If you haven’t already heard the buzz, Michael Port is the guy to call when you’re tired of thinking small! Michael Port & Associates LLC is the premier marketing and sales strategy-consulting firm for professional service providers. He is the author of the best-selling Book Yourself Solid program and is thrilled to share 7 Keys to getting more clients than you can handle even if you hate marketing and selling. Over the next seven articles, he’ll share the secrets he used to turn his own self-employed business without a pulse into a healthy $112,200 income in less than 10 months.
If you’re out there on your own and absolutely love your work but hate the thought of selling yourself or having to get new clients, you’re not alone. If you feel uncomfortable asking a client to buy from you, he has the answers. If you dread having to bring up the subject of money, fear no more. If you’ve ever been hesitant to boldly declare, “the best thing for you would be me”? Look no more! Thousands of entrepreneurs share your same frustrations and simply, easily and profitably attained success using Michael’s 7 Keys.
Remember how excited you were when you first launched your business? You knew you had a gift to offer the world… and the universe was telling you that your message needed to be heard. Nothing has changed. If you have a message to deliver it means there are people who are meant to hear it! If you don’t offer yourself with complete confidence and conviction, you minimize yourself, your services and your business. You are robbing people of creating a better life. You are limiting your potential and the experience of the services you provide and of being around you – not a small thing.
Book Yourself Solid, Key Number 1: Know Why People Buy What You’re Selling
Since it’s super normal to feel like marketing or “talking yourself up” cheapens the integrity of your work, I have a simple solution… stop talking about what you do. The secret is to know what your clients want. So… every second of every day focus on clear, specific, and detailed solutions, benefits and advantages that appeal to your potential clients. Because people aren’t buying what you do the science, technique or technical name that you use doesn’t matter in the slightest! Who cares what you call yourself?!The fancy diplomas on the wall aren’t getting you more clients. Clients will come to you, however, when you speak with them about their problems and needs. Start by identifying their urgent needs and compelling desires and then offer them an invest-able opportunity and you’ll be booked solid in no time.
WRITTEN EXERCISE:
Develop a list that starts to identify what your clients are actually buying when they are buying your services.
What are your clients’ urgent needs? (What problems do they need to solve?)
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
What are your clients’ compelling desires? (What are they working toward?)
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
What invest-able opportunities do you offer your clients? (What are the specific and quantifiable benefits?)
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
Now, every time you communicate in person, through writing, on the internet, in advertisements, on the phone, etc… articulate and re-articulate these urgent needs and compelling desires. Your potential clients will connect with you immediately. Most importantly, they’ll feel understand and they’ll be interested in learning more about the invest-able opportunities you offer.
Stayed tuned for Key #2
Copyright 2005 Michael Port & Associates LLC
Monday, June 27, 2011
Book Yourself Solid | Oxford Hills Business
Book Yourself Solid, 7 Keys To Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even If You Hate Marketing | Mainely Marketing
If you haven’t already heard the buzz, Michael Port is the guy to call when you’re tired of thinking small! Michael Port & Associates LLC is the premier marketing and sales strategy-consulting firm for professional service providers. He is the author of the best-selling Book Yourself Solid program and is thrilled to share 7 Keys to getting more clients than you can handle even if you hate marketing and selling. Over the next seven articles, he’ll share the secrets he used to turn his own self-employed business without a pulse into a healthy $112,200 income in less than 10 months.
If you’re out there on your own and absolutely love your work but hate the thought of selling yourself or having to get new clients, you’re not alone. If you feel uncomfortable asking a client to buy from you, he has the answers. If you dread having to bring up the subject of money, fear no more. If you’ve ever been hesitant to boldly declare, “the best thing for you would be me”? Look no more! Thousands of entrepreneurs share your same frustrations and simply, easily and profitably attained success using Michael’s 7 Keys.
Remember how excited you were when you first launched your business? You knew you had a gift to offer the world… and the universe was telling you that your message needed to be heard. Nothing has changed. If you have a message to deliver it means there are people who are meant to hear it! If you don’t offer yourself with complete confidence and conviction, you minimize yourself, your services and your business. You are robbing people of creating a better life. You are limiting your potential and the experience of the services you provide and of being around you – not a small thing.
