Making Summer Fun Without Emptying the Bank Account

Once the school year ends, children will be seeking constant entertainment. Parents may go to great lengths to avoid hearing, “I’m bored!” Television, video games, camps, theme parks, and other activities will assume the role of expensive babysitters. Parents should keep dollars in their wallets this summer by thinking outside the box and planning when creating summer entertainment for children. The entire family will have a great time without parents worrying about how to afford school clothing and supplies for next year.

Summer vacations to the beach or mountains are guaranteed fun but they are also expensive. Enjoy summer closer to home by camping in the backyard or at a local campground. Teach children responsibility by letting them pack their own belongings. Let them see how much food costs by giving each one a shopping list for the trip and letting them suggest cost-cutting alternatives such as buying in bulk or exchanging high-priced prepackaged meals for those prepared at the campsite.

When kids are at home, turn off the television and take a hike at a local park. Learn about the local flora and fauna by taking a nature book. Visit the local zoo to learn more about the animal kingdom. Older children can even volunteer to work at zoo camps during the summer. Kids who prefer to play will enjoy spending time at a public pool with their friends. This is just as fun and much less expensive than a day trip to the beach.

Scan the Internet and newspapers for free or inexpensive local activities such as concerts, community movie nights, and sporting events. Different neighborhoods hold parties throughout the summer so organize one for your community. Keep expenses low by arranging a potluck picnic or a barbecue where attendees take their own meat. If a large space is needed, rent a pavilion at a local park or campground and set up an obstacle course or water balloon races for the children.

Show older children how to earn money over the summer with a business. Dog walking, gardening, and beverage stands are several popular ideas. Children will learn how to manage their time and money and parents get some breathing room without worrying about what the kids are doing. Helping children to create a budget and track savings for a desired toy, game, or electronic makes work more fun.

Summer is the perfect season to institute family game or activity night. Spend time playing cards or board games, reading, cooking, or just talking. Children will cherish these memories for a lifetime so make them count. Ask kids which low-cost family activities they would enjoy and incorporate these into the schedule.

All of this focus on family should not cause parents to neglect themselves. Summer is the perfect time to start a part-time work at home business to earn money for a winter vacation. Things may be slow at the day job but with the right knowledge and resources, everyone can earn more money by becoming their own bosses.

Simple Ways To Expand Your Customer Base

If you are exploring home business ideas or have recently started a business at home, you are probably looking for customers. Even experienced entrepreneurs focus on expanding their customer base because without customers, a business cannot grow. Discard the notions that expensive advertising and begging friends for support are required. Here are some simple and inexpensive ways to gain more customers without shameless plugging.

We all know people who use social media to push their products or services on their supposed friends. Being on the receiving end of this propaganda can make us feel uncomfortable and cause us to consider “unfriending” the person. There is a much more effective way for these folks to promote their endeavors and it involves relationship-building, not advertising. If you need proof, look at some of the most successful entrepreneurs. They used referrals and testimonials to grow their companies during the early years and many still employ this approach.

Effective salespeople generate relationships through those they have already established. They reach out to new prospects and start conversations rather than long-winded sales pitches. It costs nothing to talk to someone but the result can be invaluable. Even if that person may not be a candidate for the product or service, he or she may know someone who is. You will never find out if you push offerings as a ballpark vendor does.

Starting a business can be overwhelming and generating customers may seem an impossible task. Begin by making a list of everyone you know. This includes family, friends, vendors, acquaintances, and anyone else encountered on any day. Focus on developing relationships with these people by referring them to great products or services sold by other acquaintances. Refer jobseekers to other people who have open positions. Generate as many referrals as possible and the people on the receiving end will begin referring you.

Update the list of personal resources each time a new acquaintance is made. Enrich it by adding birthdays, special events, names of spouses and children, and other personal facts. Be honest and genuine when developing a relationship with each person on the list. People see through fake words and behaviors and can quickly identify someone who cares more about their money than about them.

Work on these relationships every day and soon, people will begin to take notice of the business. They will ask questions about what is offered and express interest in becoming customers. In essence, they will come to you rather than the other way around. Of course, there is no harm in reaching out to them once they become customers. In fact, they will appreciate receiving special offers and advance notice of customer appreciation events.

Picture a day when everyone on the personal list wants to be a customer. This will grow the business tremendously and as these people refer others, opportunities will expand. Begin by referring others and watch this come back around to your business. Eventually, everyone will be talking about the company and clamoring to be on the customer list.

Valuable Life Lessons from a Secret Millionaire Star

Someone who has achieved millionaire status through determination and hard work is someone to listen to when it comes to business and, possibly, life. Someone who has achieved that enviable position and captured enough attention to wind up on a national television show that highlights not only success but also a charitable nature should serve as a role model. As a star of ABC television’s Secret Millionaire, Dani Johnson falls into the second category and she has valuable information to share.

As a lifestyle and self-improvement expert, Dani has encountered her fair share of “false believers.” These people say her training products are the best things since sliced bread but then never use the information to improve their lives. They compliment her website content, buy her books and training materials, and plan to attend her live events. Then, they fall off the face of the planet.

 Dani never sees their names on the registration lists for the live events she holds throughout the country each year. She never receives a letter or phone call about the impressive results they achieved. We bet they never use the information from a single Dani Johnson script book to improve their careers.

When Dani started off, she believed these people and she felt let down when they did not follow through on their commitments. It took a while for her to realize that some people lie. She also discovered that in an attempt to make themselves look better, some people made promises to her that they never intended to keep. When Dani encounters these types of people now, she waits to see if they will follow through on their commitments.

