Rod’s Advice Column

QUESTION:

How does the Right to Information Act, 2005 help to prevent corruption and malpractice in administration ?

People’s right to information in general is a huge deal. It makes a tremendous difference in business decisions. If you knew something about an individual or corporation and they’re hiding that information from you that is pertains to the type of business deal you have, it will affect you.Malpractice and corruption is behavior observed in people who are “Financial Child Molesters.” The reason why Child Molesters target young individuals is because they’re inexperienced and easy to dominate over because they don’t know any better and wouldn’t know how to contact the proper authorities to inform anyone that they’ve been molested.

The same thing goes for Scam Artists as Financial Predators. The reason why they target old people and senior citizens is because they’re usually very unassuming and even if a Senior Citizen did ever find out he or she was getting scammed, the Senior Citizen is no physical threat. It doesn’t matter what their Physical Age is. Their Level of Experience is that of a child still in development.

The reason why Scam Artists target the weak, young, and old is because they’re easier to dominate vs. a healthy individual who would prove to be a challenge and would make their lives difficult. That’s why they go through a screening process to locate people who are innocent, inexperienced, or unable to defend themselves.

Malpractice and corruption thrive on the weak.

People condemn such behavior, but a Financial Predator is simply indulging in Corporate Primal Instincts seen in animals. As Predators, they would prefer to target animals that are weak and can’t defend themselves. That’s why Lions and Tigers will go after deer, antelope, and gazelles that have difficult defending themselves.

In the Business Jungle, Financial Predators do the same thing in the Financial Ecosystem.

However, just like in the Cycle of Life, if there are too many Financial Predators stalking the Business Jungle, they’ll ruin the Business Food Chain because they’ll kill off all the prey to where there’s nothing left leading to Financial Investment Starvation. That’s why people who have really good ideas for start-ups have difficulty finding investors.

You see the same thing happening in the Dating Jungle. When Men “stalk” women, they destroy the Romantic Food Pyramid to where there aren’t anymore Female Mates for Men to pair up with.

Because all the Male Predators beat up, abused, and alienated all the Women who were prospective mates, the women become scarce or hard to find because they’re harder to find. When a woman goes Lesbian, that is the equivalent of extinction because they’ve completely removed themselves from the Heterosexual Dating Pool making it smaller and where Men have fewer choices.

This ends up starving all the less aggressive Males (Nice Guys) creating desperation and creating all kinds of Social Dysfunction that affects everyone in the Romantic Food Pyramid and more miserable Dating Society.

The Right ot Information Act is useful in the same way a Romantic Right to Information Act would be useful in the Dating World. If women had a Right to Information Act implemented where they’d know beforehand whether the guy who’s courting them is a jerk or not, had physically abused his ex-girlfriends, or is just interested in a one-night stand, it would allow Women to see through Men and be able to choose the Good Men who would treat them better.

However, since there’s no actual BS Detector, it creates this problem where really good pairings fail to occur because the people who should be pairing up to create a better Human Society never connect because the Bad People in Society create bad dating conditions.

This is seen in Business where a lot of really good Business Entrepreneurs (Financial “Nice Guys”) rarely get discovered by Attractive Women (Wealthy Investors) who would be able to provide them with a good Business Relationship.

In the Business World, Wealthy Investors are much like Attractive Women who keep dating all the Bad Financial Predators (Abusive Men) who treat Wealth Investors (Attractive Women) like crap.

The way Bad Men abuse Attractive Women by cheating on them and disrespecting them is the same way that Bad Financial Predators exploit and abuse Investors as Attractive Women.

When a Business Deal goes badly and the Bad Financial Predator loses that Investor’s Money, they skip town like a Loser Boyfriend. Their rationale is, “Oh, well, you’re rich anyway. It’s not like you need to be paid back ASAP.” That’s not the point. Regardless of whether a Wealthy Investor is sitting on a lot of money or not shouldn’t determine whether they get paid on time like someone who needs the money.

That’s how you get Financial Discrimination.

