Independent Income

WPMage produces another dollar plus day

2010-02-11T15:02:00.000-06:00

I am pretty amped because I just became aware that I am in the middle of my best day of Adsense earnings to date. My WPMage sites continue to increase in traffic and Adsense impressions. I have even started to get a few Clickbank hops. One of my goals for February is to have two days earning over one dollar, and today is the first for the month. Again, it's not really the amount of earnings as much as the little baby steps of incremental increases. I have spent time over the last few days adding a few thousand posts to the various sites I have up and running so it will be interesting to see when those pages start getting some ranking in Google.
Andy

January 2010 Income Report

2010-02-06T19:09:00.001-06:00

I have decided to start reporting my online income sources and amounts in an effort to motivate myself and hold myself accountable....so here is the first month's big numbers. I hope to look back on these reports in a few years and laugh at the journey, but I have to admit that it is a little scary putting these little numbers on this blog for anyone to see and laugh if they want to. How weird is that.

Here goes nothing:

January 2010

eHow earnings: (8 articles)-                  $ 3.89
Adsense- (28 Wpmage blogs)              $ 5.87
Commission Junction:                           $ 0.00
Amazon Affiliate                                   $ 0.00
Clickbank                                            $ 0.00
Credit Union (account for online earnings) $0.02

Month Total $ 9.78

Not quite a head long rush into cloning Tim Ferris, but I am started. Goal for February- more than $10.00 with two $1.00 days. This is embarrassing, but I am putting it out there.
Andy

Back to reality In Internet Marketing

2010-01-27T09:02:00.002-06:00

After the little high of making my first One Dollar day on Sunday, I got a reality check yesterday when my efforts resulted in absolutely nada. Not one cent!
I guess nothing builds on a even trajectory, especially when trying to figure out the internet marketing deal. One more time, as a reminder to my self,

Just keep your head down, do the work, and the results will come.

I have the feeling I am going to get really tired of saying that! ha ha ha. But, then again, I may be able to look back on these early entries on this blog and really enjoy the struggle that exists now. I just gotta keep going.

I am going to write an ehow article tonight, in an effort to bring different income streams along at the same time. I heard a guy online the other day saying to think of independent income as a greek temple with rows of columns holding up the roof. Every different income stream is like a column, they all work together to increase carrying capacity and long term strength. I thought it was a cool analogy.

My first Dollar day!

2010-01-24T22:09:00.004-06:00

After building approximately thirty WPMage websites since December 1, 2009, I have just had my very first day that I earned over a dollar in Adsense earnings!
I am amazed how such a small amount of money can make you feel. I am very encouraged as a lot of my little sites begin to get traction with Google and the traffic is starting to build.
I am confident that six months down the road I will have replaced a nice percentage of my income with passive income earned online.
Gotta keep working on something every day.

These Firms Could Skyrocket -- And How to Own a Piece of All of Them...

2010-01-05T05:17:00.001-06:00

Trying to find untapped corners of the market has become increasingly challenging for exchange-traded funds (ETFs), but fund issuers have been up to the challenge.

One particularly inventive offering by Van Eck fills a conspicuous gap for gold bulls -- and the timing couldn't have been better.

There are several options for investors seeking exposure to world-class miners: there's Goldcorp (NYSE: GG), which I pointed out to readers in July. Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDX), is another one we've talked about. Smaller "junior" gold miners have been off the ETF radar, until now -- which is unfortunate, because they outshine all others in a gold rally.

Profits and Pitfalls
For years, many junior miners were more speculation bets than investments.

These smaller gold miners just don't have the stable income, generous lines of credit or huge gold reserves that their big brothers have. Many are still in the early exploration and development stages and don't have much to show for their efforts.

But what some may see as a handicap can act as the exact opposite in the growth department. Say a junior miner discovers a promising deposit in the Australian outback -- this can send shock waves through the market -- and juice profits for many years to come.

NovaGold Resources (NYSE: NG), for example, might not have much in the way of revenue yet. But the firm does have a 50% stake in Alaska's 27,000-acre Donlin Creek project. When the mine opens for business, it will yield 1.5 million ounces of gold each year for the next 12 years.

That future production stream (and the promise of more around the bend) has propelled the shares on a powerful +288% run this year.

