Thomas University sets record enrollment
More than 1,060 students have enrolled for fall semester at Thomas University, setting a new record in the number of students the school now reaches. TU has seen marked increases in new and returning students each consecutive semester over the last four years.

Read more on Thomasville Times-Enterprise

Players aren’t quick to yield on ‘enhanced season’
Early tug-of-war over “enhanced season” is simply posturing before the big labor fight.

Read more on Yahoo! Sports via Yahoo! Sports

Students need help to save money, but don’t always know it, study finds
Students could use help saving more money, but they don’t always know it. If they were offered a simple way to do so, would they take it? A new study suggests the answer is no. And the reason is that their very good intentions can give rise to a sense of optimism that leads them to undervalue opportunities that could make it easier to actually achieve a long-term savings goal.

Read more on Science Daily

In this short article I am sharing with you some valuable pointers & advice I’ve accumulated over the last few months on the subject title.  And if this is nothing new to you, at the very least it will be a good refresher!

Firstly, five fundamentals to success in business – common points mentioned by the majority of top earners I’ve met up with:-

Secondly, further advice I gleaned on the imperative to provide real, tangible VALUE to prospects and customers:

The more VALUE you offer your team or your prospects in your conversations or when they visit your website, the more likely they are to sign up or buy in to your proposition! Here are some Value-generating scenario’s:

 Personal coaching Value: 

Offer free and unbiased advice and coaching to your prospects well before you talk about product. This builds credibility and ‘warms’ them up to you. You have maybe been through the situation yourself or know of a similar situation that you can map to and offer a replicated solution. You can now position as a ‘consultant’ & you can offer advice on how to effectively manage through the problem or situation. This makes you a person of interest and Value to your  prospects!

Support Value: 

People want choices and they also want to know they have all the support they need, when they need it – especially in the online, virtual world. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to pick up a phone and speak with a real, live human-being when you have an issue that FAQ pages do not address! Let your customers know you are always there for them. Offering your availability constitutes VALUE to your prospects & customers!

Access to the best Tools and Resources:  

Make sure you can offer appropriate access to not only online/website tools and processes but also to executives and professionals, with well-honed Product positioning skills, customer communications skills and Leadership skills. Your prospects & customers WANT to be LEAD with respect to your products and solutions. This access and interaction is of VALUE to them!

 ‘Permission Marketing’ Value: 

Obtaining permission from your prospect to send him/her some information, ANY information, is essential. Ask for Permission first!  NEVER send anything unless you have their permission first to do so. Sending anything without permission is SPAM and is unwelcome.

 Conclusion:

YOU MAKE MORE MONEY, GET MORE SALES, FASTER, AND BUILD STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS IF YOU ARE SEEN AS A CREDIBLE PERSON WITH SOMETHING OF VALUE TO OFFER!    

Recession! It’s this year’s buzz word, but do any of us really know what it means? Better still, when do we know that the recession has affected us?  Simple logic tells us that in times of boom and in times of recession, the same amount of money is still present in the economy; it’s just in other people’s bank accounts!  So to beat the recession, you just need to know whose bank account the money is going to land in.

Smart marketing in an online business is a fast and inexpensive way to maximise your cash flow and ensure your market is truly worldwide, therefore ensuring that your website can conveniently land on the computer screens of the many people that have money in the bank.  EBay is a great example of a successful online marketing system. EBay & Microsoft were the pioneers of this and have set a benchmark for all online businesses. So what does the average person like you or I do if we don’t have the skills or resources of Bill Gates, nor the ideas of EBay, nor the capital of Warren Buffet?  

Here are four key points towards helping guide you amidst the online marketing jungle and help you choose an online business that will beat your recession blues.

1. What you need is a turnkey online business with a product that is actually a “must have” in times of recession;  a product that is high tech; a product that will still be relevant and “hot” in years to come;  better still, a product that all generations can relate to and use.

2. A product that has a high profit margin!  Therefore a lot of customers arenâ??t necessary to make a substantial income. When the internet started, every product and business was an incredible opportunity but many markets and products have now over saturated the internet (think weight loss, nutrition, eBooks’ etc).  In today’s market the concept of a small percentage of a lot of sales is a hard market to crack considering the saturation of some products and markets.  It’s far better to have a high margin product that requires far less sales to earn a substantial income.

