The significant challenges that we face today cannot be resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

Hi and welcome to KIT. I trust everyone enjoyed the Easter long weekend. After a few nice days last week, we woke up to snow on Friday - yuck! It didn't last long thankfully. But cool down it has so the fireplace is back on duty.

I've got an excellent Feature Article for you today written by Sharon Housley. For many, the term blog or weblog is still pretty much an unknown entity. In Web Blogs Defined, Explained and Understood, Sharon not only explains what they are but how they can be utilized.

If you don't believe blogs and rss are gaining important ground while email is sliding downhill, then take a look at Corey Rudl. He's one of those guys who has made his mark and he's done most of it using email. He's probably best known for his best selling Internet Marketing Course - Insider Secrets 2004. Well guess who is switching to their own direct to desktop service? You got it and it will cost you $297.00 for the package.

People are fed up with what email has become. It was a great tool in it's time. Even email took some time to catch on - remember? Now you have a chance to build your own business or ezine using the Quikonnex system so what are you waiting for? If you haven't already done so, take some time to understand what you have got with this system. It's awesome. I don't know how many times I've heard people say ... 'if only I could have got into that on the ground floor' ... well here's your chance. With only about ten percent of the internet population currently aware of what rss is all about - you are finally in on the ground floor of a business opportunity.

Gary Vurnum of Success ... One Day At A Time provides a weblog with almost daily motivational comments that will help you stay focused on the positive in your life by helping you to deal with the negatives that come to mind. That Terrible Mindset That Gets In The Way of Your Success is an example of what he has to offer.

You know about most of the latest phising and spoofing scams but there is one that concerns PayPal that is really scary. Here's a link that will actually show you what happens if you click on the link provided in the email you receive. Take a look at PayPal Identity Theft. Never log in to your PayPal account from an email - always access your account directly from your browser and be sure to use 'https:'.

Peg Bastin brings us our Special Feature - What Do You Do If You Can't Pay Your Taxes? Peg sent a note with the article: 'This is the sixth article in a series of tax resources and tips. I hope these articles have been of benefit for everyone and I have enjoyed helping readers understand the deductions and resources available to them for their home business. The author of the book, "It's How Much You KEEP, That Counts! Not how much you Make," Ron Mueller, is my technical editor to avoid any inaccuracies in these articles.'

Oh, one more thing - I finally uploaded my new website. There are still a few spots that need to be filled in but the basics are there. Man, what a job that was! If you get a minute, let me know what you think. Home 4 Success website.

Have a great day and keep smiling.

Publisher, KIT and the Home4Success Channel
Contact Me Directly

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QuikView

An Effective Alternative to eMail

Having heard the term previously but not having paid much attention most are just to afraid to show their ignorance and ask the question, what is a blog? Lets face it; the term blog does not conjure pleasant images.

Blogs are web logs that are updated regularly, usually on a daily basis. They contain information related to a specific topic. In some cases blogs are used as daily diaries about people's personal lives, political views, or even as social commentaries. The truth of the matter is that blogs can be shaped into whatever you, the author, want them to be.

The roots of blogging can be traced back to the mid 1990's. Who the very first blogger actually was is unclear, as the art of blogging did not really take hold until 1999. The original "weblogs" were link-driven sites with personal commentaries. The very first blogs were human guided Internet web tours. While initially thought of as diaries or online journals, blogs have evolved into the latest fresh web content.

A buzz word in techie circles, "blogging" is the wave of the future. Whether its a fad, or proves to be a new way to communicate with existing and potential customers it deserves at the very least a cursory look.

Why is Blogging Helpful to Businesses or Individuals? Just as animated .gifs were once cool, blogging is the trendy thing to do. That does not mean that it is not beneficial to businesses. Webmasters struggling to keep fresh, attractive content on their websites to lure visitors back, have found blogs the answer. Content is a necessity for online businesses, both for purposes of being found by search engines but also because it gives visitors a reason to come back.

