There is a growing number of events that are held virtually. It makes sense. After all, a virtual event saves you the time and cost of traveling to attend an event. Plus it saves the organizer the cost of renting a venue, plus the logistic hassles that always accompany a live face-to-face event.

But just as you would pack and prepare for a “real” event, you should do the same for a virtual event.

So let’s assume you will be attending a 3-day virtual event from the comfort of your office. Here are some tips for getting the most out of the event.

1. Set Aside Time

If you were physically attending an event in another city, you would “be” there – in the room, taking notes, listening to the presentations.

It should be the same for a virtual event. Clear your calendar. Tell your family that you will be busy. Go into your office – and STAY there for the presentations.

2. Turn Off Your Work

Sure it’s tempting to check your email, do a little surfing, even check Facebook. But if you spend your time doing that, then you’re not giving your full attention to the presentations. Remember if you were in the presentation room, you would give it your full attention. Do yourself a favor and focus on the content. After all, that’s what you paid for!

3. Implement Quickly

One of the advantages to attending from home is that you DO have your computer at hand. So rather than wandering around during the breaks, why not go ahead and start implementing right away? You’ll be amazed at how many tasks you can do immediately, while it’s fresh on your mind.

4. Network With Other Attendees

Many virtual events provide chat rooms or Facebook groups that you can join. Do that before the event starts. Then drop by during the breaks to see what others are saying or asking. You’ll form fast friendships, just as you would at a live event.

5. Provide Feedback

Most event organizers want to hear from you, so take time to let them know what you liked and didn’t like about the event. If you’re comfortable doing so, create a testimonial they can add to the website and send it to them as early in the event as possible.

Not only is your testimonial likely to appear on the website, but your name may be mentioned during the live event. It’s another way to get free publicity.

Virtual events can be fun and profitable, particularly when you give them the same attention you would give a live face-to-face event. So make your next virtual event your best ever!

You attending Web Camp this weekend? Then drop by Facebook during the breaks and we’ll chat about what we’re learning!

When it comes to hiring online experts, it is critical that you know who you are hiring and why they are qualified to be your advisor. This is an article I wrote several years  ago, but it is equally valid today. Please follow my advice – before you listen to an “online expert.”

It happened again today. One of my students sent me a question about how to do something online. But in asking the question, she mentioned her ” personal coach” who was telling her how to set up her website. Naturally, her coach helps people get their lives together – but since when did she become an expert in online marketing?

And that’s what set off this rant.

It seems that anyone who has ever used a browser considers themselves an expert in online marketing. After all, they clicked on a pay-per-click ad, so they know how to “use” them. And therefore feel qualified to advise others on how to write ads, create an advertising budget, track response rates, and just generally do business online.

Then there is the “I can design it” group of experts. Sure, using WordPress or a web design program, anyone can create a website. But does that mean it’s a good website? A website that sells? A website that gathers leads and converts them into sales? No, but to listen to them you would think they were the world’s expert on this. In fact, they actually ask other people to pay them to give advice.

Please. Before you pay anyone to give you online advice, ask these questions:

1. How long have you been doing business online? Not just how long have you had a website, but how long have you been making your *living* online?

2. How many different businesses have you worked with online? Not how many ebooks have you bought, but how many different businesses have you advised, who have then gone on to be successful online.

3. How many subscribers do you have? How many have you helped others get?

4. How many products have you created and sell online? How many have you helped others create and sell online?

5. How do you track the results of your efforts?

6. How many different models do you use in putting together the strategy for an online marketing client?

7. What are your top 20 strategies for getting results online?

8. Have you worked with people who have information or content sites? sales sites? store sites? passive revenue sites?

9. How many autoresponder sequences have you written and/or reviewed?

10. What is the assessment process you go through to determine the appropriate strategies to use on a site?

When they can answer these questions for you, to your level of satisfaction, THEN you can consider hiring them to coach you to Online Success.

