A F*REE electronic magazine... April 23, 2003
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B I G B U C K S I N A B A T H R O B E
Make More Money & Have More Fun With Your Small Business!
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Publisher: Dave Balch, "The Stay-at-Home CEO"(tm)
" David made over $5 million at home and wants to help
you do the same or more "
Mark Victor Hanson, co-creator of the #1 best
selling "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series
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I n T h i s I s s u e . . .
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1. Feature: The Stay-at-Home CEO Recommends
2. A "Quickie" - Personal Observation
3. Feature: Article
"Naps"
4. Feature: "Ask Dave" - My take on your business problems
"Unreasonable customer"
5. Feature: "Meanwhile, back at the ranch..."
"Marilyn returns"
6. About "Big Bucks in a Bathrobe" Newsletter
7. Who the heck am I, anyway?
8. How to get on or get off of this list
You are on our list as <$email$>
(To be added/deleted from this list scroll to end for link.)
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PLEASE FORWARD THIS issue to each of your friends who have
small or home-based businesses; they'll LOVE you for it!
(Be sure they know it's from you, or they'll think I sent
it without asking, which is a big no-no!) Thanks!
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(c) Copyright 2003, A Few Good People, Inc. ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED.
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11111 The Stay-at-Home CEO Recommends:
According to my recent subscriber survey, many of
you wanted my recommendations on various books
and products.
You can read past recommendations here:
http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/reviews.htm
(While it is true that I may make small amounts of
money on some of these recommendations, my integrity
is NOT for sale: I would never recommend something I
didn't believe-in 100%, just to make a buck or two.)
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"The Stay at Home CEO Marketing Tips" Newsletter
... and it's FR'EE
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I am very excited to announce a new newsletter focused on
Internet marketing.
"The Stay at Home CEO Marketing Tips" will be delivered
to you by email twice a month, containing lots of tips and
tricks that will help you increase your business and exposure
on the Internet.
Read all about it here:
http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/nl/bbbmt.htm
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Learn Internet Marketing - REAL Internet Marketing
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It is truly sad that there are so many people out there that
truly believe the hype and unbelievable results that can be
obtained using bulk e-mail. "100 Million 'Fresh' Email
addresses for $99"... uh-huh. They would have you believe
that you just buy this list, send an ad to it, and you'll be
rich.
I'm sorry... it just doesn't work that way.
If you are serious about learning the CORRECT way to market
your products and services on the Internet then I heartily
recommend "The Insider's Guide to Marketing Your Business on
the Internet." As soon as it arrives, you will realize that
you have some learning to do; it's huge! Consider yourself
back in school and go through the individual lessons.
Between the binders and the CD-ROM that's included, there
are over 1,000 pages of information!
You will get a first class education on what is acceptable
and what is not, and how to do what you need to do in order
to either run a successful Internet business or use the
Internet effectively for your existing business.
This is not an eBook, but an actual course that comes in two
binders along with a CD-ROM and lots of bonuses as well.
If you truly want to be successful on the Internet, bite the
bullet and order this course; when you look back on the
value you received you'll laugh at how inexpensive it was!
If you decide to go with the "Fresh Email Addresses," good
luck to you. It won't be long until you come back to learn
how to do it the right way.
(NOTE: I just checked their web site and they are offering
a special price for a limited time. If you even THINK that
you may be interested SOME DAY, I suggest that you check it
out now so you can take advantage of the special pricing
should you decide that it's what you need.)
For more information about this extraordinary course:
http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/nl/isecrets.htm
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22222 A "Quickie" - Personal Observation
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It always bugs me when a restaurant won't seat a group
unless all of the members are already waiting in the
restaurant. That's a rule that is strictly for the benefit
of the restaurant, BUT A BUSINESS SHOULD DO WHAT'S BEST FOR
THE CUSTOMER.
We recently went to the Claim Jumper, a local restaurant
chain, and arrived before our friends. We were put on a
waiting list but they called us before our friends arrived.
