How Diverse Streams of Work Can Help You Keep Your Cash Flowing

November 8, 2011 by

Here is a different approach to financial security that you might not have thought of:

Imagine a full time job is like a large flowing river of income. With this one source, you have all of the financial flow that you could possibly need, and your expenses are covered in comfort. However, what about when something happens and the river ceases to flow? Your industry could experience a drought, or you could lose your job, causing the flow of that river of income to be dammed up forever.

Since you only relied on one source of income, now that it has dried up you are completely up the creek without a paddle. To start another river of that magnitude flowing will take time, and every day that no money flows in you are digging yourself deeper into debt.Living on a one-source income is great while the money is flowing, but it can be risky business because you never know what is coming around the river bend.

Establish Diverse Streams of Income

So how can you avoid the risk of relying completely on one income source? The solution is to restructure the way you make money, and divide your earning power into several diverse streams of income rather than just one. This could mean going freelance in your industry, working on several side projects, publishing something that generates royalties, or working two part time jobs rather than just one. Just like stock experts advise you to diversify your portfolio, diversifying your career is just as advantageous.

Let’s take the example of the freelancer. Although it might seem that their income is much less stable, because they are not in a conventional job, however their diversity is what keeps them afloat. Imagine that a freelancer is simultaneously working on 10 different small projects for 10 clients. If one of those 10 clients suddenly decides to pull the plug and let the freelancer go, they don`t panic. They will not even have to suffer financially because they still have 90% of their income to rely on while they search for a new client. A loss of income is only crippling if you only have one source to cover all of your needs.

When we bring it back to the river analogy, this strategy is like having several small streams, tributaries, creeks and brooks all flowing into one river. The volume of water is the same, but if one stream suddenly dries up the river will not stop flowing. The bonus advantage to this style of working is that you will be constantly invigorated by the diversity of your work, and you will be much less likely to become bored because you are engaged in such a variety of exciting projects.

Think about it, how can the concept of diverse streams of income help you?  What have you done to create stability in your income?

Filed Under: Personal Finance Tagged With: , ,

Clever Organization Tips that Will Make a Small Apartment Look Bigger

November 4, 2011 by

Organization is very important, and it becomes even more crucial when you live in a small space.

If you are a single person or a couple, living in a tiny apartment can be a great option, it just requires a bit more work to ensure that your space is organized well.

If you live in a small apartment, whether it is a one bedroom or a studio, you might that you struggle to make all of your possessions fit into your compact space. All of your closets are packed full, and you have to step over your computer chair to crawl into bed. To reduce your clutter and make the small space work better for you, here are some organization tips:

  • The first step is to prioritize how you most use your apartment. Do you often entertain guests? Do you work at home? Thinking about which activities you do the most will help you define your floor plan.
  • Another important step is to get rid of absolutely everything that you don’t need. There is no use keeping clutter when you don’t have the space for it, so have a big cleanout and give away or sell your junk.
  • Consider buying a bed that will make the most of your small space. You could choose a loft bed which is just like a bunk bed but with a desk and cabinets rather than a bottom bunk. This saves an enormous amount of floor space when one piece of furniture serves two purposes. Another example is a futon which folds into a sitting area during the day.
  • Use the space underneath your bed as storage. There are many different storage containers you can buy which are designed to slide right underneath the bed.
  • Invest in a table which offers the option of adding and removing leaves. You can expand it during a dinner party and then make it smaller for your daily use.
  • If your shoes are filling up your closet floor, get a shoe organizer that hangs over your closet door.
  • Get a basket which hangs over your shower head to store your shampoo, body wash, and washcloths. This will clear up a lot of space in your bathroom.

These are just a few ways that you can keep organized and make your small apartment feel much more spacious!

What other space-saving tips can you share?  Do you have pictures?  I’d love to see them!

Filed Under: Home Care Tagged With: , ,

Five Things to Do With a Windfall Other Than Spend It Right Away!

November 2, 2011 by

Perhaps you have won the lottery, received an inheritance, or cashed in one of your investments, and now you have a large sum of money you don’t know what to do with. Although it is tempting to cruise around town in a brand new sports car it is important to think carefully about how to spend your newfound cash.

To give you some ideas on the smartest way to use your new wealth, here are five things to do with a windfall other than spend it right away:

1. Erase Your Debt

Your newfound money will allow you to clear up all of your debts, which will lift a huge financial burden off your back and give you a lot of freedom. Start with the debts with the highest interest first, such as your credit card debts.

