What is the Best Home Based Business?

I have began a new series of short video trainings over at my Live Stream channel at JamesHolmes.tv. Today, I posted two extensive answers to a couple of great quesitons on the subject of establishing and marketing a home based business. I have posted a video recording of my reply here and I encourage you to take notes as I share a few critical success factors to ensure your success.

Here is the Question from Leslie, my visitor:

“What is the best home based business out there? A home based business with a low start up cost and be able to make a good living…no inventory to keep, no selling, using my computer.” – Leslie A
Here is Leslie’s Answer:

The is a little and occassional audio cracking in the first few minutes of the video… it is not your computer. 

I will be conducting this sessions on a weekly basis, so please feel free to submit your questions by visiting http://www.AnswersJunction.com I am working on a continual live stream concept and in the meantime these sessions are not based on a set schedule. I will post to my social media network with a little advance notice prior to each session and will also make video recording available at my video channel.

I am here to help you succeed in business and life!

(c) Copyright 2008-2011 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

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James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

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Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

Richard Branson Another Remarkable Chapter

If you are a regular reader of my blog you may have seen prior post and videos I have shared featuring Sir Richard Branson. I am a great admirer of his entrepreneurial spirit and his accomplishments as the original Maverick Entrepreneur.

Richard Branson started from nothing and since his late teens has taken the risk and made necessary sacrifices to emerge as one of the most innovative and wealthy self starters of all time. He has become a billionaire as a result of hard work coupled with creativity and a flare that has made him very popular and love around the world. Along the way he has given away millions and helped thousands of people better their lives. Richard Branson’s causes are as big as his vision and imagination including ending poverty, saving the environment, furthering space exploration, and much more.

His home will be rebuilt and according to Mr. Branson… even better than before. The true loss was the journals, photographs, and other irreplaceable documents which chronicled the career that has spanned many decades, cultures, and industries. By God’s grace no one was injured and for that all of us as human beings can collectively extend our gratitude to everyone involved. I wanted to pause for a moment and share a few thoughts to consider.

If you are not familiar with Sir Richard, here is an insightful interview recorded March 2007 during a TED Conference and the interview holds several key business and life lessons. The interview is 29:55 in length and worth every minute. If you seek to learn how a billionaire thinks, how to extend a brand, and understand the rewards of taking risk – this interview is for you.

Sir Richard Branson is Interview for a TED Talk

Read More About Richard Branson

Who is Richard Branson?

Born in 1950 and educated at Stowe School were he founded his first venture Student magazine at the age of sixteen.

In 1970 Branson founded Virgin as a mail order record retailer, and shortly after opened a record shop on Oxford Street in the UK. In 1972 he built a recording studio in Oxfordshire where the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded ‘Tubular Bells’.

In 1977 Virgin signed the Sex Pistols and we went on to sign many household names from Culture Club to the Rolling Stones, helping to make Virgin Music one of the top six record companies in the world.

With around 200 companies in over 30 countries, the Virgin Group has now expanded into leisure, travel, tourism, mobile, broadband, TV, radio, music festivals, finance and health and through Virgin Green Fund Mr. Branson is investing in renewable energy and resource efficiency.

In closing

I owe much of my successes in life to developing a discipline to study successful people and a strong desire to understand how they think. I encourage you to do the same. Please take a few moments to scroll down to the bottom of this post and share your comments. I would love to read your thoughts and I would also be curious to know who has inspired you.

I am here to help you succeed in business and life!

(c) Copyright 2008-2011 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

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James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

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Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

The Best Way to Get a Free Worldpress Blog

I love WordPress blogs, which probably explains why I have a network of nearly 20 site across a variety of carefully selected niches. I often speak with newer marketers that are confused about how to get started with a self hosted blog and resort to free blogs on Blogger or other blog platforms. I have several blogs on Blogger also but the bottom-line is that if Google (the owner of Blogger) feels that your content violates their evolving terms of service, your content and all of your hard work can disappear overnight. No warning just removed… it has happened to a few people I know.

If you are an internet marketer or home-based business professional a self-hosted WordPress blog should be the hub of all of your online activities. Considering the importance of your blog you must take due care when selecting a blog platform and setting up your site. Keep in mind that your prospect will complete a websearch on your name while completing their due dilegence on you prior to joining your business or buying a product from you…  what wil they find?

Hosting your own blog allows you the freedom to design the site and add content based on your personal preferences with no fear of violating the terms of free site providers. It also provides you with maximum flexibility when monetizing your site.

