It's my birthday today

Today is my birthday.

Of course, that's not to be confused with the October birthday (or should I say blogiversary) of this blog.

Anyway.

All gifts of links, cards, and merchandise are cheerfully accepted. :-)

Cash is good too! :-)

But seriously...

Thanks to the many forums where I am a member for their automated birthday greetings. It's a great idea. When members register, the forum asks for the date of birth. Usually, only the day and month are required for privacy.

When the member's special day arrives, an automatic Happy Birthday message is sent to the member's e-mail. The recipient is usually pleased to receive the greeting as a nice gesture.

I thought it was a nice touch, and a great idea for online marketers to consider adding to their sites. Anything that adds a personal touch to a business, or to a business blog, is a good idea and worthy of consideration.



Be sure to wish happiest birthday greetings to your family, other bloggers, your friends, customers, vendors, and clients. It will make their day a lot brighter; and yours as well. Nothing like sharing the joy of a birthday with others.

Have a great day everyone.

I am thinking of enjoying some cake and ice cream myself.

Tags: birthday, greetings, online business, marketing.

Marketing gimmicks: Bending spoons and magic

Most people have seen magicians bend spoons over their fingers, as if by a miraculous overturn of the laws of physics. Of course, a closer examination of the spoon shows a tiny cutting on the back of the handle. Simple gravity pulls the weakened ends of the cutlery downward. Instead of defying the laws of nature, the magician employs them well.

Marketers can take a few lessons from the world of magic. Whether the course is in spoon bending, levitation, or simple card tricks, the magician is always using misdirection, the speed of the eye, and the laws of nature to best advantage. A marketer can do the same thing in the business sphere. While nothing as dramatic as making elephants disappear from a stage occurs, the effect of a great marketing campaign can be just as exciting to behold.

Good marketers understand their products and services and their potential customers and clients. Just as the magician applies the laws of science to the various tricks, the savvy marketing person considers the needs and desires of the marketplace. Sometimes, that market requires the talents of the illusionist. Instead of the standard marketing techniques, a few gimmicks can be employed successfully.



Instead of the traditional approach, consider the less obvious and creative concepts that have been kicked around, but never attempted. When launching a new and unusual item, a highly unorthodox method might be the ideal route of entry.

Use the power of the many online and offline media to convey the message. Along with the traditional press release and demonstrations, you can add a little spice to the marketing life.



* Consider creating a viral type video that places the product in a comic situation.

* Try developing a character around the product.

* Let the character be the spokesperson for the campaign

* Add a cartoon video version of the product

* Turn the product into a short video story or audio play

* Add costumes to the people who demonstrate the product



The gimmick approach can be highly effective for a creative marketing team. It can also backfire if the wrong system is put into place. Every product and service is a candidate, but not all will succeed in this manner.

Just as some people can see things up the magician's sleeve, so too can they see through a badly run marketing campaign. Care must be taken to perfect the art of spoon bending, and so too with gimmick marketing.

A successful gimmick marketing campaign can go viral in an instant, however. Be certain to be prepared for the global sales that result.

Think creatively and that offbeat concept might work some real magic for your company.

Tags: marketing, gimmicks, creativity, magic.

Carnival of the Capitalists at Marketing Whore

This week sees an adult marketing approach to the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists arrives at the mainstrean and adult marketing site known as Marketing Whore.

This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today, as well as some of the best and most popular entries ever to the Carnival.

Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national economy and personal finance.

As you would expect from Carnival of the Capitalists, there are many discussions of economics, marketing, business, and small business.

It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones; as well as some long time contributors.



I have an entry in this week's Carnvival of the Capitalists as well.

My post is titled "Run With the Bulls by Tim Irwin - Book review" where I evaluate and discuss how the metaphor of the famous running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, as analogous to how modern corporations operate, is the powerful insight made by author Tim Irwin in Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled: The Qualities You Need to Stay Out of Harm's Way And Thrive at Work. The bulls don't care if the throng of runners is in the way of their objective to reach their fresh grass pastures. The modern corporation, in the same way, is only concerned with achieving its own goals.

If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

bizosphere -at- gmail -dot- com

You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!



If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

The extra visitors sent to your blog won't hurt either!

The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at Mike DeWitt's highly eclectic blog known as Spooky Action.

