Mitos Rocker Berpotensi Mati di Usia 27

Musisi punya keinginan untuk mati saat berusia 20-an hingga 30-an tahun cuma mitos belaka

JUM'AT, 23 DESEMBER 2011, 04:53 WIB

Bayu Galih

Jimi Hendrix (Reuters/COPYRIGHT AMALIE R. ROTHSCHILD/THE BETTMANN ARCHIVE)

VIVanews - Ada anggapan di kalangan rocker bahwa usia 27 tahun merupakan saat yang paling monumental untuk mati. Ini merujuk pada sejumlah rocker kelas wahid dunia yang mati di usia 27 tahun, saat mereka berada di puncak karirnya.

Sebut saja nama Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, vokalis The Doors Jim Morrison, dan pendiri The Rolling Stones Brian Jones, yang mati di usia 27. Vokalis Nirvana Kurt Cobain pun disebut-sebut sengaja bunuh diri di usia 27, agar bisa masuk "27 Club". Terakhir, musisi rock yang mati di usia 27 adalah Amy Winehouse.

Selama ini ada yang mengaitkan gaya hidup yang selama ini identik dengan slogan "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" sebagai penyebab mereka mati di umur 27. Tapi peneliti dari Universitas Teknologi Queensland membantah 27 tahun sebagai usia puncak gaya hidup tersebut.

Seperti dikutip dari laman Daily Mail, suatu penelitian mengungkap musisi yang ingin mati di usia 20-an dan 30-an memang memiliki potensi dua hingga tiga kali lipat dibanding khalayak umum. Tapi mati di usia 27 hanya kebetulan semata.

Adrian Barnett yang memimpin penelitian ini mengatakan, untuk menguji "27 Club", harus dilakukan perbandingan antara musisi terkenal yang mati di usia itu dengan khalayak umum, misalnya di Inggris Raya.

"Kami masukkan juga 1.046 musisi (penyanyi solo dan anggota band) yang telah memiliki album nomor satu di daftar lagu terbaik Inggris periode 1956 hingga 2007," ucap Barnett. "Selama periode itu ada 71 musisi (7 persen) yang mati," lanjutnya.

Sampel penelitian itu, Barnett menjelaskan, termasuk crooner (penyanyi solo pop klasik seperti Frank Sinatra atau Perry Como), bintang heavy metal, bintang rock and roll, hingga Muppets. Total, setidaknya ada 21.750 musisi di periode itu.

"Kami menemukan tak ada puncak resiko untuk mati di usia itu. Tapi musisi di usia 20-an dan 30-an memang dua hingga tiga kali memiliki keinginan mati muda dibanding populasi umum di Inggris," jelas Barnett.

Bahkan, penelitian ini mengungkap bahwa awal tahun '80an merupakan puncak kematian musisi yang berusia 20 hingga 40 tahun. Menariknya, tak ada kematian di usia 20 hingga 40 di periode akhir '80an.

"Kami berspekulasi bahwa periode itu (akhir '80an) merupakan periode pemulihan terbaik dari overdosis heroin."

Kesimpulannya, Barnett dan koleganya menyebut "27 Club" didasarkan pada mitos. Walau begitu, secara umum ada potensi keinginan untuk mati para musisi di usia 20-an hingga 30-an.

Di Indonesia sendiri, kematian di usia 27 tahun menjadi populer sejak periode '60an. Di "Catatan Harian Seorang Demonstran" misalnya, Soe Hok Gie beberapa kali menyebut mengenai "27 Club".

Soe Hok Gie memang seperti terinspirasi untuk mati muda. Bahkan, Soe Hok Gie sering mengutip ucapan filsuf Yunani:

"Nasib terbaik adalah tidak dilahirkan, yang kedua dilahirkan tapi mati muda, dan yang tersial adalah umur tua. Rasa-rasanya memang begitu. Bahagialah mereka yang mati muda."

Soe Hok Gie sendiri kemudian meninggal pada 16 Desember 1969, sehari sebelum ulang tahunnya yang ke-27. Aktivis mahasiswa yang ikut melakukan demonstrasi di masa pemerintahan Presiden Soekarno ini meninggal akibat menghirup asap beracun, saat berada di Gunung Semeru. Saat itu, Hok Gie meninggal bersama salah satu rekan perjalanannya, Idhan Dhanvantari Lubis. (ren)

Satpam Vs Suster Ngesot Jadi Game Flash

Game komputer ini terinspirasi dari kisah Satpam versus "Suster Ngesot" di Bandung.

