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Posts Tagged ‘Time’

One of the Best Selling Games of All Time, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Passionate players globally had been anxiously expecting a release for the 1st person action game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Having its prequel becoming your number 1 selling first-person action game of them all their anticipation is actually well earned. This video game was made by means of that company known as Infinity Ward which is actually an award-winning video game development and also design business. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is actually the 6th version from the game series, Call of Duty, which is one particular business they commenced just six and a half years ago. Much more recognizable is the fact this Infinity Ward company solely is made of just a bit less than one hundred personnel inside Encino, Ca.

Modern Warfare 2 was launched on Nov 10th, ’09, generating a lot more revenue during one day when compared with every movie. To set it in perspective the largest launch inside motion picture past was “The Dark Knight,” of which grossed 8.3 million throughout the 1st 3 days! The experience portrays you as a part in the special ops devision during search for some sort of Russian rebel who is terrorizing Europe. The character will be casted as an Army Ranger, SAS commando, and CIA operatives, then you have to fight your own path along Afghanistan, Russia, and also Washington.

It was able to sell about 4.7 million games amassing approximately 0 million in just North America and the UK. Modern Warfare 2 sold more copies than the previous video game record, seized with Grand Theft Auto 4 since April 2008, by just approximately 1.1 million. Soon after, by 11-27-09, the entire COD line exceeded fifty five million product sales across the world, equating to billion on retail revenue! By today (March 6, 2010) MW2 has produced greater than one billion dollars in sales itself, and merely 4 calendar months subsequent to its introduction day!

With its original introduction from 2003, Call of duty ended up being just readily available for computers, nevertheless, right now, like with most popular game titles, it’s on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360. COD: Modern Warfare: Mobilized can be purchased for your Nintendo DS and then COD: Modern Warfare: Reflex which is a port with Call of Duty 4 with the Nintendo wii console. If you’re wondering what precisely a port may be, it is essentially a game that had been designed for an alternative gaming system, in this instance your Laptop or computer and then made to operate on other units like an Xbox or PlayStation.

MW2 is so widely used they promptly came out with a good comic book because of it called Modern Warfare 2: Ghost. This is a six-part comic book mini-series having this initial copy for the collection came out on Nov 11th, 2009, a day after the launching of the video game. When you seeking something to consume time the following spring or summer, we have identified the end. This is usually a very addictive game as well as plenty of fun to learn along with your buddies, whether or not they are right close to you, or maybe on the other part of the country.

Great Part Time Small Business Startup Goals

There is a trend growing in America’s workforce of a large number of people who want to try their skills at a small business startup company. With the flexibility and lucrative rewards available with your own small business startup, you can devote more time with your family, attend all of your kid’s recitals and team sporting events without the need to ask your boss for the time off. Those people who begin a small business startup will also have more potential income than what they would have if they work at a normal job. Today, the internet and many other technological advances, entrepreneurs have many more options for starting their very own business with little cost.

Gift baskets are a superb idea for a small business startup. Being that you can build gift baskets at home and then have them delivered anywhere in the world, it is the perfect way to enjoy the luxuries and responsibilities of owning your own business while still owning the potential for a good deal of income. The internet along with websites such as eBay have helped to contribute to the popularity of this small business idea since people, your customers, can shop for gift baskets from the convenience and comfort of their own home. If you have creativity and you can turn these creative juices into product which is sent out in a timely manner, you the qualities to be successful with this kind of small business startup for many years.

Selling new and used items on eBay has become another one of the many popular business start up small information resources in recent past years. If you are a person who can sniff out something valuable at rummage sales, yard sales or in the attic, putting these items for sale on eBay can be a very profitable small business start up. Basically, you buy the items at various sales, clean them up, and turn an easy profit by selling it on eBay for a higher price. If you are good with crafts, you can make your own things to sell on eBay. If you know basic product marketing and how to attract customers, you are very much on your way to making a moderately to excellent good income by selling things on eBay from your home.

