Let's just say your 5 or 10 or 15 years or so away from when you think your might retire. Some might call this the "Preretirement" stage. It's the period of time you plan and take a look at what you might want down the road. I truly suggest you really take this to heart! Naturally, you will come from a different place in your life than your friends will. Let's take a look at some different scenarios and see if you fit into any of them:
*You and your spouse both work at jobs you enjoy and find passion in. These jobs bring meaning to your life and you feel fulfilled.
*You work and your spouse does not or your spouse works and you do not. Both find your contentment in their roles within the relationship.
*One of you finds contentment and satisfaction in your role and the other does not.
*You are single. You love your job and cannot imagine your life without it.
*You are single. You can not wait to retire and finally do something you want to do that makes you happy. Surely, there are other situations but those are an example of a few. Just suppose you are ten years from the time you would like to retire. Now, you can be flexible here with the word "retire". That can mean you leave your job totally, or begin to phase yourself out or you find another job that you have always wanted and you will LOVE. Let me ask you some questions now. Just think about them for a bit before you jump to an answer. Give them some time to shift and settle. Your answer is not carved in stone! You are flexible! You can make changes as you need to along the way, to suit you at that time of your life.
1. You have had a very successful career and are well known for your accomplishments. You are used to getting accolades and constant reinforcement about how talented and special you are. You are now retired. You are no longer going to this place everyday where they think you are so wonderful. *How are you going to handle this? *Who is going to pat you on the back and let you know how great you are? *Where are you going to get those positive and uplifting feelings from?
2. You have left your job and are just thrilled about being home more and spending time with your spouse. They, on the other hand, have their own life and they really don't want to rearrange their life to accommodate you. * Now what are you going to do? * Do you expect your spouse to change their entire life for you? * Will the two of you be able to compromise?
3. You cannot wait to leave your job and enjoy your life. Your spouse wants to continue working for many more years. *Are you going to insist your spouse quit their job to be with you? *If they do continue working, what are you going to do?
4. You love your job! You are single. You are laid off! * What are you going to do? * Do you know what you love? What you have a passion for?
5. You are single. You get to retire and do what you have dreamed of! * Do you have a plan? * Do you know how to get what you want? * How are you going to make this dream come true for you? Okay. This is just a place to start. This is your "Preretirement" stage so you have lots of time to plan so that you don't get caught in a situation unprepared. Let this be a jumping off place for you. Take your time to mull over what you would like your life to look like. I promise you it will be worth the energy! So, let me ask you; what are you going to do in those retirement years of yours?
Kim Kirmmse Toth is a certified life coach. She works with baby boomers on the many transitions faced including the non-financial side of retirement planning. She may be contacted at: kim@myretirementbydesign.com or at her website: http://www.myretirementbydesign.com
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
How to Check for and Reduce Errors in Microsoft Excel
How To Check For And Reduce Errors In Microsoft Excel
by: Rich Talbot Author's Email Address: articles@microsofttraining.net
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Important decisions can be based on data output from a spreadsheet. For example, an accounting spreadsheet not only describes a company's financial history but also forecasts its future. A tiny error that initially appears insignificant can easily grow to give a totally incorrect financial picture. For this reason just one tiny error in one cell can spell disaster. There are ways to detect and correct most errors but no foolproof system exists. The prudent user should stay alert to this danger and undertake some excel software training to be able to use all available tools to detect them. Six ways to check for errors and minimise the chance of them being generated are given below. The validation tool The Validation option in the Data menu makes it possible to perform input range checks without having to write sophisticated software code. You have options to select the data type (e.g. whole number, date) to be validated and the upper and lower values for the input data. Excel will then check that the data falls within these ranges. The validation rules you have developed can also be stored and used in other sheets or workbooks later on. Reviewing formulas The edit menu can be used to look for errors in your formulas. It will not check that they are calculating what was intended but can at least check that there are no trivial syntactic errors, a formula referencing a text entry for example. If you do receive any error messages you can then use the audit tools described below to track down the error's source. The auditing toolbar The auditing toolbar will help you track down the source of any errors. When you find an error message if you activate the cell which contains the message and click on the trace error symbol on the toolbar Excel will draw arrows to highlight all the cells which are connected to that cell. Red arrows indicate the cells that are propagating the error, blue arrows indicate correct input values. The source of the error is therefore the cell that has a blue arrow leading in but a red arrow pointing out. Adding explanatory comments Adding explanatory comments to cells and using cell names can minimise errors and improve readability. The comments can be set to appear all the time or to appear just as an indicator which will expand to the whole comment when the cursor passes over it. Avoiding the rounding off option Although using the rounding off option doesn't alter the data contained within the spreadsheet it does affect how numbers are displayed. Confusion can arise when some numbers are rounded off whilst others are not or when the rounding off is displayed in different ways. When building a spreadsheet model it is best to turn the rounding option off and employ a consistent number of decimal places. Failing to maintain the decimal consistency can produce irritating and confusing results and may mask errors. Work more efficiently Most people use excel inefficiently by creating too many workbooks, preparing complicated reports that contain too many links between workbooks and using formulas haphazardly. This means that many hours need to be spent updating and auditing these spreadsheets. By completing some basic excel training ways to work more efficiently can be identified, thereby reducing the chance of errors being introduced and simplifying the process of detecting them if they are.
Author is a trainer with a Microsoft Office training company, the UK industry leader in its sector. For more information on Excel training, visit http://www.MicrosoftTraining.net.
by: Rich Talbot Author's Email Address: articles@microsofttraining.net
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Important decisions can be based on data output from a spreadsheet. For example, an accounting spreadsheet not only describes a company's financial history but also forecasts its future. A tiny error that initially appears insignificant can easily grow to give a totally incorrect financial picture. For this reason just one tiny error in one cell can spell disaster. There are ways to detect and correct most errors but no foolproof system exists. The prudent user should stay alert to this danger and undertake some excel software training to be able to use all available tools to detect them. Six ways to check for errors and minimise the chance of them being generated are given below. The validation tool The Validation option in the Data menu makes it possible to perform input range checks without having to write sophisticated software code. You have options to select the data type (e.g. whole number, date) to be validated and the upper and lower values for the input data. Excel will then check that the data falls within these ranges. The validation rules you have developed can also be stored and used in other sheets or workbooks later on. Reviewing formulas The edit menu can be used to look for errors in your formulas. It will not check that they are calculating what was intended but can at least check that there are no trivial syntactic errors, a formula referencing a text entry for example. If you do receive any error messages you can then use the audit tools described below to track down the error's source. The auditing toolbar The auditing toolbar will help you track down the source of any errors. When you find an error message if you activate the cell which contains the message and click on the trace error symbol on the toolbar Excel will draw arrows to highlight all the cells which are connected to that cell. Red arrows indicate the cells that are propagating the error, blue arrows indicate correct input values. The source of the error is therefore the cell that has a blue arrow leading in but a red arrow pointing out. Adding explanatory comments Adding explanatory comments to cells and using cell names can minimise errors and improve readability. The comments can be set to appear all the time or to appear just as an indicator which will expand to the whole comment when the cursor passes over it. Avoiding the rounding off option Although using the rounding off option doesn't alter the data contained within the spreadsheet it does affect how numbers are displayed. Confusion can arise when some numbers are rounded off whilst others are not or when the rounding off is displayed in different ways. When building a spreadsheet model it is best to turn the rounding option off and employ a consistent number of decimal places. Failing to maintain the decimal consistency can produce irritating and confusing results and may mask errors. Work more efficiently Most people use excel inefficiently by creating too many workbooks, preparing complicated reports that contain too many links between workbooks and using formulas haphazardly. This means that many hours need to be spent updating and auditing these spreadsheets. By completing some basic excel training ways to work more efficiently can be identified, thereby reducing the chance of errors being introduced and simplifying the process of detecting them if they are.
