Get Quick Wins to Change a Bad Day

Having one of those days?  Get a quick win to turn your mood around and improve your energy

Knock something off your "to do" list.  Find out how to do something that you've wanted to know.

It should be unrelated to your work and enjoyable (but not necessary. Sometimes eliminating a dreaded task is as enjoyable as doing a fun one.)  It must take less than 10 or 15 minutes (preparation and clean up included.)  Don't take up soldering electronic circuits for the first time, but do order the book, iron and kit.)

• Change desktop background
• Tweak mouse settings
• Speed up the scrolling
• Turn on "Snap to"
• Clean computer case and keyboard
• Learn to use "Styles and Formatting"
• Long (45min)
• Set your Facebook privacy settings
• Draft a budget
• Write a letter (not an e-mail)
• Legislature/ politician
• Friend
• Spouse
• Sign up for a class
• Book your vacation / holiday  

Image courtesy of dboy

 

One Person's Spam is Another's Marketing

Nearly every day I get e-mails from (likely) legitimate businesses which have obviously scraped my information from government contractor databases.  They are generally form letters, announcements, or newsletters.  Often times, there's a link at the bottom that gives me the option to unsubscribe.  I mostly mark these as spam and move on, though occasionally click through and unsubscribe.  I particularly enjoy when I have the option of telling them why I am unsubscribing.  It provides the opportunity to inform them that I never subscribed, and shouldn't have to unsubscribe, and that spamming me is not good marketing.  Today, I got one from a company that was offering to show me how to improve my marketing. Rich, considering they're marketing approach was so poor.   I clicked through to unsubscribe, but wasn't given the opportunity to give a reason, sadly.

Spam continues to flow through our in boxes because it works (sometimes). Send out enough e-mails and you will get someone to bite.  According to Yale University, over 40 million spam e-mails went out in December.  I am sure that many of these "marketers" do not see themselves a spamming. 

How do you reach diverse customers without sending stock e-mails, risking offending potential customers and getting branded a spammer? Is this risk worth the return?  Is sometimes hitting your mark enough? 



Image courtesy of AJC1

On Starting

A blank page,a white canvas, an empty lot. The question is how to start? Starting something new, you want to make the first step memorable and immortal.

In fact, first step isn't as important as the last one you took, or the next. What matters isn't so much how you start, but that you do.






Image courtesy of Lou Tamposi