When you think about commodities that are in demand and other hot items right now among traders, you probably don’t think of water. But you should as alternative wealth creating strategies in water are surfacing.
The pipelines that provide our drinking water cover a distance of a million miles … more than four times the length of the Interstate Highway System. Much of this pipeline is over 100 yrs old, has exceeded its useful life, and in many parts of the country, it is in a state of utter disrepair.
The fix will cost at least $500B over the next 20 years.
And, the renewable bio-fuel targets of the US Dpt of Energy can’t be met because we don’t have the water supply. It will take 2.5 trillion gallons of water to make 1 billion gallons of ethanol … this is more water than used by the farmers in the Central Valley and the population of Southern California combined. It takes energy to make water and water to make energy and we don’t have enough water to make the mandated biofuel … perhaps this is another conspiracy in the making.
As a result, the price of water in some parts of the world is rising … sometimes very quickly and it is rising right here in the good ole USA … especially in California.
Water rates in California have experienced a 71% increase in five years and despite these increases, water is still too cheap in Southern California.
Water is a resource that has been underpriced for 50 years … consumers pay $10 day for power and only $3 a day for water. Water costs more in Manhattan and New York City isn’t even a desert.
California is a good case study where the water crisis is in bloom and here are drivers of some of the issues and challenges ahead.
First – Supply Limitations. As the water flows down from the Sierra Mountains, it also flows through an estuary before it reaches the state’s water supply. The estuary was depleted due to excessive pumping which endangered a species of fish native to the river. A few years ago, a federal judge put limits on the amount of water taken out of the Sacramento – San Joaquin Bay Delta to protect the fish. The system is now delivering only 40% of the capacity as a result of these judge implied limits. At this point, even several wet years will not get the capacity back to 100%.
Second – Drought. Current reservoir levels are at all-time lows because California just had its third consecutive dry year.
Third – Aging Infrastructure. The system is no longer capable of supporting the increased population without significant investment.
To combat these problems, the state has done a number of things, including the price increases mentioned above. Yet because water is still so cheap, the increased water rates have not had much of an effect on water use so far. There is also an $11.1 billion water bond that will provide funds for storing water. And there is a search for new supplies of water.
Having picked all the low-hanging fruit, it is clear there is no single solution to the water crisis. There will be many ideas – conservation, desalination, and more.
For example, some companies are working on ways to capture the rain and snowfall from various mountain drainage and watersheds before it flows to natural dry lakes and eventually evaporates. The rain and snowfall will be stored and eventually delivered to major population centers in California via pipeline and pumping stations.
On the surface, it will appear that the value will be in the water provided for consumption and irrigation of crops grown on farms in the region. Yet the real value will not be the actual water or resulting farming but in monetizing the water rights.
Today’s investor portfolio should include companies that hold these water rights; companies that provide pipes, valves, seals, tanks, treatment plants, and pumping station equipment; firms that provide the engineering services to design and build these pipelines and pumping stations; and water utilities that operate and deliver quality water, that will better than most bottled water, to major metropolitan areas of California.
Water worries extend far beyond California and the America West … and it will be a good place to be in the years ahead. As goes California, so goes America.
I favor a quote from Steve Forbes … Forbes says that pursuing additional financial education and the resulting increase in our financial literacy will open our eyes to alternative wealth creating strategies and this will be they key to resolving our financial crisis.
As an example of alternative wealth creating strategies … consider investments in non dollar-denominated assets … perhaps emerging markets … perhaps energy assets that are inherently useful like oil rigs, hydropower, or methanol plants … perhaps water rights, precious metals, oil, natural gas, potash mines, or gold mines … things hard to build, difficult to replace, and costly to substitute … definitely not financial stocks, definitely not retail stocks, definitely not commercial property.
I trust this article provides a little more insight as to why water rights, pipelines, and water utilities continue to represent alternative wealth creating strategies.
I will continue to introduce alternative wealth creating strategies to consider like water rights and other like emerging markets, oil rigs, precious metals and potash mines, in future articles and updates here at my blog over the next few weeks.
You can find out more about Financial Education, Alternative Wealth Creating Strategies, Internet Marketing opportunities, Home-Based Businesses, and the global economy by reading updates that will be posted here at my blog over the next few weeks and by following me on Twitter.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte … I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on Twitter :
Read my Posts :
Watch my Video Channel :
Join me in pursuing financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams at aspenIbiz .
