Hi, everyone Got about half-way through the exercise and got stopped because I was away from my computer and couldn't play with the search terms, but my preliminary comment is...this is great! It starts with the basics, rather than jumping right into how to advertise and get followers. It makes so much sense to know your market first, but everything else I've seen starts with your product, or more accurately THEIR product. I had done some of this exercise with Linda before, when we started working together on my website. Now I can see why we were doing it. I may be in trouble, though. I hardly read any magazines. Do I need to start doing that? I haven't found any magazines about my primary interests that I like. Why is that? I do seem to be rather single-minded, and here I thought I was interested in a lot of things! Weird. Cheri

Hi Linda, Question on exercise #6 Product Profitability Column 1 Cost of Product, I understand. Column 2 do you want profit after cost if you buy the product wholesale and resell it? So do I put a $20 item in column 1 but if I had to pay $10 for it, my profit would be $10 and go in column 2. Are we getting that technical yet? Martha

Hi Cheri, ------------------------------------------ "I may be in trouble, though. I hardly read any magazines." ------------------------------------------ Gee, you think you have problems. LOL. I can't find any magazines locally that I like in my area of interest. So, I thought I would be smart and subscribe to a bunch online ezines in my area of interest. Well, here I am almost three months later. I've subscribed to 42 ezines. To date I have not even received one ezine, notification or even an inkling of an indication that one is on the way.

Hi Martha; ========================================== So do I put a $20 item in column 1 but if I had to pay $10 for it, my profit would be $10 and go in column 2. ========================================== Yes, put the profit that you make in column 2. I also noticed something I missed. If anyone sells packages or things bundled together, enter them on a line of their own, too. : ) Linda

Hi Cheri; ========================================== my preliminary comment is...this is great! It starts with the basics, rather than jumping right into how to advertise and get followers. It makes so much sense to know your market first, but everything else I've seen starts with your product, or more accurately THEIR product. ========================================== Thanks. And, you're right about so many others jumping right into trying to sell without knowing the market. I think that's why so many people struggle, really. They've missed building the foundation of their business. It's hard to build a castle on a shaky foundation. : ) ========================================== I had done some of this exercise with Linda before, when we started working together on my website. Now I can see why we were doing it. ========================================== : ) Yup. You'll see familiar parts in the business plan, too. ========================================== I may be in trouble, though. I hardly read any magazines. Do I need to start doing that? ========================================== lol. No, you don't. But, for people that DO read magazines, it's one way of looking at their interests. We all seem to just naturally have a few strong passions - but the whole environment of "internet marketing" has led people away from their strengths into selling in fields that they are weak in. So, essentially, all that part of the course is doing is drawing people back to fond and familiar passions that they've had all along and are more likely to succeed with. : ) Linda