Advertising Network Marketing

Advertising is essential for any business to succeed. This is also true for a network marketing business. Have you run out of leads for your personal business? Have all your friends, family and co-workers finished looking at your advertising? Are you tired of wasting money on pamphlets, magazines, business cards and other advertising methods such as expensive advertising in newspapers and mail?

In network marketing it is about reaching large numbers of people since only 1 to 3 % will join your downline. To reach a large number of people this way of advertising becomes very expensive. By the way, not many people read newspapers anymore. Newspapers are closing all the time or they are not printing a paper anymore but they are charging a fee to read it on the internet.

There are literally thousands of people looking for what you have available by using different tools on the internet. You have a way to increase advertising their network marketing business. All business owners know that an effective advertising method is the key to success. That is why companies spend a lot of money advertising on television, the radio, flyers mailed, and by making phone calls. Without advertising businesses fail. Whether it is a business with a store front, an internet based business, a health care business, or a construction business, they will fail without advertising.

After many years of minimal success in network marketing businesses many network marketers are finding these features offered on the internet to increase advertising results in their business beyond their wildest imaginations.

The largest audience to advertise to is on the internet and there are many new ways to expand advertising and automatically build relationships with those who are looking at network marketing. Some of these advertising tools available are: banners, personal websites, capture pages, blogs, email and autoresponders. You have the power of the internet at your finger tips to grow leads by using these advertising techniques.

These advertising tolls are very self explanatory. They provide easy to follow simple steps to create these advertisements for your business that will work for you while you sleep. The internet never sleeps so neither do your advertising tools you set up for your personal business. The autoresponder will send emails to your leads automatically when they hit your link on your capture page or blog.

Theses are wonderful new features found on the internet for any business to use to increase their productivity. They will work while you sleep building your network marketing business. Check it out.

Life Success Learning to Create Positive Habitual Behavior & Overcoming Negativity

The first and sometimes most important success habit that must be formed is one of positive thinking. Dwell on the positive exit that's desired and avoid thinking about anything that's not wanted. Nothing will ensure failure faster than the very thought that the failure will occur. People say that it's absolutely normal for negativity to creep into our thoughts. Be that as it may, any negative thought has to be banished immediately and replaced with a positive one. This simple, yet effective technique, practiced regularly can help you move towards success like nothing else.

Forget about the past, it's gone and there's no going back. Regardless of what's happened before, today is a new day. Holding onto the past ensures that you'll stay right where you are in life. Letting go of past failures allows you to see the potential for future success and to move towards it. Realize that any past failures, real or imagined, were purely lessons that you thought to this moment in time. Appreciate the education you received and bravely move towards success with the knowledge you've gained.

Overcome the desire to put things off until another time. For most people that procrastinate, another time never comes. Things pile up over time and there's no way to catch up, adding to frustrations and even more procrastination. Whether it's taking out the trash or calling a client, get to it right away. Only by getting straight to work and finishing tasks can success really be accomplished. Practice this non-procrastinating lifestyle and you'll soon find not only that things are being accomplished, but that you have time left at the end of the day too.

Another important aspect of success is the ability to manage time. It can be very easy to lose track of time and difficult to get back on track. Keep track of everything you do during an average day and how much time it took to do it. Go through an entire week of this. Now evaluate and see what should be adjusted or eliminated for optimal time management. Continue to develop a schedule that allows maximum time for every activity. Include all your business and personal time in this and you'll soon find a workable and even profitable schedule for yourself.

Develop the confidence to go forth and conquer. Knowing a thing can be done and believing you can do it are two entirely different things. It's vital to your success and the success of all of your endeavors that you are confident in your self. Confidence shows through everything you do and it affects your ultimate success more than you think. Carry yourself importantly, speak with authority, be secure with yourself and walk tall. Believe in yourself and your ideas and present them with passion. Do these things and others will recognize your confidence and want to be associated with you.

Success is not a matter of predestination, it depends upon the will of the seeker. With the will to succeed, it's possible to do anything you desire. It really is as simple as that, despite the general tendency to believe otherwise. Over and over again, success stories appear that portrait down and out individuals that executed their own free will to rise above. Exert your will over the situations in your life, change them to suit you and your goals and success will follow.

What is success? Is it money, power, health or spirituality? Success means different things to different people. For some, success can only be seen in the form of financial gain and power. For others, success means a happy, healthy family with only the basics of life. Regardless of how it's defined, success is possible with the proper application of some basic habits and the development of key character traits.

The Five Components of a Business Strategy

Can you define exactly what makes up a business strategy? Some people say no, but we think you can.

In fact, we believe a valid business strategy has five components:

1. Your company's current or desired core competencies
2. A description of how you will differentiate vs. competitors
3. The industry or industries in which you intend to compete
4. The initiatives you plan to implement in the areas of marketing, operations, information technology, finance and organizational development
5. A financial forecast that shows how your plans will meet stakeholder requirements over the next 3 to 5 years

Let's look at each of these components .

The first component of a valid business strategy is a clear description of your company's current or desired core competencies.

You may be thinking, "Great, but what's a 'core competency?"' While there are many definitions, here's a good one from Wikipedia:

" ACore competency is something that a firm can do well and that meets the following three conditions:

• It provides consumer benefits
• It is not easy for competitors to imitate
• It can be leveraged widely to many products and markets.

A core competency can take various forms, including technical / subject matter know how, a reliable process, and / or close relationships with customers and suppliers. It may also include product development or culture, such as employee dedication. "

For example, we could say that Southwest Airlines is a reliable airline that offers low fares. But in order to provide those benefits, it has to have certain "core competencies," important capabilities that enable it to have low fares and to be reliable. We believe that Southwest Airlines has four core competencies that it executes so well that it regularly beats all other US airlines in terms of profitability.

These core competencies are:

• The lowest operating costs per plane
• An economic point-to-point airport network
• A fanatical culture focused on customer service and cost savings
• An ability to keep planes in the air more of the time than its competitors.

Southwest airlines could not offer the benefits of low prices and reliable service if it did not master these core competencies. What key benefits do you want to offer your customers? What core competencies do you need to master to provide them?

The second component of a valid business strategy is a description of how you differentiate vs. competitors.

In our experience, differentiation is about being the best at something. This should be encapsulated in your mission statement - what are your company's aspirations and how are you going to beat the competition? We just talked about how Southwest Airlines differentiates - what are you going to offer customers that will make them choose your products or services so that you can grow your business?

It takes a lot of hard work to come up with a great answer to this question and even more work to make that difference real. It's easy for us to say that Southwest is the best low-cost airline in the US, but it's extraordinarily difficult for them to pull it off.

The third component of a valid business strategy is a description of the industry or industries in which you intend to compete.

You need to be able to define just what kind of company you are - are you a furniture manufacturer? A gift card retailer? A consulting firm, a bearings distributor, a toy importer, etc.? This step sounds easy but we find that companies are often so concerned about getting too narrow in their focus that they fail to become really clear about what they want to do. A company with a good business strategy will have thought through these issues and made the hard decisions necessary to clarify its identity. If it has, it can easily pass the litmus test of identifying the industry or industries in which it operates.

The fourth component of a business strategy is the set of initiatives you plan to implement in the areas of marketing, operations, information technology, finance and organizational development.

These are the plans that guide your company's focus and resource allocation over the next several years. If your business strategy is specific enough to be relevant, you will have detailed plans in all of these areas.

The fifth component of a business strategy is a financial plan that forecasts the results you expect to get from your plans and illustrates how they will meet stakeholder requirements over the next 3 to 5 years.

Your strategic planning process can not be separated from your annual budget process. In the vast majority of companies, if it's not in the budget, it does not exist. That's why you have to have a very senior financial person on your strategic planning team, preferably the CFO. During the planning process, your team must agree a financial plan that estimates the results of implementing your strategy. This plan needs to earn the approval of your company's management and board and should be reviewed on a regular basis to track results and make refinements.

So - those are the five components of a valid business strategy. Good luck planning your success. And succeeding because you plan.

Interview With a Network Marketing Master

Christopher Terry. By day, stocks trader. By night, network marketing genius. Because of his second "night" job, Terry will be resigning from his primary day job. The really amazing part of that is he will have done this within 5 short months of joining his network marketing company.

Within the network marketing company itself, Terry is a leader and a mentor. He does not abandon his downline members. He keeps us informed of company events and policies on an almost daily basis. He lets us know he is here to support us; as long as we are willing to do the work, he will do anything within his power to help us succeed. He is a network marketer's dream upline sponsor.

How did he do it? What is his secret? I sat down with him to find out and share with you his ideas for success.

Denise: Thank you for granting me this interview, Chris.

Christopher: Thank you, Denise!

D: How long have you been working at your career as a stocks trader?

C: I have been a Stock and Futures trader since the mid 1990's. I owned a construction business prior to that. I wanted to be able work and make money from home. Although I started trading in 1995, it was not until 1998 when I was able to walk away from my construction business and trade full time.

D: How successful were you at doing that?

