This is Myth 2 of 10 Myths of Direct Selling from The Direct Selling Association…

MYTH #2: Most direct selling companies are pyramid schemes that are doomed to fail.
FACT There’s a big difference between legitimate direct selling companies and pyramid schemes. Pyramid schemes seek to make money from you (and quickly). Legitimate direct selling companies seek to make money with you as you build your business (and theirs) by selling real products and services. In fact, legitimate direct selling companies work hard to protect consumers from pyramid schemes. Before you sign up with a company, investigate carefully. A good way to begin is to ask yourself these three questions:

1. How much are you required to pay to become an independent consultant?
If the start-up cost is substantial, be careful! The start-up fee in direct selling companies should generally be low and cover the cost of your start-up kit (usually sold at or below company cost) which can include training materials, sample products and other items to get your business going. These companies want to make it easy and inexpensive for you to start selling. Pyramid schemes, on the other hand, make nearly all of their profit on signing up new recruits. Therefore, the cost to become a distributor is usually high.

2. Will the company buy back unsold inventory?
If not, beware! Legitimate companies that require inventory purchases will usually “buy back” unsold products if you decide to quit the business. Some state laws and the DSA Code of Ethics require buy-backs for at least 90% of your original cost.

3. Are the company’s products sold to consumers?
If the answer is no (or not many), stay away! This is a key element. Direct selling (like other methods of retailing) depends on selling to consumers and establishing a market. This requires quality products, competitively priced. Pyramid schemes, on the other hand, are not concerned with sales to end users of the product. Profits are made on volume sales to new recruits, who buy the products, not because they are useful or attractively priced, but because they must buy them to participate. Inventory purchases should never be more than you can realistically expect to sell or use yourself.

Spam: Where it Came From and How to Escape it

By: Tom Kulzer, Aweber CEO

Posted with permission Aweber Email Marketing

In 1936, long before the rise of the personal computer, Hormel Foods created SPAM. In 2002, the company will produce it’s six billionth can of the processed food product. But that mark was passed long ago in the world of Internet spam.

Who Cooked This!? (How did it all start?)

The modern meaning of the word “spam” has nothing to do with spiced ham. In the early 1990’s, a skit by British comedy group Monty Python led to the word’s common usage. “The SPAM Skit” follows a couple struggling to order dinner from a menu consisting entirely of Hormel’s canned ham.

Repetition is key to the skit’s hilarity. The actors cram the word “SPAM” into the 2.5 minute skit more than 104 times! This flood prompted Usenet readers to call unwanted newsgroup postings “spam.” The name stuck.

Spammers soon focused on e-mail, and the terminology moved with them. Today, the word has come out of technical obscurity. Now, “spam” is the common term for “Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail”, or “UCE.”

Why Does Bad Spam Happen to Good People?

Chances are, you’ve been spammed before. Somehow, your e-mail address has found it’s way into the hands of a spammer, and your inbox is suffering the consequences. How does this happen? There are several possibilities.

Backstabbing Businesses
Businesses often keep lists of their customers’ e-mail addresses. This is a completely legitimate practice and, usually, nothing bad comes of it. Sometimes though, the temptation to make a quick buck is too great, and these lists are sold or rented to outside advertisers. The result? A lot of unsolicited e-mail, and a serious breach of trust.

Random Address Generation

Computer programs called random address generators simply “guess” e-mail addresses. Over 100 million hotmail addresses exist – howhard could it be to guess some of them? Unfortunately for many unsuspecting netizens – not too hard. Many spammers also guess at

“standard” addresses, like “support@yourdomain.com”,

“info@yourdomain.com”, and “billing@yourdomain.com.”

Web Spiders

Today’s most insidious list-gathering tools are web spiders. All of the major search engines spider the web, saving information about each page. Spammers use tools that also spider the web, but save any e-mail address they come across. Your personal web page lists your e-mail address? Prepare for an onslaught!

Chat Room Harvesting

ISP’s offer vastly popular chat rooms where users are known only by their screen names. Of course, spammers know that your screen name is the first part of your e-mail address. Why waste time guessing e-mail addresses when a few hours of lurking in a chat room can net a list of actively-used addresses?