KAMIS, 22 DESEMBER 2011, 20:00 WIB

Bayu Galih

Game (gejegames.com)

VIVAnews - Insiden tendangan salah seorang satpam atas seorang mahasiswi yang berpura-pura menjadi "suster ngesot" di suatu hotel di Bandung rupanya menjadi inspirasi pembuat game. Dalam bentuk game flash, situs game, gejegames.com, kemudian membuat game tendangan satpam ke suster ngesot.

Game yang dinamakan "Pak Satpam Vs Mbak Ngesot" itu mengisahkan tentang seorang Satpam bernama Titok.

Saat bertugas mengamankan lingkungan perumahan, dikisahkan Titok kaget melihat suster ngesot. Di benak Titok, daripada mengganggu orang lain, Titok pun kemudian menendang suster ngesot itu.

Para pemain hanya perlu mengatur kekuatan tendangan serta sudutnya dengan mengklik menggunakan mouse. Setelah itu, Titok pun menendang suster ngesot. Penilaian game ini adalah jauhnya jarak tendangan Titok.

Penasaran? Anda bisa main game itu di tautan ini.

How To Become A Successful Entrepreneur

By James R Stearns

To be a successful entrepreneur one can be characterized as an individual or group of initiative-taking, resource gathering, autonomy, risk takers; that finish what they start. Thus, as one has stated the definition encompasses all types and sizes of organizations with a wide variety of functions and goals that include many different groups of people.

Most small business entrepreneurs are out to generate income, while the high impact entrepreneur is primarily interested in wealth creation.These different economic objectives lead to inherent differences in the kinds of business the two entrepreneur types start.

As we all know every company must have a plan understanding that it will be tested. But do not be afraid to earnestly contend until you complete what you started. This is one of the characteristics of a true entrepreneur. No matter what the circumstances THEIR WILL IS TO FINISH.

The idea to be successful is not based on an overnight concept. Being successful in one venture means taking time to analyze, be responsible, and be held accountable for the things you do, allowing patience to be your friend. concerting all efforts to achieve the very positive output that has been wished for.

One of the hard facts is that entrepreneurs do not consider failure as an option. Like other businesses, every business man will face the challenges and circumstances that can bring out the best in them to overcome or fail. However, the true entrepreneur will move forward without looking back until the mission is accomplished.

The deadline for achieving the objectives of this mission is only part of the process to obtain greatness. It takes discipline and control to continue because some of the challenges that lie ahead will not be easy. Having knowledge of what you are doing is also a key component, as it will help build confidence and put you in the place to discuss the benefits and the failure of the company.

As you travel the road to becoming a success, it is essential that you are strong, as there will be many opportunities to feel complacent. Maintaining concentration and motivation, it is important to a successful and highly profitable business. This takes an entrepreneur having a mind to stay with the plan established from the beginning, with the will to overcome any obstacles that arise.

To be a successful entrepreneur being nice and friendly has advantages of getting doors opened to meet new contacts and networks with others who have similar skills and qualifications. At the same time, you should be able to show yourself as a businessman who was punctual, polite and can remain calm under pressure.

Managing Brand Equity

By Abey Francis

Managing brand equity requires taking a broad, long-term perspective of brands. A broad view of brand equity is critically important, especially when firms are selling multiple products and multiple brands in multiple markets. In such cases, brand hierarchies must be created that define common and distinct brand elements among various nested products. New product and brand extension strategies also must be designed to determine optimal brand and product portfolios. Finally, these brands and products must be effectively managed over geographic boundaries and target market segments by creating brand awareness and a positive brand image in each market in which the brand is sold.

STEPS IN MANAGING BRAND EQUITY

1. Define the brand hierarchy in terms of the number of levels to use and the relative prominence that brands at different levels will receive when combined to brand any one product.


2. Create global associations relevant to as many brands nested at the level below in the hierarchy as possible but sharply differentiate brands at the same level of the hierarchy.


3. Introduce brand extensions that complement the product mix of the firm, leverage parent brand associations, and enhance parent brand equity.


4. Clearly establish the roles of brands in the brand portfolio, adding, deleting, and modi­fying brands as necessary.


5. Reinforce brand equity over time through marketing actions that consistently convey the meaning of the brand in terms of what products the brand represents, what bene fits it supplies, what needs it satisfies, and why it is superior to competitive brands.


