Just ten years ago, having a Web presence was perceived as something rather exotic. Web pioneers were trying to find a way to bring the Internet to the masses, and email was still in its infancy as people battled to stay online with their dial-up connections.

What a change a decade can make! Today, there are millions of websites and virtually any person can start up an online business. Obtaining domains and web hosting are just a few clicks away, and business opportunities abound. The primary challenge is finding an online business opportunity that can bring in revenues without you having to actually sell products, stock inventory, or deal with customers.

That's where affiliate programs come in. The truth is, one of the best mechanisms for monetizing a website is through affiliate programs. Even if you've never heard of them, chances are you've seen affiliate programs on hundreds of websites. They are the buttons and banners and links that advertise ecommerce sites both large and small. Every time a person clicks from your website to that of an affiliate website and that person buys something, you get a percentage of the sale. Although the percentage is relatively small, the more traffic you drive to your website, the higher your clickthroughs and the higher your sales.

Although some people are willing to invest an incredible amount of time signing up for individual affiliate programs and building their own websites, there are actually companies that will do the legwork for you. In fact, they will provide you with your own domain or domains and you can reap the rewards of a variety of affiliate programs.

The best online business affiliate programs will set you up with an interesting website with a variety of affiliates. Here are some examples:

Auctions: One portion of your home page can be a portal to eBay auctions, and actually list many of eBay's main categories. It also might have a banner ad that lists auctions that are ending soon, as well as an in-banner search box so visitors can search for items of interest.

Shopping Malls: Another section of your home page might be dedicated to affiliate ads from a big company like amazon.com. As with the auction section, the navigation bar will list a number of amazon.com categories and will take your website visitors to the area in which they're interested.

Nutrition: You might also have several smaller graphics that are affiliates of nutrition companies, and that sell, for example, bodybuilding or weight loss supplements. Similarly, you may have affiliate links for ecommerce sites that book vacations or that sell flowers, electronics, or supplies for pets.

Beyond the affiliate links, your website will also have interesting and useful up-to-the-minute information for your site visitors. For example, you may have a news banner that provides visitors with headline news, world news, and news about technology and entertainment. It may also have stock quotes and weather information.

The money you make from your online business comes from two sources: affiliate links and from referrals to others who join the business opportunity through your website.

Now that the barriers to successful online business opportunities have been broken, there's no reason that you can't launch your own online business and reap the rewards from affiliate programs.

The temptation of the Internet is that there is so much to choose from that you get confused and try too many things at once. I know that because I went into Internet business with only a general  idea. I did’t do my homework before investing any money. I was wrong! What happened? I did not make a wise decision of what to sell.

So, how do you decide what is the best product or service for you to sell? Not every person can do well selling any product they choose. If you want to get off to a good start, you need to apply the following rules.

Rule number 1 – Choose a product or service that you already have some knowledge of. You don’t have to be an expert, but if you know something about your product or service, you can save yourself a lot of trouble. If you are knowledgeable about a product or service, you’re off to a good start because it enables you to make informed decisions about what software you need, methods of payment you should accept, how to design your web site, who is your target market, etc.

Rule number 2 – Don’t choose your product or service because someone else tells you how great it is. Some people will tell you anything to get your money. I’m still waiting on a $49 refund for an ebook I. Do your homework - check out the company. Do they give references? Do they have a guarantee? Do they really sell an actual product or service, or do they sell the idea of selling? Save your money by choosing a product based on your research, not a stranger’s claim.

Rule number 3 – Choose your product because people want or need it, not because you like it. If you sell something that meets a need or solves a problem for people, you are well on your way to making money and realizing your dream! Marketing is a whole lot easier when people want what you have to sell. There are a lot of free and "low cost" opportunities out there, but very few of them meet a need or solve a problem. Always fit a product to a market; do not try to make a market for a product.

