eBay is THE most popular home business in the USA, but it's not without its problems. Many have tried to succeed but have failed due to confusion over what products to sell, giant numbers of competitors, copy and picture theft from other sellers and eBay and Paypal that eat into profits.
One way to avoid this swamp, though, is to do a Joint Venture with established eBay sellers. This allows a JV partner to build her own mailing list and sell products off eBay.
There are multiple advantages to this way of doing business on eBay:
1. The biggest uncertainty for would-be eBay sellers is what products to sell. Sometimes vendors risk large sums of money on untried products, only to lose their investment, become sour and give up. With a Joint Venture there is no risk except for a few hours of time.
2. Since there are no auctions listed on eBay, no one can steal copy or pictures from JV sellers - because there is nothing to copy. In effect, we become invisible - no one even knows we exist and this hidden aspect has many advantages.
3. eBay JVs are usually done with a digital product that can be instantly downloaded. This is great for any entrepreneur because inexpensive autoresponders mean that her entire business is handled via autopilot. Contrast this with the usual way of doing business on eBay which involves mailing dozens, hundreds or even thousands of boxes.
4. eBay and Paypal have lots of rules. It's easy to break some unwittingly, and even the most honest seller does so from time to time. A JV merchant isn't answerable to eBay, however, but only to her customers.
5. A JV seller never directly lists on eBay, thus avoiding eBay and Paypal fees.
6. Successful Powersellers have large numbers of customers and there are lots of administrative details involved. Implementing a sales system can cost time and money because without attention to detail packages won't be mailed in a timely fashion, payments won't be accurate, items will be sent to the wrong buyers, and so on. A JV partner eliminates all of that because all transactions can be funneled through a hands-off system.
7. eBay selling lives or dies through the 'feedback' system. Negative feedback can kill sales instantly and lack of feedback causes buyers to hesitite and choose other sellers. Feedback is totally irrelevant to a Joint Venture seller because she is using the reputation of carefully chosen other sellers. She knows in advance that their feedback is high quality or she doesn't do deals with them.
8. Inexperienced sellers sometimes drag wiser merchants into price wars. In a panic over sales, they foolishly slash prices, beginning a chain reaction that results in bare bones bids that allow no one to make any money. A Joint Venture seller floats serenely above such hiccups in the marketplace.
9. Best of all, a JV seller doesn't settle for a one time sale. She concentrates her efforts on a mailing list of happy customers that she can sell to again and again and again. In this way, not only is she ensuring repeate profits, but she gets paid for creating this list, rather than having to pay someone else for names.
With its 147,000,000 registered users, eBay is the best source of targeted, Net-savvy buyers on the web. By putting together Joint Venture deals with established sellers, anyone can add large numbers of qualified buyers to their database efficiently and inexpensively.
9 Reasons To Do Joint Venture Deals On eBay
10 Reasons Why You Should Take Control And Be Your Own Boss.
Copyright 2006 Linden Huckle
1. No More Alarm clocks 2. No more arrogant, ignorant, rude, lazy, world revolves around them, bosses 3. No more unreachable targets 4. No more pointless meetings 5. No more ‘You can’t have your holiday that week’ 6. No more ‘We would love to give everyone a pay rise, but if we do, people are going to lose their jobs and it could be you’. 7. No more ‘You are just going to have to work longer hours for less money!’ 8. No more not knowing if you have a job next month. 9. No More, No Future! 10.This is the best reason of all! Because, when you have your own business and you are your own boss, there is no limit to what you can achieve and earn.
Take control!
You can have your own business, be your own boss and at the same time work your old job for your existing boss. Using your existing job to fund and support the ‘Learning Stage’ of your new business, will enable you to build slowly and correctly without the pressure of your new business being your only source of income.
There is a lot to learn, when you start your own business.
