101+ "secrets" you will have learned from The ECN and Old Nikko by the time you graduate and receive your ECN M.B.A.....

1. Being an entrepreneur is hard. It takes "guts" -- and no small amount of hard work -- to make a success of this stuff.
2. If everyone could (or would) do it -- there would be no more poverty in the world.
3. There are only two things necessary to becoming what a lot of folks can't even spell -- an entrepreneur. The first is the willingness to work harder and smarter than anyone else; and second, the "grit" to stick with it until you succeed on your own terms.
4. Getting ideas is easy -- anyone can do it. What makes us different is sorting out the good ones from all the others, and having the drive necessary to make 'em work for us, fine tuning and adjusting as we go.
5. God gave you two eyes, two ears, and only one mouth -- they deserve to be used in those same proportions.
6. Being in business means selling something. Without sales of products, services or other things, you have no business.
7. TANSTAAFL -- Really!! There is no such thing as a free lunch... ya' hafta' work for whatever there is worth getting.
8. Anyone can start and run a successful business -- given enough resources (other than money) -- and lots of help along the way.
9. The best way to create a small fortune in a small business is to first start with a large one.
10. Live by the Pareto principal - 80/20. Concentrate on life's 20%-er's. Work on the rest when there's more than enough spare time for "just foolin' around." (The Pareto Principle says that 20% of your activities will account for 80% of the value of your activities.)
11. The first rule in business is "make some sales" -- repeat as necessary until the financial pain goes away.
12. Think big -- grow slow -- keep the cash flowing -- eat all of your vegetables.
13. All work and no play is stupid -- and unhealthy to boot.
14. Save at least 20% of everything you make -- retire on the compounded interest. Financially leverage your assets at every opportunity. Avoid scams, rip-offs and cons.
15. Do everything reasonable to reduce risk. Calculate the risk and bet on those ideas that present the best ROI with the least real risk.
16. Live by R, Kipling's "Six Serving Men" - Who; what; when; where; why; and how. They will serve you well.
17. If it hurts when you do that -- quit doing it. Know when to say it doesn't work and pull the plug before a major disaster happens.
18. Always have/leave a way out. Contingency plans and exit strategies are mandatory.
19. Some will buy, no matter how bad you are; some will not buy, no matter how good you are; Don't waste your time fighting human nature; NEXT! Each "NO" is but one step closer to a "YES!" Don't sweat it -- learn from your mistakes and improve yourself from the no's -- move on and make the next sale.
20. If you think you can, you are probably right... If you think you can't, you are definitely right!
21. The best things in life are learned after you know it all. Now, shut up and listen.
22. Your customer will tell you exactly what they want, and how they will buy it. All you have to do is listen -- then deliver what they want, how they want it, and when they want it -- at a price they'll pay you for it.
23. Always sell into a warm -- or preferably -- a hot market. Ya' can't sell what no-one wants. Make sure that what you want to sell has enough verified demand -- before you try selling anything.
24. Planning is as essential as breathing. Without a roadmap, anywhere you wind up will have to do. Know what you want, then make a plan to get it - adjusting your means and methods along the way.
25. An obstacle or problem is just opportunity in disguise.
26. You never get what you don't ask for. Your ship won't come in if you have no port for her to sail into. Wish in one hand; spit in the other; see which one fills up first. Ask for what you want. Take action on your dream.
27. You likely have 200 people that you know well and have around 20 friends; each of those folks has about the same numbers; build your network from there.
28. Take firm, immediate action. Without action, an idea is just another whisper in the wind.
29. There are no secrets. There are only things that you don't know, yet.
30. Experience is the best teacher. Don't be afraid of moving beyond your comfort zone. That is where all of the valuable lessons in life are learned, and the real secrets to success lay.
31. What works for others won't necessarily work for you. Be wary when someone promises you the moon -- your wallet is in extreme peril if you "buy into" whatever they are peddling.
