Sunday, July 12, 2009

Closely Guarded Millionaire Secrets to Invest in "Real Estate" with "NO Money Down" Part 2

Dario Lorenzo has been buying and selling real estate for over 20 years. He knows the business of real estate investment: from buying at the right time, finding the right property, making the right improvements, and selling at a point in the market cycle that produces the highest possible profit.Dario began investing in real estate in Canada where he grew up. While learning the business, Dario began to research different markets including the United States.Knowing how to recognize emerging markets is one of the key factors in Dario’s successful investments, especially in markets with bad economies. Once the economies improved, Dario created tremendous value in his real estate assets.With the techniques he developed, Dario has been able to buy and sell real estate worth over $100 million dollars. He knows how to structure deals especially those done with no money down and other creative financing methods. Now Dario is ready to share that information with you.Dario speaks from his own extensive experience when he shares his techniques. Some of these investment methods are commonly used, others are less known. All Dario’s tips are useful, whether you are just starting out or you have all your money tied up in other investments.Not every deal can be done without money down. However, having knowledge of these techniques will help you analyze opportunities that come your way so that you can identify those that can be successfully executed with no upfront money.For investors who want to control as many properties as they can, Dario’s tips are essential. Here’s the second part of hi's checklist for creating new wealth.



12. Issue Stock
Form a corporation and issue stock to sellers for their equity. It solves their management problems and starts a real estate business for you. They get an equity position in the company.


13. Acquire with Future Profits
Acquire the property at an agreed price, with the seller's equity to be paid out of future profits as the project is turned around.

14. Hard Money Loan
When you're investing in multi-family properties, hard money is also called "mezzanine financing". If the loan-to-value ratio is 65% or below, many mezzanine lenders will finance you with no money out of your pocket. Why? Because the value is in the property. If you default, they simply take the property, sell it for 85% of value, and still make money.


15. Family Loan
Do you have a family member with big bucks? Or a family member that has a lot of equity in a property that they can loan you some money from? Perhaps some family members have a lot of money in a savings account that they would like to get a bigger return on. Whatever the case, go to your family first and see what they will do to help you out. If you're smart, you will make it worth their while: either give them a decent interest rate on the money or (even smarter) give them some equity in the deal... perhaps 5%.

16. Acquire with a First and Second, then Sell the First for Cash
Buy a property with the seller carrying back both a first and second mortgage. Make the closing contingent on locating a buyer for the first at an acceptable discount, with the cash going to the seller as down payment.


17. Land Sale/Leaseback
Offer to acquire the improved property, subject to finding a purchaser who will buy the land under the building out of escrow, and lease it back to you subject to the existing financing. Cash from the land sale goes to the seller as down payment. You get depreciation on the improvements, and you can also deduct lease payments.

18. Pledge Future Income as Down payment
If you have a secure job or future investment income, negotiate with the seller to have your bank deduct a specific amount from your checking account each month until the amount the seller wanted as down payment is made. As additional security, you can give the seller a mortgage on other property to secure your performance under the agreement. You get immediate ownership and the seller eventually gets the down payment.


19. Lease Interest as Down Payment
When you are buying from a seller who is also a property user, offer one year's income in the form of free rental as down payment. The seller gets continued use for one year in lieu of cash down. You get ownership with all its burdens and benefits, but with no outlay of cash.

20. The Performance Second
Used in variations involving cash as well as sometimes without cash, the "performance second" is designed to test the seller's faith in the value placed on the property. Buy at the seller's asking price with payments on the second mortgage subject to the income on the property. If income is less than the seller has represented, then the payments he receives on the second will be less than he would like. But if the net income is greater, the payments increase. The second mortgage amortization is consequently tied directly to property performance.


21. Broker as Lender
If you are working with a successful broker, don't count him out as a lending source. Considering that he will receive a commission out of the down payment, there is often the possibility that he might like to make a sound investment at a high interest rate, using in part the cash he receives as commission; that's cash he will not receive if your deal doesn't go through.

22. Line of Credit
Take out a line of credit secured by you personally, your property, another property you own, or—if you own a business—against the business or against your accounts receivable.


Now You’re Ready to Buy Multi-Family Properties with No Money Down

As you can see, there are many different ways to structure apartment deals with no money down.


The more creative you can get, the more opportunities you will have to get into more deals, and the faster you will create your own real estate fortune. All it takes is this checklist and your own imagination.

Please Leave a comment on my post good or bad so I can provide valuable content and join my blog

Who is Dario Lorenzo http://www.squidoo.com/dario-lorenzo

Dario Lorenzo
Affinity Investments
Vancouver BC V6Z 3B8
604 688 2521
http://www.affinityinvestments.ca/
facebook.com/dlorenzo
http://twitter.com/dariolorenzo
http://www.youtube.com/darioflorenzo
http://dariolorenzo.wordpress.com/


Other Articles
http://discoverfinanciallyfreedom.blogspot.com/2009/06/difference-between-urgent-and-important.html
http://discoverfinanciallyfreedom.blogspot.com/2009/05/ideas-and-action.html
http://discoverfinanciallyfreedom.blogspot.com/2009/05/financial-mess-real-deal.html
http://discoverfinanciallyfreedom.blogspot.com/2009/05/jobs-is-working-online-at-home-way-to.html

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Closely Guarded Millionaire Secrets to Invest in "Real Estate" with "NO Money Down" Part1



Dario Lorenzo has been buying and selling real estate for over 20 years. He knows the business of real estate investment: from buying at the right time, finding the right property, making the right improvements, and selling at a point in the market cycle that produces the highest possible profit.
Dario began investing in real estate in Canada where he grew up. While learning the business, Dario began to research different markets including the United States.
Knowing how to recognize emerging markets is one of the key factors in Dario’s successful investments, especially in markets with bad economies. Once the economies improved, Dario created tremendous value in his real estate assets.
With the techniques he developed, Dario has been able to buy and sell real estate worth over $100 million dollars. He knows how to structure deals especially those done with no money down and other creative financing methods. Now Dario is ready to share that information with you.
Dario speaks from his own extensive experience when he shares his techniques. Some of these investment methods are commonly used, others are less known. All Dario’s tips are useful, whether you are just starting out or you have all your money tied up in other investments.
Not every deal can be done without money down. However, having knowledge of these techniques will help you analyze opportunities that come your way so that you can identify those that can be successfully executed with no upfront money.
For investors who want to control as many properties as they can, Dario’s tips are essential. Here’s his checklist for creating new wealth.


