How much will it cost to get rich?

We are living in the 21st century, the so called information age. The fantastic power of the Internet and the World Wide Web is at our fingertips - and with this power comes the opportunity to gain information almost instantly! Throughout history people have had an insatiable desire for knowledge, so it is no wonder that the electronic book or eBook, is one of the most saleable products on the Web.

Sometimes referred to as downloadable media, eBooks can be a great provider of information, or in some cases money down the drain. I say this because the value of eBooks lies in their content, and sadly the words "buyer beware" have never been more appropriate. There is an abundance of get rich quick scams on the Internet, and many of them take the form of an eBook promising to tell the secrets of untold riches in return for some of your hard earned cash. This is not a new thing I know, but the power of the Internet can make them all too accessible to the young and unwary.

But despite these scams let us not forget that eBooks are a valid format. It is very easy to think that just because the written word does not appear beautifully bound between nicely illustrated covers, that they somehow lack validity. As a writer, I believe the web and eBooks offer a wonderful opportunity to revolutionise information publishing. No longer are writers at the mercy of fickle publishing companies when it is easy to embrace the business of self publishing online. This is a good thing, because it paves the way for a huge diversity of specialist and niche market products that may have previously slipped through the net of the publishing giants.

There are many who believe that everything on the Web should be free, but why shouldn't a writer get paid for his/her work? If you went into a local book shop you would expect to pay for the words contained in a book, and quality eBooks should be no different. But always remember the old adage; if it looks too good to be true, it probably is!

Open All Hours

The exorbitant prices charged by some software companies, coupled with the pressure to update applications with the latest advances, can make things very expensive for the PC user. But there is often a cheaper alternative…

One such alternative that I have been using for some time now is Open Office. It is a very respectable office suite comprising a word processor, spreadsheet application, database management system, presentation software and even a wysiwyg web page editor. To say that it is impressive would be an understatement, and I regularly put the word processor through its paces with no problems.

But perhaps the best thing about Open Office is the price; it is FREE! Compare this to the several hundred pounds asked for another well known office suite and the advantages are obvious. For more details and to download or order your copy, visit www.openoffice.org

Please Read This!

This is completely off topic, but I was lurking in the eBay forums when I came across this information and thought it was worth passing on:

East Anglian Ambulance Service have launched a national "In case of Emergency ( ICE )" campaign with the support of Falklands war hero Simon Weston.

The idea is that you store the word " ICE " in your mobile phone address book, and against it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted "In Case of Emergency".

In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff will then be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It's so simple that everyone can do it. Please do.

For more than one contact name ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc.

Simple and effective I think, don't you?

Money Making Friend?

One of the more obvious ways to make money online is to sell a product from your own website. If you have a desirable product and a good sales page, all you need are visitors to your website to start clocking up sales. Before diving in you should consider that Internet shoppers often buy on impulse, and sales will be lost if they have to make the effort to print out a form and send a cheque. So it is therefore desirable to give your customers the opportunity to pay immediately at your website.

But having a system that allows your customers to pay online requires secure technology to process credit cards, which can get expensive if you subscribe to some of the eCommerce checkout solutions. However, there is a simple affordable solution and it doesn't cost a penny to give it a go!

Paypal is an eBay company and will be familiar to eBayers everywhere as the preferred payment method. It is safe and secure to send and receive money online, and the company has millions of subscribers so the service isn't going to suddenly disappear overnight. What is perhaps not so obvious is that in addition to its very successful partnership with eBay, Paypal also offers online transaction solutions for any website. From a fully fledged shopping cart system to a simple "buy it now" button, your website can be open for business quickly and easily.

It used to be the case that only Paypal members could send money, but now anybody can pay securely with a credit card direct to your Paypal account, making it a genuine low cost ecommerce solution. It is free to join so there is no risk, and you will need to sign up for a business or premier account in order to accept payments. More details can be found at www.paypal.com

Get Covered For Amsterdam

My wife and I recently escaped the kids and spent a fun weekend in Amsterdam, Holland. What a fantastic place! From the high culture and beautiful architecture of the Reijksmuseum and surrounding area, to the seedy back streets of the Red Light District and everything in between, this is a city that has it all. Whatever you're looking for, you're sure to find it in Amsterdam!

One of the highlights of our weekend was a visit to the Sea Palace, a huge floating chinese restaurant. The service was excellent and we had no difficulty tucking into a delicious 17 course banquet as we absorbed the ambience and watched the seemingly endless parade of party boats float past. With temperatures outside in the 90s, the air conditioning inside the restaurant was a welcome relief too! I would definitely recommend the Sea Palace, but be sure to phone and book because it gets very busy at weekends.

Before we set off I decided to investigate the best value travel insurance. Naturally, my first instinct was to search the Web and I was able to compare lots of deals. I was absolutely knocked out by one company - I got cover for 2 adults and 2 kids for a whole year for just £48! I ordered online and received the policy documents in the post the very next day. If you are planning a holiday in the near future, you could do a lot worse. Search the web for "travel insurance" and compare deals.

eBay Selling Tips #1

Regular readers will realise that I am no stranger to eBay, the world's online marketplace. It is probably fair to say that I have a bit of an obsession with it. Or rather I have a keen interest in making extra income by selling on eBay!

I have bought and sold countless items over the last couple of years and have learned a lot of techniques that can help to make a sale. But it always amazes me when I see a listing with no picture and a poor description - don't these people want to sell their stuff? A poor listing certainly doesn't encourage me to bid, and I guess there will be a lot of others who feel the same.

Always remember that buyers on eBay cannot examine an item like they would in a shop. So it really is worthwhile spending some time to take a good photo of the item you're selling and writing a good description to go with it. Describe the age, condition, and any other relevant details a potential buyer may wonder about. Try it, and see the results of your efforts in increased bids and higher selling prices!

If you are interested in raising some extra cash with eBay, and learning how you can maximise your eBay profits, you may find my website Easy Profits With eBay of interest. Visit now at www.easyprofits.co.uk

Business Travel?

A businessman boards a flight and is lucky enough to be seated next to a gorgeous woman. They exchange brief hellos and he notices she is reading a manual about sexual statistics.

He asks her about it and she replies, "This is a very interesting book about sexual statistics. It identifies that American Indians have the longest average penis and Polish men have the biggest average diameter. By the way, my name is Jill. What's yours?"

He coolly replies, "Tonto Kawalski, nice to meet you."