Deepak pulled out a big, thick file from his shoulder bag and handed it over to me. "What is it?" I asked him. "I contacted more than ten bank managers and collected from them copies of various project reports. I have put all those reports in this file," Deepak replied. "Why do you need them?" I asked Deepak. "I want to start my own business. I don’t know what to do and I don’t have money. So I decided to collect as many project reports as possible, select the best one, prepare a similar project report and then apply for a bank loan. But now I am in trouble. Because I am an M.Com graduate, I am able to understand how the project reports are prepared. But I don’t know which one is suitable to me. Can you please have a look at it and decide for me?" replied Deepak
I returned the file without even opening it and told him, "You have to decide for yourself. However I can suggest you a project that you can do without borrowing money." Deepak looked at me with some suspicion in his eyes. "Is it really possible to start a project without bank loan or private loan?" he asked. "Do you know how to use computer and Microsoft Excel program?" I asked Deepak. "Yes, I do know. But I have limited knowledge," replied Deepak. "Most people that apply for loans need to submit project reports. Many of them depend on consultants and Chartered Accountants. If you can help them by creating templates for project report preparation, you can make money," I told him. "Can you explain it?" Deepak asked me. "In a spreadsheet template of a project report and application form for loan, the applicant needs to fill in only the information he knows. All calculations will be done by template automatically. For example, there are dozens of ratios that are used by the finance companies to calculate the viability of a project. Liquidity ratio is one of them. To find out the liquidity ratio, you need to use a formula over a series of financial figures. Your template will automatically do the calculations. Your template will allow the users to enter only valid data. It will guide them in preparing the project report. Both the borrower and the company can save time and prepare error-free reports." Deepak considered my idea for a few seconds and then replied, "Will this be a viable project? My distant dream is to make Rs.10,000 a month. I believe many institutions already supply project reports in spreadsheet template format."
There are tens of thousands of small and medium sized finance companies and institutions. Each company has dozens of schemes that change from time to time. Only a fraction of them use such templates." I told Deepak. "If what you say is true, there is a big untapped market. But, what is your idea? Do you want me to create templates and sell them to borrowers or to the institutions?" Deepak asked me. "I think you must sell the templates to the borrowers through the institutions. Usually, the borrowers are concerned about the loan. They would not mind about such small charges. The companies benefit from the templates because they know all the requirements would be met with and the calculations would be correct."
"Where would I begin?" Deepak asked me. "First master a spreadsheet program such as Excel. Study as many excel templates as possible. You can go to websites that sell excel templates and download free or trial templates. Then you must contact small and medium sized companies and offer them a proposal. Make it clear that they are not under an obligation to pay you. Once you overcome their initial resistance, you will start making money."
After two months Deepak met me. He had a broad smile on his face. It was clear that he had some good news. "I spent four months in learning how to program Excel," he said. "Come on, how can that be true? We met only two months ago," I said to Deepak. "I worked day and night. What others learn in four months, I learnt in two months. Then I downloaded hundreds of templates from the worldwide web and learnt how others create templates," Deepak said and continued, "Once I was confident, I contacted six companies. You told me that there would be some resistance in the beginning. But, you are wrong. All of them were very receptive. Yesterday, one of the companies has approved a template for the use of its buyers."
"What are the terms?" I asked that important question. "The applicant has to pay Rs.100 for a form that is supplied on a disk. The company will take Rs.40 and I will get Rs.60. The company says every month there would be 25 applicants. That means Rs.1500 a month from one template. The company has asked me to develop templates for other schemes. Five-digit income is not a distant dream anymore."
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Air travel ticket and accomodation--- Ticket to prosperity
"I read your column regularly. But, I don’t know whether I have any skill that will help my in becoming self-employed. Perhaps, my fate is that I must be an employee in this XYZ travel company for an eternity," Vidya said. "If you have knowledge and will, you can always change your destiny and fate. If you look inside yourself and change things that ought to be changed, you can become the master of your life," I told Vidya and continued. "If you have ever gone for employment, you have a saleable skill. A skill, whatever its level, got you the job. If an employer does not derive benefits by employing you, then why would he employ you and pay you every month? You earn money in the form of salary from one employer because you have a skill that is useful to your present employer. Using the same skill, can’t you receive money as income from many customers? Will it not have multiplier effect on your income? Do you think it is impossible to do it?"
After a few moments of silence Vidya replied, "Perhaps it is possible. But I am not sure…" I told her, "I will tell you the success story of Barbara, a good friend of mine."
Barbara Whiteman was an assistant in an international school in London. Though she always wanted to pass the registration examination and obtain Registered Teacher License, her family commitments made it a distant dream. Her work involved receiving students and their parents, briefing them about the procedure and helping them in finding suitable accommodation. She worked for four hours in the mornings.
Every day there would be some confusion as hotels and airlines were not in the students’ or Barbara’s control. There would be frequent changes in plans due to unexpected developments. Invariably there would be unnecessary expenditure. Though Barbara really wished everything should go as planned, in real world such wishes were seldom fulfilled.
Barbara never thought such a fugitive wish had the power to make her financially independent.
She lived in Eastham, a budget residential area in London. On a December evening, when she was returning home by walk, she met Rajesh. He was standing on footpath with a travel bag and fear in his eyes. On seeing Barbara, he approached her and said, "Good evening. Do you have a moment, please?"
"Yes?" Barbara said and got ready to handle any unpleasant situation. She knew that Eastham was not a pedestrian friendly area at evenings and late nights.
"I am a doctor from India. I came to London to take up medical registration exam. My friend used to live in this area. I came to stay with him. But, now I learn that he is not living here anymore. I’ve been standing here for more than an hour. I don’t know what to do. I tried to find out a budget accommodation. But I’m unable to find any in this busy season. Do you have any idea that will solve my problem?" Rajesh asked her.
Barbara smiled and said, "I think I can help you." She called a few numbers on her mobile phone and fixed an accommodation within two minutes. She arranged for a cab to pick Rajesh from the place where they were standing. Then, she told him, "Don’t worry. A cab will be here within 3 minutes. I’ve booked a room for a week. If you don’t like the place, give me a call." She gave him her number. Rajesh was relieved and thanked her again and again. Even before he could finish his finest thanksgiving speech, a cab came to pick him up. Suddenly, Rajesh opened his wallet and pulled out 50 Euros - that’s lots of money - and pushed it into her hands and said, "Thank you. You are a professional travel planner." Then he got into the cab and disappeared.
Professional Travel Planner!
Would there not be thousands of people like Rajesh? If each of them paid her 50 Euros, how much she would earn? Suddenly waves and waves of energy began to enter her.
As soon as she reached her house, she began to research the web for information on travel planning. She got hundreds of useful websites and details about many software products. She particularly liked a Travel Plan software tool. The price was 50 Euros. Barbara was thrilled and ordered it. Within a fortnight, she launched her part time business as a travel planner.
She knew she would not be able to compete with tourist operators. So, she decided to specialize in making travel arrangements for small business persons and students. She had contact details of hundreds of students who had left the school. After taking permission from the school principal, she sent snail mails and emails to all of them.
Most of them remembered Barbara as she was the first person to receive them in London. Within a month she began to get regular business. Many hotels and airlines offered her referral fees.
She needed only 15 clients a month to match her salary. When she began to earn more than her salary, she quit the job. Now, she is studying for her teacher registration exam. Once she is a teacher, she’ll sell her business for a big sum.
"Give me three months and I will be on my own," Vidya said with a big, confident smile. Her eyes dazzled with new light. I smiled.
I am looking forward to write about her success story in this column next year.
After a few moments of silence Vidya replied, "Perhaps it is possible. But I am not sure…" I told her, "I will tell you the success story of Barbara, a good friend of mine."
Barbara Whiteman was an assistant in an international school in London. Though she always wanted to pass the registration examination and obtain Registered Teacher License, her family commitments made it a distant dream. Her work involved receiving students and their parents, briefing them about the procedure and helping them in finding suitable accommodation. She worked for four hours in the mornings.
Every day there would be some confusion as hotels and airlines were not in the students’ or Barbara’s control. There would be frequent changes in plans due to unexpected developments. Invariably there would be unnecessary expenditure. Though Barbara really wished everything should go as planned, in real world such wishes were seldom fulfilled.
Barbara never thought such a fugitive wish had the power to make her financially independent.
She lived in Eastham, a budget residential area in London. On a December evening, when she was returning home by walk, she met Rajesh. He was standing on footpath with a travel bag and fear in his eyes. On seeing Barbara, he approached her and said, "Good evening. Do you have a moment, please?"
