OUTSOURCING: AN OVERVIEW
Businesses of all kinds can and do benefit from the tool of outsourcing every day. The businesses that use outsourcing as a tool to enhance and grow their business already know the value that outsourcing brings to their organization. The organizations that have used outsourcing for many years know that with the positives it brings to the organization that it is also important to have a well managed plan of action for hiring a consultant or contractor for a business task. This includes deciding which projects or tasks to outsource, whom to hire for these tasks, how to manage the project, how to agree on payment terms, and how to achieve the desired results. There are many forms of outsourcing ranging from outsourcing payroll to outsourcing package handling, to everything in between. Small businesses hiring a self-employed accountant to handle the corporate tax returns are in essence hiring a tax consultant. Large corporations that hire outside customer service firms to handle their customer support are outsourcing that function of their business to focus more on their core business functions. It is entirely possible to outsource practically every business process within an organization.
OUTSOURCING TOOLS
There are a wealth of tools available for the organization looking to outsource business processes. Companies such as SmartyLance.com, enable a business to post a project to a project marketplace and receive bids from experts in the field. These type of freelance sites match companies with freelance professionals, consultants, and independent contractors. There are many advantages for a business to use services such as SmartyLance. First, the marketplace enables businesses to use a centralized location to post their project, receive bids on that project, communicate with potential providers, choose a winning bid (either based on lowest cost or based on the credentials, expertise, or prior feedback of a particular provider), manage the project specifications, receive the delivered project and make final payment based on the terms of the auction. This centralized marketplace provided by SmartyLance greatly streamlines the entire outsourcing process and enables the business owner or manager to have greater control over the entire outsourcing process.
INCREASING COMPETITION
Competition is a complicated subject for many people. Ultimately, competition is good for the consumer, whether the consumer is an individual or a business, competition enables products and services to maintain high quality and low cost. Although many people dislike competition because it forces action to improve quality, the benefits to the overall economy even result in improved products and services for the very people that dismiss competition and the headaches it sometimes brings. Freelance marketplaces such as SmartyLance are no exception in that competition improves the overall quality and value for the project buyer and causes the freelance provider to adjust to market conditions in a practical, intelligent manner to win new business. The benefits to the company looking to hire freelancers are obvious. For example, Company A can compile a list of consultants to work on the design of their new company logo. This list may include a multitude of design firms from the same geographical area. Company A would be required to submit an RFP by contacting each design firm individually, stating the requirements of their project and requesting a quote based on the requirements. Many factors come into play in deciding which design firm Company A will choose. Chances are, that using this approach, Company A will end up paying too much for the project and will only have a handful of providers to choose from. Company B also must outsource the design of their new company logo. Rather than compile lists of design firms, which can result in overpriced quotes, Company B decides to post their logo design project to the SmartyLance marketplace. Doing so enables Company B to get competitive bids that help ensure that Company B gets the most competitive price for their project. By posting the logo design project to SmartyLance, Company B not only reduced costs associated with the project, they had access to specialists and skilled professional designers from around the world that were competing to give Company B the best cost and highest quality design for their money. The entire process was managed easily through Company B�s SmartyLance account enabling them to keep in contact, manage project specifications, manage competing bids, and send payment easily and securely through one of several different payment methods. An escrow account enabled Company B to ensure that payment wasn�t released to the provider until all project requirements were met. Company B successfully outsourced the logo design project and was able to save several hundred dollars. They also received the project several days quicker than Company A. In this example of Company A and Company B, we see that Company A had limited its ability to find a skilled professional and limited its ability to save money on the project. Company B took full advantage of all the resources and benefits of the SmartyLance marketplace and was able to save time and money. By outsourcing critical business functions that are not core business functions, the organization greatly benefits through a savings of time and money which in turn benefits us all through decreasing costs that are passed down to the consumer.

