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

Hi and welcome to today's issue of Keeping in Touch. A big, warm 'hello' to all our new subscribers.

Did you all enjoy your last summer long weekend for the year? It was beautiful here. How many of you managed to see the planet Mars in the last few days? We had very heavy cloud cover for a couple of days and by Sunday, I forgot to look. My husband did see Mars on his way back home from a trip.

September - WOW! Doesn't it feel like this year is moving by quickly? The day light hours are shorter, the temperatures cool down in the evenings and most of the flowers have finished their jobs for another season. Farmers are out burning the rubble from their fields. Summer is just about over for another year.

And speaking of change, I definitely believe it's time for another one. Email delivery is becoming more of a nightmare than ever. It's going to be a very long time, if ever, before it's cleaned up. I received a message yesterday proclaiming 'Send 99 million emails for $99'. Unfortunately, there are enough newbies out in cyberspace that won't realize these are illegally harvested addresses and will jump at the chance to send to 99 million emails for that price.

Then throw in the numerous viruses circulating the Internet with all the unprotected computer systems and you have a real mess.

And that's why I'm pleased and so excited to present a winning alternative to email delivery for KIT. Quikonnex offers an effective, efficient and completely safe way for me to reach out to my subscribers. In fact, I'm so confident in this new system that in short order, I will no longer use email to send out KIT.

A special surprise is that you will be among the very first people to try this awesome process. Yes, I know the people who created this direct-to-desktop method of publishing. They are top notch in my book. And no, it won't cost you a thing to subscribe.

All you have to do to sign up for KIT is visit this link:

Get Connected

and it will take you to my Home 4 Success channel subscription page. The best news is that you are now in control of your subscription. I won't need your email address or details.

The creators of this method have taken out any guesswork and kept it easy and simple for you to subscribe to your favorite ezines. By the end of September I hope to stop using email altogether as a means of delivery. I welcome your feedback and that's really easy for you too. All you need to do is comment in the place provided and your response is immediately entered and I'll get it. Now when asked for a comments or feedback on something, you can just click and send without having to go back through the ezine to the relevant link. It happens instantly.

When you see the possibilities for this little gem, I know it won't long before you'll want your own channel up and running.

Remember, it quick, it's easy and above all it's safe. There are no adware or spyware programs running in the background. I invite you all join me. That link again is:

Get Connected

Today's Feature article is In The Beginning. Owning and operating an email list has changed drastically in the last couple of years. Without a dramatic change in the current email situation, businesses are going to lose out simply because their messages aren't getting through to those who asked for it.

Our Special Feature comes to us from Peg Bastin, Who ARE You? I have to agree with Peg on this one. If you are building your online business, people need to feel confident about who you are and how to contact you. All your details should be on your web pages.

Let's get on with the rest of today's issue. Have a great day and keep on smiling.

Lois M. Jeary
Publisher, KIT
Contact Me

Contact Me

In The Beginning
by Lois M. Jeary, 2003

For more than a year, anyone who maintains an email list has had to implement additional precautions to stay ahead of ISP and spam filters as well as ensure they aren't falsely accused of sending unsolicted commercial email.

In the beginning, running and maintaining such a list was a relatively simple task. The premise being the list owner provided something of value - such as an ezine - and people who wanted it, subscribed.

This process worked for awhile, however, it didn't take long before the abuse started and unfounded spam accusations began. The next step was to make certain people wanted to subscribe and we started using opt-in lists. As time moved on even opt-in presented risks. The next logical step was double opt-in whereby your subscribers had to confirm they wanted your ezine.

Now let's throw the new spam eliminators into the mix and what have you got? An endless pit for email circulating the globe. This is especially true for the thousands of people who have not yet learned how to use their new terminator software effectively. They are probably unaware of how much email they are losing and publishers are being asked to confirm to the subscriber that your mail is legitimate. There is defintely something wrong with this scenario.

The solution? Take email delivery right out of the equation. Email is no longer 'king' in terms of being a reliable method of delivery. Organizations are currently attempting to put an end to unsolicited mail, forged headers, etc. The Government has a hand in this pot too. We all know how long it will take to have any effective changes put in place. The question that begs asking here is 'Will it work?' We can all agree that something needs to be done before email can come close to being the effective tool it once was - if ever.

I've discussed this situation with several other people. Many publishers currently send a note to their subscribers offering a web link for the new issue. Some give you the option to send for the issue by autoresponder together with the web link. The problem being, these two options still rely on email.

List owners are tired of having to make their subscribers jump through hoops just to stay on their list. Publishers are fed up with the mind-numbing maintenance tasks involved in keeping lists up to date. Today you see marketing gurus willing to 'sell their best kept secrets to email marketing'. You have to ask yourself 'Why?' It's because it's time for a change. A big change.

I recently discovered an awesome little service that will put your content right on your subscriber's desktop. It's fast. It's efficient. It's easy. And it's completely safe. No adware or sleasy programs running in the background.

It's called Quikonnex. The service offers a media-rich, content management system that can be used whether or not you have your own website. Your subscribers are in charge of their subscription. You also have an easy way to obtain feedback from your readers. And the service won't cost your subscribers a thing. The uses for this system are just starting to unfold. You will also have a much easier time tracking statistics that are important to you.

