Strategic Business Management

What is Butterfly Marketing?

2010-05-29T23:26:00.000-07:00

Butterfly Marketing is the ultimate course if you want to learn how to market your website and prevent your traffic from going downhill after your initial "launch". It is through understanding that very small changes you make early in your marketing career can have a dramatic effect on your results, your income, and your business. It is an amazing product which will get your business headed in the right direction.

In the Butterfly Marketing Manuscript you learn by using the techniques taught to you how to set up a managed membership site with built-in affiliate systems so that each and every product you market online becomes viral. If online marketing interests you and you either already sell your own, or other people's e-books, courses, manuals, downloadable audio, software, or other forms of digital product, or intend to do so in the near future, then you should be considering yourself the target market as well. One of the main concepts of Butterfly Marketing is that each member you get, and this includes paying members and free members; they all become instant affiliates.

If you are already at a certain level with your Internet marketing business, Butterfly Marketing is ideal and has plenty of valuable concepts to offer you. One of the main principles about this type of marketing is that there are compelling forces out there that are not being tapped into adequately to expand and grow your business. This product will shown how you can build a huge opt in list in record time, can launch a new membership website and get 5000 members in a few days, can automate your internet business and gain lots of free time to do other things that interest you and not just spend your day searching for traffic for your website.

Butterfly Marketing is an increasingly popular strategy for marketing has been shown to increase sales and change the course of a business for many companies and has been adopted by some of the biggest companies around. It operates under the idea that when you create small changes in the way that you communicate and run your business these will have a huge effect on the outcome of your success.

This amazing product will get your business headed in the right direction and is the ultimate course if you want to learn how to market your website and keep your traffic growing and growing. So you can only help yourself and your business when you use Butterfly Marketing.

For even more information on Butterfly Marketing, please visit our website below.

http://thebutterflymarketingsecret.net

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - What Is Butterfly Marketing?

Use 5 Viral Marketing Methods To Drive Traffic To Your Website

2010-05-29T23:18:00.000-07:00

Do you want to use an easy and affordable method to drive traffic to your website? There are ways you can use to bring traffic to your website with little effort. Viral marketing is one of the most effective ways that drive traffic to a website. You can use this marketing method to send your message to targeted recipients who will then pass it to other people. Anyone can use Viral marketing because it is easy and affordable.

In order for your marketing message to pass easily to others, your products should be of high quality. Internet marketers can pass on high quality products to their lists.

Create e-books, reports, or articles for your viral marketing campaign. Then distribute them for free to targeted recipients so that they can also pass them on to other people.

Viral marketing can be applied in the following ways:

1. Write articles that are of high quality.

Distribute high quality articles to Webmasters and encourage them to post them for free in their websites as content. Ensure inclusion of links to your website. Offer them for free with reprinting rights. Most e-zines, directories, and newsletters will publish your articles with your resource box and URL. Huge traffic will be driven to your website with your URL spread all over the internet.

2. Use traffic Exchange programs to exchange website links.

You can exchange links with other Webmasters through the use of traffic exchange programs. Some people will be interested in your website links displayed by internet marketers in their websites. When they see them, they may choose to pass them to people who are interested in your niche.

3. Offer high quality products to propagate your marketing message.

You can use reports, or e-books to spread your marketing message with your website links and offer them for free. If these products are a result of a good research, they will bring the expected outcome. When people read them and discover the valuable information, they will want to visit your website. So the distribution of the reports, and ebooks will drive huge traffic to your website. People will be aware of your brand and business.

4. Offer a free service or product on your website.

Giving a free service or product will spread your message to many people when they hear of your free offer available on your website. Use efficient means to spread the news of your offer. The service or product will drive huge traffic to your website.

5. Set up an affiliate program encouraging links to your products.

If you can, provide an attractive financial incentive for internet marketers to spread your marketing message. You can install a "Recommend it" referral system in your website to attract affiliates who can promote your website.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Use 5 Viral Marketing Methods To Drive Traffic To Your Website

Is You're Trading Made Easier With Forex Software System Trading?

2009-11-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

Have you been sitting on the sidelines wondering how some traders are making money in the foreign currency exchange market (also known as forex trading)? Well, you're not alone. One reason for the proliferation of new traders in this market has to do with the many forex software system trading programs that are hitting the market. Can these programs really make a difference in a trader's performance?

Although some of these trading systems can and do assist traders in improving their winning percentage in trading, you really need to do your homework before deciding which one to choose. Despite the hype and promises some of these developers make for their product, not all forex software system programs are equal. Having a sound foundation in knowing how to evaluate this market is a must. Without some kind of education and knowledge of how the forex market works and what underlying forces are liable to produce a change in the market, you have little way of verifying the signals that your software system is providing for you.

At one extreme, there are the so-called forex trading "robots." While such programs, on their surface, can be very inviting to the newbie, a new trader to this market would be well served to do a little investigation before buying into one of these programs. Remember, it is flesh and blood people who lose money, not automated trading robots. If the robot goofs up, guess who pays! Certain of these software trading programs have drawbacks which can virtually eliminate any profit they may have built up for you. For example, if the trading software relies on programmed stops as opposed to set stops, this means if the robot was ever down and missed a stop, you could be out of a lot of money.

The best of these software programs make allowance for the human factor, as they attempt to provide the trader with the crucial information he needs before a move in the market is made. Also, they seek to make the trader's life a little less hectic, providing information that allows the trader to live a life beyond being tied to a computer all day long. Such low maintenance software trading systems are valued by their owners.

If the forex software system you're looking at contains many or all of the following advantages, then you are ahead of the game. Does it check current long term trends to ensure that you're trading with the big players? Can it calculate an accurate entry point, getting you into the trend with as little drawdown as possible? Will it calculate exact stop and take profit levels for the trade based on the current complex of market conditions? And can it keep you in the trend as long as possible, using trailing stops designed to maximise your gains in each trade?
These are some of the qualities to look for when evaluating the forex software trading system you're seeking to find. It'll be hard to be on the losing side of a trading position when you have this kind of information at your disposal.By Thomas Eliot

By: Thomas Eliot.

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About the Author.

For more information about a reliable forex trading system, see this article Is You're Trading Made Easier With Forex Software System Trading?.

If you need help in finding the right trading system, you can find it here: http://www.stockmarketsystemreviews.net/reviews.html.

How to Make Money in the Forex Market

2009-11-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

The Foreign Exchange Market is the biggest financial market in the world. In the past only banks and big companies were able to trade in the Forex market. It is possible now for any individual to start trading in the Foreign Exchange Market.

