This is a repost from Bonnie, lensmaster bdkz, a Giant Squid Organizer
bdkz's Best Squidoo Tips
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Welcome! I'm Bonnie, lensmaster bdkz. I'm a Giant Squid Organizer and a Squid Angel. I have created over 400 lenses, been "Lens of the Day" twice and have had 14 of my lens in the Top 100.I have been with Squidoo for over two years and I wanted to create a "Squidoo Tips" lens to share what I have learned about how to be a successful lensmaster. I hope that this lens gives you some ideas and inspiration to become a Giant Squid!I've divided up my Tips into two categories. 1) The Knowledge You Need To Succeed and 2) The Tools You Need To Succeed. Both are equally important to becoming a successful Lensmaster!My Giant Organizer icon was created by "Greeter"gods_grace_notes, thanks Connie!
Contents at a Glance
The Knowledge You Need To Succeed
Tip #1 - Find Yourself
Tip #2 - Knowledge Is Key
Tip #3 - Don't Give Up...Success Takes Time
Tip #4 - No Man Is An Island
Tip #5 - Be Realistic
more...
Contents at a Glance
The Knowledge You Need To Succeed
Tip #1 - Find Yourself
Tip #2 - Knowledge Is Key
Tip #3 - Don't Give Up...Success Takes Time
Tip #4 - No Man Is An Island
Tip #5 - Be Realistic
Bonus Tip - Spam Stinks
The Tools You Need To Succeed
Tip #1 - Learn From The Best Of The Best
Tip #2 - Learn How To Create A Quality Lens
Tip #3 - Blog
Tip #4 - Squidcast
Tip #5 - Use the Squidoo Answer Deck
Tip # 6 - Try A BRAND New Look
Tip #7 - Giving Is Good
Tip #8 - Stop By SquidU
Tip #9 - Integrate Your Business With Squidoo!
Tip #10 - Create a Lensography
Tip #11 - 5 Little Things That Make A Big Difference!
Tip #12 - Twitter
The Giant Squid Program
The Squid Angel Program
You Can Learn A Lot From Seth Godin
C'mon...I Know You Want A Badge!
Squidoo is...
Guestbook
About Me
less...
Explore related pagesAre You a Squidoo Nobody? How to Become a Squidoo Somebody in 6 Easy Lessons How To Make Money With Squidoo and eBay Squidoo: The Best Website Ever 50 Awesome Squidoo How-To Lenses From A-Z Zazzle 101 ... How to make a profit on Zazzle Squidoo Co-Branding
The Knowledge You Need To Succeed
Tip #1 - Find Yourself
No this is not some deep philosophical journey! What this means is that you need to find out why you have decided to become a lensmaster. There's no wrong answer, but figuring out your purpose will help you set realistic goals and achieve them. What do you want? A Career? Extra income? A place to write? To raise money for charity? Showcase a hobby? Find your purpose and your passion!My purpose is to earn an income. I am a SAHM who wants a career. I'm not looking for a get-rich-quick recipe. I want to invest myself in a company that I can grow with. I believe that Squidoo is that place.Finding my purpose has taken a year. When I first started Squidoo in Feb. 2007 I had no clue as to what I was doing. My lenses had an amateur feel and I created my share of duds! However this did not discourage me. I knew that I had the skills to succeed I just needed to educate myself. When I want to learn something new I'm like a sponge, I read, research and drive people bananas asking question! This brings us to Tip #2. Knowledge Is Key!
Tip #2 - Knowledge Is Key
Knowing what you're doing is a good thing! Would you attempt to install your own furnace? Heck No! You might blow yourself up. However if you wanted to make a career out of installing furnaces you would get HVAC Certification. Then not only would you have a career, you could also install your own furnace. Your career investment pays off because you invest time and energy into your venture.Now what's funny about the internet is that people think that they can just create a website, or sell on ebay or create a lens and start making oodles of money. Wrong! People that are successful on Squidoo are knowledgeable. They know how to use Squidoo and they never stop learning.
Tip #3 - Don't Give Up...Success Takes Time
I'm always inspired by people who persevere. I always root for the underdog. I think that people can succeed if given the right tools and encouragement. Here's where Tip #3 comes into play. Don't give up! Create a lens, wait a few days, read, learn, update your lens. Create another lens. You're 10th lens is going to be much better then your 1st lens. My philosophy is that a lens is never finished but a constant work in progress.If you truly believe that you have a good lens keep going. I myself almost gave up back in April of 2007. I had made 30 lenses and about $5.00. I was getting discouraged. Then in May my Star Wars Fan Site lens got picked as "Lens of the Day". I was thrilled and got more inspired. I started improving my old lenses and making new ones. I found my niche (everything Pop Culture) and went full speed ahead. By August 2007 my payday was $97.80. I now average over $350 per month.I have since grown my niche to include How-to lenses like Zazzle 101...How to Make a Profit on Zazzle, a lens which has now been on the Top 100 list for over 400 days.When I first started with Squidoo I never would have imagined getting where I am now, I never gave up!
Tip #4 - No Man Is An Island
About the time that I made "Lens of the Day" I also discovered the SquidU Forum. I started talking to other Lensmasters and got involved in the community. I got encouragement and found lots of helpful tips from experienced Lensmasters.Networking is a key part of becoming a successful business person. People who work in corporate American attend Rotary, Chamber of Commerce meetings, and network. Squidoo is no exception. The Lensmasters on the SquidU Forum are happy to answer questions and mentor newbies. So get involved!There are also plenty of sites outside of Squidoo that will help you too. Join Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg, LinkedIn, etc. There are a ton of Lensmasters hanging out at these places with groups and networks to join.
