Here is how Small Businesses compete against the Big Guys

Imagine you are a small cafe owner and you want to be able to bring in the same kind of traffic that Starbucks gets but you just started, how do you go about doing that? The same can be said if you are a plumber or a independent fitness instructor? How do you go about getting your name out there so that people will come to you?

This is something that many small mom-and-pop shops have been dealing with a for a long time. If you lived in the anytime before the internet, the only way to get your name out there was to advertising on billboards, in the yellowpages, radio/TV (if you could afford it) and by passing out flyers by hand. Some businesses still do that today but the internet has changed things, sometimes for the better, but it has created a lot more competition for first time entrepreneurs.

Here are a few ways to start competing with the big boys
If you are an independent Coffee shop then getting on the band wagon with the app Cups will get you some business. Customers can sign up for a subscription to the service where they can go to any independently owned coffee house in the network and get unlimited coffee. The app pays the coffee shops a percentage for signing up to use the service. This allows anyone who uses the app to attend more local coffee houses instead of the bigger chains. Not bad for an unlimited cup of coffee. Subscription rates start at $7 and go up to $85. (Apple, Android)

Many small companies have trouble managing their accounts, some use small business software like quicken to keep track of stuff for them but what about printing receipts for a customer or accepting credit cards? If you are tech savvy and know where to go to set everything up it can take a bit of time but it’s possible but why go through all that trouble when you can let the app, ShopKeep, do it all for you. They take away the responsibility of needing a server so if your business has a fire or flooding nothing will get lost because ShopKeep manages everything on their own. The convenience behind this idea is that it lets you focus on just running your business and you can do it all from an iPad. (Apple)

Independent bookstores will be happy to see that there is a way to compete against Amazon using a service called Edelweiss. It lets librarians, bloggers, reviewers, rights acquirers, bookshop owners, and probably lots more interact with their database to find what they are looking for. It also lets them connect with publishers directly thereby  taking out any middlemen there might be. This service can be very helpful to those looking to create a special collection of books for a specific audience in your neighborhood store. (Sign up here)

Any small business will be happy to know about this service when it comes to advertising what their company does in a style that matches what people expect from a professional company. They want style, elegance and feel when watching a promotional video instead of an armature thrown together look. That is where the company, Shakr, comes in and changes all that and makes it easy for you to create your own professional looking video in just a few minutes. They have cultivated the minds of industry professionals who work in advertising and marketing and take apart the pieces of what makes their work stand out and created a place that utilizes their skills in a unique way that anyone with a computer can access.

Creating Legal documents on your own can be a challenge but not difficult. Some small businesses have created one page contracts using just Word with simple to follow rules. Any contract that both parties sign and agree to is a legally binding contract. The only difference is that contracts created by lawyers have been thoroughly researched to include years of experience about what should be included in certain types of contracts. Now there is an app you can carry with you on your smartphone that includes tons of contracts for all kinds of situations. The nice thing is that once you filled out the form and both parties have signed you can email a copy to the other person. Shake is the name of the program that allows to you to reduce the costs of hiring a lawyer every time you need a contract (but it does not act as a replacement, every contract can be changed and edited before both parties sign and all contracts provided are just standard forms and do not include anything the other party might want to include which you have to be willing to agree to before signing). (Apple)
To learn more about Shake read here.

If you ever needed a site that lets you advertise your services but also find work in the mealtime? Thumbtack has changed how service companies find work. It used to be that if someone needed a plumber they would just go to the yellowpages and called each one to get different prices. That took time and energy to find the cheapest one. Now with Thumbtack all someone has to do is type in the service they need and a zip code and then fill out a questionnaire that explains what they are looking for. After they submit the form local companies in the area can then bid on the project allowing the person to find the cheapest deal or the deal with the best quality. Service businesses of all types can sign up to use the service to help grow their company. Anyone can also sign up and use the website regularly to find what they are looking for. A great way of connecting people with local businesses but also perfect for small businesses just starting out.
You can read more about how Thumbtack got started and why its a game changer.

Additional Apps that offer great service
Mint – Finance app that lets you manage both your personal and small business reports. (Apple, Android)

Quip – App that lets you manage documents and tasks across different people. (Apple, Android)

Asana – App that allows for collaboration between work groups but also personal projects such as family events and friends. It is also able to connect with many popular apps as well for improved performance. (Apple, Android)

Expensify – Help keep track of all your business expenses with this app. It lets you track mileage, scan and upload receipts and even categorize and submit receipts. (Apple, Android)

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Whether you are just starting out or looking to reduce the costs of your business or just want to get more business these services are helping small businesses compete against the bigger guys by providing new ways of doing business. If any of these services help please provide a comment about how.

News Article

Modern Tools for Mom-and-Pops

You can Camp, Fish and Relax with this New Personal Plane

The world of personal travel is giving us options we never would have thought possible decades ago. We have flying cars, hover bikes, motorcycle helicopters, and now a personal plane for water, land, and snow. This is the kind of vehicle for a couple or single individual who has the freedom and time to travel anywhere making it the perfect vehicle for getting around. The light sports amphibious plane is known as World’s Most Advanced Plane (MVP).

If you live in an area where there are lots of lakes then this is a plane that you will want to consider buying because it would give you the freedom to go anywhere you wanted on a moment’s notice. Personal planes are nothing new but this one gives it a new twist, you can use it as a getaway location. You will be able to sleep in it, fish from, relax and read on it and probably lots more that people will be able to come up with once it gets on the market.

