Having children doesn’t have to be as expensive as it seems. The expression, “Hindsight is 20/20” definitely applies to having children. We have learned a lot since having our first child (of three) and these tips come from practical experience as parents, NOT from the overpriced expectations placed upon us by manufacturers. Had I known THEN, what I know NOW, we would have saved a considerable sum of money beginning with our first, NOT our third!

-Babies grow fast in their first year. They also don’t wear anything out. If you’ve been blessed with an abundance of new baby clothes from a baby shower, be practical. Keep a reasonable amount of newborn sizes and exchange newborn sizes for bigger sizes, all the way up to one year.

- I would also NOT take the tags off your newborn clothes. I had an abundance of newborn sizes for our first (I did NOT exchange sizes and washed everything before he was born) but when he popped out a staggering 22 1/2” long and 9lbs 7oz, the newborn outfits BARELY fit! We had to buy bigger sizes. What a waste.

-Never refuse bags of hand-me-downs or pass-along clothes. Stains happen. Babies just do that. An outfit that is slightly stained is perfect for wear at home and most times when you’re out and about, the baby is tucked into a carrier or stroller or something, and no one is going to see the little stain. Not to mention that no one is looking for stains, they’re looking at the gorgeous little angel you’ve got instead!

The pass-along clothes apply to older kids as well. We camp. The kids wear these pass-along clothes when we camp. I don’t worry if an already worn-a-bit shirt gets hit with mud, fish-guts or snagged and ripped on a tree. The clothing didn’t cost me anything and the boys get to be boys without worrying about clothes.

-Do not hesitate to shop for kids clothes at tag sales and thrift stores. I have found brand new jeans (tags from store still on) at the Salvation Army for only 3.99/pair versus the $15.99 on the tag! If you find a great outfit in bigger sizes than you currently need, store them in a bin. You’ll go “shopping” for those bigger sizes eventually, trust me, they grow FAST.

-Let’s talk diapers. Cloth is a cheaper way to go if you wash your own. I admit we did NOT do cloth. So, that said, expensive disposables are just that-expensive! After having babies that could blow out the best of the disposables, we started trying the less expensive brands and found that they worked just as well, at a fraction of the cost! When it came to disposables, I got whatever was cheapest, be it with a coupon and sale or sale alone. I DID find a brand of generics I didn’t like and avoided, but for the most part, they did the job.

-Baby wipes. Here is a medical fact for you. Human urine is sterile. It does not contain bacteria (unless there is an infection-different story). You wipe the urine off the baby because uric acid crystals will form and irritate the skin. That said, you don’t have to reach for an expensive baby wipe with each wet diaper. I used a baby type face cloth that I rinsed off between diaper changes (each day was a fresh towel).

For diapers that are a little more “messy” shall we say, you can use the wash clothes but you’ll need to wash them in hot water with bleach to kill bacteria (which works well if you’ve gone with cloth diapers). We preferred to use homemade baby wipes, which were much cheaper and just as effective. If memory serves, a container of generic wipes was about $1.99. I figured the cost of my homemade version to be about .50 maybe .75 but not more than that.

Here is a recipe for homemade wipes. This is a GREAT way to use up all those bottles of baby supplies you’ll get at a shower, by the way!
-Good quality paper towels. We bought the select-a-size brand at the warehouse store to save cutting the paper towel roll in half and it kept the cost down. Fold halved towel in half again. Place into plastic container (recycled wipes containers do work well).
-mix 2 cups of water with 2 TBS of baby lotion (or creamy style baby oil) and 1 TBS of baby wash. Microwave or heat well for two minutes, pour over wipes.
.
-Babies do NOT need special laundry detergents unless they develop skin sensitivities. This is another one of those things new parents think is a must (well the ads would make you THINK you needed this!) I even confirmed this with our pediatrician. If they DO develop sensitivities, switching to one of the “free” type detergents might be all you need.

-Children do NOT need lots of expensive toys. Seriously, think of that commercial with the expensive toy and the toddler with the box that the expensive toy came in. That kid plays with the BOX, not the toy! A recent trip to the toy store made us laugh. They had this electronic drum for babies/toddlers for 12.99. We remembered how our oldest found sheer joy and pleasure sitting on our kitchen floor with my pots, pans and bowls and a wooden spoon banging away. Oh, and the pots and pans didn’t need batteries either. Basically, think twice and three times before buying costly toys. A little imagination (or a book) goes a long way in turning basic household things into fun toys.

