10 Proven Ways To Market Your Website

Website Traffic So, you’ve taken the steps to create your company website…but what do you do now?
Now you face the challenge of actually bringing in new, qualified traffic. After all, that’s how you will make more sales and increase your customer base.
Check out these 10 ways you can pull in visitors to your website:
1. Search engine optimization
SEO is the process of increasing your website’s visibility in search engine’s organic results through optimizing your pages with the keyword phrases people are likely to search for. Think about it: when you search for something in Google, do you typically go beyond the first couple pages of results? Probably not, and neither will your potential customers.
Some popular ways to improve organic search results are through editing existing content, removing barriers to indexing activities of search engines (something we’ve been doing at Ciplex for a while and see this type of marketing as one of the highest return on investments) increasing the number of backlinks or inbound links (links your website receives from other webpages — which indicates the popularity or importance of your website).
SEO can be a time-consuming process initially, but it’s an important step towards getting more traffic and grabbing a top spot in search engines for your main keyword phrases. If you haven’t already optimized your website for search engines, it might take several months to see significant results with SEO.
2. Blogging and guest blogging
Offering free, original content on your site can help bring new visitors and set you apart from the competition. However, writing for other prominent blogs in your niche, is even more beneficial in generating traffic. By including a link to your website in your biography at the end of your guest post, you can draw in new visitors from a source that likely gets much more traffic than your current blog or website.
3. Pay per click (PPC)
Use PPC Internet advertising to bring in traffic to your website from search engines like Google. Here’s how it works: you pay a fixed price for every click your ad gets in the search engine, and your ultimate goal of the click is to convert that user in order to see a return on investment. With GoogleAdWords, there’s no spending requirement — you can set a budget of as little as five dollars a day or a maximum cost of ten cents for each click, for example. Your main focus should be conversion so you get the best ROI possible. Simply choose keyword phrases and the search engine will help you get your ad in front of your target market, wherever they might be looking on the Web.
4. Retargeting
Retargeting ads work by placing a tracking cookie on each of your visitor’s computers. Then, when they leave your site, they start seeing ads to come back. Using this type of advertising helps you reach visitors who leave without conversion — which is about 98 percent of all your traffic — and makes retargeting a valuable strategy in getting those visitors to come back and convert. You’ve already worked hard to get people there, but most leave…so get them to come back to make sure you’re not throwing away that money you’ve already spent.
5. Facebook ads
Millions of people use Facebook every day (they had 483 million daily active users in December 2011) and the average U.S. Facebook user spends eighthourspermonth on the site. And it’s not only popular with teenagers and college students — all types of demographics are now regular users of the social network. Additionally, according to a study from Nielsen, people are 68 percent more likely to remember seeing an ad with social context than without. Facebook ads can help you target people from a specific location, friends of your current fans, or even folks who “like” other pages, among other options such as age and interests. Plus, it’s a cost-effective way to bring in new traffic — you can set a daily budget, pay for clicks, or pay when people see your ad. Similar to Google AdWords, you’re piggybacking off of Facebook’s traffic in order to bring those visitors to your website.
6. YouTube
Creating videos and posting them to YouTube can help your content get found on YouTube itself. From there, not only does Google index your content, but others can embed your video on their blogs and share it via social media. Although going “viral” is certainly desirable, it’s important to remember that not every video needs to get a million views to successfully drive traffic to your website. Instead, focus on a call to action that tells viewers exactly where to go (your website), how to do it (link), and why to do it (free content, contest, etc.) once they’ve finished watching.
You can also advertise on other people’s videos by buying targeted ads relevant to your business — which could yield a high conversion.
7. Email marketing
Email marketing is a great tool because most people need to be engaged multiple times before they buy. It’s been around for years, and is still one of the strongest ways to engage potential and current customers. Give people a compelling reasons to subscribe (contests, great content, insider information, etc.) and then continually send great content so they don’t unsubscribe. Encourage them to return to your website on a regular basis by showing them what they’ve missed since they last visited — perhaps it’s a new product, blog posts, whitepapers, videos, or something else.
8. Word of mouth (forums/Facebook fan pages, etc.)
When you’re looking for a new salon to get a haircut, or a great restaurant in a neighboring town, you probably turn to trusted friends, family, or online sources to discover the best rated and reviewed options. These sources are key points for driving traffic for your website, too. Focus on building connections with your fans and followers in order to gain positive reviews and word of mouth recommendations. You can also participate in related forums or comment on blog posts in order to plug your company without coming off as too promotional.
9. Social media
Similar to email marketing, social media helps you communicate with your potential customers and encourage them to buy. Again, you should provide compelling reasons to “like” your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter, but you should also share content that gets them visiting your blog or interacting with your brand on a regular basis to remind them why they stopped by your website in the first place. Social media is also a great tool for word of mouth marketing; it helps you see what people are talking about and what recommendations they provide. It’s also a great tool for customer service inquiries and real-time communication when a crisis hits.
10. PR
Building your reputation and influence is an important part of driving traffic to your company website. Through public relations strategies, you can brand yourself as an expert in your niche and build your credibility. Doing this can increase your conversion rates and build your brand awareness. For instance, by serving as a source in journalist’s articles, the outlet typically provides a linkback to your website — which is usually great traffic that converts well, all while building your reputation. Plus, when you’re mentioned on a big press outlet — a trusted source for many people — they ultimately trust you more. Press releases can also help drive traffic and generate interest in your product or service.

