MAO Enterprises

www.buildastrongeramerica.com

2010-10-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Business Plan Continue

2009-11-25T07:29:00.000-08:00

The executive summary can make you or break you. The summary must capture and hold the interest of whom you are presenting it to. It will encapsulate the entire plan in a few paragraphs by giving the most brief, to the point statement possible of the nature of the business and objectives which involve:

Mission
USA ( Unique Selling Advantage
Projections
Needs
Timetable for repaying investors
Capital request

The summary should have between 2 to 5 pages max. Keep it in such way that it can be read in a few minutes.

Often this is the last section written of the business plan, after all of the other parts have been written.

The summary is a clear picture of your business. Describing in no-nonsense fashion, who you are, what you want, and where you are going will demonstrate that you can focus with clarity on your objectives.

NEXT POST: COMPANY DESCRIPTION

PS. If you desire to develop a business plan in a much easier way, try softwares like business plan pro. It's the cheapest and most efficient way to go. I use it all the time. It's great and approved tool. You will find used or new clicking on the link bellow.

Thanksgiving Day History

2009-11-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the abundance we all have, and express gratitude. It is a holiday celebrated in Canada and the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.

The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention. The traditional "first Thanksgiving" is the celebration that occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621. The Plymouth celebration occurred early in the history of what would become one of the original thirteen colonies that became the United States. The celebration became an important part of the American myth by the 1800s. This Thanksgiving, modeled after celebrations that were commonplace in contemporary Europe, is generally regarded as America's first. Elementary school teacher Robyn Gioia has argued that the earliest attested "thanksgiving" celebration in what is now the United States was celebrated by the Spanish on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.

The First Pages of Your Business Plan

2009-11-23T09:15:00.001-08:00

The visual presentation may vary according to the intended use and readership. The following summary of the content is intended to compile a winning business plan to attract financial resources, as well as provide efficiently the information regarding the company, and or growth of your business.
Cover Sheet

Using company stationary, display the company logo and emblems to create a framework of legitimacy, and originality.

Keep it simple!

You must acknowledge:

1- Yourself
2- Your Business
3- The institution or party you are addressing
4- The date your business plan was submitted

Checklist of items that may be included:

Business Information

1- Name of Business
2- Location, Address
3- Telephone Numbers
4- Contact Person(s), including titles

Business paragraph with promotional description of business goals, potential, and outlook.
Capital required with current and anticipated future needs.
Name(s) of the person(s) recommending you to the investor
Include a paragraph notifying the investor that all information being provided is proprietary and strictly confidential and may not be released without your written authorization

Table of Contents

This is the road map to your business plan. It shows you are organized, thorough, sensitive to the needs of those you are approaching, and able to manage the "big picture." The table of contents will come last on cover page.

NEXT POST: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

UNIQUE SELLING ADVANTAGE - Business Plan Continuation

2009-11-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

Technology in the present days enable consumers to research companies and products with a click of a button. If your target is searching for advantages and what differentiate one product from another to decide in a matter of seconds who will be serving them. You must understand this key points to make your share of the market guaranteed. This is why is critical to create your own USA (Unique Selling Advantage).

It is also important to implement this USA in the whole company from the CEO to the clerical staff. Everybody within the organization must have a clear understanding of what sets your company, and your products or services apart from the competition.

You should be able to articulate your USA in one or two crisp, clear paragraphs.

Things to Consider:

Your enterprises should be built around your USA concept.
Without a USA you cannot build a consistent and effective marketing campaign
Formulating your a winning marketing campaign will be much easier once you have your USA ready.
Your USA must be described accurately, intelligently and straightforward

Examples of USA:

Your business stay open # of hours more than the competition
Your business open on the weekends
You provide XYZ services for free
Your products are handmade
You provide Customer Care for free
Your warranty is for a longer period
You have 24 assistance for your clients
You offer upgrades with more discount than your competitors

You get the idea?

NEXT POST: First Pages of Your Business Plan

Statistics - Why Worry?

2009-11-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

"...If you can't do anything about it, don't worry about it..."

60% of what you worry about never comes to pass

20% of what you worry about is in the past, so why worry about

10% of what you worry about even if it came to pass wouldn't impact you

5% if it came to pass, it would impact you, but wouldn't kill you

Sales Statistics:

2% of all sales are made on the 1st call

3% of all sales are made on the 2nd call

5% of all sales are made on the 3rd call

10% of all sales are made on the 4th call

80% of all sales are made after the 5th call

The main reason why people are not successful is because they give up

48% of people give up after the 1st try

25% of people give up after the 2nd try

12% of people give up after the 3rd try

5% of people give up after the 4th try

10% keep calling trying after their 5th try

More than 80% of people give up on the first year

MARKETING PLAN STRATEGY

2009-10-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Marketing strategies are designed to increase, promote, and support your products advantages, features, and benefits. The marketing strategy is an art, and should be developed to implement a promotional campaign that will generate sales for you company.

Strategy is the key word here. But remember put in prospective your strengths and weaknesses, your business activities, and direction. Your business depend on this to survive. A great strategy increases the chance of survival.

The goal here is to attract and retain your share of the market as fast as possible. So that your customers can differentiate your products and services from the competitors. A great inexpensive way to find out is to conduct surveys.

Questions to consider:

1- What is the advantages your competitors' products or services that may take your clients?

2- What strategy will you use?

3- What are the unique advantages of your products or services?

4- What kind of marketing will you use to advertise? (TV, Radio, Internet, magazine, direct mail or any other)

5- Are you considering other venues like seminars or trade shows?

6- Do you have or need a PR Agency or representative?

7- Are going to use a spokes person, or the company logo to advertise?

8- Are you competing the global, local or national market?

9- Are you constantly creating new ideas to generate leads?

10- Are your strategies consistently matching up with your evaluation of the market, and your capabilities?

11- Is your target market narrow or broad? Have you defined?

12- Are you considering only facts or assumptions to base you strategy?

13- What is your ROI(return on investment) compared with your risks?

14- Are your competitors using the same marketing strategy? Are there points that differentiate your strategy? Or are there any points in the competitors strategy that can be adapted to yours?

15- Are you using a honest, legal strategy?

HOT TIP:

Imagine a potential customer exploding in anger. Do you know why your costumer is angry or could be frustrated. Knowing this will add a different view, and maybe refine your product or service. Ask people why, how, any and all about what frustrate them, internalize and then review your strategy again. You worst client is a hand full of problems, but its also a key to many solutions.

NEXT POST: UNIQUE SELLING ADVANTAGES

MARKETING PLAN

2009-10-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

The marketing plan will come next on the list of importance. How much time, study, and analysis will determine how effective your plan will become.

Making this a fun experience is also crucial. "... If you do what you love, you won't work a day in your life..."

Important points to research in this section will be who is your competition, what they offer, and what they don't offer, whether or not your product will outsell the competition, and what unique selling advantage you will have over your competitors.

If you ended up discovering that the timing is not right for this opportunity. This will not be a negative find. The amount of time and money you will save could be use for a different opportunity, and/ or to be used a better time. But this decision should be taken after you carefully evaluate a designed marketing analysis.

Market Analysis: The existing market place in which you plan to operate the business.

Key points:

1. Product Features

2. Life-Style of Targeted Customers

3. Geographical Location

4. Cyclical Factors

Important questions:

Is the market saturated?

How many companies are competing in the market?

Determine the share per each major participants in the market.

Is the market expanding or contracting?

At what speed is the market growing?

What kind of trends are influencing the development of the shared marketplace?

Summarize your personal view of the trends and the implied opportunities from your market analysis.