1. Owner Financing
A typically common way to buy a property with no money down is to use owner financing. This occurs when an owner agrees to finance all or some part of the purchase price, instead of getting the cash now.
You'll be surprised how many people own their properties free and clear, and are willing to finance the entire amount or a good portion of the mortgage. Usually, though, you will be getting secondary financing from the owner. That means you will get the majority of the money (the first mortgage) from another source, like a bank, and the seller will give you the rest in the form of a second mortgage.
There are four types of owner financing that you could ask for:
Type 1: Ask for the principal to be paid at a certain later date. If you notice, I didn't mention monthly payments for interest; only that the principal be paid at a later date. Why pay monthly payments or interest if you don't have to?
Who would go for this? Most sellers won't... but some will. You only need one to get yourself a great deal, so ask for this each time. If they do insist on interest or payments, go to the next offer.
Type 2: Principal divided into monthly payments. Again no interest; you're paying off 100% principal. That's a great deal for you!
Example: A seller agrees to finance $100,000 over 20 years. 20 years times 12 months per year is 240 payments. $100,000 divided by 240 equates to payments of $417 per month.
Type 3: Ask for interest-only payments, with the principal to be paid off with a "balloon" (also called "bullet") mortgage in 5 years.
In this example, we offer 8% interest on $100,000 of owner financing. Multiply $100,000 by .08 and get $8,000. Divide the $8,000 by 12 and get a monthly payment of $667 per month. You then must pay off the entire principal balance at the end of the fifth year. You would typically do this by either selling the property or refinancing it.
Type 4: If the owner insists on getting principal and interest, then you would structure the deal accordingly. Owner financing, $100,000, 8% interest, amortized over twenty years with a five-year balloon.
Your principal and interest payment is amortized over a long period—twenty ­five years—because the longer you make the amortization period, the lower the monthly principal and interest payments will be.

2. Borrow from a Private Lender for Down Payment
If you've got a great deal, but don't have the money for a down payment, find a private lender. This is any individual that has extra money set aside that you can use for your purchase.
The person can be a family member, friend, dentist, doctor, dry cleaner, a member of your real estate investment club, etc. Private investors are everywhere; you just need to start asking.
What do you ask for? Ask if they have money in an RRSP saving account or a savings account that they would like to get a return on, of 8-10%, secured by real estate.
After you get one or two lined up and you start to use them successfully, watch what happens. They will tell their friends, who will tell their friends, and so on. It is human nature to brag at cocktail parties or at the gym about what a great investment you just made. Before you know it, you will have all the funds you need, and your business will explode.

3. Personal Loan
Take out a personal loan at your local bank for the down payment. Don't use the same bank that you used for your first mortgage on the property.

4. Subject To
Just like single family houses, you can take over multi-family properties subject to the existing mortgages. The mortgage stays in the current owner's name, but the deed is transferred to your name.
It’s is a great way to take over a property with no money down. This situation usually arises when the property is not performing and the owner is in trouble with the bank.

5. Equity Partner Investor
This means you will share what equity is created in the property with an investor who will give you the money for a down payment.
For example, an investor gives you 20% of the purchase price to put down on a property. In return for this down payment, the investor will get 20% of the monthly cash flow, and 20% of the profits upon the sale of the property.
Additionally, the 20% that is put down will be treated like private money. Private money is a second mortgage on the property. Depending on the interest rate environment, the rate for the private money is 3-4% higher than banks are getting for primary financing.

6. Equity Share Owner
You can also do an equity share with the owner. The owner transfers title to an entity in which the two of you are partners. The property is refinanced for the purchase price. The owner gets out as much of his equity as he can, and becomes an equity partner for the rest.
For example, an owner has a property he is selling to you for $1,000,000. His current mortgage amount is $650,000. He transfers the title, and the property is refinanced for $800,000. He gets $150,000 of his equity and he becomes an equity partner for the remaining $200,000.
The benefit to the owner is that he gets 20% of the monthly cash flow, plus his 20% equity stake will be worth more when the property appreciates.

7. Repair Allowance
When using a repair allowance, you inspect the property and determine what needs to be done in repairs. You add up the cost and have that money given back to you at the closing.
Doing this gives you money for closing that you wouldn't have had. You can use this money for a down payment. I know someone who bought a property for $800,000 and got a $100,000 repair allowance. Not only did he use that for his down payment, he did some repairs that needed to be done immediately. He's planning on using the rest as a down payment for another property!

8. Refinance with Seller Carrying Back a Second Mortgage
This scenario is very similar to the Equity Share Owner situation but the owner does not become an equity partner; he becomes a second mortgage holder. You save a great deal of money in the long run, because you do not give up 20% of the profit and 20% of the equity.

9. Bartering
Just as they did in the old west, you can barter the down payment for anything else that you hold ownership to. This includes equity in other real estate, notes you own, personal property, services...the list does not end.
Use your imagination, and get creative. Perhaps the seller has a need that you can fulfill.

10. Use Part of the Seller's property as Collateral to Borrow Down Payment
Many times you will buy a multi-family building that has several different parcels associated with it. To get the down payment, get the property under contract and coordinate the sale of one of the parcels to use as your down payment.
A real estate investor colleague of mine is using this technique to buy a 100-unit complex. The property was built with the intention to sell as condos, so each unit was separately deeded. My colleague is selling 40 of the units to other investors, making enough profit to purchase his 60 units, free and clear.

11. Substitution of Collateral
If you are purchasing a property below value (property A) and own a property that is being used as collateral for the financing that is on it (property B), you may be able to transfer the collateral from property B to property A. This would free up the equity in property B to be used as the down payment.


Who is Dario Lorenzo http://www.squidoo.com/dario-lorenzo


Dario Lorenzo
Affinity Investments
Vancouver BC V6Z 3B8
604 688 2521
http://www.affinityinvestments.ca/
facebook.com/dlorenzo.
http://dariolorenzo.wordpress.com/

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Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Difference between Urgent and Important


