First of all, for those of you that are currently looking for a job as you read this, what are you doing to try and find one?  I find that most answer this question in unison.  “Posted my resume to Monster.com”, “responding to Craigslist ads”…etc.  Most people spend about 80% of their job prospecting energies in online/newspaper ad responding.  That’s a lot of time.  Well you may argue that this is where most of the jobs are found.  In fact, it is the exact opposite.  Less than 10% of new jobs found were from responses from an online/newspaper ad.  Really?  Why on earth are people spending 80% of their time focusing on it.  That is because it’s the easiest to do.

In fact, just about 80% of new jobs acquired were done so by a referral of someone they knew.  When looking at the numbers, doesn’t it make sense that networking be the focus of your “prospecting” energies?  If you believe in statistics than yes.  So you may ask, but how do I maximize my contacts?  Here is a program that you can use, that has a highly proven success rate.  Those that have applied the principals I am about tell you, had an incredibly higher success rate in finding a job than that of the average public.  So enjoy and put it to the test.

They call it the 3 Name Rule.  Begin by sitting down and writing every single person you know personally, friends, family, old co-workers, neighbors, anyone who you feel has had some sort of professional contact to your field of interest.  Now I warn you not to pre-judge people.  You will be surprised about how many people actually have connections in your field of choice and you never knew about it.  So spend a few minutes and just write, write, and keep writing.

Now starting from the top of the list, call the contact and engage them in a similar type of dialogue as seen below:

“Tom… This is Brian, hey I know you have been around the auto businesses throughout the years.  I am very interested in the field and I just wanted to see if you can take some time out to meet with me and look over my resume and give me any advice of what I could do to make it stronger.”

Notice how the dialogue is an invitation to help you with your resume, not to see if they know of a job position for you.  This is an indirect way to get yourself and your resume in front of people that is much more non-intrusive than asking for a job interview.

Now these are people you already know, so getting the meeting should not be too hard.  When arriving for the meeting, consider the interview in your own mind as an actual job interview.  Dress to impress, bring a note pad, and conduct yourself as you would in a job interview.  What this meeting does is gets your resume in front of a successful person who knows your field of interest and has contacts in the field.  Amazingly enough, you will find that several times the person who you are interviewing with will look at your resume and notice that you fit a need that they have a their own company.  All of a sudden you just completed successful job interview and the person hiring you had no idea.  I know it seems like a far fetch, but trust me, it happens very frequently.

Now, most of the time, the person will make some remarks about your resume and that will be done with it.  That is ok, because remember, this is just your first round.  Before leaving the meeting, ask the person for 3 people they know (and their contact info) who are in your business that would be worth talking to, to help get to know more about the business in question.  If you are with the right person, they will easily spit out 3 names for you that you can contact.  Thank this person and be on your way.  Remember to keep this meeting no longer than 30 minutes, as most of these people are busy and are doing you a favor to meet with you.

From here you now have 3 contacts to pursue for opportunities.  What is great is when you first initially contact them, you use Tom, or whoever your original contact is, as leverage in saying they referred them to you.  People usually find this flattering when someone thought of them as an expert of a field.  When contacting them, use a dialogue much like this:

“Bob, my name is Brian, I am pursuing a career in the auto business and Tom Johnson told me that you were an expert in the field and someone I should contact.  I was wondering if I could come in and get talk to you about the auto business and what I can do to strengthen my resume.”

What this does is sets up another non-intrusive meeting with yet another professional in the field of your choice.  Again, the person you are meeting with has no idea your intent is to get a job with them.  The person is most likely to accept the meeting offer because you leveraged Tom.  Sure you don’t know them, but you were referred by someone they know and respect.

When meeting with this person, the meeting should go much like your original meeting did.  Have him/her give you feedback on your resume and talk to him/her about the field.  Even if you are not directly offered a job on the spot you are getting good advice about the field, building your contact base, and getting your name out there to where if a position does open up, these people will remember you.  When leaving this meeting, once again, ask for 3 people they know who are in the field that you should talk to about the industry.  If you do the math, after a few meetings, you will have quickly quadrupled your immediate network base for your desired job.

