Entrepreneur's Table

2007-11-23T12:43:00.001-08:00

New Opportunity

"My Power Mall" is a new business and/or saving opportunity that is just in time for Christmas - You can get it set up by Monday which is expected to be the biggest day ever for online Christmas shopping.

Visit the MyPowerMall business site.

You can also set up a personal shopping site for saving money if that is your primary interest.

What I like about this business opportunity is can be summarized in the following statements:

It is FREE. 97 % of the people who try to build home businesses just don't make money - but they do SPEND a lot of money, not with My Power Mall.
It is SIMPLE - There is really a very low learning curve and all the training is also free.
There are no GAMES, no minimum purchases, no tricky fine print, no investment. Even most of the tools you will need are free.
It is credible.
It is built upon the strength of online and brick-and-mortar stores where people are already shopping.
It is neither an MLM nor affiliate marketing, but it is does reward recruitment and referrals.
Mostly, it does not rely on my expertise nor yours to tell its story. There are easy to understand videos on the site to which I have referred you.
I am available to help you build this - but you probably won't need me.

Get involved now while the Christmas season is hot and getting hotter. I think you can be successful with this.

2007-10-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

When the Student is Ready ...

Jim Rohn

2007-09-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Check this out on Saturday!

Just a reminder for all who wish to be informed about this great story and opportunity:

If you missed the article, read it here:

Justice for All

For more information on Pre-Paid Legal services, click picture or go to my site.

If you are interested in Identity Theft protection, check out the IdentityTheft Shield site.

If you are interested in referring others or developing your own business as a Pre-Paid Legal Independent Associate, go to the

2007-09-20T10:30:00.001-07:00

Justice for All

These words and ideas are mine and reflect only my opinions, but they are deep convictions and they have led me to forms some relationships with organizations that address some of the inequities I have observed in society.

Is the American ideal of liberty and justice for all a reality?

It may be more so in the setting of criminal law than practical law. Even in criminal law, the outcomes are often inadequate.

The Justice for All Act of 2004 (The Justice for All Act of 2004 (H.R. 5107, Public Law 108-405) is, like most legislation, a bit deceptive in its name. It covers an important, but severely limited issue of allowing victims to speak at sentencing hearings for perpetrators of crime against themselves.

In a system where there is little relevance in the trial and punishment to the victim and minimal relationship between the entities and issues involved and the final outcome, this is an important consideration - the right of the victim to address the victimizer and confront that person with the impact of his or her crime.

Of secondary, but great importance, is the impact that such speech makes upon juries and judges in sentencing.

What it fails to address is any notion of restorative justice, reconciliation, or restitution, but merely fits within the status quo of a systems that tends to run on its own steam in its own predetermined direction.

Nor does it address the inequities in the system where the poor are often inadequately represented, where dispute resolution in civil matters is weighed to the advantage of the privileged, where prisons are becoming factories for the training and production of hardened criminals, and where victims get warm and temporary feelings of being "vindicated," but no resolution comes to address restoring what they have lost.

It is a rather unimaginative system where advocates of reform generally look within the system as it is to revise and improve rather than affect radical overhaul in thinking and implementation of justice.

Justice is not retribution, but neither ought it be divorced from the emotional realities that crime actually damages relationships, causes pain, and brings loss to people. That is is true for crime, and equally true for injustices in business and family relationships that fall into the arena of civil law.

Other considerations in the matter of justice for all include assuring the integrity of the gathering and presentation of truth by enforcing civil rights protections to all citizens equally. It requires giving equal access to all citizens to courts and due process as a way of redressing civil concerns. It necessitates fairness that balances a sterile dispassionate process with a fair, compassionate, and empathetic cadre of real people dealing with real people.

There are some real heroes in the system and have recently featured one in a posting,

Criminal justice is meaningless and punishment is a mockery if the state is not compelled to prove its case against its citizens beyond a reasonable doubt with honesty and the purest of motives. It is equally meaningless unless every effort and overture has not been made toward restoration of the victim and, if possible, the broken relationships.

An adversarial system, at its best is designed to insure fairness. In practice, it sometimes circumvents the possibility of reconciliation, full disclosure of truth, public safety interests, and redemption of human potential. The awful truth is that we are all flawed human beings with an imperfect system and inadequate resources.

We just have to do the best we can, but we must keep striving.

A disturbingly and tragically growing minority of the population will come into contact with the criminal justice system as defendants or victims. Each must be afforded their rights and laws must address the process that insure accurate verdicts, appropriate sentences, and proper restitution.

However, a majority of Americans will come into contact with every day law, legal questions, contracts, covenants, and matters where legal advice could give them an advantage and, at least, a fair shake.

At the moment, we have the system we have. It is imperfect, but it is what it is and is among the best in history for large societies. we all partake of it and the question is, how well we can avail ourselves of our rights.

Everyone needs a will.

Everyone will sign legal papers at some point in their lives.

We all make major purchases. We all come into conflict with perplexing legal questions. Most of us marry and have children. We get sued or threatened with suits. We get traffic tickets, have accidents, incur liability, and have job related disputes - often between well meaning and decent parties.

Whenever possible, mediation is the best course. However, knowing the law and receiving good advice can often help people avoid legal entanglements, broken relationships, and financial hardships.

The sad fact is that most people fall into the great middle place between those who are entitled to free representation and those who can afford private counsel.

That was the place that Harland Stonecipher found himself in years ago and became the impetus for his vision to bring "Justice for All" to a reality for ordinary people through Pre-Paid Legal. Though I am an independent associate, my comments here in no way reflect their official position. What will accurately portray Pre-Paid Legal's views and story is a documentary set to air on Court TV on September 29. I urge my friends to watch and become informed. For more information, anyone can check out my links back to the company's web sites.

For more information on Pre-Paid Legal services, click picture or go to my site.

If you are interested in Identity Theft protection, check out the IdentityTheft Shield site.

If you are interested in referring others or developing your own business as a Pre-Paid Legal Independent Associate, go to the Get Paid Daily on the Internet site.

For my fellow theologians and Bible scholars who wish to do a quick overview of uses of the word, "justice' in scripture, GO TO THIS LINK.

In fact, the book of Proverbs informs the system some well that these stand on their own without necessity of comment.

”I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice …” - Proverbs 8:20

”The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth should not betray justice.” – Proverbs 16:10

”A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.” – Proverbns 17:23

”It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice.” – Proverbs 18:5

”A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.” – Proverbs 19:28

”When a king sits on his throne to judge, he winnows out all evil with his eyes.” – Proverbs 20:8

“When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” – Proverbs 21:15

“Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.” Proverbs 18:28

“Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,” – Proverbs 22:22

”… do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?” – Proverbs 25:8

“By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.” – Proverbs 29:4

”The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” – Proverbs 29:7

”If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.” – Proverbs 29:9

”If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure.” – Proverbs 29:14

”Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice.” – Proverbs 29:26

“Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." – Proverbs 31:19

The point is that it is an American, practical, and spiritual value - justice for ALL.

- Tom Sims The Dream Factory

2007-09-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

Therefore ... Keep On

People have differing views of work ranging from dread to excitement - but very view people relish working in vain. We want something to show for our efforts.

In the fifteenth chapter of his first letter to Corinth, the Apostle Paul admonishes his friends, "Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

Perhaps the Corinthians suspected that it all might be for naught.

Everyone who uses a computer to communicate deeply felt convictions and intricate concepts has had the experience of seemingly working in vain. We have labored over thoughts and words for intense periods of time and have finally formulated those ideas into concrete sentences when the computer suddenly crashes and all is lost.

All of that for nothing! But not really.

We have meditated, wrestled, and have been shaped by truth. We may have to step away, take a break, or lick our wounds. However, the next time we write the same thing, it comes out a bit differently, but it comes nevertheless.

The process was about what was happening inside of us and not what was occurring on the screen or the page.

It is often that way.

The occasion for Paul's encouraging words was twofold. It came in recognition of the people's present concerns. All truth is wrapped in a veneer of present reality. We live in context and experience the full range of what it means to be human. We know pains and joys, satisfaction and discouragement. It is all a part of life. Add to that the ever-present, looming threat of death that eventually will overtake us all and we may wonder, "What is it all about?"

The second occasion he addresses is the future conviction that people of faith are going somewhere, that the resurrection of Jesus Christ has something more than an historical significance to His followers. In the earlier verses of the chapter, he expresses the conviction that resurrection hope is shared among all who embrace Jesus and live in the power of His death and life.

Everything has meaning, even the mundane and tedious experiences of life.

What follows is a threefold admonition. The NIV uses the words, "Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself to the work of the Lord."

The first admonition is to STAND.

It is hard to stand when the ground is shaking. For that reason, people who intend to live forever must find deeper grounding for their lives. They (we) cannot be controlled by our circumstances or our emotions. These are a part of our reality; they are not the sum total of it

"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."

Another way he could have said this might have been, "Don't lose your footing." Remember what you believe. Remember where you are going. remember why you are doing what you are doing. Reconnect with what stabilizes you in your resolve and commitment.

Someone has said that if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

The second admonition is to WITHSTAND. "Let nothing move you."

We have some choices to make about what we will allow to move us. I choose God and God alone.

It is easy to place one's life in neutral when bombarded by a cacophony of voices and a barrage of influences all vying for our attention and compliance. Everyone wants our ears and our acquiescence.

Political, social, peer, commercial, moral, and familial voices tantalize, rationalize, and intimidate us into uncertainty about our core values and commitments.

That is what Paul is saying when he encourages the folks not to be moved.

Of course we need to challenge our presuppositions, prejudices, comfortable notions, and assumptions. He is not addressing these. He is talking about our life mission, or unchanging purpose for living, our devotion to God and His vision within us, and the work that we are called to do.

Keep on keeping on. Be not easily dissuaded from the cause. Persevere. Expect to be maligned, attacked, challenged, and inconvenienced, but stay with it.

The third admonition is to ABOUND.

He says we are to abound in the work of the Lord, always giving ourselves to it. The first admonition was abound grounding; the second was about rebounding in the face of opposition. Now we are looking at the call to be abounding in work itself.

It is about full engagement, heart devotion, energy investment, and enthusiasm.

"Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

You can stand with deep conviction and withstand with stubborn tenacity, but it takes the power of the Holy Spirit within you to abound. You must rely on a strength greater than your own to fully engage.

The word "enthusiasm" means "God within."

The word, "inspired" means "breathed upon," as though by the very breath of God.

"Motivated" really means "moved to action."

Abound. As you know in the physical world, the body requires rest, replenishment of energy through nutrition, and exercise to abound. The health system Kaiser calls it "thrive."

In the realm of work that has abiding significance and eternal implications, the same is true. We must nourish ourselves spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and physically to abound in our work. Paul says that our labor is in the Lord which means that He supplies the tasks as well as the ability to do them.

Some of the tools we have for abounding are true for ministry, business, and social endeavors:

READ - For me, part of the diet, the biggest part, is the Bible, but I also read instructive, encouraging, motivating, and challenging books and articles from many sources.

PRAY - Engage in an honest, ongoing, satisfying, and open relationship with the Source of your life. "Pray without ceasing."

RELATE and PARTNER - In Christianity, we call this fellowship. In business and entrepreneurship, we call it networking. In any realm, it is the reality that we are not alone and the assurance that others are engaged in the mission that helps encourage us.

FOCUS -Christian words for this are obedience and faithfulness. We focus on what we are doing and let lesser things go. We keep eyes on the prize and invest our time, energy, and love in what produces lasting results and deep change.

Stand, withstand, and abound or, you could say, ground, rebound, and abound. That is the threefold admonition.

Finally, he gives a grand assurance - Your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

God knows it is hard. You know it and God knows it. Sometimes you just don't want to get up and have no idea where the energy will come from or how to muster the will, but you do in faith and it comes.

God knows it is discouraging. You will not always be complemented, appreciated, or affirmed. Stay with it. It is not in vain. There will come a day. The story has been told so many times that no one really knows the source or whether it is fiction or history. It may not be true, but it is truth:

An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and were returning to New York to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions.

No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President's entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong." "Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us."

"Dear, you shouldn't feel that way", his wife said. He replied "I can't help it; it doesn't seem right."

When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of the President's arrival. No one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city.

That night the man's spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this; God is not treating us fairly". His wife replied, "Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?"

A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?" "The Lord settled it with me", he said. "I told Him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said;

"But you're not home yet."

That is because God knows the outcome. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard; neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him."

You are going somewhere and your labor is not in vain.

Keep on keeping on.

- Tom Sims The Dream Factory

2007-09-18T11:04:00.001-07:00

2007-09-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

One of Our Sponsors

2007-08-24T21:50:00.001-07:00

2007-08-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

SOME POSTS FROM THE DREAM FACTORY

Don't Give Up ... Today

At this very moment, out of the 1470 people receiving this bulletin, someone is considering quitting.

It is not their job that they are tempted to walk out on, or necessarily their marriage, or anything that anyone will immediately notice. It is something far more important ... their dreams.

Someone is about to give up on their dreams and it will show gradually and in very subtle ways.

They are discouraged and hopeless and the rewards just are not coming from their efforts.

I have one word for you, dear friend, and it is not necessarily brilliant. There will be tomorrow. You will have countless opportunities to quit. Quitting will always be an option for you unless and until you come to the place of deciding that it is not. Here is the word: WAIT.

I am just saying, wait. Don't quit today. Give it another day and get back with me. You have no idea what inspiration, burst of energy, word of encouragement, seed of an idea, or Word from God is right around the corner for you.

You just don't know. You still have some strength; use it to get through the day. you still have some faith; apply it. You still have time; you don't have to quit today.

Down time is OK. in fact, it is sometimes necessary. Down time is waiting time - time to "not quit."

There is always tomorrow to throw away your hopes, dreams, ideas, and the investments you have already made. You don't have to quit today.

Wait.

I know you can do that. While you are waiting to regain your belief in yourself, use a little of mine in you.

Blessings,

- Tom
The Dream Factory

Quotes on "I Can!"

We can do anything we want if we stick to it long enough. Helen Keller

If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing
was started with a dream and a mouse.
Walt Disney

Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin now!
Goethe

Humanity cannot forget its dreamers. It cannot let their ideas fade and
die. It lives in them. It knows them as the realities which it shall one
day see and know. Composers, sculptors, painters, poets, prophets and sages these are the makers of tomorrow. These are the architects of heaven.
John Donne

Commit yourself to a dream. Nobody who tries to do something great but fails is a total failure. Why? Because he can always rest assured that he
succeeded in life's most important battle; he defeated his fear of trying.
Dr. Robert Schuller

The Dream Factory

Why Do People Shop Online

One of the fastest growing shopping centers on the planet is available to many people by taking a few short steps in the pajamas, sitting down at their computers, and logging on to the Internet. More and more people are shopping online for everything from tires to college education, from hardware to nutritional products, and even for groceries. That is right! Groceries. look at this to prove it:

So, why do people shop online? There are several reasons that pop out at me immediately:

1) Convenience. You really can shop in your pajamas. There is no travel, no loading and unloading from the car, and no hassles. A few clicks and you are done.