In Stephen Covey’s book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Stephen talks about the difference between Urgent and Important matters, and how dividing our time between these two types of activities or tasks can make us more effective or less effective.
It’s amazing how something that comes up can urgently demands our attention almost always seems to appear important. But is it really? Understanding how to distinguish the two as separate has really been an eye-opening experience for me and has helped me prioritize how I spend my time each day.
Urgent matters demand our immediate attention; we react to them urgently, drop everything now to deal with this matter. It could be something as simple as answering the phone when it ring while we are in the middle of working on and article that requires our focus and concentration.
If you have friends like me I’m sure you have one who’s permanently and constantly in crisis mode, constantly putting out fires, busy, busy, busy running around from one crisis to another. Now, have you noticed, that this person is frequently stuck somewhere falling short of their goals because they never have the time to get to the things they say really matter to them?
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that urgent matters are always not important. A true crisis must be given the attention it requires. But a task—something like checking and replying to emails every time one comes in to your inbox-must must wait so you can work on the actual important issues that will get you closer to your goals
Important activities or task are those that help us get closer to the goals we have set for ourselves. Important activities or tasks frequently are things we must do on our own initiative, without some kind outside condition creating a sense of importance. Important things or issues come in all sizes, but usually require planning and great effort, sometimes simply to prevent situations from becoming urgent. For example, taking care of your own finances now is important because it could help you avoid a future consumed by debit brought on my years of careless over spending. (I keep a monthly budget and I regularly track and update my monthly budget since having this epiphany!)
By ignoring these important Activities or tasks early in the day or early in life, they always have a way of escalating into urgent issues.
If you’ve read this far it’s probably become apparent that one thing that’s extremely important is to separate important activities or tasks from the urgent ones and to assign them the appropriate time to deal with them. Once you’ve decided that something is important, it is your responsibility to assign a sense of urgency to it and make sure you get it done. If you’re an entrepreneur like I am, think about all the aspects of your business that are urgent as opposed to important. Consider doing what is did by delegating urgent tasks an assistant. My effectiveness dramatically increased 100 folds because I start spending by far the greatest percentage of my time attending to the important activities or task that did two things, increase profit and grow my business. If you take care of the important activities or task you’ll keep them from becoming urgent and reduce the amount of time dedicated to crisis management in your business and personal life.As a close friend once said to me, time for mortals is finite. In fact, we never really know when we’ll run out of it. To make matters more complicated, there turns out to be truth in the old saying that you never have enough time to do everything you’d like to do. So you really must decide what is important to you, and then take care of business!
Who is Dario Lorenzo

Dario Lorenzo
Streamline Marketing System
Vancouver BC V6Z 3B8
604 688 2521
http://www.streamlinemarketingsystem.com/

Friday, June 5, 2009

How to Invest in Today's Market

While depressed stock prices present lots of opportunity, your long-term investing strategy shouldn't change with the times.

By Walter Updegrave, Money Magazine senior editor
June 4, 2009: 6:09 AM ET
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NEW YORK (Money) -- Question: I believe that along with a recession comes a great opportunity to invest and make significant long-term gains. I'm under 30, I contribute to my 401(k) plan and I'm willing to take risks. What are my best options in today's market? --Lyle, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Answer: Hey, I'm with you. Although they can be painful, recessions not only wring a lot of the excesses out of the economy and markets, they also set the stage for people who invest in stocks that have been pummeled to potentially earn some impressive gains.

For example, if you had invested in stocks in December, 1974, which was the trough of the severe 1973-1975 recession, you would have earned a 37% return over the next year, a 16% annualized gain over three years and 15% annualized for the five years ending in December, 1979. That's a huge increase over stocks' compound annual return of roughly 10% since the mid-1920s.

That said, I'm not a big believer in trying to exploit the economy's recovery for even bigger gains by targeting your investing toward specific industries, sectors or other niches.

If you're really interested in building a nest egg over the course of your career that will sustain you in retirement, I think the best course is to adhere pretty much to the same investing strategy today that you would (or should) employ at any other time -- that is, maintain a broadly diversified blend of different types of stocks or stock funds, and throw in some bonds or bond funds for stability.

I realize that this puts me at odds with much of the investing world -- both financial firms and the investment "punditocracy" that espouses its views in articles, blogs and cable TV appearances. Much of what you hear or read nowadays consists of people trying to predict what sorts of stocks or funds might deliver outsize gains as we emerge from recession.

Indeed, recent research from Wasatch Funds makes the case that small-cap stocks are the place to be when the economy is coming out of recession. The report notes that small-caps have outperformed large-caps by almost a two-to-one margin (34% vs. 18%) in the year following the last nine recessions.

And a new study by Russell Investments says that value stocks typically beat growth shares in the early periods of an economic expansion, and that this tendency is strongest in small-caps.

I have no reason to doubt the information in either report. But having read them, I'm not going to run out and load up on small company stocks, value shares or, in an attempt to get the best of both worlds, small-company value stocks.

Why? Well, it's easy when you're looking backward to know when you should have gotten into small-caps or any other sector. After all, with the benefit of hindsight you know exactly when past recessions ended. But we don't know when this recession will end (or, for that matter, whether it already has). So when, exactly, do you move into small caps? Now? A month from now? Two months? Get in too early -- or too late -- and the extra gains might be smaller or might not materialize at all.

Besides, it's not as if all economic and market cycles play out exactly the same. In fact, the Russell report notes that the 2001 recession was an anomaly compared to the other three it examined, and thus resulted in a very different pattern of small-cap growth vs. value returns.

Given the stock market's strong rebound (so far at least) from its March lows, it's understandable that many people are beginning to regain a bit of confidence about investing in stocks. In general, that's a good thing.

But let's not get overly exuberant here. If anything, the events of the past year or so have shown that we're not exactly savants when it comes to predicting short-term investment performance.

So while I'm still confident in stocks' ability to deliver robust gains over the long-term -- especially when you buy them at depressed levels in the wake of a crash -- I'm not inclined to make big bets that a particular sector of the market will outperform another over a relatively short period of time. I'm just not convinced that investors -- pros or regular Joes -- are prescient enough to make such calls and nimble enough to get in and out at the right time.

Bottom line: If you want to capitalize on this recession to boost the eventual value of your 401(k), contribute as much as you can and maintain a diversified mix of stocks and bonds that's appropriate for your age and risk tolerance.

Given your age, that will probably mean investing between 80% and 90% of your 401(k)'s assets in stocks. Believe me, that's plenty enough risk. You don't need to compound it by engaging in a guessing game about which segment of the market might deliver the biggest gains in the next year or two.

Want a Money Makeover? E-mail us at makeover@moneymail.com.


Who is Dario Lorenzo http://www.squidoo.com/dario-lorenzo


Dario Lorenzo
Streamline Marketing System
Vancouver BC V6Z 3B8
604 688 2521
www.streamlinemarketingsystem.com
http://www.myspace.com/473417936

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Discover How YOU to can be Financially Free: Why "Carbon Copy Pro Requires an Application#links#links

Discover How YOU to can be Financially Free: Why "Carbon Copy Pro Requires an Application#links#links

Why "Carbon Copy Pro Requires an Application

Jeff Learner is my coach and mentor and he will explain why you need to go through the Application Process.