Charts like this show NovaGold's incredible run (and believe me, it's not the only one) and it's why I'm so intrigued with junior miners.

From Speculation to A Compelling 'Buy'
Junior miners carry unique risks -- but the rewards can be great. And now, a new ETF gives you a chance to own more than three dozen of them...

The ETF is called Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners (Nasdaq: GDXJ), and its well-rounded portfolio should help minimize the risks associated with junior miners while maximizing their rewards.

GDXJ isn't the speculative bet that owning shares of an individual junior miner can sometimes be. The fund will still be somewhat volatile, but won't crash when a company has funding difficulties or trouble obtaining a permit somewhere. The fund holds junior miners operating in six different countries, so there's plenty of regional diversity, too.

These junior miners are leveraged to gold bullion prices -- just like the big boys. When prices go up or down, so go the shares. But it also wouldn't surprise me to see several of these junior miners get acquired or sign lucrative partnership deals with bigger firms. And that can send shares soaring.

At the Top of 2010's Watch List
They're not exactly making any more of the yellow metal these days -- even with the improved technology. New gold discoveries typically exceeded 40 million ounces each year during the mid to late-90s, according to Van Eck, GDXJ's sponsor. Now, the gold industry is lucky to find one quarter of that each year.

It stands to reason that when gold prices are climbing, these junior miners and their shareholders could have the most to gain. That's why these powerful little producers will be at the top of my watch list for 2010.

GDXJ is a nice addition to the ETF menu for gold investors. As I said, the fund takes some of the speculation out of owning junior miners, but its still suited to more aggressive investors looking for more octane.

The next time you hear somebody say a company is sitting on a potential goldmine -- keep in mind, these junior miners really are.

Good Investing!

Nathan Slaughter
Chief Investment Strategist
The ETF Authority

This article is brought to you by Investor Update -- a free investment newsletter from StreetAuthority.com. Published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Investor Update keeps you on top of the market and introduces you to some of the most profitable investment ideas available today. To subscribe for free, please visit:
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A New Approach

2010-01-02T08:05:00.003-06:00

On December 1, 2009 purchased the WPmang software and program by a guy named Greg Jacobs. Being pretty spendy, I decided that I really need to give it my full dedication. So far, it's a month into it and I'm beginning to see some clicks and traffic and a little bit of Adsense income. The more I get into the Internet marketing realm, I'm beginning to realize one thing. The dedication and the work are way more important than the vendor program. I know it's old news but absolutely nothing happens and no money is made if you don't just grind it out and do the work day after day until you see some results. It's a mental game. It's way easier pursue the next shiny thing that comes down the pike which promises you can make 1 million bucks overnight.

It's not romantic, but it really is just about conquering the mental hurdle of just doing the work. Plain and simple. Greg's program is solid in my opinion, but it's hard work to put hours and hours into making websites, when every day the stats say the same thing. Zero, zilch, nada. I guess this isn't very encouraging, but hey it's honest. I've been messing around with this rubbish for a few years but have never really stuck to any one thing long enough to give it a fair shake.

Everybody, including myself is looking for a silver bullet, that will allow independent income and financial freedom. I guess this post is reminder to both myself and anybody who reads it but there's no silver bullet is just all about the work.

Yesterday I made $.46 in Adsense earnings. That's quite an accomplishment! I have to laugh at myself but these very small victories are enough to keep me motivated to keep learning and working in the IM field. This year I am looking forward to a shoulder surgery that I've needed for a couple of years and I would like to be on a bit of a roll making money online before I have to sit on my butt for three months letting my shoulder heal. My plan is to use that time to to build upon the foundations that are happening right now my Internet marketing as I heal.

So I don't know if this is encouraging to anyone or if anyone will ever read this, but, if no one ever does, then I say to myself "Keep your head down, keep working, and good things will happen."

A free education on SEO

2009-10-20T05:38:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to make a quick post to link to Pat Flynn's excellent post at smartpassiveincome.com. Pat is conducting an experiment that looks very interesting. He is letting us "peek under the hood" as he tries to get ranked by Google for a specific set of keywords. I am going to be watching this closely because I have been a reader or of Pat's blog for 8 months or more and really respect how he goes about things.
I think this will be a great opportunity to get a primer on SEO without all the hype of the usual IM ebook. Pat's not selling anything here, he is going through the process and letting us tag along for the ride.