They asked if the entire party was there and I said that
they were on their way. He then asked, "What name will they
ask for?" and wrote my answer on a special list so that when
they did arrive, the host would be able to show them where
we were ALREADY SITTING. We were able to order our drinks
and get comfortable until they arrived.
Excellent! They turned a common point of annoyance into an
uncommon point of service.
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SIGN-UP FOR MY F^REE MIN-E-SEMINAR:
"Secrets of an Actual $5 Million Home Business"
Eight e-mails in eight days that will change the way you run your
small business!
http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/secrets/mine1.htm
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33333 A r t i c l e "Naps"
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By Dave Balch, "The Stay-at-Home CEO(tm)"
Like many people, I used to think that taking a nap in the
middle of the day was the same as being lazy, and lazy was a
very bad thing to be. I'm not even sure where I got that
impression, because my parents never took naps that I can
remember; naps weren't even a subject of discussion. Maybe
I just assumed it because of the work ethic that I
developed, but I definitely had that impression.
It's funny that I should have felt that way because I have
the gift of being able to "power nap." If I'm sleepy, I can
doze off for about 5 minutes and be completely refreshed; it
could be waiting for the previews to start in a movie
theater, or it could be in my car (parked, of course!) if I
am early to an appointment. I distinctly remember sleeping
on a noisy, crowded, bumpy school bus on the way home from a
field trip in the 6th grade!
The point is that when I got sleepy during the day I would
fight it. I'd sit there with my eyes half-closed, staring
at the computer screen or document or whatever I was working
on, unable to focus my eyes or think clearly. Is this a
good way to operate a business? Do you think I was being
productive? Was that the best use of my time? NO, NO, and
NO!
It was my wife that straightened me out on this one. She
has always enjoyed a good nap; sometimes 10 minutes,
sometimes an hour. It doesn't matter how long the nap is,
as long as it does its job, which is to rejuvenate. She
works hard in the morning and then, if and only if she gets
tired, she takes a nap, then continues to work hard
afterward. It makes perfect sense to her, and now it does
to me to!
I've changed my ways. Now, when my eyes are unable to focus
and start closing on their own, I get up, go to the couch,
and take a snooze. In 10 minutes, literally, I am as good
as new. If that sounds lazy to you, think of it this way:
I've invested 10 minutes in order to save the afternoon.
Suddenly, it makes sense.
The bottom line: if you're tired, take a nap! One of the
benefits of working for yourself is that it's easy to do;
you don't have to worry about getting caught, you can just
do it! And, when you do, it is delicious; like a forbidden
pleasure. It is the essence of the freedom for which we
strive by having our own businesses. There is a certain
satisfaction you get when you allow yourself the pleasure of
a nap, and the bonus is that there is a sound and practical
business reason for doing so; you will be more alert, more
creative, and more efficient, and therefore more productive.
Do you ignore your body when you have to use the bathroom?
Of course not! Don't ignore your body when it needs a short
rest. Thinking that you "shouldn't need a nap" is not going
to make your fatigue go away.
Take a nap if you need to. It feels good, and it's a wise
investment of your time.
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44444 "A s k D a v e"
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(Can I help you with a business problem? I will field
business questions in every issue. Send them to
mailto:Dave@DaveBalch.com )
Ask whatever you'd like... all letters will remain anonymous.
Maybe my 2-cents'-worth will help you make "Big Bucks"!
(Maybe not!)
Today's question:
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Dear Dave,
I own a successful internet business and pride myself on
excellent customer service. I have a very high repeat
customer percentage and I receive dozens of "praise emails"
EACH day. But recently, I had a very difficult first-time
customer who was not happy with her purchase, who proceeded
to curse, scream and threaten me over the telephone blaming
me for a defective product.