2) Reduced temptation for impulse buying. It really is a more considered shopping environment. You do not tend to be tricked into getting what you do not need because it smells good and looks good.

3) Bargains. Because there is more direct distribution, you can often get better quality at better prices.

4) Savings in the cost of gasoline and wear and tear on your car.

5) Wider selection. you don't have to drive from store to store, just surf a little for the best prices and selection.

6) Time savings. You are busy and online shopping is quicker.

7) Fun. it really is fun to shop online.

There are other good reasons for online shopping, but these should be enough.

With so many people moving to online malls, there is a great opportunity for online entrepreneurs to get involved in any number of businesses that transact commerce over the Internet. These eliminate the need to prepare invoices, collect debts, and even take orders. It is all automated. It is a win for the consumer and it is a win for the merchant.

Win - Win.

2007-05-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Leaders are readers!

Here are some powerful titles on business and leadership from noted Christian authors that i highly recomend:

The Difference Maker: Making Your Attitude Your Greatest Asset

By John C. Maxwell / Nelson Business

What one factor can make all the difference in your life? Your attitude! In this life-changing volume, the best-selling author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership shows how a positive outlook can revolutionize your ability to overcome and grow from common challenges such as discouragement, change, problems, fear, and failure. 208 pages; 5" x 7"; Hardcover.

The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization

By John C. Maxwell / Thomas Nelson

Wondering how to apply leadership principles if you're not the boss? Maxwell has answers! Debunking myths and clarifying challenges, the popular author asserts that you don't have to be the "main" person to impact your organization. You'll discover specific ways to influence peers and superiors-and become a more valuable team member.

The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness

By Steven K. Scott / Random House, Inc

After Steven Scott flunked out of six jobs in his first four years after college, his best friend, Gary Smalley, offered one simple suggestion that would transform his life: study a chapter in Proverbs every day. Two years later, using the amazing strategies he gleaned from Solomon, Scott started a small business. In this life-changing book, Scott reveals Solomon's often-overlooked wisdom for achieving breakthrough success in one's work, health, marriage, and relationship with God.

Integrity : The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality

By Dr. Henry Cloud / Zondervan/harpercollins Publishers

Drawing on experiences from his work with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and individual leaders, Dr. Henry Cloud, a clinical psychologist and nationally syndicated radio host, shows how our character can keep us from achieving all we want to (or could) be.

In Integrity, Dr. Cloud explores the six qualities of character that define integrity. He uses stories from well-known business leaders like Michael Dell and sports figures like Tiger Woods to illustrate each of these qualities. He shows us how people with integrity:

Are able to connect with others and build trust
Are oriented toward reality
Finish well
Embrace the negative
Are oriented toward increase
Have an understanding of the transcendent

Business by the Book, Updated

By Larry Burkett / Thomas Nelson

Now readers can approach the new millennium by incorporating Burkett's tried and true advice into their business world with this updated edition of the best-selling classic containing some of the actual study material used in Burkett's worldwide seminars.

The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary

By Mark Sanborn / Random House, Inc

Is your professional commitment wavering? Do you just want to get the job done and go home? Find fresh energy and creativity for your life and work by imitating the example of Sanborn's postman, "Fred." Four Bible-based principles will help you make a difference every day, excel in your career, and make your daily life extraordinary. 114 pages, hardcover from Waterbrook.

Life Unlimited: When Average Just Isn't Enough

By John Bolin / Multnomah

What's the secret to living a truly extraordinary life? John Bolin goes straight to the source for a Christ-inspired approach to personal growth and leadership development. Based on Luke 2:52, Life Unlimited helps readers develop in the same ways that Jesus did: mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. Bolin has included a step-by-step program that allows readers to begin putting the principles into practice and achieve greater influence for God. A balanced and meaningful life is within reach!

About My Father's Business: Taking Your Faith to Work

By Regi Campbell / Multnomah

Many books stress the need to be "marketplace ministers." An equal or greater number tell you why you should be in marketplace ministry. About My Father's Business tells you how, offering proven methodology for becoming a spiritual leader at work, regardless of position or title. Regi Campbell has more than twenty years of experience learning and implementing these strategies in companies small and large. With refreshing transparency, he shares struggles to save his marriage, build his career, and pursue his mission to have influence for Jesus Christ with coworkers. The result is a practical guide for reconciling the quest for corporate accomplishment with the call to be a disciple of Christ 24/7.

Mastering Monday: A Guide to Integrating Faith and Work

By John D. Beckett & Ken Blanchard / Inter-varsity Press

2007-05-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

Spelling MONEY Biblically

M - MANAGE it; never let it manage you. It is a great slave and a poor master. Love people and use money; not the reverse. It is not money, but the love of money that is the root of all evil.(I Timothy 6:10). in fact, Ecclesiastes 5:10 says that the person who loves money never has enough. Management is what stewardship is all about. It is all God's money and He has given us management responsibility for it.

O - Let it bring you OPPORTUNITIES and let OPPORTUNITY bring money to you. It will enable you to embrace those opportunities as they come along and seizing opportunities for success will enable you to accumulate more. In Luke 10, the Good Samaritan could not have been as helpful to the wounded and robbed man if he had not had the money to pay for his care.

N - Take care of the NECESSITIES before you start on the frivolities. Though not always seen as a necessity by all, building a business, profession, or income form the future is essential. Build your source of income first before you build a lifestyle. (Proverbs 24:27). we also need to have the integrity to pay our bills before we purchase luxuries.

E - EXPAND the reach of your influence using money as a tool. Proverbs 11:25 says that a generous man will prosper. Proverbs 22:9 says that he will be blessed. Proverbs 17:8 says that "a bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds." Since verse Proverbs 17:23 frowns on bribes being received to pervert justice, this might be understood as a gift given to open doors in a business relationship. Money in good peoples' hands can do a lot of good in the world.

Y - Say "YES" to options, yes to people, and yes to God. How many times have you had to say "no" because you were in financial bondage to debt or lack of positive cash flow? Money can be a tool for freedom in its proper perspective. II Corinthians 1:20 says, " For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God."

Posted at the The Dream Factory

2007-05-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

Get Paid Every Day!

You can actually help people with this problem and other legal needs and earn a good living:

2007-05-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today's Proverb for Work and Wealth

Proverbs 14:23 - "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."

In today's readings of Proverbs, one stands out to be as instructive in the matter of work and wealth.

It has to do with the value of hard work and it suggests that there is always profit in hard work.

It does not define that profit as always being a commission at the end of the day. in fact, the profit for today may be that step of character development that leads to the next level of skill that leads to eventual income.

The harvest, the sale, the royalty, or the commission may be off in the distance, but today's hard work is contributing to that pay off.

On the other hand, the fruit of mere talk is clearly defined as poverty - no money, no profit, no advance toward one's goals. Talk is good, but mere talk is fruitless. More than that, it is a thief, robbing us of precious time and draining our energy and enthusiasm.

Your assignment for today is to do something to advance toward your goals. Do something purposeful and intelligent. Don't wait for it to be the perfect something. Don't wait for a guaranteed and immediate payoff. Make an effort, the best you can with what you have and what you know right now. Be willing to make some mistakes and move forward.

There will be profit in it.

It pays well.

Some suggestions for doing SOMETHING today are:

1. S - Serve . if you can't thing of anything else to do, serve someone in some way. if you are in business, do something to serve your clients or customers. If you are in ministry, serve the people God has called you to shepherd. Do something unexpected and unprompted.

2. O - Out-perform yesterday's effort. Take it to the next step or level. Compete only with yourself and out-perform yourself.

3. M - Mean it. If you do something, do it with your heart. Guy Williams is a master. I sit in the back of a Starbucks - HIS Starbucks - and watch him talk to everyone within any proximity of him. He represents an extremely credible company with a dynamic product and a powerful business opportunity and he never sells. He just talks to people. as he says, "When it goes from your head to your heart, the rest is a slam dunk." He means it.

4. E - Expect something. Our proverb doesn't exactly tell us what to express in terms of profit, but it tells us to expect SOME SORT OF PROFIT. That is because it is a timeless law of God's universe. The universe did not create that law. God did and God enforces it. He rewards honest, purposeful effort and the positive attitude that believes His word on the matter to be true.

5 - T - Talk, but Temper Talk with Traction. Traction happens when we dig in and move our wheels across the surface. It requires some inner propulsion and intentionality, but there is no advantage to our endlessly gunning our engines to gear up for activity. Act and move.

6 - H - Hang out and Hang in. Your work will most likely involve "being there" where people are. Sometimes the first thing you need to do is put yourself in the right location. From that point, be open, available, and consistent. for much of what you want to accomplish, you will need to make friends over the long haul. Hang in there with your hanging out - but get out today and start hanging.

7 - Insist on your own activity, you are your own supervisor. No one else is going to make you do what needs to be done. accountability partners are helpful and running buddies are necessary encouragement, but there is no substitute for self-motivation. Take care of it. read what you need to read. Listen to enough of what pumps you up and then, when you still don't feel like doing something, do it any way. insist on it.

8 - N - Need what you are working for. Need it deeply. Find that place inside of you that longs for the fruit of your labors. Cultivate the need. Visualize the payoff. Keep it before you. Need it.

9 - GO for it! At some point you have read all the points and it is time to take action. go out and do so.

Do SOMETHING!

Read the entire article HERE and more encouragement at The Dream Factory. Also posted on my MySpace blog and at The Entrepreneur's Table .

2007-05-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is a good, simple, and comprehensive training video.

Contact me for more information on network marketing opportunities.

2007-04-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

'Happyness' for sale

He's gone from homeless single dad to successful stockbroker. And that's just the start for Chris Gardner Inc.

By Jia Lynn Yang, Fortune Magazine reporter

September 15 2006: 2:22 PM EDT

(Fortune Magazine) -- In 1982, Chris Gardner was just another go-getter in the training program at Dean Witter's San Francisco office, making $1,000 a month. He was also homeless. Gardner couldn't afford both day care for his 20-month-old son, whom he was raising alone, and a place to live.

So for a year he and Chris Jr. slept where they could - cheap hotel rooms in West Oakland, a shelter at a church in the Tenderloin, under his office desk, even, on occasion, the bathroom at the Bay Area Rapid Transit MacArthur station. He remembered the words of his mother, Bettye Jean Triplett, another single parent, who grew up during the Depression outside Rayville, La., where slavery was still a living memory: "You can only depend on yourself. The cavalry ain't coming."

Looking up: Gardner is enjoying watching his life turn into a major movie.

So Gardner worked, making 200 calls a day to snag clients for Dean Witter. "Every time I picked up the phone," he recalls, "I knew I was getting closer to digging myself out of the hole." Within five years he had opened his own institutional brokerage firm in Chicago called Gardner Rich, which is still thriving today.

Then, in 2002, a story on local TV set in motion a series of events that will culminate this December, when a movie based on his life, "The Pursuit of Happyness", hits the theaters, with Will Smith playing the lead role.

For More Go to the Money/CNN article.

2007-04-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Zipper Down on the Highway to WELATH

Have you ever discovered that your zipper is down and wondered how long you had been parading around in this condition and why no one informed you?

They may have been too embarrassed.

The solution is to let you be embarrassed.

How do you navigate these sensitive situations? I had an article up here with a severely misspelled title for at least a week. I spelled "wealth" as "welath."no one said anything - or noticed - OR did they? I was embarrassed - but not much.

I misspell all the time, but usually not in a title.

Should someone have said something or would that have been nit picky?

I just finally saw "The Pursuit of Happiness" last night - at least I thought I did. Then I looked and it was spelled HAPPYness - just like a recurring scene from the movie where Chris Gardner is repeatedly annoyed at the misspelling on a wall in his neighborhood.

It is funny how little things keep us from focusing on the pursuit of the BIG things.

Ultimately, they did not stop Chris Gardner. See the movie and read the book if you are discouraged, thinking of giving up, or devastated by a zipper down after being in public for hours. Few people have had to overcome the challenges he faced on the road to success, but everyone has their own.

Chris Gardner: The Pursuit of Happyness

To learn more about Chris, his philosophy, philanthropy, and work, go to his official site.

I just finished Bob Burg's book and audio set, "Winning Without Intimidation." Bob is REAL. His authenticity is evident to everyone he meets. He treats all people the same - as if they were the most important people in the world - and he wins - and they win! he might have an answer to the zipper question.

Bob Burg: Winning Without Intimidation : How to Master the Art of Positive Persuasion in Today's Real World in Order to Get What You Want, When You Want It

By the way, the whole zipper/mispeelink thing was just a point of inspiration and a launch pad for me to start writing this morning. Whether you are pursuing wealth or welath, the pursuit is the it of it and it will be hampered if you major on the minor distractions or allow perfectionism to become an excuse for inaction.

The conditions were never just right for Chris Gardner to pursue his goals and they will never be just right for you - so get started now! There is no better time.

While we are at it, let's embrace a new philosophy of WELATH.

W - Welcome life with all its imperfections, embarrassing moments, and hardships because there will be m ore joys that sorrows if you will pursue them and embrace them.

E - Elevate others along the way and build them up rather than tearing them down.

L - Live, Laugh, Love with expectancy, wonder, and authenticity.

A - Accept Abundance as the true measure of wealth. Abundance means that there is more than absolutely necessary for mere survival. Abundance is accepting grace as a lifestyle and as n endless supply from a generous God to children He loves. It also means that we appreciate what we receive and receive it with giddy joy.

T -Take the steps necessary to move incrementally toward your goals of wealth or welath. Just like it doesn't ultimately matter if you mess up the letter order, there may be some play ion the order in which you take these steps, but take them and do not expect to arrive quickly. "Get rich quick" almost always implies gimmickry. The studies i am doing loosely, informally, and occasionally from Proverbs on wealth and work all point to this reality. you could also call it TIME. Take Time!

H - Hope and keep hoping. Never surrender your possibility view of things to come. That which is not can be. Persevere with hope!

I am on a personal retreat in the Sierra right now. I drove into Sonora to do my blogging at a Starbucks. I always appreciate my friends, the Greens for their generous offering of their cabin in the hills for my study and enrichment time. I also appreciate their cable television, but I must say that it is sometimes a distraction from my mission.

This time the cable is off and I am grateful. It has forced me in two directions:

(1) I am taking fewer breaks to catch the latest repeats of old news on CNN.
(2) It has forced me to watch the encouraging videos I brought from home in the evening while I am sorting papers. In addition the "The Pursuit of Happyness," I finally watched, "Facing The Giants."

I was tearfully encouraged and you will be too. Then, you may want to read the book. You can probably get the video at the same link:

Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick: Facing the Giants: novelization by Eric Wilson

The joke is still on me. After running spell check, I discovered, as I had suspected, that I had misspelled, "misspell" throughout this entry.

Keep on kmeeping on!

2007-04-09T16:11:00.001-07:00

Should You Consider Network Marketing?

No one system of commerce has received as much enthusiasm on one sign and criticism on the other. I am a big supporter of the concept of network marketing for reasons I state below. However, it is important to factor in some questions when choosing to affiliate with one of the many fine network marketing companies available:

1. Is this a company YOU want to be associated with? Do they have the track record, integrity, management, and stability necessary to meet YOUR needs?