Freedom to Travel
The first part of the idea is nothing new, personal planes have been around for a long time. Many rich families buy them for the enjoyment of not having to buy airline tickets anymore, except in the case of overseas travel. Many individuals, families, and even commercial pilots own personal planes for many reasons, but one of the best is that they are able to go anywhere there is an airport to land at. Now there is a new plane that wants to change the freedom of travel by combing a number of options together and saving you money in the long run.

Say Hello to the MVP Aero Plane

You can see the number of ways a person could use this plane for getting around more. They are no longer limited to landing at an airport. They can use this plane as their own boat, they can land where there is water, and if they had a truck they can bring it on land and use it for camping inside. There are many features added on, as you could see from the video, hanging a hammock in the back to relax while reading a boat on the lake. If you could put up a canopy for sunlight protection you would have it made in the shade. While the plane in the video is not the final product, there is a chance that more will be added on later.

The multi-function of the plane will appeal to many people looking for something different in a personal plane. Those that already own a small plane will see this as something fun to have and enjoy, especially it if came with it’s own anchor system but I’m sure this plane was designed more for calm lakes instead of it the ocean where the waters can get dangerous at times.

There are so many things you could use this plane for
– quick getaways
– weekend fishing trips
– traveling around the world
– a travel blogger’s home
– Romantic Getaway
– Nature Trips
– Place for Inspired Writing
– Boating Trips
– Camping
– and Lots More!

You can watch an interview with Dan Johnson as he talks to the President of MVP AERO about the plane at the Annual Plane and Pilot Midwest LSA Expo.
Video Link

A Few Ideas for Improvement
This plane is already advanced and looking to be a great “toy” for anyone who has money to buy one ($189k, self-build kit $169k). When I first saw this plane I already thought there would be certain features already on the plane that made sense to have in the first place but now that I have read everything I can see that there will probably be later models (hopefully) that will add these on later (how else do you plan to keep appealing to new customers in the long run).

Features that Should be Present
– Landing Gear: there is talk of a landing gear on the plane and that was a question I had while reading all of this because I never saw one picture of the plane on wheels so that made it a huge concern.
– Anchor System: Yes I can see how some might say well you can just bring your own and that is true but we live in a modern world now where everything can be controlled by the flip of a switch so landing on the water and flipping a switch to drop the anchor while you set up your hammock to read will save you the trouble of knowing you won’t drift into anything on the water if you happen to fall asleep.
– Combined Helicopter Engines: This would make it easier for landing in small fields and even parking lots. In many cases it could also be used for small lakes and such. I understand that the design of the placement of the engine is what makes it all compact and if the engines were moved to the sides of the wings they would not be able to fold in.
– (USB) Plugs for charging: This might sound like a given but more and more vehicles are realizing how important it is to have plugs for recharging phones and any electronic devices, especially if you get stuck somewhere.
– Canopy Slots: The hammock idea is a great part of the plane but should someone fall asleep with no sunblock, ouch. There should be slots to put up a canopy above the hammock creating much needed shade. This could even be an added feature or just something nice to do for your customers.

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Even though this plane won’t be available for another 3 years it is great to know that such planes will be around. In the meantime there will be lots more entering the market during that time. The idea is to keep the plane compact, easy to use, lightweight, and versatile. If the plane gets too big it will be difficult to handle and the cost will go up. I can’t wait to see what the final product looks like once the plane enters the market. If anyone would like to buy me one I will not hesitate to accept.

If you are interested in learning more about this amazing plane, visit their website
MVP.AERO

Be sure to check out there FAQ section as this will answer a lot about what they are still working on.
For those who have money to burn you can order your plane right now
Reserve My Plane Now

Be sure to say hello to the Team on their Twitter Page MVP_AERO

Looking for High-End Jobs online? Your Wasting Your Time

Walk on to any golf course between the early mornings and lunch time and you will see many men puttering about on their golf carts with other people. They’re laughing, talking, and having a good time. From a distance they are just people enjoying a nice time out on the range shooting a few balls around.

During the same time that is happening there are people eating in nice cafes or restaurants either for brunch or lunch. Then there are the people who are enjoying a really nice dinner in a high end restaurant to cap off their busy day somewhere in the world right now. Again, from a distance they just look like people enjoying a nice meal and talking.

Now lets zoom in to those conversations. What is really happening there? Why aren’t the people who are playing golf at work? Don’t they have jobs and shouldn’t they be working to make money so they can support what ever it is they do? This is regardless of those who are retired and grew up doing the golf grooming thing. So, bottom line….why aren’t they working?

Real Work Happens Outside the Office
The truth about what those people are doing is that they ARE working, in the form of networking, conducting business deals, and talking over the details of prior arrangements. The idea of all business being conducted inside a closed office is one for the movies to show, and enough though some business does get done in those fancy rooms, people are people and high-end individuals like to conduct business in a fashion that is enjoyable for them.

The golfers and diners like to conduct business in a setting that puts them at ease so they can focus on what matters. This is also the place where offers are made, such as promotions and new job openings. The reason why you will never see an opening online for a CEO position is because those only go to people they already know (like a boys-only club), except in this case it’s an executives-only club. This is why people from Ivy Leagues have a greater chance of getting high end jobs, not because they know how to do the job (that’s just a given expectations and many times they have no experience so they will be groomed by their network of connections) but because their family knows people who know people who know who to talk to about getting the job.

Those dinners’ that happen over an expensive meal are meant to cover what is happening at the company. What new jobs are coming and in many cases, the new jobs that are created just to bring someone they like in to the company. This happens all the time. The higher up you know people the more power they have to create anything they want, even job positions. These are the very jobs that normally never get posted anywhere because they are only by word of month and friends of friends and even associates or class mates.