6. Enhance brand equity over time through innovation in product design, manufacturing and merchandising and continued relevance in user and usage imagery.


7. Identify differences in consumer behavior in different market segments and adjust the branding program accordingly on a cost-benefit basis.

ISSUES IN MANAGING BRAND EQUITY

The introduction of the brand-equity concept raises a host of practical issues about the management of a brand. An overview of some of these issues is given below.

1. The bases of brand equity: On what should the brand equity be based? What associations should form the basis of the positioning? How important is awareness? Among which segments? Can barriers be created to make it more difficult for competitors to dislodge loyal customers?


2. Creating brand equity: How is brand equity created? What are the driving determinants? What is the role in any given context of the name, the channel, the advertising, the spokesperson, and the package, and how do they interrelate? As a practical matter, decisions on such elements need to be made as brand equity is created or changed.


3. Managing brand equity: How should a brand be managed over time? What actions will meaningfully affect the elements of equity-in particular the associations and perceived loyalty? What is the "decay rate" if supporting activities (such as advertising) are withdrawn? Often a reduction of advertising results in no detectable drop in sales. Is there damage to the equity if a reduction is prolonged? How can the impact of a promotion or another marketing program be determined?


4. Forecasting the erosion of equity: How can erosion of brand equity, and other future problems, be forecast? The danger is that by the time that damage to the brand is recognized, it is too late. The cost of correcting a problem can be extremely high relative to the cost of maintaining equity. The forecasting issue is especially crucial in durables like au tomobiles, where the time needed to replace a product can be as long as five years. If a decline can be detected two years before the brand's damage becomes obvious, then the remedy can be timelier. A disaster such as the Tyienol tampering case has the advantage that the threat to brand equity, and the need to take action, are both obvious. More commonly, a brand is eroded so slowly that it is difficult to generate a sense of urgency.


5. The extension decision: To what products should the brand be extended? How far can the brand be extended before brand equity is affected? Of particular concern is the vertical brand extension: Can an upscale version of the brand be marketed? If so, will there be spillover impact upon the brand name? Do the Earnest and Julio Gallo varietals help the basic Gallo line? What about the temptation to exploit the brand by putting the name on a down scale product? How can the extent of damage to brand equity be predicted? Will the new associations of an extension be helpful or harmful?


6. Creating new names: The investment in a new brand name (an alternative to a brand extension) will generate a name with a new set of associations which can provide a platform for another growth stream. What are the trade-offs between these alternatives? Under what cir cumstances should the one be preferred over the other? How many brand names can a business support?


7. Complex families of names and sub-names: How should different levels of brand-name families be managed? What mix of advertising should Black& Decker place behind the Black& Decker name, the Space Saver name that indicates a product subgroup, or the Black& Decker Dust-buster? Should the recruiting effort of the U.S. government be centered on the individual military branches, or should the U.S. defense team be the focus? Delicate considerations of the vertical re lationships among brands and "sub-brands" have to be made.


8. Brand-equity measurement: A basic question underlying all these issues is how to measure brand equity and the assets on which it is based. If it can be conceptualized in a given context precisely enough to measure and monitor it, the other problems become manageable. Clearly, there are several approaches to brand equity and its measure ment. The need is to determine which is the most appropriate and to select a measurement method.


9. Evaluating brand equity and its component assets: A pressing re lated issue is how to value a brand. Given that there is a market for brands, it is of enormous practical value to actually provide methods to estimate that value. Of even more importance is to place a value upon the underlying assets (such as awareness and perceived quality). The key to justifying investment in building such assets is to be able to estimate the value of such activities. Although some progress has been made, this area remains a significant challenge for marketing professionals.

How To Create A One Year Marketing Plan

By Dr Tom Preston

1) Create a list of all of the activities you presently do for marketing your practice and put them into the 4 categories of INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL and then PROCEDURES OR SPECIAL EVENTS.

2) Review what is presently working and consider how to upgrade it to a higher level. (There is no sense re-creating the wheel if what you do works, stick with it).

3) Dump whatever isn't working after evaluating it and determining whether a simple upgrade could make it valuable. If it can't than dump it.

4) Review the 101 Marketing ideas list and determine which are the "highest and best use of your time." These become your Key Projects. Keep your budget in mind.

5) Estimate your Return on Investment from each activity. Keep only the high return activities. Some may be "neat ideas" but not profitable.

