The 7 secret keys to wealth - key 1 add value

This article is one out of seven that I wrote about wealth. The whole series contain a lot of free valuable information about key factors that can help you become wealthy. The rich do things in a different way. That difference is the one I want to explain here. Let’s scrutinize together these strategies that can make you more money and help you boost your income.

The whole series contain the following articles . . .

1. Add Value.

2. The Multiple Streams of Income.

3. Passive Income.

4. Residual Profits.

5. Leverage.

6. Specialization.

7. Compound Interest.

Now, based on my own experience I believe that one of the faster and safer methods to create wealth is to add value to other people’s lives. You see. I believe that wealth can be created. The rich often become rich by offering better technology to other people than the one they already have. After all, that’s the idea behind capitalism.

The idea is to become rich by enriching other people’s lives. If you focus on making money, chasing money, growing money, getting money, you may stay poor. If you think about solutions, how to come up with solutions to other people’s problems you may become rich one day.

The beauty of this is that you don’t have to force people to give you their money. You don’t have to steal, cheat, lie, deceive. In fact you don’t need to make big efforts. You don’t need to beat up anybody in business. If you come up with creative solutions to common problems and learn how to market the ideas effectively, people from all around the world will be willing to give you their money in exchange for the products and services that you offer them.

Your goal like mine is to make money. That’s how we exchange values today. Money is turning into a drug in society lately, because many people can’t understand how the system works. Before money was invented people could understand much better the concept of creating wealth.

This is how it used to work. Let’s say that you were a farmer, so you had lots of food. Other person in the same town was a carpenter. So, whenever you needed some furniture for your house, you went to the carpenter and exchanged values with him. He agreed to make the furniture for you in exchange of some food for his family and himself.

In some way you agreed to work certain amount of time on your farm rising crops for others while others agreed to spend time working on their businesses for you. That’s how it used to work and that’s how it still works today but with a small change. Today we use money as a mean of exchange.

The reason we exchange values is because we humans can’t be expert in everything. We use a special kind of social leverage. I do something for you because this is my specialty and you do something for me because that’s your specialty.

The only difference is that today we use money as an intermediary which makes it even easier to exchange one value for other. Now I don’t have to waste time with the carpenter agreeing how much I think a bag of beans is worth compared with a chair. The carpenter sells the furniture for certain amount of money and I know since the beginning if I want to purchase it or not.

Money is simple. Some people want to make it complex but it is not. Now I don’t know if you have noticed something here. If all we do is to exchange value, then society doesn’t advance. We would still be in stone age. It would be something like this: I get some bananas for you and you hunt some animals for me.

You reap what you sow. That’s why when you enrich society, you yourself become rich! So, adding value can make you money, but it won’t necessarily make you wealthy. In fact even if you work for yourself and you are able to become financially free at a young age, it is probable that you still will have to work a lot if all you do is to exchange values.

Then how do you become wealthy? By creating values. You need to find solutions to common problems. The better your solution is the more money you can expect to make. Most people still get it wrong when they discover this.

Let’s say that you find a common problem and you decide to write a book about it. Your book contains information to all those people that are facing this problem and it helps them solve it. Now, analyze this, how many books about the same subject aren’t out there containing information about how to solve that problem?

Unless your book is among the best ones on the market then you still have not created something new. You have added value but your perceived value in the eyes of the general population is too low.

Wealth is not directly proportional to your efforts. In fact it has been said that “Poverty is a big effort that produces a small result while riches is a small effort that produces a big result.” You may think that you have created a diamond, but if most people don’t like it, think it is too expensive or are not willing to buy it, then you won’t make any money and you will be frustrated.

It is important to understand what people want so you can give them what they want. People want better technology, cheaper energy prices, more money, more knowledge, fresh new information, among other things. Your income will be directly proportional to the general perceived value of your efforts to improve the lives of others.

Of course there are people that make some money stealing and committing illegal acts, but graves and jails are full of those kind of people don’t you think? I don’t blame nor judge those who take that path. It is their own decision and I respect that, but as I said before, there is a safest path.

Most people in society make money by adding value to others, otherwise society as we know it couldn’t exist. If you wake up every day and go to work on your job, whatever your job is, if it is legal, then most probably you are adding value in some way to the life of others.

If you choose to work for yourself because you want to become rich or financially free and you do something, make something, build something or offer some services to other people, you may still not become rich until you realize that you need to create values. If your perceived value is too high, even if you do not create something huge you still may become rich.

