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ARTICLE:

5 Fast, Free Ways To Make Doing Biz Online Easier

I'm pretty lazy, and running my e-business is no exception. I like to make things as SIMPLE as possible, to require as little WORK as possible. The following five free resources will save you a LOT of time and money in running your e-biz.

1. FreeAutoBot
  
http://FreeAutoBot.com

This site offers 100% free autoresponders that DON'T place commercial ads in your messages, but rather, a little 2-line notice about their service at the very bottom. A lot better than most "free autoresponder" services, that paste a big, horrendous ad for somebody's product at the TOP of messages.

FreeAutoBot grants you an unlimited number of autoresponders and follow-up messages to an unlimited number of prospects. The only "con" is that you aren't able to use the service as a list host, and you need to manually delete bad addresses through the online control panel as they bounce.

UPDATE: Marketers are also saying that people have been having a problem with downtime. If this would be a high-traffic autoresponder, you may want to try another company.


2. JavaScript City: Free JavaScripts Index
  
http://javascriptcity.com/scripts/

This site has JavaScript tutorials, discussion forums, and FREE cut-and-paste scripts ... most of which I've actually not paid any mind until today. I go there for free scripts!

It normally only takes a few seconds to find the script I need, and paste it into my Web page before I'm good to go. You'll find a lot of good, basic scripts here, including mouseovers, rollovers, form validations, date scripts, e-mail and spam prevention scripts, and lots more.


3. The eBook Directory
  
http://www.ebookdirectory.com

Why, oh why, do I ALWAYS spend hours on end hunting for free bonuses to offer new ezine subscribers and customers? Seems pretty silly, when The eBook Directory offers 20,000 free e-books in several different categories, including Children, Marketing, Publishing, Self Improvement, and others -- all for immediate (free!) download.

Ah well ... call me stubborn, I guess. I like doing things the hard way. :-/


4. Microsoft Design Gallery Live
  
http://dgl.microsoft.com

I design all my own websites, and couldn't do without this site. It offers thousands of free art and media files to help you design your page. Get free clipart, photos, icons ... even sounds and themed art. I never usually need to
visit another site when I'm looking for free images to use on my business sites. There's a LOT at Design Gallery Live.


5. Elance
  
http://www.elance.com

Running a website on your own takes work, and lots of time once you get to be well-known (read: BUSY!) in your field. There's customer service, tech support & "business proposal" e-mails to answer, marketing to do, joint venture partners to find, articles to submit, new sites to design, and more. And more. And MORE. And did I mention the E-MAIL to answer?

Once it gets to be too much to handle, visit Elance to find yourself a highly-qualified virtual assistant to lessen your workload. Basically, you post your project, and people bid on it (offering to complete it to your specifications for
their "bid" price). Then you get to sit back and feel mighty important, and CHOOSE the most qualified -- and hopefully cheapest -- contractor from the list of bidders.

Ahh ... isn't Internet life GRAND? ;-)

Article © 2003 by ... well, Harmony Major, of course. You'll be able to join the upcoming Marketing Twists blog SOON. But for now, just please continue reading the free e-business and marketing articles, and for heaven's sake -- enjoy. ;)