Rule number 4 – Do the money math. You should have a markup of 3 to 5 times the actual cost of the product. You’ll have expenses to cover, such as web hosting, Internet access fees, credit card processing fees, phone bills, and more, so you need to know if your sales will earn you enough to pay your bills and make a profit. Also included in the math is figuring your "break even" point. That is how many sales you need to make just to pay your expenses. If your monthly expenses are $300 and you make $30 profit per sale, then you need to make ten sales in a month just to pay your expenses or "break even". Every sale after that is money for you. (Here’s a tip – do not waste your time trying to make money selling a product for $5 or $10. You would have to make 15 to 20 sales a day just to make a living. That means you would have to have around 30,000 visitors a month to your web site!)

If you apply those four rules when choosing your product or service, you will be well on your way to being successful on the Internet.

If you're considering turning your small business into a corporation, there are certain benefits to expect when it comes to taxes, liability, and company operations. Though incorporation isn't the answer for every business, it's good to be familiar with the benefits from the start so you can maximize your company's potential for future growth.

Incorporate Your Business for Possible Tax Advantages

Tax benefits are the main reason many companies decide to incorporate. A corporation enables you to accumulate your wealth and assets with special tax rates meant for corporations. These rates are a bit lower than tax rates for individuals. Also, when you own a small business and do not incorporate the business, you must pay self-employment taxes (including social security tax) along with regular income tax, either quarterly or in one lump sum. Operating as a corporation enables you to set up a payroll structure similar to working for someone else, where these taxes are taken out of your paycheck little by little on a regular basis.

Corporations are able to deduct many operating expenses without restriction. They can also split income with shareholders, a process that often lowers the overall tax bracket for the corporation. The term for this is called "shifting." Corporations are also less susceptible to IRS audits whereas sole proprietors are targeted frequently for audits.

Corporation Benefits for Employees

When you incorporate your business, you may receive tax-free benefits as an employee such as medical insurance, life insurance, a retirement plan, education, work-related travel, and client or employee entertainment. Most states allow for these benefits even if your corporation only has one employee.

Liability Benefits

Liability is another major benefit of forming a corporation. Because a corporation is a legal entity of its own, it is similar to person, which means it can be sued or sue another. The shareholders are not held responsible for the corporation's obligations and debts. In a sole proprietorship or partnership, you could lose everything you have (including your home and personal assets) if a lawsuit is filed against your company.

Corporations Live On

After you've retired or passed on, your corporation will still exist for another to continue the business. This is possible because a corporation doesn't rely on one or two persons to be an operating business. It is a separate legal entity that can be operated by a group of shareholders and board of directors.

Financial Benefits

When you incorporate, you give your company the ability to grow financially. It's much easier to raise money for a corporation, and shareholders can help make things possible that you as an individual cannot accomplish on your own. The business will have more opportunity to grow and become a great success as a corporation.

Forming an LLC

Even when considering all the benefits of incorporating, you might still be hesitant about this decision. Forming an LLC (Limited-Liability Company) is another option. When you form an LLC, you are creating a legal entity for your business just as with a corporation. You are not legally liable for your company's debts, but the tax requirements are different than those of a corporation. Be sure to study the differences between the two before making a decision. LLC formation might be the right avenue for your small business.

If you feel it will benefit your business to incorporate, you can check out great resources on the Web to help the process go smoother. There are many websites that enable you to incorporate online and provide helpful tools so you can start enjoying corporate benefits in no time.

Now days buying and selling property is quite an easy task. But one has to know the ins and outs of the current market otherwise you will be cheated. A person who has a good knowledge in real estate finds it easier to survive in the real estate market than the one who is a novice. In such a scenario a real estate investment company lends the help needed to make your investment a smooth process.

A Real Estate Investment Company is the right choice for due guidance on all aspects of real estate investment where experienced professionals will guide you throughout your path. So the process of buying and selling real estate can be accompanied with services of professionals in the industry which are very helpful.