In the meantime, click your mouse over to the Marketing Whore hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then visit Carnival of the Capitalists and get into business for yourself.

Tags: carnivals, capitalism, business, marketing.

Erin Blaskie: Virtual assistants as more than virtual partners - Blog Business Success Radio

Entrepreneur, virtual assistant, and blogger Erin Blaskie of Business Services, ETC shares ideas for saving time and money, delegating routine tasks, and building a profitable solo or small business, as my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 31, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Erin Blaskie discusses how working with a virtual assistant can be a valuable partnership for any business. You will learn:

* The cost and time saving benefits of working with a virtual assistant

* The importance of delegation of routine and time sensitive tasks to others

* How corporate outsourcing created opportunites for virtual assistant businesses

* How solo business partnerships can compete successfully with much larger companies



After just three years, Erin Blaskie (photo left) has been fortunate enough to grow, live and experience the entrepreneurial dream.

From the time she was small, Erin always thought with an entrepreneurial mind. She would arrange bake sales and lemonade stands in her small town and she would set up a faux office at home in which she would delegate work - primarily to her younger sister.

When Erin was just 16 years old, she had an idea of servicing multiple businesses in her local area - all from her own office location or from home. She imagined and drew up in her head a plan to launch her own business and to be able to pick and choose the businesses she worked with.

In August of 2004, she launched her virtual assistance business - Business Services, ETC - and began virtually servicing clients from around the world. She attracted clients almost instantly and within six months of the business’ debut, she left the corporate world and focused solely on her virtual assistance business.

A year after launch, Erin had the distinct pleasure of assisting two of her clients sell their businesses and successfully reach their desired exit strategies. Being involved in a business from start-up to selling point has given her incredible experience in what it takes to manage, build and prepare a business to reach its goal.

Today, Erin assists some of the top internet entrepreneurs and business owners with their administrative and technical needs. She provides a wide variety of services and acts as a business partner to her clients instead of just a task-based provider.

In the past six months, she has written a variety of e-books, produced a number of new and exciting ventures, and has been featured as a guest expert on different teleseminars.

The future is bright for this entrepreneur who, in her early twenties, has already had the opportunity to learn from the brightest, work alongside the driven and has been supported by a great network of both friends and colleagues.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Erin Blaskie and learn powerfule ideas for saving time and money, delegating routine tasks, and building a profitable solo or small business, as part of your business succes, on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Erin Blaskie, Business Services, ETC, virtual assistants, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Carnival of Entrepreneurs 22 at Startup Spark

The Carnival of Entrepreneurs is open for business as it returns to Ben Yoskovitz's carnival home blog Startup Spark. The Carnival is in its twenty-second edition with this latest entry into the business blog carnival cavalcade.

The entries include posts from leading business bloggers on topics relating to entrepreneurship and operating your own independent business.



I have an entry in this edition of Carnival of Entrepreneurs as well.

My post is titled "Solving business problems: Seeing patterns" where I discuss how when you talk to many business people, they are convinced that the problems associated with their industry are unlike those experienced elsewhere. Not only do they believe their industry is unique in the business world, but their own company is one of a kind as well.



The preferred participation option is to simply enter your best entrepreneurship post at Blog Carnival.

As always, don't forget to link to the hosted edition. It's not only common courtesy, but helps to increase visitor traffic for all entrants. It also shows your appreciation of the hard work done by the host in preparing the post. Everyone shares in the benefits of the expanded Carnival readership.

Next week's edition of Carnival of Entrepreneurs continues at Ben Yoskovitz's carnival home blog of Startup Spark.

In the meantime, head on over to Startup Spark hosting of Carnival of Entrepreneurs and enjoy the posts on offer.

You will almost certainly be introduced to some great new and interesting indeprendent business and entrepreneurial blogs.

Tags: Carnival of Entrepreneurs, blogging, carnivals, promotions.

Carnival of the Vanities 244 at Silflay Hraka

The 244^th edition of the longest running internet blog carnival, the well known Carnival of the Vanities continues at Kehaar's Silflay Hraka.

The carnival, and indeed the entire blog carnival concept, was born over four years ago at Bigwig's Silflay Hraka blog. It is now back home to Silflay Hraka, as Bigwig's brother Kehaar has assumed the reins with great results.

