There are several things that make me proud to be a member of YTB and ZamZuu. I mentioned Flags4Vets just before Convention. The company has also been a part of Feed the Future in years past, which provide toys, computers, musical instruments, and other gifts to children. We also can’t forget Passport To Giving which provides a steady stream of income for non-profit organizations who no longer have to beg for money.

This fall YTB and ZamZuu will expand its community service to help even more people in the form of security services for the average person. We know all too well about nut cases who poke and prowl the internet for your personal information and end up posting it publicly for everyone to see. While the information age we now live in can be a huge benefit – there is a segment of society who is suffering for whatever reason – and in their own dysfunctional way, they believe that victimizing others will make their pain go away.

While these people may or may not take responsibility for their own wellbeing and happiness – there IS something YOU can do to protect yourself and your family from this ugly segment of society.

That’s why we have a special interest in what ZamZuu will roll out as a new premier identity theft recovery product called the Entrust America ID Recovery Plan. In the event of an identity theft, the covered member is assigned a certified “Rush ID Recovery Specialists” from Entrust America who performs all the recovery and restoration work on behalf of you, the victim.

Most other plans on the market today merely offer assistance and expense reimbursement, and the victims are forced to do their own recovery. Don’t be fooled by slick marketing tactics, partial solutions and fine print exceptions that protect them, not you.

Last year, as many as 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

We know how nasty and foul these perpetrators can be – but there is a way for you to remain in control and have peace of mind. Entrust your identity to local, regional, and national police associations and law enforcement (who also use THIS product) with Entrust America who fully recovers the victim’s identity, repairs the damage done, pursues the perpetrator, and takes legal action on your behalf.

The second product ZamZuu will launch is something we believe every parent needs in this day and age. Personally, I have no problem with people coming after me – but when it comes to my family that’s an area that’s so far out of bounds I can’t even put it into words. (And you know me – I have a way with words.)

KidZafe by Zamzuu helps you protect your kids from predators, bullies and sexting and helps you protect their privacy and reputation on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and on the mobile phone.

I could go on for days writing about this – but the mind doesn’t see in words – it sees in pictures – and I want you to get the full impact of what’s at stake here as a parent and what you can do to protect those you love. The video embedded below is powerful – especially if you’re a parent of young children. What I really like about this product is that it doesn’t force you to hide or lock up your children from the scum that may be after them – but it will warn and help you protect them. It puts you back in control of the information they now have at their fingertips.

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Before I begin with the Convention update, I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all the e-mail, Facebook messages, and phone calls I received in the last 24 hours. If I haven’t gotten back to you yet, I will, but please keep in mind my inbox is flooded right now with gratitude and appreciation from others who feel the same way. I’ve also had another huge rush on subscribers because of yesterday’s update. If you’re looking to get on the newsletter yourself, (and are already a member of YTB and ZamZuu) you can fill out your information here and get on our mailing list.

It hasn’t been until the last few years that I’ve really understood the word “Giving”. Sure I’ve been brought up to tithe 10% of my income and I’ve always heard that it’s better to give than it is to receive. This blog and newsletter has been a labor of love for those who want a firsthand perspective on what it’s like to be in YTB and ZamZuu. I’ve given of my time, my experience, and my talents and the appreciation, rewards and opportunities that have come back to me have been simply amazing.

I am humbled – I am grateful – I am constantly amazed how I’ve been able to reach so many people and touch so many lives.

Thank you!

Now on to convention!!

Question for you…How do you like FREE?

Truth is you’ve got to have something wrong with you if you don’t like to receive something for free.

Now, add the ability to earn extra income by getting something for free.

How does THAT sound?

Well, welcome to the new ZamZuu!

The ZamZuu e-commerce site, which previously sold for a $249.95 set-up fee and a monthly hosting fee of $49.95, can now be given away for free. Those who accept this generous gift from you will earn 30% of the commission made from products and services sold on their very own FREE e-commerce website.

But it gets better. That e-commerce site is linked to you as a “broker” (more on that in a bit) and YOU also earn 30% of the commissions earned off the site you just gave away! (Talk about a win – win!)

