Making-Money-Month Is Now!

Copyright 2006 Suzanne Falter-Barns

We recently got this query from a reader, T. T. “Mitch” Mitchell:

“… You mention that if a person provides more than one type of product or service they should have an additional website. However, if you’re trying to brand your name or your business name, aren’t you going to dilute the process by having an additional website for it?”

That’s a question I get a lot. What do you do if you have more than one brand?

Well, I have several - Get Known Now, howmuchjoy.com, Blog Your Way to a Bestseller, and Licensing Revenue Secrets. And actually, it was only in the past few months that I could seriously see how and why I should have more than one brand. Because, like Mitch I once thought having more than one brand was a problem.

In fact, having more than one brand can be good for business.

It all boils down to life purpose. Each brand needs to be assessed in terms of how it fits into your master plan. Does it serve an integral part or is it just a gratuitous addition that is kind of fun but doesn’t seriously move the ball forward?

Ideally, your brands should intersect right at the point of your ‘Soul Purpose’. Do they all support one common goal? They may simply be different ways to support that bigger, overriding vision for your company. And cumulatively, they add up to a much bigger Web presence, which is always good.

In other words, I connect with life coaches who want tools for creative breakthroughs over at How Much Joy. But then they and their clients get to the point where they really need to get known for this dream work they’re creating. So they get directed to my Get Known Now site for this kind of marketing help. The other brands give them specific tools to use to that end.

See how it all fits together?

Are you confused about your varying brands? Here is a specific list of guidelines you can use.

If any of your brands don’t fit the following criteria, be brave and consider abandoning them. It will only strengthen your more targeted, focused work.

Do they all serve the same audience? Critical for efficiency … and serving your purpose. There’s a little give for slightly differing audiences here. For instance, Get Known Now is more likely to attract small business owners than How Much Joy. But they both serve speakers, authors and coaches.

Is there a logical sequence or relationship among the brands? With mine, people move from general dream-creating, joy work towards leading joy workshops. Then they need publicity and branding, so Get Known Now steps in to serve them.

Are the sub-brands clearly identified with the ‘big’ brand? For instance, I recently re-branded the blog associated with my Get Known Now site as …. The Get Known Now Blog! Boring? Possibly. But still far more clear. And whenever someone drops in, they are more likely to remember my brand, tell others about it, etc.. Go ahead. Be boring. Keep on restating your brand in all of your related products. I have the Get Known Now home study course, Get Known Now Blast Off group coaching, even soon a Get Known Now Unplugged podcast. (If you want to live a little, you can throw in additional qualifying words like ‘Blast Off’, for instance.)

Does the brand solve a problem that your target market has? Seems like a simple question - but it’s deceptive. Be tough with yourself and your business here. And get some outside feedback from a coach or friend if you’re not sure. Does the brand serve your purpose … honestly and truly? Think hard, because Soul Purposes tend to be broad and general. (I define them as that service or gift you’re meant to give to other people, not a specific task, like writing or coaching.) Does the brand still excite you? I’m not talking about the set of words here, but the larger job of the brand. Is it still alive for you? Sometimes we lug along a brand for years without acknowledging that its usefulness has ended. It’s really OK to abandon brands that no longer work for you; think of them as having served their purpose. Then let them go and move on. Think about your brands … even write them all down and re-evaluate them one more time. Then I invite you to take anything off of your plate that simply no longer fits the scheme of what you’re up to.

Oh yes … and did I mention you’ll probably have lots of brands in life? Go forth and conquer!

Download Suzanne’s free list of 50 Top Publishing & Media contacts at www.getknownnow.com . Drop by her blog at www.getknownnowblog.com for almost daily tips on how to get known now … the easy way!

Six Sigma is a powerful business improvement strategy. It helps
your organization to identify, reduce, and eliminate defects
from any product, process, or transaction. More than a “quality”
program, Six Sigma is a flexible and dynamic continuous
improvement strategy and process initiative that helps your
organization uncover solutions.