TO OUTSOURCE OR NOT TO OUTSOURCE?
Risks are inherent in any new business strategy or thought process. However, like any business decision, risk can be managed. By intelligently choosing a provider that matches your intended skill requirements, carefully detailing and outlining your project requirements, and ensuring that you maintain the requirements within budget, the benefits can far outweigh the risks. One of the more common fears among some larger organizations that may be reluctant to outsource projects is a fear of the unknown. This fear stems from the inherent inability to oversee each and every aspect of the project from start to finish and to evaluate each step along the way. Internal employees devoted to a project are more easily evaluated and can be guided through performance and work appraisals. Managers may feel that outsourced projects are more difficult to oversee and manage with an eagle eye. The fact of the matter is that so long as there are well-defined contractual obligations and project reporting requirements, an outsourced project can in fact result in a more manageable outcome than actually thought. Also, the talent pool and skills obtained that may be completely unavailable to the organization allow the organization to reach milestones and achieve success that may never have been possible with their current employees.
A REWARDING CAREER
Having a specialty or skill in a particular business area can enable you to begin a career as a consultant or freelancer. Freelancing enables you to have the flexibility to work on your own and on your own schedule. You can choose which projects match your skill set and decide which types of freelance projects that you would be interested in working on. There are numerous sources available to find freelance work. Some sources include browsing freelance directories, job boards, and registering with talent auction sites such as SmartyLance. All of these resources are filled with potential jobs. In comparison, it seems that talent auctions are the most comprehensive resources offering the most flexibility to both the freelancer and the company hiring a freelancer. They offer the breadth and depth of listings and the simplicity to bid on numerous projects as well as services enabling the handling of the entire payment process through a service provider account with the talent auction site. Bidding on projects requires much discipline and planning. Before placing a bid or giving a quote on a project, the freelancer must take into account many factors including the length of time required for the project completion, the budget the service buyer can afford, and whether or not they can actually meet the requirements to complete the project. It is also important to keep in mind that developing relationships with service buyers can lead to more work in the future. Developing a relationship with service buyers and meeting or exceeding their project expectations will enable you to develop a client base that allows you to practically always have new projects to work on.

COMPETITION FOR PROJECTS
There will always be competition in all forms of business. Competition for freelance projects is fierce. One of the major ways to compete and win is to make yourself stand out from the rest of the crowd. You can start by fine tuning your resume. This will force you to think about your accomplishments as well as your exact skills and abilities. There are numerous services that can help you with your resume, including ResumeEdge. Using a service to help you with your resume will enable you to better explain your accomplishments and present them in a manner that will captivate and impress the reader. Especially if you are an independent freelancer, having your resume retooled by ResumeEdge will allow you to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Many freelance service buyers will wish to see a list of your accomplishments and your skills. If you register as a service provider with a freelance marketplace such as SmartyLance, they offer several different options that enable you to stand out above the crowd. First, there are different subscription levels when registering. There is a Limited subscription, a Novice subscription or a Professional subscription. Each higher level subscription offers more options to the service provider. Every service provider does have the ability to post a profile, detailing various information about their abilities. Limited subscriptions limit the cost range in which a service provider can bid. For example, a Limited service provider can only bid on projects with a price range less than one thousand dollars. Novice subscription service providers can bid on projects less than five thousand dollars, and Professional subscription service providers can bid on any service level project. Several added bonuses with the Novice and Professional subscription levels include the ability to purchase credential verification services as well as the ability to post �Buy Now� projects. Credential verification services enable you to post information related to your references, certifications, licenses, education and previous employment. Simply adding these options to your account gives you a special designation stating that your information has been checked and verified as being true and accurate by the freelance marketplace. This designation gives you an added level of credibility making you stand out from the rest of the service providers and enabling you to showcase your achievements and abilities, giving a service buyer confidence in choosing you to complete their project. This will undoubtedly lead to more work and more projects coming your way. In addition to verifying your credentials, you have the ability to showcase a portfolio of your previous work. This allows you to show the service buyers your achievements and your successes with previous clients. Showcasing your portfolio is another important aspect that gives the service buyer confidence in your ability. Finally, the higher level subscriptions enable you as a service provider to offer �Buy Now� solutions. Similar to purchasing products immediately without bidding as on major product auctions such as Ebay, �Buy Now� solutions enable freelance service providers and consultants to make a solution available to all service buyers for a specific set price. For example, a freelance graphic design firm may create a �Corporate Identity Package�, enabling a service buyer to purchase this package that may include the graphic design of a logo, along with designs for letterhead, business cards, and banner ads. Another example could be from a lawyer or legal consultant who creates an incorporation package that includes corporate setup and incorporation services for all fifty states, creation of shareholder agreements, employment agreements, and registered agent services all for a set price. These simple examples of �Buy Now� services enable freelance consultants and independent contractors to create easy options for service buyers who are looking for simple solutions and quick turnaround time. Service providers also enjoy creating these type of services because it enables them to focus on their core interests and abilities. Only higher level subscriptions such as the Novice or Limited subscriptions enable freelance service providers to post �Buy Now� projects. The beauty of these additional options as a freelance service provider is that you can focus on one specific aspect of your business. If you are a consultant for a graphic design firm and you simply enjoy creating and designing corporate logos and identities, then you can find work specifically in this area by posting your own �Buy Now� solution. If you are a lawyer working for your own legal firm and your passion is new business setups and incorporation services, then you can steer projects your way with a �Buy Now� solution posted on a freelance marketplace like SmartyLance.
CONCLUSION
These are only a few examples of the many opportunities that exist as a freelancer. Whether you are a small business, an individual, or a large corporation, this article simply serves as a guide to help you in your quest to use outsourcing to your advantage to help your business grow and flourish. Outsourcing, when done correctly, can benefit your business in so many different ways. The two most obvious benefits are a savings of time and money. From the freelancer�s standpoint, this article has been developed to help educate and guide you with the many options available to find work as well as to delve into the minds of freelance service buyers. Knowing their concerns and understanding the reasons for choosing one service provider over another will greatly benefit you by enabling you to increase your odds for getting new business. Understanding the concerns and needs of service buyers will lead to your gains as a service provider. If you are able to provide enough people with services that they wish to have, then you will always be in demand.