How We Grew a Blog from ZERO to $6 Million…

by Ryan Deiss

ADD All that you need for life on the interNet –Order from IVA: Online shops, Web sites, EFECTIVE Advertisement on the internet : Google, Yandex and all other platforms and social networks as Facebook … just order directly from Web: www.ivacademy.ru - International Volunteer Academy (IVA) - dedicated to enhancing the lives of the people (happy people–happy world) looking for: Join Projects, Partners, Investors, Donations, Grants and youth – virtual volunteers and interns.                

Here’s the thing…
Most of the advice you’re getting about blogging is DEAD WRONG.
We know because we’re operating blogs in dozens of niches and we test EVERYTHING.
One of our most successful blogs, SurvivalLife.com, has grown to one million in sales.
That’s not annual sales.  We generate one million in sales every month — and growing.
Take a look at the traffic to Survival Life and see if you can put your finger on where we figured it out,

NOTE: This was a new site in a market where I’m far from a household name. In fact, my name wasn’t anywhere to be found on this site, so if you think I was able to leverage my “brand,” think again. I was starting off cold just like you.
We started off ok with a high-dollar launch and a ton of guest posting… but we leveled off fast.
So we started experimenting with other methods.

In this article I’m going to reveal the model we used to build Survival Life to a multi-million dollar blog.

This is the same system that I teach in much greater depth in AuthorityROI. If you own a blog or authority site (or if you’d like to start one), you will definitely want to be a part of this training because you stand to benefit the most.

We tried making money blogging the way the so-called gurus told us to… it didn’t work.  

So… we started breaking their rules.  We started testing.

In the end, we developed our own system.

Here are six ways we broke the rules and transformed our blog into a high-profit authority site,

1.  We actually sold them stuff

To me, this is a business and I treat it like a business.
While advice like, “Just write about what you love and the universe will eventually reward you…” may sound good, it’s certainly not a business model and it probably won’t make you even one, thin dime.
And I’m not talking about getting rich selling advertising.  We’ll bust that myth later in this article.
I’m talking about selling real products and services.
At Survival Life we sell a mix of in-house offers, affiliate offers and premium subscriptions to our content.
Here’s one of our products…it’s a video training that teaches you how to survive in the woods:

Typically, we’re able to generate between $0.50 and $4.00 per subscriber, per month depending on the market.
Do the math.
Even a small subscriber list, if you nurture and manage it effectively can produce an income most ordinary bloggers could only dream about. And, as you’ll see in just a second, if you follow our model you’ll also be doing less work than most.
Let’s see…less work…more money?
(By the way, I talk more about calculating Earnings Per Subscribers in this video post about “How To Make Your First $1000 Blogging…)
First, let’s talk about the mistake we made with our design and how we fixed it…

2.  We went “messy”

You’ve probably been told that a “clean” and “minimalistic” site design is the best way to go, right?
Well we heard the same thing, which is why this was the first design that we tested when we first launched SurvivalLife.com…

Pretty slick, right?
We all agreed that it made the survival gear we were talking about look WAY more engaging and professional-grade than any competing site in the survival niche…
Heck, we even based this design on a wildly popular gear site, Uncrate.com, that we knew was getting major traffic, in addition to accolades from the design community:

“How could it possibly fail?” we all said.
Famous last words…
For some reason, despite looking more professional than 99.9% of all other sites in the survival niche, this design just wasn’t cutting it.
And this wasn’t just opinion. We knew from some of our friends and partners in this space that we were well below average on the three big metrics that really matter:

1. Unique visitors
2. Total Pageviews
3. Average Time on Page

…despite the fact that our content was fantastic.
So we tried something new…

When it comes to testing, I’m a big believer in testing BIG!
In other words, if something isn’t working, don’t make a minor tweak…go to the opposite end of the spectrum and work back to the “middle” or you’ll wind up doing test after test with little or no change in result.
So that’s just what we did…
We swung the pendulum all the way from clean and minimalist to cluttered (and as some have told us) downright UGLY!!
More specifically, our new site design included a lot more content on the home page. There are multiple columns, tips, popular posts, and even banner ads.
Crazy as it sounds, this cluttered design beat the crap out of the slicker, cleaner version…it wasn’t even close! Almost immediately, we began to see our key metrics tick upward.