Other opportunities people have decided to start include a cleaning service that they manage on their own. Only a few cleaning supplies are required along with a little basic know-how, and a cleaning service can be a very nice profitable small business start up for self starters and motivated individuals. With societies busy lifestyle nowadays, more professionals and even multi-income non-professionals are hiring services to clean their homes for them and you can quickly cash in on this trend with very little or no training. This is an excellent idea because you can schedule your clients on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis so you can have a regular, steady income. If your business continues to grow enough, you can hire employees who will do the services for you while you manage the company from home.

Working at home with your very own small business startup is fast becoming the new standard in today’s electronic society. People are worn out from the busy lifestyles and long work weeks and have chosen to pursue different opportunities. If you have small business startup ideas with a strong desire and motivation, you can create a profitable business which could eventually take the place of your normal “day” job. Or maybe you simply want to keep it part time to supplement your regular income. However, depending on your levels of motivation, experience, and passion, it is possible to create a small business startup which could generate an unlimited amount of income for you and your family.

Starting a Business ? Do You Have the Time?

According to a United States Census Bureau survey of business owners, 51 percent will work over 336 days per year. 34.5 percent will work over 40 hours per week and 13.6 percent of those will work more than 60 hours per week.

The average business owner/manager will receive about 190 messages a day. It takes a lot of time just to listen to that many messages, and much longer to respond to them. What you will need to succeed is the commitment of your time; all of it. As a business owner, I can look back and hear myself, saying, “I want to be my own boss and work my own hours.” As with many other want-to-be business owners, I didn’t realize the truth. The truth being, you most likely will have to commit to endless hours and sleepless nights; weekends and holidays included. Vacations are often put on hold for years. Maybe somewhere down the road there will be time, but for new business owners, time is your most necessary commodity. If you are not willing to give your time unconditionally, go back to your nine to five security blanket, collect your paycheck on Friday, and hit Vegas for the weekend, because if you don’t have the time, you’re not going to succeed.

If you want to start a business, but you need to continue working another job, the chances for your new business’s success lessen, unless you are only looking for a part-time business venture. For a new full-time career being self-employed, your best odds are always to have unlimited time to invest. Some people are able to manage enough time in each day to keep that regular job afloat. But I would recommend starting fresh without that obstacle. If that’s not an option for you, choose your new business wisely or plan to “grow” your business slowly into a full-time career. Keep in mind what hours you can make available, and choose a business that will work into your time allotment. I still stress the importance of time investment; if it’s not there, you narrow your chances of success.

In a retail business, such as a store, some people figure to save money they will work the store alone when starting out. That would appear to be a great idea, but have they considered that they might need to go out and pick up products for the store? Products could be store merchandise, change for the register, sales books, or a trip to the bank. Most of the places they need to go would most likely only be open the same hours as their own store. Now what? Sometimes there just isn’t enough time. You might put in twelve-hour days, but still fall short; plan for these “little” problems. Make sure the time you invest will work for your business.

In other types of retail business, such as mail order, or an Internet business, you can work from your home. This might be a better option for you if time is an issue. This is a good retail business plan for someone who doesn’t want to take a huge risk or doesn’t have the time due to an existing job or other obligations.

After your business becomes successful-and with good planning-your hours may become more flexible. In your new full-time business, you may even become able to set your own schedule.

Any way you look at it, you must commit your time. Most business failure comes from lack of planning, and time is a big part of what people don’t plan for. The Rolling Stones we not all right–time is not “always” on your side.

Carol Denbow is the author of numerous articles and books including, Are You Ready to Be Your Own Boss?, an easy-to-read and comprehend business start-up book. Read more about business start-up and Carol Denbow at http://www.BooksByDenbow.Weebly.com or visit the author’s community website at http://www.PlainAndSimpleBooks.com

Selecting a Business Book That Will Not Waste Your Time

Business books are published every day, and with thousands of business books out there to choose from, how do you know which books to read?  Some authors publish books with the intention of sincerely helping you make more money or get out of debt, but there are hundreds of authors who simply want to make themselves money and do not really care about your financial life. 