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Farrell operates his own internet marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are a reluctant entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join him in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following the aspenIbiz link provided above.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
10 Reasons to Switch from W2 to 1099 Free Agent Entrepreneur by Mike Farrell with aspenIbiz
Times are difficult for the man on the street ... Main Street to be precise, not Wall Street.
From the struggling small business owner to the disillusioned college graduate and near-to-being wiped-out retiree, there is a complete sense of disbelief.
Many are unemployed and facing the highest unemployment rates since the Great Depression.
If they could land a J.O.B. (some refer to this sort of work as Just Over Broke), it is usually for lower pay and part time.
Consequently many are reluctantly considering becoming an entrepreneur and switching status from a W2 to a 1099 thereby becoming a member of the Free Agent Entrepreneurial nation.
Being self employed offers independence and variable work hours yet as part of making this reluctant transition, many are asking why has this situation happened to them.
So that you can rewire yourself for success and understand it is not you that developed the problem ... you need to understand the forces at work creating the Free Agent Entrepreneur and that this is creating a chance for you to thrive ... not just survive.
Here are 10 Reasons driving the switch from W2 status to the ascendency of the 1099 Free Agent Entrepreneur.
1st – Corporate loyalty is dead. The decade of the 90s was full of downsizing; the 1st decade of this century was full of dot-com layoffs and busts in the telecom, housing, mortgage, and financial services industry. Loyalty to the corporation or institution is dead however loyalty to clients, colleagues, and projects, this loyalty is stronger than ever.
2nd – The workforce is adrift operating without a broad social contract. The life-long employment deal of the Company Man has disappeared however the bargaining nature of Free Agency, where individuals trade talent for opportunity, is alive and thriving.
3rd – While the traditional view has been, the best measure of economic success is growth with higher profits and larger workforces, bigger is not necessarily better. The Free Agent Entrepreneurs are redefining growth and the measure of success in terms of meaning or purpose in their life.
4th – On the surface, the Free Agency Economy may seem to make workers less secure. In reality, many Free Agent Entrepreneurs mitigate this risk by having multiple clients, multiple customers, and multiple projects finding themselves more secure than traditional W2 employees.
5th – Most parents try to balance work and family. Laws have been passed mandating family leave and corporations have responded with family-friendly initiatives however, these well-intentioned efforts have not alleviated the anxiety because one-size solutions don’t work. Many Free Agent Entrepreneurs are operating work at home or Internet based businesses to erase the boundary between work and family.
6th – Many potential Free Agent Entrepreneurs are afraid of missing the fabled water cooler. The isolation is real however Free Agent Entrepreneurs have formed an array of small groups and online communities using Social Media tools and webinar technologies to rebuild the social life of the workplace.
7th – Why should workers want to retire? Retirement came about in the 20th century and many are asking why does it have to be a fixture of the 21st century? Many older workers do not want to retire and are becoming Free Agent Entrepreneurs as a way to re-invent a new “older” age.
8th – Public education is in crisis as evident by more families opting to home school their children and many questioning whether formal schooling should be compulsory and if a college degree is even necessary. Many Free Agent Entrepreneurs value life-long learning and can obtain the education they desire as they are constantly attending online seminars and obtaining relevant education for their businesses … and that is spurring the growth of online universities.
9th – There is an assumption, that today’s organizations hold the power and that by “empowering” workers they will be “retained” in their cubicles. Due to the Global Financial Crisis and the other transformative events of the workforce, these “empowerment” efforts end up being laughable and patronizing. In a Free Agent Entrepreneurial Economy, you can inspire and challenge people but you can’t retain them.
10th – Having Americans get their health insurance through an employer is an arrangement built on a historic accident and underpinned by almost no economic or moral logic … witness the healthcare reform efforts and debate of 2009. Many are asking why we should have employer-based insurance coverage when fewer of us will have employers.
The GFC(Global Financial Crisis) is becoming a transformative event such that no matter how cherished the notions are about how precisely employees should behave, how companies must operate, or how economies can flourish, we have reached the tipping point and the Free Agent Entrepreneur is not going away.
No matter how much we dream about it, many of us prefer the security of a job and paycheck, and no amount of entrepreneurship propaganda will change human nature. Yet for both the doers and the dreamers, the Free Agent Entrepreneur is not just a style of work, it is also a way of life. Entrepreneurs zig when everyone else is zagging.
However you can find still enormous obstacles for small businesses. Taxes are out of control, credit remains tights, and banks are still stingy. Add to this list the expensive topic of healthcare and things can seem very gloomy.