Financial Discrimination is where people treat Rich/Wealthy People like lower priority because when it comes to paying them back. The only time a bad Financial Predator will pay back promptly is if the entity they borrow from has deep enough pockets to sue them.

If you have poor people who show a need to be paid and wealthy people that can threaten law suits, that’s where you squeeze out the Middle Class in the Financial Food Pyramid. It’s where they have enough money to invest, but if the business falls apart, the Financial Predator that has drained the resources of the Middle Class Investor can move on to the next Financial Prey and the Middle Income Investor chasing the Financial Predator in some long drawn out court battle is practically futile.

This is why you see the Middle Class Shrinking in the Business Food Pyramid. Eventually, you’ll just have a majority of Lower Income People and a small group of Wealthy People that have a monopoly on everything, which will lead to Social Upheaval from the Masses.

The Right to Information Act is a Preventative Measure that educates people and stops the Financial Bleeding in the Middle Income Business Sector so that they’ll be less likely to get abused and destroyed financially by Financial Predators in the Business Jungle creating balance in the Business Ecosystem.

There are a lot of Middle Income people who have graduated from the Lower Income Status that would be able to survive if they were given the proper Business Survival Skills and Training to avoid getting preyed upon by these Business Predators.

The Right to Information Act is a Stepping Stone in Business Evolution for Humankind.

QUESTION:

Marketing functions?
We were talking today in marketing about distribution, financing, marketing information management, pricing, product/service management, promotion and selling.

NOW i need to come up with one example for each and every one of the functions mentioned above and i would really appreciate some help!

32 minutes ago - 3 day(s) left to answer - 2 answers

I’ll keep this thematic with the Film & Entertainment Industry since that’s where much of my focus is right now. However, you can apply this model to any product or service such as the Diamond Industry.

You’ll always see key elements in Marketing, Distribution, and Promotions. The markets may be different, but there’s still a general formula that is used when promoting a product or service to Consumers.

In movies, the really interesting ones are the “Sleepers” like “Little Miss Sunshine” that are on low budgets, but they end up reaping in a tidy profit. Maybe it’s no in the hundreds of millions, but if you make a film for $5 million and it grosses $30 million, that’s very ideal.

It may not be as flashy as big budget films, but it’s really impressive to investors.

When it comes to film budgets we pay attention to the experience level of the film producer and director on the project. Whether they know how to manage a film budget responsibly is critical else it could turn into a financial disaster if the film doesn’t get finished or gets delayed.

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DISTRIBUTION: Films being distributed to all of the Theatres is a form of Distribution. Limited Theatrical Debuts is where films of a smaller budget get a theatrical release but they’re only shown in select theatres.

FINANCING: In the Film & Entertainment Industry, Film Budgets are broken down into Above the Line and Below the Line. For larger scale film budgets in the millions, spending budgets are written out so that people know how much money to spend for Special Effects, Talent, Producer, Director, Set Design, Wardrobe, etc. It all has to be financed and the investors expect to see a return on their investment since they’re the ones putting in the money.

MARKETING INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: Advertising Budgets are developed and finding the correct medium to reach the target audience is necessary. Making posters, buying ad space, and knowing when to release that information is important. When anticipating when to post ads for an upcoming film, they have to know what other films are going to be shown that box office weekend as well as position themselves. For example, you see how “Snakes on a Plane” was going for a marketing tactic of distinguishing themselves from “Superman Returns” and “Pirates of the Caribbean II.” They had to manage the information they have on other people and have an effective marketing approach to draw people in. Usually box office sales tend to revolve around blockbuster hits and “Snakes on the Plane” took the marketing strategy of saying that their movie was different.

PRICING: Pricing in the theatres tends to be set, but there are special discount offers for certain movies. Anticipated Blockbuster Hits usually don’t have discounts. When it comes to how much a film will be made for, that’s the equivalent of a large scale product that is going to be created. So when Film Financiers pitch the budget of the project to investors, they try to have enough so that they can cover expenses for film editing, CGI, and securing name talent.

