Life Guide

Ask yourself...

noreply@blogger.com (A Helping Boy) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:28:00 +0000

- Effectively lose weight and keep it off
- How to eat to lose weight
- What diet plans to avoid and which one is by far the best
- How to exercise to lose weight
- What supplements to take and which ones to avoid

- Reduce stress & anxiety
- How to reduce stress at work
- What to do if you are one of those people who worries about everything
- How to overcome indecision

- Improve the romance in your life
- How to have a successful marriage
- How to create romantic memories you will remember forever

- Make more money and from multiple sources
- How to increase your current job income
- How to save money with ease
- How to lower your bills

- Increase your energy
- How to keep your energy levels up the entire day
- How to stop being tired after eating meals

- Increase your free time
- Ways to be more efficient at home
- Ways to be more efficient at work
- How to overcome procrastination

- Improve your health
- How to improve your mental & physical health
- How to be a more positive person
- The forgotten about way to good health

Why I'm A Liberal

noreply@blogger.com (A Helping Boy) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 10:00:00 +0000

I have to question the mindset of anyone who wants to banish children's literature because it's "evil."

From the "Christians Who Endorse Witchcraft" website (I'm not linking to it):

Some Christians are sadly endorsing Harry Potter (the work of author J.K. Rowling); but they should be rebuking her and her works of darkness instead.

How to Research Your Business Idea

noreply@blogger.com (A Helping Boy) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:29:00 +0000

Somewhere between scribbling your idea on a cocktail napkin and actually starting a business, there's a process you need to carry out that essentially determines either your success or failure in business. Oftentimes, would-be entrepreneurs get so excited about their "epiphanies"-the moments when they imagine the possibilities of a given idea-that they forget to find out whether that idea is viable.

Of course, sometimes the idea works anyway, in spite of a lack of market research. Unfortunately, other times, the idea crashes and burns, halting a business in its tracks. We'd like to help you avoid the latter. This how to on researching your business idea is just what you need to keep your business goals on track.

The Idea Stage

For some entrepreneurs, getting the idea-and imagining the possibilities-is the easy part. It's the market research that doesn't come so naturally. "It's a big red flag when someone outlines the size of the market-multi billion dollars-but doesn't clearly articulate a plan for how the idea will meet an unmet need in the marketplace," says Aaron Keller, an adjunct professor of marketing at the University of St. Thomas in neighboring St. Paul and a managing principal of Capsule, a Minneapolis-based brand development firm.

Checking Out the Competition

Assuming your research process has helped you uncover your competition, you now need to find out what they're up to. Shenker advises becoming a customer of the competition, whether by shopping them yourself or by enlisting the help of a friend. "Visit their Web site and put yourself on their list," she says. "Talk to your competitor's customers, too-ask them what they like or don't like about your competitor's product or service. If you conduct formal research, include a question like 'Where do you currently go for that product or service? Why?'"

Your aim is to understand what your competition is doing so you can do it better. Maybe their service is poor. Maybe their product has some flaws-something you'll only know if you try it out yourself. Or maybe you've figured out a way to do things better, smarter, more cost-effectively. Find your selling point. It's going to be the core of your marketing program, if and when you're ready for that step. It's also going to be what sets you apart and lures customers your way.