C: I have done very well. I find it fascinating that I can create wealth from home. I love the fact that a person can take a relatively small amount of money and create a growing stream of income; however, it's all based on your own efforts. For example, in my business if I don't trade, I do not earn income. Also, trading takes years of dedication, time and effort to become successful; in other words, there is no such thing as an overnight success.

D: I understand you became a leader and motivational speaker in your industry. Share with me how you rose to that level.

C: I was actually in Amway for several years in the 1990s. I was fortunate to hit levels of success here in the United States in that company. I then went overseas as Amway opened up new markets, which gave me the opportunity to have an international business. I owe my "positive thinking" to that network marketing experience, since the leaders in Amway always recommended we read positive thinking books and listen to positive thinking tapes. At the time many considered it "brain washing." Today it is called "Laws of Attraction." So, l was into positive thinking and Laws of Attraction before it was a cool thing to do. That time period in my life gave me the foundation to grow both mentally and financially. I started a business outside of Amway, and then I went into the trading business.

D: What qualities do you see within you that helped you achieve success in your trading career?

C: I would have to say vision and foresight. I look at the future of what things can be, not as they are, and then I take action. I have always taken action, I am not afraid of whether that action turns out right or wrong. The worst thing to do is to have an idea and a plan but never actually do anything to put that plan into action. It is better to do something and fail than to never have done anything at all. I have always had a drive for success once I realized I have the power and the ability to become whomever and whatever I want. There is a four-letter word to success, and its spelled W-O-R-K; the reality is anything worthwhile takes work, trading and network marketing included!

D: Do you think those same qualities helped you build your network marketing business?

C: Those, and also reading positive thinking books and books on success, as well as overcoming my fear to speak to people. I was very shy growing up, so I learned to say "Hi" and start a conversation, to truly become interested in other people and what they had to say. I also am not afraid to work; if I had to dig ditches for a living, I would be the best ditch digger I could possibly be. I believe once you get your mindset right and you learn to ask the right questions, the game is 90% won, and success will be yours.

D: Tell me how you got involved in network marketing.

C: Interesting story! I was dating a girl and she was bragging about how her boss was making $5,000 a month in some business and that I should talk to him, so I did. He signed me up, and then my girlfriend, the very one who told me to speak to him, wanted me to quit because it was Amway! I told my sponsor that I had some problems and I had to quit. He told me, "Get rid of the problems." So, I broke up with my girlfriend and built Amway, and as you already know, I became very successful in that business!

D: Were you familiar with network marketing before that?

C: No, I was not.

D: What were your thoughts and, perhaps, preconceived notions, about network marketing in general, prior to joining your first network marketing company?

C: I had no idea what it was, all I knew was I had to bring people in the business with me, sell some products and I would get rich. Unfortunately, though, it does not work that way!

D: Could you elaborate on that idea? Most of us are brought into this industry with that same notion, and we all eventually experience the same rude awakening that you just described, that it is not as easy as they make it sound. So please, for the people reading this who are not yet in network marketing and are considering it, as well as for those who have started and perhaps are failing, explain what you mean.

C: Well, of course you do not just get in and get rich, this is the most common misconception about network marketing. There are people who enter the business and think everybody they know will get in with them. Then there are people who come in saying they have this "one guy that if he gets in, he will make us all rich, he knows everybody!" and it is the furthest thing from the truth. This business is a numbers game. To be successful, you must expose people to the business every single day, to be consistently meeting new people and telling others about our dynamic opportunity. The more people you come in contact with, the more likely you will find people who want to become a part of your team and earn an income with you. This is true from day one; even though you may have a list of 100 or 500 people that you know, you still want to always be in the creative mode and working what I like to call the ABC's - Always Be Contacting. You do not know where the next million dollar earner will come from.

The hardest thing for me is I cannot take the feelings inside my heart and mind that motivate me and give them to someone else, although I wish I could. The truth is, everybody has to find their own will, desire, and hunger to succeed; without them, they will end up like the rest, having some success, but not truly creating wealth. We all know or have heard the hard, cold fact that 98% of the people in this great country are broke and do not have a backup plan; if they lose their job or business, they will be 90-120 days away from poverty. People can blame it on the government, but the responsibility ultimately falls on each one of us. We should be proactive when we do not actually need to be and start our own home based businesses, which will get us out of that 98% and into the 2% income earners.

One final thought on this topic: I think the reason most people fail in the network marketing industry is that they treat it like a job and not like their own business. When you act as if it is just another job, you do the least amount of work possible for whatever pay you can get. These people want to work very few hours and get rich right away. Unfortunately, this does not happen in network marketing. Those who invest their time and effort into growing the business, even if there is no income at first, can see the vision of the future. At the beginning they will work 20 hours a day for zero pay, because they see that putting in 20 hours will pay the equivalent of 2,000 hours' worth of work one day, and eventually zero hours will pay 10,000 hours. Fortunately, in our business the compensation for our work is amazing, but if you do not expand with people, you will not take advantage of the true income potential of network marketing.

D: Thorough and well said. I would like to add that when you said one should always be in the creative mode, in addition to working the ABC's, I think the creativity part should apply to marketing your business. Be creative in your marketing efforts. Think outside of the box and create many different marketing campaigns. Utilize technology and the internet. The more you put yourself out there, the more you achieve exactly what you are saying, Chris, which is maximum exposure of the business to as many people as possible so you can increase your odds of signing up significant numbers new members into your downline. I do this on a daily basis myself, and I also make it a point to talk to people every day to make new contacts, as you have recommended.

Getting back to my questions, what were your first thoughts when you were introduced to the specific business we are in together?

C: I was actively looking for an online business to get into. I was not looking for network marketing/multi-level marketing, I was searching for an online business that was cutting edge and in which I could earn a residual income. When I saw this business it was in a cutting edge industry, doing business in 170 countries, it offered a strong income opportunity without having to sponsor people, yet by sponsoring people, it offered the ability to create wealth and long term residual income. They say to be successful you need a product that people want, need and can afford, that will be used over and over and is desired in the market place. I found it!

D: As we already know, this is not the only network marketing business you have ever been involved in. Were there any others besides Amway and ours?

C: I looked at a few others along the way, but I did not join any.

D: Why not?

C: Well, I am a high income earner in the trading world, both as a trader and an educator. I have been doing this for 17 years, and nothing really struck me as good enough for me to give it my full attention. I have seen MANY companies, products and services. When I saw the opportunity in the industry you and I are in together, I saw an industry that was young, dynamic, and that people loved. It has a place in the market because it meets people's desires to find a bargain and/or make a deal. Also, it is VERY profitable, so I wanted to be a part of it. I got in first, and then I learned about it as I grew with it. I have not looked back. I have built an incredible team that's growing in leaps and bounds. You are a part of that team, Denise, an amazing student and downline member.

D: Thank you, Chris! How do the other network marketing companies you've analyzed compare to the one you and I are in together?

C: They cannot compare.

D: Besides what you have already stated about our company when you actually found it, what made you think that this was the company to join?

C: I have no products to carry around, no juices or vitamins to purchase or sell, I did not have to sneak up on my family and friends, and I do not have to sell expensive products that I can buy in the store cheaper. We get paid to advertise. Period.

D: Now, I would like to share with our reading audience your own personal tips for network marketing success. Please tell me, what works for you?

C: Relationships are everything; your network is your net worth. I am always in the creative process and always opening doors to new people, saying hello and breaking the ice to get a conversation going. In network marketing, our job is to leverage time and money; without people on your team it becomes impossible. I would suggest genuinely becoming interested in others, going to events, whether it is a show or a business event, or any gathering where good quality people who you may want to work with will attend. I also suggest speaking to people who you would not normally speak to and might even make you feel a little uncomfortable; those are often your best prospects. We tend to feel heroic because we got the number of the drive-through window guy at Mc Donalds; meanwhile, we get false impressions of success when we see somebody dressed in a nice suit and tie and just assume they are already successful, so we say nothing to them because we think they've got it all already and don't need a change in their lives. Both of these people may be your best prospect, or your worst, but you will never know unless you open up the door and say something to break the ice. With the "successful business man" (or so we assume) who we are often afraid to approach, you can start with something as simple as, "Hey, nice tie, where did you get it?" Then see where the conversation leads.

D: Is there anything that you've done that didn't work so well?

C: Yes. As I've mentioned before, it takes years to become an "overnight success." I have made, will make, and will continue to make mistakes. It is okay to fail; the more you fail the closer you will get to winning. Becoming immune to failing is the key to success. You may wonder why I say this. Well, if you have somebody who is not used to failing and thinks failing is bad, then when he/she hears "No" enough times, it damages his/her confidence, and that person is afraid to keep trying. However, if you are not afraid to fail, you will not let those "No's" stop you. Instead, you will become more motivated to find the people who will say "YES" to your opportunity or presentation. Become a failure to become a success. This goes for ANY business!

D: What is the ONE business building idea you can share that you think is the MAIN reason you are where you are today, about to retire from trading, and about to embark on some major journeys in life, both literally and figuratively?