For example if you have the funds required to build houses or residential real estate and you hire a custom home builder company, you may generate a huge income this way. One general problem that people have is that they need a house where to live. Houses are very expensive.

A new house is a general solution to a common problem. You are still not creating something new. There are millions of houses out there, but the perceived value of what you are doing is so huge that you may become rich within a few years. “The easiest way to make money is to help other people make money.” The easiest way to become rich is to enrich other people’s live.”

If you lie, steal, cheat or deceive, you may be disappointed of the results. No body is stupid. People that make money the wrong way and get away with it are experts on their field. Amateurs often get caught and get in trouble. You see. Society is competitive. Life is though, but it is also pretty, specially if you play by the rules.

Some people like the gray area. Gambling and trading fall under this category. Both of these are quicksand. Today you are above and tomorrow you are bellow. I trade the financial markets and I love it. I gamble from time to time. I play the lottery sometimes just for fun.

I don’t lose the real thing from my sight though. This includes the time and effort that I devote to my activities. Instead of sitting in front of a slot machine for hours, I sit down and write a few articles that could help or improve the life of somebody, somehow, somewhere. I devote must of my working time to adding value and whenever I can I create some values I do it too.

I understand you. Creating value is very hard. I know. To come up with creative solutions to common problems is not easy. That’s the beauty of it. If it were easy someone would have done it already. If no one have discovered a solution to that problem is because it is hard.

You don’t have to do it yourself though, but there is always a price to be paid. You can spend time and think hard how to do it or you hire someone to do it for you and pay them. That’s what many company do. They hire qualified employees like engineers, software developers, etc, to come up with the solutions and pay them substantial incomes for their efforts.

Some employees feel exploited because they have to produce more than they earn otherwise the company would go bankrupt. Did you understand what I just said. If you have a job, you will probably have to produce more than what you earn, otherwise the company that you work for would go bankrupt. It is how the system works, believe it or not.

In the other hand, no one prohibits you from starting your own company if you live in a free market economy. If you ever find a way to work for yourself, you will realize how productive your efforts really are. When you no longer have a boss who tells you what to do, when you are on your own, you will see if as an employee you were underpaid or overpaid. You never know for sure unless you try it.

I have being working for myself for quiet some time and I used to work for other companies in the past. Now I can compare. In some jobs I was underpaid, while in others I received more than I deserved.

Some people start working for themselves and become millionaires within 6 months. Others go back, find another job and stay as employees for the rest of their lives.

The bottom line is as follows. The first key to creating wealth in your life is to add value to the life of others. Your wealth will depend on the perceived value of your efforts in the eyes of society. On a free market economy people bid with their wallets.

If you are a doctor working for a hospital and you make a quarter of a million dollars per year, within four years you can become a millionaire based on your income alone if you save it all. If you use part of your income and save another portion of it, you still can become a millionaire even if you don’t save it all.

That’s because the perceived value that you add is high and your income indeed is also high. The same with lawyers and home builders. The same with many other professions, products and services that are in high demand. If in the other hand you do something that anyone can do, then your perceived value by society will be too low. Unless you become very good at it, you won’t make a lot of money. Then you have the second choice.

Create something new. Create something that’s really new. A new market that didn’t exist before. A product that is really innovative and solve a real problem. A service that truly help people solve a problem. Something that do not exist yet. Simply something new. Create a good solution to a common problem.

Next you will have to learn how to capitalize on your idea. Creating is not enough. Other people will try to still your idea. The better your stuff is the more coveted it will be. Others may hate you because you are smart. Expect to make money with this for a few years. The very moment that people find out your thing is profitable, they will start trying to copy it even if you patent it.

They will attempt to go around it. They will make a big effort to make money from it. It seems that is easier to copy/steal other people’s work than to burn neurons and come up with a solution to a problem. That’s why if you do it, if you take the time to develop something new, create values and help people to really solve a problem, you stand the chance to be on top of everybody else on that field. You simply created it. You are the owner.

When in two or three years people start copying you, it would be too late for them. You already made your millions. You became wealthy. You reaped what you sowed. Now you may move on and create something else if you want or retire and live in peace.

Just don’t forget that the better your idea is, the more envy it will generate as well as others will try to steal it. If you can stand all that and discover how to market your ideas effectively you will be on your very own path to wealth.

Last but not least. Add more value than what you expect to receive. What? You may ask. The only way you can possible do that and be joyous at the same time is through leverage, which I explain on one of the other articles on this series. People will happily exchange their values (money) with yours if they perceive that what you are giving them is greater than the money they are paying you for it.

