Friday, March 14, 2008
Finding The Right Math Tutor For Your Teen
Your teen is struggling in math class and you have decided that a tutor might help. How do you go about finding a good one? You want someone who relates well to your student, is knowledgeable, and is able to communicate effectively.
One possibility, and perhaps the most economical, would be a peer tutor. Someone in the same class who is doing well or someone who did well in the course a year or two earlier might be interested in doing one-on-one tutoring. If you choose to go this route, you might ask the teacher for names of capable students.
The high school counselors office is another good place to investigate possibilities. Many times they keep a list of available tutors in different subject areas. And if they dont have a list, many times they will lend assistance in trying to locate a suitable tutor.
A certified teacher or retired teacher can be an excellent choice for private tutoring. Many schools have rules that prohibit a classroom teacher from tutoring his/her own students for compensation, but another teacher in the school or a teacher in another district might be available. Many teachers welcome tutoring jobs as a means of supplementing their income. However, you should expect to pay more for a certified or more experienced person.
If your community has a local college, consider hiring a college student as a tutor. When I was teaching I often referred parents to the chairman of the math department of our nearby college. He always had a list of students that were interested in tutoring high school math students.
Talk to other parents of high school students. Word of mouth can be a wonderful source of information when seeking out the right tutor. That parent sitting next to you at the soccer game might just have found a gem of a tutor who is looking for more students.
You might also consider running an ad in your local newspaper to find a tutor. Of course you want to be sure to carefully screen applicants and ask for references.
Lastly, your teen might be a good candidate for on-line tutoring services. There are a multitude of those services available today and they are growing in popularity.
A word of caution about choosing a tutor for your teenteenagers are such individuals. What works for one student might not work for another at all. Some relate better to a peer tutor, while another might be more comfortable with a college student. Be sure that your teenager is an integral part of the process of finding just the right math tutor. This will help insure that you (and your student) reap maximum benefits from the tutoring experience.
Linda Hinkle is an educator, having taught high school mathematics for 29 years. She wishes to help empower parents of high school students struggling with mathematics. Find more information about high school topics and sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.highschoolstuff.com.
One possibility, and perhaps the most economical, would be a peer tutor. Someone in the same class who is doing well or someone who did well in the course a year or two earlier might be interested in doing one-on-one tutoring. If you choose to go this route, you might ask the teacher for names of capable students.
The high school counselors office is another good place to investigate possibilities. Many times they keep a list of available tutors in different subject areas. And if they dont have a list, many times they will lend assistance in trying to locate a suitable tutor.
A certified teacher or retired teacher can be an excellent choice for private tutoring. Many schools have rules that prohibit a classroom teacher from tutoring his/her own students for compensation, but another teacher in the school or a teacher in another district might be available. Many teachers welcome tutoring jobs as a means of supplementing their income. However, you should expect to pay more for a certified or more experienced person.
If your community has a local college, consider hiring a college student as a tutor. When I was teaching I often referred parents to the chairman of the math department of our nearby college. He always had a list of students that were interested in tutoring high school math students.
Talk to other parents of high school students. Word of mouth can be a wonderful source of information when seeking out the right tutor. That parent sitting next to you at the soccer game might just have found a gem of a tutor who is looking for more students.
You might also consider running an ad in your local newspaper to find a tutor. Of course you want to be sure to carefully screen applicants and ask for references.
Lastly, your teen might be a good candidate for on-line tutoring services. There are a multitude of those services available today and they are growing in popularity.
A word of caution about choosing a tutor for your teenteenagers are such individuals. What works for one student might not work for another at all. Some relate better to a peer tutor, while another might be more comfortable with a college student. Be sure that your teenager is an integral part of the process of finding just the right math tutor. This will help insure that you (and your student) reap maximum benefits from the tutoring experience.
Linda Hinkle is an educator, having taught high school mathematics for 29 years. She wishes to help empower parents of high school students struggling with mathematics. Find more information about high school topics and sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.highschoolstuff.com.
Have You Been Scammed?
Do you want to make money online? Unless you have some insider advice or a great mentor, it can be very challenging to decipher all the offers and opportunities out there. I call it getting lost down the Internet rabbit hole.
If you are anything like me, every day youll have an in-box full of emails telling you about the latest and greatest ways to make money and get rich on the Internet. Ive been in the home business industry for several years, and have found businesses that work and many that dont. Once I decided that the Internet was a fantastic environment to develop my business and make money, I began to do some research. So I read a lot, joined many business opportunities and purchased a lot of systems and tools.
I found an enormous number of so-called Guru packages that claim to show you the system, the secret, the one way to make money in home business and make you successful. There are launches of new systems and products everyday, all with the promise of quick and easy ways to make money.
