Category: General

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Al Zibluk

Resume of Thomas Prendergast

Surfing for the most part was my greatest priority, then I got married.

Thats me on a 25 foot peak at Steamers Lane in Santa Cruz around 1976

 

I was born an artist, musician, innovator and entrepreneur. I had my first business before finishing high school and was professionally selling my oil paintings and artwork at the age of 14.

 

Although I attended many colleges, it was always interrupted by innovative new ideas into a business that would begin producing significant profits therefore; college was always a source for research but was never a goal for a degree, if that makes sense.

 

The other major issue that seriously challenged full time employment vs self-employed entrepreneurial innovation was my addiction to surfing. And I went full boar into that pursuit eventually surfing huge waves like at Mavericks and the Wedge. That is a totally other story, but that story played a large part in shaping who and what I am today.

Farming was my first big cash cow back in the 70s in Santa Cruz.

From artist, musician, and craft I eventually evolved into building a design agency then turned it into an ad agency in the 80s and set up shop in the San Francisco Bay area. This was a dynamic time as this was the beginning of the Silicon Valley revolution and I was at the core. Many of our clients back then were Accolade, Apple, Adobe, Epyx, Electronic Arts, Fairchild, Oracle, Silicon Graphics, Worlds of Wonder (WOW) to name a few. I was also involved at Stanford University and was becoming interested and aware of the coming Internet.

 

By 1986 my agency was billing over $2 million per month and I was driving the fast lane (brand new BMWs, Brook Brothers Suits, Rolex Watch, etc.) in San Francisco, hanging with celebrities and major mind benders like Steve Wozniak, Ken Uston, Dwight Clark, Russell Brown, and well a long list of what would eventually become the core of the industry these days.

 

1989 was the year of the great San Francisco earthquake and it seemed to herald trouble ahead as we found ourselves in a series of never ending lawsuits, that eventual caused me to shut down the company, take the best clients and move to Washington state. It was there I actually engaged building networks, BBC systems and figured a hack to access the Internet via a dial up modem from my Mac IIcx into a modem bank owned by a company called Powernet. I was finally on the Internet.

 

I was also one of the first members on AOL with my call name Tom I had tom@aol.com. Since I had connections at Adobe I was able to buy Adobe Illustrator returns and NFRs for $25 per box. I built a “store” on AOL’s classifieds, used Macs QuickKey automation to log into AOL. Navigate; place the ad selling Adobe Illustrator for half the retail price and log out, doing this every hour 24 hours a day.

 

It was my first mega success and I hauled in over $150,000 per month for almost a year when my connection special dried up. Bonanza, I stared seeing the bigger picture from that time on with the reach the Internet offered.

 

I eventually moved back to California, San Diego, got involved with UCSD's Super Computer center and developed a social network called Wavefour, where we tweaked a forum software called the WWWboard, by Matt Wright into a self-replicated members area and front page with a form that wrote to a MS Access database on a server and returned an autoresponder email and a new account.

 

This was the foundation of Wavefour, which was one of the many firsts. First self-replicated website, first self-replicated PDF (a formatted receipt to print out sign and fax or mail in), first read write to a server database, first auto responder email system, first remote broadcasting system I called "The Hammer" and all incorporated into the first Automated Marketing system.

 

This system poured new customers and evolved into a service called Veretekk that ran for over 20 years, was private labeled to hundreds of companies and built a verifiable database that numbered into the hundreds of millions and produced revenues in excess of 5 million.

 

Because Veretekk began on CGI script, HTML and text databases, it's evolution; as OS and advances into PHP. Java, Ajax, SQL occurred, Veretekk got old and even after relaunching a complete new face and core upgrades in 2010 called V2, it was still old and by 2012 we began shutting it down.

 

In 2013 I was blessed with a new vision of a brand new start from ground up Inbound marketing Social Network. I built the blue prints from the vision, complete with layers of tools, broadcasting platforms, the social network functions and the entire look, feel of the interface I raised about $350,000 in cloud capital, hired a programmer and had the core built and ready to populate with the crowd funding founders and trademarked and incorporated it all as Markethive in mid 2015 and opened the doors to our (not ready for prime time) Alpha launch.

 

Since then we have built an engineering department, a marketing department, and customer support department and are scheduled for a full BETA launch in January 2016. We are currently in the process raising another $200,000 to fund a massive ad campaign by January 2016.

 

My whole life has been about the entrepreneurial pursuit. As an entrepreneur, small and medium size business owner, occasionally engaged in some peripheral mlm opportunities, I have managed to earn over 40 million dollars during my lifetime.

 

Now entering my early 60s, Markethive is my most serious venture built from the focus of serving the entrepreneur, empowering, mentoring and engaging this culture like not found in any other social system.