6) "Flush out" the project or idea as much as possible by writing out the steps you see will be needed to optimally complete the project. Don't hesitate to ask your coach or peers for help in flushing these out.

7) Timeline the steps by determining how soon before the event you will need to complete each of the action steps to ensure the event is a success.

8) Delegate as many of these actions steps as possible, leaving the remaining ones as Key Projects for you to plug into your Dynamic Time Structure.

9) Go to your "Annual Life Plan" and write in the marketing events you have chosen under "Key Projects."

10) Go to your monthly Dynamic Time Structure sheets and write in the date of the event as well as plug in the Key Project action steps YOU must complete in the appropriate MOA/BE slots leading up to the event.

11) Summarize the whole year by categorizing each activity into one of the four categories and printing it out for every team member. This becomes a focus at team marketing meetings. (Consider transferring it to an erasable year calendar)

12) Track your New Practice Members with some form of a New Practice Member Tracking Sheet.

13) Once per quarter review where the New Practice Members are coming from and calculate your R.O.I. (Return on Investment).

14) Book time in your day planner for next October or November to complete your next years marketing calendar. Always start this process by reviewing your R.O.I. from this years events. Keep your winners, upgrade or dump your losers and add new events to keep life fresh and exciting.

A deeply committed family man, Dr. Preston began coaching and consulting after many professionals and doctors in his field asked him how he "did what he did?" How he ran one of the world's most successful chiropractic, family oriented cash practices and still found time to take 10 weeks of holidays per year, work a 20 hour work week and enjoy lots of time with his wife and five daughters?

Helping people discover their blocks and then removing them is what he does best.

SAATNYA DI 2012 IN-STORE COMMUNICATION DIGITAL

LED WALL DISPLAY COMMUNICATION AT RETAIL STORES

Two Small Christmas Miracles

By Gene Lalor

Every once in a great while, the public education community slips up 

and forgets its NEA-dictated politically correct liberalism.

It happened last year at a Long Island middle school awards ceremony, when a soldier just back from Iraq was honored by allowing him to present a good citizenship citation to a student.

After being introduced and before he was able to make the presentation, the soldier was showered with appreciation by the 800-strong audience. They leaped to their collective feet to offer their own award for his service, a standing ovation that went on for minutes.

Teachers and school administrators in the district, which will not be identified to protect the innocent, were belatedly embarrassed into joining in.

Well, it happened again, this time at a concert-not a Christmas concert, of course, but rather a "winter concert"-at a high school in the same district where not only were America's armed forces honored but Christmas melodies, including religious-themed hymns, were performed and met with comparable approbation.

When the National Education Association gets wind of that combined patriotic/religious rebellion, heads will surely roll.

In the greater scheme of political correctness, neither the military tribute nor the celebration of Christmas were earth-shaking yet both represented a radical departure from the PC norm in the Long Island neck of the national woods. They furnished irrefutable proof that there is some hope for sanity in Democrat Lawn Guyland.

After the band director asked veterans and active duty members of the Navy, Army, Marines, and Air Force to stand at the appropriate moment, the Symphonic Band offered selections from the fight songs of all four branches of America's military.

Unprompted, the audience enthusiastically applauded both the servicemen and women and "Anchors Aweigh," "The Caissons Go Rolling Along," "The Marines Hymn," and "The U.S. Air Force."

Pacifists in the audience must have been cringing.

The Festival Chorus then sang a rendition of Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here," a cheery song about sleigh bells and snow flakes which could pass muster even with atheistic grinches. The festival choristers went overboard when they followed that innocuous holiday ditty with the gospel song, "Every Time I Feel the Spirit."

Whatever was the chorus director thinking when he allowed public school kids to sing, "Ev'ry time I feel the spirit moving in my heart, I will pray. Ev'ry time I feel the spirit moving in my heart, I will pray"?

Did he think they were praying to the goddess of political correctness?

Depending on one's perspective, the zenith or the nadir was reached in the winter concert when the Concert Band performed as its final number, Leroy Anderson's medley "A Christmas Festival."

The Concert Band director, who coincidentally happens to be retiring, actually allowed his students to play music repectfully recognizing the reason for the season, music including "Joy to the World," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Silent Night," and "Adeste Fidelis."

(The fresh-faced teenagers in the band obviously enjoyed their own music and played masterfully and enthusiastically. Although it doesn't come close to the quality of the high school band, ahem, a professional performance of Anderson's "A Christmas Festival" is available for the reader's listening pleasure here http://tiny.cc/qbsc3.)