Word of Month Jobs
In many reports, studies, and magazines articles, you find those never-heard-of-jobs through people you know or network with. I have been offered many jobs that didn’t exist because I have always been asked to come in and create programs for businesses. Would those jobs have been advertised if I didn’t take the job? Maybe, but the idea here is that companies are more interested in finding people who have proven that they know what they are doing and can see their work in action. This is better than reading a faceless resume. When people see what I am doing first-hand it takes out the guesswork of trying to find out if that person will be a good fit for what they are looking for. That is a better test than performing an interview.

In Keith Ferrazzi’s top networking book, Never Eat Alone, he explains the power of networking and why the top jobs always go to people who are connected with those at the top. These jobs are handed out because they see something in that person they know. More than 80% of jobs are found through a person’s network and the type of network a person has will depend on the type of job a person gets.

Rings on the Ladder
Many people complain that they never advertise the jobs they want online. I remember when I tried the whole looking for jobs online thing and found it to be a very depressing experience. Infact, if you look very carefully, the same jobs I was looking at a long time ago are still there on the sites today. Why is that? Well, those same jobs (ex. work from home, medical billing encoders, and sales reps for outlet stores, etc) are a whole business unto themselves, meaning there is a whole new business of making sure people take those jobs because the people posting them make money anytime someone signs up. Infact even the website The Ladders is an odd experience because if you are already making more than $100k (the only jobs posted on their website have to be more than $100k in salary) then chances are you are already surrounded by high-end opportunities through networking, your company culture, and even the jobs your friends are telling you about. So why would you use it if your company already posts all their jobs on their company website? Unless you plan on switching to another company.

So how does someone get out of that whole mess? If you want to improve the type of jobs you hear about you have to improve the type of people you associate with. Again, going back to Ivy League graduates, they have been around people who are successful in life and attend high-end events and parties. They mingle with other people who are successful and hear about opportunities that are not advertised. They end up working in jobs that are three or four levels higher than someone else who applied directly to the company would have started.

This is why birds of a feather flock together; why office assistants hangout with other office assistants and hear about more office assistant positions, why construction works hangout with other construction workers and hear about more jobs in construction, and why middle-class hangouts with other people in middle-class. If you want to find the jobs that are not advertised (i.e. executive level positions) and you have the knowledge, social skills, and some experience then you need to change your social circle of contacts and meet those who already work in those fields.

The last part I just mentioned is a difficult change for most people because if you have never been around people who have been successful their whole life and always been offered jobs instead of looked for them it can be a very intimidating experience. That is why books like, The Fine Art of Small Talk, The Art of Mingling, How to Win Friends and Influence People (I read this important book when I was in high school), Never Eat Alone, How to Make People Like You in 90 seconds or less, How to Work a Room, How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends, Conversational Speaking are so important to read. But very few people ever take the time to read these important books. Infact if you go to college, or even public school, no where in all those classes will you ever hear about these important books. These books teach you how to talk with people and make meaningful connections, they are the glue that binds us to other people. Something that is worth its weight in gold.

Creating Your Own Opportunities
Go on Kickstarter or Indiegogo and look at all the amazing ideas that people have come up with. Each idea for either a product or service is a business all by itself. These people, instead of sitting on their computer looking for jobs online, went out and created their own opportunities and gave themselves their own job. They created a good enough presentation for people to think their project was worth investing in.

The idea now is there are tons of different websites now that allow people to create all kinds of things on their own. Infact there are many websites, like Cafe Press and Threadless, that lets you create your own clothing line without ever touching a single piece of fabric. You just select the type of clothing you want to use, pick the style, and then upload your graphic image or text you want to appear on the clothing and then edit how it should look and then submit. You can create your own store online of all the different things you have create and post the link on your website or to give out to people you meet so they can see what you have done.

The ability to create any kind of business is so easy that it would only take you an hour or two at the most. You just have to be creative enough to come up with a fairly decent idea that people will be interested in buying. Even if the store is not successful right away (and you should never think your product or idea will be a viral hit right away, no one can predict that) you will have created something for you to showcase your talents that way if any employer is interested in hiring you then you can show them all the different projects you have created.

This is better than someone who sits at home all day sending out resumes to random employers for basic jobs that won’t go anywhere. If you create something at least that looks better than the person who does nothing all day. In either case, who would you hire?

Network Your Way Up
If you want to start networking then you can start by finding your cities main websites that tells you about all the events happening. A good place to start is your city’s Chamber of Commerce website and read about all the events happening. They always have networking opportunities. Here is how I would do it for Austin

Austin 360 Lists Tons of Events – Click Here to See
Austin Chamber of Commerce Events Calendar
Do512 – List of Events
Austin Business Journal – Events Calendar
Networking Austin
MeetUp – Business Networking Groups

As you can see I found tons of events to fill my entire fall calendar already. I will probably find a lot of new leads, job offers, and amazing opportunities by attending them. You can do the same for your city. A few key terms I used were “<name of city> networking events”, “<name of city> business events,” and “<name of city> business networking events.” That will help you out so take a look around and use the website Meetup to help. If you do not find what you are looking for, then use Facebook groups or Meetup to create your own networking group and invite people to join. You can also use Leftover Swap so you have food for everyone who attends or you can make it a potluck event. You can even create your own rules, like you introduce one person to someone and then that person has to introduce someone they know to someone else and pretty soon everyone knows at least two or three people at the networking event.