Author is a trainer with a Microsoft Office training company, the UK industry leader in its sector. For more information on Excel training, visit http://www.MicrosoftTraining.net.
For Sale by Owner: Tips on Selling Your Own Home
For Sale by Owner: Tips on Selling Your Own Home
by: Silvia Ruch Author's Email Address: silviaruch@gmail.comArticle
Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
So you feel the need for change? Moving out is probably one of the hardest things to do: mentally, emotionally and physically. Not only will you leave your friends behind; you will also be leaving your beloved house. But finding the right people to take over your house will ease your mind about leaving. You might really love your house, leaks and all, but you still have to fix it up if you want to sell it for a good price. And if you are doing all the fixing up and the brokering yourself (as is usual in a for-sale-by-owner type of transaction), you have got to know everything there is about selling real estate from pricing to bargaining. But first thing is first. Spruce up the Place The first thing you have got to do before putting up your FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in your front yard is to clean your house. Take out all the clutter. Clean up every nook and cranny; every door and corner. Leave everything spic and span. Nothing is more attractive than a well-kept house. After that, check out all rooms, walls and ceilings that need to be re-painted. Peeling paint is a big turn-off; or it could mean a big chunk off your selling price. Re-painting the entire house is better. Would-be buyers will appreciate a house that looks brand new. Make sure that the electrical wirings all over the house are safe and working, all the fixtures are in place and all toilets and baths are in good condition. Now that you have fixed the house; you have to pay attention to the areas surrounding your house: front lawn, backyard, and garage. Make sure every grass and flower is in place and all the mess in the garage is taken out. Also, you might want to check your backyard and rid it of any unwelcome creatures that might surprise your visitors. It may seem unreal but a lot of houses have been rejected because of pests. However you do it and whatever parts and areas of the house you fix up, just make sure that when an interested buyer sees the place, they will fall in love with it straight away. Plus, if the house looks shabby and unkempt, you will never sell it for anything like what it is really worth. It is a tough job preparing your house for sale; it is an even tougher job to sell it on your own. For sale by owner properties usually get lower than the usual bids; the buyers usually smell a bargain in such deals. You need to make your house look appealing and attractive if you are to get what your property is rightfully worth.
Silvia Ruch is a Real Estate Agent who helps sellers to sell their homes on their own using her web-site http://www.learnhowtosellyourhome.com or buying her book http://www.booksandarticlesonline.com/temp.html. Also helps them using her real estate services http://www.SilviaRuch.com
by: Silvia Ruch Author's Email Address: silviaruch@gmail.comArticle
Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
So you feel the need for change? Moving out is probably one of the hardest things to do: mentally, emotionally and physically. Not only will you leave your friends behind; you will also be leaving your beloved house. But finding the right people to take over your house will ease your mind about leaving. You might really love your house, leaks and all, but you still have to fix it up if you want to sell it for a good price. And if you are doing all the fixing up and the brokering yourself (as is usual in a for-sale-by-owner type of transaction), you have got to know everything there is about selling real estate from pricing to bargaining. But first thing is first. Spruce up the Place The first thing you have got to do before putting up your FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in your front yard is to clean your house. Take out all the clutter. Clean up every nook and cranny; every door and corner. Leave everything spic and span. Nothing is more attractive than a well-kept house. After that, check out all rooms, walls and ceilings that need to be re-painted. Peeling paint is a big turn-off; or it could mean a big chunk off your selling price. Re-painting the entire house is better. Would-be buyers will appreciate a house that looks brand new. Make sure that the electrical wirings all over the house are safe and working, all the fixtures are in place and all toilets and baths are in good condition. Now that you have fixed the house; you have to pay attention to the areas surrounding your house: front lawn, backyard, and garage. Make sure every grass and flower is in place and all the mess in the garage is taken out. Also, you might want to check your backyard and rid it of any unwelcome creatures that might surprise your visitors. It may seem unreal but a lot of houses have been rejected because of pests. However you do it and whatever parts and areas of the house you fix up, just make sure that when an interested buyer sees the place, they will fall in love with it straight away. Plus, if the house looks shabby and unkempt, you will never sell it for anything like what it is really worth. It is a tough job preparing your house for sale; it is an even tougher job to sell it on your own. For sale by owner properties usually get lower than the usual bids; the buyers usually smell a bargain in such deals. You need to make your house look appealing and attractive if you are to get what your property is rightfully worth.
Silvia Ruch is a Real Estate Agent who helps sellers to sell their homes on their own using her web-site http://www.learnhowtosellyourhome.com or buying her book http://www.booksandarticlesonline.com/temp.html. Also helps them using her real estate services http://www.SilviaRuch.com
Monday, June 11, 2007
Do You Need to Make Estimated Tax Payments?
Article Title: Do You Need to Make Estimated Tax Payments?
by: Kristine McKinley Author's Email Address: k.mckinley@comcast.netArticle Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The second quarter estimated tax payment is due in less than two weeks (June 15). Do you know if you need to make estimated tax payments? The federal income tax system is a pay-as-you-go tax system. That means you pay taxes as you earn income throughout the year. If you are an employee of a company, you pay taxes through withholding from your paycheck. If you are self employed, you pay taxes by making estimated tax payments. The general rule is that you must make estimated tax payments if you expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for the current tax year, after subtracting your withholding and tax credits, AND if you expect your withholding and tax credits to be less than the smaller of: * 90% of the tax liability on your current year tax return, or * 100% of the tax liability on your prior year's tax return Example: If your tax liability for 2006 was $1,500, but you expect to owe $2,000 this year because your business did better than the previous year, then the minimum you would need to pay in to avoid underpayment penalties is the lesser of $1,800 (90% of your current year tax liability) or $1,500 (100% of last year's tax liability). The easiest way to estimate your quarterly estimated tax payments is to estimate your tax liability for the entire year and divide that amount by four. However, if you don't receive your income evenly throughout the year, you may use the annualized income installment method. A worksheet and instructions are available in IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax. The due dates for estimated tax payments are: For the period: Jan 1 - March 31 Due date: April 15 For the period: April 1 - May 31 Due date: June 15 For the period: June 1 - August 31 Due date: September 15 For the period: September 1 - December 31 Due date: January 15 the next year If the 15th falls on a holiday or weekend day, the due date will be the next business day. You can pay your estimated taxes by using payment vouchers (Form 1040-ES), or by using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (https://www.eftps.com/eftps/). In addition, if you have an overpayment from a previous year, you can apply the overpayment to your next year's estimated tax. Resources: IRS website - http://www.irs.gov/index.html IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax - http://www.irs.gov/publications/p505/index.html Form 1040-ES - http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf
Kristine A. McKinley, CPA, and CFP, offers financial and tax planning on an hourly, fee-only basis. She specializes in helping eBay sellers and online business owners understand and minimize their income taxes. Website - http://www.squidoo.com/ebaytaxtips