-Baby food. Make your own. Eliminate salt and extra spices and just cook longer and then run through a chopping machine (I LOVE my mini chopper- $10 and it was used for more than just baby food). Baby food freezes in ice cube trays quite nicely. Don’t be fooled by “baby” juice. 100% fruit juice is just that, 100% fruit juice. Buy the big bottle of apple juice on sale for .99 and water it down (most pediatricians recommend a limited amount of fruit juice anyways and watering it down stretches that).

-Daycare. I have been on both sides of the fence. I’ve been a working mom AND a stay at home mom. Again, hindsight being 20/20, I’d encourage you to really consider avoiding this expense. We thought that we couldn’t do without my almost full-time paycheck but in the end, we figured out that daycare cost us a lot of money and that I could work a very part-time schedule and NET the same money. Truly, try and figure out how to avoid daycare if possible.

-Needs versus Wants. This is especially true if money is tight. Don’t hesitate to think twice before you buy something for kids. Manufacturers would have you think you NEED it all, but the reality is, your mother and your grandmother did without a lot of this stuff so chances are you can, too.

Tammy Paquin is a work from home mom of 3 boys. She is the publisher of Frugal-Families, a site devoted to frugality, budgeting, families and helping everyone stretch their hard-earned dollars. For other great articles on saving money on baby food, baby clothing and raising kids in general visit, http://www.frugal-families.com

“It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts.” K.T. Jong

Walking is a perfect way to get to know more about the world around you. You’re moving at a slower pace than the car, and you can always stop whenever you want to take a closer look. You get to meet more people and share with them whatever’s going on around you.

You know, when you go out walking you will begin a journey that will help you become fitter in both body and mind.

Yes there’s a spiritual dimension to walking too. When I say spiritual, I do not mean in any religious way. You can have a spiritual outlook without holding on to a religious belief.

Walking can be a form of meditation. You may have done meditation as a sit down activity, and if you have hold on to the purpose of meditation, because the walking form is the same only on the move.

If you haven’t done meditation and are uncertain as to what meditation is, then I’ll start this section off by giving you a brief definition and explanation.

Really, meditation is what is called being ‘mindful’.

Instead of letting your head run away with thoughts of what happened yesterday, or last week or last year, or get lost in what might happen tomorrow or next week etc., what you do in meditation is try and keep your thoughts on what is happening right now.

Being mindful means paying attention to how you are feeling, what you are hearing, seeing, doing, thinking etc. In some circles being mindful is called ‘being in the now’.

Doctor Joan Borysenko, PhD, amongst others, has called meditation a process of being, ‘…pleasantly anchored in the present moment.’

In meditation, you work to stay focussed on what is happening to you now.

Thinking about the past and the future are said to be two of the major causes of stress related illnesses, so meditation is something that won’t take us there.

The aim of meditation then is to calm us and increase our sense of well-being.

This may seem to be at odds with walking, as meditation seems to suggest that you need to be still. That’s why some people think you can’t meditate and walk at the same time.

Well, I’m here to help you prove that idea wrong.

You don’t need any special equipment or preparation to do a walking meditation. You can do it almost anywhere that’s flat and free from any potentially dangerous obstructions.

You can do it in your back yard if it’s big enough; you can do it in the local park, or even on a city street.

However, it’s not where you do it, but how you do it. Moreover, there are several ways you can do it.

You can spend from 20 – 60 minutes on walking meditation or longer if you feel okay about them.

Be aware that walking meditation is not done at high speed. You will be able to move freely, but with grace and calmness, walking as always from the centre. Mental and spiritual well-being is the object.
Here is a very simple walking meditation to get you going. If you’ve done sitting meditation, you will already be aware of the basic principle.

Mindful Breath Walking Meditation

In this walking meditation, you focus on your breathing and its rhythm with your steps.

• Breathe deeply from the diaphragm as you walk.
• As you draw a breath in, count how many steps you are taking.
• As you breathe out, count how many steps you are taking. It’s as simple as that!

You can add a little something to this process if you wish. If, for instance, you are taking four steps for an in breath, try saying four short words to go with each step. For example, ‘I am at peace’.

You could repeat this on the out breath if you are taking as many steps as an in breath. On the other hand, you could think of something else of a similar nature.