 

With a lifetime as an entrepreneur, a long history running an advertising and marketing firm in the Silicon Valley during the roaring 80s, being one of the very first on the Internet, building first off tech and running one of the first social networks, and developing a knowledge and intimate friendships with literally 1000s of entrepreneurs, I can claim authority in developing and launching a long time needed, integrated, effective and inspiring entrepreneurial social network.

 

I am currently the CEO, Founder, Creator and architect of Markethive.  We are at that exciting edge right before all of our work, dreams, aspirations, projections, time and investments is about to be launched. It is both a time of great excitement and daunting at the same time. It is exactly where I love being and I am inviting you to become part of it. As a partner, or investor or member, you will want to be here, from the beginning as we are going to be writing history.

 

Markethive, the ecosystem for entrepreneurs, welcome home.

 

Thomas Prendergast
CMO Markethive Inc.

Al Zibluk

The Top 15 Insects You Can Eat to Survive

The Top 15 Insects You Can Eat to Survive … and HOW
 
Which insects can be eaten? In survival it turns out there are many species of edible insects including 3 "creatures" that are not insects but a food source still the same. It's too bad no one told the Donner Party, American pioneers who turned to cannibalism …when they ran out of food
 
 
On the CBS hit show Survivor, contestants do some pretty disgusting things to make it out of the wilderness — like eat insects.

It's too bad that the Donner Party (early American pioneers making a trek out west who were caught in the mountains of California and turned to cannibalism) had to go through a horrific slow starvation that U.S. history records so famously and then proceed to actually eating their dead loved ones rather than seeking out insects and or the other creatures we mention below.

You Don't Have to "Go Out" Like That

With shows like Survivor in recent years, television has desensitized a lot of us to the idea of eating insects. I mean, for example, let me ask this question: Are you willing to eat insects?

Could you get your family and friends to eat insects in a survival emergency, if it came down to it?

Although Survivor over dramatizes the plot lines, the fact remains that surviving extended periods in harsh conditions requires you to make some tough decisions that may include whether or not to seek after and eat various insect species in order to survive and live another day, week, or even month, if insects were all you were able to get your hands on.

Many people — especially those of us that live in North America — shake our heads in disgust at the thought of eating insects. However, the feeling of disgust dissipates as the hunger pangs grow stronger. We're used to consuming three substantial meals a day, sometimes more than that, with one or more snacks filling in the caloric schedule throughout the day.

Eating Insects in a Survival Emergency

When would you retire your entrenched belief that consuming insects represents one of the most distasteful things that you can do? North Americans despise the notion of consuming edible insects, but the fact remains that nearly 80 percent of the world's population includes insects in their daily diets. In some cultures, edible insects comprise the appetizer, entrée, and dessert.

Yes, consuming edible insects requires the development of an acquired taste. Yet, who said you have to go all in and ingest copious amounts of crickets to prepare for the inevitable prolonged disaster.

In a survival emergency, realize that you can safely eat many types of insects as well as other creatures like snails, maggots, and even slugs. Each of these can also be considered as a food source — though they should be found in the wild, not near any area of possible industrial pollution or agricultural contamination or even near a neighborhood due to the widespread use of chemicals aimed at killing these commonly viewed "pests".

Any snails, slugs, or maggots that you do find in the wild should always be cooked thoroughly to kill any bacteria and parasites — more on this below.

The Top 15 North American Edible Insects Are…

In a survival scenario, you can't afford to be picky to sustain your body and mind. Not only does Jimmy John's not deliver Freaky Fast in the wilderness, you might also not have a way to hunt or trap wild game or forage for wild edibles. Just depends on where you are, what season of the year you happen to be in, and whether or not you have any traps or ammo to go after a wild animal. And that brings us to insects, as well as snails, maggots, and slugs — which are not insects, but we mention them here because they are a possible food source often found in the same places as insects and commonly looked at with the same disregard.

But why go hungry in a survival emergency when literally at your feet could be your next meal, and it might not be as bad as you think.

At some point creatures like these may become your only option to survive other than cannibalism and we hope that you and others would never consider that, especially when insects are so readily found.

On top of that you have 15 varieties of insects and those snails, maggots and slugs to choose from that are easy to capture and provide nutrition and calories to help you get through the day and week ahead.

1. Crickets/Grasshoppers

Edible crickets and edible grasshoppers — – Crickets and grasshoppers provide abundant calcium. The easy to catch insect also contains 20.6 grams of protein for every 100 grams of insect that you consume.

Most of the nutritional value of crickets and grasshoppers comes from the torso area. Although the legs and wings do not possess much nutritional value, you might want to consider mixing the parts in with the torso to add a crunch to each bite that you take. The crunch effect makes consuming the insects more palatable, which means you should pull the legs and wings off.

You can consume crickets and grasshoppers either raw or cooked. Crickets live under rocks, boulders, and large logs that sit near meadows and fertile pastures.

The nocturnal insect's cousin the grasshopper prefers more arid and open living environments like meadows and fields, where ever grass is plentiful. Learn specific details about crickets here and learn specific details about grasshoppers here including as edible insects.