• Time on page was up.
• Pageviews were up.
• Even our unique visitor numbers began to rise because the increase in pageviews led to an increase in social engagement, which actually brought us FREE TRAFFIC!!

After multiple tests across multiple sites in many different markets, our research suggests that a slick, minimalist site layout – like the ones virtually all major ad firms recommend – can drive engagement down and cause your readers to devalue your content and site as a whole.
I know this isn’t what people want to hear, and I know I’ll get a huge backlash from the design community. But data doesn’t lie, and neither do bank accounts.
So I have a question for you…

“Would you rather have a high-traffic, high profit site or would you rather be ‘cool’ and win design awards?”

Choose your answer carefully, because you may not be able to have both…
This one was a biggie, but believe it or not this next change had an even bigger impact on our blog…

3.  We didn’t guest post… in fact we did the opposite

One day I walked into our office and proclaimed that “blogging” was now a fireable offense. That may sound a little extreme, but I’m not going to continue doing something if it obviously isn’t working.
I banned my writers from blogging because I realized it was having no measurable impact on our sites’ traffic or authority.
Don’t get me wrong, they were writing great content, but posting great content will only get you so far. Because the reality is…
The World Doesn’t Need More Information
I’ll say it again: The world does NOT need more information.
Instead, what the world needs (and values) is a trusted authority who will organize and aggregate all the GOOD information that’s actually worth reading into one place.
And this concept is nothing new. In fact, the largest, most successful authority sites on the web rarely feature content written by the person who has their name on it.
Think about it: The Huffington Post, The Drudge Report, Bloomberg, Forbes, Breitbart… these sites aren’t famous for the owner’s writing style. They’re famous for the content they present.

Do you see where I’m going here?
I sometimes like to jokingly call this “The Oprah Factor,” because Oprah built her ridiculously successful career by bringing the best experts, content, and entertainers onto her talk show.
Oprah understood something that most people don’t…
Experts do NOT equal Authority… authorities are people who aggregate and associate with multiple experts.
That’s why Oprah has associated with (and in some cases created) expert brands such as Rachel Ray, Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz.
This is the playbook that the most successful authority sites use. They host expert content, associate with the most reputable thought leaders in an industry, and they leverage those associations to build their authority…just like Oprah does (just on a slightly smaller level).

If you have a hard time imagining yourself as the “Oprah” of your industry, then here’s another way to look at it that’s slight more humble…
Don’t Talk About Yourself, Talk About Who You Admire
The trick is to talk about other people who are worth talking about. If you follow this rule, talking about exclusively worthwhile content experts… you’re almost assured of saying something worthwhile. Right?
The sooner you realize that, the sooner your blog will start leapfrogging the competition and building rapid authority because most other bloggers will continue to operate using the old self-promotion model.
So as crazy as it sounds, the first step to becoming a respected authority in your market isn’t to publish something new and amazing…
…the first step is to identify and associate with the most trusted, authoritative experts in your niche and then seek to aggregate and promote THEIR CONTENT in one place (i.e. your site).
I talk more about how we do this in this video.
This “Expert Aggregator Model” is also something I cover extensively in my AuthorityROI training program. So if you’re at all interested in launching your own authority site (or if you want to transform a boring, low-profit blog into a high-traffic, high-profit authority site) you should definitely check it out.
You can get all the details about the AuthorityROI program and find out if it’s right for you here.

So that covers the first three steps, but the next one gets into how we transform traffic into revenue…

4.  We focused on building an email list

Here’s another secret to building your site’s authority in a hurry: STOP sending your traffic to someone else’s site by selling banner ads!
Instead of letting another business siphon YOUR traffic via banner ads, use those banners to advertise your own products — and keep those users on your site.
My team has been testing and refining this strategy for a long time. And let me just say, the money you make by selling banner space is a small fraction of what you can make by building an email subscriber list and promoting internal assets.
Here’s an example of what we’ve been doing over at SurvivalLife.com…

At first glance, this looks like a typical banner ad, right? But it’s actually an advertisement for one of our own FREE reports…
And when you click on this banner, you’ll see that we’re using this free report to generate leads. Instead of monetizing clicks like most content sites, we leverage our banner space to build a list.