2. What organization and team will you be joining within the company? What is its training system like? Do you like and can you relate to the leaders? Are they supportive and helpful? Can they lead you to success?

3. Is the product needed, compelling, credible, and something you can be passionate about?

4. Are you willing to invest the time, effort, and money in my training and in the promotion of my business that it will take to succeed? Am you willing to take ownership of the responsibility for your own success?

5. Are you willing to grow, change, and be challenged? Can you take direction, criticism, and help?

6. Is the compensation system sound and is it something that rewards success and organizational growth?

7. Do you like people or are you willing to learn to like people?

8. Are you willing to put in one full year of effort before assessing success or failure?

If you can answer most of those questions affirmatively, here are some reasons I believe you should give it a shot:

* Network marketing is based upon the Golden Rule - It is about helping other people. The mentor does not benefit from the person being mentored unless he or she helps that person become successful. He does not give advice that is not to the mutual benefit of both.

* Network marketing is based upon a multiplication of influence model. A person becomes effective by leveraging time and influence and developing leaders.

* Network marketing is a way of helping people develop their fullest potential, to do what others say can't be done.* Network marketing helps people develop character. Unless there is character development, success is unlikely.

* Network marketing thrives is an atmosphere of integrity, honesty, and excellence. Since it utilizes word of mouth as its primary means of advertising, it is absolutely necessary to maintain a high regard for truth and quality.

* Network marketing rewards effort. It thrives on the law of sowing and reaping.

* Network marketing promotes personal growth, reading, education, and acquisition of new skills.

* Network marketing is an arena where people are valued and people skills are taught. Relationships are nurtured and cherished.

* Network marketing provides an opportunity for developing new relationships which are essential in any model of success.

* Network marketing promotes principles of good stewardship, generosity, and delayed gratification.

* Network marketing helps people get out of debt and promotes a healthy view of credit and debt.

* Network marketing teaches punctuality, reliability, and leadership, as well as other skills that are transferable to other areas of life.

* Network marketing provides a platform for successful people to reach vast audiences with their message.

* Network marketing teaches people to dream great dreams, to build faith, and to have hope.

* Network marketing helps people become financially free to support worthwhile causes.

* Network marketing helps people reach the place where they will not become financially dependent upon their children and society in their old age.

* Network marketing teaches respect, good etiquette, and consideration of others.

* Network marketing gives people back their times so that they can do the things with their lives that they were born to do, whether that is more time with family, service, or community work.

Many wonderful products and services are offered today through multi-level networks (Really, all businesses are multi-level). Find the team and product that is right for you and give it your all.

2007-03-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Excerpts on Entrepreneurship

A Few Moments in the Limelight Can Boost a Small Business - SmartMoney.com, March 12, 2007 BUSINESS OWNERS EAGER for exposure can only dream of the celebrity attention that Stacey Griffin of New Orleans is getting. Griffin started a new business in December selling eight-ounce boxes of purified water called Aqua2Go. The product, designed for kids and adults alike, is convenient like a juice box (and even comes with a straw) but contains water instead of a sugary-sweet beverage. With limited resources for marketing, "I started sending emails to everyone and anyone I could think of," she says.

The Entrepreneur's Challenge In Nigeria - Forbes.com, March 7, 2007 Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has set an ambitious goal: He wants the country to become one of the world's top 20 economies during the next two decades. To hit that target by 2020, Nigeria will need to increasingly globalize education in two key areas: Information and communications technology, and entrepreneurship. In fact, Obasanjo has mandated that all university students in Nigeria, regardless of their major, will need to study entrepreneurship.

Need Ideas Marketing A Small Business? - NewsReleaseWire.com, March 7, 2007 Just starting out doesn’t have to mean spending on expensive marketing and branding activities. New business opportunities will be missed if new business owners spend all their start-up money outsourcing these activities, but they can learn to do marketing and branding themselves.

New investment fund for startups - suntimes.com, February 26, 2007 A new $10 million investment fund for early-stage startups, the Illinois Innovation Accelerator Fund, backed by state taxpayers and local investors, will be unveiled today.

Entrepreneurship Week USA - What's Your BIG Idea? Take It On! - The Public Forum Institute, February 7, 2007 From February 24 to March 3, 2007, EntrepreneurshipWeek USA will be a collection of thousands of activities, ranging from high school competitions to academic gatherings and local town halls to a national policy summit. More than 700 organizations throughout the country have answered the call, planning activities in all fifty states.

Attack of the mini-Googles! - Business 2.0, January 20, 2007

Subject-specific search engines are proliferating like mad. But the smartest, like Mobissimo, are following the lead of the master.

How To Reap The Rewards Of Your Innovation - Forbes.com, January 17, 2007

A new book by two Boston Consulting Group gurus addresses the fundamental challenge of chasing new ideas.

Will My New Business Ever Make Money? - Forbes.com, January 16, 2007

Prepare a break-even analysis before laying out on a complete business plan. Here's how.

From the Technology Entrepreneur Center.

2007-03-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a Vital Community Resource

Central Valley Christian Network is a great asset to the Christian community in Fresno and the Central Valley and is a fine example of entrepreneurial initiative. I was able to post an announcement for The Entrepreneur's Table meetings of our church on their site with great ease and a link back here. We'd like to welcome anyone coming from that link and congratulate CVCN for a job well done.

By the way, when you are near Fresno, drop in on one of our meetings:

The Entrepreneur's Table is a educational, support, and encouragement ministry as well as a leads group for believers who wish to apply biblical principles to their businesses and entrepreneurial initiatives.

Participants are welcome to bring their own dinner and share together while they eat.

We meet in the Fellowship Hall at Baptist Temple, the Fellowship of Joy, 4141 N. Fresno St. between Ashlan and Dakota.

It is a small and energetic group.

2007-03-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

The Entrepreneurial URGE

The entrepreneurial urge is the motivational edge of men and women who love to develop bold initiatives and who change the world little by little.

When Steve Jobs approached John Sculley, then C.E.O. at PepsiCo about coming on board at Apple, he posed this question:

"Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?"

No doubt, Jobs knew that the question would go to the heart of Sculley's "urge" and elicit the desired response.

Do you want to change the world?

That is what entrepreneurs do every day. They change it person by person, idea by idea, perception by perception, piece by piece. They do it the way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.

Here is an acronym for URGE. I am making it up as I write it here:

U = Urgency. That is what an urge is, an inner sense of urgency that says that something has to be done and it has to be done now and by YOU!
R = Resources. The entrepreneur may or may not have adequate resources, but she is willing to invest whatever she has and look for the rest. She is, after all, resourceful and sometimes that means being very creative.
G = Grandiosity. The entrepreneurial urge is to think big - bigger than is practical, vaster than the present reality, greater than others can imagine. You see it when others don't.
E = Energy. This is so vital to the entrepreneurial mindset and spirit. Energy flows and is directed toward the point of focus. The entrepreneur makes other people tired because he is tireless and does not quit.

Do you have the urge? Do you want to change the world?

2007-03-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

From Crown Ministries

Managing time with a home business
by Crown Financial Ministries
According to several recent surveys, more women than ever are seeking to leave full-time jobs and return home to become stay-at-home moms or to operate home-based businesses. However, many of these stay-at-home moms who have chosen to start an at-home business have discovered that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that needs to be done. Read More! In fact, some feel as if they are busier than when they worked full time outside the home. 10 tips for managing time Working at home requires a certain level of flexibility and liberty, but daily abandoning scheduled work can lead to an unhealthy business. “The Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body…for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good” (Deuteronomy 30:9-10). The following are 10 tips that will help any stay-at-home mother manage her home business.

2007-03-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

Carving Out the Time

A minority of the people who have great dreams and the drive to to live them have the time necessary to build what is in their heart. Hearty souls do it anyway. They carve out time in small segments. They build their businesses in the cracks and crevices of their schedules. They get up early and go to bed late. They turn off their televisions. They consolidate trips. They do more than one thing at the same time.

They are creative with time and committed to their vision.

Do you waste time? Is it possible that some of you who said "no" might not realize that you do? Have you carefully considered how to be more time efficient and still have time for rest and family?

Sometimes it is a matter of optimum time. There are rhythms and tides in your day and week that, when fully appreciated and managed, allow you to do the right thing at the right time and get more done. Pay attention to the tides.

No one has done anything great just because they had a lot of time on their hands. No one has been hindered from greatness just for a lack of time.

2007-03-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

5 Vital Signs of Healthy Leadership

Written by Mike Tucker

Vital signs help medical professionals assess the health of patients under their care. Vital signs are a quick and effective way of diagnosing a patient’s health. Assessing leaders in a local church is more difficult. How can church leaders know if they are leading their churches in a healthy way?

Spiritual Leadership

The Apostle Paul was a healthy leader. In his letter to the church at Philippi we discover five vital signs of healthy leadership.

Vital Sign #1: Healthy Leaders Demonstrate Spiritual Vitality
Paul was a healthy leader because he was spiritually vibrant and alive. In Philippians 1:21 Paul stated: “For me, living in Christ and dying is gain.” Paul shared the secret to spiritual vitality: We must move from a self-directed life to a God-directed life. Ministry leadership in the church is not about us. It’s not about buildings, budgets, or baptisms – healthy leadership is all about God’s presence in our lives.

Paul’s’ leadership was rooted in healthy theology. His leadership was spiritually vibrant and alive because he had a healthy perspective. Because Paul surrendered all he had to Jesus he didn’t fear death. He was able to demonstrate courage regardless of circumstances. Paul’s example reminds us that spiritual vitality begins with surrender, gains a proper perspective, and is lived out in courage.

Vital Sign #2: Healthy Leaders Are Motivated by a Compelling Vision
Paul was consumed by a compelling vision. He understood his mission to share the gospel and nothing could stop him. Even being under house arrest couldn’t stop him. In Philippians 1:12 he shared: “How I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advancement of the gospel.” He shared the gospel with prison guards.

Healthy leaders are passionate and motivated by a compelling vision. Healthy leaders know who they are and what God wants them to do. Vision propels them forward. It’s always about tomorrow, never yesterday. Healthy leaders are “tomorrow people” – reaching, serving, and leading to grasp and obey the vision God has for them.

A compelling vision simplifies matters. It cuts through the fog of activity and takes hold of us. Healthy leaders with a compelling God-sized vision have no trouble getting up in the morning. They look forward to the ministry God has in store for them. Ministry isn’t a chore – it’s a calling.

Vital Sign #3: Healthy Leaders Commit to Ongoing Learning
In Philippians 3:10,12 Paul prayed, “ My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings…Not that I have already reached the goal…but I make every effort.” In this passage Paul stated that he wanted to know Jesus. He knew he has more to learn.

Healthy leaders look for regular opportunities to “sharpen the saw.” They are lifetime learners who continue to study and grow. Healthy leaders give time to learning new skills that enhance their ability to lead.

Vital Sign #4: Health Leaders Are Relationally Connected
Paul cherished his relationship with the believers at Philippi. In Philippians 1:3 he said, “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you.” As a healthy leader Paul has established a partnership with this church. It was based on their common experience together. There are times when leaders must face loneliness, but leadership does not happen in isolation. Healthy leaders resist the temptation to push or pull. Healthy leaders are connected to those they lead.

Unhealthy leaders distance themselves from people. This leads to a lack of fellowship and accountability that can be fatal for a leader’s ministry. Unhealthy leaders let relational problems fester by refusing to deal with them. Repairing relationships is hard and exhausting work but absolutely essential for a healthy leader.

When leaders are vitally connected to others, there is accountability. Healthy leaders surround themselves with people who are willing to hold them accountable. Everyone in leadership needs those who love him or her enough to tell him or her when he or she has blown it. Without accountability, pride erodes our ability to lead.

Vital Sign # 5: Healthy Leaders Serve with a Sense of Divine Empowerment
In Philippians 4:13,19 Paul declared: “ I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me…And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Paul knew that the epicenter of his leadership was Jesus Christ. Paul knew that only when we are totally dependent on God and empowered by His Spirit are we genuinely sufficient.

Healthy leaders know that when their lives are linked with God’s purposes, we share in His resources. Healthy leaders give up their small ambitions because they know God will supply all they need to do His will. They look beyond themselves to see His grand purpose in their lives. And they stimulate others to join them in the greatest adventure of life – serving God and seeing His will unfold before them.

Consider your present ministry. How do you ministry vital signs compare with these of healthy leaders? Are there areas of your life and ministry in which you want to improve? Determine today how you can become a healthier ministry leader.

Use A Healthy Leadership Self-Examination Checklist to evaluate the evidence of healthy leadership in your life and ministry.

Mike Tucker serves as a LifeWay Church Consultant in Flower Mound, Texas.

Related Articles:

2007-03-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

Darla's

It is always good to see our folks posting new blogs. Introducing Darla's latest offering. Read it!

I like the title: You Only Get One Dress Rehearsal Anita Pili

While you are at it, check out Beamon's Emporium.

2007-03-09T21:15:00.000-08:00

Because of my disposition, interests, and access, I will seldom consider a business venture anymore that does not have strong internet capabilities for marketing, communication with ones organization, and immediate access to resources, tools, and information.

This may not be the case for everyone, but it for me and I suspect it is for you since you are reading this on the internet.

The link below meets my criteria for this concern. If their web presentation is attractive to you, it will also be so to those you may refer:

2007-03-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

We gathered around the table last night at the Fellowship of Joy to study "Chasing Daylight" and do our Entrepreneur's Table study. I had assigned some dreaming and got more than I expected. The groupo came back with a big, really BIG dream. In fact, it was one that I had had and expaned.

It just goes to show you what can happen when you re;lease people with sanctified imaginations.

2007-03-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

Bill Tucker has ventured into the world of blogging. His first offering is Copier Expert and he does a fine job.

Bill owns three companies:

Toner Overnight
Advancedofficemachines
www.crochetmart.com

He is no stranger to the world of internet web hosting and writing as evidenced by these ventures:

His Toner Forum
The Temple Skate Church Website -
Bill is pastor of the Baptist Temple, Fellowship of Joy Skate Church

2007-03-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

What Is Your Widget?

As an entrepreneur, you are peddling a big idea. It may be concrete or ethereal, but it is, nevertheless, real.

Can you explain it with enthusiasm, passion, and clarity? Can you describe your "widget" in a few sentences or 30 seconds? That may be all the time you have and you need to be ready.

Whether your widget" is the product of your mind or your hands, you need to be able to communicate "what it is" as with compelling brevity.

2007-03-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

We are all selling something: ideas, products, services, ourselves.

There are three necessities in any form of selling and I have coined the terms.

We need digits, widgets, and fidgets.

Digits are about numbers. Some will; some won't; so what! So we need to do big numbers in getting our messages out.

Widgets are what we have to offer and it better be good.

Fidgets represent the n ervous energy and enthusiasm that just can't keep quite about what we have.

2007-02-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome New Affiliates:

Health and Wellness Affiliate

I just joined this one and you can too!

Here is a new affiliate of mine. I think it can help you to. Just click the link to start making some pretty impressive commissions just by referring your friends. It's free to start up and you get your own web site.