List the strengths and weaknesses over the competitors in the following categories"

1. Performance

2. Quality

3. Reliability

4. Production Efficiencies

5. Distribution

6. Pricing

7. Promotion

8. Reputation & Public Image

9. References

Weaknesses are also to be listed along with actions to be taken by your company to fix each problem or alleviate the problem(s).

NEXT POST: CONTINUE MARKETING PLAN

YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES - Biz Plan Cont.

2009-10-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

The products or services you offer are very important if you want to attract even more potential capital sources. The characteristics of your products and services should contain:

1- How your products or services differ from the competitors?
2- What are the anticipated consumer reactions due to this characteristics?
3- How can you satisfy customer needs and wants?

Give a detailed description and history of your products and services highlighting the unique characteristics that will give your company a competitive edge and why.

Describing how much value your product or services will add to clients is crucial. Will they save time, money, and increase revenue ? If so, how?

Another important point to add in your business plan is the tests and/or case studies that have been performed so far. These tests or studies will back up your product or service claim.

Product or Service Life cycle:

If your product or service has a life cycle it will be important to mention all details along with charts covering the cycles, time factors influencing your ability to make money and the effects of any economic cycles.

Include:

1. Introduction Stage which will have heavy marketing campaign introducing new product or services

2. Growth Stage in which revenue will begin, and growth occurs

3. Maturity Stage is when competition increases as awareness of products becomes popular and market becomes saturated

4. Decline Stage is when other even more advanced products start to enter the market to fight for consumers.

You should also have a discussion on the next generation of products and services to be introduced in the future. Investors will want to know the future of your company as well, so be prepared.

NEXT POST: MARKETING PLAN

The World's Top Billionaires List

2009-10-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

1. Gates, William H. III, United States, 46, $52.8, Microsoft

2. Buffett, Warren E., United States, 71, $35.0, Berkshire Hathaway

3. Albrecht, Karl and Theo, Germany, $26.8, retail

4. Allen, Paul G., United States, 49, $25.2, Microsoft

5. Ellison, Lawrence J., United States, 57, $23.5, Oracle

6. Walton, Jim C., United States, 54, $20.8, Wal-Mart

7. Walton, John T., United States, 56, $20.7, Wal-Mart

8. Walton, Alice L., United States, 53, $20.5, Wal-Mart

8. Walton, S. Robson, United States, 58, $20.5, Wal-Mart

10. Walton, Helen R., United States, 82, $20.4, Wal-Mart

11. Alsaud, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Saudi Arabia, 45, $20.0, investments

12. Quandt, Johanna and family, Germany, 74, $18.4, BMW

13. Bettencourt, Liliane, France, 79, $14.9, L'Oreal

13. Thomson, Kenneth and family, Canada, 78, $14.9, publishing

15. Ballmer, Steven A., United States, 45, $14.8, Microsoft

16. Kamprad, Ingvar, Sweden, 75, $13.4, Ikea

17. Slim Helu, Carlos, Mexico, 62, $11.5, telecom

18. Dell, Michael S., United States, 37, $11.1, Dell

19. Rausing, Kirsten and family, Sweden, 49, $10.7, packaging

20. Kluge, John W., United States, 87, $10.5, media

21. Anthony, Barbara Cox, United States, 78, $10.1, media

21. Chambers, Anne Cox, United States, 82, $10.1, media

23. Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong, 73, $10.0, diversified

24. Kwok, Walter, Thomas and Raymond, Hong Kong, $9.2, real estate

25. Ortega, Amancio, Spain, 66, $9.1, apparel

26. Mars, Forrest E. Jr., United States, 70, $9.0, candy

26. Mars, Jacqueline Badger, United States, 63, $9.0, candy

26. Mars, John F., United States, 65, $9.0, candy

29. Johnson, Abigail, United States, 40, $8.6, Fidelity

29. Saji, Nobutada and family, Japan, 56, $8.6, beverages

31. Bertarelli, Ernesto and family, Switzerland, 36, $8.4, biotech

32. Redstone, Sumner M., United States, 78, $8.1, Viacom

33. Rausing, Hans, Sweden, 75, $7.7, packaging

34. Olayan, Suliman and family, Saudi Arabia, 83, $7.6, investments

35. Berlusconi, Silvio, Italy, 65, $7.2, media

36. Arnault, Bernard, France, 53, $7.0, LVMH

37. Soros, George, United States, 71, $6.9, money management

38. Grosvenor, Gerald Cavendish, Britain, 50, $6.7, real estate

39. Del Vecchio, Leonardo, Italy, 66, $6.6, eyewear

40. Otto, Michael and family, Germany, 58, $6.5, retail

41. Premji, Azim, India, 56, $6.4, software

42. Ergen, Charles, United States, 49, $6.2, satellite TV

43. Moore, Gordon Earle, United States, 73, $6.1, Intel

44. Kerkorian, Kirk, United States, 84, $5.8, investments

45. Al-Kharafi, Nasser and family, Kuwait, 58, $5.7, construction

45. Knight, Philip H., United States, 64, $5.7, Nike

45. Murdoch, Rupert, United States, 71, $5.7, News Corp.

48. Engelhorn, Curt, Germany, 75, $5.6, pharmaceuticals

48. Persson, Stefan, Sweden, 54, $5.6, Hennes & Mauritz

50. Flick, Friedrich K. Jr., Germany, 75, $5.5, investments

51. Broad, Eli, United States, 68, $5.2, real estate

51. Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong, 74, $5.2, real estate