Some of the best things in life are free! Take Google for example. How much does it cost you to search on Google? (Uh – Hello?! It’s FREE!) Yet, Google generated $23.6 BILLION in revenue last year and their stock is trading at over $462.00 per share – and it’s FREE! Google accomplished this with no advertising (all done by word of mouth) with a very clean, easy to use website that’s free for anyone to use and enjoy.

Remember how AOL got their start and became the most dominant ISP in the land when the internet first started its massive growth? AOL gave away free setup CD’s didn’t they? They flooded the market and quickly surpassed GEnie, Prodigy and CompuServe in the mid 1990′s when dial-up was king. At AOL’s height, they had over 30 million members. (And that’s before everyone even had a computer!!)

It wasn’t until broadband came into the picture that AOL fell behind the curve and lost it’s appeal. (AOL and dial-up then became known as “Always Off Line”.)

We can come up with dozens of other examples – but you get the idea – free is not only very popular but is so attractive people can’t resist giving it a try.

Right now MILLIONS of people are flocking to affiliate sites like Commission Junction, LinkShare, Google Affiliate Network, ClickBank, and even eBay in an attempt to capture slice of the boom that is going on right now in e-commerce. (All free as well by the way.)

Wake up folks – online shopping has DOUBLED in just one year – from 6% to 12% – and it’s expected to exceed 20% over the Christmas shopping season.

But have you ever tried to manage all those sites and links on your own? And how do you know what people are going to buy? We can tell you from experience; it’s not as easy it sounds. It’s time consuming; it’s also hit and miss trying to promote all those products. (And unless you have a very targeted niche and demographic – very few hit the nail on the head.)

With a free ZamZuu e-commerce web site – just hand out sites and let the consumer decide what they want to buy. Everything’s managed for them – hundreds of stores with thousands of products, tracking, and commissions from one very easy to use (and manage) site.

And did we mention it’s free? (Just in case you missed that…)

But wait! There’s more!

How do you give away free sites enabling the average person to earn 30% of the commission earned on their sites? You become a “Broker” – something you’re now qualified for as a ZamZuu Business Owner. Because you own the license off the sites you give away – you as a “Broker” earn an additional 30% of the commission earned off all the free sites you give away.

Free “Agents” earn 30% – while the “Broker” who holds the license also earns 30%.

Simple right?

So how does someone become a “Broker” rather than a free “Agent”? (Because we know the wheels are turning with possibilities at this point.) A license to hand out as many free sites as you want costs (oddly enough) $49.95! Yep, the same price it costs as a ZamZuu Business owner.

The choice is yours. You can give away 1 or 1000 sites – it makes no difference to us. But the more you hand out the more likely you’ll be generating significant income from sales off those free sites as a Broker. For example :

• 30% of $10 per month from 1 free site is $3 (per month).
• 30% of $10 per month from 100 free sites is $300 (per month).
• 30% of $10 per month from 1000 free sites is $3000 (per month).

So – how many sites do you want to GIVE away for FREE?

It’s your chance to give someone a free e-commerce website to generate income of themselves – OR – “teach them to fish” as a “Broker” to leverage THEIR efforts and make a whole lot more.

If they’re not sure – no worries – they can upgrade from “Agent” to “Broker” at any time!

Over the next few weeks as the company rolls out other products and services that were announced this past weekend in St. Louis, we’ll update you both here and on the newsletter. Some you may have already heard about what’s coming. For the purpose of time however (and an opportunity to write other articles about this fine company and the people involved with it) we’ll save that for another day.

Besides – I’ve got a ton of e-mail I need to respond to right now!

Right now – I want you to focus on what I do and that’s “giving”. (You have something of value to give now right?) Give it a go – and see what happens. My bet is the rewards are greater than you could even possibly imagine!

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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One of the BEST features about Convention is the opportunity to learn and grow. Sure the recognition and the upgrades are a nice benefit, but the opportunity to LEARN makes our industry special. Always the student, I relish the opportunity to learn something new – enhance what I’m already doing – or get turned onto a brand new product or feature.