C: First, let me clarify something very important. The word "retire" is loosely used in the network marketing industry. I have been trading for 17 years and it is time for me to take a break. Do I think I will stay out of it for long period of time? No, it has always has been and will always be a passion of mine. I have built my name and reputation as a trader and educator, so I will most definitely return to the industry; however, I welcome a break in the action right now.

I love to help and give to others, so this is my current mission. There is nothing better than creating a profit in network marketing and helping others create wealth in the same fashion. Then, bringing my profession back into the mix, profiting on those profits as a trader too is a home run! However, I really do have the freedom to either work or not work; that is how large the income that I have created in our network marketing business is already. The MAIN reason I am where I am today is I will do whatever it takes; I will work 100 hours in a 24 hour day until I make it. As I said earlier, the main ingredient for me is that four-letter curse word, W O R K... and I have a LOW "IQ" ("I QUIT") level!

D: Lastly, you are extremely jazzed about the network marketing company we are in together. What are the defining qualities of this company that makes it so good? Based on that, what should people look for in their own network marketing company or when deciding to actually join one?

C: Well, it seems lately I am sleeping no more than 3 hours per night! The energy of the team, of the company, and of the industry has taken the world by storm, and this keeps me "jazzed" as you say! I believe I had already mentioned earlier the reasons why I like our company, because there are no products to lug around and there is no trying to sell to friends and family a product or service they do not want. I have been approached by other network marketing companies that involve selling legal insurance, utility companies, juice companies, vitamin companies, weight loss companies, you name it! I have found that ours is so simple; our work is to advertise and it takes no more than two minutes per day. I am from the Amway world. I got my PhD in network marketing. In my opinion, the most ideal situation is the one that does not require a person to sponsor people to become successful, yet offers the opportunity to earn larger income because you do sponsor, train, and motivate others, and once you help them earn income, you earn additional bonuses. I come from a world where, when you help enough people get what you want, you in turn will get what you want. Everybody has their own version of what is best for them. Some may like a particular industry. My advice? Do your due diligence, figure out what you are passionate about, and run with it. That's all.

I want to thank Mr. Terry for taking the time to answer these questions so thoughtfully and thoroughly.

On a side note, Christopher Terry is one of the most benevolent and philanthropic men I've ever met, and he does it without creating great publicity or accolades for his generosity. He believes very strongly in the idea that "it is in giving that you shall receive." I am honored to know him and very glad we have gone into business together.

So there you have it. Christopher Terry's story and his tips for helping you create success in your own network marketing company. If you want have any questions or want to learn more, please email me at denise@bettermlmsuccess.com.

Leather Repair - How To Repair Torn Leather Seat

There are so many different types of automatic leather seat repair, all with different situations and applications. There are holes, scratches, gouges, cuts, scrapes, worn or cracked, and just down right grungy looking leather seats. I think I got them all covered, well in this article we're going to talk about how to repair a small hole in a leather seat lean back, for those of you who do not know what a lean back is well it's the upper part of the seat.

Now when I say small this can apply for a tear up to 1 1/2 "to 2", probably might go a little bigger, but lets not push it, if it needs to go to the upholstery shop for an insert then that would be better then a crappy looking leather repair on something that probably would not hold anyways. When in doubt, insert it.

Prepping a seat is the key to success in any leather repair, and a lasting leather dye job. So, prep the whole lean back, and while at your it just clean the whole seat, why not, but you do not have to, with your prepping solution removing all grease, dirt, and grime. You need a clean surface and a well prepped area to work with. When I prep, I use a solution of rubbing alcohol, acetone, ammonia, and a small amount of TSP substitute, with water in a spray bottle. Spray the seat with the solution and scrub with a scotch brite pad to scuff the leather seat for leather dye adhesion and remove any grime that's on the seat, then wipe clean with a clean lint free towel. Once your clean, apply a grip base primer to the seat, I usually in most cases will dye the entire lean back when I do a repair or the entire seat, but sometimes it's not necessary, so you may not need to prime the whole seat , but do clean the seat good this cuts down on the amount of leather dye used and the ending result will be a premium leather repair.

Now to the hole. Lets say it's in a V shape, just for example. Like where you've gott'n out of the seat with something in your back pocket, ouch! I know the feeling, back in college I had a 1986 Mustang SVO, very rare and nice car (I miss that car) and I got out to go to class with a pen in my back pocket and ripped about a 2 "V shape in the seat, I about puked right there, and of course at the time I did not know anything about leather repair.

Sand the area around the tear with a 240 grit wallpaper, this gives a little more for the low heat compound to grip to. Take a piece of underpatch material and slide the under patch under the tear with a pair of tweezers, allowing about a 1/2 "on the inside all the way around. easier to slide under. You can use different types of under patches, I like the kind that is covered on one side with a heat activated glue.

Now take a drop of leather glue and spread a thin coat on the patch on the underside of the leather repair area. If the leather will lay down smoothly and match up then great, but sometimes it just will not. In this case we will use combo of the glue and your low cure leather repair compound and smooth a small amount over the patch then lay the leather down. Spread a small amount of low heat compound over the area and smooth it out with your pallet knife, remembering to keeping your area as small as possible, the smaller the better. Now heat the area with your heat gun, hold the heat gun out away from the leather repair and slowly move it into the repair area, this will give you just a little more control of the heat, you do not want to burn and shrink the leather. The idea is to cure the compound and get it to adhere before you cook the leather, it's a skill thing, practice makes perfect. Once the compound is cured immediately press the grain pad in your palm onto the repair, do not press to hard, but firm.

At this time using a wet paper towel apply a small amount of grip base to the repair area and dye with your color matched water based leather dye. Dry thin coats of dye, not wet. Then reapply and smooth out another thin coat of compound. Heat again and grain then dye, get the idea, what you are doing is building the repair up. Thin coats of compound applied and cured then reapplied, are much better then one thick coat. Once you have it built up and looking nice, blend the repair into the rest of the seat if needed, by applying thin coats of leather dye to finish it off. Drying between coats of dye with a hairdryer, and one great tip is rubbing the leather dye with your hands to force the dye into the creases of the leather helps a ton, do not be afraid to get your hands dirty. I say that but I'm allergic to rubber gloves, it bites, so I come home every day with dye all over my hands, it's a pain, but I love the work and the job looks better with a little bit of love rubbed on those leather seat repairs. After the dye is cured, apply a top coat of satin or dull leather clear top coat mixed with a bit of slip additive added for the soft feel. Dry the seat thoroughly, then apply your leather conditioner to finish and give the seat the juice it needs and a great feel and look for you.

Now there are so many other variations to this fix, sometimes I will have to use an air dry leather repair compound over the top of the low heat compound to smooth out the leather repair. Sanding it with a 400 grit wallpaper until it looks right. You can also turn your air down on your paint gun until little droplets are coming out to give it a textured look, drying between coats. Texture coatings, can be used, but if you do it right the gun effect works great. When I do a leather repair I will not give up until it looks perfect. Patience is a value, right. Do not get in a hurry, this will only frustrate you more and then you really got issues.

Leather repair is a craft and profession. The dyes and compounds I use are top quality and are made to last. Giving you a lasting leather seat repair, and comfort knowing you have a leather repair that will last and look great for years to come.

I hope this was some help to you, in the coming months there will be more articles like this one but on different situations on leather repair, liked I talked about in the first. There are so many different ways that a leather seat can be damaged, we spend a lot of time in our cars and well "sh $$ happens", right. So check back to see my next article on automatic leather seat repairs. If you have anything you would like to ask feel free to shoot me some comments on Leather Repair - How To Repair Torn Leather Seat.

Flow Experience - A Key To Happiness

What is flow experience?

Flow experience is a concept defined by Csikszentmihalyi to describe those moments when you are completely and collectively absorbed in an activity. As such, everything else is forgotten. You have total concentration and nothing else matters. You are no longer aware of what is going on around you. The rest of the world is forgotten.

When you are in a flow experience, your focus is so complete that you forget about sleeping and eating. You are not even aware of yourself; you are immersed in the activity you are engaged in.

Sincemore, since you are so engrossed in the activity, your experience of time changes. You are so absorbed that the past and future are forgotten. Time absolutely flies by, although you are not aware of this at the time. It is only when you come out of the activity that you notice how much time has passed.

You can have a flow experience with any activity that is mindful and requires you to actively participate in it. As such, good conversation, reading a novel, playing sport, working on your hobby, letter writing, gardening, even cleaning the house are examples where you can experience flow. Passive activities such as watching television and sport are not conducive to a flow experience. You will probably know when you have had a flow experience as you will get that feel-good buzz afterwards of having engaged in something engrossing.

Whilst you are engaged in your activity, you will feel completely in control and are not worried about success or failure. The activity fees effortless but engaging. To the objective observer the activity may look risky and demanding (for example, surfing), but not to you, the participant.

We all possess the ability to engage in flow experiences and the more we have, the happier we are.

Why is it important?

