Your Networking Plan of Action should define your objective(s). Begin with a purpose. Each time you attend an event determine why you want to network, make a list of your objectives and develop a plan of action to achieve those goals and objectives. Ask yourself the following:

1. Is participating in the network to broaden your professional horizons, increase business by a certain percent, get more referrals or sales leads, or help others?

2. What can you offer those you network with in exchange for information, knowledge, experience and contacts?

3. Which organizations should you consider for the best “bang for your buck,” and most importantly, your investment of TIME? One of the best ways to get to know people “up close and personal” is to volunteer to serve on a committee; give your time and talent to a cause. People want to do business with people who have similar interests and values.

4. What benefits do/can you offer to entice people to do business with you? This is your “30 second commercial.”

Build Your Network – Networking is an investment of time and effort in establishing and maintaining contacts. The first two rules are to be interested and prepared. If you follow the suggestions listed below, you will have more new contacts that you may find it a challenge to keep track of all those you meet. Not to worry, the important thing is to make the contacts and watch what happens.

Ask your current “circle of influence” for opportunities to which they can direct you. Determine and develop “key people” who will become your greatest networking champions. Find out who in your network’s network seems to know “everyone,” and get to know them. Make contacts on a regular basis. When you do, be prepared with what you want to say – rehearsal is always good If you must leave a message, make it short, to the point and leave your contact information. Be a good talker and a better listener.

Get to know your network. Find out their birthdays, anniversaries, kids’ names, hobbies. Use your network to gain introductions. When given referrals, find out who the decision maker is, and more importantly, get to know the gate-keepers. Give referrals to those with whom you network. Become a source of reference to build “word-of-mouth” marketing.

If you cannot find a suitable network, consider creating one yourself. It can be as simple as a lunch or dinner gathering or as complicated as starting a new organization. WECAI.org was born out of a need my “circle” and I had to stay connected when we were not together. And we are even creating opportunities to have those all important, relationship building in-person meetings again. For more information visit: www.wecai.org/

Be Visible Without Really Trying. – You don’t have to be the leader of the organization to get noticed (although it certainly doesn’t hurt). There are other, more subtle ways be visible within any social setting or community – both online and offline.

1. Ask questions. Participate in discussions.

2. Write letters to your industry magazines and newsletters.

3. Introduce yourself to people during meetings, conferences and social events.

4. Make people laugh.

5. Create an unusual business card – or signature file.

6. Take up an unusual hobby (but not too weird).

7. Use your wardrobe to help you stand out without being outlandish.

8. Do favors for others and remember tothank those who do favors for you in a timely fashion.

Building relationships begins with networking. Whether you are finding contacts online or in person, every opportunity you have to meet new people is an opportunity to increase your circle and grow your business! Networking is a process. If you are willing to invest your time, the payoffs can be BIG. However, it’s not realistic to expect instant success. It takes time. You can plan your networking opportunities to shorten the time it takes to build those relationships.

Networking can enrich your life, increase your circle of contacts, grow your business, enhance your professional image, and make new friends. It begins with taking a risk, exploring new territory and talking to people. When you do, doors will open for you, many of them when you least expect it, and need it most. Happy Networking!

Relationship marketing and social networking are the key words in today’s world. True for business and true for life. Just what are they? And why are they important? Relationship marketing is much more than “networking. It’s gathering support of your friends, peers, and business contacts. It’s meeting people and benefiting from those meetings. It’s developing strong, lasting, unique relationships with your most valuable asset, your customer. It’s what keeps people “coming back for more.” It’s an excellent way to shorten the traditional routes of building trust, create opportunities, increase valuable contacts, to achieve success and grow your business. Social networking can be reap the same benefits except that the way you develop these relationships is online; by participating in newsgroups, in forums, chat rooms, virtual meetings and associations and any number of other forms online opportunities.