Tip #5 - Be Realistic
I think that the most important tip I can give is that you have to be a realist to be a successful Lensmaster. The reality of Squidoo is that it's hard work...there's no such thing as a free lunch.I have an interesting story. Years ago when I was selling on ebay all my friends and relatives were whining about how I was so lucky that I sold on ebay and made money. So I taught them how to sell. Well then they complained about how much work ebay was. The reality was that they didn't really want to do the work they just wanted the money. They thought ebay was a get-rich-quick miracle and that they would be rolling in dough. Most of them quit.Squidoo is no different. You get out of Squidoo what you put into it. I work about 30+ hours per week updating lens, answering e-mails, reviewing lenses, reading, learning, blogging, etc. I treat this as my career and work really, really hard. That being said I do believe that it is possible to start making $1,000+ per month on Squidoo and that's my goal!This brings us full circle back to Tip #1 Find Yourself. Then figure out what you want to accomplish, learn, network, work hard and be realistic!
Bonus Tip - Spam Stinks
Back in the 80's Spam was just a weird little tasty treat in a can. Today Spam takes on a whole new meaning. Defining Spam is not always easy. Spam is often in the eye of the beholder...One man's trash is another man's treasure!Spam is not always about content but the way in which content is presented. Creating a lens about affiliate marketing, shopping, or working from home can spark a Spam label for some because these subjects are often times associated with spam. However don't be too quick to judge! I've seen some great lenses about working from home, it's all about presentation.My advice is be true to yourself. Most of us know spam when we see it. If you think that you might be a little spammy ask a friend or fellow Lensmaster for advice.Another aspect of Spam involves bugging the heck out of people to look at your lenses.
Don't post 10 entries about the same lens in the Forum, don't compliment another Lensmaster in their guestbook then leave an HTML link to your own lens, don't e-mail other Lensmasters and beg for star ratings, Squid Angel Blessings or traffic.Spam is never going to go away but you can stop it from rearing its ugly head by being aware of what it is!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sotomayor: "Empathy" in Action
Repost from Townhall Daily
Thomas Sowell
It is one of the signs of our times that so many in the media are focusing on the life story of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States.
You might think that this was some kind of popularity contest, instead of a weighty decision about someone whose impact on the fundamental law of the nation will extend for decades after Barack Obama has come and gone.
Much is being made of the fact that Sonia Sotomayor had to struggle to rise in the world. But stop and think.
If you were going to have open heart surgery, would you want to be operated on by a surgeon who was chosen because he had to struggle to get where he is or by the best surgeon you could find-- even if he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had every advantage that money and social position could offer?
If it were you who was going to be lying on that operating table with his heart cut open, you wouldn't give a tinker's damn about somebody's struggle or somebody else's privileges.
The Supreme Court of the United States is in effect operating on the heart of our nation-- the Constitution and the statutes and government policies that all of us must live under.
Barack Obama's repeated claim that a Supreme Court justice should have "empathy" with various groups has raised red flags that we ignore at our peril-- and at the peril of our children and grandchildren.
"Empathy" for particular groups can be reconciled with "equal justice under law"-- the motto over the entrance to the Supreme Court-- only with smooth words. But not in reality. President Obama used those smooth words in introducing Judge Sotomayor but words do not change realities.
Nothing demonstrates the fatal dangers from judicial "empathy" more than Judge Sotomayor's decision in a 2008 case involving firemen who took an exam for promotion. After the racial mix of those who passed that test turned out to be predominantly white, with only a few blacks and Hispanics, the results were thrown out.
When this action by the local civil service authorities was taken to court and eventually reached the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Sotomayor did not give the case even the courtesy of a spelling out of the issues. She backed those who threw out the test results. Apparently she didn't have "empathy" with those predominantly white males who had been cheated out of promotions they had earned.
Fellow 2nd Circuit Court judge Jose Cabranes commented on the short shrift given to the serious issues in this case. It so happens that he too is Hispanic, but apparently he does not decide legal issues on the basis of "empathy" or lack thereof.
This was not an isolated matter for Judge Sotomayor. Speaking at the University of California at Berkeley in 2001, she said that the ethnicity and sex of a judge "may and will make a difference in our judging."
Moreover, this was not something she lamented. On the contrary, she added, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
No doubt the political spinmasters will try to spin this to mean something innocent. But the cold fact is that this is a poisonous doctrine for any judge, much less a justice of the Supreme Court.
That kind of empathy would for all practical purposes repeal the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees "equal protection of the laws" to all Americans.
What would the political spinmasters say if some white man said that a white male would more often reach a better conclusion than a Hispanic female?
For those who believe in the rule of law, Barack Obama used the words "rule of law" in introducing his nominee. For those who take his words as gospel, even when his own actions are directly the opposite of his words, that may be enough to let him put this dangerous woman on the Supreme Court.
Even if her confirmation cannot be stopped, it is important for Senators to warn of the dangers, which will only get worse if such nominations sail through the Senate smoothly
Thomas Sowell
It is one of the signs of our times that so many in the media are focusing on the life story of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States.
You might think that this was some kind of popularity contest, instead of a weighty decision about someone whose impact on the fundamental law of the nation will extend for decades after Barack Obama has come and gone.
Much is being made of the fact that Sonia Sotomayor had to struggle to rise in the world. But stop and think.
If you were going to have open heart surgery, would you want to be operated on by a surgeon who was chosen because he had to struggle to get where he is or by the best surgeon you could find-- even if he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had every advantage that money and social position could offer?
If it were you who was going to be lying on that operating table with his heart cut open, you wouldn't give a tinker's damn about somebody's struggle or somebody else's privileges.
The Supreme Court of the United States is in effect operating on the heart of our nation-- the Constitution and the statutes and government policies that all of us must live under.