The Internet has made it very easy for the average person to be able to trade currencies in the market. All is needed to trade in the market is a high speed Internet connection and a Computer. Sounds very easy, it is but one needs to know how to trade and how to have risk control. The Forex Market is very volatile and due to that reason many fortunes are made and many fortunes are lost in minutes.

Anyone wanting to trade in the Forex market should consider to practice with simulation money before real money. Most online trading brokers offer free demo accounts for any potential trader to practice and learn what is needed to start trading.

Many consider the Foreign Exchange Market to be better than the Stock Market because of many reasons. The Forex market opens from Sunday night until Friday evening. The Stock Market on the other hand opens and closes daily so there is more time to trade with Forex.
The Forex market has no central location, it is an electronic based market so anyone in the world may have access to it.

Practice practice practice, it is the only way to learn the different strategies in the market. That is the only way to succeed in the Foreign Exchange Market.

By: R. Rivera

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About the Author

FX Currency Trading can be a great source of income, follow the next link to learn more
Foreign Exchange Market Trading Strategies

Strategy Implementation

2009-11-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

Allocation and management of sufficient resources (financial, personnel, operational support, time, technology support).

Establishing a chain of command or some alternative structure (such as cross functional teams)
Assigning responsibility of specific tasks or processes to specific individuals or groups
It also involves managing the process. This includes monitoring results, comparing to benchmarks and best practices, evaluating the efficacy and efficiency of the process, controlling for variances, and making adjustments to the process as necessary.

When implementing specific programs, this involves acquiring the requisite resources, developing the process, training, process testing, documentation, and integration with (and/or conversion from) legacy processes.

Thus, when the strategy implementation processes, there have been many problems arising such as human relations and/or the employee-communication. At this stage, the greatest implementation problem usually involves marketing strategy, with emphasis on the appropriate timing of new products. An organization, with a effective management, should try to implement its plans without signaling the fact to its competitors.

In order for a policy to work, there must be a level of consistency from every person in an organization, including from the management. This is what needs to occur on the tactical level of management as well as strategic.

Strategy formulation

2009-11-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Strategic formulation is a combination of three main processes which are as follows:
Performing a situation analysis, self-evaluation and competitor analysis: both internal and external; both micro-environmental and macro-environmental.
Concurrent with this assessment, objectives are set. These objectives should be parallel to a timeline; some are in the short-term and others on the long-term. This involves crafting vision statements (long term view of a possible future), mission statements (the role that the organization gives itself in society), overall corporate objectives (both financial and strategic), strategic business unit objectives (both financial and strategic), and tactical objectives.

These objectives should, in the light of the situation analysis, suggest a strategic plan. The plan provides the details of how to achieve these objectives.

Strategic Management

2009-11-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

Strategic or institutional management is the conduct of drafting, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that will enable an organization to achieve its long-term objectives. It is the process of specifying the organization's mission, vision and objectives, developing policies and plans, often in terms of projects and programs, which are designed to achieve these objectives, and then allocating resources to implement the policies and plans, projects and programs. A balanced scorecard is often used to evaluate the overall performance of the business and its progress towards objectives.

Strategic management is a level of managerial activity under setting goals and over Tactics. Strategic management provides overall direction to the enterprise and is closely related to the field of Organization Studies. In the field of business administration it is useful to talk about "strategic alignment" between the organization and its environment or "strategic consistency". According to Arieu (2007), "there is strategic consistency when the actions of an organization are consistent with the expectations of management, and these in turn are with the market and the context."

Strategic management is an ongoing process that evaluates and controls the business and the industries in which the company is involved; assesses its competitors and sets goals and strategies to meet all existing and potential competitors; and then reassesses each strategy annually or quarterly [i.e. regularly] to determine how it has been implemented and whether it has succeeded or needs replacement by a new strategy to meet changed circumstances, new technology, new competitors, a new economic environment., or a new social, financial, or political environment.

How to Survive Daily Pressures and Stay Positive

2009-11-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

You must remain positive. Life is tough and you need to get used to it. As soon as you stop thinking life is so difficult you will find it becomes so much easier. Don't focus on how difficult life is. Deal with the difficulties of life.

A positive attitude is vital to make it through your days and be motivated. When you are positive about certain events and circumstances that you often deem too tough you will make it through the obstacles much easier.

The most important thing you need to remember about your attitude is that once you realize you cannot choose and control the circumstances. You do have total control over the attitude toward circumstances you face. You can maintain a positive attitude. A positive attitude will help you feel so much better about certain circumstances as you come across them and they won't feel so difficult.

One of the things to remember is that you need to slow down every now and then and take a break. Give yourself the time to reload the energy and recharge your batteries. Taking a break means giving yourself a moment to relax. This doesn't mean get caught up into a realm of procrastination. If you have a bad habit of getting drawn into a television then do not take a break in front of the TV. Be sure the break you take is for a short while but doesn't lead into a problem.

If you have a big family and the house is often chaotic the 'me' time is very important. Chances are good you have to wait until all of the children are asleep or early in the morning before they wake up. If you have to schedule this time for yourself you should. You will be surprised how amazing just a little bit of time to yourself each day will help you feel more motivated to face situations.

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Asset Tracking is Not Just a Necessity, It’s a Management Tool

2009-11-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

Asset tracking is a vital component of any asset management suction. Assets need to be managed both financially and physically. To do that requires knowledge of just where your assets are, even the fixed ones. Many companies rely on a conventional spreadsheet approach to try to keep track of all their various assets, but that can prove problematic without the use of fixed asset software applicable and compliant with international regulations.

That’s especially important in tracking IT assets. IT equipment often changes during its operational lifetime. Components are often switched, replaced or upgraded. Software is constantly installed, uninstalled or upgraded. Many of these changes can’t bee seen as they are internal and even the use of an asset tracking system to control bar code-tagged assets will not keep track here. The usefulness and desirability of many IT systems also often contributes to their tendency to just “disappear”.

Central to any asset tracking software system should be a powerful, centralised database which provides controlled access for all parties that require it, thus preventing discrepancies that may otherwise arise between departments. This system should also have the capacity to include information about those invisible software assets sitting on your IT network – how many programs you have, where they are and whether they are licenced or not? One audit should have the capacity to cover multiple locations and thousands of assets. It should also be fully compatible with inventory management systems, so that hand-held scanning devices typically employed to read barcode label can work with both accounting and tracking modules to provide an accurate, validated, and consistently current database. This will enable users to comply fully and confidently with auditor requirements relating to accurately accounting for and tracking their asset base.

The features of the best fixed asset accounting software should include the use of portable scanners or more durable PDAs to input information and update the status of items on-site and in real time, including data such as make, model or serial number. Assets and inventory items can then be flagged as transferred, disposed of or missing.

