BUSINESS MATTERS

The New Job Engine

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:09:00 +0000

Energy and climate protection are important issues for Tobias Schulze. He wants to make them his career. The 22-year-old is in his second year at the Giessen University of Applied Sciences studying energy systems technology. He is enthusiastic about his practice-oriented course. In the tutorials and lectures he is learning all about energy conversion, power generation, technical infrastructure, CO2 emissions from power stations and even vehicle technology – a wide range of subjects, but he can specialize in one of them at any time. Tobias is in his element at university. “I want to understand things and see how they work.” And the more he understands, the more he will be able to put into practice in his future career – either as a result of new research findings or new processes in the field of renewable energies.

He is part of a major trend. A recent study carried out by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has shown that energy and ecology-related occupations are becoming Germany’s number-one job engine. “By 2020, this sector will be employing more people than mechanical engineering or the automotive industry,” says Torsten Henzelmann of Roland Berger. He talks about “the boom sector of the 21st century”. On behalf of the Federal Government, the consultants interviewed almost 1,500 German environmental technology companies and evaluated a number of other studies in order to compile an eco-atlas of Germany that will be officially published at the European Union’s environmental summit in June.

The renewable energies industry is the pacemaker among the new job creators. Companies’ order books are full, boosted by the Federal Government’s target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2020. This year, the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) expects turnover to grow by 17% compared to 2006 to a grand total of 32 billion euros. At the same time, 15,000 new jobs are planned in Germany this year. According to the BEE, approximately 214,000 people were already employed in the industry in 2006. A study conducted by the Federal Ministry for the Environment projects that 150,000 new jobs will be created by 2020. The background is that German companies are already market leaders and are now benefiting from the increasing global demand for clean and innovative energy technologies.

In the environment industry there is increasing demand mainly for technical and scientific specialists, such as engineers, mechanical engineers, chemists, physicists and project developers. However, the industry also needs training opportunities, which is why Sigmar Gabriel, Federal Minister for the Environment, launched a training initiative called “Umwelt schafft Perspektiven” (The Environment Creates Prospects) in 2006. It has also been a success: companies and employers’ associations have already promised 5,100 new training places. Universities and colleges in Germany have already adjusted to this development in the field of renewable energies. Many of them now offer special programmes or options in this area within their courses. For example, degree courses in mechanical engineering often allow students to concentrate or specialize on fields such as renewable-energy and materials technology, energy supply and renewable energies for power generation. Similarly, traditional courses in electrical engineering and information technology now frequently offer specializations in renewable energies and electrical energy systems. Universities and colleges offer further subdivisions such as technical building services, energy plant technology, power engineering, environmental technology and wind energy technology. In addition, there are numerous further training courses on offer, for example as a solar or energy consultant. The degree courses are modular in structure and usually last seven semesters. They are very practice-oriented – practical work experience within a company is usually part of the main study programme.

What kind of people are attracted by the energy professions? Oliver Freitag, for example, who has turned his environmentalist ideals into a well-paid job. Today, he is head of the Fuel Cell division at Smart Fuel Cell (SFC), the market leader in mobile and stand-alone power-supply systems based on fuel-cell technology. Ten years ago his professor warned him against writing his thesis on solar chemistry. “You’ll never get a job,” he believed at the time. Today, Oliver Freitag works on fuel cells for the leisure industry, for example in mobile homes, vacation cottages and sailing boats. “This will be a big market in the future,” enthuses the 36-year-old engineer. The technology transforms liquid energy sources into electricity and is 30 to 50 times more effective than batteries. What is more it is clean and quiet. Other exciting markets are already waiting in the wings. Electric vehicles, sensors of all kinds, security technology, pipelines, weather stations. Freitag has realized that idealism is not enough, and that it is important for projects to be economically viable. He has now found this balance in his job.

Thomas Schilling had actually wanted to study physics, but in the end he felt it was too specialized. So he studied architecture in Munich. It was a good decision, because he now realizes that interdisciplinary qualifications are better received than pure specializations. As a result, he has expanded his technical know-how and learned a great deal about energy optimization and thermodynamics. As an architect he pursues a holistic approach anyway: “Planning a house is an integrated mental exercise.” On the idyllic Wörthersee lake in Upper Bavaria he has just built a wooden house that is heated with wood pellets and solar energy. His knowledge of architecture also stood the 38-year-old in good stead in his work as a self-employed energy consultant. Since 2002, he has been calculating the energy efficiency of houses and forecasting their reconstruction requirements in his Munich office.