By the way, it is not unusual to have a different number of steps for each breath. I generally take five steps for an in breath and seven on the out!

Play with your breathing and steps. Try taking more steps or fewer steps. Allow your breathing rate to remain the same despite the number of steps.

What’s important is that you are mindful of what you are doing. Allow nothing else to distract you. Don’t begin to dwell on things that are not involved immediately with the walking meditation you’re doing.

Walking meditation helps you become more aware of yourself. Practice will help you learn more about yourself by helping you to let go of all the millions of thoughts swimming around your head. The start of spiritual awareness is learning to know you.

Walking is a pathway to spirituality, and you can take it every day!

Phil Bilzon is the author of ‘The Walk Right Book - How you can develop body and mind and help make the world greener by learning the basics, and secrets, of effective walking.’ http://www.greenersteps.com

When many companies go downhill, they never recover. Far too many of them continue to fall right into oblivion. They either go out of business or just become irrelevant companies. We saw this vividly in the 2001 bear market. The vast majority of the Internet companies were gone within a year.

Don’t let that happen to your business. With the current energy troubles, it’s important to start looking right now at ways you can pull a sagging business out of the dumps.

There were some tech stocks that survived and are now thriving. What did these companies have that the others didn’t?

There’s a lot to figuring it out, but let me give you one idea of what must be in place. Be warned, this is just one consideration. I can’t possibly cover all you need to know about turning your business around. It will be enough, though, to get you started down the right road. With some extra research, hard work, and insight, you’ll be able to pick up your business and move forward.

Cash-Producing Assets

The main thing you need to look at is your company’s assets. When hard times hit, the first thing you do is burn up most of your assets trying to keep from going out of business. In order to survive, your company has to have assets left you can use to rebuild. If it doesn’t have assets, it can’t rebuild.

I’m not just talking about any assets, though. Buildings, desks, chairs, and any other property are nice assets to have. But the only kind of asset that can help you rebuild is a cash-producing asset.

Cash-producing assets generate some form of cash flow into the company. They include solid leadership, a great business plan, new and exciting products the company can sell, customers willing to buy those products, a proven distribution channel, and a way to market the products (to name just a few). The most important cash-producing asset is leadership. The second most important is cash. Without money to finance the rebuilding (or the means to get cash), rebuilding is almost impossible. But great leadership can often find money when there’s none close at hand.

Another important asset is one that continues to produce cash flow after the first sale is completed. In other words, you sell the product or service once, and it brings in cash month after month. The perfect example is your cable TV. The cable company sells you once and charges you every month until you cancel. It’s a great business model that works. It’s also why you see many companies trying to get their customers on some type of monthly payment system.

Another type of valuable asset is a customer database. Too many businesses sell something to a customer and have no way to reach that customer again. Your very best customer is one who has purchased from you in the past. So getting their name, address (including e-mail), and phone number (when possible) gives you a huge asset. It gives you a way to contact your customer and tell them of products, services, or discounts you have to offer. If you don’t have a customer database, now is a good time to start one.

Become Outwardly Focused

The last asset I’ll mention is one that’s often overlooked. It’s your community. Oftentimes, we don’t look at our community as an asset, which is wrong-headed thinking. Unless you’re Bill Gates, the community as a whole has far more cash than you do. So look at your community and ask yourself how you can bless these people with your business. Find ways to serve those around you.

Far too many businesses become introverted when they need to become more extroverted. Proverbs 18:1 says, “He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.” Don’t separate yourself from those around you. Pursue them in service and watch them turn to your business. Make sure your motives for service are to build them up, not just yourself. Doing service just to gain attention is a dangerous game to play. But your community desires to be served. Do it right and it will become a huge asset.

Steve Kroening is a contributing author for ChristianBusinessDaily.com — The Online Network for Christians in Business. Your source for news, articles, and commentary from a biblical perspective.

Only one of many questions asked of me
Many smiling suns and shiny moons ago:

Who needs most sleep Vegeey or Carnivore?