Once again, I’m telling you to do the exact opposite of what has become conventional wisdom in online marketing… but here’s why it works.
Selling clicks is incredibly shortsighted, especially if your goal is to build a booming authority site. You’re literally sending the traffic, which you worked so hard to get, away to someone else’s site.
And you’re giving up this valuable traffic for PENNIES!!!
Please don’t do that!
By using your banner space to build your own subscribers list, you’ll maximize the value of your traffic. Rather than just getting a few cents per-click once… we’re able to monetize our subscriber list time and time again via sponsored emails, affiliate promotions, and in-house product promotions.
When you think about it, it’s really a no-brainer. It’s basically a TINY amount of money right now… versus 10 or 20 times as much, every month.
Most high-traffic authority sites do this at some level. This strategy is even more important for smaller, growing sites with limited traffic…
Take a look at how Motley Fool uses banner ad space to make internal offers,

 

5.  We did TONS of Facebook Advertising

It might shock you to hear this but…
There is NO SUCH THING as a traffic problem.
Bloggers that think they have a traffic problem actually have one of the following,

• An offer problem – They either don’t have an offer, don’t have the right offer or don’t have their offer optimized.
• A measurement problem – They don’t have the process in place to measure what traffic is worth.

Traffic is everywhere.  You just need to understand the economics of your blog.  You need to know how much you can pay to acquire traffic.
Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, just to name the obvious, have an unlimited supply of traffic.
Once you set up your blog properly, you simply turn on the traffic faucet.
At Survival Life, Facebook is our traffic channel of choice.  We grew our Facebook presence from nothing to over 300,000 Likes in 1 year.  We’re now tipping the scale at 500,000 Likes.

And that’s all fine and dandy, but we all know that Facebook Likes aren’t sales.  Only sales are sales.
We use Facebook to engage with our community but we also use it to make offers.
We make offers to our audience on our Facebook Wall,

And we make offers using Facebook ads,

But none of it would matter if we hadn’t done our homework on the market…

6.  We chose an insanely rabid market

Maybe you’ve been told that you can build a profitable blog around any topic you are passionate about.
Wrong.
If there is not a sustainable market for your authority topic, then all the time you invest in building your site is a complete waste of your time… you’re just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, so to speak.
To confidently build a blog around a market you must determine whether,

• The market is big enough
• The market is monetizable

To determine if the market is large enough look for,

• 30,000 Google searches per month
• Active blogs
• Active Facebook Pages
• Active Forums
• Active Email Newsletters
• Active associations

Survival Life is in the survival and preparedness niche.  This is a big market.
We saw plenty of signs of life in this market,

To determine if the market is monetizable look for,

• Direct competition (They are doing exactly what you want to do.  This is a good thing.)
• Indirect competition (They are selling to the same market, but don’t sell what you do)
• Affiliate offers (Check Clickbank, Share-A-Sale and Commission Junction for related affiliate offers)
• Advertisers (Where there are well-known advertisers, there is money)
• Gurus (Look for very influential people associated with your market)
• eCommerce Sites (Find sites that are selling products to this market)
• Survival Life is a community of people interested in survival and preparedness.  And these folks are serious about it.
• When we dug in to research the survival and preparedness niche we found a very hungry market.
• We were happy to find plenty of affiliates in the prepper market,

Why Being An “Authority” Is So Much Better Than Being an Ordinary Blogger

Here’s why this model is vastly superior to the way most bloggers operate:

• You don’t need a product, sales copy or even an idea… you just need to have a passion in a market where great content and fascinating experts already exist
• You can become a respected authority in virtually any market… even if you’re a complete “no-name” today
• You’ll be able to generate cash on demand… which is something most ordinary bloggers could only dream about
• You don’t have to be a writer. It’s more profitable to be an authority… that aggregates content from influential people in your niche.
• You become an “insider”… doors will begin to open for you and even the best-known experts in your space will start asking YOU for favors!

There are a lot of trainings out there showing you how to blog.  Authority ROI shows you how to make money blogging.
Click here to get more information about Authority ROI.