51. Takei, Yasuo and family, Japan, 72, $5.2, consumer finance

54. Anschutz, Philip F., United States, 62, $5.1, Qwest

55. Cisneros, Gustavo and family, Venezuela, 56, $5.0, media

55. Haefner, Walter, Switzerland, 91, $5.0, software

55. Icahn, Carl, United States, 66, $5.0, investments

55. Newhouse, Donald E., United States, 72, $5.0, media

55. Newhouse, Samuel I. Jr., United States, 74, $5.0, media

55. Pritzker, Robert A., United States, 75, $5.0, hotels, investments

55. Pritzker, Thomas J., United States, 51, $5.0, hotels, investments

62. Benetton, Luciano and family, Italy, 66, $4.9, Benetton

62. Dassault, Serge and family, France, 77, $4.9, aviation

64. Goodnight, James, United States, 59, $4.8, software

64. Landolt, Pierre and family, Switzerland, 54, $4.8, Novartis

64. von Finck, August, Germany, 71, $4.8, investments

67. Lerner, Alfred, United States, 68, $4.7, banking

68. Omidyar, Pierre M., United States, 34, $4.6, eBay

68. Tsai Wan-lin and family, Taiwan, 77, $4.6, insurance

70. Johnson, Samuel C., United States, 73, $4.5, S.C. Johnson & Son

70. Schickedanz daughters, Germany, $4.5, retail

72. Bloomberg, Michael R., United States, 59, $4.4, financial news

72. Davis, Marvin H., United States, 76, $4.4, investments

72. Mendoza, Lorenzo and family, Venezuela, 36, $4.4, beverages

72. Plattner, Hasso, Germany, 58, $4.4, SAP

76. de Carvalho, Charlene, Netherlands, 47, $4.3, Heineken

76. Gerling, Rolf, Germany, 47, $4.3, insurance

76. Johnson, Edward C III, United States, 71, $4.3, Fidelity

76. Mohn, Reinhard, Germany, 80, $4.3, media

76. Sainsbury, David and family, Britain, 61, $4.3, supermarkets

76. Wertheimer, Alain and Gerard, France, $4.3, Chanel

82. von Holtzbrinck, Dieter and family, Germany, 60, $4.2, publishing

82. Weston, Galen and family, Canada, 61, $4.2, retail

84. Irving, James, Arthur and John, Canada, $4.1, oil

84. Kuok, Robert, Malaysia, 79, $4.1, agriculture

84. Schwab, Charles R., United States, 64, $4.1, Charles Schwab

87. Al-Hariri, Rafik and family, Lebanon, 58, $4.0, construction

87. Annenberg, Walter H., United States, 93, $4.0, publishing

87. Bren, Donald L., United States, 69, $4.0, real estate

87. Geffen, David, United States, 59, $4.0, entertainment

87. Halley, Paul Louis and family, France, 67, $4.0, retail

87. Karamehmet, Mehmet and family, Turkey, 48, $4.0, finance, telecom

87. Oetker, Rudolf August and family, Germany, 85, $4.0, food

87. Safra, Joseph and Moise, Brazil, $4.0, banking

87. Warner, H. Ty, United States, 58, $4.0, Beanie Babies

96. Perot, Henry Ross, United States, 71, $3.9, investments

97. Haub, Erivan and family, Germany, 69, $3.8, retail

97. Huntsman, Jon M., United States, 64, $3.8, chemicals

97. Kinoshita, Kyosuke and family, Japan, 61, $3.8, consumer finance

97. Turner, Robert E. (Ted), United States, 63, $3.8, cable TV

101. Arango, Jeronimo, Mexico, 76, $3.7, retail

101. Khodorkovsky, Mikhail, Russia, 38, $3.7, oil

103. Arison, Micky, United States, 52, $3.6, cruise ships

103. Ermirio de Moraes, Antonio and family, Brazil, 73, $3.6, diversified

105. Iwasaki, Fukuzo, Japan, 77, $3.5, real estate

106. Crown, Lester and family, United States, 76, $3.4, General Dynamics

106. Greenberg, Maurice R., United States, 76, $3.4, AIG

106. Kipp, Karl-Heinz, Germany, 78, $3.4, real estate

106. Latsis, Spiro and family, Greece, 55, $3.4, banking

106. Mori, Akira, Japan, 65, $3.4, real estate

106. Wrigley, William Jr., United States, 39, $3.4, chewing gum

112. Arison Dorsman, Shari, Israel, 44, $3.3, cruise ships

112. Oppenheimer, Nicky and family, South Africa, 56, $3.3, De Beers

112. Sabanci, Sakip and family, Turkey, 69, $3.3, diversified

112. Simplot, John R., United States, 93, $3.3, potatoes

112. Wang, Y.C., Taiwan, 85, $3.3, chemicals

117. Sorenson, James L., United States, 80, $3.2, medical devices

118. Algosaibi, Abdulaziz Bin Hamad and family, Saudi Arabia, 68, $3.1, finance

118. Itoyama, Eitaro, Japan, 59, $3.1, golf courses

118. Kadoorie, Michael and family, Hong Kong, 61, $3.1, diversified

118. Koch, Charles D., United States, 66, $3.1, oil services

118. Koch, David H., United States, 61, $3.1, oil services

118. Ng Teng Fong and family, Singapore, 73, $3.1, real estate

118. Pinault, Francois, France, 65, $3.1, retail

118. Schmidheiny, Stephan, Switzerland, 54, $3.1, investments

118. Wurth, Reinhold, Germany, 66, $3.1, manufacturing

The World's Top Billionaires List Fri Mar 1, 3:37 AM ET

By The Associated Press

The ranking of the world's richest people as estimated by Forbes magazine. Listings include rank, name, home country, age where known, wealth in billions of dollars and source of the money.

1. Gates, William H. III, United States, 46, $52.8, Microsoft

2. Buffett, Warren E., United States, 71, $35.0, Berkshire Hathaway

3. Albrecht, Karl and Theo, Germany, $26.8, retail

4. Allen, Paul G., United States, 49, $25.2, Microsoft

5. Ellison, Lawrence J., United States, 57, $23.5, Oracle

6. Walton, Jim C., United States, 54, $20.8, Wal-Mart

7. Walton, John T., United States, 56, $20.7, Wal-Mart

8. Walton, Alice L., United States, 53, $20.5, Wal-Mart

8. Walton, S. Robson, United States, 58, $20.5, Wal-Mart

10. Walton, Helen R., United States, 82, $20.4, Wal-Mart

11. Alsaud, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Saudi Arabia, 45, $20.0, investments

12. Quandt, Johanna and family, Germany, 74, $18.4, BMW

13. Bettencourt, Liliane, France, 79, $14.9, L'Oreal

13. Thomson, Kenneth and family, Canada, 78, $14.9, publishing

15. Ballmer, Steven A., United States, 45, $14.8, Microsoft

16. Kamprad, Ingvar, Sweden, 75, $13.4, Ikea

17. Slim Helu, Carlos, Mexico, 62, $11.5, telecom

18. Dell, Michael S., United States, 37, $11.1, Dell

19. Rausing, Kirsten and family, Sweden, 49, $10.7, packaging

20. Kluge, John W., United States, 87, $10.5, media

21. Anthony, Barbara Cox, United States, 78, $10.1, media

21. Chambers, Anne Cox, United States, 82, $10.1, media

23. Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong, 73, $10.0, diversified

24. Kwok, Walter, Thomas and Raymond, Hong Kong, $9.2, real estate

25. Ortega, Amancio, Spain, 66, $9.1, apparel

26. Mars, Forrest E. Jr., United States, 70, $9.0, candy

26. Mars, Jacqueline Badger, United States, 63, $9.0, candy

26. Mars, John F., United States, 65, $9.0, candy

29. Johnson, Abigail, United States, 40, $8.6, Fidelity

29. Saji, Nobutada and family, Japan, 56, $8.6, beverages

31. Bertarelli, Ernesto and family, Switzerland, 36, $8.4, biotech

32. Redstone, Sumner M., United States, 78, $8.1, Viacom

33. Rausing, Hans, Sweden, 75, $7.7, packaging

34. Olayan, Suliman and family, Saudi Arabia, 83, $7.6, investments

35. Berlusconi, Silvio, Italy, 65, $7.2, media

36. Arnault, Bernard, France, 53, $7.0, LVMH

37. Soros, George, United States, 71, $6.9, money management

38. Grosvenor, Gerald Cavendish, Britain, 50, $6.7, real estate

39. Del Vecchio, Leonardo, Italy, 66, $6.6, eyewear

40. Otto, Michael and family, Germany, 58, $6.5, retail

41. Premji, Azim, India, 56, $6.4, software

42. Ergen, Charles, United States, 49, $6.2, satellite TV

43. Moore, Gordon Earle, United States, 73, $6.1, Intel

44. Kerkorian, Kirk, United States, 84, $5.8, investments

45. Al-Kharafi, Nasser and family, Kuwait, 58, $5.7, construction

45. Knight, Philip H., United States, 64, $5.7, Nike

45. Murdoch, Rupert, United States, 71, $5.7, News Corp.

48. Engelhorn, Curt, Germany, 75, $5.6, pharmaceuticals

48. Persson, Stefan, Sweden, 54, $5.6, Hennes & Mauritz

50. Flick, Friedrich K. Jr., Germany, 75, $5.5, investments

51. Broad, Eli, United States, 68, $5.2, real estate

51. Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong, 74, $5.2, real estate