3. You need an online business that is truly “work from home” and that is truly “mobile”.  As airline travel becomes cheaper so will our ability to holiday and to live summer in one region and winter in another.  You need a portable business that can travel with you!  The new generation have become very good at travelling before they turn 21, how will they fund this?  

4. You need a product that doesnâ??t require a degree, a product that can be taught quickly and learnt quickly, a product that has results and testimonials that will blow your socks off.  No longer does an extra $2000 a month really stir the emotion:  ”We’ve heard it all before!”  Today we want that million dollar a year income FAST!  Look for a company that is producing $250,000 plus first year.

So if you’re sitting at home surfing the internet searching for your next opportunity, you need to develop yourself a checklist so that you can successfully identify a company’s strengths and weaknesses. Don’t get caught in the hype of pills, potions and products that could outdate or need updating quickly (fads). Don’t rest on the assurance that just because a company could survive the 70′s 80′s 90′s  that they are necessarily going to be able to ride the wave of the entrepreneurial online business culture of this millennium. Look for a product that is easily transportable to every country; donâ??t forget to find a product with a high profit margin and an exceptional compensation plan. 

Allow me to paint you a picture, of successful products that have already reached their peak. In the 1970′s it was all about cleaning products, Tupperware & Makeup being sold from the comfort of your own home, this was an exciting era and the start of the home based millionaire. The 80s & 90′s were the growth phase of the nutrition, weight loss, eBay, Google and Microsoft millionaires.

Then the technology bubble burst and many of these businesses, whilst they had maintained their market sector, had not grown at the same rates that their original eras provided them, therefore the previous growth that home based millionaires had achieved may not be achievable in today’s market. So you find yourself asking, what’s hot property in 2009?

1. Personal development

2. Affiliate marketing

3. Social networking

 

My bet is that personal development could just tick all the boxes that we have discussed.  Imagine growing your mind and your bank account at the same time.  Good luck in your search for a recession proof online business.

Making a Habit of Personal Development

By Justin Popovic 

It can be a rather amusing task to sit back and analyze some of the daily rituals we perform, often without giving any conscious thought. I believe this is a good thing because we would accomplish very little if we had to stop and think about every task we perform.

Just today, I was making the short drive from my home to the library where I do most of my writing, when I noticed I had been completely engrossed in thoughts about the book I am writing. I had to look in the back seat to check if I even brought my laptop and writing materials. I then became aware of all of the other things that had to take place just to make this short trip. Among other things, I had to put on my shoes, put on my jacket, walk from the house to the car, unlock the car with the keyless entry, place my bag in the back seat, sit in the driver’s seat, fasten my seatbelt, start the car, and so on.  The entire time this was happening, my thoughts were directed towards my task for the day.

This got me thinking about some of the other habit patterns in our life that we consciously decide to do without really asking ourselves if the task is really the most important thing on our list. For example, many people choose to watch a number of hours of television each day. I personally know people who spend an unusual amount of time daily cleaning their home or randomly browsing the internet. The point I am trying to make is that most of us can probably uncover at least one hour of time each day that we give to meaningless tasks.

The interesting thing is, if you ask most people if they are happy with all of the results in their life, the truthful answer is often no.

My goal is to encourage people to dedicate some time every single day to personal reflection and self development. If you are unhappy with a certain situation, you have the ability to change your thinking, and ultimately your behaviour, so that you can improve that particular circumstance. Instead of watching a daytime drama or indulging in excessive dusting and mopping, you might want to consider picking up a book or audio program that forces you to examine your results.  

From my personal experience, this simple action produces an internal reaction. Because you are examining your own personal results, you quickly realize that you are the only one who can change them. Unfortunately, in our society today, people are fixated on producing immediate results and having tangible evidence in their hands the minute they ask for something. With personal development, the true benefits can only be realized when we incorporate the ideas into a habit.

Think about it this way. If you were to make a firm commitment to read or listen to personal development educational programs for even 30 minutes a day for the next two weeks, what kind of positive impact could this have on your life? What if you did it for two months? Similar to unconscious activities such as getting dressed or brushing your teeth, you would start to create a new habit and become the kind of person who automatically takes action on ideas that move you in the direction of improved results.

From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that this kind of self study works. It really is a never ending process because it is part of our nature to grow, expand and develop and ultimately, it provides an excellent opportunity to make positive life changes. As you become more involved in personal development, you will start to notice areas of your life that are working well and other areas that require improvement. This kind of education will help you harness ideas that will improve your results while at the same time, overcome all of the inhibitors standing in the way of you achieving your aim!