Now that we have established that blogs are not only trendy but also beneficial to businesses, its important to understand how they can be used to your advantage. We currently manage and update three blogs on a daily basis. The first is our new business blog at:

This professional business blog allows us the opportunity to tell potential, or existing customers industry news, updates, or generally how mobile or paging software can be used in specific situations to alleviate problems. The bottom line is we control the content. Its updated daily, which increases the chances that search engines will spider on a regular basis and it helps with page rank because it's been submitted to all the blogging directories. Initially started on a whim we've found it beneficial to report tips, tricks or make visitors aware of new regulations related to the mobile or paging industry.

The second blog we manage is at:

This blog is less formal and contains marketing tips, or promotional advice for software developers or online marketers. We found that we had overflow from our monthly newsletter. Generating a daily blog would require very little effort and would assist us in creating fresh content which our readers told us was of significant interest.

The third blog we manage is a at:

This blog is professional but not formal and contains general tips for small business owners.

The bottom line is you need to determine how a blog will benefit your business, determine a schedule and adhere to it. Let your readers know what to expect and when to expect it. Blogs provide great supplemental content and direct attention to areas of your business that you want to showcase; you direct the content but let your readers guide you.

There are numerous online tools that can be used to create a blog. We found that because of security concerns, it would just be best to use a standard html program. In our case we used Dreamweaver and create daily posts. Its really not much more complicated than typing an email. The content is then sent via FTP to a web server. If you want to test the waters there are online web-based tool that helps you publish to the web instantly. The most popular web based tool is likely Blogger http://www.blogger.com.

While you may initially create a blog for your existing customers, you may find that you can attract new customers by illustrating your expertise in a specific field. There are numerous websites that act as "blog search engines", be sure to submit your sites to these websites to increase your exposure. This will also help with your page rank and possibly increase the likelihood you will receive decent ranking with Google. You can also create an RSS feed in order to syndicate blog content and gain additional exposure.

About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net.

The latest addition to Quikonnex is web conferencing as part of the membership package. This is an incredible tool. Have you tried yours out yet? I just thought of something. You may not be running an updated version of QuikView, so if you haven't seen all the changes taking place, go to QuikView Sidebar and make sure you have the latest version.

On the Thursday night meeting we fooled around with the web conference room just to get a feel for what could be done. This is amazing. The moderator can share their desktop and the people in the conference will see first hand what they are doing and how they do it. There is also what's called a whiteboard where you can draw or type directly onto the board. You also have the ability to upload presentations and share information that way. The moderator can also turn the conference over to another member and they in turn can share their desktop.

Seeing it in action is where the excitement starts. The uses are just about endless - limited only by your own imagination. How do you get your own web conference room? Become a member of Quikonnex and click on 'Join Q' at the top of the page.

Coming soon: The power of the Q search tool.

The man who does things makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all – "doing nothing."
- Benjamin Franklin

The moment avoiding failure becomes your motivation, you're down the path of inactivity. You stumble only if you're moving.
- Roberto Goizueta

He who every morning plans the transactions of the day and follows out that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life. The orderly arrangement of his time is like a ray of life which darts itself through all his occupations. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incident, chaos will soon reign.
- Victor Hugo

What if you cannot pay the taxes you owe for 2003? Here are some helpful options to keep you out of trouble with the IRS.

First, if you owe taxes this year, and you can't pay the full amount, the IRS advises you to still file your return by the due date, and pay as much as you can. If you don't file, you may get a prison sentence or stiff penalties. It's not worth it! There are many other alternatives to help you in this situation.

You may not be aware that you can now charge your taxes on your American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. If you need to pay by credit card, contact one of the IRS-Approved service providers and follow the instructions. I have listed their telephone numbers and website addresses below.

They DO charge a 'convenience fee" based on the amount you are paying, but this fee is NOT added to your tax payment.