No, one school and one concert do not constitute a trend, a movement to reverse long-standing, negative attitudes toward the military or toward secularizing Christmas. What it does represent is a sign that not all is lost in this season of hope, that little miracles still happen, and that Long Island is not yet a vast liberal wasteland.

Business Maturity

By Raj Gavurla

Mature businesses show there maturity through consistency. In other words they are reliable. It's odd to receive calls from suppliers on behalf of well known organizations that cannot keep an appointment. What does this say about your company? It's not appealing. People's time is valuable. You should keep the appointment although you may not be interested because it's your word, you'll learn more, and establish trust.

How about guiding the customer through a well defined process and tweaking it as needed to serve the client? By telling them what happens instead of creating a black hole it's easier for them to tell others about your business.

Ways to keep and gain from appointments:
1. Prepare for the appointment: What are the discussion points? What needs to be researched?
2. Keep the appointment: Don't make too many because you will feel rushed.
3. Be willing to listen to achieve breakthrough results
4. Recap what were the key points of interest and the next step
5. After completion critique yourself. What can you reuse? What do you need to work on (hone)? What do you need to cut out?
6. How can you say it better to communicate more effectively?
7. Follow through. Usually it takes a combination of appointments to create the best solution.

Surely, this is worth your time because look at the amount you learn. We learn from books, magazines, videos, etc. however, don't forget we also learn from people. They know how to navigate their organization and they need to be told a process to ensure it's a growing relationship where both parties benefit over time not just a one-time transaction.

I'm sure without doing the above there has been success. However, it's inconsistent. By being consistent you feel in control. Once you have control, adding quantity and speed is easier because you know you'll receive consistently successful results not the haphazard success. This is when it becomes fun because who doesn't like more success. Your brain functions optimally instead of tiring.

I like to play sports. Having a ball to focus on and helping teammates win makes it rewarding to me. I can play for hours. However, jogging (running) bores me. It always has. So I tried the above approach because I wanted to succeed in something that's good for me yet difficult for me to do. Yes, I can run a mile sometime at a good pace with no problems yet sometime I tire after less than half a mile. What happens? The inconsistency is nerve racking.

Here's what I did to make it better.
1. Walk for a quarter mile to warm up.
2. Go at a consistent slower pace. Although I want to run faster and can, it's important to stay consistent with the slower pace.
3. Walk a quarter mile to warm down and stretch
4. Repeat it five times before increasing speed or distance.
5. Now that I've laid a foundation. I can build upon it.

I've increased both distance (two miles) and speed (time it). It helps when I play sports. I like to jog (run).

Gain business maturity by being consistent. I know you want more on demand success versus the haphazard success and fizzle. See you winning at entrepreneurship.

Business Resolutions For 2012

By Mary Kelly

This is a great time to set new goals and resolutions for your business. Unlike our personal resolutions that may involve dropping a few pounds or organizing the garage, following through (or failing to follow through) with business resolutions can have a major impact on your organization. Please consider one of the following resolutions and how it might work for you. Join me on LinkedIn or Facebook and let's discuss how resolutions can help grow your business in 2012.

1) Design SMART goals for 2012. SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. "Increase profits" is not specific. Instead, a SMART Goal would be phrased "Gain one new client per month/quarter by the end of 2012." Your goals should be broken down into smaller daily, weekly, or monthly goals to help keep you on track. Then post your goals where you can see them. When your goals are written down and visible, you subconsciously start working on them. It's okay to re-evaluate your goals if your goal is either easily attained or not feasible. When you reach a goal, make sure to take time to celebrate the success.

2) Make planning a regular event. Planning is an important aspect of growing your business and finding balance between your home and work life. Whether at the beginning or end of your day, take 10 or 15 minutes to organize your desk and write your daily goals and to-do list. It ensure that you won't forget something important and increases the likelihood that you'll accomplish that task. (I use my own Productivity To-Do List everyday. I punch holes in them and keep them in a three ring binder.) Make a plan once a week to regularly review your marketing, business, and financial plans.

3) Use what works, drop what doesn't. Find technology that works for you and invest in what fits your needs. Do you appreciate the "ding" of an electronic reminder, or do you get satisfaction of taking a pen to paper and to draft your message? Figure out what works for you and embrace it. There are many new applications available for your computer, tablet, or phone that help you be more productive and many of them are free. Along the same lines, if a piece of technology or equipment is holding you back - find ways to improve it or replace it. Perhaps you've been paying for a service you don't use or simply don't know how to use. Either learn how to use it or discontinue it.