This method presents a winning combination for both readers and publishers. Publishers can get back to doing what they do best - provide their readers with good content and the readers have the luxury of viewing the issue at their leisure right from their desktop. No more filters. No special rules to set up in your mail program. No more crazy characters being placed in words that may cause the filters to start jumping. And no more bounced mail.

If you are at all serious about your business, you need to understand what works and what doesn't work. Email no longer works. I'm not suggesting you jump on every new technology that comes along. Some are winners and others aren't worth the time it takes to understand how they 'might work'. Direct- to-Desktop publishing may just be the answer for you.

Wouldn't you agree that it's time for something better?

Lois publishes KIT (Keeping In Touch). A weekly issue arrives directly to your desktop without using email. Each issue is full of helpful hints and suggestions, straight forward articles and offers easy interaction with subscribers. New subscriptions are welcome. Just click KIT.

KIT has offered several of these eMaster courses simply because they offer tremendous value to you. The latest eCourse shows you step-by-step how to start and market your online or offline business in 30 days. Of course there is a lot of information out there on the Internet. The beauty of these courses is that it's been put together in 'one' place. Download your copy here:

Start Your Business

How do you like your comfort zone? It's warm and cozy isn't it? Just like a bug in a rug. Trouble is, a bug is at the mercy of anyone and anything that chooses to trample all over it. When you make the effort to crawl out of that rug, the sunshine will blind you at first. But then you'll see things you never knew existed.

Stop thinking like a bug. Just swallow hard, stand up straight, and let the sunshine light up your soul.
- Joe Robson

Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing… Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
- Helen Keller

Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
- Ronald E. Osborn

Who ARE You?
By Peg Bastin

Are you afraid to tell your real name online? What's the big secret? Are you ashamed of it? I just don't understand why people hide their identity. 'Branding' yourself is letting others know who you are and what kind of business you do.

You have to build trust online. Would you buy from someone's website if you had no idea who they were or how to contact them? Your website contact information should include your name, address, telephone number, and email.

I provide all his information on each page of my own website as well as my photo. No one has called me on the telephone in the year and a half I've had my website, but I have received several emails requesting help or advice, or permission to use my articles.

If you want to be taken seriously online, you must have a way to be contacted. That means no silly or cute names or autoresponder addresses if you want to be considered a professional business person.

Try to pick a short, easy to remember name for your email or domain name. Something that describes your business. You DO have a domain don't you? Stay away from unusual spellings of your domain name. If people can't spell it, they won't find you.

If you want to be successful, tell the world who you are, what you've got to offer, and why they need it. Start networking, make online friends, then link, talk, send feedback, join forums, enter contests, write articles, advertise and help others. All these actions will help to brand your name.

Another great way for free exposure is to send in your profile to the growing number of ezines who are asking for them. It's a great way to introduce yourself and your business at no cost to you. Make several profiles of different lengths since ezines have guidelines of just a few lines, others allow a paragraph or even 200 words or more. Some want personal information and some want your business information. Do up several and keep them handy. I love reading about other subscribers and get ideas from them on how they promote themselves and their product or service.

Other ways to brand yourself -- Advertise, advertise, advertise, over and over and over. Buy solo ads, especially those with a contest that gives a reader a reward for reading your ad or visiting your website. Pick ezines that don't flood their readers with a zillion solos every day. Don't forget to include your name at the bottom of the solo and soon your name will be associated with your business.

Also, you can give away free ebooks with your name and links in them. You could write a report or eCourse and offer it by autoresponder. You will then begin to get an opt-in list to mail your offers to.

My personal favorites are to write articles and exchange reciprocal links with websites that are compatible with mine.

All these suggestions can help to build your reputation as a responsible business person who can be trusted. But it all starts when you tell the world who you are and how they can find you.

Peg Bastin, (c) 3/15/2003
Best One-Stop Help Center For Newbies!

http://www.bastinmarket.com Peg Bastin

With all the email viruses that are spread on a daily basis, there's got to be some way to protect yourself. Some kind of filtering mechanism that strains these things out of the ether ... and keeps them at bay.

But of course there's not really such a device. So what do you use? A good anti-virus program? A lot of people don't use anything at all. Until they're suddenly and rudely awakened to the fact that THEY'VE been spreading a virus, and by then, it's too late!

One of the best no-cost (oops, nearly said fr*e there) Virus killers can be downloaded from http://www.grisoft.com

Viruses are spread primarily by file attachment. They ride in on the wings of messages and invite you to click them. There's a powerful psychological force called curiosity that may cause you to do what you know you shouldn't.

Then there are worms, trojans, and other critters you should be aware of.

Learn more here ==> http://newbieclub.com/viralhome.php

Nobody will force you to take care of your computer. Nobody will pass a law stating you have to install an anti-virus gizmo on your computer. But just wait till you catch one! (I hope that doesn't happen.)

Finally, there's no substitute for a fire wall if your computer is connected by cable modem or DSL. Learn more about the fire wall, and why you should think seriously about having one installed. The article is short and easy to read. Read it here==> http://newbieclub.com/firewall.php

Better safe than *very* sorry!

=> With thanks to The Newbie Club

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.