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Whether you are looking for just a job to pay the bills or you actually want to elevate yourself into a new social circle then you will need the people skills to get you there. I have seen many great people at networking events bomb terribly, not because they didn’t have the skills or experience in their field but because their social skills were not up to par. I have heard comments or off-the-mark conversation topics, that they though were appropriate at the moment, that didn’t leave a good impression. The problem with that is they didn’t see it for themselves, they weren’t aware that what they were saying was making the other person uncomfortable.

If you want to improve your opportunities, get to know different people around you anywhere, and be able to have a conversation with anyone anywhere then my advice would be to read those books (their at your local library) and study them like you would for a final exam. It’s hard work because you have to keep testing out everything you read until you finally meet that person where you have a conversation with them that makes the both of you feel like you have known each other for a long time. That sounds easy reading it but it takes a lot of practice before you can make anyone your friend.

Once you know how to do that the world will open up with lots of opportunities.

Side Note: All the Books Listed in this article and in the Books Resource section of this website I have read. So I am not just posting books that have catchy titles. I have already put in the time and effort.

Expanded Reading List
Adversaries into Allies: Win People Over Without Manipulation or Coercion

Your Network Is Your Net Worth

Reputation Economics: Why Who You Know Is Worth More Than What You Have

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

What Got you Here Won’t Get You There

News Article

Study: Half Of All Available Jobs Are Never Advertised

Who you know is more important than you realize

80% of Today’s Jobs are Landed Through Networking

If you plan on moving soon, pick these places as a destination

Moving to another city can be a challenge, especially if it is overseas. The biggest challenge though is figuring out where the best place to move would be. Most people move because of their job or family. For those that don’t really work for anyone in particular moving should be looked at as a global option. The only problem with that is there are too many cities to choose from so to make it easier to figure out the best place to move Forbes created a list of the most influential cities in the world. That is why you should think about one of the top ten places as an option for moving to.

The ratings of each city were based off a number of options in order to qualify. These are a few areas each city had to offer in order to be on the list
– Number of Foreign Direct Investments
– Number of Corporate Headquarters
– Variety of Business industries it dominates in
– Ease of Travel to and from other global cities
– How strong its financial services are
– Technology and Media Strength
– Racial Diversity

Some other areas that help influence the city rating are
– Legal System
– Judicial System
– How easy it is to start a business
– Strength of local public transportation

Top Ten Global Cities of Influence
1. London
2. New York
3. Paris
4. Singapore
5. Tokyo
6. Hong Kong
7. Dubai
8. Beijing
9. Sydney
10. San Francisco Bay Area

11. Los Angeles
12. Toronto

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So if you happen to already live in one of those cities then you should get out more and explore what your city has to offer. I can guarantee that you can increase your social life by 100 fold easily. There are enough opportunities out there for you to find a way to start a business, get a job, or partner with someone to get something great started. You just need the know-how and proactive attitude to put yourself out there.

If none of those work then walking around your own city and exploring is the next best thing to do. You will run into different people (as long as your not shy to say hello) and see different events taking place. All you have to do is put yourself out there for the world to see and you will start to find your life taking on a whole new meaning.

News Article

Most influential Cities in the world

Close to majority of people never unplug from technology

It shouldn’t surprise anyone to know that technology is something that is embedded into our culture. It is everywhere and always pushed towards it, especially if ever you have a question now for any company representative, the first thing they will ask you is, “have you checked our website for the answer?” Most websites now offer a FAQ section to the most commonly asked questions any customer might have. This in turn does two things, instead of just answering the question right then and there; the customer has to look around on the website to find the FAQ (if they designed the website correctly there will be a link at the bottom of the page) and then click on it but in the mean time the company hopes by sending you to their website you might learn more about them and might discover something else you want from them thereby increasing the chance of more business. As nice as that is to think that way most customers just want the answer to their question so they can go back to doing what they were before.

Wearable Technology
Now that we can wear technology it will be almost impossible to disconnect, especially when we have apps that provide us with very important information now. Especially tattoos that can inject us with our prescribed medication on a regular schedule all on it’s own, a technology that will help the many who suffer from poor memory cognition. Even though google glass is only a product on its own there is no doubt that soon people will be requesting their prescription lens on their google glass device and this makes sense because people who need a hands free device to access information while still being able to see will help many people still do what they need done.

When you think about the fact that we can use the internet with just a few hand gestures, it’s not to far in the future when you start to see people typing in the air with their glasses to send a message. You can add that to the new smart shoes that can direct a person where to go and for any blind person this is a huge help for them. The shoes vibrate based on where to turn or when to stop or any other notification and it connects to your phone with bluetooth technology and app. The best part about these shoes is that they will cost only $100 bucks, which is a lot cheaper than the price tag of $1500 for google glass. Visit their website to preorder if you would like a pair.

The other thing that has grown in popularity are smart watches. Samsung watch, Pebble Watch, Apple iWatch, and lots more out there. These smart watches already have apps with them that connect to your smart phone and some even let you talk directly into them to send a message and more. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise when a study that was conducted by CivicScience found that close to majority of people surveyed were unable to disconnect from their devices.

The Results
If you look at how often people interact with technology you can see that it is almost impossible to disconnect. Take for example the average person in America; they wake up and turn on the TV and watch the news or their favorite TV show (if they were in a high income bracket they would have a smart tv that would tell them things like traffic conditions, stock market prices, important news updates, and more), then they go to work where they sit down at their desk and check their email (for some they like to check their email and news on their home computer before they leave), check a couple of things online and then start work. In between all this they are checking their smartphone for any alerts, txt msgs, missed phone calls, app notifications, and more.

