All posts by Streetwise

The Bubble In Retro Video Games

For years, the Nintendo PlayStation existed only in the hushed whispers shared between geeks at comic-book conventions. Nintendo and Sony working together to bring out a games console?

It couldn’t possibly be real. It would be like Coke and Pepsi teaming up to make cola. But the rumours were true. Sony and Nintendo, today arch-rivals in the gaming sphere, had indeed collaborated to make a console in the early 1990s.

Two hundred prototype Nintendo PlayStations were created in around 1992 and 199 are said to have been destroyed when the partnership ended early. Just one model survived and it was kept by Olaf Olafsson, the first president of Sony Computer Entertainment. Olafsson went to work for the Advanta banking corporation and took the console with him. But it was left behind when Olafsson changed jobs again in 1999. When Advanta later went bust, the PlayStation was sold.

Now it has surfaced again – this time as part of an online sale with Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. The highest bid stands at $420,000, with fees. For sure, it is a strange beast, worthy of any 21st-century curiosity cabinet. Part Sony and part Nintendo, at first glance it resembles a Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or “SNES” to those of us who grew up with it (it hit the shelves in Britain in 1992).

The controller is almost identical. Except, look closely and the controller reads Sony PlayStation. Presumably, Nintendo chose to recycle parts of the design after the plug was pulled on the project. The console has been restored to full working order and it can play music CDs. Stranger still, it can apparently even play the games meant for the SNES. Incidentally, the video games themselves are fetching ever higher prices.

Heritage Auctions is also selling a rare copy of Stadium Events: Family Fun Fitness, which was made for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987. It has been given a 9.2 A+ grade rating by video-game grading group WataGames, which means it’s in pretty good nick. The current bid is $54,000 – for a video game! Games for the NES are particularly collectable. Still, maybe Nintendo should have tried harder to hold the collaboration together. Sony went on to sell 103 million PlayStations.

The SNES “only” sold 49 million units. Nintendo would lag the market for years, while Sega, another big player in the 1990s, stopped making consoles in 2001 to concentrate on video games. That same year, Microsoft entered the fray with its popular Xbox – but not popular enough to worry Sony, as it turned out. The best-selling console of all time at 159 million units sold is the Sony PlayStation 2. With the release of PlayStation 5 slated for later this year that market dominance may continue.

The hottest investments in games, are the games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which popularised characters such as Link, Mega Man and Mario in the 1980s. A collector who spent almost $1,500 on one game was able to resell it for $12,000. Nostalgia is one reason. Collectors who are now in their 30s and 40s are fond of the video games from their childhoods.

The market really took off in 2018, when WataGames began grading game boxes, cartridges and manuals according to its ten-point scale, much in the same way baseball cards and comic books are graded. That gave the market a certain respectability, leading to a rush among collectors to get in early, and prices have been rising ever since. Last February an unopened copy of Super Mario Bros, from 1985, set an auction record of $100,150 with Heritage Auctions. 

Some see a bubble. Some suspect companies with vested interests of stoking the market higher by creating hype. Still, there’s no reason why video games shouldn’t be considered collectable. Rarity and condition are crucial, so do your research.

Motivational Quote Of The Day

“Example is not the main thing in influencing other people; it’s the only thing.”



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Abraham Lincoln

Alternative Quote Of The Day

“I knew a transsexual guy whose only ambition is to eat, drink, and be Mary.”


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George Carlin

Today’s National Day  

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NATIONAL WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE  

 Dear Streetwise Customer,

I want to inform you of a new Facebook group Andi, a member of our staff has set up for Streetwise customers.  This group is for Streetwise customers only. It is a private members only group and we would like to invite you to join it.  

Andi suggested that he would like to host a series of live online training sessions starting next week. These live sessions will cover a range of important topics from creating the right mind set for success – which will be very handy if you have to stay in isolation for weeks or months at a time! – to the many different ways to make money online from home.  

Including how one man made $30,000 a month sharing untruths. Seriously. 

The reason for doing these live sessions is that if you are going to be in isolation for a few weeks then that is a great time to think about your future, your future income and learn new valuable skills.  

It is our way of giving back to you during this strange time and it is also a way that we can interact with our customers better. We can let you know of future products and what we are doing as a business. 

Andi knows a lot about online business and making money online after making quite a bit of it through his websites and various projects. He is the perfect person to be holding live training sessions in the Facebook group… it also helps with him being the only one out of us all who actually knows how to do it! 

To access these training sessions you need to join the group so please click the link below or the image above and request to join The Streetwise Private Members Only Club. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1326182417580313/

Being indoors for such a long time could have you climbing the walls and so you are going to need a healthy distraction. Something to take your mind off being imprisoned within your own four walls. 

This time will be a great opportunity to learn some new life changing skills and ways to earn an income. 

From what Andi has said to me, I believe the group is going to be invaluable to you. There is a lot of great stuff which he plans to share into the group. Stuff which I personally believe will make you see the internet and online businesses in a whole new light. 

To join the group click here: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1326182417580313/  

Kind Regards 

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John Harrison

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Something For The British

Sometimes the difference between a generic product and one targeted at a specific group can be the title. In non-fiction publishing, It’s pretty widely acceptable that the title is responsible for much of books success. Here’s an idea that capitalise on that. It’s a range of books…for the British.

Once you have that concept in your head, possible titles immediately present themselves. Baseball For The British, Bollywood For The British, Haggling for The British, New York for The British. The connecting factor is that each book is about something with which the British may not be familiar, or may have a unique take on. 

This is just one manifestation of the concept of course. It could Just as easily be for another nationality (For Americans) for people from a region (For Yorkshiremen) for people from an occupational group (For Teachers) or for a particular demographic (For Pensioners).