by: Kristine McKinley Author's Email Address: k.mckinley@comcast.netArticle Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The second quarter estimated tax payment is due in less than two weeks (June 15). Do you know if you need to make estimated tax payments? The federal income tax system is a pay-as-you-go tax system. That means you pay taxes as you earn income throughout the year. If you are an employee of a company, you pay taxes through withholding from your paycheck. If you are self employed, you pay taxes by making estimated tax payments. The general rule is that you must make estimated tax payments if you expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for the current tax year, after subtracting your withholding and tax credits, AND if you expect your withholding and tax credits to be less than the smaller of: * 90% of the tax liability on your current year tax return, or * 100% of the tax liability on your prior year's tax return Example: If your tax liability for 2006 was $1,500, but you expect to owe $2,000 this year because your business did better than the previous year, then the minimum you would need to pay in to avoid underpayment penalties is the lesser of $1,800 (90% of your current year tax liability) or $1,500 (100% of last year's tax liability). The easiest way to estimate your quarterly estimated tax payments is to estimate your tax liability for the entire year and divide that amount by four. However, if you don't receive your income evenly throughout the year, you may use the annualized income installment method. A worksheet and instructions are available in IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax. The due dates for estimated tax payments are: For the period: Jan 1 - March 31 Due date: April 15 For the period: April 1 - May 31 Due date: June 15 For the period: June 1 - August 31 Due date: September 15 For the period: September 1 - December 31 Due date: January 15 the next year If the 15th falls on a holiday or weekend day, the due date will be the next business day. You can pay your estimated taxes by using payment vouchers (Form 1040-ES), or by using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (https://www.eftps.com/eftps/). In addition, if you have an overpayment from a previous year, you can apply the overpayment to your next year's estimated tax. Resources: IRS website - http://www.irs.gov/index.html IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax - http://www.irs.gov/publications/p505/index.html Form 1040-ES - http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf
Kristine A. McKinley, CPA, and CFP, offers financial and tax planning on an hourly, fee-only basis. She specializes in helping eBay sellers and online business owners understand and minimize their income taxes. Website - http://www.squidoo.com/ebaytaxtips
How to Create a Household Budget
How to Create a Household Budget
by: Andrew Bicknell
Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The "B" word sends a shudder down the spine of many people. It conjures up fears of never being able to do anything with their money. That it is somehow locked up in this budget and cannot be used for anything else. That in fact is not the case. A household budget is simply a way to see where all your money is going. And more importantly to give you a plan that tells your money what it is supposed to be doing, whether that's paying bills, going into savings or retirement accounts, or to buy groceries. Every successful business or person has a money plan. This is what a budget is, a plan for your money, telling it what to do instead of it telling you what to do. With a budget you can set and achieve your financial goals. You can also get a better view of what your money can do for you now and in the future. With a household budget you can create a spending and savings plan that puts aside a certain amount of money each month for known and unexpected expenses. It will also give you a good record of your monthly expenses based on each month's expenditures. The first thing you need to do when setting up a budget is figure out what your monthly income is. If you have a salaried job this is easy because it is a set amount each pay period. If you work on commissions or are self employed this may be more of an estimate. Write this number down at the top of your budget sheet. Now comes the fun part. Start writing down all your monthly expenses and include even the smallest of expenses. There are certain fixed expenses such as mortgage, car payments, insurance that you need to make every month. You will also need to track those expenses that are more fluid, such as groceries, gasoline, clothing, and entertainment. If you start by subtracting your fixed expenses from your income what you are left with needs to be budgeted to pay for those expenses that seem to change from month to month. Once you are done allocating money to all your expenses what you are left with is either a positive or negative cash flow. The nice thing about a budget is you can quickly scan what you have written down and see exactly where the money is going. This is very helpful if you are living pay check to pay check because chances are you can find some areas that you can easily cut back on or do without to leave you with extra cash at the end of every month. Here are four quick tips to help get your budget on track.
1. Learn money management - Successfully dealing with money is 80% behavior. Most people work for their money instead of having their money work for them.
2. Make a plan - A budget is a money plan. Most people would never dream of building a house without a plan. In fact most every activity in life involves some sort of plan. But our most important asset, our money, is left plan free and when we run out or are weighed down with debt we don't know why.
3. Needs and Want - Know the difference. Needs are basic things like a home with a roof, groceries, clothes (in moderation), transportation to get to work. You don't need a $400 plus car payment to get to work or a pair of $100 designer jeans. You may want them but you don't need them.
4. Be a little frugal - This doesn't mean live in a cave. You can still have fun but make sure it fits into you budget. Creating a household budget is the first step to getting your finances under control. You will have to be patient with the process because chances are it will not work the first 2 to 3 months you do it. But remain diligent and around the third month you will begin to see patterns that will help you refine your budget into a financial plan that will set you on the right path.
To learn more about how to create a household budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com
by: Andrew Bicknell
Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The "B" word sends a shudder down the spine of many people. It conjures up fears of never being able to do anything with their money. That it is somehow locked up in this budget and cannot be used for anything else. That in fact is not the case. A household budget is simply a way to see where all your money is going. And more importantly to give you a plan that tells your money what it is supposed to be doing, whether that's paying bills, going into savings or retirement accounts, or to buy groceries. Every successful business or person has a money plan. This is what a budget is, a plan for your money, telling it what to do instead of it telling you what to do. With a budget you can set and achieve your financial goals. You can also get a better view of what your money can do for you now and in the future. With a household budget you can create a spending and savings plan that puts aside a certain amount of money each month for known and unexpected expenses. It will also give you a good record of your monthly expenses based on each month's expenditures. The first thing you need to do when setting up a budget is figure out what your monthly income is. If you have a salaried job this is easy because it is a set amount each pay period. If you work on commissions or are self employed this may be more of an estimate. Write this number down at the top of your budget sheet. Now comes the fun part. Start writing down all your monthly expenses and include even the smallest of expenses. There are certain fixed expenses such as mortgage, car payments, insurance that you need to make every month. You will also need to track those expenses that are more fluid, such as groceries, gasoline, clothing, and entertainment. If you start by subtracting your fixed expenses from your income what you are left with needs to be budgeted to pay for those expenses that seem to change from month to month. Once you are done allocating money to all your expenses what you are left with is either a positive or negative cash flow. The nice thing about a budget is you can quickly scan what you have written down and see exactly where the money is going. This is very helpful if you are living pay check to pay check because chances are you can find some areas that you can easily cut back on or do without to leave you with extra cash at the end of every month. Here are four quick tips to help get your budget on track.
1. Learn money management - Successfully dealing with money is 80% behavior. Most people work for their money instead of having their money work for them.
2. Make a plan - A budget is a money plan. Most people would never dream of building a house without a plan. In fact most every activity in life involves some sort of plan. But our most important asset, our money, is left plan free and when we run out or are weighed down with debt we don't know why.
3. Needs and Want - Know the difference. Needs are basic things like a home with a roof, groceries, clothes (in moderation), transportation to get to work. You don't need a $400 plus car payment to get to work or a pair of $100 designer jeans. You may want them but you don't need them.
4. Be a little frugal - This doesn't mean live in a cave. You can still have fun but make sure it fits into you budget. Creating a household budget is the first step to getting your finances under control. You will have to be patient with the process because chances are it will not work the first 2 to 3 months you do it. But remain diligent and around the third month you will begin to see patterns that will help you refine your budget into a financial plan that will set you on the right path.