About Ryan Deiss

Ryan Deiss is the founder and CEO of Digital Marketer. Over the last 36 months Ryan and his team have: Invested over $15,000,000 on marketing tests Generated tens of millions of unique visitors Sent well over a BILLION emails, and Run approximately 3,000 split and multi-variant tests Ryan is also a highly sought after speaker and consultant whose work has impacted over 200,000 businesses in 68 different countries. Connect with Ryan on Twitter or Google+.
View all posts by Ryan Deiss ➞

Intern Abroad, Volunteer Abroad: free accommodations, programs, jobs – travel, learn and experience the World for Interns, Students, Volunteers and youth at IVA –International Volunteer Academy www.ivacademy.ru

Intern Abroad, Volunteer Abroad: free accommodations, programs, jobs – travel, learn and experience the World for Interns, Students, Volunteers and youth at IVA –International Volunteer Academy www.ivacademy.ru
We work in a wide range of projects located all around the world.  When you go abroad with IVA, you specify when you want to go, where and what project you want to do.  Some IVA programs are:

I.            Global-Virtual Internship and Volunteer program:

Do you internship or volunteer program from any part of the world , 인턴쉽! ivacademy.ru
International Volunteer Academy – IVA are inviting students, young people or any volunteers who would like the opportunity for exposure to a wide range of work and experiences for Internship or Voluntary positions within our rapidly growing, fast-paced organization (available for all students and youth also for those who need to intern or volunteer for their studies, make researches etc.). Groups of any size are also welcomed.

IVA virtual internship is the unique opportunity for an intern to gain real world experience by integrating the knowledge learned in the classroom with on the job training and experience, while working in a remote professional setting and is not physically present at the job location.

IVA provide all sorts of virtual internship placements:

- Sales, Marketing, Product Sourcing and Business: Advertising, Branding, Classifieds Posting, Internet Marketing, Market Research, Business Plans, Recruitment;

- Websites, IT and Software: Blogging, Programming, eCommerce, eLearning, Facebook, Game Design, Google, HTML, Java, Joomla, Linux, PHP, SEO, Web, Software development;  Search Engine Optimization;

-Media, Writing and Content: Articles, copywriter,  Blog, Editing, Financial Research, Forum Posting, Poetry; also Video creation and Journalism;
-Bloggers - promote our social campaigns throw internet;
-Image maker - making booklets, creating video spots, creating thematic photos, creating promotional materials;
-Fundraising - Writing and proof reading grant proposals, researching and contacting sponsors; 
- Project research and creation – researching grant opportunities and creating projects to fulfill requirements. Justifying proposals with statistical evidence as well as forging domestic and cross-border partnerships;

-International communication -researching and contacting potential International partners;        -Design, Graphic Design, Media and Architecture: 3D Animation, 3D Modelling, Animation, Banner Design, Blog Design, Brochure Design, Commercials, Concept Design, Corporate Identity, Flash, Logo Design, Motion Graphics, Music, Photo Editing, Photoshop, Video Broadcasting, Website Design.

Virtual interns liaise with IVA online through all high tech means including email, Skype, instant messaging, phone conversations, webinars.

II.                Volunteer in Europe and Intern in Eastern Europe
Learn about the fascinating history and cultures of Eastern Europe. Participate on archaeological digs, work for a local newspaper, volunteer in Georgia, Russia – Saint Petersburg, Estonia or Take care of orphaned children In Moldova; coach sport or undertake care work, learn Russian or teach English.

III.     Volunteer in Africa or Intern in Africa

Volunteer on one of the most vibrant continents in the world. Teach English to school children, work on a human rights project, do construction work in Ivory Coast or Ghana
IV.             Volunteer in Asia and Intern in Asia

 With the religions and cultures as diverse as the landscapes, Asia is the perfect place to volunteer. Work in a hospital in Nepal, teach English in India or IT in Sri Lanka or work in an orphanage or teach in a school in Indonesia, Thailand or Malaysia

V. Volunteer in Latin America and the Caribbean and Intern in Latin America and the Caribbean

From the island paradises to the Andes Mountains, Latin America offers something for  everyone. We have a wide variety of volunteer projects and internships on offer including: teaching English at School in Guatemala, working at a health Centre in Honduras, conserving the forests of Costa Rica, and doing care work, landscaping, painting or building a school or health centers in Jamaica, Barabados, St Lucia, Trinidad, Grenada, St Vincent.  If you are interested in South American volunteer projects and internships, IVA has many opportunities in Guyana and Suriname, Peru, Venezuela, and Brazil as well.

We just ask for a one time donation of 100 US to cover the administration costs for a placement.

Application instructions:  In order to apply send your telephone number, resume and position request to ivolunteeracademy@gmail.com  and irff@pisem.net and donate 100$ with www.ivacademy.ru PayPal service.