32. If anyone tells you something is easy -- that's probably the furthest thing from the truth. It's only easy -- IF -- you have exactly the same skills, experience and resources they do.
33. You'll work 20 long, hard years (or more) to become an overnight success.
34. Beware the dream merchants and dream stealers... they will not only take your money -- they will also rob you of your self-confidence and willingness to venture beyond the zone. Given the choice of either, losing your confidence is the worst of the lot.
35. Learn how to say no.
36. Of the five ways to become a millionaire, owning a business accounts for 74% of those that are self-made millionaires. (99% of self-made millionaires come from these top four categories: self-owned business-persons 74%; senior executive positions 10%: doctors, lawyers and other professionals 10%; salespeople and sales consultants 5%.  and dead last at 1%; are the creative ones. This group consists of people who have made their money by inventions, show business, sports, authorship of books and songs, lottery winners, and finally, inheritances.) Where do you want to make your money?
37. Do one, highest priority thing at a time, work at it until it is done, or you can go no further right now. Then, move on to the next highest priority item. Doing this, you'll do at least ten times more than what the highly-disorganized person will do with their available time.
38. Never lie. You don't have to tell all of the truth, but do not deceive. Your entire reputation and credibility depend upon this.
39. In the Bible, it says, "To him that hath, shall more be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away." The great success principle, the single idea that explains human destiny is simple... It says that "you become what you think about, most of the time." What do poor people think about most of the time? Unfortunately, poor people fill their minds with thoughts of scarcity, lack, poverty, being unable to afford things. They are always thinking and talking about how little money they have, how much things cost and how they wish things could be better financially. What they think about most of the time is how little money they have. Wealthy people, usually from an early age, think about how much they have, how much they want and all the different things they can do to acquire and earn the money and things they desire. Here's the rule: If you want to become successful, find out what failures do and don't do it. If you want to be wealthy, find out what poor people think about, and avoid thinking in those ways. Instead, find out how wealthy people think. Find out what they read. Find out how they spend their time. Study their lives, read their stories and autobiographies and listen to their words when they are interviewed and on tape. The more you find out what successful people think and talk about most of the time, and do those same things, the more rapidly you will enjoy the same rewards that they do.
40. Remember Murphy’s Law: “Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.” There are several secondary laws to Murphy’s Law, such as “Whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time” and “Of all the things that can go wrong, the most expensive thing will go wrong at the worst possible time.” Another sublaw is “Everything takes longer than your best calculation.” Another sublaw is “Everything costs more than you can possibly anticipate in advance.” Now, take any "worry situation" in your life today and ask yourself, “What is the worst possible thing that could happen?” Then go to work to make sure it doesn’t occur.
41. There are two things you can do to start increasing your income: First, identify the highest earning, most successful people in your field and find out what it is that they are doing differently from others who aren’t doing as well. Copy them every day. Second, set a goal to double your income over the next several years -- and then figure out what you’ll have to do to achieve it. Get started now!
42. The greatest successes can be had by solving problems people have. Discover something that a great number of people want "fixed" -- devise an affordable solution -- then market the hell out if it.
43. Know your enemy and the battle is won before it is engaged.
44. Don't re-invent the wheel. To the greatest extent possible, "borrow" ideas and solutions from others that have had successful outcomes.
45. It's all about your customer, not your own ego. The better you serve others, the better they will serve you.
46. You may not be able to control what happens, but you can definitely control how you react to what does happen. Think about how you behave, how you choose, whenever you are under pressure. It is only what you do, your actions, that tell who you really are. Observe how other people around you behave when they are forced to choose.
47. Test, test, and then, test some more. Keep going until you find the best method -- then do it over and over again until it quits working. Do not give up too soon... even if you hate it. Do what works until it stops working -- then do something else.
48. Your customer is the only reason your business exists. Nothing else matters. Keep giving them a reason to buy from you. Earn and keep your customers trust, and over-deliver on your promises.