Available now: CVS Flu Shots

2009-09-01T07:54:00.002-05:00

Without your health, you got nothing!

I was intrigued this morning to read that CVS pharmacies are making 100,000 seasonal flu shots available to unemployed people.

The company will give out vouchers for the free flu shots at its pharmacies and MinuteClinics. The company said the free flu shots will cost it about $3 million.

This is a really cool corporate gesture, or some brilliant marketing. Maybe both.
Here is the official press release from the company:

Press Release
CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic Encourage Americans to Protect Themselves Early with a Seasonal Flu Shot

Seasonal Flu Vaccinations Conveniently Available at CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic Health Care Centers Nationwide

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (August 31, 2009) /PRNewswire/ - CVS/pharmacy, the nation's leading retail pharmacy, and MinuteClinic, the largest retail health care clinic provider in the U.S., today announced the availability of seasonal flu vaccinations and urged Americans to protect themselves early against the flu. CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic are divisions of CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS), the largest provider of prescriptions in the country.

Beginning September 1st, seasonal flu shots will be available daily without an appointment at more than 500 MinuteClinic locations inside select CVS/pharmacy stores. Most MinuteClinic locations are open seven days a week and offer evening hours. MinuteClinic will offer vaccinations to adults and children over 18 months. And starting September 15th, more than 9,000 flu shot clinic events will be held in select CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide. Consumers can call 1-888-FLU-SHOT or go to www.cvs.com to find a list of vaccination locations.

The vaccine offered by CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic will protect against the seasonal flu. Vaccinations are covered by most insurance plans.

The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages getting a seasonal flu vaccination as soon as it is available. Yearly seasonal flu vaccinations are recommended especially for those at highest risk: people ages 50 and older; those with chronic disease such as diabetes, asthma or heart disease; pregnant women; and those who care for or live with people that are most susceptible to the flu and its complications. According to the CDC, 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths result each year from seasonal flu alone.

A new study from CVS Caremark found that more than 50 percent of those surveyed did not receive a flu shot in the past year. The 2009 CVS Caremark Health IQ study reports that misperceptions about the risk of becoming ill from the shot were a leading reason, with over one-third believing the flu shot can make you sick. The study also revealed that young people are least likely to get vaccinated, with only 33% of those age 20-34 reporting they got a flu shot last year, compared to 72% of seniors age 65 and older.

"Flu shots save lives and they prevent the illness that flu brings to millions of us every year. The fact that so many Americans still choose not to get a flu shot means that we in the health care field have work to do when it comes to educating Americans on the value of flu shots," said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for CVS Caremark. "A flu shot can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in medical care costs and prevents the aches, chills, fever and more serious complications of flu."

This year, epidemiologists are also bracing for the full impact of the H1N1 flu virus. So far this year, H1N1 has caused approximately 8,500 hospitalizations and more than 550 deaths in the U.S. A new vaccine against the novel H1N1 virus is in production and will be available in the coming months.

"If you're not protected with a seasonal flu shot, you risk getting sick," said Donna Haugland, FNP, Chief Nursing Officer for MinuteClinic. "Individuals need to get vaccinated to protect not only themselves, but their families, friends and members of the community at large."

Along with an annual flu vaccine Haugland recommends the following healthy habits that everyone can follow to avoid the spread of germs this flu season:

* Frequently wash hands with soap and water, or an alcohol-based cleanser
* Refrain from touching the eyes, nose or mouth - the virus can only be caught in the membranes of these body parts
* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze and dispose it in the trash
* Cough into your elbow or tissue
* Avoid contact with people affected with cold and flu
* Use a germ-killing disinfectant to clean surfaces
* Stay home from school or work if you become infected with the flu

"Prevention is always the first step, but should you come down with the cold or flu CVS pharmacists can help find the right products for your symptoms," said Papatya Tankut, R.Ph, Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Services for CVS Caremark.

Maybe it's naive of me , but I say "well done" to CVS. I just had to say it.