51. Takei, Yasuo and family, Japan, 72, $5.2, consumer finance

54. Anschutz, Philip F., United States, 62, $5.1, Qwest

55. Cisneros, Gustavo and family, Venezuela, 56, $5.0, media

55. Haefner, Walter, Switzerland, 91, $5.0, software

55. Icahn, Carl, United States, 66, $5.0, investments

55. Newhouse, Donald E., United States, 72, $5.0, media

55. Newhouse, Samuel I. Jr., United States, 74, $5.0, media

55. Pritzker, Robert A., United States, 75, $5.0, hotels, investments

55. Pritzker, Thomas J., United States, 51, $5.0, hotels, investments

62. Benetton, Luciano and family, Italy, 66, $4.9, Benetton

62. Dassault, Serge and family, France, 77, $4.9, aviation

64. Goodnight, James, United States, 59, $4.8, software

64. Landolt, Pierre and family, Switzerland, 54, $4.8, Novartis

64. von Finck, August, Germany, 71, $4.8, investments

67. Lerner, Alfred, United States, 68, $4.7, banking

68. Omidyar, Pierre M., United States, 34, $4.6, eBay

68. Tsai Wan-lin and family, Taiwan, 77, $4.6, insurance

70. Johnson, Samuel C., United States, 73, $4.5, S.C. Johnson & Son

70. Schickedanz daughters, Germany, $4.5, retail

72. Bloomberg, Michael R., United States, 59, $4.4, financial news

72. Davis, Marvin H., United States, 76, $4.4, investments

72. Mendoza, Lorenzo and family, Venezuela, 36, $4.4, beverages

72. Plattner, Hasso, Germany, 58, $4.4, SAP

76. de Carvalho, Charlene, Netherlands, 47, $4.3, Heineken

76. Gerling, Rolf, Germany, 47, $4.3, insurance

76. Johnson, Edward C III, United States, 71, $4.3, Fidelity

76. Mohn, Reinhard, Germany, 80, $4.3, media

76. Sainsbury, David and family, Britain, 61, $4.3, supermarkets

76. Wertheimer, Alain and Gerard, France, $4.3, Chanel

82. von Holtzbrinck, Dieter and family, Germany, 60, $4.2, publishing

82. Weston, Galen and family, Canada, 61, $4.2, retail

84. Irving, James, Arthur and John, Canada, $4.1, oil

84. Kuok, Robert, Malaysia, 79, $4.1, agriculture

84. Schwab, Charles R., United States, 64, $4.1, Charles Schwab

87. Al-Hariri, Rafik and family, Lebanon, 58, $4.0, construction

87. Annenberg, Walter H., United States, 93, $4.0, publishing

87. Bren, Donald L., United States, 69, $4.0, real estate

87. Geffen, David, United States, 59, $4.0, entertainment

87. Halley, Paul Louis and family, France, 67, $4.0, retail

87. Karamehmet, Mehmet and family, Turkey, 48, $4.0, finance, telecom

87. Oetker, Rudolf August and family, Germany, 85, $4.0, food

87. Safra, Joseph and Moise, Brazil, $4.0, banking

87. Warner, H. Ty, United States, 58, $4.0, Beanie Babies

96. Perot, Henry Ross, United States, 71, $3.9, investments

97. Haub, Erivan and family, Germany, 69, $3.8, retail

97. Huntsman, Jon M., United States, 64, $3.8, chemicals

97. Kinoshita, Kyosuke and family, Japan, 61, $3.8, consumer finance

97. Turner, Robert E. (Ted), United States, 63, $3.8, cable TV

101. Arango, Jeronimo, Mexico, 76, $3.7, retail

101. Khodorkovsky, Mikhail, Russia, 38, $3.7, oil

103. Arison, Micky, United States, 52, $3.6, cruise ships

103. Ermirio de Moraes, Antonio and family, Brazil, 73, $3.6, diversified

105. Iwasaki, Fukuzo, Japan, 77, $3.5, real estate

106. Crown, Lester and family, United States, 76, $3.4, General Dynamics

106. Greenberg, Maurice R., United States, 76, $3.4, AIG

106. Kipp, Karl-Heinz, Germany, 78, $3.4, real estate

106. Latsis, Spiro and family, Greece, 55, $3.4, banking

106. Mori, Akira, Japan, 65, $3.4, real estate

106. Wrigley, William Jr., United States, 39, $3.4, chewing gum

112. Arison Dorsman, Shari, Israel, 44, $3.3, cruise ships

112. Oppenheimer, Nicky and family, South Africa, 56, $3.3, De Beers

112. Sabanci, Sakip and family, Turkey, 69, $3.3, diversified

112. Simplot, John R., United States, 93, $3.3, potatoes

112. Wang, Y.C., Taiwan, 85, $3.3, chemicals

117. Sorenson, James L., United States, 80, $3.2, medical devices

118. Algosaibi, Abdulaziz Bin Hamad and family, Saudi Arabia, 68, $3.1, finance

118. Itoyama, Eitaro, Japan, 59, $3.1, golf courses

118. Kadoorie, Michael and family, Hong Kong, 61, $3.1, diversified

118. Koch, Charles D., United States, 66, $3.1, oil services

118. Koch, David H., United States, 61, $3.1, oil services

118. Ng Teng Fong and family, Singapore, 73, $3.1, real estate

118. Pinault, Francois, France, 65, $3.1, retail

118. Schmidheiny, Stephan, Switzerland, 54, $3.1, investments

118. Wurth, Reinhold, Germany, 66, $3.1, manufacturing

The Current Financial Statements and Projected Revenue

2009-10-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Cash needs should be thought out, and to determine how much you will need you will have to make a projection of your expenses, your projected sales and revenue goals.

Also a preliminary balance sheet also should be prepared. This will serve as a important and helpful tool for your banker and accountant.

To make life easier there are various programs specialized in business plan software. These programs can save you time, energy, and money, and also help to create reports like for example in the use of a cash flow budget.

Financial projections should take a fair amount of time to develop. To avoid having to tell your investor to ask questions to your accountant include the following projections:

Profit and Loss Statement

Balance Sheet

Cash Flow Statement

The recommendation when calculating your future projections is to use illustrative figures for the year one and two and from there after make annual projections for years three to five.

PS. Be very careful to miscalculate the cost of sale.

The most important question to ask yourself after all is "What is the cost of the sale? or "How much will it cost me to generate these sales ?"

NEXT POST: YOUR PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES

FOUR CRITICAL AREAS OF THE BUSINESS PLAN THAT INVESTORS WILL HEAVILY CONSIDER

2009-10-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

There are four areas that investors consider before jumping into your boat. These areas are:

1- The current financial statements and projected revenue

2- The experience you and your team have

3- The potential of products and services you offer

4- The marketing strategy you are using

NEXT POST: The Current Financial Statements and Projected Revenue

Developing The Business Plan

2009-10-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Developing The Business Plan

Keep in mind the business plan is the structure of your business, the pillars that support your dreams, and the document that will provide funds from any lending institution or potential investor.

Starting a business in the right direction is a must. Key points to follow.

1- Focus on your future:

This initiative is a evidence that you are taking charge of your life. But from now on you must have discipline to focus your energies on the project to comprehend how to achieve progress, growth, and to solve problems along the way.

2- Blueprint:

Think about a builder without the architectural drawings, or a actor without a script. The business plan is a logical progression of steps needed to reach your establish objective. As you plan, do and review alternatives may be consider, and possibly a better route.

3- Communication:

A step-by-step agenda must be developed and properly communicated to business associates, managers, and employees in order to best coordinate trainings, meetings, as well as teaching other roles and being accountable, so that the plan is function successfully.

4- Investors:

Attracting sources of capital and other needed resources like bankers, brokers, future partners, investors can place great value on the business plan as well as bring great experience to the table.

