Tips from the road... million dollar ideas from the twins

Tips from the road... million dollar ideas from the twins
My daughters are turning 6 in a couple months and starting
grade one in 2 weeks... YIKES!

Time flies.

If you have been on my newsletter list for some time, you
would have seen some of my articles I wrote about the girls
(Katrina and Hailey).

They are identical twins born almost 6 yrs ago at a
whopping 3 pounds each! We are blessed and they are
perfectly healthy little fireballs... always ready to get
into some trouble whenever they can find it.

Anyhow, I learn a ton about life and business just by
watching the 2 of them play.

I have written articles about my "learning's" and those
articles have been published in a few different languages
now.

Even a book was spawned out of my stories about them!

Some vacation time this summer got me thinking about how
much I miss writing about them, so here you go:

10 MORE Small Business Success Tips from the Twins

(1) Wrapping paper madness! Ready, fire, aim.

Patience is over-rated.

When you are ready to get rolling with something, go with
it. Grown-ups over think things and forget that only way to
get ANYTHING done is to take action.

You can worry about the consequences after you do it, but
if you sit around thinking about it forever and never do
it, you failed the test.

Way too many people I have spoken with are afraid of taking
action, they would rather sit back and talk about the
billion dollar ideas they have and how great they will be
if only they could actually DO SOMETHING, they might
actually succeed.

Kids don't care if they flail about madly while opening
presents or even just playing... why do YOU care so much?

(2) Cheesy Toys ROCK!

McDonalds gets this. Most businesses don't.

Much of McDonald's success comes from imbedding their
'golden arches' into kids' minds from a very young age.
And their toys are the icing on the cake. Kids LOVE those
cheesy toys more than anything.

How can you use ideas like this? What would your "adult"
buyers like as a bonus with your product or service?
Remember, http://www.orientaltrading.com is a goldmine of
ideas. And NO, they are NOT too mature for something like
this!

(3) Rest before the big day.

If you don't rest up and prepare yourself for those big
days, you are going to burn out rapidly. For example if you
have a big event coming up a big promotion or sale a big
mailing whatever it is... don't wait until the last minute
and wear yourself down.

My kids were sooooo wound up the day before holidays that
they got no sleep and ended up sick the day we left not
exactly what they had planned!

Besides - when you are rested - you come out of the
starting gates with a BANG and no one will even know what
hit them

(4) Sharing can feel daring

But it can also be more fun and rewarding than anything
you've ever done before. Share your wisdom, knowledge and
stories with those who need a "picker-upper". Inspire
others - teach others - give them something to admire about
you. It feels awesome, and it will forever make an
impression in their minds.

SIDE BENEFIT: when you share information with others via
teaching, you actually learn more as well. When you have to
clarify in your mind how to say it and do it - you'll find
it permanently "wires" it deeper into your own mind.

Help others and help yourself.

(5) Run with reckless abandon

Take no fear for what may happen when you are running at
full tilt.

Why do most of us 'adults' lose our reckless abandon? I
guess some people still have it - many of it in negative
forms. But so few people are willing to give it their all
without fear of repercussions.

It is the reason so many people dream of running their own
business... but never do.

It is the reason so many people go about life bumbling
along in jobs they hate, while meanwhile down the road is
the perfect opportunity for them... if only they looked for
it.

It is the reason our society is drowning themselves in
depression pills.

Here's the cure for it all: run, be free, give it your all,
do what scares you, run naked every once in a while (see
the first 10 tips - location below). When you let loose a
little, you may just find the big breakthrough you've been
looking for.

(6) Find your best toy and stretch every ounce of fun and
enjoyment out of it

In business, we are all marketers. And one of our "toys"
should be our advertisements and sales materials. We play
with them - strive to find the best ad that keeps us
entertained (and in the money) for as long as possible.

So don't get bored of your toys! If they are still working,
and are entertaining you in the right way keep playing!

People change their working-perfectly ads for no reason.

Why?