Keep repeating this process over and over again.  Every meeting is successful because you are given one more person to meet with.  Eventually, you will be in a meeting and someone will say, “you know, I have an opening that I think you could fill” or “I know a company who is looking for someone just like you.”  The opportunity will come.  Don’t get frustrated after one or two failed tries.  Know that your progressing in the program and eventually it will come.  Just remember to not leave there until you are able to get 3 new contacts to pursue.  This program has been proven to be very successful and if you continue to implement it in your own job hunt, you will find much more success than you ever had.

Just to give me some credibility, I own and manage 5 different blogs that discuss a variety of different topics.  Most of them are finance related, as that is my expertise, however, some have nothing to do with finance.  From these blogs, I have had to learn the ins and outs of building a blog, making it look good, providing content, etc.  I actually never really intended to make money off of them, but I quickly found that there are a lot of opportunities for bloggers to make money.  So take a lesson from me, as I have put many, many hours into trial and error to find the best ways to make a good, money making blog.

Setting Up A Blog

Before the blogging days, making your voice heard online was a pain.  You had to learn html code or become familiar with programs like Frontpage to try and create a site.  Then you needed to find a host to pay monthly just to get your content online.  Unless you were a web guru, most likely the site came out bland and ugly.  Times have changed.  Blogging engines such as Blogger and WordPress have made it incredibly easy to start a blog.  All it takes is signing up.  From there, you are able to choose from a variety of custom templates, while being able to tweak colors, widgets and other items.  Literally, you can have a space to write on in 2 minutes.  It’s that easy and it’s free.

Get A Custom Domain

When signing up for a free blogging service like Blogger or WordPress, you get a domain name and hosting free of charge.  However, you become a sub domain of the blogging host.  Blogger offers a “Custom Domain” option, which allows you to buy your own domain for $10 per year.  This is worth the cost.  A custom domain will benefit you greatly, especially as your site grows bigger and people begin to search for your site.  Also, for the little price, it just gives your blog that extra professionalism that will set you apart from the millions that keep the .blogspot extension name.  A tip from me, ditch the xxx.blogspot.com and spend the $10!

RSS Feeds

RSS Feeds are crucial to growing your blog.  On some of my sites, a majority of my content is viewed via RSS.  RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a service that allows the content of your blog to be sent out through a feed and a reading service.  Google, Firefox, and Digg are just a few RSS sites that people can track your blog from.  Setting up an RSS feed is just as simple as setting up a blog.  Feedburner has made RSS setup as simple as a few clicks.  Once you set up your account (which is free), you can then place an icon on your blog so that people can instantly begin following you.  Also with Feedburner, you can setup a free email subscription service that is completely automated.  I have thousands of email subscribers that are instantly informed every time I make a new post entry.  RSS feeds is a great way to spread the word, while also being able to retain readers to keep coming back.

Promote Your Blog

Eventually, in time, your blog will begin to get more and more visitors.  That is just how organic sites work.  The more content that becomes found on your site, the more your site will come up in search results.  However, naturally, this process can take quite a while, especially if your blog topic is one of strong popularity with a lot of competition.  To help speed this process along, be active on other sites, blogs, and message boards.  Find sites that appeal to your readers and make yourself known on them.  Now, there is a fine line between healthy promotion and “spamming”, so make sure to be respectful when leaving comments.  This can be a great way to get more readers to your site, without having to spend a dime.  Also, participate in blogging carnivals.  This can be a great way to highlight some of your best posts and drive traffic to your site.  Ad companies like Google Adwords also can promote your site through a pay-per-click campaigns.  I have found that unless you have a big advertising budget, Adwords is a waste of money.

Choosing A Topic

Choosing a topic is a very important step to creating a successful blog.  Anytime I choose to create a site, I try to stick with topics that are timeless and won’t lose their relevance with time.  Pop and culture blogs are difficult, because content you wrote a year ago can be completely out dated and no longer applicable.  What a waste of your time!  By building a blog, you are also building a database of content, that hopefully becomes an empire of knowledge for readers no matter when you wrote it.  Even on this site, you can read a post I wrote a year ago and it can apply to you and me just as much now as it did then.  Choose a topic that will hold its relevance.