1.You need to learn about the business you chose. I.e. MLM, internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Internet MLM, etc, etc. 2.How much time are you going to put by each week for your new business? 3.How much money are you going to invest? 4.You need to study and learn about the products or services you are going to sell or provide. 5.Make sure you, read, watch and listen to as much information as you can about your new business. 6.You will have to deal with friends and family telling you that you have made a mistake and that you should stick with what you know. 7.Does your new business operate by, face to face, telephone, direct mail, online, or indeed all of the above. 8.You need to set goals and targets and if you don’t make them you can tell yourself off. 9.NEVER QUIT! You must persevere, if you REALLY want to succeed, you WILL. 10. There is know one to answer to, just you, so you will, from time to time need to have a word with yourself. You will probably start talking to yourself quite a bit, well I do anyway!
All successful people have one thing in common, they NEVER QUIT. Remember the Zig Ziglar saying, 'The major difference between the big shot and the little shot is the big shot is just a little shot who kept on shooting.'
Having your own business and being your own boss isn’t for everyone. Indeed, some people are happy having other people take control of their lives.
This sort of person would not be reading this now, they would have long gone.
If you are reading this article you probably are the sort of person that wants to take control, the sort of person that has the ‘Entrepreneurial flair’, the sort of person that has the passion, enthusiasm, vision, effort and focus to live the life of your dreams.
If you are this type of person I wish you all the luck in the world, you just have to believe you can do it, sometimes it's hard and you will want to quit, DO NOT QUIT.
Jack Dempsey, the world famous boxer said, ‘A champion is someone who gets up even when they can’t’.
How great would it feel if you went to your existing boss in six months time and said, ‘I’m earning more at my part time job than I am at my full time job, I simply cannot afford to work for you anymore, GOOD BYE!’
12 Reasons To Use A Franchise Consultant
A potential business owner that has an interest in purchasing and running a franchise would benefit from the services of a franchise consultant. A franchise consultant can provide expertise and guidance throughout the entire process. Listed below are 12 reasons that it is advantageous to use this service.
1. The service is free to the franchisee, with the franchiser covering the consulting fees.
2. The service is personal and confidential.
3. The consultant guides the potential franchisee through the entire process of deciding whether to become a franchisee, and how to go about it.
4. A detailed profile including an evaluation of the potential owner's experience, interests, and goals is complied in order to match the new franchisee with the most suitable opportunity.
5. Education is provided on the various types of ownership and investment options.
6. Investigation into the most suitable opportunities that are available is done by the consultant.
7. Initiation of contact with company representatives is part of the service.
8. The consultant helps to verify each company's success and track record.
9. The potential business owner saves time and money by having the experts perform research on various opportunities.
10. The consultant acts as the one-stop shop, answering questions and referring the potential owner to other resources as necessary, such as financial or legal advisors.
11. The consultant works with all types of franchises, including full-time, part-time, new units, and re-sale franchises.
12. Complications and confusion are virtually eliminated by having an expert perform these services.
Overall, a franchise consultant will help you determine if franchising is right for you and if so, what type of franchise opportunities you are most likely to succeed in.
33 Reasons To Do A News Release
News releases are not the best way to get major media coverage, but they can be used to increase the frequency with which your company name appears in the press.
Press releases will get you coverage in set features like business notes, and new personnel columns. They also provide a good way to let allies, employees and customers know what you are doing. For these purposes, post releases on the company website, send out by e-mail, or distribute by one of the services like PR Newswire or PR Web.
Here is a quick list of 33 possible reasons for you to write and distribute a news release.