To learn more about how to create a household budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com
Paid online surveys
Paid online surveys
by: Devid Inthee Contact Email Address: meeinter@gmail.com WebSite: http://tips-answers.blogspot.com
It's truly amazing how much business has converted to the Internet. And the more and more it transfers to cyberspace, the more it will continue to change/evolve. This is in no way a bad thing. It's absolutely beneficial to those who work in cyberspace. And at the same time, it doesn't seem to affect shopping malls and retail stores either. It's a win-win situation as far as I can tell. However, that's not to say that every business on the web is legit. There are plenty of scams being run on a daily basis. If you've never come across one, then you're certainly part of the minority. I can't even count how many fraudulent paid online surveys are advertised these days. It's basically a big scam. There are plenty of us who strive to work from home. This is completely to be expected. So many people are fed-up with large corporations treating them poorly. It's not odd to feel like a cog in the machine. And this is why folks research alternative ways to make money. Possibly careers done completely from home. This is where scams such as paid online surveys come into the picture. If you search this phrase "paid online surveys" on Google, Yahoo or MSN, you'll come up with plenty of results. Now, how many of these results are legitimate? Uh, none as far as I have experienced. You see, I tested the whole "paid online surveys" waters a while back. Do you want to know what I ended up with? Well, I'm going to tell you regardless. Countless advertisements, infinite loads of junk mail and not a dime to show for it. I tried all the top websites and none were beneficial in any way. They send you through hoop after hoop. You end up passing out your email to everyone, and all they offer for your services are coupons. What a load of garbage! But the real fun begins over the next few days. Your INBOX will be literally flooded with junk mail. And I do mean JUNK MAIL. More ads and trash to weed through. Then you'll be stuck clicking the UNSUBSCRIBE link to all those junk mails. What a way to waste your valuable time! The moral of the story is obvious. If it's too good to be true, then it probably is. When it comes to bogus paid online surveys, don't waste your time. Regardless of how intriguing they appear, they're bogus.
==================================================================== Author Biography: Want more information on Paid online surveys? http://tips-answers.blogspot.com/2007/06/paid-online-surveys.html has all the information
by: Devid Inthee Contact Email Address: meeinter@gmail.com WebSite: http://tips-answers.blogspot.com
It's truly amazing how much business has converted to the Internet. And the more and more it transfers to cyberspace, the more it will continue to change/evolve. This is in no way a bad thing. It's absolutely beneficial to those who work in cyberspace. And at the same time, it doesn't seem to affect shopping malls and retail stores either. It's a win-win situation as far as I can tell. However, that's not to say that every business on the web is legit. There are plenty of scams being run on a daily basis. If you've never come across one, then you're certainly part of the minority. I can't even count how many fraudulent paid online surveys are advertised these days. It's basically a big scam. There are plenty of us who strive to work from home. This is completely to be expected. So many people are fed-up with large corporations treating them poorly. It's not odd to feel like a cog in the machine. And this is why folks research alternative ways to make money. Possibly careers done completely from home. This is where scams such as paid online surveys come into the picture. If you search this phrase "paid online surveys" on Google, Yahoo or MSN, you'll come up with plenty of results. Now, how many of these results are legitimate? Uh, none as far as I have experienced. You see, I tested the whole "paid online surveys" waters a while back. Do you want to know what I ended up with? Well, I'm going to tell you regardless. Countless advertisements, infinite loads of junk mail and not a dime to show for it. I tried all the top websites and none were beneficial in any way. They send you through hoop after hoop. You end up passing out your email to everyone, and all they offer for your services are coupons. What a load of garbage! But the real fun begins over the next few days. Your INBOX will be literally flooded with junk mail. And I do mean JUNK MAIL. More ads and trash to weed through. Then you'll be stuck clicking the UNSUBSCRIBE link to all those junk mails. What a way to waste your valuable time! The moral of the story is obvious. If it's too good to be true, then it probably is. When it comes to bogus paid online surveys, don't waste your time. Regardless of how intriguing they appear, they're bogus.
==================================================================== Author Biography: Want more information on Paid online surveys? http://tips-answers.blogspot.com/2007/06/paid-online-surveys.html has all the information
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Why Has Personal Responsibility Disappeared?
Why Has Personal Responsibility Disappeared?
Copyright (c) 2007 Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success Shortcut 2 Success http://www.Shortcut2Success.com
Where has responsibility disappeared to in your life and those around you? Do not cop out and say it is the societal norm . . . please; it is time for you to stand up and take responsibility back in your life and mentor those around you! You hear about responsibility every day, or better yet, lack thereof. All we hear about is how nobody takes responsibility for their actions...or the kids have no responsibility or the parents...on and on. I have not heard anyone up techniques to teach and mentor responsibility, so here you are. Because I feel so strongly about this, I offer to you my five techniques to retrain yourself and teach those around you to be more responsible. These proven techniques cross all gender lines and age groups. Integrating these five proven techniques will foster discussion, action and ultimately greater responsibility for everyone involved. Let's start by grounding ourselves in what responsibility truly is. Responsibility is defined as: (1) answerable for acts or decisions and (2) able to fulfill obligations. Wow, how much more simple can it get? Are you with me on this! Five Techniques to get responsibility back:
1. Start with yourself, baseline your daily tasks and conversations as well as commitments you engage in. Do you meet definition 1 criteria? Are you truly answerable for everything you do, or did you make up reasons why something did not get taken care of? Maybe you have too much on your plate and you over commit without realizing it; this is not an excuse but often a reality for people...simplify.
2. Simplify your commitments and responsibilities as much as possible. Start slow; take the time to recognize the signs that you are slipping out of the responsibility mode. This technique may require a little time, and only you can evaluate and eliminate the non-value added portions of your day that may hinder your progression toward completely fulfilling the goal of *Taking Responsibility Back*.
3. Recognize the negative leading indicators in conversations or actions that drive you towards the *I'm not responsible for that...* plateau. These indicators are any action or decision you do not stand behind; go back to definition number 1. Remember how simple the definition is; guess what, it still is...just practice it.
4. Lead by example; words are cheap. Live up to your commitment and commit to yourself to meet all the expectations. Act accordingly and you will soon realize people around you will follow your example. If they do not, don't hesitate to call them out in a professional and non-derogatory way. Simply remind them of their decisions or commitments; and if circumstances have changed fine, just communicate.
5. Mentor those around you who do not take responsibility as so defined in the dictionary. Professionally and non-derogatorily point out the facts (not your opinion) on a given decision or commitment. The person may deny your statement and become controversial; just state the facts and carry on. You cannot make a person more responsible than they want to be. Maybe the response to those without responsibility could be to send them a copy of this article. Best of luck and much success.
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in the success field and provides valuable success information for free through his website at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com . You can also read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog
Copyright (c) 2007 Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success Shortcut 2 Success http://www.Shortcut2Success.com
Where has responsibility disappeared to in your life and those around you? Do not cop out and say it is the societal norm . . . please; it is time for you to stand up and take responsibility back in your life and mentor those around you! You hear about responsibility every day, or better yet, lack thereof. All we hear about is how nobody takes responsibility for their actions...or the kids have no responsibility or the parents...on and on. I have not heard anyone up techniques to teach and mentor responsibility, so here you are. Because I feel so strongly about this, I offer to you my five techniques to retrain yourself and teach those around you to be more responsible. These proven techniques cross all gender lines and age groups. Integrating these five proven techniques will foster discussion, action and ultimately greater responsibility for everyone involved. Let's start by grounding ourselves in what responsibility truly is. Responsibility is defined as: (1) answerable for acts or decisions and (2) able to fulfill obligations. Wow, how much more simple can it get? Are you with me on this! Five Techniques to get responsibility back:
1. Start with yourself, baseline your daily tasks and conversations as well as commitments you engage in. Do you meet definition 1 criteria? Are you truly answerable for everything you do, or did you make up reasons why something did not get taken care of? Maybe you have too much on your plate and you over commit without realizing it; this is not an excuse but often a reality for people...simplify.