2. Locusts

Edible locusts — Similar to crickets and grasshoppers, locusts also contain rich amounts of calcium and protein. The primary difference between locust and their insect cousins involves size and the fact that locusts travel in swarms, which makes it easy to build a large inventory of locusts for surviving prolonged emergencies.

In many parts of the world, locusts comprise a diet and nutritional staple. Residents of Sub-Sahara Africa sweep swarms of locusts into bags. Locusts migrate all over the world, mostly between regions that have fertile soil to grow plants and trees.

3. Ants

Edible ants — The hardest working insect repulses many people for consumption, but ants are easy to find and capture. Some ants, such as fire ants, bite and thus, don't make good food sources.

To catch and round up ants, dig into an anthill and use a large scoop or scoop-like device to push the ants into a container.

Most survival experts recommend boiling ants, but before doing so, you need to shake the container to remove any dirt and mud clinging to any ants. Eating ants raw creates a bitter vinegar taste that boiling in water removes.

Three and a half ounces of red ants produces 14 grams of protein and 5.7 milligrams of iron. The 5.7 milligrams of iron represents about 71 percent of what men require each day.

Women receive more than 33% of their iron needs from a 3.5-ounce serving of red ants.

4. June Bugs

Edible beetles — As a common insect species, June bugs are beetles (Phyllophaga is the technical name for this genus of beetles) and thrive in arid climates, such as climates found in Denver, Santa Fe, and Phoenix, but beetles themselves can be found in many regions. Depending on where you live, you may have come across these for several years, thought they were simply beetles, but now you have a specific name for this species of insect, June bugs.

This slow moving insect requires little effort to catch and the reward is a tasty snack or meal after grilling or slow boiling the insects over a fire. Sometimes June bugs hardly move at all.

You find June bugs on plants during the late evening hours and under plants and along the forest floor during the day. At 13.4 grams of protein per 100 grams of June bug consumption, you receive an ample amount of protein as they are found and consumed.

5. Caterpillars

Edible caterpillars — A hairy insect doesn't seem an epicurean delight, but caterpillars contain high levels of iron, niacin, protein, thiamine, and B vitamins. Some types of caterpillars are not fit for consumption and we discuss the common traits to look for in unhealthy insects at the end of this article. Many survival experts suggest frying caterpillars to harden the crunch. The low moving and easy to catch insect also goes down gullet raw.

In some parts of the world, some types of caterpillars are a rich food source. However, please note, that some caterpillars are toxic to humans, and to rely on caterpillars as a food source in a survival emergency, please seek out more specific instruction for caterpillars in your region.

6. Scorpions

Edible scorpions — Found in the desert regions of the American southwest and open, rugged frontier across states such as Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of California, scorpions are the quintessential insect to raise and harvest for later consumption.

Search for small holes under rocks, trees, and tree limbs. To avoid the painful scorpion sting, use a glass bottle and push the scorpion into the bottle. Cooking scorpions involves skewering the large insect and holding the skewer over an open fire.

Because of a high concentration of protein, several body building supplement products use scorpion extract to enhance protein content. Since scorpions live in rocky environments, you also benefit from a strong source of minerals, such as iron and magnesium.

7. Termites

Edible termites — Your body needs protein to build and repair skin, bones, muscles, and most important blood oxygen, and termites are rich in protein.

If you can find a termite mound, you may be able to feed several people at just one sitting.

During any prolonged emergency, you can expect your body to undergo considerable duress. Termites come to the rescue, because the oft-maligned insect contains an abundant 14.4 grams of protein for every 100 grams of termites that you consume. Anyone that has been the recipient of termite destruction knows where to look for the body-repairing insect. Termites flourish within downed trees, as well as decaying stumps and logs.

You have to eat a large amount of the tiny insect to enjoy the protein benefits, but termites typically are found in hordes. Termites live in damp climates in regions such as thick forests and coastal areas. Many natives to termite country eat the insects raw to obtain the highest nutritional value.

8. Snails

Edible snails — No, you don't need a slab of butter, cup of white wine and a few shallots to enjoy what the French call escargot.

Snails tend to consume toxic fungi and vegetation, so the best way to consume the easy to catch Gastropod is by steaming the entire shell and then removing the tender body from the shell. Harvesting snails only requires a container that contains the traditional grain feed that snails like. The snail population explodes during the spring, when food sources rapidly multiply.

One hundred grams of snails gets you over 16 grams of protein, which represents a protein number near the top of the insect consumption list. The same amount of snails provides 90 calories and about four milligrams of iron, which equals the iron produced from a six-ounce serving of beef.