Book Yourself Solid, Key Number 1: Know Why People Buy What You’re Selling
Since it’s super normal to feel like marketing or “talking yourself up” cheapens the integrity of your work, I have a simple solution… stop talking about what you do. The secret is to know what your clients want. So… every second of every day focus on clear, specific, and detailed solutions, benefits and advantages that appeal to your potential clients. Because people aren’t buying what you do the science, technique or technical name that you use doesn’t matter in the slightest! Who cares what you call yourself?!The fancy diplomas on the wall aren’t getting you more clients. Clients will come to you, however, when you speak with them about their problems and needs. Start by identifying their urgent needs and compelling desires and then offer them an invest-able opportunity and you’ll be booked solid in no time.
WRITTEN EXERCISE:
Develop a list that starts to identify what your clients are actually buying when they are buying your services.
What are your clients’ urgent needs? (What problems do they need to solve?)
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
What are your clients’ compelling desires? (What are they working toward?)
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
What invest-able opportunities do you offer your clients? (What are the specific and quantifiable benefits?)
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
Now, every time you communicate in person, through writing, on the internet, in advertisements, on the phone, etc… articulate and re-articulate these urgent needs and compelling desires. Your potential clients will connect with you immediately. Most importantly, they’ll feel understand and they’ll be interested in learning more about the invest-able opportunities you offer.
Stayed tuned for Key #2
Copyright 2005 Michael Port & Associates LLC
Lawyers Portland Maine | Lawyers Portland Maine
Lawyers Portland Maine:
Does Maine have specific laws that govern the process of making a custody agreement? What are the laws? And, where can a divorced or separating parent find them?
Every state has individual laws and rules that guide the custody process. The custody laws of Maine are found in Title 19-A of the Maine Revised Statutes. Within this Title, parents can find the information they need to make a parenting plan and custody agreement. Here is a highlight of the more important laws that parents should know.
Title 19-A Section 1653 outlines the rights and responsibilities that parents have toward their children. This section also explains that when parents separate, they court is given authority to award those rights and responsibilities between the parents. This happens when a parenting plan becomes a custody order. The parenting plan, in order to be accepted by the court, must contain information about the allocation of the child’s primary residence (this can be given to one parent, or both parents can share the primary residence), a provision for child support, a statement of definition about how the parents will share legal responsibility, etc.
Section 1653 allows that parents who are able to agree on the parenting plan can submit it together to the court and the court will accept it. If the parents are not able to cooperate on an agreement, they will each present information to a judge and the court will determine the agreement.
Part 3 of Section 1653 explains that all custody decisions in the state of Maine must be made with the best interest of the child in mind. This includes the decision of adopting a custody agreement. The agreement must meet the needs of the child and promote the child’s welfare. Some of the other factors that the court will look at when deciding what is best for the child include: the age of the child; the relationship between the child and each parent; the child’s adjustment to home, school, and community; the stability of any proposed living situation for the child; the preference of the child; the duration of the current living situation and if it should continue; the capacity of each parent to encourage the child to develop a relationship with the other parent; the capacity of the parents to cooperate; the affect on the child if one parent has sole authority in upbringing; if the parents can resolve disputes; and if there has been any history of domestic abuse.
Vet Portland | Vet Portland
Vet Portland:
Your vet is an important partner in caring for your pets. Regular visits to the vet for checkups allow both you and your vet to spot any problems before they become serious. Sometimes, small changes that you have not notice but are serious can be very obvious to the vet. By spotting these small changes early, these changes can be eradicated before the problems become too serious to solve.
Therefore, it’s important to select a vet that you and your pet are absolutely comfortable with and always go to the same vet if possible. Below are some pointers that you can use in selecting your vet.
Recommendation from fellow pet owners
Ask a pet owning friend or neighbor for recommendations is a good way to start looking for a reliable vet. Another alternative is to ask for recommendation from your local pet shop.
Proximity of your vet
Distance from your place to your vet is important here. Most family pets tend to get distressed when they travel too far and the journey is too long. In case of an emergency, a longer distance is a serious drawback. If you do not drive, make sure your vet is accessible by public transport.
Operation hours
Select a vet that opens his clinic at least one evening per week or on Saturdays if you work during the day.