* New Products
* Business Start-Up
* Partnership
* Strategic Alliances
* New Or Innovative Business Strategy
* Restructuring The Company
* Going Public/Going Private
* Company Comeback From Adversity
* New Employees
* Important Executive Retiring/Resigning
* Executives Comment On Business/Economic Trends
* Employee Promotions
* New Branch Offices
* New Divisions Established
* Headquarters Relocating
* Research Results Announcement
* Major Anniversary
* Major New Client Acquisition
* Company Revenue, Sales or Profit Growth
* Company Name Change
* Winning Major Awards Or Receiving National Recognition
* Company Presenting An Award
* Receiving Important Accreditation or Certification
* Holding Free Seminar or Workshop
* Employee Appointed To Civic/Government/Professional Board
* Availability Of Guest Articles Or White Papers
* Issuing A Position Statement On Topical Subject
* Free Consumer Information Available
* Company Speakers Bureau
* Company Philanthropic Support
* Major Company Milestone
* New Board of Directors
* New Website
10 Reasons Why You Should Become A Virtual Assistant This Year
First of all, what is a virtual assistant (VA)? I like to explain it as a word processor gone wild. A VA is someone who works with clients, providing them with top quality support services without having to be physically present at a clients office. VA services are becoming more and more popular thanks to today’s technology such as email, the Internet, online instant messaging, fax, phone, and overnight delivery. Gone are the days of offices needing their support staff in the same building.
If you have a secretarial background or other support staff expertise and a love for computers and all the technology it offers, then here are ten very good reasons why you should start your own VA business this year.
1. Make An Income You Can Live On
It was reported by virtual assistant trade organizations that the average full-time VA working in the US would gross about $39,452 annually. Now that isn’t a bad income!
That is the type of money you can live on, even if you are a single mom.
2. The Need For VA’s Is Only Going To Get Greater
According to the George Washington University forecast of emerging technology, Virtual Assisting will become a $130 Billion Industry by 2008. Thanks to our growing technology, and the fact that it’s easier to just source out work to a VA due to the fact that a business doesn’t have to pay for any benefits when they out-source, this type of service will only get bigger and more in demand.
3. Are you feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unmotivated? Is your current corporate job beginning to feel like a real drag?
Are you dreading getting dressed up, driving your commute to work, and working with a boss who is ungrateful and unappreciative? Do you love some parts of your job and despise other parts and wish you could do the parts you love more? Then becoming a VA might be something you need to look into.
4. Want to continue your professional working life without having to leave home?
Want the flexibility to work from home and have a better balance between work and life?
Maybe you’re thinking of having kids, or have had your first baby. You so want to continue your career, but you also want to spend more time with your children. Take a good hard look at the world of a VA. This type of home business will continue to give you the satisfaction of a career, while also offering you the ability to be there for your kids doctor appointments, their first step, school field trips, and running them around to after school events.
5. Gain the ability to work with people you want to work with.
Do you tend to click with certain types of people more than others? With a VA business, you can decide who you want your clients to be. Authors, salespeople, consultants, coaches, executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners are just a few of the types of people you could work with.
6. The ability to do more than just one thing.
Looking for a little variety in your business? Don’t want to get stuck doing the same thing over and over again? Here is a list of just some of the things you can do as a VA.
Administration
Writing services (technical or creative)
Business/employee communications
Proofreading and editing, research (online or traditional)
Word-processing
Spreadsheets
Data entry
Database management
Message management
Scheduling
Bill paying
Simple website design
Newsletter distribution
Bulk mailing
Reminder services
Event planning
Special projects
Concierge services
Secretarial services
Research
Data processing/data management
Desktop publishing
Transcription services
Mail and email services
Telephone/fax services
Internet services
Bookkeeping
Purchasing services
Writing/editing services
Marketing services
Personal services
Santa letters
Proposal Writer
7. The ability to Niche yourself.
Choose just a few of the ideas above and take it one step further. Niche yourself. You might already possess knowledge in a certain area. You can contact those businesses you are already familiar with and work with them. Maybe in the past you had worked as support staff for a marketing company. If marketing is your thing, you can let businesses know that you can not only be their VA and take care of all their typing and database applications, but that you can also use your expertise to help them market their business.
8. Use the equipment you already have.
If you’re reading this article, then there’s a good chance you already have a computer, a printer, and fax capabilities. Why not start putting that equipment to good use and make some money?