If you are like me, youll find that it gets to the point where you are really suffering from information overload, too many products, too many e-books too much software, and all those audios. Have you found that you have even forgotten what you have already purchased? Yet you are still looking for the perfect home business. Because you know that there must be a way for you to make money working at home.
Now dont get me wrong. There are heaps of people who make money online from many home business programs. And many are legitimate. But some really should be avoided.
Here are some tips on what to do to help you avoid being scammed.
First, make sure that the business is being offered by a legitimate company. This is easy to check see if you can phone them and that they have a real mail address. Do a Google search on the business name and the person involved, and check out related websites and forums. Also search for complaints. It is well worth spending some time researching.
Check how long this business has been running. You really want something that is established. There are heaps of start-ups, and of course their selling point is get in now with a ground floor opportunity and make money online faster. The truth is that 95% of these startups fail some very quickly, some after a year or so. And when they fall over, your business falls over too. So unless you are willing to risk your money and a lot of your effort, it is best to steer clear of startups.
There are a few types of home business that are suspect: these include home craft, stuffing envelopes, and typing at home. It appears that after paying the joining fee, no real work at home is actually available.
An obvious type to avoid is the pyramid scheme this is where you pay a fee for nothing of value, and get others to do the same, with a promise that you will make money. You may have seen these on and off the Internet. The point about these schemes is that they are illegal, and are not legitimate forms of making money in home business.
My research has let me to a conclusion and some advice. Do some research on the home business opportunity you are looking at. Avoid the pitfalls I have mentioned above.
Make sure you are getting something of value for the investment that is required.
And then focus to make sure that you make money with your own home business.
Janet Ellershaw
If you are anything like me, every day youll have an in-box full of emails telling you about the latest and greatest ways to make money and get rich on the Internet. Ive been in the home business industry for several years, and have found businesses that work and many that dont. Once I decided that the Internet was a fantastic environment to develop my business and make money, I began to do some research. So I read a lot, joined many business opportunities and purchased a lot of systems and tools.
I found an enormous number of so-called Guru packages that claim to show you the system, the secret, the one way to make money in home business and make you successful. There are launches of new systems and products everyday, all with the promise of quick and easy ways to make money.
If you are like me, youll find that it gets to the point where you are really suffering from information overload, too many products, too many e-books too much software, and all those audios. Have you found that you have even forgotten what you have already purchased? Yet you are still looking for the perfect home business. Because you know that there must be a way for you to make money working at home.
Now dont get me wrong. There are heaps of people who make money online from many home business programs. And many are legitimate. But some really should be avoided.
Here are some tips on what to do to help you avoid being scammed.
First, make sure that the business is being offered by a legitimate company. This is easy to check see if you can phone them and that they have a real mail address. Do a Google search on the business name and the person involved, and check out related websites and forums. Also search for complaints. It is well worth spending some time researching.
Check how long this business has been running. You really want something that is established. There are heaps of start-ups, and of course their selling point is get in now with a ground floor opportunity and make money online faster. The truth is that 95% of these startups fail some very quickly, some after a year or so. And when they fall over, your business falls over too. So unless you are willing to risk your money and a lot of your effort, it is best to steer clear of startups.
There are a few types of home business that are suspect: these include home craft, stuffing envelopes, and typing at home. It appears that after paying the joining fee, no real work at home is actually available.
An obvious type to avoid is the pyramid scheme this is where you pay a fee for nothing of value, and get others to do the same, with a promise that you will make money. You may have seen these on and off the Internet. The point about these schemes is that they are illegal, and are not legitimate forms of making money in home business.
My research has let me to a conclusion and some advice. Do some research on the home business opportunity you are looking at. Avoid the pitfalls I have mentioned above.
Make sure you are getting something of value for the investment that is required.
And then focus to make sure that you make money with your own home business.
Janet Ellershaw
Online Money-Making Products -- Worth It or Worthless?
Ever considered buying one of those money-making products that claim you can earn hundreds per day online, with only a few hours work? So did I, and after reading one long sales letter after another, I finally broke down and purchased a few. Here's what I learned about making money online and what it really costs to get those fantastic profits you hear so much about.
Getting Started... First, Choose Your Product
I bought a popular package and paid $49.95, which is about average. For my money, I got a lot of sound ideas for generating Internet cash; almost too many. Do yourself a favor and take notes as you wade through the detailed techniques in these products. It'll help you set priorities for the tasks you'll need to perform.
When in Doubt, Start at the Beginning
Like many others, this product author offers a free website to jump-start your business. As with any website, you also need a hosting plan. The author recommends a hosting company that charges $4.95 per month. This is actually a great price, since it includes lots of high-quality features and a free domain name (i.e. www.your-own-domain-name.com.)
Your costs so far:
-- Product: $49.95, including free website
-- Domain name of your choice: $0.00
-- Hosting cost: $4.95 / month for hosting, paid 1 year in advance. Cost: $59.40
-- Total expenditure: $109.35
Ok, But How Do You Earn Income?