To complete your Application click here.

We simply can't work with everyone. Remember, for things to change for you, YOU have to change. And you'll have to do so ASAP. Jeff and I help you. No worries. Jeff has helped and coached many already...and the numbers are growing daily...It's your turn.

Remember, included with your Application Kit is the breakthrough "Inside Out" DVD (a $149 stand alone value). This was filmed to show you the "insider secrets" to making a five-figure monthly income ($10k or more per month) from home in the 21st Century by industry legends Jay Kubassek and Mike Dillard "Inside Out" Preview .

To complete your Application click here.

Remember your application fee is 100% refundable and you still get to keep the DVD and work book.

Dedicated To Your Success!

Dario Lorenzo

BIB Consultants

Carbon Copy Pro

Dario’s Phone: (604) 688 2521

Who is Dario Lorenzo

P.S. If you're ready for a business with 80% profit margins,no employees, no inventory, no overhead, and a proven marketing system then apply right now to join my exclusive marketing team at Streamline Marketing System.

This is not MLM or any other Mickey Mouse business model. This is the same system I use to generate over $4,000 in the month of May. Visit Streamline Marketing System right away for more info.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Discovering how working from home will give you freedom


The future of the workplace is certainly changing. There are a lot of new rules that are changing where and when we work.
Social media sites like twitter, facebook and MySpace are changing the way we interact in life with our friends and business. Searching for “the conversation” on twitter, and with tools like google trends, are transforming the old rules of marketing.
There seems to be a new trend in the way people and businesses are work. I see more and more people discovering passive income and how pointless it is to trade time for money. Then again, it makes much more sense to evaluate the difference of value by way of results. For a few years now Best Buy has been transforming the work place with it’s “results-only work environment.”
More companies and managers are discovering it doesn’t make much sense to pay and employee for their presence. The value the employee provides is the real measurement of worth and this employee does not need to be in a cubicle in an office.
Whether it’s through self-employment or being employed there are a many benefits to cutting ties with at work cubicle nation.
Work anywhere. This is the most obvious one. If you’re liberated from your “assigned station,” you’re free to work anywhere with WiFi. Some of the managers at Best Buy often work in the middle of a fishing trip or from a secluded cabin the middle of a ski resort. It’s not that their work is cutting into their personal time, it’s giving employees the ability to take these trips and choose where they work.
Complete control of the design of your workspace. While I’ve never worked anywhere that rules about the Do’s and Don’ts for cubicle or office decor, I know there are some unspoken and understood rules. If wanted a giant exotic car poster with a sexy blond in a bikini, that probably wouldn’t be acceptable. If you wanted to work in your underwear or listen to Howard Stern, that probably wouldn’t be allowed either. If you work from home, anything goes. It’s not like the absence of beige or fluorescent lighting will make you sad. (If it does, I recommend you seek help form a mental health professional.)
Less distractions. This might sound kind of odd, because when you first think about it, you might think there would be more distractions at home, not less. But once you start working form home the opposite is true, at least for me. No more co-worker drivebys, impromptu meetings, and annoying cubicle mates who like to yell to everyone from across the office are constant distractions and interruptions. At home you might have temptations to watch TV, but at least you have control total control over these distractions.
Flexible time. You decide when you start and finish work. You decide when its play time. You’re liberated from the clock and you set your schedule. You may have certain projects, meeting or deadlines you must attend to, but you have total flexibility as to when you work on them.
More focus on results, not presence. When you’re focused on results, you have a tendency to care more about quality of your work. When you’re focused on presence, you have a tendency to resent the work you’re doing. You’re focused on being there but not on what you’re doing. More energy is spent thinking about when your next break, or lunch is, or when you get to go home.
6. Time with loves ones. This is the number one reason why people start a business. Whatever day it is it's the only day you'll ever get to spend with them. So spend this day close to the people you love!
Workout at your desk. How many times have you wanted to take a break and go for a quick workout but you are not able because your gym is a 15 minute drive or more form work? I can’t count how many times I’ve wanted to take a break and workout during work. Since I work from home I just do push-ups, sit-ups, or whatever. You can easily solve this problem by Working from home?
8. No Commute. Actually, you might have a commute - from your bedroom to your home office (which may even be in your bedroom!). The average working person wastes just about 10% of their week getting to and from work. What could you do with that extra time? Spend time with your kids, make a life long dream come true, exercise, learn a new language….what would you do?
Choose your own hours. Work at a time that makes sense to you and there is actually work that has to be done, not just because of what a boss says. Imagine a work environment where you can go to work, knock out your day’s workload, and leave once you are done! How many hours do you spend at your job trying to look busy? Deliberately dragging out projects so you won't get bored in the downtime and your boss thinks you are working hard? What a ridiculous way to live but try telling your boss that you are finished with all your work load so you'd like to take a half day off to go to the beach...What would happen if you did this every day?

My goal is to simply highlight the options that often go unnoticed or untapped. I think the best solution is to find a balance between your work life and your personal life while becoming as efficient and productive as one can.

I recommend you real The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss

Working from home is not for everyone and there are pitfalls to being self employed and telecommuting. Creating barriers between work-time and personal-time, and a lack of social interaction, are a couple that come to mind.

I work from home and I love it. I am only presenting you with options. I would say that where we often think there are no options we later find the existence of tremendous field of possibilities, if we have the courage to challenge our beliefs.

Where we often only see walls, there are no walls at all. They are simply opportunities for us to grow.
As to how to convince your boss to let you work from home, just ask to do a trial of one day a week for four weeks to see how it goes. If your productivity improves on those days, it will be leverage for you and an incentive to your boss to continue your experiment. You may have to show up some days for mandatory meetings or for a need to be in the office, but working from home one or two days a week can make a big difference.

For more information go to http://www.streamlinemarketingsystem.com/


Dario Lorenzo
Streamline Marketing System
Vancouver BC V6Z 3B8
604 688 2521
http://www.streamlinemarketingsystem.com/
http://www.myspace.com/473417936
http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/?ref=sb#/pages/Streamline-Marketing-System/95158043456
http://twitter.com/dariolorenzo
http://www.squidoo.com/dario-lorenzo

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Ideas and Action


Anyone can have a great idea, lots of them: million dollar ideas; ideas that will change their life; ideas that will change other people’s lives; ideas that will change the world. But any idea that stays on the chalkboard is worth only the chalk it’s written with.

What’s missing for most people is decisive action and disciplined follow-through to take their ideas from concept to reality. Here is how I have turned a lot of my “million dollar ideas” into millions of dollars.