9. The choice between working full-time or part-time.
Maybe you don’t want to work full time, but you need to do something to call your own. That’s great! You’ll be your own boss; you can decide how much or how little you want to work.
10. Being able to say you love the way you make money.
If just the thought of working with your computer and current technology makes you giddy, why not make money doing something you love? Grab hold of the opportunity to make as much money as you’d like and the ability to work from your home. You have the opportunity to decide who you want to work with, the type of work you want to do or not do, and your niche area. If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you visit *** to learn more about starting your own Virtual Assistant Business.
For More information on this business visit: http://www.bizymoms.com/cart/careers/va_kit.html
10 reasons for starting a profitable home business online.
Article Body:
It's possible to start a home business online with very little
outlay and you can easily earn from $100 to thousands per day.
1. You want to escape the rat race. You'd rather spend the 2 hours
you waste every day with your family, or on a hobby. Running your
own business online you can stop the commute, and you can feel good
because you are helping to cut pollution too.
2 You can work part time building your new home business online until
you see it taking off. You aren't giving up your bill paying regular
job to jump in without any income.
3 It's possible to start a home business online with very little
outlay. Webhosting is cheaper than a bricks and mortar shopfront.
You already have the pc to access the net, it can start working
for it's keep.
4 You can choose your own hours. If you have an appointment to keep
in the morning, start your online work in the afternoon. No one can
tell you "you can't have that week off in August, Bill got in first"
5 If you work harder you can benefit directly, you put more hours in
and your online business makes more profit, your wages go up. Your
salary isn't fixed by someone elses view of what you're worth.
6 A lot of online business tasks can be automated, using readily
available tools. Emails can be automatically sent by
autoresponders, even regularly asked questions can be sorted and
answered by software.
7 A website works 24 hours a day without complaining. Even if you're
on holiday your online business website can be working online for
you bringing in money.
8 Your online business can be as far reaching as you want, it can
offer something for your local community. It can equally sell to
people around the world, without penalty. It doesn't cost any extra
to send an email to Australia, or for your website to be used to
make a purchase by someone in Europe.
9 Starting a home business online means you have a continuously
growing market as more and more people come online everyday.
10 It's dress down day everyday. You can work in your pyjamas if you
want, nobody's going to stop you in your own home. No more suits and
ties unless you want to wear them, but that's your choice.
Benefits of Online Gambling: Top Reasons to Gamble Online
The online gambling industry is the most profitable industry on the internet. Millions of people around the world are wagering on sports online, playing online poker, bingo and even the lottery online at any of the thousands of gambling sites available on the net. Even people who have never visited a land based casino or a local bookie are finding themselves visiting online casinos and poker rooms on a regular basis.
So, what makes gambling on the internet so appealing? Yes, you can play any game of your choice without having to leave your favorite chair. Still, you will not be served free drinks; you will not be able to watch the game you have wagered on from big TV screens; you can neither see the facial expressions of your poker opponents nor to hear the sounds of the coins fall from the slot machine when you hit the big jackpot…
Here are the benefits of gambling online comparing to traditional gambling:
Diversity: how else can you jump from an online poker room to the craps table and to a bingo hall while staying seated on your most comfortable chair? Most online casinos feature a large variety of casino table games, slots and video poker machines. Moreover, in many major online gambling companies you can switch from online casino gambling to online sports wagering with the same username and account.