About the Author

Jack Thompson is a freelance writer, business consultant and entrepreneur. He has helped thousands of individuals and businesses across the world realize the benefits of outsourcing. He can be reached via email at newsletter@businessreviewjournal.com

I had a very nice conversation with one of our members a while ago regarding her business. She has been in business for 11 years with her current company, which is a traditional business started long before the Internet came around.

She has been successful for those 11 years and is still doing very well. She started her online business several months ago with the same products as her traditional business. The problem was her online business was only costing her money and to date she has made no sales, but has spent over $1,500 in advertising and marketing--just for the online side of her business alone.

Here is a news flash. Business is Business! I do not care whether you are on the Internet or in a shopping mall. The same basic principles apply to both businesses.

1) You have a product
2) You need to advertise to get customers to buy your product.
3) You need to support your customers who buy your product from the advertising you did.
4) You need to build a loyal customer following, so you can maintain a profitable business.

Many people believe that because they are selling online that some of these steps can either be skipped or they need to go overboard in one area or another. Customer service on the Internet is for the most part--non-existent. Companies that tell you they will get back to you in 48 - 72 hours might as well tell you they are closed.

The bottom line regarding selling online, whether you have your own product or you are just going to focus on reselling affiliate programs, you will need to advertise, and you will need to take care of your clients.

There is no magic about online selling. As an example, our members purchased an ISOR membership for a reason and other people will purchase for similar reasons. We work very hard at ISORegister, Inc. to ensure our members and treated fairly. We provide toll-free phone numbers, 7-days a week support, we answer our emails the same day we receive them. These are a few of the things we do that 99% of the online companies do not.

You do not have to get your own toll-free phone number or work 7 days a week. What you do have to realize is that if you are reselling an affiliate program or your own product that you are in business for yourself.

You have a choice as to how you want to run your business. You can sit back and wait for sales to happen or you can go out and make sales happen. Run your home business like you expect to be treated by other businesses. Do not spam people; do not buy a bunch of worthless hits, do not pay someone to get you posted in the top search engines.

Run your new home business just like a real company because it is a real company and you have a real opportunity to be successful or to fail. The only difference between an online business and a traditional business is location and in some cases inventory. Everything else is about the same. You have a product and you want to sell that product to people who want your product.

