Wednesday, December 24, 2008

13 Eating Tips For A Healthier New Year


13 Eating Tips for a Healthier New Year By Candace Booth, ND, PhD, CNC, SHC

Whether you need to de-stress from too much holiday partying, or simply want to kick off the New Year right, these 13 healthy nutrition tips are a great way to start.

1. Drink warm water with lemon in the morning. A cup of warm water first thing in the morning goes right through the bowels and cleans out mucus from the day before.

2. Lubricate, don't flood. Your stomach needs to be lubricated, not flooded. When you drink fluids with meals, it means you drown or destroy digestive enzymes which in turn inhibit or strain digestion. Therefore, drink fluids, juices, or preferably water, 20 to 30 minutes away from meals.

3. Chew slowly. Chewing slowly gives the food in your mouth a chance to become liquefied as a result of mixing with enzymes from the saliva. Really learn to savor each mouthful. Feel the texture of the food and capture the flavor. The digestive process begins when your saliva comes in contact with your food as it is being chewed. The chewed food will pass more easily through the digestive tract for maximum nutrient uptake.

4. Eat when calm. Stress eating causes you to physically not be able to digest your food properly.

5. Not too hot -- not too cold. The temperature of food and drink entering your body affects the strength of your spleen, your energy battery, and other organs too. Ice cold drinks weaken the organs. Eating foods that are too hot (burn your palate) aren't much better, since they injure your mouth membranes, damage gastric stomach lining, and degrade taste buds. Room temperature water is best to drink.

6. Decorate your plate. Try and prepare meals that are attractive to your eyes -- this causes your brain to spur into action sending a message to salivary glands to secrete saliva which contains digestive enzymes.

7. Rotate your foods. Don't eat the same things every day. You don't need too much of one single food and it can often lead to food intolerance, allergies, or sensitivities. You will also nourish your body with a wider range of nutrients.

8. Listen to your body. Take note of the foods you crave. If you really want a specific food because of its color, smell, or feel, just enjoy and go with the attractions. It may be that your body needs something nutritionally contained within that food. We aren't talking chocolate cookies here! We are referring to all those healthy whole foods such as fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables, seasonings, etc. that are available at health food markets. Walk the produce aisle slowly and imagine your taste buds enjoying the flavor of each food. What looks good? What smells good? Which foods look healthy and robust? Savor the produce instead of looking at the high sugar/fat foods. Then make your choices. Notice how much difference there is in the foods you are buying compared to the week before.

9. Enzymes! Enzymes! Enzymes! Sprouted seeds, raw vegetables, raw fruits, nuts, and seeds are loaded with live enzymes, which are the key to feeding your body with living nutrition and assuring better nutrient absorption.

10. Break the fast. Always eat something healthy and substantial for breakfast. This is the time period when your stomach energies are at their strongest and your digestive juices are raring to go.

11. Don't sleep on a full stomach. Eat your last meal of the day at least 3 hours before bedtime. Try not to eat after 7 PM as a rule. When you eat too late, you stress your digestive system -- you cannot digest as effectively when you go to sleep on a full stomach. It's bad for your digestive organs, heart, and liver not to mention the sugar that will get stored as fat because you aren't burning off what you ate.

12. Choose as many colors as you can. Every color in the vegetable/fruit family -- red, orange, purple, green, yellow, dark green, etc. -- plays a role in building or detoxing the body/blood.

13. Drink your greens. Once a week, have a green juice drink made from a variety of vegetables and/or fruits. This drink will have a rejuvenating effect on your body -- it is a power surge for the blood because it will be rich in chlorophyll. It will purify the blood, build red blood cells, detoxify the body, and provide fast energy. Green juice is the perfect fuel for the body. Its high water content means it is easily assimilated, and it contains the whole vegetable except for the fiber, the digestible part of the plant.

[Ed. Note: Candace Booth has a natural health practice in Mt. Dora, Florida where she offers consultations in nutrition and overcoming disease symptoms with natural healing remedies. Her new book, How Much Fat Are You Carrying - The Ultimate Fat Loss Guide For People Who Are Sick of Diets is available on her website, www.Destinationhealthplus.com.]

Monday, December 15, 2008

Bill Gate Retirement

When I was referred to this link regarding the video that was produced for Bill Gate's retirement I was not sure if I want to embed it here as a Blog content. However after viewing it, it reminds me of the day when I was leaving a company that I had worked for a period of time.

I feel reluctant and sad but at the same time, excited over my next opportunity that I am venturing on. My fellow colleagues become extra nice or attentive and I wonder whether I have made the right decision to leave the company.

Let me assure you that this is a natural part of life in the working arena. In due time, all these nice colleagues will "lost touch" with you as they go about with their daily life. Unless you are still in the same area of business where you still have to contact each other otherwise be prepared that you will start having a new group friends or colleagues after 3 to 6 months.

I have gone through this cycle so much that I no longer feel so emotionally attached regarding the situation. Life goes on with or without you !

Anyway, if you cannot fathom what I am trying to convey, see this video that Bill Gate played for his farewell CES note that imagined what life will be on his last day at work ( Jan 16th 2008 ). Its pretty funny and hilarious with so many guest stars and what-nots.



To retire very rich like Bill Gate is a dream that many people want and I personnally hope to be able to retire with some residual income so that I do not have to work till the age of 70 and onwards.

I hope you enjoy the video and Have A Wonderful Christmas !

Monday, December 8, 2008

Making Money Online

As more and more people realized that the economy is not going to recover in due time, they also found out that their job is no longer stable anymore. As such, these people are looking for alternative ways to generate income for "rainy days". Naturally, most of those with IT knowledge will explore Internet Marketing, thinking that its the easy way out. Perhaps with a little effort here and there, they might just strike it rich !

What they do not realize is that Internet Marketing is as tough as doing a Networking or MLM business. It really takes a lot of time and effort to prepare the ground work and the discipline to persist in the face of uncertainty.

No doubt there is money to be made online but we need to learn from the Basic first. First, we need to know what Niche we have that the market will want. Second, How to create that awareness so that people will come to you ? Third, How to capitalize on visits made by the visitors to your website ? Fourth, How long will it take before you see the 1st dollar of this venture ?

Beside this, you need to know the technicality of creating a website for it, what type and what kind of website ? How to promote your product and through what method ?
How to create a Sales Page so that people will be attracted to your promotion and what-nots ? How to make your website popular ?

Unless you are prepared to learn or re-learn this BUSINESS from scratch ( just like Networking or MLM ), most will give up halfway through the venture. What I like about this option of business is that it gives me freedom to do anything I want. No one is going to tell me whether I did it wrong or not. It allows me to constantly go back to my drawing board to fine-tune what I have done. The only sign of success you get is when the visitors rating goes higher or people start buying the product that you are promoting and you start making money.

I know there are plenty of people out there learning the rope like me and to me, it is a marathon race that will ultimately show my potential as long I believe this business option works.

I have gone through 3 recessions in my life time and I want to be financially rich enough before the next one comes along !



"Don't Simply Retire from something; have something to retire to" -- Harry Emerson Fosdick

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Excuse For Not Generating Money ?

There are times when I really feel frustrated with the kind of people out there who are searching for ways to make additional money. They will respond to newspapers or others form of ads to find the opportunity they are looking for and upon calling the Advertiser, they will probe as to what is offer so much so that it became they were interviewing the advertiser.

What these people are really doing is to size up whether that opportunity as advertised is attractive enough for them to venture into but what they do not realized is that most Advertisers will not reveal too much on the phone. The Advertiser will usually try to coax these people to attend the interview or business talk or in-door demonstration that they have prepared for these callers.

These are some of the responses that I have personally encountered for an offer to recruit some Freelancer for a simple electronic gadget that pays commission instantly when committed :

1. They REFUSED to identify themselves when asked for a Name ( Rude )

2. They insist of wanting to know what is the detail prior to making a commitment whether to attend the interview or what-not ?