Let's assume you now have the complimentary website from the author under your chosen domain name. So, how does that make you money?
What you've actually got is a website with reviews for various money-making products, including the author's. You earn commissions when your visitors buy those products after reading your reviews. You don't sell anything directly; instead, you are an affiliate of the authors whose product reviews appear on your web pages. What does being an affiliate cost? Nothing... it's free! And, you stand to make substantial income if you can entice your visitors to buy the products you review.
For example, some packages cost $100 and you could receive up to 75% commission for sending a buyer to an author's web page, as long as they complete a purchase. Product prices and commissions vary, but the average charge for an information product is about $50 and the average commission paid is around 50%, so being an affiliate can be very lucrative!
Getting Visitors Fast
At this point, you've got the potential to make good, maybe even great money. But there's just one catch... nobody on the Internet knows about your website! You have no visitors and no buyers.
What can you do to get eyes on your site in a hurry? What else, spend some money! How much depends upon what you can afford up front and how well you understand pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
What is pay-per-click advertising? Run a search on www.Google.com and take a look at the results page. On the right side of the screen you'll see a section called "Sponsored Links". These are the PPC ads, called Google Adwords, that people like yourself can purchase. Your ads appear when someone searches Google for the keywords you specified during ad setup.
Let The Bidding Begin
Here's how it works: You bid for position in the sponsored ads, but you pay nothing until someone clicks on your ad. For each click, you pay the amount you bid for your location in the ad results. Depending upon the keywords you pick, bids can range from $0.05 to many dollars.
But, it really doesn't matter how much you pay per click as long as you get a fair amount of sales from those clicks. Remember, you can earn an average of $25 and even $75 or more per sale if your customers buy through your affiliate program.
Pay-Per-Click Economics 101
Let's assume a cost of $0.25 per click and an average profit from each affiliate sale of $25. You must sell (or "convert") 10 products per 1000 clicks just to break-even. So, your "conversion rate" or the number of sales you make vs. the number of total clicks on your ad is 1%.
1% sounds like a low number, but it's actually considered a decent conversion rate on the Internet. But, you're just breaking-even. To start making money, you must lower your cost-per-click or raise your conversion rate. How? By selecting the right keywords for your ads and tweaking your website so it induces your visitors to buy, not just browse.
The Adwords Path to Profits
Ideally, you want your ad to appear in targeted search results, when the searcher is ready to buy. There's a whole science (and maybe some voodoo) behind picking the best keywords for your ads, writing a compelling ad and getting your prospective customers to make a purchase from your website. But, there are also lots of informative products out there to help you. Products which you can buy and then sell as an affiliate!
Ok, let's recap your business costs up to now... you've spent $109.35 on a money-making product plus web hosting. Add $250 per week for Google ad clicks (1000 clicks / week at $0.25 each = $250 / week.) So at the end of month one, you have a total outlay of $1109.35, with $1000 repeating each month for ad costs.
Now, let's look at your profit figures... at the original conversion rate of 1%, you break even each month after the first. Not so good, but... what if you enhanced your Google ad and picked some cheaper, targeted keywords for your ad raising your conversion rate to 1.5%?
Count Your Profits, But Keep Your Job
Good news! 1.5% of those 1000 clicks per week is 15 sales. At $25 commission per sale, you rake-in $375 per week. Subtracting $250 in Google ad costs, you just made $125 profit per week! Not enough to quit your job, but that's $500 a month you didn't have before. The best part is, this process repeats itself without any more effort on your part.
Make a Living from Your Website(s)
Now, let's improve your bottom-line. Imagine you have 20 affiliate websites selling various products that generate $125 profit per week through affiliate sales. That's an amazing $2500 per week or $130,000 per year! Makes you want to quit your job and devote even more time to creating websites, doesn't it?
Is this simple? Not when you first start out. In fact, if you aren't careful about your keyword choices and your ad and website content, you could be pouring that $250 in ad costs right down the Google drain!
Worth It or Worthless?
Yes, money-making products that promise Internet profits can actually work. Just be sure to follow instructions and take careful notes. It's also smart to learn as much as you can about keyword selection, ad writing and website design. Oh, and don't forget to take some time to enjoy your success!
Tom Thomas is an Internet marketer who reviews the best money-making products, domain name registrars, website hosting companies and online marketing tools. See his reviews at http://BestMoneyMakersGuide.com.
Getting Started... First, Choose Your Product
I bought a popular package and paid $49.95, which is about average. For my money, I got a lot of sound ideas for generating Internet cash; almost too many. Do yourself a favor and take notes as you wade through the detailed techniques in these products. It'll help you set priorities for the tasks you'll need to perform.