"Yes?" Barbara said and got ready to handle any unpleasant situation. She knew that Eastham was not a pedestrian friendly area at evenings and late nights.
"I am a doctor from India. I came to London to take up medical registration exam. My friend used to live in this area. I came to stay with him. But, now I learn that he is not living here anymore. I’ve been standing here for more than an hour. I don’t know what to do. I tried to find out a budget accommodation. But I’m unable to find any in this busy season. Do you have any idea that will solve my problem?" Rajesh asked her.
Barbara smiled and said, "I think I can help you." She called a few numbers on her mobile phone and fixed an accommodation within two minutes. She arranged for a cab to pick Rajesh from the place where they were standing. Then, she told him, "Don’t worry. A cab will be here within 3 minutes. I’ve booked a room for a week. If you don’t like the place, give me a call." She gave him her number. Rajesh was relieved and thanked her again and again. Even before he could finish his finest thanksgiving speech, a cab came to pick him up. Suddenly, Rajesh opened his wallet and pulled out 50 Euros - that’s lots of money - and pushed it into her hands and said, "Thank you. You are a professional travel planner." Then he got into the cab and disappeared.
Professional Travel Planner!
Would there not be thousands of people like Rajesh? If each of them paid her 50 Euros, how much she would earn? Suddenly waves and waves of energy began to enter her.
As soon as she reached her house, she began to research the web for information on travel planning. She got hundreds of useful websites and details about many software products. She particularly liked a Travel Plan software tool. The price was 50 Euros. Barbara was thrilled and ordered it. Within a fortnight, she launched her part time business as a travel planner.
She knew she would not be able to compete with tourist operators. So, she decided to specialize in making travel arrangements for small business persons and students. She had contact details of hundreds of students who had left the school. After taking permission from the school principal, she sent snail mails and emails to all of them.
Most of them remembered Barbara as she was the first person to receive them in London. Within a month she began to get regular business. Many hotels and airlines offered her referral fees.
She needed only 15 clients a month to match her salary. When she began to earn more than her salary, she quit the job. Now, she is studying for her teacher registration exam. Once she is a teacher, she’ll sell her business for a big sum.
"Give me three months and I will be on my own," Vidya said with a big, confident smile. Her eyes dazzled with new light. I smiled.
I am looking forward to write about her success story in this column next year.
Screen Saver Software-- A Life saver
When my husband and I migrated to Australia, we thought we were entering into a beautiful dreamland. It took us just a month to realize that we had in fact entered into a land of nightmares," said Ramya.
I met Ramya in a Chinese restaurant in Sydney a few years ago. "What makes you feel so?" I asked her. "My husband is not good in English and he has limited communication skills. He finds it difficult to get a job. My educational qualifications are not recognized here. So, I could get only the job of part time customer support clerk in XYZ bank. We have a hand-to-mouth existence. I am in so great financial difficulty that I don’t have money to pay for even bus fare. Everyday I walk 10 Kms in bad weather!" Ramya said and wiped her eyes with her handkerchief.
"Are you not eligible for income support from the government?" I asked her. "A few years ago all migrants in financial difficulty received benefits and income support from the government without any problem. However, some migrants abused the system and now it is not as easy as it was then," Ramya replied. "It is human nature to treat concession as right," I said.
"We will be eligible for benefits only from next year. But, I don’t want to apply for income support. I feel ashamed of doing it. I don’t want to depend on others for my survival," Ramya said. "That is a magnificent attitude. This attitude will soon make you prosperous," I told her and asked her, "Wise men say that if you really lack something important, then life compensates the loss by giving another thing. Some blind men develop special faculties that are not available to people with good eyes. Your husband lacks good communication skills and he is poor in English. He can improve his English by attending self-improvement courses. But, it will take months and you need money to pay for it. Does he have any other skills?" "I don’t think he has got any skills. He wastes all his time surfing the Internet and tweaking our computer. Perhaps he is good in computer though he is not a professional," she replied.
I thought about it for a few moments and told her, "You are a customer representative in XYZ bank. You interact with customers regularly. You know what your customers want. You husband has good working knowledge in computer. Any bank would like to improve its business and its relationship with the customers. All customers, irrespective of their status would love to receive freebies. Now, can you think of any project based on the above facts?" Ramya’s response was instantaneous, "No."
"Most customers have computers at home or office. They want to show off their individuality by customizing the desktop of their systems. They download all types of images and screensavers to decorate their desktops. Your husband can create beautiful screensavers that give information about the products and services of your bank. You already know about the preferences and needs of your customers. You can help him. Your bank will give away the screensavers as freebies to its customers. For your bank, these screensavers will be business promotion tools. You can even create web-enabled screensavers so that whenever the bank changes its terms or products, the information will automatically updated on customers’ computers. Your bank will pay to your husband for the development of the screensavers," I explained the project to Ramya.
"Do you think this will work? What will I do if my bank turns down the proposal?" Ramya was pessimistic. "Have a positive attitude. If your employer does not like the project, then approach other banks, credit card companies, insurance providers and financial institutions. Leave no stone unturned until you succeed," I tried to make her feel confident. After discussing the project for a few more minutes, I left the restaurant.
Four months later I received an email from Ramya.: ‘Ken, I told about the project to my husband as soon as I reached home after our meeting. He was excited and immediately started his work on the project. He downloaded trial version of dozens of screensaver creation software and became an expert in 6 weeks. Then we wrote a project plan using Palo Alto’s Business Plan Pro software. When I submitted the project plan and sample screensaver to my boss and the management, an unexpected thing happened – they appointed me as a full time employee! They accepted our proposal and agreed to pay a good amount of money to my husband. We completed the project two days ago and my husband received a cheque from the bank yesterday. Please go to the link (here is link) and download our product. Thank you, - Ramya.’
I met Ramya in a Chinese restaurant in Sydney a few years ago. "What makes you feel so?" I asked her. "My husband is not good in English and he has limited communication skills. He finds it difficult to get a job. My educational qualifications are not recognized here. So, I could get only the job of part time customer support clerk in XYZ bank. We have a hand-to-mouth existence. I am in so great financial difficulty that I don’t have money to pay for even bus fare. Everyday I walk 10 Kms in bad weather!" Ramya said and wiped her eyes with her handkerchief.
"Are you not eligible for income support from the government?" I asked her. "A few years ago all migrants in financial difficulty received benefits and income support from the government without any problem. However, some migrants abused the system and now it is not as easy as it was then," Ramya replied. "It is human nature to treat concession as right," I said.
"We will be eligible for benefits only from next year. But, I don’t want to apply for income support. I feel ashamed of doing it. I don’t want to depend on others for my survival," Ramya said. "That is a magnificent attitude. This attitude will soon make you prosperous," I told her and asked her, "Wise men say that if you really lack something important, then life compensates the loss by giving another thing. Some blind men develop special faculties that are not available to people with good eyes. Your husband lacks good communication skills and he is poor in English. He can improve his English by attending self-improvement courses. But, it will take months and you need money to pay for it. Does he have any other skills?" "I don’t think he has got any skills. He wastes all his time surfing the Internet and tweaking our computer. Perhaps he is good in computer though he is not a professional," she replied.
I thought about it for a few moments and told her, "You are a customer representative in XYZ bank. You interact with customers regularly. You know what your customers want. You husband has good working knowledge in computer. Any bank would like to improve its business and its relationship with the customers. All customers, irrespective of their status would love to receive freebies. Now, can you think of any project based on the above facts?" Ramya’s response was instantaneous, "No."
"Most customers have computers at home or office. They want to show off their individuality by customizing the desktop of their systems. They download all types of images and screensavers to decorate their desktops. Your husband can create beautiful screensavers that give information about the products and services of your bank. You already know about the preferences and needs of your customers. You can help him. Your bank will give away the screensavers as freebies to its customers. For your bank, these screensavers will be business promotion tools. You can even create web-enabled screensavers so that whenever the bank changes its terms or products, the information will automatically updated on customers’ computers. Your bank will pay to your husband for the development of the screensavers," I explained the project to Ramya.
"Do you think this will work? What will I do if my bank turns down the proposal?" Ramya was pessimistic. "Have a positive attitude. If your employer does not like the project, then approach other banks, credit card companies, insurance providers and financial institutions. Leave no stone unturned until you succeed," I tried to make her feel confident. After discussing the project for a few more minutes, I left the restaurant.
Four months later I received an email from Ramya.: ‘Ken, I told about the project to my husband as soon as I reached home after our meeting. He was excited and immediately started his work on the project. He downloaded trial version of dozens of screensaver creation software and became an expert in 6 weeks. Then we wrote a project plan using Palo Alto’s Business Plan Pro software. When I submitted the project plan and sample screensaver to my boss and the management, an unexpected thing happened – they appointed me as a full time employee! They accepted our proposal and agreed to pay a good amount of money to my husband. We completed the project two days ago and my husband received a cheque from the bank yesterday. Please go to the link (here is link) and download our product. Thank you, - Ramya.’