If an aspect of your business plan or sales technique isn't working for you - change it. Remember that your time (and your employees') time is valuable, and having technology or processes that are ineffective reflects on your company to your employees and customers.

4) Decide to delegate. Many business owners and leaders feel that they need to do all the things associated with their business or department. If you're overwhelmed, find ways to delegate or out-source what you can. Whether that means bringing in someone part-time, assigning tasks to current staff, or seeking project specific contracts to lessen your workload, hiring others to help your business grow is smart. It make take you three hours to figure out how to change something on your website, while an expert may take just minutes. Save yourself time and frustration - hire great people to do what they do best so that you can do what you do best.

5) Learn something new. Resolve to learn something everyday. Now is the perfect time for professional and personal development. Read a business book. Listen to an audio book. Peruse business summaries. Get smarter to advance yourself and your business. Perhaps taking a course on a specific software application or a speech class would make you feel more efficient and confident at work. Similarly, encourage your coworkers and employees to enhance themselves professionally. This benefits them and increases your company's productivity.

6) Join a new business organization or networking group. Consider joining or becoming more involved in professional organizations relevant to your business and career goals. Online communities through LinkedIn can be very effective. In-person networking groups such as Chambers of Commerce, associations, or alumni groups allow you to exchange ideas with other professionals to find new opportunities. Building these relationships also provides avenues for accountability - if you tell people you are training to climb Pikes Peak or that starting a newsletter, chances are you will be more committed to your resolutions.

Increase social capital. Social Capital is why people live in communities. Communities with strong social capital tend to be more prosperous, more resilient, and develop better educated children. What contributes to social capital? People who work to build a strong community. Pitch in. Volunteer. Join your local community centers, churches, and chambers. Coach Little League or be scout leader. Walk for cancer or Alzheimer's, or visit an Alzheimer's patient. Monetary donations help, but communities also need time and talent. Be involved. If you love being outdoors, look into organizations and community events to clear and build trails. Love your business? Consider mentoring a college student interested in your field. Passionate about a cause? Volunteer at fundraisers for the organizations you believe in. Whether you're able to provide 2 hours a week or 2 hours a quarter, it makes a difference. The organizations will be grateful for your time and talent, you gain connections and have fun, and you building your community in the process.

Dr. Mary C. Kelly is a leadership and productivity speaker, whose dynamic and unique keynotes have been helping organizations and individuals to become more productive and motivated in a fun and engaging way.

Mission Statements - More Important Than You Think

By Lance Winslow

A mission statement is highly important, and far too many organizations and committees treat it as nothing more than a formality. Other times, those engaged in group think spend hours putting into minutes what one of their members could have suggested in seconds, which would have captured the moment, concept, and their entire reason for getting together to accomplish a task or goal. A guiding principle must obviously be; clear, concise, and highly descriptive using as few words as possible; easier said than done of course.

Perhaps, the best advice I've ever received on why these statements are so important came from Stanford Business Professor Collins, and if you don't know who he is, you can get the same advice yourself by merely reading his famous book; "Built to Last" which is available online at the click of the touch pad. In this book he lists some of the top Fortune 500 companies that have been around more than 100 years. He explains why strategic statements are so important, and how they must be modified from time to time, as not to confuse the Chiefs or the Indians.

As the coordinator for a think tank which happens to operate online, I am privy to quite a bit of information on entrepreneurial startups in highly innovative fields. I often read mission statements that go along with business plans, on websites, and are the founding documents for many an organization with an important purpose. Over the years, I've seen far too many of these guiding mission principles fall flat, and fall short. They are confusing, cumbersome, wordy, and often don't make much sense (cents). In the case of a business, they won't make very many dollars either.

Sometimes a mission statement can brand a company or an organization, and give strength to the employees, volunteers, and workers to make decisions which point back to the mission statement, even if there is no supervisor around telling them what to do. If everyone is on the same page, focusing on the same goal, and following the clear cut principles, then there will be a lot less friction, and less micro-management. This means the operation will run efficiently, and has a much better chance of accomplishing its strategic objectives.