Currently, I attend 3 to 5 events weekly, both offline and offline. In fact, many of the groups on am involved in are virtual associations which are an extension of most social networking sites in that they are membership based with varying degrees of benefits beyond simply networking. One of these is the Women’s ECommerce Association or WECAI.org. The focus or mission of WECAI.org is to “Help Women Do Business on the WEB.” As a woman who does business on the web, I am always seeking ways to help me gain the knowledge, experience and contacts to do just that. In fact, WECAI.org is an organization I started in order to do just that. And it began because of an event I attended nearly five years ago and thousands of miles away. You might think “this is far too many organizations for me or too far for me to travel just to increase my own circle.” And you are probably right.

However, let me tell you what happened during one of those many events I attended, in Egypt (which I learned about by way of an email invitation). During this particular event, I met many women (and a few good men) who have since been a great resource to me in developing WECAI.org. Among them was Linda Pereira, Executive Director of CPL Events in Portugal. Linda is a dynamic woman who knows how to network. When you watch her, it does not look like “work” at all. She does so effortlessly and with such joy, it makes everyone around her want to learn how to do the same. Her secret? It’s her genuine interest in, and passion for people. She doesn’t just hand out business cards, she finds out about the people she talks to, gets to know their likes, dislikes, aspirations and goals in life. She finds out how she can help them to achieve their goals and offers her own wisdom and experience. She extends her hand and in so doing, a hand is extended to her, both in friendship and in increased professional contacts. Meeting her was and still is one of the highlights of my travels and my life. She has become a great colleague and more importantly a treasured friend. Dale Carnegie said, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get others interested in you.” The same could be said for increasing your professional networks.

Early on I learned that in order to get people to notice me, I had to be visible. You might have guessed that I will go just about anywhere to meet people. Since my ‘job’ was to “go out and get the business,” I learned to work on my business and leave the working “in my business” to those more capable of the day to day operations. When you grow your business, you can afford to hire others to take care of those day to day operations. Think about what you want and need to accomplish. Do you want to develop lifelong friendships, cultivate individual customers, land large accounts, or make an impact in your community? You will accomplish all three by getting involved in your local civic organizations, chambers of commerce, business and non-profit Associations, or some of the thousands of virtual associations there are on the WEB. According to Wikipedia.com “social networks operate on many levels, from families up to the level of nations, and play a critical role in determining the way problems are solved, organizations are run, and the degree to which individuals succeed in achieving their goals.”

When evaluating the various ways to increase your contacts, ask yourself the following questions. What is the mission or focus of the organization and how will it help me reach my goals? Whom do I need to meet in order to accomplish my goals? And where do I meet them? Linda Pereira says, “If you want to meet people, you have to go where the people are. Focus your efforts by being in the right place at the right time. It’s not just who you meet, but how and where you meet them. Meeting people in the ‘right places’ adds credibility to that meeting.” That’s not to say that striking up a conversation in the supermarket has no value. It does. It’s just that if you want to develop the right contacts, you must participate in the right organizations. Go where the people you wish to network with will be!

Building your Network is an ongoing process. Are you willing to invest the time it takes to achieve your goals? How much time is enough? Begin with the end in mind. The key to success is to know what you want to accomplish. To start networking, the first thing you have to do is set your foot in the door (or turn on your computer). Increasing your “Circle of Influence” is a continuous process. It is essential to develop a networking plan both for business and personal contacts. In business, the right networking can be ten times more effective than advertising. And it costs less!

In the next post I will talk about Your Networking Plan of Action

When it comes to success, many of us loose site of just how much have accomplished in a day, a week, a month, a year and even a lifetime.  How good are you at celebrating your successes?  Or do you tend to focus on your faults and failures more?  A wise woman once said “We must learn from our mistakes.  However don’t let them consume you or you will never achieve greatness.  Celebrate your successes no matter how small or trivial they may seem. After all, that is where the real joy in life comes from.”

Here are some ways you can review and celebrate your successes.