If you look back at life twenty years ago majority of those actions didn’t exist. The only thing you did was hope for the paper to be on your doorstep by the time you woke up, turn the TV on and listen to the news while the coffee was being made. Now tablets have also come into our lives so we can sit down and, instead of checking the front porch for the paper, we have instant access to “free” news all over the internet. We do this while listening to the news on the TV in the background. We check other email accounts, google alerts, and tons more. Then we wonder how the time got away from us. We even have clothes that light up now, blankets that can sense our mood, and even shirts that monitor our body functions so this shouldn’t come as a surprise that we are becoming more connected to technology than ever and it will be hard to break away, especially if how you make money depends on keeping up with the latest information.

Breaking Away
It will be harder to break away from technology and that is why I still enjoy reading physical books. I am not a fan of ebooks because it keeps me off the computer and away from anything tech related. I can just sit and enjoy the story. If you are having trouble don’t worry, it’s understandable but if you find that you can not get off then you might want to make a rule that one room has a strict no technology in that room. Only places to sit, a nice coffee table, a soft rug on the floor, maybe a fireplace, and books all around. For family with kids that is where they can do their homework with no distractions (no they don’t need their iPads to read and study their assignments and homework so they can leave the tablets in their room).

I break away at least for a few times everyday and always make it a habit to get out and do something physical otherwise you will get sucked in to all the apps and games and “things you gotta know now” mentality and you will realize it will never end. So take a break, go for ice cream or a walk and enjoy the physical stuff.

In all the results they found that 43% never unplug from technology, only 17% unplug once a year, 4% once a month, 6% once a week, 10% a few times a week, and 20% daily. It is important to understand here that the numbers for each category varied so the percentage rates vary and each person was allowed to use their own definition of unplugging to answer the survey questions.

All in all, it is getting harder and harder to unplug, especially if you work in the entertainment industry, technology industry, journalism, and service industry. Now that we even have electronic fabric that can alert you when you have a txt or voice message, it is becoming impossible to get out of the way from anything tech. Even our TVs are becoming smart by connecting to the internet and now that we have appliances that can connect to our phones we are always plugged in making it harder to unplug.

News Articles

Unplugged: 60% of US Almost Never Are

Data Point: Lot of people who say they never unplug

These charts show where people lived before in the US

These amazing charts were created to show where people came from before they moved to the state where they live now. In each state you can see the trail of where majority of the people came from before they moved there.

These charts show how the heritage and racial profile of each state was created over a period of time. They provide evidence to show where people are most likely to come from and why that might be. Events in history, natural events in nature, and even economic conditions cause changes in where people live. Many times people go and live near those they know such as extended family members and some go where the jobs are located.

The nice thing about these charts is that they are interactive and will tell you more about the makeup of each state at any given time since 1900. If you study them carefully and view the states that are next to each one as a group you begin to see migration patterns in how people move around the country. This is interesting to know for many reasons but, depending on how well one knows the history of events taking place in their state and the country you also see the bigger picture of why people might move around.

Check out these charts here

If you are interested in learning more about census data you can visit the IPUMS website and see other types of data sets and charts they have created.

Get Out and Enjoy the World

There’s too much in this world to enjoy to just sit at home and do nothing all the time. There are many people all over who travel for a living. Not because they work a travel agency or some company wants them to write stories but they travel on their own for their own personal experience. Some of the people I’m about to introduce you to are those that do this and get paid very well for what they share with the world. Many of those who are tethered to their jobs live vicariously through these people just to see all the fun they get to do. So I’m going to teach you that as an entrepreneur you should always been exploring, learning, and seeing the world for what it really is; a place to make your own with your own rules and to go anywhere as long as you know how to make it on your own anywhere you go.

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The first is Fun with Louis and his YouTube channel has brought him a lot of fame and fortune, with close to a million subscribes on his channel, he makes daily videos of his life all around the world. He travels everywhere and sees the world for what it really is, one big playground with billions of people to meet.

You can take a look at a video he made that shows a few of the places he has been. If you want to see his more recent places just look for the most recent video under the Videos tab.

Makes you wish you could go and do that doesn’t it?

His friend Jack and Finn also go on trips around the world for good causes. You can see one they took when they visited the island of Ibiza

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Meet Earl, he took 3 months off to go on a trip to Asia back in 1999 and has yet to return. He has been traveling all over the world ever since taking on any kind of job he can find. He has worked as an ESL teacher, on cruise ships, but also self-publishing his own books. His experience has taken him anywhere he wants to go and for that he shares all his experiences on his website, WanderEarl.com

You can read more about his life in this Yahoo Article and watch a video about his life.

What he has done for himself is create a fund so that he can travel more. People can donate and if they want to talk with him over the phone he kindly asks for you to donate 5 to 10 dollars which is cheap for all the advice he can offer.

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Then there are those that work for a long time and just want a change in pace, I’ve posted this video before but to make the point, if you’re an adult with no tie downs then you can go and do whatever you want. This guy quit his job and took pictures everywhere he went and then turned it into a viral video online.

You can visit his website to learn how he turned a passion into a way of living.
http://whereandwander.com/

You can read how he planned his whole trip here, Frequently Asked Questions

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You might be wondering how it’s possible to get started on such a trip around the world I have included some links below that will take you to some great places that will introduce you to people all over who are looking to meet others from different countries or places. Some of them are free and others carry a price but it all depends on your people skills how well you can negotiate a rate.

If you can not afford the luxury stays of high-end hotels then why not stay on someone’s couch, maybe even for free? Some people let you use their couch if you are passing through and others ask that you just pay for your meals or pay a fee and allowed certain amenities.