Take some form of productive action daily.It could be something as simple as googling a phone number or doing some basic research–something that takes you closer to your goal. Be careful though, being “busy” does not necessarily mean you are taking action; action takes you measurably closer to your goal. When a task, idea, or goal is so big or challenging that you can’t move on it, break it down into small steps that you can take action on daily. Ideas don’t count as building blocks, only actions do. Considering this, how is the construction on your house of dreams coming?

Be scrappy, resourceful and do it yourself.No one is going to have the same passion that you have for your idea and no one will be willing to invest as much time, energy and passion in making it happen as you. If you have to, make your action steps smaller, but do not quit or allow yourself to stall when tough circumstances appear. Persistence and patience are key to solving your entrepreneurial puzzles. I have no formal education on business or marketing yet almost very major accomplishment and entrepreneurial success I have had in the last five years came by figuring it out and doing it myself. All you do-it-yourselfers know there is no substitute for the school of hard knocks.

Don’t wait to take action until you have the perfect conditions.Circumstances, conditions and timing are seldom perfect. That’s why all of the successful entrepreneurs that I know create their own circumstances as they need them. Just like with travel, the quickest way to get to your destination is the most direct route. If that means figuring it out and doing it yourself sometimes, so be it.

Seek guidance from people who already have the results you want.I personally have about a dozen people I look up to in all different areas of life and business. People that have the results that I want to achieve whom I look to emulate as closely as possible. These people don’t even know that are on my imaginary board of directors. Leveraging other people’s knowledge and experience will help you cut down on mistakes and accelerate the process.

Put productivity over procedure.People can take months batting ideas around, preparing a business plan, consulting accountants and attorneys, getting a business entity set up, etc. I see people stuck in the “getting-ready-to-get-ready” mode all the time. (I made my first million before I actually had an accountant or business entity set up. Not recommended.) But hey, I made my first million, and my last million by taking action on my ideas. You should try it.


Dario Lorenzo

Streamline Marketing System

Vancouver BC V6Z 3B8

604 688 2521



http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/?ref=sb#/pages/Streamline-Marketing-System/95158043456


http://www.squidoo.com/dario-lorenzo

The Survival Of The Fittest



Sometimes though, entrepreneurs start a business because they have to. Maybe it was because they were laid off from their jobs, or even worse, fired. Perhaps their company went out of business and left them out of work, or didn’t pay them enough money. In today’s economy, it is not uncommon to see whole industries collapse when their markets dry up, as we’re seeing with real estate, construction, mortgage lending and automobiles. Many of today’s highly successful companies were started by entrepreneurs and bred from pure necessity, plain and simple.

Entrepreneurship carries with it many rewards and many risks. It is often said that when you are self-employed, you wake up unemployed every morning. But according to Experian, one of the three biggest credit reporting agencies, self-employed entrepreneurs make about 25% more than the general population. Of course when you really consider income differential, you also need to realize that most of the wealthiest men in America made their fortunes as entrepreneurs. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Donald Trump and Sam Walton are all self-made billionaire entrepreneurs.

But what about the risks? According to Entrepreneur Magazine somewhere between 85 and 94% % of all new business fail within the first 5 years. According to Dr. Gregory B. Murphy, associate dean and director of the MBA program for the College of Business at the University of Southern Indiana, the number of small businesses that close up shop due to severe financial distress such as bankruptcy is more on the order of 30% to 40% but this is still a huge rate of attrition.

Regardless of the risk, according to a study of entrepreneurs conducted by Master Card International, 65% of small business owners would tell a friend to start a business now, rather than wait a year. And according to MSNBC, small businesses are responsible for over 75% of the net new jobs in the economy.

These businesses often start very small called micro businesses and then grow rapidly. The US Census Bureau reports that 49% of the nation’s businesses are run from home, and industry analyst the Dieringer Group places the number of Americans running businesses from home at 45.1 million. Today, more so than ever, it is easy to start such a home-based business. Global search engine giant Yahoo reports that well over 75% percent of adults surveyed online indicated that the Internet directly facilitated the launch of their new business.
Based on all of this, regardless of whether you are or want to be an entrepreneur based on passion or necessity, you also need to consider the risk versus the reward. The potential benefits are vast and unlimited. The major risk is that you have about a 50% chance of failure. But you can get around that by doing some very basic things.

Leaders are not born. They are created. Anyone can become a leader in any area if they want to. (Read OUTLIERS by Malcom Gladwell) You need to set realistic expectations and manage them aggressively and then stick the bleep in there! Success is almost entirely based on determination having the discipline to hang in there even when you feel like quitting 1000 times. Most entrepreneurs fail because they simply give up too soon. Free enterprise is really about the survival of the fittest, where only the strongest survive. The formula is simple figure out what you what and then don’t quit until you have achieved your goals. Period.
By Jay Kubassek

Friday, May 22, 2009

The Financial Mess – The Real Deal

A Great Friend sent me this Article and I thought I would pass it on. Feel Free to forward this to your Friends. Dario

By Michael Mitrosky Okay,
I’ve seen enough chain letters discussing the cause of our economic woes, and they’re all incorrect, so I figured it was time to write one that addressed the real issues. I’ve written this in plain English and have taken out any technical mumbo-jumbo so people will be able to understand it clearly. So, even though I will be leaving out some details everything in this message will be fundamentally true.

Okay, if you want to understand the problem we have with money in this country, you’re going to have to understand 3 things:

1. Who makes our money.
2. How money comes into existence.
3. Inflation is nothing but a tax.
Let’s tackle the first part:

PART I – Who Makes Our Money?

Here are 2 different $100 Bills. One has a red seal, the other a green seal.
Notice the top of this bill. It says United States Note. That means it is a note issued by the United States.



Now notice the top of this bill. It says Federal Reserve Note. That means it is a note issued by the Federal Reserve. It is NOT issued by the United States at all.


Well, who is the Federal Reserve? Aren’t they part of the government you might ask? The answer to that is no. The Federal Reserve is a private company, just like Federal Express. And it is no more federal than Federal Express is.
Now both of these $100 Bills cost 4 cents to produce. In the old days the govt would simply print up a red seal $100 United States Note for 4 cents and spend the money on something it wanted.
Not anymore. Today, the Federal Reserve gets to produce the $100 Bill for 4 cents and then sells the $100 Federal Reserve Note to the US Government for $100 Face Amount.
That bears repeating. The Federal Reserve (a private company) gets to produce slips of paper for 4 cents ($100 Bills) and then sells those pieces of paper to the US Govt for $100 Face Amount.