9. Centipedes

Edible centipedes — Found throughout North America, centipedes are one of the most abundant forms of insects for consumption — and they're typically easy to find. Especially after a steady rain, turn over a large log or rock and discover several centipedes scampering away. Remember that besides possessing fewer legs than millipedes, centipedes also differ from their leggy cousins by not emitting toxins. Since centipedes use pinchers to bite, the best way to consume the nutritious insects is by boiling or steaming them. A serving of 100 grams produces a healthy 160 calories and 36 grams of carbohydrates.

For survivalists that need a sudden burst of energy, centipedes should comprise one of the go to insects for consumption.

10. Cockroaches

Edible cockroaches — Stay away from cockroaches that swarm into dark spaces within your home — we're talking about cockroaches found in the wild.

During an emergency, where you are nowhere near your home and there is no food available, be on the lookout for wilderness cockroaches that feast on highly nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. Cockroaches love damp environments, especially those that bustle under the cover of darkness. The clean and delicious wilderness cockroach taste and feel like greasy chicken say many who have eaten them, but you must boil, fry, or sauté the insect to achieve the greasy chicken taste profile and definitely to kill any bacteria that may be present on a cockroach.

Adult cockroaches produce 23.80 milligrams of vitamin C and 48.16 milligrams of vitamin A. You also benefit from an incredible 65.60 grams of fiber by eating just 100 grams of cockroaches (which you'll get in just a handful).

11. Bees/Wasps

Edible bees and edible wasps — – As an elusive insect to capture, buzzing bees and wasps often zip in and out of view hundreds of yards from where their bustling nests hum, where bees are busy at work serving the hide.

Yet, the effort put into locating the home of bees and wasps is well worth the survival effort. Some survival experts suggest tying a thin, long silk thread to a captured bee or wasp and then follow the bee or wasp to its buzzing home. The way to drive bees and wasps away from the nest is to smoke them out. Once the bees and wasps flee, you have access to delicious and nutritional larvae. Smoking bee or wasp larvae for several hours represents the best way to ensure robust flavor, without diminishing the nutritional content of the edible insects. Bee pollen is replete in protein, folic acid, B-complex vitamins, and free amino acids.

12. Earwigs

Edible earwigs — Many survivalists prepare earwigs the same way that they prepare termites. However, gardeners have found that a capture method makes the prefect food preparation method as well. You fill low-sided cans with about a half-inch of vegetable oil and set the cans on the ground, preferably near vegetation. Earwigs detect the presence of vegetables and move inside the cans, where they drown. The dead earwigs already have a coat of oil for frying or toasting. Stale beer works almost as effectively as vegetable oil. Earwigs offer a substantial source of protein and fiber, something that many survivalists lack by living days or even months outdoors.

13. Maggots

Edible maggots — Revolting as they are, maggots might be one of the few insects that you find during an emergency. Rotting animal corpses produce copious amounts of maggots and the fat content alone helps you survive food deprivation. Many cultures crave the superfood maggot to counter the long-term health detriments of consuming a lean beef diet. Maggots offer the protein and carbohydrates that survivalists need to sustain themselves both physically and mentally during an extended emergency.

14. Slugs

Edible slugs — Slugs possess many of the same nutritional benefits offered by their cousin, the ponderous snail. Rich in minerals that maintain healthy blood flow and oxygen, slugs also deliver the protein required to keep a brisk pace during survivor mode. Abundant during the rainy season in any North American climate, slugs require little effort to acquire. Simply look under damp vegetation and timber to find the slow moving insect.

Never eat slugs raw, as they contain a potentially harmful parasite that can kill you. Cook slugs thoroughly the same way that you prepare snails, except you don't have to remove the body from the shell.

15. Beetles

Edible beetles — Though we discussed June bugs earlier in the article, it's worth going into more detail on beetles as a whole as many are edible and easily found.

A giant water beetle produces around 20 grams of protein on just a 3.5-ounce serving of the crunchy insect. One 3.5-ounce serving of the palm worm beetle generates almost 14 grams of protein. Beetles of all species supply you with more than enough iron, zinc, and calcium to thrive during a prolong stint living in the wild.

You can find beetles in the same places that you find many of the other edible insects on this list: under fallen tree limbs and other timber that sit in damp conditions. To cook beetles properly, skewer the insects on a shaved stick and slowly roast the bugs over an open fire. Many survivalist experts recommend crushing the bodies and sprinkling the insect over other types of food.

The top 15 edible insects represent just the tip of the iceberg. Other lesser-known insects offer many of the same nutritional benefits. For example, many species of spiders provide sustenance during difficult times. Remember that many cultures adhere to diets that include insects or exclusively use insects to provide nourishment.

You don't have to be in desperation mode to enjoy edible insects. Like most acquired tastes, it takes a little time to integrate insects into your outdoor diet.

Toxic Insects and Warning Signs that an Insect is Not Safe to Eat

Although each species of insect present varied edible warning signs, a few general rules apply that should keep you safe during an emergency.