Just because you are bored of it doesn't mean it won't make
you money... the next shiny object may look cool, but
chances are good it won't be nearly as durable or as much
fun as your previous "toy".

(7) Go camping every once in a while

Back to basics. No phones, no cells, no Blackberrys or
email... now THAT sounds like a great way to spend some
time.

We stayed at my sister's land in Montana and slept in a
tent for a few nights (her cabin is being built but not
ready yet).

It was very refreshing (and tiring in many ways) to go back
to the real basics.

In business, we tend to overcomplicate things... and by
going back to the basics you can have some incredible
insights!

Go lock yourself away from your computer and phone for a
weekend - and write (by hand), plan, and think about your
business and where you want it to go.

Don't take any reading material or ways to access email.

Trust me, this is TOUGH to do - but well worth it in the
end.

I DARE YA!

(8) Eat your fish - catch what you eat - and don't

Katrina and Hailey went fishing for their first time while
on vacation! They LOVED it. Caught 3 - and watched as
they were cleaned, prepared and cooked. Then gobbled up
their catch.

It was quite amazing to them to see where fish come from!

They love to eat fish... but this was a first to see where
it originally came from.

Now they know how to do it again and again and again.

And the key in your business is to learn how things are
done, right down to the core basics.

You don't have to do everything yourself I recommend you
don't try. But you should learn for what makes it work, and
work well.

For example, I encourage my copywriting clients to learn
what direct response marketing is and how sales copy is
written. That way, they know what work goes into it and
what to look for in a well written campaign.

They will never invest the 3,000 hours I have in writing
copy - but they will always know what makes for good
copy... just like good fish. You don't have to catch it to
enjoy it!

(9) R & R is a necessity - make it a daily practice - no
matter how much you want to play

Kids can play full out - but eventually they tire out...
and get grumpy and whiny. When they know to stop for even
2 mins, take a quick break... and they are raring to go
again.

In our fast paced, rush rush society, we need to heed this
lesson more than ever.

If you don't take some downtime during the day, you will
burn out and it will hurt your business.

Whether it is meditation, reading, talking a long walk,
exercising, getting a massage... whatever your choice is...
make it a daily practice.

Your business and income depends on it!

----------------------------------------------------
Troy White, The Marketing Results Mentor and Expert
Copywriter helps clients achieve HUGE growth surges in
their business in very short periods of time. If you're an
entrepreneur in need of quick cash flow surges ' here is
the quick-hit solution to put money in your bank.... The
Wild West Wealth Summit! Make sure you visit
http://www.WildWestWealth.com or sign up for the Free Cash
Flow Surge Newsletter at http://www.CashFlowSurges.com

Use Outsourcing Trends to Expand Your Business

Use Outsourcing Trends to Expand Your Business
Do what you do best and outsource the rest. Today, even
solo entrepreneurs and small businesses are embracing this
bit of wisdom, as outsourcing becomes more viable, thanks
to the wide reach and 24-hour availability of the Internet.

It's not just domestic outsourcing that's become a trend
among small and solo businesses; even offshoring is now no
longer the domain of international companies. According to
the research company Evaluserve, small businesses
offshoring their outsourcing needs has become so common,
it's attracted it's own moniker—P2P, or
"person-to-person" offshoring. Writing and translation
services, tutoring and software development are among the
ways P2P outsourcing is being used by small businesses and
solo entrepreneurs, according to Evaluserve.

1. Don't let geography stop you.

The Internet allows worldwide reach. Even virtual interns
are becoming commonplace at major universities with
students who are well-versed in working online ready to get
the experience they need, wherever the job is located.
Online resources such as www.timeanddate.com allow you to
juggle time zones with ease.

2. Acclimate your team to your culture.

Let your team members know your business culture - the way
you want work done, and the atmosphere in which you want it
done. For example, do you encourage outside-the-box
thinking as part of your business culture? Do you reward a
fast turnaround on projects? What are your
acceptable-versus-unacceptable boundaries for language and
behavior? Give your team members time to absorb and
understand your business culture.

