In the spirit of Memorial Day weekend, I thought I would put up some new outdoor speakers in our patio. I already had all the parts, I just needed to get them installed.
Went well for the most part, and now I’ve got nice, evenly distributed music out on our patio. I even weather sealed the holes I had to make.
Pictures are forthcoming.
It has often been said that “The first million is the hardest” to earn. I think that is a rather accurate statement. Reaching a target number in any category is difficult. What I want you to think about is how that concept applies to just about anything in life.
Think of other goals or milestones or skills in your life that took effort to reach. Your first job perhaps? Maybe your first website or first time painting a room. Once you’ve done it the first time, each successive time gets easier and easier.
The economist/philosopher/priest Adam Smith pointed out that the more specialized a worker becomes, they produce more and the quality of their work increases. I truly believe that statement and it goes directly towards the premise of this post. As you get more skilled a certain task, it becomes easier and your output is better.
Back to the title. Rather than shooting for a million, why not look at other goals. Simple things like adding one additional customer to your company per week. Once you’ve succeeded at that, adding two per week is just that much easier. I’ve been getting quite a rhythm going recently in two specific areas.
First is blogging. As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m working with my business partner on placeshifting.org. I was able to purchase the domain, setup hosting install the blog software, create email addresses, FTP logins and guest access all within about half an hour. Think about that. I went from an idea to a full-blown web presence, complete with images, ads and content in about the same amount of time it takes to watch a TV show. Why was I able to do it so quickly? I’ve done it dozens of times before. At this point it’s almost automatic. That brings me to the second project.
I’ve been working in a variety of e-commerce environments over the years, but I’ve never built an entire shopping cart system from the ground up. I have a grasp of things like credit card processing, merchant accounts, inventory management, advertising, web hosting, etc., but not actually setting up the software. So I dove in. On a recommendation I went with the CRE Loaded version of osCommerce, a free shopping cart system. I sure like free things. It took me two days of pounding my head against the wall, numerous calls to tech support and a few favors, but you know what? It’s up and running. And here’s the weird thing. Not two days after the first was setup, I was asked to create a site for a friend of mine. From the two days of head pounding, I’m now down to about 5 hours of minor hair-pulling. Not bad when you really think about it.
The point I’m trying to make here is that there really are no barriers to what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it. And the best part is, when you have to perform the same task again, it gets easier and easier. So don’t focus on that million, but rather on creating an indexed PDF file, or getting a thousand bucks in your savings account. Most importantly, try to focus on tasks that are useful if repeated. Reading the Encyclopedia once may make the second time a breeze, but what value is that to your life or career?
For those 3 of you who have read any of my blogs before, you’ve already read this post. But for the two of you who are new, I wanted to repost it here.
Starting A Business in Los Angeles, the slightly longer than it needs to be version:
Step 1
So many people have ideas that end up going nowhere simply because the concept of starting a business seems to be overwhelming. It’s actually really easy and I aim to show you how.
There are a couple of things you need to know about your own business before you get started. First, unless you go the route of incorporation (such as an LLC or C-Corp which I’ll explain later), a small business is just you with a different name.
In the next few posts, I’ll walk you through all of the steps it takes. In fact, if you start on this path first thing in the morning, you can have your own business by the end of the day.
Ok - I admit, my curiosity behind the math in Deal or No Deal got me digging into other game shows. I like numbers and they like me, so to speak. So I was looking around for some Jeopardy numbers. Just basic stuff like average winning amount, wagering theories, and so on. Well, I stumbled upon the greatest waste of time and internet space to date. Ok, that’s probably a bit strong… But seriously, every question on every show and every wager? Wow. A few tidbits: (these all relate to season 23, as if you know what that means)
I’m sure I’ll find something else intriguing soon, but damn…
I’ve dealt with other small businesses for years. I’ve also dealt with lawyers for years. I don’t complain much when service is below my standards. Maybe I should.
The idea that companies offer guaranteed services or products has been around for a long time. Guarantee’s come in many different forms. For instance:
But most guarantees out there are missing a very important clause. I call it the ‘Or What?’ clause. Think about it. When was the last time you actually knew what you would get in return based upon a verbal or advertising guarantee? Whenever you hear the word ‘Guaranteed’, be sure it’s followed with ‘or…..’ If not, look elsewhere for your services.