The First Payout from eHow

2009-08-31T09:45:00.003-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with eHow. I love the concept, I love checking my stats and views every day, but it hurts to make myself write new articles. Once I get going, it's not that big of a deal, but it's like sitting down for a root canal to start.
I got a great encouragement over the weekend when I realized that I am now over eHow's minimum $10 threshold, so I should be receiving my first check from them next month. It's a very strange emotion, because, after all, it's only ten bucks. But the flip side is that it's my first semi-passive income check....Now, I get regular checks from doing surveys, but I look at that money as working by the hour. I complete a survey, I get paid once. (If you would like to see the surveys companies that pay pretty dang well, check out my previous post.)
The eHow check represents the beginning of the dream we are all chasing...online income that is passive or semi-passive. It has the potential to pay out again and again.
What an amazing concept.
So, back to the grind. I am rejuvenated at the possibilities.
Andy

Using internet marketing techniques on offline businesses...

2009-08-06T07:57:00.003-05:00

As an internet marketer, I know just how lucrative it is to make money marketing online businesses. However I have to let you on a secret I just stumbled upon. I have just found out that instead of concentrating only on online businesses, it is just as easy to earn easy cash using internet marketing techniques on offline businesses!

The main reason for this is because to offline businesses, internet marketing proves to be something new. They are not aware of this market and avenue of free marketing, which brings increased sales and profit for them.

We as internet marketers have nothing to lose as all we have to do is to teach all of them the tricks of internet marketing. Basically, offline businesses at present carry out similar marketing and advertising tactics like using coupons for promoting their businesses and perhaps getting listed in the yellow pages.

They save while we earn

However what they do not know is that they can save money through internet marketing (while we make money!). Instead of spending money printing coupons, we can teach them how to use online coupon companies for free. And instead of getting listed in the yellow pages, we just have to show them the global audience the business gets by listing their business in online yellow pages and directory sites.

We can also carry out workshops to teach them all there is to internet marketing and earn some money by charging for attending the workshop. We can also offer to start blogs for them, and manage them by adding fresh content on a regular basis, and by perhaps starting an e-newsletter for interested people to sign up for.

So you can see that by offering our internet marketing skills to offline businesses, not only do these businesses flourish, we can also earn a sizeable amount through their internet marketing.

There are more tips and techniques to learn by implementing internet marketing techniques in offline businesses. This is why I highly recommend you download this free report called Easy Offline Cash. It discusses everything about using internet marketing techniques in offline business. If you care at all about making more money with what you always to, you will at least download and read the report, it's free!

Click Here To Download Your Free Easy Offline Cash Report

2009-02-05T05:38:00.002-06:00

One of the reasons I want to have independent income

2009-01-24T10:52:00.003-06:00

This is way off topic, but I just had to let you all in on the pride of Illinois. This is one of the reasons I strive for forms of independent income. So that I can make a living from anywhere on the planet. Because if this guy opens his mouth one more time, I am outta here.

How to sell covered call options | Option Trading System

2009-01-24T06:12:00.000-06:00

How to sell covered call options | Option Trading System
Here's a great explanation of selling covered call options. Sounds really scary, but it's not. This is something I have been interested in for a long time. The concept of "recycling" your passive income into other passive income streams is truly an exciting concept. Read this post and let me know what you think about this strategy.

Selling for others on eBay

2009-01-21T14:16:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the long time between postings, it seems the holidays got the best of me this year! I hope everyone had a nice holiday season. I have kept after my online income streams, concentrating on writing for eHow, completing some surveys, and something new that I stumbled on....

After a conversation with a friend of mine who works at a trucking company, we agreed that I would market some of the things which he finds from broken pallets and items left behind on trucks. Apparently, after the carrier insurance is settled, the trucking company was throwing the items in the dumpster. When he asked if he could take them home, he was told to get the stuff out quickly because it was crowding the loading docks.

We were discussing my efforts to make a second income online when I suggested that I market his collection online. This solved a problem for him, because he could get the stuff out of his garage and get a much better price than he could locally, even after my percentage share.

I sold some things on eBay and even found some places online to sell directly to used equipment suppliers for some of the more industrial stuff. This turned into a nice arrangement for both of us. It gave my online efforts a nice year end boost as I was able to clear $312.50 for my efforts. This has been by far my most profitable venture online.

I would encourage you all to look around for opportunities like this because it really is a win-win deal for everyone involved. People that you and I both know who have little knowledge of the internet just can't grasp the massive market that can be reached. They are grateful to pay a part of the sale proceeds to you because, if you didn't sell it online for them, it will probably end up on next summer's garage sale 50 cent table.