2. Create an Emergency Fund

Calculate how much money you would need to cover your living expenses for 6 months. Take this amount off your windfall and place it into a savings account. This money will be your failsafe. In case of an emergency, such as you hurt yourself, become ill, or lose your job, you will have enough money to live comfortably until times get better, without having to go into debt.

3. Invest in Your Home

If you spend your windfall on a renovation for your home, there is a good chance that you can increase your property value enough to make it more than worth it. Talk to estate agents in your area to determine which type of home improvement will increase your home’s value the most, but usually kitchens and bathrooms are the best rooms to update.

4. Buy a Vacation Property

Consider putting your newfound wealth into a holiday home overseas in a popular destination. You will be able to enjoy lounging on the beach there, and when you are not using it you can rent out the home to tourists to cover the costs. Later on in life when you want to retire, you will always have the option of moving there!

5. Live Off the Interest

If you won a million dollars in the lottery, you could spend it right away on a huge house and a car and then have nothing left. Or, you place it in an investment account and have it earn 6% annually. At this rate you would have approximately $5,000 per month or $60,000 per year without ever touching your initial sum. You could easily live off this amount and never have to work again.

These are a few ideas of what you could do with your money if you are lucky enough to receive an unexpected windfall.

Do you have any other ideas of how you could use your windfall?

Filed Under: Personal Finance Tagged With: , , , ,

Five Things You Can Clean With Simple Baking Soda

October 28, 2011 by

What do you get when you dissolve sodium carbonate into a carbon-dioxide-rich solution?

The answer is a simple household product that can be not only used in your favorite cooking recipe but can also be used to clean many different things in your home. 

Using baking soda to clean will also save you a lot of money, because it is much less expensive than brand name cleaning products especially when purchased in bulk. It is also non-toxic and so is a lot healthier for your family and your environment. 

Here are five things that you can clean with simple and easy to use baking soda:

1. Freshen Up Your Smelly Dog

Has Fido gone for a walk in the rain and perfumed your entire house with that lovely “wet-dog” smell? Baking soda will fix it! Just sprinkle some baking soda on the dog’s fur and gently brush it out and the baking soda will quickly clean and absorb the odour. 

2. Make Your Car Shine

To keep your car looking sparkling and brand new, you can make a light paste with water and baking soda and apply it with a soft rag. With a circular motion, use the rag to gently remove bird droppings and bug stains. Let the mixture set for approximately five minutes, and then wipe it clean with a wet rag.  

3. Get Rid of Greasy Stains

Don’t throw away that shirt just because you got grease on it! Try creating a paste with baking soda and water and leaving it on the stain for a while before placing it in the wash. You can also try adding a bit of baking soda into the washing machine. 

4. Scrub Down Your Lawn Furniture

When summer rolls around and you want to bring out your patio table and chairs for a warm weather barbeque, you want them looking their best and not covered in grime from your shed. Mix ¼ cup into one quart of warm water, and use this mixture to scrub your outdoor furniture until it is ready for summer!

5. Give your Child’s Toys a Bath

Don’t forget to clean your child’s toys, as little ones often place them in their mouths making them an easy carrier for germs. Submerging them in a mixture of ¼ cup baking soda in one quart of warm water and then rinsing them with clear water will do the trick!

These are just five of the hundreds of ways that you can use baking soda to clean!

Do you know of any others you can add to the list?  Please share!

 

Filed Under: Home Care Tagged With: , ,

How to Make Your Own Non-Toxic Cleaning Products

October 26, 2011 by

Many cleaning products that you buy in the store are made with harsh chemicals, which are hard on your skin as well as the environment. Did you know that you can make your own homemade versions of essential cleaning products which will be completely non-toxic and environmentally friendly? Try these easy recipes to clean your home in a healthier, and much cheaper, way:

Spray Cleaner

To create a multi-purpose spray cleaner, simply mix together one part white vinegar with one part water in a spray bottle. This mixture is great for cleaning countertops, kitchen ranges, bathroom sinks, toilets, shower walls, and much more. The white vinegar is mildly acidic and so it will dissolve the dirt and soap scum on these surfaces. However, it is so gentle that it can be used to clean hardwood flooring. Rather than overpowering odours with a strong synthetic scent the vinegar will absorb them and become odourless when dry. White vinegar is also colourless, meaning that it will not stain grout or countertops.