Barack Obama's repeated claim that a Supreme Court justice should have "empathy" with various groups has raised red flags that we ignore at our peril-- and at the peril of our children and grandchildren.
"Empathy" for particular groups can be reconciled with "equal justice under law"-- the motto over the entrance to the Supreme Court-- only with smooth words. But not in reality. President Obama used those smooth words in introducing Judge Sotomayor but words do not change realities.
Nothing demonstrates the fatal dangers from judicial "empathy" more than Judge Sotomayor's decision in a 2008 case involving firemen who took an exam for promotion. After the racial mix of those who passed that test turned out to be predominantly white, with only a few blacks and Hispanics, the results were thrown out.
When this action by the local civil service authorities was taken to court and eventually reached the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Sotomayor did not give the case even the courtesy of a spelling out of the issues. She backed those who threw out the test results. Apparently she didn't have "empathy" with those predominantly white males who had been cheated out of promotions they had earned.
Fellow 2nd Circuit Court judge Jose Cabranes commented on the short shrift given to the serious issues in this case. It so happens that he too is Hispanic, but apparently he does not decide legal issues on the basis of "empathy" or lack thereof.
This was not an isolated matter for Judge Sotomayor. Speaking at the University of California at Berkeley in 2001, she said that the ethnicity and sex of a judge "may and will make a difference in our judging."
Moreover, this was not something she lamented. On the contrary, she added, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
No doubt the political spinmasters will try to spin this to mean something innocent. But the cold fact is that this is a poisonous doctrine for any judge, much less a justice of the Supreme Court.
That kind of empathy would for all practical purposes repeal the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees "equal protection of the laws" to all Americans.
What would the political spinmasters say if some white man said that a white male would more often reach a better conclusion than a Hispanic female?
For those who believe in the rule of law, Barack Obama used the words "rule of law" in introducing his nominee. For those who take his words as gospel, even when his own actions are directly the opposite of his words, that may be enough to let him put this dangerous woman on the Supreme Court.
Even if her confirmation cannot be stopped, it is important for Senators to warn of the dangers, which will only get worse if such nominations sail through the Senate smoothly
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Memorial Day Celebration That Wasn't!!!
Reposted From "THe Wounded Eagle"
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Memorial Day, or NOT
Folks, we should all be appalled. Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, as it used to be called; has become a casualty. It's true meaning and reason for being has become lost over the years.Memorial Day was proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by Gen. John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was first observed May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on graves of both Union & Confederate soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1971, the Feds moved it to the last Monday of May, to give their employees a 3-day weekend. How nice.When I was a kid, everything shut down on Memorial Day, as it should be. My dad always made sure he gassed up the car the day before, and Mom made sure there was milk in the house because everything was closed on Memorial Day.
Now instead of honoring the hundreds of thousands of men and women who gave their lives for our freedom and liberty, we think of Memorial Day as a day to sleep in, to have a picnic, or get an extra 20% off at the mall. I've seen probably only two other homes in my neighborhood fly our flag that day.Appalling.And what about parades? How many cities have parades anymore, and how many people attend? In 1915, Moina Michael wrote this little poem:We cherish too, the Poppy RedThat grows on fields, where valor led.It seems to signal to the skiesThat blood of heroes never dies.This little poem says it all, don't you think?
My friends, lets make a pact. We must never forget or take for granted the selfless sacrifice of our war heroes, dead and alive. Without them, we wouldn't be able to "tweet." I wouldn't be using this computer to write a post. Folks wouldn't be able to protest, like those who did at Notre Dame this weekend or during the Vietnam War. So please, guys; if you don't have a flag, go buy one and hang it proudly. They aren't that expensive. Protest by not going to the mall or doing any shopping. Visit a cemetery, even if you don't have a loved one there who was in the service. And make sure you tell any veteran or armed services person that day:"Thank you for your service to this country.
Without you, this wouldn't be the greatest nation in the world. I have my life, my liberty, and my happiness, because of you. I am most humbly honored to know you."
Posted by Carol Greenberg at 11:15 PM 0 comments
Labels: Decoration, Memorial, parades, poppy
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Memorial Day, or NOT
Folks, we should all be appalled. Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, as it used to be called; has become a casualty. It's true meaning and reason for being has become lost over the years.Memorial Day was proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by Gen. John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was first observed May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on graves of both Union & Confederate soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1971, the Feds moved it to the last Monday of May, to give their employees a 3-day weekend. How nice.When I was a kid, everything shut down on Memorial Day, as it should be. My dad always made sure he gassed up the car the day before, and Mom made sure there was milk in the house because everything was closed on Memorial Day.
Now instead of honoring the hundreds of thousands of men and women who gave their lives for our freedom and liberty, we think of Memorial Day as a day to sleep in, to have a picnic, or get an extra 20% off at the mall. I've seen probably only two other homes in my neighborhood fly our flag that day.Appalling.And what about parades? How many cities have parades anymore, and how many people attend? In 1915, Moina Michael wrote this little poem:We cherish too, the Poppy RedThat grows on fields, where valor led.It seems to signal to the skiesThat blood of heroes never dies.This little poem says it all, don't you think?
My friends, lets make a pact. We must never forget or take for granted the selfless sacrifice of our war heroes, dead and alive. Without them, we wouldn't be able to "tweet." I wouldn't be using this computer to write a post. Folks wouldn't be able to protest, like those who did at Notre Dame this weekend or during the Vietnam War. So please, guys; if you don't have a flag, go buy one and hang it proudly. They aren't that expensive. Protest by not going to the mall or doing any shopping. Visit a cemetery, even if you don't have a loved one there who was in the service. And make sure you tell any veteran or armed services person that day:"Thank you for your service to this country.