Specialist clinic
In looking for a veterinary hospital, choose one that has a particular pet only clinic like dog-only clinic or cat-only clinic. Reason for doing so is to ensure your pet will not be distress or upset by the presence of other species of pets in the reception areas.
Talk to the staff
Arrange a visit and meet up with the staff there to find out whether they are helpful and friendly. Another thing to take note is their competency level in dealing with pets. One way to find out is to ask them a few basic questions. As for the vet, make sure you and your pet are comfortable with him or her.
View the facilities
Arrange a meeting to view the facilities that the center have. Larger centers are more likely to provide more specialist services such as behavior therapy, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, internal medicine, neurology than smaller ones.
When taking your pet to the vet, carry your pet in a carrier or escape proof box with visibility. You must be prepared and able to reply to questions pose by the vet in regards to your pet’s general health and problems. If possible, bring along your pet past medical records or other relevant documentation. Collect any sample that the vet requests in a clean sealed container.
Do not ask anyone to bring your pet to the vet in your stead. As the pet owner, you are the only one that know the most about your pet’s symptoms. Unless it’s an emergency, please do not call your vet at night or over the weekend.
Your vet is an expert who should love animals and want to help. Building a three-way relationship is the key to providing the best care for your pet.
Vet Portland | Vet Portland
Vet Portland:
Your vet is an important partner in caring for your pets. Regular visits to the vet for checkups allow both you and your vet to spot any problems before they become serious. Sometimes, small changes that you have not notice but are serious can be very obvious to the vet. By spotting these small changes early, these changes can be eradicated before the problems become too serious to solve.
Therefore, it’s important to select a vet that you and your pet are absolutely comfortable with and always go to the same vet if possible. Below are some pointers that you can use in selecting your vet.
Recommendation from fellow pet owners
Ask a pet owning friend or neighbor for recommendations is a good way to start looking for a reliable vet. Another alternative is to ask for recommendation from your local pet shop.
Proximity of your vet
Distance from your place to your vet is important here. Most family pets tend to get distressed when they travel too far and the journey is too long. In case of an emergency, a longer distance is a serious drawback. If you do not drive, make sure your vet is accessible by public transport.
Operation hours
Select a vet that opens his clinic at least one evening per week or on Saturdays if you work during the day.
Specialist clinic
In looking for a veterinary hospital, choose one that has a particular pet only clinic like dog-only clinic or cat-only clinic. Reason for doing so is to ensure your pet will not be distress or upset by the presence of other species of pets in the reception areas.
Talk to the staff
Arrange a visit and meet up with the staff there to find out whether they are helpful and friendly. Another thing to take note is their competency level in dealing with pets. One way to find out is to ask them a few basic questions. As for the vet, make sure you and your pet are comfortable with him or her.
View the facilities
Arrange a meeting to view the facilities that the center have. Larger centers are more likely to provide more specialist services such as behavior therapy, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, internal medicine, neurology than smaller ones.
When taking your pet to the vet, carry your pet in a carrier or escape proof box with visibility. You must be prepared and able to reply to questions pose by the vet in regards to your pet’s general health and problems. If possible, bring along your pet past medical records or other relevant documentation. Collect any sample that the vet requests in a clean sealed container.
Do not ask anyone to bring your pet to the vet in your stead. As the pet owner, you are the only one that know the most about your pet’s symptoms. Unless it’s an emergency, please do not call your vet at night or over the weekend.
Your vet is an expert who should love animals and want to help. Building a three-way relationship is the key to providing the best care for your pet.
Portland Maine Realtors | Portland Maine Realtors
Portland Maine Realtors:
Every now and then we meet a buyer or a seller that asks us about the difference between a private sale, foreclosure, HUD home, and short sale. In this article we will review the differences.
Private Sale
These are homes that are being sold by their current owners. The owners may or may not have a mortgage. And if they do have a mortgage, they owe less than the house is worth. This allows them to sell the house to whoever they want without having to ask the bank for approval first. Once they sell the house, they pay the bank the balance of the mortgage and pocket the difference (minus closing costs).