• Flow enables you to focus and have total control and concentration during a particular experience.
• Understanding flow enables you to focus your attention at will, rather than waiting for something to come and grab your attention.
• Your skills are being used at their very best - you are giving your all.
• It can help you achieve your goals, since you are free from intrusive thoughts and events.
• It will enhance your well-being and happiness.
• Understanding flow can help you understand why you are procrastinating on a particular issue. Have a look at the conditions needed for a flow experience and reflect on them in terms of the task you are struggling to stay.

The three conditions to a flow experience

Csikszentmihalyi stipulates three conditions that must be met in order to have a flow experience:

1. Your chosen activity should have a clearly defined set of goals. This will help you focus your energy and give you direction.
2. You want a good balance between your perceived skills and perceived challenges. The important point here is 'perceived' rather than actual. It is a mind-state. If you believe your skills far surpass the challenge, you will become bored as it will be too easy for you. Whereas, if you perceive the challenge as being too hard for you, you will become frustrated.
3. Feedback is essential. It will enable you to modify your actions if necessary, to keep you in the flow. The feedback can be negative as well as positive. It can enable you to move on and progress (providing you have the skills to do so).
How to have more flow experiences Flow can occur with any activity, provided it is mindful. What is important is how the activity is carried out. Take a look at the following tips to help you towards engaging in regular flow experiences:

• Avoid multi-tasking. Trying to do two (or more) things at once is no way to achieve flow. It is not possible to give your all to two tasks at the same time. This will reduce your enjoyment and quite possibly the outcome may be compromised. Try to cut down on multi-tasking even for the most everyday chores.
• Try not to check your email every five minutes if you are working on a computer. Choose a time to read it and give it your full attention.
• Limit your distractions. Is there anything in your environment that is preventing you from achieving flow? Temperature, noise, layout, objects, other people, level of light can make a difference.
• Determine your goals and break them down into achievable chunks. Make sure these chunks are adequately challenging to keep your interest.
• Try new activities and develop new skills. The more your skills develop, the more pleasure you will receive. You may experience boredom or frustration early on. So take care to monitor your progress to check the activity is interesting enough and within your capability. Modify your goals if you need to.
• To keep experiencing flow with a particular activity you will need to increase the challenge - one that you believe you can meet. As your skills develop, the activity can become boring as it no longer requires as much attention. A new challenge will not only up your interest but enhance your expertise.
• How is your job? You spend a great chunk of your life in work, so you really want to obtain as many flow experiences as possible. If you are feeling bored, is there anything you can do to make it more challenging?
• Try to obtain regular feedback on what you are doing. It could be from yourself or another person.
• Avoid mindless activities which you do not actively get involved in - for example, watching television.

Read more

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1991) Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience.

What Cryptocurrencies Are Good to Invest in?

This year the value of Bitcoin has soared, even past one gold-ounce. There are also new cryptocurrencies on the market, which is even more surprising which brings cryptocoins' worth up to more than one hundred billion. On the other hand, the longer term cryptocurrency-outlook is somewhat of a blur. There are squabbles of lack of progress among its core developers which make it less alluring as a long term investment and as a system of payment.

Bitcoin

Still the most popular, Bitcoin is the cryptocurrency that started all of it. It is currently the biggest market cap at around $41 billion and has been around for the past 8 years. Around the world, Bitcoin has been widely used and so far there is no easy to exploit weakness in the method it works. Both as a payment system and as a stored value, Bitcoin enables users to easily receive and send bitcoins. The concept of the blockchain is the basis in which Bitcoin is based. It is necessary to understand the blockchain concept to get a sense of what the cryptocurrencies are all about.

To put it simply, blockchain is a database distribution that stores every network transaction as a data-chunk called a "block." Each user has blockchain copies so when Alice sends 1 bitcoin to Mark, every person on the network knows it.

Litecoin

One alternative to Bitcoin, Litecoin attempts to resolve many of the issues that hold Bitcoin down. It is not quite as resilient as Ethereum with its value derived mostly from adoption of solid users. It pays to note that Charlie Lee, ex-Googler leads Litecoin. He is also practicing transparency with what he is doing with Litecoin and is quite active on Twitter.

Litecoin was Bitcoin's second fiddle for quite some time but things started changing early in the year of 2017. First, Litecoin was adopted by Coinbase along with Ethereum and Bitcoin. Next, Litecoin fixed the Bitcoin issue by adopting the technology of Segregated Witness. This gave it the capacity to lower transaction fees and do more. The deciding factor, however, was when Charlie Lee decided to put his sole focus on Litecoin and even left Coinbase, where're he was the Engineering Director, just for Litecoin. Due to this, the price of Litecoin rose in the last couple of months with its strongest factor being the fact that it could be a true alternative to Bitcoin.

Ethereum

Vitalik Buterin, superstar programmer thought up Ethereum, which can do everything Bitcoin is able to do. However its purpose, primarily, is to be a platform to build decentralized applications. The blockchains are where the differences between the two lie. Basically, the blockchain of Bitcoin records a contract-type, one that states whether funds have been moved from one digital address to another address. However, there is significant expansion with Ethereum as it has a more advanced language script and has a more complex, broader scope of applications.

Projects began to sprout on top of Ethereum when developers began noticing its better qualities. Through token crowd sales, some have even raised dollars by the millions and this is still an ongoing trend even to this day. The fact that you can build wonderful things on the Ethereum platform makes it almost like the internet itself. This caused a skyrocketing in the price so if you purchased a hundred dollars' worth of Ethereum early this year, it would not be valued at almost $3000.

Monero

Monero aims to solve the issue of anonymous transactions. Even if this currency was perceived to be a method of laundering money, Monero aims to change this. Basically, the difference between Monero and Bitcoin is that Bitcoin features a transparent blockchain with every transaction public and recorded. With Bitcoin, anyone can see how and where the money was moved. There is some somewhat imperfect anonymity on Bitcoin, however. In contrast, Monero has an opaque rather than transparent transaction method. No one is quite sold on this method but since some folks love privacy for whatever purpose, Monero is here to stay.

Zcash

Not unlike Monero, Zcash also aims to solve the issues that Bitcoin has. The difference is that rather than being completely transparent, Monero is only partially public in its blockchain style. Zcash also aims to solve the problem of anonymous transactions. After all, no every person loves showing how much money they actually spent on memorabilia by Star Wars. Thus, the conclusion is that this type of cryptocoin really does have an audience and a demand, although it's hard to point out which cryptocurrency that focuses on privacy will eventually come out on top of the pile.

Bancor

Also known as a "smart token," Bancor is the new generation standard of cryptocurrencies which can hold more than one token on reserve. Basically, Bancor attempts to make it easy to trade, manage and create tokens by increasing their level of liquidity and letting them have a market price that is automated. At the moment, Bancor has a product on the front-end that includes a wallet and the creation of a smart token. There are also features in the community such as stats, profiles and discussions. In a nutshell, the protocol of Bancor enables the discovery of a price built-in as well as a mechanism for liquidity for smart contractual tokens through a mechanism of innovative reserve. Through smart contract, you can instantly liquidate or purchase any of the tokens within the reserve of Bancor. With Bancor, you can create new cryptocoins with ease. Now who wouldn't want that?

EOS

Another competitor of Ethereum, EOS promises to solve the scaling issue of Ethereum through the provision of a set of tools that are more robust to run and create apps on the platform.

Tezos

An alternative to Ethereum, Tezos can be consensually upgraded without too much effort. This new blockchain is decentralized in the sense that it is self-governing through the establishment of a digital true commonwealth. It facilitates the mathematical technique called formal verification and has security-boosting features of the most financially weighed, sensitive smart contract. Definitely a great investment in the months to come.

Verdict

It is incredibly hard to predict which Bitcoin in the list will become the next superstar. However, user adoption has always be one key success factor when it came to cryptocurrencies. Both Ethereum and Bitcoin have this and even if there is a lot of support from early adopters of every cryptocurrency in the list, some have yet to prove their staying power. Nonetheless, these are the ones to invest in and watch out for in the coming months.

Ways Young People Can Win With Money

Learning about money while you are still young is an awesome idea. Let me give you a few ideas that young people can use to really win in their financial lives.

Being realistic is key. And winning with money is realistic! This means you should use common sense, investigate investments, the markets, and the opportunities you are interested in. Read the fine print. If you were to take on debt, ask yourself if it would be worth it, or if the debt would be like an anchor. Again, be realistic. Look at the real consequences of the actions you could take. Good actions should be turned into habits.

Consider entrepreneurship. Write down business ideas. Learn the skills you need to succeed. See if your business idea is feasible by testing your product or service. If it is, type up a business plan, and get to work. Make the phone calls and do the web searches necessary to find the information you need.

Join a club or society for young entrepreneurs. Earn a business degree. The more you can learn about business, the better off you are. Being around and networking with other goal oriented, ambitious entrepreneurial types is a boon to your success. Being around the total risk averse and the complacent is not a boon to success.

Work hard at your job and / or at your business. Make a good name for yourself. If a job does not work out, do not trash your goal of being rich. Just keep plugging away and learn from your mistakes. Sales or customer service would be a good starting point if your first job is not running your own business.

