Posts Tagged ‘finance’

Ways to Protect your Identity

Saturday, June 18th, 2011

Statistics say that there were over 14 million recorded identity thefts in a span of 2 years (January 2001 to middle of May 2003) in the US alone. Imagine what the statistics are like worldwide. United States Victims ended up shedding a total of $4 Billion out of their own money. The number has only gone up since then. By reading this article, I hope you will learn how to avoid being another identity theft statistic. Here are some things you can do to protect your credit and your identity from thieves. Remember that you can never 100% protect yourself against identity theft as we use our personal information to purchase stuff everyday. However, you can definitely mitigate the risks.

1. Be careful of people nearby who look like the are snoopy. These are people who try to take a peek at what you are doing over your shoulders Always be alert of your surroundings when you are working in a public space. Try to have a privacy screen when you are working in public, such as a library. Always remember the more people there are at any one place, the bigger the chance that there is an onlooker.

2. Destroy all sensitive data, paper or digital. If it is a paper document, shred it until it is unrecognizable. If it is digital, thoroughly erase all information. If you are not giving it away or selling it, I recommend destroying the hard drive with a hammer. If you are giving away your computer or selling it, always use top of the line software to wipe your data completely. Experts recommend going over your data twice to make sure nothing is left on.

3. Make sure to always secure your digital devices (ie laptops and mobile devices) with a password. Internet access is widespread nowadays so hackers can hack into your device if left unguarded. When it comes to your home network, always have a password-protected firewall with encryption. Hackers are always on the prowl for open home networks to hack. On my Android device, I also have an app that secures my sensitive apps with a password.

4. Have an alarm system at home and in your automobile. Criminals very rarely break into anything with an alarm because once it is set off, the chance of them being identified skyrockets. Additionally, alarm systems are really a hassle to disam and are usually not worth it for the criminal.

5. Sign up for a credit monitoring service such as MyFico. They will alert you of any odd transactions or anything new on your credit. Also, sign up for fraud protection with your credit card and bank if they don’t already provide one for you. They come in very handy as they will alert you of odd activity on your account. Also make sure you have fraud protection on all your credit and debit cards.

By using the tips I posted above, you can largely decrease the chance of having your identity stolen and your credit profile ruined. Remember, the biggest repercussion of a stolen identity is the lasting effect it has on your credit. So save yourself the hassle and protect yourself because it is a big hassle having to repair your credit profile after an identity theft. Use the tips above and it will greatly reduce your chances of having your credit ruined and your identity stolen.

 

Home Based Business – Becoming Visible To Your Target Market

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

One of the biggest problems that a new home based business owner will face, is getting targeted traffic to their website. While there are several free methods to generate targeted traffic, they are not always widely known within the online industry. As a result, many new online marketers will end up spending money that they do not have to spare on advertisement which does not convert into sales. Consequently, many home based business owners draw the conclusion that there is no money to be made in this industry, and therefore give up on their dream of generating revenue online.

Hence, it is apparent that if you can send a steady flow of targeted visitors to your website, your home based business should do very well. Unfortunately, most online marketers never clear this hurdle. Much of the time it is because they are unwilling to put forth the requisite effort, or conduct the necessary research to obtain such traffic. However, if you are willing to do the research and put forth the effort, you will get the traffic that you desire. Once you have gotten to this stage, you will make sales and generate a profit.

On a positive note, there are an abundance of methods which you can utilize to steer targeted visitors to your website. With that being said, these methods take time and effort. For instance, you might have heard of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) at one time or the other. This is a method by which you take steps to enable your website to rank prominently in the search engines. Sounds pretty good, right? The only problem is that it takes time. Some home based business owners may be more than willing to put forth the effort, but do not have the 6 to 12 months to wait for targeted traffic so that their home based business can become successful. If this sounds like you, there are a few solutions which we will discuss below.

One solutions which addresses the challenges of targeted traffic to your website both in the short-term, and the long-term is article marketing. Article marketing is an outstanding method of both driving instant targeted traffic to your website, while also building one way links to your website, which are the precursor to ranking prominently in the search engines. Essentially, article marketing involves writing articles which contain valuable information to your niche market, and submitting them to article directories and niche blogs.

Another method which provides similar benefits to article marketing is what is known as social media marketing. This method involves submitting your writings to social bookmarking and social networking websites such as Reddit, Delicious, Mister Wong, Propeller, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, Google Bookmarks, etc. Taking such steps provide you with targeted traffic to your website, one way links, as well as the branding as an expert in your field. Just make sure that what you are bookmarking is of value to your niche market, and you are not purely spamming for self serving purposes.

All in all, there are several ways to drive instant targeted traffic to your home based business. Keep in mind that the operative word here is “targeted” traffic. It is useless for you to go after traffic which has no interest in what you are offering. Hence, it is important from the start of your home based business that you clearly identify your target market, and show this market how what you are offering to them will make their lives better.

Getting targeted visitors to your website is crucial for your Home Based Business. While there is not doubting that it is true that Business Opportunities are important, they will not get off of the ground without traffic to your website. Swing by and see us at SOSComplete.com