Survival experts state you should avoid insects with bright colors such as red, orange, and yellow. Some insects flash the bright colors to thwart attacks by predators, but to ensure your health, avoid the bright colored insects. If you want to maintain your health, stick with insects that wear green and brown.

Insects that emit a strong odor typically are not safe to eat. You should also avoid insects that live near farms and outlying rural neighborhoods, as pesticides make the insects a terrible option for obtaining calories.

General Insect Preparation Rules

Insects tend to snack on food sources that leave us a bit sick, after consuming the insect raw or cooked. The way to avoid coming down with insect caused nausea involves not only slow cooking edible insects, but also taking steps to harvest the insects for consumption.

Virtually every North American edible insect should spend some time fattening up on grain for a couple of days to clear out the remains of potentially harmful feed in their systems. You can easily build a small cage from twigs and sticks to keep the edible insects from running away. Survivalists don't have the tools used by professional insect harvesters out in the wild, but you'll find enough natural "supplies" in nature to make edible insect harvesting during an emergency easy to accomplish.

Emergencies never knock on the door and tell you when they're coming. The calm, sunny day that you enjoyed today can easily transform into a raging crisis tomorrow. Adept survivalists know how to prepare for the inevitable emergency. However, some emergencies unfold over extended periods that exhaust most, if not all of the food sources collected to prepare for the cataclysmic event. Ensure your long-term survival by knowing which insect to eat that provide the nutritional sustenance you need to live during desperate times.

More Specifics

To learn more specifics about edible insects, consider Edible: An Adventure into the World of Eating Insects and the Last Great Hope to Save the Planet by Daniella Martin available in hardcover, audio book, and digital format.

Though many insects and other creatures mentioned are edible and can help you survive, as mentioned some are toxic or have dangerous bacteria or parasites present, and to really consider any of these as a viable food source it really is worth reading more on and developing experience with hands on practice.

Yummy
Thomas Prendergast

Al Zibluk

What are all those connections on LinkedIn for anyway?

A segment of a social network  

A segment of a social network (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

The number of your LinkedIn connections is a critical factor in your long-term marketing success on this unique social network. If you connect with someone that has 10k 1st level connections on LinkedIn. That person's 10K 1st level connections automatically become your second level connections. their 2nd level, automatically become your 3rd.

The larger your network, the larger your reach of potential prospects.  Or, to put it another way, large networks command a larger sphere of influence.  With large networks it is apparent that you cannot know everyone in your network personally, but the advantage in my opinion outweighs the benefit of a smaller network of known associates.

As your network grows it will be more attractive for others to connect to you in order to widen their sphere of influence. For example, it is clear that a certain point, you will have to make less effort to find connections.  (It has been reported that this usually happens on LinkedIn when 3,000 or more 1st level connections have been made).

3,000 connections may seem like a big number if you rely only on friends and associates.  If you could add 30 connections per day, however, then it would take you only about three months to accomplish.  Not bad, right?

The larger your network, the more invitations will come to you, instead of having to reach out for every one of your connections. It is healthy for the growth of your network to have a mix of incoming and outgoing connection requests.  If you only send out connection requests and never receive any incoming requests, it may look unbalanced to LinkedIn. You might want to check your profile to see if there is anything that would prevent someone from connecting to you, if you notice this happening.  

Every time you post on Pulse inside of LinkedIn, your post automatically goes out to all of your first level connections.  If you have 10k connections, you have the chance for your content to be seen by over 10,000 people!  You will likely get many more views, likes, and comments with a larger network receiving your posts. LinkedIn is much more likely to promote your content on Pulse, with a greater number of views.  

If LinkedIn does promote your post, it could potentially be seen by tens of thousands of people.  It is not an easy task to get a blog post to command that kind of attention on a typical hosted WordPress blog. It takes quite a bit of time and effort.

One caution here. You will inevitably get more spammy type messages in your inbox. How long does it take to click delete?  If anyone becomes annoying and sends you repeated messages, you always have the option to remove them from your network. In my opinion the rewards far outweigh the risks, so I am busy building a large network on LinkedIn.  See the following links to find out more about the best ways to do this.

MarketHive — Social Network for Entrepreneurs

Goldfinch Digital Marketing — one-stop shopping for all your local marketing needs

Goldfinch Digital Publishing — marketing blog

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Al Zibluk

Email Abuse and how to be blacklisted

Just a bit of advice to readers here. In the old days, it was a clever trick to set up an auto-responder trying to push an "opportunity" on your email address account. These are also referred to as "out of office replies". Do not confuse what I am referring to here with real auto-responders, when someone has actually signed-up to receive information from them.

This is not liked by most ESP's (Email Service Providers).  Times have changed. Now it is just seen as abuse and will not do any good for your on-line reputation.

This will get your email address blacklisted at Amazon who we at Markethive use as our Email Provider and because we have to follow by strict rules and procedures, we then put your email address in our own blacklist, so no further correspondence is sent to it.