2. Simplify your commitments and responsibilities as much as possible. Start slow; take the time to recognize the signs that you are slipping out of the responsibility mode. This technique may require a little time, and only you can evaluate and eliminate the non-value added portions of your day that may hinder your progression toward completely fulfilling the goal of *Taking Responsibility Back*.
3. Recognize the negative leading indicators in conversations or actions that drive you towards the *I'm not responsible for that...* plateau. These indicators are any action or decision you do not stand behind; go back to definition number 1. Remember how simple the definition is; guess what, it still is...just practice it.
4. Lead by example; words are cheap. Live up to your commitment and commit to yourself to meet all the expectations. Act accordingly and you will soon realize people around you will follow your example. If they do not, don't hesitate to call them out in a professional and non-derogatory way. Simply remind them of their decisions or commitments; and if circumstances have changed fine, just communicate.
5. Mentor those around you who do not take responsibility as so defined in the dictionary. Professionally and non-derogatorily point out the facts (not your opinion) on a given decision or commitment. The person may deny your statement and become controversial; just state the facts and carry on. You cannot make a person more responsible than they want to be. Maybe the response to those without responsibility could be to send them a copy of this article. Best of luck and much success.
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in the success field and provides valuable success information for free through his website at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com . You can also read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog
What Are the Most Important Things to Know About Cash Rewards Credit Cards?
What Are the Most Important Things to Know About Cash Rewards Credit Cards?
Author: Stephanie Foster Author's Email Address: workingathome@gmail.com
A good cash rewards credit card is a wonderful thing. Getting money back on money you have spent can be a real treat. But often they will cost you more than you get back... by far. So it's important to know if a cash rewards card is right for you. And that means you need to look both at what it will cost you to own and use it, and what you will get back from the card. The most basic thing to look at is the interest rate. While you will get the most benefit by not carrying a balance, most people will at least occasionally carry a balance. Your typical cash back card will have a higher interest rate than a card without any rewards attached. However, the rates will vary from card to card, and that is one factor you should consider. But don't fool yourself into thinking only the interest rate matters when looking at the expenses of your cash back card. The fees matter quite a bit too. Some will have annual fees. It is pretty easy to find cards that do not have an annual fee, so I would suggest dismissing those just offhand. Otherwise you risk the annual fee being more than what you get back each year. Watch out for the limitations placed on your rewards. Getting cash back means you don't have to worry about travel blackout dates or other such limitations that other kinds of rewards may have, but they can still limit what you get. A common limitation is what you can earn per time period. If you're likely to spend more than needed to get to that point, you won't want that card. The percentage you get back may also vary. 1% is no longer the only possibility. Sometimes the card will give higher rates back for certain types of purchases, such as gas, or if you buy from certain stores. If you spend a lot in the areas that you get extra back from, these can be well worth your while. If you have a balance to transfer, check for special deals on transferring that balance. Sometimes you will find deals offering a 0% interest rate on balance transfers. You'll need to watch for balance transfer fees, but if there are no fees, this will be an excellent deal. You will need to figure out what is most important to you. If you pay your balance off every month, the interest rate will be less important than what you get back. If you only spend a little, limitations on what you can earn won't matter so much.Stephanie Foster runs http://www.knowyourcreditcards.com/ as a resource to help people find the right credit cards.
You can learn more about cash rewards credit cards at http://www.knowyourcreditcards.com/cash/
Author: Stephanie Foster Author's Email Address: workingathome@gmail.com
A good cash rewards credit card is a wonderful thing. Getting money back on money you have spent can be a real treat. But often they will cost you more than you get back... by far. So it's important to know if a cash rewards card is right for you. And that means you need to look both at what it will cost you to own and use it, and what you will get back from the card. The most basic thing to look at is the interest rate. While you will get the most benefit by not carrying a balance, most people will at least occasionally carry a balance. Your typical cash back card will have a higher interest rate than a card without any rewards attached. However, the rates will vary from card to card, and that is one factor you should consider. But don't fool yourself into thinking only the interest rate matters when looking at the expenses of your cash back card. The fees matter quite a bit too. Some will have annual fees. It is pretty easy to find cards that do not have an annual fee, so I would suggest dismissing those just offhand. Otherwise you risk the annual fee being more than what you get back each year. Watch out for the limitations placed on your rewards. Getting cash back means you don't have to worry about travel blackout dates or other such limitations that other kinds of rewards may have, but they can still limit what you get. A common limitation is what you can earn per time period. If you're likely to spend more than needed to get to that point, you won't want that card. The percentage you get back may also vary. 1% is no longer the only possibility. Sometimes the card will give higher rates back for certain types of purchases, such as gas, or if you buy from certain stores. If you spend a lot in the areas that you get extra back from, these can be well worth your while. If you have a balance to transfer, check for special deals on transferring that balance. Sometimes you will find deals offering a 0% interest rate on balance transfers. You'll need to watch for balance transfer fees, but if there are no fees, this will be an excellent deal. You will need to figure out what is most important to you. If you pay your balance off every month, the interest rate will be less important than what you get back. If you only spend a little, limitations on what you can earn won't matter so much.Stephanie Foster runs http://www.knowyourcreditcards.com/ as a resource to help people find the right credit cards.
You can learn more about cash rewards credit cards at http://www.knowyourcreditcards.com/cash/
5 Tips For Selling Your Home For The Maximum Value
5 Tips For Selling Your Home For The Maximum Value
Author: Adrian Adams
Email Address: articles@thompsonenterprisesonline.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
If you're looking to sell your home in the near future, you want to get the absolute maximum value possible on the sale. That's no surprise, but often homeowners end up settling for less than they could have sold their house for if they had only made a few minor repairs and adjustments. What can you do to ensure you're not settling for less? Follow these simple steps to get your home ready for its appraisal and showing, and you could have several thousand dollars more in your pocket than you previously imagined!
1) Consider Your Home's Location The location of your home will actually have a significant impact on the value of your house, and will dictate approximately how high or low your initial asking price should be. If there's an empty lot next door, find out if there are any plans to develop that space ' if stores or an office building are going in, your home's value will be reduced. However, if it's going to be turned into a park area or green space, it will be in your best interest and your property value will increase.
2) Consider The Housing Market Is the housing market in your area a buyer's market or a seller's market? If homes in your area aren't selling as quickly as you like, you may be at a disadvantage. You'll be competing with other resellers and developers for fewer buyers, which means that you'll probably end up lowering your asking price in order to make the sale. However, if the market is hot, you should be able to get close to the price you want since houses are in high demand. If you can, wait until the market has turned in your favor, and then list your home. It's a fine line to balance, but if you keep a close eye on things, your Realtor should be able to help you out to make sure you list at the best time. After you've done these few external steps, it's time to look inward ' take some time to carry out these small adjustments inside your home, and watch the value increase!
3) Repair Everything You Can It may seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised how many homeowners forget the big impact a little coat of paint can have. If you walk into a home and see scratches on the wall, cracks in the floor tiles, and water marks on the ceiling, it won't matter how beautiful the rest of the home is, because you're going to spend the whole time wondering what else is wrong with the place! Fixing the big things and the little things will make your home look well-maintained and inviting. Since a lot of your home's value is based on perception, you want potential buyers to perceive your house as a place that's worth paying more money for.