3. They say they will call back WHEN INTERESTED ( who cares ! After all, I am offering the opportunity )

4. They quietly accept my invitation to the Open Talk where Date and Address is given ( Great ! )

5. They ARGUED that some of the offer made over the phone is not attractive enough for them ( Do I owe them a Living ? )

After 3 days of advertisement and a respondent list of 25 people, I deem it a success as the number is considered high enough, but this is what happened on D-Day, the Open Talk itself :

The Date / Time : 10am to 12Noon / Venue for this Open Talk has already been emailed or verbally informed over the phone to the callers days earlier. The venue is 100m away from the nearest MRT Station.

i. At 9.45am ( Open Talk to begin ) no one came yet

ii. We proceed to make call to ascertain if the respondents are coming for the Talk and there are some who did not answer the call at all, there are some who obviously sound sleepy ( I must have woke them up ) and some who says that they are busy with something else for the day. Do you think these people will appear at the Talk ? nah, not in a Million year !

iii. At 10.15am ( Yes ! The first guest arrived ) then followed by another at 10.20am

iv. By 10.30am, we have to start the session with just this 2 gentlemen. The situation is extremely awkward. But the show need to be carry out

v. At the completion of the talk ( Almost 11am ), another man turns up ( so another awkward situation ). Nevertheless, we proceed to show the Demo of the program.

vi. At the closing stage, we encourage the Attendee to consider the Proposal we made by filling a Form of Intention. Only 2 of 3 want the form but did not fill up as they want to consider the matter ). Holy molly, another respondent turns up ! 12Noon -- At the program End Time ( phew )

This episode tells me very clearly that when people are not hungry for something, nothing you do can get them interested in what you are offering especially Singaporean. Why ? Because many of us have not feel the pinch yet ! Despite all the negative hearsay about the economy getting worse in time to come, these people might still have a job that they can rely on.

Secondly, we all know that Singaporean are REALLY choosy about the things they want to do ( that's why the Foreign workers are able to grab it fast ! Keep hesitating and one day, you'll have all the crumps ). These are sign of complacency that has build up over time in the way we live our life, we have so much to choose previously and we still think that the situation is similar. I know it because I personally have experienced it. But I also do know that I will hop on to any wagons now which can make a quick buck if I put in some effort doing it.

Thirdly, the mentioned of doing Sales petrified REALLY PLENTY of people ! Each time they knew that Sales is involved they will give you thousand and one reasons why they cannot do it. The fact that they speak so smoothly and convincingly why they can't do it is itself a SALES PITCH. Some of these people feel embarrassed to knock the door of others, or approach strangers or even feel embarrass doing it but I think its plain LAZINESS that did not make them move their butt to do something to improve themselves.

I simply cannot understand how anyone can find so much excuse for not generating money for themselves and I have encountered plenty of these people out there. Is the society reaching a stage where these excuses have become acceptable and nothing can be done about it or everyone simply DON'T CARE !

I cringe each time I think about it because I have seen many younger adults having this kind of mentality too. I am still finding ways to make ends meet and I cannot imagine what life will be if I too succumbed to this kind of thoughts.

"If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go in spite of it all. And so today I still have a Dream."
Martin Luther King Jr.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Do You Plan For An Alternative Income ?

With the economic crisis looking gloomier day by day, there is a tendency for us to take things easy by spending lesser for our shopping, traveling and other activities that requires money. It is still bearable if you know that your job is still intact for the time being but there are some of these people out there who may not even understand the signal that the market place or work place has put in place that clearly indicate that they will lose their jobs in the near future.

With AIG almost going "broke" , there are many insurance agents out there who does not look worried or think that they will be the next victim just like their "Lehman" counterpart, partly because the Authority here says that it will not affect them. My question is how can they be so sure about this news ?

3 Months ago, if you tell a "Lehman" employee that their company may go bust, I will bet you to my last dollar that they will roll on the floor laughing because their July Financial Report was excellent. But what happen after that ? It just go bankrupt overnight !

In this uncertain time and economic condition, no one can predict when will these "recession" be over, as a matter of fact, has it started yet ? Like it or not, people are still doing what they are supposed to do as long as they feel its justifiable for them. And it is also at this point in time, there will be people who come to their sense and start to look for an alternative income just in case they lose the one they are holding on now.

Instead of spending time worrying what will come next, why not indulge in activity where you can upgrade your knowledge such as reading motivational books, attending courses or seminar pertaining to a specific trade or even embark on a new business venture. All these undertakings, if taken seriously, will make you a better person and it will be a greater advantage to you when the good times come again.

Allowing yourself to plan or look for alternative income shows that you are mentally prepared to start something new that might eventually become the main income earner for your family. You never know until you try. However, there will also be those who hope that tomorrow will be a better day, but that tomorrow may never comes.

"The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be
paid for more than he does."

- Napoleon Hill



Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Who To Blame When Your Business Is Not Growing ?


I have been very busy the past weeks with endless reading and searching the web for more answer on "How To Become Successful Using The Internet ?", I have even spent close to S$500 on eBooks by "Guru's" of the Internet Marketing arena and my conclusion is this :

Knowing the Tips / Tricks of doing the Business does not help me unless I DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT !

With the huge amount of information I am absorbing lately I am very certain that I am having Information overflow and eventually I am at the starting point of knowing what I wanted to do but at least, I have NEW knowledge on What Internet Marketing is.

My knowledge comes in all forms : eBooks, Forums, Websites, Articles in Ezine etc and there are some webmasters out there who are even answering your questions for free. We should be glad that these people are giving us information that cuts down our time in exploring on how the business can be done.

As a result of this kind of treatment, I realized that I also want to be helpful in my Internet Marketing endeavor so that others will benefit from visiting my website in the near future. However an incident on my newly trusted mentor website reminds me that while we can do our best to please everyone BUT not everyone who has visited your site will reciprocate positively. This is what happens :

A visitor has visited www.2planawebsite.com and www.2createawebsite.com and must have try and tested some of the Tips that this websmaster, Miss Lisa, had provided in its articles and contents. However, his website is not performing up to his expectation and he blames Miss Lisa and calling her website a BUNK, which is very unfounded. I also found out through her comment that this Visitor did not even write to her with his problems or to get any form of consultation prior to his outburst on the Comment Page and this pretty upset the sweet lady who has been helping others in this area of business for almost 10 years.

What I know is that there are many such pessimistic people out there who do not know how to take defeat or setbacks gracefully and finger-pointing on others to blame for their misadventure. These type of people will never know how to please someone because they don't know how to please themselves !

I am also convinced that there are many helpful people such as Miss Lisa out there who sincerely want to help those in need of help on subject such as Website Creation, Writing Articles and Affiliate Marketing so that they can make some money in the near future. These helpful Samaritans believe in one principle, in my humble opinion, that by helping others they will be help in time to come. Another trait is that they have a kind heart and is willing to give back to society.

So, do not blame others whenever your business is not growing, search for the answer in the web and you might just find an Angel out there who is very much willing to help you out.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Fraud That You Must Know !

In a time like this when people are desperately looking for alternatives to making extra money, they will hop on to any wagon that promises a handsome returns. Especially when they venture into the Internet world of affiliate marketing.

What these unsuspecting money seekers commonly does is to enter the word "make money" into the Google or Yahoo Search Engine and they will find millions of websites out there screaming back at them to join their program.

Naturally, they will explore the First available page with links to the "successful" website that is available and start exploring their webpages. Usually these website are so professionally designed that they captivate the attention of the seekers. Some of these lures are so fantastic that they really makes the seekers to part with their money to join the program.

Most of these Long Sales Letter are displayed to impress the seekers into believing that the program works and that there are many testimonials ( some are fake actually ! ) about the services or products and that you are SOOOOO LUCKY to stumble onto their page because of some promotion that is going on which makes the commitment very cheap to invest.

Many of these Sales Letter claims that they are making thousands of dollars daily and that they are actually millionaire already ! See the following to see if its a fraud or not :

http://webcritics.peepsreview.com/2008/10/who-wants-money-or-quick-ways-programs-to-get-it/

Much as we would like to make good money in everything we do, we also must be logical enough to detect whether a business proposal is believable. There is a saying that "If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is !" and this must always be at the back of your mind whenever you hunt for something in the web.