This isn't passive income. It takes some research to find what things are worth and what sites will give you the most for your items. Bit I have to say it can be well worth your time. I estimate I made about $60 per hour doing this in December.

Let me know of any experiences you have had doing this.....

Passive Income- Writing for Ehow

2008-12-11T13:42:00.010-06:00

There is online income, then there is online passive income. I like the idea of doing work once, then getting paid for it over and over. Last month I read about writing articles for eHow can be a source for passive income.

Today I completed two different surveys, which will pay me a combined $5.25. It took me about 30 minutes for the two. If I had taken the same amount of time and wrote an article for eHow, I could be making passive income from the article for as long as it can generate page views.
I am not a writer by any means, but I have written a total of 3 articles so far. The income comes when people read your article, then click on Adsense ads on the article page. This is hard work for me, but I am getting to enjoy it. I am an architectural restoration carpenter by trade, so I am going to be working on some articles in the home maintenance and repair genre. I also like to cook, so I will go there also.
There is an excellent ebook "How to earn Passive Income at eHow.com Residual Income for Web Content Writers" written by Writergig who is currently making over $1500.00 per month with her eHow articles! I bought this because it was recommended by a blogger I respect and it didn't dissapoint. It's $25.00, but I figure the tips and pointers in there will pay back that investment in no time. Maria really delivers a lot of information in short, quick read reference book.
Check out eHow.com and see if you get excited about the possibilities like I did. Click here to view more details

SurveySavvy.com provides another income stream

2008-12-07T16:30:00.005-06:00

I have belonged to SurveySavvy.com for about six months. They are another reputable survey company that pays regularly. It usually takes about three or four weeks to receive a check once you request one. I don't get a lot of invitations to complete surveys from this company, but when I do, they usually pay well. You can not only make money by completing surveys, but also by referring other people (just like I am doing here!). Registration is simple and straightforward-fill out a short profile form and you are ready to start receiving surveys.

A Review of Opinion Outpost for Surveys

2008-12-06T05:17:00.002-06:00

Most of the paid survey sites you see out there are just rubbish sites that you need to sign up for a service or subscription in order to get paid. But over the course of the last year I have found a few reputable sites I'll share with you. For full disclosure, I do get a referral fee if you join through my link, but know that I regularly receive money from completing surveys through these guys, they are an honest straight-up operation.
Opinion Outpost is the one of the main sites I use for completing surveys. Surveys are not going to make you rich overnight, but they are a nice way to make some bucks while watching a football game, or when you are waking up. I love to tell my wife when she wakes up that I made $3.00 already that morning! This site pays by check when you have reached $5.00 in earnings, and they arrive within a couple of weeks.
We use these little checks only for paying off debt. We refer to them as "snowflakes" (referring to Dave Ramsey's snowball method of paying down debt. Snowflakes start to make a snowball....get it?) It's our head game we use to keep motivated. I'll share some more survey sites with you soon.

Mechanical Turk starts the flow of money

2008-12-04T11:07:00.005-06:00

Needing to start somewhere, I began doing projects or "HITs" at Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk site. This is a good way to get your feet wet making some bucks online, but it is a lot of work for not a lot of money. The site allows you to accept projects that require human intelligence to catagorize, and describe, for instance.
I did it quite a bit over the last few months while I was drinking coffee and waking up at 4:30AM. Yes, I am a freak that has always gotten up at that time since I was a little kid.

The registration process is simple and straight forward, and within a half an hour you can be completing projects and banking some coin. You need to have earned a minimum of$10.00 before you can withdraw via Amazon Payments. The money goes straight into your bank account in just a couple of days. I have received two payments without a hitch.
Again, a good place to start, but be prepared to work. This is not a passive income stream by any means, but a good beginning income stream to start making some bucks online.

A new chapter begins...

2008-12-04T09:40:00.000-06:00

It's December 4, 2008... the first day of my new blog. I want explore the various ways of making money online with the goal of being financially independent. I want to chronicle my journey from buying every program in the world and not doing anything, to making the baby steps toward making some money online.
I have been following a lot of personal finance blogs for five or six months now, and I finally have gotten up the courage to give it a go. So follow along and with the help of you readers, we can weed out the rubbish from the legit ways to be financially independent.