Reduce Cost, Increase Profit and Productivity

If you are looking to reduce cost or increase profit and productivity, there is a really simple way to get it done. So simple, in fact, that it is often overlooked. Look at the image below: We were taught in grade school that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, right? We have discovered over the years, however, that the line is rarely straight, and that it is really easy to get off track. Let's assume that we are at point "A" and that to increase profit or productivity or to reduce cost, we must get to point "B."

Since it is likely that we will get off track in the process, we might wind up at point "C" instead. We know that it might be easier to get back on track when the distance from the A-B line and the A-C is small, and more difficult if not impossible as the distance increases.

The biggest reason we get "off track" is that we do not have a system in place that alerts us as soon as we begin to get off the A-B line.

What we need is a system that keeps us constantly informed and allows us to make adjustments as needed. Look at the bottom image of the A-B line. The little verticle markers can be called "gates." If getting to "B" is really important to you and your business, here are the rules that will guarantee that you always get there:  As you move off point "A" and arrive at the first gate, ask yourself three questions:

1. Am I still on track?
2. Am I still heading toward "B"?
3. Is "B" still the goal?

Before you begin to move toward the next gate on the A-B line, you must have "YES" as the answer to all three questions. If not, make the necessary corrections, and then move. Simple logic tells us that if we do this, we MUST wind up at point "B."  When you first try this, keep the "gates" close together. Plan each move carefully, and then execute. This really works. Try it!

Visualization

My mentor told me that "Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon...must inevitably come to pass."

Take the "vividly imagine" part of that... the word "imagination" simply means "images in action", so to vividly imagine something, you have to place a picture of it in your mind so it is easily recalled and seen "vividly" in the mind's eye.

Here's a way to do that. Get out a bunch of old magazines that are laying around your home or office. Flip through them, and any picture that catches your eye that might represent something you want, or a place you want to visit, or something to learn... cut it out and place it on a bulletin board that you can easily see.

Just be careful what you put up there, because the human mind is a powerful thing. It immediately begins working on ways to bring these images to life! You will be amazed and mystified by how well this works.

Back to Basics

It seems as though as the days progress, everything gets more and more complicated. If that is happening to you right now, it's time to get back to the basics.

In my business, what that means is "Stop Selling" and start using the tools provided. Ask some folks to do a favor for you and check out a website or listen to a recorded message, or watch a DVD.

For instance, should you be interested in earning extra dollars, do me a favor and check out the video that you can find at http://www.sbswaco.net

If you do check it out, I will get a message telling me you did, and I have indeed gotten back to the basics. I will contact you and answer your questions. I WILL NOT SELL YOU anything!!

Have fun. Get back to the basics. I just did!

Motivation \ mō-te-vā-shun \ Reason to Act

Back in cave-man days, motivation consisted of carrying a big club and making loud noises. Today, we refer to that as FEAR motivation.

As Humans became more sophisticated, they discovered that fear motivation didn't work well because those affected toughened up to fear.

So we discovered a new way to motivate. To get a donkey to pull a card, we held out a carrot on a long stick, and the donkey, trying to get to the carrot, pulled the cart. We named this INCENTIVE motivation. But, that didn't work for very long either, because the donkey tired and just sat down.

We keep trying to usde one of these two kinds of motivation on employees today. We either threaten them, which eventually causes strikes (or they quit), or we incentive them which raises the cost of doing business to the point that we are no longer competetive.

So, what can we do? Since the two most popular types of motivation may work for short periods of time, neither will work for very long. It is obvious that we need to find a new kind of motivation that is more permanent.

It's called ATTITUDE motivation. In an earlier blog, we discussed attitudes and their relationship to results. Here it is again... If you think you can do something, you are right. On the other hand, if you think you cannot, you are also right.

Focus on the right kind of thinking, and you can become SELF-MOTIVATED. If your attitude, or habit of thaught is positive, so are the results!