The Free Blog Factory provides a professional WordPress installation using a premium theme and several key plugins as part of your membership. The site can be installed on your exisiting C-Panel hosting account or they include a special trail offer for Hostgator in the event that you do not have a hosting account of your own.

Here’s what you get:

• Professional installation of a WordPress blogsite on your domain, complete with a $100 Premium Theme and pre-selected plugins and other leading business tools. F
• A thirty trial to Hostgator in the event that you do not have a hosting account.
• Ongoing WordPress Support when you  sign up, solving all your technical problems.
• Hosts your blog with the fastest, most secure web hosting available – backed by Hostgator the world’s #1 hosting provider.
• Pre-loaded content to get you started

To get stared go here to claim your free blog: Free Blog Factory Offer

I personally know Bradley will co-creator of The Free Blog Factory and I have watched Bradley and his team evolve this service for more than a year. I persoanally became a member and had them build a blog for me and I am completely pleased with the blog they created and I know you will agree their service is first class. You can listen to my interview with Bradley Will from my podcast recorded in November 2010.

In adition to the free blog service, you will also be able to take advantage of excellent training videos and serveral add-on services if you want to customize your site. Regardless if you are a new marketer needing your first blog or a seasoned professional, you will love this service and the results you will enjoy.

I would love to hear about your experiences with blogging and when you get your blog online, be sure to return here and add your link in the comments so we can see your site.

I look forward to reading your questions and comments and thank you for reading my blog.

Have a blessed day!

P.S. If you are an affilaite marketer who would like to make money giving away WordPress blogs through the The Free Blog Factory go here: The Free Blog Affiliate Program

(c) Copyright 2008-2011 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

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James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach  and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow  your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by  phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

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Note: If you’d like to reprint this article  on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long  as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with
the article.

What is IBO ToolBox and is it Worth Joining?

IBO Toolbox mission is to provide high quality “free” platform for business owners to establish an even playing field when marketing online. The tools and social branding resources are completely free and the membership is growing rapidly. The objective of IBO Toolbox is to provide a platform for IBOs (Independent Business Owners) who are interested in streamlining their businesses online.

The tool-set includes the following:

1. Advertising Platform drawing in more than 60,000 targeted visitors daily through a targeted advertising medium.

2. Lead Generation tools including squeeze pages, wall plates, social profiles, and many more all managed utilizing the integrated contact manager.

3. Contact Manager which is feature rich including email capabilities, history, notes, and support opt in forms, custom fields and unlimited leads.

4. Media Sharing through the IBO Social profile to easily share your critical contact data, social graph and more.

5. Sales Team growth through interaction and networking with other IBO Toolbox and IBO Social members.

6. Blog Publishing using a pre-formated system that is easy to use and leveraged through syndication.

7. Events Scheduling through the scheduling tool integrated in the dashboard.

8. Live Chat through the “Live Chat” system included on the IBO Social profiles of all members.

9. Business Social Network where you can promote your brand and build your social graph as part of the IBO community.

IBO Toolbox is free to join and will never have a upgrade or monthly membership charge according to Paul Williams owner of the site. I am not sure what the business model is as this was an expensive site to construct and operate. It will be interesting to see how the site evolves and how the members use it’s resources. I love everything I see so far and I intend to deploy the resources and give them all a thorough workout.

So far I love everything I see on this site and having a free platform where marketers who may otherwise struggle to secure the appropriate resources can secure them for free is fantastic. I do want to make one important point consistent with my past advice on auto-responders and client management systems. The establishment and maintenance of your subscriber list is the single most important asset you can maintain. I do not recommend using a free auto-responder of any type… I have heard too many horror stories about service that add future pricing, provide poor customer service, or have closed altogether without notice.

I recommend joining IBO Toolbox today and setting up your complete profile. Be sure to carefully review the site and take advantage of all the resources available to you and leverage the distribution of your content. Engage with the IBO Social Community and grow your network and make new friends.

I look forward to reading your questions and comments and thank you for reading my blog.

Have a blessed day!

P.S. Here is the link again to grab a free account at IBO Toolbox

(c) Copyright 2008-2011 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

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James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

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Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

Get Your Internet Markeiting Questions Answered Live

I previously shared that I would regularly host Q&A sessions where I would answer questions posted at Answers Junciton. I hosted the first such session yesterday and I wanted to provide you with a video clip if the show so that you have a better feel about these sessions. During the program, I will have the chat and social chat rooms open to take quesitons live.