Think about this...Remember, building a business takes time and patience. If you are promoting affiliate programs do not sit around waiting for someone to find your affiliate page. In addition, too many people think that once they have put up their own website the traffic is just going to pour in. This is not true as anyone with a website knows but it is a reason so many people get frustrated and quit. You need to go out and promote your website or affiliate program and you need to be aggressive in your approach.

There is nothing magical about running your Internet business. This business is run the same as any traditional business and it will succeed or fail depending on what you put into it.

Read any book or bio from anyone who has ever started and run a business and you will see that everyone put a lot of time and energy into their business. Do the same and treat your own business or affiliated businesses like your own and you will do fine.

About the Author

Jeremy Gislason, Vice President of ISORegister, Inc. has over 15 years of offline and online business experience. ISORegister provides business and marketing solutions whether your business is 100% online or you run a traditional offline business such as a retail store, restaurant, or service.
http://www.isoregister.com/9810354341/jusco/isoregister.html

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Although still considered an uncommon profession, the Virtual Assistant role is fast becoming the best recognized choice for companies, particularly web-based companies, to pursue nowadays.

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is much like a traditional Administrative Assistant in many ways. VA?s handle correspondence, scheduling, customer support, website updates, writing and design projects, data entry ? pretty much anything you can think of that an online company would require for their day-to-day operations.

Many parents who want to stay home with their children have opened their own VA Service. It is a perfect career choice for Mothers of young children, or people who must take care of older relatives. You work out of your home office as an independent contractor. Often times the schedule can be quite flexible.

This is an ideal position for women who plan to return to the workforce when their children are older. It will enhance your resume? and inevitably you improve your old skills and acquire new ones.

Basic skills and equipment you will likely need include the following:
?Microsoft Office ? Excel, Access, Outlook, and Word
?HTML skills with either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage
?Instant Messaging software ? ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger
?Cable Modem or DSL ? Dial up is far to slow for the pace most online entrepreneurs are accustomed to working at.

The above aren?t always necessary ? but acquiring each and learning to use them will only increase your desirability and worth.

There are many places to start looking for a Virtual Assistant position:
?One of the easiest places to land your first clients is through an ad placed in your own local classifieds. It seems unlikely ? but trust me, there is far less competition for local clients then for jobs being bid on through Internet Job sites.
?Freelance Job Sites such as elance, smarterwork.com, findafreelancer etc. There is an extensive list of these types of resources here: www.freelancemom.com/gigs.htm
?Via Freelance, Home Business, or WAHM forums. Virtual Assistants with an established client base often times search for reliable ?Over-flow Partners?. Forums are an excellent place to network and seek out these types of opportunities.
?Building your own website. Unless you do some very good website promotion, it isn?t likely you will actually gain clients through a website that you build to promote your service. HOWEVER, you really should have a website. Just as business cards are an expected and valuable piece of your traditional business, websites are like an online business card/resume. You should list your rates, your skills, your availability and your portfolio. A well thought out website will give you the edge when bidding on a position.

When you are applying or bidding on a Freelance position, you must come across as a professional. There is something about the online medium that invites a casual correspondence style. You will do well to avoid this temptation. Save similes, abbreviated internet slang (LOL, IMO etcetera) for later on in your relationship with your client.

Your client needs to trust that you are going to help him/her run their business with professionalism. Your first impression must come across as professional as a traditional cover letter for employment. Be confident and clear in your interactions with them. Ask intelligent questions and be very honest about the time that you have available in your schedule.

I strongly advise all aspiring Virtual Assistants to do an honest assessment of what their career objectives are before they begin seeking out work. It is easy, and common to over extend yourself. If your main goal is to earn a part-time living specifically so that you can put raising your children ahead of your career? then be very clear about that when you begin to take on new work assignments.

Start off slow and add clients or responsibilities for clients gradually. Being too eager to succeed can quickly be your worst downfall. The quickest way to lose a good client is by under-delivering. Make realistic promises. You will gain their respect and their trust. And you will find that as their business grows, they will be more then willing to work around your schedule and needs in order to keep you as a valued independent contractor.

About the Author

Lori Redfield is a freelancing Mother of three, happy wife and blooming online entrepreneur. She is founder of newly launched http://www.freelancemom.com/ an esource for women who want to work from home.