The Real Estate Investment Company will provide you with various leads on real estate agents, brokers, realtors etc so that you are in right places at the right time and amongst right people. Real estate agents will also provide you a list of do’s and don’t in this field and thus help new players from committing mistakes and incurring losses. There may be many number of real estate investment companies available so try to choose the most competent among them.

Real estate companies also give you latest real estate information, current market value, market trends, and many more. Working with these real estate investment companies you gain knowledge in real estate and come to know about various investment opportunities.

One of the best roads to financial freedom and wealth has and always will be the good, solid, income producing real estate investment. Real estate investment is the safest of all investments. Today, more multi-millionaires are being created in real estate investment than any other sector such as stocks & bonds, gas & oil or precious metals. Real Estate Investment Companies are making the job of investors pretty easy and gaining profits in the process.

When to delete an e-mail — and not

Guidance for Owners/Managers

When it comes to e-mail, I'm a packrat. No, it is not true that I still have the first e-mail I ever received. But I probably have my first e-mail from the year 2000.

In fact, I probably have all my e-mails from the year 2000. So of course, I have everything since then, too.

Why do I have all this stuff? I'm not sure, frankly. Maybe I was concerned that I would be sued over some imaginary transgression and would need an e-trail to prove my innocence. Or maybe I was vaguely concerned about some legal requirement to save this stuff.

I'm not the only one doing this. Some of you have thousands of e-mails, too. And you probably don't know why you're saving them, either. Maybe you're worried about going to jail over some stupid e-mail you can't find.

I'm hardly an expert in what e-mail documents and records to save. So I talked to Donald Skupsky, the president of Information Requirements Clearinghouse. He modestly describes himself as the world's leading expert in this area. I also talked with Charles Fine, a Phoenix attorney.

Here are some things to consider when you wonder whether or not to save e-mail. Obviously, if you still have questions, talk to a lawyer.

Save important records.  But e-mail is not always considered a record. Companies should save records of business transactions. If you sign a contract, save that contract. If you receive the contract as an attachment to an e-mail, and the other party says in the e-mail, "We accept the contract," save the e-mail too. That constitutes a record.

So if you would keep it as a paper document, keep the e-mail. Otherwise, pitch it. That includes e-mails generated during the contract process. This is work-in-progress material, and does not reflect the thinking of an organization. Rather, they are the thoughts of individuals.

When you do keep something, store it formally. Don't leave it in your e-mail program where no one can find it. You might be best off to print it and put it in a folder.

Sometimes, keep more.  There are certain times in which you cannot discard things. For instance, if you are part of a legal process, you can't delete anything that is relevant. I'd err on the side of caution. Better yet, follow your lawyer's advice.

Even if you are not currently in a legal process, there are two other important words: imminent and foreseeable. If you're on notice that you'll be indicted, things are imminent. Now is not a good time to clean out your e-mails. If you make a big boo-boo and somebody gets hurt, a lawsuit is foreseeable. Again, be careful. Talk to your lawyer.

According to Skupsky, only the securities industry is required to keep all of its e-mails. Everybody else is free to pitch them.

But don't keep everything.  Most likely, those e-mails piling up probably won't hurt anything (except your server space). Most of us get into business because we see an unanswered need. We want to help our customers. We've never been sued, and never expect to be.

However, it could very well happen. Let's say that, after exercising superhuman patience, you fire Joe Screwup. You could not have treated Screwup better, but, of course, he doesn't see it that way. So Screwup sues.

You're not worried. But then you get a subpoena, ordering you to submit any e-mail from the past three years that bears on the case. There's nothing in the e-mail that would affect the case, and Screwup knows it. But you'll have to dig up everything you have, and your lawyer will go through it, looking for relevant material. How many hours, at $200 per hour, will it take her to do that? So you swallow hard and give Screwup $15,000 to go away. You may never have thought about this, but you can bet that the plaintiffs' bar has. Worse, maybe they find an e-mail in which you express intemperate remarks.