As the year comes to a close, look back at the last several months and make a list of 20 accomplishments. This may be difficult for you to do as you review the past year.  You may only come up with 5 or 10 things.  That’s okay!  Start there.  Add to it as you think of more.  Ask your family and friends what they think you have accomplished.  You will be amazed at how quickly your list will grow.

The next thing to do is to start writing down all the things you accomplished each day.  At the end of the day, list 2-5 (or more) things that you accomplished that day (no matter how trivial they may seem).

You can buy a simple journal and call it your Success Journal.  Keep it near you at all times so that when you have reached one of your goals, a milestone or accomplished a simple task, it is handy for you to write in.

The Ta-da list is a great counterbalance for your to-do list and you will find that you have accomplished more than you thought you had.  In addition, the ta-da list creates an emotional spark to your soul often giving you the encouragement you need to keep on keeping on with the goals you have set for yourself.

And finally, when you have 5-10 things on your list (or even one) REWARD YOURSELF!  Go to the spa, get a manicure, take half a day off, go to a museum, buy a new pair of shoes J (my personal favorite) and remember to pat yourself on the back.  I have one friend who every time she accomplished a major goal, she bought herself a trophy!  The “AWARDS” guy loved her… She has so many now that she spends the money on supporting worthy causes.  This makes her feel good and she spreads her success around.

What I most enjoy about posting things like one-liners on Twitter is the interesting responses I receive. Sharon Klein (@Choicemktg on Twitter) wrote, “Your one lines made me chuckle.” Me too, Sharon! One-liners are a great way to start conversations on Twitter, and I have found that like #Quotes, One-liners get retweeted often and my followers grow almost at the same pace as the number of one-liners I post.

For example, today I posted 20 one-liners and got 13 new followers. And that was in less than an hour. I can’t say for certain they all followed because they read my posts from others who retweeted, but it is a nice coincidence.

One of the responses I received came from my good friend Debbie Barth (@DebbieBarth on Twitter). She wrote: “I love one-liners. I think they can be much more powerful than a paragraph.” So true, Debbie. One-liners can make us think, smile and even get angry. They can make us look at something in a new and interesting way, they can take us back to a time in history, they can be nostalgic and they can be just plain fun.  You can find one liners on Twitter using the hashtag #1Liner or #1Liners.

Companies have learned how to create slogans and taglines that have become one-liners for us in everyday conversation.  Nike’s “Just do it.” is a perfect example. So is Verizon’s “can you hear me now?” 

And comedians count on one-liners to get their audiences to laugh. 

There are one-liners in movies we can recall and often quote. A few of my favorite are “show me the money” and “you had me at hello” both from the movie Jerry McGuire; “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn,” from Gone with the Wind, “Make him an offer he can’t refuse” from The Godfather, “I’ll be back” from The Terminator, “Houston, we have a problem” from Apollo 13 and “I’ll have what she’s having” from When Harry Met Sally. In fact, here is a list of 101 famous movie one-liners you can check out: http://amog.com/entertainment/movie-one-liners/

So, in keeping with the Twitter Theme today,  I thought it would be fun to simply add some of my personal favorites to the mix that make me smile, think, and even look at myself a little differently.

Here’s my 13 Favorite One Liners for Today:

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’, and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.

We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police.”

A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.

Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

A bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist.

A TV can insult your intelligence, but nothing rubs it in like a computer.

You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.

Some of us learn from the mistakes of others; the rest of us have to be the others.

People can be divided into three groups: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.

I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.

Discretion is being able to raise your eyebrow instead of your voice.

(source: http://www.onelinerz.net)

Have a FUN-tastic Day… all!

Have you grabed your copy of  Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year yet?

