In this issue:

1) Tip of the Week

2) FEATURE ARTICLE: 7 Keys That Helped Me Leave The "Rat Race" For Cyberspace by Marty Foley

3) CLASSIFIEDS

4) FREE Resources

5) TIME SAVING TIP

6) MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGE: You Don't Need a Crystal Ball by William N Hodges

If you'd like to read previously ran tips and features, go to http://netcheckspayroll.com/newsletter.html

"Tip of the Week"

The author of today's feature article outlines 7 essential steps for making the move to entrepreneurship, the last being developing marketing skill. Robert Olson has a little marketing advice for us to maximize page traffic:

Free Tool Gives You the Keyword Advantage! by Robert Olson

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7 Keys That Helped Me Leave The "Rat Race" For Cyberspace (C) 1998-1999, Marty Foley

I'll never forget that fateful day, not far short of a year ago, when I finally achieved what I had dreamed about and worked toward for some time.

No, cashing that week's paycheck wasn't what I had been keenly anticipating.... Leaving a job I hated in order to work for myself full-time in cyberspace was the dream goal I had finally achieved!

The goal of leaving the "rat race" and calling the shots in one's own profitable business - online and off - is common to many people; I'm sure a significant percentage of those reading this article. At times it even reaches the point of desperation. Some spend thousands of dollars in an elusive search for it.

If running your own business is also a goal of yours, I empathize with your situation. I thought I'd share some tips in this article that helped me leave the "rat race" for my own online business.

Even if you've already achieved self-employment, maybe some tips I share in this article can help increase the profitability of your existing business, online or off.

Keys to Leaving the Rat Race

1) Being a doer, not just a dreamer.

There's a saying: "When all is said than done, more is said than done." It's easy to dream and talk about our goals, but we won't get anywhere until we take decisive action.

At first, I did much more dreaming and telling others about my goal of self-employment than I took action toward it. Combining my dreams with action, however, was the only thing that worked.

Note: Don't confuse taking action with making rash decisions. Temper your readiness to act with sound reasoning and knowledgeable decisions, based on research.

2) Effective Time Management

Time certainly means money in the business world. The ability to manage your time effectively is certainly an asset that can repay you many times over, both in your business and personal life.

Getting maximum productivity from your time is even more crucial if you're working a full-time job at the same time you're trying to build a business in your spare time.

When I worked for someone else, time usually dragged by. Now I find when working for myself that time just breezes by and I often wonder where the time went - and even wish I had more work hours in the day!

NOTE: At one point, I was in between a rock and a hard place. I was making money in my own business while holding down my full-time regular job, but not enough to live on. Moreover, I needed more time than I had available in my spare hours to pursue things I felt would increase profits.

I decided to cut back on the hours at my regular job, which my employer agreed to (he didn't want me to quit). This allowed time to expand my business faster and made the transition to running my own full-time business easier. If you can't or don't want to quit your job "cold turkey," you might consider a similar strategy.

3) Knowledge of your field.

Now you don't have to be an expert in your business field when you first start out. You can grow as you go, but plan on keeping abreast of developments in your field. Do so long enough and you'll become an expert. You can also team up with others that have needed expertise you may be lacking.

Fortunately, there is a "shortcut" to gaining success know-how in your business field. Tips are in an article at: http://ProfitInfo.com/copycat.htm

4) Persistence.

Despite all the hype, business success rarely comes easily or overnight; it takes persistent effort and plain old work. Be wary of those that tell you otherwise.

I empathize with those that must commute 5 or more days a week to a job they don't like. That was one strong motivation for me to persist at my own business until I went full-time. Whatever your motivations to persist may be, they will prove useful.

NOTE: It will be easier to persist if you select a field of business that you like, as opposed to pursuing something just for the money.

5) Focusing on presenting solutions, not on selling products and services.

I'm a firm believer in the business philosophy of "succeeding by helping others succeed." Focusing on helping people solve their problems or achieve their goals works better than just "selling" them products and services.

6) Self-Discipline.

Now that my "office" is just a few steps away when I wake up in the morning, it's easy to sleep in. With no boss "cracking a whip" over those that work for themselves, self-discipline is definitely needed. Usually no one will see that things get done but yourself.

7) Marketing skills.

Regardless of what business you're in, marketing is the tool used to present the solutions that your products and services offer to the rest of the world. As the saying goes "Everything is marketing."

Marketing is a skill. Like any other skill, it can be developed through knowledge and practice.

You, Too, Can Leave the Rat Race

As many employees of large corporations have been discovering to their dismay, even seniority doesn't always guarantee job security.