For example, you may know that a particular process at your
organization is not meeting customer specification or is
otherwise not performing adequately. However, the solution is
not apparent up front. There are many variables that could be
causing the defect in the process. How do you determine what
specific action you can take to improve your process and reduce
defects? Finding that unknown solution is what Six Sigma does
best. Six Sigma is not a pre-packaged one-fits-all solution. Six
Sigma is a process that doesn’t impose a particular outcome but
discovers the previously unknown solution to a problem. It uses
a structured systems approach to problem solving that achieves
strategic business results through an intelligent step-by-step
process. A structured thinking process helps solve problems
better than an ad hoc, blank page approach.

Six Sigma leads organizations through five-steps of realization:
1. We don’t know what we don’t know. 2. We can’t do what we
don’t know. 3. We won’t know until we measure. 4. We don’t
measure what we don’t value. 5. We don’t value what we don’t
measure.

By using Six Sigma to identify and correct major problems you
create real data that uncovers previously unknown solutions to
problems - solutions that you most likely would not be able to
discover except through the Six Sigma methodology. What drives
this process is the DMAIC method. DMAIC is an acronym for five
interconnected phases of a Six Sigma project: Define, Measure,
Analyze, Improve, Control. By going through the structured
phases you discover the unknown solution to your quality problem.

First you identify the problem you need to solve. At the Define
stage of a project, you should have a defined issue or problem
you wish to overcome and improve. Once a process is selected as
a candidate for improvement, a problem statement is developed
and the objective or desired outcome is defined. Progress
measures are established and a cost/benefit analysis is
performed. Also during the Define phase, you highlight what the
project is supposed to do and how it is supposed to do it and
what metrics apply. With a clear measurable set of indicators,
the Measure phase studies the process to determine the key
process steps and variables to determine the potential ways the
process could be going wrong.

After measurements are gathered, the data is analyzed to
discover what is causing process variation. Once problem causes
are determined in the Analyze phase, you find, evaluate through
testing, and decide on creative new improvement solutions. As
you move through the Analyze and Improve stages of the process
you will identify various process improvement scenarios, and
determine which solution has the best net benefit impact to the
company. Most likely, the variation is from a completely unknown
source. Without going through the Analyze and Improve stages you
would not have known what improvement was required, much less
what categories of variables were being affected!

Six Sigma is about tackling problems with an unknown solution.
Six Sigma experts know that there are no one-size-fits-all
solutions. Six Sigma training provides participants with
enhanced problem-solving skills, with an emphasis on the
methodology for identifying and creating solutions. As Six Sigma
practitioners, you need to be agnostic. Use the best tools from
all of the various methods and apply the right solution to the
right problem. Through being agnostic and open-minded you will
discover solutions through observation and data rather than just
impose solutions from the outside. This enables you to use the
best from all of the various methods and tools available and
apply the right solution to the right problem. You will be
amazed at how well THAT works!

Peter Peterka is a Master Six Sigma
Black Belt for Six
Sigma us and has implemented Six Sigma in a variety of
organizations. For additional information for Six
Sigma Online Training please contact Peter Peterka at http://www.6sigma.us

This article relates to the Coworkers competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It tells the story of a coworker whose performance consistently facilitated effective cooperation, collaboration, and communication between the employees within one organization. While the Team Dynamics competency focuses on relationships within a single group, this competency targets coworker topics spanning the entire organization over multiple work units. This competency investigates your organization’s ability to successfully work in partnership on projects with one another and between groups to reach the common goals of the organization.

This short story, Coworker and Caretaker, is part of AlphaMeasure’s compilation, Tales From the Corporate Frontlines. It illustrates how one coworker’s knowledge, compassion, and dedication to the common goals of her company made getting the job done a joy for her entire work team.

Anonymous Submission

Every workplace has one. The employee who keeps the operation moving, the “go to” person who can always be depended upon to know the answer to any question. The person who always has time to hear your thoughts, and everyone in the office feels comfortable talking to. In short, the exceptional coworker.

Mary Ann retired from our office last week after 40 years of faithful service. She knew every client, sales rep, contact and associate of the company and in particular, her manager. She knew her own job duties completely, and was acquainted with the responsibilities of every other employee in the office.