I know by this point, you must be asking yourself, “Self, what defines a guarantee”. Well, our good friends over at WikiPedia have one of the most mind-numbing answers I’ve ever read:
The act of becoming a surety is also called a guarantee. Traditionally a guarantee was distinguished from a surety in that the surety’s liability was joint and primary with the principal, whereas the guaranty’s liability was ancillary and derivative, but many jurisdictions have abolished this distinction.
In the United States, under Article 3 of the Uniform Commercial Code, a person who signs a negotiable instrument as a surety is termed an accommodation party; such a party may be able to assert defenses to the enforcement of an instrument not available to the maker of the instrument.
Save for a few lawyers or Type-A people out there, I’m still not quite sure what a guarantee is. Let’s just say that someone (or thing) is making you a promise that their good (or service) will be what you expected it to be. If not… Or what?
Two great examples of Or What clauses come to mind. One company sells mattresses, the other is a plumber.
The mattress industry is a very shady business. You only really a mattress a few times in your life, so the average mattress customer is quite uninformed. Think about it… What do you really know about a mattress other than what you feel when you lie down? Is it soft? Does it stain easily? Will I need to flip it? All things considered, a mattress is a rather significant purchase. So, how do you choose the right dealer?
By inferring from the ads, focus groups have told mattress companies that price is the number one factor determining where customers go to find their next good night’s sleep. Therefore, a guarantee around price is the next logical step. Forget about quality, or whether or not your mattress is in stock. Give it to me cheap!
That brings me, of course (if you live in California and hear the annoying ads) to Sit N Sleep.
Really, only the last three seconds of the video matter. “We beat anybody’s prices, or your mattress is FREEEEEEEEEE!” The key word, of course, is ‘or’. Now I know what I’m getting into.
The other (locally) famous guarantee is Mike Diamond plumbing. Again, hundreds of focus groups determined that odor and punctuality are the two biggest complaints of plumbing customers. So, what did Mike Diamond do? Came up with a clever guarantee of course. “My plumber will show up on time and smell good, OR your house call is free”. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.
Another popular, but mis-placed, guarantee comes from FedEx. Do you know what happens if your package isn’t delivered on time? You get your shipping cost back. AND, you have to call and ask for it, it’s not automatic. The question to ask yourself is: Is the $20 I spent on shipping worth the $100,000 I would have made during my presentation but couldn’t because stupid fedex didn’t show up on time and now I’m screwed? In hindsight, always bring the presentation with you.
Anyhow, next time you hear the word Guarantee, be sure to ask yourself, OR WHAT?
I’ve had a few blogs over the years, none with any direction or posting frequency. So, over the next few days, I’ll be adding some of my classics to this one. Enjoy
I don’t know why, but I have a fascination with statistics and numbers. A few weeks back I was on a JetBlue flight to New York and ended up watching Deal or No Deal on their free, in-flight DirecTV service. I never watched the game before because it seemed kind of irritating, and I can’t stand Howie Mandel. However, after three mind-numbing hours of boredom in-flight, I succumbed to America’s current game show of the week.
I was struggling with the math behind the game. What was the bankers’ offer based on? Are the dollar amounts set up fairly, visually speaking, such that you can get an accurate picture of whether or not you’re receiving a good offer? And, what is a ‘good’ offer?
After a whopping 30 seconds of search on Google, I found a great explanation of the math behind the game. Basically, from a probability perspective, if you receive an offer greater than the arithmetical mean of the remaining cases, you should take the deal. But don’t take my word for it…
At the beginning of Deal or No Deal, the contestant is presented with 26 suitcases that contain the amounts shown in the previous image, and the expected value can be calculated from the following equation:
If no cases have been opened, then this value computes to approximately $131,477.54.
The discussion is fascinating, you should read it.
Oh, and if you want to play the game online, go here.
I’m not really sure how to preface this post, but, suffice it to say, the title of the linked article caught my attention. I may not agree with everything that our president does with this country, but I sure am proud of this country. A lot of people make very uninformed arguments about a lot of things. But when you’re talking about the stability of the world, learn before you speak.
Americans abroad can thank George W. Bush for sharpening our survival skills. We have weathered a sea of anti-Iraq war protests and had the intelligence of our president and those who voted for him questioned more times than we care to remember.
In my hometown of San Francisco, Bush supporters are called all sorts of names, and I rarely bother with defending them. When abroad, however, I feel a patriotic duty to try to explain the political views of those with whom I adamantly disagree.