Deborah Hoheisel would like to make sure that nature reserves and areas of wilderness stay just as they are – without interference from human beings. For this reason, and because she was already interested in the environment as a child, she studied environmental planning at the Technical University in Munich. The 24-year-old’s training is varied, ranging from basic scientific principles to countryside management and public relations. She likes the informal atmosphere in her department and praises the good relations with the professors. She already has her bachelor’s degree in her pocket, and now she is staying on to take her master’s. Just like Julie Gassmann – she took her bachelor’s degree in England, but preferred to take her master’s in environmental planning and ecological engineering in her home country. “Germany has a stronger tradition in the ecological fields,” the 23-year-old explains – even though she will be on campus for six months longer. She says she needs the time to discover her “real interests”. Would she prefer to go into hands-on nature conservation, or would she rather do research? She doesn’t know for sure yet. But she has time. After all, there is no end in sight to the boom in environmental careers.

A European City in Two Countries

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:51:00 +0000

Surely this must be Italy... The square is surrounded by four-storey Renaissance buildings: yellow, dusky-pink and pale-green façades with balconies and half-relief figures. In front of the old Rathsapotheke (town pharmacy) on the Untermarkt (Lower Market), young people sit under sunshades, sipping cappuccino and latte macchiato. A row of houses with Baroque façades curves gently down from the square to the river. On the way there, large, wide-open gates – some grey, one ox-blood red with dark metal hinges, one with a grim-looking golden lion’s head – reveal courtyards bathed in light. We are in the east, not the south. No German town lies further east than Görlitz. This is where the Federal Republic ends: on the River Neisse, at 15 degrees east – the central meridian for the Central European Time zone. If you turn and look up at the rocky plateau, you can see the Church of St. Peter and Paul with its Gothic towers soaring into the blue sky. Next to it is the Waidhaus, a small fortress: the town’s oldest secular building where everything began in post-unification Görlitz. This building, then on the point of collapse, was the first to be renovated.

Wall paintings you’d expect in palaces

Fortune did not smile on Görlitz during the GDR years, and it was in state of dilapidation by the time the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. While huge sums of money had gone to East Berlin and into building so-called socialist cities like Eisenhüttenstadt and Hoyerswerda, the once proud Görlitz faded into the shadows because of its position on the periphery. Görlitz residents say there were plans in the 1970s to demolish the entire city centre and put up new buildings – for safety reasons. Although the idea was dropped for lack of money, the first blast holes had already been drilled into some of the façades by 1989, recalls Michael Vogel, who heads the Municipal Authority for the Protection of Monuments and Historical Buildings.

Many East German towns including Görlitz were saved in the nick of time after the communist system collapsed in 1989. The ensuing regime change meant that Görlitz town centre’s complete ensemble of houses – which represents the styles of the last 500 years and is unique in Germany – could be preserved. Today, the most magnificent buildings can be seen on Görlitz’s Untermarkt (Lower Market). Ingrid Bäther proudly leads us into her apartment in the centre of town. “The first time I saw Görlitz, I was absolutely thrilled,” says Ingrid, who was born in Lübeck. She immediately fell in love with the old merchant houses on the Untermarkt. The buildings are particularly striking witnesses to past affluence. They were built at a time when many of Görlitz’s citizens had become rich through the cloth trade. These bourgeois houses contain the kind of magnificent wall paintings and elaborate wooden ceilings you would expect to find in a small palace rather than here. Admittedly, the Görlitz citizens who once lived here had amassed the biggest fortunes and liked to show it. The people of Görlitz call these unique buildings the “Lange Lauben” (Long Arcades) because of their huge entrance halls. Coaches used to be kept and goods sold there.

Superb apartments at reasonable prices

Pensioner Ingrid Bäther campaigns unceasingly for Görlitz – and has managed to lure several pensioners from west Germany to the extreme east of the Republic. Although people started moving away after unification because they could no longer stand the dreariness and the dirt from the nearby open-cast lignite mine, these days more people are coming to live in Görlitz than are leaving, so that the population has been stable at 56,000 for some time. “That brings life back into the town and creates jobs. And we have more than enough superb apartments at reasonable prices,” says Mayor Joachim Paulick. After many years of gloomy prospects on the labour market, today some industries in Görlitz are desperately looking for young, skilled workers – e.g. engineers for the rolling-stock and turbine factories.

