20 Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Small Business

This is a good read. Some great & simple basic ideas. But still a good reminder.

20 Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Small Business

Grilled Cheese & Roast Chicken Sandwich

Man, time flies so fast. It's already the second week of 2012. Alhamdulillah it has been a great start to the year. 2011 was an amazing year for us. I pray to Allah that 2012 will be a better year for us and everybody. InsyaAllah.

The kids have grown up another year. They have more needs and they have more personality. I love every minute of watching them grow. It is truly a blessing.

As we welcome the new year I realize that as we grow older things become easier when you put things into perspective. I realize now more than ever with every day we are that closer to our death. Hence we need to appreciate every second that we have while we can.

Anyways, this week was awesome because I made a great sandwich which I thoroughly enjoyed and my wife loved it. In fact I thought it was the best sandwich that I have made thus far. So here is what I did.

We had chicken rice for lunch that Tuesday and we have a lot of roast chicken leftovers in the afternoon. So I decided to experiment. This is what I did:

1. Prepared 4 slices of bread
2. 2 slices of cheese
3. Roast chicken from the chicken rice
4. Slices of tomatoes
5. Thousand Island dressing
6. Black pepper

Firstly I made 2 sets of grilled cheese sandwich by slapping some planta on 2 slices of bread and 1 slice of cheese on the frying pan. Grilled until golden brown on both sides. Repeat for the other 2 slices of bread with cheese.
Than take the roast chicken, tear the meat into pieces and put into the fan and fry without oil. Add in some pepper for taste.
Lay some tomatoes and thousand island spread on the grilled cheese bread.
Finally top up with the roasted black pepper chicken and cover it with the other grilled cheese sandwich.
Walla! You got yourself 1 awesome sandwich!

Enjoy it! We did! :)

This year, I hope to be cooking more for my family. There's so much to DISCOVER and explore. Thank you Allah for a wonderful life!

Lessons From Mexico

Last night we had the wonderful opportunity to listen from an amazing couple from Mexico. Since they could not converse in English we had translators. It was truly an international event and of world class standard.

The couple, Enrique & Graciela are just normal ordinary people like you and me but with a dream to have a better life. Today they are a member of the Herbalife Founders Circle Team. They said that they started out looking for an opportunity but today in Mexico, people are looking for them!

They truly embrace the vision of Herbalife's founder Mark Hughes which is to bring good nutrition to everybody in the world. Not only are they successful but their 2 children are also Pressident's Team members!

It's really inspiring how they started their journey. 21 years ago, Enrique was bankrupt and was very sick as he could only work 5 hours a day hence he could not earn that much. Luckily Graciela was working and had a good job to help support the family.

Enrique saw an advert from an American company and went to see the opportunity. At first he saw the products for himself . He started of at 100kg ad has lost 25kg and has kept his weight for the past 21 years! Awesome!!! But after listening to all the testimonials he realized that the Herbalife products was also good for his mother, his wife and also his children who were not getting the right nutrition.

First and foremost Enrique was looking for an opportunity to make money. He loved the Herbalife opportunity because:
1. You can have as many customers as you want. There is no limit!
2. You can take as much time as you need to build your business. There is no time frame.

In Mexico, financially it is very tough. Some countries might have a financial problem for a year or two but for Mexico it is a financial problem every single year.

The most important lesson that I learned fro this couple is that we need to teach our people to SERVE and not to SELL. It's a system. You will need to develop and grow yourself. Become more sociable and kinder with people.

Today, they have more than 10,000 distributors in their group. How did they create their team? The majority of their team were people who were looking for ways to overcome difficulties in their lives such as not having a job, divorced and also people who had children problems.

They developed the best team in Mexico, followed by the best team in Latin America and today they are the #1 Herbalife distributor from a total of 2 million distributors worldwide! Wow! What an achievement!

The best thing about what they shared is that they started at the age of 42. From their travels around the world they have seen very young people who start the business at aged 20. There are also other countries where people start at 70 ad by 80 years old they are President's Team members. It doesn't matter when you start as long as you start and complete the journey.

As they say, you don't have to be great to start! But make sure you finish what you start as a habit of successful people finish what they start.

I was truly inspired and I hope that my sharing has inspired you as well.

If you are looking for an opportunity come and talk to us. You can also go to http://www.peaklifestyle.com/real  

Lessons Learned From My Late Grandfather

Recently, my mum asked me to prepare a speech for her to deliver at the Speech Day for one of the secondary schools in KK. I was thinking and I thought that the best thing to share was the lessons that I learned from my late grandfather Dato' Ibrahim Abdullah, my 'Tok'.