Couch Surfing
This program lets people rent out their living room couch to anyone that needs a cheap place to stay for the night. The best part is they get to meet the locals and learn more about the place they are staying in. You can build your profile and get marks for how well of a traveler you are and even rate the host who let you stayed. So whether you want to travel more or meet people who are traveling through your city this is just another way of exploring the world around you.

Lonely Planet
This site helps you find what it is you are looking for in this world, whether you want to go on an adventure or whether you want to visit certain countries on the cheap you can find many resources available here all in one place. You can even talk with other people about their current travels and what they are experiencing or experienced on another trip.

Get Out and Travel
The name is exactly what it means. If you want to see the world, then get out and travel. The standard way that most people think you need to travel is by saving up lots of money from a job you hate and then waiting for your vacation period to start before you get to go out and do something. With the many resources the internet provides you can find many people around the world who will let you stay with them on the cheap and just worry about food expenses and free entertainment. This site provides tons of advice and resources about how to get out and enjoy the world.

AirBnB
You can find places that people have put up online for anyone to stay at. Many of them are very cheap and nice and others are very expensive and posh. It all depends on where you want to go and how long you want to stay. The nice thing about the site is that you can find places within the city or rural parts depending on your interests and rooms available. It’s a nice way of meeting the locals versus staying in a nice hotel where the only connection to local customs is through the front office desk.

If you need more inspiration about getting out there and traveling then read this guy’s website, Nomadic Matt as he fills you in on how he did it all. You can also check out all his blog posts.

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For many people it just takes one trip some place great and they get the traveling bug. Many kids, teens, and adults get hooked on traveling and once you learn the fine art of traveling it all becomes second nature and you make friends all over the world that it begins to feel like a smaller place. Even if the trip is just for the day go out and explore all that is around you and who knows you might fine an idea that is amazing in one country that you can turn into a full-scale company back home, which many entrepreneurs have done before. They found something that solved a problem where they lived.

In an effort to raise awareness for suicide prevention, people look to Mrs. Doubtfire

In an effort to show care and concern for preventing suicide people all over have been putting forth their best Mrs. Doubtfire face and posting it online. The groups’ hash tag is #DoubtFireFace and you can search for it through twitter or online. You can see the many videos that people have already posted on youtube, facebook, and twitter. As a scene that is a classic piece of film history now you can take a look at the role that made everyone wish they had a nanny like Mrs. Doubtfire growing up.

You can see more videos that people have posted in this Huffington Post Article showing their own Doubtfire face. A quick search on youtube pulls up many other videos as well.

If you are interested in helping out, please visit the many sites dedicated to stopping suicide from happening.

Facebook Page – DoubtFireFace
Help Raise Money for the Program
National Suicide Prevention Program – 1-800-273-8255

This Man told us it was ok to laugh again after 9/11

There are very few people who can do certain things well and even fewer that can do them so great it puts them on a whole another level. You often wonder what makes them tick, how they work, and where they get their inspiration from. They will always leave you wondering because sometimes even they don’t know. Asking a genius what makes them a genius is a difficult question to answer for the listener asked because sometimes they do not even feel that they count as a genius, yet in everyone’s eyes they are. Michael Jackson never thought of himself as a musical genius or legend because he would often compare himself to all the greats before him and say that he would never be as great as they were but as the whole world knew, he was truly a legend like no other.

When I heard the news that the world lost another important soul in this world, it was very hard to take. Very few people can do what this person did. He could take a simple idea and turn it into something amazing. Many people said that he thought faster than the speed of light because he would be onto so many different things that you had trouble trying to keep up with the last few things he said but everything he said was hilarious and it made you feel good about yourself knowing that there was a man like him in this world.

When the US experienced it’s attack on the twin towers the whole country went into mourning. No one had ever felt so down about what had happened and the number of lives that were lost. All the programming on TV had been changed to reflect the mood that Americans’ were feeling. The hardest TV show to deal with this tragedy was Saturday Night Live, the producer of the show, Lorne Michaels, was looked to by the cast to figure out if they should do a show or not the following saturday after the attacks. He knew that the show had to go on because if it didn’t where would everyone turn to too make them laugh? That episode after the attacks was hard to watch because even the cast members were still dealing with their own personal grief, they knew they had to do their best to show that the world kept moving forward. They made sure also to not step on any sore subjects.

The show progressed but it took awhile for it to come back to where it was and the ratings at the time didn’t fare so well but they pulled through. Through all the pain and suffering though there was one man who said that the US needed to know it was ok to laugh again. He created this amazing show and toured many cities in the US before taping what many now know as his “Live on Broadway” performance. For anyone that has watched it the show is absolutely hilarious (and if you haven’t I put it down below for you to enjoy his wonder talent). His talent on earth was to make people laugh and he did it in everything he talked about and the movies he starred in, both the funny and heart-warming ones. If laughter was currency he would be the world’s richest man.

His movies were amazing and there is one story I will always remember. When I was a teenager I had a acting performance I was about to give. My uncle had taken me to go see a movie of his that came out at the time because he told him it would be great for me to see the performance of an amazing actor before I was to go and act. He took me to go see “The Birdcage” and it has since been one of my favorite movies. I have never forgotten that experience watching that movie for the first time. Infact every time I watch that movie I want to move to South beach and live there. He made it look like so much fun. If you have never seen that movie go watch it and realize this was a man who could take any role and make it great. Then again, this was a man who got into Julliard because of his talents for performing. They put up a photo of him in honor of being a graduate form there.