PRODUCT/SERVICE MANAGEMENT: Most of the product service management in the Film and Entertainment Industry happens during the Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production of a Film. If certain aspects of the film aren’t managed properly, you could have an unfinished film project and have the investor’s money lost or tied up. In regards to “Superman Returns,” there were rumors spreading that Superman was gay because there were comparisons being drawn to how he keeps his identity secret, which is the same as being homosexual and hiding that your’e gay. Because the makers of the movie didn’t want that “stigma” attached to Superman, they were “managing” the rumors by putting out propaganda that stated that Superman’s sexual orientation isn’t as such (while taking a light Seinfeldian approach of “not that there’s anything wrong with that” so as not to offend the Gay Community).

PROMOTION: The whole hype regarding Superman was huge promotional buzz. Some say that even though it took in over $200 million, it barely broke even due to its production costs that were around $175 million+. That’s why there was a lot of hype surrounding it. Some film producers were claiming that the makers of Superman cheated a bit to inflate their revenues and initial box office sales by showing screenings of the movie a day ahead of time unlike other movies. Notice how there was all kinds of hype about Superman, the Insignia, and the Superman Lore. However, when you compare to it to the promotions done by “Pirates of the Caribbean II” that became the 3rd Best Blockbluster Hit surpassing the $1 Billion mark, PotC2 didn’t have to sell it as much.

SELLING: The “Superman Returns” was was riding on the predecessor Christopher Reeve, his tragic riding accident crippling him, and the recent death of his wife Dana. They were able to lean a lot on the DC Comic Stories as well as the History of Superman. “Pirates of the Caribbean II” didn’t have a Comic Strip, but they were able to rely on the success of the first movie.

QUESTION:

please help me to write a letter.?
My boss going to buy a old totota car. I want to involve me in this case.
But I want that he buy a new car. Please help me to write a letter .
Hints –

1.don’t buy old toyoya (mark 2)
2.After few days it will make trouble
3.parts are not available
4.old car needs more fuel then normal cars
5.your personal driver can easily make money with it (lame excuse )
6.the resale value is very low.

So , buy a new one car with VVT-I engine. Its new and fashionable and the best use of money. Personally I don’t like that you purchase a old car without high price.
And aunt is right Provox is a nice car (platz, and x is also ok).

//in this regard add some new points.
……..
yours rimi.
31 minutes ago - 3 day(s) left to answer - 5 answers

My mom was a Remedial High School English Teacher for 28 years. I’ve also worked in the Sales Field where you have to be persuasive and give a strong argument that justifies the purchase.

You also want to be very courteous since it’s someone else’s money and not yours that will go to purchasing the item in question.

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Dear Sir,

Purchasing a used Toyota Mark 2 will create problems for you when it comes to maintenance and become more hassle than it is worth.

1. Repair Parts are difficult to obtain
   
2. An older model needs more fuel than newer models, which are more fuel efficient
   
3. Your personal driver will be more reliable because there is little risk of your driver getting stuck or stranded compared to a used vehicle that could break down more easily vs. a new model
   
4. The Resale value for a used vehicle will be lower
   

I respectfully request that you consider getting a new one vehicle with VVT-I Engine. It is new, will have a higher resale value, and it will make beter use of your money.

Rimi

QUESTION:

How does Josh Harnett continue to get acting jobs, when he is so drab?

I can’t really remark on Josh Hartnett since I don’t really watch his stuff. However, I do work in the Film & Entertainment Industry.

There are a lots of talented individuals, but it really does depend on if you have a name and are recognized. When film investors are attempting to invest in film projects that they hope will be successful and where they can get a return on their investment, sometimes all they have to go on are the person’s name.

If the person’s name is recognizable, that’s something that will sell compared to a talented actor whom no one has ever heard of.

There’s that funny line in “Pirates of the Caribbean” that illustrates this point:

COMMOORE NORRINGTION: (snootily) You’ve got to be the worst pirate I’ve ever heard of

CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW: (jovially) Ah! But you have heard of me!