4) Make Additions If it's in your best interest ' and you can find this out from a Realtor or appraising specialist ' add space to your home. The garage, porch and patio are not included in the square footage listing for your home, so if you can add even one more bedroom and a small washroom, it could increase your home's value by anywhere from ten to fifty thousand dollars. You do need to make sure that you won't spend more on the additions than you'll gain back though, as you don't want to find yourself taking a net loss down the line. Another easy addition to make that can significantly increase you home's value is a hot tub! A permanently installed hot tub is considered part of the full property area, and will allow you to start your home at a higher asking price.
5) Do A Little Yard Work Again, value is based on perception, and if both the outside and the inside of your home are well-maintained, you're going to be able to ask for more money and have more traffic coming through your home. A few hundred dollars spent on landscaping will actually increase the traffic in your home by 200-500% - which could result in a bidding war over your home, if more people are interested in buying. What better way to get the maximum value than through a bidding war between buyers? Keep your grass cut, gardens tidy, your doors and windows fully painted and cleaned, and polish any metal on your door, railings, or gate.
Need to sell your home fast? We buy houses! Visit us at http://www.cashhomebuyers.com/
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Declaring an Authentic Niche Market
Copyright (c) 2007 Molly Gordon Authentic Promotion http://www.authenticpromotion.com
niche...1. A recess in a wall, as for holding a statue. 2. A cranny, hollow, or crevice, as in a rock. 3. A situation or activity specially suited to a person's abilities or character. 4. Ecol. a. The set of functional relationships of an organism or population to the environment it occupies. b. The area within a habitat occupied by an organism. The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition * * * For years I struggled with the concept of niche. I knew that choosing the right niche market was considered essential to business success, yet for me, as for many professionals, choosing a niche felt like the kiss of death. When we dig in our heels against choosing a niche, we are probably responding to the first two definitions above. After all, who wants to do business in a hole in a wall or in a tiny, rocky place? If you believe that defining your niche market means choosing a hard, cramped, and confining space, no wonder you resist. People who bring their heart and soul to their work will resist niche marketing that tells them they must restrict the ways in which they offer value to the world. The good news is that choosing your niche market will do exactly the opposite: it will free you to be the biggest, most authentic, and most complete offer possible. Consider the third and fourth definitions of niche. When you look at niche in this light, you will see that your perfect niche market is that location or domain in which you are most readily accessible to the people who are most likely to benefit from (and thus value) the offer that you are and in which you are simultaneously most free to exercise your brilliance. ***Your niche market is the place in which you have a natural competitive advantage because you occupy the right place in the right ecosystem.*** A good niche market is one in which: * You are highly visible and easily accessible to the people who are most likely to benefit from your work, including prospective clients and customers, prospective collaborators and partners, and others with whom value-adding activities are most likely to be mutually beneficial. * You can employ the widest range of your talents, skills, and training (your offer.) There's a paradox in naming your niche market. When you give people a category to put your products or services in, it is easier for them to get a handle on what you do and to remember it. It's also much easier for them to appreciate how you differ from other professionals in that category. In other words, by putting yourself in a category, you can also make yourself stand out because you distinguish yourself from others in that category. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Molly Gordon, MCC, is a leading figure in business coaching ( http://www.mollygordon.com/coaching/index.html ), writer, workshop leader, frequent presenter at live and virtual events worldwide, and an acknowledged expert on niche marketing ( http://www.authenticpromotion.com/niche-marketing/index.html ). Join 12,000 readers of her Authentic Promotion ezine to grow your strong business while you feed your soul, and receive a free 31-page guide on effective self promotion.
niche...1. A recess in a wall, as for holding a statue. 2. A cranny, hollow, or crevice, as in a rock. 3. A situation or activity specially suited to a person's abilities or character. 4. Ecol. a. The set of functional relationships of an organism or population to the environment it occupies. b. The area within a habitat occupied by an organism. The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition * * * For years I struggled with the concept of niche. I knew that choosing the right niche market was considered essential to business success, yet for me, as for many professionals, choosing a niche felt like the kiss of death. When we dig in our heels against choosing a niche, we are probably responding to the first two definitions above. After all, who wants to do business in a hole in a wall or in a tiny, rocky place? If you believe that defining your niche market means choosing a hard, cramped, and confining space, no wonder you resist. People who bring their heart and soul to their work will resist niche marketing that tells them they must restrict the ways in which they offer value to the world. The good news is that choosing your niche market will do exactly the opposite: it will free you to be the biggest, most authentic, and most complete offer possible. Consider the third and fourth definitions of niche. When you look at niche in this light, you will see that your perfect niche market is that location or domain in which you are most readily accessible to the people who are most likely to benefit from (and thus value) the offer that you are and in which you are simultaneously most free to exercise your brilliance. ***Your niche market is the place in which you have a natural competitive advantage because you occupy the right place in the right ecosystem.*** A good niche market is one in which: * You are highly visible and easily accessible to the people who are most likely to benefit from your work, including prospective clients and customers, prospective collaborators and partners, and others with whom value-adding activities are most likely to be mutually beneficial. * You can employ the widest range of your talents, skills, and training (your offer.) There's a paradox in naming your niche market. When you give people a category to put your products or services in, it is easier for them to get a handle on what you do and to remember it. It's also much easier for them to appreciate how you differ from other professionals in that category. In other words, by putting yourself in a category, you can also make yourself stand out because you distinguish yourself from others in that category. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Molly Gordon, MCC, is a leading figure in business coaching ( http://www.mollygordon.com/coaching/index.html ), writer, workshop leader, frequent presenter at live and virtual events worldwide, and an acknowledged expert on niche marketing ( http://www.authenticpromotion.com/niche-marketing/index.html ). Join 12,000 readers of her Authentic Promotion ezine to grow your strong business while you feed your soul, and receive a free 31-page guide on effective self promotion.
The Questions Behind The Questions
Copyright (c) 2007 Robert Middleton Action Plan Marketing http://www.ActionPlan.com
One of the greatest confusions in talking about, and marketing, professional services is that we tend to answer the questions about our services at face value. This is a big mistake because what people ask and what they really want to know are two quite different things. So, if you answer the question they ask, they don't get the answers they want. Confusing? Definitely! The first question everyone asks us is "What do you do?" That's THE question. But if we answer it at face value we don't communicate much of real value: "I'm a management consultant." (OK, now I have your label, but I really don't know what that means to me.) or... "I do workshops on productivity and performance." (Better, but still I'm not seeing a big benefit here.) or... "I work with software firms to be more productive and profitable." (Yeah, I could see that this would be valuable.) or... "I work with startup software firms who are struggling to make a profit." (Bingo! my son-in-law works for a company like that!) So what's the underlying question to "What do you do?" My observation is that it's, "Are you someone who can help me?" Now the person you're talking to may not work for a software firm that's struggling to make a profit, but if they do (or know someone who does), you've hit a vital nerve with your answer. None of the other answers even get close. Wouldn't it be great if it got easier from there? Well, it doesn't! Because people keep talking in code. And you have to decipher the next one as well. Here it is: "That's great, how do you do that?" But don't go there. Translate the question as follows: "What kind of results do you produce for your clients?" Then answer like this: "The clients who work with me get these kind of results: They become profitable in six months or less and stop struggling with cash flow." This is music to the ears. The language of results. Just make sure you talk about what you can really deliver. This kind of marketing language will get the attention and interest of prospects, and make them want to know more. But you're not done yet. You're going to get more coded questions: "That's terrific. But how does your service work?" The red lights should go off at this point. Don't go down that path. Better men and women than you and I have gone there never to return. The vast majority tend to go in one of two directions: They go into "tech-talk" that explains their approach or process in excruciating detail. But tech-talk can be confusing to the average layman: "The sub-optimal performance horizon undermines the maximization of variable input factors in the productivity matrix. So we co-harmonize these factors." Huh?? Or they go in the opposite direction explaining how their service works in terms so generic that they lose all impact. "Well, we're all about productivity, alignment and commitment. When we get those things going, results tend to improve pretty fast." Well, Duh! Both of these approaches are dead ends. Nobody really wants to know how your service works. The hidden question behind the question is: "Do your services actually work?" That would be a little rude, wouldn't it? But answer it, nevertheless, as follows: Tell a story. Success stories that outline how you helped a specific client gets listeners hanging on your every word: "We met a very promising start-up software firm who didn't think they could hold on another month. We helped them get their cash flow working, got them some more money and then showed how they could sell the software faster to their target market. Nine months later they are profitable and growing quickly." Not so hard right? You can do this quite successfully with a little practice. You should prepare several success stories in verbal and written form. They are a powerful persuasion tool. Starting to get the idea? If you don't understand the real questions beneath the standard questions, you'll miss the opportunity to tell them what they really want to know. To speak a prospect's language you need to understand that the fundamental question everyone is asking is "What's in it for me?" Answer that and you'll do fine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Middleton, the owner of Action Plan Marketing, has been helping Independent Professionals be better marketers since 1984. On his web site http://www.ActionPlan.com find valuable resources, products and programs for attracting more clients. Get a free copy of his Marketing Plan Sart-Up Kit.
