Global Cash Flow Network True Story

My Squidoo Lens About GCFN Has Been Locked

2009-11-29T21:32:00.003-05:00

Hello faithful readers, and fellow GCFN victims. I am sorry to report that Squidoo has decided that my lens (formerly at http://www.squidoo.com/gcfn_story) was locked just before Thanksgiving and will be deleted in a few days.

What Happened?

On Nov 24, Squidoo sent me a computer-generated email that cryptically claimed my lens was violating their Terms of Service and other Policies, but admitted it might have been a mistake, and that I could write in for a "human" review of my case. An appeals process, as it were. Here is their original email text:

Dear Squidoo lensmaster:

It looks like your Squidoo lens is violating some of our founding principles and Terms of Service. Lenses like this tend to get locked by the community, for any number of reasons.

http://www.squidoo.com/gcfn_story

In particular, your account has one or more lenses on some of our SquidDon't topics. It's simple: given our pedigree, our point of view and our dyed-in-the-wool, we-will-never-change-our-mind conviction on this issue, spam is not okay at Squidoo. Some topics are just so irresistible to spammers that we don't allow them, even for the good guys.

You can read up on our policies here:

http://www.squidoo.com/squiddont
http://www.squidoo.com/locked
http://www.squidoo.com/squidspam
http://www.squidoo.com/pages/tos
http://www.squidoo.com/pages/faq
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo-policy-update

As a result, we've put the lens on probation and marked it for deletion within the next 30 days.

If you believe you're getting this note in error, and that your lens should be exempt from our SquidDon't policies as outlined above, then you may request a review of your case by doing the following steps.

1. Forward this email, to locked(at)squidoo.com, within 7 days.
2. Include a written explanation of why you believe your lens is not violating our Terms of Service or the policies above.
3. Include the link to the lens that's been locked
4. Acknowledge that you have indeed read the policies above.

If we get a review request that doesn't contain the information we've asked for, we won't be able to consider it.

(Don't reply to this email, it won't reach us. Thanks.)

Sincerely,

The SquidTeam

So I wrote in to their "locked lens" department and requested a manual review. Naive on my part, I should have paid more attention to the "even the good guys" phrase in the top of their email. As I explained:

Dear SquidTeam,
I was most dismayed to see this lens of mine was locked today: http://www.squidoo.com/gcfn_story
This lens has been up since 2007!

My lens is not violating the TOS. I provide and fair and rational expose of a less-than-reputable company (Global Cash Flow Network). I would offer that this lens is the definition of an ANTI-spam lens that ultimately shows people just what a rip-off GCFN is (yet doing so in a good-natured and upbeat way!).

I have given the lens a scrub, to make sure I don't have too many outbound links to one domain and to be sure I'm not "overly advertising" anything. The fact is, I am anti-advertising. Please see the many comments...this lens has saved many people the heartache and cost of signing up with GCFN by warning them!

I request a manual review of my lens to unlock it. http://www.squidoo.com/gcfn_story

** I have read the multiple pages of squiddont, squidspam, tos, etc etc. I have studied all 6 links. My best guess is that my lens was locked due to an overabundance of links to the GCFN domain due to the July policy change, which I have now attempted to correct.

Please restore my lens! If you find there actually is some problem I have overlooked, I would appreciate your human assessment so I can fix it.
Thanks

Unfortunately, Squidoo! didn't see things my way. They must have decided they just don't want any mention of "disreputable" companies like Global Cash Flow Network on Squidoo (I can understand that). They are hypersensitive!!

Their response was polite. In their beneficence, I am allowed to keep my other lenses (on unrelated topics), but my GCFN blog remains abhorrent to the Squidoo gods and will be eradicated in a few days. As they explained:

Thanks for writing in.

There are topics we're just not going to let people write about. We wish we didn't have to do that, but it's the best plan available to remove the bad actors that want to take advantage, while keeping the site open for passionate people of all stripes. We're happy to let these topics exist elsewhere, but not on Squidoo.

It's simple: given our pedigree, our point of view and our dyed-in-the-wool, we-will-never-change-our-mind conviction on this issue, spam is not okay at Squidoo. Some people disagree, and we're ok with that. Some topics are just so irresistible to spammers that we don't allow them, even for the good guys.

You can read up on our policies here:

http://www.squidoo.com/squiddont
http://www.squidoo.com/locked
http://www.squidoo.com/squidspam
http://www.squidoo.com/pages/tos
http://www.squidoo.com/pages/faq
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo-policy-update

We've looked at your lens(es) again, and considered what you've shared with us in your note.

Alas, our original decision stands. Your lens(es) are violating our Squidoo TOS and policies, and as such will remain locked from view, and will be deleted in a few days.

But there's good news, too! It's actually really easy to create successful content on Squidoo. Just make useful, authentic, unique pages, don't scam or spam or steal or trick. Play hard and play fair and no one gets hurt.

Best of luck with any future lenses,

The SquidTeam
www.squidoo.com

OK, so at this point, I am giving up on the lens. But I am confused. Which "Squiddon't" topic did I violate?

SQUIDDONT WHAT?

Looking at the squidoo http://www.squidoo.com/squiddont page, I see the following list of no-no's:

"spambait" -- There are topics we're just not going to let people write about. We wish we didn't have to do that, but it's the best plan available to remove the bad actors that want to take advantage, while keeping the site open for passionate people of all stripes.

Umm, ok. So what are these topics? Does GCFN qualify?

miracle cures & pharmaceutical sales (nope)
weight loss and dieting (nope)
gambling (negative)
illegal downloads (no sir)
credit card debt, cash gifting, envelope stuffing, mortgages, currency trading, Forex, Regenesis, etc. (no)
hate lenses (no)
ringtones (no)
illegal adult material (no!!!)
copyrighted lyrics (nope)
promotion of illegal activities (no way)
promotion of unhealthy activities (no)
affiliate lenses promoting other affiliate programs (YES, ok, should have seen it right away...that's what GCFN is...but I would hardly call what I was doing "promoting")

I can only assume Squidoo considers GCFN a "spambait" topic under the "affiliate" clause... Even though I was never really promoting GCFN (at least not if you actually read what happened to me!!)

If you ask me, Squidoo is over-reacting here. I was not promoting GCFN. I was doing a public service, sharing exactly the process and what happened in the process of me getting ripped off. All without at any point calling anyone bad names or otherwise pointing fingers. The reader can decide ... was I a lazy idiot who failed to do well with a good program, or is GCFN a rip-off ? ... (the answer was always obvious).

As far as I know, most of the people who land on this blog got here through the Squidoo lens. So without that lens, I am expecting little or no new traffic here (which means GCFN should no longer have to worry about my story on the web hurting sales)

Anyway, I'm past GCFN, and have never really gotten too excited about using Squidoo! either.

Time to move on!

This blog, hopefully, won't get blocked any time soon. Though these days, I don't know what to expect.

Yours Truly,
KB

Must See Affiliate Classroom Trial for $1

2009-08-13T17:33:00.003-04:00

The long anticipated Affiliate Classroom 2.0 from Anik Singal and his team at Lurn is now here!

As I mentioned in my last post, Anik is a good and honest guy. His company, Lurn, is recognized as one of the biggest players in affiliate training, and they do not rip people off!

I just joined last night, and my hopes were confirmed. Affiliate Classroom 2.0 has everything a person needs…there's real training, plus VALUABLE tools, and (after you've been a member for ten days) they give you access to a whole forum/community of other people to ask questions and get help! As I've found, it’s not just information that puts you in the money-zone… tools can make or break you.

