MOORE THOUGHT

How to re-frame the 'just looking' customer

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:59:00 +0000

Neuro-Linguistic Programming talks about the importance of being able to re-frame things to put them into a different light.

One example that I have thought of recently (and will test out shortly) is on retail customers. When a customer walks into a store and after being asked a few things says they are 'just looking', an idea is to turn around and say 'No problem. However if you want to touch any items you will have to ask permission first (with a wink)'.

The idea is to snap people out of the thinking that their saying will elicit the same response it normally does. They might feel a little surprised that it has a different effect and what they have said is now framed in a different context, allowing you to progress further with your discussion with them.

If anyone else tries this out let me know how it goes.

The importance of being able to say no

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:59:00 +0000

We all live busy lives.

A few months ago, things were really quiet for me. I was on holidays before entering my final year of study, work had wound up for the year and there was not much to do.

Now however things are different. I am studying full time which required attendance three days a week. I am studying a short course in NLP one night a week. I am learning to swim on another night of the week. I am working as a casual at a job to bring in a little cash flow for some upcoming expenses while also managing two businesses. Then, when I'm not doing one of these activities I'm trying to spend time with my family, my mates or my girlfriend.

Needless to say that life has become busy for me. And yet, despite being busy, I still have extra people pressing for my time. This could be either to catch up, to get involved in their business opportunity or to help them out in some way.

Unfortunately I am at a stage now where I say no to just about anything to cross my desk. It's not that I don't want to help people, just that what they want is not within my scope given my current involvements. As I scale back, I will be making more room for family, friends, etc. before I devote more time to additional business distractions.

Learning to say no is something that becomes easier. Here is some of my considerations at this point in time when saying no:

Family first: My family is my priority. No one gets preference over them. 'nuff said.
Cash flow: I'm not taking on any new projects unless they pay me cash flow. End of story. I'm only interested in lifestyle businesses that I intend to keep running until they decline or until I find something I am more passionate about. I'm not getting involved in any more businesses that are focused on high growth at this point in time.
Lifestyle: I'm wanting to learn new things that meet my goal list. That is why I am doing a short course in NLP and learning to swim. However that is also why I am finishing my degree. Three things of this nature at one time is too much. From now on, I think I will opt to take on no more than one of these kinds of tasks until my degree is finished. From there, I may increase it to two, or shorten the involvement time.
Traction: In relation to business unless I'm starting something myself I am only interested in projects that are already moving and have a proven growth record. Just starting is no longer of interest, there needs to be a continuing growth pattern.
Appreciation: I know I have knowledge and that knowledge is useful. I am not interested in giving that knowledge away for free nor am I interested in providing it for people or businesses who do not appreciate it.
Overlap: I'm only interested in doing things that match my goals and the current projects I'm involved in. If it is too far out of the scope it will distract me too much from my current involvements, which makes me less productive.
Travel: More and more of my involvements are requiring me to travel. One job requires me to travel an hour each way and one of the businesses I am involved in takes me around the country. Every time I go to university it takes me two hours to get each way. I would rather do things closer to home for less pay and have more time. Therefore, travel is always something I need to take into consideration.

Busy people always get more offers than those who are not busy. But busy people also have to learn to say no. Sometimes making a decision and saying no is better than making no decision at all, even if it isn't the right decision in the long run.

Find out what is important to you and what needs to be right with something in order to say yes. Make sure it aligns your goals. Then be willing to say no to things that don't match your goals and criteria.

What have been your experiences in saying no to people and projects in the past?

What is the best investment for anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

There is so much ambiguity around the topic of investment to render the word useless.

Modern society has us sitting around, trying to determine what is the best path for investment. Should we invest in shares? In property? In our superannuation? Our career? Our own business? The more choices we have, the less action we take. Procrastination more often than not puts us in a worse situation than if we had taken any action at all.

There is however one investment that can reap huge dividends for anyone...

At a recent Pitch Club event, I was talking afterwards to a guy named Chris who had started his own business. As the conversation developed our discussion entered the topic on spending money on yourself. Chris told me that one of his friends had just been through a major process of doing so himself. He had spent $10,000 of his own money fixing up his teeth, had been going to the gym and made his body into a powerhouse, had got a better job and much more! To top it off, he had started teaching people in through his own business how to do the same. The benefits this had given Chris' friend both to his personal confidence and success was outstanding.

Self-investment truly is a beneficial cause.

Money is not the solution to all the problems we believe it to be. A few years ago, I wanted to quickly become a multi-millionaire so I could spend time traveling, working out at the gym and teaching others to become a success in their lives and helping out in my local community. Since then I have learned the following:

1: I don't want to travel all the time, and I don't need millions to do it.

2: I can work out at home and still get results I like. Even a gym membership is affordable on an everyday salary.

3: Success is not necessarily measured in dollars for everyone. I have managed to conquer depression, give up smoking, overcome a number of fears and much more that others would deem as 'successes'.

4: I can help out in my local community whenever I feel so inclined.

One thing that was interesting is that the benefits that I receive from doing these things are extremely high and pay great dividends. The other point was that I didn't need to accumulate an amount of cash or investments first to be able to do these things.

Imagine the benefits on my career and businesses if I did these things first?

Self investment is a great way to increase your results in life. There are a myriad of ways to invest in yourself (which I will discuss in a future post) but for now just think of a few and ask yourself: 'How could self investment improve my chances of reaching my potential?'

The importance of friendship

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Friends are one of the most important things in our lives.

Second to a relationship with God, friends and family are the highest priority and focus in all that I do. I enjoy spending time with them, watching them grow and learn lessons, experience new aspects of life and more. Friendship is truly great to have.

However, one thing I am noticing (especially in my generation) is that we are spending more time trying to build our number of friends (IE: Quantity) rather than spending time developing existing relationships we have (IE: Quality). As a result, we can often be perceived as having a high number of friends and being 'well connected' when really we can feel alone.

