As I’m writing this I’m sitting at the dining room table of a hostel in Medellin, Colombia. I’ve been here for a few days and am already dreading having to leave.  The hostel I’m staying in, if you’re ever in Medellin, is the Yellow House Hostel (no affiliate link).  It’s run by Vince,  a French-Colombian.  He has schooled me on a few things since I’ve been here in Medellin.  If you want to avoid the party atmosphere of the 20-somethings (nothing wrong with that.  I was that age once! ), this will be the place for you.

Now, back to Medellin.

In a word- Amazing.  No hyperbole.

Simply awesome.

I chose Medellin after reading the Medellin Living blog by David Lee and was immediately intrigued and infatuated with Colombia.  I haven’t really partied like I thought I would, but that’s perfectly fine.  Just walking around and exploring this magnificent city has been well worth it.  Even though my Spanish is not very good (Mi espanol es una mierda!). Translation: My Spanish is shit!

The coffee is like no other I’ve tasted.  Colombian coffee is definitely the best I’ve ever tasted.  And, I’ve practically lived on empanadas!

Everything you’ve heard about the beauty of the women of Medellin is ABSOLUTELY TRUE!  Any man will need a neck brace from all the head turning he will do for the bonitas.

The cost of living makes this a wonderland.  The money exchange to the American dollar is very favorable. And if your currency is the Euro or the Austrailian dollar, it’s even better.  Most meals in restaurants and street vendors are well under $3 -5US.  And these are small meals, either.

Medellin is in a state of rebuilding and it’s becoming ripe with opportunities.  The tourist industry will heat up within the next 3-5 years and Medellin won’t be a secret anymore.  The stigma of it being one of the most dangerous cities in the world will wear off and prices will skyrocket to those of other vacation spots.

Teaching English is a really great option to make an income.   From the research I’ve done, you can make about $4-6 mil COL per month.  That’s, depending on where you live,  a very comfortable income.

The only bad thing I can say about Medellin is that I have to leave.  It’s hard to believe that Medellin was once considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world.  I actually feel safer here than in many parts of the US.  For those of you under the age of 35, know espanol and like your money to go a little further than it does where you currently live,definitely check out Medellin.  If I could stay and work from here, I definitely would do it; in a heartbeat.  Now that I’ve experienced this wonderful city and people, I have something to work towards.  I definitely need to improve my Spanish before I come back.

And yes.  I will be back.

If you want to see more of my photos from my trip to Medellin, click here to visit my Google+ page.

“Working on your business?” they may think to themselves. “That’s not REAL work.”

Contrary to what this segment of the population may believe, working on an online business IS working. I know of a few people like my online buddies James Hussey and Robert Dempsey who work on their businesses full-time. And when I say full-time, I’m not talking about doing 8 hours, with an hour for lunch, full-time. I’m talking about REAL full-time, when they wake up at 9 or 10am and don’t stop working until 3-4am the next day.

Talk about a grind….!

Making money online has developed such a stigma in people’s minds from websites filled with images of Lamborghinis and piles of money. Each boasting that they have the SECRET to making money online and they want to teach you how to do it, too.

I’ve always asked myself when I heard these types of claims, “Why does this person want to help me make money?” Is it the glass half empty way of thinking?- probably.

So for those who have been prophesying the “Death of Internet Business”, we’re still a way off.

A long way off, in my opinion.

But, if we are referring to “internet businesses” as those that still have the websites with Lamborghinis and insane claims of making millions, then yes.

If you’re one of the chosen few who make a living online full-time, how do you combat the negativity that others have regarding your vocation?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Image credit: Master isolated images

Earning income online is what many of us do and aspire to do, right?  But, how?

You’re an expert at something.

(Yeah, I’m talking to YOU!)

At the very least, you’re very proficient at something.  Are there elements that you do in your current job everyday that would be valuable to someone else? I’m sure there are quite a few things.  But, you’re probably overlooking them.

Or, you deem them as unimportant.

For example, here are a few services that I’m thinking about providing here on the Smart Income Blog  to earn income online:

• WordPress blog set-up
• Blog upgrade
• Social media account set-up (2 tiers- multiple accounts or one account)
• custom Twitter background setup

I could also offer services from my day job, such as:

• consulting on how to handle yourself on a job interview
• resume writing techniques
• write an ebook on both of the above

Now, I do none of these things relating to blogging for my day job, but these are things I’ve learned how to do outside of it.  I figure these could be the gateway to earning income online.  So don’t be surprised if you check out my Services page and see these available in the next couple of weeks.  In fact, as I’m writing this, I can almost guarantee you will.

I’ve written about the importance of having clients and that’s because it should be the centerpiece of your earning money online. It shouldn’t be the only income stream, but it should be the core that most of the other income streams should flow.  It may also not be residual or passive, but it can lead to those types of income later on down the line. From an aspiring  internet entrepreneur point of view, you need to determine your worth!