Mary Ann was not management material, it was said around the office. I don’t believe that statement was true. I think she could have done anything she wished, and quite successfully. But she didn’t want to lead. She seemed quite content to do her part to keep things running smoothly - behind the scenes. She was the office “mom” - the birthday celebration organizer, the office supplies coordinator, the interior decorator. Her work was always finished, flawlessly, and she made herself available to train new employees and help them fit into the office family. Mary Ann put together lunches when coworkers retired or moved on, and always did a major part of the holiday party planning.

Always even-tempered, even under stress, she consistently had a good word for everyone who stopped at her desk. She could be depended on for a dose of common sense and practical wisdom. Whenever a crisis came up, and there was mass panic or chaos in the office, Mary Ann would enter and bring calm to the situation with her mere presence. She’d assess the facts, make a few suggestions, and everyone would begin to get back to reality and set about making things right again. “The Voice of Reason” we called her, and rightly so.

She will be missed. It will be interesting to see how our office gets along without her, and if anyone will move into her position. Any volunteers?

————————————————————-
© 2005 AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
This article may be reprinted, provided it is published in its entirety, includes
the author bio information, and all links remain active.
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Measure. Report. Improve your organization with AlphaMeasure employee surveys.

Josh Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, Inc.

AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee engagement, and increasing employee retention.

Launch your employee engagement survey with AlphaMeasure.

If you look around a little on the web, you’ll no doubt come across people trying to sell you ebooks about eBay’s ’secrets’ for as much as $20. Here’s a sample:

“Along with 400,000 other excited eBay fanatics I now make a living using the Internet and eBay. I can go days without ever speaking to a single customer, but I have a world wide customer base. My online business runs like a well oiled machine with a part-time effort!”

You too can get such valuable tips as:

“All you need to do is write a list of questions other people would pay to get the answers to, give that list to a friend, have the friend call you on the phone and ask you those questions, record the call, have the recording transcribed, and edit the transcription! Presto - you’ve just created a ‘meaty’ ebook fast!”

So What Do These Books Contain?

Don’t be deceived by the slick sales copy and promises of ‘automatic sales machines’ and unique sales strategies. Most of these ‘winning money-making strategies’ boil down to the same thing. Follow their advice, and you’ll be writing long, old-fashioned sales copy in an effort to sell shoddily-written downloadable ebooks to gullible souls, either directly through eBay or by trying to redirect people through your About Me page to your website.

The theory is that the rubbish ebooks will sell themselves, and you won’t have to do a thing.

Here’s a question to ask yourself: if these ’secrets’ work so well, then why aren’t the ebooks authors spending every hour they have putting them into practice, instead of trying to sell you ebooks? If these secrets were so valuable, then why would they give them away for that price, or any price? Out of charity? Yeah, right.

Here’s the reality: trying to sell ebooks on eBay or anywhere else is very likely to get you nowhere, and fast. The bottom fell out of the ebook market a long time ago - in fact, it’s doubtful whether it ever had a bottom to begin with. The ebooks are an effort to get to you sign up for all sorts of services, making money for the ebooks’ writers each time. In short, the only way to profit from ’secrets of eBay’ ebooks is to be selling them, not buying them - and do you really want to become a con artist?

If you’d like to take a look at one of these ebooks, try searching for the name and picking through results. The chances are you’ll find an excerpt or review - and if it’s not by someone trying to sell you the ebook then it won’t be a favourable view. The fact that most ebooks you buy for $20 come with unlimited resale rights should tip you off if nothing else does.

It’s All Out There for Free.

You can almost any information that someone might be trying to sell you in an ebook for free using a search engine, if you take the time. Ebooks aren’t worth the paper they’re not printed on.

If you’d like a real way to make more money, look out for our next email: we’ll show you how and when to use eBay’s powerful ‘Second Chance Offer’ feature.

Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

Selection of auspicious dates 看日子
Auspicious dates are required for the chinese wedding, the betrothal and installation of the bridal bed. A chinese monk, a temple official or a fortune teller are able to advice on a suitable date based on the couple’s birth dates and times. Some may also refer to the chinese calendar or almanac for good days. Usually, even numbered months and dates are preferred and the lunar seventh month is avoided as it is the month of the Hungry Ghost Festival.

After the selection of the auspicious dates, wedding details such as types and quantities of betrothal gifts, return gifts, bride’s price 娉金, and number of tables at the wedding banquet provided by the groom’s parents for the bride’s parents’ guest are agreed.