Without you, this wouldn't be the greatest nation in the world. I have my life, my liberty, and my happiness, because of you. I am most humbly honored to know you."
Posted by Carol Greenberg at 11:15 PM 0 comments
Labels: Decoration, Memorial, parades, poppy
It is Time To Take Stock.....Political Commentary
Where are the Nations' True Conservatives????
It’s Time to Take Stock> by> Colonel Bob Pappas, USMC, > Retired>
The more one learns about politics, the more the> well-known comparison > between politicians and harlots makes sense. There> was a time in this > nation that politicians embodied righteous principle,> today’s lot is vastly > different than the Nation’s founders, all one has to do> is observe Pelosi dance > (and now refuse to answer further questions about her> outrageous charge against > the CIA), Biden’s foot-in-mouth affliction, and Obama’s> power lust. > > In the early days of this nation, service in> Government was an honorable > vocation and election to public office a trust not to be> betrayed or abused. But > today, one can cite so many abuses as to boggle the mind> and disgrace by nearly > all politicians, at the forefront of which is the current> Administration.
In the > first months of its regime it has done more to change (into> socialism) the > economic fabric of this nation than all foregoing> Administrations combined. One > wonders why the U.S. resisted socialism/communism at great> expense and sacrifice > only to embrace those inherently evil ideologies without so> much as a whimper in > relative terms.> > What has gone wrong? Like most things in life, change> has been incremental, > one small erosion at a time. As long at it didn’t affect> one personally, as long > as changes were small enough, people became less aware and> increasingly > lackadaisical. In the writer’s opinion, the decline> began with the > “church.” Ministry became, not a vocation of service,> called of God, but a way > to escape the military draft or to become self-serving> demigods who relished > power over people and their pocketbooks. Pastors decided it> was okay to be > wealthy, okay to live the good life, okay to fleece their> willing sheep, okay to > live a double standard, okay to “play” religion; and> some TV Evangelists have > honed it to a fine edge. > > There was a time in this nation that if one were to> attack basic ethics, > Judeo-Christian principles, Church leaders, or religious> faith, they would be > summarily run out of town. Now that has changed, Church> leaders have brought > shame upon themselves and the gospel they profess (fingers> crossed, of course). > Some churches embrace evil in a perversion of God’s> intent and word; and > politicians have amassed a shameful record, one that even> includes criminal > activity. Again, one could cite volumes of abuses by both.> > >
Does all that change basic principle? Do their abuses> change God or God’s > law? Does a Supreme Court ruling that normalizes homosexual> conduct change the > intent of the Creator of the Universe? Will the Supreme> Court decision in Roe v. > Wade change the nature of murder at the ultimate Judgment?> Can they claim, “I > was only following orders?” Orders, that is, from an> increasingly ignorant and > decadent world that worships pleasure, lust, power and> greed.> > From all indications, liberals want people to be> ignorant so that they can > control those ordinary folks’ minds and bodies like> Hitler, Stalin, Saddam and > the other despots of history. Does posting the Ten> Commandments in a public > place establish religion? Nonsense! But it does provide a> moral rudder that > liberals abhor because without one, like sharks, they can> feed on “the masses” > at will. It is reminiscent of the words, “…is it not> written, My house shall be > called of all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made> it a den of > thieves.”
Alas, this is liberals’ finest hour. If one> is unaware of the > decimation of the nation’s future over the course of the> last four months, one > is oblivious to events, doesn’t care, or both.> > Where are the patriots of old, the Mastodons, as one> observer noted? The > ones who signed the Declaration of Independence with the> words: “We, therefore, > the Representatives of the united States of America, in> General Congress, > Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for> the rectitude of our > intentions… And for the support of this Declaration, with> a firm reliance on the > protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each> other our Lives, our > Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” They would be run out of> town by the liberal > media and their congregation of liberal followers in> Government.> > Somewhere along the line, politicians, abetted by> church leaders, abandoned > their faith, if they ever had “faith,” and reduced> politics to a shell game that > is devoid of ethical, moral or spiritual content, and now,> they ravage the > nation. > > Will real Conservatives please stand up? No, not RINOs> or their fellow > traveling Democrats. And, this call is not for those who> feed on division and > hatred.
Needed today are political and religious> Conservatives who have read the > Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, American> History (warts and all) > and who might have actually read and internalized the> message of the > Bible.> > Sometimes, the best step forward is a step to the> rear, a return to the > basics; and if church leaders and politicians won’t lead> the right way, it’s > time for the laity, ordinary people, to take charge and> lead the nation back to > its founding principles; one can be sure, bottom feeders> that they are, > politicians and church leaders will follow.> > Semper Fidelis >
It’s Time to Take Stock> by> Colonel Bob Pappas, USMC, > Retired>
The more one learns about politics, the more the> well-known comparison > between politicians and harlots makes sense. There> was a time in this > nation that politicians embodied righteous principle,> today’s lot is vastly > different than the Nation’s founders, all one has to do> is observe Pelosi dance > (and now refuse to answer further questions about her> outrageous charge against > the CIA), Biden’s foot-in-mouth affliction, and Obama’s> power lust. > > In the early days of this nation, service in> Government was an honorable > vocation and election to public office a trust not to be> betrayed or abused. But > today, one can cite so many abuses as to boggle the mind> and disgrace by nearly > all politicians, at the forefront of which is the current> Administration.
