Blessing the Money You Spend

Blessing the Money You Spend by: Sam Stevens A young girl opens a birthday card from her grand mother and folded inside the card is a crisp $100 bill along with congratulations and sincere wishes and hopes for happiness. A successful store rewards its customers who spend more than $20 with a bonus service or gift. A woman I know writes hearts on her cheques and blesses her creditors each time she makes a payment on a loan. These individuals don't know it but they are practicing a classic cosmic law of prosperity as well as blessing others with their good wishes. The young girl's confidence is increased and the $100 brings her hundreds of more dollars as she gets her first job. The store experiences increased business as customers remember the kind gesture and return again and again to re-experience the friendly vibration represented by the initial bonus or gift. One month, the woman is unable to make her loan payment on time, yet mysteriously, the payment is held for her without penalty. The types of actions describe above can be truly described as Money Magic at it's highest level. Most people think a money spell is about receiving money, however you can also spread blessings and increase your own good fortune by attaching and focusing a magical energy to the money you send out. The key to this law of prosperity is to bless rather than curse or resent the money you have to pay others. The key is to see money as energy as opposed to a tangible object. One practice in magic is to gather, build and then release energy to achieve a particular purpose. That is why businesses often display the first few dollars that they earn and tape them above the cash register. This money represents "good luck" and additional good fortune. It is no coincidence that we call the coins jingling in our pockets "change,” as money can be used ritually to effect positives changes in your life. However our subconscious perceptions of money can stop us from being rich. Instinctively or subconsciously we may resent our bills or the money we must give to others. Money that is sent out with thoughts of resentment, anxiety or desperation tends to draw more resentful, anxious or desperate situations to the sender. Although it is a spiritual sin to worship money as an object, or covet it or hoard it is still an energy t you should see as sacred in terms of its spiritual status as energy. As it involves an exchange of energy, it is considered to be part of the divine circulation and a way of circulating blessings and love. To create this kind of money magic, make the monthly "pain" of paying your bills into a ritual. Every time you pay your mortgage, see it as a blessing on your home. Treat your taxes as a way of supporting and blessing all those who use the services that are created with that money. I even sometimes kiss a bill after I pay it. It sounds ridiculous but it helps change the energy associated with paying bills from a negative to positive polarity. There is a spiritual law as well that whatever you send out, returns to you three times three or even ten fold. Rather than performing spells to get money, try thinking the money you spend as a blessing for others. And if you do perform a money ritual, candle burning or otherwise for yourself, it is always a good thing at the very end of the spell to wish that every one else on the planet that is in need of increased prosperity, have their wish granted as well. Here is general affirmation prosperity: “All that I touch turns to gold and green: I am a magnet drawing prosperity. As my prosperity increases so does the prosperity of all those that I pay. I pray for the best for all those I pay. Money circulates freely in my life. I shall never be weary of doing the right thing, for when I least expect it I shall reap my rewards.”

Can You Really Make Money While You Sleep?