For those of you with Web sites, you probably know what a "host"
is. It's a company that provides a location, or address, on the
Internet where your Web site resides.

In other words, just like a physical business needs an address,
so does a Web site. You can't have a Web site and just "stick it
up" on the Web. Unless you want to set up your own server, you
have to go through a hosting company who gives you that address,
including server space and bandwidth, that enables the search
engines and visitors to find your site.

Let's look at some common problems we often have with hosting
companies:

--You can never find an actual person to talk to! They may have a
24-hour customer service line open, but you can never get
through to a real person.

--Hosting companies often think that the "lowest price" will
always get the sale, but they fail to realize that what people
really want is excellent customer service, servers that are up
almost 100% of the time, and a variety of services that come
with the hosting package.

--Many hosting companies don't provide any other functionality
other than Web site hosting. They don't provide a "control
panel" full of goodies such as PGP secure e-mail, shopping
carts, log analysis, database creation, etc.

--Guess what? Technical support people often don't make the best
"customer support" people. They may be technical gurus, but
their main interest lies in their high tech servers and other
functionality, rather than solving the simple problems of their
customers.

In other words, weak customer service is a major problem with the
majority of hosting companies these days. Solution:

I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to Combustion
Hosting Company, and to say I was impressed is a vast
understatement.

Here are some things that struck me as unbelievable. When the
phone rings, whoever answers the phone is required to stand up to
answer it and talk. After all, the sheer act of standing up
requires that they're alert and are listening to your problems
and concerns. And, you actually speak to a "real" person!

With Combustion, if you have a problem, they don't just "tell"
you how to solve it, they solve it for you! Also, their services
certainly aren't limited to "hosting." They can set you up with
an account to where you can access the Internet through local
access numbers no matter where you travel.

Their prices are extremely reasonable -- much better than I had
been paying previously. Plus, the "extras" I've received by going
with Combustion are amazing.

But the one thing that makes Combustion shine over most Web
hosting companies is their devotion to providing good customer
service, and this is an area in which they truly excel.

So, if you're in the market for a new Web site, or if you aren't
pleased with your current host, consider Combustion Hosting. It
will be one of the smartest moves you could ever make for your
Web site. http://www.combustionhosting.com/moreinfo

If you want further proof as to the benefits of using Combustion,
read: this article.

About the Author

Robin Nobles teaches 2-, 3-, and 5-day hands-on search engine
marketing workshops thru http://www.searchengineworkshops.com in
locations across the globe as well as online courses at
http://www.onlinewebtraining.com/. Robin's partner, John
Alexander, recently published an e-book titled, ?Wordtracker
Magic," at http://www.wordtracker-magic.com (which offers great
tips for helping you learn how to focus on your target audience.)

help desk
help desk
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For those of you with Web sites, you probably know what a "host"
is. It's a company that provides a location, or address, on the
Internet where your Web site resides.

In other words, just like a physical business needs an address,
so does a Web site. You can't have a Web site and just "stick it
up" on the Web. Unless you want to set up your own server, you
have to go through a hosting company who gives you that address,
including server space and bandwidth, that enables the search
engines and visitors to find your site.

Let's look at some common problems we often have with hosting
companies:

--You can never find an actual person to talk to! They may have a
24-hour customer service line open, but you can never get
through to a real person.

--Hosting companies often think that the "lowest price" will
always get the sale, but they fail to realize that what people
really want is excellent customer service, servers that are up
almost 100% of the time, and a variety of services that come
with the hosting package.

--Many hosting companies don't provide any other functionality
other than Web site hosting. They don't provide a "control
panel" full of goodies such as PGP secure e-mail, shopping
carts, log analysis, database creation, etc.

--Guess what? Technical support people often don't make the best
"customer support" people. They may be technical gurus, but
their main interest lies in their high tech servers and other
functionality, rather than solving the simple problems of their
customers.

In other words, weak customer service is a major problem with the
majority of hosting companies these days. Solution:

I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to Combustion
Hosting Company, and to say I was impressed is a vast
understatement.

Here are some things that struck me as unbelievable. When the
phone rings, whoever answers the phone is required to stand up to
answer it and talk. After all, the sheer act of standing up
requires that they're alert and are listening to your problems
and concerns. And, you actually speak to a "real" person!

