Posts by foreword

There's is always an element of stress involved when you start a business. You need to find who needs your services (you probably have an idea who they are). At first selling your services is the key, actually selling yourself is the key. You seem to have a great smile and plus you are honest, so people will love doing business with you.

So to start, remember that selling is your primary job (you need the customers). Once you've pinpointed the demographics of your customer, attack like there is no tomorrow. Go see them, talk the talk, and some will buy from you....trust me. I've started businesses without even printing business cards and have gotten better money than those in regular jobs, it's all about confidence and selling.

However, before you sell, you need to know what other people charge for the same services. This is important cause at first you will need to underbid them. Be careful, do not underbid too much, just slightly under their price, and sometimes be ready to walk away (if they are cheap bastards). I've noticed that sometimes when customers care too much about the money, it's no fun working for them cause they are too demanding. Work for those who like who you are and not your price, you'll have fun doing it and make friends in the process.

The important question is..."Can I deliver the product?". So in your case, you need to make sure you have the equipment to produce quality. And if not, you might need to subcontract some of the work, rent extra equipment, but never say this to your customer. They need to feel you are in total control. Keep the credit to yourself. But make sure you know your costs before you quote a price.

Always, and always, listen to what the contract requires, but return home to think before you give a price, especially if it's custom work, which in your case will most likely be 90% of the time. People who have money and want quality, will usually understand that you can't give them a price right away. Beware of those who want a price on the spot.

There's nothing mysterious about business, all it is is this. Find the prospect, do the work and collect the money. Skip all the SBA bullshit about a business plans and all the tralala, unless you need a loan. I've seen people waste enormous amounts of time trying to figure out a business plan, and never got in business. Business is about meeting people who need your services, so the only business plan you need is to know who those people are. You'll have plenty of time to figure out the mechanics of business as you go.

Just go get the money. And please, don't be afraid to ask for a retainer. It's part of doing business.

Roll up your sleeves, meet people and you'll soon realize there's was no mystery to the whole thing.

Good luck and have fun.

8

Who has written to the WTS about all the scandals?

by berylblue in

jw
friends

my only jw friend, to whom i wrote four months ago, wrote back and said, in part, "you are accusing the wts and have condemned the brothers without hearing their side.

that is not fair.

you need to write to the society and give them a chance to explain".. has anyone done that re: un, silent lambs, etc.

foreword

Checks go in the (as quickly as possible) deposit pile and complaints from whiners on the trash heap.

I'm sure that's how it goes in the mail room.

16

Did You Stifle a "Gift" That You Could Have Grown Because You Were A JW?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i see a lot of talent here.

those that love music, poetry, literature,etc.......do you feel that if you weren't a witness, that you could have grown in your talent or "gift"?

foreword

In a sense they did stop me for a while, but i've never been without practicing music, even when a witness. It was too wordly then to make a go at it. Classical and jazz were more accepted but not many witnesses worked as musicians. Nobody studied anything when a witness, much less music.

At 19, I would create, write and record songs having up to ten tracts of music. This without theoretical knowledge of music or recording engineering. Some of those songs were played at weddings (cause at the time I would write ballads or waltzes for friends as a wedding gift). Mostly instrumentals though. This was done using a two track reel to reel, and I would play all instruments ( guitar, bass, piano and percussions). Most people who have heard my music seem to enjoy it.

On average, I practice an hour a day and my guitar playing is getting pretty decent. I've got plenty of songs and riffs to make a few albums. I just need to polish some lyrics, that's next.

No they never would have been able to separate me from music, cause that's where I go to get away from it all. And it's still fun. The beauty with talent, is that it never goes away, you are always free to use or develop it. No one can take that away from you.

Oops sorry, this was not the rant thread....

57

BBC: US tries to Boost Patriotism, Faked Rescue: Jessica Lynch

by Cassiline in

british broadcasting corp. documentary concluded after interviewing iraqis that the rescue was a hollywood-style stunt designed to boost patriotism at a difficult time in the war.

washington post, richard cohen says that their reports were not accurate.

the post initially said lynch was shot and stabbed as she fought off her attackers "gun blazing" until she was taken prisoner.

foreword

You really don't have to provide the link, I'd have to be pretty stupid to not believe Al-Qaeda was behind most terror attacks, and I don't support their activities either.

It just bugs me that we can't get a straight story. I think that's what I'm mostly against. I can't stand being taken for a ride by medias and governments. If you know what I mean. People always have to pry to get an answer, and when you finally get one, you have to be suspicious about it.

