Funtastic 4 beraksi lagi : Touring to Jatim Park Side B (Gak ada loe gak rame bro...)

....cerita selanjutnya...

Sebenarnya di Jatim Park ada lebih 49 wahana yang bisa kita nikmati, tapi karena keterbatasan waktu n tenaga, maka kami hanya berkunjung ke beberapa wahana saja, wahana2 itu antara lain : galeri etnik nusantara, science centre kimia & biologi, anggunan jatim & irian jaya, amazing human body, galeri belajar, taman agro, mini jet ski, remote boat, taman sejarah, adegan prasejarah, diorama binatang, baby zoo, mobil mini, playground, convoi car, mary go round, arena bermain anak, adventure zone, games room, walking animal, remote car, wait climbing, samba balloon, battery car, taman sesat, arena bermain pasir, go kart, bumper boat, mini jet, rumah hantu, mini train, boom laser car, columbus, flying tornado, spinning coaster, drop zone, rumah misteri, jet coaster, water boom, kolam renang, taman reptil, taman burung, ruma pipa, taman ikan, volcano, pasar wisata, pasar hewan, buah sayur (huhhhh banyak kan sampe pegel nie nulisnya...)...

Dan hanya di beberapa wahana saja kami bisa mengabadikannya, yuk kita liat...yang pertama adalah masuk ke galeri etnik nusantara, dimana nanti kita pertama akan 'bertemu' dengan Gong terbesar ke2 di Indonesia...tapi sebelumnya nampang dulu ah...




eehhh...menurut mitos ya, sapa orang yang bisa memukul gong itu dengan keras maka kehidupane lancar lho...

Yuk masuk ke galeri etnik nusantara...

(mirip sapa ya topengnya....)

Kami terus berjalan dan sampailah di anjungan Jawa Timur, disini kami disuguhi berbagai etnik yang ada di Jawa Timur, ada Tengger, Osing, dll...Yuk diliat...

(saya pribadi suka banget dengan gaya temen2 waktu di anjungan ini, palagi yang di suku Tengger -gambar paling kanan- kayak beneran...)

Setelah puas di anjungan Jatim kami lanjut ke science biology and kimia,...

(bisa nambah ilmu kan..., sapa tau besok kita bisa bikin roket beneran n kompor matahari massal, kn sekarang minyak tanah n elpiji mahal, bs jadi alternatif...)

Dari wahana sciences, kami lanjut ke wahana sciences dari masing2 kampus di Malang sprt UMM, UM, UNIBRAW, mau liat hasil karya ilmiah mereka,...


Gak kerasa kami telah jauh berjalan, n rasa capek mulai datang nie, padahal masih banyak wahana yang lom didatangi,...akhinya kami istirahat dulu di wahana tradisional yang berisikan berbagai patung n replika candi2 kuno di Jatim...


Setelah melepas capek, kami melanjutkan perjalanan ke taman binatang (tapi kayake lebih tepat disebut pets zoo, coz mereka adalah hewan2 yang dipelihara manusia)...

(duh lucunya, kayak sapa sie...kayak mr.e ya ato mr.r atao mr.a, hehehe...)

Dah puas di wahana pets zoo, kami lanjutkan perjalanan melewati wahana tuk adek2 kecil, tapi kami gak mampir, kan kami dah gede, jd gak boleh (otok-otok-otok.....), tibalah kami di wahana kaca n permainan ketangkasan (-eh ni rahasia kita aj ya, di wahana ini kami kenalan ma mbak yang jaga-namanya mbak rina, wiiiih geulis pisan ihhh-bener2 wajah2 orang pegunungan..., tapi sory banget fotonya gak diupload...hehehe...), nonton rumah kaca aj ya....

(pilih mana, badan pendek tp kakinya panjang ato badan panjang kakinya pendek...?)

Setelah puas di wahana itu, kami lanjut terus ke wahana kolam renang dll, (kl tau disana da kolam renang kami pasti bawa baju basahan...moso sehhh), selain itu disekitar kolam renang kita akan menemui banyak sekali arena permainan seperti water boom, rumah 3 dimensi, bumper boat, wes pokoknya yang ada hub dengan air (diobok-obok, airnya diobok-obok...)...sebenarnya kita pengen banget mampir ke rumah hantu, tapi ngeliat antrean yang puuuuanjang bgt jadi gak jadi deh....


Setelah kita liat yang berbasah-basahan, kami lanjut ke taman ikan, disana ada berbagai macam ikan dari seluruh dunia, ada piranha, ada golden fish china (opoooo iku), duh yang jelas bagus2 n harganya pasti mahal...


N setelah di wahana ikan, kami semakin dekat dengan pintu keluar, tapi sebelum itu, kita akan diajak tuk menengok sejenak pasar wisata yang menyajikan barang2 khas Jatim, kemudian pasar buah n sayur asli dari Batu malang yang masih seger2, di deket pintu keluar ini kami sempatkan tuk sholat dhuhur dulu sebelum menuju ke parkir...

Wiiiihhhh, capek, seneng, laper pooolll, campur baur deh jadi satu, segera kami ambil motor n melaju tuk pulang ke surabaya, tapi sebelum itu kami sempatkan tuk singgah ke SARDO, melihat2 baju n celana, tapi badgetnya gak cukup (ya...capek deh) maka kami lanjutkan saja perjalanan ke rumah kakaknya mr.r di daerah perumahan (apa ya...duh lupa nyatet deh), disana kami istirahat (eh ni rahasia kita lagi ya, waktu mbak iparnya nyuguhi krupuk rambak, mulut n tangan kayaknya kompak bgt -tanpa dikomando- melahap krupuk itu dengan cepat) n tanpa dinyana n diduga ternyata mbaknya baek banget bliin kita makan siang tau gak apa?pangsit khas malang bro,...wiihh uuuennnake poooll hehehe...