Want to know another thing that makes Affiliate Classroom 2.0 so different from GCFN? They don’t make you scramble to find the tools that really deliver. After all, the right tools give you massive leverage.

Sure, some other affiliate training ebooks recommend tools. But the problem is… you need a SUITE of tools. Not only that, you need PROVEN tools.

Affiliate Classroom really goes above and beyond any other training system for affiliate marketing. And you can try it for 10 days for just a buck ($1)!

===================================================================

You can try out the course for $1 and you’ll soon have ALL these tools worth $180 per month!

1. Little Tracked Link

2. Site Rank

3. Traffic Tracker

4. Google Match Type Tool

5. Key Phrase Multiplier

6. Long Tail Keyword Generator

7. AdWords Ad Writing Tool

8. Typo Generator

9. Geo Keyword Generator

10. PPC ROI Calculator

11. Keyword List Cleaner

12. Datalocker

===================================================================

Get these tools now!

Over 50% of their students reported a 23% Increase in Their Business!

Look, this program is designed to help you get up and running as fast – and as easily – as possible. Every detail is calculated and nothing is left to chance.

Make this the best $1 you’ve ever spent today!

Try Affiliate Classroom right now for $1!

See you there! (Note: After 10 days, if you want to stay a member, it costs something like $97 per month. Compared to GCFN this is a GREAT deal. I've already looked over the Affiliate Classroom and have decided I'm going to stay a member!!)

- KB

Better Ways To Make Money Online than GCFN

2009-07-31T21:04:00.004-04:00

Several comments since my last post have asked me to recommend internet marketing training programs that are good values. I've spend a lot of money over the past several years (most of it with nothing to show for it but losses) but recently I've found a few programs that have actually made me some money.

I'm by no means a "guru" and am not making oodles of money online. So I'm not necessarily someone you can learn from directly. But I do tell it like it is!!

So I'd like to suggest that you check out some really great information currently being offered for free by Anik Singal. He is co-owner of a company called Lurn, Inc. that specializes in on-line training and mentoring related to affiliate marketing.

I've met Anik personally...
I met Anik at an internet marketing conference, and can vouch for his sincerity (I spoke to him for about 30 seconds, but it was a good 30 seconds...). He really cares that his students are learning the training material and are making money!

I've also subscribed to some of Lurn, Inc.'s resources this past year and found them to be top notch. They are not free...but, compared to GCFN, they are a bargain: I'm paying $97 per month right now for one service from Lurn...it would take me 50+ months, or more than 4 years studying on the Lurn stuff to equal what I dropped in one day on GCFN!! So Anik's stuff is a steal by comparison!

The technology Anik and his company uses to train students is absolutely top notch. They take you through educational modules for each topic, provide videos in almost every lesson that explain details, then provide a test after each module so you can see if you've really retained the material. It is fantastic!

Affiliate Classroom is opening August 11
Right now, a program called "Affiliate Classroom" is being opened to the public for a limited time by Anik and his buddies. Only a limited number of people will be able to subscribe.

It may not be right for you. But if you go to THIS LINK, you can get a great - free - PDF file with a bunch of great ideas on how to promote affiliate offers online. It will also give you an idea of whether or not this Affiliate Classroom program can help you or not.

I highly recommend you check out AFFILIATE CLASSROOM before it sells out. They are giving away some really valuable content right now for free...GCFN charges an arm and a leg for info that isn't even this good!

GCFN In Review...A Year After Leaving The Program

2009-06-01T22:13:00.007-04:00

Hi folks. It's been over a year since the last time I posted anything about my story. I think I owe you all an update.

What I Think of GCFN
First of all, GCFN is a legitimate company. They sell a legitimate product, for what it is worth. However, their products are sold at a highly inflated price relative to other products available on the market. Their prices are way too high for the value they provide to the buyer.

That said, by reviewing their sales process you can learn a great deal about how to be successful with internet marketing by building a "sales funnel." The only thing I'd change is to provide more value for the prices they charge.

Now as far as value of the training...I never participated in Dan Kushell's mentoring program, so I can't say if his program is a good value or not...I'm still waiting for someone out there to post their success (or sob story) about Dan Kushell's program. For all I know, Mr. Kushell's program is excellent.

The Ultimate Traffic System really does come with some good training material that you won't otherwise receive with the basic package. However, as I said...it is exorbitantly overpriced relative to other courses you can find elsewhere on the internet.

While I do not consider GCFN to be a "scam", they are overpriced...way way WAY overpriced!!

I Got My Refund
Around May or June 2008 I completed the CMPS checklist for the program, and after 4 or 5 phone calls, received a refund for my initial cost for the CMPS program ($500 or whatever it was...I don't even remember now). However, I never received a CMPS certificate in spite of their promise to do so. (Believe it or not, I really did want that certificate!!)

So they did keep their word on the money-back guarantee. I just had to be persistent to play phone tag and keep trying to get in touch with the right person. (Of course, it is also possible that my success in achieving high page rank on Google led them to pay extra attention to me...it's hard for me to really know.)

I did NOT get my money back for the Ultimate Traffic System (which cost me thousands). There was no money-back guarantee on that. Their guarantee was to run my "guaranteed traffic" again when I initially failed to achieve the promised return on my investment. And they did run it again. So they honored their guarantees and kept their word about that.

Return on Investment?

Talking of return on investment, however, this program was a net loss for me. I made back less than half of my initial investment. (I lost thousands of dollars on this program).

So if you have already bought the program, as I have said before - view it as a learning opportunity, not a way to make fast money. Take what you learn from this as the first step in a journey. Don't give up...but be more careful in selecting programs to purchase in the future.

From what I can tell, it takes 2 years or more of trying, failing, and trying some more before the average person will be capable of making a profit online. It's a matter of studying and learning from a lot of different sources to figure out what will work for you. Persistence is the key.

I also recommend you take what GCFN teaches and apply it OUTSIDE of GCFN by setting up your own blogs and "Linked In" and "Squidoo" pages with Ebay and Amazon and other links to try and build a list in a specific niche. You'll need some kind of autoresponder to build a list...but listbuilding is a critical element to making money online.

Bottom line: If you rely only on the sites GCFN gives you, you are probably not going to make your money back. (Their stock pages are terrible at converting sales for you!)

The Best Thing About GCFN
Did I learn from the program? Yes! In fact, I found Joshua Shafran's monthly newsletter to be the best thing that ever happened to me with respect to GCFN. From his newsletter, I was introduced to PPC and CPA affiliate marketing which I am now pursuing with high hopes of actually making a profit... Since last year I have invested a lot in other training (stuff that has nothing to do with GCFN).

Joshua's content is very good and I highly recommend him for newbies. If you just keep up with his stuff for a year, you'll learn a lot. That said, I no longer subscribe to his newsletter.... I've got too many other bills and have moved on to other sources of internet marketing information.

Attitude
I try to be positive about GCFN, to the greatest degree possible. Why? Because being negative isn't going to help me make more money (it just gets me depressed).

Do I regret joining GCFN? A little. I lost a lot of money on it in 2007/2008. But I view it as a learning experience and have moved on, and plan to be successful in 2009/2010 and beyond.

Question for Reader Input!
If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to post some links to resources I recommend for learning how to make money online (things that are a better value than GCFN). Just submit a comment if you'd like me to do that...and please be patient.

Thanks for reading!
KB

You Are Not Going To Believe This!

2008-04-10T23:10:00.008-04:00

So, there I was on the sofa, doing my taxes on my laptop PC (taxes are such a pain, even with TurboTax!!) and I get this phone call on my business phone.