The best way to prevent feeling lonely is to focus on quality relationships. Having five lifelong friends who experience both the ups and downs with you are a lot better than going through life with 5,000 acquaintances.

Quality friendships builds a number of different character attributes. Here are my five P's that I have observed come from having quality friends:

1: Persistence: Friends that are around for a long time can often become annoying. Learning to be persistent and to continue building friendships despite any issues that arise will develop a lot of good character traits that will benefit all parties involved.

2: Patience: Quite often we can become frustrated with others. I have a really close friend who is great to be around but I can get a little impatient with at times due to his opinions. However, I am continually working on building my patience levels so that I can get past this and appreciate the value that this friendship as in my life.

3: Positivity: It doesn't take much to begin looking for and finding faults in others. However, this trait destroys relationships rather than building them. It is better to look for the best in people and to encourage them in those areas.

4: Personality: Having friends you see multiple times a week creates personality. When I see friends I haven't seen for a few years, it can be quite easy to strike up a conversation and to spend time discussing what we have been up to in our lives. It is a lot harder doing this with people you see regularly, as there isn't as many changes. Learning to create an interesting personality to express new aspects of your daily life with people can be a great benefit, while also reminding you that celebrating little wins is worthwhile.

5: Pleasure: The pleasure of friendship only comes when you have someone you can experience a lot of life with. Life is to be shared. We could all become billionaires and have everything we wanted but it would be useless if we did not have company to enjoy it with. Being able to experience the pleasure of a true friend in life is a priceless achievement.

Building quality friendships begins by making an effort. What have you done today to take action on building your relationships with some of the people that matter the most in your life?

Trouble with email subscription

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:59:00 +0000

I'm hearing from a number of people subscribed to this site via email that they are receiving multiple posts in a single email.

Unfortunately this is not meant to be occurring. You are meant to be receiving one email a day. It seems to be a feedburner (the software used for my email subscriptions) and I am looking for how to fix it.

Thank you for your patience, and if you have any knowledge on this issue please let me know.

A little lesson from McDonald's

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

At the time of writing this I have just sat down at my computer after having a McFlurry. An interesting thing about McDonald's is the way they have their brand logo on everything. You can look at any piece of McDonald's packaging (serviettes, spoons, bags, boxes, etc) and you will see their name or logo.

Just as McDonald's leaves an imprint of themselves on everything around them, so you can too in reaching your passion in life. Leave a little bit of what you do in all your conversations, in your email signature, on your business card, your website, your local charity or church, anything. The more exposure you have in the world the better.

Book review: How to sell your way through life

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

I just finished reading 'How to sell your way through life' by Napoleon Hill.

Definitely was an interesting read. The more of Hill's stuff I read, the more I find him being a new age type of guy. But nevertheless, he does make some valid points. Overall I would have to say it is a good read and worth the time if you can see past the new age content.

The main learning for me was that to make a sale you need to develop three things within the mind of the buyer:

1: Confidence: The buyer must have confidence in the person selling the product and his product.

2: Interest: The buyer must be reached through an appeal to his interest and imagination to develop a liking for the product.

3: Motive: The buyer must have a logical motive for making the purchase.

Sales (according to one chapter in the book) goes through three stages: Interest, desire and action. If you can master these (using confidence, interest and motive) then it would seem to me that you should be able to take action and successfully make more sales.

This is not just for the business owner. This is for every individual. Every day we are selling ideas of where we want to go for dinner, where we should hang out on the weekend, why our employer should hire us and so on. We should act accordingly and make sure we are doing our best to sell ourselves, our ideas and our products/services in all aspects of life.

Napoleon Hill definitely knew a thing or two about sales and these small points mentioned above along with the rest of the book's content are definitely worth a read.

My goals

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

I have had this list in various places for some time, but I thought I would put it on this blog as this is the place I frequent the most online.

My goals are:

- Learn to swim (started lessons 28th Jan 2010)
- Eat better
- Learn to surf
- Pay off my student loans
- Successfully complete my degree
- Get my motorbike licence
- Buy a motorbike
- Buy a house in Mornington, Victoria, Australia
- Save $10,000 in cash
- Buy a 13 inch Macbook Pro
- Write a book on entrepreneurship
- Write a book on reaching potential (First ten pages drafted)
- Build my own business I have full control over
- Build my investing empire (via Angel Investing and public shares).
- Get physically ripped
- Try kayaking
- Get into rock climbing
- Learn Krav Maga
- Travel to the USA

- Travel to Europe

- Travel to the Caribbean- Become famous for something

- A daily post on my blog (one year minimum)

Completed Goals (since starting this blog):

- Buy a newer and more fuel efficient car.

- Date a stunning and intelligent woman with a view for the long term.

- Engage in some form of social activity every day.

- Develop long term friendships with new people.

The problem with persistence

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Persistence is a necessary skill for success in any calling in life.

One cannot finish studies, a job, a project or task without persistence. However, as much as persistence is needed, there is one thing that gets in the way which causes a lot of people to stop before they achieve their goals or complete their tasks. This problem can be identified in the following statement:

The start of something is more exciting than the end

Unfortunately most of us find starting a new project more exciting than finishing one. I found this recently with my degree. Being dissatisfied with the training, I was contemplating deferring indefinitely. However when I first started I was really excited and pumped to be getting into something new.

If we can identify our weakness in this area then we can begin to change our mindset towards it. If we acknowledge that we can only achieve success with persistence then we can begin to work on these projects until completion.

One of the best ways I have found to complete a task is to focus on things one day at a time. Today is all we have. Tomorrow is uncertain. The best thing we can do is to give what we are working on our best go today. The way to success is to keep doing this every day of our lives.

Plan for the future but persist through the unpleasant times by taking one day at a time. Alcoholics Anonymous tells attendees to focus on saying no to alcohol just for today. Don't worry about tomorrow. If a person does this for a year then they would have achieved sobriety, but it all begins by saying no in the moment on one particular day.

