Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for 2009

Thank you to all our visitors, clients and customers for making 2008 another wonderful year at InternetTIPS.com. Like millions of others, at this time of the year, here at InternetTIPS.com, we celebrate Christmas. Yet this "Christmas Card Article" is really about you. Here's why.

Whether you also enjoy Christmas, or instead, prefer to likewise revel in other similarly remarkable times like Hanukkah, Kwanza, Ramadan, the Winter Solstice, or any other special celebration, or even if you don't celebrate at all, we hope you can still take some time out to pause for a little while, stop all work-related activities, and instead, just think about your life. Why: now is as good a time as any.

If possible, especially enjoy family and friends. Slow down, relax and imagine - yes imagine - what you can do should you decide to "get creative" in 2009!

In fact, 2009 may be the best time ever for you find out who you really are!

How the 1970s Recession Gave Birth to a New World

Let's take a leap back in time for a few moments. It's the 1970s:

• Sky high oil prices.
• Rationing.
• Driving speed restrictions.
• Worldwide economic recession.
• Jimmy Carter turns down the heating in the White House to become the first US President to address the nation dressed in a sweater.

Result: troubled times. With all that was going on during the 70s, we could be forgiven for thinking that doom was just around the corner.

Yet hear this: more than at any other time, hard times breed innovation. Don't believe me? Consider:

• 1975: Bill Gates and Paul Allen - two students without a real college education - started Microsoft: a company that went on to change the world.
• 1976: Steven P. Jobs founds Apple. Without Apple would / could Microsoft have created Windows?

Of course, the 1970s brought much heartache, yet one thing can lead to another and sometimes you need another piece of the jigsaw in place before you can discover where your own piece fits.

That's why perhaps both Microsoft and Apple needed each other to be in place in order to provide the important drivers that contributed to a massive growth wave lasting decades, that eventually encompassed the entire world, created millions of new jobs and resulted in global trade worth billions.

Everyone Has a Story to Tell

So take heart dear reader: the best really is yet to come!

During my lifetime, I have had the pleasure of meeting thousands of wonderful people. That's why I'm convinced that everyone has at least one special talent that is always looking for a way to become unleashed. The tragedy is that most don't believe that, or give up at the first fence or hurdle they meet.

You know, I really do believe that individuals can choose to nurture and develop as many talents as they may wish. Some people are like jet fighters; others move at the considered speed of a snail. The great news is, your choice of pace doesn't really matter. After all, your life is your business; it's your show. All that really matters is that you take the decision to allow yourself to be who you really are and take those first few steps to make a start.

Naturally, I suggest you follow the InternetTIPS.com 2-Step Success Plan below:

• Step 1: if it is to be, it is up to me (answers the question: "Who will do it?" - whatever "it" means to you).
• Step 2: one step at a time in 2009 (answers the question: "How will I do it?"). Everything gets done one step at a time - that's all it takes.
  

"But What About the Credit Crunch?" I Hear You Say

No problem: we've been here before; we'll be here again; simply adjust as necessary, adapt to new conditions, and maybe even thrive.

How is that possible?

Many others are are now also taking the time they need to learn how to use the Internet more effectively for business. As a result, for these amazing "movers and shakers" you'll most likely never hear about, the current credit crunch seems to be affecting their business processes in three main ways:

• Having little impact, or
• Encouraging positive change, or
• Actually boosting business turnover and profits. Instead of contracting, this group are struggling to cope with increased demand!

We know that economic recessions present both threat and opportunity at the same time. For newspapers, magazines, television and even some websites on the Internet, fear sells more product or helps secure more viewers than topics like individual happiness, freedom of lifestyle choices, or anything else that's positive in our world.

Here at InternetTIPS.com, we don't do fear - or negativity. Instead we focus on the positives. So while the media may drone on about all that's bad when recession strikes, we know - absolutely know - that some people actually win big during such challenging times. How? I believe always through radical (contrary) thinking, making smart investments in the right kinds of education and technology, and the application of action-based, focused work.