So, be sensible .. remove those pesky blighters from your account settings and add a personal touch when contacting prospective clients or customers.

If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they are visible on this page.

Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive

markethive.com


Al Zibluk

To Outsource or to Automate, that is the Question!

Let me give some personal background in answer to this question, and why I consider it such an important one.  Many years ago, I ran across this quote by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, um 1700, Öl auf Holz

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, um 1700, Öl auf Holz (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

“It is unworthy of excellent men to lose hours like slaves in the labor of calculation which could safely be relegated to anyone else if machines were used.”

(Describing, in 1685, the value to astronomers of the hand-cranked calculating machine he had invented in 1673.)”
― Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

 

Leibniz, (July 1, 1646 — November 14, 1716) was a particularly brilliant mind of his day.  His contributions range from Physics to Philosophy, and he is attributed with the development of calculus in parallel to, but independently of, Isaac Newton.

 

According to Wikipedia, “While working on adding automatic multiplication and division to Pascal’s calculator, he was the first to describe a pinwheel calculator in 1685[8] and invented the Leibniz wheel, used in the arithmometer, the first mass-produced mechanical calculator. He also refined the binary number system, which is the foundation of virtually all digital computers.”

This quote as has been sort of a motto of mine for a very long time. It has been one of the themes of my career repeated several times over.

When I was growing up, my uncle worked as a manual machinist for a large aerospace company in NJ. My dad was an engineer / draftsman for the same company. Between them they worked nearly a century for the same company. Neither ever used a computer on the job. Today, my uncle’s job would be done by a CNC machinist. Instead of cranking manual dials, my uncle would be loading computerized code into computerized metal cutting machines that would cut parts automatically. Automation doesn’t mean it takes any less skill to run the machine. Many of the same skills are required to run an automated machine. It just is a different type of skill.

 

The accuracy and repeatability of these machines is simply phenomenal. Tolerances can be held on standard CNC milling and turning machines to within +/- 0.0002 of an inch. That is a mere two ten thousandths of an inch. That is nothing less than extraordinary in the world of manufacturing!  It is an order of magnitude of 5-10 times what can be achieved with manual methods alone.

In my dad’s day, just before he retired, the company had purchased their first computers in the engineering department where he worked. They were big clunky things that took up an entire room of office space. By the way, both lived extremely long lives; my uncle passed away at the ripe old age of 99, and my dad at 98!

Why do I mention this? I became involved with computerized machinery and computerized programming after having seen my family, practically speaking, slave for a nearly a century in the manufacturing industry without the benefit of computers.

I was and still am proud of the accomplishments of both my uncle and my dad, but I also knew that I could be much more productive in my life by taking advantage of the revolutionary advances of computerized manufacturing technology that were not available to either of them.

I have met so many great people in the manufacturing industry over the years, in companies large and small, but especially in the smaller tool and die and plastic injection mold-making shops.

There is something about machining that keeps people honest. Either your part, tool or mold, and whatever you are making works properly, and is made to the specifications of the blueprint, or it is not. There is no grey area or subjective opinion; only measurable fact. The part is within tolerance, or it is out of tolerance. Thumbs up or thumbs down. There is no compromising middle ground. Measurements are precise, accurate, and objective, with mutually agreed upon standards that are universal.

Even though my first glimpse of a computerized (CNC) machine tool was intimidating, I determined that even if it took me years to understand the technology, I vowed that I would learn to master it, and I eventually did on both accounts. If a machine tool has a computerized control on it, chances are I have programmed that type of machine before, at some point in my career. I also learned to run a wide variety of CNC machine tools.

The above quote from Leibniz stuck with me all these years, and when reasonably fast PCs became available in the 80s, I realized that the dream of Leibniz long ago had finally become a reality. Every software program used and the possibilities of communication using the Internet allows us a greater freedom from repetitive manual labor.

By the way, I am not opposed in principle to manual labor. There is nothing whatsoever that is wrong with it. In my life, I have worked as a construction laborer, a mover, a mason, a carpenter and a house painter. Although I enjoyed manual labor, I knew I did not want to spend my entire life doing it.

For example, when I worked as a house painter, years ago in San Francisco, we used electric airless paint sprayers that allowed us to paint buildings at the rate of 60 gallons of paint per day on a two-man team. If you are using a paint roller on a floor, you might be able to paint that much in a day, but there is no way to paint walls at that rate, or to paint by hand, using a brush, with that kind of proficiency!

If the lives of everyone can be improved using computers, I am always on board with it. Although there is a certain nostalgia surrounding the manual art and craft, and some things should be made only by hand, ninety-five times out of one-hundred, I personally prefer the computerized solution.

I have worked with and trained hundreds of machinists and programmers to use CAD/CAM technology to significantly improve their productivity in manufacturing.

I do the same today with small businesses and entrepreneurs. The niche may have changed, but my goals remain the same. I help companies to implement automated marketing solutions that improve their business, and the lives of both owners and employees alike.

