I wasn’t usual that hostgator send out email, in fact, I can’t remember when was the last time I receive their newsletter. But what I am more interest to share with you my personal opinion on their grow up history.

Brent Oxley started his entrepreneur at early as 11 years old (sixth grade). He sell candy in his school and had all the kids in his neighborhood working for him. Later, he sell watermelons at the age of 14 and started his internet business journey in the college day.

In fact, his internet business pathway is not a superhighway, he has been going through up and down through out the year and think of giving up the business as well, especially working on his web hosting business. To know more about his story, you can read here for details.

I am so inspire about his grow up business and I feel I am going through the same pathway like him and I have been going through the good and bad time like he mentioned in his business history. I don’t know much on technical stuffs, not a good copywriter (there are people even say my write up consists of grammar mistake), designer and not even a good online marketer but what I have is believe in online business.

A lot of people always have the misunderstanding on internet / online business. They thought this is some businesses that they don’t need to work hard to build at the beginning. If you are one of them who think the same way, you should change your mindset by now or give up trying internet business.

People always see how other successful entrepreneurs and like the idea of work from home. However, they refuse to go through the learning curve, they don’t want to commit enough time and efforts to grow the business. I think I can understand the common pitfalls that people are generally lazy, like to stay within the comfort zone and not willing to take up new challenge.

Working on internet business just like starting many other businesses, require determination, discipline, focus, passion and direction. If statistics show 90% of the new business will fail by the end of the first year, another 50% of the remaining 10% will fail in the next 5 years. This figure apply to internet business too.

I remember when I started in early day in 2005, I am getting excited about internet business and wanted to start one. Because I am not focus and discipline enough, I end up not able to achieve my business goal. In fact, I am still struggling until today to make it big.

I have been invited by my friend to start a joint venture and I am a little excited for a while, of course you can predict that I went into different JV and keep myself busy. After a while, I found that those JV doesn’t bear fruit and I have to start a new business venture again.

After reading this write up from Brent Oxley, I realise that focus is the key to success. I am glad that I made up my mind to reject some of the invitation since last year and just focus on my current business model. Right now, I feel like I am on the right track …

How about you? Do you have problem in your internet business? Feel free to share your thought here.

This year Google has updated the PR for most of my sites. This round most of the sites remain its PR, including this blog. Currently this blog PR still at PR3.

Did you blogs / sites PR updated? If you are not sure, do check out now!

Are you happy with your achievement and result in 2008? What have you done so far?

For me, I would say things work out smoothers for me in 2008. Thanks to the last new year resolution and I got all my goal achieved plus some bonuses achievement. Read my last year post about the 2008 new year’s resolution.

A lot of people say new year resolution won’t work for them. I tend to agree with them but with different opinions. A new year resolution will work only if you write and work on your new year’s resolution. Here is my suggestion when you write your new year’s resolution.

1. Think Seriously
New year is like goal settings, are you serious about your goal next year? You need to think about what you want in 2009.

2. Draw Out Your Plan
You have pen down your 2009 new year resolution by now, it’s the time to find out the way on how you can make it happen to you. Draw out a plan on how to achieve it.

3. Work On It
Yes, action speak louder! If you have work out the above 2 steps, it’s time to work on it. Nothing will happen if you don’t put in an efforts to work on your goal. Achievers are action oriented person.

If you are serious about your 2009 new year resolution, I found these 2 articles can give you details guideline, check out here:

1. How to Make a New Year’s Resolution from eHow.com

2. How to Set New Year’s Resolution for Yourself and Your Business from HowToDoThings.com

If you don’t have any idea about what to set in your new year’s resolution and wondering about what other people set for their new year’s resolution, read this list of top 10 new year’s resolutions. You will surprise that the top 10 items in the list are not about making more money.

Here’s a short video clips I found on YouTube about settings your own new year’s resolution

Okay, after reading so much about my sharing on how to set new year’s resolution, you might ask what is mine by the way?

