As we come to the close of 2011, I wanted to thank every Club Asteria member who contributed to the organization through hard work, dedication and their belief in our mission and vision.

Like any year, 2011 had highs and lows, but we’re lucky that even in a world economy that continued to stagnate, we all found opportunities for growth.

Looking at the new member levels, the officers of Club Asteria and I can’t believe how much we’ve grown – and how much further we all have to go!

As you know, the goal of Club Asteria is to help breaking the cycle of poverty around the world, and to accomplish this by providing world citizens with affordable, useful resources, products and services.

We’ve accomplished this goal over the last year by rolling out a variety of new programs and products. These include:

Empower Now – this interactive magazine debuted this year and has met with a great deal of success. Members around the world are accessing this monthly periodical, and gaining new information about Club Asteria, owning a business and thousands of other subjects. Look for more variety and feature articles in 2012.

The Asteria Tablet – the Club Asteria Tablet was unveiled in the latter part of this year, and made available to a select few members who tested the tablet and the software. Our goal is to make it available to all members in the new year. With the tablet, you can work anywhere on your Club Asteria business.

Member Websites – the member website are dedicated to the members of Club Asteria who want to take their business to the next level. The sites are full of information and resources that feature well-known business leaders who share their success stories. In addition, there is a variety of products available at affordable prices – all are designed to give Club Asteria members the edge they need in the business world.

There have been plenty of other highlights for 2011; we just wanted to share a few with our loyal members. And while it might seem like a hard goal to top, Club Asteria is going to offer even more innovative and productive resources in the coming year.

On behalf of the Club Asteria management team I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and loyalty over the past year. We know that it hasn’t been easy, but listening to the amazing stories our members tell, and reading your comments on our blog and social media pages, makes all of us that much more appreciative.

So thank you again, and best of luck in the New Year!

There is no easy way to being successful, it requires a great deal of hard work, time and patience. Especially patience.

There are plenty of successful people throughout history who didn’t become rich over-night, it took multiple efforts to find the right formula. Consider this: even billionaire Donald Trump went bankrupt!

So how can you find success? There’s no place where you can simply purchase the secret to success.

The real secret: success comes from inside you. That’s where it all begins and ends. No one is going to turn over a thriving business and say, “Here you go, I’m tired of making money and being happy.”

Below are a few tips on how to find success, and while there are no guarantees in life, remembering a few of these will definitely help you on your way.

Be patient

Remember, success rarely happens over-night. It takes time, and a great deal of effort. When things don’t go right, don’t give up.

Be open to suggestion

We all like to think we can do it on our own, but there are times when someone else’s point of view or observations are just what we need. Listen to your friends and your family!

Be ready to work

Success results from working hard – and smart. When you are working on your business, leave everything else at the door. Concentrate on your plan, and be as true to it as possible. If you realize you’re going off plan, redirect immediately.

Be curious

When you’re driving towards your goals, it’s wise to study other industries and the businesses that have found success. Just because you’re in the sales business doesn’t mean you can’t adapt a strategy or tactic from a biologist or the owner of a farm.

Be positive

Attitude determines your outlook on life. If you’re always negative or looking on the dark side, you’re not going to find that success. Sure there might be setbacks, but keep positive and stay that way! Good things happen to good people. Why? Because everyone likes doing business with positive people.

Be ready

Wherever you go, wherever the day might take you, keep your eyes open for the opportunity to learn and grow. Life experiences not only shape you as a person, they hold the information and ideas that you can use in your business operations. The world is a laboratory and it’s up to you to discover something new every day!

As 2011 draws to a close, Club Asteria continues to produce resources that are designed to help our members perform at their highest levels.

Every month, we publish an electronic magazine known as Empower Now, and this month is no different. This magazine is designed to be read wherever an Internet connection exists.

In addition, the link to Empower Now can be shared via email, social media or by posting it on a website. No matter how the link is published, you can share it with your friends, family and business connections.

This month, Empower Now is filled with vital information and articles – all written to help you reach your goals, and improve your income streams. In the pages of Empower Now this month you’ll find:

• *  Andrea Lucas discussing the latest news from Club Asteria. While we wrap up one year, a new one is ready to unfold. Don’t miss her monthly column!