NUTS...The Seeds of Greatness

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't... or so goes the jingle on television. But, think about it: A tiny acorn, when planted and nourished turns into a mighty oak tree!  A small idea can turn into a million dollar business in the same way. All you have to do is plant that idea, nourish it, and you too, can grow a million dollar business!

However...mustering up the courage to develop a new idea and then taking the action necessary to plant it, nourish it, and care for it as it grows, takes a lot of guts.

But just as faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains, a good idea with the proper care and maintenance can become a wonderful thing!

If you doubt this, think of Dell Computers, MacDonalds Hamburgers, Toyota Hybrids...

Whats your idea, and how will you make it grow?

Prioritizing Activity

I once read a book that talked about managing time and prioritizing the activity of each day so the most important things were always accomplished. The simplicity of it was really neat. Here's how it went:

Take your list of things that need to be accomplished and separate them into three piles.

• Pile "A" shoud contain only those things that absolutely, positively must be done TODAY.
• Pile "B" should contain those things that you would like to complete after all the "A's" are done.
• Pile "C" should contain the remining items on the list.

Take the first item in the "A" pile and put it in front of you on your desk. Put the rest in Drawer "A" of your file cabinet.

Take the "B" pile and put it in Drawer "B" so you can work on them later.

Take the "C" pile and put it in a box and put the box in your closet, out of sight.

Now, work on the "A's", one at a time until they are completed, then start on the "B's."

After 30 days, if you have not visited the "C" box, empty it in the trash and forget about it. If you haven't visited the "B" drawer by the end of the week, move these to the "C" box and proceed accordingly.

DO THE "A's"... Now, get crackin'.

How Thought Affects Results

Look at the chart at the left. The way you think is determined by input to your brain through your five senses. What you see, smell, taste, touch and hear become ideas. If this input is repeated, the ideas become habits of thinking or "Attitudes." The way you think about something directly affects the way you do things. It even affects the way you feel. For instance, if you think you are cold, you might shiver. If, on the other hand, you think you are hot, you might perspire, even in the middle of a very cold day.

The way you act or behave, determines the results you get when you attempt something. Therefore, it follows that if you are told over and over again by your coach that you can pole vault over a six foot bar, and you watch others doing it, you begin to think you can really do it yourself. Once convinced that you can, you try until the method you use works, and by golly, you clear the bar!

The best thing about all of this is this: If you are not satisfied with the results you are currently getting in your business, you have to look first at HOW you are running your business. (Behavior) If you can identify the behavior causing the unwanted results, you then need to change the way you THINK so the behavior will change. To chaange the way you think, you need to change the INPUT.

The good news is: Like the three fellows to the right, you have control over the input. Speak no negative things, Look at no negative things, and do not listen to negative things. Instead, allow in only positive ideas and methods. Listen only to positive thinking people. See yourself as being successful at what you do.

When you do this, others follow, and not only do you attract a great team with which to work, but you begin to attract the success that you desire!

Spiritual Management

This is not a lesson in religion... It is a lesson in managing the "spirit" in how you and others in your organization perform daily tasks. While calling lots of people every day, the way they answer the phone forms a strong, immediate image in my mind.

I have talked with people who sounded like they just woke up, in fact, like I disturbed them from being sound asleep! I have talked with peole who sounded irritated that I called at all. Some secretaries want to interrogate me before allowing me to talk with their bosses. By the time I finish explaining something that they cannot possibly understand, I seldom feel like talking to the person I am trying to reach.

As you can see, the spirit with which one answers the pnhone cannot only affect your mental image of them, but your own spirit as well. (This works in both directions, by the way)

Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager) illustrated this in a workshop I attended. He first had everyone in the audience greet each other like they didn't care and weren't really interested in meeting one another. He then had the audience greet each other like they were long lost friends.

The difference was amazing! Expressions changed from blank stares to bright smiles, cold handshakes to warm hugs. The "spirit" of exchange made all the difference in the world.

Try it yourself. Experience the difference. Have your staff do the same.