It’s what keeps this company fresh and interesting. I mean, YTB has never been boring, (especially the last couple of years) but all the new features, vendors and income opportunities not only make a company like this fun but worth your while with this kind of assortment to choose from.

Oh – you’ll also notice even more of our Travel Vendors offering up their expertise. While they’ve always shown up as a vendor in the past – this is the first year their getting in on the classes being offered. Nice to see their continued support.

Check out the great courses that are offered by ZamZuu University today. A chance to learn from the best in business – Business Builders, Featured Stores and Travel Vendors all in one place. It’s all here!

HOW TO USE SOCIAL NETWORKING TO BUILD YOUR TEAM AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS
Nakia Muhammad, Coach’s Corner member
This course will provide attendees with the basic knowledge and understanding of how to prospect, qualify, identify and sign up new Business Owners via Facebook. Learn and apply these techniques and explore your business!

TRAVEL THE WORLD WITH PLEASANT HOLIDAYS
Barbara DeSanto, Pleasant Holidays
Presenting the world of Pleasant Holidays – offering vacation and cruise packages to Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean, Tahiti/Fiji, Costa Rica and USA Learn about all the great specials Pleasant Holidays has to offer!

BECOME A DIRECTOR IN 90 DAYS
Dave and Marlis Funk, ZamZuu Directors
Learn how to become a Director in 90 days including the three phases you must go through to be successful in ZamZuu. They will teach you how your “Wheel of Fortune” can help you build if you JUST APPLY IT!

HIGH QUALITY, CUTTING-EDGE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Brett Cherry, Nutraceutics
Nutraceutics is dedicated to formulating and bringing to market the highest quality nutritional supplements based on the latest in scientific research and manufactured to the most exacting pharmaceutical-grade specifications.

PROTECTING OUR KIDS WITH ZAMZUU CHILD PROTECTION MOBILE APPLICATION
Tim Woda
Protecting our kids from the dangers of sexting, cyberbullying, and sex predators.

BIGGER PROFITS WITH GINA ALEXANDER HANDBAGS
Gina Alexander, Gina Alexander Handbags
The story from the woman herself! Class includes social media strategies, how to make money with Facebook, how to recognize the PERFECT photo and placing orders with/without a photo.

THE MIND OF THE TEST DRIVE
Demond Crump, ZamZuu Director
Learn the reason for every move made during the “test drive.” Demond will demonstrate how the value of ZamZuu should be showcased!

JUMP START YOUR CRUISE BUSINESS
Ann Sedgwick, Carnival Cruise Lines
This fast paced seminar will include what you need to know to be successful in selling cruises, the tools to make you more successful, the most popular destinations to sell right now, the easiest way to sell and book travel, tricks of successful groups and selling up for greater commissions! Whether you are just getting started in the business or a seasoned pro, this seminar is for you!

EMPOWERING YOU TO PROSPER
James and Marcia Prewitt, ZamZuu Directors
Learn how to grow closer to the source of all true wealth and power. Leverage your time and effort by using a systematic approach to explore your business. Find a divine balance of being successful mentally, spiritually and financially!

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SUCCESSFULLY SELL DIAMOND ICE PRINTS
Julie Milford, Diamond Ice Prints
Come hear an introduction/history of the company and product, a detailed description of the process, photographic resolution training, sales strategies, and support.

HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL HOME PARTY WITH JOLIECOU JEWELRY
Lee Bayes and YoLanda McClease, JolieCou Jewelry
Imagine having fun selling JolieCou Jewelry and Accessories and making money while you do it! This presentation will teach you how to have a “Successful Home Party” and boost your sales. Who doesn’t love high quality, unique jewelry at affordable prices!

GIVING YOUR BUSINESS A FACE LIFT
Linda Chaé, Chaé Organics
Learn how to build your business with new, exciting products. Even men will have a secret weapon to enroll women and other men. Website Discount Code given to attendees only.