What are you getting paid for?

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

There are three different types of services we can use to make an income.

These services are paid different amounts. The master of all three has the ability to change his income as he sees fit, and has more options and work choices throughout his career.

The three services are as follows:

1: Brawn: The lowest paid of the three services. This is where typical labour jobs come in. There is nothing disrespectful about using brawn and those that do usually have good physiques and are able to develop a great reputation for reliability, honesty and being a hard worker.

2: Brains: The middle of the three services. Brains are where you are employed based on your knowledge and the skills you can provide to a business. This is where accountants, lawyers, etc. come in. Like the first category, people are able to earn an honest and respectable income through work. This work is generally less of a toll on the body but can cause a bit of 'brain drain'.

3: Imagination: The highest paid of the three services. Rather than merely providing knowledge, those who use their imagination come up with new ways to organise and apply their knowledge in a way that benefits everyone involved. They are the innovators, the pioneers and the entrepreneurs of the country.

Anyone can develop and master these three skills in time. Those who have command of all three can easily gain a position in a variety of jobs in the field of their calling.

What services have you mastered so far? How can you improve your mastery in those areas and in other areas? What results have you seen?

Are you a cause? Or a victim of effect?

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

We all have a belief system that drives us.

Our belief systems define what we think, what we do, how we act and respond to things in life and what we plan to achieve from our life. On one side of the equation, some of us believe that we can create outcomes and can 'cause' our destiny to occur. On the other side is 'effect' where people believe that who they are is merely the effect of things that happen in their lives.

The last few weeks I have been undertaking a course in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). Essentially, NLP is the language and programming of our brains. How our brains are programmed can determine the results we achieve in our lives, and whether we reach our true potential.

Those who believe that they cause the results in their lives and can determine their destiny usually seem to have a better control over their lives as well as a better chance of success than those who believe that their lives are merely an effect of what happens around them.

In order to begin to take control of your life and to reach your potential it is best to begin by looking at belief systems. Do you feel you are a cause in your life and that you have control over your destiny to some extent, or do you believe you are merely a product of your environment?

Making a simple change in your belief system can ultimately determine how the rest of your life plans out. How could your life be different by changing your belief system?

A quick tip on learning

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Learning is a life long process.

We should all aspire to continuing to learn everyday.

Therefore we should try to learn something new today.

What have you learned today?

Share in the comments on this blog so we can all multiply our learning results.

Improve your results with the mind of a guerrilla

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

It's time to revolutionise the way we live our lives.

From a global perspective, most of us are wealthy. However, we are very often poor or middle class within our own countries. We struggle with money, barely get ahead and need to push hard to achieve the success we believe we deserve.

Luckily however we can embrace a guerrilla mindset to help us win.

Where does Guerrilla come from?

The Guerrilla mindset comes from the guerrilla tactics as explained in the book Marketing Warfare by Al Ries and Jack Trout. In this book, they talk about four types of warfare tactics:

Defensive marketing strategy: Used by the leader in a field to maintain their position.
Offensive marketing strategy: Used by the number two or three leader to increase their position.
Flanking marketing strategy: Operates in area of little importance to the leaders.
Guerrilla marketing strategy: Attack little aspects, gain a small share, retreat, hide, repeat process again and again in various little areas.

Taking a guerrilla strategy for marketing is important for an entrepreneur with a micro-sized business. However, guerrilla skills can be taken by anyone and applied with an entrepreneurial mindset in all aspects of life.

The Guerrilla Mindset

So what are some of the things that make up a guerrilla mindset? How can they be applied? Aspects of this mindset are:

1: Every dollar counts: You only have a limited amount of resources and they cannot be squandered on anything that is unnecessary. Before you justify buying that new car make sure you have enough excess cash to buy it outright.

2: Cheap is good, free is better: Need a website but don't have the cash? No problem! Create your own extremely basic website using blogger.com, wordpress.com or weebly.com for the time being. Steve Sammartino (founder of www.rentoid.com) runs his blog on a wordpress.com site and built his start up school website for $220. My brother launched his business Soulkreed using Blogger and a shopping cart.

3: Creativity: Have business cards but can't find targeted leads? Ever tried sticking those cards in relevant books at the bookstore or library? Creativity is about getting the best bang for your buck. Rather than spending thousands advertising on TV you might find a way to do a publicity stunt that will get you TV exposure. When we were doing marketing for entrepreneurs at uni we had to come up with ways to promote a takeaway coffee shop. Some of the guys came up with a publicity stunt where they would put a big coffee cup full of coffee on top of a van and then cause that van to crash into something (like a pole, etc) and spill coffee all over the place. Your idea might not be that extreme but the point is to be creative and to do things that will get you more attention for less money.

4: Hoarding the important, dumping the rest: Guerrillas save as much money as they can to ensure their business will remain afloat and will ditch anything that costs them money that is not productive.

5: Attacking small areas: Guerrillas will come into a tiny market and will gain a few clients very quickly then retreat and do the work. They will repeat this a few times then move on to a new part of the same market. They don't want to own anything, they merely want control of what they need when they need it. Freelancing is a way entrepreneurs do this. When things get tough, they do a short term contract then retreat back to business as usual before things get to comfortable.

6: Sabotage: Sabotage involves getting in behind enemy lines and taking out some of their key aspects. A good example of this online might be becoming a major leader in one of your competitor's forums, where you then refer people back to your own business. Little mischievous (but honest) tricks that will give you a small advantage are the name of the game.

7: Being agile: To be an effective guerrilla you have to be fast and efficient. This means you have to constantly be learning new skills and be able to apply them to your work. Another good idea is using open source free software (a good example is Open Office) which has less features but costs less and allows you to be more flexible.

8: Adaptable to change: Change is one area that your competition suffers in. If someone has a $500,000 mortgage and have all the trappings (cable TV, etc.) they are less likely to adapt to losing their job then someone who has no debt, rents a small apartment and has no unnecessary expenses whatsoever.