International Volunteer Academy- www.ivacademy.ru

Type: Internships, Volunteering, Youth- travel, education and innovation

 
What is IVA? IVA stands for International Volunteer Academy. We’re  a group of young and young at heart people from across the world  who want to make a difference.   Our Motto “Creating a Youth Culture of Peace through Service.” Through our own efforts as well as through working with other young people, we serve global community.
 
The more practical and external definition of IVA is it is a training program for young people to become skilled in the field of Social and IT Work. These skills can be acquired through working within a local community, experiencing international service work, and creating personal projects.

Mission and Objectives:

1. To promote a youth culture of service. Help young people to take initiative and contribute to society;
2. To organize activities for youth transcending race, religion and culture

3. Character-building activities through:
  1.    Character Education
  2.    Cultural exchange
  3.    Interreligious cooperation
  4.    Studying universal values
  5.    Living for the sake of others
4. To assist students in organizing personal projects
5. Provide Interns, Students, Volunteers and youth with experience in the cutting edge IT sector
6. Provide Marketing experience to Interns, Students, Volunteers and youth
7. Advice youth in the first steps for the family and business life

             Why Choose International Volunteer Academy?

At IVA, we are proud to offer volunteer opportunities, internships, and language courses of the highest quality. In each community we have local staff to ensure that our volunteers work on worthwhile local programs, receive ample support, and stay safe.
If you wondering what differentiates us from other similar providers. There really are a lot of programs out there, which is great!
The following facts set us apart from other volunteer organizations and that we feel are important to consider when contemplating such a significant endeavor.
                           Flexibility and Variety
Your options with International Volunteer Academy are limitless. Through our local staff and our long association in each country, we work with different settings, covering teaching, childcare, healthcare, light construction, landscaping, human rights, IT and conservation. If these projects are not in alignment with your needs and skills a project can be tailored just for you. No other organization gives you a custom made service project.
You can also just apply for what you want.  This enables us to match intern and volunteer skills and aspirations to a suitable placement and allow volunteers to join us when it is best for them. Also with some projects are no set start dates and programs run continuously throughout the year, so we can easily fit your schedule. Whenever volunteers arrive and at whatever time, our staff are waiting at the airport for them with all the details for their project fully prepared.
This flexibility also allows people to combine programs, to live and work with friends, and to work at the placement which inspires them most.

Quality Accommodation

A big motivation for going abroad is to immerse yourself in the culture where you will be working. International Volunteer Academy knows that living with a local host family is the best way to do that. We want you to feel at home while being away from home.

Our families are carefully chosen for security, comfort, and friendliness. Many hosts are associated with our programs - for example, a teacher or principal at one of our partner schools or a doctor at one of our medical placements.
Your room will be very modest but comfortable. Host families live in secure houses and neighborhoods and are closely screened and monitored, with regular checkups, before every new volunteer moves in.
We also ensure they can provide you with quality home-cooked meals. Food is at the heart of a society so be ready to eat of the local cuisine!
In line with our commitment to being a positive influence in the communities we work, host families are decently compensated, but are also interviewed for friendliness and to make sure they are motivated by the right reasons. They will welcome you into their family and home and be eager to share their customs with you and have you teach them about your own culture.
There are some locations where host families are not possible, mainly on groups or set dates, and conservation projects.  This does not mean we will not have evaluated your accommodation for quality and comfort.
In addition, participants could find FREE accommodations and book them before they join local project in any country with by www.stay4free.com, www.hospitalityclub.org etc. free accommodation exchange services.

Safety

This is an important part of the service International Volunteer Academy offers you. Your safety and security is our prime concern - we have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your placement with peace of mind.

Our Assurances to you:

Security: We take your security very seriously. Before we go anywhere, the countries must be politically stable and safe. If they are not, we don't go. We also have the added security of our own who know the local area in detail.
Pre-Departure Advice: Once you've been accepted on to our projects you will receive a package which includes applying for a visa, packing lists, and cultural advice about the country you are visiting, and participant handbook. Our Project Developer will contact you once you have applied and is always available to give advice and answer any questions you may have - both before you go and while you are away.
Placement Details: Before you go, you will be allocated your placement details. These include addresses and numbers for your host family, and details regarding your placement and supervisor.
Overseas Staff and Offices: We have offices in the countries we volunteer so there will always be a support staff for you.
Contact Between Staff and Volunteers: Our staff regularly visit host-families, volunteers, and placements to ensure everything is running smoothly. We maintain a cycle of monitoring all volunteer accommodation and placements.
Accommodation: our overseas staff check all accommodation regularly. Accommodation is only accepted if it is clean, hygienic, and comfortable. We strive to have at least one member of the family be able to speak basic English, and the family will understand International Volunteer Academy’s aims. They must also be interested in having an English speaker to stay. Detailed records are kept of every host family, and these are updated after inspection visits. Checks are made before and during volunteers' stays.
Supervisors: Each volunteer, regardless of whether on a teaching, medical, conservation, or other placement is allocated a supervisor. The supervisor is not only responsible for enabling volunteers to carry out their work, but also for ensuring that they are happy and assisting them at their placement with any problems or concerns.
Meeting on arrival: Upon arrival you will go through an immigration station to determine whether your visa and/or other papers are in order. It is common for individuals to be asked about the purpose of their visit, the length of their stay, their accommodations, and finances. For "purpose of entry" put "tourist." As you come out of customs, our staff will be awaiting you and they will display IVA signs. If you do not see a person holding an IVA sign, please call the phone number you were given. Introduce yourself and explain that you are waiting for pickup at the airport. Local representatives will give you directions on how to proceed.

(Do not leave the airport without contacting your local representative. Unless directed otherwise )

Orientation: All volunteers have an induction to the country and area where they'll be living. This varies from country to country but generally includes:

• A Welcome Pack with details of the local office and other volunteers, maps, and other useful information (such as banks, doctors, and public transport);
• A tour of the area on local transport that you'll need to use regularly
• We'll advise you on local customs and what to expect while you are away and help you feel confident in your new environment.
• We have special educational programs to integrate you in the society and work service

Health and Insurance: IVA will do everything possible to ensure that you are healthy and comfort throughout the project. However, you should be aware that the standard of care in each nation differs. Food and water quality as well as sanitary conditions may not be what you are accustomed to. Every effort has been made to ensure the highest health standards. However, part of the responsibility for health maintenance is yours. Be sure to eat wisely and to get enough rest.

Meaningful Projects

The idea of “meaningful” is what drives every program. By this we mean that every project we offer has been arranged by us to be meaningful to you and the organization you’re volunteering for. Put simply: busy, constructive volunteers are happy volunteers and in turn, their host organizations are happy too.
To make this happen, we are constantly challenging our local staff to improve the support we offer the projects and to improve the volunteer experience through enhanced support and backup, before and after their project. Continuous improvement is key.
Our local staff are people. Some are social workers, some conservationists, other are teachers, lawyers, physical therapists, or experienced NGO employees. They understand what placements are needed in relation to development and maximum benefit to the local community and economy.
They are a part of the community: committed to it and, like IVA as a whole, committed to long-term sustainable positive impact through the combined efforts of our volunteers.
We pride ourselves on the support we give an enormous breadth of existing placements across the Caribbean and the fact that, through our local staff, we are able to establish new programs and initiatives where they are needed, such as shelters for street children in, human rights research and advocacy, or conservation work.

Becoming a part of a Vibrant Volunteer Community

By going on an IVA program, you are joining a community of fellow volunteers and local people in developing countries - working hard, traveling, and having a good time while achieving meaningful goals. You will make great friends with your host family, colleagues, and the people living in your host community. You will also make great friends of the other IVA volunteers we send out.
You will not only learn the traditions and customs of the country you are volunteering in, but also those of your fellow volunteers. You can also take part in the exchange by teaching your colleagues about the favorite parts of your culture.
Most do not realize this multicultural aspect of International Volunteer Academy until they arrive, but it is a distinctive part of our unique appeal. You will return with friends from across the globe and plans to visit them someday, or host them back home yourself.
It is also possible to volunteer with your friends from home and we can place and accommodate you together if you would like. Just request this where we ask on the application.

Going the Extra Mile

In addition to the standard safety and backup IVA assures every volunteer, our staff will really go the extra mile for you if you need it. If you are uncomfortable with commuting to your volunteer placement after we show you during your orientation, we will ride on the commute with you again. If you are feeling homesick or having trouble coping with culture shock, we will sit down with you to lend an understanding ear and share our expertise with you. If you get sick or injured while abroad, we will take you to the hospital and be there for you until you are better.

This begins before you even arrive abroad. If you are applying for credit or a grant, we will help you by writing a verification letter, filling out paperwork, or speaking with your school administrators. If you are using your time abroad for research or a dissertation, we can help you design your plan of study; many of us have academic backgrounds ourselves. If you had plans to go abroad by other means that fell through at the last minute, we will pull some strings to get you abroad on one of our programs as soon as possible. If your visa gets denied, we will call the embassy to lobby on your behalf.