Bonuses: where else can you receive free money to gamble with? Most online casinos offer free money bonuses in order to entice new customers and to keep up with the competition. The bonuses can start from 10 dollars free just for downloading the casino software to a couple of thousand dollars for completing a certain required amount of raked hands
Convenience: obliviously, what can be more convenient than playing your favorite casino game in the comfort of your own home while listening to your favorite music and drinking your favorite beer? Not to mention being able to put your dealer on hold each time up you want to take a break
Smoking and Dress Codes: whether you are a smoker or a non smoker, when you are gambling online you are free from obeying the rules. Same goes for dressing, eating and drinking; you can either smoke non stop or remain in a non smoking environment; wear your sloppiest clothes or stay naked; eat, drink, talk on the phone, watch TV, whatever
Atmosphere: when you are gambling online, there are not any cocktail waitresses who will sedate you with free drinks and distract you from beating the dealer. In addition, you can set an atmosphere of your choice that can include clocks or even a source of day light
Beginner Friendly: a land based casino can be an intimidating place for the newbie gambler. The average online casino, on the other hand, is much more beginner friendly than its brick and mortar equivalent. Interactive tutorials, play money modes and the option of avoiding social embarrassment caused by misunderstanding of the rules and codes of behavior is a more pleasant welcome for the novice casino gamer or poker player
Safety: yes, gambling online is usually safer than playing in a land based casino and carrying big amounts of cash money in your pocket. Most online casinos are reliable and respectable businesses that will not risk their reputation and lose their customers base by scamming their players
In addition to the list of benefits mentioned above, online gambling offers equal opportunity for people with disabilities or those who cannot afford traveling out of their state to play in a legal land based casino.
However, reading about the benefits of online gambling makes the huge popularity of online gambling, online poker playing and online sports wagering much easier to understand.
10 POWERFUL Reasons Why You're Crazy NOT To Start A... Home Based Business In 2006
Home Based Business's are spreading across North America and have become widely recognized as one of the most desirable business's to start for several reasons.
Just think for a minute what it would be like to work from home and never have to worry about waiting in grid lock traffic or to answer to your boss's demands.
Wouldn't that be great?
In todays fast paced world a little extra income doesn't hurt in order for the average guy or gal to get ahead in life so they can enjoy the little extra's life has to offer that there current job doesn't allow them to do.
I know from experience because that's what made me take the neccessary action steps required in order for me to enjoy the quality of life I wanted to live and provide for my family.
But, the problem that usually occurs is people need to be motivated by something or inspired in order to take action.
Well, the purpose of this article is to do exactly that, inspire you.
I'm going to cover with you the 10 main reasons why You should consider starting your known 'Home Based Business' and the benefits behind each of them.
I guarantee once you read through them you'll agree that a 'Home Based Business' might be worth considering.
With that said, let's go to reason #1.
Reason #1. Be your own Boss.
Ever dream of being your own Boss?
Well starting a 'Home Based Business' is a step in the right direction and the best part is, you'll never have to answer to anyone else's orders, just your own.
Reason #2. Work when you want to.
This is probably one of the best reasons in my book for starting a 'Home Based Business' simply because you get to set your own schedule for what hours You want to work.
This is especially beneficial for stay at home moms who have children to tend to and need some flexibility in there work schedules.
Reason #3. Freedom to do what you want when you want.
How's that for a reason to get started. By being your own boss and being able to schedule your own work hours you NOW have the freedom to do what you want when you want to with whom you want at anytime.
It's a great feeling to be in control of your own life and do what you want when you want.
Reason #4. No more worrying about job security.
By having you own 'Home Based Business' you never have to worry about receiving a pink slip from your boss or a "SORRY", but the company has to cut back on its employee's and You happen to be one of the one's who has to go.
Reason #5. It doesn't interfere with your current "J.O.B.".
That's right, you don't have to quit your current J.O.B. in order to get started. You can start on a part-time basis until your able to replace your current income with the income you generate from your business.
Remember, you get to set your own hours for when you want to work your business.
Reason #6. It will make you a more confident person.
By setting out and starting your own business it'll make you a more confident person because it takes alot of confidence to start something you have no idea what the outcome might be and the risks involved, whether there financial or personal.
Reason #7. It builds a sense of pride.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to tell your friends and family or just somebody you meet that you're an entrepreneur and you run and operate your own successful 'Home Based Business'.