My 2009 New Year’s Resolution will be more specific and it is as below:

1. Coach 200 People
Last year, I started off the Profit Blogging Coaching program with Melvin Ng. This year I want to help 200 people who are interest to learn blogging and build passive income stream via this virtual real estates.

2. Re-launch All Niche Video
This video tutorial site can provide more video tutorial contents and I want put up at least one video every monthly.

3. Build 20 Niche Blogs
I was busy to setup the Profit Blogging Coaching Program last year and didn’t really spend time on building niche blogs. This year I want to spend more time to build my own niche blogs.

4. Regular Exercise
Nothing can be more important than my own health. I didn’t spend enough time in this area in 2008 and I can see my body gave me signal and complaint to me.

5. Spend Time with My Family Members
Having a new baby girl, there are a lot of new things to learn and take care of. I definitely need to spend time to bring her up. Next, spend more time my wife who are being my great supporter in business and family direction. Of course, not to miss out my parent and siblings too who are staying in various places.

6. Spiritual Growth
I started very well last year on the path to walk with God but tends to backslide towards second half of the year. Probably due to the busy works and also taking care of the new born baby. This year, I want to keep that "walk" consistent.

7. Stay Focus
I want to master this skill so that I can work on the project / works more efficient.

Wow, look like there are so many items I want to achieve in 2009. Well, one of the reasons is to expand my capacity in handlings works and on the other hands, I want to work smarter (oops … look like is another resolution of mine)

It’s also part of the signs that I want to handle more things with confident. How about you? What have you done for 2008? Have you wanted something but you didn’t achieve that? Would you like to make year 2009 is your year of return?

Okay, enough of serious talks on new year’s resolution. Lastly, I would like to show you this funny video from YouTube about this topic. Hope you enjoy!

To give you further idea on how does this phishing email sound like, here is what it asks you to do in order to restore your account. In the email, it ask me to submit the following documents to PayPal for verifications.

1) Personal identification - a copy of one photographic ID from the following list:
- Passport - Driving license - National Identification card

2) Address verification - a copy of one of the following (online statements not accepted):
- Utility bill - less than 3 months old
- Bank statement - less than 3 months old

Completing all of the checklist items will automatically restore your account access.

I don’t know what is he going to do with all my personal documents but certainly disclose all these personal information will further expose to unknown dangers that will eventually give me losses.

After study the email contents, I managed to identify this is a fraud email based on the 6 points below.

1. The email is not sending out from actual PayPal email. In the sender information, it is service@paypail.com Vs service @ paypal . com.

2. It provides an fraud case ID. I checked in my account based on the ID provided and I can’t found the record.

3. Another fraud email provided in the email: security@paypalfraudcheck.com Vs security or service @ paypal.com.

4. The way to remove the limit access is simply unreasonable. The email said this: “completing all of the checklist items will automatically restore your account access”.

5. Last but not least, he send to my primary email address instead of my paypal email address.

Think about it, if you account is being limited access, that means your account is under monitor by Paypal, there is no way it will restore automatically by simply submit the documents. I am sure Paypal will go through the manual verification process in order to remove that access.

6. To further confirm it is a phishing email, I went to do domain whois check on the domain names provided. This screenshot below confirm that this domain is not belong to PayPal.

I have a few tips for you in order to stay away being victims of this phising email:

1) Don’t use your primary email account as your paypal account email address

I knew this and I never use the same email address for communication and payment processor. You should use different email address for payment / collection.

2) Never reply by clicking the provided website url or email address

A lot of people simply can’t differentiate this! They just click on the link provided and the website link isn’t send them to the original site but to the phishing site which basically setup and collect your personal information such as username, password, personal documents, etc.

3) Go through the screening above before follow the instruction and replying to the phishing email

The screening above will at least help you reduce the risk on being victim of similar activities. Of course this checklist I suggested above is based on my personal experience and I would suggest to do tip no. 3 before replying.

4) Check with the official Paypal staff

You can always go to Paypal website and contact the staffs. They are more happy to help you to clarify all these. So, if you have similar problem, make sure you enter Paypal website and write to them.

