, there are no such doubts. If you’ve always been honest the assumption is that you say what you mean.

That’s quite a powerful weapon to have in one’s arsenal.

George realized it and that realization served as a reminder and goad whenever temptation raised its head. Once you’ve spent a lifetime building up your reputation, it makes but little sense to toss it all away for a short term gain.

Just imagine if today’s politicians held George’s views and we the voters could be confident that they meant what they said. Politics would sure look a lot different, wouldn’t it?

It certainly would indeed.

What do YOU think?

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

Impress your girlfriend or wife in one easy step! Bunches of Twilight Fan Sites

Barbara — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:10:56 +0000

Morning all,

Brief, pithy and to the point - want to impress your girlfriends or wife? If they’re vaguely similar to 98% of the world, they’ve probably heard of the movie Twilight - the vampire love story that has bunches of females swooning in joy. Right?

Well, if you *really* want to impress them, point them in the general direction of:

Twilight Fan Sites!

That should keep your loved ones both busy for a couple of hours…and extremely impressed indeed with your Twilight knowledge!

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

ps - speaking about Twilight, have you seen:

Twilight Edward & Bella Italian Charms 25pcs.

Twilight promo card P-UK

Twilight..La Tua Cantante..My Blood Sings To Edward