MARCH 2012 Greetings & Salutations: Are YOU Stupid? Thankfully, almost no one is stupid about everything. Then again, unfortunately, almost everyone is stupid about some things. Do you ASK questions about the things you want to know about? Or, do you just accept whatever answers you can find on your own ... not wanting to appear to be stupid? When you are asked a question, do you respond by quoting, almost word for word, the answer given by some authority figure (or, worse yet, the party-line), without thinking? Do you ever question the answers you already think you know? -- I do, all the time. When faced with two answers to the same question, do you ASK yourself 'why?' there are two answers? Do you ever ASK yourself whether or not the person giving you an answer has an ulterior motive? Fortunately... Stupidity Can Be Cured! All you have to do is ASK! Every condition in your life has it's cause. -- Poor people are poor, because they have never asked themselves, "why am I poor?" -- They just accept the condition and pass it along to their offspring. Unless YOU learn to ASK for what you want from life, you will be stupid. But, you have to keep on asking, and Asking, and ASKING until you get the answers that will, finally and lastingly, lead you to a full understanding of success in business and in life. Rudyard Kipling said it best: I keep six honest serving-men [They taught me all I knew]; Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who If you will notice, there isn't an answer in the bunch. ASK, and you will receive. -- It is better to appear to be stupid in the eyes of really stupid people than to NOT ASK and really be stupid yourself. An Answer To Yet Another Enigma Throughout my life in the business community, I have pondered not only the tried and proven methods of success but also the reasons why people can not, or do not, succeed. One of the enigmas I have long pondered is the fact that almost all of the opportunities that guarantee success (to anyone who participates) have the highest failure rates. A resolution to that enigma became apparent when I came across this quotation: "There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he be willing to climb himself." -- Andrew Carnegie The reason most people fail in those "guaranteed success" opportunities is because people are not invited into the opportunity to "help themselves." They are invited into the opportunity with the promise that they will not be required to help themselves. As the wee Scotsman observed, they cannot be pushed up the ladder. Note: It also fully explains why the Government's "War On Poverty" has been, and will remain, a gross failure.
MARCH 2012
Greetings & Salutations:
Are YOU Stupid?
Thankfully, almost no one is stupid about everything. Then again, unfortunately, almost everyone is stupid about some things.
Do you ASK questions about the things you want to know about? Or, do you just accept whatever answers you can find on your own ... not wanting to appear to be stupid? When you are asked a question, do you respond by quoting, almost word for word, the answer given by some authority figure (or, worse yet, the party-line), without thinking? Do you ever question the answers you already think you know? -- I do, all the time. When faced with two answers to the same question, do you ASK yourself 'why?' there are two answers? Do you ever ASK yourself whether or not the person giving you an answer has an ulterior motive? Fortunately...
All you have to do is ASK! Every condition in your life has it's cause. -- Poor people are poor, because they have never asked themselves, "why am I poor?" -- They just accept the condition and pass it along to their offspring. Unless YOU learn to ASK for what you want from life, you will be stupid. But, you have to keep on asking, and Asking, and ASKING until you get the answers that will, finally and lastingly, lead you to a full understanding of success in business and in life. Rudyard Kipling said it best:
If you will notice, there isn't an answer in the bunch. ASK, and you will receive. -- It is better to appear to be stupid in the eyes of really stupid people than to NOT ASK and really be stupid yourself.
Throughout my life in the business community, I have pondered not only the tried and proven methods of success but also the reasons why people can not, or do not, succeed. One of the enigmas I have long pondered is the fact that almost all of the opportunities that guarantee success (to anyone who participates) have the highest failure rates. A resolution to that enigma became apparent when I came across this quotation:
"There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he be willing to climb himself." -- Andrew Carnegie
The reason most people fail in those "guaranteed success" opportunities is because people are not invited into the opportunity to "help themselves." They are invited into the opportunity with the promise that they will not be required to help themselves. As the wee Scotsman observed, they cannot be pushed up the ladder. Note: It also fully explains why the Government's "War On Poverty" has been, and will remain, a gross failure.
