Issue One December 2005

In this issue:

"Home Biz Critic is dedicated to the research and the objective review of home based business opportunities."


The Home Biz Critic

In My Experience
In this months section of "In My Experience" the author explains the challenges involved in striking it out on your own.

Affiliate Programs: What You Need To Know
HBC outlines a 21 point checklist to consider when signing up for an affiliate program.

Review of the Month
Review of the month is the MLM Immunotech. This is one of the finest MLMs out there. I use the products and stand behind them. Eric LeClair of Canada contributed this review.

Online Marketing Techniques
This months online marketing techniques section deals with the importance of creating targeted and optimized website content.

Reader Reviews
If you are interested in reviewing sites for HomeBizCritic.com please check this section for details.

In My Experience

When I decided to go for broke and become self-employed in a home based business, I began the search that many of you may be in right now. As you know from reading my reviews, I tried a lot of MLMs and got nowhere fast. I learned all I could, but the school of hard knocks was definitely at work in my case. In all, I spent about $30,000 the first two years eating away all of my savings as I desperately clung to the belief that I could develop a viable business using the Internet.

Most of you probably gasp at that figure, but it's true. I wasn't one of those people who got rich quick or who had any immediate success with anything. I am sharing this because my problem wasn't my enthusiasm in my desire or my ability to be persistent. My problem was I didn't know what I didn't know. This can be immensely expensive. The web changes everyday and the rules that may be in place today to generate traffic or get high search engine placement go out the window tomorrow. I was in over my head and it was sink or swim. The point is this. No matter how much bad advice get from the "best" of sources test your results. I got no results for over a year until I finally realized I needed to look elsewhere for answers. Things slowly got better. If you have any questions, call me. It doesn't cost a dime to ask a question. Leave me a message. Because of the volume of calls, if you don't leave a message I can't help you. Email me if that works better.

If you are interested in learning more about what it takes to get started in the world of internet marketing and sales please take a look at my new E-Book "Millions at the Kitchen Table."

 

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Affiliate Programs: What You Need To Know


Most affiliate programs only work for about 3% of all the people that join them. There are reasons this is the case, and asking the right questions will make sorting through those that will reap you financial reward and those that will disappoint you greatly much easier.

1. Remember that most affiliate programs pay only minimal commissions to the affiliates.

2. Ask how the commission structure works. Get a diagram or explanation of how you will be compensated in writing.

3. Ask how often you will be paid.

4. Ask how you will be paid. Will you be paid by check, by PayPal or with credits?

5. Ask if there are any sales on which you will NOT be paid. If you aren't paid for every sale, find out why.

6. How are sales tracked? Is the system cheat proof?

7. What happens if a potential customer returns later to purchase? Do you get credit?

8. What kind of system tracks sales and is it "real time tracking"?

9. Are there any hidden monthly maintenance fees?

10. Is there a cloned website? What does this cost? Can it be modified? Can you create your own original website?

11. What is the typical conversion rate for an affiliate site?

12. Test the customer service response time and level of product knowledge. Are your questions answered without evasion or deception?

13. Test the guarantees by asking other affiliates what their experience has been with refunds and product replacement.

14. Test the technical support.

15. If you want out of the program, are you paid residual commissions? If so, for how long?

16. Are there any penalty fees for leaving?

17. If you die, can your beneficiaries inherit your downline and residual income?

18. How long has this affiliate program been around? Visit the website and do your research. What research has been done on the products? Who runs the show?

19. Get references from people in the program from different parts of the country and ask them their experience.

20. Get references from people who left the program and ask them their experience.

21. Ask for samples of the product and test them to determine their effectiveness. Truth in advertising must be supported by actual experience.

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Review of the month

Review of the month is the MLM Immunotech. This is one of the finest MLMs out there. I use the products and stand behind them. Eric LeClair of Canada contributed this review. Please contact him if you have any questions about this fine opportunity and if you have a passion for health and wellness.

Immunotec Research is really in a class of its own. It truly epitomizes what a network marketing company involved in health supplements should be. However, before I rationalize why, it is essential to know how it came to be. Please read on.

Brief history of the company

Immunotec Research Ltd. is a debt-free privately owned company, headquartered in Montreal, Canada. In the late 1980's, Canadian entrepreneur Dieter Beer was introduced to Dr. Bounous, a medical researcher studying various proteins and how they could be used both in health and disease. Mr. Beer was looking for an innovative treatment for his mother who was dying of cancer. Dr. Bounous suggested a new product he had been working with (Immunocal's predecessor). Mr. Beer agreed to take some overseas for his ailing mother. She responded very well to the therapy and eventually went into remission. Elated by the outcome, Mr. Beer, a wealthy man, took it upon himself to provide Dr.Bounous and his growing research team with the money required to finalize the last leg of research that was required and take Immunocal to market.

In 1996, Mr. Beer joined forces with successful businessman Charles Roberts. One of the first tasks was to devise a marketing strategy. As a pharmaceutical, they considered joint or independent pharmaceutical distribution in North America. They also had the option of registering it as a food which would significantly expedite the public availability of the product and minimize the consumer cost. The feeling amongst the research team was that given the tremendous potential of Immunocal to help so many people and the extremely low risk associated with consuming the product that it should be made available to the general public as soon as possible, with as few restrictions as possible. They chose to register it as a dietary food supplement or what is often called, a Nutraceutical.