Big business thrives in Görlitz’s Lutherstrasse. In the sprawling 19th century red-brick industrial plant, Siemens builds steam turbines as big as houses for customers all over the world. Machines have been produced in Görlitz since 1847, and the town was soon gripped by industrialization when it was connected with the railway network and became an important junction between Berlin, Prague, Dresden and Breslau. In the early 20th century, when the age of the steam engine was over, Görlitz’s engineering industry discovered steam turbines – with great success. And the factory was not liquidated after unification; Siemens took it over. Today, the company is the world market leader in the construction of industrial steam turbines, and the Görlitz works with its 800 employees is the company’s turbine headquarters. “From here we run our other companies, for example in India, Brazil, Sweden and the Czech Republic,” says René Umlauft, head of the “Turbosets” division.

Another company has also survived all upheavals: Waggonbau Görlitz, the town’s rolling-stock manufacturer. Double-decker railway coaches made at the factory, which today belongs to the Bombardier group, can be found on local and regional trains all over Germany. And the traction units in the German high-speed ICE tilt trains were also built in the Görlitz factory, where 1,350 employees work today. The factory, a “core location” in the group, is just as successful on international markets, exporting its products to Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Israel and 21 other countries on three continents. The Görlitz company is currently involved in the construction of Bucharest’s underground system and recently won the contract for an underground railway in New Delhi.

Reconstructing the historic centre

Hardly any other region has benefited more from German unification and EU enlargement than the Oberlausitz (Upper Lusatia) region of Lower Silesia. This delightful part of the country, which has been on the important Via Regia trading route between west and east since time immemorial, fell into a European no-man’s-land after the Second World War. In the Potsdam Agreement the Allies gave Poland the German territories to the east of the River Neisse, and with them the eastern part of Görlitz. The two towns turned their backs on each other, and for many years the shallow River Neisse in the middle of Görlitz was an almost insurmountable demarcation line. Today, Görlitz again lies at the heart of Europe. “These days, we are no longer at the end of Germany, but at the beginning,” says Mayor Paulick.

Since 1990, and even more so since Poland’s accession to the European Union, the region has been seeking to build on its great Central European traditions – and not only economically. Görlitz and Zgorzelec call themselves one European city: the theatres cooperate, representatives from the two councils meet regularly, and there are German-Polish kindergartens in both Görlitz and Zgorzelec. School classes have a partner class on the other side. Görlitz and Zgorzelec together applied for the title of 2010 European Capital of Culture and pursued their candidature with great commitment, attracting nationwide attention. Although the two towns lost the battle to Essen a year ago, they are now much better-known – and are implementing many of the things they planned anyway. For example, they are going to renovate the Stadthalle (the “guildhall” whose concert hall used to be regarded as the most beautiful between Leipzig and Breslau) on the Görlitz side and the Dom Kultury (former memorial hall) on the Zgorzelec side. Even more important for the two towns is a project that has no direct connection with the failed candidacy: the reconstruction of the Postplatz (Post Square) on the Zgorzelec side; here, at its historical centre, Görlitz/Zgorzelec wants to grow back together. The two town councils are planning this together: Zgorzelec’s town architect Adam Cebula is responsible for all architectural issues, Peter Mitsching, whose job is to look after Görlitz’s cityscape, is in charge of colour design, not only for the Postplatz but also for the historic buildings on the Polish bank of the Neisse, e.g. the house where the famous mystic Jacob Böhme lived. Everyone agrees that the Görlitz side, much of which has been beautifully renovated, and the re-emerging Zgorzelec side should also grow together optically.

Cooperation in industry is also bearing fruit: Siemens’ turbine factory intends to open a branch in Zgorzelec soon, a small office for young engineers from Poland. Specialists are scarce in Germany, so with an office in this pretty double-town Siemens hopes to attract young Polish technicians who don’t really want to leave their home country.

Blogging at work.

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 01:47:00 +0000

Some Companies fired people for unauthorized blogging. I guess this is affecting bloggers who are posting related to careers, work, or job.

"Blogging at work or, worse still, blogging about work? You probably know already that such behavior is frowned upon, but it could also get you shown to the door: A new study says that 9.1 percent of companies have fired people for violating policies about blogging or posting on message boards while on the job". >>> read full article

BUSINESS : NO MORE REASON OUT

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:03:00 +0000

Does the Philippines need a broadband network?

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 06:43:00 +0000

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has a penchant for signing agreements with foreign countries while attending conferences. But her recent agreement with communist North Korea defies logic. What does she gain by entering into a contract with a rogue state?

During the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) held in Manila last July, two agreements were signed by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Romulo and his North Korean counterpart. They signed an agreement to establish a "bilateral consultation mechanism" between the two countries. They also signed a cultural cooperation agreement to "further enhance ties between the two countries."