9: Tactics: Innovating new tactics and learning from others is the fastest way to continue to gain a guerrilla mindset. Entrepreneurs seem to be the best at this, so find someone you know who is entrepreneurial and get their advice. Look around the web too, as you will find a great number of people who are very agile and nimble in their business dealings.

10: Don't be a Guerrilla: This might seem paradoxical. Perception is reality these days and if people think you are small they will be reluctant to take your wisdom and advice. Prove them wrong. Write a resume that clearly outlines your accomplishments and creates envy for a potential employer. Get a 1800 number for your business and a P.O.Box even if you are working from home. Spend a little on your marketing material, self promotion and personal presentation to show those who you meet that you are something different and better than the rest. In time this will become reality.

How could you apply a Guerrilla mindset to all aspects of your life today? Could you eliminate your debt and the things you own you don't need? Could you get a referral from a trusted friend into a much higher paying job? Could you use new techniques to revolutionise your business? Experiment a little and see what happens

47 things I'm doing to revive my savings account

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

My savings account has been officially killed!

Most people know I'm a good saver. However, since the GFC my income has not been as high as it used to be (and many others are facing the same situation). My savings account which was had several thousands in it was reduced to zero in order to supplement my income still completing various tasks, none of which were paying me income.

Luckily though, I have start topping up my savings account again for the first time in a few months. This has allowed me to gain my confidence again as I always end up fairly demoralised when I am out of money and don't have enough income to sustain me.

For those of you who are in a similar situation, here are the things I am doing (or at least looking into doing) right now to get my savings account back on track:

1: Bring bottles of water
Rather than buying drinks out and about the trick is to invest in a decent bottle (or if you are like me, get a few decent ones for free) and to fill them up with water. Put them in the fridge to chill and then take one or two EVERY SINGLE TIME you leave the house. Don't buy a drink again when you are out and about (at least not in the short term).

2: Stop eating out
This is one I am working on. Since I will be starting my final year of uni next week I intend not to purchase food out and about in the city this time around, which should bring my expenses down significantly. The majority of my money goes on food, particularly when meeting up with friends and colleagues. I plan to make these meetings either not around meals or at my house for the meantime.

3: Get a job/extra job
Entrepreneurs forget this. Just because I am self employed does not mean I am unhappy to work for someone else. In fact, I would recommend it to an extent. It is good to be able to learn at someone else's expense while gaining enough income to support your family. If you are determined not to work as an employee for someone else then get them to hire you under your ABN, which will still see you self employed.

4: Buy less stuff
I haven't bought much stuff this year. One that is often a big expense for me (and a lot of other individuals) is books. Rather than buying new books I intend to take my girlfriend's approach and become known on a 'first name basis' at the library. I also might sell a few of the books I have sitting on my shelf that I no longer want, need or use.

5: Buy quality
When you do have to buy use the following rule: Pay twice as much and buy half as many. A good example of this is Mac computers. My computers seem to die about every 12-24 months, whereas my friends that use macs seem to still be going strong.

6: Start small
Three or four dollars here and there will make a difference. I still save my change on a regular basis and just put $40 in coins into my account. Small amounts add up over time, so use them to your advantage.

7: Eliminate the small
Eliminate small expenses. Still buying that coffee everyday? Take a thermos instead. Really need to spend that extra $15 a month for Internet on your phone? Check it at lunch time at university or work. These amounts are trivial and often overlooked, which is why when big changes (such as the GFC) happen they slowly consume us.

8: Slash bank fees
Some banks are now offering fee-free accounts. Call your bank and haggle with them until you get the same terms, or leave and go elsewhere. If a student shows their student card most banks will waive fees, which can be $60-$100+ a year.

9: OPM
Use Other People's Money as much as possible. I did this today where I went out for lunch with my mum and she paid. I drove so it was still a win-win, but at least I didn't break the bank to do it (since I already had paid for the fuel). If you can get a scholarship, a deal with suppliers or anything else where you can reduce spending it is a win... so give them all a shot.

10: Put your CD's onto your computer
I am slowly ripping all my CD's onto the computer and will start pawning off one's I no longer listen to at a local pawn shop. It might only bring in a dollar or so a CD, but when you have a lot of CD's this can quickly add up. Might be an option to do the same for DVD's.

11: Sell old books
I buy books like crazy. Apart from eliminating the need to buy more I am going to start offloading old ones. University text books are a great place to start and can still make a fair few dollars.

12: Throw out old stuff
Old stuff might not make you any money but it takes space (requiring a bigger house or car), time to clean, effort to manage, etc.

13: Use time to your advantage
Chances are if you have an income problem at the moment (due to redundancy, lack of business or clientele, etc) you will have more time on your hands. Make use of this time. I am still doing my short course in NLP and my swimming lessons. I might one day turn these into some sort of paying benefit. Who knows? The thing is I am staying active in a cost effective way and learning new skills at the same time. You can also use your time to cook meals at home, to go for a run outdoors and to setup a makeshift home gym (allowing you to cancel a gym membership) and more.

14: Review insurances
Have fully comprehensive insurance? Consider reducing to third party. It will save you money. I'm considering seeing what options are available with other companies for my insurance.

15: Turn off social media on your phone
While this was useful at the start and I was experimenting with it, it seems to be becoming more of a distraction against productivity. I'm planning to keep it on my phone for sending messages out, but I turned incoming notifications off.

16: Continue to update your resume
Once you have a job you don't want to stop there. Continue looking for better jobs. Don't ever apply for something on the same level however as it is better to continue working in an area where your knowledge is developed vs learning afresh.

17: Continue to build your businesses
I'm still developing my entrepreneurial businesses but have taken the pressure of both them and myself that comes with relying upon them for cash flow. Income generated will still pay me to an extent and will also be reinvested into the businesses (building their savings accounts).