Given the potential problems, why save e-mail? Sure, this scenario is pretty unlikely. But 99.9% of your old e-mail is junk, anyway. Why take the risk?

Develop a policy on e-mail retention.  Skupsky recommends a 30-day retention policy. After 30 days, your employees (and you) have to decide if an e-mail is a record. If not, it goes. This has the salutary effect of forcing your employees to think about what a record is, and is not. Attorney Chuck Fine thinks that's a good idea. But he goes further, and chucks (no pun intended) his e-mail immediately.

Don't back up your e-mail. This is no different than keeping it on your computer. If you're subpoenaed, you and your lawyer will have to go through it, whether it's on the computer or on tape. Delete the old stuff.

According to Skupsky, old e-mail is rarely useful to the other side. But if it costs lots of money to go through it, the plaintiff doesn't care. Neither does his lawyer. They have nothing to lose. Discovery is a wonderful weapon to force a settlement.

So I'm cleaning out my old e-mails. No, really! It's difficult, though. I've had them so long, they're like old pals. You should clean out yours, too. We have to be strong about this.

There are many ways to make money online today, and thousands of people are earning a substantial income from the comfort of their own homes. How are they making money? With a successful Internet business, of course!

Perhaps you want to earn a part-time income from home or start a full-time Internet business. Maybe you're a mom who wants to stay home while earning a living. Or, maybe you're sick and tired of the "rat race" and want to settle down with your own home business. Whatever the case, you can choose one of the sure-fire methods of making money online below to get started.

1. Offer Services That Other Web Business Owners Will Need

Many people earn money online while offering services that other Web business owners need on a continual basis. These services include Web hosting, domain name registration, web design, and content writing. Every new website must have a Web host, domain name, web designer and content. These services are available everywhere online, but fortunately, there's always room for a few more! Online users are starting new Internet businesses every day. So, the potential for making money online with these services is tremendous.

You can start from scratch with these businesses or find a company that allows you to resell its products and services. For instance, instead of setting up your own servers to become a Web host, you can become a reseller of hosting services and share a part of the profits. With this setup, your primary job is to promote the service. The parent Web host company does the rest.

2. Expand Your Present Business

If you already own a business, you can expand it by using a website. If your company has its own website, your customers can go online to learn more about you, buy your products or ask questions. It's a great way to advertise and build customer trust. Also, you can mention your website address in all your print, television and radio advertising to maximize results.

3. Start a "Niche" Internet Business

Many people start small Internet businesses that reflect who they are or what they enjoy. The word "niche" took on a whole new meaning when the Internet came into existence. A niche business can be anything you want it to be - an online flower shop, online classic car club, online magazine, online clothing store, online shopping mall, online photo stock agency, online candy store, online quilt outlet, or an online shoe store. Choose something you enjoy doing and find a way to build a small Internet business around that theme. And, don't let the word "small" fool you. Owning a small business is a great way to make money on the Internet!

4. Earn Money Online Through Auctions

Don't have time to manage a website? Try online auctions. You can sell just about anything at eBay and other Internet auction sites, but be sure you choose a market that has a strong demand. Some items sell well through auctions, some don't. Also, be sure to choose a product with a high profit margin so you don't lose money each time you list your items.

5. Provide Internet Marketing Services

Online company owners are always looking for effective ways to promote their websites. If you're a savvy Internet marketer, this business offers a tremendous money opportunity for you. You can earn money online while helping others increase their profits. Internet marketing today involves search engine promotion and SEO, Web content and optimization for article pages, pay-per-click campaigns, keyword research, press releases, banner and pop-up advertising, e-zine and mailing lists, and link exchanges. You can specialize in one of these areas or offer marketing techniques for all categories.

These are five proven ways to make money online. Each of these opportunities can provide a steady stream of income if you work diligently to promote your online business and services and always provide excellent customer service. Use these ideas to get started making money today!