For a while now I’ve been writing on the topic of independent film production over at a blog I had set up on my Incorrigible Productions website. IMHO there is some pretty good content on that blog, but it seems that nobody knows about it because it is pretty well buried on the site - well, no more!

Witness the birth of The Independent Film Blog on its very own domain: www.TheIndieFilmBlog.com

All of the original content from the old site has been migrated over and I’m looking forward to doing some new articles very soon.

If you have a request for an article on any specific topic, just leave a comment and I’ll add it to the top of my list!

The Go-To Guy!

Technorati Tags: indie film news

I guess it happens to us all sometimes. We see a deal that seems too good to be true and ignore the warning signs that we are dealing with a con artist.

For a long time I have been wanting to get a copy of a marketing course that originally sold for about a thousand dollars.

In recent months, with the release of a new version, the old course (which is still full of valuable information) has dropped in price on eBay. At first it sold for nearly retail price. Later, the price came down to around $600, and now it can be found for $300 and sometimes a bit less.

Well, I saw an auction for a copy and the listing showed a photograph of the complete product laid out on a table so you could see that everything was there. The listing said that the seller would sell it for $145 and to send an email if interested. When I contacted the seller I was asked for my PayPal email address so that they could bill me for the product plus shipping.

BIG WARNING SIGN NUMBER ONE - the seller wanted to complete the sale off of the eBay system. That’s a big against the eBay rules and is a classic scammer move.

I figured the seller just wanted to save some cash in fees and I went along with it. After I sent the money, I received a note inside eBay from the seller saying, “I just want to make sure that you will receive all material in digital format on a DVD. I’ll ship it tomorrow. ”

The course includes a DVD, 10 audio CDs, 9 CD-ROMs, and 2 printed workbooks. That was what was pictured in the listing. So, I wasn’t sure what to make of this remark and decided to wait until the package arrived to determine if I was scammed… but I had a bad feeling.

The package arrived today and it was - in fact - not the course pictured. I got one home made disc in a cardboard wrapper.

The moral of the story: if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. And, if the person trying to sell it to you asks you to follow them down a digital dark alley to complete the deal… RUN AWAY FAST.

The moral of the story if you are thinking about selling anything like this: the seller has been reported to PayPal as selling fraudulent and/or bootleg products (I have to inspect the disc to determine if the files on it are copies from the real course. Also, because the seller shipped the package to me across state lines using the US Postal Service, this transaction constitutes Interstate Mail Fraud.

Mail Fraud is a felony and carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and/or fines of up to $250,000 in a case like this. I intend to bring the letter and its contents to the attention of the local post office as well as PayPal.

Hopefully I’ll get my foolishly spent money back and apply it toward purchasing a legitimate used copy of this course from a legitimate vendor. But, if I don’t, it will be an expensive reminder the next time I am tempted by a deal that seems too good to be true.

Technorati Tags: con artist, ebay scam, mail fraud

Not long ago, blogger Brad Isaac found himself suffering from a persistent 3-day long headache that was really wearing him down. With a subscriber base of 4800+ people, he decided to turn to his blog readers for advice on DIY Headache Cures. Their response was incredible.

After the headache passed and Brad got back to work, he collected together the top 20 Headache Cures and posted them on his blog.  My very own contribution can be found in position number 16 (I recommended a neti pot for rinsing out the sinus cavities!)

Visit Brad’s blog  to read all  20 of the best DIY Headache Cures.

The Go-To Guy!

Working on a new business part time can be exhausting and a bit frustrating. Sometimes it takes a while to get all of the pieces to come together. Well, this weekend, I managed to get some significant work done.

In the past year I have created several reports and a new video product which have given me some nice successes in the marketplace. I’ve promoted them individually and given some their own domains, but never tied them all together anywhere.

At the same time I’ve purchased the resale rights to a number of excellent products which I haven’t marketed to their full potential either. I mostly did short, direct promotions in forums or to my personal lists, but never put all of the included sales packages online to continue to generate sales as time goes on.