This is why a mission statement is so important, and how it helps organizations stay on track to do great things, make good profits, and provide for their employees, consumers, clients, and fellow citizens. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it in case you are in charge one day of creating a mission statement yourself.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Innovation for America. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

How to Pull All the Benefits From 2011 to Maximize Your Business Results in 2012

By Nathaneal Mohr

If you, like me are about to set your goals for 2012 then its important to 
first take a step back and pull as much life experience out of 2011 
as possible. This way you can get the greatest results from your 
strategic planning and goal setting. In this article I am going to give 
you a couple simple questions that will help you make better decisions 
in your goal setting and strategic planning for the following year.

Outline Your Biggest accomplishments. When we outline our accomplishments we put our mind in a more creative and confident state. Our minds start sorting for ways to stay congruent with the kind of person that would have those accomplishments. That's why the best time to close a sale is right after you close a sale. You are more confident and because of that confidence your mind is in an optimum place to support that confident self image.

Separate each one of those accomplishments and ask yourself:

What are the skills that I have that are responsible for that accomplishments?

What are the beliefs I have about myself that are responsible for that accomplishment?

Focus on enhancing those skills, and stabilizing those beliefs as you plan your future goals. This is how you are going to take the key aspects responsible for your successes and develop them for continual growth in 2012.

Outline your biggest Lessons over the last year, Many times these are going to come from your biggest challenges.

Now outline everything that you will do differently if you are in a similar situation over the next year. Take what your biggest lessons or the things you would do differently and use them as a foundation to make your decisions about what you goals are going to be, and what your plans are going to be for achieving those goals.

List out the things that your are presently engaged in; that if you knew what you know now about them you wouldn't have started doing them. This could be a business activity, or someone that you have hired. This could be a vendor you have choose or a client you took on. Whatever it is, commit to stopping it before you make your new goals and plans.

Take Full responsibility for the results you have gotten over the last year.

Now summarize this information and start your goal setting and strategic planning for 2012.

This is one of the topics that talk on to advance as one of the Best Business Speakers in North America.

The Power of Word of Mouth Advertising

By Debbie L Moore

In this day of "sophisticated" advertising methods with names like PPC, CPA, and traffic exchange, you hardly hear much about word of mouth advertising.

Even if you seldom hear about it, there are several reasons why you shouldn't overlook this powerful marketing strategy.

The number one reason you should seriously consider this marketing method is, it works! Word of mouth advertising is powerful because it comes "straight from the horse's mouth", so to speak. This makes the method believable and very credible.

Testimonials are really a form of word of mouth advertising in the sense they are come directly from people who have firsthand experience with the product or service. This form of advertising can be very effective. This is why you see testimonials on so many of the websites and sales literature. Testimonials are an excellent way to promote your product and service if you use legitimate testimonials from actual people who have used whatever is being promoted.

Another reason to use word of mouth advertising is the cost. If you have an excellent product or service you're promoting, a satisfied customer will be your best advertising. And this is free in the sense you aren't paying directly for an ad. Yes, you may have paid to get the original customer, but if they are satisfied and tell others, you don't pay another dime for them spreading the word. A satisfied customer will be naturally compelled to tell others.

When I think of a good personal example of this, my local bus line comes to mind. About a year ago, I reluctantly bought a round trip ticket on the bus from my home town to the nearby city. I knew I didn't want to hassle with driving in the traffic. Plus, I didn't want to have to deal with loading on and off the ferry. Much to my surprise, I found the bus ride enjoyable. Since then, I have ridden the bus whenever I go to the city.

So, what do I like about riding the bus? Well, for one thing, they are always on time. The bus is always clean and well maintained. The drivers are friendly and helpful and make you feel like they are glad you're there. To top it off, they offer free bottled water, cookies, and Wi-Fi. I can sit on the bus, read a book, take a nap, and be sure I'll arrive at my destination on time.

So, do I tell others about the bus service? You bet I do! Every chance I get I recommend they take the bus to the city rather than drive. No one has to ask me to do this. I want to because I want others to know about their excellent service.

You can't lose with word of mouth advertising. Not only is it inexpensive, it is also powerful.

Effective Ways to Promote Your Brand

By Dipika Patel

Promotional merchandise offers a fantastic way for you to publicise your company's goods and services to customers. Perhaps one of the reasons why promotional items are so effective is that they can be used time and time again. Unlike digital forms of marketing, like pay per click adverts, email campaigns and social media sites, recipients of promotional merchandise get a tangible benefit from products like pens, mugs, bags and USBs and they can prove invaluable in their everyday lives.