Manage the spirit...Don't let the spirit manage you!

Cross Marketing

Business owners of all types through the services they provide for their customers, run across needs that they cannot handle themselves. A good example is the plumber that runs across an electrical problem that he is not licensed to repair. While working with a client or customer doing what you "do," keep your eyes and ears open for other needs. Perhaps you know someone that can handle them.

Business to business cross-marketing can add significantly to your profit picture. Here are some simple methods of passing along leads to other businesses. Remember this: What ever you send out to others comes bak to you tenfold!

• Ask the other business owners for a stack of their business cards.
• Keep them in your briefcase or vehicle so when a need is spotted,  you can hand your customer the appropriate business card.
• Give a stack of your cards to the other business owners and ask them to do the same.
• If you are a service company, teach your technicians to keep their eyes and ears open for all kinds of needed or desired work.
• If a customer asks you if you know someone who can do something you cannot do, you should have to go no further than your briefcase or truck to get them an answer.
• Keep a record of which companys you give your cards to, and which cards you give to your customers.
• Follow up on every single one to be sure the owner of the card is calling on the leads given, and that the work was satisfactory.
• Inspect what you expect! It pays great dividends down the line.
• And finally, never...ever...ever...give up!

Paul J. Meyer

I am proud to say that Paul was a personal friend and mentor. I first had the privilege of meeting Paul in the summer of 1983 while visiting his office in Waco, Texas. I purchased a management training franchise from him and subsequently built a million dollar business using the methods he taught.

In 1989 I was invited to join his headquarters staff as a Systems Manager and became a consultant to the consultants that worked in the field.

Paul was a collector of antique cars, mostly Fords from the 1930's. He also loved to fly his own airplane. He worked out every day for as long as his health allowed, riding a stationary bike several miles.

Paul wrote many books, training programs, and magazine articles that have been published in over 26 languages and distributed world-wide.

With all the millions he earned in his lifetime, he gave away more than most people ever earn! He told me once that he would like to give it all away as long as where he put it would have a positive impact on the lives of others. What a guy!

Born on May 21, 1928, Paul passed away after a long battle with cancer on October 26, 2009. He shall be missed by milllions around the world. Rest in peace, my friend...

MMFS

Your customers are running around with these four letters emblazoned on their foreheads. Can you see them? Look a little closer... They stand for "Make Me Fell Special."  What can you do this very day to make a customer or two "feel special?" Try sending a hand-written note thanking them for their business and reassuring them of your guarantee of satisfaction. Send along a discount certificate to use the next time they call. Be extra nice to them... they are your future!

Some business owners think that their customers are only the folks who buy something from them. How do you feel about that? Perhaps you should look at a customer as someone you serve.

If you do that, then people other than those who buy from you will come to mind. Your employees, your spouse, your children. Your friends and neighbors. Your business associates.

By thinking in this direction, you begin to develop a servant's heart and people begin to look at you in a different way as well. Imagine what can happen to your business if you sincerely try to do this. do you think it might have a positive impact on your profitability? Do you think it might relieve some stress?  I do...

Like Attracts Like

Have you ever visited a bar and looked around at the people there? You will notice that the same people seem to be sitting in the same seats talking about the same things day in and day out.

Watch kids hanging out together. They dress alike, talk alike, and have similar attitudes about life in general.

Attend a business after hours meeting at your local Chamber of Commerce and you will see the same thing, only on a different level.

If you want to build a profitable business, you must attract good employees and good customers who will pay you aresonable rate and pay on time.

Professional looking business people attract professional looking associates. Leaders attract leaders.

Here is the bottom line: If you are not attracting the kind of people you need to make your company grow and be profitable, look first at yourself!

As hard as that sounds, keep it in a positive frame and see what you need to do. Do you need to dress differently? Do you need to act differently? Do you need to gain some knowledge or put some new systems in place? What part of your business doesn't compare favorably with the most successful competitors? What needs to change so others see you as successful?

