My 14 year old son attends classes at a martial arts center. The martial arts center is run by a 30 year old man. He is by all means a successful business man for his young age. He stood in front of his class and asked them if they knew what the most powerful muscle is in their body was. There was not an answer. My thought was he would say your brain. When the 10 year old in front of me popped up and said "My brain!." We all chuckled. He...more
Ask most people why they are in business and they will give you any number of reasons. Things such as wanting to improve the lives of others; make the world a better place; provide for their family; have more free time; the list goes on and on. Fact is business is about making money, which means the bottom line is the bottom line. Many business owners, managers and sales people seem to forget this. If you don't have a strong bottom line you...more
What is Relationship Networking?Relationship networking is simply the art of meeting people and benefiting from those relationships. Often the benefit of these relationship is to obtain information and leads to further grow your business. Any successful relationship, whether a personal or a business relationship, is unique to every pair of individuals, and it evolves over time. Effective relationship networking is all about building those relationships and maintaining long lasting connections with other professionals. The Internet is an excellent vehicle for networking. Relationships can develop in newsgroups, forums, and via email. Though nothing really beats good old-fashioned face-to-face networking to start the process of building a relationship and trust, which is why industry conferences can be so important. Not all contacts will be useful or worth pursuing. There will be leads that don't provide much information. Use your judgment on whether the information and relationship is worth spending more time on.Relationship networking opens new doors, often it's "who you know, not necessarily what you know". Tip to Build Network Relationships: Provide genuine assistance to others....more
No matter how much money you make, it pays to keep on top of money coming in and going out. Even if you do a good job of that, there are important times in your life when talking with a professional adviser makes sense.Almost every major life event - finding or losing a job, getting married or divorced, having a baby, buying a home -- is likely to...more
You want to increase the flow of sales revenue, but you are stymied by prospects' seemingly endless objections. Prospects say they're not interested. They tell you your price is too high, or this isn't the right time. You've heard all the objections. What can you do to get rid of these once and for all? Engineering Your Marketing When I was seven...more
Whether you have no credit or damaged credit, secured credit cards are a good tool for building a good credit history.Several months ago Tom, a member of CreditBoards.com, filed for a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Now he is in the process of rebuilding his credit history. It's a task that is not easy, but with patient persistence he is seeing progress already. Daily he checks his credit score and is slowly seeing improvement. 1 In addition to correcting every mistake, even the smallest ones, on his credit report, he is using a secured credit card. 2 This secured card is an important tool in the overall process of building or rebuilding credit.Who should consider a secured credit card?Someone who has no credit history. Someone with a damaged credit history. What is a secured credit card?Secured cards are credit cards opened with a deposit into a savings account, money market or certificate of deposit. The amount of deposit required varies from card to card, but generally minimum amounts range from $250 - $500. These funds are considered your security and will even earn a little interest since they are being held in a savings account. Your credit limit is determined by the amount you deposit...more
Insanity in the Sign & Graphics IndustryEinstein's DefinitionAlbert Einstein once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Think about this quote for a second and ask yourself,...more
With all the things you have to remember to do on a regular basis, balancing your checkbook doesn't always receive priority. But if you plan ahead and schedule some time for this important task, you will reap the financial rewards.Before you begin...more
In the past, if you wanted to send money electronically through a wire transfer you only had a few options available to you. You could go to your local bank to conduct the transfer, or you could use the services of a company such as Western Union....more
If you're a young person who has just begun to earn some money, it is very important that you know how to open a bank account. Once you do, you'll have taken the first step in a long-term process of financial independence and growth.A bank account is...more
Applying for a home loan may not be the most exciting way to spend your time, but if you are like many potential homeowners, it is probably a necessary evil. If you have some knowledge of the process ahead of time, however, it will go much more...more
Although it may seem very obvious, many people do not know how to write checks. With the birth of a generation that regularly uses ATM check cards, online bill payment systems, and credit cards more often than checks, check writing may risk...more