A comment

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.A note to myself is never underestimate the value of any gesture that is positive and spreads cheer.The least I will do is smile and spread hope and cheer.

May the Almighty help me and everybody else do the same.

This Blog is 1 year and 5 months old now

Come to think of it - this blog is 1 year and 5 months old now and people are steadily referring to this blog for information on whatever I write about!

A simple website today is featured www.preople.com - I have claimed my name Parvez Ahmed on it with due apologies to people who have similar names.Being the first to become someone is also a first-this just goes to show a thought matters and followed by swift execution to get customers a business or movement is started.It is simple ego that made me do it - so what - one (the ordinarywebsurfer) should know about you - only then will you get known among anybody worth knowing!

I am a fan of www.gizmodo.com - cool gadgets are profiled in the same.A good source of business and tech leadership info explained in simple english and a critical source for business people who understand business and not tech is www.cio.com - I am reading many articles from CIO and rating the same too so that people assess for themselves - the stuff I read and what type of a person I am.Today it is nice to know a lot of information that will come in handy to people and the fact that one can say refer to my blog to know more is a cool statement to make.

Job websites & people

3 websites caught my eye today and they promise a lot for candidates and headhunters-I think these websites should be must looking up for the job hunting business.
www.recruiting.com
www.simplyhired.com
www.jobster.com
Recruiting.com gives the overall picture for headhunters and SimplyHired get candidates the job they really need.It is a sad thing that most offerings are US centric only however with more jobs coming to India and China I expect the same to change.

Companies there will keep key technologies or something like that in their own countries - they will find out that entrepreneurs are the same everytime and everywhere - they create newer and more compelling opportunities for the parent countries to look at-a great example is www.skype.com - who thought it would become so huge and sell out to www.eBay.com !
Fact is people have a way to judge the performance and good qualities of companies and countries too today - many good people walk out to make amends if they do not like the companies they are in today and some just start their own as they are simply fed up with the society they live in - we must do more to keep good people wherever we are.

MelissaData and Software Selling

Today 2 websites caught my interest and I think the sites will help sales and give a foundation for trustworthy data.

I am talking of www.melissadata.com and www.upload.com - both are great websites and will be used more and better in my opinion.The question is am I going to use the information better or not.

One needs to be careful and create and grab opportunities that come as a result of knowing where to search on the net and how to create and then commoditize the same next.The money will follow soon.Amazon's (www.amazon.com) "giving away the store feature" is just great and gives a way to measure.

Persistent Systems

Another company that has caught my eye is www.persistentsys.com - I will literally call the company persistent as it is always innovating and a very creative company.It has won numerous awards nationally and recognition globally.Really good at databases and does outsourcing work too for clients.
Founded in 1990, Persistent develops software products for its customers, which include many startups and some Fortune 500 companies. The firm has recently added maintenance and services to its product offerings.
Be persistent and keep on innovating,make mistakes,acknowledge what the firm does not know, outsource whatever you can and minimize risks by concentrating on core competencies,spread risk around many customers or get a big customer and keep that customer satisfied and always post testimonials - that will give confidence to potential clients.The company makes a wonderful case study as a sartup.I am sure it will find its way to textbooks of top B schools worldwide real soon.Persistent innovation focus makes makes the difference.Build products that customers will actually pay for and innovative services around the same-that is the secret to becoming successful.!Now you have it-be Persistent!

Squidoo

Sometime ago I found a company called www.squidoo.com and signed up to be a beta tester-I really like the results and well now that the company has opened up to the general public I am blogging about the same.The idea is a great one and as my readers you will find the site wonderful so sign up and start squidooing and use this as your competitive advantage.It is another that will differentiate you my readers from the ordinary surfers on the net.Get more business and remain excited and hungry all the time.Continuously grow by innovating and making the best from innovations.

Founders Frustrations Blog

http://founderresearch.blogspot.com/ - A blog by a professor of entrepreneurial management from Harvard Business School.A must reference site to find out how founders deal with problems and some ideas on how they can be solved are presented there.

A six sigma blog

See www.treqna.com an awesome 6 sigma blog.

Smile,attitude and sales

I ask people what percentage of their day they think they smile. Most people think they smile more than half their day. Most people smile no more than 5% of their day. See your workplace and calculate the average - it will be more or less near this figure.How sad is that? That's only 48 minutes per day. Max will be about an hour a day!

When do you think most people use those precious minutes of smiling? When they ask for the business? When they get their first cup of coffee? When they go home?
Look around your office. I'll bet most people aren't smiling.