18: Add value
Part of building your savings account is to add values to others. What goes around comes around. I continue to do this by providing content on this blog while also helping friends and family update their resumes, cover letters, etc. Occasionally I get a paying client through this which adds to the account.

19: Cutting back on going out
Going to pubs, clubs and so on takes it's toll. Even if you don't spend lots of money on alcohol there is still entry fees, wear and tear on your car (or taxi fares), the occasional soft drink and other expenses that can add up. There was a stage when I was going out 3-4 nights a week which was great for meeting new contacts, but bad for my bank account. Find a balance and look for activities during the day which are cheaper and can produce better quality contacts.

20: Use a pre-paid phone
With the Internet becoming a major way to contact people, instant replies are becoming less common. Instead of spending lots of money on SMS and a new phone buy a cheap phone that can be replaced easily and used prepaid primarily for calls only. If you are entrepreneurial or technical by nature then embrace Skype as the main way for calling people too.

21: Eat breakfast
I am still overcoming my habit of skipping breakfast. Eating breakfast causes me to be less hungry during the day, which results in me spending less on food. Eat breakfast and keep it cheap but effective (toast, fruit, wheatbix, etc).

22: Set a plan
I don't budget. I used to just save as much as I could first and live on the rest. Now I'm doing it the way most recommended to me by books and business people I respect. 10% of my income will go to savings no matter what. Another 10% to paying debt (or savings if you have no debt) and 10% to charity. I will live off the remaining 70%.

23: Unexpected money
Any unexpected money will be have 10% go to charity and the remainder will be split between savings and any debt repayment.

24: Do more things
Accumulate experiences rather than stuff. I agree with him. My lifestyle choices are now based on doing things and people rather than stuff. There is truly more to life.

25: Downsize your car
I've already done this. Although insurance is more (which I'll be reviewing) the fuel costs are a lot cheaper, which is saving me money. I'll also be able to afford to service my car for a change if all goes well, which is something I have not been able to do before. Speaking of services...

26: Maintaining items
I will be ensuring I regularly defrag and manage my computer, service my car, exercise, etc. Maintenance and prevention is often better than a cure.

27: Not buying online
Something I rarely do anyway (except a few domain names) but I'm doing my best to ensure that I am not spending money online as much as possible. Luckily I never really developed this habit.

28: Walk or train
I'll be training it to the city (as per usual) and may do so from near my home to reduce expenses. It's much cheaper than fuel for me.

29: Nights at home
Rather than going out I'll be having a few more movie nights and spending time at home with the family as opposed to out drinking.

30: Carrying a backpack
This will stop me from hurting my back while also allowing me to carry my lunch. My messenger bag doesn't have room for anything other than my notepad and laptop.

31: Cut your hair short
I'll continue to get my hair cut short in the meantime to avoid paying for gel, wax, etc. I might even buy some clippers and do it myself to save cash. This will only be temporary as I want to grow my hair again at some point.

32: Telecommute
I have already done this also. By using Skype and phones I have been able to save both time and money spent using in person meetings. This is huge when you live two hours away from where most of your business involvements operate from.

33: Buy on sale
If you need to buy something (IE: all your pairs of pants fall apart) try to buy on sale. If you can buy through your work and get a discount, capitalise on it.

34: Track spending for 30 days
I did this once before and most of my spending was on food. I would not have known that if I had not tracked my spending. I might do the same again in the next week or so.

35: Keep tires pumped up
I heard once (can't remember where from) that for every psi your car tires are below the recommended pressure they will cost the car an extra 2% of fuel. The best way to overcome this is to top them up once a week when you buy fuel. I hadn't checked mine for a while and when I topped them up last week they were 8 or so psi below. I won't let that happen again. Also fill up your fuel when the temperature is cool (morning or evening) as heat expands fuel meaning you will get less for the same price at other times of the day.

36: Carpool
My mates have made the most of me in this regard for years... Now I'm hoping they will return the favour ;)

37: Fill up when the tank is half empty
For some reason all my cars seem to consume fuel faster when on the last half of the tank. My feeling is that this has something to do with extra air pressure in the tank pushing it through.

38: Go to a 100% bulk bill doctor
I don't go to a doctor because I like them. I go because I want to know if I'll be alright. If some place near you offers consultations for free, take them up on it! It has saved me several dollars on both consultations, blood tests, etc.

39: Only go shopping with an intention to buy
Guys tend to do this better than girls. Why buy something you had not planned to purchase? Avoid shopping if you can so you are not tempted to spend for no reason.

40: Have a no spend day
I'm doing this today. Apart from items already paid for (fuel, phone, etc) I am not purchasing anything today, which will save me a few dollars for the bank account.

41: Avoid TV
Not only does this kill time, but it also creates desires. If they are out of sight, they are out of mind.

42: Use RSS subscriptions instead of newspapers
This allows me to keep up to date with relevant information for my involvements and interests, rather than paying for the paper and getting a myriad of irrelevant information.

43: Never use another bank's ATM
I do this to ensure I don't pay fees.

44: Never link your savings account to your ATM card
Mine can only be accessed online.

45: Stop smoking
I did this one ages ago and it drastically reduced my expenses. A girl I am currently working with said she has spent about $15,000 on cigarettes over the last five or so years! That is a significant amount for a deposit. $30 a week on cigarettes for forty years ads up to over $65,000 which if invested could help you retire much sooner. Also your health expenses increase when smoking.

46: Don't drink alcohol
I already said I'll be drinking water. Even though I rarely drink alcohol, I'll be avoiding it altogether. I can't afford the time being hungover or having too much alcohol in my system to driver.

47: Read savings tips
I'm scouting the savings tips of other blogs and websites to find new and interesting ways to save more money.

Even applying a few of these will surely improve your ability to restore a damaged savings account, while also eliminating expenses that may drain it in the future.

What other ways do you save money? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments with others.