Because of this, many are considering a Web based business where you leverage a suite of best practices, Internet software tools, education, and support inside a community of gifting colleagues thereby placing themselves at the center of the New Economy 2.0: The Ascendancy of the Entrepreneur.
Adhering to an approach where you essentially carbon copy success of leaders in the community ... you can stand on the shoulders of giants that proceeded you and this how you can successfully launch a home based business and start making money in a reasonable amount of time.
While you are putting the pieces of your business together, you are taking care of your personal training and development. Like anything else, no one really understands Internet promotion from the start. One reason is there is so much to understand. As you start, you need to consider “Reengineering You” which includes mastering of new skills, defining your brand, and ensuring you have a high level of energy and commitment to success.
Because you do not need large amounts of capital (as is frequently required in other business opportunities) you can generate among the best ROIs (Returns On Investment) as you operate an Internet Marketing business. The time is right to get started today. To use the slogan of a famous maker of sporting gear, “Just do it!”
You can find out more about these Top 10 Trends, Internet Marketing opportunities, and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks and following my Tweets on Twitter.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte ... I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on Twitter :
Read my posts at my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are a reluctant entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
You can watch my video update of this blog post here .
From the struggling small business owner to the disillusioned college graduate and near-to-being wiped-out retiree, there is a complete sense of disbelief.
Many are unemployed and facing the highest unemployment rates since the Great Depression.
If they could land a J.O.B. (some refer to this sort of work as Just Over Broke), it is usually for lower pay and part time.
Consequently many are reluctantly considering becoming an entrepreneur and switching status from a W2 to a 1099 thereby becoming a member of the Free Agent Entrepreneurial nation.
Being self employed offers independence and variable work hours yet as part of making this reluctant transition, many are asking why has this situation happened to them.
So that you can rewire yourself for success and understand it is not you that developed the problem ... you need to understand the forces at work creating the Free Agent Entrepreneur and that this is creating a chance for you to thrive ... not just survive.
Here are 10 Reasons driving the switch from W2 status to the ascendency of the 1099 Free Agent Entrepreneur.
1st – Corporate loyalty is dead. The decade of the 90s was full of downsizing; the 1st decade of this century was full of dot-com layoffs and busts in the telecom, housing, mortgage, and financial services industry. Loyalty to the corporation or institution is dead however loyalty to clients, colleagues, and projects, this loyalty is stronger than ever.
2nd – The workforce is adrift operating without a broad social contract. The life-long employment deal of the Company Man has disappeared however the bargaining nature of Free Agency, where individuals trade talent for opportunity, is alive and thriving.
3rd – While the traditional view has been, the best measure of economic success is growth with higher profits and larger workforces, bigger is not necessarily better. The Free Agent Entrepreneurs are redefining growth and the measure of success in terms of meaning or purpose in their life.
4th – On the surface, the Free Agency Economy may seem to make workers less secure. In reality, many Free Agent Entrepreneurs mitigate this risk by having multiple clients, multiple customers, and multiple projects finding themselves more secure than traditional W2 employees.
5th – Most parents try to balance work and family. Laws have been passed mandating family leave and corporations have responded with family-friendly initiatives however, these well-intentioned efforts have not alleviated the anxiety because one-size solutions don’t work. Many Free Agent Entrepreneurs are operating work at home or Internet based businesses to erase the boundary between work and family.
6th – Many potential Free Agent Entrepreneurs are afraid of missing the fabled water cooler. The isolation is real however Free Agent Entrepreneurs have formed an array of small groups and online communities using Social Media tools and webinar technologies to rebuild the social life of the workplace.
7th – Why should workers want to retire? Retirement came about in the 20th century and many are asking why does it have to be a fixture of the 21st century? Many older workers do not want to retire and are becoming Free Agent Entrepreneurs as a way to re-invent a new “older” age.
8th – Public education is in crisis as evident by more families opting to home school their children and many questioning whether formal schooling should be compulsory and if a college degree is even necessary. Many Free Agent Entrepreneurs value life-long learning and can obtain the education they desire as they are constantly attending online seminars and obtaining relevant education for their businesses … and that is spurring the growth of online universities.
9th – There is an assumption, that today’s organizations hold the power and that by “empowering” workers they will be “retained” in their cubicles. Due to the Global Financial Crisis and the other transformative events of the workforce, these “empowerment” efforts end up being laughable and patronizing. In a Free Agent Entrepreneurial Economy, you can inspire and challenge people but you can’t retain them.
