Here are 10 easy ways you can say thank you to your clients:

1. Greeting Cards

My husband often teases me that I should own stock in Hallmark for the amount of money I spend a year on cards. I love to send cards, for a specific reason or for no reason at all.
For business, you’ve probably heard of SendOutCards (and no, I’m not an affiliate or a distributor). I get a lot of cards this way and it helps to deepen the relationship for me. And it’s a super-easy way for you to do that with your customers too.
2. Personal Notes

I love to send personal notes too. I have specially designed notecards that I send when I just want to connect with someone after a particularly powerful coaching call, when someone makes an investment in Platinum, when I’ve made a special connection with someone in person, or when a client just needs a little cheer. 
3. Invitations
One of the things you can do for your top clients is to invite them to a special event just for them. It can be a lunch or dinner at an event you’ll all be at, or carve out a portion of your own live event to spend time just with them.
You can also invite them to special teleseminar or webinar where you offer them free content just for being your top clients.
4. Small Gifts
Flowers, books, a mug, or something more specific are all thoughtful gifts for clients. They can be sent for certain occasions or just because (that’s actually my favorite way to send a gift).
5. Gift Cards
These days you can get gift cards for almost any product or service. Some companies, like Starbucks, offer having your logo or business name imprinted on them. Other ideas besides coffee include restaurants, movies, bookstores, office supplies and online vendors like Amazon.
6. Referral and Affiliate Rewards
Even if your referral or affiliate programs offer a commission on each referral, sending a personalized note along with it will go further in encouraging your network to continue to promote your offers into the future.
7. Reverse Referrals
Whenever appropriate, refer your clients and customers to others whom they will benefit from. Making this a part of the way you run your business will come back to you ten-fold as it shows the Universe your belief in abundance.
8. Customer Appreciation Days
Pick one day a year to designate as a Customer Appreciation Day to celebrate your clients. Make a special offer only to them and make a lasting impression.
9. Host Events
Host a gathering at the next event where your clients and customers are likely to gather. A Tweetup is a popular way to connect with both current and prospective clients and they are super-simple to set up and cost you nothing but a bit of time. You can also hold a virtual event anytime you want to bring your clients and customers together.
10. Life Events
Weddings, baby showers, major moves, book contracts, big speaking gigs, TV spots, or any other major event warrants an acknowledgment. A nice card or personal note, or even a quick phone call, will make you memorable for sure.

Alicia M Forest, MBA, 6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor, teaches entrepreneurs how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to breakthrough to 6 figures and beyond so you can live the life you ache for, visit http://aliciaforest.com

Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too
I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin
When he smiled, I realised I’d passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile and then I reaslised its worth.
A single smile, just like mine could travel round the earth.
So if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected

Lets start and an epidemic quick and get the world infected!!!

Everyone needs a SMILE

]]> http://www.thinkbigger.co.nz/blog/index.php/2010/11/smile-for-you/feed/ 0 http://www.thinkbigger.co.nz/blog/index.php/2010/11/heres-a-thought-to-ponder/ http://www.thinkbigger.co.nz/blog/index.php/2010/11/heres-a-thought-to-ponder/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:28:07 +0000 admin http://www.thinkbigger.co.nz/blog/?p=869 Here is a thought to ponder.

“It’s not what you eat but what you digest that makes you healthy. It’s not what you earn but what you invest that makes you wealthy. And it’s not what you learn but what you remember that makes you wise”

Eating healthy on a budget doesn’t have to be difficult. As a matter of fact, staying healthy  on   a budget can be fun and rewarding.

Just use the 12 tips below to keep both your finances and your eating healthy on a budget.

Here are your cheaper by the dozen tips for healthy eating on a budget:

1. Plan your menu ahead. Impulsive buying and eating can cost extra money, calories and your health. Make a weekly menu and shopping list that includes good seasonal and shopping deals. And never ever shop on an empty stomach!
2. Buy unprocessed foods. Most processed packaged foods are higher in fat and sodium and cost more than whole foods. So shop mainly on the outer perimeter of the store and spend the bulk of your money on fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry, low-fat dairy and whole grains.