Once the data from the audit has been uploaded into the asset or inventory register, the user can run a report displaying not only the details of, but also the suggested actions (disposable, relocation, upgrade etc) for each of the assets located in the audit. In doing so, users are alerted to any discrepancies in the asset’s status or location prior to updating them on the fixed asset/inventory register.

If further analysis is needed, the asset tracking software can be used to produce a range of additional reports to provide a comprehensive account of all the changes that have been made to the registers. Reports can be sorted and sequenced to suit the individual organisation and can be viewed in a range of different mediums, including spreadsheets and MS Word documents.

Leadership With Passion

2009-11-02T20:59:00.000-08:00

By: Richard Nicholls

Leaders tend to be people that others are attracted to. There is something about them that draws others in. They are trusted and respected and make great role models.

For great leaders this just comes naturally. For people trying to develop leadership skill this is something that must be practiced and tried and tested.

Imagine living in an environment where everything was exciting. Life just got better and better, everyone related well to each other and worked hard at home and the office.

Now imagine an environment where everything was miserable. Going to work every day was a drone, there was constant bickering at work and at home and there just seemed like there was no escape.

These two scenarios are the difference between great leadership in a work place, and a complete lack of leadership in a work place. The first scenario is obviously where everyone would like to be.

Unfortunately a lot of companies focus more on managerial skills and not enough on leadership skills. This creates a lack of drive among employees in the work place. Most people spend at minimum 37 hours a week in their office. If you work out how much time you spend at home and subtract the hours you sleep you will likely find that you spend more waking hours at work than at home. And sometimes work is the most miserable place you can think of.

If you are in a position of leadership and your working environment is like this, something needs to change. First of all, make sure you are passionate about your job. The moment people see that you are passionate their perspectives will start to shift. They won't necessarily change overnight, but it is a start. What else you can do? Well, how about incentives for achieving goals, or KPIs. If you are in an office, maybe introduce casual Fridays. Maybe once a month get your team pizza for lunch.

A leader's passion should include their employee's well-being, and once your employees start seeing that you are passionate about improving their work space, their attitudes will change. Soon the whole office environment will be like the first scenario above. People's attitudes from work stretch into their home life, and vice-versa. If they have a good day at work then their home life will improve. When their home life improves then their performance at work will improve.

By performing leadership with passion your team will improve, team members will get promoted, you will get promoted and the company will perform better. Everybody wins!

To read more on leadership with passion visit MLMGlobalTycoons.com. Richard Nicholls wrote this article on leadership with passion to help all those looking for more information on the importance of leadership in the home business industry.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Personal Branding - The Opportunity to Influence Others

2009-11-02T20:50:00.000-08:00

Recently an online personal branding expert asked for my opinion of what personal branding is. We have heard several definitions which include: it is personal uniqueness in the market place', a weapon that one uses to market personal core competences and taking advantage of such in the marketplace, a way of selling personal uniqueness and promoting self differentiation, the rush to re-apply the marketing process from products to people, to give them a beachhead in a million minds, is the great converging point of the modern world among many great definitions.
Self branding like product, service, corporate, institutional branding is now a must. When you open newspaper advert/vacancies for jobs today, the employers are looking for brands that match their DNAs.

Over time many are losing the will to participate because they do not want to follow any rule or guideline. Some of the complaints include: rules make them inhuman. If you must excel in your personal branding journey, you must follow rules that will guide you against being a copy cat, robot or 'crammers'. My take on this is that personal branding is an opportunity to influence others.

Every opportunity also carries its own responsibility. There is nothing like total freedom in life. The more freedom you have the more responsibilities you have to take. The difference is that the dividend of the responsibilities is the fun you enjoy as an individual. Take for instance, a financially independent person at twenty five can impact his/her environment (if he/she desires) than someone who becomes financially independent at sixty five.

So personal branding to me is never a 'me too, I have arrived' game. It is work. It is a permission given to you by your niche (when you have honed your skills, differentiated yourself in a niche) to use your developed, differentiated skills and make a contribution. To impact anyone you have got to honor, respect them and play the game according to what they feel, perceive is right. Anything outside the box will be a violation of trust. Violation of trust affects your perception and influence.

Yinka Olaito helps individuals, organizations to maximize values in their brands through adequate exposure of the brand to target audience that can pay premum. Yinka is a Brand, Public Relations expert, social media advocates, certified trainer and speaker. He is the author of award winning blog The Branding Gavel - http://www.yinkaolaito.com He is presently the CCO of Michael sage consulting, a brand management and reputation firm in Lagos Nigeria.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yinka_Olaito

Income Statements

2009-11-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

Income statement, also referred as profit and loss statement (P&L), earnings statement, operating statement or statement of operations,[1] is a company's financial statement that indicates how the revenue (money received from the sale of products and services before expenses are taken out, also known as the "top line") is transformed into the net income (the result after all revenues and expenses have been accounted for, also known as the "bottom line"). It displays the revenues recognized for a specific period, and the cost and expenses charged against these revenues, including write-offs (e.g., depreciation and amortization of various assets) and taxes.[1] The purpose of the income statement is to show managers and investors whether the company made or lost money during the period being reported.
The important thing to remember about an income statement is that it represents a period of time. This contrasts with the balance sheet, which represents a single moment in time.

Charitable organizations that are required to publish financial statements do not produce an income statement. Instead, they produce a similar statement that reflects funding sources compared against program expenses, administrative costs, and other operating commitments.

The income statement can be prepared in one of two methods.[2] The Single Step income statement takes a simpler approach, totaling revenues and subtracting expenses to find the bottom line. The more complex Multi-Step income statement (as the name implies) takes several steps to find the bottom line, starting with the gross profit. It then calculates operating expenses and, when deducted from the gross profit, yields income from operations. Adding to income from operations is the difference of other revenues and other expenses. When combined with income from operations, this yields income before taxes. The final step is to deduct taxes, which finally produces the net income for the period measured.

Statement of Retained Earnings

2009-11-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

The Statement of Retained Earnings (also known as Equity Statement, Statement of Owner's Equity for a single proprietorship, Statement of Partner's Equity for partnership, and Statement of Retained Earnings and Stockholders' Equity for corporation)[1] is one of the basic financial statements as per Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and it explains the changes in a company's retained earnings over the reporting period. It breaks down changes affecting the account, such as profits or losses from operations, dividends paid, and any other items charged or credited to retained earnings. A retained earnings statement is required by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) whenever comparative balance sheets and income statements are presented. It may appear in the balance sheet, in a combined income statement and changes in retained earnings statement, or as a separate schedule.

