I often say, if you have a finite budget for marketing, you should spend less on advertising and invest it in your customers in some form of customer appreciation. You will get a better return for your money when you invest in your existing customers.

Les Brown, an American motivational speaker, says that we are all born on this planet with a purpose. We all have gifts, a responsibility and an obligation to make a positive impact. Unfortunately, most of us do not know what ourpurpose is and we have to discover it. And worse, we are often unaware that we have to discover our purpose.

How you take care of your customers is a key factor in your business success. If you take good care of your customers, then you get to keep them as customers, plus they will multiply.

Since I got lots of interest in my last article on worrying, here is some more on the topic.

Do you spend too much time worrying about things? Do you feel that it is cutting into your ability to succeed in life? When you worry about future events, your attention is literally pulled into the future. The scary thing is that as you focus on what may come, you may be inadvertently causing it to happen. That has to make you worry even more!

Dave is Restless

Dave was just an ordinary kind of guy, working in an ordinary job. He had been employed with the same company for more than ten years and been loyal and dedicated. He'd always believed that if he worked hard for the company, they would look after him. At least that was how it had been since the dark ages. 

Years ago I was reading C.S. Lewis's enchanting book The Horse and His Boy. A young girl was about to take her own life rather than face a life in an arranged marriage to an old lord. Then her talking horse said these words to her:

"While you live you still have a chance,
but all the dead are dead alike."

Networking is ideal for those of you who are starting out in business, with no existing clients and a limited budget. The investment is more of time than of money.

There are plenty of opportunities for networking, both formal and informal. Join various groups and organizations, including chamber of commerce networking meetings and industry groups.