SETTING THE RIGHT (DNA) EXPECTATIONS!
Nick Nicholson, ZamZuu Director
This class will teach you how to set realistic expectations in your new ZamZuu Business. It will show you how to build a large and committed team of successful leaders.

YTB TRAVEL NETWORK
J. Kim Sorensen, President and CEO of YTB Travel Network, and Guest Speakers
Come hear about a few of the many opportunities YTB Travel Network provides. You can expect to learn about niche and group travel opportunities and hear from the experts!

TEAM BUILDING
Jerome Hughes, ZamZuu Director
Jerome Hughes and several team leaders will discuss skills for building a successful team.

ZAMTEK – WIRELESS PRODUCTS AND THE ZAMZUU DIGITAL VIDEO PHONE
Marc Tolkov, Simplexity and Barry MacCheyne, WorldGate
Simplexity will teach you everything you need to know about wireless products and services. WorldGate lets you experience an exciting demonstration of the ZamZuu Digital Video Phone and the opportunities it presents!

ZAMZUU INSURANCE 2.0 AND EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES – “THE NEXT GENERATION
Mark G. Pollock and Dustin Lopez, ZamZuu Insurance
ZamZuu Insurance will cover the Website with a new Avatar look, how to quote and when you get paid. We will also cover the basics of the Financial Services site and what you get paid for. Both are kicked off with a “Did You Know” video!

LEARN HOW TO PUT THE “ZAM” IN YOUR ZAMZUU BUSINESS
Arlyne Thompson, ZamZuu Director
Utilizing themed home parties, inspiring events, educational webinars, exciting conference calls and tools to keep your team connected!

GETTING STARTED (ZAMZUUED) FAST!
Malcolm Alexander, ZamZuu Director
Ever wonder what the difference between you and the major networkers? How do you land a big fish? You will be let in on some industry secrets the big boys don’t want you to know!

THE WORLD OF PRINCESS CRUISES
Amy Alford, Princess Cruises
Join Amy Alford, District Sales Manager with Princess Cruises for an informative presentation and discover the World of Princess! Learn why Princess is the consummate host and the value of selling Princess to your clients. New itineraries for 2011 and 2012 will be featured.

FACING YOUR GIANTS
Jil Greene, ZamZuu Director
Everyone has the ability to be a Director! If you are not…something is stopping you. What is it? It’s your Giant. Attend a real live ceremony (presentation? Ceremony doesn’t fit here) that will show you how to slay your Giant, put it to rest and become a Director in the ZamZuu Business!

WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
Nick Pagano, ZamZuu Director
The economy has changed and so have the ways to create and maintain wealth. Given that, why is it that some people can build this business easily and others have more difficulty? We will answer that question in this presentation!

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE, ELEGANT COMFORT
Robin Pelland, Holland America Line
For more than 136 years, Holland America Line has been a recognized leader in cruising, taking their guests to exotic destinations around the world. Through excellence, they create once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Holland America Line provides elegant comfort, award-winning service, five star dining and extensive activities.

THE POWER OF RESIDUAL INCOME
Rick Ricketts, ZamZuu Director
Come hear Rick Ricketts talk about leadership and building relationships that will help you produce and maintain your residual income.

DISCOVER HOW PH PERFECT CAN BE YOUR ULTIMATE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Kriss Hansen and George Hou, pH perfect, Inc .
Learn the dirty little secret multi-billion dollar companies don’t want you to know. Also, find out how pH perfect can eliminate toxic stress and pollution from your life.

As you can see – there’s something for everyone and most mix and match as they like. With so much to choose from, the hardest part is narrowing it down to just a few classes. Spend the whole day on travel if you’d like – or building your business – doesn’t matter to us. It’s all about what matters to YOU.

Nice – huh?!

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It’s been 6 months since I switched my internet provider to CLEAR and I absolutely love it. Not only did I quadruple my internet speed, I added a USB modem to bring the internet with me.

Both for less than what I paid my old DSL service provider.

