Making Money Online

Been browsing the web since yesterday. Got to admit that now more than ever it is so important to have an online business that can provide you with a passive income stream.

The opportunity is huge. With 1.5 billion of the world's population online and with 5 billion on mobile phones the market is just unbelievable. Today more and more people want to be free from their jobs. They want quality of life. They want the good life. The opportunity to enjoy life and for that we need more money.

One of the best ways to do this is by getting online. The possibilities is endless considering that the internet technology evolves every day. Every day there's a new software or a new internet application that you can use to simplify your life. It is just crazy.

In short if we do not do something about it now or take the opportunity to make things happen, we will be left behind. I'm making a decision that today we are going to go online and do business! We are going to create passive income streams online! Let's make it happen!

25 Ways to Waste Your Money

by Erin Burt

1. Carrying a balance. Debt is a shackle that holds you back. For instance, if you have a $1,000 balance on a credit card that charges an 18% rate, you blow $180 every year on interest. Get in the habit of paying off your balance in full each month.

2. Overspending on gas and oil for your car.There's no need to spring for premium fuel if the manufacturer says regular is just fine. You should also check to make sure your tires are optimally inflated to get the best gas mileage. And are you still paying for an oil change every 3,000 miles? Many models nowadays can last 5,000 to 7,000 miles between changes, and some even have built-in sensors to tell you when it's time to change the oil. Check your manual to find the best time for your car's routine maintenance.

3. Keeping unhealthy habits. Smoking costs a lot more than just what you pay for a pack of cigarettes. It significantly increases the cost of life and health insurance. And you'll pay more for homeowners and auto insurance. Add in various other expenses, and the true cost of smoking adds up dramatically over a lifetime -- $86,000 for a 24-year-old woman over a lifetime and $183,000 for a 24-year-old man over a lifetime, according to "The Price of Smoking" (The MIT Press).

Another habit to quit: indoor tanning. There is now a 10% tax on indoor tanning services. As with cigarettes, the true cost of tanning -- which the World Health Organization lists among the worst-known carcinogens -- is higher than just the price you pay each time you go to the salon.

4. Using a cell phone that doesn't fit. How many people do you know who have spent hundreds of dollars on fancy phones, and then pay hundreds of dollars every month for the privilege of using them? Your phone is not a status symbol. It is a way to communicate. Many people pay too much for cell phone contracts and don't use all their minutes. Go to BillShrink.com or Validas.com to evaluate your usage and see if you can find a plan that fits you better. Or consider a prepaid cell phone. Compare rates atMyRatePlan.com.

5. Buying brand-name instead of generic. From groceries to clothing to prescription drugs, you could save money by choosing the off-brand over the fancy label. And in many cases, you won't sacrifice much in quality. Clever advertising and fancy packaging don't make brand-name products better than lesser-known brands.

6. Keeping your mouth shut. No one wants to be a nuisance. But by simply asking, you may be able to snag a lower rate on your credit card.

When shopping, watch for price discrepancies at the cash register, and make a habit of asking, "Do you have a coupon for this?" You might even be able to haggle for a lower price, especially on seasonal or perishable items, floor models or big-ticket purchases. Many stores will also match or beat their competitors' prices if you speak up. And try asking for a discount if you pay cash or debit -- this saves the store the cut it has to pay the credit-card company, so it may be willing to give you a deal. It doesn't hurt to ask.

[How You Can Get Richer This Year]

7. Buying beverages one at a time. If you're in the habit of buying bottled water, coffee-by-the-cup or vending-machine soda, your budget has sprung a leak. Instead, drink tap water or use a water filter. Brew a homemade cuppa joe. Buy your soda in bulk and bring it to work. (Better yet, skip the soda in favor of something healthier.)

8. Paying for something you can get for free. There's a boatload of freebies for the taking, if you know where to look. Some of our favorites include restaurant meals for kids, credit reports, software programs, prescription drugs and tech support. You can also help yourself to all the books, music and movies your heart desires at your local library for free (or dirt cheap).