How to deal with customer complaints

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

A few years ago I learned a technique (courtesy of KFC) for dealing with customer complaints which has served me ever since.

Whether you are an entrepreneur or an employee, this technique can be useful for you to use when facing a less than happy customer.

The technique is known as LAST.

L- Listen: Listen to the customer's compliant.

A- Apologise: Apologise for the inconvenience and any hassles caused.

S-Satisfy: Solve the issue in a way that satisfies the customer.

T-Thank: Thank the customer for bringing the issue to your attention.

LAST should help you to maintain a lasting relationship with an unhappy customer.

I hear the argument that this may make way for customers to exploit a business but the reality is that it rarely occurs. Gaining feedback and maintaining a relationship with genuine customers is important for long term business success.

On managing close relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Those closest to me generally take the most interest in what is happening in my life.

Unfortunately (like most) when asked the question 'What happened with your day?' I usually only tell a few bits and pieces that have happened. This causes me to forget to share the exciting experiences with those who care that I have discovered throughout the day.

I have recently found a way to overcome this though. By keeping a diary of what you have done during the day you can easily sort out this issue. The trouble is for me I don't want to carry a diary around to record this information.

The solution is to sit down before you see someone or talk to them and write down all the things you have seen, done learned, etc before catching up with them. This list will allow you to remember the parts of your life worth sharing. You will also find that those closest to you appreciate you keeping them in the loop.

Lessons from the life of Steve Moxham

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Steve Moxham was one of my building teachers a few short years ago.

Unfortunately he passed away tragically very recently. I was called then night before the funeral by a friend and asked if I wanted to attend. It was a privilege to be able to do so.

Steve taught me at a very delicate time in my life. It was a time where I found myself without friends, without direction, hope or motivation. In a big way Steve has a great part to thank in who I am today. He also inspired me to get out of building and to make my way to university.

As I reflect on Steve's life, there are a number of things he taught me which have helped shape me in some way:

Don't get stressed, just cause it: One of the most influential sayings I have remembered. Life is too short to let the smaller things get the better of you. Instead, focus your time on making things happen which may rattle other people's cages.
The busy people get the work because the busy people get things done: Focus on becoming a busy person and do all that is required of you.
An inappropriate joke: Email me if you are game enough to risk hearing it.
Spend less than you earn: A great example of this from Steve was after his first marriage didn't work out he was able to pay her out with $80,000 cash he had saved up (that she was unaware of :p ).
Contacts are important: Steve was able to buy a van once for $500 which was worth a lot more through one of his many contacts. He sold the van a year later slightly more than he paid for it.
A clean site is a happy site: Based on his building experience. This principle can be applied using Clean As You Go around the office, house or at work. Don't leave everything a mess at the end of the day, it means you will be walking into a messy working environment the next morning.
Smoking is dumb: Despite taking up smoking himself, Steve always came down on us whenever he caught us smoking. I remember him telling me a few times before I stopped he was disappointed in me. When I quit though he was pleased. In his letter that was read at his funeral he mentioned to one of his children he had now 'given up smoking for good'.
How to use a shelf company.
Liquidated damages and their benefits for you.
Family is the most important thing: This one was observed from his life. Steve truly loved his family. I always hear older people saying they wish they had 1: taken more risks, and 2: spent more time with friends and family. Make sure you spend as much time with those you love as possible.

What lessons have you learned from the lives of those around you? Please leave a comment expressing some of those lessons.

Swallow your pride on Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

There seems to be a perception in the Twitter community that if you are following only a handful of people with a multitude of people following you that you are somehow a guru or credible.

By all means delete those spammers that you follow. If they don't unfollow you when you stop following them then that is okay. But on the same note it is usually good to follow anyone that does not look like a spammer who starts following you.

Communication is a two way street. The only way to meet new people and make new contacts is to maintain a relationship by ensuring you listen more than you speak.

If you have a Twitter account then consider following some new people today. You may just learn something new you didn't expect, make a new friend or find a new form of entertainment in a new personality.

Don't be a twitter snob. Swallow the pride of having more followers than people you follow.

Tell people concisely what you want

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

There is power in speaking less.

It tells people more than you realise.

It also shows you are genuine.

It gives all your words meaning.

It leaves an impression when you speak.

How much money do you really need? My take on income and investing

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

How much do you really need to have what you want in life?

A few years ago, I thought three or four million dollars would be enough to set myself up with a small property empire that would pay me passive income. However, knowing that passive income seems to be more of a lie than anything else I have since decided that all that matters is this:

To have enough money to cover my expenses for today.
To have enough money to help make tomorrow a little easier.

Think about it like this for a minute. Warren Buffett is one of the richest men in the world. He is literally worth billions of dollars. What most people fail to realise however is these key points:

He pays himself a salary of $100,000 a year.
He has lived in the same house for most of his life.
He will never sell his business involvements.
He only has those billions on paper until they are realised.

What does this mean to me? Essentially it means that if I were to invest in businesses or property (either public, private or whatever) I would be likely to see compounding returns. Over 60 years of work, the returns are much higher than if they are calculated over 40 years. Warren started investing in his 20's and continues working now into his late 70's and likely early 80's.

If Warren Buffett were to retire or to sell a portion of his shareholding, the value of the company or the rest of his shareholding would plummet significantly. People don't invest in Berkshire Hathaway as much as they invest in Warren Buffett (note: this is a good demonstration of the passive income lie... people invest in you more than anything else).

So realising he will never sell his shares and turn the paper into cash, Warren Buffett is left with the following:

An income of $100,000 a year.
The same house for most of his life.

This is a good example. If Warren Buffett can live his life on $100,000 a year and enjoys a level of simplicity in his life then we should be able to also. We should ideally be able to live on less than this and then use the excess to help charities, build businesses we believe in to help people gain employment and invest in property so people can have housing. However, we should not view retirement or passive income as a goal.