NEXT POST: FOUR CRITICAL AREAS OF THE BUSINESS PLAN THAT INVESTORS WILL HEAVILY CONSIDER

Business Plan

2009-10-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

The name of your business is a vital choice to increase the success of your business. Keep in mind the name should be straightforward, descriptive, and as distinctive as possible. Remember to avoid grandiose, overworked adjectives. Think about your business name as a headline to an article describing who you are and what you do in your name, whenever possible. Don't make others guess what you do. If they read the name of your business and guess, you may be already losing from your competition that already have a descriptive and straightforward name that is attracting your potential customer.

Example. Bank of America, City Furniture, Google, Myspace, Prepaid Legal

Select Your Advisors:

You will need a attorney, management consultant, accountant, insurance agent, and banker, and it will be helpful to have a marketing consultant to save you time, money and misspent effort.

NEXT POST: Developing The Business Plan

Hot Information Sources:

2009-10-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

Research is a very important and essential part of this process. So let's review some of the places you may start.

* Local chamber of commerce - they should assist you whether you are a member or not

* Trade shows - this is a one stop shopping source for business, suppliers, and various consultants

* Trade associations with executives - find out what is hot in the marketplace

* Trade magazine editors - Send a press release to as many as possible

* Network events and meetings - this is a incredible source for leads. And maybe start your own meetings if possible

* Federal, state, and university programs

* State commissioner of economic development

* S.C.O.R.E (Service Corps of Retired Executives)

* U.S. Embassy in the country or countries you plan to do business with

* Businesses in noncompetitive locations. It may be a good way to establish report by saying that "...you have a problem and that you need some help..."

* Foreign trade zones board - Entity responsible to review and approve applications to import foreign goods

* Small business administration (SBA)

* Newspaper editors - send a press release to them also

The next thing to do is define you business, and write your mission statement of fifty words or less outlining what you will sell and to whom, and what will make your business different (i.e., your unique selling advantage).

Example: To provide new technology solutions to business in the areas of marketing, business planning, finance, accounting, and promotion. And to fully utilize our professional team to increase revenues of each of our clients.

PS. NEXT POST: The Business Plan

Before You Start Your New Enterprise

2009-10-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

A few things have to be taken in consideration when choosing a business:

How much is available to invest?
Are there additional investors? What is the percentage Vs how much they are investing?
What is the return you expect?
Are you experienced in the field? Do you know all there is to know about this industry?
Are you committed to work harder, and longer hours?

Sometimes is a good idea to develop several business plans before actually starting the business.

Start up's Impact:

* Consider the possibilities that your income may suffer
* Your work hours will multiply
* Your family relationships may be strained
* You will have expended your personal cash, and assumed a debt
* At times you'll feel like you're running behind, and you may become more irritable and critical with people around you
* Your plans with friends will be on hold for a while
* You may get more headaches, backaches, or stomachaches
* You may feel guilty at times when you take time off from work
* Your life, for a time, may be "all work and no play"

Don't give up as Robert Donovan once said " Giving up is the ultimate tragedy" . Theses are normal feelings when you start a business

Next Post: Hot Information Sources

Powerful Guidelines to Write a Succesful Business Plan

2009-10-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

Let's just start by saying that writing a business plan is not complicated or painful. It does take time, patience, a long research, writing, editing and thinking, but let's focus on the benefits here. Think about how better prepared you'll be to make your business successful, and it will make easier to obtain financing as well. But most importantly, you now have the knowledge to conduct and compete at a more sophisticated level. In the business world today it's essential to have a edge over your competition. Don't be like a sailboat going with the direction of the wind. Plan your course and time the time to fully develop a sound business plan, and you will have a greater advantage if change is needed in your course.

Facts:
One million businesses are started each year, of those, two hundred thousand will survive five years. 1 in 5 businesses making it to their fifth anniversary. There is no magic equation for success, but one basic truth: "...A business who fails to plan, plans to fail..."

A business plan helps to think through strategies, balance enthusiasm with facts and recognize limitations and it will help you avoid disastrous errors like under capitalizing, creating negative cash flow, hiring the wrong people, selecting the wrong location, and pursuing the wrong market.

A winning business plan requires fifty to one-hundred hours to write a effective plan which includes research, documentation, analysis, and review.

You should start planning at least six months before the launch of the business. This takes into consideration the time you need to devote to its start-up while working at another job.

Next post: Before you start your new enterprise

How to Write a Wining Business Plan

2009-10-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

As a business owner, manager, or going into business for the first time, at some point you'll need to develop a business plan. Whether to raise capital, or to create a clearer picture for your organization. Business plans are a essential road map to a traveler reach the final destination without wandering around, causing less distractions and less frustration.

Let's review some key elements. Expect every business plan to have it's differences, but following certain rules and patters that investors, bankers, and other financial sources look for when considering a project for financing.

Over a million businesses are started every year in our country. Unfortunately, only a small number take the time to develop a sound business plan and even fewer will actually follow the steps and strategies in their plan.

"... A business without a plan is already half way into bankruptcy..."
"... A business that fails to plan, plans to fail..."

Guidelines to writing a business plan: On our next post

What the 500 most successful people in the world have in common?

2009-10-01T07:38:00.001-07:00

This was a research, which was undertaken at Mr. Carnegie’s request, they analyzed hundreds of well known men, many of whom admitted that they had accumulated their vast fortunes through the aid of the Carnegie secret; among these men were:

HENRY FORD
WILLIAM WRIGLEY JR.
JOHN WANAMAKER
JAMES J. HILL
GEORGE S. PARKER
E. M. STATLER
HENRY L. DOHERTY
CYRUS H. K. CURTIS
GEORGE EASTMAN
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
JOHN W. DAVIS
ELBERT HUBBARD
WILBUR WRIGHT
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
DR. DMTID STARR JORDAN
J. ODGEN ARMOUR
CHARLES M. SCHWAB
HARRIS F. WILLIAMS
DR. FRANK GUNSAULUS
DANIEL WILLARD
KING GILLETTE
RALPH A. WEEKS
JUDGE DANIEL T. WRIGHT
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER
THOMAS A. EDISON
FRANK A. VANDERLIP
F. W. WOOLWORTH
COL. ROBERT A. DOLLAR
EDWARD A. FILENE
EDWIN C. BARNES
ARTHUR BRISBANE
WOODROW WILSON
WM. HOWARD TAFT
LUTHER BURBANK
EDWARD W. BOK
FRANK A. MUNSEY
ELBERT H. GARY
DR. ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL
JOHN H. PATTERSON
JULIUS ROSENWALD
STUART AUSTIN WIER
DR. FRANK CRANE
GEORGE M. ALEXANDER
J. G. CHAPPLINE
HON. JENNINGS RANDOLPH
ARTHUR NASH
CLARENCE DARROW

You can make money or you can make excuses but you can't make both.....

2009-09-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

There's no reason for anyone to live with lack, unhappiness, or dissatisfaction, no matter where they live, or where they came from. The greatest part of all this is that you can at any moment choose to transform any circumstance in your life. The Day That Turns Your Life Around will give you the tools and information to achieve any change you want to. And you'll be astonished by how quickly and easily it happens. " There are many positions which you can get paid millions, some billions, all you have to do is to add more value to people than anybody else "

Part 1 Today is a New Day
Part 2 The Four Emotions That Can Change Your Life
Part 3 How to Make a Life, Not Just a Living
Part 4 How to Make a Life, Not Just a Living (cont.)
Part 5 The Pro Vs. The Amateur: Keys to Perseverance
Part 6 Financial Strategies for a New Age
Part 7 How to Protect Your Time
Part 8 Where True Wealth Lies
Part 9 Success Can Be Simple
Part 10 The Magic of a Mentor
Part 11 The New Goal Setting Workshop
Part 12 Leadership Challenges for the 21st Century

Audio by request

Unshakable Character

2009-09-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

As one of America's foremost business philosophers, Jim Rohn has been hailed by many as a modern day Will Rogers. Jim is a gifted storyteller with dynamic delivery and thought-provoking substance. His wit and wisdom have made him a key influence on an entire generation and even personal development trainers such as Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Vic Conant, Les Brown and Tom Hopkins.