But, as one diplomat was reported to have stated, what seems to take a more important aspect of the two agreements is in the area of "security." The rationale being advanced was that "closer ties between the two counties could prevent any transfer of firearms from North Korea to armed groups" such as the communist insurgents, Muslim separatists, terrorists, and criminal elements. Now, this is really stretching someone's imagination to the extreme. Does anyone really believe that North Korea would stop sending its only exportable product -- weapons -- to its clients in the Philippines? Or would it be reasonable to believe that North Korea could possibly send its handlers under the guise of "cultural cooperation" to further its arms business?

According to news reports, North Korea's foreign minister, Pak Ui Chun, promised to "abide by his country's commitment to end its nuclear weapons programme." However, Pak did not specify when his country would dismantle its nuclear facilities. Clearly, there is a big difference between a "promise" and an "action." As an old adage says, "Promises are made to be broken." The bottom line is: If North Korea is going to dismantle its nuclear facilities, it would use that as a leverage with the nuclear powers -- the U.S., England, France, Russia, and China -- to gain political and economic concessions. It certainly would not do that in exchange for "cultural cooperation. "

William C. Triplett II, in his book "Rogue State: How a Nuclear North Korea Threatens America," stated that *"*North Korea is a 'gulag nation' where millions starve under the cult of 'Dear Leader' Kim Jong-Il." He explained that "North Korea functions as Kim's 'family-run criminal enterprise,' with his henchmen (and -women) responsible for terrorist attacks and assassinations, as well as sidelines in narcotics trafficking, counterfeiting and kidnapping." And here is the scary part: "Worst of all," Triplett wrote, "North Korea has, or will soon have, nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and missiles capable of reaching the United States." He
also contended that "the real culprit is not so much the Kim dictatorship but Communist China, described as North Korea's 'master' and 'enabler,' if not co-conspirator and participant in crime." His book is described as "a stunning documentation that North Korea is not the crazy, unpredictable terrorist state of myth, but in fact the terrorist branch of the People's Republic of China."

We need to be cognizant of the fact that with the collapse of the Soviet Empire almost two decades ago, China is now the political center of world communism. North Korea, Cuba, and a few other countries are beholden to China. With the proximity of Cuba to the United States, China is incapable of exerting military pressure on the U.S. from Cuba. However, it could tip the balance of power in the Far East by using North Korea to do its "dirty work" while it does all the good public relations work. What a better way to pursue their hidden agenda than using "cultural cooperation" to disguise their ultimate goal; that is, to destabilize the non-communist countries in Asia, particularly the third world countries. It is interesting to note that the Philippines is the only country in the whole world that has an active communist insurgency. To China and North Korea, the Philippines is just ripe for the plucking.

Not too long ago, in April of 2007, the Philippine government awarded a $330-million project to a Chinese firm, ZTE Corp, to design and install broadband connections to more than 22,000 government offices throughout the Philippines. President Arroyo hopes that this ambitious high-tech project would bring the rural areas into the 21st century.

But it is not the feasibility of the project that has attracted a lot of flak, it's the anomalous way with which the project was awarded. It appears that the contract was hastily executed -- signed in Boao, China at the sidelines of President Arroyo's speech at the World Economic Forum -- without public bidding, although two companies have submitted bids for the but were ignored. U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney stirred a hornet's nest when she sent a letter to the Philippine government on behalf of two American companies requesting the Philippine government to reconsider its decision to award the project to ZTE Corp. She said that an "open competition and transparency is the best interest of all." Another interested party was a company founded and owned by Jose de Venecia III, son of Speaker Jose de Venecia. One of the American companies, Arescom, claimed that its $135-million bid should have won the contract. AHI's bid was $242-million. Recently, the Philippine Senate announced that it will investigate the awarding of the contract. Well, let's see how the new opposition majority in the Senate would perform. This would test their mettle.

The ultimate question that would come to mind is: Does the Philippines need to spend this huge amount -- the equivalent of 15 billion pesos -- for the luxury of implementing high-tech capability to the vastly undeveloped rural areas? A large portion of the Philippines is still trying to get into the 20th century. Why the rush to bring them into the 21st century? As the old saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day."

What President Arroyo should do to achieve her dream of an "Enchanted Kingdom" in 20 years is to address the basic needs of the people. With insufficient housing, widespread poverty, high unemployment and underemployment, and mediocre educational programs, $330 million would go a long way if spent wisely. The last thing that the people would like to see is another fiasco of the magnitude of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant which was never put into operation. It took the Philippine government 20 years to pay off the $2.3-billion loan plus interest of $155,000 a day. Instead of wasting $330 million on another white elephant, President Arroyo should spend it on projects that would uplift the lives of the Filipino people.