The fact is, we care. It is important to us that you are a happy volunteer, because happy volunteers are productive volunteers and make the greatest impact.

Additionally you may Follow us on Twitter, or even ‘like’ us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/volunteercheaptravel

-Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/ivolunteeracademy

-Or Join our Business portal: http://gppdnet.blogspot.com

International Volunteer Academy, IVA www.ivacademy.ru dedicated to enhancing the lives of the people (happy people–happy world) is a branch of an incredibly fast-growing international movement, which now boasts all over the world. Please help this group grow by spreading the word! So, why not "pay it forward" and tell 3 (or more) people how wonderful ivacademy.ru is!

Starting Your First Business Off Right

Starting Your First Business Off Right
One of his former students is selling genetically altered glow-in-the-dark goldfish. Another is developing a diaper with built-in baby wipes. For John Butler, a professor of entrepreneurship and management at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, such occurrences are part of daily life in a town bursting with startups.
“We’re in the business of wealth creation,” Butler says.
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With the exception of Silicon Valley and its hordes of startups vying to be the next  Google   or  Hewlett-Packard  , few places are as closely associated with entrepreneurial capitalism as Austin. But the truth is that new businesses are set up everywhere–especially in tough times like these. Whether it’s by choice or by necessity, starting your first business has several things going for it: a way to create wealth and opportunity when both seem to be in short supply; a chance to be your own boss; and a chance to try something that could take you far beyond the bounds of cubicle culture.
“Destruction is painful, but it creates opportunity,” says Jerome Engel, director of the center for entrepreneurship at the University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business. “Now is a great time for entrepreneurs to reset their agendas for their next 10 years.”
In Pictures: Five Common Financial Mistakes Small Businesses Make
Although millions of people set up businesses each year, even highly competent professionals often manage to fumble the basics. Veterans of big companies, for example, often fail to spend enough time laying the foundations necessary for their new ventures to grow, Engel says. These can run the gamut from lining up financing to buying the computer and accounting systems necessary to run even a one-person show. It’s also a good idea to consult with an accountant, lawyer and, possibly, an insurance agent before setting up shop.
First, it’s important to keep in mind that even the best idea in the world doesn’t make a great company; a sound business plan does. You’ll want to develop a strategy that will identify what your product or service is, how you will market it to potential customers and what it will take to feed your family and keep the lights on until your venture starts to turn a profit. You’ll also want to know who your customers will be: Are you going to be selling goods or services to other businesses, or are you going to try to reach consumers?
Once you have an idea of what you’re going to do, you’ll need to secure startup capital. The Small Business Administration offers a micro-loan program that lends up to $30,000 to startups. Banks and other financial institutions may also be willing to lend, although they have been notoriously tight-fisted in the wake of the recent financial crisis. Another possibility is to tap savings–or friends, relatives and business associates who have high regard for your abilities.
“It’s near impossible to borrow any money these days, and that could be the best thing that ever happens to you,” said Mickey Cargile, a financial planner in Midland, Texas.

Often the biggest financial challenge new entrepreneurs face is coming up with enough working capital to stay in business for 90 days or so until revenues start coming in the door, says Alice Magos, a small-business analyst at Chicago’s CCH.
“Most people don’t understand that you can have a really successful business and even post a profit, but if you don’t have a positive cash flow you will be out of business,” she says.
One factor that many new entrepreneurs overlook: payment lags. Even if you manage to sell your product or service, it can often take 30 to 90 days until your new customer pays you. Magos suggests starting out with a financial plan that conservatively estimates when you can expect to begin receiving revenue and comparing it with the dates and amounts that your new venture will owe.
Don’t forget that Uncle Sam will expect a cut too. At the top of his list will likely be quarterly estimated tax payments. If instead you wait until the end of the year to pay what you own, the government will likely hit you with a penalty–as well as a big bill for back taxes. Those quarterly payments can be larger than you expect by the time you get done with federal, state and possibly local taxes, plus both the employer’s and employee’s share of Social Security contributions. Most small businesses are taxed at the same rates as an individual’s ordinary income tax level.
The upside: You will probably be able to deduct legitimate business expenses and possibly a portion of the costs associated with the use of a dedicated home office. Another nice thing about small businesses are the organizations dedicated to offering help, such as the Small Business Administration and local Chamber of Commerce.
In Pictures: Five Common Financial Mistakes Small Businesses Make
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See Also:

Choosing A Second Career
How to Become a Consultant