The Poor Man’s Bad Marketing Idea

It didn’t work for the phone companies, and it won’t work for e-mail marketers. But, some spammers still keep their own friends-and-family-style e-mail lists. Compiled from the addresses of other known spammers, and people or businesses that the owner has come across in the past, these lists are still illegitimate. Why? Only you can give someone permission to send you e-mail. A friend-of-a-friend’s permission won’t cut it.

Stop The Flood to Your Inbox

Already drowning in spam? Try using your e-mail client’s filters – many provide a way to block specific e-mail addresses. Each time you’re spammed, block the sender’s address. Spammers skip from address to address, and you may be on many lists, but this method will at least slow the flow.

Also, use more than one e-mail address, and keep one “clean.” Many netizens find that this technique turns the spam flood into a trickle. Use one address for only spam-safe activities like e-mailing your friends, or signing on with trustworthy businesses. Never use your clean address on the web! Get a free address to use on the web and in chat rooms.

If nothing else helps, consider changing screen names, or opening an entirely new e-mail account. When you do, you’ll start with a clean, spam-free slate. This time, protect your e-mail address!

Stay Off Spammed Lists in the Future

Want to surf the web without getting sucked into the spam-flood? Prevention is your best policy. Don’t use an easy-to-guess e-mail address. Keep your address clean by not using it for spam-centric activities. Don’t post it on any web pages, and don’t use it in chat rooms or newsgroups.

Before giving your clean e-mail address to a business, check the company out. Are sections of its user agreement dedicated to anti-spam rules? Does a privacy policy explain exactly what will be done with your address? The most considerate companies also post an anti-spam policy written in plain English, so you can be absolutely sure of what you’re getting into.

Think You’re Not a Spammer? Be Sure.

Many a first-time marketer has inadvertently spammed his audience. The first several hundred complaints and some nasty phone messages usually stop him in his tracks. But by then, the spammer may be faced with cleanup bills from his ISP, and a bad reputation that it’s not easy to overcome.

The best way to avoid this situation is to have a clear understanding of what spam is: If anyone who receives your mass e-mails did not specifically ask to hear from you, then you are spamming them.

Stick with your gut. Don’t buy a million addresses for $10, no matter how much the seller swears by them! If something sounds fishy, just say no. You’ll save yourself a lot in the end.

The Final Blow

The online world is turning the tide on spam. In the end, people will stop sending spam because it stops working. Do your part: never buy from a spammer. When your business seeks out technology companies with which to work, only choose those with a staunch anti-spam stance.

Spam has a long history in both the food and e-mail sectors. This year, Hormel Foods opened a real-world museum dedicated to SPAM. While the museum does feature the Monty Python SPAM Skit, there’s no word yet on an unsolicited commercial e-mail exhibit. But, if all upstanding netizens work together, Hormel’s ham in a can will far outlive the Internet plague that is UCE.

Hope you enjoyed this informative article from Aweber, a necessary email marketing tool!

Many blessings for your prosperity and well being.

Linda Miller
828-652-4714

Try AWeber Email Marketing Risk-Free

Internet Marketing and Affiliate Marketing are becoming more and more popular for creating significant income and one of the BEST training programs available is the Wealthy Affiliate Training System …

This system has EVERYTHING anyone needs to learn how to do Affiliate Marketing and Internet Marketing the RIGHT way…. with step by step instructions.

http://WealthyAffiliateTrainingSystem.com

AND you can also earn BIG commissions while you are learning!

If you really want to learn Internet Marketing, read on…

In addition to all the lessons, training and vast resources, the system also includes a very active forum where you can meet other affiliate marketers also in training.  I am finding them to be very helpful whenever anyone has a question.

This system has everything anyone needs to be successful in making money online.

Check it out here and you will see what I mean!

http://WealthyAffiliateTrainingSystem.com

So how do you EARN while you learn?

Wealthy Affiliate is also an excellent affiliate program, which means that when you refer someone to the program who joins, then you earn a 50% commission EVERY MONTH for that person.  So, while you are learning you are also earning.  With just two referrals you membership is free and then you are creating a new income stream.