In the > first months of its regime it has done more to change (into> socialism) the > economic fabric of this nation than all foregoing> Administrations combined. One > wonders why the U.S. resisted socialism/communism at great> expense and sacrifice > only to embrace those inherently evil ideologies without so> much as a whimper in > relative terms.> > What has gone wrong? Like most things in life, change> has been incremental, > one small erosion at a time. As long at it didn’t affect> one personally, as long > as changes were small enough, people became less aware and> increasingly > lackadaisical. In the writer’s opinion, the decline> began with the > “church.” Ministry became, not a vocation of service,> called of God, but a way > to escape the military draft or to become self-serving> demigods who relished > power over people and their pocketbooks. Pastors decided it> was okay to be > wealthy, okay to live the good life, okay to fleece their> willing sheep, okay to > live a double standard, okay to “play” religion; and> some TV Evangelists have > honed it to a fine edge. > > There was a time in this nation that if one were to> attack basic ethics, > Judeo-Christian principles, Church leaders, or religious> faith, they would be > summarily run out of town. Now that has changed, Church> leaders have brought > shame upon themselves and the gospel they profess (fingers> crossed, of course). > Some churches embrace evil in a perversion of God’s> intent and word; and > politicians have amassed a shameful record, one that even> includes criminal > activity. Again, one could cite volumes of abuses by both.> > >
Does all that change basic principle? Do their abuses> change God or God’s > law? Does a Supreme Court ruling that normalizes homosexual> conduct change the > intent of the Creator of the Universe? Will the Supreme> Court decision in Roe v. > Wade change the nature of murder at the ultimate Judgment?> Can they claim, “I > was only following orders?” Orders, that is, from an> increasingly ignorant and > decadent world that worships pleasure, lust, power and> greed.> > From all indications, liberals want people to be> ignorant so that they can > control those ordinary folks’ minds and bodies like> Hitler, Stalin, Saddam and > the other despots of history. Does posting the Ten> Commandments in a public > place establish religion? Nonsense! But it does provide a> moral rudder that > liberals abhor because without one, like sharks, they can> feed on “the masses” > at will. It is reminiscent of the words, “…is it not> written, My house shall be > called of all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made> it a den of > thieves.”
Alas, this is liberals’ finest hour. If one> is unaware of the > decimation of the nation’s future over the course of the> last four months, one > is oblivious to events, doesn’t care, or both.> > Where are the patriots of old, the Mastodons, as one> observer noted? The > ones who signed the Declaration of Independence with the> words: “We, therefore, > the Representatives of the united States of America, in> General Congress, > Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for> the rectitude of our > intentions… And for the support of this Declaration, with> a firm reliance on the > protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each> other our Lives, our > Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” They would be run out of> town by the liberal > media and their congregation of liberal followers in> Government.> > Somewhere along the line, politicians, abetted by> church leaders, abandoned > their faith, if they ever had “faith,” and reduced> politics to a shell game that > is devoid of ethical, moral or spiritual content, and now,> they ravage the > nation. > > Will real Conservatives please stand up? No, not RINOs> or their fellow > traveling Democrats. And, this call is not for those who> feed on division and > hatred.
Needed today are political and religious> Conservatives who have read the > Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, American> History (warts and all) > and who might have actually read and internalized the> message of the > Bible.> > Sometimes, the best step forward is a step to the> rear, a return to the > basics; and if church leaders and politicians won’t lead> the right way, it’s > time for the laity, ordinary people, to take charge and> lead the nation back to > its founding principles; one can be sure, bottom feeders> that they are, > politicians and church leaders will follow.> > Semper Fidelis >
The Value of Being Persistent And Partnering With Those Who Are
Repost From the Harvard School of Business
The Success of Persistent Entrepreneurs
Q&A with:
Paul A. Gompers, Josh Lerner, and David S. Scharfstein
Published:
February 2, 2009
Author:
Sarah Jane Gilbert
Executive Summary:
Want to be a successful entrepreneur? Your best bet might be to partner with entrepreneurs who have a track record of success, suggests new research by Paul A. Gompers, Josh Lerner, David S. Scharfstein, and Anna Kovner. Key concepts include:
Previously successful entrepreneurs are significantly more likely to lead successful new ventures than first-timers or those who previously failed.
Successful entrepreneurs are adept at selecting the right industry and time to start new ventures.
Suppliers and customers are more likely to back a person with previous successes.
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About Faculty in this Article:
Paul A. Gompers is the Eugene Holman Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
More Working Knowledge from Paul A. Gompers
Paul A. Gompers - Faculty Research Page
E-mail Paul A. Gompers: pgompers@hbs.edu
About Faculty in this Article:
Josh Lerner is the Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking at Harvard Business School.
More Working Knowledge from Josh Lerner
Josh Lerner - Faculty Research Page
About Faculty in this Article:
David S. Scharfstein is the Edmund Cogswell Converse Professor of Finance and Banking at Harvard Business School.
More Working Knowledge from David S. Scharfstein
David S. Scharfstein - Faculty Research Page
When it comes to entrepreneurship, nothing says success like a track record of previous wins.
Entrepreneurs with a history of success are much more likely to succeed in new ventures than first-timers or those who failed previously, new research from Harvard Business School demonstrates in the working paper, "Performance Persistence in Entrepreneurship" [PDF].
The news that successful experience, or performance persistence, pays off may not be news at all. But HBS researchers were surprised at just how much it does help. Successful entrepreneurs in the study had a 34 percent chance of succeeding in their next venture-backed firm, compared with 23 percent for those who previously failed and 22 percent for first-timers.
"The size of the effect more than anything was surprising," note HBS professors Paul A. Gompers and Josh Lerner in an e-mail interview. "We know that there was likely to be some degree of performance persistence, but the magnitude was quite striking."
Their research, conducted with HBS professor David S. Scharfstein and former doctoral student Anna Kovner (MBA '00, PhDBE '08), raises issues that could use further study. For example, do successful serial entrepreneurs receive higher valuations and less restrictive covenants when they raise capital?
Sarah Jane Gilbert: Can you explain the concept of "performance persistence" and what it entails?