Join me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/heidirichards

“The right mentor can be a catalyst to your success in building wealth.” Heidi Richards Mooney

Don’t know where to begin when it comes to building your own wealth? Oh, sure, you’ve read all the books and know some pretty rich people. And you say to yourself, how did they get so rich? And how can I do the same? You’ve attended wealth building seminars, workshops and conferences on the subject and even perused the internet. All valuable ways to increase your own wealth-building knowledge. And yet, you feel like you’re still missing an important key.

What you may need is a Wealth Mentor. Someone to coach you; someone to help you put all the pieces of your new-found knowledge together; someone who is willing to share her own expertise.

Just how do you find someone willing to share her expertise and wealth-building strategies? First of all you need to know what to look for. You wouldn’t go to someone who is down and out or struggling financially for advice, you would look for someone who has been there, done that and is still doing it. Making money that is! And the person should be someone you admire, trust and is willing to share her time with you, to coach you. The mentor/protégé relationship can be an informal one whereby you ask occasional advice or it can be more structured where the two of you meet frequently (at scheduled intervals) and discuss your goals and aspirations. A mentor must be not only be willing to do so, she must be committed to your success.

The first thing to do when seeking a mentor is write down the attributes you want your mentor to possess. Does your wealth mentor need to be a millionaire or would someone financially solvent be sufficient? What other attributes and characteristics do you want your mentor to have? A good mentor is non-judgmental, open and honest, a good listener, good observer, has the time and expertise you need and is patient. And don’t’ think the mentor is going to do it all for you.

This type of relationship is a two way street. It should be mutually beneficial. A good protégé must have a genuine desire to learn, is non-judgmental, trustworthy, ethical, takes initiative, asks for feedback and gives feedback on her progress. A good protégé learns to be a good listener. Does your mentor need to be local or could it be someone you could contact via phone or virtually? Many good relationships are virtual these days.

Since the emergence of the Internet, coaches and mentors around the world have moved their practices online and via phone. Make a list of people you know who might fit your criteria. If you are having trouble coming up with names, ask your circle of influence for some suggestions. If you don’t know the persons suggested, ask for a formal introduction. You can join your local Chamber of Commerce or other professional associations and get involved. By attending meetings regularly people get to know you and the ideal mentor might be right under your nose.

Three words of caution when searching for a mentor: your email inbox. With the overwhelming email we receive each day, there is undoubtedly tons of emails in your inbox from people offering to show you how to get rich quick by following their advice, signing up for their system, selling their “product that sells itself. Hey, if the product really sold itself, why would it need so many people to promote it? I’m not suggesting that there aren’t really good products out there that you could represent that may lead to your financial success. What I am suggesting is that you need to use caution and reason when deciding if the people who make the claims are for real. And that’s another chapter all together. Choose wisely to find someone who is committed to the relationship, will give you time, and wants to see you thrive. Look for someone you can relate to, be open with and want to spend time getting to know better. The right mentor can be a catalyst to your success in building wealth. And isn’t that your goal?

©Heidi Richards Mooney – is a Professional Speaker, Business Coach and the Author of 7 books including: “Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ 365 Ways to Grow Your Business Using Zany & Non-Traditional Holidays www.QuirkyMarketingCalendar.com

Have you ever wondered how to say Thank You in Japanese (arigato) or Turkish (sogal)? With Thanksgiving only 3 days away, I thought it would be fun to share this list of how to say thank you around the world complete with pronunciations.