True to her word, she bad-mouthed me on a chat board later
that day attacking *me* as a "rude company". I was very
upset by this (especially because my business and reputation
is based on excellent customer service) and have thought
about suing her and the board owner. But my husband is
telling me that it's a waste of my time, that it's a part of
doing business, and that I don't have the resources to deal
with every irrational customer. What do you think? How far
should a company go to protect their reputation?
CSM, Missouri
Dear CSM:
It's an unfortunate fact of life that some people are
difficult. (I had to think for a while to come up with a
polite word!) The best thing you can do is nothing.
Ignore her. Get on with your life. The more time you
spend on this the worse it will be for you, personally. I
dare you to go to eBay and find any vendor that has a 100%
satisfaction rate with a decent number of reviews. It
just doesn't happen. If she's begging for a fight and
doesn't get one, she'll go pick on someone else. She's a
small fish in a big pond. Forget her; let her stew in her
own juices.
Suing her will merely prolong your angst, cost you money,
result in no benefit whatsoever to you, and take your
valuable time away from other things that will do you more
good than the bad that you think you will correct. What
could you possibly ask for in a lawsuit that would "fix"
this for you? Money? She probably has none. Apology?
Probably wouldn't do any good even if you got one. The
damage, if any, is done, and all you can do by trying to
fix it is make it worse by keeping it alive.
Besides, I'm not sure how much damage she could have done
because people like that usually come across as the idiots
that they are and others, as a rule, don't take them
seriously.
Put this in its proper perspective... How many people see
the board that she dissed you on? How does that number
compare to the total number in your market?? My guess is
that it's a pretty small percentage.
If you think it that important, post a response on the
same board, explain your side of the story and what you
tried to do to make it right, (DO NOT call her the names
she deserves), and that you think that your side of the
story should be heard, that you are sorry that she is
unhappy, you pride yourself on your customer service and
reputation, and that you will not get into a public debate
about what happened. Be professional, be mature, and
don't sink to her level; THEN LET IT GO.
If you have a successful business, you are obviously doing
something right. Keep doing it!
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55555 "M e a n w h i l e, b a c k at the r a n c h..."
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A glimpse into the life of this "Stay-at-Home CEO"
(Photos and short bios of the complete "cast of characters"
are posted at http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/theranch.htm )
Marilyn is back! (For those of you who don't know, Marilyn
is a toad that lives in a planter built in to the driveway.)
It was dusk and Chris saw what looked like a small pine cone
moving along the driveway. She went over to investigate and
it was Marilyn! Chris picked her up to put her where she
would be safe... it's amazing how much urine a toad can
hold! Fortunately, the 'business' end of the toad was
pointed away from Chris so she didn't get wet.
A few days later, we got some spring snow, so Chris covered
the planter to keep Marilyn semi-protected. We haven't seen
her since, but she made it through the winter, so I guess
she'll be okay.
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66666 A b o u t "Big Bucks in a Bathrobe"
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Welcome! You are receiving this because either:
-You requested it on my website or after seeing me at a
speaking engagement
-I know you personally and thought you'd like it
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If you don't want to receive future issues, scroll to the
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No harm, no foul, no hurt feelings!
My goal is a bi-weekly newsletter that will:
-help you with your small or home-based business
-share articles of interest
-be informal and informative
-answer specific questions asked by readers
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77777 W h o t h e H e c k a m I, A n y w a y ?
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I've generated over $5 million (so far!) from my own
home-based software business and I have a lot to share with
you about how I did it and what I learned along the way.
Now, as a professional speaker, I offer programs that will
help you and your employees "Make More Money and Have More
Fun" with your small or home-based business!
Visit me at http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com for descriptions
of the programs and educational resources that I offer.
The "Big Bucks Boutique" offers resources and materials that
will help you "Make More Money and Have More Fun" with your
business. Take a look at
http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/boutique.htm
AOL users:
<A HREF=" http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/boutique.htm ">GO!</A>
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88888 H o w to S u b s c r i b e / U n s u b s c r i b e
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P.O. Box 824
Twin Peaks, CA 92391
1-800-366-2347
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