I am not saying that all those programs out there are out to cheat your money but there are really plenty of them that does. To be well-informed in your decision to identify your niche, you must read, read and read many articles, forum comments or compare similar type industries website so that your chances of getting "conned" is at its minimal.

If you are wondering if you should build a Website to pursue your new interest, why not explore this website : http://www.2planawebsite.com/

If you are wondering if doing a Networking Business on the web is viable, you might want to read this FREE eBook on "7 Lies of Network Marketing" first.

If you are looking for some knowledge on "How to make money on the web" ( logically, of course ) then visit this forum to learn more about the facts or scams that can be found in the Internet World.

William Siong

Friday, November 7, 2008

"No Time" or Too Lazy To Make Money

When I present opportunity to people who are searching for means to make extra money, the instant reply I always get is "I have no time !" or "My children are young" or "I will look into it when I am ready" Are these truly a legitimate reasons ?

Let’s face it. Network Marketing, Internet Marketing or Any Money Making Opportunities are not for everyone. You have to enjoy being out here and learning the ropes (learn how to find your customers, rope in a few downlines, or how to get ranked in Google, partner with other sites, writing content, etc.) If you don’t, this journey will be more like a job.

Most of these successful businessmen I know never felt that what they are doing are like Works and I believe that’s why I am putting real effort into it to become one of them. Unfortunately, though, when people hear stories of successful business owner earning five to six figures per year, they think all they have to do is join the business or build a site and they’ll get the same result.

If it were really that easy, we’d all have five to six figure income now wouldn’t we?

People often want instant gratification with little work and when they don’t succeed, they place the blame on everyone, system or business when 9 times out of 10, the only person to blame is themselves.

Yes, there are some of them who make a lot of money out here, but they worked hard for it. Some of them had started their business for 2 to 5 years and there were times in the beginning when they only made about $15 per month. But they never gave up. Yes, they've failed many times along the way but they improved their business from the mistake learnt in the process.

Mistakes are OK, but Laziness is not. I have people who want to make extra money for themselves but can only devote a small hour per week to do the business. If you’re just starting out, you have to devote much more time to get it started right. If you can’t, then your results will mirror your efforts.

Bottom line…

If you are looking for a free lunch or looking to get rich overnight, then doing business is not for you. It's better off working for a Salary that will tie you down for a long period of time with no certainty.

Look around you today ! There is no such thing as a JOB SECURITY anymore. People are getting retrenched for all sorts of reasons that the Company or Bosses can think of.
However, if you want to venture into some form of business then you got to get the butt off the chair and do something!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

From Articles To Ebooks To Make Money Online

After 2 weeks of searching and reading and subscribing to potential Gurus website for a way to generate money online, I learnt only one thing : Information Overload !

This does not helps much after forking out a substantial sum of money to learn the tricks of the trade about making money online. Why ? The more I read, the more confused I become ( Almost the same situation when I joined an MLM business venture ). Unlike in the MLM business, I have a Mentor ( usually my Upline to guide me as she has been in the business much longer than I am ) and the communication is close and personal whereas on the web, the so-called "Guru" throws you a ton of information's on how to get it right without pointing the Short-cut to preparing the process.

There are simply many ways to make money online. Despite everything is web-based and information is offered through the pages displayed, they all looks the same for a beginner. Its only through reading its Content, will one knows the purpose of the website presented.

Methods of generating money comes from Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Information Marketing, Network Marketing and many more. Regardless of which category of business you are interested in, you are guaranteed to do the following :

1. Read plenty plenty of information's regarding the business
2. Learn how to setup Website, Auto-responder and ways to generate traffic
3. Learn how to write Contents for your web pages
4. Learn how to write Articles to promote your business or website
5. Learn how to write Articles or EBooks to make money
6. Learn how to incorporate unique graphics, banners, advertisements to your website
7. Learn how to incorporate music, video, Forms, Links to attract your visitors
8. Learn how to SELL your Niche so that regular visitors come to your website

and there are many more tactics out there that one can learn.

I am sure by now you will be wondering if this is suitable for you just as I was asking myself when I join the MLM business venture. The answer is :

In order for anyone to learn something new, there must be an educational process by which you have to go through. Some learning are made easier because of an established system ( school and institution )or some learning comes from personal mentoring by a Leader ( Private Tutor / Business Leader (Upline) but the toughest of all is self-education / self-learning.

If you are hungry to learn something, nothing can stop you in the path. You will know how to overcome the difficulties, challenges or opportunities it presents. But if you are not prepared for it, thousands and one reasons will come out from your mouth to justify why it is not suitable for you ( we call it EXCUSES ! ), right ?

I am very convince by now that there are ways to make money online by writing Articles or Ebooks, otherwise we will not be able to see all these websites ( Hundreds of Millions ) promoting their Niches. In whatever opportunities we are looking for, we must give ourselves Time to familiarize those process so that eventually the money will start flowing in. To do it at a faster pace is obviously a choice you have to make but I always tell myself that "There is no such thing as a GET RICH QUICK opportunities out there ! If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably IS"

I urge you to treat your venture into the web as a form of learning that will eventually equip you with the skill to make the money you want. As long as you believe that you can do it, it will be done !

To have an idea of a possible money making opportunities, you can click here to learn more about PLR Articles ( Private Label Rights ).

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Any Ways To Make Extra Income ?

"Is there any ways to make extra income without the huge capital outlay that a normal business requires ?" That is a question I have been asking for more than 10 years by now and the answer still eluded me. I am sure that there are also many people having the same thought process. I strongly believed that there are many ways to make money but it does not necessarily be suitable for everyone including me.

I can choose to sell Curry puffs or Newspaper and Magazines or Fruits such as Mango, Watermelon etc at the nearest MRT station but will it be suitable me ? I can also be a "karang guni" collector running from residential estate to HDB flats to buy those disposable items at a cheap rate and selling it to the Major Collector at some flatted factory in the industrial park somewhere ? Most people will give thousand and one excuse not to do any of the above as it can be "embarrassing", but my question will be "If you have no other choice, will you do it ?"

Frankly speaking, we all know money is important but there are still many people out there who want to save "face" by not doing any of the above-mentioned work. When I left the Army and become a Salesman in a Computer Firm 23 years ago, the look on some relative and friends face is that of bewilderment, doing sales sounded very cheapskate. Some people even avoided the issue by calling the sales that they are doing as "marketing". Isn't it the same ?

Its a lucky thing that I have learned a long time ago, not to let such things bother me. Can 'Pride' feed my stomach or my family ? Of course NO ! I will do anything as long as I honestly and seriously put in 100% effort to make that money I needed. Although I have not become rich in the process but I know that I have no worries when the time arrived for me to do those mundane jobs which many others will run away from.

Most important of all, I strongly believed that anyone will do their utmost best if they need that extra money to solve their daily expenses. Therefore, when I prospect people for my Network Marketing business, I will not waste my time on those people who gives me thousand and one reasons ( excuses ) why the business don't suit them. Instead, I will continue to find and invest time on those people who are sincere in wanting to make that extra $100 to $200 for their monthly expenses. With that in mind, I know I will find a handful of sincere and hardworking people that I can work together with to build OUR business.

Life is too short to be worrying about why people don't work hard or don't improve themselves or why when you stretch your hand to help someone, they will suspect that you have an ulterior motive in helping them.

I know what I want and I want to show anybody who need that simple know-how on generating some extra cash for themselves or their family. It does not matter if the "lobang" is tough or otherwise, as long as he or she wants to do it.

From now on, I will append any information's that can give us a thought on some money making opportunities and I hope that it will benefit somebody somehow.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

A Lazy Way To Get More Done

As the title suggested, I have been so busy reading articles and eBooks on Internet Marketing that I forgot to prepare an article for this blog. As a result, I extracted an Article from my library to save me the trouble of searching for a right topic to post for you, readers out there. That's truly a lazy way to get more things done ;-)

Hope you find the article enriching.

A Lazy Way to Get More Done
By John Forde

I've talked about Gene Schwartz's 33-minute egg timer. I've talked about the power of 10s (doing your work in 10-minute blocks). And Michael Masterson shared his system for squeezing more productivity out of a day with you last week. Now there's another method. And this one is especially for lazy people.