A simple illustration of Owner's Equity Statement showing 2 columns with 5 used cells as follows; 1 is the Opening Capital (at inception it equals zero), 2 is the Increase or Addition (by owners investment & the net income), 4 represents summation of (opening capital 1 and the increase 2), 3 is the Decrease or Loss (by owners withdrawal & net loss), and 5 is the Closing Capital after a defined period of time (Opening Capital + Increase - Decrease, i.e. 4-3).

Therefore, the statement of retained earnings uses information from the income statement and provides information to the balance sheet. Retained earnings are part of the balance sheet (another basic financial statement) under "stockholders equity," and is mostly affected by net income earned during a period of time by the company less any dividends paid to the company's owners / stockholders. The retained earnings account on the balance sheet is said to represent an "accumulation of earnings" since net profits and losses are added/subtracted from the account from period to period.
The general equation can be expressed as following:

Ending Retained Earnings = Beginning Retained Earnings - Dividends Paid + Net Income

Source: Wikipedia

Equity and Equity Investment

2009-11-02T18:39:00.001-08:00

Equity, in finance and accounting, is the residual claim or interest of the most junior class of investors in an asset, after all liabilities are paid. If valuations placed on assets do not exceed liabilities, negative equity exists. In an accounting context, Shareholders' equity (or stockholders' equity, shareholders' funds, shareholders' capital or similar terms) represents the remaining interest in assets of a company, spread among individual shareholders of common or preferred stock.

At the start of a business, owners put some funding into the business to finance assets. Businesses can be considered to be, for accounting purposes, sums of liabilities and assets; this is the accounting equation. After liabilities have been accounted for, the positive remainder is deemed the owner's interest in the business.
This definition is helpful put into receivership or bankruptcy. Then, a series of creditors, ranked in priority sequence, have the first claim on the proceeds (e.g. asset sales), and ownership equity is the last or residual claim against assets, paid only after all other creditors are paid. In such a case, creditors may not get enough money to pay their bills, and nothing is left over to reimburse owners' equity. Thus owners' equity is reduced to zero. Ownership equity is also known as risk capital, liable capital and equity.

Contents.

1 Equity investments
2 Accounting
2.1 Book value
3 Shareholders' equity
4 Market value of shares
5 Real estate equity
6 References
7 See also
8 External links

Equity investments

Equity investments generally refers to the buying and holding of shares of stock on a stock market by individuals and funds in anticipation of income from dividends and capital gain as the value of the stock rises. It also sometimes refers to the acquisition of equity (ownership) participation in a private (unlisted) company or a startup (a company being created or newly created). When the investment is in infant companies, it is referred to as venture capital investing and is generally understood to be higher risk than investment in listed going-concern situations.

The equities held by private individuals are often held via mutual funds or other forms of pooled investment vehicle, many of which have quoted prices that are listed in financial newspapers or magazines; the mutual funds are typically managed by prominent fund management firms (e.g. Schroders, Fidelity Investments or the Vanguard Group). Such holdings allow individual investors to obtain the diversification of the fund(s) and to obtain the skill of the professional fund managers in charge of the fund(s). An alternative, usually employed by large private investors and pension funds, is to hold shares directly; in the institutional environment many clients who own portfolios have what are called segregated funds as opposed to, or in addition to, the pooled e.g. mutual fund alternative.

Personal Financial Planning

2009-11-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

Personal finance is the application of the principles of finance to the monetary decisions of an individual or family unit. It addresses the ways in which individuals or families obtain, budget, save, and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future life events. Components of personal finance might include checking and savings accounts, credit cards and consumer loans, investments in the stock market, retirement plans, social security benefits, insurance policies, and income tax management.

Contents.

1 Personal financial planning
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

Personal financial planning

A key component of personal finance is financial planning, a dynamic process that requires regular monitoring and reevaluation. In general, it has five steps:
Assessment: One's personal financial situation can be assessed by compiling simplified versions of financial balance sheets and income statements. A personal balance sheet lists the values of personal assets (e.g., car, house, clothes, stocks, bank account), along with personal liabilities (e.g., credit card debt, bank loan, mortgage). A personal income statement lists personal income and expenses.
Setting goals: Two examples are "retire at age 65 with a personal net worth of $1,000,000" and "buy a house in 3 years paying a monthly mortgage servicing cost that is no more than 25% of my gross income". It is not uncommon to have several goals, some short term and some long term. Setting financial goals helps direct financial planning.

Creating a plan: The financial plan details how to accomplish your goals. It could include, for example, reducing unnecessary expenses, increasing one's employment income, or investing in the stock market.

Execution: Execution of one's personal financial plan often requires discipline and perseverance. Many people obtain assistance from professionals such as accountants, financial planners, investment advisers, and lawyers.

Monitoring and reassessment: As time passes, one's personal financial plan must be monitored for possible adjustments or reassessments.

Typical goals most adults have are paying off credit card and or student loan debt, retirement, college costs for children, medical expenses, and estate planning.

The six key areas of personal financial planning, as suggested by the Financial Planning Standards Board, are:

1. Financial Position: this area is concerned with understanding the personal resources available by examining net worth and household cash flow. Net worth is a person's balance sheet, calculated by adding up all assets under that person's control, minus all liabilities of the household, at one point in time. Household cash flow totals up all the expected sources of income within a year, minus all expected expenses within the same year. From this analysis, the financial planner can determine to what degree and in what time the personal goals can be accomplished.

2. Adequate Protection: the analysis of how to protect a household from unforeseen risks. These risks can be divided into liability, property, death, disability, health and long term care. Some of these risks may be self-insurable, while most will require the purchase of an insurance contract. Determining how much insurance to get, at the most cost effective terms requires knowledge of the market for personal insurance. Business owners, professionals, athletes and entertainers require specialized insurance professionals to adequately protect themselves. Since insurance also enjoys some tax benefits, utilizing insurance investment products may be a critical piece of the overall investment planning.

3. Tax Planning: typically the income tax is the single largest expense in a household. Managing taxes is not a question of if you will pay taxes, but when and how much. Government gives many incentives in the form of tax deductions and credits, which can be used to reduce the lifetime tax burden. Most modern governments use a progressive tax. Typically, as your income grows, you pay a higher marginal rate of tax. Understanding how to take advantage of the myriad tax breaks when planning your personal finances can make a significant impact upon your success.

4. Investment and Accumulation Goals: planning how to accumulate enough money to acquire items with a high price is what most people consider to be financial planning. The major reasons to accumulate assets is for the following: a - purchasing a house b - purchasing a car c - starting a business d - paying for education expenses e - accumulating money for retirement, to generate a stream of income to cover lifestyle expenses.