Happy for any excuse to get away from the taxes for a while, I walk over to my home office and pick up and I hear this woman's voice say hello and my name. Her voice sounds so familiar. Then she introduces herself and I am shocked to realize...

It is Mary Gersten Herself Live on My Phone!

It was Mary Gersten, the VP of Global Cash Flow Network. SHE actually CALLED me, one on one, in person - live! This is amazing, because she's nearly impossible to reach normally.

You can hear her voice on my main CMPS splash page where it says "Hit Play For A Special Message." It was her voice!

I could hardly believe my ears, and was sort of in shock for the first few minutes as she started talking to me about why she was calling.

She was very polite, by the way. And yes, she knows my real name, since they have my records & everything based on my website address. (I just like to maintain a little privacy on the web, that's why I write under my nickname of Koala Bear)

Why Is Mary Gersten Calling the Little Ol' Koala Bear?

Well, apparently, my blog (and my Squidoo page, GCFN - My True Story) are high profile on the internet (when you search for GCFN or CMPS) and they've noticed my blog and actually read and follow my posts.

Amazing.

Based on some of my recent post, Mary wanted to "clear up" some "misconceptions" I have about the Ultimate Traffic System/Guaranteed Traffic Program. She also wanted to make sure I got my latest referral bonus commission check for $208.

Yes, Another Check. $208. Here's the photo!

So anyway, she basically called to explain some of the things I didn't understand about the Ultimate Traffic System, and let me know about recent upgrades that have become available since I first signed up with GCFN last year. And she let me ask a few questions. She said she only had a short time to talk before she had to get to another meeting, and we only talked for a short time. I asked her two questions (one about what happens when someone doesn't get the Ultimate Traffic System, and another about why they don't have a way to track your results...I would have asked more but I couldn't think of anything, I was sort of shocked I was actually talking to her like this).

The "TRUTH" About The Ultimate Traffic System (UTS)

One of the first things Mary Gersten wanted to explain to me was that they've made some changes to how they "sell" the Ultimate Traffic System (UTS). When I signed up, the Level I coaches "overemphasized" the "guaranteed traffic" aspect of the system.

But, according to Mary Gersten, the "guaranteed traffic" isn't the main point of the system. The UTS is really an added training package (on top of the $300 basic CMPS training package) that comes with extra bonus trainings and the "black binder" of information that helps you learn how to generate massive traffic yourself on the web.

My take: Mary's explanation made a lot of sense. She was sincere and trying to help clear up any confusion I've had (and that I am spreading via this blog...) I've felt for a while that this whole CMPS thing is great as a LEARNING EXPERIENCE and TRAINING COURSE, but the conversion rate of those guaranteed visitors to buyers was a percent or less. And that's basically what Mary was telling me. The real value of the Ultimate Traffic System isn't intended to be in the thousands of visitors they will give me, but rather in the extensive training provided about generating your own targeted traffic.

You have to remember, this is a "certification" program, not a "make money fast" program.

Apparently, the ONLY way to get the special training about generating massive web traffic for your business is by ordering the Ultimate Traffic System.

IF you don't get the UTS, you won't receive the black binder or get access to a several of the online "surprise" bonuses.

I knew you wouldn't get the black binder if you didn't get the Ultimate Traffic System, but I didn't realize that some of the best "unannounced" bonus internet marketing courses that I've been studying only come to you if you sign up for the Ultimate Traffic System. Those "unannounced bonuses" are among the most beneficial things I've been studying as a CMPS student!

UTS Delivers Double Commissions

Regular students who sign up for the CMPS program but don't get the UTS will only receive a 10% commission. Mary told me that when a CMPS student also signs up for the UTS, they actually receive a 20% commission on every referral. I've actually been getting 20% commissions, not 10%. This is the only way to get a 20% referral commission as a CMPS student.

Obviously signing up for the UTS can make a big different to your earnings.

Other Interesting Program Improvements: Improved Tracking Option

Among the recent changes and upgrades to the CMPS program since I first signed up is an ability to have multiple phone number extensions to allow you to track your results against different types of advertising methods. I plan to get that upgrade, and will let you know more about it in future posts.

The reason they don't have a more straightforward tracking mechanism (like what Clickbank.com uses) is that the phone number and extension are on all your advertising...so if you just used a web "tag" or "cookie" type of tracking system, you wouldn't really be capturing all the responses to your ads. Many people call in before signing up, and there's no easy way to track where people got the phone number and extension when they call in.

But by offering this upgrade where you get multiple phone extensions, you can actually target specific advertising to specific phone extensions, and in that way you'll track nearly everything.

It's not perfect, but it sounds sufficient for what I'm looking for. And it's a massive improvement over not knowing ANYTHING about which traffic is converting (which is where I am now without this upgrade).

Radio and TV Advertising Too?

Mary also mentioned something about their including TV and Radio ads as part of the program now, for Ultimate Traffic System buyers. That sounded really cool, though she didn't explain it in any detail. Hopefully I'll get a chance to learn more about it. If/when I do, I'll let you know.

That's all I have time to write tonight. But it's been a really interesting night!

Viewer Comment - Cancel or Not?

2008-04-03T01:08:00.006-04:00

I just saw this comment from reader elizstrand and wanted to respond for everyone's benefit.

I just signed up with Global Cash Flow Network today and have charged $8590.oo in fees for the whole program including the Dan Kruscher [Kuschell] mentoring program.
About 2 hours after my Level 1 Consultant sign-up I received a phone call from another "work-from-home" sales rep for "Typing from Home" When I mentioned that I just committed to Global Cash Flow Network the caller dove into a full blown rant about what a ripoff, scam bad deal Global Cash Flow is and that I should immediately cancel. The caller wants to call me tomorrow and assist me in cancelling Global. I'm sick to my stomach thinking about this situation. What are your thoughts?
Talk about bad-mouthing the competition -- is there anything out there that's legit? What do you suggest I do? Cancel or work through the program?Thanks.Strand Communications (elizstrand)

Evaluating Advice

elizstrand, I feel your pain. I guess you were on a list for home-business information, and that's why the Typing From Home rep called you. The one thing that is important that I think you must realize already is that the Typing From Home rep you spoke to has a vested interest in getting you signed up with them, rather than GCFN. I've belonged to a network marketing company for a while and have found it hard to make any money (I've spent more on products than I've ever made). So I can't recommend Typing from Home!!

(I don't know much about that company, but you can follow this link to read a review about those types of "typing from home" opportunities/scams)

So bottom line, I WOULD NOT sign up or accept further help from the Typing from Home rep!

What About GCFN - Cancel or Not?

Whether you should cancel or not depends on your goals when you signed up. If you are expecting to make money fast (to replace your income quickly to just work from home and not need another job), I'd consider quitting. GCFN isn't a "make-money-instantly" program. It takes effort to study and then apply what they teach you, and I think the Kuschell mentoring takes place over a few months - so it would be months at least before I'd expect you to make any real money.

On the other hand, if you signed up thinking within a year's time you want to be trained in advertising and internet entrepreneur stuff, then I'd stick with the program and not cancel. From what I can tell, if you actually follow the program and use the mentoring (which sometimes takes persistence because the mentor lines tend to be jammed with calls), you will be able to start earning some real income a year or so later. Even now, while I've had a few big checks come in, I feel like I'm just learning.

Is GCFN a Scam?

I don't think it's a scam. At this point, they seem like a legitimate company to me. But I'm still debating whether or not it's a rip off.