Amharic (Ethiopia)
(AH muh seh g’NAH lo)?
Arabic
shukran (SHOO krahn)
Bakweri (SW Cameroon)
(maa SOO maa)
Bangla (Bangladesh)
(DEN no vaht)
Bulgarian
blagodaria (BLAH go dahr YAH)
Cantonese (Hong Kong)
(DOE jeh)
Catalan (Spain)
gracies (GRAH shee esh?)
Dutch
dank ye vell (dahnk ye VELL)
English
thank you, thanks, thank you very much
Esperanto (International)
dankon
Ewe (Togo; Ghana) [pron. EH weh]
akpe (ah[k] PAI)
Farsi (Persian–Iran)
(mo ti SHAH ke RAHM), (MEHR see), (tah sha KOOR)
Fon (Gabon)
ablo (AH blow)
Foulani (West & Central Africa)
diarama (DYAH ra ma)
French
merci (mehr SEE)
Gaelic (Ireland)
mafgarna (MAHF gar nah)?
German
danke schoen (DAHNG ke shern)
Greek
(ef fah ree STAW)
Gujarati (W. India)
aabhar (ahb HAHR)
Hausa (Nigeria, etc.)
nugode (noo GOE dae) or yawa (YAH wahhh…)
Hawaiin
mahalo (mah hal o)
Hebrew
todah (toe DAH), todah rabbah (rah BAH)
Hindi (India)
dhaniawad (DHAN ya wad) See also Urdu.
Italian
grazie (GROTS yeh)
Japanese
arigato (ah ree GAH toe), domo arigato
Kashmiri (N. India/Pakistan/China)
shukria
Kazakh (Kazakhstan)
rakhmat (rakh MAHT)
Korean
gomapsunmida (go mahp SOON mee dah), (kom SAHN mee dah)
Magyar (Hungarian)
(KER se nem)
Mandarin (China)
(shyeh shyeh)
Mina (Gabon)
apke (ah P’? ay)
Nepalese
danievad (DAHN ya vaht)
Polish
(jen KOO yeh)
Portuguese
obrigado (awb ri GAH doe)
Russian
(spah SEE bah)
Serbo-Croatian
hvala (KHVAH la)
Sherpa (Nepal)
thuchiche (too cheh CHEH)
Spanish
gracias (GRAH syahs), muchas gracias (MOO chahs)
Tagalog (Philippines)
salamat (sah LAH maht)
Thai (Thailand)
korp kuhn ka(females)/klap(males)
Taiwanese
do sha (doe SHYAH)
Tajik (Tajikstan)
(tah sha KOOR)
Tibetan
thuchiche (TOO cheh cheh)
Turkish
sogal (sahl), (rakh MAHT?)
Twi (Ghana)
mi da waase (mee dah WAH say)
Urdu (Pakistan)
shukria (SHOO kree ah)
Uzbek (Uzbekikstan)
(rakh MAHT), (tah sha KOOR) (?)
Visaya (Philippines)
gracia (GRAH see ahs)
Welsh (Wales, UK)
diolch yn fawr (DYOLX uhn VOWR) [Pronounce the 'ch' as in German.]
Yiddish (E. Europe, U.S., Israel)
a dank (ah DAHNK)
Yoruba (W. Africa)
a dupe (ah DOO pae) or ocheum (OH cheh oom)

(Source: channel4000.com)

Have you  noticed how difficult it is to stay positive all the time? I mean REALLY!  And if you did stay positive, do you worry what others might think?  After all, the world is suffering. With all the negative energy flowing these days, it’s certainly not easy to stay positive and motivated. People are loosing their jobs, their businesses, their homes, their good credit and sometimes even the ones they love.

Maybe you are one of those people who have had a run of bad luck or perhaps you’ve just hit a road block. Or worse, everyone around you is singly the blues. It’s all you can do to stay positive even though you and your circle consider you a positive person.  I know, this has happened to me. Although I  don’t get into a FUNK or have a NEGATIVE DAY often, when I do get into one of those energy zones, the best I can do is stay away from others so as not to affect them too. You see, I don’t like myself when I am feeling this way and I am sure others don’t much like being around me either. In fact, when I had my retail florists, my staff told me they could always tell what kind of mood I was in when I walked through the door by how I walked in and what I said as I did so.  What are your “tell signs?”  Once I realized what mine were I became much more conscious of them and made an extra effort to be more positive (or where different shoes *SMILE). But I digress.

Well, I think that right now more than even the world needs people like you and me to stay positive and help them see that there is HOPE.  After all, what really matters isn’t what others think as much as it does what YOU think … and feel.

