A lot of times, I tried to write the ebook about affiliate marketing I promised a while back but never really satisfied of what to put in there. So I never got the chance to finish it. The reason being is I don’t know what to put in there. I am not sure what questions are there for a newbie affiliate marketer.

When I started, I just did what I think I should. I failed, crash, burn and wasted money (a lot) but it got me educated. I do not recommend it. I was a complete mess. So if I want to try to help out the new ones or the interested ones I might be able to help them if I know what questions are in their minds.

Sooooooooo… What are the questions or sticking points you have right now that hinder you to become successful in affiliate marketing. I’ll try to answer it in the comments and if the question is good enough, I’ll explain it in my next posts. Just leave your questions below (yes, on the comment area).

This is my way of giving back.

Have a question about affiliate marketing? Leave your questions below!

In internet marketing or in any business… Ever heard of analysis paralysis? It’s the over analysis of things that results in getting no job done. You’re so eager to make it perfect, you forgot the most important thing… Doing it.

I use to have this problem and I still do every once in a while. You might have experienced it but you’re not aware of it. Reading a lot of materials thinking that it might help you. But it only paralyzes you. The most important thing is to just do it.

I read the book “Rework” its about how to manage a small online business. Its not a book how to make adsense sites nor do affiliate marketing nor “How to be a blogger”, its a general book on how you become consistent at successfully managing your small online business. What strikes me with this book is to keep it simple. Being a small online business is great. You don’t have to act so big, so the good or bad things you do, nobody will know or even care.

My point is, if you spend more time doing the things in your mind instead of just pondering on it all day, you can go places and move forward. There is something we call, iteration. Where we continue to add improvements to something. Be it a blog, an ecommerce site or affiliate campaigns, it doesn’t matter. Nobody cares if you mess up. Nobody will laugh at you. You can still change things. Remember, its your business and you have all the time in the world.

Ok. You might have some questions in your mind such as:

- I don’t have money to start my own business
- I don’t have experience in running a business
- I don’t have time
- I don’t know how to run a business

And my answer is:

- I don’t have money to start my own business

Having no money for business is the most common excuse. You can borrow money. Sell some crap things you don’t use. Get a loan. Rob a bank. Seriously, we are not in the great depression. Money is everywhere. Furthermore, online businesses are not that expensive to start. You just have to need a website for around 2,000 Pesos. Just a website and you’re open for business. Remove the idea that you need a lot of money to get started. You don’t. At least not in an online business.

- I don’t have experience in running a business

Neither do I when I started. I’m a computer engineering graduate. Pure technical stuff. The kind of guys that would never ever think of running a business but only to fantasize about working in a large and popular company. But I did. I manage to pull through. You just have to have the determination to go and act on your ideas. Remember that thoughts and ideas are spiritual in nature and perishable, act upon them and you give it respect. Ignore it and you’re stuck with the idiots who blame the government for their misfortune…

- I don’t have time

Sure. And I’m the mad hatter.

- I don’t know how to run a business

Read books? Go to seminars? Go to conventions? Surf the internet? Ask a family relative who has a business? Ask a friend who has a business? The list can go on.

The moral lesson of the story is, Just Do It. And when you do it, you will be victorious.
Nike is the god of victory in Greek mythology.

I got a chance to meet a businessman that owns a driving school here in Bulacan, 40 years old, 3 years in business. And one thing that strikes me during our 2 hour conversation is that when he said “You just have to take risk. Just do it. Sooner or later you’ll get pissed about your work. How plain and routinely you go to work everyday to receive a measly pay check. You will want change. But that change is with a cost. It’s up to you if you want to take the chances. Any successful person will tell you, “I’m glad I took that chance” and I’m happy I can say that as well.”

I watched the vice presidential debate last night to know what’s up with our vice presidential candidates. And I would like to point out that me being in business already smell something that’s complete bullshit and what are genuinely good idea for a solution with our candidate’s answers.

I won’t be naming names as I will keep the decision to vote in your hands. We all have different opinions and me, having owning this blog, have a point of view on the matter. For one, I hate these politicians bashing each other. It’s like shit talking to fart that he stinks. When there are questions and problems prompted by the people, what I hear are the words “fight corruption & poverty” each and everytime. For my understanding, fighting corruption & poverty is indeed a great thing but giving a simpler solution to a problem is what counts most and you don’t have to bash the present administration to tell the people you are better. Let your ideas do the talking and the people the voting.

Like for example, the question about “How will you help the farmers that are affected by the El Nino”. All of the candidates answered fight corruption and only 1 out of them gave a really striking answer. In short all of them are whining about the present administration and 1 of them only gave a solution to the problem. “Build more and better irrigation”. If you watched it last night, you know what I’m talking about.

Another question prompted by a teacher “What can you do to help those teachers in remote areas? And the children lacking books and school supplies?” You know what the majority of them answered? Fight corruption because the funds are being halted there. How blur can you get? People know that the government is corrupt. The world know that the Philippine government is one of the corrupt goverment in the world. What we want to know if “HOW”. All of them are just bashing each other. Only one answer I’m completely impressed. “Raise the teacher’s salary and give every student a kindle.”. I said “WOW! A kindle! That’s effin’ brilliant!” Even when joking around, I would never thought of that. To all who doesn’t know, a kindle is an electronic device where you can get books in electronic format and read it. You can have 4,000+ books in this kindle and each student can use it until college. It’s a lot cheaper than a laptop and lighter to carry than a real book.

The sad thing is, I think we Filipinos are not yet over in voting for the person that is most dear in our hearts rather than a person that has the solution to a problem. Making the cycle repeat itself because we put the person uncapable yet makes us happy. We put people that are famous rather than people who can’t talk politics and just do action. We tend to put faith that a nice person can do all the job a competent person can. The sad thing is, a competent person, be it bad or good will always be better than just a nice person. We want to be “better” than other countries. Saying better is already challenging other nations. We don’t need nice guys to compete, we need competent people. Not whiners. People that when we think of, we remember them by the things they’ve done. Not by the things they’ve said and said they will do.

Picking a leader just like in a group in the class most often than not falls to the people who are most capable. Not because he is a close friend of yours. Why don’t we have this same mentality when picking leaders for our country? Most of the time, the better you are at speaking, the more chance your are at sitting in office. I guess, its all about selling yourself. Winning in a verbal debate is a sign of higher intellect to most of the people. To me, either you proved your point or not, what’s important is what you have done before talking, that speaks most clearly. We tend to forget about that. When choosing a candidate to vote, please ask yourself, what have this person done that really made a difference. Will my apo and apo sa tuhod benefit from this? When I’m gone, will my lineage benefit from this? Though we can see a lot of ads a politician helping and ofw get back to the Philippines as good. What good does it bring to the Philippines as a whole? When he gets back here, that ends there. Helping a person in need is good. But a politician putting an effort just to get testimonials to his next tv ad is probably the reason for helping you. Put our emotions aside because emotions cloud our judgment. Leave the “Follow your heart” bullshit to the hopeless romantics. We are placing our families and future generations at risk here. We think with our minds not with our hearts. It’s the same reason it’s placed above the head. When more lives are at stake (the Filipinos), would you decide using your heart or your head?

At the end of the day. When all things are said and done. If in case we all made a mistake placing the wrong guy in office. We should not blame the government if we are poor, if the government is corrupt, if the prices is high, if we still don’t have a house, if there are still squaters in the city, if there are crimes, if there are corrupt politicians and if there are still people who can’t afford to eat. Because after all, we are the one to blame. We put him there!

Vote wisely my friends!

A public service reminder by snoob