Subjects Include:

* Courage
* Integrity and Honesty
* Perseverance
* Wisdom
* Responsibility
* Humor
* Flexibility
* Patience
* Confidence
* Good Health
* Achievement
* Living Well at the Top

Audio By request

The philosophy behind mega rich people

2009-09-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

The Slight Edge Philosophy

When you were a tiny, little child, you made your way around the world on your hands and
knees crawling. Everyone around you was walking and one day you got it into your head to
give that a try.

So, little by little, you worked on developing the skills you needed to walk. You grabbed on
to something above you and pulled yourself upright. You stood up, holding on to a table or
chair or big stuffed animal. Wobbly and unsure, you let go, fell down, and tried again and
again, until you stood up all by yourself. Then, you took a step.

The older people you watched took one step after another: right foot, left foot, right foot,
left ...but you managed only one step-and you crashed.

After days of side-stepping around the coffee table, awkwardly bringing one little foot out
from behind the other while you held on to Mom's or Dad's fingers, you eventually took
your first couple of steps... all alone...all by yourself...and (hopefully) to the cheers and
applause of your family.

Baby steps. One at a time. And you were WALKING!

IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING HOW TO WALK, you probably spent more time
failing than you did succeeding. But did you ever have the thought of quitting? Did you
ever tell yourself, "I'm not cut out for walking-guess I'll crawl for the rest of my life?" No,
of course you didn't. So, why do you do that now?

What's different today with any goal you want and desire you have for accomplishing
anything? When did you lose the ability to make a goal, go for it, and get it? How come you
don't do what you did when you were one or two years old?

The answer is alarming, yet simple:

Somewhere along the way in your life, you became unwilling to take baby steps. You lost
faith in the universal truth that the simple little disciplines done again and again over time
would move the mightiest mountains.

Shakespeare said "to climb steep hills requires slow pace at first," but now you put your
trust in achieving breakthroughs...making quantum leaps ...instant this, instant that...hitting
the lottery. You began a habit of settling for less, just because more was so far out of your
reach. You forgot about the most proven, powerful success philosophy on Earth - "The
Slight Edge."

WINNING IS ALWAYS A MATTER OF SLIGHT EDGE. Who can forget that moving
moment of triumph in the '94 Olympics when American speed-skater Dan Jansen at last
overcame years of discouragement, disappointment, and frustration to finally win the gold
medal in the 1000 meters, setting a world record of one minute, 12.43 seconds?

Do you know by how much of a margin Jansen won? Do you know what the difference was
between the winning world record gold medal and the virtual oblivion of second place?
Twenty-nine hundredths of a second! That's a very Slight Edge!

No matter where you look, no matter in what area of accomplishment, life, work, or playthe
difference between winning and losing, between going down in the record books as first
and best...or not at all-the gap that separates success and failure is always measured as ...
THE SLIGHT EDGE.

And the best news of all is that it's not just the winning goal that's THE SLIGHT EDGE.
The Slight Edge is the process itself that all winners use to achieve their goals.

A PENNY A DAY, DOUBLED FOR A MONTH... If you were offered $1,000,000 (one
million dollars) right now, or a penny a day, doubled each day, for one month, which would
you choose? Unless you've read this illustration before, like most people, you'll probably
choose the right-now million. But you'd be making the wrong choice. One penny, doubled
every day for a month adds up to $10,737,418...and 24cents. Compound interest. Leverage.
Doubling. Geometric growth. It all adds up-and that's YOUR SLIGHT EDGE.

With THE SLIGHT EDGE, time is on your side. What if you gave yourself five years to
become twice the person you are today: to earn twice the income, have twice the personal
relationships and contacts, make twice the impact on the world, enjoy twice the quality of
life? Could you do it? How would you do it?! Ask yourself honestly, "If I doubled my
efforts ...if I had twice as much time...if I became twice as smart.. if I worked twice as hard
as I do today ...could I really become twice as productive as I am right now? No, you
couldn't, and you know it. But wait! There is a way to become two, three, four, and more
times as productive as you are today. THE SLIGHT EDGE.

IF YOU WERE TO IMPROVE just .003 each day- that's only 3/10 of one percent, a very
Slight Edge-and you kept that up for the next five years, here's what would happen to you:
The first year, you would improve 100 percent (you would already be twice what you are
today The second, you would improve 200 percent. The third year, 400 percent. And the
fourth, 800 percent. And by the end of year five-by simply improving 3/10 of one percent
each day-you will have magnified your value, your skills, and the results you accomplished
1,600 percent. That's 22 times more than you are today.

Just 3/10 of one percent per day-and that's NOT compounded. That's just adding on 3/10 of
one percent each day. That's the awesome power of The Slight Edge. If all of this is so, then
why isn't everybody using The Slight Edge? We are. All the time. Everyone. The Slight
Edge is always operating. It never stops. It's either working FOR you or AGAINST you.
And that's up to you. It's your choice.

THE SLIGHT EDGE IS EASY TO DO-and it is easy not to do. Now, I'm defining EASY
here as simply "something you can do." The Slight Edge philosophy is based on doing
things that are easy-little disciplines, which, done consistently over time, add up to the
biggest accomplishments. The problem is that all those things that are easy to do are just as
easy not to do. Why is something easy not to do? Because if you don't do it, it won't kill you
today. But, that simple, seemingly insignificant error in judgment, compounded over time,
will kill you, destroy you, ruin your chances for success, and demolish your dreams. You
can count on it.

Take, for example, the health issue of fat and cholesterol in your diet. Would you say that
it's a good idea to eat at least a pound and a half of butter each day? How about drinking a
quart of saturated oil? "Hey, my cholesterol's way down to 200-got to get it up above 300."
Crazy, right? Sure it is-but millions and millions of people are doing it every day. Why? We
know what's good for us: fresh fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates like whole
grains, unsaturated fats and oils, fish and chicken instead of beef. So why do we keep
digging our graves with our teeth? It's easy to eat well-right? It's easy not to-right? And
when you eat that hamburger, you won't die, will you? No, of course not. But that simple
error in judgment compounded over time will ruin the quality of your life and eventually
take you out of your life forever!

If you ate that hamburger and you had a heart attack-would you ever eat another one? No
way! Eating a hamburger won't kill you today, but compound all those greasy, dead-animal
patties over 10 or 20 years-as many as 5,000 of them!-and one day your clogged-up,
stressed- out, overworked ol' heart just quits! It's not the one hamburger, it's the thousands!
That one hamburger is just a simple, little error in judgment. But compounded over time, it
can and will destroy you. It's easy to do! It's easy not to do! Either way, The Slight Edge is
at work and at play. You've got to choose which way to go with The Slight Edge. And here
is what makes doing the right thing such a hard choice for most people-

THE ODDS ARE NOT IN YOUR FAVOR!

DID YOU KNOW that only five percent of people succeed and 95 percent of the people
fail, no matter what realm of life or work you're looking at. It's true. Just one out of 20
people will ever achieve their goals in life. That's how the numbers crunch out; it's just the
way it is. Back in the early 1950s, the Hartford Insurance Company did a survey of 100
brand new college graduates-all approximately 25 years old. They asked them this question:
"Will you achieve your financial goals within your working lives-within 40 years?" Every
single one of them answered, "Yes!" Forty years later, in the early 1990s, the Hartford went
back and checked out what had happened to all those now-65-years-old people. Here's what
they found:

One was wealthy, Four were financially secure, Six were still working, 35 were dead, and
54 were "dead broke," having $200 or less left to spend each month after paying off their
bills.