Makan kenyang, hawa yang adem, ada penyakit yang menyerang, rasa kantuk itu lho, ampun deh...jangan dateng skr dunk, kn ni bukan di kosan,...akhirnya kami segerakan pamit tuk balik ke sby, coz kakaknya mr.r juga mw jalan2 ma dedek kecilnya, sekitar pkul 15.30 kami berangkat dari malang n kembali ke sby...

Setelah menempuh perjalanan kurang lebih 2,5 jam sampailah kami di rumah sda, badan rasanya capek semua, yang KO dulu adalah mr.r, kemudian saya, n mr.a, kayake mr.e gak KO coz dia mau ke gereja...bobok dulu ya....zzzzzttztzttztztzttt

Ya gitu deh temen2 pengalaman kami selama ke JATIM PARK, aku saranin temen2 kalo pengen menghilangkan penat n rasa jenuh dateng aj kesana, aku jamin (brp persen ya...80% aj deh) kalian pasti puas deh...

Moga2 di suatu saat kami (funtastic4) dapat membagi pengalaman kami lagi ke temen2...

Indonesia itu indah banget lho...kalo gak kita yg cinta bangsa ni lalu sapa lagi...ya gakkk...:)

Funtastic 4 beraksi lagi : Touring to Jatim Park Side A(Gak ada loe gak rame bro...)

Setelah 4 hari menunggu waktu yang tepat untuk menulis blog, akhirnya di malam jumat yang indah ini saya bisa menyurahkan waktu untuk mengajak temen2 sejenak menikmati pengalaman kami (funtastic4) touring ke Jatim Park, di kota Batu Malang yang terkenal duingin duingin empukkkkk......

Gak lupa kan ma personelnya, kalo lupa saya ingetin lagi ya...

yang paling kiri adalah mr.e, mr.a, mr.r and mr.t...hehehe pake inisial nie....

Oke....setelah kenal, yuk masuk ke pengalaman kami saat touring...
Saat itu hari jumat (hampir seminggu yang lalu) seperti biasa saya buka program chat di komputer mulai dari pagi sekitar jam 7(koq pagi banget...ya gitu deh, kn saya kos n kerja di dalam ruangan yang sama, hehee..)...Setelah menunggu lama koq gak ada yang menyapa ya...sepi bgt, akhirnya ada temen yang nyletuk n menyapa saya, yaitu mr.a, ternyata dia ngenet menggunakan hpnya yang seri 3220, mulai dari tanya kabar sampe tny bisnis, tapi ujung2nya mesti ke touring lagi...hehe (mumpung masih muda katane sie...), selain mr.a juga ikut nimbrung mr.c ya dia ngusulin kita tuk touring ke WBL aja (Jatim Park yang kedua ya...?), di Lamongan nanti sambil silaturahmi ke kakaknya di deket WBL...Saya n mr.a sie oke2 aj dengan usulan itu, asalkan touring...siaapp....

Tiba2 temen2 kami di sda (Sidoarjo) ikut nimbrung juga (ada 3, tp ada 2 yang telah menjadi member dan pencetus funtastic4 yaitu mr.e and mr.r), mereka ternyata juga lagi puziiinkkkkk 7 keliling (katane mw keluar kerja...duh jangan dulu deh, pikirin lg masak2, jaman gini cari kerja sulit bro....), mereka juga punya usul tuk touring tapi beda tujuan, mereka inginnya di Jatim Park I Batu-Malang, alasannya mau ngadem n kalo ke WBL disana juga panas coz deket pantai...
Akhirnya setelah saling diskusi kami putuskan tuk pergi ke Jatim Park I, karena beberapa alasan, selain ngadem ternyata mr.c gak bisa ikut kl hari minggu coz dia jadi panitia tuk adik2 di kelurahannya....(salut bro...tp bener gak nyesel ni gak ikut setelah nonton gambar2nya)...yang ikut touring jadi ada 4 orang tetap seprti formasi awal...mr.e, mr.r, mr.a, mr.t

Saya dan mr.a janji ke mr.e dan mr.r tuk ke sda hari sabtu sore setelah mereka pulang kerja, Setelah itu g kerasa telah masuk hari sabtu, mr.a saya ajak ke kosan untuk ngenet gratis selagi menunggu waktu tuk pergi ke kosan temen sda, tanpa terasa hari sudah sore dan kami segera meluncur ke sda...Sesampai disana kami disambut dengan hangat oleh mr.e dan mr.g (sayang mr.g juga gak ikut)...n mr.r juga gak ada ternyata beliau pergi ke WTC tuk nganter adek bli hp baru...(saya singkat aj ya...)akhirnya kami bermalam disana...

Kukuruuuyuuukkkkkk...suara kokok ayam jantan...dan suara adzan subuh berkumandang...
Sambil sedikit bermalas-malasan kami segera bangun, eh ternyata jam udah nunjukin pukul 5 lebih...mr.e segera mandi disusul saya, dan mr.r (mr.a gak mandi deh kayak hari itu...)..
Shalat shubuh, n dandan klimis, persiapan bekal2 (terutama yang paling penting n vital, fuluuuussss bro)....