2007-02-26T13:22:00.000-08:00

Revisit These that Have Scrolled Off!

Fair Shakes and Residuals - a disappoint night at Lenny's or Kenny's or Benny's
Christian CEOs bond for love and profit. - A link of interest.
What is an entrepreneur? - a brief defintion.
It takes Time - T-I-M-E
Cravings vs. Desires - How do we distinguish?
The R.O.A.D. to Success - Are you on the road?
A New pattern - from VAST Possibilities
Big Ideas - Notable Quotables
Prior Commitments - a definition of PRIORities.
Cross-Training is NOT Cross-Lining!

Spiritual Entrepreneurship

Spiritual entrepreneurship is what happens when people of faith launch out in blod kingdom ventures incorportating all the principles that we bring to this table.

For that reason, this discussion must be broad enough to embrace all bold venturers.

Are you one?

Previously published articles concerning this Entrepreneur's TABLE can be found at my main blog:

The Entrepreneur's Table

The Entrepreneur's Table - Part II - T = Timely Topics and Transferable Themes

The Entrepreneur's Table - Part III - A = Attitude

More to COME!

Entrepreneurship is partly about thinking with such a large vision that no box can contain it. That being the case, thinking "outside the box" is a given and global thinking is implied.

Guest Editorial on Self-Belief
Bright Prospects for Direct Selling

I have launched a clearinghouse blog for those interested in Affiliate Marketing. There is good information there and there will be much more as time goes by.

Visit these entrepreneurial sites today:

Guest Author from Feb 6: Do You Have the Right Focus to Make Your Dream a Business Instead of a Hobby?

2007-02-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a thought-provoking article on Christian entrepreneurship by Abigale Johnson.

Also, these have come across my screen:

Internet Marketing and Home School Entrepreneurship: Part II
Home school lends itself to entrepreneurship - and Internet entrepreneurship especially - in that home school children universally learn to manage and budget time

Internet Marketing and Home School Entrepreneurship: Part I
An Amazing Home school testimony: Christopher Klicka, senior counsel for the Home School Legal Defense Association.

Jose Gomez, a Christian recording artist and entrepreneur, offers some amazing insights through these links:

SO MUCH TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
It is such a privilege from God to have Him express His very thoughts through our creativity. But, sometimes, the ideas can become too much to handle, with not enough time to get it all done.

IN-YOUR-FACE HOMEPAGE THEORY
Improve your website 1000% by diagnosing problems with your homepage. If your sales, donations, subscriptions, or leads are not what you would like them to be, read this article before doing a website rehaul.

FORGET THE FANCY GRAPHICS - WRITE GREAT CONTENT!
The misconception that graphics and animation make an effective website is an illusion built by designers and animators. Effective websites require an investment of time and words that can yield powerful returns.

HIT THEM RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES
Creating a powerful Impact Statement for your website can be the most critical piece of your online marketing or outreach strategy. Learn about the importance of what is many times an overlooked but essential piece of your website puzzle.

GETTING THE VENTURE OFF THE GROUND
After all the planning and preparation, it is time to begin the adventure of launching your enterprise. Follow these steps to keep yourself on the track towards success.

BUILDING THE PERFECT TEAM
Building a dream team for your business or ministry effort is the single most important step in creating a cooperative, scalable effort that will press through the touchest of obstacles.

GOOD IDEA - OR GOD IDEA
How do we differentiate between God's calling and our own visions? Here are a few tips for the road ahead.

PREPLANNING YOUR IDEA
Ideas are God's capital in your life. The investment is worth the time to plan ahead and avoid the potholes in the road ahead.

2007-02-24T16:51:00.000-08:00

Considering an Opportunity?

Here's how to identify legitimate direct selling opportunities:

Start up costs should be minimal. The start up fees in direct selling companies are generally modest - usually the cost of a sales kit. Companies want to make it easy and inexpensive for you to start. Pyramid schemes make their money through fees paid by new recruits or by loading inventory or training aids on them. High entry fees should be a warning sign.

You should be able to return unsold inventory. Companies belonging to the Direct Selling Association "buy back" unsold marketable products purchased within the prior 12 months if you decide to quit the business, for 90 percent of the price you paid for them. The DSA Code of Ethics requires that member companies do this. Beware of opportunities that encourage "front end loading," or buying large inventories of unreturnable products to reach achievement levels or receive a "special" or larger "discounted" price.

Is the money you'll earn based on the sale of products or services? The answer should be "absolutely." This is a key element of a legitimate business. Direct selling, like other methods of retailing, depends on selling to customers who use and/or consume the product. This requires quality products and services sold at competitive prices. Beware of any business that claims you can get rich by solely using their products or by recruiting new people into the business. You should also believe in the products or services you'll be selling.

Ask yourself, "Would I buy this product if I weren't in the sales organization?" If the answer to that is no, think twice about the opportunity.

How to Get Started:

Identify a company and product that appeal to you.
Check our list of member companies or look in your local phonebook.
Take your time deciding.
Does "getting in on the ground floor" mean that everyone joining after you will be less satisfied or happy? A legitimate opportunity won't disappear overnight. Think long-term.
Ask questions.
About the company, its leadership, the products or services, start-up fees, realistic costs of doing business, average earnings of distributors, return policies, and anything else you're concerned about.
Get copies of all company literature.
And read it!
Consult with others who have had experiences with the company and its products.
Check to see if the products or services are actually being sold to consumers.
Investigate and verify all information.
Do not assume that "official looking" documents are accurate or complete or even produced by the company, as opposed to the person trying to recruit you.
Need help evaluating a company?
Check to see if the company in which you're interested is a member of the Direct Selling Association. If it is, you can be assured the company has pledged to abide by and uphold the DSA Code of Ethics. In addition, you might want to call your local Better Business Bureau, state attorney general or consumer protection office.

© 1996-2007 Direct Selling Association
1667 K Street, NW, Suite 1100 Washington DC 20006-1660
Phone: 202.452.8866 | Fax: 202.452.9010

2007-02-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

Some Repostings from The Dream Factory

In an article entitled "What It Takes to Be a Successful Entrepreneur," Wendy Kwek says (among other things:

YOU NEED P.H.D.!!

"I believe that everyone can be successful in business if you set your heart, mind and soul to becoming an accomplished entrepreneur. It takes PHD to succeed in business. That is Passion, Hunger and Drive! (sorry, I do not mean the academic PHD “doctorate”). So, ask yourself this question, do you have the passion to lead an exciting and rewarding life, do you have the hunger for success and do you have the drive and determination to conquer obstables that may come your way. Every time I look for business partners for the various businesses I am in, I look at the PHD level they have."

My word for that, as unveiled in my sermon Sunday is "pyrocardia," a heart on fire.

Romans 12:11 lays it out:

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (NIV)

Lacking in zeal is literally getting a case of the "slows." Spiritual fervor is "heat." Serving the Lord has textual variations and is sometimes found as serving the time. While the best texts have serving the Lord, it is also true that this service of God is in time and space and requires seizing opportunities.

As we come to the entrepreneur's table to collaborate and encourage one another in spiritual, social, and business endeavors, let us earn PhDs in passion and catch a good case of pyrocardia.

God, the Entrepreneur

Is God the first and greatest entrepreneur?

Here is a list of some of the definitions and links from Google:

 Innovator. One who recognizes opportunities and organizes resources to take advantage of the opportunity.

 ww.onlinewbc.gov/docs/starting/glossary.html

 One who assumes the financial risk of the initiation, operation, and management of a given business or undertaking.
www.business.gov/phases/launching/are_you_ready/glossary.html

 A person who takes the risk of organizing and operating a new business venture. (This is an attitude that can be of value in more traditional employment as well.)
www.acceleratoronline.com/viewpage.asp

 Someone who attempts to profit by risk and initiative.
www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/help/help-glossary.htm

 An innovator of business enterprise who recognizes opportunities to introduce a new product, a new process or an improved organization, and who raises the necessary money, assembles the factors for production and organizes an operation to exploit the opportunity.
www.powerhomebiz.com/Glossary/glossary-E.htm

 French word which translates roughly as "enterpriser." In capitalism, a speculator who invests capital in stocks, land and machinery, as well as the exploitation of wage labor, in the pursuit of profits.
www.workers.org/marcy/perestroika/glossary.html

 A French term for a person who undertakes and develops a new enterprise at some risk (or failure or loss). Although the words innovator, proprietor, and capitalist are used in the same sense, there are subtle differences that make the term " entrepreneur " preferable.
www.indiainfoline.com/bisc/jmee.html

 An entrepreneur is someone who assumes the financial risk of beginning and managing a new venture. The venture can be based on a totally new idea, a new way of doing something, a new location, or attempting something no one else has done before.
www.cybercitymommies.com/Glossary.html

 Individual who starts an enterprise with its associated risks and responsibilities.
www.peakagents.ca/glossary/e4.htm

 someone who organizes a business venture and assumes the risk for it
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 An entrepreneur -derived from the French words 'entre' (ie: enter) and 'prendre'(ie: take)- is, in its most general sense, a person who creates or starts a new project, opportunity, or venture. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrepreneur
Of all these, I like the last best because it does not impose the artificial qualifier that an entrepreneur must be involved in a for-profit business, or any business for that matter.

God is an entrepreneur and is the model for launching bold new initiatives.

Two key scriptures inform my thinking here:

Isaiah 43:19 (New International Version)

19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Fair Shakes and Residuals

Last night, at an unnamed restaraunt named for some guy named Benny or Lenny or Kenny - something like that, I had a very disappointing experience. Know this: I am a D****'s fan and this group I was with has been going to that same spot at the same time for eight years. We know the people - most of them - at least until recently.

Recently, they got a new manager and the first order of business was to require our favorite waitress to stop wearing her signature flower in her hair. How do you spell "rinky-dink?" This woman is one of the reasons we keep going. She is D's for us and that flower is her identity. It is her smile. It her way of describing her sunny outlook on life. That was disappointing.

Then, we were served by a very sweet, enthusiastic waitress last night who bounced in once or twice and had to receive some very distressing news of our unhappiness with one issue: we only received half of a milkshake!

Apparently, this is the training that the new, "progressive" management has initiated - no individual expression, standardization of everything, and half a milkshake for the same price as the old product where we received "seconds" in the metal container.

I am not a complainer and I left the sweet girl (who didn't refill the all-you-can-drink driinks or bring us our bill) a nice tip. It is not her fault. It may not even be this manager's fault. It may be no one's fault - but it does make a pretty good subject for a blog on how not to succeed in business over the long haul.

We will go back - a time or two, to give it a fair shake (and hopefully I can get a fair shake). However, I cannot promise anything indefinite. There are too many places that bend over backwards to make the customer feel happy and part of the community (How to you spell STARBUCKS?).

Now, you are probably asking - "Didn't Tom say he was on a diet?"

You caught me! Half a shake was enough for me -- but bad for business.

Here is the question: Are you in whatever you are in for the long haul? If so, you are interested in happy people who keep coming back ... and in residual income. Whether you represent a church, a network marketing system, a brick and mortar business, or some other endeavor, the secret to customer satisfaction is first, giving your customer a fair shake and then, going well beyond that to the point of surprise and delight.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bob Burg on Winning Without Intimidation

Bob Burg is the real deal. He practices what he preaches. Some years ago, at a convention, I bought his whole packet on networking - CDs, tapes, books, and video and immersed myself in his methodologies. I did this for two reasons. First, I had heard the man speak on tape and in person. Second, I met him and watched him in action. His CD series, "How to Cultivate a Network of Endless Referrals" was fleshed out in his own practice. As I listened to audio program, the rationale made a great deal of sense to me. As I came to understood his strategy it become clear that it was even more so, a philosophy of life. Bob believes what he is saying. He sincerely believes that people are worth knowing and not just as means to some sales, or in the case of those of us in ministry, as means to an evangelistic end.

This sincerity and authenticity is what he advocates and practices with an accompanying warning: People can see through us. Whether we attempt to be or not, we are transparent in our motives. We cannot fake real interest in other people.

The bottom line for Bob Burg is in a matter of adjusting our own motives and tuning our mental engines to the goal of adding value to other people's lives. The concomitant of this is that we will become valuable to many people.

Bob is a genuinely nice guy who looks at you when he is talking to you, communicates a sense that he values you, shows appreciation, and recognizes you later as an old friend when he sees you in the hall.

From an article posted on About.com:

Develop profitable, win/win relationships with practically every new person you meet - whether one on one or in a social setting.

How? Ask questions. Specifically, "feel-good" questions. These are questions designed to put your conversation partner at ease, and begin the rapport-building process. These are not intrusive, invasive, or in anyway resembling those of the stereotypical salesperson. Feel-good questions are simply questions that make your new prospect/potential referral-source feel good; about themselves, about the conversation, and about you. Vital, because "all things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust." Asking feel-good questions is the first step to accomplishing that goal.

I have recommended Bob Burg to many sales people and pastors along the way. I commend him to anyone who needs to work with people in order to maximize performance and reach full potential. The key predictor of success in almost any profession or business that is not practiced in utter isolation is the level of people skills.

Burg comes at people skills from two different need driven questions in his work on referrals and his book on winning. In the first, he is anticipating a pleasant and non-confrontational setting where positive results are expected. In teaching on winning he places us in situations where we tend to be confrontational, direct, and demanding and often culminate our interactions with mutual frustration.

For Burg, the same underlying philosophy applies to both settings; People are valuable and deserve respect. For instance, instead of intimidating people, he suggests that the eight key words that will get us what we want are, " If you can't do it, I will certainly understand."

It works like relational judo... and it is utterly sincere.

In "Winning Without Intimidation," Burg quotes from the Talmud, "Who is a mighty person? One who can control his emotions and make, of an enemy, a friend."

It doesn't matter what your business, profession, or ministry might be, Bob Burg can help you.

The "Winning Without Intimidation" Mission Statement is as follows: "To raise the consciousness level of the world in the arena of human interactions. To show people how to get what they want while helping others to feel good about themselves."

Ignac Semmelwies, in 1837, discovered germ theory and listening to him would have empowered the medical profession to save thousands of lives. However, because he was so obnoxious and combative, no one listened to him. Only in 1867 would they listen to a man with people skills, Joseph Lister.

I owe this timely reminder to my new friend, Rebecca Starr, an instructor at Fresno City College who is sitting at the table next to me at Starbucks and who proves to me that networking teaches us how to network.

Check out Bob's free weekly Ezine.

Thanks to Sherwin Nuland, "The Man or the Moment" in "The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2005 : The Best American Series 2005" for the reference to Semmelweis

I have used these coupons in the past and they really work. Besides helping you, they will assist in our work on and off line.

Writing Your Own Ticket

Network or Multi-Level marketing is a Golden-Rule business when done properly, with integrity, and with the right company. There have been plenty of abuses, but there are also many, many success stories. You build communities of people who do business together, support each other, and share a passion for their dreams. You work smarter and leverage your time by equipping other people for success. You don't make a dime unless you help them make a dollar.