Ready? According to the folks over at the "liferemix.net" blog, "Just do three things." That is, forget the long to-do list. Aim, every day, to accomplish only three things. No more and no less. The real trick: You have to make sure you choose three things that count.

If it's urgent, that's enough to make it count. But don't move it to the top of your list if, in a week, it won't matter if you've done it or not. Instead, choose only high-impact tasks that will make a big difference over time. The kind that grow and pay dividends, that open doors and build skills and earn you the recognition you crave. Mastering a new skill, making a big investment, diving into that big project you've put off forever.

Also important: Don't wait until morning to make your list of three. Make your list before you go to bed, so you're not distracted by the little details of the following morning. And so you can jump in and get started right away.

Do NOT get a few little things out of the way first. Forget e-mail. Forget returning phone calls. Get started on your "big three" list immediately. You can do the urgent but unimportant stuff like phone calls and e-mails in batches and bursts at the end of the day.

If you're really into celebrating your laziness while still remaining productive, says liferemix.net, you can take a 10-minute break between tasks. You can even celebrate reaching the end of your "big three" list with a nap if you so desire.
Or, maybe better, you could put some icing on the day by knocking off some of those smaller things that you're now free to tackle.

The best part of all this? You'll actually end up being MORE productive by doing just three big things than most busybodies are who have chalked up seven or 10 or a dozen small, urgent, but ultimately unimportant tasks. And you'll feel a heck of a lot better and less stressed about it too. Good advice, I think.

[Ed Note: John Forde, a published writer and a direct-mail copywriter since 1992, is a featured expert in The Magic Button, ETR's step-by-step guide to starting a profitable Internet business. Applying John's proven techniques for writing promotional copy will make every customer contact an opportunity for a sale, whether it's your company's homepage, sales letters, emails, ads, and even editorial content.]

Sunday, October 26, 2008

How To Improve Your Life

Every person in the world today in a state of dilemma knowing that the economic situation is getting out of control everywhere around them. More people will lose their jobs, many companies will close down and most of them now need some form of comfort one way or another. There are many who are looking at ways to improve their life.

It is not surprising that people are searching for secrets to health, wealth and happiness. However, only if you understand yourself, then you would have the knowledge to be both successful in personal and business relationships. Like everything, all these desire must come with a plan. Whether you are looking for a way to improve your relationship with your spouse or family member, or move up the corporate ladder, this is all part of your personal growth development.

Personal growth starts with doing your best at every moment, in your job, home, or day to day activities. Setting goals, no matter how small enables us to soar to new heights and give us the confidence to achieve even more.

Why is it so important ?

Most of the time, people get stuck on others people expectations on how they can be successful. Each of us has a different idea of what makes us satisfied. It is important to acknowledge that if we spend most of our time and effort trying to please someone else expectations, then we would find ourselves constantly searching for a way to be happy. Realizing this is important is the first step to improving your personal life.

Have a Balance Life

Balance is the key to success. Some people do not see the concept of success beyond their own needs. Often, we were caught up in serving a dominant function which overshadows our natural strengths. This results in stress and imbalance in our life. Learning to do things for yourself and your own needs are vital to improving your personal life. If you are always doing things for others, and seldom take time out for yourself, then you are building stress rather than improving life. Your happiness should come first. Also, finding it hard to say NO to others becomes common and we find ourselves so inundated by the needs of other people. Learn to have an even balance in your life with everything you do and focus on what you want so that you can improve your personal life.

Self Esteem


Putting yourself down constantly, finding it hard to accept compliments and wishing you are someone else are easy examples that you may be sabotaging your own life. Encourage positive self talk with yourself and to others, do not speak negative about yourself or others are vital to your self esteem. Understanding that no matter what happen, you are still OK. Improving your self-confidence is extremely important when improving your personal life. This will ensure you're putting positive beliefs into your mind, and day by day removing the negative thoughts which has been with you all this while.

Believing in yourself is the key to success. If you feel like you're on the road to stress and anxiety, and want more out of life, slow down and take a step back to evaluate which part of your life can be change. Remember that other people's expectations are not yours to own, learn to balance your daily decisions, and most importantly, think positively.

You can start off by reading some motivation or self-improvement books as well as listening to Motivational Audio ( For those who do not like to read ). Surround yourself with positive people who are constantly improving themselves.

By taking some small steps to do these things, you will find out you have improve your personal life without realizing it. The key to success is to move forward.

There's a saying "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Step." What has happened in your life is already history, try to avoid dwelling on past mistakes, learn from it so that you can move forward. It is only through constant learning and desire to change that you can take control and improve your overall personal life.


"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do" - Epictetus

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Don't Quit Your Goals

Milton Hershey Failed Several Times Before He Created the Hershey Bar
By John L. Herman Jr.

Most Americans by the age of 10 have tasted a Hershey's milk chocolate bar. As a chocolate lover, I consider it absolute perfection. In pilot school years ago, we used to joke that a fighter pilot's breakfast was a Hershey bar and a Coke. Two American food icons.

But the Hershey bar wasn't the result of Milton Hershey's first try. He failed at his first confectionery in Philadelphia. He failed again in Chicago. And in New York. Family, friends, and investors were losing money and losing faith. Hershey never intended to fail and lose other people's money, but he did.

When Hershey returned to his home near Lancaster, PA, he vowed to pay back his creditors. When you lose, realizing that you let others down, not just yourself, makes it hurt that much more. So Hershey kept trying. He made caramels, like so many other candy makers, but he had always been fascinated by chocolate. And the Hershey bar was finally born.

With his success, Hershey was able to become one of the most famous candy makers in the world. He also became one of the greatest entrepreneur-turned-philanthropists. Because in addition to stick-to-intuitiveness, Hershey possessed another trait common among entrepreneurs: When they finally hit the big time, they want to share their success with others.

To a real entrepreneur, it isn't about making money. It's about winning. Being right about your idea. Seeing the realization of your dream. The money is great, and is something you can share, but it doesn't offer nearly the same satisfaction as accomplishing your goals.

Don't quit on your goals because you didn't achieve them the first time around. Pick up a Hershey bar and give it another go.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Network marketers: pros or cons?

Monte Enbysk is a lead editor for the Microsoft.com network and writes occasionally about technology for small businesses.
By Monte Enbysk

Network marketing adheres to a fundamental tenet: Lotions, potions and a slew of other products can be better sold face-to-face, without stores or middlemen.
The industry got its start in the early 1900s, and became popular in recent years through companies such as Amway. Network marketers sold door to door for years, with varying degrees of success.

The Internet era hasn't done anything to change this. However, the Web has revolutionized some marketing and distribution practices within the industry. It has made it faster and less costly for legitimate network-marketing companies to get the attention of potential customers.

Unfortunately, the Internet also has made it easier for illegal companies — mostly the skilled perpetrators of pyramid schemes and related scams — to get in the face of consumers as well. Many of these scam artists portray themselves as honest network marketers.

If you are interested in this high-risk but potentially lucrative industry, read on. You'll find some background on network marketing, as well as eight tips to help you distinguish a legitimate business opportunity from a fraud.

Amway spearheaded industry growth

First, some background on network marketing, which is also known as multi-level marketing (many people use the terms interchangeably).

Among its founding principles:

• A direct selling process lets distributors of certain products "educate" consumers more successfully (and more economically) on the products' merits than catchy TV ads or fancy store displays.

• Customers who are sold on a certain product can be motivated to sell it themselves, and to recruit others to become sellers as well (forming a business "pyramid" of sorts over time).

• Sellers will have an incentive to sell and to recruit others, as they'll be paid commissions both on their own sales and their recruits' sales. In other words, the earlier you get in to the network, the more money you can make.

• Last, but not least, success is not guaranteed, and only the best products and services — and the best network marketers — will survive in the business.

Founded in 1959, Amway has built a multi-billion-dollar business on these basic premises. In the late 1970s, it successfully fought off claims by the federal government that it was an illegal pyramid scheme. In prevailing in court, Amway proved the key test of a legitimate business — that even the last person recruited into its networks can make money. (In a pyramid scheme, large numbers of people at the bottom end up paying money to only a few people at the top.)