Now since the government doesn’t have any money of its own how does it buy these Federal Reserve Notes? It pays for them with debt: Treasury Bonds, Treasury Notes, & Treasury Bills. If you read the paper or listen to the nightly news you’ll hear the media say things like “The Fed injected liquidity into the markets…” or “The Fed is buying government securities…” All this means is that the Federal Reserve is literally creating money out of thin air and then selling this money to our government for its face amount. This is the true source of our National debt, and this is the reason our debt never goes down.
If you read an economics book this will be covered under the term “Monetization of government debt.” Now some of you might be saying, “Why should I care about any of this?” I’ll tell you why.
You know all that income tax that comes out of your paycheck every week? Well your money is paying for this. Your income tax dollars do not pay for things like you think. The personal income tax does not pay for the military, roads, schools, or anything like that. It simply pays for the federal reserve notes with the green seal. In fact both the income tax and Federal Reserve were created in the same year – 1913. The income tax was created to finance the federal reserve.
Okay, pretty crazy right? Why in the world would our government pay a private bank for money, and then tax it’s own citizens to pay for it, when we could just issue the money ourself practically for free? There is a reason, and we’ll touch on it later. Right now we’re going to explain the next part.
PART II – How Money Comes Into Existence
This part explains why we have booms and busts in the economy.
We now know that the government buys it’s money from the private company called the Federal Reserve. And we know that the government pays for the money by issuing government debt. Because of this, the government doesn’t even own it’s own money, it only rents it.(A $100 United States Note issued in 1966 only costs America 4 cents. While a $100 Federal Reserve
Note issued in 1966 costs America $100 + $5 a year in interest for a total of $315.00) When the government buys one dollar from the federal reserve The problem with this is that although the dollar is created, the extra 5 cents in interest is NOT created. This means there is not enough money in the economy for the government to pay back it’s debt. After awhile it’s not even possible for the government to pay the interest on it’s debt unless the money supply is increased. So out of necessity, the federal reserve & government will start a program of expanding the supply of money. The federal reserve will create more money to push down interest rates and the government will take on more debt to buy more of this money. This causes malinvestment, which means:People are encouraged to make wrong decisions because of false signals they are receiving from the marketplace. Businesses will tend to over expand when they shouldn’t and over produce certain goods. (build too many houses for example.) Consumers will feel richer and so will wind up buying more cars, homes, etc. when they really cannot afford to. This is where programs like the Community Reinvestment Act come into play as well as agencies like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc. Anything that encourages expansion of the money supply (like people borrowing to buy homes) will be done, and it doesn’t matter whether the Republicans or Democrats are in power. They know they need to keep the supply of money growing. If they don’t then this whole unstable system comes crashing down.
The government automatically owes that dollar PLUS 5 cents in interest.
But since this system of money IS unstable it has to come crashing down anyway: Eventually the areas in which this money is put will form a “Bubble”. It might be a Stock Market bubble or a real estate bubble, just to name a few. Eventually these bubbles will burst because they have been artificially created and are unsustainable. Inflationary booms are always followed by deflationary busts as a normal cleansing mechanism of the marketplace. Now while this bubble is happening, the government can step in through taxation and confiscation and grab enough dollars to pay for the interest on its debt. (Income Tax). When the stock market bubble burst, they replaced it with an even bigger real estate bubble. Now that the real estate bubble is bursting they are trying to replace it with an even bigger “bond market/dollar bubble”. The dollar bubble being formed now IS inflation, and will result in prices going up for everything. But like all bubbles, the dollar bubble will eventually burst and when it does the value of the dollar will be destroyed.

PART III – Inflation is a Tax (And that’s all it is)

Okay, so far we have talked about two types of money, United States Notes and Federal Reserve Notes. But I have to be honest. Neither of those are actually money, they are only currency.
Here’s the difference.
In 1950, you could buy 4 gallons of gasoline for ONE DOLLAR.
A paper dollar bought 4 gallons of gasoline. A silver dollar bought 4 gallons of gasoline.
Now let’s fast foward to 2009
A paper dollar will NOT buy you 4 gallons of gasoline.
You can’t even buy ONE gallon of gasoline with it.

But a silver dollar will still buy you 4 gallons of gasoline.(The silver content is always worth the price of 4 gallons of gasoline.) Here is anothre example:

The price of oil is calculated from the year 2000 and priced in Dollars, Euros, and Gold. In dollars, the price of oil went up 350%, in euros it went up 200%, but in terms of gold it didn’t go up in price at all. Why do commodities like gasoline and oil not go up in price when priced in either gold or silver? Answer: Gold & Silver are real money. They have intrinsic value. Gold and silver cannot be printed out of thin air the way paper dollars can, and so they retain their value. When the federal reserve prints paper dollars and sells them to our government, the government is able to go out and buy whatever it wants at current market prices. But as that money circulates throughout the economy, the increase in paper dollars causes prices to rise. By the time the money gets to you and me,the price of a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk has already gone up. This is how inflation taxes us. The government who gets to use the newly made money first, steals our purchasing power through inflation. The end result is that we are taxed without even knowing it. But we all know we work harder and harder just to get the same things in life we had before. That is the invisible inflation tax in a nutshell. This tax affects middle class and poor people the most. And it is the reason we hear people say “The rich get richer, while the poor get poorer.”
If we used gold or silver money, the gov’t would be stopped from stealing our purchasing power through inflation. Why don’t we use gold and silver for money anymore? We’re supposed to. It’s the law. The United States Constitution: Article I, Section 10.No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility. The founding fathers experienced massive hyperinflation during the Revolutionary War where the only way the country had to raise revenue was by printing paper money. Imagine having a pickup truck filled with paper money, scarcely being able to buy enough groceries to fill up your truck. It’s happened before in America. “A wagon load of money will scarcely purchase a wagon load of provisions.” – George Washington, 1779 Now this doesn’t mean we have to walk around with bags of gold and silver. We can still use paper money, checks, debit cards, and electronic banking that is backed by silver and gold.
Let’s take a look at how our $100 Bill is supposed to look. Unlike “Notes” which are not real money, “Certificates” are indeed real money because they are redeemable for the actual gold or silver at any time.

$100 Gold Certificate




And a couple examples of paper money backed by Silver: $5 Silver Certificate




$1 Silver Certificate




PART IV – Why Does Our Government Do This?

Earlier, I told you I would explain why the government does this. And the answer is because it makes it easier for politicians to get re-elected.