Can You Really Make Money While You Sleep? by: Kathleen Gage If you’ve been utilizing the Internet for any length of time it’s likely you have been bombarded with junk mail claiming you can make money “while you sleep.” Most sensible people are bound to ignore such claims of easy money. But is it true? Can you really make money while you sleep? The answer is an absolute YES! However, don’t assume my answer in any way implies that it is a get rich quick while you sleep proposition. I know it is possible to make money via the Internet while one sleeps as I have been doing it for a little over a month. Actually, I have been utilizing the Internet to market my business and events for several years with a great deal of success, but it is only in the last month that I began aggressively selling products via my website. Over the last few weeks, between e-products and my latest book, 101 Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door, I have sold a substantial amount of product. Within an hour of launching my products I was making money. From day one, each morning when I turn on my computer I am greeted with sales. What I most like about doing this is the profit margin. With my e-products the profit is close to 100%. With my books there are shipping and handling costs and yet, the profit is still very nice. To the casual observer this may seem fantastic. Truth be told, it is. And yet, I didn’t simply put products on my website and the sales miraculously happened. As is true for anyone who successfully sells on the Internet, I have worked on the backend of launching my products for quite some time. Before I made my products available for sale from my website I had to make sure my systems were in place. The process began with a great deal of research into how to successfully launch products on the web. I read virtually everything I could get my hands on by folks who are making money on the web. I listened in on teleconferences, went to seminars, bought other people’s products, and spent countless hours becoming very familiar with how the process works. It is important to state I didn’t necessarily believe claims from someone just because they said they were making money. Plenty of people are claiming to make massive amounts of money on the Internet when in fact, they aren’t. However, there are others who are making incredible revenues from web-based product sales. Before I would accept what someone was saying, I checked them out. I talked to other people either through email or via the phone to find out what they knew about some of the more “well known” experts. I had the opportunity to talk real-time to some of the experts as a result of taking the initiative to contact them with valid inquiries about their products and businesses. With each conversation, book, seminar, e-book and teleconference I added to my own arsenal of information. Over a period of about a year and a half, I had acquired quite a storehouse of knowledge. Knowledge alone wouldn’t lend itself to being successful in this new branch of my business. As with other products and services I have made available at various times to my market, I had to make sure that the products I would be introducing would sell. It’s all very nice to have something you think is great, but will there be people who will actually pay for what you are selling? I also had to make sure most of the kinks would be worked out prior to launching the products. This took a considerable amount of time meeting with my webmaster. Together we worked on the vision and how everything would link together. Many people are very skeptical about informational products being sold on the Internet. They have every right to be as there is a lot of garbage out there. There are people claiming to be experts when in fact, they aren’t. I also know we live in a “try before you buy” world. People have to feel comfortable with the purchases they make. Communication is key. Before, during and after. Offering something at no cost prior to asking for a sale is an incredible way to build trust. It is also important to offer multiple choices in products and prices. Some people are more comfortable making a smaller purchase before they make a larger purchase. For this reason, I have multiple free information products as well as a very cost effective e-book for only $8.95. As you will see when you visit my site and products page, I have several choices I offer. As with a brick and mortar business, it is easier to sell to existing customers rather than selling to a stranger. This definitely proved to be true with the products I introduced. I have thousands of people in my database. I treat my database like gold because it is. I keep in touch with people in my database. This is an area that I often see people lose substantial amounts of revenue. They fail to constantly mine their database or keep their name fresh in people’s minds. As a result they are not able to fully realize the profits that come with a well groomed database and name recognition. As with any type of business, my continued success with this stream of revenues will be determined by whether or not I keep in touch with people, how I market my products and how valuable my information is. Yes, you can make money “while you sleep.” And yes, it can be very profitable. However, your level of success will be directly proportionate to your level of commitment and professionalism in this avenue of your business as with any avenue of your business.

Top 10 Ways to Avoid Loan Fraud

Top 10 Ways to Avoid Loan Fraud by: David E. Brumbaugh Every year, misinformed homebuyers, often first-time purchasers or seniors, become victims of predatory lending or loan fraud. Below you'll find the top ten ways to avoid becoming a victim yourself. 1.Take your time and shop around. You should be able to compare prices and houses. If a lender or broker tells you they are your only chance to get a loan or owning a home, don't do business with them. 2.Do not sign a sales contract or loan documents that are blank or that contain information which is not true. 3.Be certain that the costs and loan terms at closing are what you originally agreed to. 4.Do not be talked into lying about lie about your income, expenses, or cash available for downpayments in order to get a loan. 5.Watch out for higher-risk loans such as balloon loans, interest only payments, and steep pre-payment penalties. 6.Be careful about disclosing things like your need of cash due to medical, unemployment or debt problems. You are very vulnerable in these cases. 7.Don't strip your home's equity by refinancing again and again when there is no benefit to you. 8.Beware of false appraisals. 9.Do not let anyone convince you to borrow more money than you know you can afford to repay. If you get behind on your payments, you risk losing your house and all of the money you put into your property. 10.Get several quotes from multiple brokers or lenders so you know you're being charged a fair interest rate based on your credit history, not your race or national origin.