Begin by setting a goal to make those changes, one at a time. Continually check your progress and get others involved to help watch the changes taking place. Ask for feedback to assure that they are working the way you want them to work.

Before you know it, you will be attracting the best of the best to join in your venture!

New Fundamentals?

"There are no new fundamentals. You've got to be a little suspicious of someone who says, 'I've got a new fundamental.'

That's like someone inviting you to tour a factory where they are manufacturing antiques."  - Jim Rohn

"What separates you from your competition? What standards are you setting? What makes people talk about you? What makes people look forward to doing business with you? What makes people tell others about your business?" - Jeffrey Gitomer

"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." - Henry Ford

Bottom line: What others perceive about you and the way you do business is a truth in their mind. Mind what they perceive! It means the difference between success and failure.

SET YOURSELF UP TO WIN...

Like teeing up a ball for a drive to the green, you must set yourself up to win! If you watch a pro when he tees up his ball, he takes great care in getting it just right. He focuses on his target, visualizes the ball going where he wants it, and then he swings. Yes...and then... he swings!

THE GAME OF WORK

Why do you suppose people are willing to pay for the privilege of working harder than they are willing to work while they are being paid?

What??

Why do you suppose people are willing to pay for the privilege of working harder than they are willing to work while they are being paid?

Example: In a city in the Rocky Mountains, there is a frozen food packing company. At this company, OSHA, the federal safety people, require that workers are provided with special conditions because of the zero degree environment in which they work. These include a ten-minute break each hour outside of the freezing environment, special clothing to keep them warm, and a hot drink within ten feet of their work area at all times. Reasonable requirements in such dire working circumstances, don’t you think?

Yet these same people, after a major snow storm, will pay nearly a hundred dollars for a lift ticket so they can work all day long pushing heavy snow around as they ski down the mountains. All the time, these people wear half the clothing they wore at work, and take few breaks and rarely are anywhere near a hot drink! These people have indeed PAID for the privilege of working harder than they work while they are being paid!

The question is… “Why?” “Why would a person PAY to work harder than they work when someone is paying them?”

In directing this question to your audience, various responses will be heard including: “It’s fun. It’s something you want to do. It’s freedom.” In each case, respond back by asking “Why is it fun?” “Why do people want to do it?” Why is it considered freedom?”

The purpose of these responses is to get the audience to think.

Consider this: There are four “rules” or “laws” that make competitive sports “fun.”

1. There is ALWAYS a clearly defined goal.
2. There is ALWAYS a clearly defined field of play. In other words, you ALWAYS know where the foul lines are. You know when you are out of bounds.
3. There is CONSTANT feedback. You ALWAYS know how well you are doing.
4. And, finally, they NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, change the rules in the middle of the game!

Now, if this is true, let’s take a look at what happens at work. Have you ever worked for a company where the goals were not clear?

Most of us have....

Have you ever worked in a company where the rules are not clear, or sometimes, have not even existed?

Once again, most of us have...

How about feedback? Have you ever worked in a company where at best there was an annual performance review… and then it was performed by someone who didn’t want to do it in the first place?

And again, most of us have!

And finally, have you worked in a company where the rules changed without your knowledge and you were chastised for not following the new rules?

Yes...most of us have!

Now tell me, what do you think would happen if there were no goal posts in a football game? What if there were no foul lines in baseball? What if there were no scores kept in games shown on television? And what would happen if they constantly changed the rules during the games, especially if the new rules favored the “opposing” team?

It doesn’t take a college education to set goals. Anyone can do it. It simply takes dedication to purpose. Could you go back today and set some clearly defined goals within your companies? Of course you could.

And rules… could you design a set of “Standard Operating Procedures” or a “Policy Manual” so folks would know, understand, and follow the rules? Sure you could!

And feedback… Could you come up with a way for each person in your company to be constantly aware of how well he or she is doing? Absolutely!