Several weeks ago, I faced a dilemma. I needed to locate prospects and send out a large number of emails on a daily basis. I was considering hiring someone to help me send out more emails than I knew I could send out on my own each day. I was on the verge of outsourcing this work.

In principle, I do not like asking anyone else to do something that I would not want to do myself. If it is something that I can’t do, then that doesn’t leave me with a choice. Even if someone else does not think the work is tiresome, it still didn’t feel right to me; the thought of outsourcing this project left a bad taste in my mouth.

I know that there are companies that hire people abroad to send up to 100 emails a day. These people search for email addresses of potential prospects, and are happy to do this all day, for a decent wage based upon what is considered to be a fair wage in their particular country.

As for myself, I know very well I would become crazy doing strictly that and nothing else all day. Again, I was reminded of the Leibniz quotation, and despite my need, I squirmed at the idea of hiring someone to do this kind of job that I am unwilling to do myself.

So what is my conclusion to all of this soul searching and pondering? My advice is to keep looking for an automated solution to any problem you are having. Only as a last resort, if an automation solution is not possible, should you consider the alternative of outsourcing repetitive, tedious work.

I actually found an automated solution to my problem that is far better than hiring two full-time outsourcers, so I came out way ahead.

Also, if you have the means, consider hiring a programmer to build a custom solution to your problem. Then you not only have a solution that you can use, you have a product that you can sell to others that solves your particular problem.

This type of project has a very high probability of success. You are the very best possible beta tester for your product. You know the problem inside and out. You will know who can benefit from this solution, so you will know your target market very well. Your customers will greatly benefit from the automated solution you have found. Of course, you will also benefit by selling a solution that is well-tested, accomplishes the objective, and one that your customers not only need, but also appreciate.

by John Lombaerde

MarketHive

Goldfinch Digital Marketing

Goldfinch Digital Publishing

 

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Five Ways to Wow Your Clients Every Time

When it comes to dealing with customers, keep these things in mind for repeat business: stay in touch, ask questions, choose "can do" terminology, deliver the goods, and follow up. We share the details of the how and why below.

Freelancers, whether they're working as virtual assistants, writers, or transcribers for local law offices, are under constant pressure to please clients each and every time.

You know all too well how hungry the competition is. It’s one of the reasons you always try to go above and beyond with each client. The good news is that there are five ways you can wow your clients every time so they’ll never need to consider anyone but you.

Stay in Touch

You’d be surprised by just how much this means to clients. Not to mention how few competitors take this advice to heart. It’s easy to lose touch over the duration of long projects. A simple email note about the status of the project goes a long way towards helping your clients feel appreciated and preventing them from worrying about whether you’ll be able to deliver on time.

Ask Questions

More importantly, listen to the answers and use them in your work. Clients love it when you give them exactly what they want. Sometimes, that requires asking questions, refining, and narrowing.

Choose “Can Do” Terminology

When working with clients, there are many times when it’s not what you say that makes the difference, but how you say it. Learning to communicate effectively is a must when dealing with clients. However, learning to effectively communicate positively adds that extra little wow factor that keeps clients coming back for more. For instance, instead of telling your client that you can’t have a project finished until after 3 p.m. on Friday, try telling your clients that "I can have that project finished by 3 p.m. on Friday. Does that work for you?” That subtle change has a significant impact on the way clients view you. When you use words like can’t, they view you as someone who can’t get things done. When you change them to can, they see you as someone with a can-do attitude who will make things happen.

Deliver the Goods

In many cases, this is all it takes. However, you don’t want to merely deliver what the client asked for. You want to exceed your client’s expectations and you want to make sure that the client leaves the transaction believing he got more than his money’s worth.

Follow Up

The fortune is in the follow-up. You’ll hear this in almost any business you enter into. It’s not the one-time sell that becomes your bread and butter. It’s the people who keep coming back, month after month, to make use of the services you provide or the goods you sell. Follow up.

Make sure they’re happy with the product, service, etc. and double-check to ensure nothing is wrong, missing, or lost in translation. Then, ask if they need other products or services you offer and invite them to call on you again. This gives them the perfect opportunity to hire you again.

You don’t have to move mountains, make hard sells, or walk on burning coals to make customers happy. These five steps are relatively simple and yet they deliver happy customers time and time again. Try them out and see what a difference they make for your business.

If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they are visible on this page.

Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive

markethive.com


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Check On Your Direction Before Going Into Business!

markethiveBefore Going Into Business!

Listed below are some reasons why your business is important.

Anyway about the business you are in — the very first question that you must ask yourself before anything else. You got to demand yourself to an answer to this.

Why the heck on earth would anybody pay for what you're selling?

1. Why should there be anyone would do business with you? This could be the very first question that you must ask yourself before anything else. You got to demand yourself to an answer to this. Why the heck on earth would anybody pay for this "Junk" you're selling? Yup, "Junk", as I phrased it.