One who is loudest and most boisterous on a daily basis
One who continues to build excess in body
One who over eats
One who has most poison building up
One who refuses exercise
One whose daily labor is most aggressive
One who eats most mucous building food stuffs
One who drinks most alcohol
One who practices destructive social activity
One who eats excessive amounts of fried food
One who refuses rest sometime through day
One who refuses to properly manage their daily activities
One who is continually unable to efficiently successfully complete one task satisfactorily
One who refuses to get enough sleep
One who refuses to sleep at proper time as set by personal biological clock
One who continually eats though never over eating at one time
One who pays no heed to a balanced diet
One who refuses to get sufficient sunshine
One who practices poor posture
One who refuses to breath deeply

(This in part is One who demands most sleep several other reasons and those will become more apparent to you as you progress )

Do you fit into any of these areas
Do you want to make a change in one or more

It is really simple to make any and all corrections to your present situation

1-decide exactly what it is you need to change

2-decide what you want to replace this change with ( it must be something greater and require you put forth some mental and physical action )

Now one thing you need to do is focus on your new desire and not your present situation

Example:
Spend only ten minutes per day doing something requiring you to exert energy and build up heat
You must feel this heat surging throughout every part of your body
When you stop you must feel some strain enough to notice a change in….( list everything you are aware of at this instant record everything you observe large and small
Everything is significant Everything is important !)

Remember you are not making any judgment calls at this time, all you are doing is acting as an outsider who is now sent to make as critical an observation as possible.

Now all your recording includes any feelings you generate along with the obvious things anyone looking at you will see

PS: ONLY YOU are allowed to make any statements about what you observe and
ONLY YOU are allowed to make any and all records

PPS: challenge your friends first then let them see how well they did

Article will be published with below author’s bio paragraph and copyright information included.

As long as you leave all material exactly as you see it No Selling Nor Removal Of My Name Nor
Altering
Article will be published as is Only then You may copy articles and distribute
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael D is Author of Ebooks and Articles , Wood Refashioner , Graphics Artist and Illustrator
Website==http://www.ticklish-tomatoes.com
http://ticklish-tomatoes.blogspot.com/index.html
May Good Fortune Follow You Always
P.E.P.P© 1970
Copyright © Michael D 2007 All rights Reserved Globally

There are tons of “English Speaking” websites; so many, in fact, that most of the great markets are saturated. By utilizing only a few extra minutes of your time, you can run your articles and websites through an online translator and widen your audience by millions.

I know that most of you are thinking how easy it would be to just use one of the services out there that allow a viewer to click the translate button and the entire text is translated into the appropriate language. But, the problem with that is search engines from other countries aren’t going to pick up the translated text so they will probably never know you exist. Also, the translations are so terrible, most people don’t take the time to bother.

The free way to translate.

There are many free services that will translate the text for you. Most of them are pretty bad, but I don’t feel like that matters as long as you put a disclaimer on the top of the articles saying it was translated by a software translator.

If the information you are providing is that good, the reader will forgive you. The important thing is that your materials are being spread world-wide. And more importantly, it is important that you get world wide recognition

Trade Service for Service or Pay!

Sometimes, people who run newsletters in other countries accept articles written in English and will translate them for you. Just make sure and ask them for a copy of the translation so you can send that translation to other ezines and article directories.

If you can’t find somebody to translate your articles for free, of course there is always the option to pay a service.

I hope something in this article sparks your imagination.

Carl Coddington has been an Internet business entrepreneur since 1994. He has been helping thousands of people and businesses succeed on the Internet through his highly successful newsletter at
http://www.promoinnovations.com Be sure to get the free E-Book “101 Killer Tips To Make $1,000’s of Dollars a Week”

Many people purport to show how you can take charge of your career change, but few of them have the personal experience or credibility to convince you that it is possible.

Many others would even try to tell you that it can’t be done, but that is just their lack of imagination. All that you really need is some expert help and your own desire to make it happen.

When you know what is involved, you can use a very direct approach to drive your career change.

It is relatively easy to learn how you can change your thinking to a new way of thinking about your career change that powers you through the change and empowers you personally to take charge of your career. Just don’t continue to believe that ‘they’ are in charge.

The Direct Approach and Unadvertised JObs

Job banks, search engines, job listings, and job guides are all useful tools in your employment search; however they won’t find you the unadvertised jobs. Statistics show that perhaps up to 60% of all jobs are unadvertised and are found informally - that is to say through networking and the direct approach - so the unadvertised jobs are what you really need to uncover.

You can uncover these unadvertised jobs and get back into the driving seat by putting together a carefully crafted direct approach letter.