At the time I switched to CLEAR, the 4G signal was just out of reach at the house. I had towers all around me that were equipped and ready to be turned on. I could drive down to the local Kroger around the corner and have all the speed I wanted with my USB modem – but the house was dead. All the action was two tens of a mile away. Even though I didn’t have the blazing fasts speeds here at the house, the bundle for both home and mobile internet was still cheaper, faster and more dependable than any other mobile internet service I could find.

With the amount of time I spend out and about – the choice was easy.

I didn’t have to wait very long for local service. About a month later, a tower was tuned on that was able to get signal here at the house. Once that happened, I canceled my DSL service and went totally wireless for my internet and never looked back – until recently.

If you’re like me, you hardly use the house phone any longer. Cell phones changed all that years ago. We’re a mobile society now, and if you want to catch me – you’re not going to get me by calling my home. We discussed dropping a home number all together a few years ago. Because our DSL service was attached to the home phone, the big bells made certain that the cost wouldn’t justify doing so however.

Today with the kids growing up, the home phone does ring considerably more with friends and neighbors wanting to get in touch with our two kids. Would you want an 8 year old daughter (who’s going on 16) tying up your cell phone all day long?

Didn’t think so.

So getting rid of the house phone is no longer a smart option for us. But each month, we’d look over the phone bill and see charges for services that we have to pay for, but never use. Long distance is a great example. I mean, why pay so many cents per minute when you can just use your cell phone that doesn’t charge a thing for long distance.

The answer is CLEAR.

One of the most impressive aspects about CLEAR for me (besides the blazing fast speeds) is how the bandwidth doesn’t get choked up. I can pull up a half dozen YouTube videos in different windows and CLEAR doesn’t skip a beat. (Not that anyone would want to watch six videos at the same time, but it’s a great demo when selling this service.) With so much bandwidth available, voice couldn’t be that hard.

After testing the service here at the house for the last couple of months, it’s been extremely reliable. Yes, speeds can vary from one minute to another (you can test your own speed at speedtest.net) but the service is consistently faster than DSL ever provided even at its peak.

What’s even more impressive is that CLEAR and VoIP offers even more services than standard phone companies at no additional charge. While international rates still apply – unlimited calling is offered within the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. Voice mail also comes with VoIP with a nice bonus. Voice mail can be turned into e-mail with a .wav file sent to your work account so that you’re not only notified that someone called, but actually get the message via e-mail. Caller ID and call waiting are also provided for no additional service charges. (Something our phone company charged for.)

A couple other services that come with CLEAR’s VoIP service that we never bothered to add to our old service but are nice additions (for no added cost) are 3-way calling, advanced call forwarding, call blocking, and Do Not Disturb. (Meaning, no more telemarketers during dinner or after 8:00 pm!)

I can’t say the quality is remarkable, because there really no difference between the old service and VoIP, but the technology certainly is. What is remarkable however is that my internet is not only mobile, but I have it for less than what I paid for DSL and basic phone before. Three services for less than the price of two with more features and faster speeds.

Interested in finding out more about CLEAR and VoIP service? You can check it out through ZamZuu and the ZamTek link under Internet Services. It’s super easy to install (plug and play) – faster than anything out there, and fits perfect into your mobile lifestyle.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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One of the nice features about a blog is the ability to track how people find you. I’ve always kept a pretty close eye on search terms and referral links coming into this site because it’s one of the best ways to come up with new material and topics. It’s also a good indicator of what’s on people’s minds.

The biggest mistake I see people make when writing a blog is it’s all about them – and that’s the wrong way to look at it. If you want readership – you have to cater to topics that interest your readership. It’s not that you can’t write about what you want or have personal opinions about your topic of choice – but you really need to think from a readers perspective.

Case in point – a really hot search right now is finding an alternative to Bing’s Cash Back program. The current number of searches is alarming and plenty of people are scrambling for alternatives. When I wrote about Bing flushing their program back in June, not only did I find out that Bing wasn’t making any money, (giving 100% back to consumers who shopped there) but some of the extremely high cash back percentages were actually coming out of Bing’s pocket.