It’s win-win!

Have fun checking it out!

Many blessings.

In sincere appreciation,

Linda Miller
828-652-4714

Private Attraction Marketing Mentoring
http://LindaMillerOnline.com

When I logged in to my Facebook account on January 21, 2010 I had 2009 friends.  By the end of the day I had 2298 Friends.  That is an increase of 289 Friends … and I will tell you how I did that in only about 15 minutes.

Since I have been a member of Facebook I have been adding a few new friends daily by inviting suggested friends and by inviting friends of friends… and of course I accept friend invitations also.

Over the last several months I have created a few new Groups on Facebook and I invited my friends to be members of these Groups.  Then I asked members of the Groups to invite THEIR friends to be members of the groups also.  So the Groups began to grow and grow.  (All of my Groups are listed at the end of this message.)

Well, then I realized that since I had not personally invited all of the members they may not actually be my Friends yet, so I went to the Groups and I began to click on each member’s name to see if they were my Friend, and if not, I invited them to be my Friend, with a personal message thanking them for being a member of the particular Group.

Once of my Groups alone has over 1300 members, so I realized it would take me a month of Sundays to invite everyone individually.  That is The Secret of Water Group here…(come join us!)

http://profile.to/groups/thesecretofwater

I remembered that when you create a Group you have the privilege of writing directly to everyone in the Group and they receive your message in their Facebook private message inbox.

So that is what I did.

I sent a message through the Group to every member… one message that went directly to each member.

I thanked them for being a member of the Group and invited them to visit the group and introduce themselves so everyone can get to know them, and then I said that if they were not already my friend, would they please INVITE me to be their Friend.

And they did!

Instantly (I love the speed of the Internet) I began receiving Friend invitations, and I began approving them as fast as I could.  Every time I refreshed the page I would have MORE Friend invitations.  It was so much fun and I met so many great people.

I also received private messages thanking me for the Group and thanking me for the Friend request, so more connections were made.

So it took me about 15 minutes to ASK members of all my Groups to invite me to be their Friend and the requests stated pouring in until I had about 289 new Friends!

And THEN, I realized that my husband is a co-administrator of The Secret of Water group so he can write directly to each member also.  Of course, he told the members I FORGOT to ask them to invite HIM to be their Friend and he asked them to invite him also.

So he began also instantly receiving Friend invitations and ended up with more than 360 new Friends!

GROUPS are a wonderful way to meet new Friends at Facebook.  Even if you don’t start your own Group, you can join Groups and meet others who are interested in the same topics as you.  Once you are a member you can invite the other members to be your Friend.  Let them know you are the same Group together and you want to get to know them.

It’s a great way to get new Facebook Friends!

If you are not familiar with Facebook Groups, just log in to your Facebook account and look waaaaay down at the bottom of the page.  You may see two little heads together and if you put your mouse over that icon it will say Groups.  Click it and you will be taken to the Groups.

If you don’t see the little heads, click on a Applications at the bottom of the page and choose Groups from the list of applications you see there.

Once you are in Groups, you can search for any subject you like or just browse the Groups to find some you like.  It is a great way to connect with other like minded souls!

Now, if you somehow manage to read this and YOU are not already my Facebook Friend, please invite me to be your Friend…

http://Facebook.com/millerlinda

I look forward to receiving YOUR new friendship too!

And while you’re at it, invite my husband Dennis Miller…

http://Facebook.com/dennis.e.miller

We are happy to connect with you on Facebook for the highest good of all!

Many blessings for your prosperity and well being.

In sincere appreciation,

Linda Miller
828-652-4714

PS – You are invited to join all my Facebook Groups here:

Law of Attraction Marketing Tips and Mentoring
http://groups.to/loamarketingandmentoring

The Secret of Feng Shui
http://groups.to/thesecretoffengshui

The Secret of Water
http://profile.to/groups/thesecretofwater

Farmville Friends
http://groups.to/farmvillefriends

QuanSite Revolution
http://groups.to/quansiterevolution

The Secret of Ho’oponopono
http://groups.to/thesecretofhooponopono

See you at Facebook!