This direct approach letter is no more and no less than a ‘marketing’ exercise to a specifically qualified target audience. It is NOT a mail-shot and certainly NOT ‘speculative’ letters that some people would have you waste your time writing. Compared to a direct approach letter, the speculative letter or mail-shot is a complete waste of time, effort and possible opportunity. So don’t do it!

Overcome those Interview Nerves

You also need to find out how to overcome those interview nerves and get yourself better prepared than the interviewer!

The “Tell me about yourself” type of question is used by many interviewers to allow you to settle in and feel comfortable. An interviewer who hasn’t prepared beforehand will tend to ask this question to buy time while she thinks of the next question. It’s then only human nature to ask questions relating to what has already been said (by you). Your answer to the “Tell me about yourself” question can therefore set the whole agenda for the interview.

Prepare this well and you’re streets ahead. It should include a brief walk through your career history from the first job or when you left university; touch on each move you made with positive reasons for the move [e.g. I wanted to get some activity based costing experience...] and key in only relevant facts that show how you meet their needs. Allow only 3 minutes for this with most time spent on your most recent experience.

You will also discover that there are self-describing phrases that have interviewers falling over themselves to hire you.

A “Key Strengths” statement is one of these phrases and is a summary of your most powerful skills and attributes. You just need to prepare it carefully beforehand because it:

• Highlights your most important skills and abilities;
• Differentiates you from others and quantifies your added-value;
• Avoids the generalisations that most people seem to fall foul of;
• Provides specific examples of your achievements;
• Should be spoken naturally and take no more than two minutes.

Understand the Purpose of Your Resume or CV

Want to know what’s wrong with your Resumé or CV and why they often just get in the way of your progress to the job you want?

All the poor recruiter wants to know is this: “Should I interview this candidate?”

You must make it easy for them to conclude: yes I want to interview this candidate. That is the sole job of your CV or Resume. So get your information in the right order and keep it brief and relevant. Too much information can disguise all the good things you have to offer, because nobody can find them. The first page is the most important part of the CV or resume. The reader needs to see immediately who you are, what you have to offer and how they can get hold of you.

• What specific skills are showcased on your CV or resume?
• Have you clearly identified your level of expertise and competence?
• Have you worked in different sectors?
• A short section of “Key Skills & Achievements” can cover a lot of ground for you.

Negotiate a Better Salary

Learn how you can use tried and tested negotiation tactics, without upsetting anyone, to negotiate yourself a better salary package and take charge of your career.

1. Choose the best and most receptive time for your boss. Ask for a meeting midweek, when the initial issues of the week have been dealt with and the end of the week is in sight. Most people are in a slightly more amenable frame of mind at the midweek point;

2. Make sure you have all your performance statistics at hand to show how you have added value. Your boss is only interested in paying for results, so what can you show?

3. Don’t go in aggressively or in an adversarial frame of mind however much you need the extra money. Start pushing and you may as well forget it;

4. Use friendly language and gestures - the issue needs to be a “what can we do?” discussion, rather that a “what will you do?” confrontation.

Peter Fisher is an established Career Coach, author and webmaster for Your CV Coach where you can also learn more about all aspects of Career Change and taking charge of your career.

You have finally come to the realization that you need reading glasses. Luckily, you are not alone. As Baby Boomers enter middle age in droves, more retailers are responding to their needs, as well as their increased buying power. As a result, the possibilities in reading glasses are endless! Wearers are no longer relegated to sporting the wire-rimmed half glasses on the end of their nose, and carrying a separate pair of sunglasses for reading in the sun. Today, the selection of reading sunglasses rivals that of regular sunglasses. But the abundance of options can be intimidating. How do you choose a good pair of reading sunglasses?

Sunglass readers come in all shapes and sizes. They are available with full magnifying lenses, and also as bifocals. In bifocals, the top portion of the lens does not have magnifying properties, so you can see clearly into the distance. The bottom portion is the bifocal, so you can keep them on while looking straight ahead, as well as while reading close up, for example. The beauty of this type of reader is that no one has to know they are bifocal lenses. They will just think you are wearing stylish eyewear.

The “Jackie O” version of sunglasses is still in vogue today. Made famous in the 60s, these chunky, oversized shades are great for protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays, but they are also fantastic as a fashion accessory. The irony here is that they are meant to offer a degree of privacy and mystery, but they say “look at me” at the same time. You can’t go wrong with a stylish pair of larger-than-life bifocal sunglasses.