Next time, if you received any email similar to this, don’t panic! Make sure you do your checking before you disclose any information.

P/S: Did you realise that I didn’t put a direct link to Paypal website here? It is simply because I don’t want you to click from the link and visit the website. You should start practice the habit to type in the web browser.

Based on my Awstats counter, there are total of 20,800 unique visitors came to my site in August 2008. This is in conjunction of the Beijing Olympic Game event took place. I thought people would like to go Beijing to watch Olympic Game but I didn’t expect so many people come to my blog too during the Olympic Game event took place.

My Jokes Blog stats:

My Blog Marketing stats:

A big thanks to Beijing Olympic.

I came across about him and his product for the first time when I sign up for his Simpleology 101 course. That time I was looking for method to help me stay focus in the business and work. You can read my review here.

Mark Joyner just launched his new book – Integration Marketing but it’s not yet available at the local bookstore until early next year.

Instead, he’s letting you to get it now for FREE.

If you want to learn how to grow your business, in this book, Mark Joyner will show you how small businesses become big businesses, and big businesses become empires. This is a book apply for online and offline businesses, this is an absolute must-read.

He also setup Integration Marketing Deal Board. You’ll find there is one of the most powerful marketing resources on the net you are ultilise.

In the last 2 months, I have been busy running and organising the Profit Blogging Bootcamp, Melvin and my blogging seminar that help Malaysian to learn how to make money blogging. Due to the busy workloads, I was unable to write for my blogs. However, when I check my blog stats from time to time, I was surprise that the blog visitors not even decrease when I stop posting, but achieve a record high traffic since the 2 blogs started. These 2 blogs I mention are Steven Wong’s Blog Marketing and Jokes Blog.

Below is the traffic statistics of the 2 blogs:

Total Visitors in May: 5,628 + 7,205 = 12,883
Total Visitors in June: 6,253 + 7,621 = 13,874
Total Visitors in 2 months = 26,757

Obviously, people like to read my jokes blog more than the blog marketing’s blog. I don’t know either it is a good or bad sign.

I didn’t really work much on blogging, out of the 4 posts, 3 are promoting my own websites and products and one about the new blogger in Malaysia.

For my main blog, I blog about a new Malaysian blogger – Che Det in May 3. This is the only highlight on blogger news. While the rest, I made announcement on my new website on credit card debt solution for Malaysian, launching and review of Profit Blogging Bootcamp.

As at 2008 YTD, this blog has attract more than 26,400 visitors and it was setup in Sept 2007. The current PR stand at PR3.

Blog Marketing Visitors = 5,628 + 6,253 = 11,881
YTD visitors = 26,400

On the other hand, my Jokes Blog managed to attracted more than 22,800 visitors since Jan 2008. My last post was on Airliners Pictures in 2 April. The PR is stand at PR4.

Jokes Blog Visitors in May and June = 7,205 + 7,621 = 14,826
YTD visitors = 22,800

I look forward to review more about my blogs’ performance from time to time.

2 words I can use to describe from the last week Profit Blogging Workshop – Tired but Excited!

Melvin and I organised 3 session last week, and it turned out very good response. To my surprise, even my ex-partner also turned up our blogging seminar.

The seminar rooms was packed with people who are eager to learn how to make money blogging. Estimated there are more than 100 people came to these 3 FREE blogging workshop. Here are some of the photos we took during the first workshop, it is not very clear and I hope I will take some more this week to show up in my blog in next review.

I shared some blogging tips during the first blogging workshop

Melvin in Action, the most handsome shot!

I was outside the seminar room, talking to my friend, Mum Wai.

People registered at the booth.

Seminar crowds view from behind.

Another shot on Melvin in action. He spoke moderate well although he said this is the first time he spoke in public.

My last year student, Sook Chin shared her live testimonial.

Another student of mine in last year, CA Chan shared his live testimonial.

Melvin adjust the powerpoint slides while presenting his secrets on blogging.