I'm still undecided, for the many reasons I've stated in this blog in the past - it's hard to reach mentors on the phone, and there's no good way to track your advertising results when promoting GCFN. But they do offer a LOT of training and have connections to some good internet entrepreneurs like Joshua Shafran, for whom I've gained a lot of respect since subscribing to his "Two Comma Club" newsletter thru the CMPS program.

As an affiliate of the Global Cash Flow program, it clearly has an awesome back-end (customers you find will be spending thousands, which means you make a significant cut 10-20% each time, which can add up fast if you can find a good advertising/marketing method that works for you - as seen by the checks I've received). But correlating your earnings to your advertising is nearly impossible and something they really need to fix before I'll be able to say definitively that it's a good program.

Frankly, if you are signed up with the Dan Kuschell mentoring program, I'd give it a chance to work out for you. I didn't sign up for that, and actually regret it (since the "Guaranteed Traffic" was a total let-down, I wished I'd spent that money on the mentoring). My sense from talking to my level-2 coach has been that the Dan Kuschell mentoring students get a lot more help and advice. So the fact that you signed up for that is a plus - you're just going to have to work hard to get value from it.

With the CMPS program, you'll learn a lot about advertising and internet marketing stuff with the free "bonus" courses you'll receive electronically over the next few months, but you still have to figure out how to use that knowledge to make some money. Ideally you want to get in a position of promoting products OTHER than GCFN or Dan Kuschell's stuff. But you won't know enough to do that for a while.

That's why I've been saying in some of my past posts that I think the only way to succeed or get value from GCFN and the CMPS program is to look at it as an education/training course more than a money-making opportunity. You'll spend time and money now at a short-term loss, but I think long-term you'll have learned enough to start making real money on your own (not necessarily thru GCFN) within a year.

Bottom Line - Quitting or Sticking With It

It depends.

A) If you can afford to spend the $8500+ for the CMPS/Kuschell program and still be solvent if you don't make much/any money back for the next 6 months, you should definitely stick with it and not cancel. After 6 months, if you've really been following the program, you should be making that money back. And if you could leave a comment here about the Kuschell mentoring, that would be really helpful (because I'm assuming here that his mentoring program really has value to it, and isn't like the Guaranteed Traffic disappointment)

B) If you are going to be in financial crisis and not able to pay credit card bills unless the program starts producing massive amounts of cash for you, I'd recommend you quit and get your refund ASAP. From what I've seen, if you need this program to make money fast, you're going to be very disappointed.

C) If you are somewhere in-between - you can't wait 6 months, but you can afford to pay your bills (maybe you have another job) - then you should stick with it and not quit. You really will learn some stuff. I believe what you'll learn can pay off big-time down the road...but it's not going to pay off right away.

The hard part is applying what the CMPS program will try to teach you. It's all home-study, except for the times you speak to a coach and ask questions. If you don't apply it, you are wasting your money and will never get anywhere. You need to commit to really trying to apply what you'll be offered in training. I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but honestly, no home biz program out there is going to work for you unless you put some serious elbow grease into working your own education and business efforts. Unfortunately, even working hard won't guarantee success, but having any chance at profits at all starts with working hard.

Is There Any Legitimate Work from Home Program Out There?

I honestly do not know. I'm pretty cynical. I've bought plenty of courses, not just the GCFN/CMPS thing, and have yet to make any of that money back entirely by applying the material. But then again, I generally have been lazy and not diligent at applying the stuff I've bought.

The only reason I'm not entirely negative on GCFN/CMPS is because of the big checks I've been getting lately (roughly one big check $600-$950 a month for the past 3 months). It's hard to be negative about a program that sends me $950 checks.

I hope this helped. Please, let me know what you decide to do in a comment.

P.S. I have NOT received another check yet since my last post. But stay tuned!

Shocking $951 Check Received from Global Cash Flow Network

2008-03-24T12:57:00.007-04:00

Last week I received a check from GCFN for $951.00! Signed by Mary Gersten!
I actually received a $50 check several weeks before this, but didn't think it was worth mentioning (I just didn't have time to photograph and post it).

If I've done the math properly, this brings my total "earnings" so far from promoting GCFN with web-based advertising and postcards to about $2800. I spent over $5000 total to enter the Certified Media Placement Specialist program, so I haven't broken even yet. I've got to make about $2300 more to break even. (Actually, it's probably more than that if I take account of postage spent on postcards. I'll try to add that up and mention the actual numbers in my next post. I do most of these blog entries without looking up my detailed accounting records).

I've actually been slacking on the postcards. Postage costs 26 cents per postcard. If you mail 500, that's $130. I plan to try it again based on this latest check, but I'm beginning to wonder if web-based marketing is more cost-effective for me.

The sad thing is, right now there's no way for me to know whether it's postcards or something else that is working.

Does Anyone Know What Is Working ?

Although I still have some concerns about the way the GCFN sales process is hype-intensive, I am definitely on board with this as a way to make some money on the side! The CMPS program is a legitimate training opportunity with real income possibilities as far as I can tell! You just have to stick with it, look at it as a training/certification program (not a pure money-making machine) and keep trying different things until something works. A bit hit or miss, but that's honestly all I've been doing so far.

Apparently my advertising is working now that I fixed my problem with domain-masking (see my Feb post about that). I've mostly been using some super-cheap pay-per-click type advertising (using very narrow, focused keywords that gives me a few dozen hits a week), plus Squidoo, this blog, and free advertising on TrafficSwarm and TopSurfer.

But the thing that really bothers me is that I have no way to actually track WHICH advertising is working.

Every advertisement is just a shot in the dark. That's not a 21st century approach to marketing!

Internet Marketing Training

Since I started with the CMPS program, I've been getting internet marketing trainings from Joshua Shafran and others (I get Josh Shafran's "3 comma club newsletter" via CMPS at $47 a month and worth every penny I would say).

The key to massive success as far as I can tell from all the resources I've read about making money online is that you need to be able to track what advertising and marketing channels are working, and which ones aren't. To maximize profits you need to optimize the winners and cut-off the losing advertising that is costing you money but not making any back.

So far, GCFN hasn't provided the features that allow me to do that. I just have to average over all of my advertising costs. Very frustrating.

Judging by the checks that keep rolling in, SOME of my advertising must be working. But I don't know which parts!! If I did know, believe me, I'd be ramping it up!

Checks Delayed 30 Days?

By the way, according to the GCFN back office, the checks are sent out 30 days after the sale. This makes sense, as they need a delay to be sure the order hasn't been canceled or contested by credit card companies. But this means the successes I've been having occurred 30-days prior to the check being sent. So this latest $951 check was earned from sales made prior to Feb 12.

I have hardly a clue about what I did in Jan/Feb that would have brought in all the sales required to make me $951. Between Jan 1 2008 and Feb 14 2008 I collected 9 prospects in my back office. If each sale was several thousand dollars total and I earn 10%, then $951 represents maybe 2-3 sales. I'm not sure if phone-ins are counted in my back office (and some of my advertising points people to call the phone number with my extension, not go to the website) so there may have been others not listed in my "MyWebCashStore" back office.

The point is, without a tracking system, it is really hard to justify putting massive effort into more advertising. I don't know what kind of return to expect. And therefore remain a bit skeptical about this as a business with "full time" earnings potential. (Is anyone from GCFN taking note of this??)

Anyway, I'll keep you posted. Thanks for submitting comments, it's good to know you are reading this and getting something out of it.

I do plan to put together some tips on how to do better with promoting GCFN (and other things, like ClickBank). But I'm still working at a job that completely drains all my mental energy and haven't gotten around to it yet. Sorry...but I'll be working on it, I promise.