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Pyschic Reading and astrology
"I want to earn money working from home. Though several options are available, I believe, internet business is the best one," Kanchana told me. "There can be no question about it. However, unless you have clear goal, great business plan and sound knowledge about what you intend to do, you may find it difficult to make reasonable income. It is true for any business. Now, tell me, what is your plan?" I asked Kanchana.
Kanchana is a B.A graduate. She is a housewife. Her husband is a software engineer in Bangalore. They belong to upper middle class society. Though she does not have any financial difficulty, she wants to spend her time usefully. She wants to show to her family members and friends that she too can achieve great things in life.
"I have always been impressed by the success of Amazon.com. It started as the biggest online book seller and now has grown into online seller of millions of products. I would like to start a big online bookshop like Amazon.com," Kanchana said. "Amazon.com invested millions of dollars in the venture and several hundred software experts work for the company. Do you have someone who can invest huge amount of money in your venture?" I asked Kanchana. "I thought if I learn how to use a software program such as Frontpage, I too can build a website like Amazon.com! Now I realize it is not simple and easy. I want to earn a few thousand rupees a month by selling books online. Is it possible to achieve that humble goal?" Kanchana asked me.
"That is not difficult. What type of books do you want to sell?" I asked her. "All types of books," replied Kanchana. "If you build a general website, earning even a few hundred rupees will be difficult. People must have better reason to go to your website than to go to Amazon. So, I suggest that you must focus on a niche. Concentrate on something special. Build your website around that theme. Then people will have a strong reason to come to your website," I said.
I know a lot about astrology and numerology. Will that topic work?" Kanchana was not confident about the theme of her business. "It’s an interesting subject. Most newspapers and magazines carry a regular feature that tell the readers what is going to happen in the next few days. Though no one takes those predictions seriously, millions of people read them regularly! So, that topic will certainly work," I replied her.
"Do you believe in astrology?" Kanchana asked me. "What I think is not important. You must give customers what they want if it is within law. In our country, people do consult astrologers before taking up any important activity such as marriage, starting business and buying a house. So, there is a big market for it. Any instrument, whether positive or negative or neutral, can be an instrument of infinite progress. So, use your knowledge to inspire people and help them make progress. If you work with this attitude, your business will be successful," I said.
"Can you please give me specific suggestions?" Kanchana requested me. "First of all you must make the site useful to the visitors. Then you must make them come again and again. Create a section with useful information and articles for each important aspect in our life such as marriage, business, job and education. Then update the content regularly. These two activities will attract visitors to your website and make them repeat visitors," I told her.
"How will I make money?" Kanchana asked me. "Join the affiliate programs of big online book sellers. If you refer visitors to their websites, they will pay you commission for each purchase the visitors make. There are software programs that will get content from big websites and show them on your website. Use them to create content rich website. There are thousands of other useful services and products that are not listed in online stores. Then promote your website through search engines. If you do these tasks right, earning a few thousand rupees a month will be easy," I replied. Then we discussed the project in detail for an hour.
Kanchana spent the next four months in developing content for her new website. Once her site was ready to go online, she applied for affiliate programs. One of the websites is a big online astrology website and has tens of thousands of visitors. In response to her application for affiliate program, this website sent her an email: ‘Our website has content on western astrology. When reviewing your site, we felt we must include content on eastern astrology also. We are pleased with the quality of your content and the presentation. We are willing to buy your website for $6000. You can continue as webmaster for $250 a month… ’
You don’t need the services of an astrologer to guess what Kanchana’s response to that email was.
Kanchana is a B.A graduate. She is a housewife. Her husband is a software engineer in Bangalore. They belong to upper middle class society. Though she does not have any financial difficulty, she wants to spend her time usefully. She wants to show to her family members and friends that she too can achieve great things in life.
"I have always been impressed by the success of Amazon.com. It started as the biggest online book seller and now has grown into online seller of millions of products. I would like to start a big online bookshop like Amazon.com," Kanchana said. "Amazon.com invested millions of dollars in the venture and several hundred software experts work for the company. Do you have someone who can invest huge amount of money in your venture?" I asked Kanchana. "I thought if I learn how to use a software program such as Frontpage, I too can build a website like Amazon.com! Now I realize it is not simple and easy. I want to earn a few thousand rupees a month by selling books online. Is it possible to achieve that humble goal?" Kanchana asked me.
"That is not difficult. What type of books do you want to sell?" I asked her. "All types of books," replied Kanchana. "If you build a general website, earning even a few hundred rupees will be difficult. People must have better reason to go to your website than to go to Amazon. So, I suggest that you must focus on a niche. Concentrate on something special. Build your website around that theme. Then people will have a strong reason to come to your website," I said.
I know a lot about astrology and numerology. Will that topic work?" Kanchana was not confident about the theme of her business. "It’s an interesting subject. Most newspapers and magazines carry a regular feature that tell the readers what is going to happen in the next few days. Though no one takes those predictions seriously, millions of people read them regularly! So, that topic will certainly work," I replied her.
"Do you believe in astrology?" Kanchana asked me. "What I think is not important. You must give customers what they want if it is within law. In our country, people do consult astrologers before taking up any important activity such as marriage, starting business and buying a house. So, there is a big market for it. Any instrument, whether positive or negative or neutral, can be an instrument of infinite progress. So, use your knowledge to inspire people and help them make progress. If you work with this attitude, your business will be successful," I said.
"Can you please give me specific suggestions?" Kanchana requested me. "First of all you must make the site useful to the visitors. Then you must make them come again and again. Create a section with useful information and articles for each important aspect in our life such as marriage, business, job and education. Then update the content regularly. These two activities will attract visitors to your website and make them repeat visitors," I told her.
"How will I make money?" Kanchana asked me. "Join the affiliate programs of big online book sellers. If you refer visitors to their websites, they will pay you commission for each purchase the visitors make. There are software programs that will get content from big websites and show them on your website. Use them to create content rich website. There are thousands of other useful services and products that are not listed in online stores. Then promote your website through search engines. If you do these tasks right, earning a few thousand rupees a month will be easy," I replied. Then we discussed the project in detail for an hour.
Kanchana spent the next four months in developing content for her new website. Once her site was ready to go online, she applied for affiliate programs. One of the websites is a big online astrology website and has tens of thousands of visitors. In response to her application for affiliate program, this website sent her an email: ‘Our website has content on western astrology. When reviewing your site, we felt we must include content on eastern astrology also. We are pleased with the quality of your content and the presentation. We are willing to buy your website for $6000. You can continue as webmaster for $250 a month… ’
You don’t need the services of an astrologer to guess what Kanchana’s response to that email was.
Knowledge about pregnancy and money
A few months ago, I wrote an article with the title ‘The human aspiration’ in this column. It was about a young man who decided to work on a project that would help pregnant women during pregnancy. Dozens of housewives have sent me emails asking me whether they would also be able to do similar projects. Some of them asked me whether people would really pay for such products. This article answers their questions.
In 1998, I was living in Hamilton. On a rainy evening in August, I visited a friend for dinner. When I entered into his house, Mary Clapton, his wife, was doing something on their computer. As anything that is related to computer excites me, I looked at her work from the corner of my eyes to figure out what software she was using. But it was something I had never seen before. "Mary, what is the name of the software program that you are working on?" I asked her. She smiled and said, "PregProXyz. It is for pregnant women. I developed the software." (I have changed the name of the software program.)
"You developed!" I exclaimed and asked her, "When did you become a software developer?" Mary replied, "I never learnt how to develop software. I had a solid idea for a software program. I created the concept. I asked myself ‘If I were a pregnant woman and the user of this software program, what would be the features that I would like to have in it?’ I created an exhaustive list of features, content, questions and answers. I drew the screens with good old paper and pen. When I was satisfied, I hired a software developer and created the product."
"That’s brilliant. Have you been able to sell your product? " I asked her. She did not reply. She looked through the window. I followed her eyes. A new shiny four wheel drive was standing majestically in the garage. I told her, "I understand. Can you please tell me your success story?"
Mary Clapton gave birth to three children before the end of her fourth wedding anniversary. It was clear that she must stay at home for the next four years. She began her search for home-based project that would give her a few hundred dollars a month. She read dozens of books on small businesses, money and entrepreneurship.