Five out of 100 had become successful. That's only one out of 20. Why? What was missing
for those 95 others? The answer has to do with GRAVITY-and the downward pull of life.
REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE in the fourth grade? It was expected that you'd graduate
and go on to fifth grade, wasn't it? Your teachers, your parents, and all your classmates
expected you to graduate. The whole system was geared to you moving from fourth, to
fifth, to sixth grade and so on.

But what if nobody cared whether or not you graduated? What if the entire educational
system, our society, and culture had absolutely no interest or expectation that kids would
ever graduate to fifth grade? Would you have done it? If the structure were not in place for
children to learn all the fourth grade stuff and pass the test, graduating and moving up to the
new challenges of fifth grade, only five percent of us would ever do it! Ask yourself this
question: Where is the expectation and the structure to support me in being a success in my
life and work? The alarming fact is that outside of our formal system of education, which
most experts believe to be fatally flawed anyway, there is no expectation and no structure
for your success-none. We get what we expect-and only five percent of us ever expects to
win and keep on expecting that. Plus, we have no structure, no system to support us
succeeding in life. Isn't that heavy? Well, life is heavy. And it's heavy because the
predominant force in life is gravity and it's always pulling us DOWN. It pulls 19 out of 20
people DOWN.

The Slight Edge is a success system ANYONE can use to break free of the downward pull
of life and become the best you can be. Here's how you can make it work for you- FIRST,
DON'T GO "WHERE THE ACTION IS!" Here's a chart you've probably seen before:

ACTIONS > RESULTS> QUALITY OF LIFE

Your ACTIONS create your RESULTS, which in turn create the QUALITY OF LIFE you
live and enjoy. Simple, powerful, and true. The problem is, your actions are not the source
of your problem. That's why diets don't work. You see, there's another side to the equation,
and that's the place where your actions come from.

Take a look at this:

ATTITUDE > Actions > Results > Quality of Life

Your actions are created by your attitudes-but attitudes aren't the heart of the matter, either.
There is one thing more fundamental and essential ...Your Philosophy. Your philosophy is
your paradigm of the way life is, how life works (or doesn't), and what's the best way to live
your life. Simply put, there's nothing more fundamental than your philosophy. Frank Lloyd
Wright said this:

No stream rises higher than its source. Whatever man might build could never express or
reflect more than he was... He could record neither more nor less than he had learned of life
when the buildings were built... His philosophy, true or false, is there.

Human beings are builders by nature. Your philosophy is the foundation upon which you
build your life. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ spoke of The Two Foundations.
The Master spoke of a wise man who built his house upon the rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and burst against that
house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.

And Christ told of another man-a "foolish man"-who built his house on sand:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and burst against that
house; and it fell and great was its fall.

Your philosophy is the source of your failure or success. And the philosophy I recommend
you adopt is The Slight Edge.

PHILOSOPHY > Attitude > Actions > Results > Quality of Life

WHAT DO YOU THINK is the key that unlocks The Slight Edge?

When I ask this question in seminars and training, here's the answer I get back most often:
"The key is knowledge." To a point, that's correct. But there's more. Educating yourself is
the critical ingredient in The Slight Edge philosophy. You must acquire the knowledge you
need to master any subject, and pursuit that will contribute to your personal and
professional growth and development.

There are three ways for you to get this knowledge:

1) Studied Knowledge
2) Activity Knowledge
3) Modeled Knowledge

STUDIED KNOWLEDGE. Books, tapes, seminars, training; read, listen, and attend
everything you can; then, read, listen, and attend some more...study. READ 20 PAGES OF
AN INSPIRING, INFORMATION - RICH BOOK EVERY DAY. Pick books that make a
contribution to your goals. You're either building someone else's dream or building your
own. When you read romance, mystery, or detective novels, whose dream are you building yours, or the author's and publisher's? When you read Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow
Rich-a book that took 20 years to write, that interviews the richest and most successful men
and women in the world and reveals their 13 success secrets-whose dream are you building?
Read 20 pages per day of an empowering book. Is that easy to do? Sure. And that simple
discipline compounded over time, like a penny doubled daily for a month, will send you to
the top! Is it easy not to do? SURE. And if you don't do it, will you destroy your life and
work today? No way. But that simple error in judgment, compounded over time, will pull
you down and take you out of your life!

Listen to a self-improvement cassette tape for 15 minutes every day. You can listen to
music on the radio in your car, building Michael Jackson's dream or Barbara Streisand's.
Why not choose instead to build your own dreams? Listen to Jim Rohn's tapes. He's a
master-and he'll help you build YOUR dreams. Is listening to a tape for 15 minutes a day
easy to do? Of course. Is it easy not to do?...And if you don't do it, will that ruin your life
right now?...

Do a self-improvement seminar or training every few months.

Better yet, do one every month. Take a course. Take two. If you don't have the time to do
that, because you're playing softball every Tuesday and Thursday night, you just don't get
it! If your bowling average is over 180-you're losing your Edge, right now! Skip the
bowling league. Take a class instead. Is that easy to do?... Is it easy not to do?...And if you
don't do it, what will happen today?... But that simple error in judgment, compounded over
time WILL kill you! You'll end up a willing participant in the "conspiracy of mediocrity"
that 's destroying 95 percent of the people in this country!

ACTIVITY KNOWLEDGE. Life is not a spectator sport-fish or cut bait. Lead, follow, or
get out of the way. And life is not a result, either. Life is not the goal-it's the PROCESS.
The road to success is always under construction. Marx was wrong: Life is both the ends
and the means. Emerson said, "Do the thing and you'll have the power." You can't just go
get the power and then do the thing. The only way to have the power is to do it, just do it.
People constantly ask me for the key to success. "What's the one thing I can do to guarantee
my success?" My answer is always the same: Be here- actively immersed in the process-one
year from now. That's the right answer-don't you agree? It's The Slight Edge answer.
Commit to the process. The process is THE SLIGHT EDGE. Is it easy to do?... Is it easy
not to do?

MODELED KNOWLEDGE. Did you know that your income will tend to be the average of
your ten best friends' incomes? (If having more income is a goal of yours, either get new
friends or raise the income of the friends you have now!) If you want to raise the quality of
your life, hang out with people who have been there and done that. If you want to be a great
public speaker, hang out with great speakers. If you want to be a success in business, hang
around successful business people. If you want to be a terrific parent, spend lots of time
with men and women who have mastered parenting. Do you know why birds of a feather
flock together? Because they're all going in the same direction. They share a common
vision. If you're after a goal-any goal-go find the people who have achieved that goal, or
who are well along the path to attaining that goal, and be with them, hang out with them,
camp on their doorstep. It's called the Law of Association. It's a Law because it always
works. The first commandment of The Slight Edge:

Thou shalt educate thyself.

Is it easy to do? Is it easy not to do? And if you don't do it, will you fail today? But that
simple error in judgment, compounded over time, will ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY,
GUARANTEE YOUR FAILURE! LEARNING TO LEARN is committing to the process.
The Slight Edge is the process.

"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn." -Carl Rogers
Freedom

To make The Slight Edge work for you, you must learn how to learn.

Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock, wrote:

"Learning is an approach, both to knowledge and to life, that emphasizes human initiative.
It encompasses the acquisition and practice of new methodologies, new skills, new
attitudes, and new values necessary to live in a world of change. Learning is a process of
preparing to deal with new situations."