Warning About URL Forwarding/Masking and Affiliate Tracking

2008-01-28T14:59:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I was reading something about internet marketing (honestly, I do not remember where I was reading it) and they talked about using your own URL to foward people to your affiliate website.

Having a unique URL (like the one I use for my GCFN affiliate website) can really make a big difference - so I am told - in getting people to your actual affiliate page.

If you have a page with an address like www.24hourwebcash.com/myusernameis
a lot of people who see your link will just type it in as

www.24hourwebcash.com
and leave off your username. This results in visitors coming to the site, but not to your page (resulting in YOU not making money).

So the best thing to do is get your own URL
(GoDaddy.com is a good cheap source)
and then forward your URL (say it's http://www.mywebsite.com/ ) to your affiliate page.

BUT... (there's always gotta be a "but..")

Warning - Do not use URL Masking

What I discovered to my dismay in December however, is that if you "mask" your affiliate URL, affiliate systems will not be able to "drop cookies" properly to give your credit, and you will lose comissions.

Since the end of September I had been masking my affiliate URL...and not getting a single check since October! I had also been putting stickers on my postcards and having my own url (cashflowurl.com) over the regular url.

Oops!

What Is Domain-Name Masking?

Masking is an option you can set when you set up the domain forwarding, so that the person going to your URL only sees your URL name, and never sees your actual affiliate link.

For example, if you have a URL mywebsite.com and forward it to your affiliate link
http://www.24hourwebcash.com/myusernameis

then when someone types in "mywebsite.com" into the browser address bar, the browser will get forwarded to your affiliate website and show
http://www.24hourwebcash.com/myusernameis
in the address bar, not "mywebsite.com."

On the other hand, if you use the domain name masking option when you set up forwarding, when a person types in "mywebsite.com" into the browser address bar, the browser will still SHOW your affiliate page, but the address in the address bar will still read http://mywebsite.com

This way, the visitor never really knows they are looking at an affiliate website. Except you don't get credit for the sale either, so it doesn't help!!

Unfortunately for me, this also means if the visitor signs up for the GCFN online (by putting in their name & info, then reading the "one time offer" special page and signing up right there rather than calling in...) then I won't get credit for any sale.

The Solution
So I realized my mistake at the end of December and turned off domain name masking in my GoDaddy.com account. So now when somone types in my URL, they can see my affiliate page name in the address bar...and I should get credit if/when they apply for the CMPS program online.

The Reward: A $899 GCFN Check!

And guess what? I have not sent out postcards now for over a month, but I have been doing some free advertising at places like trafficswarm.com and some cheap paid classifieds.

And completely out of the blue, I got a check for $899 from GCFN last week.

(I took a photo of it before I cashed it in, but sorry - the photo almost too blurry to read. But it looked like real pen & ink on the signature, like maybe Mary Gersten actually signed the check herself!)

This thing with the domain masking explains why I didn't make money from my last postcard mailing in October, since I had covered up all of the original web addresses with my own address (which was using masking at the time).

I don't know if this will help any of you out there, but if you are using Domain Masking...stop doing it!

Another Check and 1000 Postcards from GCFN

2007-10-08T13:09:00.000-04:00

I received another $50 check last week from Global Cash Flow Network, as a result of promoting my 24hourwebcash website online and offline. In addition to the "guaranteed web traffic" that I have paid for, I've been sending out postcard "mailers" that the program sends me, as well as doing online & offline classified ads, writing articles, and using other "basic" techniques to drive interested prospects to my GCFN web pages.

Last week I also received 1000 new promotional postcards to mail. I think these postcards are responsible for at least half of the 15 referrals I have received so far from this program, and I am more than happy to pay for the postage to mail them out. The postcards promote the program as a home business opportunity. They can either go to my GCFN website or ask them to call in directly for a free consultation: 1-800-719-8268 xS1147.

I've mailed a total of 750 postcards so far (not including this new batch of 1000). Obviously, I'm hoping for another larger check in the next few weeks, but I realize until I really get into a rhythm with promotion, and get my own website up, my results probably won't be consistent. I'd prefer to be making money from webtraffic without having to send out postcards. But, it does seem that postcards are pretty effective at getting leads.

My media coach has been telling me to place ads in magazines as a more "advanced" step. That's definitely on my to-do list now. I'm going to have to arrange the magazine ads myself, and I've never done it before. I'm expecting a media coach to give me some help in that department.

One of the nice things with the 1000 postcards I just received from Mary Gersten's team at the Certified Media Placement Specialist program, is that they put the labels on the postcards for me this time. This saves me a lot of time!!

I'm really happy I joined this home-based business program. I was accepted as a CMPS student in July. Now it's October (just 3 months later!), and while I still have several thousand dollars more to make back to recoup my initial investment, I have confidence that I am learning some really useful skills in promotion, advertising, and marketing...and by next spring, I will have made a profit that should keep growing as long as I remain consistent in the program.

If you want to take a look at the CMPS program for yourself, you can apply online at http://www.cashflowurl.com/. With what you already know from this blog, you can avoid making bad choices in what you sign-up for, and probably even do better than I have so far.

It's not a "get rich quick scheme" - that is for sure - but most things that claim to make tons of money quickly are downright scams.

Compared to how I felt a month or two ago, it's amazing my change in attitude, isn't it? But now I have confidence that the Global Cash Flow Network is a legitimate company, and the material I've received is starting to really show value for me. A few months from now, I'm not just going to be making money promoting this GCFN/CMPS program...I'm going to be promoting other products as well on my own websites. That's what this program TEACHES and I'm glad I'm learning all about it!

Until next time!

A $639 Check from Global Cash Flow Network!

2007-09-24T18:37:00.001-04:00

I was stunned. Amazed! Overjoyed!!!

I just got a check in the mail today from the GCFN for $639!
Here's the photo!

This brings my total earnings so far to $849.

My main concern now isn't whether I can make money, it is how to track WHAT is making me money. Their system for telling me where the money is being earned (and which advertising is bringing in the buyers) is pretty poor.

I suspect it was the postcards and possibly some of the web advertising I've been doing - mostly free advertising on the web with Link exchanges (Topsurfer and TrafficSwarm mainly) - as well as free classified ads. Of course there is this blog, but until now I don't think this was doing ANY sort of good sales job! And only last week I submitted an article to ezinearticles. I plan on doing more of that soon, and possibly a press release and advertisement in a magazine soon.

But I may never know which advertising yielded this income. They really need to do something about that though! Not knowing where your good prospects are coming from is a crazy way to do business. How do I know where to continue focusing my efforts? As it is, I just have to keep doing everything, and try to make this happen more often.

Anyway, I just sent out 250 more postcards that Mary Gersten's CMPS program sent me a few weeks ago. So I am hopeful that more big checks will be coming my way in the weeks ahead!!

Only about $4151 more left to earn before I break even. :)

I am really getting enthusiastic about this program now!

Global Cash Flow Network: My Current Opinion

2007-09-23T19:40:00.000-04:00

A gent named John recently wrote to me. He had just signed up for the GCFN and -like me - paid big bucks for the Guaranteed Traffic but turned down the Dan Kuschell mentoring.

He was having doubts.

Brother, I've been there!

I responded to him with my current opinion and some tips. Here's the content of what I told him:

My Updated Opinion
of the Certified Media Placement Specialist Program
and GCFN:
I do think the GCFN company is legitimate (and I keep hoping I'm right).

They may not be the most well-run company for customer service, but they do seem to be for real and not a scam operation.