10th – Having Americans get their health insurance through an employer is an arrangement built on a historic accident and underpinned by almost no economic or moral logic … witness the healthcare reform efforts and debate of 2009. Many are asking why we should have employer-based insurance coverage when fewer of us will have employers.
The GFC(Global Financial Crisis) is becoming a transformative event such that no matter how cherished the notions are about how precisely employees should behave, how companies must operate, or how economies can flourish, we have reached the tipping point and the Free Agent Entrepreneur is not going away.
No matter how much we dream about it, many of us prefer the security of a job and paycheck, and no amount of entrepreneurship propaganda will change human nature. Yet for both the doers and the dreamers, the Free Agent Entrepreneur is not just a style of work, it is also a way of life. Entrepreneurs zig when everyone else is zagging.
However you can find still enormous obstacles for small businesses. Taxes are out of control, credit remains tights, and banks are still stingy. Add to this list the expensive topic of healthcare and things can seem very gloomy.
Because of this, many are considering a Web based business where you leverage a suite of best practices, Internet software tools, education, and support inside a community of gifting colleagues thereby placing themselves at the center of the New Economy 2.0: The Ascendancy of the Entrepreneur.
Adhering to an approach where you essentially carbon copy success of leaders in the community ... you can stand on the shoulders of giants that proceeded you and this how you can successfully launch a home based business and start making money in a reasonable amount of time.
While you are putting the pieces of your business together, you are taking care of your personal training and development. Like anything else, no one really understands Internet promotion from the start. One reason is there is so much to understand. As you start, you need to consider “Reengineering You” which includes mastering of new skills, defining your brand, and ensuring you have a high level of energy and commitment to success.
Because you do not need large amounts of capital (as is frequently required in other business opportunities) you can generate among the best ROIs (Returns On Investment) as you operate an Internet Marketing business. The time is right to get started today. To use the slogan of a famous maker of sporting gear, “Just do it!”
You can find out more about these Top 10 Trends, Internet Marketing opportunities, and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks and following my Tweets on Twitter.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte ... I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on Twitter :
Read my posts at my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are a reluctant entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
You can watch my video update of this blog post here .
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Top 10 in 2010 New Years Message from Mike Farrell with aspenIbiz
It is New Year’s Eve and last week I said I would synthesize some of the Top 10 for 2010 lists I was reviewing and provide my own Top 10 List with trends spread across Business, Technology, and the Global Economy categories.
I did not realize how difficult this would be to do. I did prepare a Top 10 list however since my list is a summary of several Top 10 Lists, I will Tweet on Twitter over the next few days the original Top 10 lists and provide each of them as specific blog post so you can read them together at one time and learn a little more about these trends.
So here we go:
1st – The trend will be toward a more normal monetary policy ... meaning the time of 0% interest rates is over.
2nd – There is growing uncertainty over the ability of governments to fund large deficits ... meaning investors just don’t want to buy the debt being issued by governments, this is called sovereign debt. If there is so much supply and little demand, the price received by the government for the debt issued will be lower and therefore the yield or interest rate will be higher. This is another reason interest rates will not remain at 0% much longer and are going up.
3rd – It will be a jobless recovery and this is going to hurt ... on a global basis, it is estimated there will be 60M more people unable to find work than there were in 2009 ... ouch. Here is a great book to read, Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets ... you can find it on Amazon and it is on the bookshelves at Barnes and Nobles, and Borders.
4th – Green computing and energy efficiency will be the rage. Have you ever noticed the heat that your laptop generates? Now just image large office buildings and huge data centers ... computing has got to be more efficient energy wise.
5th – Cloud computing will be the trend in this coming year. This essentially means computing capability will be like a utility and large companies and government agencies will subscribe to this capability like we subscribe to water, power, and heating and air conditioning.
6th – There will be a huge increase in mobile computing, telecommuting, and virtual meetings.
7th – The upside down economy and turmoil is creating entrepreneurial opportunities as long as you can deal with a situation that is about as stable as lava flow.
8th – Demand is exploding for locally grown and made products which means more support for mom and pop stores. Many know they need to consume but they want to be also socially conscious.
9th – China will be central to every global issue in the coming year from the economy, to climate change, to nuclear diplomacy.