Finally, would you be willing, should the need for change arise, to call your team off the field, explain the new rules, and then go back to work playing by the new rules? Yes. Absolutely yes!

Go back to work today… institute these rules in your company, and your people will be willing to work harder than ever before. And they will have FUN while they do it!

From "The Game of Work" by Charles A. Coonradt - 1985

How "Old" are You?

Do you think about "how old" you are? Do people ever ask you "how old" you are? Here is a test you can give yourself: Make a recording of your own voice. Listen to it and try to determine "how old" this strange voice is that you are hearing.

If your voice sounds "old", the indicators may be coming more from an attitude than from your real age. On the other hand, if the voice you hear sounds "young"... Okay, you've got it... that comes from an attitude as well. Whomever invented "getting old" probably had a pretty bad image of themselves at the time.

Albert Einstein said, "I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity."

You are only as old as you feel. And the way you feel is determined by the way you think. If you are feeling "old" it is time for you to determine why you are thinking that way and to find a way to change the input that is the cause. Perhaps you are not nearly as old as you think!

Casy Stengel made clowning around on the baseball diamond commonplace. He said, "The trick is growing up without growing old."

Leadership

If you are to own a great business that is growing and profitable and a place to work that attracts the best of the best, it will take leadership in a high order. But what exactly, is "leadership?"

People ascribe leadership to those men and women who they feel can most enable them to achieve important goals and objectives. I think the key word in that statement is "enable."

Some leaders think that leading people simply means marching ahead and hoping their underlings have the guts to follow. Some try pushing instead of leading. Others threaten by trying to lead by intimidation. The real leaders, however, are the ones who build trust in their teams and have the power to enable them to gain the knowledge and tools needed to achieve their personal goals.

Good leaders do not set goals for their people, but because they encourage them, the people want to set goals for themselves.

It just makes common sense that an individual would rather work on their own personal goals than the goals set by others. The trick is to encourage them not only to set goals, but to creat plans of action to achieve them, and then to praise them on their successes no matter how small, and ecourage them if they fail from time to time. Real leaders lead, enable, encourage and praise success.

Are you a leader?

If they come for the price, they will leave for the price...

There was once a restaurant chain that started up and expanded so quickly that they seemed to appear everywhere, and everyone seemed to be buying their fast and inexpensive food. Their stock soared to over forty dollars. However, in just eighteen months, you could buy a share for under thirty five cents!

The chain sent out discount coupons and millions redeemed them. This created long lines, which in turn slowed service, overcrowded the restaurants and amplified the decibel levels to the point that people began to see uncomfortable, noisy, messy restaurants... thus the drop in stock price.

The lesson?  Price according to the value you deliver and keep that value higher than your customers expect.

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You CAN be what you want to be...

There is a huge difference between believing something and just accepting something as fact.

For instance, you may accept as fact that humans cannot breath under water. However, if I were to hold your face under water for a couple of minutes, you woud come to sincerely, and with all your heart and soul, BELIEVE that humans cannot breath under water!

Sometimes it takes that kind of burning belief to get past the idea that you cannot do something. A good way to get there is to bite off tiny pieces of a seemingly impossible task. By doing so, you build up your belief that you CAN to the thing that up until now, you strongly believed that you could not do.

Remember: There's only one way to eat an elephant... and that's one bite at a time.

Once you take small steps moving toward an objective, your belief in your ability to continue the journey builds and builds.

Here's to your reaching your goals and objectives!

REFLECTION

Did you know that you are a mirror? You betcha! Except your mirror reflects what's inside of you, not what's outside.

Think about it... have you ever slammed your finger in a drawer? The pain you were feeling was reflected in the way you acted, the things you said, and how you were perceived by the people around you at the time!

While folks don't generally go around slamming their fingers into drawers, they do get exposed to different situations and issues that cause inner feelings to be reflected outward. Those then, become the things upon which you are judged by your peers, your work team and your customers.