Betrothal 过大礼/纳彩
Up to a month and at least three days before the wedding day, the groom and a friend or a matchmaker will deliver the betrothal gifts on the auspicious date chosen.

Western and chinese wedding cakes, peanut candies, together with two bottles of brandy, at least six tins of canned pork legs and even number of oranges are included in the wedding gift baskets. Two pairs of dragon and phoenix candles 龙凤烛are also included. Also included is gold jewellery from the groom’s parents to the bride such as the cantonese’s dragon and phoenix bangle 龙凤琢 or the teochew’s four items of gold四点金.

Some include the bride’s price with the betrothal gifts whereas some will only present it when the groom fetches the bride.

In the return gifts, the 2 bottles of brandy will be replaced with 2 bottles of orange syrup. An even numbered portion of all the other gifts are returned to the groom’s family together with the 2 phoenix candles. The bride’s side will light the 2 dragon candles and the groom’s side the phoenix candles on the morning of the wedding day.

Some hokkien family will also request for a bunch of bananas and red dates to be included in the return gifts. A red packet for the groom’s parents to buy shoes is required. The bride will also present towels to the parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles and groom’s siblings.

After the betrothal, the chinese wedding invitations are distributed.

Deliver the bride’s dowry 送嫁妆
The bride’s parents may include the bride’s dowry with the return gifts on the day of betrothal or deliver the dowry a few days before the wedding. The chinese dowry typically include

- beddings such as pillows, bolsters, comforter set, blankets, bed sheets, etc., all tied with red ribbons;
- new clothes in a suitcase for the bride (in the past, wardrobes or wooden wedding chests are used.);
- tea set for the wedding tea ceremony;
- baby bathtub, potty, face washbasin, tumblers, toothpaste and toothbrushes, mirror, comb;
- two pairs of red wooden clogs wedding slippers or bedroom slippers;
- sewing basket with even numbered rolls of colourful thread, needles, pincushion, scissors, and sewing wax with auspicious words on it;
- gold jewellery given by bride’s parents.

Install the bridal bed 按床
A good fortune woman will install the bridal bed in the bridal room up to 12 days before the wedding day on an auspicious date. New red or pink bedsheets are used and a plate of dried longans, lotus seeds, red dates, persimmons, sprig of pomegranate leaves together with 2 red packets are placed on the bed. A pair of bedside lamps is lit to symbolize adding sons to the family.

Hair combing ceremony 梳头
Good fortune women will conduct this ceremony for the bride and groom in their respective homes the night before the chinese wedding. After showering with water infused with pomelo or pomegranate leaves, the bride and groom will change into a new set of clothing and shoes. The good fortune women will bless them aloud as they sit in front of an open window with a visible moon or in front of the mirror.

The four blessings are:

一梳梳到尾，(First combing, together all your lives)
二梳百年好合，(Second combing, harmony in your marriage)
三梳子孙满堂，(Third combing, blessed with many children and grandchildren)
四梳白发齐眉。(Fourth combing, blessed with longevity.)

Sweet pink rice ball soup汤圆 will be served after the hair combing ceremony to wish the couple a complete and sweet marriage.

Chinese wedding decorations 大喜装饰
Double joy 双喜stickers will be placed on all wedding items such as the betrothal gifts, dowry, the couple’s toiletries and cosmetics. The bridal room furniture, especially the mirror and cupboards will also be decorated with the double joy or other wedding paper cutouts such as pairs of mandarin ducks, dragon and phoenix, etc. Such red wedding paper cutouts will also be put up on the main door, bridal room door and generally around the house.

A red banner 红彩帘 will be hung across the front doors of the two household to announce the joyous event.

Jina Boo is the editor of http://www.chinese-wedding-guide.com, a website dedicated to preserving chinese wedding customs and culture. The website features:

- significance of chinese wedding custom and traditions,
- the items and persons needed to perform them, and
- suggested timeframe for preparation of chinese wedding.

A guide for drafting your own chinese wedding invitation is also included.

Click on http://www.chinese-wedding-guide.com/ezinearticles to visit the site to learn more about chinese weddings.