10th – After 130 flights spanning 3 decades, the last space shuttle is scheduled to fly in 2010. In addition to a crew of 5 or 6 well-trained pilots and astronauts, a US politician, a Saudi prince, a school teacher, several mothers of three-children, and a 77 year old man also hitched a ride into space. Until Orion, which is the Shuttle replacement and estimated to be ready to go in 2015, the US has outsourced to Russia the transport of astronauts to the International Space Station. I don’t know about you, but to me, this just seems weird ... I guess it is just a sign of the times.
You can find out more about these Top 10 Trends, Internet Marketing opportunities, and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks and following my Tweets on Twitter.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte ... I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
and on Twitter :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are a reluctant entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
You can watch my video update here of this blog post.
I did not realize how difficult this would be to do. I did prepare a Top 10 list however since my list is a summary of several Top 10 Lists, I will Tweet on Twitter over the next few days the original Top 10 lists and provide each of them as specific blog post so you can read them together at one time and learn a little more about these trends.
So here we go:
1st – The trend will be toward a more normal monetary policy ... meaning the time of 0% interest rates is over.
2nd – There is growing uncertainty over the ability of governments to fund large deficits ... meaning investors just don’t want to buy the debt being issued by governments, this is called sovereign debt. If there is so much supply and little demand, the price received by the government for the debt issued will be lower and therefore the yield or interest rate will be higher. This is another reason interest rates will not remain at 0% much longer and are going up.
3rd – It will be a jobless recovery and this is going to hurt ... on a global basis, it is estimated there will be 60M more people unable to find work than there were in 2009 ... ouch. Here is a great book to read, Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets ... you can find it on Amazon and it is on the bookshelves at Barnes and Nobles, and Borders.
4th – Green computing and energy efficiency will be the rage. Have you ever noticed the heat that your laptop generates? Now just image large office buildings and huge data centers ... computing has got to be more efficient energy wise.
5th – Cloud computing will be the trend in this coming year. This essentially means computing capability will be like a utility and large companies and government agencies will subscribe to this capability like we subscribe to water, power, and heating and air conditioning.
6th – There will be a huge increase in mobile computing, telecommuting, and virtual meetings.
7th – The upside down economy and turmoil is creating entrepreneurial opportunities as long as you can deal with a situation that is about as stable as lava flow.
8th – Demand is exploding for locally grown and made products which means more support for mom and pop stores. Many know they need to consume but they want to be also socially conscious.
9th – China will be central to every global issue in the coming year from the economy, to climate change, to nuclear diplomacy.
10th – After 130 flights spanning 3 decades, the last space shuttle is scheduled to fly in 2010. In addition to a crew of 5 or 6 well-trained pilots and astronauts, a US politician, a Saudi prince, a school teacher, several mothers of three-children, and a 77 year old man also hitched a ride into space. Until Orion, which is the Shuttle replacement and estimated to be ready to go in 2015, the US has outsourced to Russia the transport of astronauts to the International Space Station. I don’t know about you, but to me, this just seems weird ... I guess it is just a sign of the times.
You can find out more about these Top 10 Trends, Internet Marketing opportunities, and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks and following my Tweets on Twitter.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte ... I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
and on Twitter :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are a reluctant entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
You can watch my video update here of this blog post.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
The Law of Focus … Ries & Trout, as explained by Mike Farrell with aspenIbiz
The key activity is to “burn” your way into the mind of the customer or prospect by narrowing the focus to a single word or concept.
Federal Express was able to put the word “overnight” in the minds of its prospects because it sacrificed its product line and focused on overnight package delivery only.
When FedEx later got into home or business delivery in a few days, it created a new category and called it FedEx Ground.
Some go even further to solidify their position. Heinz owns the word ketchup. But they wanted to drive the point home with “slowest ketchup in the West”, preempting other suppliers of ketchup that were trying to emphasize thickness. This additional concept of a few more words around the key word is called a long tail and helps Heinz maintain a 50% market share.
The essence is to use your copy to narrow the focus so you become stronger. You can’t stand for something if you chase everything. Use market research where you define your target market … what they need … developing a product that meets these needs … and use copywriting to create a perception that you are best at solving their problem. Then test, monitor, and iterate to ensure you are perceived that way in the mind of your customer.
Here are a few more examples:
Crest … prevents cavities
Mercedes … engineers luxury passenger vehicles
Domino’s … delivers pizza to your home
Nordstrom … provides superior service by offering a personal shopper
Many Internet Marketing entrepreneurs are using techniques and tools like mind-mapping, keyword research, “Attraction Marketing Formula,” “Magnetic Sponsoring,” and MindMeister to position themselves and their products to solve the needs of the customer or prospect focusing on a single word or concept. They then use hypnotic writing skills to not emphasize why their offering is better, feature and function-wise, over a competitor’s offering but to develop a message that will seduce and persuade a customer to take the action you want.
Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of focus for a single word or concept in the mind of their customer or prospect / lead.
You can find out more about Internet Marketing and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte … I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
Federal Express was able to put the word “overnight” in the minds of its prospects because it sacrificed its product line and focused on overnight package delivery only.
When FedEx later got into home or business delivery in a few days, it created a new category and called it FedEx Ground.
Some go even further to solidify their position. Heinz owns the word ketchup. But they wanted to drive the point home with “slowest ketchup in the West”, preempting other suppliers of ketchup that were trying to emphasize thickness. This additional concept of a few more words around the key word is called a long tail and helps Heinz maintain a 50% market share.
The essence is to use your copy to narrow the focus so you become stronger. You can’t stand for something if you chase everything. Use market research where you define your target market … what they need … developing a product that meets these needs … and use copywriting to create a perception that you are best at solving their problem. Then test, monitor, and iterate to ensure you are perceived that way in the mind of your customer.
Here are a few more examples:
Crest … prevents cavities
Mercedes … engineers luxury passenger vehicles
Domino’s … delivers pizza to your home
Nordstrom … provides superior service by offering a personal shopper
Many Internet Marketing entrepreneurs are using techniques and tools like mind-mapping, keyword research, “Attraction Marketing Formula,” “Magnetic Sponsoring,” and MindMeister to position themselves and their products to solve the needs of the customer or prospect focusing on a single word or concept. They then use hypnotic writing skills to not emphasize why their offering is better, feature and function-wise, over a competitor’s offering but to develop a message that will seduce and persuade a customer to take the action you want.
Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of focus for a single word or concept in the mind of their customer or prospect / lead.
You can find out more about Internet Marketing and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte … I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The Law of Perception … Ries & Trout; as explained by Mike Farrell with aspenIbiz
This post is a follow up to my recent tweet about The Law of Perception.
Many people think marketing is a battle of products. In the long run, they believe the best product will win.
Marketing people are preoccupied with doing research and getting the facts. They then analyze the data to make sure the truth is on their side, confident they have the best product and that ultimately, the best product will win.
It is an illusion. All that exists in the world of marketing are perceptions in the minds of the customer or prospect (lead or applicant). Their perception is the reality ... everything else is an illusion.
Marketing is a manipulation of those perceptions and creating illusions to solve a problem of the prospect or customer. They don’t care about how good “what you have” is, compared to the competition … they just want to know it will solve their problem and work for them.
Your entire marketing efforts should be to meet and exceed those perceptions. You have to study how those perceptions are formed and focus your marketing campaigns on meeting and exceeding those perceptions.
For example the three largest selling Japanese imported cars in America are Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. The Japanese automobile manufactures sell the same cars in the USA as they do in Japan. If it was a battle of products, you would expect, percentage wise, the same sales volume would hold true for cars sold in the USA as in Japan. Yet in Japan, Toyota sells 4X as many automobiles as Honda does. Why?
To answer that, let’s think about the following interchange. If you told friends in New York you bought a Honda, they might ask, “Was it a Civic?, an Accord?, or a Pilot?” If you told a friend in Tokyo you bought a Honda, they might ask “what kind of motorcycle did you buy?” In Japan, Honda is perceived as a motorcycle company and most people in Japan don’t want to buy a car from a motorcycle company.
Many Internet Marketing entrepreneurs are using techniques and tools like mind-mapping, keyword research, “Attraction Marketing Formula,” “Magnetic Sponsoring,” and MindMeister to position themselves and their products to solve the needs of the customer or prospect. They use hypnotic writing skills to not emphasize why their offering is better, feature and function-wise, over a competitor’s but to develop a message that will seduce and persuade a customer that what is offered will work for them.
Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
You can find out more about Internet Marketing and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte … I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
Many people think marketing is a battle of products. In the long run, they believe the best product will win.
Marketing people are preoccupied with doing research and getting the facts. They then analyze the data to make sure the truth is on their side, confident they have the best product and that ultimately, the best product will win.
It is an illusion. All that exists in the world of marketing are perceptions in the minds of the customer or prospect (lead or applicant). Their perception is the reality ... everything else is an illusion.