In this challenging economy, it is easy to become discouraged when you don't get the business you want and deserve. The problem with letting it discourage you is you begin to reflect your feelings on the outside and others around you pick up on it and become discouraged as well.

Would YOU want to do business with someone that has an obvious negative outlook on life?

What do you want your customers to see and feel when they are around you? What image do you want to project? The best way to prevent reacting to a situation is to be proactive. Project the image you want people to see. Be positive. Be happy. Be confident, regardless of what is going on around you.

The results will be amazing!

Written Plans of Action

The key word here is "Written." This all ties into your attitude or habit of thinking because writing crystallizes thought. Once you have created a mind picture of the end result you are seeking, begin making a plan of action that will result in its achievement.

By writing that plan, step by step,you will impregnate in your mind those steps in images. You can literally think your way to success!

Be sure your goals are SMART goals, too. The should be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Tangible

Keep in mind that "Attainable" doesn't necessarily mean "Realistic," so test the goal both ways. It might be attainable to go to the moon, burt is it realistic to think you might be able to go in the time fram you desire?

Perhaps not.

The Four "P's"

I attended a meeting recently where Ken Blanchard, the author of "The One Minute Manager" and many other books, gave a speech. He told of the four "P's" necessary in running a successful business.

The first "P" stood for Passion. Blanchard said that if you really want to be successful, you must love what you do. You must wake early, anxious to get the day started. If you find yourself watching the clock and wondering when the day will end, success will not find you.

His advice was to get out of that business and find something that you really have fun doing.

The second "P" stood for Profit. It is not enough to love what you do, you must get paid for it. This means that you have to charge enough for what you do to cover all the expenses and your salary, and still have some left over with which to build your business. Profit!

The third "P" is for Priorities. Blanchard said that sometimes you get good at something... really good. You begin to forget how you got there. You forget that it is your customers that pay you. You forget your priorities.

The fourth "P" stands for People. This means the people that you work with and the general public that you serve. You must make raving fans out of your customers so they want to tell others about the quality of your work, how you really cared about them and the fairness of your prices. Raving Fans!

Pay attention to thes four "P's" and watch your company grow!

Data Theft Hits 3.3 Million Borrowers (WSJ)

Company and federal officials said they believed last week's theft of identity data on 3.3 million people with student loans was the largest-ever breach of such information and could affect as many as 5% of all federal student-loan borrowers.

Names, addresses, Social Security numbers and other personal data on borrowers were stolen from the St. Paul, Minn., headquarters of Educational Credit Management Corp., a nonprofit guarantor of federal student loans, during the weekend of March 20-21, according to the company.

ECMC said the stolen information was on a portable media device. "It was simple, old-fashioned theft," said ECMC spokesman Paul Kelash. "It was not a hacker incident."

Citing state and federal criminal investigations, ECMC has released only limited information about the theft since posting a notice on its Web site Friday. It plans to notify affected customers in writing this week.

David Hawn, ECMC's chief business-development officer, said the company didn't believe the data theft was connected with last week's enactment of the largest overhaul of federal student-loan rules in decades. Details are being worked out on how the new law will be implemented, and ECMC said it was still evaluating how the legislation would affect it.

The ECMC incident is the latest in a series of thefts of consumers' financial data in recent years. Earlier this month, a former employee of HSBC Holdings PLC allegedly stole data on about 24,000 Swiss private-bank accounts. In 2005, 40 million accounts serviced by payment processor CardSystems were compromised. In 2007, TJX Co., the company that owns retailer T.J. Maxx, disclosed that 45 million credit- and debit-card account numbers had been breached.

All told, more than 347 million records containing sensitive information have been compromised in the U.S. since 2005, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer group.

The student-loan market has battled data losses before. In 2006, 1.7 million computer records held by Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp. were breached, while the U.S. Department of Education said a bug in its Web site compromised data on 21,000 people.

ECMC's St. Paul headquarters has card-key access for the 320 employees who work there, Mr. Hawn said. He said the company was reviewing its security.