The good news is I have discovered some things to help me quickly recover from that FUNK.

Here are 7 steps to stay positive in a negative world and keep the energy flowing more smoothly:

1. STAY away from negative people. You know the ones. Those that rarely, if ever have anything positive to say. About anything. Or anyone. These people will ZAP your good energy faster than a bolt of lightening! FIRE all the negative friends in your life. Tell them you simply cannot hang with them anymore.  And don’t think you can turn them around. The best you can do is be a good example and hope that some of that positivity rubs off on them.  And if they are lucky, it might (but don’t hold your breath).

2. HANG with positive people.  Just like staying away from negative people will drain you of positive energy, hanging with positive people will enrich your life and fill your bucket with positive good energy.

3. LOOK for the good. If you are having a bad day, stop and think of all the good in your life. Ask yourself what is going good for you right now? Who do you know that is positive? Ask her or him what their secrets to staying positive are.  Think about what gives you positive energy.  If you cannot think of anything current, think about the past and what was good about it. Find ways to reconnect with that good. Revisit it. Visit people you have lost touch with that made you feel good about yourself.

4. FOLLOW your passion.  It is not easy to stay positive when you are not happy with your life.  Sit down and write what makes you happy. Make a list of 25 or 50 things you plan to accomplish before you leave the world.  And then do something about it. Start writing a plan for how to accomplish each or do each of those things on your list.  If you ever saw the movie, The BUCKET LIST, you may remember Morgan Freeman making such a list. He didn’t know exactly how he would be able to achieve his goals and do all the things on his Bucket List but he knew he was going to try! And as “luck” would have it, the very person who could help him was in the same hospital room. I know its only a movie, but stranger things have happened. First you have to set your intention. THEN figure out how to make it a reality.

5. UP your attitude.  In addition to surrounding yourself with positive people, subscribe to positive thoughts and ideas.  Read things like TUT ~ a note from the universe www.tut.com. TUT stand for truly unique thoughts and every day you get a wonderful, uplifting message in your email inbox or on your mobile phone.  Another great site for positive thoughts and energy is Blesstivals http://www.center-for-positive-service.com/category/spiritual-gifts/blesstivals/ created by my good friend Lori Prokopp and friends. Check out GreatDay.com the daily motivator site for positive inspiration. And last but not least is Beliefnet.com  http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/index.aspx  their mission is “to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness.”

6. FIND the humor in life. Humor helps you with those feelings of being overwhelmed and out of control. Studies have been done that humor helps people through the darkest hours of disease and come out on the other side. Humor can also help you stay positive and motivated. You have to remember to laugh.  Two of my favorite sites for humor resources are The Humor Project at http://www.humorproject.com/ and World Laughter Tour http://www.worldlaughtertour.com/. Keep a Humor Journal and when something strikes you funny, write it down. This will come in handy when you are having a bad day because you can open it up and read any page and feel the negative energy drift away. 

7. MAKE up your mind to be more positive. Developing a positive mental attitude is a choice. It requires nurturing and training. Sometimes it requires a whole new mindset. You have to first make up your mind to do so. And its not always easy or immediate.  It will require work and commitment.  And if you create a positivity plan, commit to it and really work it, I promise you will see results. And one of the benefits of being positive is that you will attract more like-minded people. Your life will be richer and more rewarding and you will find things will start coming to you with more ease. Your self-esteem will increase dramatically and you will start attracting more of the good things in life. I love how the National Association of Self Esteem ~ NASE describes self-esteem: “The experience of being capable of meeting life’s challenges and being worthy of happiness.” 

Robert Schuller said it best: It takes but one positive thought, when given a chance to survive and thrive, to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.
 
Be the person you would like to hang out with if you were someone else.  Being that person will lead you to a more fulfilled, joyful life.