Mary became so obsessed with the idea that she would discuss it even in birthday parties with strangers. But, the more ideas she came across, the more she became depressed, as she was not confident of anything. She tried things like mail order business, telemarketing, transcription and direct marketing business. She gained substantial knowledge about real world after losing $2,000.
Sudha was Mary’s neighbor, a cute Indian girl who never understood the concept of privacy. One day Sudha asked Mary, "Why do you always look depressed? Do you have any problem with your husband?" May was taken aback but politely said, "No, we are fine." But, when sudha insisted on knowing the truth, Mary grew impatient and said, "Look, I can’t go for a job leaving kids at home. But I want to make money. That’s my problem." Sudha innocently replied, "You have three children. Be happy about it. Your children are your real wealth."
There was a spark in Mary’s head. She told Sudha, "Just now I got a great idea. I know many things about pregnancy and child birth. I know answers for many questions that trouble the brides and the would-be mothers. I can help them and make money." Sudha felt sorry for her and said, "Please don’t think too much about money and business. Forget them and play some computer games with your kids. That will relax your mind."
Computers! There was another spark in Mary’s head. ‘I can combine computers and pregnancy to make money,’ Mary thought.
What an uninspiring combination of computers and pregnancy! However, for Mary it was real. Mary browsed hundreds of web discussion forums and prepared a list of common questions that future mothers asked. Then, she visited medical websites and library to find accurate answers. Then, she verified the answers with a registered nurse practising obstetrics and gynecology. Once she was confident, she hired a software programmer to create an interactive software program on pregnancy. Her software gave answers to all frequently asked questions including speculative questions such as favorable days and lucky days for pregnancy!
She sent pamphlets to all O&G practitioners and nurses. The professionals were pleased with the quality of the program. They understood that this program would save their time as it answered common questions that pregnant mothers would ask. So, they happily recommended it to their clients. She sold hundreds of copies of software on CD-ROM at $15 in the next few months. Then she started to offer the product as a subscription service over internet. Her business has grown into a prosperous one in two years.
The right combination of a computer and a great concept can give you an immediate self-employment opportunity to serve a limited local market. If you combine your computer with the ever-expanding Internet, you will have mind boggling number of global income opportunities.
In 1998, I was living in Hamilton. On a rainy evening in August, I visited a friend for dinner. When I entered into his house, Mary Clapton, his wife, was doing something on their computer. As anything that is related to computer excites me, I looked at her work from the corner of my eyes to figure out what software she was using. But it was something I had never seen before. "Mary, what is the name of the software program that you are working on?" I asked her. She smiled and said, "PregProXyz. It is for pregnant women. I developed the software." (I have changed the name of the software program.)
"You developed!" I exclaimed and asked her, "When did you become a software developer?" Mary replied, "I never learnt how to develop software. I had a solid idea for a software program. I created the concept. I asked myself ‘If I were a pregnant woman and the user of this software program, what would be the features that I would like to have in it?’ I created an exhaustive list of features, content, questions and answers. I drew the screens with good old paper and pen. When I was satisfied, I hired a software developer and created the product."
"That’s brilliant. Have you been able to sell your product? " I asked her. She did not reply. She looked through the window. I followed her eyes. A new shiny four wheel drive was standing majestically in the garage. I told her, "I understand. Can you please tell me your success story?"
Mary Clapton gave birth to three children before the end of her fourth wedding anniversary. It was clear that she must stay at home for the next four years. She began her search for home-based project that would give her a few hundred dollars a month. She read dozens of books on small businesses, money and entrepreneurship.
Mary became so obsessed with the idea that she would discuss it even in birthday parties with strangers. But, the more ideas she came across, the more she became depressed, as she was not confident of anything. She tried things like mail order business, telemarketing, transcription and direct marketing business. She gained substantial knowledge about real world after losing $2,000.
Sudha was Mary’s neighbor, a cute Indian girl who never understood the concept of privacy. One day Sudha asked Mary, "Why do you always look depressed? Do you have any problem with your husband?" May was taken aback but politely said, "No, we are fine." But, when sudha insisted on knowing the truth, Mary grew impatient and said, "Look, I can’t go for a job leaving kids at home. But I want to make money. That’s my problem." Sudha innocently replied, "You have three children. Be happy about it. Your children are your real wealth."
There was a spark in Mary’s head. She told Sudha, "Just now I got a great idea. I know many things about pregnancy and child birth. I know answers for many questions that trouble the brides and the would-be mothers. I can help them and make money." Sudha felt sorry for her and said, "Please don’t think too much about money and business. Forget them and play some computer games with your kids. That will relax your mind."
Computers! There was another spark in Mary’s head. ‘I can combine computers and pregnancy to make money,’ Mary thought.
What an uninspiring combination of computers and pregnancy! However, for Mary it was real. Mary browsed hundreds of web discussion forums and prepared a list of common questions that future mothers asked. Then, she visited medical websites and library to find accurate answers. Then, she verified the answers with a registered nurse practising obstetrics and gynecology. Once she was confident, she hired a software programmer to create an interactive software program on pregnancy. Her software gave answers to all frequently asked questions including speculative questions such as favorable days and lucky days for pregnancy!
She sent pamphlets to all O&G practitioners and nurses. The professionals were pleased with the quality of the program. They understood that this program would save their time as it answered common questions that pregnant mothers would ask. So, they happily recommended it to their clients. She sold hundreds of copies of software on CD-ROM at $15 in the next few months. Then she started to offer the product as a subscription service over internet. Her business has grown into a prosperous one in two years.
The right combination of a computer and a great concept can give you an immediate self-employment opportunity to serve a limited local market. If you combine your computer with the ever-expanding Internet, you will have mind boggling number of global income opportunities.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Freelance Accountant & Accounting Services
"We are in need of an additional income stream. Without it we will soon be forced to jump into the Bay of Bengal," Krishnan said. Chitra, his wife, nodded her head and said, "Many of his friends have their own workshops and small factories. His dream has always been to own a small workshop. But, we know it is a dream impossible."
"We have heard from our forefathers that we become what we want to become. But we never take that truth seriously. If you really want to earn money, you will. If you don’t make money, it means that you don’t really want to make money. Only a strong will can help you make money. Lazy wish will not help you," I told them.
Chitra smiled dryly and said, "I married Krishnan immediately after I completed Plus Two. He is a diploma holder in Mechanical Engineering. At present he works in a small private business firm and earns Rs.3,000 a month."
"Don’t you want to go for a job?" I asked her. "Though I am ready to go for a job, I have to stay at home as my aged parents-in-law are in need of constant physical help. So, I think I can do only work-from-home projects. But, for my qualification, I don’t think there will be even one suitable project," Chitra replied.
"Most of us have gone to schools and acquired some knowledge in different subjects. Even basic knowledge in one of the subjects you studied in school can create a self-employment opportunity. Your knowledge need not be specialized or professional," I told Chitra and asked her, "What subjects did you study in your school?"
"I studied Economics, Commerce and Accountancy. But, I don’t think I can earn with what I studied in school," Chitra replied.
"I am sure that Krishnan has good relationship with the owners of many mechanical workshops. These workshops are too small to employ full time accountants. Yet, they must submit sales tax returns and other account statements to government departments. You have studied Accountancy in Plus Two for two years. You can work from home as part-time accountant. You need a computer and an accounting software package to make money," I told Chitra.
"I know that Tally and EX are the two leading accounting software packages. I don’t know how to use them. I don’t have money to buy computers and software. I will not be able to go out frequently to meet prospects and clients," Chitra gave a long list of her weaknesses. Then we discussed about how we could overcome her difficulties.
Chitra decided to learn EX, a good accounting software package from Tata Consultancy Services. But, she did not have Rs.30,000 to buy a computer and Rs.10,000 to buy EX. A friend had an old computer and printer. He had a licensed version of EX. He had stopped using it after switching over to QuickBooks. He was so moved by their sincerity that he gave them even a table along with the computer system and the software. The couple promised to pay him Rs.20,000 over time when they earned money.
Krishnan met his friends and offered to do accounting work. Two of them immediately accepted the offer. Every evening Krishnan would go to the workshops and prepare statements. Chitra would do all accounting work at home. The work generated an additional income of Rs.1,500 a month within a few weeks.
Krishnan would help both the clients, who were uneducated, in writing letters and preparing quotations. Sometimes, he would even mange the show, when the clients were out. They began to like him and trust him. After a few months, they offered to take him as a working partner. Krishnan resigned his job and became a partner in both the companies.
When I spoke to Krishnan a few months ago, he said that he was earning above Rs.25,000 a month and the business was expanding. He was in need of many workers. He asked him whether I would be able to find new skilled workers so that he could bag all the orders that were in the pipeline!
