Posts by Early to Rise
More On Criticism
“If you haven’t got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me.” – Alice Roosevelt Longworth Im reading a newsletter on leadership that says since “no one likes to be told hes wrong,” the shrewd executive will do everything he can to make his criticism indirect. Ive never figured out this subject…
Read MoreDoes Your Business Have A “Mission Statement”?
“A show of a certain amount of honesty is in any profession or business the surest way of growing rich.” – La Bruyere (Characters, 1688) Mission statements are de rigeur among the feel-good management crowd. They express to outsiders and employees alike the noble purpose of the business. Most mission statements Ive met are dressed…
Read MoreHow to Educate Your Gut Instinct to Make ProfitableDecisions
“Decide, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.” – Ambrose Bierce (The Devil’s Dictionary) Yesterday, we talked about gut instinct — what it is and why it is so important when you work yourself up to the top ranks of business. Today, I want to suggest a system…
Read MoreThe Fastest and Easiest Way to Improve Your Customer Service
“I became a policeman because I wanted to be in a business where the customer is always wrong.” – Author Unknown This just came to me tonight. Its very simple. Tell your customer service people that their primary job is NOT to process each phone call within a certain number of minutes, or to convey…
Read MoreLiving Rich: Fake It Till You Make It: How To Tour An Art Museum
Nothing will enrich your life as much as the appreciation of art. By art, I mean the fine arts — painting, sculpture, and all that — but also the crafts (woodworking, needlepoint, masonry, etc.) and sports. If you want to Live Rich, you have to — absolutely have to — include art in your life.…
Read MoreWhat Role Should Fun Play In Your Business?
I’ve been thinking about fun lately. (Like money, its something we never seem to get enough of.) If you read the business press, you know that fun — having it, creating it, and promoting it — has been one of the primary business concerns of young dot-com entrepreneurs. Some of these businesses seem to have…
Read MoreMaking An Adjustment In Your Schedule
“I answer the heroic question, Death, where is thy sting? with It is here in my heart and mind and memories.” – Maya Angelou Ive had to adjust my schedule today, because Im going to a funeral. He was someone whose connection to me fell somewhere between being an acquaintance and a friend. A friends…
Read More4 Steps To Wealth Building
“The harder I work, the luckier I get.” – Lee Travino If you want to be wealthy one day, there are four things you must do: 1. Master a financially valuable skill. 2. Develop a high income. 3. Invest conservatively in other businesses. 4. Invest aggressively in a business you know. Ill talk in more…
Read MoreDon’t Worry About The Problems
“The births of all things are weak and tender, and therefore we should have our eyes intent on beginnings.” – Montaigne, Michel de I ran across a memo on the ETR Message Board (www.earlytorise.com) the other day that reminded me of something very important one of the great secrets of success. The memo was…
Read MoreImprove Your Mailing Results By Testing Less But Smarter
“Obviously, computers have made differences. They have fostered the development of spaceships as well as a great increase in junk mail.” – Tracy Kidder When it comes to testing, one of the biggest mistakes direct marketers make is that they test insignificant choices. In an effort to perfect or tweak a mailing package, they…
Read MoreWhy You Should Come to Vegas and Stay at the Four Seasons
“The hospitable instinct is not wholly altruistic. There is pride and egoism mixed up with it.” – Max Beerbohm Im back in this amazing artificial city for an investment conference and some meetings. To my surprise, we are staying at the Four Seasons, without a doubt the best chain hotel in the world. Normally, youd…
Read MoreHow To Turn Your Product/Service Into A Franchise
“No theory is good except on condition that one use it to go beyond.” – Andre Gide Yesterday, we talked about Beach Blanker Babylon what it teaches us about capitalizing on trends. Today, I want to talk about another lesson we can take from it how to turn your business into a franchise.…
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