If you are struggling with really tough hard water deposits or soap scum, try using undiluted white vinegar straight from the jug.

Scouring Powder

To really tackle hard-to-clean grime, you can use simple baking powder as a scouring powder to scrub grimy rings around the bathtub or remove caked on food from the stovetop. Try making a paste of baking soda and water and applying it to the surface, leaving it to stand for 10 to 20 minutes. Baking soda also works to absorb odours.

Glass Cleaner

Try this recipe for a homemade glass cleaner than works just as well as any commercial product: mix one cup of rubbing alcohol, one cup of water, and one tablespoon of white vinegar. The rubbing alcohol can be found in your local pharmacy and works really well for cleaning windows because it evaporates when dry. This mixture can be used on mirrors and chrome fixtures as well, and it will give a shiny finish to ceramic tiles.  

Next time you need to clean your home, avoid the toxic store-bought chemicals and make your own homemade cleaning products instead. You will save the environment and some money too!

Filed Under: Home Care/Organization Tagged With: , ,

How to Write a Resume that Gets You Hired

October 24, 2011 by

 

How to Write a Resume that Gets You Hired
If you are applying for your dream job, it is definitely worth it to take the time and make sure that your resume is the absolute best it could be. Your resume is the first impression that your potential employer will have of you, and you want it to knock their socks off so that they have no choice but to invite you for an interview! Writing a killer resume that gets you in the door at your dream position is challenging, but completely worth the extra effort. 
Did you know that the techniques that fiction writers use to make a story more realistic can also be used to improve your resume? If you were writing a fiction story, you would want the reader to envision the scene that you were describing in strong and palpable detail. You would use powerful words and concrete descriptions to create this image in their head. This is no different than crafting a resume, as your goal is to make your potential employer create an image in their mind of you doing the job well. You can evoke this by using powerful words and concrete details. 
Powerful Words
When you are describing your accomplishments on your resume, stay away from stale, passive and cliché words and use “action” words instead. For example, saying that you were “responsible for increasing productivity in the group” is quite boring and doesn’t really say much about what you did. Use a powerful word like “Led” or “Directed” or “Accelerated” to show that you took control of the group. Then, explain exactly why the group was more productive when you were finished with them. Did you motivate them, develop a new organization strategy, or set direct goals and a plan to achieve them? Your final statement will end up saying something like “Accelerated group productivity by creating efficient methods of organization and time management.” That sounds much more dynamic, doesn’t it?
Concrete Details
To truly persuade your potential employer, use concrete details to make your achievements seem more real. Use actual specific numbers to show what you have done. For example, “Managed a profitable department” doesn’t sound nearly as good as “Managed a marketing department of 100 employees at XYZ Industries which grew profits by 56% in 2011.” Instead of just saying that you graduated from your University with a Bachelor of Science, boast about your 3.8 GPA and your $1200 in scholarships. Use stats, numbers, figures and specific achievements to highlight exactly how amazing you are. 
Using strong, active language and concrete facts and numbers will really make your achievements jump off the page. Writing your resume with these tips in mind will help you impress your potential employer and snag that ultimate job of your dreams!

If you are applying for your dream job, it is definitely worth it to take the time and make sure that your resume is the absolute best it could be. Your resume is the first impression that your potential employer will have of you, and you want it to knock their socks off so that they have no choice but to invite you for an interview! Writing a killer resume that gets you in the door at your dream position is challenging, but completely worth the extra effort. 

Did you know that the techniques that fiction writers use to make a story more realistic can also be used to improve your resume? If you were writing a fiction story, you would want the reader to envision the scene that you were describing in strong and palpable detail. You would use powerful words and concrete descriptions to create this image in their head. This is no different than crafting a resume, as your goal is to make your potential employer create an image in their mind of you doing the job well. You can evoke this by using powerful words and concrete details.

Powerful Words

When you are describing your accomplishments on your resume, stay away from stale, passive and cliché words and use “action” words instead. For example, saying that you were “responsible for increasing productivity in the group” is quite boring and doesn’t really say much about what you did. Use a powerful word like “Led” or “Directed” or “Accelerated” to show that you took control of the group. Then, explain exactly why the group was more productive when you were finished with them. Did you motivate them, develop a new organization strategy, or set direct goals and a plan to achieve them? Your final statement will end up saying something like “Accelerated group productivity by creating efficient methods of organization and time management.” That sounds much more dynamic, doesn’t it?