Sekitar pukul 6 kurang kami sudah siap semua, n nunggu aba2 melunjur...Yupsss siap...and go meluncur....to Jatim Park....

Di mulai dari perumahan pepelegi, sidoarjo kami terus ke arah selatan menuju ke kota Pasuruan..Rute yang harus kami lewati di kota Sidoarjo : Gedangan ->Buduran -> Candi ->Tanggulangin ->Porong (nah saat kami tiba di kota Porong inilah terjadi kemacetan yang lumayan panjang coz mang gitu deh keadaannya pasca lumpur lapindo keluar, porong seperti kota 'hidup mati'...)...n ini merupakan perbatasan antara kab. Sidoarjo n kab. Pasuruan...Di kab. Pasuruan kami melewati rute yang lumayan panjang n terus menanjak dari kota Gempol -> Pandaan -> Sukorejo -> Purwosari -> Purwodadi, setelah melewati rute tersebut maka kita akan masuk ke daerah Malang, tepatnya di kota Lawang...disini kami mampir sebentar tuk sarapan n istirahat sebelum melanjutkan ke kota Batu...di depan pasar Lawang kami berhenti n menuju ke sebuah warung yang paling laris diantara beberapa warung yang ada (kami pikir...yang banyak pengunjungnya itu yang paling murah n enak, kebiasaan menerka2 gaya anak kos...hehehe), kami ber4 memesan menu yang sama, nasi pecel n teh hangat, berlauk telor mata sapi n tempe, kami sungguh lahap menyantap sarapan pagi itu, sambil makan gaya dulu ah...

Setelah kenyang, saatnya membayar...(huhhhh...), saya yang didakwa sebagai bos sementara waktu itu, saya sodorkan uang 50ribu, itung-itung, bla-bla, akhirnya dikembalikan oleh penjual 22ribu, jadi kami habis 28ribu (7 ribuan dunk 1 org, wikkks mahal juga ya, tapi ya kami sadar deng kan sekr hrg telor, minyak tanah, minyak goreng naik semua...tolong dunk pak sby turunin hrg2 sembako...)

Kemudian kami melanjutkan perjalanan, melewati kota Singosari -> Blimbing -> Dinoyo sampailah kami di Poltek Malang, melewati sebuah jembatan (apa ya namanya, saya lupa..), melewati kampus UNIBRAW, terus kami menuju ke arah Batu, melewati kampus UNISMA, (wah tambah gak tau nama daerahnya...) semakin ke utara kami melewati kampus indah UMM terus melewati Selecta, Sengkaling terus kami melaju, menanjak...sambil melihat kanan kiri untuk mencari petunjuk keberadaan Jatim Park sebenarnya...

(Mendaki gunung, lewati lembah, sungai mengalir indah ke samudra, bersama teman bertualang...OST ninja hatori...)

Akhirnya kami menemukan juga sebuah petunjuk tuk ke Jatim Park (yang alamatnya di Jl. Kartika 2 Batu Jatim) dari sebuah 'plank' di atas rambu2 lalin...makasih kepada yang berwenang ngasih petunjuk itu...N akhirnya kami berhasil memasuki kawasan JATIM PARK, ni sebagian hasil jepretan dari kamera saya (LG KG300 sorry kalo promo)...

Wellcome in JATIM PARK...


Sebelum masuk wahana bli tiket dulu dunk (biasa : 25rb, yang heboh 40rb)...tapi nampang dulu lagi aj, sambil nunggu antrian....

Temen2 critanya saya potong disini dulu ya, coz masih panjang perjalanan kami waktu nanti masuk ke wahana, jadi saya bagi menjadi 2 sekuel...oke sabar dunk...

Makasih atas atensinya....

Wassalam...

Entrepreneur – are You the One?

Mere thinking about becoming an executive director of a world-class business will not make you an entrepreneur. To be eminent requires a lot of hardwork, motivation, focus, attitude, aptitude, perseverance, patience, the list goes on. Every person who has reached the utmost point of their career or business has crossed various obstacles. Every successful entrepreneur was a failure once. It depends on an individual on how they take their failure– as a stepping stone towards their success or as a point of giving up completely. We come across the most commonly stated quote “Success is a Journey and not a Destination”.

Not all entrepreneurs are charismatic, professional or well spoken nor do they form the cover page of a leading business magazine but they ensure they are a part of it someday in their life. Education is not the only criteria to becoming a successful entrepreneur but of course this is one inexorable aspect. If you wish to become an entrepreneur you know it requires a great deal of planning, focus, strategies and goal. The journey for being successful is not a cake walk but rather has a lot of hardship and turmoil. To make your life more successful, see if you possess the following traits. If not, then try to ensconce them in you as they are key features of a successful and flourished entrepreneur.

Believe in yourself:
The most distinguishing characteristic of an entrepreneur is self-belief. The entrepreneur works on instincts, which is supported by conviction, hard work and self discipline. Every one works on these basic principles to make the foundations stronger. The passion to achieve something in life forms the primary requirement.

Be optimistic:
All of us are optimistic, but to a certain level. The only thing is that it differs from situation to situation and from person to person. The successful people press on and on till the time they reach where they see themselves at the end. Thus having a positive attitude towards every situation proves to be a win- win situation.