Paul Gompers and Josh Lerner: Essentially, entrepreneurs who start venture-backed companies that are successful are more likely to be successful in their next venture-backed firm.
"There is support for the view that some component of performance persistence stems from 'success breeding success.'"
These effects are large and dramatic: All else equal, venture-capital-backed entrepreneurs who succeed in a venture (by our definition, starts a company that goes public) have a 34 percent chance of succeeding in their next venture. By contrast, first-time entrepreneurs have only a 22 percent chance of succeeding, and entrepreneurs who previously failed have a 23 percent chance of succeeding.
Q: How do contributing factors such as skill versus perception affect performance persistence?
A: While clearly skill is an important element, there is also support for the view that some component of performance persistence stems from "success breeding success." For instance, entrepreneurs whose first venture succeeded at least in part due to good timing seem to also do well in subsequent ventures. (By good timing we mean those entrepreneurs who founded a company in a given industry at a time when most new ventures did well: for example, microcomputer-related firms begun in 1981 or Internet firms started in 1996.) Of course, starting a company at an opportune time and place also displays a certain kind of skill as well.
Q: What are some of the more actively pursued industries by entrepreneurs?
A: Venture capitalists typically invest in industries that have substantial growth opportunities and a defensible intellectual property position. Within the study, the computer and Internet, telecommunications, and life sciences industries are disproportionately represented because they have those characteristics. When we look at the more recent years in our data, industries like cleantech have risen in importance.
Because we are focusing on venture-backed firms in this study, the industries are those that are most common for venture capitalists to fund: Internet and software, biotechnology, and telecommunications.
Q: Was there anything in your findings that surprised you?
A: The size of the effect more than anything was surprising. We know that there was likely to be some degree of performance persistence, but the magnitude was quite striking.
Q: Given the current economic conditions, do you have any advice for entrepreneurs who are considering launching a new venture at this time?
A: Certainly one lesson that emerges from our analysis is to find an experienced (and successful) partner! Given the very difficult investment conditions, venture investors are paring back their portfolios and are hesitant to make new commitments. To get serious consideration, the more that you can do to seem like a "sure thing," the better off you are.
More generally, being as careful as you can be with resources, and flexible in terms of the types of arrangements that you are willing to enter into, are particularly important in an environment such as this one.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: We are focused on further disentangling the underlying factors that impact the success of venture-capital-backed start-ups. The data that lies at the heart of our performance persistence papers was gathered from multiple sources over a three- or four-year period. It includes information on the company founders, the venture- capital firms, the boards of directors, and the outcomes of these start-ups.
"One lesson that emerges from our analysis is to find an experienced (and successful) partner!"
One current project examines the value of boards of directors in start-up firms. We are also examining issues related to the expansion of venture-capital firms. How and when do venture-capital firms open up new offices? How do the strategic choices related to opening up those offices affect the success of investments? Finally, we are also beginning to explore how the experience and background of the individual venture capitalists influences their investment success.
We are trying to understand the drivers of success in new ventures and venture firms more generally. On the first front, we are exploring questions such as what makes up an effective board of directors for an entrepreneurial firm. On a second dimension, we are exploring issues such as how venture organizations grow: Does it make sense to open an office in a faraway city, and if so, should one staff it with a "local" or a veteran of the firm's home office.
About the author
Sarah Jane Gilbert is a Web
The Success of Persistent Entrepreneurs
Q&A with:
Paul A. Gompers, Josh Lerner, and David S. Scharfstein
Published:
February 2, 2009
Author:
Sarah Jane Gilbert
Executive Summary:
Want to be a successful entrepreneur? Your best bet might be to partner with entrepreneurs who have a track record of success, suggests new research by Paul A. Gompers, Josh Lerner, David S. Scharfstein, and Anna Kovner. Key concepts include:
Previously successful entrepreneurs are significantly more likely to lead successful new ventures than first-timers or those who previously failed.
Successful entrepreneurs are adept at selecting the right industry and time to start new ventures.
Suppliers and customers are more likely to back a person with previous successes.
Want to be a successful entrepreneur? Your best bet might be to partner with entrepreneurs who have a track record of success, suggests new research by Paul A. Gompers, Josh Lerner, David S. Scharfstein, and Anna Kovner.
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About Faculty in this Article:
Paul A. Gompers is the Eugene Holman Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
More Working Knowledge from Paul A. Gompers
Paul A. Gompers - Faculty Research Page
E-mail Paul A. Gompers: pgompers@hbs.edu
About Faculty in this Article:
Josh Lerner is the Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking at Harvard Business School.
More Working Knowledge from Josh Lerner
Josh Lerner - Faculty Research Page
About Faculty in this Article:
David S. Scharfstein is the Edmund Cogswell Converse Professor of Finance and Banking at Harvard Business School.
More Working Knowledge from David S. Scharfstein
David S. Scharfstein - Faculty Research Page
When it comes to entrepreneurship, nothing says success like a track record of previous wins.
Entrepreneurs with a history of success are much more likely to succeed in new ventures than first-timers or those who failed previously, new research from Harvard Business School demonstrates in the working paper, "Performance Persistence in Entrepreneurship" [PDF].
The news that successful experience, or performance persistence, pays off may not be news at all. But HBS researchers were surprised at just how much it does help. Successful entrepreneurs in the study had a 34 percent chance of succeeding in their next venture-backed firm, compared with 23 percent for those who previously failed and 22 percent for first-timers.
"The size of the effect more than anything was surprising," note HBS professors Paul A. Gompers and Josh Lerner in an e-mail interview. "We know that there was likely to be some degree of performance persistence, but the magnitude was quite striking."
Their research, conducted with HBS professor David S. Scharfstein and former doctoral student Anna Kovner (MBA '00, PhDBE '08), raises issues that could use further study. For example, do successful serial entrepreneurs receive higher valuations and less restrictive covenants when they raise capital?