Under our Constitution and a sound money system like a gold standard, the government would have to tax the citizens with what’s called a direct tax. Let’s say the government wants to spend money on some programs and it’s going to cost $300 Billion more than they are going to take in, in revenue. That means they are going to run a deficit of $300 Billion. With roughly 300 million citizens in America that results in a cost of $1,000 per man, woman and child. So now you get a knock on your door from a tax collector and are told that your family of 4 will have to immediately pay the government $4,000 in a direct tax so the government can spend money on these programs. What would you do? You would call up your congressman and bitch. You would tell him that if he doesn’t fix the problem he will be out of a job.

You would take an active role in politics, and that’s the last thing politicians want. They just want to get re-elected without all the hassle. So instead of taxing you honestly, they purchase money from the federal reserve, make our national debt go up, and devalue our money through inflation. And since the effects of inflation are delayed anywhere from between 6 months to 2 years, by the time gasoline or food prices go up, it can be blamed on war, greedy arabs, or bad weather, and the politician [and federal reserve] can escape the blame, even though they are the ones responsible. So the next time you hear that oil prices are higher because of a hurricane; remember it’s not true.

PART V - How Do We Fix The Economy?

We got into this mess because we over spent, over borrowed, and over consumed. So we need to do the opposite, which is save our money, pay back debt, and not consume as much. But wait, I hear some of you say consumption is good for the economy. The nightly news tells us that the American economy is 2/3 driven by consumer spending. However, that is just another fallacy. Production is the true measure of an economy not consumption. Anybody can eat an ear of corn, but before you can eat the corn, somebody had to grow it. Anybody can buy a new pair of jeans, but before you can buy them, somebody had to make the jeans. Somebody always has to produce before some other person can consume. And saving and spending work the same way. You have to earn and save your money before you can buy things. Here are two “fancy” economic terms and my common sense definitions for each. You should make sure you understand these because you will hear them more as the economy worsens:

Keynesian Economics: Economic theory that basically says, “Spend all the money you have. When you run out of money, borrow all you can and spend that too. When nobody will loan you anymore money, just print the money and keep spending.” This is the policy our government follows. The gov’t spent all our money, borrowed all we can from other countries, so now the final resort is printing even more money (and paying the federal reserve even more).
Austrian Economics: Economic theory that basically says, “If you want to buy something, make sure you have the money first. If you don’t have the money then save up your money, and when you have enough, buy what you want. Pay your credit card balances in full every month and only go into debt if it’s an emergency.
The Solution:
We need to let the free market function. Let the depression happen. If we let it happen, it will be over in about a year. If we drag it out with spending plan after spending plan the depression will last for 10 years or more. [Everybody has heard of the depression of 1929, but most people never hear about the depression of 1920-1921, which was actually worse. The difference was, in 1920-1921 the government didn't intervene with spending programs. Failed companies were allowed to go bankrupt, and bad debt was eliminated. After a year, the economy took off. The depression of 1929 was met with one government stimulus plan after another. The depression didn't end until after WWII, in 1946.]

Not only do we, as Americans need to cut back, but we need to produce goods and export them to other countries. We need to produce goods in America again. We need to promote jobs here and stop the outsourcing of American jobs overseas.
But in order to do this we need to decrease the size of government and increase personal liberty. We need to completely eradicate the Federal Reserve and Income Tax, and cut government spending by over $1.3 trillion a year. (which is how much the government collects each year from the personal and corporate income taxes). Basically, if we just follow the United States Constitution we can fix our problems.
Imagine the trillion dollars collected each year from the personal income tax no longer in the hands of the government but in everybodys’ hands. That’s a trillion dollars more people will have and they will spend their money alot more wisely than government does. Most of the time when government spends money it goes for wasteful programs and everytime the government wants to bailout somebody they wind up just bailing out their buddies.
Imagine with no more corporate income tax, how many companies would be coming back to America to open up shop here again. There would be so many companies coming here to open up shop and creating jobs, we would probably need illegal aliens to work them.
We need to bring back personal Liberty. That can be best summed up as you should have the right to keep 100% of the fruit of your labors (no income tax) and spend your money anyway you want. After all, it’s your money. But with Liberty comes responsibility. If you get a paycheck on Friday and spend it all foolishly on Saturday, you can’t run to the government because you have no money for food for the rest of the week. You instead will have to turn to your family, friends, and religious leaders or charity to help you. Eventually, you will learn to be responsible. In turn society benefits because the more responsible and productive our people are the better off the country will be. And as an added bonus there will be less idiots out there trying to sue McDonalds for making them fat or burning them with “Hot” coffee.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Jobs: Is Working Online At Home The Way to Financial Freedom?


As part of our ongoing series: "Jobs and the Recession: What you need to know" we examine an industry that, despite the recession, seems to be booming

Many websites highlight people making up to $500 per day working online from home on their computer.
By John B. Guiseman
Published: Monday, May 18 2009
Are online jobs the next big thing? As the U.S. economy continues to free-fall, millions of American are finding themselves without jobs, sufficient retirement or paychecks coming in. In March alone the number of unemployed increased by 694,000 to 13.2 million. Throughout history those on the cutting edge have adapted and prospered by knowing how to adapt to current economic climates, and this trend may once again be taking place on the internet.
With more time on their hands, many Floridians (And people around the country and world) are getting creative and turning to the online world for help.
For years we've all heard the stories of people making internet millions and now, it appears you don't have to be a technology guru at all to quickly get started making a decent income online. It's called Easy Google Profit and it's taking the internet and business communities alike by storm.
While researching the online-job phenomenon for this article I found countless stories of every day people making between $250 - $1000 a day from their homes. They explain that they're posting links on websites using hugely popular text advertising applications like Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing and MSN Adcenter.
Below is an excerpt from one site.
"Basically I actually make around $5,500 to $7,000 a month from Google. Not a ton of money. But, very solid and good. I was able to replace my previous job's income, working less than 10 hours a week on my computer at home." - Kevin H.
Now we've all heard of countless 'get rich' schemes and scams and I'm sure that by now most of us have received at least one email promising us multi-million dollar fortunes if we'd only assist some displaced member of the "Nigerian Royal Family." However Easy Google Profit does not appear to get caught up in the 'hype,' instead focusing on a steady stream of results over a period of time driven by individual effort and not the promise of revealing some 'special sauce.'
This new online opportunity doesn't give you an unrealistic 'pitch' at all. In fact this may be the only online opportunity that promises that you won't instantly make millions online, a stark contrast to websites featuring "Get Rich Quick Schemes" and pictures of Yachts and Luxury Homes and Automobiles. Most users share stories of moderate but steady incomes of between $50,000 - $90,000 a year. But as with most jobs the more you put in the more you get out.
"To cut to the chase within a month I had generated over $4,800 in income at home. This was unbelievable to me. I had seen all sorts of scams promising you could make millions of dollars a month or live in a giant mansion if you tried their ’system’ and of course never believed this. When this product advertised a legitimate way to make some pretty decent monthly income with no far-fetched ’scheme’ but instead simple illustrations of how to take advantage of Google like countless other people around the world already were I was sold, and the results to me speak for themselves!" - Steve
The idea of working from home sounds good to most of us who have to deal with varying lengths of unpleasant commutes to and from work, and in this digital age the number of people telecommuting continues to rise- saving time and money spent on fuel and allowing more time to be spent with family.
If you're struggling in the current economic debacle and the idea of working from home interests you, Easy Google Profit may be a viable option for you to try. The website states that there is a trial period available with every enrollment. Users pay only about $2.00 to have the kit shipped and the site states that "Satisfaction is 100% Guaranteed."