Clearly, we live in a world of change. Constant change. Rapid change. Today, we
accomplish in five years what our grandparents and parents took 50 years to do. And
everything's getting faster! Learning to learn is a mandatory for success today-and
especially for tomorrow. Learning to learn is committing to the process. The Slight Edge is
the process. Learning to learn is a choice. You make that choice moment to moment-not just
once and then you're done with it for the rest of your life. Each new moment will present
you with a new choice. Choose to read 20 pages a day-and you'll have to make that choice
every day. Choose to model and associate with winners-and you'll have to make that choice
every day as well. You have to choose to make The Slight Edge work for you-moment to
moment.

IS IT EASY TO DO?

IS IT EASY NOT TO DO?

Goal Setting

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Your goal is your dream. Why you do what you do everyday. Here are some easy to do things to help yo attain your goals. Remember! You have to act daily even if it is only for 15min to move towards your dreams.

Make any changes necessary to ensure it meets the criteria for a SMART goals:

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely

Specific

Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. A clear vision and Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do.

Specific is the What, Why, and How of the SMART model.

WHAT are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organize, coordinate, lead, develop, plan, build etc.

WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately accomplish?

HOW are you going to do it? (By...)

Ensure the goals you set is very specific, clear and easy. Instead of setting a goal to lose weight or be healthier, set a specific goal to lose 2cm off your waistline or to walk 5 miles at an aerobically challenging pace.

Measurable

If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. In the broadest sense, the whole goal statement is a measure for the project; if the goal is accomplished, the is a success. However, there are usually several short-term or small measurements that can be built into the goal.

Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when you reach your goal? Be specific! "I want to read 3 chapter books of 100 pages on my own before my birthday" shows the specific target to be measure. "I want to be a good reader" is not as measurable.

Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goals.

Attainable

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop that attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. Your begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

Goals you set which are too far out of your reach, you probably won't commit to doing. Although you may start with the best of intentions, the knowledge that it's too much for you means your subconscious will keep reminding you of this fact and will stop you from even giving it your best.

A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you. For instance, if you aim to lose 20lbs in one week, we all know that isn't achievable. But setting a goal to loose 1lb and when you've achieved that, aiming to lose a further 1lb, will keep it achievable for you.

The feeling of success which this brings helps you to remain motivated.

Realistic

This is not a synonym for "easy." Realistic, in this case, means "do-able." It means that the learning curve is not a vertical slope; that the skills needed to do the work are available; that the project fits with the overall strategy and goals of the organization. A realistic project may push the skills and knowledge of the people working on it but it shouldn't break them.

Devise a plan or a way of getting there which makes the goal realistic. The goal needs to be realistic for you and where you are at the moment. A goal of never again eating sweets, cakes, crisps and chocolate may not be realistic for someone who really enjoys these foods.

For instance, it may be more realistic to set a goal of eating a piece of fruit each day instead of one sweet item. You can then choose to work towards reducing the amount of sweet products gradually as and when this feels realistic for you.

Be sure to set goals that you can attain with some effort! Too difficult and you set the stage for failure, but too low sends the message that you aren't very capable. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

Timely

Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, in three months, by fifth grade. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.

If you don't set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there's no urgency to start taking action now.

Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.

Everyone will benefit from goals and objectives if they are SMART. SMART, is the instrument to apply in setting your goals and objectives.

Quotes

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Men are born to succeed, not fail.

Henry David Thoreau

Nothing happens until I make it happen.
contributed by: Scott Wilson

That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.
Abraham Lincoln

People seldom see the halting and painful steps by which the most insignificant success is achieved.
Anne Sullivan

The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.
Mark Twain

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
John Wooden

Ones best success comes after their greatest disappointments.
Henry Ward Beecher

It's simply a matter of doing what you do best and not worrying about what the other fellow is going to do.
John R. Amos

Thre is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.
Christopher Morley

What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?
Robert Schuller

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
William Feather

The gent who wakes up and finds himself a success hasn't been asleep.
Wilson Mizner

Success usuallly comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.
Henry David Thoreau

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Robert Collier

Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.
Ella Fitzgerald

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
Albert Schweitzer

Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can.
Lowell Thomas

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.
Dale Carnegie

Success is never wondering what if.
Karrie Huffman

It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.
Eddie Cantor

Success is getting what you want, and happiness is wanting what you get.
Dave Gardner

The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.
Nelson Boswell

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"...Losers quit, when they fail, Winners fail until they Succeed..."

____________________________________________________________________

"...If you are going to be here 10 years from now, mine as well be rich..."

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

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One of the best books ever written on how to add value and influence peoples lives. I recommend this book with my eyes closed. I also recommend if you are downloading this e-book version to buy the audio tapes or CDs. This is a book that sold more than 10 million copies and has been translated into many languages. If you want to become successful this is a must read in your library. "...There are plenty positions available in which you will received recognition, but only way to qualify...?" Study, and qualify yourself! I also included the Portuguese version.

Part of life is a mystery

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We’re only in control of certain things in this life. Others will still be forever a mystery. Those that are a mystery we’ll leave it as it is, and pray that God lead us all. But in the other side, there are a number of factors that put us in the right place at the right time. These are things we control like our attitude, our decisions, our actions. Here is a list of things we control each day, that can be act upon to bring us the secret ingredient to be successful.

• Do what others don’t, and you’ll have what others won’t

• Step out of your comfort zone. Be bold and have courage to speak with anyone, at anytime.

• Create a network. Introduce people for the benefit of others and show that you are sincerely interested in their success

• Complement others. That will create excitement in others

• Always construct, never criticize

• Do the opposite of the masses

• Go out of your way to help others without asking any return (Give to others and it will be given unto to you)

• If you give constructive criticism make sure you criticize yourself first

• Just Do it…. As the Nike add says. You can’t predict your future but you can predict your actions

• Create your own list of positive actions and say it to yourself every morning ( My favorite is Les Brown )
“If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it,
to work day and night for it,
to give up your time, your peace and your sleep for it…

if all that you dream and scheme is about it,
and life seems useless and worthless without it…

if you gladly sweat for it and fret for it and plan for it
and lose all your terror of the opposition for it…

if you simply go after that thing you want
with all of your capacity, strength and sagacity,
faith, hope and confidence and stern pertinacity…

if neither cold, poverty, famine, nor gout,
sickness nor pain, of body and brain,
can keep you away from the thing that you want…

if dogged and grim you beseech and beset it,
with the help of God, you will get it!”
---Les Brown

• Go to events and network

• Dress for success

• Act as IF

More to Come……..

Start doing small things daily that will make your life better

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Why small? Because they are easy to do! It’s easy enough that even if you are exhausted you can still do it. That way there is no excuse! By doing them you'll also compound excitement as you accomplish more and more. And remember “…what is easy to do, is also easy not to do…”. Make wise, and better choices.

• Read 10 pages of a good book
• Exercise for 30 minutes minimum
• Join Toast masters speaking organization
• Eat more Alkaline foods and Move more than you eat
• Listen to personal development tapes and CDs

Important points to learn if you are committed to a successful life

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· Who is your peer group? You are a combination of the 5 people you hand out with. Are they who you want to be like? Do they bring the best on you?

· Add value to people. If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want

· Change yourself first, and others will follow. “…There are many ways to progress, but only one to stay the same…”

· Are you working daily on you dreams, even if it is for 10 minutes? Don’t expect to do all in one day. It’s the same way you eat a elephant. Piece by piece, digesting each idea, growing each day. You have to continuously work on it to one day achieve success. Start now! “…It’s never too late to start. It’s always too late to wait…”

· Plan, Do, and Review

· Work on your dreams, not on your boss’s dreams!

· Believe in yourself and never give up… this is one of the major secrets to a successful life.

More to come Soon……………………