Another important part of choosing your topic is to choose something that you’re passionate about.  Sure, certain topics will yield better ad revenue than others, but don’t sell yourself out on a topic you are not passionate about.  Content is king in blogging and you need to choose something that you will not get sick of writing about and are considered an “expert” in.  If you’re struggling to find a topic, take a couple of days and pay attention to what you talk about mostly with your friends.  You’ll quickly find your interests and passions by what is dominating your conversations.

Build A Reader Base

So many times people start up blogs and come right out of the gates stamping their entire website with annoying advertisements.  First of all, you’re not going to make a dime, because you won’t have that many people showing up for a while.  Second of all, it will hurt your reader base.  Your ultimate goal of starting a “commercial blog” should be to build a reader base.  To do that, you need to make sure your site is worth going to.  Take note of the sites you visit often.  Why do you visit them?  Most likely, they offer you a variety of fresh, new content that interests you.  The same goes with your blog.

Consider holding off on annoying flashing ads all over your site for the first while during the beginning stages of your blog.  Ads can be annoying on the eyes and frustrate readers into not going back.  I have unsubscribed to many sites for the sole reason of “over advertising.”  If you focus on building a reader base, ad opportunities and revenue will come to you naturally.  Anyone can start a blog and throw ads up, however the key is creating a site where people will come back.  Writing frequent, fresh content will help keep your readers coming back as well as improve your search ranking results.

Making Money Off Your Blog

Please consider to not ONLY begin a blog to make money.  Yes, blogs can be very profitable, but that is usually when the blogger is passionate about what they are writing about.  If you focus on your content, site layout, and design, readers will come.  From there you are given a great opportunity to make money.  There are thousands of companies looking to advertise to a variety of people.  Trust me, there are companies that are looking to reach out to your reader base.  The key is finding those and being able to prove that your readers are their customers.

Adding Google Analytics is a great way to track who is coming to your blog.  From Analytics, you can find out where your readers are from, how long they stay, what pages they like, what they don’t like, etc.  You can then transfer this data to companies who are looking to advertise to a specific demographic.  Companies like Google Adsense, Chikita,  and Burst are just a few pay-per-click companies that will throw ads on your site without you having to do anything.  However, it is always better if you can find advertisers directly and eliminate the middle man.

I could go on for days about tips to create a successful blog.  These are just a few of the big important points to consider when starting one.  Like I said, I’ve learned almost every short cut and utility in starting a blog so feel free to ask me any questions by commenting on this post.  There are many other things to consider, but this should be more than enough to get you started.

A personal business plan consists of the process of putting your “business” goals on paper, while providing the steps to achieve such goals.  Some of you may think that this may sound a lot like standard goal setting, however, there are distinct differences in setting up a business that makes it a very worthwhile task in your own financial planning.

First off, your personal business plan should be related to your business only.  This is not to say that you shouldn’t make goals in other aspects of your life, but for this particular plan, it should be solely focused on your personal business efforts.  The plan applies to any line of work you may be in.  Whether you are a CEO of a Wall Street firm, a pet groomer, or a landscaper, you should begin every new year with a fresh business plan.

Your business plan should break down what it takes to be successful in your line of work and how exactly you are going to accomplish that.  Kobe Bryant did not wake up one morning randomly knowing how to shoot a jump shot.  It took years of practice and discipline for him to get where he is today.  The same goes for any other occupation out there.  In most cases, people did not fall in the positions they are currently there by luck.  They planned out what it took to get there and how they themselves were going to make that happen.

Lets take, for example, an insurance salesman.  After looking at his last years call log, he finds that he made a total of 1500 cold calls to new potential clients per month (18,000 per year).  Well, as a result, he made a total of of $180,000 in commissions for that year.  So technically, this salesman can conclude that every call he makes is roughly worth around $10.  Of course this is really not the case, but for most sales jobs, performance is merely a numbers game.  Knowing that he historically performs at this $10 per call rate, he can than adjust his daily call schedule to earn his next year’s goal of a $200,000 year.  This same principle can be used in a variety of different measures.

A business plan should also include desired characteristic traits you wish to possess around the workplace, as well as things you feel you need to work one.  Take note of people around the office who are succeeding.  What attributes do they possess.  The best way to become successful at work is by surrounding yourself around people who already are.

Be specific about your monetary goals.  If you want to earn $100,000 next year, write it down!  If you don’t, it will be hard to see how exactly you get there.  The above example showed our salesman that one way he could get to his new “lofty” income goal is by increasing his daily call amount.  While breaking down your business plan, you will visually see just what it will take to earn what your goal is.