A common question I hear is, “Where do I start?” There are so many good authors, philosophies and ideas on this topic that you can never really say which style will work. The best advice I have ever received from this perspective is to study and learn from those who are producing results that you would like in your life. It’s a pretty basic lesson but a very important one. Seek out the people who have already achieved what you would like to achieve and learn from them. Success often leaves clues and it is up to you to find those clues and act on them. With a daily commitment to personal improvement, you will quickly become a master detective you will transform each clue into a tangible action that will lead to a more fulfilled life.

Justin Popovic

justin@igniteyouressence.com

www.igniteyouressence.com

Justin Popovic is the founder and key speaker for the personal development education company, Ignite Your Essence.

What is the Slight Edge and what does it have to do with personal development, self help, success, prosperity, abundance, wealth, business, career, money and freedom? The Slight Edge is a philosophy for living life that was introduced to me by a man named Jeff Olson. Not only are the principles of the Slight Edge intertwined with all of the things mentioned above, but it also is at work in the lives of those who experience depression, poverty, poor health, debt, unemployment, jobs they hate and unfulfilling relationships. The Slight Edge is at work all the time, every day in the life of every single conscious human being on this planet.

You can read Jeff Olson’s book or listen to his audio program about the Slight Edge, but I will do my best to simply summarize its meaning here for you. The Slight Edge is really referring to the very slight difference between making positive choices and negative ones, between choosing things that will enhance and improve our lives versus things that will bring us less than we truly desire. For instance, each day you have an opportunity to make hundreds, if not thousands of decisions! When to wake up, what to wear, what to eat, whether or not to exercise, what to say or not say to family and friends, what to read, what to watch, where to go, what people to see and spend time with, what to listen to, what to think and on and on and on.

Most of these “choices” that we make each day may not even feel like choices because so many of them are made on more of an unconscious level than a conscious one. However, even choices that we make day and day out require our conscious approval in order to take place and we have the power and ability within ourselves to change what choices we make at any given time. Understanding how the Slight Edge works and the difference it can make in your life over time will give you an added sense of discipline and desire to make those positive choices that are in your best interest.

An important element of the Slight Edge philosophy is understanding that most individual choices are easy to do, but they are also easy not to do. It’s easy to choose to eat a healthy salad for lunch instead of a hamburger, but it is also easy not to do that. Therein lies the power of the Slight Edge choice. To understand the influence of the Slight Edge at work in your life it is important to look at a given choice over time, let’s say one year. If you watch one hour of television each day, that doesn’t really seem like a big deal right? It is certainly easy to do and it could also be said that it is easy not do. On average, Americans watch much more than one hour of television a day, but for the sake of this illustration we will assume you watch just one hour. The equates to seven hours a week, approximately 30 hours a month and 365 hours a year, which is equivalent to more than nine 40 hour work weeks! I’m not saying this is good or bad I’m just illustrating the power of the Slight Edge at work. When you think about your daily choices in terms of their impact and influence in your life over one year or one decade, it puts those activities into better perspective.

Now, I’m not saying we should not watch TV, go to movies, relax, or anything like that. I enjoy doing all of those things, in proper balance. My intention in sharing my experience with this philosophy with you is to help you understand that there are little simple things that you can begin doing today, that if done over time, will absolutely transform your life. It is about understanding the potential that each of us have to grow, to progress, to improve, to create, to expand and to be a better, more fulfilled and happy person in one year than we are today! How can we go about making Slight Edge improvements to our daily choices so that we can experience consistent growth and personal development in our lives? There are several ways and I will share a few that have worked phenomenally well for me.

Reading personal development or self help books and listening to similar audio programs has made a huge difference in my life. Do you realize that if you read just 10 pages from a personal development book every day that you will have read 3,650 pages by the end of just one year! Sure, the math is easy and it makes sense, but that translates to easily one or two dozen books. It only takes about 30 minutes a day to do that yet the impact upon the way you think, act and live your life will be tremendously enhanced. Reading 10 pages a day is easy to do. It is also easy not to do. Therein lies the power of the Slight Edge decision. Additionally, if you listen to just 15 minutes of inspiring personal development audio programs, podcasts or audiobooks each day while driving to and from work or while exercising, that equates to 91.25 hours of listening in one year; more than two 40 hour work weeks put together! Do you think putting such content into your mind and applying it in your life would help you to become a better person and be more successful in achieving your personal and professional goals? Absolutely! It is easy to do? Is it easy not to do?