Today, legitimate network marketing companies span the globe, with several hundred in the U.S., including recognizable names such as Avon, Mary Kay, NuSkin, Unicity Network (formerly Rexall) and Herbalife. The products they sell range from vitamins and weight-loss plans to skin-care lotions to software and even dental insurance. Together, network marketing companies generated $28.7 billion in U.S. sales in 2002, according to the Direct Selling Association (DSA), a lobbying association that represents network marketers and other companies who sell directly to consumers.

'Technology a two-edged sword'

How pervasive is fraud in the industry? More pervasive than ever before, say many industry experts, although the Federal Trade Commission does not have statistics to quantify the impact. "I can tell you that, in the last 10 years, with the growth of ,the Internet, we have seen a significant growth in the number of apparent pyramid schemes," says Jim Kohm, the FTC's assistant director of marketing practices.

The low cost of entry into the industry long has encouraged scam artists. But the Internet has enabled them to market their schemes to consumers as successfully as it has legitimate network marketers, Kohm says. "Technology has proven to be a two-edged sword," notes Keith Laggos, an Amway veteran and industry expert who publishes Money Maker's Monthly (www.mmmonthly.com) and Direct Sales Journal (www.directsalesjournal.com).

8 fraud detectors

So how can you tell a scam or a shady business from a legitimate money-making opportunity? Here are eight things to consider before you take the plunge.

1. Make sure that a solid product or service figures prominently in the business.
Sounds simple, but in many pyramid schemes, the product or service is a mere "fig leaf" to an illegal source of revenue — often the signup or membership fees required just to join a network. (Most will never see their money again.) Be convinced the product or service is not a gimmick or a throwaway, but one you'd buy yourself.A related scam, the Ponzi scheme, involves no products at all, but rather promises of investment or insurance windfalls. Most network marketers do charge a nominal signup fee of $30 to $60. But if there is no product being sold, keep your money — don't be swayed by the "benefits" of becoming part of a network.

2. Confirm that the commission structure is supported by product sales.

Note that you are not becoming an "employee," but rather an independent business operator earning sales commissions. In illegal businesses, you can sell well but have your commissions diluted by other costs or obligations. For example, the FTC in 2000 shut down a Las Vegas-based company operating in eight states, because it required participants to pay excessively for seminars and desk space. Only a handful ever made any money.

3. Don't pay more than $500 in initial "buy-in" costs.

Most network marketing companies require you to buy a certain amount of product to get started. If joining the company means you have to buy $500 in products or services, or if you see excessive product inventory costs, period, watch out. And again, if you are asked to fork over money without getting any product at all, flee as fast as you can.

4. Beware of high earnings claims.

Many convicted pyramid schemers have been charged with misrepresenting the potential earnings of participants. You should expect reasonable commissions and growth opportunities, but nothing grandiose. Be wary of inordinate product and earnings hype. A rule of thumb: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
5. Don't participate unless the company is willing to buy back inventory. Many scams — and some legitimate businesses — will refuse to buy back the leftover inventory you've purchased, even if you decide within a year that network marketing is not for you. In its membership requirements, the DSA mandates that network marketers be willing to buy back unused inventory, for at least 90% of the sale price, within a year of the sale.

6. Find out if the network marketer is a DSA member.

The nine-decade-old association is the closest thing to a governing body for network marketers. The Direct Sales Association has about 150 U.S. member companies and some 50 others undergoing an intense application process for membership, says Joseph Mariano, executive vice president and legal counsel. All members are listed on its Web site. While less than half the U.S. network marketers are members, if the company you're interested in is a member, that's a good sign.

7. Find out how long the company has been in business.

At least 90% of all network marketers fail within three years. About 80% fail within the first year, notes Bill Rodgers, a veteran Seattle-area network marketer who served as president of the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce. If the company you're interested in has been around for more than three years, it is likely not only legitimate, but viable.

8. Do your due diligence.

While you want to stay away from scam artists, you also want to avoid wasting time and money with a loser company. In Rodgers' own guidelines for assessing network marketing opportunities, he asks:

"The FTC has been quick to identify and act on the companies engaging in illegal practices," says Rodgers, a marketer for Unicity Network. "Unfortunately, it takes a number of people to be swindled before the problem surfaces.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

360 Degree Swing

After viewing this morning activities on the Stock Market, the feeling just feel sucks. One day its going up and before you knew it, its coming down on another day. As a result, I skimmed through the web searching for some kind of inspiration to enlighten the day ahead. By some co-incidence, I came across a Video that not only did not improve the feeling I've already had but it intensify it so much that I can feel the adrenaline flows in my body until I almost have a sweaty palm. Nevertheless, I do feel better now.



I think that as far as one is enduring enough, everyone will still comes back in full circle in whatever they are trying to overcome. The financial situation worldwide will definitely turn around to where we were 2 to 3 months ago if not, better next time round. So be patient in whatever you are doing.

Now is the time to think deep into what exactly we want for our near future, be it for our family or for ourselves. If the job or business that you are doing now seems precarious, try looking for other opportunities that can generate some extra income. Move out of your comfort zone and start learning something that relate strongly to your niche. Perhaps, you are good in sales or perhaps you are strong in helping people, you will not know unless you start asking around or identifying for yourself what you are strong in.

There are plenty of ways to make money out there, its just a matter of choices. Look around you everyday as you travel around the city, you will find people selling newspaper and magazines, selling fruits, selling curry puffs, selling ice-cream and many many more. There are also people who rather work from home like fitting components supplied by factory, sorting promotional articles for an event that is printed by the printing firm, generating work of arts or musics and for the technical savvy group of people including me - searching for Internet Marketing Opportunities on the web. To me this is FREE Business which you can embark on, only if you can make yourself walk out of your comfort zone.

How you decide to make that extra income is really up to you because the best opportunities or job can still fall on your lap provided you are hungry for it. God also cannot help anyone if they don't help themselves !

MLM -- Bad or Good ?

Have you heard people talk about MLM being a scam businesses ? I believed there are many, especially those around you and people whom you call friends or relatives. But upon further clarification of the statement, I can guarantee you that majority of them will say that they HEARD it from some other sources, which can also be untrue and non-verified.

What exactly is MLM ?

It is called Multi-Level Marketing also commonly known as Network Marketing today. Multi-Level marketing is the same thing as Direct Sales, yet no one ever questions about the integrity of these direct sales companies.

Some of these MLM companies identify themselves as Direct Sales, Network Marketing, Consumer Direct Marketing or People-to-People Marketing. No matter how you categorize it, they all do the same thing! They Sell products or services and their intention are to bring new people into the business so that that the group can grow to earn bonuses and additional incentives.

Depending on the marketing plan of the company involved, you earn money from your group effort and are paid accordingly to the various levels of activities involved. Everyone that joins you or sponsored by you can generated income on their own, as such they are also known as Independent Business Owner or Distributors.

In order to make money, they function as their own Sales Unit doing their marketing or sales of products by using a common system that the group or you would have created. Since all the level of your distributors are in marketing and sales, it is usually referred as Multi-Level Marketing !

As in any industries, there are bound to have bad apples that spoilt the basket. Needless to say, it occurs in the MLM industry too. Some leaders resort to all sorts of tactic just to make the money they want without due hesitation to others suffering. Some of these leaders were actually terminated by the company concerned. When they left the business, they start to bad-mouth the industry thus causing all the mis-conception you heard today. Of course there are some distributors after failing to make it successfully in the business also started to give false advises to their family and friends. As with any business, success does not happen over night.

Look around you ! There are some businesses that performed much worse than a MLM company but no one "crucified" them like they did to any MLM company.

My advise is that you must find out the facts about Network Marketing before jumping into conclusion. Does this FREE eBook by Ann Sieg looks negative to you ? 7 Great Lies of Network Marketing. I would recommend you to read it !

Sunday, October 12, 2008

What Must I do Now ?

With non-stop bad news coming from all the media that you can think of during the past few days, it clearly tells you that whatever income you are generating from a single source can be easily compromised.