The plan behind stacking the percentages of cash back was to drive more user traffic. In a roundabout way, Bing was paying for more traffic in cash back in the hope that it would eventually lead to more advertising dollars. When you look at Google earning revenue of $22.8 BILLION in 2009 just in advertising revenue – you’d want a piece of that pie too. But Google also dominates 71% of all search queries in the United States, while Bing captures only 9%.

Microsoft in their infinite wisdom had a better plan. When Microsoft bought Jellyfish.com back in 2007 to get into the online shopping game they eventually stripped away the “refer a friend” percentages and the revenue split that Jellyfish.com made to continue to build and develop and gave it all away to the shopper – betting they could make it up in ad revenue.

The beginning of the end came in August of 2009 when Bing doubled their cash back percentages – costing them even more money without the sufficient ad revenue to compensate. They were betting that it would drive considerably more traffic and it did – for shoppers – but it never turned into loyal search users or more advertising dollars.

When Microsoft bought Jellyfish.com back in 2007; this small little company was profitable. The cash back splits were sufficient, and word of mouth or referrals were working like a charm. Although I had no idea who they were at the time, they were by far the fastest growing cash back option on the internet at the time. Dozens of startups tried to copy them or add their own little twist to get in on this growing trend of e-commerce.

But Bing had a better plan – while going head-to-head with traditional cashback programs firmly entrenched in the market for a decade or more: Ebates, MrRebates, Upromise, MyPoints, and Memolink.

While Bing was great for shoppers and garnered a number of loyal fans it was the wrong model for business. You can’t give away more than you make and stay in business for very long.

So loyal Bing shoppers are off searching for new alternatives. Some have already found them, while others appear to be somewhat disappointed that some of their favorite cash back stores have been cut in half.

If you’re a follower of this blog (or YTB and ZamZuu) you’re well aware of the illusions some people have about MLM and Network Marketing. How MLM is the only model who takes huge cuts out of their price to pay all the people at the top. It’s a myth and illusion I find fascinating. If you look at business as whole – every company has a pyramid structure to it. (So does government and your family tree for that matter.) Why MLM is singled out as being the only pyramid that’s wrong, immoral or a scam makes me question the intelligence of those who rant and rave with their harsh and bitter commentary.

When it comes to these shopping sites, most all out there keep about half the commission for themselves to stay in business. They need to pay for employees, local management, area management, and regional management, VP’s, Senior VP’s, Partners, Presidents and CEO’s. The higher up the pyramid (excuse me – make the “ladder”), the bigger your cut of the revenue earned.

How some miss that – makes me question their intelligence.

That being said, let’s look at ZamZuu simply from the consumer experience and compare it to other “traditional models” that have been around for a while.

When you take a look at this document which lists a side by side comparison of other leading cash back programs, you’ll clearly see that ZamZuu stacks up really well. While some may be a percentage or two higher or lower, nobody really comes out as a clear winner in this chart from a consumer point of view. It’s interesting to note that all the programs listed are “traditional models” and not MLM or Network Marketing companies.

From this perspective, ZamZuu is no different from a traditional model or cash back program.

The key difference for me and why I promote ZamZuu is the “refer a friend” percentage – which clearly trumps the others by a long shot. There is a distinct difference in model and mindset in this instance however. I look at ZamZuu as a business model – not a hobby. The ability to refer friends, family, neighbors, and co-worker and earn 60% of what they earn in cash back is the game changer for someone who understands business. Instead of that 60% going to the President or CEO of Fatwallet or Extrabux it comes to me as an Independent Business Owner.

Clearly, these “friends” will be hard pressed to find a better all-around cash back alternative for themselves in this growing market of online shopping. It’s free for them to sing up, and they have the added benefit of finding comparable travel deals through a 10 year old Travel Agency that also ranks with other power houses in the industry.

Just our way of separating fact from the fiction. More like illusions if you ask me – but that’s another article for another day.

So if someones looking for an alternative to Bing Cash back – feel free to save this document and show them a side by side comparison. I can promise you, they won’t have any better relationship with anyone from these other companies. But they do have one with you.