• *  Sandee Kastrul discussing the many positive benefits of lending funds to people who are eager to start their own business, but don’t have access to funding.The newest offering from our Product Catalog – a Targeted Email to 3,000 people. That’s right, for a Gold Member Price of $75 you can purchase this service and we’ll send out emails until you have 1500 visitors to your site. Talk about a way to kick-start the new year!

• *  Vital accounting tips by Almira Bardai, where she covers a variety of different accounting programs. All of them will make your business run smoother, and save you valuable time and money.

• *  Confused about social media? Want to get the most out of our Facebook page? Then there’s an article written just for you on page 21. Quick and informative, the information will turn you into a Facebook expert in no time.

Staying on the social media trend is an article about Twitter and how to use this mini blogging program to increase your business and get the word out to the world!

Empower Now contains all of these hot topics and more – and all of it is provided at no cost to you.

Don’t forget to share the link with everyone in your network.  The publication’s professional layout and writing shines a positive light not only on Club Asteria, but on every member associated with us.

A few years ago, the editor of Wired Magazine wrote an article about the Long Tail and used Amazon.com and Netflix as examples.

Basically, the long tail theory says that you can do more business by selling small amounts of hard to find items than trying to sell large amounts of easy to find items.

Amazon stocks hundreds of thousands of items, and sells only a few of each, but because the stock isn’t residing in an actual inventory, the overhead is negligible and Amazon is able to sell millions of dollars worth of product.

Any online retailer or business can mimic the same model of the long tail – especially if you’re a Club Asteria member!

First, you need to figure out the niche that you serve – are your customers looking for business solutions or residential solutions? Do they want to purchase software or are they looking for specific business books?

The next step to finding a niche is to research the market that you are currently targeting. Start by listing the “easy guesses”, that is, the popular products that everyone carries and sells. The strong sellers are what help pay your overhead, keep your site running and the bills paid.

Now look closer at your sales over the past several months, what are your steady sellers that might only be purchased 5-10 times a month? Do they all fit into one category or do they represent an entirely different kind of market?

The best way to test this theory is marketing these steady, smaller sellers and observing how they perform. Another great way to discover niches is to survey your customers, based on their past purchases, and ask what other products or titles they would like.

Another way to discover a niche is test marketing, and with the Internet that’s easier than doing it the traditional way. If you’ve noticed a trend in business and found a product that compliments that trend, offer it as a special deal on the front page of your site.

Using your analytics and tracking programs, you can determine if this new product is getting a lot of attention. You may have to tinker with this process, but you won’t be taking a big risk, since the inventory doesn’t have to be purchase by you until orders are generated.

Niche markets are always waiting to be discovered – and if you can’t find one, building a niche is the next best answer.

This process takes more time, but if you realize there’s a market that hasn’t been serviced, matching up existing products or developing new ones, can result in significant profit.

Again, the initial investment of time and money is sizable, but when you grow a niche market yourself, you benefit from being the first one there!

Club Asteria has been adding a variety of new products, tools and resources to all of our sites in the past several months. Hopefully you’ve been able to test some of these out and decide which ones will make the most impact.

I’m sure that during your testing and trials, you may have noticed that some of the products or resources weren’t good fits for your business. Once you identified that, you moved on to the next project.

Identifying strengths and weaknesses of products and resources is vital to the growth of your business. You don’t want to waste time on a product that doesn’t fit the needs of your audience, do you?

We spend a great amount of time judging the positives and negatives of the world we inhabit, but what about ourselves?

Locating and identifying your weaknesses, and strengths, is a vital exercise. Acknowledging what you do well, and what you don’t do well, makes your business stronger, especially if you’re leading people.

The process is simple. Find some time where you can sit alone and not be hassled by the cell phone, computer or laptop. Then be honest with yourself and write down the areas where you excel, and the areas where you’re weak.

Once you’ve established this list, pay attention to your strengths. How are they being used to run your business? Are they being used correctly? For example, say you wrote down “Organized” as a strength. “My office is neat and orderly and my files on the computer are easy to find when a client asks for information.”

Excellent, but are you applying this same strength to other areas like your finances or your ordering process? If not, now is the time to focus on those areas and apply your strength – remember that practice makes perfect! (It also helps you develop your skills to an even higher level!

