Ambar Hamid Blog – Business Tips and Marketing Strategies

The UK has witnessed the biggest number in online sales recorded in 1 minute. This was confirmed on Monday, 7th December 2009 at the exact time of 13:43 and the amount recorded for that minute alone was a whopping £1.4 Million! (IMRG).

Sales for the hour from 13:00 to 14:00 was also high, peaking at £33 million. Total sales for the day was also recorded as the busiest online shopping day ever!

So what does this tell us?

1) Recession is still going strong but..

2) People are still buying and..

3) You need to think more about changing your business strategy to be more online centric. (Applicable for both B2C and B2B markets.)

4) Opportunities are still around!

Your thoughts?

Ambar.

PS: If you’d like to know more about how to start marketing your business online or even starting one, then you may want to attend the next London Internet Marketing Workshop.

Jim Rohn passed away and left us on the 5th December 2009. Jim had been very instrumental to my business success and I still own many of his educational materials that I keep and continuously refer back on whenever the time or situation is required.

He died of Pulmonary Fibrosis but he didn’t just go without leaving anything. He left us with a ton of real life business education that everyone who aspires to be successful should own. So, if you haven’t heard of Jim Rohn, go to Amazon.com or head on to your nearest bookstore and grab any of his books, CDs or DVDs. I promise that it will do you wonders in getting your goals achieved!

One of my personal favourite quote from the late Jim Rohn is:-

“Learn to work harder on YOURSELF than on your job”

“Profits Are Better Than Wages”

These are something that I live by everyday and I hope that the late Jim Rohn will help you too.

Enjoy the video clips below. It’s definitely worth the watch (You must click play on the 1st video before you head on to the 2nd one as it is part of the continuation of his amazing speech!)

Watch this….

Wouldn’t you agree that there are still many businesses and people who consistently moan about their finances that are not doing well? In fact, you’ll hear more about this when a discussion pops up on the recession and economy… They say…

“Oh my sales is really bad. It’s getting worst than ever before!”,

“I don’t know what to do. I hope this recession is going to be over soon!”

“I am not sure if I want to start a business now. I can’t afford it. I have no money and the recession is getting worst. Maybe later…..”

Yes, I cannot deny that the recession is still going on but there are still many individuals and companies that are still making the most out of it.

Look at the video above showing you all the young billionaires like Sergey Grin, Larry Page, John Arnold, Jerry Yang and many others who are still making money.

Wouldn’t you want to have it?

In order to succeed, you just have to keep on going and going and going. Change your strategies that is not working and find new tricks that works. Perhaps you need to get your business on the internet more than ever before or you just need to ramp up your daily sales calls to get more clients. Whatever it is, go learn from the likes of the people in the video. Get their books, read their autobiography and find out on what, why and how they are still growing their businesses to intense levels despite the downturn.

Remember: Recession is not a reason for failure. Excuses should not stop you from getting what you want. Action is everything to help you get there.

As Nike motto aptly says, “Just Do It!”…

Always think BIG..

Ambar Hamid.

I have been getting plenty of great success and motivational quotes everyday lately from my social friends on Twitter and Facebook. I thought that perhaps it would be a great idea if I could gather 15 great quotes to help keep you on track with your desires and dreams..whatever it may be..

I hope you will like it..so here goes..

1. “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” – Henry Ford

2. “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T.S. Eliot

3. “If you can’t, you must. If you must, you can.” -Anthony Robbins

4. “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress” – President Barack Obama

5. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King

6. “Wherever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” – Peter Drucker

7. “Leaders have followers. Managers have employees. Managers make widgets. Leaders make change.” – Seth Godin

8. “When written in Chinese the word “crisis” is composed of two characters – one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.” – John F. Kennedy

9. “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” – Elbert Hubbard

10. “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” Bill Cosby

11. “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful men keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton

12. “Don’t fool yourself that important things can be put off till tomorrow; they can be put off forever, or not at all.” – Mignon McLaughlin”

13. “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

14. “If you don’t see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner.” – Zig Ziglar

15. “I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside.” – Wayne Dyer

There are many more great quotes out there but it is impossible for me to include them here on this blog. However, if you feel that you have a quote or two to share, then do comment below.

Always Think BIG!

Ambar Hamid.

I just heard the news today that Twitter had signed a deal with both Google and Bing to include all Twitter posts on their search engine indexes. This news alone would help many Twitterers particularly business users in significantly amplifying their ‘reach’ in the already crowded online space.

But what are the real impacts of this news to Twitter users? Let’s find out…

(Please note that this is based on my personal experiences only)

1. Easy Access To More Updated Information

Getting the instant updates on the markets, news stories and even the weather in a foreign place would be far easier and dependable! Obviously, you’d have to make your own conscious decision on the authenticity of the information you receive.

2. It Gets Your Messages Out There. Pronto!

This is very self explanatory. Every post you make would be made available in real time on Google and Bing which means that it’d allow you to find more people that you can interact with and gain new business prospects.