3. Compare frozen prices. Frozen produce is often less expensive than fresh. Plus it’s picked at the height of ripeness, flash frozen to retain nutrition and flavor and can stay frozen until ready to use.

4. Be selective with protein. The costliest part of your food budget tends to be protein. Since beans and whole grains, like brown rice, combine to make balanced, less expensive protein, use them in dishes to fill in the cracks when you can cut down on costly animal protein.  

5. Look for things on sale. Stores often have coupons or foods on special. But make sure it’s something you can use, store or freeze.

6. Buy fresh supplies that are in season.  Buying imported fresh foods can sometimes be costly. Try and eat fresh seasonal foods that are grown locally.

7. Buy more foods in bulk. Whenever feasible, buy enough to get case or bulk discounts. Just make sure you store all foods safely.

8. Pack your own snacks. Nothing ruins your health and budget faster than a hunger-attack when you’re out and about. Always carry snacks, like sliced veggies, whole grain crackers or cheese and an apple.

9. Dine at home more often. Home cooking is not just healthier, it’s also cheaper. When you’re too busy, buy a rotisserie chicken and add side dishes. If you do eat out, downsize to a healthy “kid’s meal”.

10. Cook double, freeze half. Prepare food in large batches and freeze meal-size portions for when you’re too busy to cook.

11. Grow your own veges. Growing your own fresh herbs in tubs or a small range of fresh seasonal veggies is a good option. They are ready to pick when you need them.

12. Eat healthy low calories. Many studies show that a healthy low calorie diet (no lower than 800 calories) is best for your health. So eating less is one of the most important tips for eating healthy on a budget.

If you’re not familiar, here’s the idea:
At 211 degrees…water is hot.
At 212 degrees…it boils.
And with boiling water, comes steam.
And steam can power a locomotive.
And, it’s that one extra degree that…
Makes all the difference.

So many times, in business and in life, it’s that one extra degree of effort that separates the good from the great.

What I love about the 212° idea is that you can use it to fit your own needs. It may be 212° service that you’d like to reinforce, or 212° attitude, leadership, or quality. Or maybe, you’ll choose to build your entire culture around the 212° concept…to differentiate you from your competition.

The real beauty of 212° is the simplicity of the idea. Once explained…everybody gets it. And once you get it…it’s hard to forget!

Listen to this quick video

I wouldn’t hesitate; the word would be perseverance.

There have been a lot of potholes, detours and roadblocks along the way and there always will be.   Below is a simple way to remember the keys to “Persistance”

Persist no matter what.
Endure discomfort.
Request help.
Steadfastly hold on to your beliefs and values.
Envision triumph.
Very consistently keep at it.
Embrace adversity as your teacher.
Refuse to give up.
Enjoy and celebrate every tiny bit of progress!

Dont forget the last bit celebrate your milestones along the way

A mind filled with negative thoughts makes you feel miserable, inadequate and will lead you to failure after failure no matter how hard you try to succeed.

If you have a pattern of negative thinking you’ll be in debt and end up in destructive or negative relationships.

If you want to succeed, enjoy happiness and live a life of abundance, and prosperity – you have to eliminate any consistent negative thinking, and negative beliefs.

You also have to replace those negative thoughts with positive thoughts that allow you to succeed and enjoy life.

Let’s face it, we all have negative thoughts. As much as you try you won’t be able to eliminate all your negative thinking.

But you can eliminate the chronic negative thoughts and change the negative beliefs that prevent you from succeeding and achieving your goals.

Negative thoughts and beliefs develop over time.

They come from you friends, your family, fellow co-workers, advisers, teachers, even strangers – and they come from you – that’s right! YOU.

You often create most of the negative thoughts that you have and it’s only because you haven’t trained your mind to be positive and you haven’t created positive beliefs that allow you to succeed.

Everyday you’re bombarded with a series of negative thoughts, negative messages and as you continue to absorb all of these negative messages you create a negative thinking pattern that leads to negative and limiting beliefs.