For instance, if I am working for a huge company that was already in the news about its financial situation then I would be very worried about what must I do next. You cannot possibly be always "hoping" that everything will be fine. Look at Lehman Brother which has collapse, who would expect it to happen so suddenly ?

As the world financial woes takes root, more companies will find ways to enlighten their financial burden as such they will off-load those people who are considered "redundant" and "non-profitable" to the company. Its like in the old days, when a ship is encountering a very serious storm and in order not get sunk, they start to throw away those least important inventories so as to lighten the load of the ship.

What's make you so sure you are not the next person ? We must not delude ourselves that the situation will be better in the short term as no one can predict what is happening right now. Instead, I will look for an alternative way of making money so that I will not be caught in a dead end situation.

There are plenty of opportunities out there for the grabbing. Take up those jobs that the government claims we do not want, or we can identify what strong niche we have and offer it to those in need of that service, or we can start a small and simple business that does not need a high overhead to begin with. Most important of all, we must be willing to ask around for these opportunities and when you have it, you must be willing to learn.

The only way to become what you want to become is to DO IT and to take consistent action on your hopes, goals, dreams and desires. Inaction is what keeps you stuck in where you are. So, learn to raise yourself from Inaction to In Action !

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

A Vision of Success through Life Mapping

Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a Holiday trip, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack / travel bag, landmarks, and route.

Origin: Who you are

A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m William and I am a 48-year old, Freelance Computer Technician.” It does not tell you about who William is; it only tells you his present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, William realized that he was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. His inclination was in the service and technology field. Furthermore, he believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.

Destination: A vision of who you want to be

“Who do I want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing William’s story, after he defined his beliefs, values, and principles in life, he decided that he wanted to have a life dedicated in serving his fellowmen.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on William’s self-assessment, he decided that he was suited to become a businessman, and that he wanted to become one. His chosen vocation was a Computer Servicing Specialist. Describing his vision-mission fully: It was to live a life dedicated to serving his fellowmen as a Computer Specialist in the country.

Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude

Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. William realized that he needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on Computer Technology so that he could become a Computer Specialist. He knew that he was a bit impatient with people so he realized that this was something he wanted to change.

Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to William as an example, he identified the following landmarks in his life map: completing his studies and National Service by the age of 24; completing Sales and Computer Servicing knowledge by the age of 27; earning his specialization in Computer Servicing by the age of 29; providing Computer servicing and related support to his fellowmen since 1989 till today.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But often times our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes, thus we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly. In the case of William, he realised that the Computer Servicing industry is no longer as lucrative as before therefore he is exploring the potential of doing business in the web which is growing at an exorbitant rate as well as finding a network marketing business which can grow through a concept known as Time and Effort Compounding.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Why is Setting Goals Important ?

Ever wonder why some people could not even achieve an inch of what they dream of becoming? Blame it on pure dreaming and lack of goals setting for achieving their dreams.

Setting goals is very significant to your success and it’s a sign of positive accomplishments. It is like scaling a 20 feet building and marking early on the steps you would take to reach by a specific period.

People who set goals literally create a map of their target achievements in life, marking where they should begin, where to pause, where to deviate a bit, and where and when to stop. Once this map is created, it allows the planner to keep track of where he is during the process and whether or not he is making some achievements that will take him closer to his goals.

By setting goals, people will know how and what they should be doing to achieve their targets or dreams in life. They will know if they can relax or if they have to double their efforts when they are falling short of what is expected of them.

Goal setting means a person is proactive in dealing with challenges that may affect his plans. Being proactive means one is able to outline possible difficulties that may occur during the process and also having the solutions to these difficulties. By doing this, a person is not easily scared or defeated when challenges really occur because he has already prepared the contingency plan for it. He already knew that they can happen and he has even prepared a solution or strategy for it when that time comes.

Setting goals helps people to track their progress in whatever endeavor they have set out to do. It also helps them to become more confident in themselves as well as more motivated to achieve their plans.

However, goal setting itself is not enough, as this should be accompanied by a positive outlook and self-discipline. A person may have a blueprint of where he wants to go, but if he does not have the necessary discipline to carry out the plan, then nothing will come out of it.

To be successful in goal setting, the goals that one has set for himself should be realistic and based on his capabilities. Being too ambitious in setting up goals can make the goals become unrealistic and difficult to achieve. However, do not set goals that are too low because it will affect one’s vision to obtain a higher achievement.

It is also necessary that the person setting the blueprint for his direction should also include a time frame within which the goal will be achieved. This way, he is able to determine if he has to fast track his strategies or to slow down a bit. Goal setting will also help a person check if he is performing within his plans or if he is doing things that brings him towards the achievement of his plans.

Once the goal have been achieved, even a little bit of what you had hoped to achieve, you should always give yourself a pat on the back to keep yourself motivated. However, do not be too complacent with that little achievement, as this may cause you to backslide.

Setting goals can be used in all aspect of one’s life - from one’s personal or family life, to his career and finances. Goal setting can be as simple as setting a target to lose that weight of yours to earning your first million in the business.

Congratulation ! You have actually achieved your goal by reading this article from the beginning to here. It is just that simple !

Sunday, October 5, 2008

5 Easy Steps To Staying Motivated

Lately, with all the tensions generated by the financial institution worldwide, its no wonder that many workers are worried if they were going to be the next "victim". Some might have already lost plenty when the share market slides up and down like a Roller-Coastal ride. Nevertheless, we must still look forward to tomorrow earnestly by staying motivated

Motivating yourself to excel at your job or to be an example to your employees, should not be something you do only when the spirit moves you. It’s an ongoing process that should include every facet of your business or working life. This means your mental attitude, physical well-being and appearance, work atmosphere, your interaction with others (clients and employees alike), and your off-the-job environment.

Motivational experts get paid big bucks to tell professionals, striving for success, that they must constantly examine these factors. How do you do that? Follow the 5 tips that follow, and watch the changes.

1. Maintain a Positive Attitude – Let’s realize that life is only 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. We’re responsible for our own actions and attitudes, and changing them when appropriate. When you’re around people/things that are uplifting and positive, you will feel the same way. You have more confidence in yourself, and know you can change whatever needs changing. If you can make your workplace such a place you’ll find happier workers and higher production. You might even find your employees look forward to coming to work!

2. Leave Personal Troubles Home - Everyone has problems, but they don’t belong at work. Turn your attention and energy entirely to your on-the-job tasks. This will actually be good for you because you’ll get a mental break from your troubles.

3. Create Positive Affirmations - The reason for writing goals for your business is the same as creating positive affirmations on paper. What your eyes see and ears hear, your mind will believe. Try it! After you’ve written them down, read them aloud to yourself – and do it every morning when you get into work. You’ll be amazed at what happens. Come up with a set of new ones every month. Statements such as, “I’m an important and valuable person,” or “I know I’ll make good use of my time today.” Repeating them out loud everyday at a set time will help reinforce positive actions. There is also a saying "Speak NOT what you have that you DON'T WANT but speak what you DON'T HAVE that you WANT". Its also known as the Power of Spoken Words.

4. Break Times Are Really Break Times - This is an area where most bosses/entrepreneurs fall down. You become so intense about the project or situation you’re working on that you don’t ease up. Thinking that it’ll be solved in the next few seconds, and then getting a cup of coffee can lead you right up to quitting time. Regularly adhering to a specified break schedule, even if you’re the boss, releases the tension. The worse is working on a Computer because before you realize it – you’ve been working in that same position for hours. The best thing you can do is to set yourself a reminder on your appointment calendar for every 2 hours, so that the alert will remind you to move around.

5. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise - I know that lately it seems that “exercise” is the cure-all to every physical ailment or your love life, but despite that there is some truth to that ugly word. By “exercise” I don’t mean that you should go out and join a gym and spend your lunch-time, 3-days-a-week there working out. What is really beneficial and workable is that at those chiming alerts from your computer, get up and walk around your desk or room.

Maybe go outside and get the mail and enjoy the sunlight (if you’re an entrepreneur that has a home office), or just get up and do a few stretches. Concentrated, tense thinking – typing - plotting plans - or whatever your work, makes all those muscles tighten up and knot up. Then when we move we “ooh” and “ouch” because we’ve knotted up into a ball of tension.