9. Stashing your money with Uncle Sam rather than in an interest-earning account. If you get a tax refund each April, you let the government take too much money in taxes from your paycheck all year long. Get that money back in your pocket this year -- and put it to work for you -- by adjusting your tax withholding. You can file a new Form W-4 with your employer at any time.

10. Being disorganized. It pays to get your financial house in order. Lost bills and receipts, forgotten tax deductions, and clueless spending can cost you hundreds of dollars each year. Start by setting up automatic bill payment online for your monthly bills to eliminate late fees and postage costs. Then get a handful of files to organize important receipts, insurance policies, tax documents and other statements.

Finally, consider using free budgeting software such as Mint.com to see exactly where your money goes, making it much harder for you to lose track of it.

11. Letting your money wallow in a low-interest account. You work hard for your money. Shouldn't it work hard for you too? If you're stashing your cash in a traditional savings account earning next-to-nothing, you're wasting it. Make sure you're getting the best return on your money. Search for the highest yields on CDs and money-market savings accounts. And consider using a free online checking account that pays interest, such as ones offered by Everbank and ING Direct.

Your stocks and mutual funds should be working hard for you, too. If they've been lagging behind their peers for too long, it could be time to say goodbye. Learn how to spot a wallowing fund or stock.

12. Paying late fees and missing deadlines. Return those library books and movie rentals on time. Mail in those rebates. Submit expense reports on time for reimbursement. And if you make a bad purchase, don't just stuff it in the back of the closet and hope it goes away. Get off your duff, return it and get your money back before you lose the receipt.

13. Paying ATM fees. Expect to throw away nearly $4 every time you use an ATM that isn't in your bank's network. That's because you'll pay an ATM surcharge, and your own bank will hit you with a non-network fee. Consider switching to a bank, such as Ally Bank, that doesn't charge ATM fees and reimburses you for fees other banks charge. Another way to avoid fees if there's not an ATM in your bank's network nearby is to get cash back when you make a purchase at the grocery store or drugstore.

14. Shopping at the grocery store without a calculator. Check how much an item costs per ounce, pound or other unit of measurement. When you comparison-shop by unit price, you save. For example, if a pack of 40 diapers costs $13, that's 33 cents per diaper. But if you buy a box of 144 diapers for $35, that's 24 cents per diaper. You save 27%! (Of course, buying more of something only saves money if you use it all. If you end up throwing much out, you wasted money.)

[6 Costs You Should Always Negotiate]

15. Paying for things you don't use. Do you watch all those cable channels? Do you need those extra features on your phone? Are you getting your money's worth out of your gym membership? Are you taking full advantage of your Netflix, TiVo and magazine subscriptions? Take a look at what your family actually uses, then trim accordingly.

16. Not reading the fine print. Thought you were being smart by transferring the balance on a high-rate credit card to a low-rate one? Did you read the fine print, though? Some credit-card companies now charge up to 5% for balance transfers. Also watch out for free checking accounts that aren't so free. Some banks are starting to charge fees unless you meet certain criteria.

17. Mismanaging your flexible spending account. For some people, that means failing to take advantage of their workplace FSA, which lets employees set aside pre-tax dollars for out-of-pocket medical costs. Other people fail to submit receipts on time. And the average worker leaves $86 behind in his or her use-it-or-lose-it FSA account each year, according to WageWorks, an employee benefits provider.

18. Being an inflexible traveler. You'll save a lot of money on travel if you're willing to be flexible. Consider traveling before or after peak season when prices are lower. Or search for flights over a range of dates to find the lowest fare. Booking at the last minute also can save you money because hotels and airlines slash prices to fill rooms and planes. And flexibility pays off at blind-booking sites, such as Priceline or Hotwire, which offer deep discounts if you're willing to book a room or flight without knowing which hotel or airline (or other details about the flight) you're getting until you pay.

19. Sticking with the same service plans and the same service providers year after year. Hey, we're all for loyalty to trusted service providers, such as your bank, insurer, credit-card company, mutual fund, phone plan or cable plan. But over time, as prices and your circumstances change, the status-quo may not be the best deal any more. Smart consumers are always on the lookout for bargains.