Foreclosures
These are also known as bank owned or REO (Real Estate Owned). These are homes that the bank foreclosed on. The owners stopped making payments and after a few months the bank took the house back. Once the bank takes the house, they hire a local REALTOR to sell it. Because banks in general do not want to own homes they are usually very motivated to sell and will usually discount the property to sell it fast. This is the reason why you can get very good deals on foreclosed homes.
HUD Homes
These are homes that are owned by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These are typically homes that were foreclosed by a regular bank. When the original mortgage was an FHA mortgage the bank has the option to make an insurance claim against HUD. As you may or may not know FHA mortgages are loans insured by HUD. So instead of becoming a bank owned property, it becomes a HUD Home. HUD also does not want to own houses and sell its inventory through an online auction. To buy a HUD Home you will need to work with a REALTOR that is registered with HUD. And because HUD is very motivated to sell homes you can usually find very good deals on HUD Homes.
Short Sales
Short sales are homes where the owner owes more than the house is worth and he doesn’t want to pay the bank the difference between the sale price and what is owed. In a typical short sale, the owner is behind in payments and if he doesn’t sell the house through the short sale it will eventually be foreclosed by the bank and become a bank owned home. In a typical short sale, the bank has to approve the transaction before it can be completed. With patience you can usually also find good deals in short sales.
I hope this article helps clarify the most common types of real estate transactions. Each type requires a different set of skills and brings its own rewards and challenges.
Portland Maine Realtors Featured Realtor | Portland Maine Realtors
Welcome to Portland Maine Realtors
By , on December 8th, 2010
Portland Maine Realtor proudly presents our featured Realtor, Joseph Labonte.
Buying a home can be intimidating, even downright frustrating.
Experts on your side, standing with you from offer to closing.
Do you worry about contracts, contingency clauses, and closing documents?
Let us find you that perfect home and make sure your experience is thrilling, rather than stressful.
Contact Joe Labonte at 207.242.2783
Hello!
Yes, I realize that “Portland Maine Realtors” is an odd name for a website, but there is a reason for choosing this particular combination of words.
You see, when a homeowner is looking to sell their house or a potential homeowner is looking to buy real estate in Portland, Maine - be it a simple piece of land, a house, farm, etc. – there is a pretty good chance that you will log on to your computer and type in: Portland Maine Realtors… or maybe Realtors Portland Maine in order to find a Realtor or real estate agent in the Portland Maine area to handle your real estate needs.
And I wanted you to find my website, because unlike other sites that may pop up – I do not own my own real estate company nor am I a real estate agent.
I’m actually an impartial consumer who was once in your shoes. Although I’ve not had any bad experiences myself, I do have friends that have had a bad enough experience looking for and hiring local real estate agents. That motivated me enough to create this site to help protect you.
It was kind of my civic duty to do so!
Now, I am not going to bash any real estate outfit out there but I will make a solid recommendation of a Realtor that is highly qualified and that you can trust to take care of you. Of course, you’ll have to check back here to find out which one it might be, because I have to get their permission before hand.
In addition to this, I want to educate homeowners on how the process of selling their real estate works. I want to give you enough knowledge to confidently make wise decisions about how their homes or property should be priced, and what gives your real estate the “buy me” appeal. Or, if you are like many homeowners and scared to death of taking on this task alone, make an informed decision should you need to list your property with a Realtor or real estate agent in Portland Me to tackle the job.
So, if you are a homeowner, landowner, looking to be one, or anything in between, this site is definitely for you.
Before I got started in this epic quest to find a qualified Realtor, I really didn’t know much about the real estate business. I did not know about mortgage rates, interest rates, closing costs or even what to look for when trying to choose a house. Other than the way it looked… maybe you don’t either?
No worries! I will cover all of this at Portland Maine Realtors. We will look at the whole picture and you should have a better idea of how to purchase your dream home/property or to sell a home or property.
I’ve installed some widgets in the sidebar to the right that will show you the mortgage rates in the Portland real estate market, the interest rates for different loan terms, a closing costs calculator and an affordability calculator. Also, I’ll go over some of the things you should look for when deciding to purchase real estate and how to give your home that “buy me” curb appeal if you’re looking to sell your property.
Most importantly: this site will help you choose a Portland ME real estate agent. An agent who is honest, professional and highly qualified to take of your real estate needs.