Now, let's do some ... Questions & Answers, Comments & Other Good Stuff! Charles Herman wanted to know ... "If I talk to a local store like Belk and ask if they would be interested in excessing some of their inventory that is marked at 75% off. How does that work in finding buyers?" Charles ... Usually the big department stores send their excess inventories to their headquarters - but ... If you can buy the inventories off the shelf at a 75% discount you may be able to resell it. Just remember ... Every seller is also a buyer. So sell that inventory to another seller selling the same type products.
Now, let's do some ...
Charles Herman wanted to know ...
"If I talk to a local store like Belk and ask if they would be interested in excessing some of their inventory that is marked at 75% off. How does that work in finding buyers?"
Charles ... Usually the big department stores send their excess inventories to their headquarters - but ... If you can buy the inventories off the shelf at a 75% discount you may be able to resell it. Just remember ... Every seller is also a buyer. So sell that inventory to another seller selling the same type products.
Paul Short was wondering ... "If your kid was starting their own online business - what is the most crucial piece of advice you could give them to help ensure their success?" Don't be ashamed of who you are. Use your "real" name in all your activities. Don't resort to hiding behind pseudonyms or dummy email addresses. Be who you are. Let your potential customers know who you are. Share with them. It is better to give them something they need than to withhold it because you don't get "paid" for helping them. Admit your faults and shortcomings ... even I have 1 or 2 ... I think ;-). By being "just you" ... not something or someone you are NOT ... you will gain the respect of your potential customers.
Paul Short was wondering ...
"If your kid was starting their own online business - what is the most crucial piece of advice you could give them to help ensure their success?"
Don't be ashamed of who you are. Use your "real" name in all your activities. Don't resort to hiding behind pseudonyms or dummy email addresses.
Be who you are. Let your potential customers know who you are. Share with them. It is better to give them something they need than to withhold it because you don't get "paid" for helping them.
Admit your faults and shortcomings ... even I have 1 or 2 ... I think ;-).
By being "just you" ... not something or someone you are NOT ... you will gain the respect of your potential customers.
Louis Allport needed to know how I do it ... "How do you structure your books? -- When I try to write an ebook I find myself drifting off topic, so in the end I give up in frustration. -- What is your formula to stay on track and get the message across?" When I write, I don't even try to stay on subject. I just write and write and write ... including everything my itty-bitty mind comes up with; no matter whether it is relevant or not. Eventually, I feel I have fully covered my subject ... usually with a ton of pages covering everything I have thought of while writing. -- Then, I print a copy of everything I have written, read it over, and put it on the corner of my desk for at least 3 days. Three days later, I reread what I have written and cross out some non-relevant parts, edit the relevant parts, move sections within the piece to form a more logical sequence (all using a red pen, in handwriting), and make the changes in my text editor. Again, I print it out, reread it again, and put in on the corner of my desk. NOTE: I never delete any edition of my writing. The print-out of the first draft and the print-out of the second draft are kept together on the corner of my desk and my text editor has versions #1 & #2 intact on my computer ... doing the same with each subsequent version. -- Some of the stuff I delete from one piece may find itself in another piece; or becoming another piece itself. This can go on for 5 or 6 rewrites (sometimes more) ... with each version kept, so I can refer back to what I had deleted from previous versions just in case I want to put some of it back into the piece later. At long last, I will have my final version. Then, I print it out and put it on the corner of my desk for at least a week without looking at it. -- After a week, I reread my final draft to see if there is anything I need to add or delete ... sometimes there are things to add or delete but, most times, by then the final draft is usually ready to go to typesetting. Now, you know why I HATE TO WRITE ... I would rather be doing it than writing about it - but - it pays too well for me not to do it - and - it is the only way future generations will be able to know how to do the things I have done.
Louis Allport needed to know how I do it ...
"How do you structure your books? -- When I try to write an ebook I find myself drifting off topic, so in the end I give up in frustration. -- What is your formula to stay on track and get the message across?"
When I write, I don't even try to stay on subject. I just write and write and write ... including everything my itty-bitty mind comes up with; no matter whether it is relevant or not.
Eventually, I feel I have fully covered my subject ... usually with a ton of pages covering everything I have thought of while writing. -- Then, I print a copy of everything I have written, read it over, and put it on the corner of my desk for at least 3 days.
Three days later, I reread what I have written and cross out some non-relevant parts, edit the relevant parts, move sections within the piece to form a more logical sequence (all using a red pen, in handwriting), and make the changes in my text editor. Again, I print it out, reread it again, and put in on the corner of my desk.