You really need to sit down and figure out what you’re good at and then figure out a way to monetize those goods.  It’s a dilemma that all people looking to profit from the web face. After all that self-analysis and you still come up empty- what next? All is still not lost. Figure out what you’re passionate about and love learning about and become proficient in it.  Your mission is to become as much of an expert on said subject (s) ASAP so you can start earning income from it.

Everybody who is blogging about making money online is not an expert. Some are just really passionate about learning as much as they can about MMO and share what they learn. A combination of sharing what you learn and already know makes, or can make, you into an expert.

If you haven’t yet started a making money from what you already know, what are you passionate about that you could start making money now? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

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Budgeting can be a frustrating task sometimes.  Whether you’re an internet entrepreneur who works from home or a digital nomad traveling the world, budgeting your money is high priority.  With a good budgeting system, you decide in advance how to spend and save your money.

Enter technology and the interwebs.

With many options online, it’s really easy to find great (free) tools to help you manage your money.

Here are 3 quick guides of  the best money management tools I’ve come across:

Mint 

The main use of using budget planning software is to bring all account balances to one place and manage them from a common point.  Using Mint.com’s online software to budget and keep track of your net worth and where your money is going is a great alternative to pen and paper.

Based on the accounts a consumer shares with Mint (such as credit cards and checking accounts), the website categorizes spending and recommends a budget.  Mint.com had no problem connecting to my bank and does a far better job automatically categorizing transactions.  It is very intuitive (fitting since Intuit does own Mint.)

SmartyPig 

SmartyPig is an online piggy bank where you can set up savings goals, and invite family and friends to contribute to your account.  So far, it is the only banking application that is social.  One of the most fascinating aspects of SmartyPig is the ability to publicize your savings goals.

SmartyPig offers a smart, simple and secure approach to saving for a specific goal like a honeymoon or a new MacBook Pro by offering additional incentives like cash boosts of up to a certain percentage from retail partners such as Best Buy and Macy’s.  SmartyPig empowers people to rid themselves of the “buy now, pay later” mindset with its platform that allows customers to save for specific financial goals like a  flat-screen TV.  Great interface and design.

NeoBudget

NeoBudget is an online budget system that uses the envelope method to help you track your spending habits and stick to a budget.  NeoBudget has an import feature that is almost as good as directly connecting to a bank, but it’s a lot safer.  NeoBudget is one of the new budgeting tools out there based off of the the envelope system of budgeting.

It has a nice clean interface and the direction they’re headed is definitely a great one. NeoBudget has a free version and monthly subscription options.  Although it’s newer to the money management tool space, it looks like a real great option.  Because it is the newer tool on the block, I’m particularly interested in Neobudget.  Plus, I’m a big fan of the envelope method of sticking to a budget.

We can all use a little help when it comes to managing our money.  In fact, you have to manage your smart income better in these uncertain economic times.  New entrepreneurs starting businesses who have left the cursed 9 to 5 especially have to watch every penny.  Budgeting can be very hard to do with just  pen and paper because the mind forgets.  

I’m really interested in trying out Neobudget and giving it a whirl.  I just signed up and I’ll be sharing my results and findings through my newsletter.  (Psst…Sign up if you haven’t already. )

If you’re using any of these money management tools, let me know what you think of them.  If not, what do you do to budget yourself every month?

(Editor’s note: Neobudget offers a freemium & paid programs. Mint and SmartyPig are both  free.)

My love of Star Trek the original series is pretty high.  There were so many great moments from that show that carry over even today.  And when most people will say their favorite character from the show is Capt. Kirk or Spock, my favorite, without question, is Scotty.

Scotty was awesome because he always had an answer for a situation.  And if he didn’t have the answer at the time, you can bet your ass he knew how to fix the problem when it mattered.  Although Scotty was the third in command on the Enterprise, he was really the heart and soul of the crew.

So- what can you learn from Scotty to help your online business?

Here are a couple things-

Scotty always under promised and over delivered.

When he had the captain’s chair, Scotty always produced a miracle.  He was a miracle worker.  The Enterprise could have no power, be sitting ducks to be attacked by Klingon warships and Scotty would get them out.

The best way to win over fans and customers is to under promise and over deliver.  If you offer an ebook, add extra content to it.  Your followers and fans will appreciate it and they might be willing to pass that value on to someone else.

The Enterprise was like his child and he took the best care of it.

You can equate the Enterprise to your business.  Scotty cared more for the health of the Enterprise than anything.  He made sure it was always running at peak condition.  He would “overclock” it whenever the situation called for it.  Scotty made the impossible, possible.

Your business is your baby.  You created it from, pretty much, out of thin air.  You need to be able to make your business to the impossible.  While we may use VAs and outsourcers to help build our businesses, ultimately, YOU are the one who who controls your “ship”.

A lot of work has gone into building your brand image, reputation and everything related to your business.  Never take anything for granted about it and always cater to your clients.  You can call them a “son of a bitch” AFTER you get off the call. :p

Did you used to watch Star Trek as a child?  What are some of your favorite memories from it?