When you have a little knowledge under your belt about the real estate business, you’ll be less apt to get ripped off and be dissatisfied with your final decision.
One word of warning… You cannot rely on an organization like the Better Business Bureau to vouch for a company.
Most people are not aware of this, but the Better Business Bureau is not any type of official governing body like their name implies. They are actually paid by the businesses they represent! Can you say conflict of interest? This little bit of info is a very eye opening fact about the BBB that you might want to check out.
It is also important that you know what organizations a Realtor should belong to – like the National Association of REALTORS a/k/a NAR or the International Real Estate Federation – American Chapter a/k/a IREF and in what areas do they hold a real estate license.
What is the owner of the company’s reputation? Or are they just a guy/gal who has run out of companies to get fired from and started his or her own business? If so, I doubt he/she is someone you’d want to handle such an important ordeal for you.
Is the home that you are seriously looking to buy up to the standard code of livability? Or, are you going to have to invest a large amount of money in repairs just to be able to live in it? I could go on and on but you get the picture. Hopefully after spending a few minutes at my site, Portland Maine Realtors, you will be able to make an informed decision on whom to hire to be your real estate agent.
Comments are closed.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Western Maine Art Group
Welcome to The Western Maine Art Group!
Our mission is to provide opportunities for artists and artisans, and to provide broad community access to original arts while partnering with others to create a prosperous cultural environment in Western Maine.
Our art gallery is open to the public and we welcome you to visit us and see our current exhibit.
Painting & Art Classes in Norway Maine
Click here to learn more about our painting and art classes
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Psychiatrists are not to be trusted — TheBloggess.com
Dearest Jenny – the most on high – light of my life,
I love you. Will you please love me back? kthanksloveyoubye.
P.S. – it’s me, Carm…the sweet ladybug from PNN – which turned out to be a rat bastard blog site full of spam who wronged you IMMENSELY, yet it’s where I met you, so I can’t complain too much. ANYWAAAAAYYYSSS, that’s pretty much it, you know…just trying to jog your memory…it probably didn’t work. Even though you love Hannah more than me, STILL…I can’t help it. Give Hailey a hug from Auntie Carm…and uh…yeah…I guess that’s it. OH! Slug Victor in the arm for me – feel free to tell him it’s from me. I’m sure he’ll know EXACTLY who I am…I just realized how totally “onlinish lamesauce” this entire comment was…except for the intro…that HAD to catch your eye, right? Bleh. Whatevs. I love you. Oh, and don’t be jealous or anything, but Hannah came out here after Christmas and she and her awesome hubby stayed at my house and I think that makes my house a Jew Haven of some sort, so I’m pretty much an honorary Jew.
None of this has anything to do with waterbeds for kitty cats, I REALIZE THAT, OKAY?? It’s just been a long time since I commented and wanted to just pop on by. So…I guess this is where you can delete my post because it’s too long and stuff. BUT I STILL LOVE YOU. SO DON’T WORRY!!!!!!!!!! I love you, I really do…you can ask ANYONE! ~ Carm
Crystal Harris, Hugh Hefner Call Off Wedding - omg! news on Yahoo!
Brian To/FilmMagicUs Magazine
They don't?
Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris have called off their wedding.
"The wedding is off," Hefner, 85, tweeted Tuesday. "Crystal has had a change of heart."
After getting engaged on Christmas Eve last year, the Playboy founder and Playmate reportedly had an argument over the weekend; according to TMZ, Harris moved out of the Playboy mansion and canceled Saturday's nuptials.
PHOTOS: Do Hugh and Crystal have the biggest age difference ever?
UPDATE: Harris' rep, Michael Blakey, "spoke to Crystal earlier this morning and she had shared the sad news with me," he tells Us Weekly. "The breakup was amicable. Crystal will now be focusing on her music career and her new single 'Club Queen,' which was released today."
Prior to Hefner's Twitter confirmation, Harris hinted: "There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth...not going all the way, and not starting."
PHOTOS: Other hot 2011 romances
It would have been the third marriage for Hefner, who four kids (ages 58, 55, 10 and 9) with his first two wives. He and Miss December 2009 Harris began dating in January 2009; he proposed with a 3 1/2 carat ring worth an estimated $90,000.