Concrete Details

To truly persuade your potential employer, use concrete details to make your achievements seem more real. Use actual specific numbers to show what you have done. For example, “Managed a profitable department” doesn’t sound nearly as good as “Managed a marketing department of 100 employees at XYZ Industries which grew profits by 56% in 2011.” Instead of just saying that you graduated from your University with a Bachelor of Science, boast about your 3.8 GPA and your $1200 in scholarships. Use stats, numbers, figures and specific achievements to highlight exactly how amazing you are. 

Using strong, active language and concrete facts and numbers will really make your achievements jump off the page. Writing your resume with these tips in mind will help you impress your potential employer and snag that ultimate job of your dreams!

 

Filed Under: Motivation Tagged With: , ,

Healthy Tricks to Wake Up Your Body on Tired Mornings

October 21, 2011 by

 

Healthy Tricks to Wake Up Your Body on Tired Mornings
We’ve all had those mornings when the gravitational pull from your pillow seems to require superhuman strength to resist, and you can barely see your alarm clock through blurry and squinting eyes. You nearly nod off on the train ride to work, and stare at the computer as the words and numbers swirl around incomprehensibly in your tired mind. 
The best way to avoid feeling like this is the mornings is of course to get a good night’s sleep the night before, but sometimes life keeps us up late for whatever reason and we just don’t get the rest that we need. On these mornings we need to jump start our brains so that we can manage to function and make it through the day. 
Perhaps you are using to guzzling coffee or cramming sugary breakfast treats on those zombie mornings, hoping that the caffeine and sugar will make you feel more human. Although you will get a short burst of energy for a while, you will ultimately find yourself crashing down from your sugar or caffeine high soon afterwards and feeling even worse than before. If you really want to wake your body up the natural and healthy way, here are some tips:
Drink a Huge Glass of Ice Cold Water
When you wake up in the morning, get yourself in the habit of downing a nice cold class of water. The icy temperature will send a shock to your system and immediately make you feel more alert. Keep a chilled bottle of water next to your desk all day and keep sipping from it. Being dehydrated actually makes you feel more fatigued, because it reduces your blood volume, so drinking water will help you take on the day. 
Get Up and Move
Doing quick five or ten minute bursts of physical activity will increase blood flow through your body, and this will increase your energy and banish your fatigue. When you first wake up, do jumping jacks, jog in place, or dance around to your favourite tune. Throughout the day when you feel yourself getting sleepy, get up and go for a walk around the office or do some stretches. 
Snack on Fruit
Rather than a sugary donut or pastry, try eating an apple, banana, nectarine or grapes for breakfast. The natural sugars will give you sustained energy, unlike the refined sugar in sweets that will just make you crash. 
Put on a Happy Tune
Listening to lively and upbeat music will keep your brain from getting bored and make it a lot harder to drift off while you are working. Put together a playlist of your favourite high-tempo songs and play them nice and loud in the mornings. Choose songs that inspire you, lift you up, and make you feel like doing something amazing with your day. 
These are just a few healthy and fun ways that you can wake yourself up and get going in the mornings!

We’ve all had those mornings when the gravitational pull from your pillow seems to require superhuman strength to resist, and you can barely see your alarm clock through blurry and squinting eyes. You nearly nod off on the train ride to work, and stare at the computer as the words and numbers swirl around incomprehensibly in your tired mind. 

The best way to avoid feeling like this is the mornings is of course to get a good night’s sleep the night before, but sometimes life keeps us up late for whatever reason and we just don’t get the rest that we need. On these mornings we need to jump start our brains so that we can manage to function and make it through the day. 

Perhaps you are used to guzzling coffee or cramming sugary breakfast treats in your mouth on those zombie mornings, hoping that the caffeine and sugar will make you feel more human. Although you will get a short burst of energy for a while, you will ultimately find yourself crashing down from your sugar or caffeine high soon afterwards and feeling even worse than before. If you really want to wake your body up the natural and healthy way, here are some tips:

Drink a Huge Glass of Ice Cold Water

When you wake up in the morning, get yourself in the habit of downing a nice cold class of water. The icy temperature will send a shock to your system and immediately make you feel more alert. Keep a chilled bottle of water next to your desk all day and keep sipping from it. Being dehydrated actually makes you feel more fatigued, because it reduces your blood volume, so drinking water will help you take on the day. 