While (and if) you live with your parents, sock away as much money as you can. W. Clement Stone once said, "If you can not save money, the seeds of greatness are not in you."

Learn about investments, by taking an investments class at your high school or college (taking a few more classes is better). Economics is good thing to study too. Finance and economics are tough courses but are very worthwhile. Read extracurricular books and read about your interests.

Winning with money is not always easy. Self discipline, sacrifice, frugality, hard work, managing risk, reading books, and holding on to your long term vision are essential to your success.

eBay Money Making Guide

Want a quick and easy eBay money making guide? Here you go, a simple and short one that'll show you how to make money on eBay quickly and effectively.

A lot of people assume that if they just visit eBay, drop a few auctions on there, and leave, they'll start making BIG money. This simply can not be further from the truth.

If you want to have really good success on eBay then it takes planning and research. The # 1 thing about eBay is the products, and the price that you get for the products you're selling.

In other words, if you're looking at starting a substantial eBay business with all the extra "junk" in your house, then you probably will not achieve success. A real eBay business sells a LOT of the same product over, and over, because they've found a niche that they can supply products to.

Do you see what I'm saying?

The key to selling on eBay is finding a group of people that want to buy the same kind of product, and giving it to all of them over and over again.

So how do you go about doing that?

Well the easiest way to do that is to think about it yourself. What would you buy on eBay? What's a good group of people buying a lot of? What kind of niche do you think you know well? What products would solve their problems? These questions really spark some interesting directions in your mind and will give you plenty ideas of products that you can sell and begin profiting from on eBay.

Here's a quick 3 step process to begin:

1) Make an eBay account

2) Find the products you want to sell

3) Put up all your auctions and start to watch the sales trickle in

BOTS Companion of a Modern Revenue Manager

Bots have become an important part of human life both, at the personal and professional front and their involvement is climbing new peaks with every passing day. They surround us in our daily life in the form of Artificial Intelligence, Search Engines, and Software. Part of it has also paved way for smarter and efficient revenue management for hotels fueling the debt that if humans should be irrevocably replaced with bots for this complex round the clock function. Although the practice may be at a nascent stage to draw concluding, it has certainly made a mark in the real of the hospitality industry and has become an indispensable part of any hotel revenue management.

Artificial Intelligence powered robots can analyze and synthesize large chunks of hotel data collected at various touch points in a fraction of seconds to present meaningful insights about the booking pattern, demand, guest behavior which is impossible to be grouped or processed by any amount of human workforce with the same efficiency as bots. It will not be an exaggeration to say that the Artificial Intelligence has sort of revolutionized the hospitality industry across the globe, enabling every business to improve on multiple fronts like hotel pricing, price optimization, revenue management, guest experience management, booking management, demand and even capacity optimization of properties.

Furthermore, these bots are also capable of analyzing trends and trace upcoming events in the town to estimate the rise in demand, providing enough room for revenue managers to tweak the pricing and availability instead of fire fighting the situation at the last minute.

Leading hotels have already started betting big on AI powered bots and poised to explore new ways to make bots a part of their business operations. One significant advantage bots have over humans is that they can work tirelessly 24X7 with the same precision. Hotel industry requires attention 24X7 and is one of the most dynamic industries with continuous fluctuations in trends, demand, and prices. That is where these robust machines have huge value to add to the revenue management realm. These invisible machines can not only quickly determine the best rates at a particular time for your property, (room rate optimization) but also advise the revenue managers on which segment to target and the kind of promotional offers to be run to maximize the revenue.

Another major area where hotels continue to hustle is direct bookings. Hotels have been continuously trying to improve booking numbers on their own website since OTA missions are touching skies, eating up a major revenue share of hotels. Hotels would be surprised to know that even in this area, bots can improve their game and help increase the number of bookings by a decent percentage. With advanced learning capabilities and rigorous analysis of visitor's purchasing behavior, AI powered bots can refine the visitor experience and personalize every visitor's journey to their needs and interests. This increments visitor engagement and reduces the cycle time of purchase leading to conversion on the hotel website itself.

This again brings us to the joke that wherever revenue managers can be gradually replaced by bots completely risking their roles and jobs in the industry altogether. The answer is obviously NO since these micro machines can only process and analyze only a set number of parameters in their decision and often neglect external market implications that may not be considered by such bots but are easily identifiable only by human revenue managers and this acumen is gained by experience.

Therefore, the ideal mix should be machine results mediated and supervised by human revenue managers. For eg, Pricing is one area which could have been automated with a reasonable amount of diligence and control of the revenue manager. Similarly, online reputation management can also be monitored with technology; however, a personalized approach will take you a long way. The key is to automate the processes that require minimum human intervention and involve human where necessary. This will help revenue managers to don more hats at the same time like exploring more avenues to maximize per guest audience and focus on other revenue increasing strategies.

Thus, witnessing the scenarios discussed above, we can conclude that the status of the bots is of a companion to revenue managers instead of a successor who will complement them at every step with razor fast information and analysis of the market and competition, enabling revenue managers to take informed decisions in no time and help them optimize revenues and drive the hotel towards new millions of success.

A Guide to Hiring an SEO Provider

If your business has any online components (such as a website), then SEO is critical to the ongoing success of your business. You may have the most expensive website in your industry, but without web traffic (visitors) to that website, it is essentially useless. It is not just traffic that you need, but targeted traffic. A good quality SEO service can provide relevant, consistent web traffic to your website (s). This guide will allow you, as a non-expert, to distinguish between good and bad SEO providers. There are many of both kinds, this guide should help you to find the good ones.

SEO needs to be implemented in a way that is effective in achieving your SEO goals and providing that all important meaningful presence on the World Wide Web.

Quality SEO is a critical investment when it comes to developing successful expansion and growth strategies.

Ineffective SEO implementation, renders your SEO efforts wholly ineffective and a waste of your money.

6 things you need to know and understand before hiring an SEO provider:

1) Hiring an SEO provider should be seen as an investment in your business. You should not view it as a business expense, but rather a business strategy and an effective way of enhancing your business presence within your business sector. Try not to begin your search with the intent of "buying some SEO". Hiring an SEO provider should have viewed rather as hiring an employee that understands and cares about your business and its online objectives.

2) The first page of Google (or any search engine) is everything. Few people ever go to the second page of the search results anymore. Google is so good at being a search engine that people blindly trust Google's ability to deliver the most relevant results on the first page. Think about how often you click through to the second page. This means that if your business is not on the first page, it's almost as good as now. The top positions on page one get the most clicks, which decrease as you progress downwards on the page.

3) The 'big' keywords are not everything. It is better to be on the first page for a fewer smaller keywords, than try to rank for larger keywords and not be on the first page at all. For example, an accountancy business in Preston may not rank for the highly competitive keyword 'accountant' (unless they have a lot of SEO budget and time to wait for rankings); but the same business could conceivably rank highly for the keyword 'chartered accountant Preston'. A good SEO provider should research the keywords that your business could literally rank on page one for and also keywords that have enough search volume to be worthwhile for your business to try ranking for.

4) SEO is all about beating your competition. There is no guarantee from the search engines to say you will be on the first page of Google if you do certain things. Put simply, SEO works like this:

The search engines have their conventions; websites that conform by giving the search engines what they want, will find them making achieving search engine rankings. The only thing standing between you and the top spots in the search rankings is your competition. Not your actual business competitors, but your online competitors. The websites that currently have the top spots in the search engines for your desired keywords are your online competition, and you need to beat them out of those top spots. Some keywords will be easy to rank for, others will be more difficult. It is only your online competition that dictates which will be the case for each individual keyword. A good SEO provider will research the competition for each of your keywords. Then, after the most effective keywords for your business sector have been identified that they should be implemented in accordance with point number three above.

5) On-page and Off-page SEO.

Search engine optimization is a complex and ever-evolving science, but in order to intelligently interview a prospective SEO provider you need to understand that there are two main types of SEO.

On-page SEO relates to the factors on your website that affect your SEO (keywords, usability, page headings, outbound links, internal links, etc.).

Off-page SEO are the factors that relate directly to matters outside of your website that affect the SEO of the website, such as back links, citations, social sharing, etc.

SEO providers can work on your off-page SEO fairly easily, but if you are not willing to change on-page SEO, according to their recommendations, you can not blame them for lack of results. A good SEO provider will review your website and report back about your on-page SEO, and how it can be improved. You should have your web designer make the adjustments. (Remember he is the expert in this field)

6) An increase in search engine ranking is not necessarily an increase in leads and sales. All your SEO provider can do is get your website, videos, Google Places, articles, blog posts, etc. further up the search engine results. They can not guarantee an increase in sales or leads, because that factor is determined by your own sales funnel. It is not the SEO provider's job to make sure that the extra web traffic you receive will convert to more leads or sales. Your website needs to convert those visitors with good marketing, which is an issue for your marketing consultant to deal with.