Back in April, Hefner told Us he was "excited" wed his latest love. "Everything in place," he said. "She's wonderful and she's done a really terrific job so far with all the planning. She is the one for me!"
PHOTOS: Who else broke their engagements?
The couple had planned to host 300 guests (who were instructed to donate to charities in lieu of gifts) at the Playboy Mansion on June 18 for their big day.
Get more Us! Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on Facebook, Subscribe to Us Weekly
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Advantages of Being a Sole Proprietor of a Small Business | Oxford Hills Business
The advantages of being a sole proprietor of a small business can be limited or extensive; depending on your character and personal outlook on life. Nothing is ever perfect but everything is what you make it. Some people work better with others while other people find working alone more enjoyable and profitable. There’s no question about whether it is more financially rewarding or not because it has to be ~ you don’t have to share the profits with anyone. Whatever you are able to make in profit stays in your own pocket so it has to be more profitable to be a sole proprietor.
Having said that, there is no one else to share the losses with either so if you make a mistake, you pay for it alone. There are pluses and minuses on both sides of the balance sheet but here we will examine some of the immediate benefits of being a sole proprietor of your own small business.
Number one would have to be in the profits. As a small business owner in a profitable and well-researched business venture, you have the opportunity to earn far more in profits than you would ever be able to in wages working for someone else for wages alone. This is one of the biggest driving forces for most small business owners.
Number two would have to be the concept of freedom. Before starting a small business, some proprietors have the idea that they will be freer than what they are when working for someone else. This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions people have of owning their own business. The reality is that you are tied to your business in one degree or another for many more hours than what you would ever be when working for someone else. After all, here in Australia we have laws to protect workers from working excessive amount of hours but they don’t extend to small business proprietors!
Depending on your industry of course, the chances are very high that you will be spending many hours each weekend catching up on paperwork and doing all those other ‘little’ things that you don’t get time for during the working week. These extras have to be done and the only time you can do them is when there is less call on your time to do other things.
Number three, regardless of having said the above, as a small business owner you do have the opportunity to leverage the use of staff and even if they may become a number one problem for you, if you can get the right staff many of your problems will be overcome. The problem though lies in getting the right staff. Staffing has become one of the biggest problems for many small business owners today.
However, if you are prepared to pay them their worth, you will end up with happy staff, happy customers and you will become a very happy and prosperous small business owner.
Seven Key Qualities of Successful Entrepreneurs | Mainely Marketing
A recent poll conducted by Forbes magazine shows that majority
of its readers would prefer to become a billionaire rather than
a Nobel peace prize winner, a great scientist or a famous athlete.
There is no secret that most of the average people dream about
getting rich albeit very few makes any real effort to become one.According to statistics, more than 100 thousand people become
millionaires each year in the United States alone! Overwhelming
majority out of them is self-made and owners of business. This
means, if you would like to pursue your goal of becoming rich,
you have to start your own venture.Becoming an entrepreneur is not an easy task! There are certain
qualities that are absolutely necessary if you would like to
become successful in your business ventures. Some of these
qualities are built-in parts of your inherent personality, and
some of them get developed over time. Knowing these
characteristics and identifying your weak ones – those, which
need strengthening – will, eventually, help you become a
successful entrepreneur.1. Common Sense
Studies show that most successful businessmen consider common
sense as the foundation of their success. Common sense is defined
as an ability to make sound judgments on the issues, which you
encounter in everyday situations.Good judgment depends on acquired knowledge and past experience.