Based on her experiences with these individuals, Dani offers advice that may prevent us from becoming one of them. First, she tells us to avoid making big promises unless we plan to fulfill them. If we say yes, we should follow through on this commitment. If we do not follow through, we should not provide excuses for our lack of action. Excuses call our trustworthiness and dependability into question. In addition, they do not increase our income. Dani recommends that we think things through and take a realistic approach when committing to something because others may rely on the delivery of results.

The final piece of advice that Dani provides on this topic is to be aware of what others say and do. Many people fall into the category of those who make promises but do not deliver. They are our co-workers, partners, and even clients. Results reveal whether an individual is worthy of a pay increase, promotion, or continued relationship. When assessing whether we can depend on someone, we should look at the results delivered.

This advice is applicable to our business and personal lives because results matter in nearly every situation. We should be the people that others rely upon to deliver results and we should surround ourselves with others who live up to their commitments. People who make false promises have no place in the lives of others who want to be successful.

Investment Secrets from Dani Johnson

Investing is a complex endeavor fraught with many disappointments. One moment, people are on top of the world, earning amazing returns on stocks, bonds, and other investments. The next moment, the bottom falls out of the economy. People are left with nothing to show for the money they worked so hard to earn and contributed to what they thought were smart investments. Others stash money in a savings account, build up a nest egg, and avoid creating larger financial goals.

Having financial objectives puts these folks ahead of most people who have no money left over after paying for rent or mortgage, utilities, and groceries. Saving some money is important because emergencies may arise or a change in personal circumstances could turn life upside down. Lifestyle expert Dani Johnson tells us to view money as a seed that must be planted and grown.

Dani recommends this approach because it transforms money from our master into something that works for us. Over time, money that resides in a savings account decreases in value due to annual increases in the cost of living. If we sock money into a bank account month after month, we will not be able to afford more “stuff” over time. In fact, we will be able to afford less because a high bank balance is not the equivalent of wealth.

First Steps to Success and War on Debt are two Dani Johnson training programs that emphasize the need to master money rather than let it master us. This approach begins with identifying where all of our money goes. A sample budget may consist of saving ten percent of income, donating ten percent to charity, and using the remainder for living expenses. If income permits, five or ten percent of this remainder could be set aside for investing or growth. If not, take some money out of savings and use it for this purpose.

Money sitting in a savings account is safe because the risk of losing it is slim. However, it will not grow. Investments may grow but they are not as safe, even when well-researched. As we have witnessed in recent years, the market can do anything. So, what is a person to do when investing in a sure thing that will continuously grow is the goal?

One investment that consistently provides a 100 percent return and affects all areas of life is an investment in ourselves. By increasing our knowledge and skills, we increase our market values. Expertise has no substitute and the more we develop and refine it, the larger our bank accounts will grow. Setting aside money to further education or learn or expand skills will pay off regularly and increasingly over the long-term.

Investing in ourselves may not even require money, only time. Most people have the ability to increase their knowledge and lack of knowledge should never be an excuse for not investing in yourself. Get started by ordering one of Dani’s training programs, attending one of her live events, or participating in her weekly strategy calls.

Dani Johnson Hosts Rabbi Jonathan Cahn

On the May 19 edition of The Dani Johnson Radio Show, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn stopped by to discuss his book The Harbinger, a New York Times bestseller. He also shared an ancient mystery with the listening audience. If you missed this memorable broadcast, head over to Dani’s website and listen to the audio recording. Being prepared for what is likely to come could change your life.

Rabbi Cahn is the leader of Hope of the World, an outreach that aims to spread the word and love of God to everyone in need. Messages are conveyed through radio, television, printed word, and compassionate projects including the distribution of free Bibles to residents of overseas nations. This end-time ministry of Jews and Gentiles spreads the Gospel of salvation. Donations, gifts, and proceeds are applied to the goal of spreading the love of God to the world. Past missions include distributing medical supplies to the sick, constructing water wells and bamboo churches, and caring for orphans.

The Rabbi also leads the Jewish and Gentile worshipping center called Jerusalem Center & Beth Israel, located outside of New York City in Wayne, New Jersey. This organization is one of the largest Messianic worship centers on the planet and is comprised of people of all backgrounds, denominations, and from all nations. It aims to restore the original Jewish roots of the Gospel taken from the Book of Acts.

Before ancient Israel was destroyed as a nation, it received nine harbingers, or prophetic warning omens. Called the “bearer of the harbinger,” Rabbi Cahn has written several books on the topic, which are also available on CD and DVD. Harbingers include the Stone of Judgment, the Sign of the Sycamore, and the Mystery of the Erez Tree.

There is more to these symbols than meets the eye and Rabbi Cahn revealed some additional details during his recent talk with Dani. Money, politics, and the economy all play roles in his messages. The Rabbi believes that the recent state of each was ordained long ago, prophesized in the Bible. By understanding these messages and being prepared for the associated events, we can change our futures.

In addition to revealing prophecies that have come true, Rabbi Cahn’s latest book discusses what is yet to come. He says that we cannot afford to miss this information. A harbinger is considered an ancient mystery that holds the secret of the future of America. The Rabbi believes that God is sending us a prophetic message and we should listen and learn. Each revelation is a single piece in a large puzzle and the ramifications of each one can alter the course of the history of our planet.

This message seems quite appropriate given the current unstable state of our economy and the increasing complexity of the political arena. By having Rabbi Cahn as a guest on her radio show, Dani provided us with another tool to handle the future. Dani Johnson training equips us to handle whatever may come our way and helps us prepare younger generations to be successful in that new world.