Six Easy Ways to Protect Your Privacy

Written by Myrtle Welch


Are you concerned aboutrepparttar expanded capability that exist to collect, store and use data about our personal, financial and Medical histories? Here are a few ways to help protect your Privacy.

1. Credit Records Get a copy of your credit report at least once a year. Check for inaccuracies and correct mistakes before you apply for a job, credit or insurance. Three major credit reporting systems are Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Negative information must be re-verified within 30 days after your request orrepparttar 125562 error will be remove from your file. Go to `Online Resources' and look under Consumer Law for contact information. http://www.prepaidlegal.com/info/mwelchco

2. Medical Records Ask for a copy of your file fromrepparttar 125563 Medical Information Bureau . Information from this data bank is shared by insurers and helps them guard against fraud. Verifyrepparttar 125564 accuracy and completeness of your records with your healthcare provider. The address forrepparttar 125565 MBI is atrepparttar 125566 website.

3. Incentive Programs Provide only necessary information on incentive, rebate and warranty program forms. This data can be used to create mailing lists that are then sold to marketers. Returning warranty cards is beneficial so manufacturers can warn you about product warnings and recalls. Request in writing to opt out of any of their marketing programs.

'Success Stories - 12 Doers Share Their Secrets'

Written by Martin Avis


This week's interview takes us allrepparttar way to Australia. Quentin Brown is 49 and lives in Brisbane. His ultimate aim is to become a fully paid missionary working with children aroundrepparttar 125561 world by using his Internet business to support orphanages, mobile medical centers and schools. At present he works for an Australian-based international aid organization as a network and administration manager.

BizE-zine: Quentin, when did you first get involved withrepparttar 125562 Internet?

QB: In 1996 I moved to Brisbane from Sydney after a failed business venture. Australia experienced a recession where interest rates topped 24% and this devastated me. I was nearly broke so I usedrepparttar 125563 Internet to investigate different ways of making money.

The skills I gained doing this helped me in my new job and I started to build their web site. I found that so many people were interested I spent endless nights building web sites for free and learning all I could.

In 1999 I purchase my first .com called MSIncome.com and have used it ever since. http://www.msincome.com

BizE-zine: What doesrepparttar 125564 MS stand for?

QB: MS stands for Multiple Stream. I learnt very early in my time onrepparttar 125565 Internet that selling one product will never get yourepparttar 125566 income you need. I guessrepparttar 125567 secret is to find a good product mix to cater to a wide variety of people. You don't find many traditional businesses just selling one product.

BizE-zine: Your site is very good, but how has it developed since you started out?

QB: Initially, it was very simple. I borrowed ideas from here and there. It was what we call a homepage. Not very specific and advertised pretty well everything I could find. I learnt fairly quickly that you don't make money from these sites. They are good forrepparttar 125568 ego but notrepparttar 125569 pocket.

I spent time learning how to make my own graphics and develop my web site into a selling machine by looking atrepparttar 125570 professionals. A selling web site needs to be simple and load quickly.

There are some great tutorials around to teach yourepparttar 125571 basics and then it is just a matter of trial and error.

One ofrepparttar 125572 greatest problems is that we spend so much time on our sites that we get sick of them. Or too familiar. Then it's a good idea to get your peers to evaluate it for you. My wife is also a great critic. She is not very computer literate and if she can understand and navigate through my latest creation, I'm happy.

The biggest change inrepparttar 125573 site is not so much in presentation, but in specifics. I don't build so much to please myself now, but to sell. My backend is my place to play. Once a person joins our program throughrepparttar 125574 subscription they enter a realm where I can play and do allrepparttar 125575 stuff I love. We have time to try new technology and bounce ideas off one another. It is a community and everything is far more relaxed.

BizE-zine: What wasrepparttar 125576 spark that pushed you into starting up online?

QB: My first experience was with a program called Alladvantage which was an advertising bar you ran on your computer. My first check was $53 and took me three months to get. It was so exciting because I hadn't paid out anything to get it. It was particularly sweet because a few years ago I had lost over half a million on a traditional business and here I was making money with virtually no investment.

In 1999 I was becoming more and more frustrated because I wanted to be more involved in helping people with their web sites, but my job with Global Care and an International magazine was taking up all my time. I decided that if I could write a book and teach people how to do it themselves than I could be a lot more efficient.

After looking at how much it costs to publish a traditional book I became very disheartened till I found Allen Says's Internet Warriors site.

http://www.thewarriorgroup.com/cgi-bin/a.pl?warriors&11898

Here I was able to talk to so many different people and I was introduced to Ebooks. I met Jimmy Brown who produced an ebook compiling program for a price I could afford. Then I started to develop "My Website".

I also developed a number of other programs inrepparttar 125577 same vein such as "My Ebook" and "My Templates" which goes throughrepparttar 125578 whole process from writing to cover design and marketing.

BizE-zine: You really went for it! Was there a defining moment for you that put everything into place?

QB: I guess that happened when I met Robert Kiyosaki. I had just read his book "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and had a chance to have a very exclusive luncheon with him throughrepparttar 125579 magazine I was involved in. I was able to sit and listen to him talk aboutrepparttar 125580 whole concept and asked all sorts of questions. I started to applyrepparttar 125581 principles he taught.

BizE-zine: I have read, and been impressed with his book. Which principles of his have you specifically found useful in Internet marketing?

QB: The concept of Robert's that I likerepparttar 125582 most isrepparttar 125583 idea of financial intelligence.

"50% of financial intelligence is what you learn. It isrepparttar 125584 so-called technical knowledge about money, accounting, finance, investing and business. The other 50% of financial intelligence is knowing when you are thinking rationally and when you are thinking emotionally. To simply say, 'Play it safe.' is not a rational thought because it is a thought that is generated out of emotion. To say, 'Play it smart.' is a thought coming fromrepparttar 125585 rational brain."

I am continually amazed that when many people get onrepparttar 125586 Internet they believe everything they are told. $10,000 a month with nothing down and nothing a month and people belive it. This goes against all common sense but I have seen it happen over and over again. Develop your skills and then work smart.

This was and still is great advice.

BizE-zine: Is your site earning well?

QB: It accounts for about 20% of my income at present.

BizE-zine: Has being outside America posed you any problems?

QB: Living outsiderepparttar 125587 US presented a number of problems. At first it was really difficult because in Australia there was no way to really sell digital products on line.

The next problem that Internet non-US marketers face isrepparttar 125588 simple conversion of all those sales intorepparttar 125589 currency of your particular country. Here,repparttar 125590 banks charge $10 a check and take 30 days to clear. If you are in a good affiliate program you can put a limit on your account so you won't get paid until you reach a certain amount. This buffersrepparttar 125591 expense a little.

I sell a lot of my own products so I have invested in Worldpay which allows me to sell in a number of currencies. They deposit directly into my bank account. It is a more expensive route but has proven a valuable tool overrepparttar 125592 last few months.

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