The combination of these two creates necessary prerequisites in
developing common sense in a person. Common sense allows you to
understand complex issues in simpler terms and get into the core
of a problem.2. Specialized Knowledge of Your Field
It is easier to start a successful business, if you have deep
knowledge of the business field that you decide to pursue. About
half of all home-based start-ups are launched by people who decide
to use the knowledge, which they gained from their previous work
experience of a particular niche area.Philip Green, a billionaire, who made his fortune in garments
retailing, claims that corner stone of his success is his knowledge
of rag trade. He, presumably, can price a fabric simply by rubbing
it between his fingers. Just by looking at a rack of coats he can
predict which ones won’t sell next season. That’s the kind of
knowledge required in order to become successful in
entrepreneurship.Around 45 percent of all start-ups fail to survive more than two
years. One of the main reasons is many entrepreneurs do not
accumulate needed industry knowledge before jumping into business
world.3. Self-Confidence
Self confidence is a key entrepreneurial skill for success. It is
easy to become demoralized, frustrated and resentful if you lack
self-confidence.Self-confidence is concerned with how a person feels about his
ability. A successful entrepreneur believes in his abilities. He is
not scared to explore un-chartered territories, take risk and take
difficult decisions.Self-confidence, however, is not a personal trait that either you
have or you don’t. A person can have high self-confidence in one
situation and totally lack in another. This is one of those skills
that can be developed by training.4. Ability to Get Things Done
Successful entrepreneurs are persistent and hardworking. They
master self-discipline to such extent that if a work is important
and related to their goals, they will, eventually, complete it.Getting things done is the vital link between motivations and their
outcome. At times, entrepreneurs force themselves to choose work
over fun, a boring job against a pleasant one, working on tax
papers rather than reading a glamour magazine. This requires a
self-control that many people simply fail to develop in them.5. Creativity
Creativity is the ability to use your insights and come up with
new solutions to old problems, get things done in a different way
or find a totally different approach for conventional things to
work together. Entrepreneurs need creative thinking ability
virtually in everything. Each new product, each new marketing
method, each business decision – all these are fertile ground
for creative thinking.Often, entrepreneurs become immensely successful thanks to one
single creative idea!6. Ability to Lead
Successful entrepreneurs are capable of leading people and get
work done by them. They use a combination of various methods -
effective motivation, planning, coaching and evaluation – to
lead people. They are concerned about the wellbeing of others
and easily get along with people.7. Self Reliance
Successful entrepreneurs try to take full responsibility for
their actions. They know that what they are today, and what
they are going to be tomorrow, depend solely on themselves,
as it is the outcome of their own choices and decisions.
They are proactive people, who set goals, walk an extra mile
to achieve them and rely, primarily, on their own resources
and abilities.If you would like to check out if your personality fits the
typical entrepreneurial profile, the following site has
questionnaire that will help you asses your entrepreneurial
skills:http://www.rateyourself.com/subject.cfm/Subject_ID/2
If, even, you have all these great qualities and you feel
quite confident about yourself, you will never know how good
an entrepreneur you are, unless you give it a try! So, the
best way to prove your abilities, is to jump start a new
venture!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Iranian women’s soccer team forfeits 2012 qualifier over head scarves - Fourth-Place Medal - Olympics Blog - Yahoo! Sports
The Iranian women's soccer team was in tears after being forced to forfeit a 2012 London Olympics qualifying match this past weekend because it showed up to play in hajibs. FIFA banned the Islamic head scarf in 2007, saying that it could cause choking injuries -- the same reason it gave for recently banning snoods (neck warmers). FIFA also has strict rules against any religious statements in team uniforms.
Since Iran refused to comply with these rules and didn't use the specially designed caps that its 2010 Youth Olympics team wore, Friday's match was abandoned by officials and a 3-0 win was awarded to Jordan as a result. The Football Federation of Iran said it will complain to FIFA about the ruling, but FIFA says assurances were made beforehand so that this situation would've been avoided. From the AP:
"Despite initial assurances that the Iranian delegation understood this, the players came out wearing the hijab, and the head and neck totally covered, which was an infringement of the laws of the game," FIFA said in a statement. [...]
Jordan team officials also objected to the hijab rule before the game, but prepared to play by declining to select women who objected on religious grounds.
"The Iranian team and three Jordanian players were also banned from playing because they wore the traditional head cover," Rana Husseini, head of Jordan's women's football committee, told The Associated Press.
"The problem is that the head cover assigned and approved by FIFA for women players to wear does not suit them as it reveals part of the neck and this is not allowed and it is not acceptable," she said.
Iran also forfeited a second group match against Vietnam on Sunday, seriously damaging its chances of advancing to the London Olympics. It seems unlikely that its federation's complaints will help its case, though, since these rules are not new and compromises have been made in the past. It's just a shame these women were put in the middle of this debate between Iran's federation and FIFA and set up for disappointment.