Well, I’ve got a bunch of my key products online over at my GoToGuyEnterprises.com domain and I put together a little products page listing all of the items that I sell with links to the sales pages.

In an earlier post I mentioned my new Internet Marketing Insights blog that I started over at GoToGuyEnterprises.com. I’ve moved all of my marketing focused content over there and am posting new marketing material over there as well. So far, it’s working out well.

The products I have list are:

Go-To Guy! Enterprises Originals

• Rapid Website Development - This massive video training series will show you how to create an SEO tweaked niche content site using Wordpress and then show you how to mass produce similar sites in 30 minutes or less.
• The Traffic Exchange Red Pill Report - This free report exposes the truth behind traffic exchange visitors and outlines 4 proven (and free) methods of generating targeted traffic to your websites.

Licensed Products

• Double Genius System, by Tony Shepherd - This detailed e-book outlines everything you need to know to build a business selling 9-1-1 information to people in desperate need.
• Mark Hendricks Live! - In this 14 hour seminar caught on audio, veteran Internet marketer Mark Hendricks answers dozens of audience questions about building and profiting from online business. Special bonus, resale rights are also included.
• Master Key Methods, by Tony Shepherd - The key components required to market like a master. Follow these methods and success will come.
• One Day Info Product Seminar, with Fred Gleeck - In 4 1/2 hours, Fred lays out his entire information publishing business so that others can model it to succeed.

Check out the Internet Marketing Products page on the IM Insights Blog. You might even want to bookmark it so you can check back for new products (hint, hint!) Even better, sign-up for the updates list and you’ll be sure to get notices anytime I offer something new or run a special.

Now, time to get back to work. I have more products to create!

The Go-To Guy!

I’ve started a new blog over at www.GoToGuyEnterprises.com to cover my Internet Marketing activities. I just finished copying all of the significant Internet marketing related posts from this blog and posting them on the new blog. Going forward, I’ll post most of the marketing related content over there and reserve this blog for other interests,

I’ve been writing about my Internet marketing work on this site since day one. Over the years the results of that effort have grown and I’m now in the process of releasing and marketing my first major product - with several more waiting in the wings. It got to the point where this blog was being dominated by marketing content but the marketing content was not clearly visible. I felt I needed to ’spin off’ the marketing work and create a more focussed site for it.

My marketing business is taking place under the name Go-To Guy! Enterprises and I bought the domain name www.GoToGuyEnterprises.com. The new blog is called Internet Marketing Insights and the web address is  www.GoToGuyEnterprises.com/blog/ . Eventually there will be a full-blown site there as well, but for now it’s just the blog.
If you are a fan of my Internet Marketing projects and want to keep up with that work, make sure and check out the new blog and subscribe to the feed so you don’t miss anything (and you can watch the promotion of my new Rapid Website Development training videos as it unfolds.)

The Go-To Guy!

My wife and I have taken the baby and traveled to Michigan to spend the 4th of July holiday week with my family. A number of years ago, my parents bought a house in a little community on the Lake Michigan coast and for the past 12 or 13 years, we gather there in the middle of summer.

I’m sitting outside the public library here breathing in the fresh air and taking advantage of the free WIFI access they provide and it reminded me of one of my goals: create a online business that can be run from anywhere I have access to the Internet so I can spend my time where I want to!

So far this morning, I’ve run a quick check of my affiliate accounts, Adsense, and Amazon.com. I’ve also been able to look in on a PPC campaign I’ve got running over at Yahoo! The income isn’t big, but I’ve managed a few dollars while hanging out here at the cottage.

This time next year, it would be great to spend a month here visiting and enjoying the weather and the beautiful surroundings. All I need to do is build up my online business to an income level that supports our lifestyle and then run it from my laptop - anywhere.

Are you trying to build an online business? What does your dream life look like once you have succeeded? How will you spend your time (and where) once you have more control?