Your Greatest Asset

Your Greatest Asset by: Joe Heller Your greatest asset is your own customer list. These people have already purchased something from you in the past. If you've delivered as satisfactory product, they are very likely to buy from you again. The easiest sale you'll ever make is to an already established customer of yours. They already trust you. They feel comfortable in dealing with you. You've delivered what you said you would so a certain degree of trust has already been established. Your customers are probably quite confident that you wouldn't sell them something that wasn't in their best interest. The high road to increased profits always takes the route of established customers. There's always an expense associated with finding a new customer. Regardless of the marketing method used there's always an investment required in establishing a customer whether in terms of real dollars or human capital. Once you have a customer, any subsequent sale is made without the cost of locating that customer. The cost or finding a new customer is proportionally much higher than the cost of retaining an existing customer. Keys To Success The secret of capitalizing on your customer base is to continually feed them with new products and services you know they'll want. This is no time to diversify into completely new areas. Everything that you make available to your customer list must be compatible with what made those people customers to begin with. Whatever subsequent products and services you offer must be related in some way. Think of your customers as belonging to a specific group. They're gardeners or small business owners or health enthusiasts. Whatever you offer must fit that product niche. Always be on the lookout for new things you think your customers would gladly pay for. And give customers first crack at any of these new products and services. If you can offer a discount, that's even better. By letting them in on new products and services, you're giving them priority customer status, an added value of doing business with your firm. Be careful not to overdo it. You don't want to annoy anyone, least of all your customers. Allow enough time and space between customer contacts. How much time you allow between mailings or calls depends on the nature of your business. Examples When a clothing store receives a shipment of new designs, they should first notify all previous customers who've purchased in the same price range. All the store has to do is contact these customers by phone or by mailing invitations to a special event where this new line is unveiled. Suggest to customers how additional new outfits can be created by mixing and matching and you've provided an extra service that will help retain customers. This approach would seem natural for a wholesaler who relies on distributors or retailers to act as re-sellers. By showing your new merchandise and suggesting ways to move more of it, you're providing a valuable service while keeping in touch with your customers. A self-published author of book on camping tips, should come up with natural additions to his product line to sell to buyers of his book. Things like maps of parks, local facilities, lists of "must-see sites" or specialty camping equipment, could all be add-ons made available to the author's buyers. One final note; in order to start making more sales and build your business empire – you must become an avid student of lead generation and marketing strategy – the high-payoff items necessary for you to magnetically attact new clients to skyrocket your profits.

Freelancing as A Career Option

Freelancing as A Career Option by: Lewis Low Home bound workers can either consider telecommuting or freelancing. While telecommuting may keep you out of your home for some hours a week, online freelancing is a good way to make money if you are forced to stay at home. For example, homemakers, part-time students, retired folk, or others who wish to supplement their income from jobs or businesses can all consider freelancing. Freelance Skill Sets You can start earning as a freelancer as long as you have skills that someone is willing to pay for. For example, writers, web designers, photographers, and programmers can earn a substantial income by creating articles, websites, portfolios and software from home. The Internet is a hot and viable source of income for freelancers from around the world. Your target customers can be webmasters, online business owners, blog owners etc. For example, blogs and wikis are hot sources of income for freelance writers nowadays, and there's no reason why you can't tap into this market if you possess good writing skills. Freelance Income On the flip, your income may fluctuate from one month to another. As with all businesses, freelancing does not guarantee a stable paycheck at the end of the month. So keep a small kitty reserve for dry days or have another source of income for which you can work part-time. Be prepared to accept boring, low-level work initially just to keep the cash flow strong. Once you get a good reputation for providing original, high-quality work at reasonable price, then clients will flock to you. Freelance Advantages Probably the best thing about freelancing is that you get to work at your pace, in your own hours, from home, and be your own boss. That means, your shop is open 24x7. And as long as you provide good quality work and meet deadlines, your clients will remain happy with you. In order to be visible, you also need to be seen and heard in the right places, like forums, blogs, online groups, etc. Spend time everyday to visit such sites because they are invaluable repository of freelance gigs and email addresses of prospects. Alternatively you can sign up with freelance sites like Elance.com, GetAFreelancer.com and Scriptlance.com where you can start bidding on projects and snag a few as early as today! To conclude, a freelance business is one of the best ways to earn money from home and to work for your own self. If you've got a fair amount of time on your hands, maybe you too should consider freelancing as your full-time career alternative or supplementary income source. (Hint: While you can find plenty of lucrative freelance assignments on Elance, the other sites mentioned above generally tend to feature lesser-paid projects. However, if you're just starting out as a freelancer, the competition on Elance can prove to be really tough. So you might want to first try GAF and Scriptlance to build up your portfolio, and then go for Elance.)