20. Making impulse purchases. When you buy before you think, you don't give yourself time to shop around for the best price. Take the time to compare prices online, read product reviews and look for coupons when appropriate.

Make it a policy to give yourself a cooling-off period in case you're ever tempted to make an impulse purchase. Go home and sleep on the decision. More often than not, you'll decide you don't need the item after all.

[14 Ways to Save Money on Groceries]

21. Dining out frequently. Spending $10, $20, $30 per person for dinner can be a huge drain on your wallet. Throw in a $6 sandwich for lunch every day and you've got quite a leak. Learning to cook and bringing your lunch from home can save a couple hundred bucks each month. When you do go out, consider getting carry-out instead of dining in (you'll save on the tip and drink), skip the overpriced appetizer and dessert, and search the Web for coupons ahead of time.

22. Trying to time the stock market. In trying to buy low and sell high, many people actually do the opposite. Instead, employ the simple strategy of "dollar-cost-averaging." By investing a fixed dollar amount at regular intervals, you smooth out the ups and downs of the market over time. If you take out the emotion and guesswork, investing can become less stressful, less wasteful and more successful.

23. Buying insurance you don't need. You only need life insurance if someone is financially dependent upon you, such as a child. That means most singles, seniors or kids don't need a policy. Other policies you can probably do without include credit-card insurance (better to use the premium to pay down your debt in the first place), rental-car insurance (most auto policies and credit cards carry some coverage), mortgage life insurance and accidental-death insurance (a regular term-life insurance policy will do the trick).

24. Buying new instead of used. Talk about a spending leak -- or, rather, a gush. Cars lose 20% of their value the moment they're driven off the lot and 65% in the first five years. Used models can be a real value because you can get a car that's still in fine working order for a fraction of the new-car price. And you'll pay less in collision insurance and taxes, too.

Cars aren't the only things worth buying used. Consider the savings on pre-owned books, toys, exercise equipment, children's clothing and furniture. (Of course, there are some things you're better off buying new, including mattresses, laptops, linens, shoes and safety equipment, such as car seats and bike helmets.)

25. Procrastinating. Time is an asset money can't buy. Start investing for retirement as soon as possible. For instance, if a 40-year-old saves $300 a month with an 8% return per year, he'll have $287,000 by age 65. If he had started saving 15 years earlier at age 25, he'd have more than $1 million.

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What people loved about RUC'11...

Alhamdulillah we just finished organizing the 4th RUC on 19th February 2011 at PICC. It was a great event and we had a fantastic time with all the speakers especially the participants from the IPTs coming from all over the country. The following are some feedbacks that we got when we send out emails to get people's opinion on what they loved about RUC'11. Thank you to all who responded. You really inspire us to do better all the time and InsyaAllah we will continue to improve and make RUC'12 even better!  Enjoy...

I like da 6-jars method the most bcoz it made my life easier nw 2 save money.I do save money before but thiz method really easy 2 b followed.Besides that, i like da speakers who gave talk that day...especially Dr.Sharifah Mazlina. She was really great and her actions towards her success was really incredible.She inspires me a lot and perhaps when if i'm tired of doin stuffs, it reminds me of her incredible actions thus it strikes 2 my mind..."if she can do tat, i'm sure tat i can do as well". I BELIEVE I CAN UPGRADE MYSELF 
Thank you.

Satthia Vani

To Mr. Amirul Mannan,
I'm fine. Thanks for texting me. For your information, i am now motivated myself to be a good leader. From my opinion, this RUC program gives us as a leader of the community, a lot of tips, skills and motivation. Because this program brought to us a lot of famous speaker that can motivate us. And i like the way to save our money that used 6 jars...so far i just start to make it, and i think it is a successful way. i think next time i can come again with this program...thanks again for your efforts...