Of course, there's more involved in leaving the rat race than following the above tips, which I can't cover in detail within the scope of this article, but I've shared seven keys I consider important.

No, leaving the rat race for cyberspace didn't come overnight, but it's certainly possible - as more and more savvy entrepreneurs are discovering - and well worth the effort. If followed, these keys can help you leave the rat race, too. ---------------

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"Do It On Purpose!"

One of the greatest time thieves of all is distraction. And we aid and abet this thief constantly.

We let ourselves get distracted simply because we aren't thinking about our purpose. Often this happens because we either haven't reminded ourselves of what that purpose is, or we don't have it set clearly in print.

Look back at last week's example of the two comic book dealers. One had a very clear and well defined purpose and market, the other was vague. The difference in hourly income (The ROI of time) was huge.

We all make this mistake. The fix is simple.

Set down on paper the exact purpose you have in running your business. Both what you want, and what you will provide for it. Then measure every daily activity against it's value in accomplishing those two linked purposes. If it advances them in some measurable way, you're on track. If not, it's likely a distraction.

Try this for a week and see how much your productivity improves. And watch how much less time it takes to get those improvements.

The clearer your goal, the faster you'll get there!

Reprinted from TalkBiz News. To subscribe (It's free), send any email to mailto:Newsletter@TalkBiz.com

You Don't Need a Crystal Ball Copyright 1998 William N Hodges, used by permission.

As a professional speaker, I get to attend many different kinds of events every year. On the fun night of a conference where I was to speak, the ballroom was transformed into a circus midway. On a lark, I decided to have my fortune told. I was amazed how the lady could take bits of information and weave them into a believable story.

She told me public speaking would play a part in my life. She said that, although I had lived in the United States for a long time, I started life somewhere else. She told me I was named after a great leader. She said that even though I was traditional in many ways, I had no trouble being unique.

How did she know all that without my saying more than a few words, none of which related to the above information? As Sherlock Holmes would say, "Elementary, my dear Watson."

That lady was an expert at reading people and made her living from paying attention to even the smallest detail. Here's what she learned from looking and listening to me. In my lapel was a membership pin from Toastmasters International, which is the foremost self-help communications organization in the world. Hence, her remark about public speaking.

I have been away from Canada for so long that I forget I still have a small bit of an accent, especially with words like "out" and "about," but she keyed in on them.

As to the great leader business, when she said that, I told her that I had been named for a family friend who, although he was a brave man who died defending his country in World War II, would not have been described as a great leader. She persisted and said she saw a knight on horseback leading troops-William the Conqueror. In amazement, I admitted that my name was indeed William. My amazement faded when I later remembered that my shirts all have Bill monogrammed on the right cuff.

But how did she know that, although traditional, I do not mind being unique? My wife guessed that one. She said although I wore a very conservative suit, I was the only one at the conference wearing a vest.

You see my fortune telling lady did not need a crystal ball to know a great deal about me. All she needed, which she had honed to a razor's edge, were her observation skills.

Most of us look but do not see. We hear but do not listen. How much more successful could we be if we develop these two very important talents and become proficient in their use? Now when I meet someone, I make a game of it.

What can I learn about them from the way they are dressed? Does their speech pattern reveal anything? How about the way they stand or shake hands? If I am in their domain (home or office), what can I learn from what they have done to their surroundings? Are plaques or awards on their wall that can give you an insight into the things they are interested in or belong to, like Sertoma or Rotary? Is there anything unique that can be used as a conversation starter. As an example, when you enter my home, you will be exposed to my substantial collection of alligator memorabilia. It comes from all over the world, sent to me by people who have attended my team building seminar, "Tip Toe Thru The Alligators." I treasure it and love to tell where each piece came from and who sent it. Maybe you are not ready for that yet, but the first rule of a good conversationalist is to talk about something in which the listener is interested.

Well, there you have it. You do not need a crystal ball to find out about other people. What you need is the sincere desire to put them first and pay attention to the many signals they are giving you.

----------------

Bill Hodges is nationally recognized speaker, trainer, and columnist. If you enjoyed this article, you will enjoy his book Within Your Reach which contains 60 such articles on positive thinking available either in print or a three cassette audio tape. If ordering from your local bookstore, .reference ISBN #0-9622717-0-5, or you may order directly by sending your check for $4.95 USCurrency plus ($1.30 USA $3.00 Other) for the printed book or $20.00 plus ($3.00 USA $6.00 other) for shipping to Hodges Seminars International, P O Box 22 Fairborn OH 45324. Or order by Visa or Mastercharge at his Web site http://www.BillHodges.com

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