With Combustion, if you have a problem, they don't just "tell"
you how to solve it, they solve it for you! Also, their services
certainly aren't limited to "hosting." They can set you up with
an account to where you can access the Internet through local
access numbers no matter where you travel.

Their prices are extremely reasonable -- much better than I had
been paying previously. Plus, the "extras" I've received by going
with Combustion are amazing.

But the one thing that makes Combustion shine over most Web
hosting companies is their devotion to providing good customer
service, and this is an area in which they truly excel.

So, if you're in the market for a new Web site, or if you aren't
pleased with your current host, consider Combustion Hosting. It
will be one of the smartest moves you could ever make for your
Web site. http://www.combustionhosting.com/moreinfo

If you want further proof as to the benefits of using Combustion,
read: this article.

About the Author

Robin Nobles teaches 2-, 3-, and 5-day hands-on search engine
marketing workshops thru http://www.searchengineworkshops.com in
locations across the globe as well as online courses at
http://www.onlinewebtraining.com/. Robin's partner, John
Alexander, recently published an e-book titled, ?Wordtracker
Magic," at http://www.wordtracker-magic.com (which offers great
tips for helping you learn how to focus on your target audience.)

For those of you with Web sites, you probably know what a "host"
is. It's a company that provides a location, or address, on the
Internet where your Web site resides.

In other words, just like a physical business needs an address,
so does a Web site. You can't have a Web site and just "stick it
up" on the Web. Unless you want to set up your own server, you
have to go through a hosting company who gives you that address,
including server space and bandwidth, that enables the search
engines and visitors to find your site.

Let's look at some common problems we often have with hosting
companies:

--You can never find an actual person to talk to! They may have a
24-hour customer service line open, but you can never get
through to a real person.

--Hosting companies often think that the "lowest price" will
always get the sale, but they fail to realize that what people
really want is excellent customer service, servers that are up
almost 100% of the time, and a variety of services that come
with the hosting package.

--Many hosting companies don't provide any other functionality
other than Web site hosting. They don't provide a "control
panel" full of goodies such as PGP secure e-mail, shopping
carts, log analysis, database creation, etc.

--Guess what? Technical support people often don't make the best
"customer support" people. They may be technical gurus, but
their main interest lies in their high tech servers and other
functionality, rather than solving the simple problems of their
customers.

In other words, weak customer service is a major problem with the
majority of hosting companies these days. Solution:

I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to Combustion
Hosting Company, and to say I was impressed is a vast
understatement.

Here are some things that struck me as unbelievable. When the
phone rings, whoever answers the phone is required to stand up to
answer it and talk. After all, the sheer act of standing up
requires that they're alert and are listening to your problems
and concerns. And, you actually speak to a "real" person!

With Combustion, if you have a problem, they don't just "tell"
you how to solve it, they solve it for you! Also, their services
certainly aren't limited to "hosting." They can set you up with
an account to where you can access the Internet through local
access numbers no matter where you travel.

Their prices are extremely reasonable -- much better than I had
been paying previously. Plus, the "extras" I've received by going
with Combustion are amazing.

But the one thing that makes Combustion shine over most Web
hosting companies is their devotion to providing good customer
service, and this is an area in which they truly excel.

So, if you're in the market for a new Web site, or if you aren't
pleased with your current host, consider Combustion Hosting. It
will be one of the smartest moves you could ever make for your
Web site. http://www.combustionhosting.com/moreinfo

If you want further proof as to the benefits of using Combustion,
read: this article.

About the Author

Robin Nobles teaches 2-, 3-, and 5-day hands-on search engine
marketing workshops thru http://www.searchengineworkshops.com in
locations across the globe as well as online courses at
http://www.onlinewebtraining.com/. Robin's partner, John
Alexander, recently published an e-book titled, ?Wordtracker
Magic," at http://www.wordtracker-magic.com (which offers great
tips for helping you learn how to focus on your target audience.)