Our goals should be as follows:

1: Find a job we 'like' and are passionate about

If we find something we enjoy doing then we are poised to do a lot better at it than if it was something we did not enjoy.

2: An 'active' income of $100,000 a year

Developing our income to the stage where we can earn $100,000 a year will not only put us in the top percentile of earners in the world but will also put us on par with Warren Buffett for lifestyle.

3: Focus on the stuff you do, not the things you own

No matter how rich or poor you are, you will always be wanting a better house, a faster car, a newer phone, etc. It is much better to ditch the rat race by beginning to focus and compete with people based on the cool things you do in life. Let's take this as an example. Would you prefer:

A round the world trip to all the countries you ever wanted to see where you are living with locals, meeting new people, trying new foods, living new experiences, seeing new cultures, etc. or
A new ferrari?

The first will give you a lot more bragging rights and exciting topics to discuss with people than the latter. I know I would definitely prefer the first option.

4: Live on less

Just because you earn a certain amount doesn't mean you have to spend it all. If you can spend less you can invest in causes greater than yourself, which is the only way to build a legacy. Living on less has it's benefits too. You are more flexible and adaptable to new circumstances. If I made lost my $100,000 a year job but have no debt, have a six month emergency fund and live in a one bedroom apartment, I am going to be a lot more able to cope with the loss than someone who has a mortgage worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and has no savings.

5: Renting is better than buying

This one might create a lot of controversy. However, time after time my research has started to show that you are better off renting than buying a house (until you can afford one outright). Renting also allows for greater job flexibility, as you can more quickly and easily pack up and move to take a job with better pay/benefits/associations in another location.

6: Invest 'actively'

Warren Buffett works in his own businesses and invests a lot of his time and energy into them. Steve McKnight (Founder of www.propertyinvesting.com) has written in his new book that a lot of people don't have the cash to buy rental properties that will cover their income. The initial strategy he believes is to do active investments such as renovations or developments. Actively being involved in investments where you have a knowledge and can help influence outcomes is the best way to invest.

7: Always take cash today over cash flow tomorrow

I often hear people say things like 'I just made a commission on a sale of this widget, and now I will receive $x for the next twelve months. That's passive income.' Don't deceive yourself. You still worked for that money. Rather than being paid today however your commission has been split over 52 weeks. Each week the dollar value decreases due to inflation. You would be better getting a cash lump sum today, which you can then use as you need to. Steve McKnight realised this years ago and contrary to many property 'guru's' advice began selling his real estate and making cash gains. This provides a much better alternative.

8: Don't be afraid work in a job

This one is especially for entrepreneurs. I remember one of my entrepreneurial lectures saying the following to us the first semester of our degree:

"A lot of you will make less money than your friends. You will see them driving better cars and they will think that you have made a foolish decision. But in a few years time the tables will turn and you will be better off than them."

Couldn't this same statement be made for the frugal employee who buys an average car, doesn't get into debt, spends less than they earn and invests the difference? While the occasional person makes a few millions from a startup, most people are 'safer' taking this route.

9: Don't diversify

One of the few things that most people tell you that I personally don't like. Napoleon Hill in his book Think and Grow Rich talks about the importance of staking all you have on the back of your desire. If you have no alternative options, the option you have must work. Diversity brings more distractions, complexity and stress than it does peace of mind.

10: Realise you can't take it with you

All the stuff you accumulate while you are alive stays behind when you die. The best investments are investments in others and yourself. Better yet, why not embrace minimalism and ditch a lot of what you have already? Chances are it is just being a burden on your development as a human being.

I'm not saying this is the right way to look at things, just my own personal observations and thoughts on investing and income. What have been your thoughts and experiences on these topics, and how has what you have learned helped you in reaching your potential?

The importance of blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

When I first started blogging close to 18 months ago my plan was twofold:

Find out about blogs and what they are.
Improve my writing ability.

Blogging has since become a lot more than that. Sure my writing has improved dramatically, as has my knowledge of blogs. But more than that I have learned about social media, websites, HTML, CMS and more.

Blogging has also become a bit of a journey for me. It is like a journal where I can look back and see the pattern in my own life development as well as the development of my thoughts, my purpose and my motivations.

I'd recommend everyone use a blog, even if only privately as a self-reflection journal without it being viewable by the public. Storing your thoughts online allows you to have access to them anywhere you can get internet access and prevents you from having to carry around a big journal/s with all your previous thoughts inside.

For those of you who do blog, what have been your experiences? Please leave a comment and share your experiences.

Reflection is one of the best things for helping you to reach your potential. it allows you to track patterns in your thoughts as well as allowing you to be able to see how much progress you have made so far.

Five things you must do today to reach your potential

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

With so many things we could be doing to reach our potential, we often miss things that can make a critical difference to our near future. Here are five things you must take action on now to ensure you can continue to reach your potential:

1: Buy your own name as a domain name and put a basic site on it.

If it is already taken then try alternatives. I couldn't get www.joshmoore.com so I bought www.joshmoore.com.au instead (Check it out). Buy a domain with your name in it and then head to a site like weebly.com to put a basic site (two samples) with a little bit of detail about you and your activities on it. Also include basic contact info.

2: Join LinkedIn

By far the most useful networking site for business. Ideal for using as an online resume and for building a professional network. Don't underestimate the power of LinkedIn. Generally those individuals with 500+ connections are very highly paid... so get out there and start networking. LinkedIn is better for finding jobs and useful connections in the real world as opposed to twitter, facebook, etc.

3: Update your passport

If you don't already have a passport then get one. If you do have one it might be near expiry so be sure to renew it. You may find that you have the opportunity to travel at some point and don't want this to get in the way of it.

4: Start an online savings account with your bank

If you are not setup for online banking you are definitely missing out. Setup an online savings account with the same bank you use regularly and begin making automatic transfers to it on a regular basis. Even $10 a week will see you with an emergency fund of just over $500 a year from now, which is a great start. If you don't want to use your bank, ING Direct has online savings accounts.