49. There are four basic strategies you can use to find a new product or service to start or build your own business: The first is to find a new product or service within your own field or skills; The second is to find a new product or service while you travel around; Number three is to keep your eyes and ears open and alert to new business opportunities occurring around you; And number four is that you will only be successful marketing and selling something that you believe in, use yourself and would recommend to your best friend.
50. If the task before you is too big -- dice it up into smaller, more manageable segments.
51. Focus on results. If it makes money for your business, keep doing it. If not, question why and either fix it, or drop it altogether.
52. Be decisive: Whatever it is, either to get in or get out, make a decision today -- and then get started. This single act alone can change the whole direction of your life.
53. Earn your employee's and others trust and respect -- get out of your office and go out amongst them. Ask them about their personal lives, cares and concerns, and then listen very carefully to the answers you get. Act accordingly.
54. When in doubt, follow the money trail... or look for the self-interest when determining motives.
55. Great headlines, superb sub-headlines and precisely targeted benefits bullets will get your sales copy read.
56. The high-road to becoming a self-made millionaire in America is starting and building your own business... but this is not as easy as it sounds. Most businesses started by inexperienced people fail. Probably the primary reason why people don't start businesses is because they're afraid that they're going to lose their money and for good reason... 99 percent of businesses started by people lacking business experience fail within the first two or three years. Why is that? It's because they don't know how to succeed. They haven't the slightest idea how to make a business successful. They may have an idea for a product or service, but they don't know all the things that they need to know to run a successful business. However, surprisingly enough, 80 percent of businesses started by experienced businesspeople succeed. Why is that? The reason is... because experienced businesspeople know what to do.
57. "The Keys To Success Are Already In Your Hands." All you have to do now is find the lock they fit into.
58. WIIFM -- “What’s In It For Me?” People are naturally interested in their own well-being, first and foremost.
59. Parkinson’s Law is one of the best known and the most important laws of money and wealth -- developed by English writer C. Northcote Parkinson many years ago -- explains why most people retire poor: This law says that, "...no matter how much money people earn, they tend to spend the entire amount and a little bit more besides. Their expenses rise in lockstep with their earnings." The first corollary of Parkinson’s Law says: “Financial independence comes from violating Parkinson’s Law.” The second corollary of Parkinson’s Law is: “If you allow your expenses to increase at a slower rate than your earnings, and you save or invest the difference, you will become financially independent in your working lifetime.”
60. Project credibility and believability. Make certain that any claim is not only 100% true, but that it also appears to be true in the eyes of your prospect.
61. Ideas by themselves are a dime a dozen. But ideas put into action can transform lives. Generating lots of ideas is only an advantage when you make use of them. Getting the idea is only the first step. Anyone can come up with a great idea… but few follow through to see their idea come to life.
62. Communicating in the first person (me about me) is nothing more than selfishness, and is sure to turn off your prospects quickly.
63. How do you know you have an interesting enough idea? The way to know with 100% certainty is to ask your audience. When you know what your audience wants, it’s easy to give it to them.
64. Features are about products. Benefits are about customers. Features are the physical characteristics of a product – the color, size, shape, ingredients, speed, processes used, etc. Features are the facts that support the benefits. Benefits are why people buy.
65. Serve every customer as if they were your sole source of income... They ARE the reason your endeavor even exists.
66. What is the fastest way to make more money in your business? Ask yourself these questions: "What one thing am I not doing that's blocking me from increasing my customer/prospect list and making more sales? Am I following up with my current list for increased back-end sales? What can I do that would increase the effectiveness of my marketing efforts?"
67. Keep in mind - all things change as time and circumstances change, so do your best to remain as flexible as you possibly can.
68. You can draft your first marketing plan in seven sentences:
    • Sentence one explains the purpose of your marketing.
    • Sentence two explains how you achieve that purpose by describing the substantive benefits you provide to clients.
    • Sentence three describes your target market(s).
    • Sentence four describes your niche.