The two IRS-Approved charge-card service providers are:

Official Payments Corporation
Phone 1-800-2PAY-TAX (1-800-272-9829)
Web Site www.officialpayments.com

Link2Gov Corporation
Phone 1-888-PAY-1040 (1-888-729-1040)
Web Site www.pay1040.com

If payment by credit card is not an option for you, the IRS MAY allow you to pay your balance in monthly installments through an Installment Agreement, or may even settle for less than the full amount owed through its Compromise program.

The IRS Web site at www.irs.gov has an interactive section you can use to determine if you are eligible for an installment plan. You must attach a Form 9465 "Installment Agreement Request," to the front of your tax return to apply for an installment payment plan.

When you submit your Form 9465, make sure you show the amount you wish to pay monthly and the date you wish to make your payment each month. The IRS has made the approval process easier if the amount owed is $25,000 or less, and can be paid off over a five year period.

But DO NOT do this without the assistance of a tax professional. (If you don't know one, you can get free recommendations at the following email address: author@HomeBusinessTaxSavings.com)

The IRS charges a $43 fee for setting-up an Installment Agreement. You will be charged interest plus a Late Payment Penalty on the unpaid balance. This penalty, usually only 0.5 (one-half)percent of the balance due per month, drops to a 0.25 (one-quarter) percent rate when the IRS approves the Installment Agreement if your return was filed on time and you did not receive a levy notice from the IRS. One-quarter percent per month is less than 4 percent per year.

So if you qualify for the reduced late payment penalty, by filing your return by the due date, you avoid the late filing penalty which is Five Percent Per Month of the balance due. This is more than 60% per year!!! Pay as much as you can when you file your return to reduce interest and penalty charges.

If you still can't pay the taxes you owe, even with an installment plan, you may apply for an "Offer in Compromise." You may be able to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount owed.

Acceptance is NOT automatic. Your financial situation and future income potential will be reviewed by the IRS to determine whether your offer is appropriate.

Always work with a tax professional when you do this. Send Form 656, "Offer in Compromise," and Form 433-A, "Collection Information Statement," to the IRS to determine your eligibility. There is a $150 application fee.

If your income is very low, you may be exempt from this fee. You must file Form 656-A if you are claiming a Poverty Exception, "Income Certification for Offer in Compromise Application Fee."

Don't "skip filing" your tax return, just because you can't pay your tax bill. Why? The consequences just aren't worth it. There are a number of options for you to choose from and avoid the wrath of the IRS.

I hope these articles have helped you in filing your tax returns this year. I will keep in touch and let you know when I have more information to help you.

Written by Peg Bastin, who is an avid internet marketer, glad to help others get started in their own online biz, with Ron Mueller, author of "It's How Much You KEEP, That Counts! Not how much you Make" © 04/12/2004

Home-Business Tax-Deductions.
Do YOU Qualify? Are You SURE?
http://www.bastinmarket.com/taxpreparation.html
Free ebook: http://www.bastinmarket.com/taxesdl.html

Here's a tutorial I found that offers loads of suggestions for increasing your profit and your sales. I hope you find it useful.

Forums are a great way to learn and get help when you need it. Visit a few, watch the postings and offer your help and assistance where possible. It's an excellent way to develop your own internet presence.

How To Forum by Michael Green

Cybermarketing Message Board by Jim Daniels

The Discussion Corner by Willie Crawford

Not only do you get an instant sales letter that you can use to start making sales with right away, but you also get access to a complete "point and click" web design system.

You can check it out at:

P.S. If you have any questions, feel free to click the URL above and contact Customer Service. Live Chat is available to help you during regular business hours!

Legal Stuff ...

We accept no responsibility whatsoever for the content, profitability or legality of any published articles or advertisements contained within KIT.

And, although all of the articles have been selected for their content, the publishing of such articles within this newsletter does NOT constitute a recommendation of the products or services mentioned or advertised within those articles.

Be responsible! Always do your own Due Diligence before responding to any offer.