Make yourself intelligent

How can you improve your self?

That is a constant & demanding question. Since we all are put through the wringer of daily life, we all need to find ways to make ourselves more intelligent and better people. Learning is a constant challenge. Studying takes time and effort. How demeaning it is that the TV and News constantly try to derive us from our intelligence-building sequences.

An example of where intelligence and ability is required is how much work we have to do. Most jobs these days are more and more demanding, and less and less heartening. Taxes are increasing; Rents or Property Taxes are going up. Gas prices rise every other minute. The heating costs are projected to rise exponentially and also the cost of our food is going to rise given the result of so many horrendous storms all over the earth. The work most of us do is a very time-sensitive thing, but often the result is that the better we do the more we have to get done. This is very difficult at times to cope with since many find that they have very little time to spend with their families and nurture their relationships with their children. Another very bothersome problem that many are facing is that they are not getting much of an increase in their pay. They work harder and harder and get very low increases despite their work ethic.

How can we solve all these problems? One definite thing is education. Even if a person has little formal education, they can learn from people and books. Rather than drowning their intellect in front of the TV, people are better off spending time with inspiring examples. It could be a work-mate, a friend, a mentor. Perhaps also a learning CD or a "How-To" book. All of these options help us to better prepare for our lives and become stronger mentally and more intelligent.

I can understand the result of all the studying I did. I rushed through it as fast as I could but nonetheless I expended effort to ensure that I understood it. Then finally I was able to get it all done. I used my time very well and now I am ready to start a great new job. I have had an opportunity to speak with a number of new work-mates and they have persuasively shown me that this will be a perfect option. I am really looking forward to having the time and energy for this new job. After all, since this studying and constant reliance on knowledge is what helps me, I know that I will always be able to make definitive improvements. I realize that my financial rewards will be a result of how hard and how intelligently I work at this new job. I want to make it a superior workplace and have great success.

An additional item that we need to recognize is how vital that we keep our family values intact. If we fall apart in our relationships it has a very harsh impact on our ability to deal with problems. So, the recommendation is as follows:

1. Study instead of watching such valueless TV

2. Be willing to read and learn

3. Spend time with your wife or husband: your best friend :)

4. Get more sleep and you will function even better

5. Be willing to go without coffee or alcohol from time to time in order to get better sleep

6. Smile and laugh - the more we do so the better we will be equipped to deal with difficulties

7. Make goals, set them and review them regularly - and constantly work toward them!

8. Wake up and get ready to make things happen as soon as the door opens.

9. Dress for success - don't let the obsequious and ludicrous fashion guides try to tell you what is best. Some of what is fashionable in these fleeting days lasts only a momentary glance before it is cast aside for the next contemptuous style. Make your choices based on intelligence and your image will exude confidence.

Advertising...... "A Fun"

Advertising is fun. Might not be for the client who probably thinks the entire advertising fraternity should be shot dead. (Rightly so too!) But for those in advertising it’s a whole lot fun.

I was in advertising for more than a brief while and haven’t repented for it yet! I guess I will, eventually! Till then, here are some nice quotes on advertising. Enjoy!

‘Early to bed, early to rise
Work like hell and advertise’.
- Ted Turner.

‘Beer commercials are so patriotic: Made the American Way. What does that have to do with America? Is that what America stands for? Feeling sluggish and urinating frequently’?
- Evelyn Waugh

‘Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find outside of an advertising agency’.
- Raymond Chandler

‘In the last couple of weeks I have seen the ads for the Wonder Bra. Is that really a problem in this country? Men not paying enough attention to women's breasts’.

- Jay Leno

‘Advertising is a valuable economic factor because it is the cheapest way of selling goods, particularly if the goods are worthless’.
- Sinclair Lewis

‘Advertising sure brings quick results. Last week I advertised for a night watchman and the same night my safe was robbed’.
- Anonymous

‘If advertising had a little more respect for the public, the public would have a lot more respect for advertising’.

- James Randolph Adams

‘As to the idea that advertising motivates people, remember the Edsel’.

- Peter Drucker

Joke ! ! !

A lady about 8 months pregnant got on a bus.

She noticed the man opposite her was smiling at her. She immediately moved to another seat. This time the smile turned into a grin, so she moved again. The man seemed more amused. When on the fourth move, she had the man arrested.

The case came up in court. The judge asked the man what he had to say for himself. The man replied, 'Well your Honor, it was like this: When the lady got on the bus, I couldn't help but notice her condition. She sat under a sweets sign that said, 'The Double Mint Twins are coming' and I grinned.