There is a lot of manipulation going on in today marketplace because of this. All to make the clients feel that they are getting more than what they are paying for. That’s not good. You can be honest and make lots of money at the same time.

Remember this, to be successful, people need to perceive that they are getting more than what they are paying. The only way you can achieve this is through leverage. Otherwise you will have to work too much to satisfy your clients tastes and needs.

I share more information about leverage in my other article. I hope this article was helpful to you and increased your understanding of how to create more wealth in your life. There are many myths surrounding this subject, but the basics have always being the same.

EasyWebRiches © 2006

All you need to know about travel humidors

Early models of travel humidors were patterned after air-tight cases in which the cigar aficionado placed cigars already maintained in a cellar humidor. This worked well except that when one opened the travel humidor, since the maintained humidity existed as a result of already moist cigars, each time the humidor was opened, humidity would escape and the ambient humidity of the room replaced the humidity that had been inside the travel humidor.

When humidors where first created by Zino Davidoff in the early 20th century, we were large cellar humidors which certainly made for restricted travel. One now had the ability to strive for the perfect cigar, but only from home. Most people would agree that the feasibility of travelling with a large room did not exist, and still does not, even today. A dilemma arose as to how to preserve a moist cigar while travelling.

Today humidors can be found that are battery-powered or can be plugged into any available AC outlet or a combination of both. While these types of humidors are more functional than ostentatious, we can be made of any materials in varying shapes and designs, suited to the taste of even the most discriminating smoker.

Most travel humidors are made of very durable plastic, designed to withstand the rigors of being moved about and for its lightweight portability.

Travel humidors now meant that a society that is becoming increasingly more mobile as a result of the prevalence of automobiles and air is no longer demanded to choose between having a perfect cigar and being tied to home or having to leave behind one's favorite pastime to travel.

Term life insurance company - how to compare them and choose the best for you

There are some companies that only sell term life insurance but they are the exception and not the rule. Term only life insurance companies are usually companies that are proponents of buy term and invest the difference. Most life insurance companies sell both term and permanent life insurance. There are some life insurance companies that have affiliates that sell supplemental policies to support their wide range of life insurance products. Shopping for term insurance is relatively easy but the number of life insurance companies that sell term insurance is staggering. There are a number of things to consider when you choose a life insurance company. How do you want to be serviced? That is an important question to answer because that will help determine what kind of life insurance company will best service your needs.

If you would like to have ongoing professional advice then you need to look at insurance companies that distribute their products through agents. There is an increasing number of people that prefer to do everything themselves either over the internet or by telephone with customer service representatives. There are insurance companies that do business this way as well. Once you have determined your preference then you can narrow down the insurance companies that fit your needs. This kind of evaluation will save you a lot of time when entering a rather large insurance marketplace.

The next step is to ask yourself why you are purchasing life insurance. This will give you a better idea about what kind of policy to look for when obtaining quotes. Debt coverage is usually best protected with term insurance. You may want to look at companies with extensive term portfolios. There are a lot of reputable insurance companies and they are highly regulated by their individual state’s insurance commissioner. There is a rating bureau called AM Best that gives a rating to each insurance company according to their financial strength. You can find this book in most libraries.

There is a story in every digital picture frame

Are you running out of space to display your favourite photographic memories? Fidelity Electronics has introduced state-of-the-art technology that allows you to view your personal photos on a high-resolution digital picture frame. This new technology allows photos that are being hidden away to re-appear again giving them the pride and place they so rightly deserve for all to see and admire. Each ingenious product has all the high technology, modern design and requisite features one requires for displaying precious and memorable moments.

Over the last year, Fidelity Electronics of Canada has been intensely involved in developing the digital photo and picture frame market. Fidelity recently launched their newest Digital Picture Frame, the DPF-1500 Pro with 1GB of internal memory, and an impressive 15" high-resolution color LCD screen.

Fidelity now carries 9 models of different digital picture frames each with different capabilities and styles. Useful features include, rotation, zoom, auto start and auto format. Many of the frames are also multimedia and play MPEG video and MP3 music on built in stereo speakers.

Digital picture framing will offer a new visual experience to people of all walks of life, from the high-tech pro for a traditional sales presentation to the grandmother that wants to display family photos on the mantel or hanging on the wall.

All frames have the capability of being viewed directly from all popular digital memory cards - without the need for a computer, camera or Internet connection and most include internal memory So you can sit back, relax and enjoy showcasing your photos. Imagine the conversations it will create as you, your friends and family admire your digital images! For something different, music can also be added making it the perfect presentation tool...