3. Think outside the box.

More companies are turning to outsourcing when it comes to
public relations and technology functions. However, the
goal is to personalize your outsourcing needs. What don't
you want to spend the time on, or lack the expertise to
accomplish? To find out more about the wide variety of
skills and resources available from "virtual assistants,"
visit the Web site of www.AssistU.com, the premier training
source for Virtual Assistants. Another resource that
combines business and personal tasks is www.DoMyStuff.com.
At this site, you can post your task, whether it is for
home office technology repairs, software upgrades, or
traditional home repairs and lawn services that are
threatening to take away time better spent on your
business. More than 40,000 "virtual" businesses will bid on
your project, based on the zip code you type in at the Web
site.

4. Do your homework.

Before you outsource, create a list of specific skills and
valuable attributes, and then cast a wide net to allow you
to go deep into your applicant pool to find the best person
for you. Check references closely. Start small before
contracting the services of an outsourced team member for a
larger project. Gradually build up to big projects to allow
you to make a quick change along the way if necessary.

5. Protect your intellectual assets.

Outsourcing work can open the door to allowing outsiders to
see or use proprietary information. Guard your valuable
resources by consulting with an outside attorney who
specializes in intellectual assets to take adequate steps
to ensure the security of your assets.

----------------------------------------------------
Always appreciate fresh new marketing and branding tips to
drive your business several steps forward? Tap Ruth
Klein's expertise at trend tracking, time saving advice
with advice that can grow your business.

http://tinyurl.com/2dopf6

Capture Targeted Traffic with Joint Venture Marketing

Capture Targeted Traffic with Joint Venture Marketing
McDonald's Happy Meals and Disney's toys. Garmin's GPS and
Hertz's rental cars. These are all tried-and-true joint
venture marketing partnerships that have led to significant
success - and increased revenues.

The underlying fundamentals of joint venture marketing are
simple. You partner with a company and have them deliver
your message to their customer base. In turn, your
collaboration partner garners a percentage of your profits
by expanding their asset offerings.

Whenever Disney has a new movie arriving in theaters, they
utilize McDonald's as a marketing partnership to generate
additional excitement and exposure. In turn, McDonald's
capitalizes upon the popularity of the movie and makes
additional Happy Meal sales.

With the relationship between Garmin and Hertz, the
benefits are significantly twofold. Garmin's legitimacy
undergoes a significant boost, as Hertz is actively
promoting the product. In addition, Garmin demonstrates to
the end user how effective its GPS systems work, thus
having essentially days to engage in first-hand marketing
to the consumer. On the other hand, Hertz gains additional
profits from renting out the Garmin units as an addition to
their rental car fees.

Whether you own a multibillion dollar corporation or a
one-person operation, any business can capitalize upon the
powers of joint venture marketing. In fact, joint venture
marketing is much more effective than your traditional
advertising campaigns - where you toot your own horn to a
critical audience.

For example, if you see a banner advertisement extolling
the virtues of X Company's software, you would review it
with a weary eye. Consumers, both subconsciously and
consciously, believe that they should be critical of any
self-promoting advertisement. Therefore, not only do you
have to overcome this initial skepticism, but you must
compel them enough to click through to your website.

On the other hand, if their favorite blogger mentions the
power of X Company's software, the consumers are much more
inclined to take a look at the product. In fact, they
already have a good impression, and thus, chances are they
will become a converted sale. You eliminate the barriers
of skepticism, as well as the lack of motivation to view
your website. The other company also enjoys increased
revenues, typically through a commission on all leads or
sales.

Thus, one of the most effective ways you can promote your
website is through joint venture marketing. By
capitalizing upon the relationships that other companies
have already built with their customer base, your products
can enjoy the benefit of a positive first impression.