Answers Junction Sesson One: Your Internet Marketing Quesitons 

Surf Promo featuring Boot Scootin’ Traffic

I am partnering with Matthew Graves, owner of Web Biz Insider, Top Tier Traffic, Splash Page Surfer to present a week long surf promotion with my Boot Scootin’ Traffic for the week of August 15th through Sunday August 21th.

Every day this week, one of our exchanges will be joining with Boot Scootin’ Traffic in a great surf contest and this week we are offering a special prize every day. Surf at least 150 pages at SplashPageSurfer and Boot Scootin’ Traffic today for your entry into the drawing. Each exchange is awarding a One Month Premium Upgrade, 5 Winners of 1,000 Credits and 5 Winners of 10,000 Text Ad Credits. Surf at all four exchanges

This is going to be a fun promotion and you can get tons of targeted traffic and win great prizes. If you are not a member at our exchanges, join by clicking on the links below and get involved in the fun!

Here are the participating exchanges and the links to join:

Boot Scootin’ Traffic (BST): http://www.bootscootintraffic.com

Splash Page Surfer (SPS): http://www.splashpagesurfer.com/Home.asp?RID=9790

Web Biz Insider WBI): http://WebBizInsider.com/Home.asp?RID=153238

Top Tier Traffic (TTT): http://www.toptiertraffic.​com/Home.asp?RID=26193

Here is the Schedule:

Monday: SPS and BST
Tuesday: TTT and BST
Wednesday: WBI and BST
Thursday: SPS and BST
Friday: TTT and BST
Saturday: WBI and BST
Sunday: Big Finale – SPS/WBI/TTT and BST

This is going to be a fun promotion and you can get tons of targeted traffic and win great prizes. If you are not a member at our exchanges, join by clicking on the links below and get involved in the fun!

I am here to help you succeed. Have a blessed day!

Free Training on Using Traffic Exchanges: Discover Traffic Exchanges

(c) Copyright 2008-2011 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

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James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

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Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

My Support of The Global Enrichment Foundation

I was inspired to act last Friday as my wife and I were watching the NBC Today Show and Kate Snow’s interview with Amanda Lindhout the founder of The Global Enrichment Foundation (GEF). Amanda established the foundation  to support the women of Somalia and empower women worldwide through education. Hearing her story and understanding the desperate situation in Somalia left me with both an uneasy feeling and a heartfelt desire to find a creative way to make a real difference.

After doing further research over the weekend, I came up with an idea and I have made a decision to adopt GEF as the official non-profit of the Viral Traffic Network. Through a series of initiatives, we will provide contributions to The Somali Woman’s Scholarship program and other activities of The Global Enrichment Foundation. Details on the full scope of this commitment will be forthcoming in a future post. For now, I would invite you to watch this short video featuring Amanda Lindhout and also take a moment to visit their website.

 In this Interview Amanda Lindhout GEF Founder Shares Her Vision

Learn More About the Foundation Here: GEF

RESCHEDULED: I am taking immediate action on this commitment by hosting a free and live online webinar on Thursday September 18th, which you are invited to attend. If you would like to learn more about the webinar send an email to me at  vtncares@aweber.com and you will receive an email reply containing all of the details for the event. The webinar will co-presented and feature four leading Internet marketers training on topics to include; establishing your online presence, leveraging Public Relations through social media, creating an automated business funnel, and an action plan for your success.

Who is Amanda Lindhout?

In 2008 former freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout traveled to Somalia to research a story on the millions of people affected by two decades of war, drought and famine. Kidnapped by teenage criminals outside of the capital city, Mogadishu, Lindhout spent 15 months enduring unimaginable hardships as a hostage in one of the world’s poorest countries. Following her release in November 2009, she became an unlikely and passionate advocate for Somali women’s rights.

In 2008 former freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout traveled to Somalia to research a story on the millions of people affected by two decades of war, drought and famine. Kidnapped by teenage criminals outside of the capital city, Mogadishu, Lindhout spent 15 months enduring unimaginable hardships as a hostage in one of the world’s poorest countries. Following her release in November 2009, she became an unlikely and passionate advocate for Somali women’s rights.