Get Up and Move

Doing quick five or ten minute bursts of physical activity will increase blood flow through your body, and this will increase your energy and banish your fatigue. When you first wake up, do jumping jacks, jog in place, or dance around to your favourite tune. Throughout the day when you feel yourself getting sleepy, get up and go for a walk around the office or do some stretches. 

Snack on Fruit

Rather than a sugary donut or pastry, try eating an apple, banana, nectarine or grapes for breakfast. The natural sugars will give you sustained energy, unlike the refined sugar in sweets that will just make you crash. 

Put on a Happy Tune

Listening to lively and upbeat music will keep your brain from getting bored and make it a lot harder to drift off while you are working. Put together a playlist of your favourite high-tempo songs and play them nice and loud in the mornings. Choose songs that inspire you, lift you up, and make you feel like doing something amazing with your day. 

These are just a few healthy and fun ways that you can wake yourself up and get going in the mornings!

 

Filed Under: Health & Wellness Tagged With: , , ,

Sometimes the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Health is to Learn to Say No

October 10, 2011 by

 

“I know you have a day off, but can you cover this shift for me?”
“Can you help us sew all of the costumes for the school play?”
“Why don’t you come out to my party? Everyone will be there!”
Sometimes in life we feel ourselves overwhelmed by demands on us from all sides. Our bosses and coworkers expect a lot at work, our friends expect us always to go out and have fun, and our families need us to support them. Eager to please and to avoid disappointing anyone we care about, we push ourselves to the limit to say “yes” to every request. 
However, being a superhero and meeting everyone else’s needs is an exhausting task that can only be kept up for so long. Soon you feel yourself missing sleep, getting overwhelming, and not remembering the last time that you took care of your own needs. 
It’s Not Selfish to Take Care of Yourself
Of course you want to help others, and you might even feel guilty if you say no to requests to give yourself some time off. However, if you cannot help yourself and keep yourself healthy and energized, you will not be able to take care of others at all. Overwork and lack of sleep weakens your immune system, and makes you more likely to get sick. You can’t attend your child’s school play, do overtime at work, or help a friend move if you have the flu! When you run yourself into the ground and then have to spend several days in bed recovering, you are simply no help to anyone!
If this sounds all too familiar to you, it’s time to practice saying “No” to some of the requests upon you in your life so that you still have enough time to meet your own needs. Politely decline and let people know that you would love to help but you just have too much on your plate at the moment. Take some time off each week to enjoy a hobby, get some exercise, sleep late, and pamper yourself a little. You will find yourself much less stressed and once you have recharged your batteries you will be full of energy and ready to do more good in the world. 

“I know you have a day off, but can you cover this shift for me?”

“Can you help us sew all of the costumes for the school play?”

“Why don’t you come out to my party? Everyone will be there!”

Sometimes in life we feel ourselves overwhelmed by demands on us from all sides. Our bosses and coworkers expect a lot at work, our friends expect us always to go out and have fun, and our families need us to support them. Eager to please and to avoid disappointing anyone we care about, we push ourselves to the limit to say “yes” to every request. However, being a superhero and meeting everyone else’s needs is an exhausting task that can only be kept up for so long. Soon you feel yourself missing sleep, getting overwhelmed, and not remembering the last time that you took care of your own needs. 

It’s Not Selfish to Take Care of Yourself

Of course you want to help others, and you might even feel guilty if you say no to requests to give yourself some time off. However, if you cannot help yourself and keep yourself healthy and energized, you will not be able to take care of others at all. Overwork and lack of sleep weakens your immune system, and makes you more likely to get sick. You can’t attend your child’s school play, do overtime at work, or help a friend move if you have the flu! When you run yourself into the ground and then have to spend several days in bed recovering, you are simply no help to anyone!

If this sounds all too familiar to you, it’s time to practice saying “No” to some of the requests upon you in your life so that you still have enough time to meet your own needs. Politely decline and let people know that you would love to help but you just have too much on your plate at the moment. Take some time off each week to enjoy a hobby, get some exercise, sleep late, and pamper yourself a little. You will find yourself much less stressed and once you have recharged your batteries you will be full of energy and ready to do more good in the world. 