----------------------------------------------------
Christian Fea is a Collaboration Marketing Strategist. He
empowers business owners to discover how to implement
Integration, Alliance, and Joint Ventures marketing tactics
to solve their specific business challenges. He
demonstrates how you can create your own Collaboration
Marketing Strategy to increase your new sales, conversation
rates, and repeat business. He can be reached at:
http://www.christianfea.com

Choose the Right Offerings to Expand How Much Value You Add

Choose the Right Offerings to Expand How Much Value You Add
Profit-seeking companies often make major mistakes when
they decide to add the wrong products to their mix, ones
that increase costs faster than the products expand profit
contribution and profit. A similar effect can occur in
nonprofit organizations that decide to provide benefits
that are too costly . . . reducing the overall benefits
that can be provided.

Do the opposite by improving efficiencies, and a for-profit
or nonprofit organization can instead deliver many more
benefits.

Let's look at how this can happen in food trucking by a
nonprofit organization if items dense in nutrients and
weight are shipped instead (e.g., old-fashioned oatmeal
versus potato chips).

See Example 1 for a quantification of this factor.

Example 1: Adding Helpful Nutrient Volume Through an
Underutilized Truck and Increasing Food Available to Needy
Families for Each Pickup

If we add the factor of what kind of food is delivered, we
see that capital costs can be lowered greatly if we carry
food that contains more helpful nutrients per cubic meter
or foot of space. By shipping foods with 10 times as many
nutrients, we are able to lower the capital cost per
trip/unit of helpful nutrients by another 90 percent.

Truck Beginning Point — 1 Truck Trip per Week

Annual truck capital costs $52,000

(5,200 miles per year)

Capital cost per trip $1,000

Capital cost/unit of helpful nutrients $0.10

20 Times Truck Volume Increase with Denser Nutrients
— 21 Truck Trips per Week

Annual truck capital costs $109,200 (109,200 miles per
year)

Capital cost per trip $100

Capital cost/unit of helpful nutrients $0.001

Note: Annual capital cost is higher because service life is
reduced by driving more miles a year.

Increasing nutrient density has a similar effect on the
costs of recipients picking up the food. The 96 percent
cost-reduction gain from reducing frequency of trips is
also improved by making the materials more nutrient dense
by a factor of 10.

Automobile Operating Costs Beginning Point for Recipients
— 21 Pick Ups per Week

Weekly gas, oil and maintenance $21.00

Weekly gas, oil and maintenance/unit of helpful nutrients
$0.21

Automobile Operating Cost — 1 Trip per Week for
Denser Nutrients

Weekly gas, oil and maintenance $1.00

Weekly gas, oil and maintenance/Unit of helpful nutrients
$0.00084

Let's look now at how the wrong choice of offerings can
increase costs too rapidly. Trucks that haul frozen foods
are different from those that haul refrigerated foods and
dry goods. Most distribution centers for poor people
provide only dry goods.

If the distribution centers add frozen foods, a special
truck will have to be purchased and a freezer added.
Electricity costs will soar, and there will be less space
for dry goods.

Unless a lot more volume goes through these new facilities,
the added costs may exceed the value of the benefits to
food recipients compared to sticking with dry goods
providing the same nutrient volume. If the foods
transported are less nutrient dense, the cost of delivering
a unit of helpful nutrients may increase compared to what
is shown in Example 1.

The economics of this reduction in beneficiary value
delivered are displayed in Example 2.

Example 2: Adding Less Nutrient-Dense Volume with Frozen
Food to Increase Food Available to Needy Families

In this example, a change in what is delivered increases
capital costs in total by sixfold. This shift in costs is
made worse by a 90 percent reduction in nutrients being
delivered.

20 Times Dry Goods Truck Volume Increase with Denser Dry
Nutrient Foods — 21 Truck Trips per Week

Annual truck capital costs $109,200

(109,200 miles per year)

Capital cost per trip $100

Capital cost/unit of helpful nutrients $0.001

Note: Annual capital cost is higher because service life is
reduced by driving more miles a year.

20 Times Volume Increase with Less Nutrient-Dense Foods
Including Frozen Items — 21 Truck Trips per Week

Annual truck and storage capital and added operating costs
$655,200

Capital cost per trip $600

Capital cost/unit of helpful nutrients $0.06

Note: Driving requires two trucks (one for dry goods and
one for frozen foods), a freezer, more dry storage space,
and added electricity costs.