    • Sentence five outlines the marketing weapons you will use.
    • Sentence six reveals the identity of your business.
    • Sentence seven provides your marketing budget.
69. You have to know where you've been, and where you are now, in order to get to where you want to be.
70. To sell something, you have to be able to tell a good story.

71. Marketing strategy checklist:

    • define what your company is
    • identify the products or services that your company provides
    • identify your target buyers/end users
    • establish the marketing category (e.g., fast food purveyor, high-end audio equipment sales, etc.)
    • determine whether your company will be a market category leader, follower, challenger, or niche player
    • describe the unique characteristics of your products or services that distinguish them from the competition.
    • define whether your pricing will be above, below, or at parity with your competitors and establish whether you will lead, follow, or ignore changes in competitors' pricing
    • identify the distribution channels through which your products/services will be made available to the target market/end users
    • describe how advertising and promotions will convey the unique characteristics of your products or services
    • describe any research and development activities or market research plans that are unique to your business
    • describe the image or personality of your company and its products or services
72. No matter what you love to do, there IS a way to make money at it, whether it be swimming, reading books, watching movies, gardening, etc. Find out what you would love to do, by asking yourself this simple question: "If I already had a million dollars, what would I be doing for fun for the rest of my life?" Once you know the answer to that, you have found your new home business or small business idea! Now... all you have to do is find a creative way for it to make you some money.
73. Your Intuition... Pay attention to what your intuition is telling you and act on its wisdom. I define intuition as "when you know something, but you don't know how you know it." Intuition provides quick and ready insight. It may come to you through a feeling, an emotion, a gut sense, a voice or a nudge to take a certain path of action in your life. It may lead you to new work, the right contacts for your business, or a book to read that opens a door to greater abundance.
74. If you don't have a road-map to where you are going, any direction will do. A good plan let's you go where you want to be, and not somewhere that you don't - and that may just be the road to failure! Like traveling cross-country by car, without a good map, and planned stops along the way, all kinds of calamities can and probably will happen, if you ever get to that far destination at all.
75. Being on time for appointments with your customers is a sign of respect. Now and again you will encounter situations that force you to be delayed – traffic jams, bad directions and sods law – the golden rule is to call as soon as you know you are delayed. The sooner you let customers know that you will be late, the less irritated they will be. Don’t wait until the last minute and hope everything will work out.
76. Under-Promise and Over-Deliver. Sometimes, in your enthusiasm to give excellent service, you find yourself promising something that is difficult to deliver. By making a promise, the customer now expects it to be fulfilled. Only promise the customer what you can be sure of – not what you hope will happen.
77. No matter how good your service skills, you will get an unhappy customer. Developing the habit of expressing empathy is so important. This means understanding their point of view or complaint. I said understand, not calm them down or brushing them or their problem under the carpet. There are lots of companies that use the tactic of fobbing off the customer. You have to give them what they want, and it’s even more serious when you have made the error! You don’t always know who you are dealing with, and these customers can cause a serious image problem for your company -- if word spreads.
78. The six faithful servants.
    -Who might pay you for what you will be offering;
    -What rates they can & be willing to pay for your products and/or services;
    -Why they will buy from you and not the competition;
    -Where these good folk might be located and how will you reach out to them;
    -When and how often will they buy your offerings; and,
    -How you will gain those sales from whomever is serving them now and keep them as satisfied customers.
79. Negative people and situations can hold us back, bring us down and immobilize us. Is there a client that takes too much of your energy for the money you receive? Is there so much clutter in your life that it's difficult to organize yourself to do your best? Somerset Maugham once said, "It's a funny thing about life. If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it."
80. "We don’t win once in a while, we don’t do the right thing once in a while. We do the right thing all of the time! Winning is a habit, unfortunately, so is losing." - unknown
81. Successful small business owners really believe that their business can be successful. It's simple, really: if you don't have confidence in your own ability to run a small business and do well, you'll fall at the first hurdle. The successful small business owner is passionate about his or her business, and fully committed to making a go of it, and doing whatever it takes to make it work.