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Back from our family vacation – but a little smaller in size. We got about half way home and realized that we forgot the kids! ;-P

Actually, they’re on a “Grand Adventure” this week which is reserved for Grandparents and Grand kids. It’s something my parents have done since my sisters kids were growing up and it’s something everyone (including Ronda and I if you know what I mean) look forward to.

That being said, I’ll be easing back into the articles – at least for this week. There are a couple of projects around the house that need to be taken care of and with the kids being gone and feeling well rested and relaxed this is the perfect week to get most of them done.

While I was off vacationing and enjoying myself however, the Home Office appeared to be rather busy setting up a whole new category of products for everyone to promote.

ZamTek is a new technology category for things like Digital Voice & Video Phone Service – Wireless Telephone Services & Accessories from all the major carriers – Satellite Television from DirecTV or Dish Network – Super Fast Internet Solutions – and Home Security are all now partnered with ZamZuu.

Brings back memories of my security and home automation days.

I’ve always liked this category of product – I am a technology geek at heart. For the record, back in the day, there were some riffs in this industry too about “service” and “professionalism” when putting technology systems together like this. While I saw some get upset that online companies were selling security and satellite systems to end users without the “professional installation” – it actually helped business.

When someone got in over their head and needed help – they called in the pros. When a “professional” showed up that was trained and qualified it was very easy to win their business because they took the pain away and solved their problems. Much of the grunt work was already done, and it was a simple matter of trouble shooting which paid just as well (sometimes even more) than if they got the job in the first place.

One of my favorites was the guy who bought a complete home theater system thinking he could do it himself. All the equipment was already purchased but he didn’t have a clue how to connect it all together. A “service call” to help out the poor guy was nothing but pure profit. Hourly rates paid far more than the wage paid for the technician.

After the pain was taken away and the problem was solved – what do you think happened the next time he needed an upgrade or a new gadget – who do you think he called?

Referrals where also a huge perk when turning a client’s nightmare into a dream come true. The level of respect and ability to install the system from the very beginning always increased margins and profitability soared through the roof.

What we’ve seen in the travel industry the last few years and the bizarre behavior by that category of “professionals” shows me a real lack of creativity or a willingness to cease opportunity. Instead of enhancing their profession, they’ve defiled their own industry with the way they think and act. Too selfish and bitter to consider that they’re only damaging their own reputation.

I don’t know about you but I don’t care how good some of these travel agents are – the fact that they treat other human beings the way they do pushes more people away than it attracts.

Another lesson learned from technology industry is that manufacturer’s look for vehicles to move their product off their shelves and into the hands of paying consumers. While those who work in the travel industry and technology industry may have misgivings about who was authorized to sell either a satellite system or a hotel room – the objective for business is to get it into the hands of consumers.

What makes ZamZuu (or Network Marketing) so attractive to business is the massive ROI by putting these products into the hands of thousands of Independent Representatives to sell by word of mouth. Any business that “hires” a MLM doesn’t pay a dime to that MLM until a product has actually been sold.

It’s the most attractive and profitable distribution model available – period.

Because there are so many “representatives” selling these products the leverage creates better commissions to the field – while still keeping margins high for the manufacturer because there are no advertising costs. It’s a win – win for both manufacture and representative.

I can’t imagine the cost and time it would take to ramp up all these categories and product models. Travel, online shopping, and now technology products – all under one roof for what? $250 to start and $50 a month. You couldn’t get started for any less than that or start selling any quicker than what YTB and ZamZuu has created. It’s a complete turnkey opportunity that puts anyone who wants to make additional income a breeze.

Now if they could just figure out a way to have customers and clients flock to these new websites without promoting it or opening up your mouth.

That I’m sorry to say hasn’t changed in business. You still have to market and promote when it comes to selling these products – customers don’t just appear out of thin air. Marketing can only be considered marketing or promotion when someone actually knows about it. If you don’t do it – somebody else will and they’ll get the sale instead of you.

It doesn’t have to be hard or difficult. It could be as easy as writing an article just like this and telling people that ZamTek is now available through ZamZuu.