Negative thoughts are like weeds – if you don’t take care of them and clear  them early on they’ll take over your entire mind and destroy any positive thoughts and beliefs.

Negative thoughts are thoughts like; “I’m not good enough, it will never work, I know everything, I won’t succeed, I’ll only fail again, it’s my fault, I’m not worthy…” and so on (you get the idea).

These are all thoughts that don’t allow you to succeed and will only lead to more failure. I call them the weeds of the mind… they destroy everything in the area and spread very quickly when you don’t remove them.

So how do you get rid of these weeds?

You start by replacing them with positive thoughts, positive feelings, and begin spreading this positive message to other people.

When you have a negative thought that says you can’t do something; think of why you can do something.

When you think of what might go wrong, change those negative thoughts and think about what can go right.

When you feel that you can’t accomplish something, think of why you can accomplish something.

Recite affirmations, these are the seeds of your new positive way of thinking.  Work with as many techniques as you can to get rid of the weeds and plant new seeds for positive thinking and positive living.

The results will come when you least expect it.

You have to continue nurturing your mind with positive feedback and before you know it you’ll begin to see dramatic changes.

When will you see these changes?

When you’re ready and when you eliminate the negative thinking. Start removing the negative thoughts that create the weeds of your mind. Begin changing negative and limiting beliefs. Empower yourself with positive thoughts and positive beliefs.

Tend to the garden of your mind. Discover and begin removing the weeds of negative and limiting thinking.
Replace these weeds with new seeds – of positive thinking, positive feelings and positive living.

Continue nurturing your mind by working with affirmations and other positive techniques – this will keep the weeds of negative thinking out of your mind and help you move in a new, positive direction.

This is your life – make the most of it.
Don’t let the weeds of negative thinking destroy your life. Eliminate the weeds, plant new seeds for positive thinking and positive living and you’ll begin creating the life you want.

Send us your tools you use to change your mindset from a  negative doubtful one to one with a positive outlook

You may only need to cut a mere half a teaspoon of salt from your diet to see a benefit to your heart and brain. In a dramatic new study, researchers estimate that cutting out just three grams of salt a day (about half a teaspoon) could prevent up to 99,000 heart attacks and 66,000 strokes a year.

So what’s half a teaspoon? It’s the amount most of us probably put in our pasta water. Still, it’s unlikely that your pasta water is putting you over the limit. Research suggests we get up to 75 per cent of our daily salt intake from processed foods and restaurant meals. In fact, processed and packaged foods have so much sodium that most of us end up eating 8 to 11 grams of salt a day – more than twice the recommended amount.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine

Kick the Salt Habit by trying these tips and tricks:
•    Read all labels before preparing food so you know how much sodium you’re starting with.
•    Buy the low-sodium versions of pre-packaged, frozen, tinned, or jarred foods and sauces.
•    Opt for fresh veggies over canned.
•    Make things from scratch when you can, to control the sodium content.
•    Rinse canned foods before using.
•    Don’t add salt to the water when you boil pasta or rice.
•    Don’t use the flavour packets that come with instant or prepared foods, just do your own seasoning.
•    Choose fresh whole cuts of meat or fish over-processed, pressed, cured, or tinned.
•    Choose fresh herbs and salt-free spices instead of salt.
•    Try oil with red wine vinegar or lemon juice instead of salty salad dressings.
•    Season lean meat and vegetables with onions, mushrooms, peppers, and other fresh and savoury flavours.
•    Stuff fresh crunchy vegetables into sandwiches or wraps instead of pickles or olives.
So hide your salt shaker, read labels carefully, and choose whole, fresh foods whenever you can.

RULE ONE . . . for a Better Way to Live

Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward toward the life that God intended for you. . . with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.   

RULE TWO . . . for a Better Way to Live

Today, and every day, deliver more than you are getting paid to do. The victory of success will be half won when you learn the secret of putting out more than is expected in all you that you do. Make yourself so valuable in your work that eventually you will become indispensable. Exercise your privilege to go the extra mile, and enjoy all the rewards you receive. You deserve them!