Copyright 2007 Donald W. Mitchell All Rights Reserved

----------------------------------------------------
Donald Mitchell is chairman of Mitchell and Company, a
strategy and financial consulting firm in Weston, MA. He is
coauthor of six books including The 2,000 Percent Squared
Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, and The Ultimate
Competitive Advantage. You can find free tips for
accomplishing 20 times more by registering at:
====> http://www.2000percentsolution.com .

Office Stationery

Office Stationery
Resourcing quality office stationery is an essential duty
of any office manager - the right office stationery can
enable your colleagues to do the best job possible and give
them the tools they need to be organised and methodical in
their approach to their work and when arranging their
workstations.

The term "office stationery" covers a massive range of
items, from pens and pencils to adhesives, diaries and
planning boards. There are many different manufacturers
working in the office stationery industry and the choice
can be overwhelming, but careful research, and the use of a
quality retailer you can trust, will help you make the
right decision when it comes to ordering and updating your
office stationery supplies.

When looking to resource new supplies of office stationery,
office managers and business owners may be surprised to
learn the range of products that the category covers. The
term "office stationery" can be said to encompass all of
the items below, and many more:

adhesives; tapes; art supplies; graphic supplies; books;
pads; craft supplies; desktop accessories; envelopes;
files; pockets; binders; labels; legal supplies; personnel
supplies; office planning; paper; pens; pencils; writing
supplies; personal planning and office accessories

Adhesive and tape products for the office are available in
a wide variety of forms and can prove useful for many tasks
around the workplace. Adhesive and tape products include
latex adhesives, photomount, PVA, spraymount and
all-purpose adhesives, clear tape, double-sided tape,
drafting tape, invisible tape, masking tape, packing tape,
printed tape and other specialist tape. Tapes are available
in a choice of different thicknesses. Glue sticks, rollers
and tacks can also be made use of for a number of office
tasks.

Art supplies and graphic supplies also come under the
umbrella of office stationery and quality art and graphic
materials are very important when it comes to making the
right impression of your business with your customers. Art
and graphic supplies include crayons, chalk, charcoal,
cutting mats, drawing aids, fine art pencils, guillotines,
trimmers, cutters, knives, technical pens and other general
graphics supplies.

There are many different books and pads that can be of use
to all sizes of business when it comes to keeping and
maintaining records and general administration. Some of the
books and pads that may be of use to your business include
accounts books, address books, analysis pads, business card
books, drawing pads, duplicate books, electronic books,
manuscript books, memo pads, refill pads, repositional
notes, signature books, spiral notebooks, visitor's books,
specialist books and other general books and pads.

One of the most important uses of office stationery is to
help you and your team create and maintain a tidy and
organised office environment to enable greater efficiency
and create a good impression among customers. There are
hundreds of different office and desk accessories on the
market and it is a good idea to think through the different
requirements of your team and workplace before you begin to
place an order.

Some of the different office accessories available on the
market include blotters, book racks, magazine files,
clipboards, desk mats, desk tidies, drawer sets, letter
trays, perforators, pins, clips, fasteners, rubber stamps,
scissors, letter openers, stamp pads, ink, staplers,
stapler removers, staples, tape dispensers, telephone arms,
telephone indexes and a variety of other desktop
accessories that include thimbles and organisers.

Envelopes and other mailing materials are an essential item
for any business. Using the right envelopes can create an
excellent impression of your business to customers and they
are also important for the purpose of sending mail
internally within your business. The different types of
envelope available on the market include standard envelopes
in a variety of different sizes, machine envelopes, padded
envelopes, padded bags, pre-printed envelopes, protective
envelopes, internal envelopes and wage envelopes.

Envelopes come in a variety of finishes, as well as being
available in different designs and formats. Different
finishes of envelope include gusset plain and window
envelopes, manilla plain and window envelopes, plain white
envelopes, plain window envelopes and specialist character
envelopes.

