No way to export newsletter opt-ins? Really, Paypal?

Paypal has a nice feature that allows you to put a little tickbox onto your checkout page, asking whether a buyer would like to receive promotional emails.


(In case you're wondering, this option is hidden under 'Profile' - 'More Options' - 'My Selling Tools' - 'Custom Payment Pages' - and finally 'Options')

Free newsletter signups? Great! I love being able to keep in touch with my previous buyers. I enabled this feature, months and months ago, and promptly forgot about it. After all, I wasn't being notified that these people were opting in to my list...

While working on my newsletter today, I remember having set this up. 'Well,' thought I, 'I could have hundreds of new members to my newsletter! I must dash to Paypal and export this data immediately.'

I went to Paypal. I looked around. I Googled. No luck - I could not find my email list anywhere. Paypal was so kind to collect these emails for me - where oh where could they be??

The answer was hiding right under my nose, but oh how I wish I could report different news.
In short: There is no list.
There is only a notification on each individual transaction details page.

That's right, Paypal lets us collect these emails, but doesn't let us export them. Instead, I went through six months' worth of transactions, checking them one by one to see if they opted in. If they have opted in, there is an extra line on the Details page that says 'Promotional emails: Subscribed' with the buyer's email address.

This line is in a larger font than the other details. It was the least Paypal could do, I guess.

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You Can't Do it All: The Upsides of Outsourcing

When someone starts their own business, they quickly learn they have to take on many hats: web designer, marketer, graphic designer, editor & proofreader, accountant, customer service... and that's besides whatever the business is actually for! Some people are blessed with the skills to do many of these well, but there's always something that you're not good at, and once the business grows past a certain point, you're going to need an extra hand.

As your business expands, you just can't do it all. That's why you need to outsource some of your work. This doesn't have to mean a team of staff or a hired assistant, though it could. But, let's start small.

Just about the smallest you can start at is hiring someone through a Fiverr gig. Fiverr is a site where people post what they are willing to do for $5 - which can range from logo & website design to copywriting to photo editing and much more. If you need a quick hand at something you're not good at, browse around Fiverr and see who you can commission. Before selecting a gig, make sure to read through the seller's feedback. If the gig is a bust, you're only out 5 bucks - but if it goes well, it's often a great deal!

I've ordered a logo design and a blog banner from Fiverr for my business - the logo was returned to me within a day, and I was pretty pleased with the results. You can't expect the moon & the stars for $5, but if you're short on cash, it's a good start and it was way better than I could have done myself.

Remember that you can't do everything yourself - other people can lighten your load, and oftentimes do it better than you could have done on your own. You don't have to spend a whole lot of money for some extra help - a little bit can go a long way. Check within your niche to see if there are people who would be willing to barter for goods or services that you can provide. That way, you get the help you need, and they get something else they want, too.

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I got paid! (And you can too - ING Sharebuilder)

Just recently I got paid from an ING ShareBuilder promotion - I opened an account, put in $50, and they gave me a $50 bonus. I doubled my money just by letting it sit and wait! I didn't make any trades, but if you have some money you'd like to invest Sharebuilder seems like a really nice place to do it. Using this link, you can get a $25 bonus yourself when you make your first trade. Try Sharebuilder today!



Or, if you'd prefer a savings account or checking account with ING, you can get $25 bonuses there too!

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Cash for your opinion on Make Money Online sites (and a BONUS!)

I've been exploring lots of ways of making money online, but it's hard to know what's legitimate or worthwhile. The folks at Internet Marketing Report Card are compiling a site full of reviews for services like Entrecard, Adgitize, paid survey sites, web hosts, and much more.

IM Report Card needs people who have tried out various internet marketing programs and products to give their opinions on them. If you've read ebooks, signed up for programs, or anything to do with making money online, you can give your opinion and get rewarded for it too. IM Report Card gives between 50 and 150 points for each 100+ word review you write on their site (one point = one US cent). You also get points for rating reviews and grading products, and extra points if people think your review is helpful.

I think that Internet Marketing Report Card has a lot of promise in becoming an authoritative resource for what sites are scams and what are legitimate for promoting websites and making money. Plus it's fun! :) Who doesn't like giving their opinion?

There are a few limitations set by the website's owners to ensure a quality site. First, if you click through things too fast, they make you stop and slow down. You have to actually read the reviews before clicking the 'helpful' button. Second, you have to write reviews before you can rate things. Once your review is approved, then you can grade websites and mark comments as helpful or unhelpful. Other than those few pitfalls, this site is easy and enjoyable to use.