About every couple weeks, they send me a new notice about another "bonus training" course that I can download and learn from, and so far, all the courses have been interesting, and several have been very useful (especially the Joel Christopher "Mr. List" audio course). This is where the real value seems to be...the training courses they send you over time.

Long Telephone Wait Times for Level II Coaches
If you can manage to get through to a Level II Media Coach (calling towards the end of the week seems to have shorter wait times), they can give you all the links and websites for downloading the different links.

Tip: Mondays are the worst day to call, their lines always seem jammed with callers on Monday.

"Guaranteed Traffic" - Too Expensive?
The "guaranteed traffic" stuff ticks me off. I doubt the $210 I've made so far came from their traffic, and I don't really know exactly how they are generating it. (Supposedly it is Pay Per Click like on Google, but the opt-in rate is terrible. I have about 10 opt-ins for 14,185 visitors so far.)

I paid for 20,000 visits, and so far (after about 2 months) am up to 14,185. But I've only made $210. So they are going to have to run it again for me once my first 3-month run is over even if they hit 20,000 visitors, as their guarantee states. But I'm not counting on their traffic to actually make me money at this point. (I hope it does, but doubt it!)

Shou'da Could'a Would'a Gotten the Mentoring Instead
From what little I've learned about Dan Kuschell and Joshua Shafran, they seem legitimate "gurus" and I think I would have been better off getting the Kuschell mentoring and NOT getting the guaranteed traffic…though frankly, I don't know what the mentoring really would deliver, so I'm guessing. (And they don't tell you about the mentoring until AFTER they offer you the guaranteed traffic program).

The Good News
If you start applying what they teach you in the binders and from all the online audio courses, you can begin to develop your own websites and build a list of your own ezine subscribers, and start making money as an affiliate marketer.

I'm not progressing as fast as I'd like in setting up my own site (hbibr.com - still under construction), as I am doing about 3 business projects at once and working a part-time job. But the audio courses they've sent me by Tellman Knudson and the Listbuilder dude have been really informative. If I had bought equivalent courses separately, I'm pretty sure it would have cost $1000+ so far (and the emails I keep getting have been promising more courses as time goes on, which keeps me thinking this program is legit and in the end will profit me via education).

Some Tips for People in the CMPS Program

Set up a Blog of some sort, like I have, and start writing. You could write about something completely unrelated to the CMPS program if you aren't comfortable promoting it on your blog (or even do what I've done, telling your story of how it's going with the CMPS thing and stay neutral).
One of their leading affiliates is (apparently) http://www.dont-get-scammed-again.com/ who as far as I can tell is one of the GCFN's leading affiliate money-makers. (But what irks me is that we can't duplicate what he's done exactly, because as far as I have been able to determine, I have to drive traffic to my business webcash affiliate page, rather than making a direct link to a sales page)
Submit articles about home-business and media placement (full-on promotional babble) to article-submission sites (the media coaches can give you a list of sites to submit articles). This can help drive traffic to your 24hourwebcash page and also improve your pagerank, and in general is a good internet marketing trick.
Look at the CMPS program as a learning experience, rather than a fast money-making scheme. It's been pretty disappointing for me so far as a money-maker in the short term, but I really do think I'm picking up skills in the CMPS trainings that in a few months will make me good money independent of the 24hourwebcash website.

Bottom Line
I believe the CMPS program is legit in that it DOES offer good material to learn how to do advertising (aka media placement) for internet & affiliate marketing. You have to go thru & apply the courses they give you access to. That's how you're going to benefit from the program.

Go thru the courses one at a time (especially the Faster Webmaster and Mr. List courses first) and also make sure you do everything on your checklist in the white binder, to get your $300 back (which I still have to finish).

I keep reminding myself, this is a "certification program." So it is a lot of work (like going to school). I now believe it will pay off for me eventually (even if promoting the program as an affiliate in and of itself isn't generating much cash for me).

My Third Check from Global Cash Flow Network!

2007-09-10T20:33:00.000-04:00

Amazing, but true - I received my third check ever from the Global Cash Flow Network today!

Once again, it was a check for $100.

I have to admit, I do like getting checks. Every $100 counts!

Several of you out there have written to me, mentioning your own experiences, either with the GCFN, or just in a search for a legitimate home business. (Thank you Erica for your thoughtful emails, and also Nancy, John, and Christopher for your comments!)

It is definitely a jungle out there in "home based business" land. I've been taking a "ready, fire, aim" path through this jungle of "opportunities" and paid a lot in the process. (As you probably know, I'm also involved in an MLM company - whose products I love, but which hasn't been producing much money for me yet.)

In addition, I have spent thousands now on numerous "internet marketing" courses over the past year (mostly from Yanik Silver, who I think is awesome...even if I haven't figured out how to turn what he's taught me into cash), looking for a way to make my home-based business dreams come true.

The GCFN and CMPS program are my most recent episode (and, thanks to the training I've been getting from the CMPS program, most well publicized...ironic in some ways, spreading less than stellar publicity about the company that's been teaching me how to spread publicity).

Anyway...

My Latest Thoughts on the "Legitimacy" of the Global Cash Flow Network

I hope this doesn't come across as too picky.
But it seems to me there is a difference between the question of whether GCFN is a "legitimate" business (vs. scam), and whether it is a "good business" that can make money (vs. a rip-off).

At this point, based on my interactions with the company, its "media coaches," and the fact that the 3 checks they've sent me have cleared the bank...I am tentatively willing to say the Global Cash Flow Network is a "legitimate business" and not actually a scam.

But I am NOT saying it isn't a rip-off. Based on the money I've made so far...I'm still in the hole for nearly $5000.

Why do I think Mary Gersten's GCFN is a "legitimate" company?
Well, I am pleased with the "Certified Media Placement Specialist" training I've received. The courses the program hooks me up with are quite informative. I'm learning a lot from the CMPS program, well worth the initial $300 investment (which, by the way, I am supposed to get back once I finish their checklist of activities.)

My main problem has been taking the time to actually review all the courses and put them into practice. As with any business, I know a lot of "hard work" is required to make money with it! (This is why I am so slow to denounce this or any program - because the common factor in all my unprofitable business efforts is me...)

For example, the course by Joel Christopher (Mr. List) is amazing...but I still haven't finished its 12+ hours of audio, or put an eZine or lead-capture thing together for this blog yet based on what I have been taught.

Also, while my interactions with some of the "media coaches" have not always gotten the answers to my questions right away, they are helpful and friendly, and I've generally been getting responses/resolutions to my problems within a few days. (But I tell you, it is helpful if you keep calling them every couple days until it gets resolved!)

For example, I recently complained that my back office didn't have the information about my affiliate account links with eBay, Google, or Amazon - and called the Level II Coach number to get it fixed. The media coach couldn't fix it right then, but she did submit my request to tech support, and within a week, my affiliate info with instructions to access my accounts was posted in my back office.

Also, it seems like Mary Gersten, the Global Cash Flow Network, and the CMPS Program are all closely associated with well-known personalities Joshua Shafran and Dan Kuschell. While I don't know either of them, what little I have learned about them suggests Joshua and Dan are legitimate guys who make money on the internet and offline as well. So, if GCFN is a scam, these guys would have to be scammers too. But I don't see any widespread evidence of that.

(Though not being one of Dan Kuschell's students, I don't know if his "mentoring" program is a good deal or not...but with his apparent high-profile in some media (NBC radio) I haven't seen enough evidence to make me question his legitimacy)

That said, I really am not a fan of their sales tactics. Though from their point of view, the sales tactics did work on me...so I guess they're effective.