Sarah Jane Gilbert: Can you explain the concept of "performance persistence" and what it entails?
Paul Gompers and Josh Lerner: Essentially, entrepreneurs who start venture-backed companies that are successful are more likely to be successful in their next venture-backed firm.
"There is support for the view that some component of performance persistence stems from 'success breeding success.'"
These effects are large and dramatic: All else equal, venture-capital-backed entrepreneurs who succeed in a venture (by our definition, starts a company that goes public) have a 34 percent chance of succeeding in their next venture. By contrast, first-time entrepreneurs have only a 22 percent chance of succeeding, and entrepreneurs who previously failed have a 23 percent chance of succeeding.
Q: How do contributing factors such as skill versus perception affect performance persistence?
A: While clearly skill is an important element, there is also support for the view that some component of performance persistence stems from "success breeding success." For instance, entrepreneurs whose first venture succeeded at least in part due to good timing seem to also do well in subsequent ventures. (By good timing we mean those entrepreneurs who founded a company in a given industry at a time when most new ventures did well: for example, microcomputer-related firms begun in 1981 or Internet firms started in 1996.) Of course, starting a company at an opportune time and place also displays a certain kind of skill as well.
Q: What are some of the more actively pursued industries by entrepreneurs?
A: Venture capitalists typically invest in industries that have substantial growth opportunities and a defensible intellectual property position. Within the study, the computer and Internet, telecommunications, and life sciences industries are disproportionately represented because they have those characteristics. When we look at the more recent years in our data, industries like cleantech have risen in importance.
Because we are focusing on venture-backed firms in this study, the industries are those that are most common for venture capitalists to fund: Internet and software, biotechnology, and telecommunications.
Q: Was there anything in your findings that surprised you?
A: The size of the effect more than anything was surprising. We know that there was likely to be some degree of performance persistence, but the magnitude was quite striking.
Q: Given the current economic conditions, do you have any advice for entrepreneurs who are considering launching a new venture at this time?
A: Certainly one lesson that emerges from our analysis is to find an experienced (and successful) partner! Given the very difficult investment conditions, venture investors are paring back their portfolios and are hesitant to make new commitments. To get serious consideration, the more that you can do to seem like a "sure thing," the better off you are.
More generally, being as careful as you can be with resources, and flexible in terms of the types of arrangements that you are willing to enter into, are particularly important in an environment such as this one.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: We are focused on further disentangling the underlying factors that impact the success of venture-capital-backed start-ups. The data that lies at the heart of our performance persistence papers was gathered from multiple sources over a three- or four-year period. It includes information on the company founders, the venture- capital firms, the boards of directors, and the outcomes of these start-ups.
"One lesson that emerges from our analysis is to find an experienced (and successful) partner!"
One current project examines the value of boards of directors in start-up firms. We are also examining issues related to the expansion of venture-capital firms. How and when do venture-capital firms open up new offices? How do the strategic choices related to opening up those offices affect the success of investments? Finally, we are also beginning to explore how the experience and background of the individual venture capitalists influences their investment success.
We are trying to understand the drivers of success in new ventures and venture firms more generally. On the first front, we are exploring questions such as what makes up an effective board of directors for an entrepreneurial firm. On a second dimension, we are exploring issues such as how venture organizations grow: Does it make sense to open an office in a faraway city, and if so, should one staff it with a "local" or a veteran of the firm's home office.
About the author
Sarah Jane Gilbert is a Web
Monday, May 25, 2009
Free Network Mktg Leads With Online Article Directories
Here is a great repostpostpostpost......
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
How to Get Free Network Marketing Leads with Online Article Directories
25 May
Posted by: Yvonne in: Internet Marketing
These days, more and more Network Marketers are using the Internet to market and prospect for their businesses. This method is called the Online Network Marketing. They start by establishing their presence online by owning a website, whether it is their own or their company replicate websites. Just like any other online businesses, the key to using the Internet to market and prospect is generate free network marketing leads . One of the method to achieve this is done through Article Submission.
If done correctly, article marketing can not only get free network marketing leads , but it can also ensure that the visitors who come to your website are keen on learning more about your opportunity.
The basic idea here is to write articles on topics that pertain to your business and your products. For example, if your company has a product that can improve people's health, people who are interested in improving their health will be interested in reading your article. If your article can communicate the fact that your product can indeed improve their overall health, you will have a lot of interested readers. These people will want to find more information about you and your business if they think you have provided valuable information for them through your article. If this happens, your article can generate a high Click-Through Rate (CTR) to your website. This basically means, more people will click on the link to your website from your article.
If what you're aiming to do is to get people to join your business, with Article Marketing in your Web Network Marketing, you can write articles on the following topics:1) What your business is about, 2) How people can work from home with your opportunity, 3) How people can start the business, 4) How much money they stand to make, and what the money can do to them5) Stories of how your company product has helped a lot of people, and so forth.
These topics have a good measure of general interest associated with them. This ensures that your articles will get good readership. Once these people have read your articles, they will most likely want to read more about you.
Before submitting your articles to several Online Article Directories as part of your Online Network Marketing activities, you will have to pay attention to the following things.
1) Make your articles Search Engine Optimized by using the appropriate keywords in the right density. Keyword density is the number of your keywords of interest divided by the number of the total keywords in your article. You don't want any part of your article to sound too repetitive for your human readers if you use your keywords of interest too much. On the other hand, you want to make sure that your article will get picked up by the Search Engine. Therefore, a good balance between too many keywords and too few keywords is key. A keyword density between 1% - 2% should provide a good balance for your articles. You could find out what keywords related to your business that people are mostly searching for on the Internet and then use them in your article. Google keywords tool is one of the free online keywords tool that you can use to do this. Another keyword research tool that I use is Keyword Elite. It has a lot more features than the Google Keyword Tool. You can use this keyword research tool to generate thoudsands of keywords based on your main keywords of interest. You can also “spy” on your competitors to see if they use the same keywords either on their websites or in their Pay per Click (PPC) campaign.