Achieving these goals requires projecting what they will cost, and when you need to withdraw funds. A major risk to the household in achieving their accumulation goal is the rate of price increases over time, or inflation. Using net present value calculators, the financial planner will suggest a combination of asset earmarking and regular savings to be invested in a variety of investments. In order to overcome the rate of inflation, the investment portfolio has to get a higher rate of return, which typically will subject the portfolio to a number of risks. Managing these portfolio risks is most often accomplished using asset allocation, which seeks to diversify investment risk and opportunity. This asset allocation will prescribe a percentage allocation to be invested in stocks, bonds, cash and alternative investments. The allocation should also take into consideration the personal risk profile of every investor, since risk attitudes vary from person to person.

5. Retirement Planning: retirement planning is the process of understanding how much it costs to live at retirement, and coming up with a plan to distribute assets to meet any income shortfall.

6. Estate Planning: involves planning for the disposition of your asset when you die. Typically, there is a tax due to the state or federal government at your death. Avoiding these taxes means that more of your assets will be distributed to your heirs. You can leave your assets to family, friends or charitable groups.

Source : Wikipedia.

Commodity

2009-11-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

Material and Raw Material

2009-11-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

Material is synonymous with substance, and is anything made of matter – hydrogen, air and water are all examples of materials. Sometimes the term "material" is used more narrowly to refer to substances or components with certain physical properties that are used as inputs to production or manufacturing. In this sense, materials are the parts required to make something else, from buildings and art to stars and computers.
A material can be anything: a finished product in its own right or an unprocessed raw material. Raw materials are first extracted or harvested from the earth and divided into a form that can be easily transported and stored, then processed to produce semi-finished materials. These can be input into a new cycle of production and finishing processes to create finished materials, ready for distribution, construction, and consumption.

An example of a raw material is cotton, which is harvested from plants. Cotton can be processed into thread (also considered a raw material), which can then be woven into cloth, a semi-finished material. Cutting and sewing the fabric turns it into a garment, which is a finished product. Steelmaking is another example – raw materials in the form of ore are mined, refined and processed into steel, a semi-finished material. Steel is then used as an input in many other industries to make finished products. In chemistry materials can be divided into two metals and non-metals.

A raw material is something that is acted upon or used by or by human labor or industry, for use as a building material to create some product or structure.Often the term is used to denote material that came from nature and is in an unprocessed or minimally processed state. Iron ore, logs, and crude oil, would be examples. A non-human related raw material would include twigs and found objects as used by birds to make nests.

In Marxian economics and some industries, the term is used in a distinct sense: raw material is a 'subject of labor', something that will be worked on by labor that has already undergone some alteration by labour. In other words it does not apply to materials in their entirely unprocessed state. Some examples are dimensional lumber, glass and steel.

Source: Wikipedia.

Inventory

2009-11-02T18:02:00.001-08:00

Inventory is a list for goods and materials, or those goods and materials themselves, held available in stock by a business. It is also used for a list of the contents of a household and for a list for testamentary purposes of the possessions of someone who has died. In accounting inventory is considered an asset.

Inventory management is primarily about specifying the size and placement of stocked goods. Inventory management is required at different locations within a facility or within multiple locations of a supply network to protect the regular and planned course of production against the random disturbance of running out of materials or goods. The scope of inventory management also concerns the fine lines between replenishment lead time, carrying costs of inventory, asset management, inventory forecasting, inventory valuation, inventory visibility, future inventory price forecasting, physical inventory, available physical space for inventory, quality management, replenishment, returns and defective goods and demand forecasting.
Other definitions of inventory management from across the web:

Involves a retailer seeking to acquire and maintain a proper merchandise assortment while ordering, shipping, handling, and related costs are kept in check.

Systems and processes that identify inventory requirements, set targets, provide replenishment techniques and report actual and projected inventory status.

Handles all functions related to the tracking and management of material. This would include the monitoring of material moved into and out of stockroom locations and the reconciling of the inventory balances. Also may include ABC analysis, lot tracking, cycle counting support etc.

Management of the inventories, with the primary objective of determining.controlling stock levels within the physical distribution function to balance the need for product availability against the need for minimizing stock holding and handling costs.

In business management, inventory consists of a list of goods and materials held available in stock.

An inventory can also be a self examination, a moral inventory.

Source: Wikipedia.

How to Promote a New Home Business Blog

2009-11-02T00:23:00.000-08:00

By: TJ Philpott.

After analyzing plenty of market research information you've finally determined the right niche for your home business blog. You've chosen your hosting company and selected a domain name. You've even written several blog entries in advance so that you have plenty of fresh content to post. Your intent is to blog to make money and you've just posted your first of many blog entries so your site is now 'live' on the internet. Where do you go from here?

The early phases of your blog development are critical in determining how quickly you will be able build a list of subscribers and make money.

Now that your blog is live here are 5 things you'll need to do to accelerate the growth of your business to earn an income.

Schedule Your Work

You will need to determine the tasks that will have to be completed on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. This schedule will be your 'action plan' and should involve those activities necessary for the growth of your blog.

Your initial focus will be on marketing your site and insuring that it is being presented to your readers in professional manner. Early duties should include traffic generation, content creation, and networking out within the blogging community of your particular niche.

Content Creation

This phase of your blogging efforts will always be important but never more so than the infancy stages of your blog. This is the time for you to make your first impression and begin attracting your reader base. Your content should be useful and relevant to both the blog reader and the blog theme.

Post frequently in the early stages but as you see your subscriber base grow you will want to spend time both listening and responding to their comments. Encourage their interaction by asking them questions or for their comments on your posts or site design.

Hold Off on Your Marketing

In the beginning your sole focus will be satisfying the blog reader who visits your site. By attempting to sell anything too early will only drive your readers away. Build up their allegiance first by supplying great content for them to read.

Link Development

This will be significant part of your marketing strategy. By building links with other blogs and sites that have higher rankings you will boost your blog higher in search results. Reciprocal links from other sites will also create a flow of traffic to your blog. This can be achieved by leaving insightful and useful comments on other blog sites. Submitting articles is another way to develop links with higher ranking article submission sites that will link back to your blog after your article is published.

Rinse and Repeat

By focusing only on generating traffic and creating relevant quality content in the early stages of your blog you will be able to establish a solid reader base.

Although these actions may seem slow to yield the results you want the longer you stick with it the faster your blog will grow.

A home business blog can earn you a comfortable living provided you've first based it upon accurate market research information. Once your site has been launched you are now in the blog development stages of your site. During this time it is imperative you continue to post fresh blog entries with relevant and useful information to attract readers to your site. If you blog to make money it's important to first build a subscriber base before attempting to market anything to your readers. The 5 steps we reviewed above will provide you direction during the early stages of your site. Your intentions will be to build a healthy reader base. With a little patience and resolve there is no reason you can't successfully grow your site into a blog that will earn you a significant income.

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About The Author.