It is no replacement for your faith and your service to God and humanity, but it can help you build your faith and support your ministry. If you keep things in perspective, you can begin to take charge of some areas of your life which have had a tendancy to take charge of you.

Money is a terrible master, but a pretty nice slave.

Writing your own ticket means that you make money less of an issue in your life, less of a topic in your conversations and thoughts, and less of a driving force in your life. It may seem paradoxical, but if you can create some streams of income, money will become less important to you.

Who thinks more about money - those who have what they need or those who are living on the edge of financial disaster?

Robert Kiosaki calls network marketing the business school for people who like helping people. Order his book at the link below. He also calls it "the franchise for the average man."

Rich Dad products has encouraged and informed you. Why not earn an incentive by recomending them to others? Click above.

There are some wonderful opportunities to do honest business through affiliate marketing and network marketing. I have a list of such opportunities and their relative advantages and disadvantages for anyone who writes me about them. The key is to evaluate the company's integrity, the value of the product, its marketability, and your own personality and interests. Then go with something about which you can become passionate.

Don't forget that leaders are also readers. You can rent, borrow, listen, or buy. Click on one of my bookstores here or in the margin for bargain s and quality.

Finding a company you like is important, but it is even more crucial to get on the right team with the right kind of mentors. shop for a good mentor. He/she will be available in person or by phone, honest, realistic, encouraging, and likeable.

He/she will also be a student with good mentors of his/her own.

I would love to work with you in one of my businesses or refer you to a friend.

Recently, I have become very impressed with what Pre-Paid Legal has to offer in compensation and in product. My friend, Doug Bloomer is building a great business. We are friends from Toastmasters.I would be happy to get you information on that opprtunity and get you in touch with someone like Doug who can help you. Our church is affiliated. E-Mail me.

New programs seem to emerge weekly. Some are good; some are not so good. The MLM Blog is a good source of information and so are primary sources. Learn to read the company's pitch and read between the lines as well. Don't believe all negative possibility. Sour grapes can produce that. Don't take all the positive at face value either. A busin ess is what you make of it and they all take work.

Remember, a good business requires digits, widgets, and fidgets. More on that later.

Usana is a good company with a quality product. A friend of mine is involved and as I typed this, he was making a presentation at the next table. i can't do everything an d you can't either. Find what suits you and a team with whom you can work. Yoyu are choosing a business and a set of best friends.

Right now, I am looking into Eniva and so far, I am impressed. But what is right for you?

Again - keep it in perspective. Nothing comes before your relationship with god, your family, and your calling to minister and make a positive impact in the world. In the quest for wealth, do not trample on the poor or neglect service for which there is no material compensation. But if you are going to do business and if you need to make money, consider leveraging your time by building communities and working smarter.

And if you don't like the way you have been approached by these programs in the past, do it differently.

How to Be Rigidly Flexible About Time

Let me start by saying that I only have a few minutes to compose this entry.

The fact that I have any time flexibility at all is because I was rather rigid about planning my day today. Having said that, i have already made several revisions in the schedule - lowering expectations in some areas and increasing them in others, moving arbitrary deadlines and getting ahead on a few projects.

So, here I am with about 5 or 10o minutes to blog.

The title is a bit deceptive because I cannot really tell you how to do this. Having Outlook fully operational is helpful.Making attempts in the direction of realism is a plus. Commitment is necessary. Margins are indispensable. Grace is crucial.

Having things to do during the gaps is a useful tool - especially small jobs. Otherwise we slip into a pattern of time-consuming thumb-twiddling - which can be both tiring and frustrating.

Well, here are a couple of list items which are not meant to be exhaustive.

1) No matter if it does seem to be a waste of time, take time, and plenty of it to really think about your week and your day and what you really want to accomplish and plan it analytically, realistically, and rigidly, knowing that you will have to be flexible to cope with the unexpected.

2) Plan margins.

3) Plan projects that can fit into the margins.

4) Plan breaks and do not negotiate these away. If you are like me, plan changes of focus regularly.

5) Raise your expectations of yourself in some areas and lower them in others.

6) Use that infuriating alarm bell in MS Outlook. For instance, mine just went off telling me it is time to pack up and go - which I am going to do - even though I am not done.

I said this would not be exhaustive or plenary in nature - just some passing observations.

"Gotta go.'

What Does It Take to Get Good Contacts?

Whatever you are building in terms of a business organization or a church or some other movement, you will need people to accomplish your goals. It is all about creating community (communities).

It was said of singer/son-writer/ragamuffin Rich Mullins that he created communities wherever he went. That is why when he died tragically at the age of 42, they had to have a traveling memorial service that moved from city to city.

Communities develop as we bring people together. To bring people together, we must meet people, introduce people, and set a table where they can continue to meet. That begins with contacts and referrals.

One of the truly great mentors in this area is Bob Burg. I recommend that any serious student/practitioner of this art get his book and the CD series and absorb/apply it. How to Develop a Network of Endless Referrals is a great starting place.

At the heart of the matter is the question of motive. While honest and transparent self-interest is healthy, it must be held in balance with a larger set of interests. If we are interested in people only for what they can do for us, that Will also be transparent and a detriment to what we are trying to accomplish. We cannot show interest in another person unless we are genuinely interested in them.

We just cultivate a sense of wonder and appreciation for people as marvelous beings made in the image of God who are valuable and fascinating to know for no other reason than just knowing them. When we meet and share lives with others, we benefit in ways that may be intangible, but are profound. When we add value to other people's lives through encouragement, we encourage ourselves.

There is no such thing as a wasted contact. Every appointment is a divine appointment. Every opportunity to meet a new person has a mystical and miraculous dimension. God is bringing someone into our lives for His own purposes and that may involve our goals as well. If not, that is fine because real success is larger than those goals.

We live in a world of uncharted adventures and unknown wonders. Infuse your business with that philosophy and see what happens.

When we meet someone, we must view them as valuable and see in them a beauty and potential that is beyond time and space. If you believe that, everything about you will communicate it.

After that, it is simple. Extend your hand. Introduce yourself. Follow some guidelines like those Bob Burg suggests.

What does it take? First, be among people regularly. Next, keep your eyes open for points of contact. Then, extend yourself by extending your hand. After that, ask good questions and listen carefully. Finally, do not part without sharing contact information.

Then (as if anything comes after "finally" - and much does), follow-up. More on this later.

"Direct Selling Success in 2007" from"Direct Selling News"

First w turn to Tony Jeary in his article: Communicating Your Opportunity: Clarity, Focus, and Execution. Jeary, one of the top trainers in America, answers the question, "How do direct selling executives achieve success in 2007?"

"People usually come to this industry because they have a dream, or are trying to find an opportunity that can become their dream. The dream has many pieces. One piece may be a desire for financial success. Another piece might be independence and the hope of being able to build a successful business. Another piece might involve helping others in a wide variety of ways. There is no one piece that is more important than another. The point is that when a person with a dream is making that initial decision about becoming a part of your team, the decision is made against the backdrop of perceived opportunity. I believe the key to success for any direct selling firm hinges on how well they communicate their ability to help new prospects recognize the opportunity they offer. There must be a communication strategy to make that work. The question is: What are the elements your communication strategy must embrace? I think it boils down to three distinct points: Clarity, Focus and Execution."

Clarity, focus, and execution. Jeary elaborates on each utilizing his own advice. His style is clear, focused, and executable.

"The absence of clarity drains energy. Lack of focus produces indecisiveness and excessive preparation. Poor execution degrades effectiveness, limits results and restricts growth. So, for opportunity to be maximized, the issues of clarity, focus and execution become the most significant."

Clarity is present when there is a sense of purpose As I like to say, "A way without a why (Y) is a WA." In other words, it it meaningless and undefinable. It is also found in the communication of value as the benefits of the product, vision, or project are communicated. The third area where clarity is essential is in the communication of objectives.

Focus, according to Jeary, "is achieved when the critical success factors needed to propel us across the gap are identified and understood."

Without focus, we become disorganized, indecisive, and caught up in excessive preparation according to Jeary. In my own life, lack of focus often leads to a constant state of getting ready to be ready, of movement from one pet project to another, and inertia. Focus is the remedy and necessity in selling the one big idea entrusted to us. Jeary refers to three areas where he stategizes with CEOs to help them create proper focus:

Mandating the correct action items
Creating the appropriate amount of detail to support action mandates
Creating benchmarks that can measure results

Execution is the final step and build upon the firs two with the anticipation of expected results. Execution requires a mastery of communication, performance benchmarks, impact measurement, and sustainability.

"Many people flounder as they try to fulfill their vision and their dreams because they lack a methodology to execute their objectives and strategies. Marginal results degrade overall effectiveness across extended periods, which retards or stops growth. When growth is in jeopardy, we stand on shaky ground."

Jeary is worth reading and hearing. Four other stories in the New Perspectives section are:

Communicating Your Opportunity: Clarity, Focus, and Execution
Academic Forum: Leading and Manging in the Millennial Generation
Top Desk: The Elements of Greatness
What's In It For Me?

More from Previous New Perspective articles:

Academic Forum: Embracing Diversity in Direct Selling

Top Desk: The Power of One Man's Dreams
Setting the Record Straight

I also recommend:
Growing Your Business Organically: The Rule of 350

Entrepreneur's Table on Wall Street Seeing the Value of Direct Selling

Mangosteen Journal on Sipping Supplements

The World of Liquid Supplements

For 2006 statistics on stock prices of Direct Selling companies,Download 1206_stock.pdf

Free Lunches and Networking

Those who are convinced that I attend all these meetings around town for the free food will have to rethink things now that I am on this high metabolism diet with my spousal unit. I brought my own trail mix to the round table and availed myself of the salad and water, but that would not have made it worth my while.

We meet to network and collaborate. No amount of solitary thinking, unilateral strategy planning, and personal research could have moved one of my pet projects forward as much as one contact from today's lunch meeting did.

In fact, it may get an organization on whose board I sit off a very large dime.

I joke about meetings, fuss about them, and resist them, but in the end, attend because they work. I look forward to the day when I can start eating the free lunches again too.

And ... I really do enjoy the company.

Notes and Ideas

A mental note isn't worth the paper it is written on.

You can make mental notes all day long, but they lack the safety features of paper and digital notes. For one thing, you lose them. They exist, but they are floating out there is a closet of cerebral clutter and are only retrieved when looking for something else and usually after a deadline has long expired.

Another problem with mental notes is that they are subject to the distortions of time. It has been demonstrated by neurological researchers that eye-witness accounts are often unreliable and altered by time and intermingling with other memories.

Perhaps that is why the Bible required two eye-witnesses before a person could be convicted of a capital crime.

Then, mental notes are often relegated to lists of lesser leverage in our thinking simply because we did not render them important enough at the moment to write them down.

I have noticed a habit being practiced by my friend, Philip Brewer, a life-coach and artist here in Fresno. He always has a note pad handy and uses it often to record ideas, references, bibliographical information, web site URLs and reminders to himself. no wonder he is sought out as a coach and mentor. By the way, his Steeple Chaser site is worth a visit as is PhilipBrewer.com. I will list his cartoon site as soon as I can remember the URL.

Case in Point: I forgot to make time and space note and my mental faculties failed me.

Entrepreneurs eat ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Good ideas are worth remembering and writing down. so are not-so-good ideas. They can be sorted out later or even trigger good ideas.

Now, having written this, i have made a note to myself to take more notes. If you get some benefit from the suggestions as well, that's good.

Now, i need to go back and read some of my notes.

Meetings

A leader once told me that he thought meetings were demonic. That may have been because of the fire he felt in his esophogus whenever he was preparing for one. Perhaps the following suggestions will help those who share his meeting anxiety.

Ten Rules for meetings

Make sure you have a good reason for holding a meeting. Otherwise, don't.

Clearly communicate the objective for the meeting before the meeting. Send it out with a request that any additions to the agenda be sent within a few days.
Create and distribute a solid agenda, gathering suggestions from key parties.
Thoroughly research everything you need to know for the meeting before the meeting.
Have information ready before the meeting and accessible during the meeting. It is a good idea to send out pre-meeting packets to all participants asking them to prepare for discussion of key issues. If additions have been made to the agenda, send a revised agenda at that time as well.
Determine how you will manage the flow of discussion and deal with "log-jams" ahead of time. Make sure all participants are in agreement ahead of time on process.
Budget time for each item on the agenda effectively.
Plan, discuss and assign roles before the meeting and make assignments with dates, times, deadlines, and accountability during the meeting.
Stick with your agenda. Schedule another meeting for additional issues.
Send out minutes as soon as possible after the meeting and allow for feedback using e-mail and blogs.

Several helpful articles on meetings have been located:

One Cheer for Meetings examines meetings in an academic setting. Notable among the quotes is "One of the things that has always most fascinated me about meetings is the agreement that must be already in place before the meeting takes place. Surely not, whatever else, including the arrangement of seating itself! And yet another of the things that has always fascinated me about meetings is that absolutely nothing can be taken for granted about them."

The Seven Sins of Deadly Meetings grows out of the experiences of large corporate cultures. Eric Matson lists the seven sins and then suggests "salvation" for each. He asserts that meetings continue to be vital when he says, "a business world that is faster, tougher, leaner, and more downsized than ever, you might expect the sheer demands of competition (not to mention the impact of e-mail and groupware) to curb our appetite for meetings. In reality, the opposite may be true. As more work becomes teamwork, and fewer people remain to do the work that exists, the number of meetings is likely to increase rather than decrease."

Always insightful, Seth Godin offers a fresh rationale and strategy for maximizing the effectiveness of meetings when you are being called upon by a sales representative. In "Going to Meetings" he says, "When a sales rep shows up for a scheduled meeting, it seems to me that you're not doing her a favor. You agreed to the meeting. You're getting paid to be there. You might as well get as much out of it as you can, right?"

After making some concrete suggestions, he concludes with this word, "When you treat your vendors the way you'd like your vendors treated, it comes back to you. It pays off. It gets you better information, better attention, better prices. You're a professional at your desk. You should be a professional at a meeting, too."

I think he is on to some of what I keep harping on - the Golden Rule, principles accentuated in the Proverbs, building a business or a ministry with the same commitments to integrity, compassion, and added value for all participants inside and outside of the business.

Meetings are as necessary spreadsheets - more so, because business, ministry, and life are all about relationships. Relationships require give and take comunication as two parties enter into a covenant to create a win:win scenario. Keep meeting, but streamline your meetings and do your best to make them more effective.

Talking Too Much

As usual, Ty Tribble offers practical advice to network marketers and others that can be immediately put into practice.

In You Talk Too Much, he says,

"Slow down and listen to what the potential business partners have to say. We are not talking about the curiousity approach where you are afriad of telling people what you do, this is about creating an atmosphere focused on the prospects needs, not your own."

How profoundly true this is whether in business, ministry, or in our own prayer lives.

VAST POSSIBILITIES

Here are some notes on my VAST Possibilities workshop that I will be presenting tomorrow morning. They are cross-referenced with VAST Possibilities at Blogger.

What Are VAST Possibilities?

VAST possibilities are what you possess.

VAST stands for ....

Values and Attitudes that Stimulate (and Sustain) Transformation

A VAST Possibilities workshop is about creating an interior environment for life change as a precursor to success in many dimensions of life.