Why Am I Still Concerned about GCFN?
I still need to be convinced this think isn't a rip-off. It took nearly 2 months to get my affiliate links set up. Then, with the "guaranteed traffic" program I've paid for - with 4000 visitors so far on EACH of my webpages - I've had fewer than 10 people register on my 24hourwebcash site. That's a terrible response rate!

Also, it's not clear to me who (if anyone) has actually signed up in the program using my product ID or website. I've received $210 now, but the "back office" doesn't show any specific referrals being credited to me.

Now, I admit - I should be working harder to promote the program if I am going to make significant money with it. And I plan to do that (just not on this blog...) I've been mailing postcards, doing free online classified ads, using "guerrilla" techniques leaving little "sizzle" business cards around my town, and doing pay-per-click advertising.

But the CMPS program also recommends:

Writing online articles
Doing blogging (this being one such blog, though it's not really promotional in nature!),
Using social networking sites (like MySpace and now also Squidoo.com), though Squidoo is a bit picky about blatant promotion unless you've got some content to go with it, like I tried to do with my Multichannel Marketing lens.
And other "affiliate marketing" techniques (including a couple of audio courses by the famous (among internet marketing circles) Tellman Knudsen I just got from the CMPS program.)

Bottom line, I need to keep monitoring this program and my progress with it, before I will draw a final conclusion (and before I really start recommending it to anyone).

This goes back to my last post, where I suspect there's been a SNAFU (situation normal, all f**d up) with the way the system credits sales back to me from the website. In fact, the check I received today actually says "referral replacement check" which leads me to believe they've checked their books and realized I did get a sale from the site, but it never got properly credited to me! Hopefully they'll be fixing my "thank you" link soon so I'll get automatic credit for any more referrals/sales online.

And in all fairness, it is to Mary Gersten's credit that her organization is willing to correct any mistakes like this. That is what helps me believe the GCFN is a "legitimate" company and a "legitimate" business. They aren't blowing me off - they are responding to my calls.

My MLM company is a legitimate company too...and I haven't made much money with that yet either.
In fact, I think the $210 I've made from the GCFN is actually
more than I've made so far with my MLM business! Sad, but true.)

On my GCFN websites, the "thank you" page people see after entering their information on my 24hourwebcash page has a really good sales letter (the same one that brought me into the program via the Jackal's Work At Home Manifesto website). [You can see if you have one by entering a "test case" name and email into your page...or by just going to your GCFN back office and reviewing the Thank You page link...but you may need to bug your Level II Media Coach to get your login info for your back office...I had to call them, they didn't just send it to me.]

I will keep you updated on what I learn.

But the good news is, I've made back $210 so far. Just $4790 left to go to break even. :)

CMPS Postcard Marketing

2007-09-05T19:02:00.000-04:00

If you have read my Squidoo Lens about the GCFN, you know that I received 500 postcards and mailing labels from the GCFN office in August. These postcards were to be used to drive prospects (highly targeted leads, supposedly, with the mailing labels) to your website.

Well, I have heard that summer-time is the slowest time of year for people who are looking for a home business. Basically, people are more concerned with vacation than they are with making money. (Obviously that didn't apply to me, since I went on my home-business buying spree in July!)

So let's say I am trying to stay positive about this whole postcard thing.

Based on the GCFN Back Office system, which tracks who has entered their name in my autoresponder, it appears about 8 people (out of 500 postcards) responded to my mailing.

And none of them signed up.

An 8/500 response rate is a 1.6% response rate. I know from other research I've done in the past on direct mail marketing, this isn't that unusual a response rate. If you get 1-2%, that's pretty typical.

But the fact that I didn't make any money from it, after spending $130 on postage is a bit disappointing.

And I just got another bundle of postcards and labels today, delivered by FedEx. You get at least 250 postcards to send per month included free as part of the program.

Will I send them out? Probably yes (it did generate some traffic, and some of the traffic did put their info into my lead-capture form). But I'm doing a lot of this just because I'm stubborn, not necessarily because I think it's going to generate more income for me at this point.

Did I mention I'm starting a part-time job next week?

Anyway, if the prospects who responded to my postcards read this blog - it may explain why they haven't signed up. Sad to say, I have not been exactly doing the best job here of selling the Global Cash Flow Network as a great way to make money.

But that's only because I don't know yet if it IS a good way to make money.

I certainly haven't made much money from it yet. Just $110. No more checks received so far.

On the bright side, I am learning gobs of stuff about internet marketing and media placement techniques. From that perspective, the CMPS program really has delivered as promised. For a sampling of what I've been able to learn so far (admittedly, not just what I got from the CMPS program, but mostly from the CMPS program), you can see my other Squidoo Lens on media placement in multiple channels. I actually wrote that lens a month ago, so I should probably update it a bit.

But the GCFN as a great home business? Not so far. Of course, my whining about it here isn't helping me make any money with the program. But at least I have a clean conscience about it.

You know, if I hadn't spent that $4400+ on the "guaranteed traffic program" I think I would be a raving, highly satisfied customer. I really have been learning a lot of great stuff about marketing and using the internet to market information and sell product. The $4400+ I spent on "guaranteed traffic" is supposed to deliver 10,000 highly qualified visitors to each of my 2 GCFN webpages over a 3 month period. They have been providing the traffic (it's up to about 4400 now per site, with about 1 month to go), but none of that traffic has turned into a sale.

So, like I was saying, I have a rapidly dwindling bank account as I manage my credit card balances...but a clean conscience.

Anyway, I am growing suspicious that the way the system works may not be properly crediting me with referral bonuses from applications to the Certified Media Placement Specialist program through my "24hourwebcash" web page. I plan to call customer support tomorrow and make sure my links are all working correctly and crediting me properly with any signups. Though I'm not sure I'll ever know until I confirm someone has actually signed up for it (and if I get a check from it or not).

Maybe I'm just paranoid. That tends to happen when you spend, er..., invest $5000 and aren't sure if you'll ever get it back.

I did notice that the eBay, Amazon, and Google Adsense links on mywebcashstore are all working properly. So that's good.

But I'm not sure I'll really be making any money from the affiliate links on mywebcashstore based on the way it's been set up.

I'll probably have to establish another website or blog somewhere else to try and cash in on affiliate profits separately using the techniques the CMPS program is teaching me.

Wish me luck. And stay tuned.

Specific eCourses and eBooks I've Received as a CMPS Student:

2007-08-29T14:50:00.001-04:00

Here are the eCourses and eBooks I have received as bonuses (i.e. included in my CMPS enrollment fees) with the CMPS Program

1) How To Master the Art of Making a Fortune as An Affiliate Marketer
(Dan Kuschell eBook included in CMPS White Binder)

Explains all the basics required to become a profitable online Affiliate Marketer. This includes finding affiliate programs, generating traffic, and using autoresponders. Great introductory material.

2) Discover the Amazing Secrets to Become a "Millionaire From Scratch"
(Audio teleseminar featuring Dan Kuschell and Joshua Shafran. CD & transcript included in CMPS White Binder)

A one-hour discussion of how these two gurus would build a million-dollar business if they had to start over with absolutely no resources.

3) How to Make Money with MySpace
(Jonathan Mizel and Joe Alexander, two-hour audio course. Provided to me by Media coach)

Somewhat dated content, but it is useful and relevant to any use of "Web 2.0" site for marketing purposes.