Carnival of the Vanities is the original collection of blog postings, assembling some of the best and wide ranging bloggers on the internet.

This week's Carnival of the Vanities entries include politics, literature, religion, humour, and business.



I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Vanities as well.

My post is titled "An abundant world: Unlimited opportunities" where I discuss how many of us were taught that everything is in short supply and that competition is the only way to achieve personal success. In fact, the opposite is true if you approach the issue of abundance from another direction. Instead of seeing the half empty glass, it's time to look at the hundreds of overflowing glasses next to it. Changing your focus from the partial glass to the opportunities surrounding it, can make all the difference. There is no need to compete for that partial glass, when you can cooperate with others and have dozens of full glasses, as a team.



The host says the preferred participation option is to simply enter at Blog Carnival.

As I suggest elsewhere, hosting and contributing to the various internet blog carnivals is a great promotional idea for your blog.

When you send an entry to Carnival of the Vanities, or any of the many internet blog Carnivals, don't forget to link to the hosted edition. It's not only common courtesy, but helps to increase visitor traffic for all entrants. It also shows your appreciation of the hard work done by the host in preparing the post. Everyone shares in the benefits of the expanded Carnival readership.

Show the Carnival some linky love.

Next week's edition of Carnival of the Vanities appears once again at Kehaar's Silflay Hraka.

In the meantime, head on over to the Silflay Hraka hosting of Carnival of the Vanities and enjoy the posts on offer.

You will almost certainly be introduced to some great new and interesting blogs.

Tags: Carnival of the Vanities, blogging, carnivals, promotions.

Erlend Peterson: Seven Steps to Financial Success - Blog Business Success Radio

Author and financial planner Erlend Peterson, author of Rich by Choice: Seven Steps to Financial Success shares his seven steps for those who choose to become rich, as my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 24, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.


Erlend Peterson discusses how you can become wealthy using time, and the application of his straightforward rules for financial well being. You will learn:

* How literally anyone can become wealthy if they so choose

* Seven basic steps to follow to achieve financial success and independence

* How to use time as an ally to building your wealth

* How to accumulate wealth regardless of your current financial situation



Erlend Peterson (photo left) sold his graphics business and retired with his family to a 3.5-acre estate in Pasadena, California, complete with a swimming pool and tennis court when he was 40. Four years later, he had spent all his money and had to go back to work.

He decided he needed to learn how to manage and invest his money, so he went into the personal money management and investment business -- financial planning -- in 1973. He became a certified financial planner in 1983.

He has 32 years' experience helping people with their money, writing financial analyses, and he has given hundreds of seminars, most at major corporations. He has also served on the boards of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners and the International Association for Financial Practitioners. Recently they have merged and formed the Financial Planning Association, the FPA.

My book review of Rich by Choice: Seven Steps to Financial Success by Erlend Peterson.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Erlend Peterson, and learn how the seven steps to building wealth and financial independence, and how you can to choose to be rich, on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Erlend Peterson, Rich By Choice, personal financial planning, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Carnival of the Capitalists at 800-CEO-READ Blog

This week sees a literary approach to the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists arrives at the business book review blog known as 800-CEO-READ Blog.

This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today, as well as some of the best and most popular entries ever to the Carnival.

Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national economy and personal finance.

As you would expect from Carnival of the Capitalists, there are many discussions of economics, marketing, business, and small business.

It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones; as well as some long time contributors.



If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

bizosphere -at- gmail -dot- com

You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!



If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

The extra visitors sent to your blog won't hurt either!

The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at the mainstrean and adult marketing site known as Marketing Whore.

In the meantime, click your mouse over to the 800-CEO-READ Blog hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then visit Carnival of the Capitalists and get into business for yourself.

Tags: carnivals, capitalism, business, marketing.

Run With The Bulls by Tim Irwin - Book review

Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled

The Qualities You Need to Stay Out of Harm's Way And Thrive at Work

By: Tim Irwin

Published: Jan 2, 2007
ISBN: 9780785219514
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Nelson Business



The metaphor of the famous running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, as analogous to how modern corporations operate, is the powerful insight made by author Tim Irwin in Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled: The Qualities You Need to Stay Out of Harm's Way And Thrive at Work. The bulls don't care if the throng of runners is in the way of their objective to reach their fresh grass pastures. The modern corporation, in the same way, is only concerned with achieving its own goals.