Norrington gives Sparrow a withering look

Even if you don’t like Josh Hartnett, you have to admit that at least you know who Josh Hartnett is. If you ask people on the street who Josh Hartnett is, most of them can tell you.

Regardless of whether his films suck or not, you know him by name. That’s marketable in Hollywood and worth more than 1,000 no-name actors.

It’s not about whether the person’s acting is good. It’s whether they’ll actually draw a crowd and pull people into theatres to see the movie. Decent acting skills are secondary. Bear in mind that eventually, bad acting and poor choices in film projects will eventually sink an actor’s career.

So many people come here to Los Angeles to catch their big break and get discovered. Getting discovered is the hard part. Whether you actually have any talent or not isn’t as important as whether you have the influence and the connections.

A lot of young stars today break into the industry because their parents are renowned actors or the parents have deep pockets that can allow them to afford buying their way into decent roles.

A lot of it is mostly marketing and packaging. If you look at Paris Hilton, her singing is decent. Her song “Stars are Blind” is not bad. It’s all packating and having the financial backing. Even if Paris’ family doesn’t provide any money to fund her projects, her name alone is worth investing in from a financial standpoint.

Whether Paris Hilton has any actual acting or singing talent is irrelevant in the Hollywood Industry.

Vanessa Williams is a prime example. Would you even know who Vanessa Williams is among the other Miss America Winners that have fallen into obscurity if it wasn’t for those “scandalous” nude photos that were in Playboy? Would anyone even care who Vanessa Williams was if it wasn’t for Playboy creating that buzz for her and where she stepped down?

She became recognized because everyone wanted to know about it or see those photos of an American Icon involved in adult behavior. Some people don’t even know the story behind those photos. It had nothing to do with Playboy.

Those nude photos of Vanessa Williams were taken when she was trying to make money to pay her way through college. The photographer merely sought to capitalize on her fame by selling them to Playboy. Whether that’s ethical or not, who knows? However, Vanessa Williams in the end made out very well from that scandal because it got her the exposure she needed.

At least you can complain and say Josh Hartnett sucks unlike other actors where you say, “Who’s that guy who sucks?” Because you know Josh Hartnett by name and his face, that still is a tribute to his star power whether it’s well-deserved or not.

QUESTION:

letter correction needed?

16/09/06

TO: FAM / GM,

As per the attached repair request, the existing Automatic Door (Location :A3) at garage is not working and due for repair. The cost of repairing charges will be @ Qr. 8,500/- (quotation attached). This door has installed during August, 2005 and warranty is over.

Since we are facing frequent complaint from Garage for this door and spending increasingly for each and every time of repairing is not worth and it is discussed with Mr. Peter Karol, Service Manager, he advised that instead of repairing the existing door it is better to go for a new one which will cost us Qr. 6,900/- (offer of M/s. Al Rawami is attached along with) for Roll-up shutter. Since the repairing cost is too high than the new one of Roll-up shutter.

Similar type door we have already installed at Garage at A4 door.

For your information and approval please.

Regards,

Kumaresan
Asst.Procurement Manager
29 minutes ago - 3 day(s) left to answer - 5 answers

My mom was a Remedial English High School Teacher for 28 years and really strict about grammar and composition.

Bear in mind that you’re also attempting to solicit money from this individual and you should specify how much money will be saved by getting a new door rather than repairing the old one. That’s why you mention the 1600 that will be saved compared to repairing the old one and how there will still be mounting costs from continuous repair..

It’s not just about including the estimates, but writing a persuasive argument that shows the person who is going to be putting up the money how they save money and won’t have to spend more. That means being specific and spelling out how much more it costs with that 1600 to fix an old door and with no guarantee of how long it will last.