Focus on solutions and not problems:
Everybody faces problems in their personal/professional life but this entirely depends on an individual on what they focus on to solve their problem. There are multiple ways of solving a single problem; some solutions will be simpler and more logical and some will be more complicated and more expensive. Thus looking at things in a simpler way, & developing an analytical approach for a problem is a pre-requisite.

Gain the respect from your subordinates:
Being an entrepreneur requires a lot but not ego. One should keep away from pre-dispositions. A successful entrepreneur maintains a low profile and treats everyone equally and at par.

Prepare a concrete plan for every activity:
Working consistently is a must, but this will be fruitful only if you know what is to be done and you have a concrete plan for everything.

Envision your success:
Visualization is the most powerful motivator. Visualize yourself as a successful entrepreneur. Envision the business where you want it to be 5 or 10 years down the line and then work accordingly. Inspiration is the most dynamic tool.

Be consistent, disciplined and carry a “never give up” attitude:
The last and most important thing is the attitude. Giving up is not in the entrepreneur’s dictionary. They might be low or disappointed for sometime but getting back to on track is natural to them. Working continuously and following self discipline is a must.

Lawn Care Business Plan Software

Before you begin your lawn care business, especially if you are looking for financing, you will need a business plan. Your options include writing one from scratch (according to the SBA it takes an average of 80 hours), have someone write one for you (expect $1,000 and up for a quality one) or use business plan software.

Lawn care business plan software has greatly improved over the last few years, making it as easy as putting in your specific information and the software will do a majority of the time-consuming work to take your "great idea" from concept to reality. Good lawn care business plan software will also aid you in ensuring that you've "thought through" the "ins and outs" of the business - everything from marketing and sales to the cost of staples and give you a understanding of how much you need to sell to make your idea profitable. By showing the bank you have a thorough understanding of the inner working of your financials, lenders are more willing to loan money for your lawn care.

Here are a few items to look at when evaluating various lawn care business plan software programs.

Reputation - Make sure to do online research to get feedback from other people to see how their experience was with the software. If you see a lot of negative comments, no matter how good the price, you may want to look at other software.

If you have been or know people in the lawn care business already, you could contact them for information on whether they used software for their lawn care business.

Support - Look to see what type of support is provided with your business plan software. This is especiall important if you are working on your business plan late at night and need something answered. Many vendors offer 24/7 online and toll-free support.

Ease of Use - This is especially important if you are looking at specialized software from a very small company or individual and you are computer challenged. Many times you can get a trial offer to see if it will work with your comfort level.

Cost - After you have researched the lawn care business plan software and still unsure, it is time to consider costs. Don't always assume that paying more will give you a better product nor buy a version that has more bells and whistles than you need. Make certain to factor in shipping & handling costs and delivery time of your lawn care business plan software when comparing prices.

Once you've chosen and installed your lawn care business plan software, it's time to get to work. If you have any trouble, be sure to get in touch with the vendor's support as soon as possible, especially if there is a limit on on long they will offer support .

Five Key Elements of Business Image Design

What is a business image? It is the unspoken representation of your business. It defines how others perceive what you do and who you are. Simply said, it is your business identity. The business that has no business image in place actually has a poor business image. Therefore it is important they you create an image today if you haven’t already done so.

When you consider what you want your business image to evolve into, think about the way you would want to be perceived. Would you personally go out in public without being properly groomed? I doubt it. The same holds true with your business. Things like, lack of stationary and re-used packaging illustrate to your customers that you are too cheap. While you may think that being fugal, pinching a penny here will cut your bottom line, they may conceive this seemingly insignificant act to mean that you may not be in business the next time they need your services.

What are the critical components of a professional business image? There are several pieces to be considered. While the whole may be different for each individual business owner, there are five key elements that make up a solid business image that must be addressed.

Can you guess what those five would be?

Let’s put our puzzle together.

1. Business Name & Tagline

Your business name is vital to you. It is one piece that cannot be ignored or taken lightly. Because you will carry this name with you for many years to come great care should be taken in the selection. It is not unheard of to change your business name, however each time you do you risk losing customers. So think carefully, get input from trusted friends and decided on the name that best fits your product or service.

Your business name should easily reveal who you are where your tagline should reveal what you do. Keep it simple. A long and complicated tagline is easily forgotten or confused. Take a cue from the corporate giants, short and sweet, direct and to the point, make for memorable taglines. See if you know these taglines. Most of these I am sure you will recognize are:

It’s the Real Thing

You’re In Good Hands

Bring Out the Best

Fly the Friendly Skies

The Ultimate Driving Machine

And my personal favorite

We Make YOU Look GOOD!

Here are the answers, how’d you do?

It’s the Real Thing - Coke

You’re In Good Hands - Allstate

Bring Out the Best - Hellmann's

Fly the Friendly Skies – United

The Ultimate Driving Machine – BMW

We Make YOU Look GOOD! – DocUmeant

Be sure your tagline contains two important elements, that of emotional and functional words. It needs to quickly describe what you do. If you want to open a pet store, don’t simply name it The Pet Store, that’s a little stale. Try something memorable like, Paula’s Pet Emporium or Perfectly Petaculous. One note on personalizing your business name, if there is even a slight chance that you may want to sell your business in the future, leave off the personalization. I am sure given the choice, as a buyer, you would prefer not to buy the business just to turn around and have to change the name and loose those loyal clients.

2. Logo

Selection of your logo is of paramount importance. The three things to remember in designing your logo are that it is easily recognizable, matches the look and feel of what you wish to portray and the colors enhance the image.