I'm going to offer a bonus to anyone who signs up under my referral. After your first cashout (the minimum cashout is $20), I will send you a bonus $5. Just email me at echidna.caribou at gmail.com after you've made your first cashout and I'll send you 5 more dollars via PayPal. You must sign up under my referral link, here. It's my way of thanking you for helping me!

I highly recommend you give Internet Marketing Report Card a try. You don't have anything to lose, and you'll probably learn something too. Good luck!

~Joy

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Free Money: ING $25 Account Bonus links (Updated)

One of the easiest ways to generate passive income is through interest: When you open a savings account, your money is earning money for you. An online savings account is a great place to keep an emergency fund that will earn you interest, and I have had nothing but great experiences with ING Direct.


ING Direct Electric Orange Savings Account has been a real help for me in keeping some extra money for emergencies. It sits there earning interest, ready for me to withdraw it if I need it. ING Orange Savings current has 1.4% yearly interest (may not be current; check the ING site for current rate!). If you open an Orange Savings Account through my referral link and deposit at least $250, you'll get a $25 bonus from ING! That's right, $25 free money for doing something that you should do anyway :)

These links are good for 30 days, and I will update them periodically. If you get an error message from a link, that means it has already been used. If all the links have been used, email me and I will send you a link. I also have links for the Electric Orange checking account, $25 bonus, email me if interested.
Last updated: October 6, 2009

ING Orange Savings $25 bonus link #1
ING Orange Savings $25 bonus link #2


Happy earning!

~Joy

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Adgitize blog advertising network for traffic and money!

I love Adgitize! After mediocre results with other advertising programs, both as a publisher and an advertiser, Adgitize has restored my faith in running ads and in displaying ads. Adgitize is a program that works for me, and boy does it work great.

Adgitize for publishers is based on a points system, with a maximum of 500 points per day. You get points through clicking on ads, pageviews, ad views, being an advertiser, and writing a blog post for the day. Your points are converted into money, and at the end of the month you get paid.

To advertise for the month on the Adgitize network costs $14 - and every month that I have advertised with Adgitize, I've earned more than my $14 back. Usually I earn about $20-$25 advertising with Adgitize.

Adgitize also works especially great for people who are Entrecard members, because you can do your Adgitize ad clicks and Entrecard drops at the same time, with very little effort.

I highly recommend the Adgitize advertising network. It is growing every day and giving more and more bloggers success. Advertising on Adgitize has given me 2000 extra visitors per month, for $14 that gets paid back to me at the end of the month. If you publish blog posts regularly (write posts in advance) and do your clicks, you will probably make back the $14 Adgitize ad cost (that's 50 cents per day).

Give Adgitize a try, especially if you already use Entrecard. I find it hugely rewarding.

~Joy

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Planting Money Seeds to generate Passive Income

No one will get rich quick making money online. Blogging is just not the key to quick easy cash. The thing is, having your own website or blog can generate something much more powerful over time than some quick money. The power of blogging lies in its ability to generate passive income.

Passive income is a great kind of income to have. As some people say, it's "making money while you sleep". Rather than being paid by the hour, you are being paid all the time for things you have already done, with little or no effort. The key to generate passive income is to plant "money seeds".

With some effort up front, you can create passive income streams that will continue for years. Even after you've moved on to a new project, these seeds that you have planted will continue to grow and bring in money. Even if it's just a small amount of money, these passive income streams will add up.

After the initial setup of your passive streams of income, there is little you have to do to keep them going. That's the beauty of the passive income. And, since you set up many small streams of passive income, if one for some reason stops generating money, you have many others to fall back on. You can continually add new programs to generate your passive income - continue to plant seeds, and you will continue to reap money.

This blog, Money Seeds, is a record of my attempt to generate multiple streams of passive income. I don't expect to get rich quick, or even get rich at all, what have I got to lose? Everything I join will be free or low-cost, and I will tell you what works and what doesn't. What is successful for me may not be successful for you, and vice versa, but I hope I can help others earn their own passive income.

I will write about the programs I am a part of, the money I make, as well as general informational articles for finding good passive income streams and improving your personal website or blog to earn passive income. I welcome your comments, thoughts, experiences, and if you are interested in writing a guest post please contact me.

Good luck in generating your own passive income! It takes time, patience, and perseverance - this is not the way to get rich quick. But in the end, perhaps it will be worth it.

~Joy

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