We have spent the last 12 years narrowing down to the BEST home based businesses that are successful for us and generate long term residual income… and in 2010 we are inviting YOU to help us expand these businesses in a big way!

We have each of the businesses listed here in the order of their long term profitability…

http://millerventures.com/network-marketing.php

We invite you to request a free Home Business Consultation to discuss which business may be of the most benefit to you. Just fill out the quick form on the page above and we will look forward to talking with you personally.

Let’s make 2010 a success for all of us!

Dennis and Linda Miller
828-652-4714

On one of my training calls last night I learned about a very high ranking (with Alexa) free advertising site and I want to share it with you also.

They offer free ads or two levels of paid ads here…

http://MillerVentures.com/usfreeads.php

I’ll tell you a little trick I learned.

I joined for free, then upgraded to “Gold” for $10 a YEAR.

Then when I saw all the benefits I decided to upgrade to “Premium” and because I had already upgraded to Gold, I was able to get the Premium for only $6.99 a month. That is a real deal.

For only $6.99 a month I can place unlimited ads on the site.

With the high ranking status, that means they get a LOT of traffic which of course means I get a lot of traffic for my ads.

They also have an affiliate program and I’m not sure exactly how that works yet; however, I love affiliate programs because that means you can end up getting your own service at no cost.

At any rate, it is a win-win, so I want to share it with you.

Here is the link to get your free account…

http://MillerVentures.com/usfreeads.php

See you there!

Many blessings for your joyful prosperity and well being!

In sincere appreciation,

Linda Miller
828-652-4714

Are you ready for 2010?  I love a new year, a new beginning, and I love assist YOU to create your best new year too!

Almost daily I hear from people (perhaps like you) who sincerely want to create a strong presence online and create one or more new income streams…

And they just need a little personal help to get started.

If that sounds like you, I have good news for you…

I have created several resources to help you get started!

When you subscribed to this site – http://LindaMillerOnline.com – you received my Top Ten Tips for Successful Internet Marketing through Attraction Marketing, so I hope you are making good use of those tips.

I also offer a free 10 Day Crash Course in Attraction Marketing through New Media and Social Networking.  There is also a tab at the top of my website where you can subscribe to this course

I also offer my own Attraction Marketing System using the resources I personally use to create my own online presence, and I am now offering personal mentoring and coaching to help you learn to use this same system.

I will teach you how to create a strong presence online so that those who are looking for what you are offering can FIND YOU.

On the day I decided to move forward with this idea I received FOUR phone calls asking for the same thing.  It became quite comical, like the Universe was telling me over and over this is what I am supposed to do

So I am so excited to share my new Law of Attraction Marketing System which is designed to teach you…

EXACTLY How to Create A Presence Online to Attract People Who Are Already Looking For What You Are Offering!

Get all the details here…

http://LOAMarketingSystem.com

Regardless of what you are offering, someone is looking for it.  Your job is to be visible so you can be found!

This connection is for YOU if you are READY to be successful marketing online, and you just don’t know where to begin or perhaps you have gone off in the wrong direction, and you are now ready to get back on track with a proven system.

The “system” involves the tools and resources I use personally, and that is what I will be teaching you to use.

Membership is limited so that everyone receives personal attention, and will include private mentoring consultations with me while you are getting your systems in place.

Take a quick look here and see if this feels like a good match for you too…

Please request all the details here…

http://LOAMarketingSystem.com

Also enjoy the free Tips and e-Course and if you want to consider personal mentoring with me, I look forward to connecting with you.

Many blessings for your prosperity and well being in the New Year 2010!

In sincere appreciation,

Linda Miller
828-652-4714

Private Attraction Marketing Mentoring
http://LindaMillerOnline.com

Yes, TODAY is the last day to become a Founding Member of My Money Fish with some extra special benefits.

Money likes speed. That’s the secret few know about money. Money comes to those who ACT FAST! If you think, wonder, question, doubt, plan, meet, discuss, or in any other way drag your feet, money moves to the next person in line. – Joe Vitale

When you join during Pre-Launch you will get to be part of the Founding Fathers’ Elite Group. This will give you the tremendous added bonus of having 10,000 prospects contacted by the company’s marketing team FOR YOU after Launching… at NO CHARGE to you!