The key differences between 'good' and 'bad' SEO providers:

Good SEO Providers
Good SEO providers know and understand the points mentioned above. You can judge this by their answers to the questions provided later in my next article.
Good SEO providers want to build a solid foundation and a proper SEO plan for your business, with an extensive initial keyword and market (competitor) research. They will often insist upon it, even if the prospect client does not see the need. Sometimes a good SEO provider will refuse to work with a client that does not want the important groundwork to be done, because they know that without it they will not be likely to provide the client with the results that they want. A good SEO provider will want to provide their client with results as their first priority. Often a client will say "but I've already done the keyword research myself". Many potential clients sit down for 5 or 10 minutes to write out all the keywords that they think are relevant to their business, and then think that they have now done all the keyword research that is needed. Real keyword research is a lengthy, investigative process.

Good SEO providers use responsible SEO methods, such as paying more attention to on-page SEO, securing quality back links, improving citations, helping social sharing, including a good user experience, etc.

Bad SEO Providers
Bad SEO providers will want to take their clients' money as their first priority. They will not conduct proper keyword and market research, but will say, for example, "what are your three keywords and your URL that you want to rank for". If this happens (as it often does) you can be sure they are simply plugging your website into software to get irrelevant back links all over the internet, using spam blog comments, link farms and other means. In many cases this approach is ineffective because the URL, or domain, may not match the client's desired keywords. This can also damage the reputation and, ironically, the long-term SEO and credibility of the website.
Bad SEO providers use bad quality SEO methods (Sometimes referred to as Black-hat methods), Utilizing these methods can have an extremely detrimental effect on how your website is perceived by search engines. This in turn may result in your website being (Sand boxed). Needless to say this is extremely undesirable, as damage such as this is extremely difficult to reverse.

Ensure you get the specialist SEO who knows how to highlight the attributes of your company and can draw attention to your products and your services in a way that really makes your business stand-out on the worldwide web.

Why Are Computers A Necessity Now?

Computer systems now a days are everywhere. We can find that in places we can not see or would not expect to find them. This gadget are no longer specialized tools used only by scientists or engineers like before. They are not hidden behind sealed-walls under a climate-controlled environments anymore. They are a fact of life that companies can not live without and even individuals like us. It is a common thread that ties together our education, work, and home life. Thus, computer literacy becomes significant, with computers touching almost every facet of our lives. But why is it that computer literacy is very cruel?

Why do we need to spend time and energy studying books, enrolling to computer crash course, and becoming "computer literate?" Technically, to be "literate" means to have knowledge of that subject, wherein you understand its basic terms and concepts. We are not born with such knowledge and abilities, but it is hard to imagine living without computer skills today. Considering the fact that Computers are an essential part of business today, whether you are an auto mechanic or a surgeon, a journalist or a pilot. Like cars, that take us to work everyday, we also rely on computers more with each passing year. If there are still who do not use computers regularly, chances are great that you will soon.

But who will be the one to benefit from computer literacy? First, is the increased employability. Here, the basic computer knowledge along with specific job skills are mainly considered by the employers because a person would be more trainable in and adaptable to the computerized work environment. Next, is greater earnings potential, wherein, as you increase your computer skills, you become more valuable worker, especially if focused on high-tech skills like programming, software / network administration, hardware maintenance and many more. However, it does not follow that you must be a computer expert to increase your earnings. Skills that involve application of the computer to specific tasks are highly valued. Another benefit is that, it has a greater access to resources. Always bear in mind that computers are incredible learning tools, especially when you have access to data on CD-ROMs or the Internet. PC can be used to access vast knowledge bases on almost any topic, search archives of information dating back decades, even take online courses for credit.

You will also have a greater control of your assets, by using the power of the Internet and even a little knowledge only of computers, you can manage your personal finances and indulge your interests in ways that were not possible back years ago. Here, you can control of every dollar you earn through online banking and investing. Online shopping as also another benefit that makes it easier to buy something without tiring yourself & spending so much time going to stores with yourself. There are also new technologies that enable you to monitor your entire household via PC - to set your air conditioner or alarm clock, start your coffee maker or sprinklers, and even activate your alarm system. With this range of growth of computer technologies, we can not deny that we now live in an information society - where information is considered to be an extremely valuable community. The key players in this information-based economy are those who control important information, or those who simply know how to access and uses it. Computer knowledge and skills you can build with that literacy are vital to success in this society, not just in our working lives, but in the ways we learn, manage our finances, and improve our standard of living.

Although there are still many professions that do not rely on computers, they are becoming fewer all the time. Remember that computers do not need to take the form of PC, so there is a good chance that your career path will bring you in contact with some type of computer because many of the tools in today's' workplace are computer technology. That's why it is very important to have a basic understanding of computer technology. No matter what your career choice is, you can benefit from a knowledge of computer hardware and software, and how these components function together. Even your job does not require you to work directly with a computer, this knowledge may help you to envision new ways of using computers in your work, that would result in a more productive work environment. This can also lead you to career advancement opportunities. But still, if you think that this case is overstated, that computers are not being used that much, you should consider that computers are popping up in places & professions that my seem unintentionally.

What Can Auto Sales and Leasing Courses Do For You?

Do you already love being around cars? Do you get that excited feeling just being near a new car? Why not make car sales and leasing a career?

To earn a sale and - even more important - earn referrals and repeat sales, dealerships need expert sales staff who have the skills required to achieve extremely high levels of customer service and satisfaction. Anyone who can deliver this performance is going to be in high demand because potential employers understand their long-term success depends in large part on building and maintaining a strong sales force. With all the restructuring in the automotive industry, some people are asking whether it still pays to train for a car salesman job. They could not be more wrong. There is still strong demand for well trained car salesman, as car sales continue to grow. Salesmen, in fact, can earn a very high paying salary for a rewarding career.

There's more good news, too, for anyone searching for auto sales training. Economic forecasts indicate that sales and service sectors are the leaders in new job creation and will account for 31% of all new jobs in the next decade. It's also important to know that Japanese and European auto assemblers have become well established in North America, creating even more need for well-trained car salesmen.

You know what happens when demand for a specific job goes up? Salaries also go up too. Overall, there are three key factors that will drive up the alert potential of a qualified car salesman salary: a shortage of effective well-training automotive sales professions; an economy-wide shortage of sales reps in all industry categories; and the fact that 45% of the individuals in Sales and Service, and Business, Finance and Administration jobs are expected to retire in the next five years, according to Service Canada.

So what's the bottom line? A car salesman salary could be very attractive and top performers can expect to earn as much as $ 60,000 per year - or more.

Auto sales and leasing courses cover every aspect of the sales process from the "meet and greet" to automative sales and legal considerations. Graduates of these programs will be very well positioned to start a career, learning how to sell both new and pre-owned cars and trucks by expertly assessing a customer's wishes and needs.

The best auto sales & leasing programs will cover:
• Sales Consultants Role in the Dealership
• Retail Selling Performance Standards
• The Professional Selling Process
• Effective Presentation Skills
• Maintaining Customer Satisfaction

Find an car sales and leasing program today, and turn your passion for cars into an exciting career.

Psychic Insights and Predictions for 2018

We are in for a challenging period with lots of planets in earth signs, a more sober time of consequential events. Closer to home, what if it turns out that people have a lot less voice, less money to spend, and less comfort in the United States? And that might be small potatoes compared to what's happening in Europe! Here's what we can do about it if there's tough times ahead, according to an early December vision:

What first appeared was a picture of Americans' nature and spirit in decline, and people choosing to turn away from the displaced around them, not wanting to encounter them or anyone much - not wanting to connect. Americans, traumatized by the barrage of fear-creating news, beliefs, and new realities coming at them, may choose to defend themselves from it by disconnecting, not letting it really register. However, other messages going back to 1989 show a steady development of grassroots activism. Maybe we will snap out of our trauma and all become activists!

Until then (and ever more), this is the most actionable response: "Be nice. Be nice to yourself, and especially if no-one else has done so - or we have not done so ourselves so far. as a policy. To be nice is to turn the other cheek, to not react to the past, but to choose to be a certain way in the world, to have a certain atmosphere of respect and security and civility around you, which you demonstrate and emanate by being nice. It will raise the vibration of your world, and extremely, at each level you experience the world. "

About grass roots and what the 99% can do in 5 minutes to influence their world: Grass roots are the densest, the strongest weave, and what is akin to that formidable placeholder is if every single person finds a way to communicate with government officials, just Google it, and let their will be known. That unrelenting activity will make representatives always know and feel the pressure of millions of people, creating a grassroots weave in the airwaves.

"Get to work!" is the saying for the year. For those seeking spiritual and professional success, here are words of wisdom from a 14th century Middle Eastern scholar: "Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it."

The atmosphere surges with energy to put knowledge into action this year - lots of itchy entrepreneurs and innovators! For everyone, a lot can happen and a lot can get done by taking responsibility for your life. Being quick to explore your options and in more areas of your life, will serve you well in 2018.