You see, a large majority of people read trashy magazines, watch tv and listen to worthless radio instead of reading personal development books, listening to inspiring audio and taking a little time out to improve their lives. We should not be surprised if our lives our not what we wish them to be if we are not taking the simple daily actions to improve ourselves and to be better. Our lives right now, in this present moment, are nothing more than a cumulative result of everything that we have thought and done previously in life! If you do not like your situation, your relationships, your job, your build, your income (or lack thereof), then look in the mirror and make a firm resolve to yourself that you will begin TODAY to make changes in the Slight Edge choices you make each day. Don’t beat yourself and drop deeper into depression. Celebrate and get excited that you now know what you can do to change your life for the better. Will you transform into the life of your dreams overnight? Of course not. However, by making slight changes each day in the seemingly insignificant choices of what you do, your life will absolutely be transformed in a years time, probably much sooner. I have experienced this first hand and I absolutely know that it works.

When I was a teenager I was hanging out with the wrong crowd and got involved in drinking, drugs, smoking, theft and all variety of unhealthy behavior. My life was falling apart quickly and the future did not look to bright for me. After having a very scary experience with drugs I made a firm decision that I was going to change my life. I made some drastic decisions at that point to dis-associate from my friends, to get rid of all my depressing music, to stop abusing substances and to begin working heavily on improving myself, my mind, my body, my life. What I’ve found for myself and for others is that immediate change can be noticed and experienced, especially when you are making these changes at a very low point in your life. If you are in the depths of despair and the whole world seems to be crashing in upon you then shifting your mind, body and spirit can make a visual transformational difference upon you in a matter of hours. A lot of that depends upon the intensity of your determination to change and to improve your life and your willingness to disassociate yourself, as much as possible, from those things or people that have had such a powerful negative influence over you. This isn’t about running from your problems, but rather about taking back control of your life and not giving that control to anyone but yourself.

I read book after book about personal development. About thoughts, behavior, attitude, goals, success, achievement, etc. Just get your hands on any personal development books that really jump out at you, dive in and absorb as much as you can as quickly as you can. What I loved about these books is that there were always numerous ideas and suggestions that I could immediately begin applying in my mind and in my life to see how they would make a difference. I would do the exercises, follow the guidance and see what happened. I also did a lot of spiritual exploration during this time, praying, meditation, reading scripture and just cleansing myself as well as I knew how. This will be a different process for everyone depending upon your religious persuasions, where you live and what spiritual books and teachers are a part of your life. I also began eating more healthy foods, exercising and getting more adequate rest every night. This was invigorating to build my body, to develop and to see that it was ready to take on new challenges and to be pushed to new limits. That felt good and seemed to help accelerate the growth I was experiencing mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well.

I was 18 years of age when I made that decision to change my life for the better. I am now 31 and have by no means reached the pinnacle of personal growth and achievement. However, I have been fortunate to have enjoyed many remarkable experiences and blessings in my life, due in large part to the fact that I have been continually working on improving myself and the lives of those around me. I’ve traveled throughout the United States and Canada. I received scholarships to college and graduated with honors. I married a beautiful woman when I was 24 and we now have two incredible children with our third to arrive this summer. I have started businesses, invested in real estate, managed multi-million dollar companies and consulted entrepreneurs. I currently own a multi-million dollar business within the Health and Wellness industry and am able to help people from all walks of life all over the world. My future is bright and I know that there are no limits to what I can achieve as long as I continue to follow the Slight Edge path of personal development and striving to improve the lives of others.

It is my desire that you will join with me in this phenomenal journey of life. If you are looking to make some changes in your life, do it now! Take the time for some personal exploration, set your goals, decide what small things you can begin doing each day that will have a powerful cumulative effect upon you and your family in your life. If you are looking to make a professional change or to work within a business that is perfectly aligned with these principles, then let me know. I’d love to explore the possibility of working together with you in my business and helping you to accomplish all of the goals that you set for yourself.

If you would like to learn more about the business that has provided me with an unlimited opportunity for developing true time freedom and financial freedom, simply visit my site at http://www.rockthechoc.com!

Until then, enjoy the journey,

Munro Murdock