Pride also works as a motivator because the more successful you get the harder you'll want to work in order to achieve the goals you have set for your business.
Reason #8. It's all for the MONEY.
MONEY is a pretty obvious reason for starting a 'Home Based Business' because Why would you otherwise start a business if you weren't planning on making any MONEY.
It also builds a sense of security for your way of life and the things you enjoy doing because the facts are... nothing for FREE. Everything has a price.
Reason #9. You get great Tax benefits.
You heard right, you get Tax benefits with running your own 'Home Based Business' because now you're entitled to home business tax deductions.
This is a category in it's own and getting a good CPA who has experience with home based business tax returns will be essential in order for you to maximize your return for the year.
Reason #10. Wouldn't it be great to retire early.
If your business turns out to be a SUCCESS and you invest and put your money to work for you, wouldn't it be great to retire early and do the things you've always dreamed of doing, but never had the time or money to do so.
There you have it, "10 POWERFUL Reasons Why You're Crazy NOT To Start A... Home Based Business In 2005".
Now, if those 10 reasons don't get you excited about starting a 'Home Based Business' then I have failed to inspire you.
If you need to read through them again, do so now.
These are the very reasons I contiplated before starting my home based business and in my mind are the most common.
Write down for yourself why You would want to start a 'Home Based Business', I bet you'll come up with several of the reasons I've listed above.
With that said, there's one more thing I want to mention and that is if you are seriously thinking about starting a 'Home Based Business', whether it be online or offline, make sure you put together a 'Step-By-Step' business plan on the actions you must take and make sure you start a business you enjoy doing.
11 Reasons to Submit This Article to an Ezine
What's an article anyway, and why would I want to submit one to an ezine? That was a two-fold question and will require two answers.
An ezine article is usually composed of approximately 500 words on a single subject that would be of interest to your target market. At the end of the article, you should include a "resource box." This box should provide such things as your name, the name of your company, your web site address, email address, and a small blurb about your product/service.
Writing an article is not hard work. All it requires is some research and note taking. Use any of multiple sources to find information about the topic that you choose to write about. Then write your article in your own words using the notes that you took during your research. It's not difficult and it's something that you learned to do early in school (grade school probably). Write in a conversational tone. Write like you are talking to your best friend.
Now, I'll answer the second question. The reasons to submit this article to an ezine are varied, but not difficult to understand. They all boost your bottom line.
1. The submission of the article will help identify your business (web site) in the Internet marketplace. This is normally called "branding."
2. Article submission provides publicity, virtually free.
3. Someone may like your writing style and hire you to write articles or ebooks for them.
4. The published article will drive traffic to your web site.
5. If the publisher of the ezine that you submit your article to maintains an archive, your article may be read many months later. Traffic may still be driven to your site this way.
6. People will come to know you as an expert on your subject.
7. You might get your article published in free ebooks that are distributed all over the web. This will drive more traffic to your web site.
8. This will help you become a trusted vendor of information.
9. If you allow anyone to publish your article or email it to a friend, you will gain further exposure for free.
10. Webmasters may read your article and display it on their web site. You get additional free exposure.
11. If you send out an ezine, you could offer to swap articles with other ezine publishers for free. This provides more publicity without expense.
So, there are quite a few benefits that you could receive from publishing small articles like this one. If that isn't enough reasons for publishing your own articles, I don't know what else you'd need. Don't forget to provide enough valuable information. The more knowledge you supply, the more valuable you become. Provide real value and you will always have people clamoring for more.
10 Reasons Why People Don't Buy From You
1. You don't make people feel safe when they order. Remind people that they are ordering through a secure server. Tell them you won't sell their e-mail address and all their information will be kept confidential.
2. You don't make your ad copy attractive. Your ad lists features instead of benefits. The headline does not attract at your target audience. You don't list any testimonials or guarantees included in your ad.