One of the greatest confusions in talking about, and marketing, professional services is that we tend to answer the questions about our services at face value. This is a big mistake because what people ask and what they really want to know are two quite different things. So, if you answer the question they ask, they don't get the answers they want. Confusing? Definitely! The first question everyone asks us is "What do you do?" That's THE question. But if we answer it at face value we don't communicate much of real value: "I'm a management consultant." (OK, now I have your label, but I really don't know what that means to me.) or... "I do workshops on productivity and performance." (Better, but still I'm not seeing a big benefit here.) or... "I work with software firms to be more productive and profitable." (Yeah, I could see that this would be valuable.) or... "I work with startup software firms who are struggling to make a profit." (Bingo! my son-in-law works for a company like that!) So what's the underlying question to "What do you do?" My observation is that it's, "Are you someone who can help me?" Now the person you're talking to may not work for a software firm that's struggling to make a profit, but if they do (or know someone who does), you've hit a vital nerve with your answer. None of the other answers even get close. Wouldn't it be great if it got easier from there? Well, it doesn't! Because people keep talking in code. And you have to decipher the next one as well. Here it is: "That's great, how do you do that?" But don't go there. Translate the question as follows: "What kind of results do you produce for your clients?" Then answer like this: "The clients who work with me get these kind of results: They become profitable in six months or less and stop struggling with cash flow." This is music to the ears. The language of results. Just make sure you talk about what you can really deliver. This kind of marketing language will get the attention and interest of prospects, and make them want to know more. But you're not done yet. You're going to get more coded questions: "That's terrific. But how does your service work?" The red lights should go off at this point. Don't go down that path. Better men and women than you and I have gone there never to return. The vast majority tend to go in one of two directions: They go into "tech-talk" that explains their approach or process in excruciating detail. But tech-talk can be confusing to the average layman: "The sub-optimal performance horizon undermines the maximization of variable input factors in the productivity matrix. So we co-harmonize these factors." Huh?? Or they go in the opposite direction explaining how their service works in terms so generic that they lose all impact. "Well, we're all about productivity, alignment and commitment. When we get those things going, results tend to improve pretty fast." Well, Duh! Both of these approaches are dead ends. Nobody really wants to know how your service works. The hidden question behind the question is: "Do your services actually work?" That would be a little rude, wouldn't it? But answer it, nevertheless, as follows: Tell a story. Success stories that outline how you helped a specific client gets listeners hanging on your every word: "We met a very promising start-up software firm who didn't think they could hold on another month. We helped them get their cash flow working, got them some more money and then showed how they could sell the software faster to their target market. Nine months later they are profitable and growing quickly." Not so hard right? You can do this quite successfully with a little practice. You should prepare several success stories in verbal and written form. They are a powerful persuasion tool. Starting to get the idea? If you don't understand the real questions beneath the standard questions, you'll miss the opportunity to tell them what they really want to know. To speak a prospect's language you need to understand that the fundamental question everyone is asking is "What's in it for me?" Answer that and you'll do fine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Middleton, the owner of Action Plan Marketing, has been helping Independent Professionals be better marketers since 1984. On his web site http://www.ActionPlan.com find valuable resources, products and programs for attracting more clients. Get a free copy of his Marketing Plan Sart-Up Kit.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Begin With Today
Copyright (c) 2007 Deborah Brown-Volkman Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. http://www.surpassyourdreams.com/
No matter where you are in your career, today is a brand new day. It does not matter how many jobs or gaps you have on your resume. It does not matter whether you once led a big project that failed or went nowhere. It does not matter if you tell yourself regularly that you should be somewhere else in your career rather than where you are right now. Today is a brand new day. We all have something in our career that we wished we would have done differently. Maybe you blew an interview. Maybe someone at work sidelined you. Maybe you should have spoken up more--or less. Objectively we know that everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes, inside, we cannot let go of what we perceive as failure. Every great leader has failed sometime in their career. It's not important how you fall, but how you pick yourself back up. So How Do You Begin With Today? Follow These Steps Below. 1. Make Peace With Your Past Rather than focus on how the past has harmed you, focus on how the past has taken you to where you are today. The project that went nowhere may have taught you to plan more or to be more assertive. The multiple jobs on your resume may have taught you to stay put and not leave when things get tough. The co-worker that sidelined you may have taught you to showcase your work better and expand your network. You have learned valuable lessons from every mistake you have made. You are a better person because of them. 2. Decide What You Want Once you have made peace with your past, you have a clean slate. What do you want to do with yours? Do you want a new job? Do you want a new career? Do you want to make more money? You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. The only person who is keeping you from these things is you. Decide that you want something more and you can have it. Decide that today is the day that you will turnaround your career. 3. Start Where You Are Now Begin with today-it's what you have in front of you. Go after what you want because not doing so is keeping you from unleashing the true person that is inside you. Take out a piece of paper and write down what you want. Then, break what you want into steps. Prioritize your steps and then put them into your calendar. Work on one step at a time. Focus on the future and making what you want a reality. Look forward rather than back because what's behind you is over. Start where you are right now which is the best place to begin. So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that works with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. She is the author of Coach Yourself To A New Career and How To Feel Great At Work Everyday. Deborah can be reached at http://www.surpassyourdreams.com
http://www.career-escape-program.com info@surpassyourdreams.com or at (631) 874-2877.