82. "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway!" Goethe wrote, "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. " Making any change in your life often feels uncomfortable at first. Continue to take action. Small steps count. Put the energy to create new things in your life out into the world... The Universe will respond.
83. Nothing happens until you've sold something. Without sales, there will be no earning endeavor for you to be in... everything else is expenses, and does not create any income.  Sell something... Now!
84. Sales is the use of language and presentation in order to persuade customers to buy.
85. Customer Service is the supply of that which satisfies the consumers wants and needs.  
86. Communication is the transfer of an idea, in my mind, to yours, so hopefully, it will be understood. Good communication occurs when ideas are transferred and understood. Bad communication has many causes, but it involves the non-arrival of a message or the arrival of an inaccurate message.
87. Advertising is important for any product. Without it, potential customers will not become aware of what your selling.
88. Every person will consider what the product is worth to them before purchasing. The price has to be just right before they will buy. One definition of price could be: The price is the sum, consideration or sacrifice given in exchange for goods and services.
89. Look after Your Customers and They'll Look after Your Small Business. Simple advice, but true. If you make sure your customers are happy, take the time to talk to them and get to know them, and sort out their problems as soon as you find out about them, they'll keep coming back for more. Successful small business owners invest a lot of time in their customers, finding out what makes them tick and generally making sure that they're happy.
90. An angry customer is a lost customer. As customers vent, they are expressing frustration, disappointment and anger. Anger is the worst because it’s the one you are going to take personally – it’s such an in-your-face emotion. Anger is an emotion that is always looking for someone or thing to blame. If you hit your hand with a hammer, you will probably yell some four letter word, and then you blame yourself. So even though the customer blames you, please remember that you are just the first unfortunate person they have met – so don’t take it personally.
91. Three Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Start Your Own Business: 1. Do you really want to operate independently and be the person making all the decisions and shouldering all the responsibility? 2. Are you willing to work hard and make the sacrifices starting a small business entails? 3. Do you have the self-confidence and self-discipline that will enable you to persevere and build your new enterprise into a success? If you’ve answered “no” to any of these, you’re probably not ready to start your own business.
92. Attitude: Some people cannot envision themselves impoverished. Others cannot envision themselves wealthy. Some, if by happenstance, find themselves facing dire financial circumstances, cannot envision anything less than a successful outcome. Others see unfortunate occurrences as the end of the line. . .
93. More attitude: As some of you who know me, I've had a very serious illness for the last umpteen years, and almost everyone thought I would be dead within a few short years. Well, as I told my last doctor -- "I still got stuff to do. I'll die when I damn well please!"
94. "For a man to wish to be rich is of little purpose. For a man to desire five pieces of gold is a tangible desire which he can press to fulfillment. After he has backed his desire for five pieces of gold with strength of purpose to secure it, next he can find similar ways to obtain ten pieces and then twenty pieces and later a thousand pieces and, behold, he has become wealthy. In learning to secure his one definite small desire, he hath trained himself to secure a larger one. This is the process by which wealth is accumulated: first in small sums, then in larger ones as a man learns and becomes more capable." - from: The Richest Man In Babylon.
95. Perspective is more important than IQ. You don’t need to be super-smart to make super- money.
96. The Master Key System is one of the finest studies in self-improvement, mind-stuff, and higher consciousness ever written. Covering everything from how to get wealthy to how to get healthy, Charles F. Haanel leaves no stone unturned. With precision, he elucidates on each topic with logic and rigor that not only leaves you feeling good, but also thinking good. The book was banned by the Church in 1933 and has been hidden away for seventy years! For a free copy, email me. ecnmanager@charter.net
97. Do you buy into societies "get quick" philosophy? Are you always buying the next best answer to sliced bread? Stop chasing possibilities and get down to working on your well-proven processes.