Firdaus Abdul Rahim

Hi,
What I like most about RUC'11 is the enthusiasm that some speakers have especially you, Mr.Amirul. This is because we as teenagers tend to be more attracted to these kind of speeches.
Thank You and good luck for RUC'12

David Lim

saya suka sesi bersama dr. mazlina kerana beliau telah berkongsi pengalaman yg amat bernilai dari sebelum ke kutub iaitu latihan yg luar biasa sehingga tercapai misi yg beliau hajati

Ariffin Ghafar

well nothing much..

i juz LOVE

 those great people!!

 and grab their "recipes" to success...

tanx 4 giving me the opportunuity....

wish u both a very gud luck in da future...

nurul farhana

to abg mirul n kak elin,

sebenarnya ini adalah kali pertama saya menyertai program sebegini.. dan utk pengetahuan anda berdua, pada mulanya saya menjangka kan bhw program ini pasti akan membosankan...

namun NAMUN namun....

ternyata apa yang saya bayangkan itu adalah meleset sama sekali.. saya sangat seronok disebabkan banyak benda baru yang sy pelajari dan yang paling penting, saya boleh menguruskan kewangan sy melalui program 6 jars akak & abg tuh.. 

tapi kalau boleh la kan, di harap pihak RUC dapat pastikan yang tetamu-tetamu jemputan tu boleh fix dengan jadual yg pihak anda sediakan.. walau apa pon... RUC'11 is the best programme...

good luck in RUC'12!

=)

Nurasiah Mira Miera

Hi Amirul,
The speaker who really caught my attention and inspired me is Dr Hajah Sharifah's lecture on "Your Attitude Determine your Altitude".

The moment she stepped into the room, I felt an immediate vibe of respect to her . Maybe it was the confidence she exudes, or maybe it is how she presented herself. I have never met her before, only heard but never actually cared to know about the first lady to conquered the North and South Pole..twice!

Probably the reason why her lecture was interesting is that she used her experience, which was so unheard of, to make us realize how a person needs to think positively and to outdo oneself.

I think as young adults now, our most crucial problem is to tackle our own self confidence and also we seem to be quick to self-doubt ourselves. Personally, this is my 1st time being elected a President of a club (actually this was by default as I am the last founder of the club to be still studying-the others all graduated), and I have never been in ANY position higher than say, Team Leader of my Girl Guides back then when there wasn't really any work to do though! :)
So i was skeptical of myself. President! Lead an ENTIRE CLUB! Is this possible?

Therefore, after hearing her experience of how she really proved the "organizers" wrong about Malaysians being able to survive the expedition, it really hit me. I realize that as long as you have the will, passion and also do not think sacrifice as something great, of course you will be the greatest revolutionary leader!
And the bliss after the hard work! Truly makes it worthwhile!

Best Regards,
Amily Soh

3 Ways To Do Marketing for Your Small Business

Read this article today. Think it is useful for those running their own business. Hope it can help to give you ideas.

The Three Best Ways to Put Your Small Business Marketing on Autopilot

by Stacy Karacostas

Let’s face it... We truly are all given the same 24 hours in a day. As an entrepreneur, on any day you likely have to take care of clients, projects or customers, attend meetings of one sort or another, do some bookkeeping, handle your social networking, write an ezine or blog, answer a zillion emails, and on and on and on.

On top of all that, with all the noise and competition out there, you have to be marketing your business constantly and consistently. Because if you don’t, people are quickly going to forget all about you and what you do--if they ever even noticed you exist to start with.

So forget sleeping more than four or five hours a night. Or taking even an afternoon off on the weekend. Unless you find a way to put your marketing on autopilot.

Because if you don’t keep marketing you don’t exist. And if you don’t take some tasks off your own plate you’re going to hit a plateau in your business and a wall in your life.

Luckily, there are 3 ways any overworked entrepreneur can put their marketing on autopilot...

1. Replicate

Experienced marketers rarely reinvent the wheel. Instead they find ways to replicate and repurpose everything they know, do or create into different forms and formats. A web page can become three emails, a press release and a postcard mailing. Ezine articles can become blog posts, Tweets, link builders, the foundation of your next book and more.

When you do this, you get more marketing done with less effort. Plus you easily create your own ebooks, books, audio products and more. Thus gaining expert status, some passive revenue, and more ways to get your name out there.

2. Automate

If your business is on the Web--and if you have a Website, it is--you have to deal with everything from social networking to online sales, product delivery and follow-up processes. Plus all the marketing that goes with driving people to your site and turning them into a subscriber, then a customer or client.