Periodic stretching, even at our desk, or just getting up and walking over to the window and getting a different view can help. One of the greatest disservice modern business décor has done to us, is making our offices pristine, sleek, unencumbered spaces. There is nothing more relaxing than getting up from your desk and walking over to a peaceful, serene, seascape or pastoral painting and just drinking it in visually. Momentarily transporting your mind out of work and into that place does wonders. A few good paintings and less shiny chrome in offices would benefit us all.

It only takes a little concentrated effort on our part to keep motivated and productive, which leads to success. I know you’re going to hate hearing this, but it’s true anyway – and that is, “WHEN LIFE GIVES YOUR LEMONS – MAKE LEMONADE!”

Friday, October 3, 2008

ORGANIZE YOUR TIME TO DO A HOME-BASED BUSINESS

Almost everyone needs or wants more money to be made, and with this desire most would like to start some sort of extra income producing project. The trouble is, not many of these people seem to be able to fit "a second job" into their time schedules.

It's true that most people are busy, but putting extra time for some sort of home-based extra income producing project can always be found. It could mean giving up or changing a few of your favorite pastimes -- such as having a couple of beers with your Buddy's or watching TV -- but if you score big with your extra income project,you will have all the time you want for doing whatever you want to do.

Efficient time management boils down to planning what you're going to do, and then doing it without backtracking. Start by making a list of the things you want to do tomorrow, each evening before you go to bed. Schedule your trips to the store or wherever to coincide with the other things you have to do, and with your trips to or from work. Organize your trips to take care of as many things as possible while you're out of the house. Take stock of the time you spend on the telephone and eliminate all that isn't necessary.

Whatever chores you have to do at home, set aside a specific time to do them, and a specific amount of time to devote to them. For instances, just an hour a day devoted to yard work would probably make your property the envy of all your neighbors. Don't try to do a week's work in one big flurry. Whether it's painting your house, fixing leaky faucets, or mopping your floor and trimming your plants, do a part of it, or one particular job each day, and you'll be amazed at your progress.

Take care of all your mail the day, you receive it. Don't let those bills and letters pile up on you. If you're unable to pay a bill immediately, file it in a special place that's visible, and note on the envelope the date you intend to pay it. Answer your letters the same day you get them.

Once you start listing and planning what you want to do, and then carry out your plans, you'll find plenty of "extra time" for handling virtually any kind of home-based income producing project. People in general may not like routines or schedules, but without some sort of plan as to what is supposed to be done, the world would be mired in mass confusion. Laws, ordinances and regulations are for the purpose of guiding people. We live according to an accepted plan or way of life, and the better we can organize ourselves, the more productive and happy we become.

The secret of all financially successful people is simply that they are organized and do not waste time. Think about it. Review your own activities, and then see if you can't find a couple of extra hours in each day for more constructive accomplishments.

When you begin planning, and then when you really become involved in an extra income producing endeavor, you should work it exactly as you have organized your regular day-to-day activities --- on a time basis. Do what has to be done immediately. Don't try to get things done in a hour that's realistically going to take a week. Plan out on paper what you have to do--what you want to do -- and when you are going to do it. Then get right on each project without procrastination.

Finally, and above all else, when you're organizing your time and your business, be sure to set aside some time for relaxation. Be sure to schedule time when you and your spouse can be together.You must not involve yourself to an extent that you exclude other people -- particularly your loved ones -- from your life.

Taking stock of the time you waste each day, and from there, reorganizing your activities is what it's all about. It's a matter of becoming more efficient in the use of your time. It's really easy to do, and you will not only accomplish a lot more,you will also find greater fulfillment in your life.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

"Maximum Exposure on Low Cost Internet Ad"

Why do people advertise on the web pages that they are hosting ? To make money of course !

But how do they make the most of a low cost Internet advertising method ?

Advertising had long since been a major determinant of a business' success. This would include the presentation of the product / service to the consumers. What really matters is how it is presented to the target market to be able to capture it.

Whatever the package, the ad media also plays a great role in determining the success of the product or service awareness.

What may be its advantages over other proven medium like the best-selling TV ads?

Advantages

1. Low Cost

Even though the Internet ad might be viewed as "classy" or far-reaching, as compared to other medium, this is far cheaper than other kind of advertisement. Internet Ad Packages are offered for as low as $29.99 for a one-month run-time period.

2. Capture market

When your product / service are designed to cater to the younger generation or the corporate-oriented ones, using of Internet ads would be best option since most of the time they are always "hooked-up" in the net. The links to your site will greatly enhance the number of "hits" on your site! If they are converted to sales, then you would be making money from it.

2. Hassle free

All you really need is a PC (and with some knowledge and bright ideas in forming a site of your own.) You can search for the best Internet Ad package that is available in the net, by affiliating your site to theirs, you are able to check or update the status of your ad. For the technical savvy users, you can even design your own Ads before posting for usage.

3. Updated ads

Unlike the TV ads that need to be updated on a regular basis, Internet ads may run for quite some time without the need for change. If so, change in the site is very minimal and can be done easily at home.

Disadvantages

1. Scope

Limited market can be captured if one solely rely on the use of Internet Ad for advertising. Although most people now are into the use of technology, i.e. surfing the Internet, still, majority of the average consumers still relies on the old form of advertising as a means of gathering information about certain products / service.

2. Additional cost

If one would enlist the help of professional or establishment to produce the site for their product or service, this would incur additional costs on the part of the entrepreneur. The cost to produce an advertisement can be very costly.

Given the stated list of advantages and disadvantages about low-cost Internet Ad, an entrepreneur still find it viable to advertise on the web for 2 main reasons :

The target audience is huge ! There are billions of Surfers out there searching for information on the products that they want.

b. The exposure of your website becomes international and all these business can be carried out at the comfort of your home.

Internet ads allows "Maximum Exposure" of the whatever product or service you are marketing at a minimal cost.

Google Ads . Google Adsense

I am sure by now you have seen the various advertisement applets in this blog by Google Ads and must be wondering why is it there ?

This an utility catered by Google Adsense that allows us to advertise on subject matters that is closely similar to the Blog articles that I am offering. For example, if my Blog article is focusing on businesses or how to become an entrepreneur or what is a home based opportunities etc, the ads that is displayed could link you to some other websites with similar contents as well.

By clicking on these ads, I will "earn" a token sum of money ( cents ) and after a period of time, I can withdraw it from my Paypal account ( which is my Internet Bank Account )

With the availability of such money generating gadgets, many users today are contributing information's BIG TIME in the hope that they can draw visitors to their webpage and indirectly making some money as well.

Monday, September 29, 2008

What is money and how it is being created ?

With all this turmoil and confusion that the financial world is going through, I am always bewildered by the fact that a huge business entity such as Lehman Brothers can go bankrupt overnight followed by AIG who is also in trouble.

As I am not a financial man, I really have no idea where has all the money gone to. Who is raking up all these money ? How did the US government comes up with the $700 billion to buy back the debts ? etc

However, I came across a video by Paul Grignon which is very interesting for ANYONE who might be interested to know what is money and how it is being created ? It communicates an exceedingly complex subject in simple terms for everyday people using animation to bring the big picture across.

I hope it is entertaining enough for you to understand about why the bankers are so rich and how you could protect your money from now on.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9050474362583451279&hl=en

Wait 15s for the video to commence. Although the whole explanation of "Money as Debt" is about 47 minute but I have learn much about money to understand the danger we are going through today. I hope it educate you too.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

A New Beginning !

The past few articles were written to allow those who come to my blog to understand that everybody has their own dream to pursue in life. Not everyone will appreciate what was written in this blog, however, my purpose for getting involved in Blogging is :

1. I can learn a "new" technology (been around for at least 5 years or more) to reach out to others in the web to gain knowledge.

2. I can learn from the real experts all over the web on how to make money with minimal cost.

3. Learning has no limit, therefore, I prefer to ingest good stuff into my brain rather than all the negative craps I see daily. They comes in the form of advertisement, newspaper, Television news and much more. The information that these media gives out has more negativity than it was 10 to 20 years ago.