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TO: FAM / GM,

Kumaresan
Asst.Procurement Manager

QUESTION:

Would i win? if i take him to court?
okay here’s how it started…i bought a car from a dealer of Suzki and it’s a honda ex 02…okay…before we bought the car, we asked the dealer that if he fix the dents of that car we will buy it. So he made that deal, and he wrote on a paper of the Suzki contract. And now they won’t fix it now. so if i take him to court will i win? i think i will win because he signed the paper and maded his own deal so the court is on him….yeah please help me think… thank you for your time.

If he’s a representative of the Suzuki Dealership, then you may have a case. If he’s not or the company itself is stating he wasn’t authorized to make such a contract, then that’s where it gets kind of shady.

However, even with the latter, that would fall under a form of misrepresentation and where the consumer was mislead.

The other part where it could get sticky is if you took the vehicle off the lot. If you drove the vehicle off the lot and have had the vehicle in your position, that’s where it gets tricky.

If the contract doesn’t specify on the contract what the “dents” were, there’s no way to really prove that those dents were originally on the car at the time of purchase or if those dents were added during the time that it was driven off the dealership lot and held in your possession.

Even when you got to an Auto Pawn Dealer, a smart auto pawn dealer will make sure he inspects the vehicle and points out all the dents and scratches that were on the car before the car is taken in.

This is so that the auto pawn dealer isn’t held liable in the event that the owner of the car argues that those dents weren’t there. There are car owners that are sneaky or sly enough to do stuff like that. You have to be really careful with people.

That’s why even when you borrow items from other people (especially items over $1,000.00), you inspect the borrowed item first and point out any scratches, nicks, dents, or problems with the item before you take it into your possession or else you could get blamed for it.

Even when you take your car from a maintenance inspection, it’s recommended that you inspect the vehicle first. Make sure everything is in working order and as it should be. That’s because as soon as you drive it off the lot and notice problems, the auto dealer or mechanics may refuse to do any addtional work or service on the car if you claim that it’s their fault but if the vehicle has been in your possession for a certain amount of time since leaving their care.

You have to be very careful with vehicles or expensive items. That’s why people are told to always examine their cars to check for scratches or dents so that you know when it happens. Some inexperienced car owners just hop into their car and hop out. They never check the passenger side of their vehicle to see if the side got dented, hit, or damaged.

If you’re unable to resolve this issue, you should at least file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Some people think that’s ineffective, but if you get enough people who file complaints against such an individual, it does eventually start to hurt their business if they’re being sly in their business practices.

Even if you personally don’t benefit from reporting individuals, those types of people will just continue exploiting others and engaging bad business practices causing someone else to get screwed over in the same way you did.

QUESTION:

How can I find a legit work from home job? Without having to pay up front first..?

That’s a really good question that you asked.

I’ve worked in the Direct Sales Field as a Sales Trainer and making Training Manuals. I also work in the Film & Entertainment Industry, which is crawling with all kinds of scams and people who abuse that industry as well.

Before answering your question, it’s good to know why people charge up front because, believe it or not, that’s what separates the haves from the have-nots or why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

People who tend to stay down in the middle and lower incomes have difficulty grasping the concept of paying up front because:

1) They’ve gotten burned by a scam or Get Rich Quick Scheme
2) They want to become successful but since they haven’t achieved success they usually don’t know what it’s like and why marketers are the way that they are
3) Lack of Business Experience

The first one is what screws it up for everyone making the world a more miserable place.

It’s like an attractive female. Attractive women first move into the dating world with no real opinion about guys. However, they get manipulated, screwed over, ditched for one-night stands, and get constantly hounded by “bad men” who make them sick and tired of all that crap.

That’s why attractive women eventually become extremely aloof and frigid because they’ve got their defenses up or they go Lesbian. All those bad men kept on abusing those attractive women causing those attractive women to develop a negative opinion.

When “bad men” who don’t think about the future or care about anyone else ruin it for all the rest of the “good men” who would’ve treated that attractive female nicely. Those bad men cause the bar or standards of acceptability of the attractive women to be set so high that good (but naive) men that would’ve treated those women well don’t stand a chance.