Protect The Merger Or Sale Value Of Your Business

Protect The Merger Or Sale Value Of Your Business: What You Can Learn From The DaimlerChrysler Debacle by: Greg Caruso In the heat of summer 1997, Daimler Benz purchased Chrysler for 37 Billion Dollars in a reported business merger of equals. Now, not quite 10 years later DaimlerChrysler is selling Chrysler for a reported 7.4 billion dollars for 80% of the firm. If the loss of 30 Billion Dollars in business value is not bad enough apparently the entire purchase price being paid by the buyer Cerberus will be placed into Chrysler and not retained by Daimler. How did this happen and what lessons can you learn when planning the sale, merger, or valuation of your privately held business? When Merging Or Selling A Business, It's Business Profits Not Sales Revenues When Daimler purchased Chrysler, Chrysler was having record revenues of 61 Billion Dollars and net earnings of 2.8 Billion Dollars. Revenues and profits were growing rapidly. Exciting new product lines were eagerly accepted by the market. The resulting projected cash flow would pay for the purchase. Now, in 2007, Chrysler has revenues of 62 Billion Dollars and a 1.5 Billion Dollar loss with no projected growth and no current cash flow for financing. This proves one more time that cash flow is the basis of traditional companies' business value. To increase business value and business merger sales price, maximize your cash flow during the lead-up and sale period. The Importance Of Business Cycles When Selling Or Merging When Daimler bought Chrysler the auto industry as a whole was having record years. The three American automakers were selling cars like hotcakes. Costs had been brought down to where Chrysler was a low cost provider. Compare that to the current industry weakness with reports of overcapacity, impending layoffs and inability to compete because of health care and retirement costs. Yes, the overall industry cycles do matter in the pricing of a business at the time of sale. Sell on the up-cycle. Up-cycles provide prospective purchasers with cash to buy your business and up-cycles provide your business with profits to sell. Selling Period - Desperation Does Not Increase Price When reports that Chrysler might be sold hit the street it was clear that Daimler was having a fire sale. Great for a buyer but a very tough negotiating position for a seller. Don't wait until even the "business challenged" can tell you must sell. If you wait too long before you start the business sale or merger process the bottom feeders will win. Maintain Your Core Strengths When Looking to Merge When Daimler purchased Chrysler a new design center had been completed allowing Chrysler to bring cars on the market in three years or less. This allowed them to compete with stylish exciting cars. Daimler, in an effort to milk profits, did not bring out a new car for three years prior to 2006, destroying this design leadership position. People bought Chryslers because they were an affordable style, not because they lasted forever. So what was left when there were no new models? Protect Your Brands While some may question Chrysler's brand value no one can seriously question Jeep's value. Jeep was very close to the Marlboro Man in American mystique. Yet Daimler let Hummer take Jeeps prized position as the "American Badlands 4 Wheel Drive Experience." Daimler, in 2007, finally brought out a Hummer competitor - right in time for a spike in gas prices. Always protect your brands and the value inherent in them. Chrysler invented the minivan. Chrysler still has some very nice minivans. Yet in the day of the "crossover" or mix of SUV and Minivan, where is Chrysler's entry? What happened to the design studio again? Keep Your Talent, They Are Your Business In the name of efficiency Daimler didn't let Chrysler keep dancing the dance that got it to the ball. In a merger originally billed as a marriage of equals it very quickly became clear that the superior equal was Daimler. After all, they were the purchaser. But why chase off the talent you paid dearly for? Always keep your key people on the team if you want to maximize your sales or merger value even if you must share some of the rewards with them. Based on Chrysler's revival from death in the 1990's, someone there clearly knew what they were doing. It is a fatal mistake to lose your best people or worse yet force them to turn to your competitors. Final Thoughts On Business Value With the advantages of hindsight, it is clear that Daimler has made about every mistake possible thereby destroying the value of the Chrysler subsidiary. Chrysler lost profitability because it stopped being Chrysler. Chrysler lost its affordable style position when it lost its design edge and design speed. It lost much of the value in its key Jeep brand by not staying up with changing trends. These and many other mistakes took Chrysler from record profits to huge losses. Daimler bought in an up market cycle and sold in a down cycle. As a final insult, Daimler did not even allow a reasonable time on the market for the transaction to be negotiated. Avoid making these mistakes when looking to sell or merge your private business. In order to earn the greatest return when you sell or merge your business, make sure your profits are increasing, you are running with the business cycle and you follow a proper merger and sales process.