What is so special about Immunocal®?

Immunocal (HMS90 in Canada) stems from 25 years of rigorous research and has been awarded numerous U.S., Canadian, and International Patents dealing with Cancer, Aids, and other disease states. It is the result of the discovery by internationally acclaimed scientist Dr. Gustavo Bounous. His discovery led the way on Glutathione, providing the key building blocks for a healthy immune system. Its effectiveness is documented in dozens of medical publications and proven in many clinical trials. Immunocal is listed in the well respected Physicians' Desk Reference which can be found in virtually all medical establishments & the Pharmacist's Red Book, a first for an entirely naturally-sourced product. It also qualifies for selected U.S. Medicare/Medicaid coverage and certain insurance companies will reimburse patients with a physician's prescription.

This type of research credentials and institutional backing is unheard of in the natural product's industry. That is one of the main reasons that make this opportunity so exciting.

How does it work? How is Immunocal and Immunotec's other products marketed?

Immunotec delivers these products to market through its budding network of independent relationship-marketing distributors. It employs the power of Network Marketing. People like you and me register to become distributors and essentially become independent representatives of the company. Immunotec offers a world-class support system which includes certified training, marketing tools, coaching, personalized and customizable websites, internationally-recognized research and product development, and outstanding customer service.

What is the role of an Independent Distributor?

Briefly put, his or her role is to share information. The company handles all the logistics, everything from processing orders, to shipping, to invoicing, to developing new tools, even customer follow up. Essentially, the minimum work that is required from a distributor is to make the connection, to create a link with a potential customer or a prospective distributor and Immunotec. For that, you receive various commissions.

Compensation plan

The compensation plan is thoroughly explained in the company literature. Here is a brief overview. As a distributor, you will receive a 20% commission from all products purchased by your customers. Furthermore, you will also receive a 2 to 7% commission on the volume generated by your downline distributors hence the incentive to properly support your team. Your reach (the number of paid generations) will depend on your distributor profile (the size of your organization). On top of all that, there are various incentives and bonuses based on performance, lotteries, growth rate, and the size of your organization. Immunotec has one of the most generous compensation plans in the industry. Since the first day they opened, they have never missed or even been late in issuing and delivering cheques to its distributors.

Products

Immunotec's flagship product is Immunocal (HMS90 in Canada). It is a protein supplement whose benefits reach far beyond nutrition. In fact, Immunocal is considered a "Nutraceutical"; the midpoint between pharmaceuticals and regular food. This Nutraceutical supplement is on track to become the next #1 supplement taken worldwide.

Sine they opened their doors, they have been slow in introducing new products. They are very careful about how they bring new products to market, ensuring that they have both credibility within the medical community and a solid business plan. Research is laborious and it takes time to get it right.

For complete details about their 10 ancillary products, please click here.
the product hyperlink is: Products Page

Residual Message

Immunotec combines the credentials and technical support of a conventional pharmaceutical firm with the advantages and opportunities of a network marketing company, to offer healthcare providers, business people, and anyone that gets involved superb and important products to dispense to their patients or clients.

They present a rock-solid business plan combined with an extraordinary and medically-proven product line.

 

For detailed information:

Please travel to the Immunotec Website. the hyperlink is: http://www.immunotec.com/nutraceutical)

Contact Eric Leclair via email at: Nutraceutical@sympatico.ca
by telephone at: 613.852.1835

Eric N. Leclair, BSc, A-EMCA, PCP is a successful Immunotec Research Independent Distributor.

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Online Marketing Techniques

Tim Wilson
Online Marketing

Niche Targeting

This article was submitted by Russ Jones of Virante, Inc. I think you will find it very interesting. It is working for me! You can check out my niche targeting web site at www.home-business-critic.com

Russ Jones has this to say:

"The idea is this, on the web people search for lots of things - for example 'home based business.'

In fact 87,756 people search for 'home based business' every month. There are a lot of people like yourself who would like to be #1 in Google for the term Home Based Business, and they are going to build links, optimize content, etc. to try to get there.

Only 477 people search for 'business opportunity in the home based business'. 522 search for 'home based business work from home online internet marketing.'

There are, in fact, hundreds of these smaller searches. No one is interested in spending time and energy optimizing for a term that is only worth 522 searches. Niche Targeting uses these smaller searches and gives you an idea of what keywords individual content pages should be optimized for by those search terms. Then by the creation of hundreds of pages based on these terms, we can automatically "optimize" for these terms and get to the top of the search engines for the desired keywords.

We can collect all of the traffic from the smaller search terms, and send them directly to you through the Niche Targeting website."

Virante can be found on the web at www.virante.com. You can review Ryan P.M. Allis, the founder, at my website www.homebizcritic.com

Virante, Inc. can be directly reached at 919-459-1088. This company has great integrity, knowledge, and customer service.

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Reader Reviews

How would you like to write a review of your experience with finding the right home based business? Now, you can review any home based business opportunity at www.homebizcritic.com. If you don't see your home based business opportunity reviewed there, send me an email request, and I will review the business. Email review requests can be sent to:
info@empoweryourincome.com

I will look at all reviews submitted to the site and either accept, edit, or decline the review. Reviews must be factual, tasteful, and intended to illuminate the reader. If you can substantiate your opportunity as a legitimate business, you may submit a review for inclusion within the main site, Home Biz Critic, as Eric LeClair of Immunotech, has done.

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