Just the name ZamZuu or ZamTek right now could be odd enough for someone to actually take a look at what the heck it is!

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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Yes, it’s true. Bing is flushing it’s cashback program effective July 30, 2010. While some believed that nobody could compete with the likes of Bing, it turns out it was Bing who couldn’t compete with the likes of “us”.

A program update was posted late last week which reads as follows:

Dear valued cashback customer:

We are writing to notify you that the Bing cashback program will be discontinued, and the last day to earn cash back on your Bing Shopping purchases will be July 30, 2010.

~~~~

Thank you very much for being a loyal cashback user. We remain committed to delivering great value to our customers, and we are currently working on an exciting new program which you will hear more about from us later this summer.

Sincerely,

Bing cashback Team

WOW! Just WOW!

I guess Bing wasn’t a better alternative after all. (Although, some will never admit that.) Others, who have been using the program appear to be extremely upset.

So why couldn’t the almighty Bing pull this off? Couple of reasons come to mind – but what it boils down to is that Bing was the wrong model all the way around.

First, Bing was throwing money at this – taking (in part) their advertising revenue and offering it up as cash back to customers. Great ROI for stores and a good deal for customers – but very bad for Bing. I have no idea what possessed them to make such a bonehead move, but it cost them a ton of money.

Internet advertising is one of the largest shifts in spending (and therefore wealth) we could see in our lifetime. I wrote about this transfer of wealth back in April and linked to reported profits in the billions for Google, and how Yahoo doubled its yearly revenue via online ads. The amount of money being spent right now in online advertising and pay per click revenue is the single biggest reason why I got involved with MyShoppingGenie.

Not Bing – they gave it away, and because they’re trying to catch up with the other two leaders, the easiest person to screw here is their own customers.

Bing is currently in third place behind Google and Yahoo – Google handles 71% of all search queries in the United States, while Yahoo handles around 15% and Bing around 9%. What’s even worse is that the few customers who did switch from Google over to Bing for the cash back option will most certainly switch back over to Google come July.

And what did Google do as an alternative to cashback to customers? They got involved in the Affiliate Network boom providing a link between advertisers and publishers who want to increase sales and drive leads through affiliate marketing. (Hummm – kind of sounds like another company I know…) Those who can advertise and sell on their own now earn the commissions from the retailers – a much more savvy and business minded clientele for Google. While Bing (Microsoft) has alienated and ticked off even more people, just watch how Google will become an even bigger player in online search and Internet advertising because of it.

Second, early adoption like shopping online is driven through referrals, not a search engine. Currently, only 10% of all shopping is done online. While that number will most certainly grow, it’s going to be driven by word of mouth, not advertising. Companies like Commission Junction, LinkShare, and even Google’s Affiliate program are thriving right now because every day people are promoting the products – not some search engine.

Don’t believe me? Go take a look at ClickBank and the money they pay out to every day individuals. There’s a “payout calculator” on the top right hand corner of the web site. Every one of their products are digital, and none of them are offered through big box retailer – and every bit of it generated through links and word of mouth by everyday people like you and me.

e-Bay is another powerhouse that’s done completely online, generating more revenue each year than the entire MLM and Direct Sales Industry COMBINED. None of it generated by a big name retailer – but by everyday people – and some make 6 figures a year doing it. The vast majority e-Bay’s popularity wasn’t generated through traditional advertising dollars either – but through word of mouth.

That’s a sales force that big corporations can’t compete with. It’s why Network Marketing and Direct Sales have worked over the last 120 years. It’s far more intimate and personal than a big powerhouse like Bing – especially when you combine Social Media into this mix.

Our world is changing at a rapid pace because of the internet – and so are our buying habits. For those who want to get involved and capture a part of it – now is the time to get to work. (It’s not going to just come to you – you’ve got to act and work for it.) Those who get that will thrive and profit.

Those who don’t…well, they’ll be left with more egg on thier face because they haven’t a clue.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Learn How To Become A Travel Agent

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

Do You ZamZuu?