RULE THREE . . . for a Better Way to Live

Whenever you make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don’t look back at it too long. Mistakes are life’s way of teaching you. Your capacity for occasional blunders is inseparable from your capacity to reach your goals. No one wins them all, and your failures, when they happen, are just part of your growth. Shake off your blunders. How will you know your limits without an occasional failure? Never quit. Your turn will come.

RULE FOUR . . . for a Better Way to Live

Always reward your long hours of labor and toil in the very best way, surrounded by your family. Nurture their love carefully, remembering that your children need models, not critics, and your own progress will hasten when you constantly strive to present your best side to children. And even if you have failed at all else in the eyes of the world, if you have a loving family, you are a success.

RULE FIVE . . . for a Better Way to Live

Build this day on a foundation of pleasant thoughts. Never fret at any imperfections that you fear may impede your progress. Remind yourself, as often as necessary, that you are a creature of God and have the power to achieve any dream by lifting up your thoughts. You can fly when decide that you can. Never consider defeat again. Let the vision in your heart be in your life’s blueprint. Smile!

RULE SIX . . . for a Better Way to Live

Let your actions always speak for you, but be forever on guard against the terrible traps of false pride and conceit that can halt your progress. The next time you are tempted to boast, just place your fist in a full pail of water, and when you remove it, the hole remaining will give you a correct measure of your importance.

RULE SEVEN . . . for a Better Way to Live

Each day is a special gift from God, and while life may not always be fair, you must never allow the pains, hurdles, and handicaps of the moment to poison your attitude and plans for yourself and your future. You can never win when you wear the ugly cloak of self-pity, and the sour sound of whining will certainly frighten away any opportunity for success. Never again. There is a better way.

RULE EIGHT . . . for a Better Way to Live

Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busywork. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now! Not tomorrow!

RULE NINE . . . for a Better Way to Live

Live this day as if it will be your last. Remember that you will only find “tomorrow” on the calendars of fools. Forget yesterday’s defeats and ignore the problems of tomorrow. This is it Doomsday. All you have. Make it the best day of your year. The saddest words you can ever utter are, “If I had my life to live over again . . .” Take the baton, now. Run with it! This is your day!

RULE TEN . . . for a Better Way to Live

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet, friend or foe, loved one or stranger, as if they were going to be dead at midnight. Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.

RULE ELEVEN . . . for a Better Way to Live

Laugh at yourself and life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat of the moment. Banish tension and concern and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. Never take yourself too seriously.

RULE TWELEVE. . . for a Better Way to Live

Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do. It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, that you think about you. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things!

RULE THIRTEEN . . . for a Better Way to Live

Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.

RULE FOURTEEN . . . for a Better Way to Live

You will achieve your grand dream, a day at a time, so set goals for each day-not long and difficult projects, but chores that will take you, step by step, toward your rainbow. Write them down, if you must, but limit your list so that you don’t have to drag today’s undone matters into tomorrow. Remember that you cannot not build your pyramid in twenty-four hours. Be patient. Never allow your day to become so cluttered that you neglect your most important goal- to do the best you can, enjoy this day, and rest satisfied with what you have accomplished.

RULE FIFTEEN . . . for a Better Way to Live

Never allow anyone to rain on your parade and thus cast a pall of gloom and defeat on the entire day. Remember that no talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, are required to set up in the fault-finding business. Nothing external can have any power over you unless you permit it. Your time is too precious to be sacrificed in wasted days combating the menial forces of hate, jealousy, and envy. Guard your fragile life carefully. Only God can shape a flower, but any foolish child can pull it to pieces.

RULE SIXTEEN . . . for a Better Way to Live

Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well through all the darkest valleys you must traverse. Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, but they cannot be discerned from the mountaintop. So will you learn things in adversity that you would never have discovered without trouble. There is always the seed of good. Find it and prosper.

RULE SEVENTEEN . . . for a Better Way to Live

Realise that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.

Please also feel free so share below some key life tips you ave gained in your life.

Beryl