All right that's it, I'm taking a vacation.....lol

57

BBC: US tries to Boost Patriotism, Faked Rescue: Jessica Lynch

by Cassiline in

british broadcasting corp. documentary concluded after interviewing iraqis that the rescue was a hollywood-style stunt designed to boost patriotism at a difficult time in the war.

washington post, richard cohen says that their reports were not accurate.

the post initially said lynch was shot and stabbed as she fought off her attackers "gun blazing" until she was taken prisoner.

foreword

Yeru, I think we posted pretty much at the same time. I guess my apologies came after. Yes let's cool things down. Don't mind me too much I'm just weird like that OK.

57

BBC: US tries to Boost Patriotism, Faked Rescue: Jessica Lynch

by Cassiline in

british broadcasting corp. documentary concluded after interviewing iraqis that the rescue was a hollywood-style stunt designed to boost patriotism at a difficult time in the war.

washington post, richard cohen says that their reports were not accurate.

the post initially said lynch was shot and stabbed as she fought off her attackers "gun blazing" until she was taken prisoner.

foreword

Yeru,

You automatically link 9/11 to Al-Qaeda, could you post proofs of that. I'm not saying they didn't do it, but I don't think it has been proven yet.

The article stated

Democrats and some Republicans are expressing public concerns that the main reasons by which Washington and London justified the war – Iraq's weapons and links with al-Qa'ida – were based on false or greatly exaggerated intelligence claims.
Jane Harman, the senior Democrat on the House Select Committee on Intelligence, said: "This could conceivably be the greatest intelligence hoax of all time. I doubt it, but we have to ask. It was the moral justification for the war. I think the world is owed an accounting."

Yes, I do think the world is owe an accounting.

That's it for me. Sorry if I insulted you, I didn't mean it. The subject just grips my guts and I get carried away. I had stayed away from these threads for a while, and I think I'll just have to do that.

57

BBC: US tries to Boost Patriotism, Faked Rescue: Jessica Lynch

by Cassiline in

british broadcasting corp. documentary concluded after interviewing iraqis that the rescue was a hollywood-style stunt designed to boost patriotism at a difficult time in the war.

washington post, richard cohen says that their reports were not accurate.

the post initially said lynch was shot and stabbed as she fought off her attackers "gun blazing" until she was taken prisoner.

foreword

That's true, I have a tendency to use "you" in the wrong way. I've done this in the past. So yes you are right I should be more specific. Probably why I said I wasn't attacking anyone personally, but I was too late. Sorry about that.

Your posting problem must be the most annoying thing. Hope you can pinpoint the problem.

57

BBC: US tries to Boost Patriotism, Faked Rescue: Jessica Lynch

by Cassiline in

british broadcasting corp. documentary concluded after interviewing iraqis that the rescue was a hollywood-style stunt designed to boost patriotism at a difficult time in the war.

washington post, richard cohen says that their reports were not accurate.

the post initially said lynch was shot and stabbed as she fought off her attackers "gun blazing" until she was taken prisoner.

foreword

Any soldier when faced with combat makes decisions that are life and death hair splitting moments

If I'm defending myself and my family, it might happen. That's not what you did. You terrorized a whole city for a couple of weeks, bombed the hell out of it, scared the shit out of a bunch of children. Those are not life and death hair splitting moments, but just plain terrorism. And for what? To topple Saddam. What business of yours was that anyway? He wasn't even connected to 9/11.

And now you can't even explain why you did. No one but yourselves are impressed with your show of power.

57

BBC: US tries to Boost Patriotism, Faked Rescue: Jessica Lynch

by Cassiline in

british broadcasting corp. documentary concluded after interviewing iraqis that the rescue was a hollywood-style stunt designed to boost patriotism at a difficult time in the war.

washington post, richard cohen says that their reports were not accurate.

the post initially said lynch was shot and stabbed as she fought off her attackers "gun blazing" until she was taken prisoner.

foreword

So if I'm all that wrong, what's this?

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,6519950%255E2703,00.html

On the basis of such articles, I can claim that your administration has lied. Stop taking this personally, (I stated this a few posts up), or else I'm the one who's gonna have to say you're an idiot.

Give me a few minutes and I'll find what I said about Saddam. Might take me more than a few minutes though.

As far as the US, I share the following article's point of view, it only makes sense that you don't fight violence with violence. They were the agressors this time, so I spoke my mind.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/europe/view/40907/1/.html

Arafat and Israel can have their little fight, they are both guilty of terrorism. Al-Qaeda, I see them as freedom fighters, I just don't believe they are doing it right. You guys chose to kill civilians, does that make you terrorists too? What makes you guys so fuc$ing special, with the right to bomb others, hein?

Really, what's the difference between you guys and Al-Qaeda?