There are hundreds of books available today that can really change the way you think about money and can help improve your current financial situation.  Before you buy another business book, take a minute to think about the following eight guidelines and make sure your book is not simply another get-rich-quick book that will only waste your time. 

1.  Check the ratings and reviews on Amazon
Amazon is a wonderful tool to help find out how people feel about the book you are interested in reading.  Amazon provides a 5 star rating system in ½ star increments, so you can see if the book is highly recommended at around 5 stars out of 5, or not highly recommended at a lower star rating such as 1 star out of five.  However, use caution with Amazon.  You will want to read several ratings and make sure they seem genuine and legit.  Many less-known authors will create fake user names and have their peers do the same to drive up their star ratings.  It is a sorry way to make themselves look better and their books seem better than it may actually be.  If you see that a book has similarly worded ratings and nothing but 5 star ratings, take a second look before buying the book.  Also, look at the author’s other books and see how they are rated.  This may help give you a good idea of whether or not the author is actually a decent, respected writer. 

2.  Research the author’s credentials
Use your favorite search engine and type in the author’s name.  Look at his/her website and information such as publisher, any reviews in major newspapers, and whom he/she has written for in the past.  If you find that the author is published by a reputable publisher such as Harper Collins, Three Rivers Press, Norton, Random House, or John Wiley and Sons, you probably have a well-known and respectable author.  Also, if you can find a New York Times book review or a favorable review from a paper such as the Boston Globe, you can feel safe that the reviewer is reputable and the book will be a good read.  Also, if you can find that the author has written for well-known papers or magazines in the past like Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, or other large publication sources, you can feel safe that the author has good credentials and is a talented writer. 

3.  Ask a friend or advisor what they recommend
Some of the best book recommendations some people will ever receive come from respected mentors and peers.  For example, if you are taking business classes at a university or working in a business-related office, ask your professors or co-workers what they have read and recommend.  You will find that most people are thrilled to talk about books and their personal favorites.  People are always glad to give suggestions about what you should read and the most influential books they have read.   Why read about what strangers think online when you can hear a first-person account of a book from someone you trust. 

4.  Harper Collins Business Essentials
Harper Collins produces a line of books called Business Essentials, which is a collection of business books that are the best of the best.  Many colleges and universities use these books as required reading in their undergraduate and MBA classes.  In this series you will find books by authors such as Michael Dell, the founders of Hewlett Packard, and Benjamin Graham.  The books in this series have sold millions of copies and all of them should be required reading for any serious business person.  

5.  Look for books by business tycoons
If you go to your local book store and look for books with sound business advice, you will most likely find a large majority of them have get rich quick advice and will simply waste your time while reading them.  Many of these authors are self-proclaimed to be rich and do not have any credentials that allow them to give you financial advice.  The truth is, most business book authors are simply out to make money.  However, there are authors out there that have made their millions and billions of dollars the right way, and want to tell you how they did it for your own benefit.  Some people who made their money the right way are Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Michael Dell, etc.  These people do not want to take your money; they already have billions of dollars.  They hope only to tell you their story and tell you how anyone, including you, can go from rags to riches.  You can feel good that your money is well spent on books written by business tycoons and that their advice is from the best of the best in the business world. 

6.  Avoid “Get Rich Quick” or “Make Millions Now” books
Everyone has heard the saying, “If it seems to good to be true, then it probably is.”  The same rule applies to business books.  Book stores have shelves lined with books about how you can “get rich quick” or how you can use the author’s five secret steps to becoming a millionaire.  The truth is that a majority of these books are totally useless.  Authors will tell you that they are self-made millionaires and living the life they always dreamed of, but will never tell you how they made the millions of dollars.  Why take advice about your money from someone that you have never heard of?  Instead of spending your hard-earned money on worthless books by could-be millionaires, spend your money wisely on books that are proven and written by someone notable.