Marketing is a manipulation of those perceptions and creating illusions to solve a problem of the prospect or customer. They don’t care about how good “what you have” is, compared to the competition … they just want to know it will solve their problem and work for them.
Your entire marketing efforts should be to meet and exceed those perceptions. You have to study how those perceptions are formed and focus your marketing campaigns on meeting and exceeding those perceptions.
For example the three largest selling Japanese imported cars in America are Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. The Japanese automobile manufactures sell the same cars in the USA as they do in Japan. If it was a battle of products, you would expect, percentage wise, the same sales volume would hold true for cars sold in the USA as in Japan. Yet in Japan, Toyota sells 4X as many automobiles as Honda does. Why?
To answer that, let’s think about the following interchange. If you told friends in New York you bought a Honda, they might ask, “Was it a Civic?, an Accord?, or a Pilot?” If you told a friend in Tokyo you bought a Honda, they might ask “what kind of motorcycle did you buy?” In Japan, Honda is perceived as a motorcycle company and most people in Japan don’t want to buy a car from a motorcycle company.
Many Internet Marketing entrepreneurs are using techniques and tools like mind-mapping, keyword research, “Attraction Marketing Formula,” “Magnetic Sponsoring,” and MindMeister to position themselves and their products to solve the needs of the customer or prospect. They use hypnotic writing skills to not emphasize why their offering is better, feature and function-wise, over a competitor’s but to develop a message that will seduce and persuade a customer that what is offered will work for them.
Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
You can find out more about Internet Marketing and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte … I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Law of the Mind – It’s better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace … Ries & Trout explained by Mike Farrell with aspenIbiz
This post is a follow up to my recent tweet about The Law of the Mind.
The law of the mind follows from the law of perception. If marketing is a battle of perception, not product, then the mind takes precedence over the marketplace.
For example IBM wasn’t first in the marketplace with the mainframe computer … Remington Rand was first with the Univac. But thanks to massive marketing efforts, IBM got into the mind first and won the computer battle early for mainframe computers.
Many entrepreneurs are tripped up by this law. Someone has an idea or concept they believe will revolutionize an industry however the problem is getting the idea or concept in the prospect’s mind.
The conventional solution is to throw money at marketing your product but this is not the way to do it. There is more money wasted in marketing than any other human activity … you can’t change a mind once a mind is made up.
This principle accounts for the mystery of the well-formed opinion that can almost instantly appear in a person’s mind. One day you have never heard of a person. The next day a person is famous … remember Susan Boyle singing “I Dreamed a Dream” on Britain’s Got Talent in April 2009 … they have gone viral. And, the “overnight sensation” is not an unusual phenomenon.
So what does one do? … well, you don’t just throw money at marketing your product.
You define your marketing and sales funnel. You launch your product, you get some buzz, and you monitor & test the reaction.
If the product is not obtaining traction, don’t throw money at more marketing but make a minor change to your offering, or your marketing campaign, and do a soft re-launch of your product and again, monitor and test the reaction.
Use tracking and web analytics software tools to determine if your product is getting 1st in the mind of your customers. If your product is not top of mind with your customer, make another change, do another soft re-launch, monitor, track, and measure again. Iterate through this activity until your product is 1st in the mind of your customers.
Let me conclude with another example … when the personal computer industry started, the Altair 8800 was first in the marketplace and competing products were introduced a short while later like the Commodore Pet, the Apple II, and the Radio Shack TRS-80.
Despite being 1st to market, the Altair 8800 is gone and the only surviving computer company of this group is Apple with an entire new line of products like the MacPro, MacBook, iPod, iPhone, iTunes and more … why did this happen? The other companies and products had a difficult name to remember and Apple became 1st in the mind of their target market.
Many Internet Marketing entrepreneurs are following a concept called “Split Testing” and using Web Analytics tools to measure the mindshare their product obtains in the marketplace. They must ensure their brand, You Inc and their product, is 1st in the mind of their customers … MLM Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products.
You can find out more about Internet Marketing and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte … I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I obtain more financial education and pursue alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are a reluctant entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
The law of the mind follows from the law of perception. If marketing is a battle of perception, not product, then the mind takes precedence over the marketplace.
For example IBM wasn’t first in the marketplace with the mainframe computer … Remington Rand was first with the Univac. But thanks to massive marketing efforts, IBM got into the mind first and won the computer battle early for mainframe computers.
Many entrepreneurs are tripped up by this law. Someone has an idea or concept they believe will revolutionize an industry however the problem is getting the idea or concept in the prospect’s mind.