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help desk
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AUTORESPONDERS: EASE YOUR LIFE

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copyright (c) Pavel Lenshin
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What every small business operator always lacks is time.
Sometimes lack of time leads to inefficiency, what in its
turn, leads to business failure even if you have plenty of
financial resources.

That is why there are so many programs designed to automate
every business step starting from sign up process and ending
with processing online payments.

Autoresponders play a special part. At the dawn of their
usage they greatly assist in solving the most time-consuming
business task that is customer support. Nowadays there are
other ways of how autoresponder can help with your everyday
routine tasks. Below are the most common tasks where
autoresponder fully reveal its potential:

1. Customer support;
2. Singup/unsubscription procedures;
3. Timely delivered emails;
4. Electronic materials on request;

Response tracking.
The usage of autoresponder as a customer support is based on
the topic your customer interests in. Whether it is problems
with program installation, billing or general question, it
will reply with pre-written answers the same moment email
was received from customer.

In very basic way autoresponder can simply notify
customer/visitor that his/her inquiry was received and will
be answered within 24 hours.

Subscription/unsubscription is also usually required instant
notification. The majority of existed mailing scripts have
an automatic notification feature, still in its basis it is
the same old autoresponder.

Ezine or newsletter subscription is not the only process
where autoresponder can give you a hand. They help in many
cases with all sorts of email notifications of successful
sale, accepted inquiry, thanking for completing the survey
and many other cases.

Next way of autoresponder usage proved to earn huge income
to many online entrepreneurs. Timely delivered follow up
emails that are based on autoresponder are widely recognized
as a must-have marketing strategy. The theory behind claims
that biggest customer response is gained at 8th contact
only. That is why business owners setup a follow up
autoresponder sequence that, when signup for, starts
emailing pre-written messages on specified time basis -
daily, every other day, weekly, biweekly etc, generating the
biggest possible response rate on complete autopilot,
without any need of owner interference.

Email courses are small variation of previous strategy. They
were designed to educate interested people, work the same
way as product follow-ups do, still serving as a perfect
marketing tool for generating subscribers, customers without
any hassle.

Publications on request play another important role. It may
be articles, reports, brochures, schemes, ebooks, audio,
video files, any electronic media may be emailed in the body
of the email message or as an attachment to every person
immediately on their request and to an email box they
considered to be the fastest to download from, presumably,
ISP's.

As strange as it may seem, autoresponder may be used for
tracking response rate as well. For instance, by putting
slightly different autoresponder email addresses on
different web-pages you can easily count how many requests
came from each page, testing which web-page generates the
biggest interest.

To track ezine advertisement response you will also have to
setup a different autoresponders for each ezine you plan to
run your advert in. At the end you will see how many people
each ezine has sent you and generated the biggest income.

Dominating majority of web-hosting plans, offered today on
the Internet market, come with simple, usually unlimited,
email autoresponders. That means they can help in 4 main
cases that we have discussed above, except for timely
delivered emails. That is because they imply one-time reply
email, so you can setup (1) customer support emails, (2)
subscription notifications to both your subscriber and
yourself, (4) publications on request, (5) response
tracking, but (3) timely delivered emails like email
follow-ups or courses.

In order to offer automatic, say, weekly, email courses you
will have to look for:

1) custom autoresponder internet application (script);
2) 3rd party autoresponder providers.

The rule of thumb is to know your needs and resources. First
choice is preferable if you know what FTP and CGI mean or
have someone with basic knowledge of how scripts are setup,
want to install it once and forever, have time and money to
make one-time investment. You can even try to find free
script that in some cases may be even quicker to setup than
sign up for some 3rd party service.

Autoresponder service, provided by independent Internet
company, is easier for new comers as all technical stuff
will be hidden, leaving simple web-interface to manage your
autoresponders. For such convenience Internet companies will
charge you on monthly or yearly basis, although there are
free so-called adware autoresponders available.

In general you can find discounted all-in-one services,
hosting offers or mailing lists coming with follow-up
autoreponders and allowing you to save money.

About the Author

Pavel Lenshin is a devoted Internet entrepreneur, founder of
ASBONE.com, where you can find everything to make your
business prosper. Discounted Internet services,
FREE ebooks http://ASBONE.com/ebooks/
FREE reports http://ASBONE.com/reports/