Zig Ziglar said; “You can have everything you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

That is one of my favorite quotes of all time. Because it is so true in my life. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy for those who practice the messages. Think back over your life. Think about the people who have had a positive influence on you. These are people who probably don’t even know what an impact they have had on you. They did something, however small that made a difference in your life. Maybe it was a friend, or mentor, or boss, or employee, or student or teacher, or family member.  They impacted your life because they cared enough to do something for which they may or may not be repaid. Without expectation or seeking glory. They gave for the sake of giving.

And you? What have you done for someone else that may have impacted your life and theirs for the better? What could you do for someone today that might just matter tomorrow or years from now?

When you help someone else it increases your self confidence. You feel good about yourself and others feel better about you. Your TQ (trust quotient) goes way up. People like you more. And they want to do business with you. People want to support people who GIVE.

By helping others you help yourself.  And it’s not just about money.  It could be as simple as a phone call, a card in the mail, a kind expression, a shoulder to cry on, lending an ear… etc. In fact, there is a great new book that just came out this week which shares in-depth what happens to those who are givers. It is called The Power of Giving by Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon.

“The Power of Giving is a book that will show you the simple secrets to getting what you want most in life. Extensive scientific research shows that giving will benefit you, as much those you give to. In this award-winning book, authors Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon, reveal how you can live your life to achieve the greatest impact, happiness and satisfaction.”

Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul said about The Power of Giving,  “If everyone followed the advice given in this wonderful book, our world would be a richer, more equitable and peaceful place. I am personally touched by their deep message. The Power of Giving is a must read. Profit from reading it. Give it to everyone you love.”

“When you buy this book, you’ll help it to become a bestseller. This means you will also spread the message of giving. Already published in 9 languages, The Power of Giving won a 2009 Nautilus Gold Award — an honor previously bestowed upon authors such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, and Eckhart Tolle.”

You can follow The Power of Giving on their  fan page on Facebook or Twitter http://twitter.com/givingbook. You will also find helpful and inspiring articles every week when you  visit their blog.

The Power of Giving will help you to achieve more of what you want in your life. And you also receive several thousand dollars worth of gifts from partners who have also experienced the Power of Giving and want to share their gifts with you.  What about you? Are you ready to share your gifts with the world through Giving? Check it out at http://bit.ly/SrU87

Did you know that In Romanian, Greek and Hispanic cultures, Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky?

Hoteliers once believed the number 13 was so unlucky that they did not even have a 13th floor in their establishments.  Well technically they may have but they did not number the 13th floor #13. and in fact, many hotel guests still refuse to stay in Room 13, so rooms are frequently numbered 12, 12A, and 14.

Some believe that a fear of the number 13 is the reason we only recognize 12 constellations in the Zodiac. The 13th being Ophiuchus ( the Serpent Holder) because of its location, could be included.

And a Baker’s Dozen became so because years ago London bakers would be subject to heavy penalties if they were caught selling underweight bread. To insure their bread met the proper weight standards they would include an extra loaf and to avoid using the word thirteen, called it a “bakers dozen.”

But not everyone is afraid of the number 13. In fact, “in 1881, an influential group of New Yorkers led by U.S. Civil War veteran Captain William Fowler came together to put an end to this and other superstitions. They formed a dinner cabaret club, which they called the Thirteen Club. At the first meeting, on Friday 13 January 1881 at 8:13 p.m., 13 people sat down to dine in room 13 of the venue. The guests walked under a ladder to enter the room and were seated among piles of spilled salt. All of the guests survived. Thirteen Clubs sprang up all over North America for the next 40 years. Their activities were regularly reported in leading newspapers, and their numbers included five future U.S. presidents, from Chester A. Arthur to Theodore Roosevelt. Thirteen Clubs had various imitators, but they all gradually faded from interest as people became less superstitious.” (source: Wikipedia.com)

And I purchased Eden Florist on August 13th (in 1981). I have always loved the number 13 and consider it very lucky for me.  Can you guess which number I always play in the lottery???

