Tuesday, June 27, 2006

your humble author

Gambling gig

For months now I have been receiving a trickle of income from an online gambling gig that I stumbled upon. Most people think it is too good to be true when they first hear about it; you get $ to gamble in online casinos and poker rooms. Usually the amounts are around $50; the casinos normally give you matching amounts just for joining.

You submit a very short mostly multiple choice report after you are done, which means you either lost or won some $. If you win you get to keep your winnings but must return the stake.

That's it! It is fun if you like to gamble, and there is a chance you can actually win some $ although the casinos do not make that easy. Because they usually match your deposit with their own money, they require you to win a minimum amount before you can withdraw anything. The amount is large enough that you have to be really good or really lucky or both to actually get to the point where you can withdraw winnings.

For me the $s have come from the folks I have referred to weekly wager, the company sponsoring the project. They have been very reliable about paying for each person that I refer that completes at least two casino reports.

It has been an easy and fun gig. Mostly it has wetted my appetite for more professional online marketing efforts. I love the idea of establishing multiple sources of passive income online. How about you?

Internet Marketing Center seminar

I attended a seminar this weekend sponsored by the Internet Marketing Center, one of the older and more established online marketing centers. They are based in Vancouver, Canada.

A $97 deposit was required, which they did return as promised at the end of the seminar. Of course they did pitch their products while they were providing information, but they did not overdo the sales pitches, and in fact their software and consulting services are so obviously worthwhile that I did not feel offended.

I mean, come on, you get invited to a "free" seminar you know there is going to be some strings attached. But on balance, it was well worth. They presented a lot of juicy, useful information.

There were 250 people there; it was held at the Sheraton in Arlington Heights, IL. They gave out nice free goodies too; a tote bag, notebook and pen, and plastic drinking cup, all plastered with their logo of course.

We were even given a chance to present our little enterprise on stage to the group.

They had a large number of staff on hand too, maybe a dozen mostly young folks with various areas of expertise who were very friendly and available for help.

Derek Gehl, the pres. and CEO did most of the presenting, but there were other very competent folks including Brandon Dupsky, a eBay hotshot who provided all sorts of useful hints.

There were plenty of opportunities to network and set up joint ventures, etc. Altogether a very worthwhile weekend. In fact, I was so impressed with the IMC that I decided to become an affiliate.