4) The Science of Getting Rich, eBook version
(Provided by email)

Classic book by Wallace D. Wattles on mindset and a "scientific" review of how successful people became rich. This book takes a slightly different perspective compared to Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, but is from a similar philosophy of personal growth.

5) The Faster WebMaster
(online study course by Erik Stafford)

Goes into great detail on how to set up a marketing website. It includes step-by-step tutorial videos. A really great program, that I can use to develop my own independent marketing websites!

5) How To Build Your List, audio course/workshop
(6-week audio course by Joel Christopher aka "Mr. Listbuilder")

This has something like 15+ hours of audio content, and includes workbooks with homework you complete each week. It covers step-by-step how to generate a loyal email marketing list. This includes techniques to generate content for your autoresponder or eZine.
This is an intensive course, and is totally awesome. I don't say that lightly. I am learning tons of great stuff from this course. I'm only on week 3 (of 6) right now.

6) Co-Reg Cash Manual: Generate Massive Email Lists on Demand
(Compiled by Mary Gersten, ?and staff?)

A 118-page eBook summarizing all the latest techniques to generate a massive email subscriber list using "co-registration lead" techniques.

7) A Champion in the Making
(eBook by Dan Kuschell)

An inspirational and motivational book on how to achieve success in your life. It is 123 pages long and looks like it also exists as a softcover published book. It is available for free by going to Dan Kuschell's website (achampionvision.com)

8) 5 Actions to Explode Your Income
(eBook by Dan Kuschell)

A 24-page pamphlet on "five simple steps to attract abundance."

9) Grow Rich While You Sleep
(by Ben Sweetland)

A 1962 classic on how to use your "Creative Mind" while you sleep to turn a negative mindset around and "get whatever you want out of life."

Overall, I admit I am very impressed by the range of materials that have been provided to me as a "CMPS student" in the program.

It puts a lot of pressure on me to really study these materials and put them into practice...which I admit I haven't been doing as enthusiastically as I should.

I'm especially wary of the "spooky" positive thinking stuff that is contained in several of the eBooks I've listed above. I haven't read most of them yet, except for The Science of Getting Rich which I thought was pretty good.
For the record, I've also read Think and Grow Rich, which I thought contained a grain of truth buried under a mound of hype and hogwash. I'll have to explain why I say that in a post another day.

Many of these materials were sent to me simultaneously by a Media Coach, which overwhelmed me for a while. As I review all of these and begin to put their techniques into practice, I may post some tips here on what to do first if you are in the CMPS program, and how to prioritize your time in studying all these courses.

I'm now taking these courses on, one bite at a time. Hopefully this will turn into more checks in my mailbox soon.

Training I've Received From the CMPS Program

2007-08-29T14:01:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, now that I'm about 8 weeks into Mary Gersten's "Certified Media Placement Specialist" (CMPS) program, I honestly feel like I've gotten a lot for my money.

[The money I have in mind here is the ~$600 I've paid for enrolling in CMPS...half of which I should get refunded within a year once I complete the required checklist of activities. I'm still undecided about the thousands I've invested in the GCFN "guaranteed traffic program" which is "guaranteed" to make money or they re-run my traffic campaign. The advertising cost a bundle...but is not subject to a money-back guarantee, just a "make money or we run it again for you again for free" guarantee.]

The courses and eBooks they have sent me have covered a wide range of advertising and marketing (aka "media placement") techniques for both offline and online use.

So, at last, here is a complete list (as of August 28) of the training topics covered as part of the Certified Media Placement Specialist Program so far. I am led to believe other trainings and e-courses will be provided to me in the future as part of the program.

Frankly, I am already overwhelmed by the content they have given me, and haven't had time to review all of it yet!

Topics covered by CMPS Training & Mentoring materials:

Affiliate marketing
Writing Press Releases and Informative Articles in order to drive traffic to your websites
Email List building
Building a money-making website
Social Web 2.0 Marketing (MySpace course)
Google Adwords Pay-Per-Click advertising
Making money with Google Adsense
Blogging & RSS Feeds for profit
Direct mail/postcard marketing techniques
Advertising with classified ads (short catchy calls to action)
Using Banner Ads
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) basics

As I put the above list together, even I was amazed at what I've been learning so far.

Nearly every aspect of online marketing and driving traffic to websites is covered in some way. The one notable absence is a tutorial on copywriting, though I am led to believe a course on that will be sent to me at a later stage of my program.

In my next post, I'll list the specific courses and ebooks I've received as a CMPS Student so far.

The Truth about Mary Gersten's Global Cash Flow Network

2007-08-27T13:54:00.000-04:00

If you've been looking for a way to make money on the internet, but don't know where to start...let me warn you, there are lots of scams out there. This blog is intended to help you learn more about one of the offerings out there, the Global Cash Flow Network. Whether it is a scam or a great opportunity is not yet clear to me, I am trying to figure that out as I chronicle My True Story about the Global Cash Flow Network and Mary Gersten's "Certified Media Placement Specialist" (CMPS) Program.

In early July 2007, I became a "student" of the CMPS program, as one of many things I was trying to use to make money and start a "home-based business" of my own. I had quit my job in June (to pursue a network marketing opportunity that I had been in for over a year, which I thought would explode if I pursued it full time...which is yet another story for another day).

Anyway, I was sick of corporate-life slavery and I wanted to be able to work from home and become an independent entrepreneur.

Needless to say, after plugging away at it for a couple of months, the MLM thing still wasn't making enough money for me and my wife to live on. Savings began to dwindle, credit card balances began to rise.

I had heard all sorts of hype about people making hundreds of dollars a day on the internet. After a bit of searching (see my Squidoo Lens for the full introduction and summary of my story so far), I ended up as a student and "business owner" with the Global Cash Flow Network.

After spending several thousand dollars on GCFN "add-ons" I was really questioning my intelligence. Doubts were overwhelming. Is it all just a scam?? Can I really make money with this program, or should I abandon it and try to do something from scratch? Did I just waste my money on this CMPS thing? Money that I could have used more productively?

Which brings me to this Blog today.

I have a couple of Squidoo Lenses about this topic. As the main one about my story grew in length, I decided the best thing to do was start a Blog and just use the Lens as a summary.

I am writing this in my spare time. As none of the "businesses" I have started are producing enough money to live on right now (even collectively), I have taken another job, which limits the time I have for blogging.

But I continue to implement what my "CMPS Media Coaches" have been telling me to do, as part of the program I have invested so much money into so far.

If this is a scam, it needs to be revealed as such! I think the public deserves to know the truth.

If you have tried the CMPS program and GCFN, maybe reading this will help you make more money with the program (only time will tell...)

Bottom line: The GCFN gives everyone who signs up 12-months to try their program, after which I can get (some of) my money back if it hasn't worked out. So I don't want to be hasty in calling this thing a scam. They claim some of their students are making thousands per month. I have actually received some checks back from the company (as of August 27), but not enough to be fully convinced I've got a money-maker on my hands. For all I know, they sent me those checks to make me THINK I had a legitimate opportunity, since I've put a lot more in than they've sent me so far.

On the other hand, from all the "rich gurus" I've read and heard in the past, I am led to believe the biggest factor determining the size of your bank account is yourself, not your product. That's what marketing is all about.

For the record, I am dead-set against so called "prosperity doctrines" and the "think and grow rich" thing. I think they're hocus-pocus hogwash. But I do agree with the concept that my attitude and personal growth are the primary things holding me back from making a good living as an entrepreneur.

Anyway, these are some of the things I intend to touch upon in this Blog.

Join me here each week, as I chronicle my story...primarily about trying to figure out if the Global Cash Flow Network is a scam or not!