Some article directories allow you to put links for your keywords. Whenever you can, you should put links to your website or whatever you're promoting for your keywords.
2) Write articles that communicate to your readers what your business is all about and how you can help them to achieve their goals. Often times, they find your articles through the Search Engine, by typing some keywords that reflect their needs for information on topics or things that they are interested in. If you can fulfill their needs with your article, more than likely they will want to check you and your business out by clicking on the links you provide in your articles. These links are called back links.
3) Make sure that the number of articles you submit is significant. Submitting just one or two articles will do nothing. You need to submit articles in a regular manner so that they can bring in the traffic. A good frequency would be three to four articles a week to begin with and then steadily increase the frequency. If you feel like you can't write articles that frequently, you can always outsource this task to other people. There are a lot of freelance ghostwriters out there that you can hire to write articles for you. In fact, some of them will submit the articles for you too! You can find these writers at Elance dot com, Guru dot com and Odesk dot com. You can also find them in online forums like the Warrior Forum, Digital Point and Site Point forums.
4) There are just too many Online Article Directories out there. You should focus first on submitting your articles to the online article directories that have a high Google Page Rank of 5 and above. This would make it easier for the Search Engines, like Google, Yahoo, MSN, to find your articles. For a list of High Page Rank Online Article Directories, you can read it here, Article Submission.
With all these efforts in order, it is almost certain that you and your Online Network Marketing through Article Submission will get a steady flow of interested free traffic to your website.
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
How to Get Free Network Marketing Leads with Online Article Directories
25 May
Posted by: Yvonne in: Internet Marketing
These days, more and more Network Marketers are using the Internet to market and prospect for their businesses. This method is called the Online Network Marketing. They start by establishing their presence online by owning a website, whether it is their own or their company replicate websites. Just like any other online businesses, the key to using the Internet to market and prospect is generate free network marketing leads . One of the method to achieve this is done through Article Submission.
If done correctly, article marketing can not only get free network marketing leads , but it can also ensure that the visitors who come to your website are keen on learning more about your opportunity.
The basic idea here is to write articles on topics that pertain to your business and your products. For example, if your company has a product that can improve people's health, people who are interested in improving their health will be interested in reading your article. If your article can communicate the fact that your product can indeed improve their overall health, you will have a lot of interested readers. These people will want to find more information about you and your business if they think you have provided valuable information for them through your article. If this happens, your article can generate a high Click-Through Rate (CTR) to your website. This basically means, more people will click on the link to your website from your article.
If what you're aiming to do is to get people to join your business, with Article Marketing in your Web Network Marketing, you can write articles on the following topics:1) What your business is about, 2) How people can work from home with your opportunity, 3) How people can start the business, 4) How much money they stand to make, and what the money can do to them5) Stories of how your company product has helped a lot of people, and so forth.
These topics have a good measure of general interest associated with them. This ensures that your articles will get good readership. Once these people have read your articles, they will most likely want to read more about you.
Before submitting your articles to several Online Article Directories as part of your Online Network Marketing activities, you will have to pay attention to the following things.
1) Make your articles Search Engine Optimized by using the appropriate keywords in the right density. Keyword density is the number of your keywords of interest divided by the number of the total keywords in your article. You don't want any part of your article to sound too repetitive for your human readers if you use your keywords of interest too much. On the other hand, you want to make sure that your article will get picked up by the Search Engine. Therefore, a good balance between too many keywords and too few keywords is key. A keyword density between 1% - 2% should provide a good balance for your articles. You could find out what keywords related to your business that people are mostly searching for on the Internet and then use them in your article. Google keywords tool is one of the free online keywords tool that you can use to do this. Another keyword research tool that I use is Keyword Elite. It has a lot more features than the Google Keyword Tool. You can use this keyword research tool to generate thoudsands of keywords based on your main keywords of interest. You can also “spy” on your competitors to see if they use the same keywords either on their websites or in their Pay per Click (PPC) campaign.
Some article directories allow you to put links for your keywords. Whenever you can, you should put links to your website or whatever you're promoting for your keywords.
2) Write articles that communicate to your readers what your business is all about and how you can help them to achieve their goals. Often times, they find your articles through the Search Engine, by typing some keywords that reflect their needs for information on topics or things that they are interested in. If you can fulfill their needs with your article, more than likely they will want to check you and your business out by clicking on the links you provide in your articles. These links are called back links.
3) Make sure that the number of articles you submit is significant. Submitting just one or two articles will do nothing. You need to submit articles in a regular manner so that they can bring in the traffic. A good frequency would be three to four articles a week to begin with and then steadily increase the frequency. If you feel like you can't write articles that frequently, you can always outsource this task to other people. There are a lot of freelance ghostwriters out there that you can hire to write articles for you. In fact, some of them will submit the articles for you too! You can find these writers at Elance dot com, Guru dot com and Odesk dot com. You can also find them in online forums like the Warrior Forum, Digital Point and Site Point forums.
4) There are just too many Online Article Directories out there. You should focus first on submitting your articles to the online article directories that have a high Google Page Rank of 5 and above. This would make it easier for the Search Engines, like Google, Yahoo, MSN, to find your articles. For a list of High Page Rank Online Article Directories, you can read it here, Article Submission.
With all these efforts in order, it is almost certain that you and your Online Network Marketing through Article Submission will get a steady flow of interested free traffic to your website.
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