What about the weaknesses? If you were honest, you probably have a few, and it’s time to get to work on them. In some cases, it might be a lack of knowledge which can be remedied by taking courses. Other weaknesses may not be solved as easily, and if they play a key role in running your business, you may want to hire someone.

For example, say one of your weaknesses is understanding finances and taxes. Instead of educating yourself and purchasing software, you can hire an accountant or book keeper – the cost is set off by the fact that you’ll be able to spend more time growing your business while someone else looks after your financial information

Working on building your strengths, and identifying and correcting your weaknesses, is something corporate and world leaders do constantly. So why shouldn’t you?

Becoming a more rounded individual, and establishing balance translates into a more positive feeling, and that’s always good for business!

Somalia is a country that has seen more than its share of tough times, including civil war, communist rule and almost non-stop violence among its civilians.

Ali Ahmed knows all about the tough times his country has faced – he grew up near Berbera on the north western coast of the country. Because he didn’t have much education, Ali enlisted in the army.

After his time in the armed services was complete, Ali returned home to find a wife and raise a family, but tough times continued to haunt him and the rest of his village. Drought and general strife made it hard to find a job and earn money.

During his time in the army, Ali learned how to ride horses. He was based in the wilder parts of the country and often there weren’t enough vehicles to take on patrol. His commanding officer had grown up with horses and urged his men to learn how to ride the native Arabian horses.

Faced with an uncertain future, Ali began researching the possibility of raising his own horses and selling them to nearby farmers and villagers. The only problem was funding, and then he contacted Club Asteria.

With a micro-loan Ali purchased two horses and began construction on a small stable. While he was waiting for the horses to breed, he offered riding lessons to the local population, many of whom had never touched a horse.

This small income stream allowed Ali to begin making payments on the loan, and in the meantime, the female horse became pregnant. Word spread and Ali purchased more horses – some for breeding and others for riding.

Ali’s business slowly grew, and the profit he made allowed him to pay back the loan and continue to expand his operation. He sold workhorses to local farmers so they could plow more land and plant more crops.

Time has passed and Ali recently was married and hopes to begin a new family in the coming year. Meanwhile, his success has inspired other locals to begin their own businesses, which adds to the strength of the local economy.

“Ali has the heart of an entrepreneur and wasn’t afraid to take chances on an area that wasn’t really well known,” says Club Asteria Founder Andrea Lucas.  “The micro-loan we provided has given Ali a new life, and helped spread his enthusiasm to others in his community. It’s positive growth that benefits everyone.”

There are plenty of days when we wake up and wonder, “How am I going to get everything done?”

Business owners are faced with challenges that range from the very simple and straight forward to the infinitely complex, and there’s lots of middle ground. The stress of solving these challenges, while trying to grow your business might seem overwhelming.

That’s where inspiration comes in – finding the energy and will to keep going is vital to every one of us, so we wanted to give you a few ideas to reflect upon when the going is especially tough.

Look in the mirror!

That’s right, you are the person responsible for the success you’ve experienced to this date. Sure there are plenty of people who give you help and support, but ultimately, it comes down to you – you’re already a success story!

Look down the road!

The initial stages of opening a business are exciting, because every day bring new developments, many of which are quickly resolved. As a business grows, these accomplishments become further apart, but when we look down the road and envision what we’re going to achieve, the wind quickly fills our sails.

Look to your family!

Family members are an excellent source of inspiration – young and old. The older people in your family possess knowledge and ideas that have already been tested, so don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Like the saying goes, “Older heads are wiser heads.”

Look to Club Asteria!

Remember that our main mission is to help every member succeed, and find financial success through our resources, products and services. As we continue to grow, the information we make available grows – and has been provided to us by top thought leaders around the world.

In addition to the videos, articles and other resources we publish, there are plenty of fellow club members who post on our Facebook and Twitter pages. You’ll be able to gain information and perspective from their experiences, and gain inspiration from their triumphs.

Another great inspirational tool is our Empower Now electronic magazine. Published monthly, it contains loads of information and inspiring stories from members that live in every part of the world.

Finding the will to advance your business and improve the lives of yourself, your family and your community doesn’t have to be hard. When you take the time to look around, you’ll quickly find inspiration.

For more inspiration, join Club Asteria today!