When you translate that over into Marketing, the bad men are those Scam Artists that give you this really great packaging that looks good on the outside, but when you finally get the product, it’s usually dud or the program actually works, but it requires more effort and commitment, than the impression that the Marketer claimed.

If you look at a lot of the hype that surrounds Direct Sales that talk about stories of success and triumph, technically it’s true that some of those people succeeded, but there was a lot work or effort that was invested on the part of those people interviewed.

People think this can be misleading, but technically if you think about, it sort of makes sense because if it was really that easy, why would anyone give up such valuable information to others that would cannibalize their own bread and butter.

If some program is supposedly that successful and easy to do, why would anyone want to pass on that information unless there’s some catch? Usually, it’s because they want the people they recruit to do the grunt work.

In essence, Direct Sales functions just like the regular working world but it revolves more around Independent Contractors so that employers or Direct Sales Managers don’t have to worry about covering Medical and Dental Insurance. The people who work for them are those who “write their own paycheck each week.”

The reason why Corporate America seeks out eager young people fresh out of college is because they lack work experience, are less likely to complain, and where you can just keep on dumping more and more responsibilities on them. A lot of young people don’t know when to say when.

Sadly enough, the ones who are smart enough to know when they’re being overworked can easily be replaced by someone else who “doesn’t know any better” and can take their place. There’s rarely any shortage.

This comes back to education and experience. Most employers want to see some level of experience ot know you’re qualified. However, since experience is something that’s intangible, they request something tangible to prove your level of experience such as a degree.

Your question was about finding a legitimate work from home job where you don’t have to pay up front.

A “Legitimate” work from home job where you don’t have to pay up front usually won’t exist because:

1) Business owners who think that way will usually end up broke because people want to get paid first but their level of experience usually isn’t up to par
2) Those jobs are ones where the individual is owner of that business

The whole point of charging up front in such businesses is because it’s really difficult to trust people you don’t know. On the other end of the spectrum, employers have the same problem of trying to find good and reliable employees.

Sometimes people are good employees, but the training course that they use to teach those people is really bad. However, that’s a whole different story unto itself.

The reason why employers charge up front is because it costs money, time, and effort to work with new trainees or recruits. You want to make sure that they don’t waste your time.

For example, let’s say I hire an employee. I give you the person materials and instructions:

1) What if you find out in midstream that you don’t want to do the job I instructed?
2) What if the person is just incompetent and unable to perform the tasks?
3) What if the person is a “high-maintenance” employee that needs constant nurturing, special attention, and where you have to explain everything?

All of that takes time. It’s not cost effective.

People hate thinking in terms of money and think only greedy people think that way. However, because of this mentality, they remain uneducated about business.

For example, I’m a business advisor. This answer I’m giving you can actually have a Dollar Figure on it. Do you know that Business Consultants would be charging you for what I’m telling you right now. Whether you throw this information away or take it seriously, at least you didn’t have to pay for it.

Amusingly enough, people who don’t pay up front for anything tend to appreciate things less. It’s Psychological. If I charged you $100.00 for this information I gave you, you’d be more likely to take it seriously because you naturally want to ensure you get your money’s worth. When you don’t pay for this information, you can take it or leave it and you won’t lose any sleep over it.

In regards to a legitimate home job, that’s why they charge. Because you put money into it, it covers their investment into you and it gives them leverage over your Psychologically to put in some commitment to make the program work. If it doesn’t work, at least it wasn’t a total loss.

This format works when you’re dealing with legitimate and honest business people.

It’s the dishonest ones or people who are bad at business that have a bad business plan or model that they use that people try but end up getting burned when it doesn’t turn out well.

Sadly enough, there are more Scams and Bad Business Plans floating out there than there are good ones. If there are any good plans:

1) They are already managed by the owner who is keeping Operating Costs down by having a small staff whose current employees specialize in certain tasks
2) The business that takes flight gets integrated into Corporate America where it offers regular jobs
3) They’re undiscovered and don’t last very long because of poor marketing that is unable to generate Public Awareness and the “nice personality” of the business owner ends up being the undoing of the business

If you want a legitimate work from home job, you’re better off starting your own business and being your own boss. Once you find that product or service that people need, that’s your business and you can be your own boss where things can be set on your own terms.