When mail needs to be sent with extra protection and
packaging, there are many different options available on
the market. Larger and fragile mail can be sent by padded
envelope, parcel pack, box and padded bag and these items
of office stationery are all available to order from
quality retailers.

It is essential for any business to organise and file
documents and other administration using an effective and
logical approach. Office stationery is a highly useful tool
when it comes to organising the many files and other
administrative paperwork that your business generates. Some
of the filing and organisational stationery solutions that
are available on the market include archive filing
stationery, box files, card holders, card indexes, card
index supplies, computer binders, display books, dividers,
indexes, tabs, easel binders, expanding files, home filing
accessories, lateral filing accessories, lever arch files,
manilla folders, manilla files, manilla wallets, plastic
folders, plastic pockets, plastic wallets, portfolios,
presentation folders, presentation ring binders, ring
binders, slide binders, suspension files, document boxes
and filing units.

Other items of office stationery that are highly useful in
the workplace include filing cabinets, labels, legal and
personnel forms, seals, markers and deed straps, last will
and testament forms, legal ledgers, calendars, diaries,
planners, wall planners, paper, pens, pencils, markers,
ink, correction supplies and briefcases.

----------------------------------------------------
When you are looking to make your next office stationery
supplies purchase, ABT are a well-established quality
retailer you can trust. ABT offers customers a detailed
website and a freephone customer number for all enquiries.
Office stationery is also offered by ABT at massive
discounts of up to 40% on the recommended retail price.
For a quality, reassured and value-for-money purchase of
your next selection of office stationery supplies, visit
ABT at http://www.office-supplies-stationery-equipment.co.uk

The Obama and Oprah Selling Machine

The Obama and Oprah Selling Machine
Who is on your sales team? Often, success in the field is
far from an individual effort. There is frequently an
inside customer service group, service coordinators, a
product expediter, a dependable shipping department and
quality vendor technical support operating behind the
scenes ensuring that the customer's experience is a good
one. The salesperson is the facilitator of these collective
efforts and the representative of their company when
dealing with customers.

This past weekend, the rapidly changing political landscape
was introduced to the live version of a new phenomenon.
Although Hollywood-types have often backed political
candidates and causes, the world has been holding their
breath in anticipation of the impact of Oprah's endorsement
of Barack Obama. Oprah lends her star-power to her friend,
Obama, "a new kind of leader who possesses a tongue dipped
in the unvarnished truth," Winfrey said.

The Oprah and Obama traveling tour brings new meaning to
the phrase dynamic-duo! Obama had the pleasure of
addressing almost 30,000 registered voters at
Williams-Brice stadium here in Columbia, SC thanks in great
part to Winfrey's celebrity. I do not believe that anyone
will ever be able to remove the pleasure-filled smile from
his face.

"In what may be the largest phone-banking effort in the
nation's history, each attendee was handed a sheet that
listed four registered S.C. voters and a phone script.
Attendees were asked to call the voters on their sheet,
right then and there, and ask them to support Obama in the
Democratic primary." Regardless of your political
persuasion, this sales effort is impressive. The news
coverage and number of articles are amazing.

Talk about sales teams! This pairing may be just what the
doctor ordered to propel Obama to the lead in the run for
the Democratic nomination. What then... VP Oprah Winfrey!

The point of all this is to remember that our success in
selling our ideas and products is indeed a team effort.
Even if you are a self-employed company of one who handles
everything from sales to accounting, you too rely on
vendors, FedEx, US Mail and reliable technology to ensure
your sales success. You are indeed part of a team effort,
albeit the focal member.

None of us operates in a vacuum. It is necessary and proper
to respect and care about your sales team. When
appropriate, introduce these people to your customers. Make
it more personal. Put faces on each department and function.

Remember, the bottom line is that people interact with
people to make things happen. Humanize your selling efforts
and warm up your sales success.

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit and
Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive
experience in sales, training, marketing and personal
development spanning a successful 25 year career.
Experience his blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com