Until then, let me to invite you to join us at a real answers site for Online Business, created by an expert who has taught and helped thousands of people become successful online – Ask Jeanette Cates!

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

It was my first trip across the Lake Pontchartrain bridge in Louisiana. It was the longest bridge I’d ever seen – and it made a big impression.

One of the things I couldn’t get out of my mind was how they built it. First by laying down the pilings, then connecting those pillars with the road on top.

It was that image that I carried with me into my Internet business.

My plan was to create a series of products that supported one another and could be sequenced in different ways. Then start to connect them, much as the bridge had been connected.

So I started on the plan. I created and created and created. But it wasn’t time to sell yet. I still had just a “few more” pillars to put in.

It took not months, but years to put all of the pieces in place. Then of course, I had to start revising the older products… and well, as you can imagine, there still wasn’t any revenue coming in!

I *don’t* recommend the Bridge model!

Compare that to the smoke stack model. In this model you build the first smoke stack. You promote that first product and start building your list while you continue to drive traffic to the site. You’re actually making money right from the start!

Once you have one smoke stack working, you build the second one. You get that up and running, making money and well, you see the pattern.

I *do* recommend the smoke stack model!

So what is your first smoke stack? If you’ve been working on multiple projects, stop! Choose one – the one that is the easiest to complete, the fastest to complete, and the one most likely to be immediately profitable.

Then turn your full attention to that project. Do everything you can to get that ONE project to market and making money.

Need help choosing your Online Business model? Watch the free video at Online Success Explained.

The holidays are supposed to be a joyous time for families. But between the last minute shopping, the gift wrapping, the planning and the cooking, the week of Christmas can get insanely stressful.

Here are some tips to help you keep stress to a minimum so you can enjoy Christmas to the fullest.

• Keep meals as simple as possible. Using a meal plan and preparing ingredients ahead of time can help you keep meals healthy with less stress. But if things are getting too hectic to cook, remember that tossing a frozen pizza in the oven one night won’t cause irreparable harm.
  

• Keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand. This will help eliminate worries about the kids getting the nutrition they need each day. Popular grab-and-go options include seedless grapes, baby carrots, trail mix and wheat crackers.
  

• Enlist some help from the kids. Ask teens to take over cooking duties from time to time, and give younger kids step by step instructions for making one dish while you work on another. Even preschoolers can be surprisingly helpful – ask them to fetch ingredients and help with the measuring.
  

• Keep your to-do list doable. It’s far too easy to overschedule around Christmastime. Planning ahead is key. Sit down and make a list of everything that needs to be done by the 25^th a couple of weeks ahead of time, then spread it out. That way you won’t be rushing around at the last minute.
  

• Make time for yourself. Schedule some time for exercise each day, and make sure you have at least a half hour or so to just relax in the evening. By making sure your own needs are met, you’ll be better able to attend to everyone else’s.
  

• Be prepared for the unexpected. Not everything will go as planned, so it’s important to be flexible. Simple measures such as tidying up the guest room and keeping extra food on hand for unexpected guests can save you some worries.
  

And most of all, remember you don’t have to be a superhero. The best memories you’ll create at Christmas is the time you spend together…so do lots of that and let the other worries slide off your back.

Overload Isn’t Just A Holiday Thing! It’s Year ‘Round.

Information abounds in the Online Business arena. If it’s all just Too Much – get control with Overcome Information Overload.

Jeanette’s Note:
I’ve known Catherine Jewell for more than 15 years and always enjoy her presentations and writing. I thought this was a particularly appropriate article for the holidays. I’m sure you’ll find it helpful!

Holidays often put me in a funk. I am missing my Mom who passed some 15 years ago. As I prepare for family events, I wish I could just forget the turkey and side dishes, and go home to Mom to receive and enjoy the feast that she prepared.