Chitra still continues her accounting work. She earns Rs.3,000 a month and uses it for her personal expenses.
"We have heard from our forefathers that we become what we want to become. But we never take that truth seriously. If you really want to earn money, you will. If you don’t make money, it means that you don’t really want to make money. Only a strong will can help you make money. Lazy wish will not help you," I told them.
Chitra smiled dryly and said, "I married Krishnan immediately after I completed Plus Two. He is a diploma holder in Mechanical Engineering. At present he works in a small private business firm and earns Rs.3,000 a month."
"Don’t you want to go for a job?" I asked her. "Though I am ready to go for a job, I have to stay at home as my aged parents-in-law are in need of constant physical help. So, I think I can do only work-from-home projects. But, for my qualification, I don’t think there will be even one suitable project," Chitra replied.
"Most of us have gone to schools and acquired some knowledge in different subjects. Even basic knowledge in one of the subjects you studied in school can create a self-employment opportunity. Your knowledge need not be specialized or professional," I told Chitra and asked her, "What subjects did you study in your school?"
"I studied Economics, Commerce and Accountancy. But, I don’t think I can earn with what I studied in school," Chitra replied.
"I am sure that Krishnan has good relationship with the owners of many mechanical workshops. These workshops are too small to employ full time accountants. Yet, they must submit sales tax returns and other account statements to government departments. You have studied Accountancy in Plus Two for two years. You can work from home as part-time accountant. You need a computer and an accounting software package to make money," I told Chitra.
"I know that Tally and EX are the two leading accounting software packages. I don’t know how to use them. I don’t have money to buy computers and software. I will not be able to go out frequently to meet prospects and clients," Chitra gave a long list of her weaknesses. Then we discussed about how we could overcome her difficulties.
Chitra decided to learn EX, a good accounting software package from Tata Consultancy Services. But, she did not have Rs.30,000 to buy a computer and Rs.10,000 to buy EX. A friend had an old computer and printer. He had a licensed version of EX. He had stopped using it after switching over to QuickBooks. He was so moved by their sincerity that he gave them even a table along with the computer system and the software. The couple promised to pay him Rs.20,000 over time when they earned money.
Krishnan met his friends and offered to do accounting work. Two of them immediately accepted the offer. Every evening Krishnan would go to the workshops and prepare statements. Chitra would do all accounting work at home. The work generated an additional income of Rs.1,500 a month within a few weeks.
Krishnan would help both the clients, who were uneducated, in writing letters and preparing quotations. Sometimes, he would even mange the show, when the clients were out. They began to like him and trust him. After a few months, they offered to take him as a working partner. Krishnan resigned his job and became a partner in both the companies.
When I spoke to Krishnan a few months ago, he said that he was earning above Rs.25,000 a month and the business was expanding. He was in need of many workers. He asked him whether I would be able to find new skilled workers so that he could bag all the orders that were in the pipeline!
Chitra still continues her accounting work. She earns Rs.3,000 a month and uses it for her personal expenses.
Info Pro--Online,Internet and web research
Last month I spent several days on the Internet in search of the most profitable income opportunities for entrepreneurs. I collected hundreds of pages of useful information. I analysed the information and have come up with a list of ten exciting opportunities. However, they require a huge investment of money," Vivek said to me with disappointment. "I’ll tell you of an opportunity that would not cost you an arm and a leg. You can start an Online Information Research Business and make money working for yourself as information professional," I suggested to Vivek.
"What do information professionals actually do?" Vivek asked me. "Information professionals are sometimes called as information broker and information researcher. They provide information services to their clients. Such services include collection, research, analysis, organization and presentation of information," I replied.
"Do you think there is really a market for such services?" Vivek asked. "There are giants in this business making billions of dollars every year. However, they concentrate on big companies, government agencies and institutions that can afford to hire their services. There are millions of small businesses and individuals who need researched information to help them make important decisions. They will certainly hire you, if you provide excellent service. I believe that there has always been, and there will always be, a market for high-quality, value-added research and information services," I replied.
"Who will hire individual researchers?" Vivek asked me in a doubtful voice. "Researchers who need to outsource a part of their research activities, Consultants who need information that will be passed to their clients, Book authors who want to have supporting materials for their writings and Small businesses that want to research their competitors or a particular market are some of your prospects," I replied.
"All the information one needs is available on the web for free. Do you think people would still pay me for collecting information from web?" Vivek asked me. "For each search, Search engines return thousands of web pages as search result. Most of them are not related to the ideas we have in our mind. Even if we assume that all the results are relevant, who has the time to go through all the web pages?" I asked Vivek and continued, "Most of the useful information never show up in the search engine results. You will get high-quality and accurate information only if you pay for it. Most people don’t know this truth. They think they can get everything for free on web. Articles, white papers, statistics and reports are buried deep in the websites of government departments, agencies, institutions and social organizations."
"I always believed that I could get information on anything on free web," Vivek said. "Dialogweb.com, LexisNexis.com and Factiva.com are some examples for online information websites that provide quality information. Instead of spending days on free web, by paying a few dollars to these service providers, you can collect the information you need in a few hours if not a few minutes. Then there are boards, and newsgroups that give information that will never be indexed by search engines. An average web user will have no time to visit them and find important data. In addition to collection of information, you will analyze it, organize it and provide ready-to-use information," I told him.
"Where can I find more information about this occupation?" Vivek asked me. "You can start with the website of Association of Independent Information Professionals. The website address is http://www.aiip.org/ " I replied.
Two months later I received an email from Vivek. He wrote: ‘I visited Amazon and bought some books on Online Research business. I learnt the research, methods and techniques thoroughly and started to market my business both online and offline. One of my friends referred my name to a New Zealand Dairy products manufacturing company. This company asked me to provide some details about Indian dairy products. I contacted milk processing companies’ association and collected old and recent trade journals. I read dozens of annual reports of milk processing companies. Within a week I was able to prepare a 20 page report. I was paid Rs.16,000! Another friend is a Urologist in the United States. His friend wanted to outsource medical transcription activities to India. He asked me to prepare a report on it. I worked on this project for 15 days and earned Rs.12,000! I have made Rs.28,000 in three weeks…’
"What do information professionals actually do?" Vivek asked me. "Information professionals are sometimes called as information broker and information researcher. They provide information services to their clients. Such services include collection, research, analysis, organization and presentation of information," I replied.
"Do you think there is really a market for such services?" Vivek asked. "There are giants in this business making billions of dollars every year. However, they concentrate on big companies, government agencies and institutions that can afford to hire their services. There are millions of small businesses and individuals who need researched information to help them make important decisions. They will certainly hire you, if you provide excellent service. I believe that there has always been, and there will always be, a market for high-quality, value-added research and information services," I replied.
"Who will hire individual researchers?" Vivek asked me in a doubtful voice. "Researchers who need to outsource a part of their research activities, Consultants who need information that will be passed to their clients, Book authors who want to have supporting materials for their writings and Small businesses that want to research their competitors or a particular market are some of your prospects," I replied.
"All the information one needs is available on the web for free. Do you think people would still pay me for collecting information from web?" Vivek asked me. "For each search, Search engines return thousands of web pages as search result. Most of them are not related to the ideas we have in our mind. Even if we assume that all the results are relevant, who has the time to go through all the web pages?" I asked Vivek and continued, "Most of the useful information never show up in the search engine results. You will get high-quality and accurate information only if you pay for it. Most people don’t know this truth. They think they can get everything for free on web. Articles, white papers, statistics and reports are buried deep in the websites of government departments, agencies, institutions and social organizations."
"I always believed that I could get information on anything on free web," Vivek said. "Dialogweb.com, LexisNexis.com and Factiva.com are some examples for online information websites that provide quality information. Instead of spending days on free web, by paying a few dollars to these service providers, you can collect the information you need in a few hours if not a few minutes. Then there are boards, and newsgroups that give information that will never be indexed by search engines. An average web user will have no time to visit them and find important data. In addition to collection of information, you will analyze it, organize it and provide ready-to-use information," I told him.
"Where can I find more information about this occupation?" Vivek asked me. "You can start with the website of Association of Independent Information Professionals. The website address is http://www.aiip.org/ " I replied.