In addition to all this trivia, I came across some great tips to share. Here is my list of 13 Tips to help you in business and in life With an excerpt from each:

13 Tips for Working Smarter, Not Harder
Tip #13  Beware of perfectionism. Most routine work doesn’t need to be done perfectly. Ask yourself — Is your effort disproportionate to the value of the task? Will other, more important projects be delayed as a result? Can you reduce the frequency or level of detail of this task? Read the rest at http://bit.ly/rXW65

13 tips for closing the deal from iMediaConnection.com 
Tip #13 Close. Get some concrete next steps agreed to. “Go ahead and think about it for a few days…” is not a wise course of action if you want to sell good ideas. It allows people to stew over things, and make the sort of “tiny” changes that are reaching right into the mouth of the campaign and perform an idea-ectomy. REad the rest at: www.imediaconnection.com/content/19887.asp

13 Twitter Tips and Tutorials for Beginners
 Tip #13 6 Ways to Maximize the Use of Your 140 Characters – basic ‘Tweet Writing Tips http://bit.ly/9rjTH. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/ZOF5y
 
13 Tips For Getting Page One Search Rankings
Tip #13 Leverage your closest affiliate relationships. Each company reacts to this one differently, but it’s worth a shot if you’re facing negative content that you want to make disappear quickly. If you have great relationships with affiliates, consider partnering with them to get links to the favorable web pages from a page on the affiliate’s website. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/t4Abe
 
13 Tips Your Burglar Doesn’t Want You To Know!
Tip #13 A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)  Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/ouv5n
 
13 Tips for Effective Email Marketing by MarketingVOX
Tip #13 Make it easy to unsubscribe to your messages. No matter how hard you try, there will always be someone who wants out. Don’t give them grief over it.Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/4GdthQ
 
13 tips (A baker’s dozen!) for successful e-commerce
Tip #13 Use analytics to gauge effectiveness. Measurement is a must. “Especially in challenging economic times, marketers are wise to leverage analytics to measure success,” said Eric Peterson, a Web analytics consultant. “The difference between knowing you’re spending marketing dollars online and knowing how that money contributes back to the business is profound.” Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/QvelQ
 
13 Tips for Mobilizing Online Action by Have Fun • Do Good
Tip #13 Facilitate peer-to-peer referrals. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/Z8wSW
 
13 Tips for Marketing Your Business With Your Blog
Tip #13 Mix it Up. If you decide just to go with one blog instead of multiple blogs for multiple channels of your company it can be worthwhile to mix up the type of content that appears on your blog. There are so many types of posts that a company could run depending upon their objectives including:
highlighting key staff members, message from the CEO, state of the industry posts, linking to breaking news in the industry, polls … Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/3wJg50

13 Tips for a STRESS-FREE Halloween
Tip #13 Hide your black cat. Some pet experts recommend hiding your black cat a few days before October 31st – not just on Halloween night. When it comes to pet safety, it’s better to be extra safe than extra sorry. Read the rest at: bit.ly/yEjay

13 Tips for Tough Times (GREEN LIVING)
Tip #13 DON’T MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES. If you’re going through a transitional period, remember that transitions are just that, transitions, advises Holt–and we need a certain amount of time to get through them. “We are such a quick-fix society that we want the answer now or even yesterday,” she says. “Allow time for transitions to happen. Stay with the simple things that you know to be true.”
Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/J8s1f

13 Tips To Help You Become More By Doing Less
Tip #13 Dancing & Grace. Inside of each of us is a dancer. That part of us that responds freely to the music of life. But somewhere along the way we become guarded. Our fears restrict us, and eventually we dismiss whatever gifts we have to offer. Today, let yourself dance. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/1vOO5m

And to round things out, here is a free ebook: 13 Tips to Enhance Your Intuition  Grab your copy here: http://bit.ly/dQOV2

 Feel free to share YOUR links to 13 tips (or less) in the comments below.