Just as a rampaging bull can trample a careless runner, a corporation can run over an employee who fails to understand the coporate imperatives. There are cardinal rules, passed from one bull runner to another, so too are there techniques of survival in the corporate structure. Knowing how to avoid the goring horns and heavy hooves, of a herd of charging bulls, can save a person's life. At the same time, the knowledge of how corporations pursue their own goals can save an employee's career.



Author and international speaker Tim Irwin provides a masterful blend of metaphor and unflinchingly trenchant advice for the aspiring corporate executive. Combining humour and stories, the author provides insights into his essential core values of thoughtful committment, authentic character, and exceptional competence. He believes people possessing these qualities will succeed in any aspect of business or personal life. Combining personal courage and ethical integrity, with hard work and knowledge, are the author's keys to success and happiness.

For me, the power of Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled: The Qualities You Need to Stay Out of Harm's Way And Thrive at Work by Tim Irwin is the emphasis on honesty, committment, and ethics. His powerful and motivational stories show clearly how possessing the courage to do the right thing, and that standing by your ethical convictions, is also the road to success and personal fulfilment.

The book also conveys the message that corporate actions are related to the attainment of their goals. The organization isn't concerned with your goals, and by not understanding the corporate objectives, you will be trampled by the bulls. Aligning your own interests and convictions, with those of the company, will result in a win-win result for everyone.

I recommend Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled: The Qualities You Need to Stay Out of Harm's Way And Thrive at Work by Tim Irwin to anyone who seeks an ethical business career based on personal courage and integrity. The book is not about getting ahead by trampling others, but about the avoidance of the charging bulls yourself, by understanding their motivations and goals, and by knowing the rules of survival.

Read Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled: The Qualities You Need to Stay Out of Harm's Way And Thrive at Work by Tim Irwin and you too can run successfully with the bulls, and share in their glory as well.

Tags: Tim Irwin, blogging, success, business book reviews.

Rich By Choice by Erlend Peterson - Book review

Rich by Choice

Seven Steps to Financial Success

Author: Erlend Peterson

Published: 2nd Ed, 2007
Revised Edition: 2007
ISBN: 9780929765990
Format: Paperback, 192pp
Publisher: Seven Locks Press




You can choose to be wealthy, to the tune of two million dollars, writes Erlend Peterson, in his book Rich by Choice: Seven Steps to Financial Success. He shows you how you can become wealthy using time, and the application of his straightforward rules for financial well being. In fact, the author demonstrates how anyone can become wealthy. He shows that it's only a matter of time, and of choosing to be rich.

Financial planner Erlend Peterson sets out his seven steps to wealth accumulation in a series of easy to follow lessons. Each step is designed so anyone, regardless of their current financial status or investment knowledge level, can succeed. He starts off with some case studies, of people at various ages and levels of wealth, and emphasises that each person can become wealthy. Where you start isn't as important as where you complete the wealth building process. The major variable is time.



Erlend Peterson (photo left) writes with a no nonsense approach to capital accumulation. Unlike many other books, that are heavy on theory and cliche, Rich by Choice is packed with hard numbers and examples to serve as guides to your own successful future.

On the other hand, the numbers are presented in a very accessible format, to prevent the average reader from becoming bogged down with complicated mathematics. Instead of unwieldy formulas, the book provides easy to comprehend charts, that anyone can internalize and implement for themselves.

For me, the power of the book is in its presentation of a difficult subject in an easy to understand manner. Concepts like the power of compound interest, taxation, and retirement planning are often difficult for many people to grasp. The author presents them in layman's terms, and with examples for the average reader to grasp and put into practice. At the same time, the book shows a powerful seven step program for becoming rich, if the reader so chooses. The liberating idea, that anyone can build substantial wealth, is a powerful one that is imprinted on every page.

I recommend Rich by Choice: Seven Steps to Financial Success by Erlend Peterson for anyone seeking to become wealthy and independent. The seven steps to wealth are powerful and can change a person's life, and the lives of their families for the better.

Read Rich by Choice: Seven Steps to Financial Success by Erlend Peterson and choose to be rich.

Tags: Erlend Peterson, Rich By Choice, financial planning, business book reviews.