A New Pattern

We have a pattern problem. We have developed behaviors that we practice consistently, habitually, and without much thought. We start practicing these behaviors before we crawl out of bed in the morning and condition ourselves to practice them before we lay our heads on our pillows at night. When we realize that some of these behaviors are negative or destructive, we have a battle on our hands removing them. When we determine to introduce positive practices to the mix, we find that there is no room for the old is crowding out the new. The first change is in our attitudes . Then we can address behaviors. We need new patterns. We need to replace old, worn-out,, useless and even harmful behaviors with newer, more nurturing and positive actions. What are the steps?

First, we must make the determination that we are going to introduce change into our lives. This comes out of careful evaluation and resolve.
We must pray for guidance and strength. Our creative God will work with our creative minds to create a new scenario and unveil options we have never considered.

Then, we must do the hard work of being institutional and aware. We must accept that change is awkward and new behaviors may be “forced,” contrived, manipulative, or uncomfortable. We must practice them anyway.

We must repeat the new behavior (which includes avoidance of the old) day after day, keeping some sort of record of our progress.

We must allow grace for the failures and celebrate the victories and patterns begin to change in our lives.

Values and Attitudes that Stimulate (and Sustain) Transformation

First, there must be a desire for transformation.

Trans - Across -beyond, through. The "trans" in transformation highlights the idea that for change to occur in behavior, barriers must be crossed and movement must take place.
Formation - Something is being formed. A new form is emerging within us. Change is taking place in an intrinsic environment where the roots of change are nurtured and allowed to grow naturally.

There is movement from the head to the heart.
Then there is movement from the heart to the hand (habit and practice).

Without an end-goal of transformation in mind, behavioral change will not take place.

Then, there must be a strategy for stimulation and sustainability of change.

Transformation Stimulated - Consider the strategies, systems, rewards, and patterns necessary to stimulate desire and energy for change.
Sustainability - It is not enough to reach a goal of change once. Transformation requires a re-ordering of factors that reinforce behavior over the long haul.

Environment.
Internal rewards.
External rewards.
Beliefs.

Finally, there must be a coorrelation between values and attitudes as moderated by our beliefs.

Values - Values constitute our responses to truth and principles.
Attitudes - This could also be described as mindset - how we are predisposed to respond rather than to react based upon what we believe about our values and the circumstances of our lives.

ATTITUDE - ATT&T - IT - U - DE

AT&T - Communication and self-talk. We must take control of our internal dialogue.
IT - We have to ask in every situation, "What is the IT of it?"
U - Your attitude is really up to YOU.
DE - We need to DEcide to DEny certain patterns, habits, and attitudes. This includes any number of words that start with DE.

Make it plural with an S for SUPERMAN - How did Superman ever figure out his limits or lack thereof?

If you want this to make more sense, get in touch with me for the full workshop.

WHY NOT?

A question was raised about innovation and innovators at Toastmaster's this morning. It put my brain in gear theologically and entrepreneurially. I moved from the "creatio ex nihlo" to James Weldon Johnson's" Creation." It triggered the concept of co-creativity among those made in the "imagio Dei."

So, naturally, an acronym piped into my warped brain: WHY NOT?

Actually, it started with WHY.

But it is "why not" that is so often on the lips of innovators who quickly move past the "why" questions as George Bernard Shaw observed and Robert Kennedy often quoted him.

WHY NOT?

WHY
W = What the
H = Heck
Y = Yall!

What the heck, yall - throws caution to the wind and envelopes a universe of possibilities.

NOT
N = Negate
O = Old
T = Timidity

Negate old timidity and the accompanying boundaries that are arbitrarily imposed by tired paradigms and limited thinking.

Having taken those steps, one is free to think new thoughts. "Why not" is not the same as innovation, but it is a necessary preliminary step in that direction.

Check out the new book link to "The Shaping of Things to Come" on the left.

Sales Presentation

I am working on a sales talk and here is a rough outline of a sub-point:

In order to become effective in sales, we need digits, widgets, and fidgets.

We need digits because it is a numbers game.

We need widgets because the quality of, need for, and appeal of the product counts.

We need fidgets because that accounts of the energy, love, and enthusiasm we have for our widgets and for the people whose needs we are trying to meet.

As I develop thise, I will post more.

Critical and Strategic Thinking

How to Think Critically and Strategically

Topic – We must have something to think about.

Technique – We must cultivate processing skills.

Timeliness – We must think in the context of our times.

Hours – It takes time to think strategically.

Honesty - With truth as the object, brutal honesty is required.

Holistic – Our thinking must embrace multiple concerns.

Intellect – Thinking always engages the mind. Mental capacity must be nurtured.

Integration – Ideas, convictions, and paradoxes must be incorporated in the stew.

Inspiration – The spiritual dimension is necessary. The Holy Spirit illumines our thinking.

Negation Mechanism – We need to weed out irrelevancies.

Need-Based – We are thinking to solve a problem.

Next – Strategic thinking taes us to the next level.

Knowledge – It is a primarily a tool more than an outcome.

Koinonia - Fellowship is seen in collaborative thinking.

Kerygma – It must come under the authority of ultimate truth.

People Meeting People

We had two new outstanding members in Toastmaster's. It made me think about networking and where we network. Both of them were able to present a pithy introducion of who they were, why they had come, and what they were about in terms of mission and goals.

We can network anywhere and at any time. I met two people at different times at Starbucks this morning who were more than ready to tell me about their businesses. I sensed and was energized by their passion .

Toastmasters is also and, perhaps more so, because it is populated with highly motivated people who are deeply interested in their own growth and development. They are also predisposed toward networking.

Entrepreneur's, social, business, and spiritual, must always be wearing their networking suits when in public. The best and easiest contacts will be in places where people of influence, passion, and dreams hang out. I would also include some spots where young adults can be found. They may \not have solidified their life missions, but they are on the prowl for significance.

At Starbucks, I met Simon Terronez, Jr. I noticed the insignia on his shirt, "Valley Remnants and Rolls" and mentioned I had heard their sponsorship announcements on the local NPR station. He thanked me. At the cream and sugar station, I asked him what set his business apart from his competitors. He had a ready and impressive answer; excellent service and competitive pricing. Then he added that I would see the difference if I visited the showroom I(which is, by the way at 1820 E McKinley in Fresno - 559-445-0206).

I sat down and he left, but he was back in less than a minute with a card (from which I am blogging the details here) inviting me to come in whenever he could be of service.

That is networking.

Setting the Table

The Next STEPS of SOLUTIONS:

I am looking at integrating the Entrepreneur's table with the ministry of the local church and modelling it in our congregation.

What is your impression about how much Proverbs and the rest of the Bible have to say about these issues is the following list?

Wealth and accumulation of wealth

Justice for the poor

Fair business practices

Advice for attaining prosperity

Values

Stewardship of wealth

Giving and generosity?

My observation is that it is a major topic in Proverbs, In what ways has God's church limited its message and help in these areas? I think it is major as well.

We reluctantly address tithing when absolutely necessary and our backs are agains the wall - but we say very little about wealth definition, accumulation, preservation, and stewardship beyond giving to worthy causes.

What are some solutions for being more wholistic in our approach? What fears or obstacles might we face? These are some of the questions we recently addressed wioth our congregation.

To what extent might we have to invent a solution as we go along? Where might we find resources?

Suppose a group began to meet regularly to study God’s principles of wealth & business and with the opportunity to support, collaborate, work together on some projects, and pray for each other? What else might we include?

Who do you think might be interested in your own community? When, how often, and for how long should we meet? what about combin ing it with the activites of a leads group? Perhaps we would invite in leaders in various network marketing businesses? would they come?

How might we use it as a tool for evangelism and discipleship?

Might God be using our crises in giving in the churches to birth something great that will bless our communities and the church as a whole?

What Are You Selling?

"What are you selling?"

I know it is a bit crude, possibly rude, but I get a lot of phone calls where we have to go through the "beating around the bush" dance for a few minutes and I am always friendly about the question and not necessarily closed-minded. I ask within a few seconds, "What are you selling?"

And I try to let the folks on the other end of the line know that I don't think "selling" is a dirty word.

I just want to know.

Is it an idea, a product, a service, or a "gift?" Do they want an appointment, a commitment, or an opinion? I want people to know that they have a legitimate self-interest in calling me and that I know it and that it is OK. It makes for a honest conversation. Even if their self-interest is the sense of satisfaction in doing a good thing, let us put our cards on the table.

I don't need to know their profit margin, but I know that they cannot stay in business without one and if they cannot stay in business, I don't want to do business with them because their after-care will soon dry up. I want to spend my money with people who know how to make a fair profit.

Does that make sense?

I need to process this call quickly because I am probably in the middle of another project, perhaps even a bright idea that will never pass through my mind again and needs to be captured, interrogated, and released.

Win my goodwill by respecting my time. I am inclined to give both in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Maybe you are selling an idea. That is good. You will be measuring profit differently. If you are selling the gospel, it may be out of sheer gratitude for what you have already received and love for humanity. If you are selling a social or political idea, your motive may be that you really believe society will be improved and your family's life will be better if I adopt your way of thinking.

Let's cut to the chase. I have no problem with the fact that you are selling something. I have a problem with you denying it.

And don't be surprised if I try to sell you something while I have you on the line.

Christians and Wealth

Co-published at The Entrepreneur's Table.

Flying Embers: "Wealth brings independence, a satisfaction that your family will be able to enjoy a comfortable home and weather life’s storms. I could go on and list countless other things that wealth brings without damning your soul.
So, I thought I would begin to post articles concerning the attainment of wealth the way Godly people through all ages have accomplished it.
These are the time tested, righteous pursuits of wealth that have worked in all generations. It will be worth our while to carefully consider what the wealthy say about the attainment of riches."

I'll be checking in to see what I can learn.

Co-published at The Dream Factory

The Tabled Table

I have not forgotten the TABLE acronym for Entrepreneur's Table (See also Entrepreneur's Table on Blogger). I just haven't been able to sit there for a while. The T - was for Timely Topics and Transferable Themes. We dealt with some of those. The A was for Attitudes and we introduced that subject. The B was for Building Blocks and we dealt only with the first ( and only a couple of those. Those blocks were Principles, Priorities, People Skills, and Process. The L, whenever we get to it, is Lifestyle and the E is for Ethics.

We addressed some principles and we will be coming back and forth to them - in fact to all of these.

What I want to touch to this evening is one observation about people skills. We know that a big chunk of anyone's success in job or business is capacity to get along with people and that it outqweighs talent, intelligence, and even hard work. Great ideas cannot compensate for a nasty disposition.

Here is the observation. People without people skills often take a dim view of the progress of people who have them.

They are called by names that I really don't use or like to write, but you know them. Frequently, we find disgruntled people complaining about all of the "politics."

Not all job and organizationa; "politics" is good - much of it is not, but what some people call "politics" is a small percentage of the work/business force going out of their way to get along with people, show respect for customers and employers, and resolving conflict in a positive way. The rest of it, is about people not doing that and reaping the consequences.

More From Starbucks

I posted my last note from Starbucks in Clovis (Armstrong and Shaw). As much as I had touted the new lunch menu, I had not tried it. Now I can report good news. The half a taragon chicked sandwich with cranberries I tasted as a sample was delicious. The young man who enthusiastically recomended it to me was right - It goes straight to the center of your tongue and from there, to your heart.

The main course for me, since it was mid-morning and I had not had lunch, was the cheese and fruit plate ($5.25). The bread was a little dry, but I think that was intended for stylistic purposes. The fruit was fresh; the cheese was magnificent.

Of course, the atmosphere was perfect - no rush, friendly people, enthusiastic staff, a place to plug in my laptop, and a T-Mobile connection (that was a bit pricey).

Now, if I could get an affiliate relationship with Starbucks --- oh never mind --- it could effect my credibility on this particular subject.

The point - I don't know, just a follow up. The last round of postings was a conceptual endorsement; now I can vouch for the food. Since the air-conditioner is broken in my office, I will most likely be keeping office hours there quite a bit this summer.

My Dad, the Salesman

Dad excelled in the sales profession. I am not sure what techniques he learned or practiced through the years to close a deal. I just know what I observed.

It wasn't the product that intrigued him although he never sold a product in which he could not believe for any company that would not keep its promises.

It wasn't the process although he often spoke of writing the definitive book on sales - its nuts and bolts for the everyday salesman who hammered out a living day in and day out, year by year. He did that and must have known something because somewhere between the dabbler and the superstar is the man or woman who can support a family in this profession.

But it was neither of those two that kept him in the business. It was the people. He loved to go from place to place - no two days the same and meet new people, see old friends, talk about this and that, and help folks get what they wanted. It was the people and the conversations.

I am sure that there are many lessons my dad taught me about sales and ministry that I learned without realzing it. I should reflect upon them someday and jot them down. However, if there were no more than this one, I'd be set for life: Put the people first.

As he lay dying from a brain tumor, gradually losing his faculties, he became agitated one day and the family asked him if he wanted something. He mustered what were some of his last words and blurted out, "I want to talk!"

He was a salesman to the end.

I was just thinking about that this Father's Day.

Business Ethics?

Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. - Psalm 62:10

John Maxwell wrote, "There's No Such Thing as Business Ethics" and intentionally gave it a title that needed explanation.

From the verse above, it looks like Solomon learned a thing or two from his daddy. Both were great business men, but King David seemed to know something that thousands of corner cutters donning striped suits would have paid dearly to internalize before self-destructing.

Business ethics are nothing more than ethics. The Golden Rule is right because it is good and good because it is right, but it also works.

We don't have to learn one moral code for business and another for all of our other human relationships. One will do and most of it is found somewhere in the Bible.

The MultiLeveler and Ty Tribble

I am not in lockstep on all of Ty Tribble's conclusions at The MultiLeveler, but he has some valuable insights for bringing network marketing into the 21st century.

Speciifcally, I don't buy Costco's assertion that its mangosteen has more Xanthones than Xango. It is not the "first to market" response that carries the day. That fact is that they cannot get as many Xanthones in the body with their extract as Xango does with the whole fruit including the pericarp where most reside.

Then, I think his assessment of Quixtar has a mix of value (namely, suggestions for making that excelent business better) and pessimism. Alticor may be big and it may not be as interactively savvy as market leaders, but it is making some great strides and has the credibility and structure to stand the test of time.

Any IBO can chart the course of his or her own business by creatively working within the given parameters. I intend to learn a great deal about blog-networking from Ty.

He is right. The industry is growing and cannot be stopped. It pays to shop for the right company and do it the right way.

Specifically, I have extracted some key ideas:

""Product saturation in Network Marketing has never happened. New people still buy vitamins, make-up and phone service every day. Frankly, there has never been any proof of product saturation in the history of Network Marketing.""

That is true and thousands turn 18 every day.

Here is another:

"
Here are some MLM 2.0 ideas:

Embrace Web 2.0: blogs, wikis, tags, and rss
Tell the truth. Most of the complaints about MLM 1.0 have to do with honesty.
Training your business partners should not be a profit center.
Don't hound people.
Get product pricing under control: The $80 multi-vitamin is no longer acceptable.
Life Balance: Exercise, Family Time, Work Time and Business Time.""