4. What I know, I can share with others who might be searching for it. What I do not know, I will learn from the wise ( as there are many in the web ).

5. I can communicate more effectively with close friends, customers or relatives as they will understand me more ( when they read my articles ). As long as the Blog is alive, they can always refer back to whatever articles that might influenced them at a later stage.

6. It will helps me to improve on my writing habit, fluency or grammar over a period of time. I believe that Information today is valuable. As more and more people are hungry for informations, we can make use of it to make a profit too.


With this blog, I will try to append as much informations regarding businesses, self-development matter or any other "lobang" which I feel will benefit those around me. As for business matter, the main Blog will be at GenerateSurplus.com which is shared by a friend who is also keen to embark on to Internet Marketing.

"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin--real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life"- Alfred D. Souza

What to consider when ready to do business



When you have registered your business, you actually upgraded yourself to an Employer or a Business Owner status. You will start to do things that will benefit your business plan and you will be extremely conscious with your spending ( expenses ).

Whatever you do, your ultimate aim is profitability. It is a long process and it usually takes quite a while for you to break-even or to start making more money.

Your utmost concern is to identify where and how to start the business proper.

The usual considerations are as follows :

Your Workplace

• Choosing and setting up an office can be challenging. You might want it to be situated near your home or perhaps in a presentable and prime area such as the business district. However, Cost usually is the main factor here.

• What kind of office equipments will be required for your operation ? Do you need transportation for the type of your business you are providing ? E.g. Computer System, Printer, Telephone, Fax Machine or a Truck.

• How to keep the place safe from people you are working with you ? E.g. Buying Fire or Home Protection Insurance, Workman Compensation Plan, Safety Goggles or accessories etc


Inventories, Taxes, Payroll and Bonuses

• How are you going to keep track of your documents for the following matters :

Income, Corporate and other business taxes
Insurance
Employment ( Records of Employee )
Sales and Marketing
Financial Control, operations and transportation
Contractors and Suppliers
IT and e-Commerce
Importing and Exporting
Minutes of Meeting for your business
Trainings or Seminars
and much more……


Most of these new owners or entrepreneurs usually get over-whelmed in the beginning because the Number One concern they have in order to satisfy the above is to have more money.

Very often, when they are new in the market, the trust level of customers may not be high and this affects the profitability of the business. However, as time goes by, they will eventually get more businesses when the customers trust them more and more.

When the going gets tough, these enterprising businessman will usually look at their business plan to make modification where necessary. Some will reach their goal faster than the others.

Meanwhile they always remind themselves the purpose for doing the business as well as the outcome they can derived from doing it. Some of these purposes are :

• The satisfaction of owning their own business!
• The ability to work as much, or as little, as they want!
• The flexibility to set their own work schedule!
• The pride of a job well done!
• The joy of helping others!
• A chance to spend more quality time with family and friends!
• The power to control their financial future!
• The option to take vacations whenever they feel like it!
Plus much, MUCH MORE!


William Siong

Here is Napoleon Hill's take on living our dreams:

” First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

Friday, September 26, 2008

Steps to forming a business of your own

If you want to be an entrepreneur, welcome to the crowd. Every month there are thousands of people creating new businesses around the country but to start a business can be a complicating, risky effort. Only about 60% of these businessmen survive for 2 years and less than 50% of them survive for at least 4 years, according to a study by the U.S. Small business Association.

A typical business setup will include the following considerations. However, you can always look for a business consultant or an online free advice on how to prepare for it :

1. Am I an entrepreneur or businessman ? or a Wannabe ?

• To have a successful business, you need a certain set of characteristics. You must be willing to take calculated risks, be optimistic, and enthusiasm

• You must be prepared to play many roles i.e. Being a chairman of the company but still willing to fix the toilet when its broke.


2. Which business is suitable for me ?

• There are lots of ways to find a business idea. You can read about it on Newspaper, Magazines, Internet surfing or Forums. But for most people, they begin with their interest first.

• Back in 1989, when I found out that I was really interested in computer servicing while working as a Salesman, I left the company and started a business that provides Computer Servicing for companies that need to outsource their personal computers or monitors for repair.


3. Is the business still viable in the market ?

• Find out if the business is still viable by talking to potential customers, suppiers and distributors. You can even attend Trade-show or Seminar to guage if the cake is still hot. You are merely exploring the opportunity.

• If you have a product at hand, make some tiny sales in fair or local outlets to get feedback, good or bad, so that you can fine tune your business concept or other matters.


4. Write a business plan.

No business can proceed without a game plan !. It should describe why and how you want the business to be carried out and by when will it be consider successful.

• It address concern such as : What kind of product or service am I providing? Who is my potential customers ? How can I make money out of it ?

• A plan can be fine tune as many times along the way so that it keeps the company growing in the projected direction.


5. How much do I need to start a business ?

• Most entrepreneurs start their business with the savings they have, or they also loan some funds from their family and friends.

• You also can get a loan with a bank provided you have assets e.g. your home and a very sound business proposal plan.

• The best advice is always to start small, and slowing building it up along the way.


6. What choice of business do I have ?

• For detailed business choices, you might want to read my September 24th post.

• The most basic choices are Sole-proprietor, Partnership and Private Limited. Each offers different legal protections, tax savings and ownership requirements.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Which business is for me ?

There is basically a few types of businesses a person can choose to embark on. It very much dependent on his financial standing, skills and business knowledge and much more.


Common Types of Business


Sole proprietors / traders

Most people who start in business do so as sole proprietor or traders, working on their own, often from home. They alone receive the income and are therefore liable for any losses or debts. Having no colleagues can be liberating, but might equally be isolating with no one to provide motivation or inspiration.

E.g : home-based online traders, ABC Computer Services


Partnerships


You could set up in business with one or more colleague(s), relative(s), or friend(s). This form of business relationship is usually known as a ‘partnership’. Each partner might be equal or some may have a larger share of the business. Your income and liability are proportionate to your share in the business.

E.g : ABC Computer Services ( does not reflect a Pte Ltd at end of name.)



Limited companies


As a limited company, the business is registered with ACRA ( Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority ). There are more regulations associated with running a business this way but these are generally offset by tax advantages. Those directing the company have shares proportional to their involvement.

E.g. XYZ Freight Forwarding Private (Pte) Limited


Franchises


Two type of people here :

Franchisor

They expand by getting other people to buy into their established business which provides equipment, raw materials, training and a well-known commercial name, thus allowing the franchisee branch make an individual profit. An obvious advantage is that it presents a ’best of both worlds’ scenario. On the other hand, initial outlay can be high and income is not guaranteed.

Franchisee

People who are wants a faster way into a proven business system. Their initial investment can be very high although it comes with training and support including setting up of branch. The franchisor makes a monthly Royalty income from the business generated.

E.g. of franchise business : MacDonald restaurant


Buying a business

Also commonly known as Merger & Acquisition.

Taking over an existing business is still better than starting up on your own, but make sure you do your research! It will be much easier to invest in an established firm with a solid customer base and a motivated workforce, rather than one with liabilities or a poor reputation. You can find a business to buy through local press, estate agents, trade associations and websites dedicated to this sort of provision.


Social enterprise

This is an expanding area and has evolved from a desire to help the disadvantaged, providing much needed resources or services in disadvantaged areas and offering employment to those who would otherwise be unwaged.

E.g : http://www.bizlink.org.sg/ for the Disabled.


Charities

Charity Portal, http://www.charities.gov.sg ,provides you with all answer regarding charities matter in Singapore. Certain trading activities are barred to organizations with charitable status.


Freelancing


Quite similar to Sole Proprietor or Sole Trader.


Freelancers offer a skill or service to other businesses which employ them as needed for particular projects or for set lengths of time. They may be given office space or work from home, delivering work to (often tight) deadlines. Some freelancers will actively market themselves. Others may obtain work through agencies or by a direct approach from employers.

E.g. : Computer Support or Monthly Nannies



It is therefore not an easy choice for anyone to start a business; however, with proper considerations and decision making, anybody can start to do something that can literally change their life in the near future.