Successful in all Aspect!

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 14:53:00 +0000

I have never met someone who doesn't want to be successful at someway. It’s common fair to say we all want to be successful. Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years that have helped me stay on track and move toward my dreams.

1. Do the Right Things Every Day.

The best way to accomplish anything is to put the power of action and time to work for you. Just like interest accruing on an investment, when you invest the right actions on a daily basis, you accomplish your goal much faster.

So, whatever you’re doing, figure out the actions you need to take on a regular basis to accomplish your goals. Then do those every day, every week, every month, whatever it takes to get it done.

2. Be Good to Yourself.

Being successful in business, as in life, takes energy and work. And it’s a lot harder when you’re tired, stressed out or otherwise in poor health. So, set yourself up for a win by taking care of yourself. Keep your body and mind well-tuned and in good shape so you have the physical and mental energy to be all that you can be.

We’re all different so we all have things that help us stay healthy and balance. Find what works for you and do them on a daily basis.

3. Keep Swinging the bat.

Being in Minnesota, I was a fan of Kirby Puckett when he played for the Twins. Kirby was well known for being a consistently good hitter. A reporter once asked him what his secret was. He said it was simple. He swung the bat as often as possible. Every opportunity he got, he’d swing at pitches. He said the more he’d swing, the more he’d hit.

The more times you try, the more opportunities you have to succeed. And, the more you do something, the better you get at doing it. So, your success rate will probably increase.

4. Read the Signs.

We all get busy. Our personal and business lives are full to the brim with things to occupy our time and mental space. So, it’s easy to zip through life and miss things.

Like signs.

The world is constantly telling us things. Whether we believe it or are even aware of it, we have signs all around us, guiding us.

I think of the movie, L.A. Story (1991) starring Steve Martin. While trying to find meaning in his life, Steve Martin’s character discovers the highway signs in Los Angeles are sending him messages. (They’re written in plain English so it’s hard to miss them.) In time, he learns to pay attention to his signs and his life becomes more purposeful and less chaotic.

The older I get the more I realize the importance of reading the signs the world gives us. Maybe this is because I’ve gotten better at reading them and I’ve seen the impact on my life.

When several independent things happen in my life that point in the same direction, I take that as a sign. When I try to avoid or ignore something and it keeps coming back, I see that as a sign. When I keep making the same mistake over and over and then someone or something helps me pull my head out of the sand so I see the error of my ways,

I take that as a sign.

The more you learn to read your signs, the better you will be at making the right decisions in your life.

5. Manage Inputs and Monitor Outcomes.

Since we cannot control outcomes why spend much time worrying about them? Sure we need to monitor them but that’s all. Don’t spend a lot of time trying to control something you can’t (like outcomes.)

Instead, focus on the inputs or the actions that will lead to the outcome you desire. Manage that well and you’ll see the outcome you want.

6. Don’t Try to be Perfect.

I’m always amazed at how many of us fall into the perfection trap. We can’t start something until we think we have the whole thing planned out. Or we don’t finish things until they’re done to our level of perfection. I’ve done both, more than I care to admit.

Striving for quality is great. So is meeting standards. But we should never strive so much for perfection that we lose sight of our goal. That is wasteful.

Nobody is perfect. Nothing is perfect. It’s simple human arrogance to assume we can achieve perfection. It’s just not possible. So, get over it. Set your standards to a level that is appropriate to your goals and resources. Then get it done!

7. Know Yourself.

In 2002, Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton published a best-selling business book called Now, Discover Your Strengths. In it, they espouse the strategy of managing better by understanding people’s strengths and enhancing them.

This is good advice.

We accomplish more if we use our strengths. Our strengths and our talents make us unique. They give us abilities to do certain things very well. As such, they help define who we are and what we should spend our time doing.

We will be more successful at things we do well than at things we do not do well.

The more we know ourselves, the better we can understand our individual and unique talents. This helps us focus on what we do well.

Being Successful over internet

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 14:39:00 +0000

I’ve had a couple experiences lately that have reinforced a couple of my core beliefs about success on the web. These beliefs have proven out over different areas throughout my time in the web industry, whether it is site development, marketing or web application development. Your mileage may vary, but this works for me.

Act
More than anywhere else, the web democratizes information and lowers the barriers to entry for competition. So, if you have a good idea today and you want to make something of it, you had better act. Chances are that there are a dozen others thinking the same thing, and a couple of them are willing to take the risk and move on their idea. Agility is key.