5: Update your resume

It is incredible just how quickly our resume can get out of date. Maintaining an up to date resume will allow you to remember important achievements as well as being ready to pick up a better job whenever the occasion arises. Be as concise as possible (The winners will have only one page) and remember it is designed to help you get to an interview (not get a job).

Five resume myths I commonly hear

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Having a Diploma in Human Resources has allowed me to see the recruitment and selection process of getting a job from both sides of the table. Often there are a number of overlooked points that a lot of people tend to get caught up in, which turn out to hinder their chances of gaining a great job.

Myth one: A resume is designed to get you a job

A resume is not designed to get you a job. The most important thing to remember at all times is that a resume is designed to get you into an interview. You won't get a job without an interview (well not one that pays). Use your resume to get you to the interview process, where you can promote yourself in person.

Myth two: Don't put a photo on your resume

Your resume is designed to sell you before a person meets you. Usually the person who is perusing your resume has not seen you before, so it is always good to put a picture of what you look like on it (in my opinion). Make sure it is a photo in which you are nicely presented (semi-formal, formal or relevant to the job) as opposed to a photo down at the beach.

Myth three: Go into detail on your resume

Often I have seen resumes that are pages long loaded up with lots of content that is not relevant to the specific position being applied for. A one-two page resume is ideal as most people don't spend long looking over individual resumes when there are hundreds of applicants. Being simple and concise shows a lot more than having pages and pages of information.

Myth four: Office resume templates are useful

Any pre-made template presentation of a resume is likely to be used by others. Show some initiative and make yours unique and slightly different from the competition. Generic template resumes will get generic results, not ones that will win jobs. Also, consider putting your resume in a nicely bound folder rather than just stapling it. Presentation is key in all aspects of life.

Myth five: Don't show them your online life

Many employers will now Google you and check out your Facebook page. Why hide them? Instead, consider providing a link to your website, your LinkedIn profile and other aspects of your online life. Also, ensure that you are maintaining a professional manner in all your online activities... failing to do so could cost you a job.

If you do what everyone else does, you will get the same standard results. Have the courage and dare to be different. You will find the results will be different from the average too!

A lesson on life from the strange but random man

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

I really need to jot more stories like this one down. It's amazing how quirky, interesting and profound these can be.

A few months ago I was living in Mornington in Victoria, Australia. Loving the beach and having been working non-stop, I decided to take the morning off and to get a bit of sun and exercise by walking down around the beach (one of my favourite past times).

As I got down to the beach I started walking along. I was heading past a few beach huts when I saw a guy sitting down on one having a cigarette and drinking his VB (note: for international reader it stands for Victoria Bitter and is a type of beer). Not being in the mood for talking, I tried to slip past him without having to say hello.

"Excuse me mate!" Came the call. I knew I was stuck now.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Are you a footy player?" came the guys question.

By this stage I'm thinking I'm stuck now. There is no possible way out of this conversation. To top it off I can't stand footy at all. I remember a friend once saying to me that he didn't see the big deal in 'a bunch of over-sized men kicking a bag of air around' and that statement has kind of stuck with me since (nothing against you if you like football).

I went over to the guy and explained I didn't play football. Apart from having a slight sense that I was going to be kidnapped, I knew this guy was trouble when he tried to convince me he was Gary Ablett. I managed to live through unscathed though and he wasn't so bad after all.

As the conversation progressed, I found out he was working as a labourer in the area. This was when I heard the following profound statement from him.

"You know, I figure you spend about a third of your life working, so you have to do something that you like!"

Why is this statement so profound? The main reason is that most of us are lead to believe that we should spend our lives doing what we love. The reality is we do what we love for free. I write this blog to help people reach their potential without pay, and do a lot of my other activities without being financially remunerated for it. However, you can't work in a job you hate.

Doing something that you like is the movement of the future. Determine what you life purpose is and then find something that you like that ties in with that. If you find something you love that pays by all means take it. However, be open to considering the option of doing something that you like or could like and then building on it from there.

Now that I think of it, I actually learnt a few other lessons from this man:

Don't be afraid of rejection: It is pretty easy to start a conversation and most normal people will be reluctant to ignore.
Don't drink beer on a Sunday morning: It gives a bad impression as to who you are.
Be willing to share your experiences: Lessons you have learned in life may make a difference to another person.

What have you learned from some of the quirky, random people in your life?

Goal setting: how far ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Moore) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

When it comes to goal setting one thing a lot of people often ask is 'How far ahead should I set my goals?'

Today we live in a world that is a fast changing environment. New opportunities are coming along at a tremendous rate and in order to capitalise upon them as individuals we need to remain flexible. With that in mind, how can we remain adaptable yet still set goals for our lives?

The first step to setting goals is to have a life purpose. Mine is helping people reach their potential. For me, this allows me to set goals in relation to this on three levels:

1: Personal (Goals that help me to reach my potential)

2: Individuals (Helping others reach their potential)

3: Businesses (Helping businesses, communities, etc. reach their potential)

Generally these I might have longer term goals for these (finish my degree, build my blog, continue to work on my business). Most of the time however it is best to work on a shorter time frame of around three months. Your current situation may be totally different in 15 years time (as will be your priorities) so it is best to look at setting goals for the short term, while having a long term focus and medium term flexibility.

Answer: Goals should be set for short term (3 months max) with a life long purpose and the ability to make changes on your path as necessary.

Converting goals into action

One thing often overlooked by people is the ability to act on a goal. I recently started swimming lessons which require I take action on a weekly basis by attending lessons. In less than three months I will have achieved a goal of mine which was 'Learn to swim'. The sooner you can act on a goal the better. Ideally, acting on a goal today is best. Whether it is making a phone call, searching for some info on the net, etc. making a start is important.

It is much easier to gain momentum than to start it. Take a small action step on a goal today.