Two months later I received an email from Vivek. He wrote: ‘I visited Amazon and bought some books on Online Research business. I learnt the research, methods and techniques thoroughly and started to market my business both online and offline. One of my friends referred my name to a New Zealand Dairy products manufacturing company. This company asked me to provide some details about Indian dairy products. I contacted milk processing companies’ association and collected old and recent trade journals. I read dozens of annual reports of milk processing companies. Within a week I was able to prepare a 20 page report. I was paid Rs.16,000! Another friend is a Urologist in the United States. His friend wanted to outsource medical transcription activities to India. He asked me to prepare a report on it. I worked on this project for 15 days and earned Rs.12,000! I have made Rs.28,000 in three weeks…’
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Virtual Secretary& Virrtual Offices
I met Rani in my friend’s office a few years ago. I immediately liked her because she was cheerful and energetic. "You are the most cheerful girl I have ever met." I told her. After a few moments of heavy silence she said in a voice tinged with sorrow, "I force myself to be cheerful and happy. That’s the only way to protect my sanity."
"I’m sorry. I think I have embarrassed you," I told her in an apologetic voice. "No, you didn’t. When I was studying in Plus Two, my father died in an accident. My brother and sister were still in primary school. So, I had to quit the school and take up the job of a typist to generate some money for the survival of our family," Rani said.
"On job, she learnt how to use the computer, Internet and email. She is very efficient and extraordinarily sincere in her work," My friend said. "Job has never had an attraction for me. I sincerely wish to be on my own once I overcome my financial difficulties," Rani said. "What will you do? You will fail if you do something of which you don’t have any knowledge," my friend said in a doubtful voice.
I said, "Recently I read a funny story in a book. Three monks – two were experienced and one was a newbie – decided to practise meditation together. They sat by the side of a lake and closed their eyes. Then suddenly, the first one stood up and said, ‘I forgot my umbrella.’ He stepped miraculously onto the water in front of him and walked across the lake to their hut on the other side. When he returned, the second monk stood up and said, ‘I forgot my towel.’ He too walked calmly across the water and returned the same way. The third monk, the newbie, thought ‘If these two can walk on water, I too can do it right now,’ and rushed into the lake. He fell into the deep water. Undeterred, the monk climbed out of the water and tried again, only to sink into the water. This went on for sometime. After a while, the second monk turned to the first and said, ‘Do you think we should tell him where the stepping-stones are?’"
With a smile my friend asked, "It’s a lovely story. But what’s your point?" I replied, "There is no short-cut route to success in self-employment. If you learn the process behind a successful entrepreneurship, you will succeed no matter what your occupation is. If Rani learns every rivet of the job of a secretary, in future, she can be on her own. If she tries something without understanding the process, she will be in trouble. " Rani was happy to hear these words. "I will learn everything about my job and try to achieve perfection. I believe it will help me to be on my own."
After a year, her family received money due to her father from his employer. As the financial position improved considerably, her mother decided that it was time for Rani to get married. Elango, Rani’s husband, did not want her to go for a job. Perhaps, life fulfilled Rani’s aspiration through Elango. When she complained about sitting idle at home, he bought her a computer and games software. But, what Rani wanted was work and not wasteful pleasure. One day, when she was browsing the Internet, she came across a website that had some information about Virtual Secretary. She immediately set to collect every bit of information about this new profession. It was just a matter of a few days for her to acquire the complete knowledge. She realised that she had all the skills required of a Virtual Secretary.
Her ex-employer had excellent overseas contacts. He introduced her to some of them. She too marketed her service actively. Soon she got offers from a few website owners to work as a Virtual Secretary. They gave her guidelines, templates for customer support, standards, flow charts and other documents to operate from a remote place through email. And, her dream became a reality.
How does Rani work? She receives copies of all emails sent by the customers. She replies them promptly. If and only if she is unable to solve a problem, she escalates it to her clients. She takes care of many other repetitive online tasks also. Every month she sends activity reports to her clients. She has four clients. As she has regular income, the couple has bought a flat with the help of a bank. Rani earns more than Rs.10,000 a month at the ripe age of 19.
"I’m sorry. I think I have embarrassed you," I told her in an apologetic voice. "No, you didn’t. When I was studying in Plus Two, my father died in an accident. My brother and sister were still in primary school. So, I had to quit the school and take up the job of a typist to generate some money for the survival of our family," Rani said.
"On job, she learnt how to use the computer, Internet and email. She is very efficient and extraordinarily sincere in her work," My friend said. "Job has never had an attraction for me. I sincerely wish to be on my own once I overcome my financial difficulties," Rani said. "What will you do? You will fail if you do something of which you don’t have any knowledge," my friend said in a doubtful voice.
I said, "Recently I read a funny story in a book. Three monks – two were experienced and one was a newbie – decided to practise meditation together. They sat by the side of a lake and closed their eyes. Then suddenly, the first one stood up and said, ‘I forgot my umbrella.’ He stepped miraculously onto the water in front of him and walked across the lake to their hut on the other side. When he returned, the second monk stood up and said, ‘I forgot my towel.’ He too walked calmly across the water and returned the same way. The third monk, the newbie, thought ‘If these two can walk on water, I too can do it right now,’ and rushed into the lake. He fell into the deep water. Undeterred, the monk climbed out of the water and tried again, only to sink into the water. This went on for sometime. After a while, the second monk turned to the first and said, ‘Do you think we should tell him where the stepping-stones are?’"
With a smile my friend asked, "It’s a lovely story. But what’s your point?" I replied, "There is no short-cut route to success in self-employment. If you learn the process behind a successful entrepreneurship, you will succeed no matter what your occupation is. If Rani learns every rivet of the job of a secretary, in future, she can be on her own. If she tries something without understanding the process, she will be in trouble. " Rani was happy to hear these words. "I will learn everything about my job and try to achieve perfection. I believe it will help me to be on my own."
After a year, her family received money due to her father from his employer. As the financial position improved considerably, her mother decided that it was time for Rani to get married. Elango, Rani’s husband, did not want her to go for a job. Perhaps, life fulfilled Rani’s aspiration through Elango. When she complained about sitting idle at home, he bought her a computer and games software. But, what Rani wanted was work and not wasteful pleasure. One day, when she was browsing the Internet, she came across a website that had some information about Virtual Secretary. She immediately set to collect every bit of information about this new profession. It was just a matter of a few days for her to acquire the complete knowledge. She realised that she had all the skills required of a Virtual Secretary.
Her ex-employer had excellent overseas contacts. He introduced her to some of them. She too marketed her service actively. Soon she got offers from a few website owners to work as a Virtual Secretary. They gave her guidelines, templates for customer support, standards, flow charts and other documents to operate from a remote place through email. And, her dream became a reality.
How does Rani work? She receives copies of all emails sent by the customers. She replies them promptly. If and only if she is unable to solve a problem, she escalates it to her clients. She takes care of many other repetitive online tasks also. Every month she sends activity reports to her clients. She has four clients. As she has regular income, the couple has bought a flat with the help of a bank. Rani earns more than Rs.10,000 a month at the ripe age of 19.
Mathemagic --Mind Power and self-improvement
Sudha asked me, "There are hundreds of self-employment projects. Which one shall I choose?" I told her, "In Alice in Wonderland, Alice asks the cat, ‘Which way I ought to walk from here?’ The cat asks, ‘Where do you want to go?’ Alice replies, ‘I don’t care where.’ The cat says, ‘Then it does not matter which way you walk.’ That’s my reply to your question. Unless you know what your goal is and what your skills are, you can start any business. Your success will be decided by your luck." Sudha is a mother of two young children. She is in her mid-thirties. Ten years ago she was a practising lawyer in a metro high court. After her marriage, she gave up her profession.
After a few minutes of silence, Sudha said, "I tried to understand my skills, attitudes and aspiration. But I did not succeed. The more I think the more I become confused. I want to make some money and use it for the education of my children." I said, "You can develop systems that will accelerate the learning process of children." Sudha asked me, "How will it help me make money?" I replied, "When you develop a system for your children, you will try your best to make it as perfect as possible. That system can be taught to others for fees and you can make money."
"It sounds great. I want to teach mathematics, English, Science, Hindi, French and Computer to my children." Sudha said in an excited voice. "If you take up just one subject and spend all your energy and resources on it, you will definitely come up with something marketable," I told her. "Okay, I will take up mathematics," Sudha said.
"Students use computers and calculators so much that their ability to do mental mathematics is diminishing. Parents happily pay in thousands to institutions that teach mathematics systematically using unconventional methods such as abacus. Can you help children learn mathematics easily and quickly? If you do that you will make money," I said. "Can you give me an example?" Sudha asked me.
I will give you a few examples. You can make a kid an expert in 9 times-table in less than a minute by making him use his fingers. Though it is several hundreds years old, not many people are aware of such systems. Hold your hands in front of you with your fingers spread out. For 9X2 bend your second finger down. For 9X3, it would be the third finger and so on. For 9X2: You have 1 finger before the bent finger and 8 after the bent finger. Thus the answer must be 18. This technique works for the 9 times tables up to 10," I said to Sudha. She tried the method and exclaimed, "Wonderful! Please tell me more!"