As far as colors go, virtually nothing is off limits. The eye-catching size of the frames begs for a splash of attention-getting color. For frames, white is hot this season, as are bright metallics, in addition to the ever-popular black and tortoise shell. To take it a step further, designers are adding flashier jewelry to the temples of their glasses. A bold, goldtone logo adds a touch of glamour, as does a sparkly rhinestone design. You can go as elaborate or as simple as your tastes allow.

Though bifocal sunglass wearers have a wide variety of choices, one thing they do need to be mindful of is the way the glasses fit. Frames must fit securely on the face, so that the bifocal line does not interfere with normal vision. A proper bifocal should start just a few millimeters below the lower lash line, so as to offer a comfortable, convenient reading experience.

Just because you are presbyopic is no reason to throw your fashion sense to the wind. Your choice of eyewear can be fashionable and functional at the same time. And no one has to know the difference.

Suzanne Hughes shops the world over for the most fashionable reading sunglasses. To see the full collection of designer reading glasses visit http://www.ReadinStyle.com today.

When we first enter the world of commerce, we’re told how to conform and we’re expected to do so. I began my sales career having no clue there were two systems based on two very different worldviews with two entirely different outcomes. I was told my mission was to work in the marketplace so I could fund the work of the kingdom. If possible, I was to very discreetly share the gospel with co-workers and lead them to Christ. It was understood that we were to submit to the tyranny of the system without succumbing to its values. I entered the world of sales like many of you did, through what Dennis Peacocke calls “Pharaoh’s School.” It was there they taught me the ways of Egypt, the ways of the flesh or carnal nature. I wanted to learn God’s “way” but instead I was taught by reputable companies the subtle ways to appeal to a person’s pride, or greed, or love of whatever the world has to offer. In short, I was taught how to appeal to the very side of human nature we are called to disdain.

In the years that followed, I struggled to find the Father’s way for succeeding in sales. I knew I was called to the business arena and I could see the fundamental flaws of the established system of selling. I had learned twenty ways to close a sale but what I really needed was one good way to open a relationship. I’d been taught how to create artificial need, when all I really needed to know was how to uncover the genuine need that already existed and meet it.

Then one day it all changed for me. I took a job selling copiers in a city I had just moved to. On my first day, the vice president of sales told me they expected six sales in my first ninety days and from then on, to sell one out of four demonstrations. When I came home from work, my wife could see I was upset and asked what was bothering me. I told her they had asked me to accept a seventy-five percent failure rate, and I wasn’t happy about that. I reasoned, “What farmer plants four rows of corn and then prays to God that just one of them will come up?” I picked up my Bible and told her I was going to study His word to find principles and strategies that I could apply to sales. If the Father really had a better way, I was going to find it and adapt it to the selling process. Instead of selling one out of four copiers, I purposed to sell one out of one!

Ninety days later at my first quarterly sales review, I had to project my results on a screen in front of my peers. To their astonishment, I was able to report that I had done twenty-two demonstrations and closed twenty-two sales, which was three and a half times a goal no one had ever hit! The difference? I had found the way to successfully incorporate biblical principles and strategies into the selling process. Years later, I began teaching things like the Moses questioning strategy to uncover opportunity, creating a climate of trust based on the life of Christ, and true win/win negotiating based on the writings of Paul, and my clients experienced remarkable results. One company in Ohio had been experiencing sluggish sales for the previous couple of years and were stuck at around the $22 million mark. At the halfway point of the year, I was brought in to teach the principles and strategies I had gleaned from the Bible. Sales increased the last six months of the year by 44 percent over the same period for the year before and they finished the year at about $30 million.

One reason folks don’t do well in sales is because they see the selling profession as an unclean thing, not recognizing that it’s neither moral nor immoral. For them, selling is a dirty word. They shun it, they dislike it, and they refuse to come to terms with it or to grow in their understanding of it. For their lack of knowledge, they slowly grind away in their mediocrity, living well below their God-given potential as life slips by them, one unfulfilled dream after another. In a word, they begin to perish.

What happened? They were sold! Somewhere in life, they bought into the lie that selling is something you do to someone for your profit, rather than with them for mutual profit. Being decent people, they didn’t want to play that game. They’d seen the wolves thriving in the business arena virtually unchallenged and agonized internally over their prosperity, finally accepting the platitude that “nice guys finish last.” After all, they would rather be a nice guy and finish last, than a wolf and finish first, as if finishing first and being a nice guy were somehow mutually exclusive.