It doesn't matter how good your product is to be, to the eye of others, it's just another piece of product in a sea pool of other similar products. So, still be very proud of your product or service? Truly you're 100% proud of it? You truthfully and deeply believe people would be dumb by NOT buying from you?

 

Well…you passed the first barrier! You're ready to start go to next stage.

2. The basic business needs 3 things: Lawyer, a Professional CPA, and Creative or crazy fellow, which could very well be you.

Almost every business gets themselves for the first two. It's understandably so. Good creative people are really hard to find, hard to manage, and you'll never sure of what you're paying for. Every established and sizeable business knows the creative side plays a heavier weight than the lawyer and CPA. CPA's and lawyers can help you when you are up there.

But at the early stage when your business is still an infant, your business live or die depending on the business branding activities in areas like business identities, logos, marketing campaign, advertising copy and business slogans. Now, are you NUTS enough? Have people been calling you NUTS?

 

If so, you are ready for the next stage! Do give yourself a "Cheers"!

3. Singing for Your Own Business? You Got To Promote Yourself In Every Possible Way. Do all of them.

Yes, do whatever possible to get your business name to be up there! Get your Business Brand being noticed by others. There more the merrier! Businesses can just come and go so fast before anybody could hear of them. People are busy, what do they care? They don't care about you and your business.

Why should they care? Get serious. Do everything you can possibly and reasonably afford to do. But beware; you must not mislead others because it'll backfire quickly enough to wipe your business off. Do you "Sing for your own self"?

 

Then you've passed! Move on to next stage…

4. Big Decision: Could You Win The Competition. It's very likely that you're entering a crowded business market when you first started. Take a hard and closer look at what other fellows are doing; what your competitors are doing right now could affect your business greatly. At this stage, you got to decide: Are you going for "Head to Head" fight?

Competing on better quality? Crazier pricing strategy? Extra Mile Service Level? Better Marketing Campaign? or what else? Or you would avoid all that, and create your own niche, where you are the leader?

If you decided to be offering the same or very much similar product at the same price, but your marketing materials doesn't look half as good as your competitors hey, you're in deep trouble! If you're charging half compare to others, then it's still alright to "Look" cheap, simply because you are the "Cheaper" alternative where people are looking for. Do Love Your Business, just like you love yourself. 

Article by:

Brian Walters SEO

 

SKYPE: tuneup_bj

Markethive Education Specialist

http://brian-walters-online.com/

The Power of Markethive Blogging System

http://briansmarketing.net/

Al Zibluk

Internet traffic brings leads

MarkethiveInternet traffic brings leads

Hello and welcome everyone to another informative post.

Internet traffic brings Leads to your website. Without visitors to your website acquiring Leads is nearly impossible. Here I am talking about Internet Leads and not the people you answer your cold calls on the phone. Increasing traffic brings extra visitors to your website which in turn creates leads.

So without website traffic the business you do on the Internet will be zero. Sure you may get people buying from your website because you handed out a few hundred business cards at a Home Show or a Convention but huge volumes of traffic; well you need to make other arrangements.

Anyone can sell just about anything with enough traffic. Although one thousand hits maybe sound like a good number but in advertising as in life you have to maintain the interest of the visitor.

Some campaigns require many thousands of ongoing hits to achieve reasonable results. Remember once the leads have arrived, the information must be captured. This can only happen if a valid response is received and unless there is a benefit in this activity (a tangible gift of some description) why would a person type in personal information on the form to you.

It is essential when creating your Online presence that both the online and offline advertising activities you design are supported when the visitor arrives at your website. The numbers game here also plays a critical part in retaining visitors and getting new ones.

The more your different forms of advertising are seen the greater potential for results. And if you are building an Internet business, ongoing daily traffic is essential.

My basic strategy is —

1. Identify the keywords which can generate maximum traffic but have minimal competition.

2. Write an article based around those keywords.

3. Place links on the blog website

4. Get lots and lots of inbound links to that web site.

And you know something else? The Markethive System does all the above. After all a potential customer is the person who originally responded to your web site lead generation page, flyer, mailing, newspaper advertisement or some other means you employed to capture this original information. The important thing here is, has enough interest has been sparked in the lead to respond back to you.

In other words, did the information you supplied in your ads bring the appropriate response from the client, was it relevant to your business or are you getting leads from people who misunderstood your message.

The average Internet user that enters your keyword may see your advertisement multiple times in different places before landing on your Website. This branding and consistency in advertising is important as the information being supplied is a consistent message both in the ad and is again supported when they arrive at your Website. Only at this time are they ready to get more info, signup, and/or make a purchase.

 

Article by:

Brian Walters SEO

 

SKYPE: tuneup_bj

Markethive Education Specialist

http://brian-walters-online.com/

The Power of Markethive Blogging System

http://briansmarketing.net/

Al Zibluk