"Most of us know how to know the number of days in any month by using our fists. You must collect all these easy to do methods and create a system professionally. But, they are physical methods. There are many mental methods that are more powerful than physical methods. You can teach times tables, multiplication, division, trigonometry and what-not using mental images, colors, stories and creativity. Numbers are abstract. You can remember them easily if you make them memorable. For example, two rhymes with shoe, three with tree, four with door and eight with kite. If you want your kid to remember that 4x8=32, tell him this funny story and ask him to visualize it: You make a kite out of a door and fly it. Because there is no door, a tree comes in and steals your shoes. Kite will remind door. Door will remind tree. Tree will remind shoe. If you see this silly mental picture and review it a few times, you will never forget it. It takes several minutes to describe it. But it takes only a fraction of a second for our mind to create a mental picture and retain it forever." I explained.
"I’m sure these systems will be useful to all kids." Sudha said. "I will give you another example. Six rhymes with stick and one goes with pen. To remember 3x6=18, use this story: You beat a tree with sticks because the tree poked a pen into your kite and tore it. When you tell this story to your kid, you teach him 3x6 and also 6x3. One story teaches two tables. There are several such methods. Create a system for mental mathematics using them and you will make money," I told her.
After a week, I received an email from Sudha. ‘Last week I discussed your mental mathematics idea with a rich friend. She was so impressed by the idea that she had offered a proposal to form a partnership firm. I immediately accepted it. I will do the work. She will take care of administration and money. We plan to launch our coaching centre in a few months from now. I will be paid Rs.7000 a month and 50% share in net profit. Thank you.’
After a few minutes of silence, Sudha said, "I tried to understand my skills, attitudes and aspiration. But I did not succeed. The more I think the more I become confused. I want to make some money and use it for the education of my children." I said, "You can develop systems that will accelerate the learning process of children." Sudha asked me, "How will it help me make money?" I replied, "When you develop a system for your children, you will try your best to make it as perfect as possible. That system can be taught to others for fees and you can make money."
"It sounds great. I want to teach mathematics, English, Science, Hindi, French and Computer to my children." Sudha said in an excited voice. "If you take up just one subject and spend all your energy and resources on it, you will definitely come up with something marketable," I told her. "Okay, I will take up mathematics," Sudha said.
"Students use computers and calculators so much that their ability to do mental mathematics is diminishing. Parents happily pay in thousands to institutions that teach mathematics systematically using unconventional methods such as abacus. Can you help children learn mathematics easily and quickly? If you do that you will make money," I said. "Can you give me an example?" Sudha asked me.
I will give you a few examples. You can make a kid an expert in 9 times-table in less than a minute by making him use his fingers. Though it is several hundreds years old, not many people are aware of such systems. Hold your hands in front of you with your fingers spread out. For 9X2 bend your second finger down. For 9X3, it would be the third finger and so on. For 9X2: You have 1 finger before the bent finger and 8 after the bent finger. Thus the answer must be 18. This technique works for the 9 times tables up to 10," I said to Sudha. She tried the method and exclaimed, "Wonderful! Please tell me more!"
"Most of us know how to know the number of days in any month by using our fists. You must collect all these easy to do methods and create a system professionally. But, they are physical methods. There are many mental methods that are more powerful than physical methods. You can teach times tables, multiplication, division, trigonometry and what-not using mental images, colors, stories and creativity. Numbers are abstract. You can remember them easily if you make them memorable. For example, two rhymes with shoe, three with tree, four with door and eight with kite. If you want your kid to remember that 4x8=32, tell him this funny story and ask him to visualize it: You make a kite out of a door and fly it. Because there is no door, a tree comes in and steals your shoes. Kite will remind door. Door will remind tree. Tree will remind shoe. If you see this silly mental picture and review it a few times, you will never forget it. It takes several minutes to describe it. But it takes only a fraction of a second for our mind to create a mental picture and retain it forever." I explained.
"I’m sure these systems will be useful to all kids." Sudha said. "I will give you another example. Six rhymes with stick and one goes with pen. To remember 3x6=18, use this story: You beat a tree with sticks because the tree poked a pen into your kite and tore it. When you tell this story to your kid, you teach him 3x6 and also 6x3. One story teaches two tables. There are several such methods. Create a system for mental mathematics using them and you will make money," I told her.
After a week, I received an email from Sudha. ‘Last week I discussed your mental mathematics idea with a rich friend. She was so impressed by the idea that she had offered a proposal to form a partnership firm. I immediately accepted it. I will do the work. She will take care of administration and money. We plan to launch our coaching centre in a few months from now. I will be paid Rs.7000 a month and 50% share in net profit. Thank you.’
Friday, April 27, 2007
The Master Move--Sports and chess
Raman asked me, "I know when someone seeks your guidance you suggest to projects related to computer and internet. I am neither computer literate nor internet savvy. I am not interested in learning these new technologies. But, I want to generate some additional income. Do you think I can have any luck?" I replied, "Computer and internet are recently developed technologies. Men have been making money long before. Do you know that 97% of world population earns money from non-computer activities?"
A sudden smile popped up on Raman’s lips. Raman is an employee in a private company. He earns Rs.3,500 a month. "What are the things you are interested in? Do you think you have any special skills or talent?" I asked him. "I have no such money- making skills. I am a big zero." ," Raman saidsaid he replied. "I know you are a good chess player. Don’t you consider it as a special skill? How many people can really play chess well like you?" I asked him. "I have been playing chess for the past 25 years. But, I don’t have enough knowledge or skill to win national and international tournaments and collect the prize money," Raman replied.
"Winning prize money is a nice project! However, I was thinking about something else. Most parents want to empower their children with as many skills as possible. They are ready to pay for it. I know there is a demand for services such as chess coaching and teaching arts. You know Shanthi personally. She teaches pet potsoft toy making and Tanjore painting to kids and earns Rs.2,500 a month. She works only for 2 hours a day," I explained to Raman.
After some thought, Raman said, "My wife, Sneha, is also a good chess player. I think she and I can start teaching chess to school children." I told him, "We take to some hobbies because we love them. We give our heart and soul to them. Many of us are, in fact, more sincere to our hobbies than to our work. We must learn the ways to convert such hobbies into money- making activities."
Raman began to teach chess to school children in the evenings and week ends. Parents would drop their children at Raman’s house at fixed hours and pick them up after an hour or two. When Raman had other pressing work, Sneha would teach. Within two months, he was able to earn Rs.2,500 from teaching chess to ten kids. The couple realised how much time they had been wasting all those years.
When my daughter showed interest in mastering advanced techniques in the game, I requested Raman to teach chess to my daughter her at my house, as I felt that would be very convenient to me. I offered two times double his normal fees for less hours of work as he had to come all the way to my house on a bicycle. Raman immediately accepted the offer.
On realizing the convenience, some other parents also made similar offers. Raman wanted to accept all the offers but was worried about his regular students. At that moment, his wife stepped in to support him. She began to teach the existing students at her home so that existing income would not be lost. Raman started to go to his students’ houses and made Rs.2,500 a month. Income from his hobby rose to Rs.5,000 a month.
To attend tournaments, students must buy chess clocks. Cost of a clock is Rs.2,500. Students usually buy them from sports shops. Sneha met a shop keeper and became a reseller for chess clocks and other chess gear. Naturally all their students buy only from Raman and Sneha. She gets a commission of Rs. 500 per clock. She sells three clocks a month. Other items such as chess boards, books and software generate Rs.750 a month.
Sneha has plans to organize one month concentrated chess course for school children in the summer vacation. Raman is searching for a commercial space where he can start chess coaching centre on a big scale. Now the couple earns Rs. 7,250 a month. Income from a useful hobby has grown to more than 200% of Raman’s monthly salary. In six eight months, their income has crossed five digits. It is big money for any middle class family.
A sudden smile popped up on Raman’s lips. Raman is an employee in a private company. He earns Rs.3,500 a month. "What are the things you are interested in? Do you think you have any special skills or talent?" I asked him. "I have no such money- making skills. I am a big zero." ," Raman saidsaid he replied. "I know you are a good chess player. Don’t you consider it as a special skill? How many people can really play chess well like you?" I asked him. "I have been playing chess for the past 25 years. But, I don’t have enough knowledge or skill to win national and international tournaments and collect the prize money," Raman replied.
"Winning prize money is a nice project! However, I was thinking about something else. Most parents want to empower their children with as many skills as possible. They are ready to pay for it. I know there is a demand for services such as chess coaching and teaching arts. You know Shanthi personally. She teaches pet potsoft toy making and Tanjore painting to kids and earns Rs.2,500 a month. She works only for 2 hours a day," I explained to Raman.