Now some of you may be saying, “well I’m stuck in a salary position and have no way of making anymore money than my contracted amount.”  Nonsense!  Within your company there are ladders of salaries.  Most likely there are people around you making the money that you desire to.  What are these people doing differently?  If you are just as qualified and talented as these people then there is no excuse for them making more money.  If you lack certain skills that they have, work to sharpen those skills.  Come to work earlier and stay a bit later.  Remember, you set the goal so it is you that needs to make it happen.  If you do have the same skills and are not making the same amount, go see your manager.  You would be surprised about how many times you are worthy of a promotion and they just don’t know it or are waiting for you to say something.  If they feel you are not qualififed, ask him/her for feedback about what you are lacking.  Then, start this process over.

Also, we live in a day of age where you can make money in a variety of different ways.  Thanks to the internet, you have access to the whole world to try and make money.  You have certain skills and traits that people will pay money to learn.  See how you can integrate that on the web for some supplementary income.

Sure, we all like to have money and success, but strive to keep it within reason.  As I have always said, money is not the definition of “success” and more important things should not be sacrificed for it.  When making your business plan, consider your other “life goals.”  If doing what it takes to earn you’re desired income only happens at the expense of acheiving your long term life goals, it is not worth it.  Consider thinking a few years out on how you consider to reach these goals, thus not burning yourself out all in one year.  Why work to make a good living, when at the end you cannot enjoy the fruits of it.

After completing a business plan, always keep it where you can see it daily.  Why spend time on this intensive document if you’re not going to reflect on it?  I keep mine in the top drawer of my office, so that when I do get frustrated, I can see what exactly I’m doing wrong.  The business plan doesn’t lie.  If done correctly, it acts as the Holy Grail of successful business practices for you personally in your business.  If you’re not seeing success, you’ve most likely waivered from your plan.  Take it out every week to make sure you’re living up to your goals.  If you are doing what you set out to do and are still not seeing success, revise your plan in way that points you in the right direction.

The power of a business plan is great.  When just asking how can I earn $100,000 a year?, it can seem distant and unattainable at the moment.  However, when really breaking it down, studying your current circumstances, and implementing a plan, you will be surprised at just how easy that road can be.  This combined with other principles discussed on the site can help you.

Research

The first step to prepare yourself for an interview is to do some due diligence about the company you are interviewing for.  Most every company has a vision or mission statement.  This usually gives a brief description of why the company exists.  When getting hired, companies like to know that you have taken specific interest in their company and that you can contribute to the values they make them who they are.

What to Bring

The first impression.  Dress nice.  You can never overdress for an interview.  I have never been rebuked for wearing a suit.  Also, make sure to bring a pad of paper, pen, and several copies of your resume as there could be multiple people interviewing you.  You will be surprised at how impressed employers will be as you come prepared ready to jot down points that are of value and that you find important.

The Interview

Be confident.  They say most employers make their decision of hiring within the first ten minutes of meeting you.  Maintain good eye contact and be vocal.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Try tying in questions that you learned from your research, like “I noticed you have over 53 locations, do you plan on opening more?” or “I see that you have 59 different product lines, which one is your best seller?”  Questions like these show your interest in the company and helps the employer to feel like your not just going to another job interview.  Give good feedback to the employer’s question.  If you do not understand the question, rephrase back to him to make sure you do.  There is nothing worse than not answering the questions they want to know about you.  The point is to stand out.

Follow Up

You would be surprised at how much success you could have at getting a job if you just reminded the employer of yourself.  A couple weeks after the interview, if you haven’t heard back from the company, send them a quick email reminding them of who you are, appreciation for the original interview and when to expect to hear back from them.  Several times this extra effort could put you above that other person as you become fresh in their memory.  Also, it can happen that they lose your paper work.  In any case, it cannot hurt to follow up.

The interview is such a critical part of your career, as the next 10-20 years of your life can be decided in a 15 minute meeting.  Give this event its needed attention.  By becoming better in your job interviews, you will have more job options to choose from, which will help enable you to find the job that fits you and your needs.  Being in the right job is critical for financial planning and can help you accomplish your long term goals.