Starting RIGHT NOW you will get 3000 of the hottest most sought after online products AND a proven money making system to create a lifetime income… all for only $11.11.

The program is My Money Fish and you can learn all about it here…

http://MillerVentures.com/mymoneyfish.php

Why do I think this will really work?

- Because of its simplicity
- Because of its effective website
- Because the one-time fee is only $11.11
- Because it is accessible to everyone
- Because little or no experience is needed

The system allows you to get residual income, month after month of a few hundreds of dollars to $2000, and to a maximum of $22,200 – monthly. That’s residual passive income for your future.

The owner writes:

“… what I’ve got to offer you is one of the very few proven money making opportunities where anyone and everyone, with little or no money, can make a remarkable monthly income from the comfort of home, with very little work and despite today’s economic climate.

TO GET STARTED…. Join and get your member ID, then LOG IN and make your payment to become an active member. You will see how simple it is.

Once you are enrolled you will have your own duplicated website. To log in just click on Members.

Get started here:

http://MillerVentures.com/mymoneyfish.php

If it sounds like a good match for you, go for it and I wish you great success.

It’s up to YOU!

Many blessings for your prosperity and well being.

In sincere appreciation,

Linda Miller
Founding Member
828-652-4714

Two years ago I was introduced to the Holy Tea Club, which is now also known as the Whole Wellness Club, which continues to be a very lucrative business for me.

The company’s first product, Holy Tea, has been around for more than 20 years, helping many people to lead healthier lives.

Holy Tea is from a formula that was created by Dr. Bill Miller who has been selling this tea for 20 years and has a weight loss clinic associated with it in Tennessee.

To learn more about Holy Tea and the Whole Wellness Club, you may visit my site here:

http://WholeWellnessRemedies.com

You make tea with the tea bags to drink and then also dry the tea bags and sprinkle the ingredients (herbs) over salad or in sauces, etc.

The tea is designed to clean toxins and stuff from your intestines and colon and generate weight loss – and I love stuff like that, especially the weight loss.

My husband and I have been drinking Holy Tea for two years and we love it!

The compensation plan is a 2 x 4 forced matrix with matching bonuses which is also very lucrative.

IF THIS SPARKS YOUR INTEREST, I would love to send you a free Holy Tea sample, two tea bags which are a 2 week supply of the tea.

This is a limited time offer, so if you would like to receive the free Holy Tea sample bags, just follow these directions…

Send a #10 (long) envelope to me, with a second #10 envelope addressed to YOU with TWO first class stamps on it.  Place the second envelope inside the first and mail it to me here:

Linda Miller
Holy Tea Samples
P.O. Box 1210
Nebo, NC 28761

When I receive your envelope I will place two Holy Tea bags sealed in indivudual packaging with directions and a brochure in your envelope and place it in the mail to you.

That’s it!

To learn more about Holy Tea and the Whole Wellness Club, you may visit my site here:

http://WholeWellnessRemedies.com

I look forward to sharing a free Holy Tea sample with you!

Many blessings for your prosperity and well being.

In sincere appreciation,

Linda Miller
828-652-4714

Success Tip:  CLARIFY YOUR PURPOSE AND INTENTION

Before we can begin to create and attract to us the success we desire, we must first get clear and define what success means to us individually.

For one person, it could mean an extra $300 a month and for another success may mean having 10 million dollars in the bank and sitting on the beach all day. Or it could mean simply having enough of everything to do anything you want whenever you want.

What does freedom mean to you?  What does success mean to you?

Creating the success you desire (whatever that means to you) begins with developing yourself to create the confidence and posture you need to present yourself so that your perfect customers will be ATTRACTED to you.

Spend 30 minutes or more each day in Personal Development.  Invest in yourself by reading a self-help book, listening to a CD, etc. to increase your confidence in yourself.  Confidence is very attractive.

Get more free Success Tips at my new site…

http://LindaMillerOnline.com

You will also find more helpful information about Attraction Marketing, including personal mentoring.

See you there!

Linda Miller
828-652-4714