November 14, 2007

Turn Seasonal Money into a Constant Cash Flow, Part 2... The
Power of Positive Thinking: Attracting Money to Yourself...
Profiting From Holiday Shoppers... Quick Reaction Could
Lead to Better Business... and More.

** Turn Seasonal Money into a Constant Cash Flow, Part 2
By Adrian Newman, Founder of e-Wealth Daily

On Monday, I talked about ways for you to keep your valued seasonal customers happy and to keep constant communication with them, even in the off-season of your seasonal business.

The reason you need to stay in touch is that the customer needs to know that you will be doing business throughout the year. Your customers might simply assume that a business such as yours that sells Christmas decorations, for example, only operates for a few months during the holiday season. You have to let them know that you are running a year-round operation.

The key to making it work is reminding customers that you're available for the whole year. These should be subtle reminders. Don't use your mailing list to send e-mails every other day or to make calls every other week. Instead, only contact customers when it's appropriate, such as when you are having a sale or holding a special event.

If you stay in touch with your customers, you need to have something valid and exciting to share with them. In other words, you need to let them know why they would want to buy from you in the off-season. For example, you need to let your customers know why your products would make good gifts at any time of the year and why shopping during the off-season is the best way to go.

Be creative with your approach: Have special sales and early stock offers for next season's up-and-coming trends, and sell the idea that having all their Christmas shopping done early will allow them to really enjoy the season. Also, let your customers know how they will benefit by buying from your store in the off-season. Have special promotions throughout the year and sales that your customers will want to take advantage of.

Perhaps you can even market your products for special occasions. Convince the customer that your products are more than just holiday items. A beautiful wreath can be given as a birthday gift or a housewarming gift, for instance.

Customers need an incentive to shop during the off-season. They're probably not thinking about Christmas decorations in July, but if they can get these decorations for 15% off, then they can be persuaded to get into the holiday spirit a little early.

You can market your business as being a holiday stress saver. One of the biggest complaints about the holiday season is that it can be stressful going shopping, decorating, and getting everything done in a very short amount of time. So, give your customers a way to get rid of stress by getting the things they need before the season even starts This could be a big reason for why customers will want to shop with you throughout the year. With our lifestyles being so busy these days, any opportunity we get to save time is always a big draw.

If your business has real staying power, and you put forth the effort to make it work, then you will see the rewards – your business could make you merry all year long!

Attitude is everything. It can make all the difference in achieving your goals. Don't ever doubt the power of a positive attitude. The way you approach the world will determine how you will be received by it. Millionaires have gained their success because of their attitude.

Do you think they let setbacks get them down? Of course not!

They kept on the path to meeting their financial goals, and you should, too.

There are always going to be setbacks, but if you stay on the path to meeting your financial goals by maintaining a strong, positive attitude, then you could come out a winner.

Plus, I find a positive attitude to be absolutely infectious, and I also find it difficult to fake. I've known people my whole life who have attempted to fool others into thinking that they have a positive attitude, but their true nature was always revealed when times got tough. So, in order to have a positive attitude, you must be honest and truly believe in yourself and your actions. If there are things about yourself that you aren't happy with, then they will affect your attitude, so go ahead and make the necessary changes.

A positive attitude is extremely important when you are in the pursuit of your biggest dreams. There are going to be obstacles, but by maintaining a positive attitude, they will be a lot easier to overcome. When you are thinking big, you need to maintain that train of thought. You can't start doubting yourself in the middle of your pursuit of success. Maybe you didn't get the job you wanted or a sale fell through. Well, this isn't the time to crumble — it's time to pick up the pieces and keep moving toward your goals.

Staying positive will also encourage others to help you. Would a bank lend money to someone who isn't being positive that his/her business will flourish? Absolutely not! If you are enthusiastic and positive about a business transaction or price negotiation, then you will do everything in your power to see that you achieve your goals. That's the type of attitude that could bring wealth into your life.

Positive thinking can affect every aspect of your life, particularly in your pursuit of wealth and personal success. From getting a raise and increasing your value within an organization to starting your own business and everything in between, positive thinking could help get you there. Knowing that you can achieve your goals will increase your chances of doing so.