After some thought, Raman said, "My wife, Sneha, is also a good chess player. I think she and I can start teaching chess to school children." I told him, "We take to some hobbies because we love them. We give our heart and soul to them. Many of us are, in fact, more sincere to our hobbies than to our work. We must learn the ways to convert such hobbies into money- making activities."
Raman began to teach chess to school children in the evenings and week ends. Parents would drop their children at Raman’s house at fixed hours and pick them up after an hour or two. When Raman had other pressing work, Sneha would teach. Within two months, he was able to earn Rs.2,500 from teaching chess to ten kids. The couple realised how much time they had been wasting all those years.
When my daughter showed interest in mastering advanced techniques in the game, I requested Raman to teach chess to my daughter her at my house, as I felt that would be very convenient to me. I offered two times double his normal fees for less hours of work as he had to come all the way to my house on a bicycle. Raman immediately accepted the offer.
On realizing the convenience, some other parents also made similar offers. Raman wanted to accept all the offers but was worried about his regular students. At that moment, his wife stepped in to support him. She began to teach the existing students at her home so that existing income would not be lost. Raman started to go to his students’ houses and made Rs.2,500 a month. Income from his hobby rose to Rs.5,000 a month.
To attend tournaments, students must buy chess clocks. Cost of a clock is Rs.2,500. Students usually buy them from sports shops. Sneha met a shop keeper and became a reseller for chess clocks and other chess gear. Naturally all their students buy only from Raman and Sneha. She gets a commission of Rs. 500 per clock. She sells three clocks a month. Other items such as chess boards, books and software generate Rs.750 a month.
Sneha has plans to organize one month concentrated chess course for school children in the summer vacation. Raman is searching for a commercial space where he can start chess coaching centre on a big scale. Now the couple earns Rs. 7,250 a month. Income from a useful hobby has grown to more than 200% of Raman’s monthly salary. In six eight months, their income has crossed five digits. It is big money for any middle class family.
A Housewife's Achievement--Pay per click online advertisments
Most of us to take everything in life for granted and live in complacency. We open our eyes to reality only when we face extreme difficulties. Even then, most of us succumb to the difficulties as we do not know what to do next. Only a few act decisively with knowledge, overcome difficulties and prosper in life. Radha is one among the few. She studied BA (English Literature) course fifteen years ago in a famous college in Chennai. She was groomed by her mother as a housewife. ‘Men work at office; women work at home’ was as natural to Radha as ‘Sun rises in the east and sets in the west.’
Radha got married to Ramanathan, a school teacher and had two children. After her children entered high school, she had a lot of time at her disposal and she wasted it happily. Her favorite hobbies were watching English movies, reading English novels and aimless web-browsing. She believed nothing could disturb her peaceful life until the day her husband was suspended from service.
Two years ago, thousands of employees working in different government departments and schools were shown the door for participating in an unlawful strike. Though many were allowed to join work within a month, Ramanathan was not permitted to resume his duties as he was an active member and an office bearer in the union that organized the strike. He became depressed and weak. He refused to go for any other job. Then, Radha realized how merciless life could be. The family did not have any savings. Who will give you loans when you don’t have a job or a regular income? She managed the first four months by selling off her jewels. What next?
"You are good at computer. You have excellent command over English. You can create original web content and sell it online," I suggested to Radha. "I don’t think I have the capacity to author books or create saleable content," Radha replied. "If you can not create saleable content, can you think of helping other online sellers create text advertisements that will help them sell their content?" I asked her. Radha did not reply as she did not understand what I was up to.
"I’ll explain. Generally good advertising agencies charge fees that are too high for small online merchants. Though there is a widespread talk about emerging multimedia technologies as the way to do online business, lack of common standards and bandwidth constraints have allowed the plain vanilla text to continue to rule the internet. Surfers have become smarter and no longer click on colorful ad banners and buttons," I told Radha. "I think people ignore text ads also. They don’t have time or desire to read ads on computer screen," Radha said. "You are right. That’s why I say it is an income opportunity! If you can write the essence of the benefits that the buyer will get from a product in a sentence or two, people will love to read it. Decades ago, Dale Carnegie wrote a book that was full of ideas the entire world had known for at least 5,000 years. He gave a title of less than ten words that fully explained the content of his big book and that met an important social aspiration. He sold millions of copies. Have you heard of that book?" I asked Radha. "How To Win Friends And Influence People," Radha replied. "Yes. You summarized the essence of your problem in a few sentences. Most people take an hour to do it. Give a serious thought to the idea of starting an online ad business," I told her.
Under normal circumstances she would have laughed at the idea. Now it was question of survival. The pressure for survival released great waves of hidden energy within her. She decided to give her mind, heart, body and soul to this project. She used all available resources to learn ad writing. Within a few days she gained thorough knowledge of it.
I was so impressed by her enthusiasm and sincerity that I requested one of my friends to offer her a small assignment as a test case. He owns a small software development company in Germany. His website content was in German. He was looking for someone who could write effective ad and promotional material for his software in English. She wrote like Dale Carnegie. My friend immediately gave her all the available work for a consideration of Rs.4,000 a month. It was the first reprieve from life.
Radha contacted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of American and British Websites. Her passion for work and excellence brought her a handful of new clients. Each of them pay her Rs. 2,000 (US$40) a month. Now she earns two times her husband’s salary. Her husband slowly came out of depression. Meanwhile, the government decided to take back all terminated employees and he got his job back. Nowadays, Radha does not watch movies or read novels. She doesn’t have time!
Radha got married to Ramanathan, a school teacher and had two children. After her children entered high school, she had a lot of time at her disposal and she wasted it happily. Her favorite hobbies were watching English movies, reading English novels and aimless web-browsing. She believed nothing could disturb her peaceful life until the day her husband was suspended from service.
Two years ago, thousands of employees working in different government departments and schools were shown the door for participating in an unlawful strike. Though many were allowed to join work within a month, Ramanathan was not permitted to resume his duties as he was an active member and an office bearer in the union that organized the strike. He became depressed and weak. He refused to go for any other job. Then, Radha realized how merciless life could be. The family did not have any savings. Who will give you loans when you don’t have a job or a regular income? She managed the first four months by selling off her jewels. What next?
"You are good at computer. You have excellent command over English. You can create original web content and sell it online," I suggested to Radha. "I don’t think I have the capacity to author books or create saleable content," Radha replied. "If you can not create saleable content, can you think of helping other online sellers create text advertisements that will help them sell their content?" I asked her. Radha did not reply as she did not understand what I was up to.
"I’ll explain. Generally good advertising agencies charge fees that are too high for small online merchants. Though there is a widespread talk about emerging multimedia technologies as the way to do online business, lack of common standards and bandwidth constraints have allowed the plain vanilla text to continue to rule the internet. Surfers have become smarter and no longer click on colorful ad banners and buttons," I told Radha. "I think people ignore text ads also. They don’t have time or desire to read ads on computer screen," Radha said. "You are right. That’s why I say it is an income opportunity! If you can write the essence of the benefits that the buyer will get from a product in a sentence or two, people will love to read it. Decades ago, Dale Carnegie wrote a book that was full of ideas the entire world had known for at least 5,000 years. He gave a title of less than ten words that fully explained the content of his big book and that met an important social aspiration. He sold millions of copies. Have you heard of that book?" I asked Radha. "How To Win Friends And Influence People," Radha replied. "Yes. You summarized the essence of your problem in a few sentences. Most people take an hour to do it. Give a serious thought to the idea of starting an online ad business," I told her.
Under normal circumstances she would have laughed at the idea. Now it was question of survival. The pressure for survival released great waves of hidden energy within her. She decided to give her mind, heart, body and soul to this project. She used all available resources to learn ad writing. Within a few days she gained thorough knowledge of it.
I was so impressed by her enthusiasm and sincerity that I requested one of my friends to offer her a small assignment as a test case. He owns a small software development company in Germany. His website content was in German. He was looking for someone who could write effective ad and promotional material for his software in English. She wrote like Dale Carnegie. My friend immediately gave her all the available work for a consideration of Rs.4,000 a month. It was the first reprieve from life.
Radha contacted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of American and British Websites. Her passion for work and excellence brought her a handful of new clients. Each of them pay her Rs. 2,000 (US$40) a month. Now she earns two times her husband’s salary. Her husband slowly came out of depression. Meanwhile, the government decided to take back all terminated employees and he got his job back. Nowadays, Radha does not watch movies or read novels. She doesn’t have time!
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