 

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , ,

Inspiring Lessons You Can Learn From a Wad of Silly Putty

October 7, 2011 by

We have all rolled a squishy lump of Silly Putty in our hands as a child and remember the strange feeling of this one-of-a-kind substance. It is bouncy, yet flows like a liquid, and will even break from a sharp blow. It is one of those toys that you spent hours playing with as a child, but did you know that the same brightly coloured wad of Silly Putty can also teach you many lessons for success as an adult?

Here are a few inspiring lessons you can learn from this squishy substance:

Sometimes Accidents Can Be Genius

During World War II the United States War Department needed rubber to produce boots and tires, but imports from rubber-producing countries in the Far East were cut off. The War Department was experimenting with several different methods to create a cheap and flexible synthetic substitute. Instead, they accidently created silly putty. The bouncy substance seemed to have no practical use, until a local entrepreneur named Paul Hodgson bought the recipe for it.

Rather than seeing a mistake or an accident, Hodgson saw potential. He marketed the product as a children’s toy instead and began selling it through a toy-store catalogue. His innovative look at the problem paid off, and Silly Putty became a favourite toy all over the world.

Look at your mistakes in a new way, how can they become solutions?

It Helps to Be Flexible                                   

Silly Putty’s malleability allows a child’s imagination to create it into anything at all. However, Silly Putty is not just used as a toy, as it has been discovered to be useful for many other different purposes over the years. Silly Putty has been used as everything from a lint-picker-upper, drumhead resonance dampener, stress reduction ball, physiotherapy tool for hand injuries, and a masking medium for model building hobbyists. The gooey stuff has even been used by Apollo astronauts to secure tools in zero gravity!

Be versatile. If you can adapt for many different challenges and situations you will be more successful.

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

The hint is in the name “Silly Putty”. When this unusual synthetic rubber substitute was branded as goofy and wacky, more people took a liking to it. People are drawn to things that tickle their funny bone, and showing your sense of humour is a great way to win people over both in business and in life.

Don’t be afraid to be a bit silly. People will love you for it!

These are just a few secrets that Silly Putty can teach you about success. I’ll bet you never realized how many life lessons were hiding inside that colourful plastic egg?

Filed Under: Life Lessons Tagged With:

How Your Business Can Benefit from a Blog

May 18, 2011 by

In the 21st Century information age of Google, Facebook, Twitter and iPhones being connected and having a web presence is a must.  If you have a business whether it be in its infancy or well established opportunities for growth exist online. Every business especially those that provide services to the public, Realtors, Mortgage Brokers, Lawyers just to name a few should have a web presence. You need a website to attract customers in the new millennium.  But having a website alone might not be enough? To increase traffic one needs to be engaged in Internet marketing more so than just being listed on Google and placing ads.  Social networking sites are a great way to form a fresh young client base.  Facebook and Twitter are sites consumers are using to connect to their favorite brands.  One of the best ways to provide constant updates on your business, your products or services on social networking sites is to maintain a blog.

A blog? Isn’t that for political and news junkies and teenage girls who follow celebrity crushes and entertainment news?  Is it really for a business?  Absolutely! Businesses are catching on to the world of blogging.  Blogs are for everything and are for everyone!  Many blogs look professional and offer updates on areas of your business’s expertise.  A stock broker or agency may write about the pulse of the market.  Real Estate agents will often give tips and feedback to buyers and sellers, show market trends in the price of houses.  As a business you are offering something free, a sample of your services online to everyone to establish both a rapport and a sense that you are the expert.  The idea is for the consumer to remember this and in return offer you their business.  The goal is to establish a sense of credibility so the next time the consumer whom browses your site needs a service they come to you in trust.

A blog is the best Internet marketing tool because updates and posts can automatically be posted to Twitter and Facebook.  Both Blogger and WordPress are free services that have great hosting abilities and plenty of templates.  In addition with just a click of a button the latest post is added to your Facebook page with a description and picture.  It will even update your Twitter status using the title of the post and link to article.  This is an automatic way to increase traffic.  Twitter is the ultimate free traffic maximizer!  It is a system in which people follow you have your Tweets updated on their homepage.  You could have thousands of people seeing your new post every day.  If you do Twitter right it is easy to get a couple thousand of followers within a few weeks.

Additionally, blogs are great for search engine optimization (SEO) because they often have more posts and constant daily hits due to the updating search engines tend to pick them up faster.  A blog is a must for extreme traffic and sales!

Filed Under: Blogging, Featured, Internet Marketing, Social Media