Why is there such a difference between people's perception of the amount of time they smile and the reality? As soon as we start discussing smiling, almost everyone starts smiling. As with so many things, people need to be reminded.

What you say to yourself and others has a huge impact on how people perceive you. The average person has more than 1000 random thoughts per day. Sadly, more than half are negative.

Doubt it? What were the first words out of your mouth when the alarm clock went off this morning? If you're like most people, we probably can't print them. What did you think about next -- the traffic, your meetings, the to-do list, the tasks at hand,the meetings with clients ahead,the boss,whatever,... ? So many negative thoughts, and you hadn't even made it to the shower yet.

Negative thoughts produce negative attitudes, negative actions and poor performance.
Increasing your enthusiasm and positive outlook will raise your productivity, your spirits and the spirits of those around you.

Be positive and cheer up people around you from the time you get up and see what a difference it makes - make your own coffee and inspire your family members pet your cat or dog ,hold your spouse or child or someone you care for and smile.The link below will make you smile.

http://www.itsalestraining.com/

Remember - the advise is good and can be modified and used for Non IT sales too and one has to be patient and open to new ideas and listening to customers,friends and well wishers.Go and get the deals.Some things take that little longer - to make the time period short,

1. be prepared while meeting a potential client.
2. ask for references and give references when requested.
3. show figures and important targets met.

Be not hard on yourself and people around you - appreciate enthusiasm shown by youth and seniors alike and guide when neded or accept help if needed.Attitude always makes a difference.

Smile - it spreads hope and cheer.

Lots of search engines

I came across the website below-it is full of search engines and being pasionate about searching and finding stuff of interest I will add here that please know what you are searching for and know when to stop looking at the crazy results.

http://www.philb.com/engines.htm

Most searches may just end up wasting time.Go to a person or co that is good at finding information on the net and save some time for all.Maybe your result can be had in different ways that you may never think about.Consider the fact below and remember your goal is the number 10.A statement like

5+5=10 is what most people accept in general - however 10 can be arrived in any number of ways like 10=3+7 or 10=50-40 or any other combination of numbers.The result has to be 10 -it does not matter what method you use to reach the desired conclusion.

The object here is not to throw people off track but to get them to think that there are other ways to get the job done.The easiest way - entrust it to an expert - think of using ask a librarian service being offered by many universities in the world today - most good ones are free!.

Looks to good to be true!

An offer looks too good to be true right!

Know what to do next before you get ripped off?

See www.LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com and find out about the offer.There is a way out and it is be careful and in case you get conned be not afraid to ask for help.People are good and many help out so giving up is not an option.

Atiki,Textually and thesmsguide

I really like www.atiki.com and www.thesmsguide.com - the info is relevant and reaches an audience very quickly.

Atiki allows you to specify search words.This tests your brains and creativity and one gets results from websites and sources not even imagined.The SMS guide keeps you updated about what is happening as a result of the usage of the mobile internet.

Another website on the mobile internet that is really very good is http://textually.org - I have been using this too for a very long time and it is worth the time you spend on it. See these websites yourselves.

SJCE in the news

My former engineering college has made it to the news in India.Students of Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE - website: www.sjce.ac.in) won't have to run around the campus to check attendance, timetable, mess and exam fees, semester or internal assessment marks anymore.

All they need to do is just insert a 'smart card' into card readers on touch screen kiosks and they will get all the information they need. The College is planning to introduce 'e-purse' where the administrative block and bank will be networked through the LAN (local area network). With a view to ensure discipline among teaching and non-teaching staff, the management has also installed radio frequency identifier to keep track on them.

"We have already received 27 cards so far, which will be issued to the non-working staff, who will flash it on the identifier. We can easily check their attendance", our present principal has informed.

The cards will also contain residential addresses, contact numbers and blood groups of students.

Smart cards will be used for many purposes. Students can also pay mess bills, exam fees and others.

This is the first time such stuff is being tried out in India.It is really nice to read and learn more about such things.The other links for today are www.simpy.com and www.scienceblog.com -I am trying these out.The sites are great full of info that I think is awesome.Keeps me updated on whats going on.

A small time saving tip

Save time by hitting the return key instead of clicking on "search"

The website for today is www.inorder.org - I am figuring out how to use it better.

Next Billion

www.nextbillion.net is an awesome website from www.wri.org - I keep checking stories from these 2 websites-some are really good ideas and ideas can be used to benefit all including oneself.Try it.