It's not a way of fooling yourself; it's about the confidence that you will convey to others. Confidence is attractive to people and it draws positive attention to you and your project or request.

If you want to get the things that you desire, be it money, investors, a job, or anything else, then first and foremost you have to know that you can achieve it before convincing others of that fact.

** Profiting From Holiday Shoppers
By John Hurd, Chief Wealth Researcher

On Monday, I gave you a few tips to help you save money throughout the holiday season. Today though, I want to help you with a few thoughts on how to make money this season.

We’re just a few weeks away from when the malls will be filled to capacity and the checkout lines will become a true test of endurance for many people. Thing is, there are a lot of people who find this such a headache that they are willing to pay someone else to do their shopping for them.

Here’s where your chance to create more income comes into play. You see, many upscale malls now offer a personal shopper service that allows people to simply drop off a shopping list and then the staff will make the purchases for them.

Ask around at your local mall, as they may be looking for additional help. You can also go into this on your own by advertising through your friends and family or by taking out an ad in your local paper.

Solving problems for people in a rush is full of even more moneymaking possibilities this season.

Once shoppers have made their purchases, there is still the tedious and sometimes frustrating process of gift-wrapping. You could help them with this chore and charge your fee based on size or the number of packages that you wrap.

And it’s not just gifts that people may need help with either. You could start your own decorating service. Putting up lights and decorating a tree could help you stuff a few extra bucks in your pocket this season.

There is also an opportunity to help people if you have a knack for creating interesting crafts. Creating a unique greeting card can be a simple way to generate extra money this season. The materials can be inexpensive if you buy in bulk, and consider that many greeting card stores are charging upwards of five dollars or more per card.

And, finally, with just under two months until people start giving out gifts, now is a time to tailor your online auctions to gift buyers. You can rewrite your product descriptions that include how your items can help solve some gift-giving problems. That old desk could be great for a student and all that work-out equipment could be perfect for an aspiring athlete.

Around every corner this season, there are ways to make money simply by solving problems for busy people. Finding your opportunity could be as easy as asking who needs the most help and then offering your services to them.

** Quick Reaction Could Lead to Better Business
By Michael Newman, the "Money Finder"

Have you ever heard the saying that “a person is judged not by how they act in times of comfort, but how they act in times of distress?”

Well, the same can be said for business. Because when things are coasting along and times are good, you are not being tested and, therefore, are not forced to execute in adverse situations.

Case in point: my stepson’s experience with a bus company. On November 18, he and some of his friends are hopping on a bus to a football game. Originally, the game was scheduled to commence at 1 p.m., but was rescheduled leading up to the game, and will now not start until 8:15 that evening.

He found out about the news almost instantaneously, and immediately called the bus company to learn the new details for the day. Later that evening, the owner of the company returned his call and informed him of the new plans.

The bus company’s quick call to action speaks volumes about the character of the company, and really shows how it reacts to adversity. Instead of humming and hawing over what would be done, risking unhappy customers and an even unhappier bus driver, the company made sure that, regardless of the circumstances, customers would still be able to get to the game if they desired.

Now, to many of you it may seem that it was an easy and obvious process: the game is changed, so change the schedule. But it’s not that easy. First, he had scheduled the bus and the driver as though it were a 1 p.m. game. Now, the game won’t even be starting until the bus was originally scheduled to return. Also, it means that the bus won’t get back until about 2:30-3 a.m., which will undoubtedly cause a few ticket holders some grief.

In any event, there were a number of issues that made this an adverse situation for the owner of the bus company, but he handled it calmly and took care of everything that needed to be taken care of. Also, when talking to my stepson, he repeatedly apologized, even though he had absolutely nothing to do with the rescheduling of the game. This shows that he is able to accept responsibility in times of adversity and produce results.

How you deal with adversity in your business is how you will be judged as a businessperson. It is your ability to pull through in times of hardship that will define your legacy. When you find yourself in an adverse situation, instead of sitting back and focusing on the negative, take a positive stance and look at how you can adapt to situations that arise beyond your realm of power.