Dario Lorenzo
Streamline Marketing System
Vancouver BC V6Z 3B8
604 688 2521
www.streamlinemarketingsystem.com
http://www.myspace.com/473417936
http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/?ref=sb#/pages/Streamline-Marketing-System/95158043456
http://twitter.com/dariolorenzo
http://www.squidoo.com/dario-lorenzo

Is Twitter To Facebook As Google Is To Yahoo? by Aaron Goldman



This analogy came to me at the recent Search Insider Summit during the Day 2 keynote conversation moderated by Gord Hotchkiss with Gian Fulgoni and Jordan Rohan. As always, these SIS-staples delivered many provocative thought-starters -- but I perked up when they started discussing the opportunity for richer brand experiences on the search engines.
History LessonJordan said that what made Google so popular at first was its sparse page with just a search box and textlinks during a period when the trend was towards meta-cluttered portals. Over time, Google evolved its search results pages to include images, video thumbnails, maps, etc., but stopped short of overtly promoting brands beyond text ads. Jordan argued that incorporating any richer ad unit on the SERP would likely cause consumer backlash.I quickly wrote up a post for the MediaPost Raw Blog titled, " It Ain't the Blue Links," suggesting that what made Google so popular wasn't its clean white page with simple blue links but its incredible algorithm and relevancy. I closed with this thought: "The lesson learned from Google is not just simplicity, it's automation, crowdsourcing and, above all, relevance."Lesson Learned?Google was not the first to do search. That honor goes to Archie. And many other search engines came and went before Google. But Google was the first to take the idea of relevance beyond mere on-page factors, incorporating an element of crowdsourcing by giving weight to inbounds links.
Today, all the major engines take link-juice into account to some extent. However, the 2 biggest contenders for search share after Google -- Yahoo and Microsoft -- still look at search as an add-on to their core offerings. Now, let's look at the social networking space. MySpace was the first to reach critical mass (Friendster was close but never tipped) before eventually giving way to Facebook, which came along with what was considered a cleaner UI -- read: less graphics, images, audio and other junk -- and more relevancy -- read: less garage bands, porn, and sexual predators.But what was it that everyone really liked about Facebook? It was the ability not just to connect with people you actually knew -- it was that you could know what they were doing at all times. The status updates were the golden goose.Over time, though, Facebook began to become more portal-like. It added more tabs, boxes, apps and pages for brands to market themselves. It rolled out advertising programs that, at best, cluttered news feeds and, at worst, offended people. Oh yeah, and then there was that whole Beacon thing.Paying Attention?So, along came Twitter, taking the best of Facebook and stripping out the rest. As @ev and @biz told the hosts on "The View," the idea for Twitter was hatched as (and I'm paraphrasing here) "a collection of IM away messages."
But they didn't stop there. Just like Google took what some were doing already and made it better, Twitter put a twist on the idea of status updates by positioning its platform as "micro-blogging." In turn, rather than just sharing what inane activity they were doing at the time, the Twitterati use their 140 characters to share ideas, POVs, quotes, tips, even RFPs. As our collective attention span gets shorter and shorter and ADD is hard-wired into our DNA, people will lose tolerance for platforms like Facebook that require multiple clicks to get to the goods. Navigating Facebook is the epitome of Scott Brinker's Golden Sprinkle.
Heck, people are even losing tolerance for blogs, with the average post seeming like a novel compared to a tweet. Case in point -- with this column closing in on 1000 words, I'm sure many of you are thinking you could've just gotten the gist by reading the headline and moving on.Again, there are parallels here back to the search world. In the late 90s it became clear that people no longer wanted to rely on hunting and pecking around a portal assembled by human editors to find interesting information, they just wanted to search for it and have the algo point them in the right direction.
By stripping out all the superfluous features of Facebook, Twitter is more simple and more relevant. DemeritsSo will Twitter do to Facebook what Google did to Yahoo?
Twitter certainly has momentum. Over the past two months, its traffic has quadrupled. And it has become pop culture fodder, what with all the celebs on Twitter, Ashton reaching 1 million followers, and Oprah getting onboard. And did I mention the founders were on "The View"?There's one major hang-up, though. While it may have taken the best feature of Facebook and built a company around it, Twitter missed one key point: You have to own the audience.Twitter does not own its audience. Applications like TweetDeck and Twhirl do. And while those app providers are beholden to the Twitter API to power their tools, they're not affiliated with Twitter, nor do they share revenue with it.The fact is, very few people go to Twitter.com. Sure, it may have 17 million monthly visits, per comScore -- but I'd bet there are well over 50 million active Twitter accounts. (Note: as far as I know, Twitter does not release this number.)Before Google could build out its syndication network and put its toolbar on every browser and desktop, it first got people hooked on Google.com. That afforded it the luxury of dictating terms to third parties that wanted to build on top of it, either by licensing its search results or embedding its ads onto their sites.Sure, Twitter could just turn off its API one day, locking out all the third-party apps and forcing people to come back to Twitter.com but that will surely cause user revolt -- much worse than if Google subtly introduced display ads on SERPs.

Aaron Goldman is founder and managing partner of Connectual, a rep firm dedicated to connecting the digital marketing ecosystem. Aaron blogs at DigitalSeaChange.com and GoodURLBadURL.com and can be reached at AG@Connectual.com






Dario Lorenzo
Streamline Marketing System
Vancouver BC V6Z 3B8
604 688 2521
www.streamlinemarketingsystem.com
http://www.myspace.com/473417936
http://www.squidoo.com/dario-lorenzo