Only four months after returning home, Lindhout founded the Global Enrichment Foundation and established the Somali Women’s Scholarship Program to ignite female leadership in Somalia through university education.  Her travels to over 50 countries – including Iraq and Afghanistan – have given Lindhout a unique and nuanced understanding of the consequences of the deprivations caused by war and the subsequent effects on women. She is passionate about sharing her message of forgiveness and about creating awareness of the opportunities each individual has to create sustainable change in the world. Lindhout studied Development Leadership at the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University.

My Purpose

This is a long-term commitment from me and the Viral Traffic Network. I plan on conducting a number of training events and other promotions to raise money for The Somali Women’s Scholarship Program. Their goal is to raise four-hundred $1,000 scholarships to educate 400 future leaders among young Somali women.  I am interested in hearing from you if you would like to help with this worthy cause. Please feel free to contact me directly or post a comment below this post.

I am here to help you succeed. Have a blessed day!

To Claim Your Gold Access Pass Send Me an Email: vtncares@aweber.com

(c) Copyright 2008-2011 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

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James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

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Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

What’s Up with Rosalind Gardner and Ewen Chia?

I thought perhaps it was April 1st … “April Fools Day” because two of the marketers I respect most in the affiliate marketing arena where engaged in a very public dispute complete with some harmful comments from Rosalind Gardner attacking a respected fellow “Super Affiliate” Ewen Chia in a public forum (Rosalind’s blog).  I love Rosalind Gardner, I have read her book “Super Affiliate Handbook” and have recommended it as an affiliate, I still do. But, I have to admit that this one took me buy surprise because Ewen Chia was unfairly blind-sided in an unprofessional way.

We could have a long debate about auto-blogging, track-backs, blog commenting for links and many widely accepted white, gray, and black hat traffic methods. The truth is that the Internet is still the wild frontier and for as many experts that would cry fowl, you can find another with perfectly legitimate reasons for why these methods are acceptable. It is kind of like trying to tell someone “how to use social media” the correct way, no such thing exist. Now I could make some obvious recommendation of things you shouldn’t do, but fundamentally social media is an open forum and still in it’s infancy, so you get my point.

I have included the key information and links to both Rosalind’s and Ewen’s blog for you to decide for yourself the merits of this little dispute. What I wanted to comment on is a trend that I am seeing in many niches online. The arguments are not related to products or programs but rather exist among accepted “gurus” of which Rosalind and Ewen both qualify, suddenly feeling the need to assign right or wrong to the practice of Internet marketing, traffic generation, and SEO among others. The troubling part about this trend is the personal attacks.

The dynamics are in constant flux, what worked yesteday may not work tomorrow, a few big name marketers have abandoned the Internet niche in a shift to local business consulting, etc. There is a tremendous amount of change and quite frankly some nervous people. Perhpas this to shall pass, but in the meantime I hope that this serves as the low watermark and we can all get back to serving our markets in the way we believe adds the most value and fulfills our individual model at the same time.

I understand from reading Rosalind’s follow-up post that she has retracted her comments and personally apologized to Ewen Chia, which I applaud her for as it was the right thing to do. I did not want this to pass you my readers without drawing out the lessons here. It is a true teaching moment as there are topics for public comment and those best made in private. One truth about the Intenet that will likely never change, once you put something out on the web, it is almost impossible to take it back. Information travels too far and too fast for the deletion of content to wipe the slate clean.

I truly do admire and respect both Rosalind Gardner and Ewen Chia and I wish them both continued success and trust that we are all a little smarter from this episode. I would love to read your comments and would encourage you to read both the original post and apology to develop an informed opinion. Thank you for reading my blog and I invite you to come back regularly.

I am here to help you succeed and wish for you a blessed day!

P.S. Not familar with these two great affiliates?

Rosalind Gardners’ Super Affiliate Handbook

or

Ewens Chia’s Intenet Marketer Free Course

c) Copyright 2008-2011 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

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James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

Note: I am a Affiliate Marketer and it should be assumed that links provided within the content of this blog and individual blog post are affiliate links from which I may be compensated for sales made at the recommended sites. All products and service recommendations are made as a result of my personal experience with the product or service provider.

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Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

List Surfing Relaunches as the Ultimate Social Ad Exchange

Darren Olander and Matt Koshko have re-opened their popular ListSurfing advertising exchange and mailer to both existing and new members. The new site has been completely integrated with an emphasis on Social Interactions and branding for the members throughout the site.  What really sets List Surfing apart from the other social exchanges is the focus on the member and the members brand.