According to one of the psychic pictographs for the year, Americans may be testing one of Einstein's theories. He states: "All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development agreed the individual." As the have and have-nots in America continue to grow farther apart, we'll see a devalued and dispirited people become more of a colorless or muted mass.

Monster Winds in 2018: Raging winds become more frequent ... plus earthquakes. We live as if our well-being depends on our access to money and power. Nature appears to be teaching us differently. "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature", warned the popular ad campaign years ago. Uranus, planet of shocking upheavals, moves into an earth sign on May 15th for an eight year stay. This signifies that powerful and destabilizing earth changes continue to upend.

More about May 15th: Not only does Uranus change signs on that day, it's also new moon in Taurus, and Mars goes into Aquarius, all conspiring to create changes in how we deal with money (Taurus rules money and finances.) People seek new forms of contracts and exchange. Mars in Aquarius also portends an important year for technological developments and innovations. People are going to be bold, try new things, and change fundamental aspects society. Cultural mores change around beauty and romance, and societal standards associated with love and the arts are open to accepting new forms.

Personal guidance from the spirits about 2018 (channeled on 11/11/2017): These messages are not about the society we live in, but describe the raw energy of the year and how we can use it to manifest what we want.

"You've arrived on new ground. And look all around ... make sure you are with people you want to be with ... that's how the year begins, a radical sorting out of your private affairs.

Being one with Nature this year gives great pleasure. Even for people who have not much noticed Nature before. Something wakes up in people about their world, their environment, and how precious it is.

We're all here together for one reason: to be free, and to be able ... you name it when it comes to being able ... what do you want to do? Whatever it is, it will occur to you month by month as the year unfolds: whatever needs to receive to your love. Any part of you can now come forward to be integrated.

Strength! Resilience! Force Power! They're all energized in people this year. Make sure to shepherd your consciousness so this access to power become tools for your benefit and also for others. "

Different Ways of Making Money Online

Computer technology is no longer limited to IT and computer professionals. Some people are working online full-time and are making their living out of the Internet. You have the liberty to work from your home and there is every possibility that you will make more money than you make from your day job. People do want to make money online but are afraid of all the scams on the Internet.

Patience and determination is the key to success on the Internet. Those who fail or do not earn anything online are the ones who want to get rich overnight. There is no shortcut to success online like anywhere else in the world. You can sell your skills online or can become a guru and can teach people what you know. There is a possibility to sell almost anything on the Internet. Your tiniest of skills can make you hundreds of dollars in no time.

You need to have something that you can sell to make money online. You need to create products and market them on various platforms. Creating products is not easy for beginners but it does not mean they can not work online. Affiliate marketing is good for both beginners and experienced people working online. You promote products of other people and take your commission in this type of marketing.

You can utilize the power of social media and can make money out of it. People are making thousands of dollars out of Facebook and YouTube using their creative ideas. You can sell your products directly on Facebook or can direct traffic to your websites and sales pages and can sell to your fans.

Blogging is also a very good option for beginners as it can start paying you back within a few months. If your blog has rich content and is full of information then it will certainly get people's attention. You can sell your ad spaces and can earn through Google AdSense. A lot of bloggers use their blogs for affiliate marketing and make money online.

Freelance websites are also a good option for beginners looking to make money online instantly. All these options can be exercised and they are legit as well. Freelance websites have escrow systems in place so chances of scams are very low on them. Find out your potential and see what option is best for you and start making money online today.

Recognizing Navigational Tools For the Future of Education

I have to laugh when I think of the times I watched the television program, "Flash Gordon," as he putted through outer space in his make-believe space ship, talking on his make-believe wireless radio, and dressed in his make-believe space suit. Well, I'm not laughing anymore. Today we have shuttled astronauts into outer space, have men living in a Space Station, have space suites that take your temperature and gauge your heart rate, and wireless communication devices that send pictures to Planet Earth. Far fetched from reality? Not anymore. As we speak, the future is starring us in the face, waiting to see how we will promote her in the next 5-10 years.

How did science-fiction become reality over the past 50 years? Let's consider one aspect of innovation: the learning environment - post secondary education. Why post secondary education, you may ask? As post secondary education population increases, programs to accommodate students will develop into curriculum that affords students the freedom to create and design systems they toy with on a daily basis. Are there risks involved in this adaptation process? There are risks involved when change occurs, and leadership should be aware of how to diplomatically confront the risk areas that could slow down progress. Some of the risks that could be encountered due to change are:

o Systems risks

o Subsystem risks

o People

o Financial/economic risks

o Societal/Cultural risks

If communication between systems, subsystems, people, and cultures within the organizational environment has established a strong communication system, risks factors will be at a minimum as long as the creative teams are honest and upfront about their reservations to change.

Let's look into the future through 'futureoculers' and see how the universe of learning can be brought into the present. I want to introduce to you five (5) key trends that I believe affect the current learning environment, can create change, and renovate the perspective of learners and educators for students of the future. These trends could be the key in creating a new perspective in post secondary education for an institution. The key trends are:

o Competitive classroom learning environments - campus on-site/online/distant

o Increase in technological tools

o Teaching/learning environments-more hands on

o Global expansion capability-internal and external

o Student input in the creative learning process

Navigational Systems

Before the five (5) key trends are defined, there needs to be an acknowledgement of how the trends will be supported and regulated through a changing environment. According to de Kluyver, and Pearce, II, having the right systems and processes/subsystems enhances organizational effectiveness and facilitates coping with change. Misaligned systems and processes can be a powerful drag on an organization's ability to adapt. Therefore, check what effect, if any, current systems and processes are likely to have on a company's ability to implement a particular strategy is well advised. Support systems such as a company's planning, budgeting, accounting, information and reward and incentive systems can be critical to successful strategy implementation. Although they do not by themselves define a sustainable competitive advantage, superior support systems help a company adapt more quickly and effectively to changing requirements. A well-designed planning system ensures that planning is an orderly process, gets the right amount of attention by the right executives, and has a balanced external and internal focus. Budgeting and accounting systems are valuable in providing accurate historical data, setting benchmarks and targets, and defining measures of performance. A state-of-the-art information system supports all other corporate systems, and it facilitates analysis as well as internal and external communications. Finally, a properly designed reward and incentive system is key to creating energy through motivation and commitment. A process (or subsystem) is a systematic way of doing things. Processes can be formal or informal; they define organization roles and relationships, and they can facilitate or obstruct change. Some processes or subsystems look beyond immediate issues of implementation to an explicit focus on developing a stronger capacity for adapting to change. Processes/subsystems aimed at creating a learning organization and at fostering continuous improvement are good examples. As an example, processes or subsystems are functional and maintain the operation of the system; the system may be Student Services and the subsystem may be the Financial Aid office or Admissions. Subsystems can be more in depth in relation to office operations, which involves employee positions and their culture; financial advisors, academic advisors, guidance counselors. These operations are functions performed on the human level and could have a positive or negative impact in the development of key trends. If employees are valued and rewarded for their dedication and service, the outcome will be responsible, committed employees for the success of their subsystem.

The Navigator

Every navigator needs a map, a plan, a driver to give direction to for a successful trip. In this case, the driver is several elements:

o Service integrity, reputation

o Affordability with an open door concept

Hughes and Beatty relate drivers as Strategic drivers; those relatively few determinants of sustainable competitive advantage for a particular organization in a particular industry or competitive environment (also called factors of competitive success, key success factors, key value propositions). The reason for identifying a relatively small number of strategic drivers for an organization is primarily to ensure that people become focused about what pattern of inherently limited investments will give the greatest strategic leverage and competitive advantage. Drivers can change over time, or the relative emphasis on those drivers can change, as an organization satisfies its key driver. In the case of post secondary education, drivers help measure success rates in the area of course completion ratio, student retention, and transfer acceptance into a university and/or the successful employment of students. Because change is so rampant in education, it is wise for leadership to anticipate change and develop a spirit of foresight to keep up with global trends.

Drivers can help identify the integrity of internal and external functions of systems and subsystems, as mentioned previously, by identifying entity types that feed the drivers' success. They are:

o Clientele Industry - external Market - feeder high schools, cultural and socio-economic demographic and geographic populations

- Competitors - local and online educational systems

- Nature of Industry - promote a learning community

- Governmental influences - licensed curriculum programs supported by local, state, and federal funds

- Economic and social influences - job market, employers, outreach programs

o College Planning and Environment - internal

- Capacity - Open door environment

- Products and services - high demand curriculum programs that meet, local, state, and federal high demand employment needs

- Market position - Promote on and off-campus activities that attract clientele

- Customers - traditional and non-traditional credit and non-credit students

- Systems, processes, and structures - trained staff and state-of-the art technical systems

- Leadership - integrity-driven, compassionate leadership teams

- Organizational culture - promote on-campus activities promoting a proactive environment for students

According to Hughes and Beatty, these functions can assimilate into the Vision, Mission, and Values statements to define the key strategic drivers for developing successful environments.