Doing all this can be a full time job and then some. But if you’ve designed your Website properly it can handle all or most of the sales job for you. Combine that with the latest widgets, email marketing, microblogging and blogging tools to automate much of your online marketing and sales follow up, and you save yourself tons of time and hard work.

3. Delegate

Solo-entrepreneur is such a misleading title. Because no one can do it all alone anymore. That’s why you need to delegate. But for a lot of small business owners, hiring an employee just isn’t in the budget.

Instead the key is to outsource as much of your marketing as you can to your own team of experienced Virtual Assistants.

These experienced assistants can set up all your online automation tools as well as handle much of what can’t be automated from their own home offices. Since they run Internet-based businesses they’re typically pretty savvy about the ways of the Web.

That means you don’t have to teach them how to do something, you just need to explain what you want done. And you can scale up and down as your business and budget demands.

Taking any one of these three steps is going to start freeing you up to do the things you do best and enjoy the most. And because your marketing is going to be happening consistently without you turning that crank, you can grow your business without being chained to it

10 Ways to Be Happier and Healthier at Work - from Fit Soul, Fit Body

10 Ways to Be Happier and Healthier at Work

By Brant Secunda and Mark Allen
Adapted from their book Fit Soul, Fit Body

Here are 10 strategies you can put into practice tomorrow that will make an enormous difference in the way you feel about your job and being there.

#1 - Stand up to your office chair.

It's great that you have the newest ergonomic chair. But if you sit in it all day, you'll reduce the amount of fat-burning enzyme called lipoprotein lipase by a whopping 94%. To keep this enzyme active and burning fat requires only 30 minutes a day of standing up to read, to talk on the phone, or to consult with a coworker.

#2 - Embrace the power of repetition.

If you struggle with boredom from doing the same activities over and over at work, here's a trick that helps top athletes train every day for hours at a time. Embrace the repetition. Start to see chipping away at the same tasks day after day as powerful ways to reach your financial and professional goals. This is similar to the way our ancestors could plant an entire hillside with corn by hand, one kernel at a time, year after year.

#3 - Brush away impatience and frustration.

When you're impatient with a task that's taking too long, or frustrated with a complication such as a technology glitch, here's a simple way to quickly reset your workplace mood. Think of whatever you are doing at that moment -- say, consulting the user's guide for your computer -- as your top priority instead of the means to an end.

#4 - Change your routine to prevent monotony.

Like the idea of cross training for athletes, workers can stay mentally fit by mixing up the routine. If you work 9-5, try working 8-4. If you always check your email first thing, do something else for the first hour. Rearrange your office. Try making calls instead of emailing.

#5 - Stop procrastinating for 5 minutes.

Do you put off working on large projects or tasks as the deadline gets closer, and then eat yourself up with worry at night obsessing about them? Try this. Commit to working on it for just 5 minutes. That's it. Once you start, you might find it's not that bad. But even if it is, it will be easier to complete if you've been chipping away at it for 5 minutes a day.

#6 - Slow down to get faster.

Fitness scientists know that working out at a comfortable level is more beneficial for health than pushing through at top speed or effort. You can apply this principle to your workplace activity as well. If you consciously slow down, take time to think things through, finish one task completely before going to the next, perhaps even ignore incoming calls and emails temporarily, you'll find that your productivity will increase along with your happiness.

#7 - Take time to feed and water yourself.

Don't skip breakfast. And eat small healthy snacks every couple of hours, such as fruit, yogurt, almonds, carrots and peppers, nut butter sandwiches, dark chocolate, and soup. Keep a liter of water on your desk and sip it all day long. Watch how energized you feel -- especially mid-afternoon, the time you normally crave a sweet and some coffee.

#8 - Weight lift for your soul.

"Weightlifting for the soul" is giving up negative thoughts that weigh you down. The next time a negative thought comes into your mind, force yourself to restate it to yourself in a positive way. So, "This is too hard" becomes "I have all it takes to make it through." Or, "this is a waste of time" becomes "What can I learn right now?"

#9 - Look at the now.