When deciding on your logo a bit of soul searching and research before you begin the process is a very good place to start. Find out what is out there already, don’t imitate, be unique and creative. Use the competition as a starting point to give you some ideas, DON’T copy!

The colors you choose should be carried throughout all of your business materials. If you use red and green or blue and white – stay with them when designing your website and stationary.

Speaking of stationary, let’s move on to the importance of well designed business materials.

3. Stationary

Stationary items that should be considered are letterhead, envelopes, business card, and forms. Your local office supply store has a number of business forms available for your use at a reasonable cost. Nevertheless, what do your customers think or perceive when they receive them? Does it show permanence, longevity and commitment? Spending just a little more time and money to create forms and stationary that are uniform can greatly affect your business’ perceived value.

4. Marketing materials

Marketing materials should always carry your business identity. These items may be as small as a pen with only the name and address of the business. Items in this category should include brochure(s), flyers, coupon, gift certificates, card and postcards, and t-shirts, hats, and other giveaway items.



5. Storefront/Website

As mentioned earlier, your image gives your business a uniform look and feel when all of the elements retain a oneness. Your storefront/website is no exception. Whether online or offline this is your main source of customer interaction. Solidify your presence and demonstrate your credibility and reliability quickly. Let them know within the first few minutes what you do and how well you do it by presenting your unique business identity in the forefront of your business location.

Take a step back from your business; look at it through your customer’s eyes. If need be poll your customers to get a clearer vision. Once you have decided the image you want to represent you, use through your entire business. Be it fun and whimsical or clean and professional, your image is an unspoken representation of your business, becoming it’s identity. As such, it will speak for you more clearly than words. When you have a complete business identity it ensures your customer will easily recognize who you are, what you do and demonstrate your competence.

I challenge you to define or review your current business image. Ask for customer feedback and then solidify your place in the market. With all your pieces carrying your single message you will further exclaim your permanence.

Earning Cash on the Internet is Possible

If you have any desire to make money online, then you should be very excited. The reason for this excitement should be because of how easy it really is to make money online. All it takes is a little bit of hard work and determination.
The reason that many people do not make money online is because they are lazy. It is as simple as that. Making goals that are reachable and realistic is the key to this process. For example, it someone makes a website and sets a goal to write a new article every day to bring in visitors; after about 6 months to a year they will likely be close to reaching their goal.
While earning cash on the internet is possible, it is by no means quick. Sure, every once in a while there will be a success story where someone makes hundreds of dollars a day quickly, but these are very rare. These people either have a lot of money to spend to start their online business, or they are extremely lucky.
There are several ways to earn cash on the internet including affiliate marketing, Google Adsense, selling on Ebay, and many others.
The method that I believe has the best chance to make anybody money online is affiliate marketing. Online shopping is a booming market and there are plenty of areas for affiliates to cash in. If you are not familiar with affiliate marketing, it is simply when someone sells a product for a company through a specific personalized link. When a product is sold, the person who sold it gets a good commission.
Earning cash on the internet is not overly difficult, it just takes some time. Do some research and figure out what will work best for you and your online money making goals.

Coaching Weapons of Mass Distribution

McDonalds isn’t a place I find myself in very often. We prefer to eat in a restaurant where the menu isn’t on the roof. But pressed for time, a ravenous two year old in tow and rush hour just starting, it seemed like a good idea…

So there we are standing in line, wondering what we’ll have, squinting to read the options from the back of the queue, and it struck me. Is this really an efficient way of running a business, or not?

In my role as a Practice Building Coach, I teach an invisible secret weapon strategy that adds profits to any practice, makes business easier for the owner, adds massive value for the client, stimulates creativity and allows you to capture the sales that you’d otherwise have missed.

The magic bullet [though there isn’t one] is the Conveyor Belt analogy – to firstly have in place a funnel at the front which draws prospects to you. This is sometimes called an “ethical lure” – a free report, an e-book, a 5 part e-course, some kind of information in exchange for the customer’s contact details. This is also known as “front end acquisition”, acquiring new leads at the front end of the conveyor belt.

Every good Coaching or Therapist website should have some kind of free information available in exchange for the prospect’s email address, thus building a list of interested possible clients.

Think back to McDonalds. Just how do they get people in the door in the first place? Apart from high visibility in the main street, and the occasional TV advert, just how do they “get you”? We had no plans to go there till we spotted the familiar red and yellow signage [and aren’t they all the same colour? The colour Red stimulates appetite. Think red light district. Red for danger…]

Or is it the case that they have such a strong brand awareness that they don’t need to promote themselves?

And what else could they be doing while we stand in the obligatory line? Wasted opportunity # 1. What about screens on the walls with offers, or adverts, or club memberships? A child’s entertainer, close up magician, or a customer services rep at least. Seems like a missed opportunity to have us all just stand there like patient cattle…

What then happens is the client is offered the chance to “upgrade” and actually make a small purchase. In internet marketing you often get what’s called an OTO [one time offer], a screen that will literally only appear one time and if you don’t take it you lose it. This is a real moment of truth in the business ladder as the prospect becomes a paying client, albeit with only a small purchase. But it demonstrates trust and starts the buying cycle.

The aim of the game is to have that client now move along the conveyor, purchasing bigger and more expensive products and services as they continue their client relationship with that company. This is what’s termed as “the upsell”. Think what Amazon does – as you browse books, they let you know that “buyers of this book have also bought…” at the bottom of the page.