ECMC services and insures more than $11 billion in student loans for the U.S. Department of Education. ECMC also owns Premiere Credit LLC, a federal student-loan collection agency. No Premiere accounts were affected by the theft, Mr. Hawn said.

Federal student-loan guarantors such as ECMC, USA Funds and American Student Assistance have contracts with the federal government to insure student loans against default. Some guarantors also originate student loans, although ECMC does not.
ECMC is the designated guarantor for loans in Oregon, Virginia and Connecticut, but borrowers from all states could be affected.

The 3.3 million social security numbers that were stolen from ECMC represent 8.9 million loans, Mr. Kelash said. One borrower may take out multiple loans.

"We are working with ECMC to make sure that affected individuals are provided with resources to protect their information and to provide with them with identity-theft insurance," said U.S. Department of Education spokesman Justin Hamilton.

Write to Mary Pilon at marypilon@wsj.com

Is there such a thing as an affordable attorney?

Because helping others is important to me, I'd love to share some information that I think could be very valuable to you. You may or may not be interested, but it will only take a few minutes to review it.

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Most people first think “I don’t need an attorney”. We've 'trained' ourselves to handle matters on our own or ask friends for advice. The fact is attorneys simply cost too much, or knowing who to call can be a challenge! Or what if we call an attorney who really doesn't specialize in what we need? And who'd want to contact a $200+ per hour attorney to handle a $50 issue!?! This is exactly why we exist!

Our membership plan works a bit like AAA does for auto owners. When help is needed anywhere in the country, it's there... without the huge bill. It's a little like calling for your “legal” tow truck. You won't get just “any” attorney either --- only those listed in the top 10% of all attorneys and with years of experience in their specialization.

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Identity Theft - Watching Your Backside

Email is becoming a common way to gain access to your personal identity information. We want to alert you of some of the scams.

The scammers send an email that looks like it comes from a website where they might have personal information or be able to request it, such as AOL, PayPal, Ebay, Western Union, Amazon, Yahoo, a bank, and even the IRS!

You're advised that you need to update your information or risk losing your account (or a refund from the IRS). Sometimes they claim their records were corrupted and they must update them. A phony website that looks very much like the real one will have a form for the unsuspecting person to fill out, requesting personal information such as passwords, your credit card numbers, or other identity information. Do not fill out any information and do not submit it.

Legitimate companies do not request information in this manner.

It's always better to type the website's domain name in your browser rather than clicking an email link sent to you. A few more keystrokes now saves untold damage and headaches later.

A new scam hit the papers just today. Scammers are calling the telephone numbers listed in classified ads and telling the person who answers the newspaper's computer crashed, and they need to get their credit card used for payment for the ad. It's pretty obvious what they intend to do with this information.

Be careful!  Take a look at my website for details on how to protect yourself from Identity Theft.

Attitude is EVERYTHING!

You read this in about every book you see regarding selling and marketing. The problem is, most people really don't understand what an attitude is! Most think it has something to do with how a person acts... You've heard it said hundreds of times; "That guy's got an attitude!"

While an attitude can certainly have something to do with how one behaves, the attitude itself is really a HABIT of thinking.

Here is the order in which things happen:

1. You think.
2. How you think and what you think is directly responsible for how you behave.
3. Your behavior, or how you act and what you do, is responsible for the results you get.

Make sense?

So, then, if you are not satisfied with the results you are experiencing, as in your income, your life style, etc., then something has to change. To continue doing things the way you have always done them and expecting something to change is really a definition for insanity.

Assuming you are NOT insane, how does one then, go about changing?

Simple: Start with #3... look carefully at what and how you are doing things. Check #2 and see what you are thinking that is causing this particular behavior. Then address #1. CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK.

In reality, changing the way you think is the only thing you really can control.
Because it is a habit, however, changing how you think isn't easy. It takes work, focus, and a burning desire to make your life as you really want it to be.

Can you do it? You betcha! Start now while you are "thinking" about it!