However, that’s how you get a Catch-22. Most people don’t know how to find a good business to develop. That’s the reason why they seek out jobs in Corporate America or try working all those other Direct Sales or work from home jobs currently offered.

That knowledge from the people who do have a working or functioning business in need of employees or Independent Contractors is what inexperienced people or people who are unable to think up of a product or service are paying for.

That’s how people end up back at Square 1. The options are:

1) Find your own product or service to start your own business
2) Get a regular job that isn’t work from home
3) Accept having to pay up front as an initial investment in that business

The third aspect, which is the focus of your question, may seem detestable, but job-searching is just like trying out new productcs at the grocery store. If you’re trying to find a cereal that you like, you have to buy the entire cereal box before you can eat it.

In DIrect Sales and Work from Home Businesses, it’s like cereal but you can’t really tell from the box. The box is kind of hazy to where you really can’t tell what’s in the cereal before you eat it. So the only way to find out is buying first.

People don’t have a problem with coughing up $2.00 for cereal. It’s when you start getting up in numbers with “investments” like $150.00, $1,000.00, or “$5,000.00″ that causes people to be wary. They just have to understand that they’re dealing with a larger and more far-reaching consumer product or service.

In your case, it sounds to me that your best option would be to find your own business.

1) Get a business license for $45.00.
2) Call it “[Your Name] and Associates” so that the business is adaptable regardless of what product or service you set up.
3) Set up a DBA Account.
4) Pay about $50.00 to set up a web site
5) Average about $10/month for minimum monthly web site upkeep

Do some brainstorming on what people in your region or locally are seeking in terms of services and goods. Make that what you offer.

That’s the best way to have a legit work from home job and where any investment comes from you.

I included three suggested readings for you. The first two by Harvey McKay talk about how to develop a business. It uses really funny anecdotes and stories where the chapters are only 1 or 2 pages.

The last one by Robert Kiyasaki is on the bestsllerlist. I like the Audio CD because you can pop it into your CD Player and listen to it at night. It teaches you about the flow of money and what skills are taught to the wealthy that aren’t taught to the poor.

It’s important to understand the flow of money and the Psychology behind how business functions so that you can find a business that will work for you and help you on your journey to financial success.

QUESTION:

I want to sell my product using affiliates. Which is the best compnay to use. The product is quite niche.?
The product can viewed at www.rootedinireland.com

I took a look at your site. It seems like a decent gift idea. Your product market niche would most likely be traditional families that are really into preserving their heritage.

You’d most likely want to target organizations that are geared toward the environment, Irish Special Interest Groups, and people who are into trees.

I know that a tree-planting event happened in the Philippines a week or so ago where they beat the record in Indian for tree-planting.

In terms of affiliates that would support this product, I don’t know if this would be the best place to seek individuals, especially in the Internet Section. Maybe in the Business Section you may find entrepreneurs or people with connections.

You may want to try companies that sell fertilizer or any products that revolve around caring for trees such as pruners or gardening tool manufacturers. Even if they aren’t able to sponsor you, maybe they’ll know of special interest groups.

One thing you might consider is doing research on companies that are here in the United States that also have roots to Ireland. If you can find a company in Ireland that has set up here in the United States, they may be interested in taking you on.

The certificate that you mail to people for your product here in the United States will be very important because there are so many scams and people want proof that the money they’re sending really does go toward planting a tree.

It may seem like a small detail, but purchasing trees in another country that most people may never even see is a difficult thing to sell. Most people would rather spend $333.00 on electronic equipment such as an iPod or something they can ready use and enjoy.

You’ll have stiff competition competing against those markets since everything is all tech. Once again, this comes back to why your target market niche will be families that have a respect for heritage, have a respect for the Planet Earth, and place value on something such as this.