No matter where you are in your career, today is a brand new day. It does not matter how many jobs or gaps you have on your resume. It does not matter whether you once led a big project that failed or went nowhere. It does not matter if you tell yourself regularly that you should be somewhere else in your career rather than where you are right now. Today is a brand new day. We all have something in our career that we wished we would have done differently. Maybe you blew an interview. Maybe someone at work sidelined you. Maybe you should have spoken up more--or less. Objectively we know that everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes, inside, we cannot let go of what we perceive as failure. Every great leader has failed sometime in their career. It's not important how you fall, but how you pick yourself back up. So How Do You Begin With Today? Follow These Steps Below. 1. Make Peace With Your Past Rather than focus on how the past has harmed you, focus on how the past has taken you to where you are today. The project that went nowhere may have taught you to plan more or to be more assertive. The multiple jobs on your resume may have taught you to stay put and not leave when things get tough. The co-worker that sidelined you may have taught you to showcase your work better and expand your network. You have learned valuable lessons from every mistake you have made. You are a better person because of them. 2. Decide What You Want Once you have made peace with your past, you have a clean slate. What do you want to do with yours? Do you want a new job? Do you want a new career? Do you want to make more money? You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. The only person who is keeping you from these things is you. Decide that you want something more and you can have it. Decide that today is the day that you will turnaround your career. 3. Start Where You Are Now Begin with today-it's what you have in front of you. Go after what you want because not doing so is keeping you from unleashing the true person that is inside you. Take out a piece of paper and write down what you want. Then, break what you want into steps. Prioritize your steps and then put them into your calendar. Work on one step at a time. Focus on the future and making what you want a reality. Look forward rather than back because what's behind you is over. Start where you are right now which is the best place to begin. So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that works with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. She is the author of Coach Yourself To A New Career and How To Feel Great At Work Everyday. Deborah can be reached at http://www.surpassyourdreams.com
http://www.career-escape-program.com info@surpassyourdreams.com or at (631) 874-2877.
Get Seven Steps Closer to Finding Financial Freedom
Copyright © 2007 Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success
People make reaching a level of financial freedom harder than itactually should be. In order to find financial freedom, all youhave to do is follow a few simple steps and be committed to thecause. Financial freedom can be achieved by people who are notmillionaires. It can be had by everyday common people who knowhow to work within a system and get what they want. By initiatingthese seven simple steps, you to will be on a path to financialfreedom.
1. First and foremost, you need to find out where all of yourmoney is going every month. You need to remember to pay yourselffirst, and take care of everything else next. In other words,make sure that you are not taking every paycheck you get andpaying off debt. You do not have to pay everything off at once.By keeping some money for yourself you will be able to live anice life.
2. Stop creating debt. This is painful but a must in you gainingthe upper hand in managing your money. If you have a spouse thatspends, spends and spends . . . you must have a heart to heartdiscussion about living within your means. Wrong, just becauseyou qualify for another *Free Interest* credit card, it is notgiving you anything but . . . DEBT! All you need is ONE creditcard to manage your expenses.
3. Use your ONE credit card for everything, but do not spendbeyond your budget. Why, because you see exactly what you spendyour money on and how often. If you are like I was, cash forthis, credit for that, check for groceries . . . no way I couldkeep up with these expense sheets.
4. Invest automatically. This is one of the most time-tested tobe true but often-overlooked steps people ignore. People don'tlike to not see their money for some reason. They feel cheated bynot getting to see any of their money, but this is the exactpoint. If you don't see the money, you will not be as likely tospend the money. Make it a point to invest directly from yourpaycheck, and you will ensure that your money is getting to theproper investment without any being taken up front.
5. If you have a personal portfolio, make sure you diversify yourportfolio. In other words, do not put all of your money in thesame type of investment basket. You will want to make sure youhave money going to a lot of different places. The real estate,savings accounts, stock market (small amount) or start aninternet business are all realistic options.
6. Quit procrastinating and get started today. This is the numbertwo problem that plagues a large percentage of the population.Remember number one? See Number 1. They always say that they aregoing to get started but never seem to have the time to getaround to it. Remember, as time goes by so does your opportunityto save money. Each paycheck that you spend without investing isone that could have gone towards one of your investment optionchoices.
7. Develop multiple steams of income. What is this? Quite simplyinstead of getting one paycheck, figure out ways to get 2, 3 or 4paychecks. How and where you get into multiple streams of incomeis endless . . . I'll simply say, write down what your favoriteactivity is, or subject, maybe a hobby. Do a little research onthe internet by seeking out forums, chat rooms or similarproducts that cover your subject and let the ideas flow. Oneother method is to get into marketing on the internet; affiliatebusinesses can yield great rewards if that is something you'reinterested in. Example - http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-16688
These are simple steps. I am not a financial expert, but I thinkhearing the basics again are valuable insights to get started.Build a solid foundation, get started right away and do not beafraid to make mistakes. They happen to everybody including theprofessionals. The future is yours to grasp, so take it!
============================================================
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in thesuccess field and provides valuable success information for freethrough his website at: http://www.shortcut2success.com/ . You canalso read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at:http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog ============================================================
Read More Articles From Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success:http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Kent_Jacobson_a.k.a._Mr._Success
People make reaching a level of financial freedom harder than itactually should be. In order to find financial freedom, all youhave to do is follow a few simple steps and be committed to thecause. Financial freedom can be achieved by people who are notmillionaires. It can be had by everyday common people who knowhow to work within a system and get what they want. By initiatingthese seven simple steps, you to will be on a path to financialfreedom.
1. First and foremost, you need to find out where all of yourmoney is going every month. You need to remember to pay yourselffirst, and take care of everything else next. In other words,make sure that you are not taking every paycheck you get andpaying off debt. You do not have to pay everything off at once.By keeping some money for yourself you will be able to live anice life.
2. Stop creating debt. This is painful but a must in you gainingthe upper hand in managing your money. If you have a spouse thatspends, spends and spends . . . you must have a heart to heartdiscussion about living within your means. Wrong, just becauseyou qualify for another *Free Interest* credit card, it is notgiving you anything but . . . DEBT! All you need is ONE creditcard to manage your expenses.
3. Use your ONE credit card for everything, but do not spendbeyond your budget. Why, because you see exactly what you spendyour money on and how often. If you are like I was, cash forthis, credit for that, check for groceries . . . no way I couldkeep up with these expense sheets.
4. Invest automatically. This is one of the most time-tested tobe true but often-overlooked steps people ignore. People don'tlike to not see their money for some reason. They feel cheated bynot getting to see any of their money, but this is the exactpoint. If you don't see the money, you will not be as likely tospend the money. Make it a point to invest directly from yourpaycheck, and you will ensure that your money is getting to theproper investment without any being taken up front.
5. If you have a personal portfolio, make sure you diversify yourportfolio. In other words, do not put all of your money in thesame type of investment basket. You will want to make sure youhave money going to a lot of different places. The real estate,savings accounts, stock market (small amount) or start aninternet business are all realistic options.
6. Quit procrastinating and get started today. This is the numbertwo problem that plagues a large percentage of the population.Remember number one? See Number 1. They always say that they aregoing to get started but never seem to have the time to getaround to it. Remember, as time goes by so does your opportunityto save money. Each paycheck that you spend without investing isone that could have gone towards one of your investment optionchoices.
7. Develop multiple steams of income. What is this? Quite simplyinstead of getting one paycheck, figure out ways to get 2, 3 or 4paychecks. How and where you get into multiple streams of incomeis endless . . . I'll simply say, write down what your favoriteactivity is, or subject, maybe a hobby. Do a little research onthe internet by seeking out forums, chat rooms or similarproducts that cover your subject and let the ideas flow. Oneother method is to get into marketing on the internet; affiliatebusinesses can yield great rewards if that is something you'reinterested in. Example - http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-16688
These are simple steps. I am not a financial expert, but I thinkhearing the basics again are valuable insights to get started.Build a solid foundation, get started right away and do not beafraid to make mistakes. They happen to everybody including theprofessionals. The future is yours to grasp, so take it!
============================================================
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in thesuccess field and provides valuable success information for freethrough his website at: http://www.shortcut2success.com/ . You canalso read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at:http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog ============================================================
Read More Articles From Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success:http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Kent_Jacobson_a.k.a._Mr._Success
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