So in McDonalds, we pick our meals and we’re asked if we want to “go large”, thus adding an upsell to the offer, giving the customer added value and increasing their profits in one fell swoop.

Now we’re in the backend – where all the money is – the client will come back and buy more, and more often, because now they know you, like you and trust you.

And when you get the Amazon book in the mail, guess what’s included in the box? More offers for other products and services that they think you might be interested in. Amazon really have it sewn up because now they’ll even buy your used books back off you, so they can resell them at second hand prices. A tight business model!

Does it work? Think how quickly Amazon has grown into a household name.

And once they have you on their books, you will get followed up with offers, discount vouchers and updates, just to keep them in the front of your mind so that next time you want one of those products, you’ll naturally go to them.

But what about McDonalds? Wasted opportunity #2. Have they ever contacted you after you’ve been in? Not me. At no point do they capture my name, email or postal address. Can they really rely on the fact that because we bought once, we’ll always come back? That’s a dangerous assumption…

So what does this mean to you? Well, if you run your own business as a Coach or Therapist, you need to have front end acquisition tools in place to capture prospects. They should then be offered a small purchase decision to convert them into paying clients.

And once they are on your books, I recommend you regularly follow up with a series of valuable information, offers, updates and helpful material. That builds loyalty and converts more prospects into paying clients who’ll partake of your main product/service/treatment.

Another thing about MacDonald, and maybe you can tell me because I don’t know. Why don’t they do home delivery? Wasted opportunity #3. OK, there’s drive through, but think how many people would call a phone number and get a Big Mac and fries delivered to their door on a Friday night. Surely they’ve looked into that as an add-on.

Far be it for me to go up against the big boys, but I’m seeing gaps here. Gaps that any good Coach or Therapist should fill and exploit in their professional practice.

Action Steps For You:

1. What front end free information will you offer to get prospects?
2. What small product or service will come next in your conveyor belt?
3. How can you make sure you capture their contact details?
4. What will your follow up message look like?

Now I’m off to play with my free Shrek toy…

Top 10 Strategies to Work Less and Golf More!

After you read this short article, you'll feel infused with fresh, ironclad, time-tested strategies that will help you quickly scale back the amount of time you spend on "work" and spend more time on the links.

But please keep in mind that what you'll learn here is not some random list of ideas to help you work less and therefore earn less. No way! You're smart enough to realize that would be totally counterproductive to your cause - to support your lifestyle and hang out on the golf course 7 days a week!

What you're about to discover are proven strategies put to work by all of the ultra-successful self-made millionaires, at least all those who value and put to practice the concept of true leverage in every aspect of their business.

Important Note: If you're an employee (i.e., you work for someone else), I'll be frank with you. This is going to be a bigger challenge than if you're an entrepreneur. But even if you don't currently own your own business, don't worry - it's never too late to become a successful entrepreneur. And if you can't see yourself ever not working for someone else, that's okay too, but you'll have to be a bit more creative with how you can implement the following strategies to work to your advantage.

The Top 10 Strategies to Work Less and Golf More

1. Leverage the 80/20 Principle

Boost your efficiency by removing the fat from your daily activities. Have you ever noticed that sometimes it takes you what seems like an eternity to complete a particular task? That same task, when you're faced with a strict deadline, then literally take you less than an hour to polish off! There are many reasons for this phenomenon. Simply take the time to identify activities that take 20% of your time and are directly related to generating 80% of your income. This will show you exactly where you should be focusing your time.

2. Automate Your Business

I have spoken with so many business owners over the years who have told me with a straight face, "These are great ideas, but my business is unique and can't be automated." My boilerplate response: "Think outside the box." Regardless of what business you're in, if you're putting in too many hours to cater to the other important things in your life, then something has to change. Pick your business apart, identify the cash cows and other profit centers, then pinpoint ways to put those income generating gems on autopilot.

3. Get Involved in Network Marketing

The network marketing industry has been around for approximately 50 years. Companies who have embraced this model for distribution of their products and services have experienced phenomenal growth and profitability. And so have network marketers. But the multi-level marketing (MLM) model has left a sour taste with the uninitiated, so many entrepreneurs tend to shy away from this industry for fear of "scams." Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki said that if they had to rebuild their entire fortunes from scratch, they would do in network marketing. Do your due diligence: find a great company, with top-tier products, and favorable compensation model, and watch your income explode in 6 months.

4. Invest in Rental Properties and Other Companies

The concept of passive income that is promoted so feverishly by the likes of Robert Allen and Kiyosaki focuses on investing in rental properties and businesses. This is where you can develop multiple streams of income that continue providing cash inflow long after working on the initial transaction. In other words, if you invest in a duplex, you spend some time upfront on the acquisition, then you can sit back and enjoy the cash flow without having to invest any more time into it. Aim to find cash flow generating assets that you can take over ownership of.

5. Hire a Business Manager or Virtual Assistant

This is a technique that many business owners use for leveraged income. Simply stated, if you have certain tasks (or entire companies for that matter) that can be outsourced to a manager or virtual assistant, then you're freeing up your time to do what you want with. It might skim a bit off your profit margin, but the time freed up is more valuable since you can then use it to find other investment opportunities.

6. Host One-Time Events

The concept of active leveraged income comes into play when you actively spend time on a one-time project and the income generated from this one-time event can be exponential. For example, let's say you host a for-fee seminar. The time you spend on this seminar will be the same whether you fill the room with 20 people or 200 people. Oversell the event so you account for buyer's remorse cancellations and make the most of your time.