When in Doubt, Start at the Beginning
Like many others, this product author offers a free website to jump-start your business. As with any website, you also need a hosting plan. The author recommends a hosting company that charges $4.95 per month. This is actually a great price, since it includes lots of high-quality features and a free domain name (i.e. www.your-own-domain-name.com.)
Your costs so far:
-- Product: $49.95, including free website
-- Domain name of your choice: $0.00
-- Hosting cost: $4.95 / month for hosting, paid 1 year in advance. Cost: $59.40
-- Total expenditure: $109.35
Ok, But How Do You Earn Income?
Let's assume you now have the complimentary website from the author under your chosen domain name. So, how does that make you money?
What you've actually got is a website with reviews for various money-making products, including the author's. You earn commissions when your visitors buy those products after reading your reviews. You don't sell anything directly; instead, you are an affiliate of the authors whose product reviews appear on your web pages. What does being an affiliate cost? Nothing... it's free! And, you stand to make substantial income if you can entice your visitors to buy the products you review.
For example, some packages cost $100 and you could receive up to 75% commission for sending a buyer to an author's web page, as long as they complete a purchase. Product prices and commissions vary, but the average charge for an information product is about $50 and the average commission paid is around 50%, so being an affiliate can be very lucrative!
Getting Visitors Fast
At this point, you've got the potential to make good, maybe even great money. But there's just one catch... nobody on the Internet knows about your website! You have no visitors and no buyers.
What can you do to get eyes on your site in a hurry? What else, spend some money! How much depends upon what you can afford up front and how well you understand pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
What is pay-per-click advertising? Run a search on www.Google.com and take a look at the results page. On the right side of the screen you'll see a section called "Sponsored Links". These are the PPC ads, called Google Adwords, that people like yourself can purchase. Your ads appear when someone searches Google for the keywords you specified during ad setup.
Let The Bidding Begin
Here's how it works: You bid for position in the sponsored ads, but you pay nothing until someone clicks on your ad. For each click, you pay the amount you bid for your location in the ad results. Depending upon the keywords you pick, bids can range from $0.05 to many dollars.
But, it really doesn't matter how much you pay per click as long as you get a fair amount of sales from those clicks. Remember, you can earn an average of $25 and even $75 or more per sale if your customers buy through your affiliate program.
Pay-Per-Click Economics 101
Let's assume a cost of $0.25 per click and an average profit from each affiliate sale of $25. You must sell (or "convert") 10 products per 1000 clicks just to break-even. So, your "conversion rate" or the number of sales you make vs. the number of total clicks on your ad is 1%.
1% sounds like a low number, but it's actually considered a decent conversion rate on the Internet. But, you're just breaking-even. To start making money, you must lower your cost-per-click or raise your conversion rate. How? By selecting the right keywords for your ads and tweaking your website so it induces your visitors to buy, not just browse.
The Adwords Path to Profits
Ideally, you want your ad to appear in targeted search results, when the searcher is ready to buy. There's a whole science (and maybe some voodoo) behind picking the best keywords for your ads, writing a compelling ad and getting your prospective customers to make a purchase from your website. But, there are also lots of informative products out there to help you. Products which you can buy and then sell as an affiliate!
Ok, let's recap your business costs up to now... you've spent $109.35 on a money-making product plus web hosting. Add $250 per week for Google ad clicks (1000 clicks / week at $0.25 each = $250 / week.) So at the end of month one, you have a total outlay of $1109.35, with $1000 repeating each month for ad costs.
Now, let's look at your profit figures... at the original conversion rate of 1%, you break even each month after the first. Not so good, but... what if you enhanced your Google ad and picked some cheaper, targeted keywords for your ad raising your conversion rate to 1.5%?
Count Your Profits, But Keep Your Job
Good news! 1.5% of those 1000 clicks per week is 15 sales. At $25 commission per sale, you rake-in $375 per week. Subtracting $250 in Google ad costs, you just made $125 profit per week! Not enough to quit your job, but that's $500 a month you didn't have before. The best part is, this process repeats itself without any more effort on your part.
Make a Living from Your Website(s)
Now, let's improve your bottom-line. Imagine you have 20 affiliate websites selling various products that generate $125 profit per week through affiliate sales. That's an amazing $2500 per week or $130,000 per year! Makes you want to quit your job and devote even more time to creating websites, doesn't it?
Is this simple? Not when you first start out. In fact, if you aren't careful about your keyword choices and your ad and website content, you could be pouring that $250 in ad costs right down the Google drain!
Worth It or Worthless?
Yes, money-making products that promise Internet profits can actually work. Just be sure to follow instructions and take careful notes. It's also smart to learn as much as you can about keyword selection, ad writing and website design. Oh, and don't forget to take some time to enjoy your success!
Tom Thomas is an Internet marketer who reviews the best money-making products, domain name registrars, website hosting companies and online marketing tools. See his reviews at http://BestMoneyMakersGuide.com.