Photo: Reuters
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Monday, June 6, 2011
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The haunted dollhouse, revisited | Good Mom / Bad Mom | a Chron.com blog
Good Mom / Bad Mom
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The haunted dollhouse, revisited
By Jenny (blogggess & mom of a 6 year old)
If you’re a long-time reader then you know that over the last 10 years I’ve been building a miniature homage to all my favorite horror and fantasy stories. It’s in the form of a dollhouse that I built myself and is filled with hundreds and hundreds of pieces that I’ve bought or made, and one of my favorite things to do is to have people come over and see how many allusions they could recognize. (32 is the current standing record.) A few years ago I had to put away the dollhouse and pack all of the furniture up in boxes because between Hailey’s curious hands and the cat’s insatiable urge to pull down all the bats from the attic it just wasn’t safe for anyone. So it’s stood, empty and abandoned, for years. Until this morning, that is, when I got my Mother’s Day gifts of:
1) an impromptu harmonica wake-up call at 6am.
2) a handmade card with a kissing robot on it.
3) a plexiglass display case made just for my dollhouse.
Best Mother’s Day ever.
PS. Hailey and I have spent all morning going through the boxes of tiny crucifixes and vampire hunting kits and poisoned apples and mischievous brownies and Egyptian mummies I’m not even remotely close to being finished because every time I pull out a piece I have to explain why Death wears a tophat, or how phoenix tears can save you from death. It’s a long (and absolutely wonderful) process. I’ll have pictures of the insides in a few weeks. But until then?
Click to embiggen.
Happy Mother’s Day, y’all.
Latest Posts:
- After Easter 5/5/11
- Pat the Zombie 5/6/11
- The haunted dollhouse, revisited 5/8/11
- She’s so my daughter 5/15/11
- The last day 5/27/11
8 Responses to The haunted dollhouse, revisited
That’s awesome. I’d love to see that doll house. Bet I could beat 32 allusions. LOL
That is way cool! You’ll have to take some close-up shots and share all the little nooks and crannies. What is a cranny anyway? A transvestite cranberry? This are the things I wish I knew.
Happy Mother’s Day! Hailey is a super lucky girl.
It fits the empty Christmas tree Space!!! Hazaa! Cant wait to see the inside pictures!!!
It’s the perfect replacement for the missing walk-in living room freezer and Christmas tree!
I’ve seen your dollhouse and it should be in a museum…so being in a plexiglass case is perfect. Happy Mother’s Day my friend.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Video of Bradley Cooper Speaking Fluent French Causes Women of the Internet to Swoon - Yahoo! TV Blog
Video of Bradley Cooper Speaking Fluent French Causes Women of the Internet to Swoon
By Lindsay Robertson, The Set | Thursday, June 2, 2011, 11:27 AM
Yesterday afternoon, a clip started making the rounds of Bradley Cooper promoting "The Hangover Part II," which is called (apparently, in English, which is the strangest part about it), "Very Bad Trip 2" in France, in an interview on French TV. Thing was, he he didn't just do the interview in French, but in what appears to be fluent French, and for some reason this made a lot of ladies (and possibly also gay men) like him even more than they already did.
"Why Is This Video of Bradley Cooper Speaking French Kind of Turning Us On?" asked Jezebel. "This Might Be Bradley Cooper's Sexiest Interview Yet," noted the Today Show's blog. And almost everyone mentioning it on Twitter is saying something about it being "sexy" or making them "swoon." (Literally: Go check for yourself!)
In case you missed it, here it is. I don't know why it's sexy (the novelty? The fact that Bradley Cooper has, even with his creator-endowed hotness, found the time to teach himself another language, and a Romance one at that?), but it is:
The Western Maine Art Group
Founded by the WMAG in 1967, The Norway Art Festival is now a collaborative effort with Norway Downtown which features the annual sidewalk fine arts show embellished by performances of dance, music, poetry and performance art.
In 2008, the Western Maine Art Group hosted over 120 artists, awarded $5,725 in cash prizes and attracted more than 5,000 people.
FMI or to register to exhibit in the 2011 Norway Arts Festival, July 9, 2011, click here.