NOTE: I never delete any edition of my writing. The print-out of the first draft and the print-out of the second draft are kept together on the corner of my desk and my text editor has versions #1 & #2 intact on my computer ... doing the same with each subsequent version. -- Some of the stuff I delete from one piece may find itself in another piece; or becoming another piece itself.
This can go on for 5 or 6 rewrites (sometimes more) ... with each version kept, so I can refer back to what I had deleted from previous versions just in case I want to put some of it back into the piece later.
At long last, I will have my final version. Then, I print it out and put it on the corner of my desk for at least a week without looking at it. -- After a week, I reread my final draft to see if there is anything I need to add or delete ... sometimes there are things to add or delete but, most times, by then the final draft is usually ready to go to typesetting.
Now, you know why I HATE TO WRITE ... I would rather be doing it than writing about it - but - it pays too well for me not to do it - and - it is the only way future generations will be able to know how to do the things I have done.
Well ... that's it for this month. -- In order to make every issue responsive to YOUR needs, please send me your questions; or tell me what sources or resources you need to build your business; or give me any thoughts you want to share with your fellow members. Believe it or don't ... I ain t a mind-reader. -- If n you doesn't tell me what you need, I may never touch upon the information, sources or resources you need. This is your publication for you to use to your benefit ... I am just your moderator. Until next month, keep well ... J.F. (Jim) STRAW Grande Panjandrum
Believe it or don't ... I ain t a mind-reader. -- If n you doesn't tell me what you need, I may never touch upon the information, sources or resources you need.
This is your publication for you to use to your benefit ... I am just your moderator.
Until next month, keep well ...
Thoughts For The Month! "You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." -- James D. Miles "I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure --- which is: Try to please everybody." -- Herbert Swope "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." -- Mark Twain.
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." -- James D. Miles "I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure --- which is: Try to please everybody." -- Herbert Swope "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." -- Mark Twain.
Can you stump the old master? -- Betcha can't! Over the past 50 years (man and boy), I have made bundles of money in direct selling, service contracting, wholesale merchandising, entertainment (I was a professional Trumpet player, vocalist & Radio Announcer), freight forwarding, import/export, retail merchandising, warehousing, real estate, electronics manufacturing, finder's fees, closeout merchandising, financial brokerage, business consulting, steel fabrication, gold and coal mining, offshore banking, mailorder, writing, and publishing. -- That being the case ... No matter what business you're in ... whether you're just starting, well on your way, or at the top of the heap ... I've probably been where you are, done what you are doing. -- So ... Anytime you have a question about 'how' to do something in your business - or - if you have any comments about anything I've said in issues of this e-Letter; or if you want to add your 2 cents worth ... just "ask" me or "tell" me. Send your Questions, Comments or 2 Cents Worth to ... with "Question" - "Comment" - or, "2 Cents Worth" in the SUBJECT. If I, personally, don't have an answer to any question you may ask, I will contact some of the professionals in your field of endeavor (I will probably know one or more personally) to get the real 'skinny' for you. Note: If you want to ask a question anonymously just tell me so when you send in the question. -- Nobody but you and I will know who asked the question.
Over the past 50 years (man and boy), I have made bundles of money in direct selling, service contracting, wholesale merchandising, entertainment (I was a professional Trumpet player, vocalist & Radio Announcer), freight forwarding, import/export, retail merchandising, warehousing, real estate, electronics manufacturing, finder's fees, closeout merchandising, financial brokerage, business consulting, steel fabrication, gold and coal mining, offshore banking, mailorder, writing, and publishing. -- That being the case ...
No matter what business you're in ... whether you're just starting, well on your way, or at the top of the heap ... I've probably been where you are, done what you are doing. -- So ...
Anytime you have a question about 'how' to do something in your business - or - if you have any comments about anything I've said in issues of this e-Letter; or if you want to add your 2 cents worth ... just "ask" me or "tell" me.
If I, personally, don't have an answer to any question you may ask, I will contact some of the professionals in your field of endeavor (I will probably know one or more personally) to get the real 'skinny' for you.
Note: If you want to ask a question anonymously just tell me so when you send in the question. -- Nobody but you and I will know who asked the question.
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