During my childhood, I often stay with Tok and he always had advises and stories to share with me on life and how to be successful. To me Tok was an incredible person. Coming from a poor family background, he worked hard and to me he was a success. He went to IPSI (today known as UPSI), became a teacher than a headmaster and he was eventually made a senator for 2 terms. At 40 years of age he already had 40 acres of land and he managed to give all his children a house each. His house alone was a 3 storrey bungalow with it's own swimming pool and badminton court. What a kampung to go back to every school holiday.


Anyways, one of the lesson that he taught me was the 5 Simple Steps To Success!

1. DECIDE ~ Buat keputusan untuk berjaya! You must decide that you want to succeed. Tok had this saying, Jika kita hendak berjaya kita akan berjaya which meant that if you want to succeed, you will succeed. Success comes to those who wish for it and to those who decide to be successful. The problem is that most of us never decide to be successful. Once you decide, the rest is easy.

2. GOALS ~ Tetapkan matlamat! - Visualize & bayangkan diri anda di bangku universiti atau mesti ada 40 ekar tanah. Tok always had a vision and he knew what he wanted. We must have goals for everything that we do in life. It's not only in wealth but it must also be with God, our health and success. Set a goal that is SMART in nature. :) Make sure your goal is something that you can strive for. It must be something that you really want, it must motivate and inspire you. It must be your WHY!

3. PLAN ~Buat rancangan (plan) - If you don't plan than you plan to fail. Once you decide and you have your goals clear in your mind than you should formulate a plan to achieve it. Few people plan that's why only 20% of the world's population are successful and achieve their goals. Once you know your why the how to becomes irrelevant. No matter what you will find a way. The best way is to plan.

 

4. ACTION ~ Ambil tindakan - Kerja kuat! Bak kata tok tak mati pun kalau kerja kuat. Kalau letih, tidurlah. Now that we have plan we need to work the plan. There's no point if we have decide, have a clear goal and have a workable plan we need to make it work. The hardest part is being discipline to work the plan.

5. PRAY ~ Doa & tawakal kepada Allah

Once we have put in the first 4 steps now all we need to do is leave it to God. There's a saying that if God lead us to it, than God will help us to see through it. InsyaAllah you will have success!

If you like this article hope that you can go to our company's website at www.realleaders.net and like us! :) We really appreciate it.

Lessons @ Chilli Peppers Kuching

Alhamdulillah, just got back from Kuching. Had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with our mentor, Cikgu Razak. As always Cikgu is the ultimate host. Upon picking me up at the airport we went to Chilli Peppers in Kuching for a bite to eat. There we met up with 2 of Cikgu's group. I had the privilege of learning two valuable lessons.

1. Regarding Herbalife, this gentleman said that the uniqueness about the Herbalife product is that it can help those who want to lose weight, gain weight and maintain weight. Everybody takes the same product which is the F1. Amazing! You can get more info at http://peaklifestyle.com/real/coi

2. Believe, the other gentleman shared with us the power of believe and the importance of thinking outside the box. He said that he had the ability to stop a moving bus with his finger. He said that he had the power to do it. What he meant was that with the finger you just need to press the bell and the bus will stop. Technically speaking, one can stop a bus with their finger!

Never Too Young To Take Care Of Yourself

Yesterday we had the wonderful opportunity to attend the NEW product launch for Herbalife Malaysia which was the NW formula. It was introduced by a Dr from Taiwan who sits on the Herbalife Nutrional Board.

What was interesting and also an eye opener was the facts that he shared. It was very informative and very helpful. The event itself was amazing with a few thousand in attendance and the presentation was done in Chinese. We had to tune into our translators which were also provided either in Bahasa or English. It was truly an international event.

Anyways yesterday we realized that with today's research in medicine and also in health and personal wellness we should take advantage of all the studies done. I truly believe that prevention is better than cure. It is better to pay to stay healthy rather than to pay to get healthy. The second option always cost you more in fact a recent survey showed that the number 1 reason why people get into money problem is due to high cost in medical or hospitalization bills.

For me, my health is very important and I have taken myself for granted for so many years. I simply ate what I wanted, no exercise, my sleep pattern was erratic and I really did not take any supplement. What happened? Well last month I had the scare of my life when I woke up around 2 am in the morning with some chest pain. I went to the Emergency ward and the doctors thought I had asthma. I told them that this was different. They did an ECG and it showed that I had a heart attack.

Wow! At that point I was scared. Alhamdulillah after a few check ups I am ok. Apparently it was a spasm due to high cholesterol. For a few days I could not sleep and I was very worried. I kept thinking about the after life. I know I'm not ready to face Allah. I kept thinking about my wife and kids. When it happens you really need to look at your life and what has brought you to this point. I made a decision that I want to be healthy!

Now I am on the Herbalife program. First to reduce my weight and reduce my cholesterol. The products are fantastic. They won a noble price for it. 60 million people have benefited from the products. So who am I to argue.

