One of the keys to succeeding in information product creation is to break the process up into discrete steps. This frequently isn’t an instinctive reaction for the typical information marketer. Especially on the internet where small sized learning products are the norm.

However, it is extremely important to your ultimate success. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if you don’t do this you probably won’t succeed… even when you are starting out let alone as you move forward.

Your product creation system should do this for you if only to help you to understand the overall task.

But why?

In this article, I’m going to ignore chunking and focus on the practical aspects. That’s not to say that chunking isn’t important. It is. It’s important to understanding and to learning the process. But while you can use the same chunks as you move forward, long term your focus needs to be on the operation of the system not the understanding of it. Unless of course you are constantly training new people!

So why is chunking important to long term use of the product creation process? (Yes, I know systems design uses a different term for this process but I’m not teaching you systems design. So I’m going to use the word learning content designers use.)

The first reason that having individual discrete tasks is important is one of schedule estimation. Frequently it is very difficult to estimate how long the total task of creating a product will take. After all, the size and type of the products matters as does the number of products in your product funnel. And those are just the most obvious elements. However, estimating a discrete task is often much easier. The total can then be estimated as the total of the discrete tasks.

Secondly, scheduling a large task can be problematic. However, by segmenting the task into a number of discrete tasks, you gain a much greater flexibility in scheduling. Not only that but as your business begins to add people you are able to schedule multiple people to the product creation.

Finally, segmenting a large task into smaller discrete tasks allows you to have much better control over the product creation. This affects two different areas — status and quality.

By segmenting your process into discrete tasks you are able to schedule and record the progress at much more detailed level. As a result you are more in control of the status of the product creation. You know what everyone is doing. When they should complete it. And how much it should cost. You also know exactly what has been done.

You also improve your overall quality. Instead of waiting until everything is done you can check quality as you go. This allows you to immediate react to low quality products without absorbing their costs. This means that you have less rework and your rework costs less. And if the product is not going to meet its quality requirement you will know about it in time to stop the development, change the requirement or fix the product.

Product creation could be a frightening subject for a lot of Internet marketers to face. Some folks who get in the game with the intention of making a full time income are completely ignorant as to how an online business operates. One of the most profitable ways to create online cash is by creating a product that others are happy to pay for.

Product creation is legitimate method of generating money through internet marketing but many entrepreneurs get it wrong. They start by imitating their Internet marketing gurus by creating information products on Internet marketing in hopes of getting rich the way their heroes did. The problem is that they usually don’t know what they are doing and enter a highly competitive niche with very little marketing experience or connections.

Here are a few tips for effective product creation that may help you get on the right track:
Start by finding a profitable niche with low to moderate competition. If you conduct some rudimentary market research and keyword research, you’ll find many opportunities in areas that will surprise you. Amazon and eBay are two great places to brainstorm for product ideas.

Developing Your Product does not have to be a difficult project. You can find experts in the right field for your niche and pay them to write the material while an artist designs the packaging and website or blog. You can outsource the entire product creation part of the project after you conduct the research and testing to ensure profitability.

Sales and marketing strategies should be created while developing the product and learning about the market. Some experienced marketers use pay per click to drive traffic to their offer page; some folks outsource the entire marketing campaign to affiliates through ClickBank or other affiliate programs.

Product creation does not need to be hard, particularly when the merchandise is electronic. E-books, videos, audio and multi-media products sell very well. They are distributed immediately to customers electronically. Once you have a good feel for a niche market, try to service your customers with associated products and upgrades. If you want to earn money online through product creation, you must understand supply and demand. The majority of new online marketers fail miserably because they go after highly competitive markets or forget to research their chosen niche properly. You have to create your products according to the needs, wants and desires of the prospective customers.

First impressions matter immensely, thus a property owner should never neglect their investment property’s landscaping. A real estate agent who is getting a property ready for sale spends time, energy and effort making the most of a property’s curb appeal to entice a potential buyer to buy for the highest possible price. A rule of thumb is that a realtor who invests $1 dollar of curb appeal improvements will gain their clients $3 of return at close of escrow. In the same vein, a property manager should counsel his clients to invest some time, energy and effort in sprucing up their rental property exterior landscaping to help attract more potential renters or keep the ones they have. The art of providing just enough curb appeal, just the right balance of attractive landscaping, while maintaining a fixed maintenance budget can be achieved through education, experience, and common sense. Experienced property managers should be able to put together a plan for their owners at no additional expense.

Long Term Landscaping Planning for Your Portfolio of Properties is Key

An experienced property manager can and will help their clients improve their exterior landscapes with just the right balance of attractive components while not breaking the bank. A proper mix will help the owner keep the property rented, while at the same time reduce the monthly maintenance of the property, which in turn reduces costs. For example, although lush, cool, beautifully manicured green grass is very attractive, the cost of installing and maintaining the grass is not as cost effective as keeping a small patch of grass with other drought resistant groundscape like gravel, bark, mulch and wood chips. These other ground cover alternatives also help keep moisture in the ground to reduce water consumption. An experienced property manager can evaluate and help an owner make some design changes to improve aesthetics and reduce maintenance costs.

Trees, Trees, and More Trees

Other than the property’s building a well-thought out scattering of trees are by far the most valuable asset a property exterior can have. Mature, gorgeous, and sky-reaching trees can also help reduce cooling costs for a rental property which in turn makes the property more attractive to rent. If your investment property lacks trees consider having an arborist or landscape architect suggest some different species of trees and locations to plant them on the property to maximize their possible benefits.

Seven (7) Ideas for Low-Cost Landscaping

When you have an opportunity you should get together with your property manager and try to implement a long-term plan for landscaping improvement and maintenance with the goal being to improve aesthetics and reduce maintenance costs. The following list includes some low-cost ideas to think about and brainstorm with your property manager:

1) City Tree Program – Some cities and towns actually give away trees for property owners as long as the owner follows certain guidelines;

2) Look for Sales – Wait until the end of the growing season to go shopping for trees, shrubs, soil and mulch because the retailers that didn’t sell all their inventory will be looking to get rid of these items at a discount;

3) Demolished Buildings – Look around your neighborhood for demolition sites as there are often free bricks or other building materials which can be used in your landscaping designs;

4) Work Your Existing Plants – Educate yourself to help keep and shape the trees and shrubs you already have to give them new life and vitality, or even relocate them.

5) Buy Small – Buy smaller sized plants, shrubs, and trees which will be less than larger ones.

6) Make Your Own Compost – You can easily build and maintain a composter on your rental property where you or your gardener deposits all of the grounds clippings, waste, and leaves. This compost will eventually produce fertilizer which is one more thing you won’t have to purchase.

7) Use Drought Resistant Plants – Not only is water scarce, but it is getting more expensive on a monthly basis, so a collection of drought resistant plants is important for long-term maintenance cost reduction.

Be Patient and Watch Your Property ROI and Exterior Improve

When you have slowly but surely implemented a long-term plan for exterior landscaping improvement and maintenance your reward will be improved aesthetics, reduced maintenance and reduced costs. More importantly your investment property will be more attractive to potential renters and those renters who do live there will not want to leave. Finally, the improvements and maintenance expenses are fully tax deductible provided you and/or your property manager has saved the receipts and properly recorded them.

Remember, first impressions make a huge difference. A property owner should get together and implement a plan with their property manager and never neglect their investment property’s exterior landscaping and overall appearance. If your property manager is not making these types of suggestions maybe it is time to begin looking for a new property manager.