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.
For additional money making tips and a free guide that demonstrates how to find both profitable markets and products visit: http://blogbrawn.com.

Alternative Ways To Market Minus The Expensive Costs

2009-11-02T00:22:00.000-08:00

By: Lynne Saarte

When marketing your business, you do not have to break the bank just so you can have yourself a promotional campaign that can generate leads. These are precisely the times to be conscious of where your hard earned money is going. As such, you really have to look into possible ways that you can save on costs on your marketing efforts.

Times are hard and you might find yourself struggling to keep on attracting new clients to your business. And although it is quite tempting, do not even think about cutting your marketing budget just so you can make ends meet. If you want to start losing your client base then go right ahead and stop your marketing activities. But if you want to survive these difficult times and remain on top, you have to start thinking of clever ways to promote your business.

You do not have to regularly come up with more costly collaterals such as catalog printing or print brochures so that you can have as many leads as possible. There are other cost-effective ways to go about marketing other than your print catalogs. Here is how:

1. Market with thank you note cards.

You can always purchase a pile of them at discount shops, and then send them to your loyal clients just to let them know that you appreciate the business they provide you. Handwrite the message to make it more personal. And end with a wish for their success and well-being.

2. Be an expert.

Write articles on your expertise. If you are in catalog printing, then write articles on how to print catalogs that work and then submit these articles on websites. The more people who will be able to read your articles, the more chances of your expertise to get you the leads you need for your client base.

3. Share data and information.

This time, if you found a great article, you can share it with your customers that will appreciate such information. It will show that you are interested in them, so much so that you are keeping tabs of what can provide them solutions to some of their issues.

4. Contact people. Talk to them.

This is the most basic means to get in touch with your target clients. Just go ahead, pick up the phone and dial that number. Ask for feedback on current marketing campaigns or the ones you did for them last year. By getting in touch, you will be able to generate new business and revive old ones in the process.

5. Network, network, network

Go to events and attend trade show exhibits. But bear in mind that networking is not about getting as many business cards as you can. Networking is about making connections and forming working relationships that can help you grow your business.

There are lots more ways to market your business without costing you an arm and a leg. You just have to be creative in finding out the means to promote what you have according to your budget to generate leads for your business.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit:
http://www.printplace.com/printing/catalog-printing.aspx

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About The Author

Lynne Saarte is a writer that hails from Texas. She has been in the Internet business for some years now, specializing in Internet marketing and other online business strategies.

How to Become the Best Blog Site in Your Niche

2009-11-02T00:13:00.000-08:00

By: TJ Philpott.

Being the best blog site in your niche carries many advantages especially if you blog to make money. Operating a blog that has a strong following is a reflection of the dedication and commitment invested into the ongoing process of the blog development itself. Any blog owner/operator knows what it takes to attract and retain the average blog reader and this is not something that happens overnight.

Now if you blog to make money you can see how a strong reader base could benefit you financially. In addition your authority within the niche will make it all the easier for you to attract additional readers since other blogs will have the tendency to link to your site.

What we're going to focus on here today is the importance of paying attention to the comments left by subscribers at your site. Within these comments you can find valuable nuggets of information that can be used to improve not only the blog but even your marketing strategy.

Here are 3 ways to use these blog reader comments that can help you become a more effective blogger and marketer.

Market Research Information

Putting out questions to your subscribers asking their opinions on certain products or trends could yield useful market research information as to current consumer preferences. Another approach could be polling your readers on what are some of their more pressing problems to which they wish they had a solution: what bugs them!

In both these scenarios the response of your subscribers could uncover a previously hidden niche or trend you could capitalize on. Market research information like this can easily cost a significant sum for a large corporation but you can collect this information right from your blog and use it to your advantage.

Blog Performance Feedback

Asking for opinions on the subjects of your post or perhaps the content itself can give you feedback as to whether you may need to make a change. Even simple inquiries about the layout of your blog, the graphics that are used, or the format of your posts could lead to dramatic improvements for the site.

Remember your blog is really for your readers so you should strive to give them what they want.

Encourages Interaction

Involving subscribers in these polling processes or even merely responding to their comments helps complete the 'cycle' of interactivity. This creates a sense of community for subscribers and increases their satisfaction. People like to know that their words or opinions are being heard and better yet acted upon.

Being the best blog site within your niche comes with many advantages and benefits but it also translates into a certain amount of commitment. When you blog to make money the stakes go even higher. Learning to tap into any available resource that can enhance your blog development and marketing effectiveness is a valuable skill. Using comments left by blog readers as we discussed above will allow you to put more distance between yourself and your competition. It is simply up to you to recognize and act upon any useful information a blog reader may have already left on the site for you even if it hasn't been solicited.

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About The Author

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.
For additional money making tips and a free guide that demonstrates how to find both profitable markets and products visit: http://blogbrawn.com.

A Guide on Buying an Ebook Internet Marketing Strategy

2009-11-02T00:08:00.000-08:00

By: Richard Legg.

More and more people are becoming interested on learning how to do internet marketing and most of them wan to purchase an ebook internet marketing strategy, so the business minded people in the internet are coming up with their own versions of an ebook that talks about internet marketing. Sadly, there are a lot of internet marketing strategy ebooks which are just pure deception and do not teach you what you need to learn. But things like this should not discourage you for there are still a number of internet marketing strategy ebooks that turn out to be true to what they promise.

Nevertheless, if you shall encounter an ebook which would promise you to be some impossible things like making you a millionaire in as short as 24 hours and without having to do any work at all, then be on guard for that is more of a scam than true. Do not allow them to deceive you!

Methods in Making Profit with an Ebook Internet Marketing Strategy

It's good that now you know what to look for in an ebook internet marketing strategy so when you purchase one, you only get what an authentic version and one that gives you value for your money. First thing is that you have to be able to promote product of other people as with any marketing strategy and get commissions on sales. Actually there are more and more people who have started doing this and they are actually getting a good income from it. The next thing you can do is come up with your own ebook which discusses various internet marketing strategies that can be done for free. After constructing your ebook internet marketing strategy, start advertising your ebook and market it online. Or if you are not really good when it comes to sales, you can have someone do the selling for you and then pay them commissions. This guarantees you to make a sale and earn even if you are not the one doing the promotions. Coming up with your own ebook internet marketing strategy and letting other people do the promotion and marketing is a proven and profitable method.

If you really want to buy ebook internet marketing strategy now, always keep in mind or better yet ask yourself what you really want to and why are you buying this ebook. If you are doing this to campaign for the product of other people, otherwise known as affiliate marketing, you can acquire membership to some sites that will teach you the basics of internet marketing.