7.  Read the first few pages
If you usually buy your books at your local book store or online at websites such as Corner Office Books or Amazon, be sure to not only read the book reviews but also the first few pages.  While reading the first 5 to 10 pages, look for sentences that may cause concern, telling you how to live the life you have always dreamed of and how you can make a million dollars fast.  You can usually get a general feel for the validity of the book by taking a few minutes to read a couple of pages.

8.  Look for books that have been selling for 50+ years
There are numerous books that have been published for dozens of years.  You may even come across books by authors such as Dale Carnegie that are highly recommended and have been published for over 70 years now.  If a book has been in publication for so many decades, you can bet it is a great read.  You will also find books by authors such as Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett that are proven and full of great principles and advice.  These authors are usually very old or have passed away, but their books have lived on and are time-tested to have good advice and principles valuable to business people today. 

Top 10 Best Personal Finance Books Of All Time

As I was arranging the numerous personal finance books I’ve accumulated over the years,  I couldn’t help but wonder how I can put everything together in such a tiny little space.  Then I asked myself, if I had a very small book shelf that can accommodate only 10 of these books, which books would I choose? I had to think really hard because I love reading books and I’ve learned a great deal about life and money through ALL of them.  These 10 books are special in that they have completely altered the way I view money and life!  They have inspired me to learn more about money and pursue financial freedom! May these same books help you achieve your financial dreams!

Here are Rich Money Habits’ top 10 best personal finance books of all time!

#10.  8 Secrets of the Truly Rich by Bo Sanchez

This one is special because it’s written by a preacher – and a famous Filipino preacher at that!  Bo Sanchez is a best-selling author of inspirational books in the Philippines.  This is his first book that openly talks about money, business and investing.

What I particularly like about this book, is that it tackles one of the most critical obstacles in making money – that is, how to reconcile money and religion.  Living in the only predominantly Catholic country in Asia,  it is very important for me to align what I believe in whether it be on religion or money.  Otherwise, I’ll just be confused and end up going nowhere.

The book is full of stories on how daily money habits make you rich or poor.  It describes the most common perceptions we have about money.  We were taught that money is the root of all evil.  When we watch our favorite TV shows, rich people are often portrayed as greedy.  They only got rich through “drug” dealing or some other “illegal” means. Due to this stereotyping, some us unconsciously don’t want to be rich! Who would want to be the “bad” guy in our own soap opera called life?!

As a result, there is conflict inside of us.  Some of our internal dialogs are

“I want to be rich…BUT not so rich that my friends would hate me and I would no longer have friends.” err…who wants to be loner?!

Or the most common,

“I want to be rich…and I’m so desperate the only way for me to get rich is by winning a million dollars through  lottery.”

The great tragedy is never realizing that you don’t have to be a crook, or be greedy, or become unfriendly, or win a lotto ticket to be rich – you only need to build rich money habits!

#9. Multiple Streams of Income by Robert G. Allen

This is one of the books I bought when I was in the US.  Since I love reading personal finance books, I ordered a bunch of them online.  I was able to get them cheaper because I looked under the “used” books section.  Surprisingly, most of them are in relatively good condition and look almost new!

The book was my first exposure to having multiple streams of income.  For someone who worked as an employee most of his life, I thought I could only earn from one stream of income – my job!  I realized having only one stream of income is not a very good idea because there’s also only one way money can come to me – through my paycheck!

Having multiple streams of income is NOT necessarily having a second job, or even a third!  Multiple streams of income building systems so that money can flow through your life.  It means, investing both your time and money to learn how to build those systems.

One way could be through real-estate investments where you get a “stream” of income from the monthly rental of your tenants.  Another “stream” could be getting portfolio income like “dividends” or “interests” from your stocks or bonds investments.  And yet another “stream” could be from royalties you receive from publishing a book or a music recording if you’re a singer.  Having a LOT of “streams” where money can come to you is certainly better than relying on just your “job” to make money.  The challenge is how to utilize what you have like time, skills, and money to setup these streams of income.