Then she moved and sat under a sign that said, ' Logan 's Liniment will reduce the swelling', and I had to smile.

Then she placed herself under a deodorant sign that said, 'William's Big Stick Did the Trick,' and I could hardly contain myself.

But, your Honor, when she moved the fourth time and sat under a sign that said, 'Goodyear Rubber could have prevented this accident'... I just lost it.'

The judge had just one thing to say: CASE DISMISSED!

Quality Engineer Joke

A Quality Engineer married an average girl.

After two tough years of life with her, he got angry and sent a note to his father-in-law stating: "YOUR PRODUCT IS NOT MEETING MY REQUIREMENTS".

The smart father-in-law sent an equally curt reply: "WARRANTY EXPIRED. MANUFACTURER NOT RESPONSIBLE."

small business without spending a lot of money

Is it really possible to grow a small business without spending a lot of money?


Yes, it is possible -- in fact, it's advisable.

There are two types of investments you can make in your business; 1) Time, or 2) Money.

We would never recommend that someone spend a lot of money on their marketing unless they have already developed and tested their strategy and systems to the point where they are fairly certain that each investment they make will produce profitable results.

Many business owners mistakenly believe that it's necessary to invest hundreds, even thousands of dollars creating fancy, four-color stationery, and expensive advertising to get their businesses off the ground.

To succeed you must have a solid understanding of marketing

Others actually believe that money can make up for a lack of marketing knowledge.

That's simply not true.

Without a solid understanding of how marketing works, you stand a good chance of losing every penny you spend.

Here's an example from our files:

A few years ago a young woman wanted to start a catalog business, and borrowed $85,000 from her parents for the photos, printing and mailing of her first catalog.

Unfortunately, she had very little marketing knowledge, and her first mailing resulted in very few sales. All the money she borrowed was lost in one shot. Money can't make up for a poor marketing strategy.

Until you have learned how to develop an effective marketing strategy for your business, save your money.

There are many low-cost -- even free -- marketing methods that will just take an investment of your time.

Before creating our current Internet business, we had grown a very profitable offline consulting business without spending a penny on advertising. It was all done through simple, Give to Get Marketing techniques. We invested our knowledge and our time, not our money.

When we moved our business to the Internet, we used a free Web hosting service, designed our own Web sites for free, and used free marketing tactics to attract hundreds of thousands of prospects to our Web sites and then converted a good percentage of them into customers. All of these low-cost and free methods have helped us build a very lucrative business on the web.

Of course, as we grew, those free services no longer met our needs. But by then our sales could easily support our investments in more reliable and effective services.

As you grow your sales and develop your marketing systems with low-cost methods, you can then begin to accelerate your growth with paid marketing techniques.

By that time, you should know how to invest $1.00 and get back $1.50 or $2.00. Once you reach that point, there is no limit to how big you can grow.

Here are just a few of the ways you can grow your business with free and low-cost marketing tactics:

-- Do Networking
-- Generate Referrals
-- Talk to Groups
-- Write Articles
-- Get Interviewed in a Magazine or Newspaper
-- Get Interviewed on TV or Radio
-- Create Joint Ventures
-- Submit to Search Engines
-- Swap Ads with Ezines
-- Write a Newsletter
-- Submit News Releases

Here's an example:

Mary, not her real name, sells scrap booking supplies. How does she grow her customer list? By putting on complimentary scrap booking workshops where she shares the latest tips, demonstrates some of the new, cool tools and supplies.

By doing this, Mary attracts her very best prospects-- people who love scrap booking and buy the types of products she sells. She offers special packages to anyone who is interested in purchasing right at the workshop. They get a great deal for buying immediately.

But that's not all. She has the name, address, and email address of every attendee from every workshop. She follows- up periodically with those scrap bookers in the future. When they are ready to buy, guess who they think of immediately?

You'll find hundreds more low-cost and free marketing techniques that really work on our Web site. There's a wealth of articles, tips and real world case studies to help you grow your small business without spending a fortune.

Effective marketing isn't about wishing or hoping for good results. It's about educating yourself about how effective marketing works to attract qualified prospects to your business and convert them into happy, loyal, lifetime customers.

It really isn't that difficult to grow your sales once you understand the simple steps needed to attract customers to your business like a magnet.

It just takes a decision on your part to 'do it!'