7. Repackage Your Products and Services

Most entrepreneurs don't realize how many additional income opportunities they can have by simply repackaging products they already have. For instance, if you're selling a hardcover book entitled, "21 Recipes Every Mom Needs" then you have an opportunity for, just off the top of my head, at least 27 other products: and ebook that you retail on your web site, an ecourse that provides you with one new recipe per week for 21 weeks, 21 other ebooks (one per recipe with a much lower price tag), a dvd product, an audio cd product, a seminar (hmm, one-time event for leveraged income), a free teleseminar (a much lower cost one-time event opportunity), and the list goes on...

8. License Your Ideas and Products

If you have your own ideas or inventions that you have patented or is patent pending, have you considered licensing them to resellers and distributors in exchange for royalty payments? You can very well do the same for any services you provide that you've successfully repackaged as an ebook, CD course, etc. This is yet another fast and effective way to build a residual income stream.

9. Resell Other People's Products

On the flip side, if you don't have any products of your own (and even if you do), you can go out and find products that your existing customers and prospective clients will benefit from. In essence, you become a reseller, buying at a wholesale price and selling for retail, thereby pocketing the difference. Think of products that would complement your existing offerings and not products that will cannibalize your business.

10. Coordinate Regular Golf Outings

This is the one I really enjoy. As you might have already figure out, I love to golf. I jump at any opportunity to play 18 holes with pleasant company. Why not coordinate regular golf outings that will attract local professionals to (a) have a great time away from the office doing something you love, (b) meet new and interesting people from all walks of life who may very well turn out to be excellent prospects, and (c) build your public image so that more people become aware of who you are and what value you offer.

Final Thought

The largest and most successful corporations in the world are constantly re-evaluating their business models, assessing the results of key activities, and then adjusting as they deem fit. So do you think this valuable and insightful exercise is worth your time to exponentially grow your income? Well, if it means that the result is increased efficiency, improved productivity, a boost in profits, and both personal and professional growth, then absolutely! So go re-evaluate your business today, uncover ways to create multiple, passive income streams, and start working less and golfing more!

See you on the links!

The 4-hour Work Day - Shadowing Fortune 500 Ceos and Self-made Millionaires

Wouldn't you love to work 4 hours a day and still manage to create an empire of wealth that far exceeds your wildest dreams? Heck, why not work toward a 4-hour per week schedule? If you don't believe that it's possible, then it definitely isn't! Just keep in mind that the self made millionaires have unrelenting belief in themselves and that they will achieve whatever goals they set for themselves.

While it might seem unfair, the reality is simple. Fortunes are being made by a very small percentage of people. These fortunes are collected by the industry leaders as they continue to spend less and less time in the office, on business calls, on business travel, and worrying about office politics.

In fact, there is an elite class of today's wealthy that shares some common characteristics: they don't come from old money, they've achieved millionaire status on their own, and they are trading the traditional concept of retirement (work to age 65 then live off savings) for multiple mini-retirements all throughout their lives!

So why is it that most people are putting in 80, 90, and 100+ hours per week to pull in a $70,000 annual salary (give or take a few grand) while others, who are no more talented than you and I, are pulling off high 6-figure and 7-figure incomes and they hardly work a 20-hour week?

The answer is simple. But I have to add this caveat: to understand the answer is one thing. To put it to practice is another. Not that it's difficult to do; it is simply that most people don't believe that they can.

Unfortunately, most people dream of what they want and then they stop there. You've done it. I definitely was a victim of this phenomenon as well. You're probably doing it in some way, shape or form this very moment. You have a clear idea of that gorgeous house, luxury cars, private school for the kids, all the free time in the world to spend golfing, vacationing, hiking the Appalachians for 3 months - whatever your particular dream plays out like. And then Poof! It vanishes into thin air. Monday morning alarm clock rings and you're off the rat race, the daily grind, the worm hole.

So what can you do to change things around so you are taking advantage of 4-hour work days and living it up the rest of the week?

Action Plan & Leverage

The problem stems primarily from the fact that most people don't follow through with an action plan. A good action plan focuses on leveraging the resources that are within arm's reach in order to transform your dreams into reality. It is this action plan, simply stated, that you will need in order to design your lifestyle and have complete control over what you do, when you do it, how you do it, and with whom you do it. It is then the practical application of leverage that will ultimately give you the time and financial freedom that you seek.

Successful entrepreneurs have already figured this out and are in continuous and evolving implementation mode. They have the same dreams as you. The only difference is that they have an action plan to acquire and recruit the appropriate resources, and the wheels are put in motion.

Daily Affirmations

Do you regularly and systematically remind yourself what it is you are working toward? If not, you must consider that this is one of the most important and most overlooked requirements for success. Countless CEOs and entrepreneurs have for years repeatedly and publicly confirmed that if there was one thing that they could trace back to being the main reason for their success, it was the daily routine of affirmation.

My vision (my dream) is posted in clear view in my home office as a daily reminder of where I’m heading. At the beginning of every day, I have a brief yet focused moment of orientation. It is the friendly tap on my shoulder that defines what I am working towards. There is no mistaking where my ship is sailing, even if I do experience the occasional rough seas that tosses my ship slightly off course. This sets the positive, motivational tone for my day.