The movie he did on the doctor who used humor to provided free care to patients is another great movie of his. I even got to meet the real Patch Adam’s once and even got to give the man a great big bear hug because that is how the real Patch Adams liked to meet people. He was never fond of the regular hand shake he said. They say that laughter is the best medicine, in that case Robin was the best doctor the world has lost.

There are so many movies and TV shows of Robin that I enjoyed watching that it is just so hard to pick just one. I remember watching Mrs. Doubtfire so many times when it came out that I knew ever part of that movie by heart. Today I now tell kids about it and watch it with them to show what an amazing comic genius he was. I even read the book that inspired the movie. It was a very fun read. I think that every film he made left some kind of impression on me and that is what kept me going in telling jokes. I enjoy doing stand-up comedy and enjoy making people laugh. It’s not easy but when you can get someone to laugh it’s the best feeling in the world so I understand why he pushed so hard to make people laugh.

I realize this post is not about business or entrepreneurship but if you look closely, everything that business and this world is based on is built on the people that affect our lives; it all comes down to the relationships we have with people. They don’t necessarily have to be people we’ve met but the ones that inspire us and that is what Robin Williams did for so many in this world. He really taught us how to laugh, not only at our selves but in general. They say that getting someone to cry is hard through a performance but the real challenge lies in trying to get someone to laugh and that is what made him a genius and legend in his own right. He will be missed. Thanks for all the laughs and tears of joy. I’m sorry I never got to meet you.

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I was going to include the full interview he did on Inside the Actors’ Studios but they have since taken it down from Youtube which is terrible because he really gave a great interview but I did include one clip from the interview. I did include the full show of his performance for Live on Broadway which is the one he did after the attacks and then his second stand-up performance he did later on. If you have never seen it, take the time now to experience what he gave to the world. I also included a few of his other performances.

20/20 Special The Life and Death of Robin Williams
Link to Full Episode

Live on Broadway (2002)

Weapons of Self-Destruction (2011)

Inside the Actors Studio – Robin Williams

An Evening with Robin Williams

Live at the Roxy (1978)

Robin Williams on Whose Line Is It?

An Interview that showed Robin like he was behind the scenes

Robin on Inside the Actors’ Studio

Howard Stern Pays Tribute to Robin Williams

News Articles

When I met Robin Williams

Why Robin Loved Riding Bikes

Photo Career

How he snuck his genius into movies

What Spielberg had to say about his death

Stars React to his death

More Stars React to his death

He was a huge humanitarian and he’s proof

Mrs. Doubtfire House becomes memorial site

How Ben Stiller first met Robin

The first time people fell in love with Robin

Ben Affleck shares tributes

The impact on Twitter

He was always busy working

This business had to change its policy because of the discount they offered

The challenge to running any kind of business is you always have to listen to what your customers are saying. In very rare cases where you can ignore what the customers are saying because you know the end result will be exactly what they want is difficult to know for sure. Only Steve Jobs and maybe a handful more were able to do that and get away with it. In those cases you are tempting the fate of your own company on the hopes that what you think they will like in the end will work. That doesn’t always turn out to be true unless you absolutely know.

In other cases where you are just trying to do good for the general public it can come back to bite you in the butt as this one restaurant learned the hard way. A restaurant in North Caroline called, “Mary’s Gourmet Diner,” offered a 15% discount for anyone who prayed before their meal. The whole event turned into a viral sensation when a christian radio station, Z88.3 from Orlando, Florida posted a photo of someone’s receipt offering a discount on their facebook page congratulating the restaurant for doing that. That is when everything started happening. The photo was liked thousands of times and plenty of comments soon followed, both good and bad.

Creating Policies
The policies you create between your business and your customers create the type of impression you want to give off. Many times the policies that companies create are for the protection of the company not to lose money. Many first time business owners can not afford the services of high-end image/brand consultants to help with crafting their policies because most first time entrepreneurs do not consider brand consultants important. Anytime anything in your company comes in contact with a potential customer it creates an impression of that brand in that consumer’s head. The experience is what the customer takes away and may possibly tell others about in the form of a bad review or positive review.

When creating any kind of policy that will have far reaching consequences always consider the following

1. Does the policy limit any kind of behavior on those it doesn’t affect?

2. Before the policy is put into place are there any people that might be negatively affected?

3. Can the policy be expanded/limited once it is implemented?

4. What type of experience will the policy reflect on the company?

5. Does the policy improve or make harder the intended experience for the customer?

6. How often will the policy affect people on any given day?

7. What is the intended result on such a policy?

8. Will the outcome be better, worse, or the same after the policy is put out? If worse, can the policy be changed or improved?

9. Are there any legal consequences that such policy might bring about?

10. Does the policy infringe on any rights that potential customers feel they are entitled to?

Branding a Company Image
The policies you set create the brand people will come to know you for. If you want to be known for excellent customer service then you want a service department that makes it very easy for customers to find and get what they need done, including a simple return policy. There are many companies that are created everyday by people who forget the importance of branding because they are focused on creating an amazing product that will get people to overlook the need for anything else. That is a huge mistake.

Apple created the image in consumer minds’ that any product you buy is of high quality and they back that up by creating sleek styled products that not only look nice but also feel nice when you touch them. This creates two types of impressions, one that is subjective (which can have more far reaching possibilities) and, another that is physical so you know that your impressions matched what you received. The reason why Microsoft Windows has a bad reputation is because they are creating a system that has a high chance of failure. Consumers are not interested in knowing how difficult it is to create an operating system, instead they just want to know, “will it work when I turn it on?” If their impression of the commercials does not meet with their own personal experience then Microsoft now has to go into brand image protection to keep the bad reviews from taking over. This can be difficult if the intended result did not match with what people experienced. The same is said for when Mary’s tried to create a safe place for people with religious convictions.