The usual purpose people buy ebook internet marketing strategy is to get some help in succeeding with their online business. Finding the perfect ebook internet marketing strategy is absolutely easy with just a few clicks of your mouse. For those who need something to drastically improve the sales of their online business, the ebook internet marketing strategy is the answer.

Being the latest trend that it has become in the world of internet marketing, more and more people buy ebook internet marketing strategy. When compared to traditional books, an ebook is easier to obtain, easy to understand and there is no need to keep it in a bookshelf. You can keep those ebooks in your PC which saves a lot of space.

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About The Author.

Richard Legg is well-experienced on Ebook Internet Marketing Strategy. He can provide very useful tips if you want to make money online. He can also guide you to find an affiliate marketing strategy. For more info, visit this site: http://www.richard-legg.com/

Back Links 101 - Make Them Work for You

2009-11-02T00:04:00.000-08:00

By: Michelle Dale.

Essentially, back links are inbound links to a web page or site. This means that another website contains a hyperlink directed towards your site. In terms of SEO, the more back links you have pointing toward your website the better, particularly if the back links are coming from a site which deals with the same field as your chosen speciality.

As the number one goal of a website is to achieve traffic, i.e. people actually looking at the site, it follows that you must make the website visible. Generally speaking, to make your website visible, people must be able to find it when they search for keywords directly related to your product, niche, service or whatever else your website represents. Individuals tend to be seeking such information via the big search engines, whose operators have rather complicated algorithms to help them decide whether a certain website is applicable to the searcher's request, or not.

Although they will not divulge exactly how they go about composing these algorithms, the search engine operators do assure us that relevancy, as viewed by others, is most important. If they see that you have a back link or a number of back links from other websites that have some relevancy to yours, this is a plus. In addition, if the site linking to you has a fairly high "page rank", this helps as well. Page rank is Google's proprietary method of allocating a number (zero being lowest and moving up to ten) indicating how important a site is within its particular niche of operations.

There are a number of ways to achieve back links for your site.

Article Marketing.

As Bill Gates once said, "content is king". Article marketing is known as one of the most solid Internet marketing methods. By writing highly relevant and informative articles and submitting them to high profile article directories you do several things, not the least important of which is to help establish you or your site as an expert in your niche. Within your article, published in the article directory, is a resource box which contains your details - who you are and what you do, and a link back to your site, the all important Back Link.

Social Bookmarking.

There are many hundreds of social bookmarking sites, and their primary motive is basically to provide a way of informing people about the existence of content related to any niche or interest in a very manageable format. You can sign up and initiate a process of notifying social bookmarking sites about fresh content, including back links in many cases. You should note at this stage that some webmasters apply a "no follow" tag which can void the effect of a back link, as the tag instructs the search engine spider not to give you points, or what's called "link love".

Social Media - Twitter

Whilst Twitter and other similar sites are becoming increasingly more powerful in marketing terms, you should know that to include links within your "tweets" or in your URL profile box is not a powerful back linking strategy, as these are all allocated the dreaded no follow tag. However, you may find that it is possible to link within a bio box and get some link love this way. Also, if you syndicate, your Twitter feeds are updated via the RSS aggregators, earning you back links.

Blog Commenting

First of all, you will have to locate blogs or forums that are relevant to your area of expertise. This is fairly simple to accomplish as a straightforward and pertinent search will locate hosts. Once you find these blogs you can sign up and create a profile. Often you will be allowed to create what is called a "signature", and within that signature you incorporate your links. Note, you should check to see if there are any no follow tags, as these will appear occasionally.

Enter into the spirit of the place by interacting with other members and making entries and posting comments that are relevant, useful and educational. As well as a back link being displayed each time you post a comment, you'll also create a potentially profitable bond with other members - and this has the potential to lead to all kinds of new possiblities.

Back link building remains one of the most important SEO strategies to adopt.

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About The Author

Michelle Dale is The Managing Director of Virtual Miss Friday, an Experienced Executive Virtual Assistant who collaborates with businesses and individuals with the sole aim of accomplishing their professional goals. Want to learn more about these comprehensive online business building success strategies? Contact VMF Today at=> http://www.virtualmissfriday.com

3 Reasons Online Entrepreneurs Love Affiliate Marketing

2009-11-02T00:01:00.001-08:00

By: TJ Philpott.

The affiliate marketing business models is a favorite amongst online entrepreneurs for many different reasons. As the age of the internet continues to mature more people are working online from home. Many are starting a small business in the field of affiliate marketing due to the affordable startup costs. In fact the online affiliate marketing business offers several outstanding advantages.

Here are 3 compelling reasons why the affiliate business is such a popular choice for many today.

Low Startup Costs

An affiliate business involves selling products produced by others. These products are warehoused and shipped if necessary, at the expense of the manufacturer. Even customer support is a function handled by the product creator.

The only expenses left to the affiliate are any advertising cost or other expenses that may be related to the hosting and/or maintenance of a website or blog. Interestingly enough an affiliate marketer does not even need to have their own website and there are numerous and cost free ways to advertise on the internet that can be used.

Technical Skills Not Required

In the earlier stages of internet marketing the technical aspects of working online created a barrier for many. Now navigating the online world has been reduced pretty much to a point and click approach. As a result virtually anybody who now desires to 'operate' anything online is no longer challenged by these technical barriers.

Ability to Profit Quickly

The products you are promoting as an affiliate are proven and already in demand. Furthermore they are supported by websites with professional sales copy and graphics. This leaves only traffic generation up to the typical marketer. The results are that most experience profits pretty quickly and this type positive reinforcement strengthens their resolve to continue and grow their business.

Online entrepreneurs today are fortunate to be able to take advantage of the global reach of the internet. Many have flocked in particular to the online affiliate marketing business due mainly as we've mentioned to the very low startup costs of this particular business model. The built-in flexibility of affiliate marketing now has many starting a small business in just about any field of their choosing. Given the opportunity to pursue the dream of working online from home has re ignited the spirit of the entrepreneur in people worldwide. At the core of this resurgence is the affiliate business model and with some of the advantages it offers as we reviewed above, it is easy to see why.

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About The Author

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.

For additional online success tips and a free guide that demonstrates how to find both profitable markets and products visit: http://affiliatequickstart.com

The Golden Rule

2009-11-01T23:52:00.000-08:00

By: Rick Walker.

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you"
Mt 7:12 - NIV

We have all heard the Golden Rule but do we really understand it, particularly with regard to our daily interaction with others?

I have been reading the discussion of "The Golden Rule" as presented in Chapter 16 of Napoleon Hill's "Law of Success" and have had an epiphany! I always took the Golden Rule to suggest that you will receive the same (or similar) response from others in similar fashion to the way you treat them. Treat people nicely and people will treat you nicely (and who doesn't want to be treated nicely?). Treat people poorly and expect to be treated poorly.