If you are like me, you would rather forget the recipes and be served. Instead, the world contrives to serve up this recipe for Holiday Funk:

• Start with 6 cups Christmas gift-giving and concerns like “Is she 1X or extra-large?” “Does he really like blue?” and “Is that shirt too blue?”
• Add in 4 cups of Unemployment Benefits about to expire. Or, substitute Job Dissatisfaction.
• Stir in some 5 cups of financial pressure.
• Topping: A New Year that’s a blank page. Lots of potential, but no real plan.

Are you feeling the pain yet? If this recipe puts you in a funk, here are a few ideas to help:

Take up meditation, NOW. You know you’ve heard it from all your meditating friends: “It really makes a difference in peace of mind, calmness and even in day-to-day feelings of health.” All it takes is 10 minutes of quiet time each morning. Google meditation and buy a simple tape to get you started. You can even gift this to men, women and teenagers–there’s a gift-giving suggestion that’s truly one-size-fits-all!

Thank all the people who made this past year a success for you. Instead of just signing holiday cards, write what you appreciate about that person. The happiness you spread will come right back to you. You will be amazed how much it lifts your spirits to acknowledge people who have contributed to your life. In the process, you’ll also remember you are not alone. We are all connected.

Plan, plan, plan your gift-giving. Make a list. Start organizing and create a budget so that you don’t overspend because you are worried about “getting the perfect thing.” The perfect gift is an illusion. A nice gesture is easy to achieve.

Set your limits. Four hours of dinner-plus-gift-opening is almost too much stimulation for those grandkids–and their grandparents! I know my limit is about 3.5 hours. Have a great time, but know when to close the party down. If you can’t leave, say goodnight and go to bed. Your guests will know what to do.

Sleep as much as you can. There’s a lot of extra work with the holidays. Give your body a chance to recuperate from those extra hours of tree-trimming, house decorating, shopping, baking or wrapping. If you feel tired at 8:00 PM, go down for a “long winter’s nap.”

Spend extra time alone. Think about what you want for the New Year. Write a Vision for your life next year. Then pull out three to five main goals to focus on. I like to choose one for each of these areas: health, finances, relationships and business.

If you’d like a copy of my Vision for 2013, plus some sample goals, visit my website. Once you see the format, you’ll see it’s easy to plan your way out of the Holiday Funk.

Catherine Jewell Is The Career Passion® Coach

For more than 14 years Catherine has helped people identify and go after their dream job. Whether already employed, looking for their initial work, or needing to replace a job that disappeared, her work has helped many land that ideal placement – even if it’s working for themselves! Catherine offers a variety of tools and options on her website at CareerPassionCoach.com

Here’s an interesting note: In order to see the hyperlinks in my blog posts, you have to click on the title of the post. So go ahead and click on it now – then you can read and click.

Just as I celebrated my 15 years online this year, many others are doing the same. I found this article interesting – and memorable. Enjoy!

How 10 Big Websites Looked in 1997

And in case you missed some of my stories from around that same time, here are my articles on 15 Years Online.

I’ve been on the road for more than two weeks. Along the way I have picked up tons of ideas on running a business – some good, some not so good.

This one fits into the category of automation – a topic that has fascinated me for years. How do different businesses take what we accept as “standard practice” and automate it?

In this case I was staying at Embassy Suites in Las Vegas. I noticed the gift shop the first night I checked in, but didn’t see their operating hours on the door.

The next morning the gift shop was still not open. Even at break in our meeting (it was now after 10AM!) there was still no one on duty in the gift shop.

And that’s when I noticed the “other” sign – on how to use the gift shop.

You just use your room key to get into the shop. Then you choose the items you want, write up a quick ticket and they are charged to your room!

Now consider this. How often have you been in a hotel gift shop when you were the only one there? And you know that that gift shop attendant had hours when they were just sitting there, hoping someone would come in.

Many hotels have closed their gift shops, which is a major inconvenience to travelers. So this seems to be a great way to compromise on cost and convenience.

Ready to automate parts of YOUR business? The easiest way is to use Autoresponder Basics to guide you to automated email marketing.