Good stufff - especially about integrity anmd hoesty.

I am going to be reading the archives and keeping up with Ty's postings.

More on Starbucks - The Third Place

It is over halfway through the day and I am still in utter amazement at the possibilities of having lunch at Starbucks. It is like having your two best friends meet and hit it off. I can actually read a book over lunch without feeling rushed - or have a prolonged conversation - or a casual meeting. We just really need to let this sink in.

This is a dream factory where I jump around from subject to subject as my interests vary. But I dream well in a third place and many of my entrepreneurial notions are developed there. Why not dream of more such places and gather resources as people of faith and social conscience to create them?

Dom Nozzi captures the spirit of what I am feeling in his article, "What is a 'Third Place' and Why Are They Important."

Nozzi is an urban designer and executive director of Walkable Streets where they say of themselves, "Walkable Streets specializes in preparing and amending plans, land development regulations, quality of life regulations and community design recommendations. The guiding principle of Walkable Streets is that a walkable street is the fundamental building block of a quality community. Indeed, the pedestrian is the design imperative."

Nozzi makes this statement in his article on the third place (which Starbucks touts itself as and, in my opinion, does a fairly good job of being), ""Social condensers" -- the place where citizens of a community or neighborhood meet to develop friendships, discuss issues, and interact with others -- have always been an important way in which the community developed and retained cohesion and a sense of identity."

In my opinion, this has been one of the casualties of modernity and, perhaps one of the postive revivals of post-modernity.

According to Nozzi, it was Ray Oldenburg who coined the term in his 1989 book, The Great Good Place Oldenburg, Professor Emeritus at the Department of Sociology at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. , according to Project for Public Spaces, "argues that bars, coffee shops, general stores, and other "third places" (in contrast to the first and second places of home and work), are central to local democracy and community vitality. By exploring how these places work and what roles they serve, Oldenburg offers placemaking tools and insight for individuals and communities everywhere."

I borrow several of Oldenburg's quotes from the PPS site:

“What suburbia cries for are the means for people to gather easily, inexpensively, regularly, and pleasurably -- a ‘place on the corner,’ real life alternatives to television, easy escapes from the cabin fever of marriage and family life that do not necessitate getting into an automobile.”

“ ... Third places are nothing more than informal public gathering places. The phrase ‘third places’ derives from considering our homes to be the ‘first’ places in our lives, and our work places the ‘second.’”

"The character of a third place is determined most of all by its regular clientele and is marked by a playful mood ...."

“Life without community has produced, for many, a life style consisting mainly of a home-to-work-and-back-again shuttle. Social well-being and psychological health depend upon community. It is no coincidence that the ‘helping professions’ became a major industry in the United States as suburban planning helped destroy local public life and the community support it once lent.”

Nozzi carries the issue further with insightful articles and observations. He reminds me of a long held conviction that urban planning is crucial to the well being of society and that those who engineer our contemporary cities are contributing to the engineering of our culture for years to come.

So, social and faith-based entrereneurs must retreat to their own dream factories from time to time - sometimes at a Third Place, to reimagine what can be done - and more specifically, what THEY can do.

In Lake Forest Park, WA., they dropped all pretense and named their coffee house/bookstore, Third Place Books . The name is enough to make me want to show up.

There is even a web site called thethirdplace.com and imagine this: it is a church site! In Singapore!!! Rev. Alvin Chan welcomes the community with these words:

"The Third Place (TTP) is a preaching point and Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC), The Methodist Church in Singapore’s attempt at meeting the spiritual needs of the younger generation. Put together by a very young team, the church will look to build as her foundation three very basic yet vital components"

And then he quotes Oldenburg of all people:

"According to Ray Oldernburg an American Sociologist who coined this term, third places are "distinctive informal gathering places (first being the home and the second being work).

• They make the one feel at home
• They nourish relationships and a diversity of human contact
• They help create a sense of place and community
• They invoke a sense of civic pride
• they provide numerous opportunities for serendipity
• They promote companionship
• They allow people to relax and unwind after a long day at work;
• They are socially binding
• They encourage sociability instead of isolation
• They make life more colorful"

Was Ray right in Field of Dreams? If we build it, will they come?

Or only if we build it right and hang out the welcome matt really well ... and serve lunch?

Postscript: If you are really interested in this notion, Google will certainly be your friend and you can google from here:

Dream On!

A Multitude of Counselors

Dennis Raup poses the question reflecting the wisdom of Solomon in Proverbs 11:14: Does your business have a multitude of counselors?

I have been deeply immersed in Proverbs for the last year, both teaching through the book several times a week and studying it daily. No other book within the Bible or outside of the Bible contains as much wise and practical teaching for how to build a successful, honorable, and God-honoring business while maintaining balance in your personal life.

I am becoming more and more convinced that of all the success literature written in the last century, most of it can be found in Proverbs.

Raup is president of Faith Connections @ Work and produces a very helpful blog worth exploring.

Reviving the Table - at Least Ours

Others are talking about the idea of an entrepreneur's table.

At What a Concept, Sherry Heyl, who identifies herself as an Idealist touts innovation which takes ideas, innovation, and talent to the next level. She draws a distinction betwen the entrepreneurial principals which govern much of the business world and those that inform social entrepreneurship.

As someone who is deeply interested and immersed in both, I propose a sysnthesis or at least concentric circles of interest.

Sherry Heyl is cutting edge in her thinking and her material is certainly worth including in any intelligent discussion of current trends and methodologies.

Is personal success a building block to or a result of corporate success within communities?

Yes.

Collaboration on the Eyes (IZE) of Time

I decided to get vulnerable and ask for some collaboration from the Christian Fellowship Forum friends. Collaboration comes from the idea of co-laboring over a project.

Frankly, there is much that I do not know about time management. As I mentioned earlier, I have much to learn. So I posted a new topic in the forum and have received some responses (Click here):

Check out the responses and add to them - or comment here.

Any suggestions will be welcomed and I'll give you credit when I compile them.

I liked what I read on the Best Day and Time Management blog. Very good suggestions, but I am not sure where to send the TrackBack.

Another great time management series is found at Amazing Time Management Secrets. One wonders how much time is might take to discover and compile such wisdom, but it is time well spent.

Frankly, the Pickle Jar Theory is as good as any I have encountered.

Time is precious. It is a gift of God. The book of Proverbs is a wonderful resource for learning to manage it as is the whole Bible. Much much of the practical discipline is learned by trial an error and tested in the crucible of one life at a time. We must individualize our skills based upon universal principles.

As one old fellow said, "'Taint easy. 'Tis it?"

Time

I realize that I am bouncing into the middle of another outline to interject this, but some insights just came to me about time management, mainly, my time management that seemed worth sharing. I called them into my audio blog and here is the summary:

Time has eyes. In this case, it is I-Z-E:

Sanitize

Prioritize

Optimize

Strategize

Energize

I could throw in a few more just to be cute and thorough, but these may do. We can revisit categorize, synthesize, and scutinize later.

2007-02-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

Suze Orman on Self-Employment

Not to be a disputer, but I prefer Robert Kyosaki's distinction between self-empoyed persons and business owners. Having said that, i think Suzie Ormand presents some extremely valuable information for those whom the government considers, "self-employed" for income tax purposes:

Suze Orman Money Matters

Protecting Yourself When You're Self-Employed

by Suze Orman

Especially helpful, is Suze's advice on Planning for Entrepreneurship:

• Figure out the replacement cost of lost benefits.

• Don't access retirement savings.

• Keep the home-equity tap turned off.

• Don't rely on credit.

Good advice all around from America's premier financial advisor.

2007-02-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

God's Network

Christian CEOs bond for love and profit.

By Ellyn Spragins

January 27, 2006 2:50 PM EST

(FORTUNE Small Business) – Many entrepreneurs start companies to get rich. Some want to be famous. Others just can't work for anyone else. Bart Azzarelli, 57, launched his Florida pipeline-construction company because, he says, God told him to. Azzarelli's organizational chart shows God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit at the helm of Dallas1 Construction & Development, a Tampa-based business that grossed $27 million last year. The title on his business card is AMBASSADOR FOR CHRIST. His workers wear hardhats adorned with the fish symbol that early Christians used as a secret password. "I decided that if God was instilling in my heart to start a business, then it would be God's business," he says.

2007-02-14T10:29:00.001-08:00

LAst night, at an unnamed restaraunt named for some guy named Benny or Lenny or Kenny - something like that, I had a very disappointing experience. Know this: I am a D****'s fan and this group I was with has been going to that same spot at the same time for eight years. We know the people - most of them - at least until recently.

I am not a complainer and I left the sweet girl (who didn't refill the all-you-can-drink drinks or bring us our bill) a nice tip. It is not her fault. It may not even be this manager's fault. It may be no one's fault - but it does make a pretty good subject for a blog on how not to succeed in business over the long haul.

Now, you are probably asking - "Didn't Tom say he was on a diet?"

You caught me! Half a shake was enough for me -- but bad for business.

Here is a new program I have come across. Let me know what you think.

Click Here to Get Your Free Ticket to Income for Life™

2007-02-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

RyanMapes is a fresh voice in the world of entrepreneurship and he has a message for Christian entrepreneurs who are shy about sharing their faith in public:

Christian Entrepreneurs: Mixing Religious Faith with Business
Just the other day, I had a conversation with several entrepreneurs who pointed out how many prominent US-based Christian entrepreneurs fail to mention their personal faith in large public platforms. It seems that too many of them would choose to shy away from this controversial topic. We debated on the reasons behind this: Maybe they prefer to separate their personal lives from their business for fear of backlash....or maybe they fail to see the connection between the two worlds at all. Read More

2007-02-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

MOSAIC: Profile of spiritual entrepreneurs:

Mosaic Alliance is a great model for transformational ministry. For that reason i will also post this at one of our sister sites. This is copied from their homepage:

Mosaic Alliance Mission

Serving leaders to change the world....

Create the Future

The Mosaic Alliance is a global network committed to create the future by unleashing a culture of entrepreneurship, activism, innovation, authenticity, and creativity within the local church. The Alliance seeks to empower and equip churches and leaders to maximize the creative potential in the communities in which they serve. We partner with leaders from around the globe in effort to catalyze the movement of Jesus Christ. The Mosaic Alliance provides resources, training, and ongoing dialogue in effort to serve leaders and churches worldwide. One of our focus areas involves serving church planters, but the Alliance is not limited to church planters. Join us in creating the future together!

Mosaic Alliance Values

Wind
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Mission is why the Church exists.
Water
ACTIVISM
Love is the context for all mission.
Wood
INNOVATION
Structure must always submit to Spirit.
Fire
AUTHENTICITY
Relevance to culture is not optional.
Earth
CREATIVITY
Creativity is the natural result of spirituality.

Connect!

For more information on connecting to the Alliance, go here.

2007-02-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

Chasing Daylight in Fresno

Begining February 20-21

Tuesdays at Dennys (Shaw and Willow) -9:00 P.M.
Wednesdays at BT (4141 n Fresno St) - 7:15 P.M.
Thursdays at Starbucks (Ashlan and Cedar) - 7:00 A.M.

2007-02-06T19:51:00.000-08:00

Guest Author

Do You Have the Right Focus to Make Your Dream a Business Instead of a Hobby?

We'd all love to make a fabulous living doing what we love to do. And often it's really possible. Yet, I was speaking with someone who wanted to make a living as an artist. This isn't any particular person, because I've had this conversation with folks numerous times. And, it's not always about art. Sometimes it's about coaching. Sometimes it's about cooking. Sometimes it's about walking dogs.

They spoke to me at length about how much they loved doing art, and how it fed their soul, and how important it was to their well-being. Very inspiring stuff, and it felt great. But, when I asked them, "How do you want to help other people with your artwork?" they couldn't answer me.

"It's art! It exists for its own sake. It should have value in and of itself."

This person was right. Art does exist for its own sake. And it does have value in and of itself. But, there is a difference between doing something purely to please yourself, and doing something with a consciousness that you are giving and serving others.

While there are many reasons to start a business, there is only one essential reason that allows it to thrive: helping people with some challenge they are facing. Income in a business only comes from customers. While funding may come from loans, or angel investors, or venture capitalists, eventually the allowance runs dry, as we saw in the 1990's with the dot-com bust.

Customers only buy when you are helping them with their needs and challenges.

We humans are complex creatures, with many needs and desires that have to be met in order to have a fulfilling life. I'm aware right now of my needs for creativity, truth, fun, adventure, love, intimacy, friendship, community, provision, food, shelter and heat (it's winter!), contribution, spiritual connection- I could go on and on.

When you're self-employed, especially when you are in the resource intensive phase of a start-up, it often seems that your business encompasses your whole life. And, this can lead you down a treacherous path of trying to get all of your needs met through your business.

If you try to take care of these kinds of personal needs only through your business, you will probably sink it, because you might unconsciously make decisions to soothe yourself, rather than really serve your business and your customers.

But, if you don't take care of these very legitimate needs at all, you will be performing a slow form of suicide.

Are you trying to make a business out of a personal need that has nothing to do with your desire to contribute to other's well-being? Are you neglecting your personal needs and killing yourself, your business, and your family?

Keys to Living the Dream

• If you truly want to make it a business, then you'll want to focus on these four things:

1. Get crystal clear on the problem you want to solve, and what it's really like for those who are facing the problem, and apply your creativity in providing a solution.
2. More than just the solution, how will you deliver the solution so that it can be most easily accessed and used by your customers?
3. More than providing and delivering the solution, how will you reach those people so they know the solution exists?
4. More than reaching the people, and providing and delivering the solution, what does your business itself need so that it can continue to do, and improve upon, the first three, so more and more people get help?

• If you aren't sparked by any of those four things around an activity, you may have something that you prefer to keep as a hobby.

1. A hobby doesn't necessarily solve problems for others.
2. It's primarily for you and your enjoyment and growth.
3. It's less important whether you reach other people, unless you want the social aspect.

Although enjoyment, self-growth, education, and socializing can and should be met through business, the primary enlivening influence in a business is one of service and contribution. And, if you are having trouble sticking with the four business focuses, try this Action Step:

• Identify your needs. Especially ones that aren't being met.

Marshall Rosenberg, author of Nonviolent Communication, lists many, many universal human needs. The Center for Nonviolent Communication has a list of needs here: http://www.cnvc.org/needs.htm.

If you can scan through the list and identify any particularly strong needs you have that aren't being met, you'll have a clue as to where you might be unconsciously trying to use your business to soothe yourself.

Example: I have a need for creativity, and one way I love to meet that need is in cooking. A day in the kitchen really does it for me. But, I decided long ago that I didn't want to be a professional chef, and instead treat it as recreation. Very satisfying. When I'm feeling that particular urge for creativity, I don't try to make my business do back flips, I just take some time off, and spend it in the kitchen. Bon apetit!

Once you begin to meet those unmet needs, look back at the four business focuses, and unleash your creativity. Your business just may end up as a very useful, and thus valuable, work of art.