#8.  Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

The great thing about the book is it makes you realize what money habits you have developed since the day you were born.  It brings out those subconscious thoughts that are hindering you from achieving financial success.  Some of the internal dialogs with yourself could be.

“I am not good enough.  I’ll never be amount to anything financially.”

Or you might say

“I’m poor because my parents are poor…and my grandfather is poor…and my great grandfather is poor…so I will always be poor…”

You might not be saying it out loud.  You might only be thinking about it.  Worse, you might not even be aware of it. And you wonder why you’ll not getting anywhere.  As T. Harv Eker aptly put it

“…if your subconscious ‘financial blueprint’ is not ‘set’ for success, nothing you learn, nothing you know and nothing you do will make much of a difference.”

#7.  The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

The book speaks about the “New Rich”, a group of people who have the time, money and mobility to spend only 4 hours a week to generate money and live the life they want.  The rest of their time is spent on things they love to do like dancing in Buenos Aires, scuba diving in Panama or basking in the Hawaiian sun.

Who wouldn’t want to spend only 4 hours of his time working instead of the usual 40 hours a week?  Who wouldn’t want to have the luxury of time to do the things you really love?  Who wouldn’t want to take a very long vacation in the beaches of Hawaii while your business is taken care of and money is still coming in?

For employees, it offers practical tips on how to negotiate with your boss for a work-at-home arrangement. It also provides ideas on how to plan your own “mini” retirements so the money is still coming in, without you around.  It even discusses how you can “outsource” your life!

The 4-hour workweek is easy to read.  The ideas are presented in a simple and uncomplicated manner that you think you’re reading a comic book.  The book is conversational and funny.  Reading it is like speaking with the author face to face. You might even find yourself occasionally laughing at his jokes. (I know I have)

#6.  Rule #1 by Phil Town

I picked up this book out on a whim when I was at a bookstore in Malaysia.  The book explains investing in a very simple and understandable manner.  It is not intimidating in any way.  After reading this book, it made me realize that I did not need to be afraid of investing.  I just need to learn how to do it right.

Rule # 1 is “Don’t lose money.”

Whether the market is going up or going down, don’t lose money.  Whether it is a bear market or a recession, don’t lose money.  Whether you have billions or just a couple of hundred dollars in investment, don’t lose money.

The book discusses some of the basic myths about investing and provides simple strategies for successful investing while spending only 15 minutes a week.  It tells about the five key numbers that really count when determining the value of a stock or business.  It even mentions valuable internet tools and the advantages of managing your own investments to achieve your investment goals.

I know there may be other books on investing out there, but so far, this is the only one I’ve come across that made me understand the world of investing a little bit better.

#5.  The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

I came across the Richest Man in Babylon from reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.  It tells about the ancient secrets of money.  The book coined the phrase “pay yourself first”.  In ordinary terms, it means – SAVING. But it is more than that.  The book tells that in any trade you’re in, you CAN still “pay yourself first”.  Once you have “money” in savings, you can then have that “money” work for you.

But how can you save when your little money is not even enough to survive on?  How can you set aside 10% of your income when you’re living on 110% of it?  How do you “pay yourself first” when the creditors are coming after you?

Paying yourself first is certainly not easy. It takes tremendous discipline. That’s one of the reasons why it is not popular.  But once you get the rich money habit of controlling your money instead of it controlling you, your confidence builds up, you’ll think that if you can do this then you can do anything.  And as with anything related to money, it touches everything.  Your health improves.  You become successful in what you do.  People will wonder why you’re always brimming with confidence. You become the richest man in every sense of the word.

Isn’t it better to walk into a store knowing you can buy anything you want because you have the money (saved)?  Doesn’t it give you peace of mind knowing that if some emergency occurs, you can readily rely on your saved “emergency fund”?  Would it be nice to be able to help your family or those closest to you “financially” for a change?  That’s the dream.  And it starts with paying yourself first.