In the grand game of commerce, wolves and sheep compete for the same slice of the economic pie. In preparation for the contest, wolves don sheep’s apparel to ply their cunning ways under cover of implied innocence while hiding the devious essence of their soul. Many a sheep on the other hand, has traded the innocence of his soul for the crafty ways of the wolf, in a sorry attempt to level the playing field and win his “fair share” of the business. At the end of the day, he has become a sheep in wolves’ clothing and that anguished, lonely howling he hears in the night is his own.

But there’s another breed arising! They’ve learned to walk close to the Shepherd while competing boldly with the wolves. They know how to keep their sense of balance in a most uneven world without adapting the predatory habits of their fiercest competitors. They walk with confidence into the lairs of any corporate boardroom and do not flinch, because they know the Shepherd is with them and they’ve learned His ways.

In sales, it’s that kind of sheep that wins, and wolves move on to easier territory, which brings me to my point: Nice guys can and should finish first. If you’re a nice guy who’s not finishing first, don’t blame the wolf. Don’t blame your company or the product. Don’t blame the economy and especially don’t blame the customer. Look yourself square in the eye and accept full responsibility for your actions and results. There will always be reasons why something didn’t work. Accepting them for your personal justification will be your downfall. Unless failure becomes an unacceptable option, it will become an unavoidable routine.

Selling is not a dirty word or an unworthy vocation. The wolves have marked out the territory with their reputation and for too long we have let them have their victories while we huddled under the banner of being a nice guy. Wolves should never win and when they do, the ground they take will remain contested until I take it back. And how will I take it back? Inevitably the wolf always reveals himself for who he really is—a self-serving, money grabbing predator. When that happens, his prey (the customer) will begin to look for a way out and when they do, I’ll be there, anticipating his or her needs and offering solutions from a principle-based, value-added, customer-centered perspective.

The reason nice guys who succeed are accused of being wolves is because nice guys will go toe-to-toe with any wolf and not back down. The mild mannered sales reps that try to be nicer than Jesus are offended at this. Their pious attitude makes them easy prey for wolves and their self-pity perpetuates. It’s not that nice guys are pushy—it’s just that they’re not pushovers! When they do push, it’s always in the best interest of the customer. The wolf, on the other hand, pushes only for his own agenda. Another day, another dollar.

Succeeding in sales is not about becoming a smarter wolf, a nicer wolf, a Christian wolf, or in some way a better wolf. No, succeeding in sales is about out-serving your competition in the best interest of your customer. It’s about discovering your customers’ real needs and meeting them. It’s about understanding their goals, their dreams, and their visions for the future, then coming alongside, shouldering the burden and helping them get to their destinations. It’s about not backing down from a ruthless competitor. It’s about hanging in there with the customer and walking them through their doubts, calming their fears, and solving their problems. In short, succeeding in sales is about bringing to bear on the customer’s behalf that which benefits him most in a bold, uncompromising manner. And when the wolves begin to howl in the night, the nice guys among us can sleep peacefully, knowing we’ve honored God, served our fellow man, and been true to ourselves.

Michael Pink is a contributing author for ChristianBusinessDaily.com — The Online Network for Christians in Business. Your source for news, articles, and commentary from a biblical perspective.

Would you like to earn an income by starting your own business from home?

Many people decide that they like the thought of working from home for a lot of different reasons.

These reasons can include wanting to spend more time at home with their families, needing an extra source of income, or just simply disliking their current job.

A work from home business is a great chance to earn money and be your own boss. There are many opportunities available to internet marketers.

When you start setting up your home-based business it is a good idea to develop a business plan and research your options thoroughly.

By making informed decisions and sticking to your business plan, you can help create a good, steady stream of income for yourself.

Running a home-based business requires a lot of effort and hard work on your part and whilst you will not become wealthy over night, your earning potential will be directly related to how much time and effort you put in. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to make it as an internet marketer.

When you are building your business plan, you must include both short and long term goals. Make a decision as to how you are going to reach these goals and then put your plan into action.

Affiliate programs can make excellent home-based business programs, but there are also many other internet marketing opportunities that will create steady income as long as you are willing to put the work in. Some of these opportunities may require you to make an initial investment whilst others can be found for free. You must check out each and every internet marketing opportunity very carefully to ensure that you fully understand the terms and conditions before you take the plunge.