You do have a point on your web site about how it would be a great gift idea for a newborn baby. There are parents that would go for something like that. However, finding a way to tap into that market may be a challenge.

There was an incident in Los Angeles where they were cutting down some trees and Celebrities such as Daryl Hannah and Danny Glover came to protest the cutting down of such trees. If you can find Celebrities to support your product.

You could try Boy Scouts of America to see if any of them would support your product. However, I don’t know how much they allow in the way of marketing and promotions through that organization.

If you’re attempting to target the United States, I still think you’re going to need something more to gain the attention of people to make it worth while for affiliates to push this product through. Everyone here is so tech-oriented, that I believe you’d need some aggressive marketing campaign to get people to see the long-term benefits of planting a tree in their name in a foreign country.

One of the problems of living in the United States and a world that revolves around High-Speed Internet, fast cars, and instant gratification. Trees take time to plant roots and become strong enough to weather through the elements.

Your marketing approach much like a newly planted tree will have to weather the elements of today’s market place in the same way.

QUESTION:

How can I politely inform the cooks at a local bakery that they don’t put enough sprinkles on the donuts?
I just really like sprinkles, and I think that for the price I pay, I should have several kilograms of sprinkles on the donut!

Well, actually, I know that’s not likely, but I would just really like more of them…

This is a Psychology Question and also falls into the realm of Sales and Marketing.

It’s all about how you ask.

If you just ask, it’s a request and they may not really care or will forget.

The best approach is to butter them up and make it into a huge compliment that they can take ownership for. People love to be complimented.

Shower them with compliments saying, “I wanted you to know that you guys make the best sprinkled donuts I’ve ever had. I love coming here, and I wanted to thank you for giving me a regular place to come to every morning.”

Then you ask them, “Do you use special sprinkles? I’ve gone to other bakeries in the past, and what you use seems to taste better.”

That’s planting the idea that the Sprinkles have something to do with them. Even if they say it has nothing to do with them, still praise them anyway with a smile.

The objective is so that you have a reason to remind then each time you buy those donuts. Because you’ve talked to them, it won’t seem like you’re “demanding” sprinkles and that “it’s their job.”

By making it a compliment and where they get praised for it and are constantly reminded by that “praise” every time you ask for Sprinkles alluding to how they’re doing such a great job with the donuts, they’ll naturally start remembering to put more Sprinkles and will tell their co-workers, “Oh, yeah. That person really nice. Don’t forget to put more Sprinkles.”

Bear in mind that it will most likely take a couple times for you to do this. It will take repetition because those donut people deal with hundreds of customers. It’s easy to forget.

That’s why you need to compliment them so that they’ll give you extra helpings of Sprinkles and where it will be something they want to do vs. something they have to do.

QUESTION:

Legal help please…??
If I go to an NFL game and I take a picture of an NFL superstar ex: Michael Vick, can I use that same picture to sell products such as shirts or jackets?

No.

What if someone took a picture of Julia Roberts and used the pictures on KKK Propaganda and T-Shirts?

It would be sending the message that Julia Roberts is a White Supremacist and Anti-Semitic. If you haven’t obtained the written consent of the Celebrity, you can’t use their pictures or likeness to endorse products they haven’t approved.

People who attempt to do that would be exploiting the fame of the Celebrity for their own personal gain, which may not always be in the best interest of the Celebrity or even embrace ideals congruent to that of the Celebrity.

Even with Companies, people aren’t allowed to take a Company Logo and advertise themselves as being affiliated with that Company without permission.

It would be easy to go around and claim your Computer Software Program is affiliated with Microsoft, Sun Systems, Dell, or Gateway, but if you haven’t obtained their permission, they could sue.

The reason why it’s set up that way is because someone could abuse the Company’s name and make it look like the Company is endorsing products or services that it has no knowledge of or could even be bad.

That’s why you see photos in the media where they’ll fuzz out the faces of people in the video whose written consent they haven’t obtained for usage of their likeness. It’s to avoid legal entanglements when they blur the faces of people who are walking by in a camera shot.