3. Helps with the web traffic.

Getting the eyeballs to your site is the key to success in any online based business and by having more references that include web, blog or articles link would only increase the chances of you getting the clicks.

And unfortunately, I reckon that you’d also get..

4. More Spam.

I am not quite sure how Google and Bing would filter the spam posts that we already get on Twitter but I would think that we’d have more spam contents on the search engines just by being on it alone! It’s very difficult to curtail the spam users and posts and I suppose that this would also be the same when our posts gets on the search engines.

Do comment and add your personal thoughts.

Looking forward to getting your feedback.

Ambar.

We all know that social media is the most talked about topic now. Almost all internet savvy users use it. Teenagers, Students, Business People, Celebrities and even the politicians have already begun their journey to using social media.

But how can it matter to you? How can it bring profits to your business activities? And how can you use it so you can grow your business?

Look, I am sure that you have seen the instant fame of Susan Boyles (#susanboyles). If you do not know who she is then here’s what you need to know – She is one of the reality show contestants on Britains Got Talent that had created such a craze.

Her performance on the show was so incredible that it had caused the public to react in such a way that excerpts of her performance was uploaded on Youtube and many other video sharing sites almost within a few hours of her being on the show.

In almost less than 3 days, her videos were being watched by 10 million people and the views are still going strong. At the time of writing, the total online Youtube views that shes getting are in the tune of 60 Million. Now that’s like a world marketing phenomenon!

Everyone was beginning to talk about her. People were talking about her performance with friends and family. They talked about it with their work colleagues and at coffee shops.

The traditional media wanted a piece of the pie as well so they put on big news splash on the event. TV news networks, the radio channels and the daily newspapers were all talking about Susan Boyles. It was a global sensation.

But let take a step back and analyse this whole Susan Boyles media mania.

1. She appeared on Britains Got Talent.
2. People were shocked with her performance and started to talk about it.
3. Susan Boyles videos were uploaded on video sharing sites and shared through social media.
4. Traditional media globally covered her story.

Result: Viral Media Frenzy.

You can also study this second case study on online viral marketing that involved another US celebrity Ashton Kutcher.

Ashton Kutcher pledged $100,000 to aid the fight against malaria. Ashton bet on his Twitter account that he would gather one million followers before CNN news network.

Again, this created such an intense media coverage that people were talking about it with friends and on social media.

The traditional media was talking about it too. It was even featured on CNN’s Andrew Cooper show with Larry King making his comment.

Ashton won the bet in the end and as a result, he was interviewed LIVE via the internet with Larry King. In fact, Oprah had also invited him over on her show to talk about social media.

The Result Again: Viral Media Frenzy.

So my conclusion is this:

Participate with social media and create the buzz. Engage, Enlighten, Excite and Entertain your market. Grab their attention and invite social media to talk and share your message to the world.

In fact, you don’t even need traditional media to help you share your message. Social media is big enough to create such a frenzy.

These two case studies may involve celebrities but they are many examples of individuals and companies that created such a spur on social media. All that is required now is for you to create new ideas, spark new creativity and share it on social media.

Give it a go…

Ambar

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Running a business is never easy and so is running your own life. There are always blockages that are there to stop you from getting what you want. Lack of money, family pressures and daily stresses tend to be the core contribution factors to stopping your dreams from coming true, particularly in this current economy.

Strangely, despite the adversities, people are hoping. They seem to endlessly dream that somehow and someday they too can achieve what they really want – just like most successful people that they have witnessed and adored. They feel that eventually their ‘lucky strike’ in life will eventually come to realisation and welcome them to their lives bringing with it immense joy, fun and laughter.

Now, we all want that ‘perfect’ life but in reality, we also know that life is not always the life that you wanted it to be. The dreams and hopes don’t always come true. Life itself is never fair.

It is also easy to play the blame game particularly when things don’t go our way. When something go wrong, pointing fingers at somebody else seem to be the norm. Not many of us want to take the responsibility. Most of us prefer to blame on others so we feel better inside.

Of course, not many great things can happen in your life if you do not take the responsibilities. Accepting responsibilities is a sign of great bravery and commitment to any tasks you undertake. Be strong, face the facts and give your ultimate best to change the situation you’re in. Be creative. There are a ton of great opportunities out there and it will eventually come to you if you really want it bad enough.

Remember, speed is everything. Now is not a time to procrastinate as the opportunity that’s available to you right now may not be yours in the next minute. Take the responsibilities and change your destiny. Make what seem to be the impossible right now into a reality. You can do it!

Good luck and many warm wishes,

Ambar.

It’s difficult to deny that the times are much harder now. People are investing ‘double time’ in productivity to ensure that their goals are met so that nothing that they’ve been working on goes down the drain.

People are also worried about the horrid news they hear every day on the media everywhere including the print, online and the traditional media. Listening to the news seems like the good old days of great economies are never to return. To me, it’s like an absolute brainwash!