Take Risks
It doesn’t do you any good to copy everyone else. You need to have an original idea, or at the very least, an original take on an old idea. Sometimes that means taking risks and presenting a new web application, product or service that will not please everyone. If you’re not different, you’re not going to be noticed.

Be Remarkable
This could be the idea itself, the design, the ease of use - any number of things. If people don’t want to talk about you, then you’re not going to be successful. I tend to think that design is half the battle online - rock people to the core in the first few seconds, let them experience your quality.

Believe
Above all, you have to be a true believer yourself. If you don’t believe in the product, site or service, then why should anyone else? You might think people won’t notice this part, but that’s not true, it comes out in the little details that will set you apart from your competition.

Do You Have The Millionaire Mind?

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 10:44:00 +0000

Wow!

I just finished reading T. Harv Eker’ s Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. I searched for the book and couldn’t find it in our bookstores, so I went to Amazon.com and got a copy. I was astounded when the book arrived–-in a dust jacket, signed by the author.

OK. I really want you to know what a great book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is. It teaches you to think in a whole new way.

According to Eker, we’re all programmed as children with attitudes about money. If our mothers said to us, “We can’t afford it,” we tend to go through life with that imprint. Or, we don't think we’re worthy of becoming wealthy. But there are many other scenarios. They all come down to one idea–-we have to open ourselves up to the possibility of money. We have to welcome it and EXPECT it to come to us and it does.

Seriously.

I tested this over the past few weeks since I read the book, and maybe it’s just coincidence, but I’ve made more money this month than usual–-a lot more. AND, I expect it to continue. I’m just here waiting for it.

Here are some quotes from the book that I found most fascinating:

“Leaders earn a heck of a lot more money than followers.”

“There’s nothing wrong with getting a steady paycheck, unless it inerferes with your ability to earn what you’re worth. There’s the rub. It usually does.”

“Rich people believe ‘You can have your cake and eat it too.’ Middle-class people believe ‘Cake is too rich, so I’ll only have a little piece.’ Poor people don’t believe they deserve cake, so they order a doughnut, focus on the hole, and wonder why they have ‘nothing.’”

I don’t know if T. Harv Eker is a genius, but he certainly understands more than just what’s on the surface. You can work hard, pour your life’s blood into your passion, but if you don’t proceed with the intention of getting all that you can, you’ll continue to live hand to mouth until you die.

Pffft!!! to that. Buy the book, and I guarantee that you’ll come away with the same feeling as I did. Perhaps you’ll have a power month, too, which will lead you to another and another. These affirmations are awesome. Just try them for a month, and I know you'll agree.

Author: Pat Marcello

Creating An Office That Is Effective For A Home

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 10:19:00 +0000

For many home business owners, running a business at home can create the problem of being distracted by every little thing.The telephone, television, kids, visiting neighbors, and even pets become a distraction when the home office isn’t set up properly because it is still integrated into the other parts of the home. A proper home office should allow you to have a space in which you can focus on your work, and where you are not even tempted to become distracted by other aspects of life. Investing in creating a proper home office will increase the way that you value your business, and in turn you will see an in
crease in productivity and profits.

The primary goal to a home office is to separate the space from other parts of the home. If you do not have an extra room to devote to your home office, you can create a separate space with screens or curtains. Visually blocking off the space asserts the difference between living area and working area to both yourself and others.

It is also key to have a separate phone line. It’s virtually impossible to get any work done if the phone is ringing every ten minutes because the kids’ dentist is calling, or your aunt wants to chat for half an hour. Make sure that you distribute your business phone number to clients, employees and employers only.

Make sure that there is adequate lighting for reading and doing paperwork. Also make sure that you have your career goals posted in sight – these will remind you to get back to work when your mind starts straying. Remember, you will only benefit from the amount of work that you actually get done!

Also, post your daily schedule somewhere that you will see it. This schedule should map out the way that you will divide your time between family, leisure and work. By doing this, you will avoid taking extremely long lunch breaks, or running out the door to pick up that item you forgot to get at the grocery store when it pops into your mind.

Finally, make your space a place you want to be! By making your office inviting, you will probably enjoy your work more and find yourself gravitating toward it instead of being repelled by it. Just make sure that it’s not overly inviting – afternoon snoozes are a big no no!

How much money should you be making?

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 09:32:00 +0000

According to a researcher 2006/2007 Employee Job Satisfaction and Retention Survey, 62 percent of emloyees plan on looking for a new job in the next three months. Dissatisfied employees have cited a variety of reasons for their desire to leave their company, including lack of opportunity for advancement, no recognition for achievements, insufficient benefits and even boredom.

