Posts by Early To Rise
The Safest Place to Store Your Cash
“The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.” – Frank McKinney Hubbard “You definitely need a cash position,” Porter Stansberry tells us. “And you need it to be immediate money. Not CDs, not gold. Your cash should be money you can write checks against…
Read MoreHow to Get a Big Fat Raise
“When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, ‘It’s in the script.’ If he says, ‘But what’s my motivation?, ‘ I say, ‘Your salary.’ ” – Alfred Hitchcock My No. 1 son works for an L.A.-based business that does postproduction editing of movies. He’s new to the job, but,…
Read MoreHow to Avoid the Three Biggest Stock Market Mistakes
“I measure what’s going on, and I adapt to it. I try to get my ego out of the way. The market is smarter than I am, so I bend.” – Martin Zweig I’m not an expert in stocks, but I have been involved with stock-market publications and stock-market gurus for more than 25 years.…
Read More5 Ways to Convince Your Boss that He Made a Big Mistake By Not Giving You A Raise
Most of the people I’ve ever turned down for a raise simply sulked and disappeared. But a few of them took the experience as a wake-up call and fought back. They didn’t see themselves as losers, and they weren’t going to let me view them that way either. Arguing with me would have done no…
Read MoreWhy Forcing Your Will On Others Usually Doesn’t Work
It’s so hard to accomplish something great. And it’s made more difficult when you have to rely on others to succeed. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to fix every problem, straighten out every hitch, and achieve all your goals by mandate? To say, “Just do it or else!” In the flux of our daily business life,…
Read MoreLessons from a Direct-Marketing Legend, Part II
How do you become a marketing genius — someone who effortlessly comes up with innovative approaches to sell just about anything? Well, you can’t. Some things — and genius is one of them — have to be inborn. But you can develop certain techniques that will make it possible for you to consistently come up…
Read MoreHow to Free Yourself From a Business Bully
“Bullies are always cowards at heart and may be credited with a pretty safe instinct in scenting their prey.” – Anna Julia Cooper The secret power of the business bully is his charm. If he were simply pushy, you would keep him at bay. He would never work his way into a domineering place in…
Read MoreHow to Sell ANYTHING — Including Your Ideas and Yourself
It doesn’t matter whether you are writing an invitation, an e-mail asking for something, a memo outlining a proposal, a speech presenting your ideas, or a note to your sweetheart asking for forgiveness, the basic rules apply: The message is about the reader and his interests, needs, and desires, not you and your wants. It…
Read MoreA Workaholic’s Secret to a Happy Marriage
Choosing the wrong spouse can be “deadly to your career and to your happiness,” and you should know that not all expectations will be met.
Read MoreWhat Good Marketers Know About Choice, Part I
When faced with the challenge of deciding on what choices to offer customers, inexperienced marketers usually take a “more is better” approach. If, for example, they are selling a subscription to a newsletter, they might offer 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year options . . . and, while they’re at it, throw in 2 years and maybe…
Read MoreImitation Is Not Just a Form of Flattery, It’s Good Business
To Mark Pincus, a 37-year-old Silicon Valley entrepreneur profiled in a recent issue of Forbes Small Business, being a copycat can be a virtue. As the magazine puts it, Pincus has made a lucrative career out of “lurking behind the leaders in the hot high-tech sector.” Though a few of his copycat ideas — those…
Read MoreHow to Get the Most Out of ALL Your Employees
This is the four-step model I use to motivate my employees — everyone from the top on down — and maximize the productivity of the entire group: 1. Invest in your top performers. Spend time, money, and educational resources to locate, hire, train, and supply superstar employees. Don’t leave this to chance. 2. Don’t manage…
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