The love of photos really has no boundaries, all your vacation shots, party photos, baby snaps and other personal photos can come to life in just one picture frame, giving you a stylish touch to an instant photo gallery! It’s another marvellous breakthrough in the field of digital photograph framing. If you are looking to achieve a modern display of high resolution digital photo frames that offers crisper graphics, then bid farewell to the old photo lab and other obsolete contraptions and enjoy your photo memories with the new look of today.

With auto start and auto format functions all Fidelity Electronics products are effortlessly stylish while remaining perfectly functional in the same breath, making anyone of their range of digital picture frames the perfect presentation tool.

Seo - pagerank and link popularity are not the same thing

A definition of both P It's important to note that Google PageRank is not the same thing as link popularity.

Two concepts that are commonly confused when it comes to search engine optimization are page rank and link popularity. Page rank focuses only on the quantity and popularity of your links in the search engines. Link popularity however refers to the “quality” of your links. These are not interchangeable turns as Pagerank is actually a term that is part of the definition of Link Popularity.

All of the major search engines’ algorithms do assess link popularity in one way or another. The two main types of links that seem best to boost your link popularity are links form relevant categories in big Internet directories and links from similar sites to your own that are focused on the same keyword phrases that your site is. These sites are considered to be high quality sites.

If you want to avoid sabotaging yourself then stay away from links that the search engines might consider to be low quality such as Free For All Sites. You are particularly cautioned against using one of those “Link to 1000 Targeted Sites for Free” type programs as they will only serve to lower your link popularity in the eyes of the search engine. Although they might increase your page rank temporarily (maybe for just a few days) this type of link farming might actually completely sabotage your link popularity. It’s just not worth it. Never do anything to sacrifice your link popularity which is much more crucial to your website’s overall success.

Usually there is no need to sweat over you link popularity if you have not done anything that the search engines may not like such as hire a company that specializes in link farming to enhance your SEO. Offering a quality product or service at a reasonable cost is usually the best way to get other quality sites to link to you.

Why not a stag party in budapest

Split down the middle by the Danube river, yet inundated with great bars, outrageously fit Hungarian women, and with the heat of the South European sun beating down - Hungary's Budapest should be top of your list for a stag party location this year.

The capital of Hungary is quickly becoming one of Europe's most sought after destinations. Either side of the Danube lie the historic Buda, or the cosmopolitan centre of nightlife and shops that is Pest - acting as an intoxicating mix for a great stag weekend. Why not explore this vibrant, cultural city before the hoards of tourists descend to make it another crowded Paris.

Whatever you have planned, Budapest is so diverse that you will always find something to do in this "Paris of the East". Whether it's eating and drinking at one of the hordes of ludicrously cheap city bars, relaxing out the day after in one of the 123 registered thermal spas or simply checking out Buda's historic castle - this Eastern European capital never sleeps.

So prepare for a trip of sights, sun and wild stories to tell. Just remember to book your Monday off work. Its probably best really.

Budapest in a nutshell:

- Weekend on a shoestring? No issue. Have a beer for 80p, and dine for less than a fiver,

- Soak up the sun with some of the highest summer temperatures in Europe.

- Adventure sports, Trabant rallying and absailing in the Pilis Mountains. You may want to lay off the lager beforehand though.

Kortrijk tourist information

Kortrijk, also referred to as Courtrai, is a historical city situated in West Flanders in Belgium. Positioned on the Lys River, Kortrijk was first established by the Romans under the name of Cortoriacum. Possessing a population of over 70, 000 individuals, Kortrijk remains a thriving city: one that is surrounded by many other famous locations, tourist attractions, and popular cities in Belgium. The cities nearest to Kortrijk include Halluin, Menen, Neuville-en-Ferrain, Roncq and Wevelgem, and travellers staying in Kortrijk, will therefore find the attractions in such cities easily accessible during their stay in Belgium. Other popular cities nearby Kortrijk include Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, Liиge, Mechelen, Mons, Namur and Ostend.

Famed for its textile manufacturing, Kortrijk started producing both lace and linen as early as the fourteenth century. Tourists will find that Kortrijk is home to a number of spinning and finishing mills, and the Battle of the Golden Spurs actually took place very nearby historic Kortrijk, and the city has established a memorial for the battle in 1906 called the Groeningstraat, just east of the Grote Markt.