Are you making enough money? Is your paycheck enough to pay your bills? Make that move mow. Learn what it takes to make 1 million dollars by a certain age.

As of today, there are lots of opportunities now a days. Whether you pursue high paying job or managing a business of your own. The secret is "your desire to make your first million".

The Loft Craze

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:56:00 +0000

Proximity to transportation corridors, urban centers, and local attractions draw land-loving young professionals to high-density loft-style condominiums. If your looking for a Condo with a twist, a loft may be just the home to You.

Lofts vary in price depending on what city you are in, and who are you dealing with. Units in the Makati area start around a Php 3M for a 45 square meters and top Php 9M for 100 square meter. A true loft for is a conversion of a vintage factory or warehouse, having a harder edge of either concrete construction, or "mill" construction of exposed brick and original wood posts, beams and floors. >>> read full article

Can Your Ideas Really Make You a Millionaire?

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:25:00 +0000

What would you say to me if I told you that I owned the moon and I'd be willing to sell you some land there at a good price...You'd probably think I were nuts or tell me to get lost, right? Why the heck would anyone buy land on the moon? Now, what if I told you that someone has already tried this? And, what if I told you that he is now a multi-millionaire and soon to be a billionaire due to his moon real estate deals?If this sounds like a joke to you, please read on, because this is no joke. The sale of lunar property has been ongoing for over twenty years by the Lunar Embassy, which is the only company in the world to possess a legal basis and copyright for the sale of lunar, and other extraterrestrial property within the confines of our solar system. The biggest support of this claim has been in the form of actual lunar landowners such as two former US presidents, NASA employees and many well-known celebrities such as Tom Hanks and John Travolta.So, how did I find out about this? While I was watching TV in Japan! Yeah, they had a half hour story on this guy and I just couldn't believe it. Anyways, Dennis the founder had been in the real estate business back in the 70's and he had a really hard time. He just couldn't sell and ended up frustrated and destitute in a parking lot sitting in his open top car wondering what to do with his life. While he was looking up at the sky he saw the moon. He suddenly had an idea strike him. He thought to himself that if he could buy land on the moon and sell it, he'd become rich.So that is exactly what he did. Now, he had a real hard time in the beginning. Many lawyers turned him down on his crazy idea but he never gave up. Finally he found a good lawyer that would help him get started legally. Being in the moon real estate business meant he had to have strong legal foundations of course.He and his lawyer discovered that the UN Outer Space Treaty of 1967 stipulated that no government could own extraterrestrial property. However, it neglected to mention individuals and corporations. Therefore, under laws dating back from early US settlers, it was possible to stake a claim for land, and register it with the US Government Office of claim registries. So a declaration of ownership was filed with the United Nations as well as the US and Russian governments in 1980 by Mr. Dennis M. Hope of the Lunar Embassy, to ensure that a legal basis for the ownership of the properties sold here can be claimed. Yes, that is right, Dennis has a company that owns the land reseller rights to the entire moon!He then set out to sell his new property. Now if you can imagine Dennis going door-to-door trying to sell acres on the moon back in the 80's you can probably guess how well he did. He didn't make one sale for fiftenn years! Now, I don't know about you, but for most folks, fifteen years is a very long time to not make a sale. However, did he give up? No, and he finally got his big break when a celebrity named John Travolta decided to buy a large plot of land. Well, once the word got around Hollywood, pretty soon everyone wanted a piece. Next thing you know the press is all over this story and his sales went through the roof. He now has a website where he sells property on the moon. Lunar Embassy has authorized PlanetaryInvestments.com to resell Lunar Property. And guess what..people from all over the world have bought plots for sales in the millions and he has sold just a fraction of the land available. You can buy land for yourself or as a gift. Just think, you could buy a piece of the moon and give it to your kids or your spouse or girlfriend and tell them to think of you everytime they see the moon. They even have an affiliate program!! Am I an affiliate? No, I just cannot get myself into selling moon property, but it looks like some people are earning good money as affiliates.So there you have it. No idea is too crazy or to wild if you have determination and there is a buyers market. Remember, all it takes is one killer idea to make you a millionaire.