Digg

I should have written about this some time back-most are familiar with this but a few who are not are always there.A really great source of tech news is www.digg.com - the best feature about the website.
"Digg is a technology news website that employs non-hierarchical editorial control"

www.MOUSE.org and media sites

I found this not for profit interesting-hope many people are making use of the information on this website.

http://www.mouse.org/

The Indian or Desi (translated as "local") Version of www.paidcontent.org is found at
www.contentsutra.com - when will the kind of jopbs advertised in Paid Content find their way into Content Sutra!.I would say faster than usual as "word of mouse" spreads and the seal is closed when people find it really useful.

Time Saving tips

These are tips which are time tested and will hold good as long as we need to communicate and do things more efficiently in an eco-friendly way.

1. Systematize - Stop reinventing the wheel and recreating the same things over and again. Create systems to handle repetitive tasks. For example, I have standard letters all created and saved in my computer along with standard documents such as directions to my office and various articles I share with others. Be sure to have adequate supplies you can readily access. Use one calendar to keep track of appointments. Work with a clean desk and have most frequently used items within arm’s reach. Schedule maintenance for your equipment and yourself.

2. Plan Adequate Sleep - You can have a great to do list for your next day but if you are tired, your productivity will be adversely impacted. Schedule a sufficient amount of sleep. The amount is different for each of us. Some need eight hours, some more, and some less. Your body knows the answer.

3. Attend a Speed Reading,typing and writing Class - The average person reads at about 200 words per minute and spends a couple of hours each day reading.The writing speed is lesser and typing speed is even lesser. What if you could increase all 3 speeds?
What takes 2 hours can now be done in 1 hour or you can continue to spend the same amount of time reading, but read twice as much.
Sign up for a speed-reading,typing and writing class.It helps.

4. Develop Your Communication Skills - A lot of your personal success in the future will be in direct relationship to your ability to competently and confidently communicate what you know both orally and in writing. Make it an ongoing commitment to continue to improve your speaking and writing skills. You’ll save time and have a more successful career.

5. Develop Your People Network - Personal productivity in large amounts has to do with the good cooperation of other people. Someone who does not enjoy the good cooperation of others can surely be productive but not as productive as one who enjoys that cooperation. On an on-going basis, develop your list of personal contacts, your networking list. Always offer to help everyone on your list whenever you can. (“To have a friend, first be a friend.”) Do it right and your network will be there for you when you need it.Social Networking websites like www.ryze.com , www.linkedin.com , www.orkut.com , www.stumbleupon.com , www.smallworld.net and membership of a few industry bodies like www.tie.org, www.inplasin.org (Indian Plastics Institute - in my case-I am a Plastics Engineer) all help to get more business and help to do good.I helped out people without expecting anything in return and it has paid back-what works for me will work for you too.Be positive in your approach and value friends and friendship.

Read the morning paper for knowing what is going on - some executives do not do it and companies suffer because of it.Local knowledge is critical and it helps if you know local problems and are able to give best of breed solutions for similar problems.

I am trying to save power in India by using a solution developed in the US-the only thing that helps today is focus on a real existing problem and then brainstorming and meeting the people who are known experts in that field and get solutions that work.To really make the other person believe one has to act sincerely in the other person's or company's interest.It has been done earlier and will continue to be done in business and personal life.

Another example is SPAM - a genuine problem for many executives- one solution to spam can be a password protected wiki page for employees.

Be creative in your thinking and solutions will follow & know how to make the best use of technology and communication-these are the key to growth.

Focus on building a business

These days all I care about is what my service or product does, why it is valuable to the end user, why it is uniquely different from the competition, what the barriers to entry are, and how I will reach my end customers and how I will ultimately make money.I too am trying to answer these questions and will find the answers sooner rather than later.
http://www.yourelevatorpitch.com
This is what I am reading so that I do more business and make more money and benefit everybody.

JetEye

www.JetEye.com has launched a beta version of a shared search platform that combines user generated search results from any engine for blogs, photos, links (whatever) and piles them neatly into self-organized packets called "Jetpaks." The personalized Jetpaks are wiki-ready and can be set up to be edited, commented on, or added to by other Jetpak owners (at the users discretion). Like blogs, you can link to other Jetpaks you like. These are all indexed, of course, and made available, through user submission, on the Jeteye search index.

The results are interesting to say the least and some really are useful topics which I never even thought about.My thumbs up for JetEye.