Is this, however, what is meant by "Do unto others ..." and, more importantly, who does it REALLY benefit the most?

Day to Day Interactions

In our day-to-day lives, we all interact with people; family, friends, business associates and strangers. And, so much of our day is influenced upon the outcomes of those interactions or, more specifically, how we respond to those outcomes.

If we take the transit system or, as an even more emphatic example, an elevator to work, we are very familiar with the manner in which we stay isolated in our separate world, interacting as little as possible with those around us. We have our protective barriers erected against possible interaction. We read books or the newspaper, plug ourselves into our iPods or work on our lap-tops. No end to the ways in which we can communicate the fact that we don't want to ... well, communicate.

If we have an exchange with a taxi driver, vendor or just bump into someone in the street, depending on the nature of both their response and our own, such an incident can set a "mood" for an entire day, if we let it. Some days, simply getting up "on the wrong side of the bed" in the morning can spoil a day, if we let it.

These are, I suggest, examples of how we might "manifest what we visualize into our lives", examples of how "attraction" and "magnetism" colours our interactions with people, how the "Law of Attraction" works when dealing with "mankind". Our mind set, our disposition dictates how we treat the world and, in return, how the world treats us.

"Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts. Dye it, then, with a continuous series of such thoughts ..."
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Classic Examples

As an extreme example, let's consider the character Scrooge in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". The story begins by defining Scrooge's character as "... a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!" ... before he meets Jacob Marley and the three ghosts. As Scrooge moves through every aspect of every day, his interactions with one and all are confrontational and distasteful. He is an entirely unsavoury character with whom to associate and overpowers everyone he encounters with his self-, or more accurately, money-centred consciousness. There are some exceptions, the most notable being his nephew who exudes Christmas cheer despite his uncle's ugly disposition. Scrooge exemplifies the definitive bad attitude toward his fellow man. It is very enlightening that his disposition is a direct result of his money centred consciousness.

He treats everyone he encounters with the character resulting from his money centred consciousness, every human interaction is based on an extreme "cost benefits analysis". In return, he receives cautious, timid, thoroughly cowed responses from his employees, disbelief and disappointment from businessmen (seeking charitable donations) and contempt from his business peers when informed of his death (Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come).

At the other extreme, let us look at another Christmas classic - "It's A Wonderful Life". George Bailey goes through his life (as reviewed for Clarence, his guardian angel) always giving of himself for his family, friends and "Building and Loan" clients, even going so far as to extend loans to his clients immediately after his wedding in response to a desperate financial crisis. He is presented, in many instances, as resenting his circumstances (but, tellingly, not resenting those he has helped). These responses are consistent with the core beliefs of his character. When life presents him with his own desperate, individual crisis, his family, friends and even strangers all come willingly, even eagerly, forward in order to provide the necessary assistance, far in excess of his actual requirements.

"A man reaps what he sows ... Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up"
Gal. 6:7 and 9

Admittedly, these are carefully constructed plots for story purposes, however, they do portray contrasting examples of the human experience and, more specifically, they exemplify "The Golden Rule". Both characters get back responses from their fellow man consistent with the core beliefs of their characters which dictate the nature of their interaction with their fellow man.

Where Scrooge presents a miserly disposition to those whom he encounters, he receives a similarly negative response in return. In contrast, where George Bailey exemplifies a generous and caring disposition in his daily life, he is offered respect, admiration and, when desperately needed, generosity in return. This generosity, as I stated above, was far in excess of his actual needs.

So, when we go about our lives on a day-to-day basis, what is the nature of the character we exemplify toward others; our family, friends, business associates and the strangers we meet. If we typically offer the world an unfriendly disposition, should we not expect, over time, to develop an unfriendly character? On the other hand, if we make active attempts to greet those whom we encounter in a friendly manner, should we not expect to develop a friendly disposition in our character?

"Manifest the Change You Desire in the World"

To be clear, all I am proposing is a simple smile, and possibly a "Hello", to the people we meet in the course of our day. A little daily courtesy to the coffee vendor in the morning. Simply small acts of courtesy and kindness in your day. It has been said that smiles are contagious. Perhaps smiles are similar to love in that it might be very hard to give them away as they are always given back.

"... our brains become magnetized with the dominating thoughts which we hold in our minds, and ... these "magnets" attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts".
Napoleon Hill

If we are going about our day with a cheerful disposition, we should reasonably expect to get cheerful responses from those whom we know. We may not get a cheerful response from the strangers we meet, however, give some thought to how someone you didn't know, passing by with a smile, may have been a ray of sunlight in your day. Furthermore, it's hard to have a bad day if you are smiling.

Who Really Benefits?

In the scenarios presented above, all those involved in the proposed exchanges realize some emotional response out of the exchanges. However, I suggest that you are the greatest (or worst) beneficiary of the exchanges. I believe we reap what we sow. If we present a pleasant and outgoing (positive) demeanor to those we encounter in our day, we become pleasant and outgoing and develop a corresponding positive attitude.

If, on the other hand, we present a disagreeable, negative demeanor to the world, we will drive people away and develop a negative attitude to the world over time (to match our negative demeanor - negative response feedback loop).
To take this argument further, in order to develop the character traits we desire in ourselves, we need to be actively exemplifying them in our daily lives. If these character traits are foreign to us, then we need to initially act" them out in order to eventually possess them. I believe this is what Napoleon Hill suggests in "Think and Grow Rich" and "Law of Sucess".

If we walk around, day-in and day-out, with a frown on our faces, how long until we develop a frown on our heart (if you will permit the metaphor)). Conversely, if we pass our day with a smile on our faces, acknowledging and relishing the good things we encounter every day, how long until we develop that same smile in our heart.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control"
Gal. 5:22

At the very least, begin and end your days with a smile and good word for the members of your family. A smile from your wife or husband as you head off to work and smiles from your children goes a long way to easing the stress and tension in a day.

We reap what we sow. With these words in mind, I suggest we go out and sow a cheerful day. Doing so will place a cheerful disposition on ours souls and, over time, we will reap cheerfulness from those we meet.

"A man passes for what he is worth. What he is engraves itself on his face, on his form, on his fortunes, in letters of light which all men may read but himself. ... ".
Emerson.

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About The Author.

Rick Walker - a student of personal development (for over 25 years), with specific interest in the ability and latent power of the mind, particularly the subconscious. He developed the Integrated Success Program ( http://integratedsuccessprogram.com/index.html) web-site. In addition, he offers both the Integrated Success Program Blog (http://integratedsuccessprogram.com/CreateSuccess) and Yahoo Group to provide a forum for exchange of ideas.