Achieving More with Less Time

When was the last time you took all day to finish a project that could've taken just an hour to complete? We've all been there. Thanks to deadlines, most of us who have a naturally tendency to procrastinate will perform with the highest degree of efficiency in the 11th hour. Let's be honest - we all have other things we'd rather be doing, right? We might have a month before a particular project is due, but the majority of the work is done in the final 3-5 days.

Have you considered how vastly different your daily routine might be if you planned better and focused all your energy on being as highly efficient as possible? It's not as difficult as you might think. And it's actually very motivating when you align your goals with your dreams.

A Case In Point

I used to work 14-hour days when I started my first company selling insurance (I have since moved on to a much more satisfying and flexible business). At that time, my primary means of income was commission from the sale of health and life insurance policies. Every appointment I had was a face-to-face appointment and so it goes without saying that I never made a sale unless I drove to somebody's home or office.

Now think about all the time I wasted on the road, driving to and from appointments. And to further compound the wasted time, I did not generate sales from every appointment (I've never met anyone who has 100% closing ratio). So aside from the drive time for appointments I did sell, I had 4-6 times more time wasted on appointments with no sales. This was a huge cause of my frustration with that business.

So I reinvented my business by cutting out 100% of my drive time!

The Result

I generated the same income in 4 hours work per day that I did in 14 hours when I was driving to every appointment. In fact, I later went on apply this same technique to my network marketing business and it has dramatically improved my quality of life! Now I have the extra time to devote to anything I want: I can focus more on quality family time, getting involved in other investment projects, golfing, exercising, etc.

Final Thought

Articulate your dreams. Write them down. Read them over and over again every day until you have them imprinted so clearly in your mind that you can begin to imagine yourself already achieving your dreams. It is then, and only then that you can begin to seek out ways to dramatically improve your life and your business. You can work less and achieve more - but you have to want it.

See you at the top!

5 Simple Tips to Get You Public Speaking Immediately

The following 5 tips will get you out there and in the public eye immediately. While these jobs may not pay the big bucks – if you’ve got a killer presentation, getting out there like this will ensure you get noticed and get more bookings which can lead wherever you like.

1. Rotary

The Low Down: There are probably about a dozen Rotary, Lions, Probus or other similar service clubs within 15 minutes driving time of you meeting each week worldwide. Most of these clubs are crying out for interesting speakers at each and every meeting. You’ll typically get about 15 – 20 minutes with about 5 minutes for question time at the end.

The How’s and Where’s: Got to your local Rotary website, start here: www.rotary.org and search from there.

The Thing to Remember: I’ve always found I have to slow down my speaking at service clubs due to a percentage of the members not being… shall we say Gen Y like myself. This is a great learning experience and has actually dramatically improved my speaking.

The Bonus: Hook up with a Rotary club to speak while travelling and you’ll instantly be able to say to future clients that you’ve recently arrived back from speaking in… Brazil (or wherever you’ve travelled). Glamour plus!

2. Schools

The Low Down: I have found in my many speaking experiences that kids are painfully honest. While this can be bone shatteringly brutal at times, if you can wow a room full of high school age kids you can speak almost anywhere.

The How’s and Where’s: Write to your local schools, include a profile and tell them why you should be allowed in to corrupt, er, shape young minds.

The Thing to Remember: Get kids to remember you by setting up a myspace page that they can log into and join as your “friend”.

The Bonus: If you really crack a kid audience, they’ll go home and tell their parents and voila – more work!

3. 5 x 5

The Low Down: If you have 25 friends you can do this. Ok, that scared a lot of you, if you have 5 patient friends you can do this. Set up a regular time each week for 5 weeks and give a 20 minute presentation to 5 of your friends. Then sit down with them for 20 minutes (yes a whole 20 minutes afterwards) and drill them for feedback. Each week a different presentation, and different (hopefully improved) feedback.

The How’s and Where’s: Bring coffee and doughnuts and be well prepared - don’t waste your friend’s time.

The Thing to Remember: Pick friends who won’t just tell you that the sun shines out of your… microphone. You want honesty. Get the friend who tells someone when their bum looks big in the mirror!

The Bonus: With only one week to prepare a new speech you’re under the pump – use this to your advantage and don’t cancel for any reason even if there’s only one person in the room!

4. Be Industrious

The Low Down: If your industry has a convention, local, national, whatever, start volunteering to play a part in it. Introduce one of the keynote speakers, provide an update on a new technology or do as I did and offer to do a keynote at a convention of over 1,000 real estate agents before you’ve ever done a big speaking job. (You never know they just might say yes!)

The How’s and Where’s: Your local industry group is the best place to start, as is attending a conference first (so you can get your bearings).

The Thing to Remember: Your peers will be one of the more terrifying audiences you will ever speak in front of. Rock this crowd and you’ll be a legend, fall on your face and you’ll never live it down.

The Bonus: Speaking is a great way to become known as an expert in your field. Being an expert naturally leads to more business.

5. Shmaltz, Lives and Videotape

The Low Down: Before you attempt any of tips 1 – 4 videotape yourself giving an entire presentation.

The How’s and Where’s: Even many digital still cameras these days have a video function so you’ll be able to borrow a camera.

The Thing to Remember: Regardless of the fact that there’s no audience do NOT stop for anything. Pretend you’re on stage and kick through it, regardless of how badly you miff your opening line.

The Bonus: In 5 years time when you’re an old hand at this you’ll have some hilarious videos to watch with a cocktail in hand!