Our friend, Khai share his live testimonial on how he uses simple blogging setup and 1 page blog to help him make USD1,000 on Auto-pilot!! That’s was really impressive to many people.

Melvin and I want to thank you to our friends, Khai, Yuenn, Alfred, Dennis, Clement, Victor and my past student Sook Chin and Chan to help out during the last week workshop. I would say we won’t able to organise it well without your help. We also want to thanks for your feedbacks and will implement ideas which is deemed able to help us to improve further.

Due to the overwhelm response, we decided to run another 3 session this week. If you have missed out last week blogging workshop, you can register for FREE here. However, I would like to remind you to do it now as the seats is very limited. Once all the seats taken up, we will not accepting any registration. So, go ahead and register now before being disappointed.

I have been busy on the new website since early April. It has been 1 month plus since I am working on the new niche blog marketing project. Right now come to 85% completion and I am excited to announce to you the latest website for Malaysia Credit Card Debt Solution.

This website is to provide credit card debt consolidation information to help people who are greatly in the debt and trying to find a good way to get out of debt. I also realised that there is a tendency for working adults are in debt and unable to payoff the whole amount. They are surviving by paying 5% minimum payment amount.

I discovered an innovative way to restructure credit card debt. This method can help you to save your credit card interest tremendously and payoff credit card debt in 3 months times (which I think this is more discipline manner).

I personally tested on the method. It works very well for me and help me save RM2,184.44 interest over the 3 years time period. Hence, I am writing a guide and would like to share with you. I am targeting to launch this ebook by 26th May 2008.

If you are:

• Looking for idea to reduce your credit card debt
• Restructure, consolidate your credit card debt
• Low interest rate unsecured term loan
• Get Out of Credit Card Debt

Then, you need to read this ebook.

Good news is I decided to give a hefty 40% discount time sensitive special offer to all my readers one week prior to the launch (from 19th – 25th May). Go and find out next week on how to get this 40% discount offer.

You can also sign up my pre-launch notification list right now. I will send out email to inform you once the offer is open on next week.

By the way, this site I created is run on wordpress blog cms system.

I have 2 more projects in pipeline now. Both of them also related from wordpress blog cms system. I can’t tell you now but very soon you will be able to find out the updates from this blog. I will announce to you through this blog once it is ready. Stay tune with me more often from now!

I went to check out the website and discovered that, this is a WordPress MU Powered Blog Network setup by BlueHyppo. This very much like WordPress.com free blog site, you can register an account and start blogging without paying any pennies. Here is how the HyppBlogger site look like:

I wonder how this multi-users blog different from WordPress MU, to kill my curiosity. I have registered one account named Blog Marketing before any one taken it, and this is what my new blog at HyppBlogger look like:

Review on HyppBlogger

After playing around with it for 15 minutes, this is what I discovered:

• HyppBlogger is an modified version of multi-users blog based on WordPress MU platform. Look likes the modification is not complete, there are some bugs when I was constructing my first blog post. I can’t even delete the default post made by the wordpress.
• The pre-installed themes are either too plain or boring, not much choices can select. The screenshot you saw above probably the most suitable theme I ever can select my from admin menu.
• As mentioned, there are some bugs on the blog that stop me from writing, editing, deleting my post properly.
• The registration process is very misleading and doesn’t actually create a blog for me automatically (refer to the screenshot below), as I didn’t receive any notification email from the blog system. I have to go through another step in order to create my blog and that link also not stated in the site. If you want to register a blog, you can go to this link directly.

There are limited functions in this free-hosted blog compare to self hosted blog like this Blog Marketing main blog and Jokes Blog.

There are not many sites powered by WordPress MU CMS. So far, I only discovered a few and you these are blog sites I knew:

StarCeleb – TV Reality show that searching for new born local celebrities that screened in local TV station, NTV7.

Le Monde – Newspapers and Magazines website

Harvard University – Free blogs for the Harvard Community, anyone who studying in Harvard University and associated Universities and Colleges.