98. ALWAYS find your market BEFORE you try to sell something! Have a known, ready-market before you make any investment in a product. The rule being: Always be looking for customers - and when you find them, treat them like the "gold" they represent to your business.
99. To find what you seek, first look where that thing might logically be. In the sales world, that means finding your customers by looking where they frequently are, or at least presenting yourself in things they see or read on a consistent basis.
100. The con man's rule: "People will trust you and give you their money if you look like you already have money." The key word is: trust. A book is often judged by its cover. And your business is often judged by its location and the clothes you and your employees wear. Act like you are already successful and you will attract clients like a magnet attracts iron.
101. Image... some interesting tidbits:
     • People wearing spectacles are thought of being well educated and smarter
     • Houses painted yellow sell at a comparatively higher rate
     • Wearing blue suits to a job interview will increase your chances of landing that job
     • A person wearing clothes similar to his manager will be promoted sooner
     These tidbits have been proven statistically by many research firms and universities over and over again. A person wearing spectacles might not be smarter at all. But people will think he is smarter! Its just a stereotypical impression people have.
102. The 48 Greatest Marketing "Secrets"....here's the list:
     • People can be persuaded to your side with a good story.
     • People only do things for the good feelings they get.
     • People will pay any amount of money to have their inner states changed.
     • People only buy from people they know, like, and trust.
     • People make snap decisions about you and your business based on little things you usually overlook, even the paper stock of your business card.
     • People pick up on your energy, more than on what you say or do, and decide to work with you or not based on what they sense.
     • People know when you are lying, though some may mistrust their own instinct.
     • People want you to do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it; they will reward you, if you go one step further and deliver more than what they expect, sooner than when they expect it.
     • People only act for self-serving reasons, no matter what they say or you think.
     • People will never change their human emotions or basic desires, only their dress and their tools will change.
     • People never question their own beliefs, so don't try to change them.
     • People cannot tell you why they buy anything or predict if they will buy something.
     • People always respond to free offers of something interesting to them.
     • People will believe a wild claim if it is just this side of unbelievable.
     • People will spend their last dime to be entertained.
     • People respond to flattery.
     • People want to be happy. Period.
     • People want low prices while still wanting the best deal.
     • People can tell if you don't believe in your product or service.
     • People respond to enthusiasm.
     • People will follow commands that make them feel superior.
     • People buy for emotional reasons and justify their decisions with whatever logic they can find or create, no matter how ridiculous.
     • People idolize the past, complain about the present, and fear the future.
     • People will never argue with you if you never make them wrong.
     • People are deeply affected by what others think.
     • People always act for positive reasons, even if the behavior is negative.
     • People will read any length of the written word as long as it is interesting to them.
     • People become information junkies when they are interested in buying.
     • People will respond to you if you get out of your ego and into theirs.
     • People want to be recognized.
     • People want to be loved.
     • People are interested in other people.
     • People are interested in the new, the off-beat, the unusual.
     • People are always interested in women, babies, and pets.
     • People love food and will read a recipe stuck in a sales letter.
     • People universally feel deprived.
     • People do not care about you or your business until you show them how you can help them.
     • People will mentally fill in holes to complete a story or sales pitch.
     • People will deny that advertising works while responding to ads.
     • People will read an ad if it doesn't look like an ad.
     • People will believe a news story over an advertisement hands down.
     • People are collectors of something, whether of books or thimbles or recipes, though they may deny it.
     • People will continue with a bad habit until it hurts.
     • People will do whatever you want as long as they don't have a counter-thought to your request. Handle the objection and they will comply.
     • People unconsciously respond to your unconscious intentions.
     • People feel that something or someone else is in control and desperately seek ways to have power again.
     • People think about sex far more than they will ever admit.
     • People will deny that this list is entirely true.
103. The Greatest Money-Making Secret in History: If you want money, you only have to do one thing... (Remember what I said about secrets earlier in this tome? If not, see "secret" #29.)

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