About the Author

Mark Silver, founder of Heart of Business, is author of Unveiling the Heart of Your Business: How money, marketing and sales can deepen your heart, heal the world, and still add to your bottom line. Get three free chapters of the book online: http://www.heartofbusiness.com

Article Source: Content for Reprint

2007-02-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

It is wonderful what you can find when you are looking for something else.

Believe in Yourself to be Successful

Dr. Jerry Osteryoung
Executive Director
of the
Jim Moran Institute for
Global Entrepreneurship
at Florida State University

"Why do some entrepreneurs do incredibly well and the others do just okay? Why do some firms keep on expanding and others just barely hang on to one location?"

"The answer lies in the belief system of the entrepreneur. I met an entrepreneur in Tampa who had started a business selling spiritual lambs (www. myspiritualflock.com). When I first saw the product, which is a nicely crafted lamb with spiritual significance, I thought this entrepreneur was going to tell me that she needed to raise some money for production and distribution. Unfortunately, I was going to have to tell her that raising funds for this product was not going to happen and to prepare her for this."

Social Entrepreneurship

...

Resources on Social Entrepreneurs, Publications and other related topics.

Please note that a few entries are not yet filled. If you are an expert in these fields, feel free to write the entries yourself. Or even to create one if you think it is relevant to social entrepreneurship.

2007-02-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

The Power of Self-Talk
by Dr. Jim Will

You've got a great company, an excellent compensation plan, terrific products and some awesome leaders. So what's keeping some of your people from tapping into the incredible potential that you know they have? I had the privilege of having lunch with Yogi Berra once, and we discussed his famous quote regarding baseball: "Ninety percent of the game is half mental." I agree with Yogi-a lot of baseball and a lot of direct selling are mental. I like to refer to the mental game as our inner thoughts-our self-talk. Great leaders consciously or subconsciously manage and control their self-talk. READ MORE

Direct Selling Start-Ups: Ten Traps to Avoid
by Dan Jensen

Direct selling is the essence of free enterprise. Thousands of direct selling companies have sprouted during the last few decades. Sadly, many are no longer in business. I have been entrenched in the direct selling industry for more than 25 years and have seen hundreds of companies come and go. As the years have passed, I have discovered patterns of success and tragic mistakes that weaken direct selling businesses, often to the point of failure. While there are many reasons for failure, it is my hope that by understanding 10 of the more common mistakes, an aspiring direct selling business owner might have a better chance at success than those who failed to see the picture clearly. These 10 common mistakes include: READ THEM AT DIRECT SELLING NEWS

2007-02-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Posted in the Mangosteen Journal:

From Direct Selling News

Liquid supplements have yielded a harvest of fruitful financial results for direct selling companies and their distributors. While 2006 results aren’t yet available, Nutrition Business Journal, the nutrition industry’s leading business publication, estimates sales of nutrition products by direct sellers reached $6.4 billion in 2005. Results are often fueled by automatic-fulfillment programs, which send products to distributors or health-conscious consumers each month while delivering automatic revenue for direct sellers. Numerous liquid-nutrition-focused companies haven’t yet seen their 5th anniversaries, including The Limu Company, MonaVie, Sibu, Vemma, VivaTRU and Xango, among others. All are growing rapidly (see the November issue of Direct Selling News for more on liquid supplements). Read More. Scroll to Sipping Supplements.

2007-02-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Wall Street Seeing the Value of Direct Selling

Direct Selling News reports a growing facorable trend in the stock market's attitude toward direct selling companies.

Read more.

2007-02-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

I have launched a clearinghouse blog for those interested in Affiliate Marketing. There is good information there and there will be much more as time goes by.

2007-01-29T14:21:00.001-08:00

Visit these entrepreneurial sites today:

2007-01-29T14:21:00.000-08:00

Entrepreneurship is partly about thinking with such a large vision that no box can contain it. That being the case, thinking "outside the box" is a given and global thinking is implied.

2006-09-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

I must admit I get a little perturbed when people complain about lack of money and success when they haven't done the things that they can do to change their circumstances. When we operate on the assumption that the world or God Himself owes us a living when God has already given us opportunities, we limit means which He Himself may have provided for our support. I do not suggest that we veer away from a life of faith, but that we, especially those of us in ministry, at least lay before Him the question of whether or not He'd have us make a few tents along our missionary journeys. That is why I promote entrepreneurship, knowing it is not for everyone, but I suspect is for some who are not responding.

2006-07-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

My Health and Wellness Journal
While I write about business and entrepreneurial principles with a broad brush, there are actually a few that I own and promote. I choose them for the integrity of the company, the efficacy of the product, and the opportunities in the compensation plan. While I spend more time analyzing writing, and speaking than working any one business, here is one where I believe a person can have real success. For more information go to my Discover site

2006-07-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

There is some wonderful and thoughtful material on this blog which I will be returning to read and ponder. This relates to the subject in Entrepreneur's Table because Christians, and especially social/spiritual entrepreneurs struggle with it. Is it honorable to make money?

Flying Embers: "Wealth brings independence, a satisfaction that your family will be able to enjoy a comfortable home and weather life’s storms. I could go on and list countless other things that wealth brings without damning your soul.
So, I thought I would begin to post articles concerning the attainment of wealth the way Godly people through all ages have accomplished it.
These are the time tested, righteous pursuits of wealth that have worked in all generations. It will be worth our while to carefully consider what the wealthy say about the attainment of riches."

I'll be checking in to see what I can learn.

Co-published at The Dream Factory

2006-07-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

"Entrepreneur" comes from the French word for undertaking : entreprendre . It entered the English language in the late 1400s. From it, we derive, "enterprise."

The first part of the word is "entre," to enter, also French.

An entrepreneur, therefor, is one who enters into some undertaking and it is implied that he/she is leading the way.

We need people today who will undertake great causes develop great enterprises.

Will you be one?

2006-06-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

It Takes Time

We previously discussed the "EYE"s of time but did not exhaust the topic by any means. Everything takes time - especially if they are important enough to deserve our attention and effort. Here is yet another acronym: TIME, with the "t" for temperance, tenacity and transience, the "i" for indeterminate, individual, and instantaneous, the "m" for mastery, magnification, and ministry, and the "e" for experience, expectation, and excitement.

T is for temperance, tenacity, and transience. It is for temperance because time must be carefully and wisely budgeted, managed, and leveraged. It is for tenacity because we need to stick with something through boredom and hard work if we are going to see it through. It is for transience because it is passing by never to return. The moments in which we live are fleeting. The opportunities are in transit. They will soon be gone and cannot be recaptured. In summary, time is temporal and fleeting.

I is for indeterminate, individual, and instantaneous. It is indeterminate because, no matter how carefully we plan, we just never know how much time we have left to accomplish our goals. We must live with awareness that the curtain could fall at any moment and we want to be found faithful. We want to be like the hikers memorialized at the base of one of the Alps with these words, "They died climbing." It is individual because we each have our own, are responsible for our own, and are the beneficiaries of such. We must be grateful for the time we have because it is ours and it is a gift. It is for instantaneous because it is now. Now is the time for what we are impressed to do and to be in this very moment. There is really no other time than now.

M is for mastery, magnification, and ministry. It is for mastery rather than management because management is not enough. We must become the masters of our time or time will master us. We have a Master above us who enables us to master than which is beneath us. We must bring time under our control by mastering our moments. It is for magnification because we must duplicate our efforts and more by leveraging time if we are going to maximize our potential as faith-business-social entrepreneurs on a mission of transformation. It is for ministry because ministry is another word for service and time spent truly serving others is never time wasted, but multiplied. In fact, we can magnify our time through ministry and thus, master our moments.

So far, all of this could be expounded and expanded upon to our benefit - and shall be, but that brings us to the final letter: E

E is for experience, expectation, and excitement. We could add energy, effort, and eternity along with so many other concepts, but we can get to those later. Experience is what happens over time and cannot be gained without time. It is acquired slowly, but, once accumulated in critical mass, expedites the process of gaining more. Expectation prompts us to plan, execute, and evaluate our efforts toward to goal of accomplishing more in less time. It keeps us on track and in the program.

At the MultiLeveler, there is a great insight into some time management skills: Don't Be Get Rich Quick.

Whatever you want to do and be, it takes time.

There is always more at The Dream Factory.

Discover Mangosteen

2006-06-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

Novel Journey: It Takes Practice!: "
Proverbs 13:4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

Lord,
Please help me to be diligent to exercise this gift. Give me a vision of what I will be in the future if I work hard. Thank You for all You are teaching me on the way.
Amen"

Janet's prayer is the perfect addendum to our comparison between what NIV translates as Cravings VS. Desires.

Thanks for bringing it on home, Janet. The story here is wonderful!!!

2006-06-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Cravings Vs. Desire

Below is an excerpt from my article in The Dream Factory on Cravings or Desires.

Proverbs 13:4 - "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."

So what is the difference between the desire of a dilligent person and the craving of a lazy person?

From the start, we nod our heads knowingly, acknowledging that this proverb is true. A craving is a carnal drive that overwhelms our judgment and woos us into reckless thinking and action.

The key is to distinguish between the two and to dilligently pursue what is real and lasting.

2006-06-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Co-published in sister blog: Vast Possibilities .

The Road to Success

The = Definite article – Indicates something specific. We must be specific about:

T – Time – A goal is a dream with a date on it. It takes time to develop.

H – Hope - If there is no hope, there is no dream, no goal, no objectives, and no action.

E – Expenditure of Energy. Nothing will happen without work.

Road = Indicates process. We must fall in love with the process of moving toward success, not just the outcome.

R = Repentance. The word means change of mind, heart, and attitude. Change is necessary.

O -= Opportunity thinking (as opposed to obstacle thinking. Embrace obstacles as opportunities.

A = Attitude – The way we approach life (attitude) determines the heights we attain (altitude).

D = Destination – Roads go places. Always have the desired destination in mind.

To = A tiny preposition. It denotes direction. Success is gradually, purposefully, progressively, and with determination, moving toward our worthwhile ideals.

T = To as a focus. Focus on where you are going TO, not what you are going THROUGH.

O = Obligatory opposition. You must pass this way and there will be resistance to your success.

Success = “… the progressive realization of a worthwhile ideal” (Earl Nightingale).

S = Settle on your source. Know where your connectedness is.

U = Unleash your inner force. Call upon a strength lying dormant in you,

C = Chart your course. Know where you are going and your game plan for getting there.

C = Consider that the course is a concourse. You are not alone.

E = Enforce discipline upon yourself for your own success.

S = Stay the course. There will be many diversions and temptations along the way.

S = Stay the course (Saying it just once is not enough.).

To Schedule a Workshop, call 559-647-2203 or e-mail tomsims@workshopstogo.com

2006-06-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

A New Pattern

First, we must make the determination that we are going to introduce change into our lives. This comes out of careful evaluation and resolve.
We must pray for guidance and strength. Our creative God will work with our creative minds to create a new scenario and unveil options we have never considered.
Then, we must do the hard work of being institutional and aware. We must accept that change is awkward and new behaviors may be “forced,” contrived, manipulative, or uncomfortable. We must practice them anyway.
We must repeat the new behavior (which includes avoidance of the old) day after day, keeping some sort of record of our progress.
We must allow grace for the failures and celebrate the victories and patterns begin to change in our lives.

Attend a VAST Possibilities workshop with Pastor Tom

2006-06-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Big Ideas

Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire. - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Since once again, O Lord, in the steppes of Asia, I have no bread, no wine, no altar, I will raise myself above those symbols to the pure majesty of reality, and I will offer to you, I, your priest, upon the altar of the entire earth, the labor and the suffering of the world. - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.—Gilbert K. Chesterton

Perfect love is rare indeed - for to be a lover will require that you continually have the subtlety of the very wise, the flexibility of the child, the sensitivity of the artist, the understanding of the philosopher, the acceptance of the saint, the tolerance of the scholar and the fortitude of the certain. - Leo Buscaglia

Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried. - Gilbert K. Chesterton

A room without books is like a body without a soul.—Gilbert K. Chesterton

You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.— Henry Drummond

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.—Henry Van Dyke

Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.—Albert Einstein

Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you.' - Erich Fromm

Some people are so afraid do die that they never begin to live. -
Henry Van Dyke

Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired. - Robert Frost

An empty stomach is not a good political adviser. - Albert Einstein

An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. - Gilbert K. Chesterton

When once you have tasted flight you will always walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward: for there you have been and there you will always be. - Henry Van Dyke

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. - Albert Einstein

2006-06-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Entrepreneurship

Spiritual entrepreneurship is what happens when people of faith launch out in blod kingdom ventures incorportating all the principles that we bring to this table.

For that reason, this discussion must be broad enough to embrace all bold venturers.

Are you one?

2006-05-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

Entrepreneur for the Kingdom: "Dont Quit........Keep Playing"

I've loved this poem since I heard it on a Yager CD.

Thanks for sharing it.

2006-05-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

Amazing Time Management Secrets

These articles are practial, sound, and fun to read on the subject of time management. I found some wonderful applications here.

This will go into my collaboration at the Dream Factory. Specifically, it is found in this article on Collaboration with links to the forum discussion.

2006-03-29T17:21:00.000-08:00

Priorities are prior commitments. They are advance directives. They set the course for the future by eliminating the need to make decisions that have already been made.

The question of whether it is easier to set a priority or to keep one is a viable concern. In fact, it may vary from person to person. You may be someone who has to analyze the living daylights out of every issue that comes before you and still be indecisive. You will find it very hard to set a priority and quite a relief once you have done so.

You may, however, be a person who makes quick decisions by has a hard time sticking with them. You fly by the seat of your pants and are subject to emotional variations. You are going to struggle with priorities on the back end.

Whatever you personality or decision making style, success in networking is going to require the development of skills in the area of priorites.

This is an excellent topic for an entrepreneur's table.

2006-03-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

I met with some friends the other day and we reaffirmed that it is in the area of principles that overlapping businesses in network maketing have the most in common. It is in these areas where cross-training is possible.

What I want to insert as a caution here is that I do not refer to cross-lining when advocating cross training. Cross lining happens when people in the same business model (or others) who are not in a networkers imediate line of sponsorship, discuss the specific details of that person's business with him or her and offer advice or instructions related to specific strategy.

Only a person's sponsors and their sponsors in networking have the particular information and vested interest in a networker to offer that kind of advice.

Cross training deals with principles; cross-lining is dangerous. We must maintian the distinction.

2006-03-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

Previously published articles concerning this Entrepreneur's TABLE can be found at my main blog:

The Entrepreneur's Table

The Entrepreneur's Table - Part II - T = Timely Topics and Transferable Themes

The Entrepreneur's Table - Part III - A = Attitude

2006-03-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

This journal is designed to expand upon the postings from www.pastortomsims.com which specialize in training for network marketers. There are principles and strategies that are transferable between businesses that employ the multi-level philosophy. These principles can be called a TABLE:

T=Timely Topics and Transferable Themes
A=Attitudes
B=Building Blocks
L=Lifestyle
E=Ethics

The last four are the legs of the table and the first is the flat surface.

Join us for the ride. There will be a discussion forum attached to this weblog.