3. You don't remind people to come back and visit. People usually don't purchase the first time they visit. The more times they visit your site, the greater the chance they will buy. The most effective way is to give them a free subscription to your e-zine.
4. You don't let people know anything about your business. They will feel more comfortable if they know who they are buying from. Publish a section called "About Us" on your web site. Include your business history, profile of employees, contact information etc.
5. You don't give people as many ordering options as possible. Accept credit cards, checks, money orders, and other forms of electronic payments. Take orders by phone, e-mail, web site, fax, mail, etc.
6. You don't make your web site look professional. You want to have your own domain name. Your web site should be easy to navigate through. The graphics should be related to the theme of your web site.
7. You don't let people read your ad before they get your freebie. When you use free stuff to lure people to your web site include it below your ad copy or on another web page. If you list the freebie above your ad they may never look to see what you're selling.
8. You don't attract the target audience that would buy your product or service. A simple way to do this is to survey your existing customers to see what attracted them to buy. This information will help you improve your target marketing and advertising.
9. You don't test and improve your ad copy. There are many people who write an ad copy and never change it. You have to continually test and improve your ad copy to get the highest possible response rate.
10. You don't give people any urgency to buy now. Many people are interested in your product but they put off buying it till later and eventually forget about it. Entice them to buy now with a freebie or discount and include a deadline date when the offer ends.
The Reasons Why you should add a DVD Player to your Auto Sound System
When you are in the process of selecting your next auto sound system you might want to check out the systems that include other entertainment features such as games and DVD players. This may sound a little simplistic to some but if you've ever driven cross-country with children, you know what I mean when I say it is worth the investment to have one installed and have it installed correctly.
Many people will debate the wisdom of these devices and I will tell you quite frankly that I feel 100% that this is much safer than trying to deal with disgruntled children in the back that are literally fighting for your attention. If you want to talk about a distraction, I can think of few distractions that will top that while driving in holiday packed roads and less than favorable weather conditions. The truth of the matter is that anything that keeps the kiddies quiet for two hours at a pop has my vote for gadget or gizmo of the year.
I seriously recommend having a system installed however as this will limit not only the distraction to the driver but also the exposure of the lights and sounds to the driver as well. If you have a game system in stalled along with a DVD player and headphones to go with both I am sure you will find that you are driving along listening blissfully to your mom music as the kids in the back take turns playing games and watching DVDs. In fact, the most serious refereeing you are likely to need is over whose turn it is and how long that will last.
Now, I feel that it is very important to point out that this is not the only benefit to having an entertainment system installed for children that are traveling with you. Another very real benefit is the fact that you will also find that you are hearing less and less of the usual "are we there yet" and other generally disgruntled forms of questions from the backset. I also love the fact that the kids can often fall asleep to a DVD that they have seen a few dozen times which will bring a few more minutes of blissful silence as they snooze.
Another unexpected benefit I have found with my children and a DVD incorporated into an auto sound system is that my children are asking less often to stop for potty breaks. I always assumed that some of the frequent bathroom stops were boredom related and now I'm fairly certain that my assumptions were correct. Another great thing that mommy does in order to keep things going smoothly is purchase a new DVD immediately prior to taking a long road trip. In addition to a new DVD that the little ones will not yet be tired of, I pull out some DVDs that might have been forgotten recently and not watched quite as often. This keeps the children very happy and quiet while mommy is able to concentrate on the road ahead and keeping everyone happy and safe while traveling.
Just remember that you should never rely on the scenery or the thrill of traveling in order to keep little ones happy and occupied on long trips. Endless questions and chatter are to be expected in order to alleviate boredom. In order to avoid these types of situations you'll need more than happy music playing on the radio and really, how many times can you listen to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" during a 12 hour road trip? Do yourself a favor when selection a really great auto sound system and make the necessary investment to add a really nice DVD player into the mix. Believe me I am the queen of cheap when it comes to trying to save money and will swear up and down that if you have children, this is one investment that is worth its weight in gold.