#4.  The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley Ph.D. and William D. Danko Ph.D.

The book is based on a comprehensive research on the money habits of millionaires.  The results are surprising in the sense that majority of those millionaires are not what we commonly expect them to be. As aptly described in the book,

“These people cannot be millionaires! They don’t look like millionaires, they don’t dress like millionaires, they don’t eat like millionaires, they don’t act like millionaires – they don’t even have millionaire names.  Where are the millionaires who look like millionaires?”

Many of the “next door” millionaires  are first-generation. They did not inherit their riches, they built them.  Few of them do not spend more than 0 for a watch.  Others don’t even wear a suit to work!  They engage in types of businesses which could be classified as dull-normal.  Some are welding contractors.  Some are rice farmers. Some are pest controllers. Others are coin and stamp dealers.

What separates the “next door” millionaires from the rest is their money habits.  They are frugal in nature.  They value money.  They invest at least 20% of their income.  They even have a “go-to-hell fund” which can provide for their expenses for at least 10 years without working at all.

I think the most important lesson from the book is not that we know who the actual millionaires are, but the realization that it could be YOU!  If they can do it, so can you! It’s time to build your own rich money habit and be the “millionaire next door”!

#3.  Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez

I bought this book out on a whim.  I was actually looking for the book “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell when  I saw this book at 20% off.

The book tells about managing not only your money but looking at it in totally different way.  Your money is only part and parcel of what your life is.  There is also time.  There is also your dream! What do you enjoy most?  How do you spend your money? What do you do with your time?  Would you still do what you do even if you have all the money in the world?

The book emphasizes managing the resources that you have like money and time.  It offers very specific tips like monitoring your spending and whether each of those is contributing to your goals or not.  It also has some ideas on how to identify exactly what you like to do and manage both your money and time so you can do more of what you love to do and less of what you don’t like to do.  It even has some charts to help you picture out and plot where you are and when your freedom day will be.

I think the main message of the book is not to choose money over your life or the other way around – it is to have BOTH.

#2.  Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

As mentioned in my personal finance story, this is one of the books that made me realize I really need to develop rich money habits to achieve financial freedom.  The book is a story of growing up learning about money from two different dads: one is rich and the other one is poor.  The story unfolds to describe the different money habits of the rich dad and the poor dad, each one producing a different financial result.

The book makes the very complex world of money and business seemingly simple. It is so simple that the ideas can be explained to a child using only sketchy drawings.  The drawings illustrate how cash flows from your pocket to the bank when you pay your bills, and how it flows from your company to you when you get your paycheck.

What you do with the money after your receive it determines whether you become rich or poor.  Do you use the money to buy assets like real estate investments or setup businesses?  Or do you use it to buy liabilities like a brand new LCD TV in 12-easy-monthly-payments-with-zero-interest!

The reason I liked the book is because it inspired me to become better and to view business and money in a totally different way.  It expanded my understanding of how money really works!  Most of all, it gave me the confidence to dream again!

#1.  Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Think and Grow Rich is one of the first books I’ve read about money.  The main message of the book is that you have to “think” about money first before it becomes real.  It is a direct translation to the phrase “what your mind can conceive, your body can achieve”.  When you really think about money and you have this “burning desire” to make it real, all the universe conspires to build the means to bring it to you.

Money is, first and foremost, only an idea.  It is not real.  The money you hold when you buy a bag of grocery is only as real as the “mutual” agreement you have with other people that the paper you’re holding is worth something of value equal to that you’re buying.

The book doesn’t say “Work Hard and Grow Rich”.  Working hard means different things to different people.  For an employee who doesn’t like what he’s doing and only get paid very little, everything is “hard work”.  For someone who love what he does, “working hard” is not in his vocabulary.

As Henry Ford said,

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.”

There you have it! Rich Money Habits’ top 10 best personal finance books of all time!

P.S. How about you?  What are the best personal finance books you’ve read?