Here are a few of the social interaction features:

• Your Full Social Profile with Links to Your Social Profiles
• Highlighted Member Activity on the Site
• Site Feedback in the Surf
• Live Chat in the Surf
• Your Own Opt-In Box to Build Your List
• Social Integration in the Unique Mailing Feature
• Activity Rewards for Remaining Active

Other Key Features Include:

• Thumb Views to Select the Next Site You Want to See
• Unique Mailer Features (Doubling Your Leverage)
• Earn Mailing Credits While You Surf!
• Rewards for Remaining Active on the Site
• Featured Ad Section for Your Ad Rotator
• All New Professional Design and Navigation

I am very excited about the changes that Darren and Matt have made to what had already been a very unique exchange. I recommend joining List Surfing and taking advantage of the special offers for upgraded membership and advertising packages. The new design and site navigation will have broad appeal to both experienced exchange surfers as well as marketers who are new to the surf exchange environment. Having built-in mailing features makes this site a true value allowing you to double your results and leverage reaching a much broader audience with your promotions.

In celebration of this re-opening, I am going to be providing a special bonus package to everyone who joins using the link in this post. As you may know, I own two popular exchanges both S.W.A.T. Traffic and Boot Scootin’ Traffic are included in the bonuses along with two other bonuses for you.

Everyone who joins List Surfing using this special link will receive these 4 bonuses:

#1. S.W.A.T. Traffic Package – Site Credits 1000, Banner Credits 1000, Text Ad Credits 1000

#2. Boot Scootin Traffic Package – Site Credits 1000, Banner Credits 1000, Text Ad Credits 1000

#3. Viral Traffic Buzz Gold Membership Upgrade (Value $47)

#4. Exclusive Jeff Dedrick Webinar Recording Featuring Russell Brunson (Value $37)

All you need to do is join List Surfing using this link: List Surfing Exclusive

Then I will send you an email using the members email system within List Surfing containing the link to claim your bonuses. It’s that simple!

I enjoy supporting dedicated owners of high value advertising sites. Darren and Matt have a tremendous reputation and complete integrity in the industry; they have invested heavily to create what I feel is among the very best, feature rich ad exchanges online and I am confident that you will fall in love with the new List Surfing.

Please feel free to post your comments below and let me know how your results are with this newly revised site. I am here to help you succeed and guide the way to the very best free and low cost advertising platforms available online.

Have a blessed day!

Be sure to use this link to claim the bonuses: List Surfing Exclusive

(c) Copyright 2008-2011 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

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James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

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Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

That Free Thing Works!

I was introduced to “That Free Thing” by a good friend and business partner and immediately saw the value and paid the $25 membership fee. Knowing how much my family enjoys dining out and our monthly entertainment budget made this an easy decision. I knew that I would save more than the $9.95 monthly fee if I just used one offer in the member area of the site – my actual monthly saving has been about $150 plus I have received tons of free stuff!

In addition to the shear benefit of the discount coupons and free give-away items, this membership has proven to be more beneficial than Groupon because you also have the opportunity to participate in their compensation plan as part of your membership.

 This Video Explains the Entire Concept!

It is easy to get started and you will immediately receive 5 free gifts – it could be a meal, cup of coffee, movie tickets, books, music, clothing, airline tickets and a lot more. The best part about it is that the services being given to you are from major retail and consumer brand companies including:

American Airlines

Block Buster

Continental Airlines

Dell Computer

Hard Rock Cafe

Mercedes Benz

Sprint

Ted’s Montana Grill

and more …

To join “That Free Thing” go here: Join That Free Thing

Once you have joined you will have full access to the members area and online access to all of the past and present free offers. You can select freebies from a number of categories including: clothes, education, electronics, entertainment, food & drink, health & beauty, home & garden, kids, samples, software, travel and more.

Your membership will include a copy of the book “The Legal Thief” by co-founder S. Andrew Fraser as will as access to the Mobile App that will alert you when a free offer is in your present location. Imagine walking through your local mall and instantly being alerted that the store you are in front of has a free t-shirt or product sample available to you immediately.

 I would love to read your comments and let me know if you have used services like Groupon. I am interested in knowing if you see value in leveraging an web-based coupon and free gifts site would add freedom to your life-style. Please scroll down to the bottom of this post and leave a comment and thank you for reading my blog.

I am here to help you succeed online and achieve your ideal Internet lifestyle!

(c) Copyright 2008-2011 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

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James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

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Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.