Mastering The Difference Between Leadership And Management

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:23:00 +0000

It is a common belief that management and leadership are the same role. While it is common that a manager also plays the part of the leader, these two roles are truly separate in function and in the way they add to the success of an orginization. By understanding the difference between management and leadership you will become more effective in helping others see the road ahead. To understand the difference between management and leadership, consider the construction of a new road. To build that road there are workers, machinery and tools which are all vital in the road’s construction. Managers help ensure those workers, machinery and tools work together in the most efficient way possible. A manager makes sure those workers are well-trained, motivated, rested and that they know what they’re supposed to do next. The manager does the same thing with the tools and the machinery to make sure that they’re working correctly and that the workers are able to use them efficiently and safely. This is the role of management. On the other hand, a leader makes sure that the road is going in the right direction before the construction begins. That leader also monitors conditions in new situations to ensure that the road under construction is still the correct one and is still going in the right direction. How does this affect you as a leader? Are you spending your time managing people when you should be making sure that the road ahead is the one that you want to be on? To expect to be an effective leader you must present a clear vision and a trail you are willing to walk on first. While there are times when it is appropriate for a leader to fill a management role, it is vital to understand the difference between leadership and management so you can be effective no matter which role you happen to be filling at a given time. If you are a leader overseeing managers, it is important that you provide them with the correct perspective so they may be effective in their management role. Don’t manage the managers. Lead them. If you are not in a formal leadership role, it is also important that you understand that when a leadership opportunity arises there is a difference between being a leader and managing the effort. Even if you end up filling both sets of shoes it’s important to understand the difference in roles in order to fill them effectively. If, on the other hand, you learn how to lead by showing people that you are walking down the right road, you will become a natural leader and will be able to help many others find success as your achieve your own.

Poverty to Riches: Myth or Reality?

noreply@blogger.com (JSB) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:46:00 +0000

You CAN start with empty pockets and piles of bills and build a steady income, even wealth, via the internet. It's a long, hard road though, so it's best to prepare and take along a good map.

First, a comparison to building an offline, bricks-and-mortar business, just for perspective. If you're young, you might educate yourself in your field, go to work for someone else, and build your experience, reputation and equity. Then you could take out a business start-up loan, rent a storefront, buy all the necessary equipment, tools, furniture and merchandise, buy advertising -- and wait years to work your way out of debt and make a profit.

If you aren't young, have a family and all the expenses and debts that go with that,and are not making enough money working for someone else to get ahead, you don't have the same options. Night school, years of part-time education and training, with your creditors hounding you every step of the way...sound familiar?

So you turn on your computer and wonder...wish...that one of those promises of quick riches could be true for you. I wouldn't go there if I were you.

Here are some first steps to getting started as an internet entrepreneur:

1. Honest self-assessment: There are certain qualities necessary to being self-employed. If you can honestly say that you are self-disciplined, self-motivated, determined, self-confident, patient, persevering and maybe even a bit stubborn, you have what it takes.

2. Research: You need to spend some time researching the company, the products, and the people already working the business. Is the company solid and dependable, are the company executives accessible and responsive, are the products of high desirability and quality, and maybe most importantly, is there experienced, successful, and friendly team support?

3. Support: Surround yourself with cheerleaders, mentors, knowledge, and inspiration, both on- and offline. Your family, the company, and others who have succeeded where you are treading for the first time, should all be available to you. You should never feel that you're all alone.

4. Infrastructure: Decide what you need: computer,printer, fax, phone; whatever your chosen business requires. Create an office space that suits your lifestyle and work needs. A corner of the living room can function well if you can work while the kids are at school or if their noise doesn't bother you, but evening work may require a separate room. Don't put your office in the bedroom if you work evenings and your spouse goes to bed early. You need your family's support, not their animosity!

5. Realism: It's tempting to try a business that makes promises it can't keep. Many tell you that one person or a few make thousands of dollars a week and so can you. None of them will point out that maybe you will be one of thousands who quit before they make a cent. "Put money in your pocket today!" Yes, but will any go in tomorrow?

Accept the fact that any business worth its salt can take time. Maybe you can begin making money in a couple months, or maybe a year. You have to be able to maintain life as you know it for however long it takes. Understand that it won't be a steady climb to the top from where you are today; the path will go up and down.

6. Selling someone else's product or your own: Obviously, the big money is in selling your own product. Selling for another company is a great way to get your feet wet in internet commerce, however. At first you may feel like you're floundering in an unfathomable sea of information, but at some point will come the knowledge that you're "getting it." Working for a good company will leave you knowing that you have what it takes to do it on your own, if you choose.

7. Business plan: This keeps you focused, helps you develop goals, strategies and work plans; and aids in evaluating your results. It can include contingency plans, and is never written in stone. As you learn and your business develops, the plan will evolve too.

Now that you've got the road map...take that first step! Your future begins today!