Navigating Towards a Destination

With the recognition of systems, subsystems, and drivers, we can see our destination in the distance and their value in building a foundation to support the five key trends. The five (5) key trends will help define strategic thinking in a global perspective; the understanding of futuristic thinking that encompasses: risk taking, imagination, creativity, communication among leadership, and a perspective of how the future can fit into today's agenda. The five (5) key trends are:

1. Competitive Classroom Learning Environments - campus on-site/online/distant

One of the major attractions in education today is to accommodate a student at every level: academically, financially, and socially. These three environments are the mainstream of why one school is selected over another school. Today there is a change in tide. Students who once competed for seats in post secondary schools are becoming a valued asset as post secondary schools compete between each other for students. High schools are no longer the only feeder into colleges. Today, students are coming from home schools, career schools, charter schools, high risk schools, private schools, religious schools, work environments, and ATB tested environments. So, how can the educational system attract students and keep them motivated in an interactive learning environment they can grow in? Wacker and Taylor writes that the story of every great enterprise begins with the delivery of a promise, and every product a great enterprise makes is nothing but an artifact of the truth of that promise. So what great enterprise can be created to attract new students? By creating learning/teaching environments, post secondary schools can prepare students to meet the demands of everyday life and their life in the community. Schools can consider incorporating a learning model to enable professors and/or community leaders/entrepreneurs to team teach in the classroom/online environment. Team Teaching will contribute valuable views into the learning environment, as well as, give students the working community's real-time perspective. In an excerpt from "The University at the Millennium: The Glion Declaration" (1998) quoted by Frank H.T. Rhodes, President Emeritus of Cornell University, for the Louisiana State Board of Regents report, Dr. Rhodes wrote that universities are learning communities, created and supported because of the need of students to learn, the benefit to scholars of intellectual community, and the importance to society of new knowledge, educated leaders, informed citizens, expert professional skills and training, and individual certification and accreditation. Those functions remain distinctive, essential contributions to society; they form the basis of an unwritten social compact, by which, in exchange for the effective and responsible provision of those services, the public supports the university, contributes to its finance, accepts its professional judgment and scholarly certification, and grants it a unique degree of institutional autonomy and scholarly freedom. To experience education is learning, to exercise knowledge is freedom, and to combine them is wisdom.

2. Teaching/learning environments-more hands on

As post secondary educators relinquish hands-on-chalk-board teaching styles and establish group teaching models, students will develop a greater understanding of the theme of the class environment as well as the professor in developing an understanding of the class cultures' stance in learning. Educators are discovering that inclusive learning styles are revamping the teaching model and becoming a positive influence in retention, better grades, camaraderie among students, and a greater respect for the professor. As professors learn to develop relationships with students, interaction will transpire, lecturing will be condensed into a time frame and interactive learning between students and professor will enhance the classroom environment.

3. Global expansion capability-internal and external

Students are surrounded by virtual global environments or are impacted by global elements: the clothes they wear are made overseas, the games they play on their electronic toys are created overseas, the war games they play are created to identify with global war games, etc. The only draw back to this scenario is a truly global learning experience. What they are seeing is not what they are getting; a real time global experience. James Morrison writes that in order to meet unprecedented demand for access, colleges and universities need to expand their use of IT tools via online learning, which will enable them to teach more students without building more classrooms. Moreover, in order for professors to prepare their pupils for success in the global economy, they need to ensure that students can access, analyze, process, and communicate information; use information technology tools; work with people from different cultural backgrounds; and engage in continuous, self-directed learning. Christopher Hayter writes that post secondary schools need to be 'Globally Focused' for the 21st century that includes a global marketplace and be internationally focused. This means ensuring that skills needed to compete in a global marketplace are taught and that the mastery of such skills by students is internationally benchmarked. It may also mean a new emphasis on learning languages and understanding other cultures and the business practices of other countries.

More and more businesses are expanding into the global marketplace, opening corporate offices in foreign countries and hiring and training employees from those countries. Are our college graduates being trained to assimilate into cultures and work side-by-side with employees who may not be able to relate to them? Developing curriculums accommodating social and cultural entities will propel a student into higher realms of learning and create change in the individual student as well as support their career for their future.

4. Student input in the creative learning process

Professors are the gatekeepers in education. However, as Baby Boomer Professors begin to exit the educational workforce and head down the path of retirement, younger generation professors will take their place bringing with them innovative teaching methods that can expand the learning process. Are post secondary educators equipped to prepare for the onslaught of younger generation educators needed to be trained for this mega shift in the workforce? Most important, will those professors caught between Boomers and Xer's be willing to adapt to change in the education industry to accommodate incoming generations? I believe younger generations will impact even the technological industry and challenge change that will equip them for their future. Previous generation students slowly adapted to technological advances. The good news is change can occur, and educators can utilize life experiences from students familiar with technology tools and create fascinating learning environments.

5. Increase in Technological tools

In an Executive Summary written for the National Governors Association in a report called "Innovation America - A Compact for Post Secondary Education," the report reads that while post secondary education in the United States has already achieved key successes in the innovation economy, the public post secondary education system overall risks falling behind its counterparts in many other nations around the world-places where there have been massive efforts to link post secondary education to the specific innovation needs of industries and regions. According to this report, American post secondary education is losing ground in the race to produce innovative and imaginative realms in education. Can this trend be counteracted? With the cooperation of post secondary educational institutions within each community, leadership can create co-op learning environments that can be supported through e-learning and online teaching that can provide virtual reality technology to enhance real-time learning environments. Through Business Development operations currently established in post secondary institutions, a shared technology program can be created that will afford students access to ongoing virtual business environment settings and prepare students with knowledge and insight into a specific industry. As students prepare to transfer, graduate, or seek employment after completing a certification program, virtual experience in the job market can help a student assimilate education and work experience to their advantage. This concept could challenge Human Resource departments to create new mandates in accepting virtual-experienced college graduates as they enter the workforce.

Reaching the Destination

As Flash Gordan lands his Spacecraft on unclaimed territory, you imagine yourself slowly turning the handle to the spaceship with your spaceship gloves, opening the door with explosive anticipation. Your heart racing, sweat running down your brow, and your eyes at half mask waiting to see a new world; a world filled with beauty and potential when suddenly, the television shuts off and your Mom is standing in front of you telling you to get up and go clean your room and stop daydreaming! Ah, Mom, you say to yourself, you just destroyed my imaginary planet! Oh, by the way, did I mention that this was you as a child growing up and using your imagination?

Now that I've created a visual world of potential for you can you see the power within to see the future from the present and help others visualize the potential benefits of change in their lives and the lives of others in an organization? T. Irene Sanders states that thinking in pictures helps us link our intuitive sense of events in the world with our intellectual understanding. Now, more than ever, we need to integrate the techniques of imagination and the skill of intuition with our analytic competencies to help us see and understand the complexities that vex us daily. Visualization is the key to insight and foresight-and the next revolution in strategic thinking and planning.

Can you SEE the systems, subsystems, drivers, and the five (5) trends with a visual perspective in a post secondary educational environment? This is the nature of Strategic Thinking, which can or is taking place in your organization; a cognitive process required for the collection, interpretation, generation, and evaluation of information and ideas that shape an organization's sustainable competitive advantage. The need to stay abreast of progress, technology, and global opportunities will be the change in drivers that will validate the creative elements needed to stay attuned in a global perspective. The author's intention of introducing Flash Gordan into the paper was to create a visual image and demonstrate imagination fulfillment to a present day reality. Is there anything out there that cannot be done if it is fine tuned and prepared for a service of excellence? What are the risks involved by not exercising strategic thinking in the elements mentioned in this article?

Education is not about the present it's about the future. The five (5) trends are only a beginning adventure into an unknown space. Do you remember when you were in college and wished things were done differently, be more exciting, more adventurous? Consider the age groups becoming proficient in technology. Will post secondary educators be prepared to teach/instruct future students? Educators must invite strategic thinking into the system and take the risks needed to build post secondary education back into the global futuristic race of achievement. In an article written by Arthur Hauptman entitled "Strategies for Improving Student Success in Post secondary Education" (07), he concluded his report listing four elements:

1. While there is a growing rhetorical commitment to student success, the reality is that policies often do not mirror the rhetoric. Whether intentional or not, policies in many states are at best benign and often antithetical to improving student success.

2. Policy focus in most states has been to lower tuitions or the provision of student financial aid. This ignores the importance of ensuring adequate supply of seats to accommodate all students as well as providing a proper set of incentives that encourage institutions to recruit, enroll, and graduate the students who are most at-risk.

3. Some progress has been made in developing contemporary practices that have great potential for providing the right incentives in place of redress this traditional imbalance. But much more needs to be done in this regard.

4. Efforts to create incentives for students to be better prepared and for institutions to enroll and graduate more at-risk students have the potential for greatly improving rates of retention and degree completion.

Can the five trends be a stepping stone in rebuilding or strengthening the weakest link in the system? The evidence of deficiency is public, and that's a good start. Educators have the choice to rebuild and prepare for the advancement of our future; our students. I encourage you to take the five (5) trends and see how they can accommodate your institute of higher learning.