The point that I wanted to share is that after yesterday's meeting I am more convinced that we need to educate ourselves and our family on the importance of taking care of our health. Our lifestyle and the demands of society today is very bad. We really need to look at what we are doing for ourselves.

Alhamdulillah, I have started on the F1 shake again and have lost a few kilos. Did you guys know that according to studies breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that the ideal time for taking breakfast is between 5am until 9am. SubhanAllah, when I heard this it's amazing because that is why in Islam when we fast we need to do our Sahur. Allah knows best and for those who have the wisdom can see this. Taking a meal after 9 am is no longer considered breakfast! Please take note.

I'm also taking the fish oil soft gels which can help reduce my cholesterol and blood pressure. Apparently studies have also shown that it can help you to avoid becoming nyanyok or getting Alzheimer's disease as you grow old.

The most exciting product has to be the NW or Night Works. It can help to promote the NO inside your arteries which will allow for better flow of your blood in your arteries. It is an amazing product especially for all of us to fight the silent killer which is the visceral fat in our bodies. You really need to do a check. At the moment my visceral fat rating is terrible. I'm at 12 and my goal is to to 3. InsyaAllah I believe with Herbalife I can do it!

From now on we want to make it our mission to promote health living for all our family and friends because at the end of the day your health is your wealth. Let's pray to Allah that we will be blessed with health for our mind,body and soul so that we may continue to serve Allah better. InsyaAllah.    

5 Foods that Keep You Thin

1. Apples
Apples are a good source of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber not only contributes to a healthy digestive system and reduced cholesterol, but it also benefits smart eaters by yielding no calories while keeping them satisfied.

And there's something else about the fruit that might help you feel full. A study in the journal "Appetite" found that when women added either three apples or three pears to their daily meals, they lost more weight than people who added three oat cookies to their diets -- even though the fruit and the cookies contained the exact same amount of dietary fiber.

Although the reason behind this finding may be a mystery, there is something to be said for the findings. According to Alan Aragon, a nutritionist and author of "Girth Control: The Science of Fat Loss & Muscle Gain," crunchy foods in particular can trick a person into feeling fuller. The act of chewing may send satiety signals to your body, he says, making you think you've eaten more than you really have and keeping hunger at bay.


2. Almonds
If you're looking for a tasty midday snack, a handful of almonds are a well-regarded option. A study in 2009 in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that women who ate nuts at least two times a week were more successful at keeping weight off than those who didn't eat this food.

One particular favorite among some nutritionists is almonds, says Aragon. One ounce of this food contains only 167 calories, plus it packs roughly 6 g of protein and 3 g of fiber, both nutrients that can make you feel full. Furthermore, like apples, almonds are crunchy and require a lot of chewing, so they, too, can make you feel like you've eaten more than you actually did and keep you fuller longer.


3. Salmon
If you're uncertain about fish, there's no need to fear. Seafood can be part of a healthy diet. And there's some evidence that the fat in foods such as salmon can boost satiety levels, says Aragon. For example, a study published in the "International Journal of Obesity" found that when dieters ate salmon a few times a week, they lost about two more pounds than those who didn't include seafood in their meals.

And in spite of the mention of salmon's fat content, the food is relatively low in calories. One 3-oz. serving has just 175 calories. Salmon is a good source of protein as well.


4. Eggs
There's no doubt that protein, like fiber, has impressive satiating powers. And while eggs seem to have a bad reputation in some circles, there can be no contesting their ability to help keep your weight in check.

Research has shown that eating eggs at breakfast can help you fight weight gain all day long. A study reported in 2008 in the "International Journal of Obesity" found that when dieters ate two eggs for breakfast for five days out of the week, they lost 65 percent more weight than dieters who consumed a bagel in the morning. Although protein is likely to fill you up whenever you eat it, some scientists suspect that having more in the morning can keep you feeling fuller all day long.


5. Tomatoes
It's true that most veggies make for great diet fare. Non-starchy vegetables in particular, such as carrots, celery and spinach, are filled with fiber. Like other foods high in fiber, they can help keep you feeling satiated.

Plus, they're pretty self-regulating, says Aragon. You can't really overeat with nonstarchy vegetables. After all, how many baby carrots can a person eat without needing to dunk them in some ranch dressing?

So while there are many veggies that can help you stay slim, tomatoes might be a particularly good option because they're so tasty. And, besides, with that whole a-tomato-is-a-vegetable-no-it's-a-fruit argument, you might have forgotten all about eating them. One cup of cooked, red tomatoes contains just 43 calories, but tastes just as delicious as any number of high-calorie foods.

And that's at least half the secret, finding foods that are both healthy and tasty. The good thing is, they do exist. Over time, you'll discover what wholesome, filling foods you prefer, expanding your choices while shrinking your waistline. 




For more info on how to stay healthy & energetic just check out http://shapeofyourlife.com/real