The other side to this issue is that Mary is the owner of this restaurant and she should be allowed to run it the way she wants to. That is very true and any business owner is allowed to structure and create all the policies they want for their business. No one will argue with that but the second your customers, the very source in which you are able to stay in business, disagrees with how you run your business stops coming then you have a choice to either change or close shop. That is the hard part about being an entrepreneur and business owner, after awhile the business no longer belongs to you, except in legal name only, but it belongs to the community and it is the image they have created in their own head that makes your business something to be shared by everyone, even those that feel they have a right to frequent it with out any problems.

Not all Policies are Created Equal
It is hard to believe that people would attack someone who was just trying to do something nice. The diner thought that by rewarding those who prayed before they ate with a discount it would encourage more of those that did pray at home, but were too afraid to do it in public, the opportunity to not be afraid to display their beliefs. In a country where freedom of religion is thought to be a constitutional right there are still those that believe their religion is still more important than others.

The right to believe in any religion in this country is what divides many areas. Chances are when you look for a home you do not look for a home based on how nice it looks or the value of the land or other economic means, you base it off of who else lives in that neighborhood. Birds of a feather flock together and that is non more so true when it comes to anything like religion, age, work, race, education, and even wealth. A person who follows one belief will probably not want to live in a neighborhood where many other’s believe in something different, probably out of fear that their children might learn something true and new about this world that they don’t want them learning in the first place. So much for freedom of thinking in this country.

In an effort to help promote the right to religious freedom, which, if the restaurant was a corporation could defend it’s right to religious freedom thanks to the Hobby Lobby ruling but considering that the diner is not, the owner had no choice but to take the policy away. Why? Because the lawsuit brought on by the Freedom from Religion Foundation felt that it intruded on their own right to their freedom of religious expression, which in their part they represent agnostics, atheists, and skeptics. It just takes one person, or group, to feel that their right to freedom of religious expression is being trampled on and they sue.

If you take that same way of thinking that so many of these non-profits, and the law firms that represent them, have you begin to see that so many of the laws that are our constitutional rights are being leveled right before out eyes, not out of pure justice, but just because the other side has more money to spend on such a lawsuit. The benefit of religion, in general, is to learn to enjoy and tolerate one another and to help our fellow neighbor, and in just writing that harmless sentence, there are a number of people out there who felt that what I just said intruded on their rights as citizens to believe and act as they feel; not by what some book said a long time ago.

Every year around the country countless religious groups go onto college campuses and preach the word from their book. They start reading passages and what always amazes me is the number of people who get sucked in to arguing with these people. If you stop and look at the make up of these volatile crowds you begin to see the small groups that form around the speaker; the ones that don’t follow the same religion; the one that don’t believe in religion; the ones that follow the same religion and are listening and defending. The issue is a very charged one and enough though that they are trying to inform others (and recruit at the same time), their methods need work. The next day there is usually an article in the school paper that explains the different view points from students who agree with the message and from students who felt they were being discriminated against just by allowing them on campus in the first place. Those groups tend to side on the issue of not feeling safe, which most groups will use as a defending factor.

For Mary’s Diner she hit a nerve when she thought offering a discount would do some good for the community. The challenge to that is it only does good if you believe in the same religion and for those that don’t it makes them feel not welcomed.

Similar Policies
The challenge with restaurants trying to offer special discounts is that you will always hit a nerve with any population. The problem is that you might get hit with a lawsuit because it didn’t favor one small minority group or you did make every one feel welcomed. In a world that is a melting pot of ideas, feelings, backgrounds, religions, it is nearly impossible to please anyone and that is what makes running a business so challenging. If you hit a nerve with one person then that negative review will get looked at 20 times more than the review that was positive. Why? People like reading the ugly stuff more than the nice stuff. Go figure.

If you look at what Mary did and compare it to other restaurants that have done similar things you will see there is no difference.

One restaurant offered a discount if you make sure your children behaved themselves

Another restaurant offers discounts if you make reservations for dinner at 5:30

This restaurant has a policy of “No noisy kids,” adults love it

These are just a few policies that are similar to what Mary tried to do. In each case there were a group of people who thought the policy was unfair and discriminated against others. The same was the case with Mary’s diner. A family who doesn’t practice any religion might feel they are being discriminated against when they see another family praying before their meal. In many cases, the parents of non-believers don’t want their children exposed to such behavior, therefore their response to such policies is that it makes them have to do more as parents in public than they should have to.

The lawsuit that was brought against Mary’s eventually led the restaurant to take it’s prayer discount away because they could not afford such a trivial event. This is a lose to an action that this country was built on in the very beginning but as this country moves forward and as more and more religions are allowed their own space, well, it will be difficult for all those religions to not to overlap at some point and infringe on someone’s rights and when that happens, we all lose a little bit more of our freedoms in the end. It just takes one person or group to hinder it for the rest of us in this country.

So the next time you try and create a policy that you think will have a positive impact, make sure to consider just who might feel they are being discriminated against. It will save you a lot of heartache in the end, on a higher note she probably got a lot more business from those that supported her.

News Articles

Restaurant changes prayer discount

North Caroline diner drops prayer discount

Winston-Salem Restaurant in prayer discount dispute

Customers back Winston-Salem Restaurant

Restaurant drops prayer discount, citing threat of lawsuit