The conventional solution is to throw money at marketing your product but this is not the way to do it. There is more money wasted in marketing than any other human activity … you can’t change a mind once a mind is made up.
This principle accounts for the mystery of the well-formed opinion that can almost instantly appear in a person’s mind. One day you have never heard of a person. The next day a person is famous … remember Susan Boyle singing “I Dreamed a Dream” on Britain’s Got Talent in April 2009 … they have gone viral. And, the “overnight sensation” is not an unusual phenomenon.
So what does one do? … well, you don’t just throw money at marketing your product.
You define your marketing and sales funnel. You launch your product, you get some buzz, and you monitor & test the reaction.
If the product is not obtaining traction, don’t throw money at more marketing but make a minor change to your offering, or your marketing campaign, and do a soft re-launch of your product and again, monitor and test the reaction.
Use tracking and web analytics software tools to determine if your product is getting 1st in the mind of your customers. If your product is not top of mind with your customer, make another change, do another soft re-launch, monitor, track, and measure again. Iterate through this activity until your product is 1st in the mind of your customers.
Let me conclude with another example … when the personal computer industry started, the Altair 8800 was first in the marketplace and competing products were introduced a short while later like the Commodore Pet, the Apple II, and the Radio Shack TRS-80.
Despite being 1st to market, the Altair 8800 is gone and the only surviving computer company of this group is Apple with an entire new line of products like the MacPro, MacBook, iPod, iPhone, iTunes and more … why did this happen? The other companies and products had a difficult name to remember and Apple became 1st in the mind of their target market.
Many Internet Marketing entrepreneurs are following a concept called “Split Testing” and using Web Analytics tools to measure the mindshare their product obtains in the marketplace. They must ensure their brand, You Inc and their product, is 1st in the mind of their customers … MLM Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products.
You can find out more about Internet Marketing and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte … I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I obtain more financial education and pursue alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are a reluctant entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this aspenIbiz link.
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Law of the Category ... Ries & Trout as explained by Mike Farrell with aspenIbiz
This post is a follow up to my recent tweet about The Law of the Category.
If you didn’t know the name of the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic, you are probably thinking you have no chance of knowing the third person to fly solo across the Atlantic ... but you do ... it is Amelia Earhart ... however she is better known as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic – a new category.
Creating categories is counter to classical marketing thinking which is brand oriented. Forget the brand – think categories. Leads for your business are on the defensive because everyone is selling why their brand is better. But prospects have an open mind when it comes to categories because everyone is interested in what’s new ... few are interested in what’s better.
Let me conclude with a couple more examples. After Heineken, a high-priced (and imported) beer, became a success, Anheuser Bush created and promoted Michelob ... a high-priced domestic (a new category) beer and Michelob outsells Heineken by 2:1. Charles Schwab didn’t open a better brokerage firm ... he opened the 1st discount broker (a new category).
Many Internet Marketing entrepreneurs are using “MyStory” marketing to define their category and be first in their category with brand You, Inc. ... marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products.
You can find out more about Internet Marketing and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte ... I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this link to aspenIbiz .
If you didn’t know the name of the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic, you are probably thinking you have no chance of knowing the third person to fly solo across the Atlantic ... but you do ... it is Amelia Earhart ... however she is better known as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic – a new category.
Creating categories is counter to classical marketing thinking which is brand oriented. Forget the brand – think categories. Leads for your business are on the defensive because everyone is selling why their brand is better. But prospects have an open mind when it comes to categories because everyone is interested in what’s new ... few are interested in what’s better.
Let me conclude with a couple more examples. After Heineken, a high-priced (and imported) beer, became a success, Anheuser Bush created and promoted Michelob ... a high-priced domestic (a new category) beer and Michelob outsells Heineken by 2:1. Charles Schwab didn’t open a better brokerage firm ... he opened the 1st discount broker (a new category).
Many Internet Marketing entrepreneurs are using “MyStory” marketing to define their category and be first in their category with brand You, Inc. ... marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products.
You can find out more about Internet Marketing and home-based businesses by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks.
As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte ... I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.
Until next time, I invite you to:
Meet me at Facebook :
Follow me on my Blog :
Watch me on my YouTube channel :
Join me in my venture at aspenIbiz as I pursue financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams.
When not traveling for business or pleasure, Mike operates his own Internet Marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.
In closing, if you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join me in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following this link to aspenIbiz .
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