Are you a perfectionist? Do you beat yourself up for not doing things as masterfully as you think you should? Try this: Ask yourself if you are doing the best you can right now with everything going on in your life. Instead of focusing on absolute perfection, make the goal to give the best you can in the moment, even if you know on another day it might be better.

#10 - Keep making deposits.

View your physical, emotional, and spiritual health as a bank account that should always be tended to. Being healthy goes hand in hand with being happy -- in and outside of work. Every day you are sedentary, eat bad food, or indulge in negative thinking is a withdrawal. Every day you eat well, get enough sleep, stay hydrated, exercise, and are optimistic is a deposit.

2 ways to improve your presentations

Just read this great article from Zig Ziglars website on 2 tips to improve your public speaking skills. Enjoy!

Power Presentations

Or Public Speaking and other Coronary Threats!

By Bryan Flanagan

When making a presentation you can use several keys to make yourself effective.  One of those is how you use your voice.  Does your voice “shake” or do you sound breathy when you are nervous? You can learn how to sound confident and in control by utilizing two vital skills: Voice and Padding.    

You can use the VIP method for improving your voice.  The VIP stands for Volume, Inflection, and use of the Pause.  You want to make your voice engaging and interesting to your listener’s ear by using all three of these keys.  

Volume is not just raising the volume — it is also lowering the volume.  Mark Twain wrote that if you want someone to listen to you, you should whisper. By whispering, you get the listener leaning forward either mentally or physically.  You should look for opportunities within your presentation to raise your volume and to drop your volume for impact.  

Using Inflection allows you to “punch-up” words or phrases for emphasis.  You can change the entire meaning of a sentence by changing the words on which you inflect.  Take the sentence: I did not say he stole her money.  Let’s change the meaning by changing the emphasis on the last five words.   

1.  I did not SAY he stole her money.  (I implied it.  I didn’t verbalize it.)
2. I did not say HE stole her money. (I am accusing someone else.)
3. I did not say he STOLE her money.  (He hid it from her.  It’s a joke)
4. I did not say he stole HER money.  (It was my money that was stolen.)
5. I did not say he stole her MONEY.  (It was the credit cards.)  

Practice emphasizing different words for impact and to add meaning to your presentations.  

Why don’t we like to Pause when we are speaking?  Some don’t like it because it may indicate that we’ve dropped our train of thought or we are not prepared.  However, silence can be our friend.  It can add emphasis.  It allows the audience to catch up with us.  It can slow us down.  We can use the pause as transition from point to point.  Don’t be afraid of the pause.  Prepare to use the pause at strategic places in your presentation.  

Padding includes any words, phrases, or sounds that distract and detract from our presentation.  What are some examples you’ve already heard today?  Perhaps you were distracted when a co-worker said “uh” or “you know” during a recent conversation.  If you were distracted, you have experienced padding! We will discuss how you can eliminate the “Padding” distraction.  

Padding is a problem that most people use in one form or another.  If you want to hear examples of padding, listen to the interview of any professional athlete. However, we’ve all had our “uh’s” counted and we’ve counted the “uh’s” of others.  Oftentimes, padding is the sound of thought.  It is what we use as our search vehicle when searching for the next word or thought.  We should use the pause to search and not a padding word or sound.  President Ronald Reagan used the word “well” when he was stalling at press conferences.  President Reagan could get by with it…we can’t.  We have to be better than the President!  

When I joined my first Toastmasters Club, they counted the speakers’ padding words.  You paid a quarter for each “uh” you were caught saying.  My first year in Toastmasters, I financed two club picnics! However, I ridded myself of saying “uh.”  How do you accomplish that?  First, you must become aware you have the problem.  You can listen to your voice mail message that you leave.  Oftentimes, you will erase the message and start again after you hear the number of “uh’s” you use!  Record your side of phone conversations and listen to them.  That is a great way to receive feedback!  

In order to improve in the areas of Voice and Padding, we must practice.  The video camera is still the very best method to use in practicing.  If it is not available, a recorder will greatly assist you in improving your awareness of the verbal key to successful presentations.  

Good luck and good presenting!