Knowing where you are going is an essential ingredient to getting to your destination. Spend a few of your casual summer hours daydreaming about what you want your life to be like - then write down the dream! The written dream is your roadmap!

The Go-To Guy!

Clickbank* has long been a favorite marketplace for selling digital products. Apart from managing the sale and delivery of e-books and software for publishers with very little upfront costs, they manage an army of affiliates who will promote a publisher’s products for a commission on the sale. Now, they have added recurring billing to their services!

With recurring billing, Clickbank* will process ongoing membership fees for publishers and allow affiliates from their network to profit from the residual fees. My guess is that affiliates (myself included) will be foaming at the mouth for a chance to promote products with this type of long term residual payout!

It’s time to start making some membership sites!

The Go-To Guy!

* Affiliate Link

Do you want to start your own business publishing information products? There is a mountain of information products out there promising to show you how to start your business. The dirty little secret is - most of these products are either incomplete or just plain garbage.

So, where do you turn for help? Well, I’ve spent the past year and a half exploring this market and building my business (this blog is one component that actually makes me a little money!) I discovered a person named Fred Gleeck, known as ‘The Product Guru’ and recently attended his One-Day Info Product Seminar.

I liked the seminar so much that I bought the rights to distribute a recorded version of the One-Day Info Product Seminar (and I also have a copy to listen to over and over!) Fred goes step-by-step through the process of creating and growing an info product business. There is no hype, he just lays out the details. Unlike most ‘gurus’, Fred doesn’t brag about million dollar product launches or hype the idea of becoming instantly wealthy. He focuses on the elements needed to create and run a lasting business.
To kick off my sales of these seminar audio recordings, I am offering a GIGANTIC DISCOUNT! My One-Day Info Product Seminar sales page is currently offering the package for $67 - 30% off the retail price of $97.

But, that is not good enough. I am distributing 10 copies at the ridiculously low price of only $37. But, when they are gone, I will never sell it for that low price again.

These specially priced copies are being sold through eBay. View the One-Day Info Product Seminar’s Auction page for details (and to see how many copies are left.)

I spent a long time looking for a mentor I could trust, and Fred is one of my mentors now. The sales/auction pages have a little more info how I discovered Fred and why I value his teaching.

If you want to build your own info product empire, don’t wait! Order your copy of the One-Day Info Product Seminar today!

Have a profitable day,

The Go-To Guy!

P.S. If this is not for you, but you know someone who would appreciate the information, please forward this page to them.

The snowstorm on Friday stranded Fred on the west coast, so the class was canceled - I was very bummed out about that, but not surprised.

There is another class in April, so I’ll be rescheduling for then.

The Go-To Guy!

I had my most profitable online business month yet last month and decided to roll some of that back into my business by seeking out a little offline education.

Here in New York City almost every street corner has a few news boxes giving away course catalogs or free local papers. One of the course catalogs that is very popular is the Learning Annex catalog. This one is usually filled with everything from from the weird and wild like ‘How To Strip for Your Partner’ and ‘Making a Fortune In Real Estate’ to very practical computer classes and soap making classes. It’s an adult education free-for-all.

In the middle of all these classes is a half day seminar called ‘Market and Sell Your Own Information Products’ led by Fred Gleeck. He has been leading these classes a few times a year for many years. When I first read about him I did a little research and bought 2 of his books (it was cheaper than the seminar and I wanted to get a feel for what he was all about.)

The books are very good (you can download the full texts in PDF format If you join his mailing list at www.FredGleeck.com. He email infrequently and they are always worth reading.)

I’ve grown to appreciate Fred’s writing and really wanted to hear him speak and meet him. This Saturday, March 17, 2007, I’m going to finally do it - and I payed the course fee out of the PROFITS from my online business!!!

Another marketer recently encourage me to go to meetings like this in order to network with people and not just for the information I’ll learn. I’m hoping that happens too!

I’ll post about what happens next week. If you are in New York, sign-up at www.learningannex.com and we can meet up at the seminar.

The Go-To Guy!