Places of interest:

The Municipal Museum of Fine Arts in Kortrijk, also known as the Stedelijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, is home to one of the finest art galleries in Belgium. The museum holds the extraordinary paintings of the sixteenth century painter, Roeland Savery, as well as the extraordinary works of other painters; a number of archaeological artifacts, ceramics, porcelain, pottery and, because the museum is housed in a seventeenth century patrician house, travellers get the opportunity to enjoy the astounding beauty of Renaissance architecture. The museum is open Saturday through Thursday and is closed on Fridays and special holidays.

Situated in the heart of Kortrijk, tourists will find the Grote Markt, a popular Kortrijk tourist attraction. Within the Grote Markt, tourists can see the World War I memorial, the ruins of the clothes hall, the Grote Markt Belfry, first built in 1307. Additionally, the official town hall of Kortrijk, the stadhuis was built around 1420, still possesses some of its original Gothic architecture and travellers can view the myriad craved statues throughout the building. Finally, if tourists possess an affinity for architecture, while staying in Kortrijk they can view the two large towers that form the Broeltorens: fortification towers established in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

Things to do:

Guests in Kortrijk can enjoy a relaxing stroll along the River Lys or they can enjoy the many sites that a historic city like Kortrijk has to offer. Typically tourists rave about the architecture in Kortrijk. Visits can see the Menin Gate, established in 1927; a memorial for the British soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and the Church of Our Lady is just a stroll away from the Broeltowers, a short distance from Grand Place. Outside the Church of Our Lady, the ruins of the original castle that once enclosed the church still remain and the church is the oldest building in the city of Kortrijk. Further, a highlight found in the Church of Our Lady is that site seers can view paintings of all the former rulers of Flanders. Meanwhile, buildings like the Palace of Justice offer a striking contrast in terms of architecture, giving the city of Kortrijk an equally modern appeal.

Food & Drink:

For those tourists looking to get a cultural taste of Belgium’s finest foods, the most popular specialties ordered among dining tourists in Belgium are Endives with Bйchamel Sauce, Ardennes Sausages and ham, Belgian Waffles, Mussels and chips, and of course, the favorite traveling treats are Belgium chocolates. While visiting Belgium, tourist may also want to try some of the world-famous beer that Belgium offers: over 400 different brews of Belgium’s famous beer are available, including fruit bear, Stella Artois, Leffe, Hoegaarden, and Duvel, among many.

The Cafй Rouge-Kortrijk requires no reservations in advance, and has everything a hungry tourist desires. Further, the Cafй Rouge-Kortrijk possesses ultra modern architecture, its dйcor is one of sophistication and it is famed for its tea, served with a side of cake and chocolates. Diners have the option of trying fondue, flavored potato chips, soups, salads, waffles served with fresh fruit, and crиme brulee, among other fine dining options.

Alternatively, in nearby Wevelgem, tourists can dine at Biggles, a restaurant revered for their fine service and friendly atmosphere, or the La Dolce Vita, at Stationsstraat 10 near the railway station, an Italian restaurant offering pizza and tagliatelli, among other fine dishes. Finally, travellers can enjoy fine wine in almost any of the cafes in Belgium, as many of the sites have a license to sell spirits.

Hotels & Accommodation:

Center Hotel

Bed & Breakfast Full House

Kennedy Hotel

Best Western Hotel Belfort

Parkhotel

Entertainment:

The nightlife in Kortrijk offers much to the traveler looking for adult fun and entertainment. Further, while staying in Kortrijk, guests will have accesses to unlimited recreational facilities. Nearby Brussels is home to ten theaters, cinemas, discos, and entertaining clubs like the Le Fuse, Les Jeux d'Hiver and The Music Village.

Kortrijk offers more than fine accommodations, dining, as it offers easy accessibility to site seeing adventures. For instance, while visiting the Castle’t Hoge, tourists can bask in the beauty of the International Rose Garden. The Castle’t Hoge demands no entry fee and families can spend the day enjoying the scenic view. Travellers can also relax at any number of the cafes and pubs located in the Grand Place, Kortrijk. Again, many of the pubs offer the national drink of Belgium, beer, and there are over 400 fine varieties to choose from.

All of the sites in Kortrijk are easily accessible. Travellers can visit tourist attractions via rental cars or they can travel by train to other major cities in Belgium. Meanwhile, some tourists choose to cycle along the Lys River and to take in the fresh air and gorgeous view. Essentially, no matter what form of transportation tourists utilize, they will find an extraordinary abundance of things to do, see and enjoy while staying in Kortrijk, Belgium.