Take personalised pens as an example. Research from the US-based Advertising Specialty Institute reveals that just under two-thirds (63 percent) of Britons have received and kept hold of a promotional pen over a 12-month period.

Research from the British Promotional Merchandise Association indicates that pens are the promotional item two-fifths of consumers would like to be given the most. By providing your customers with promotional pens, you can be sure you'll be providing them with something they find to be valuable and are likely to use for months to come.

Other quantitative evidence highlights the benefits of promotional products like personalised pens. Research conducted in the US indicates that recipients of promotional items have a measurably more favourable impression of the company that provided them with the merchandise. Another study, in relation to direct mail campaigns, indicates that the response rates on direct mail campaigns tend to be higher when the mailing campaign includes promotional items like a personalised pen.

Like pens, promotional umbrellas are a fantastic way of promoting your brand or particular marketing message. As they need to be held above the user's head when it rains, your logo will be advertised to all sorts of passers by! And who hasn't spotted a promotional umbrella when watching an England test match or Wimbledon on TV?

Working in a similar way to a walking billboard, branded umbrellas allow your logo or marketing message to be displayed while the recipient is shielding themselves from the notorious UK weather - whether that's simply walking down the street, at a sports event or enjoying the great outdoors.

If your business regularly attends events such as exhibitions and trade shows, it may be a particularly good idea to use umbrellas as a means of attracting interest in your firm.

Run a direct mail campaign before the show starts to inform attendees that by coming to your stall they'll receive a free umbrella and you could see an influx in visitors, giving you the perfect chance to promote your services and goods to a greater number of people. A free umbrella should be a popular giveaway - even if it isn't raining during the event. Research indicates that umbrellas are kept by recipients longer than most other promotional products.

Promotional umbrellas come in all shapes and sizes - from cost-effective versions that can be used for mass giveaways through to robust golf umbrellas that are sturdy enough to combat the toughest weather conditions. Most printed umbrellas can be ordered from as little as 25 units and many can be printed using up to eight different panels.

With promotional items offering so many different ways for you to increase brand awareness, you are sure to find at least one product that enables you to generate interest among customers. Make sure you incorporate your logo, full contact details and marketing message and you're sure to see a great return on your investment!

Components to Ideology

By Paul Wesker

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Socialism, Nationalism, Authoritarianism and Republicanism are some of what is termed as ideology. Simply put they are constructs that rationalize society and the political life of a community. They also give insight into the relationships of individuals and lay the foundation for the creation of particular political communities. They are also the source of policies upon which a government which espouses them enacts. They are meant to be the foremost consideration and ideal of each individual in society. This means that every citizen has to adhere to and promote the same. Furthermore, the life, thought and conduct of every adherent to these ideas must openly manifest and reflect the tenets of the ideology adhered to.

The power and influence of every ideology known to human civilization and society is derived significantly from popular support it enjoys. This means that the number of people as well their strong adherence to an ideology empowers that ideology above all others. It can even reach the point that the idea becomes the foundation of government and at the core of public policy. All the great ideologies in human history all share this trait. Moreover, they were so influential that they would be championed by a considerable number of members of the society. Is this loyalty intrinsic to that community? Was the tenet of the ideology so appealing that many identify with the same? The answer to these questions is that it is not always the case.

Every ideology employs a wide array of methods to gain popular support. However, the most potent of which is social engineering. The foremost concern of an ideology is its assimilation into the very mindset of an individual and thus permeates the social consciousness. This cannot transpire if an individual rejects or considers its teachings to be dubious or of questionable validity. The techniques in social engineering allow the ideology to break down these barriers. The insightful approaches forwarded by this methodology are keen on taking advantage and attacking the vulnerabilities in human nature. By appealing to a person's background, tendencies, experiences and belief an ideology becomes accepted into the realm of what that person considers as important, legitimate and valid.

Ideologies are known to solicit tangible responses from those who adhere to its tenets. This is due to the fact that an ideology demands a manifestation from those that believe in it and in turn demonstrates the power it holds to the society at large. Social engineering is again at play. It enables the belief system of ideologies to become the basis for mass social action. Rallies, protests, upheavals, strikes and revolutions are instigated through it. It has already been established how social engineering facilitates the imprinting of the ideology into an individual. It can also move that individual to act on those ideas.

By the same process to appealing to a person's experiences, personality and inherent views an action, as espoused by an ideology, can even be views to be, at the least an extension of, if not an expression of a person's own convictions and aspirations. This means that social engineering play an important role in ideologies and how they develop.