As an internet marketer, you will have to distinguish yourself from the competition if you want to succeed. You must get to know your target audience and know your competition even better. You shouldn’t let self-doubt stop you from accomplishing your goals. Every successful internet marketer gives their home business the greatest effort possible. Determination and hard work will ensure that your home based business is a success and will give you a steady long term stream of income.

Starting a home-based business is one of the most exciting and challenging endeavors you will ever undertake. Having a solid business plan and the will to succeed will set you apart from the competition. Make sure that you are very choosy over the products and services that you provide. You need to be certain that your services are going to be required over the long term and make customer service your top priority. A loyal customer base is the key to the success or failure of your work from home business.

Running a work from home business is an excellent way to earn your independence and financial freedom. A sound business plan, a strong work ethic and the desire to succeed are all it takes to make your home based business a winner.

There are virtually dozens of ways in which you can be successful in a home-based business; however, there are two things you must have: good ideas and the motivation to take action. Fast Wealth Info (http://www.fastwealthinfo.com) doesn’t claim that it can give you the motivation to succeed, but it can give you access to products and information to help you succeed. Visit http://www.fastwealthinfo.com now and get 100% free access to all the products and information contained within the site.

Chances are, you don’t have the resources to “break news” or to be the go to site for the latest and hottest Headlines. To tell you the truth, the sites that break the news are so great at it that they pretty much have the market saturated. Here is how you can make millions by being second to the punch.

Johnny come lately:

9 times out of 10 when somebody says a product or a headline is going to be hot, it is. But, things cool down very quickly. Here is an example:

Back in the late 1990’s Beanie Babies were a very hot commodity. It was possible to buy these stuffed animals for a few dollars and resell them for a few hundred. Every store and flea market started to stock them. Beanie Babies were so popular, there would be lines as long as 100 people waiting for the new shipment to arrive.

This “business opportunity” lasted a few months and was really sizzling. Once the public caught on to how profitable the Beanie Babies were everybody started to buy them and stock up on them. Unfortunately for these late-comers, once they started stocking up on Beanies, nobody was buying them any more. Instead of profiting, 1,000’s of people were stuck with over-priced stocking stuffers.

Important fact:

Once somebody tells you how profitable a “business opportunity” is…. it’s normally too late for you.

This is especially true with Infomercials.

Once somebody does an infomercial on a “business opportunity” and tells you how much you can make; you know that those people aren’t making any more money from that opportunity. If they were, they wouldn’t be sharing their secrets.

How to catch lightning in a bottle:

Nobody really knows what’s going to catch on, but, trends in the past normally dictate the future.

For example:

When the Sony PlayStation 3 came out this December, people waited in line over night. They knew there was going to be a shortage, and, if they got the PlayStations, they would be able to resell them for over double the price.

These people were correct.

How did they know? Because people before them did exactly the same thing when the X Box came out the year earlier.

How to capitalize on being second:

The second you hear of a new headline or know something is about to happen, create a blog or website on it. Make sure and advertise this site before too much media hype has happened. The search engines will pick you up and put you at the top.

Now, once the headline becomes a big draw, you already have your site in a good position. You readied yourself for the big event.

Be the first to be second:

To carry through with what I mentioned above, I am going to give an example.

During the auditions of the second season of American Idol, a young man by the name of Clay Aiken stuck out because of his “nerdiness” and voice. I had a strong feeling he was going to become popular so I created a “vote for Clay Aiken site”. It had a message board and pictures. Some of his friends from North Carolina saw our site and asked our help to promote him.

Because we were the first website to promote Clay, it ranked #1 for almost an entire year in Google. Because our site was at the top, we were able to make an Amazon link to his CD, and thousands of people bought through our Amazon affiliate link.

We weren’t the first person to introduce Clay Aiken. American Idol did that for us. But, we were second.

You never know what’s going to catch on. So, find things that interest you and be the place to go right after somebody scoops something.

Now! Start making millions.

Carl Coddington has been an Internet business entrepreneur since 1994. He has been helping thousands of people and businesses succeed on the Internet through his highly successful newsletter at
http://www.promoinnovations.com Be sure to get the free E-Book “101 Killer Tips To Make $1,000’s of Dollars a Week”