Yes, it’s all well and good to realise that we’re now living in a bad economy but it doesn’t mean that there will be no jobs or no business to transact. People need people and for as long as there are human beings living in this world, then there will always be plenty of jobs and a ton of business to deal with.

But the point I want to raise here is, ‘What is your focus at the moment?’

Are you focusing on getting a job or looking for a business?

Are you in a job that’s so unpredictable right now that looking for another job seems the only option?

Are you in business but thinking to leave your business and look for a job?

Or Are you currently unemployed and desperately looking for an employment opportunity?…or maybe a business opportunity?

So which is it?

I honestly hope that you’re the type of person who focuses on sourcing out for business opportunities than trying to invest your great talents for a job.

I personally do not see the difference from running your own business or working for someone else. I believe that they are both the same in terms of risk.

People who are working for someone else face the same challenges that the business owners might face. Both are risking losing their jobs and business particularly now during the world economic crisis.

But the only difference is your ‘Perception’ and the ‘Reward’.

What I mean by ‘Perception’ is that when you see people at work or people in business, they all seem to share the same traits particularly when the are facing intense issues about financial security, stability etc. They tense and worry – no matter how big or small the issue is.

You see it everywhere. The difference is their ‘perception to their problems’ and the actions that each individual is going to take. Solve the problem or Exarcerbate it.

When you study the Reward aspect, it is crystal clear that the ‘Reward’ you’ll get is far greater when running a business in comparison to a job. Let me explain in these 2 scenarios:

BusinessMan:

Goes to a business meeting —> CloseThe Deal —> Comes out with £500,000 Deal –> Half Goes For His Expenses and The Rest Profit.

Employee (Considering that you’re the sales guy for Company X)

Goes to a business meeting —> CloseThe Deal —> Comes out with £500,000 Deal –> All monies goes to company —> You get £2,500 salary plus 1.5% from the £500K deal?

Now which one do you prefer?

I am sure you will choose the first option.

I hope you now understand the reasons behind my belief on why you should start focusing on digging for business opportunities more than sourcing out for a job placement.

I hope your Perception, Risk and Reward won’t be stopping you from achieving your life long dreams.

All the best,

Ambar Hamid.

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New Year Celebrations is now officially over and we’re now back to our normal daily routines. Goals that were set and written down for 2009 require intense consistent action so it can actually happen. 2008 goals that were set but did not happen must happen in 2009 – no matter what.

2009 comes with a baggage in terms of economic uncertainties and financial meltdown. Companies are going bankrupt left right and centre. Nothing is certain.

But what is certain is your actions and the things that you do every single day will determine your future in 2009. Whatever your goals and dreams in 2009 can happen if you only set your life and soul to it with great passion and belief.

I think the video on Steve Jobs will be deeply motivating for you to keep on going and rise above all else. Steve Jobs starts his speech with a story about his real-life adoption as a newborn. He discusses the impact that the promise of a college education had on the ultimate outcome of his adoption, and his eventual decision to drop out of college once he got there. Instead of giving up on education, altogether, however, Jobs continued to go to classes that interested him and opened him to new ideas and talents. His quiet humor and honest delivery compliment his simple belief that in order to have the courage to follow your heart, you must believe that your decisions will ultimately match up in the future, leading to a successful, happy life.

It’s truly an uplifting story coming from the man himself. Even if you have seen it already, I hope that you will still get some golden nuggets that you can use for 2009.

Whatever it is that you do today, make it a GREAT one.

Your friend,

Ambar.

I have met and seen many people at seminars and conferences who complain about their online business not working very well. They seemed to have tried everything, tested almost everything on their site so it would convert better – but it’s still yet to produce the results they had initially aspired.

If you are running an online business for whatever purpose – profits, branding, marketing etc, you need to understand this basic principle and that is – the more eyeballs you get, the more profits you make!

In other words, you need to ensure that you have a ton of online visitors visiting your site. Sometimes, nonconverting sites can be successful if it can get plenty of visitors to the site.

So at the end of the day, you need to ensure that your websites get the attention it need to survive. Do everything you can to get the ‘eyeballs’ in there.

Try article submissions, SEOs, Adwords, Media Buy, Social Media and of course, do get any traffic course that can benefit your business in the long run.

No matter what businesses you currently run, if you don’t have a good presence on the internet then it’s highly unlikely that you’d survive in this information age.

Everything is all about information these days and the companies that can provide the best information to their clients are likely to grow and succeed at stupendous rate. You can look at Google for example. All they do is provide information based on the keywords you key in and as a result of that, they are raking billions of dollars through their advertising program – Adwords.

If you live around the London and it’s perimeter then I think it’d be great to see you at my next InterMarketWay Internet Marketing Workshop in London which will commence soon. You can find all the details here:

Internet Marketing Workshop

All the best,

Ambar.