For example, I recall a comment I read some time ago about author, Robert Ringer. When he looked back throughout his lifetime, the last few economic recessions generated some of his most profitable ventures. Sure, without doubt, Robert Ringer is a remarkable man. As an author and consultant, he wrote books from a unique angle, often proposed ideas and solutions that were often the polar opposite to the popular view, and provided expert consultancy services. Yet, while many within the same or similar fields of business to those served by Robert Ringer floundered, recessionary periods proved to be some of RR's most profitable times.

Why is that? Here's an idea: perhaps during times of economic challenge, we are all forced to re-examine everything we do more closely; to make swift and bold changes; to save money where necessary; and so forth. Whereas during the good times, we're rarely faced with such dilemmas, so maybe we can afford to be less choosy and so, arguably, are less creative.

One thing is certain: pain forces change - and that can be an important key for all of us!

If the Credit Crunch is Affecting You Now ...

If you feel that you're personally getting "hammered" by the credit crunch, although initially unwelcome, the experience may provide the start of an entirely new and better chapter in "the book that is your life".

Certainly make savings where you can. Yet never forget that investment in the right kind of education and resources is usually a move that pays back many times over. Oftentimes, the best opportunity for retraining and re-educating is during times of turmoil.

In a few months, or by this time next year, you even may look back and say: "If the credit crunch hadn't occurred, I would still be working in that job I hated, instead of running a thriving web business, working my own hours, from home, as my own boss!".

Most important: you can use this time as a way to make a start and learn some new, valuable, marketable, "future-proof" skills. As a web business publisher, naturally I urge you to consider:

• Writing, and ...
• Communicating, and ...
• Web publishing ...

... as the way to go. Why: that's what one area I know about that really works when implemented correctly!

Today, with just a little training, web content managment systems like Joomla can give you the tools you need to provide text, audio (podcasts) and video, at low cost and connect with people you might otherwise never have the chance to meet.

When you connect, you communicate and with communication comes the opportunity to do business, enrich your customer's world and your own at the same time.

If one person working from a croft on a Scottish island can build a thriving, fun and relaxed web business, there's a niche out there that's just right for you too.

By subscribing free here, you'll gain access to hundreds of pages here at InternetTIPS.com to learn about how you can use the power of the web and Internet to re-invent yourself online.

Yet 2009 is promising to be an especially interesting year. Here's why.

A Sneak Peek: Discover VAT Pages in 2009

In 2009, I'll also be using, explore and talking more about how to implement VAT pages on your website to communicate better, engage with visitors, customers and clients, and persuade online. For a taster now, just what are VAT pages you might ask.

Here's a quick answer:

• A VAT page is new term that I created to describe a timely and powerful web page format that contains Video, Audio and Text (VAT) content to put over a message in a meaningful, entertaining and memorable way.
• One type of VAT page can be likened to a personalized theatrical production for the web.
• Several kinds of VAT page are available (maybe you can think up more).

In time, I believe, VAT pages will become the norm for websites that seek to engage, interact, persuade or simply do business better on the Web.

With the massive growth in broadband during 2007/2008 around the world, the Web is now poised and ready for VAT pages.

So hang on, stay tuned: it's going to a wild and fun ride in 2009.

In the meantime, peace and best wishes.

From Brian Austin and InternetTIPS.com Customer Support Services.

InternetTIPS.com is a unique, plain English "How to" resource designed to help you create a profitable, interactive Web 2.0 website rich in engaging content, community and commerce.

Brian Austin is a member of both the Society of Authors and the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators. He has over 25,000 hours of extensive experience combining the disciplines of web site design, search engine optimization, and creating remarkable, compelling content interwoven with persuasive writing.

Whether you're an individual, small- or medium-sized business or organization, we can work with you to design, create and populate a "ready-to-go" website that you can be proud of.

Moreover, for no additional cost, clients who order website design services, can also enjoy full access to our member-only area containing a growing vault of downloadable resources including: 9,000 articles, 1,500 marketing strategies, plain English training tutorial videos, software, ebooks and more! To discuss your project, in the first instance, to ensure we don't miss your emails, please contact Brian using our web Contact form.