The key is that by focusing in on a particular group, you can turn general information into something which people in that group feel is specifically for them.

I’ll leave you to think how you might use this idea

Motivational Quote Of The Day

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are asking what’s in it for me?”
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Brian Tracy

Alternative Quote Of The Day

“I remember when safe sex was a padded headboard.”
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Bob Monkhouse

Where do old footballers go?

In the days before footballers go paid £100,000+ a week, you always knew where you’d find an ex-player after retiring – behind the bar of his own pub. It was the career of choice for any player who hadn’t gambled away his wages. Did you ever wonder why? 

I think it’s because people naturally gravitate towards businesses they enjoy patronising themselves. If you enjoy spending you leisure time in a pub, why not get paid for it instead? It’s the same though process that has led people to open coffee shops, gyms, and myriad retail establishments. But does this make sense? 

Well, yes and no. If you’re an enthusiastic consumer of something, you should have a good feel for what the market wants. That’s bound to be an advantage. But at the same time, it would an extra-ordinary coincidence if the optimum business for you turned out to be the type of business you personally enjoy frequenting most as a consumer. And there’s always the chance that you metaphorically ‘’drink the profits’’. 

The lesson to take away from this is to thoroughly question your motives for following the business path you’ve chosen. If it’s nothing more than an extension of you consumption preferences, it could be worth a rethink. 

Today’s National Day  

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NATIONAL APRILS FOOLS DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE  

 Dear Streetwise Customer,

I want to inform you of a new Facebook group Andi, a member of our staff has set up for Streetwise customers.  This group is for Streetwise customers only. It is a private members only group and we would like to invite you to join it.  

Andi suggested that he would like to host a series of live online training sessions starting next week. These live sessions will cover a range of important topics from creating the right mind set for success – which will be very handy if you have to stay in isolation for weeks or months at a time! – to the many different ways to make money online from home.  

Including how one man made $30,000 a month sharing untruths. Seriously. 

The reason for doing these live sessions is that if you are going to be in isolation for a few weeks then that is a great time to think about your future, your future income and learn new valuable skills.  

It is our way of giving back to you during this strange time and it is also a way that we can interact with our customers better. We can let you know of future products and what we are doing as a business. 

Andi knows a lot about online business and making money online after making quite a bit of it through his websites and various projects. He is the perfect person to be holding live training sessions in the Facebook group… it also helps with him being the only one out of us all who actually knows how to do it! 

To access these training sessions you need to join the group so please click the link below or the image above and request to join The Streetwise Private Members Only Club. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1326182417580313/

Being indoors for such a long time could have you climbing the walls and so you are going to need a healthy distraction. Something to take your mind off being imprisoned within your own four walls. 

This time will be a great opportunity to learn some new life changing skills and ways to earn an income. 

From what Andi has said to me, I believe the group is going to be invaluable to you. There is a lot of great stuff which he plans to share into the group. Stuff which I personally believe will make you see the internet and online businesses in a whole new light. 

To join the group click here: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1326182417580313/  

Kind Regards 

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John Harrison

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The Profitable Power Of A Simple Idea

If you have ever wanted to be wealthy, or at least have more money than what you currently have, then maybe you should start to focus on what is going on in your mind.

Too many people settle for the idea that they cannot or will not be wealthy because it ‘just isn’t for them’ as if there was some kind of magical force choosing who earns money or not.

Watching other people who have money with dejected eyes, wishing that they could at least have some of that wealth pie.

Well you can.

Wealth is not something which is determined at birth. There is no wealth god who decides who can and will get rich and who won’t.

Wealth is not a ‘thing’ that other people have. 

Wealth is not assigned to… or simply given to other people while you are completely overlooked.

There is no ‘other half’ like the saying implies.

Yes, some people inherit wealth, are born into wealthy families or are given a big hand from wealthy parents, but generally wealth is nothing more than the accumulation of money and items collected through various systems and methods.

‘The most successful letter I wrote…and one of the shortest at two pages of A4…has pulled in over £5 Million so far, and it’s still coming in. I wrote that one way back in 1998 – in an afternoon!’  – John Harrison Streetwise Publications

Read More: HOW TO RETIRE EARLY BY WRITING SIMPLE, EASY-TO-WRITE LETTERS with bonus FREE video training.

Wealth Is A By-Product Of Action…

A Result Of A Good Idea.

The accumulation of wealth is a by-product of action.

Action based on ideas.

The same can be said of the lack of wealth…  the lack of specific action and the repetition of bad action will lead to a lack of wealth… but that’s for another post. 

True wealth is the result of an idea or ideas.

And we all have ideas.

Sometimes all it takes is just one idea… an idea which comes out of nowhere when you least expect it.

That ONE Big Idea… could be all you need to change your financial situation.

But… the idea itself is useless if nothing is done with it.

An idea without action is simply… an idea.

To say that wealth is something that only ‘the other half’ have is doing a big disservice to people like JK Rowling, Roman Abramovich, Paul McCartney, David Beckham, Dr Dre, Stephen King and James Patterson to name a few.

In fact, I would say that it was…

a down right insult.

Those people are very wealthy individuals, but they started with nothing and eventually amassed small to rather large fortunes by doing nothing more than creating systems which filtered wealth to them.

All based on the ideas they had.

They have not done anything which you or I cannot do. They had ‘ideas’ and they took action on those ideas.

Yeah But…! They Are Lucky… Right?

Some might say that luck or talent is involved with some of these people who created products which people like or need, but again that isn’t true.

Luck is not something which just happens, it is something we ALL control… most of the time.

These people learned as much as they could about the systems they wanted to work with, the systems which brought wealth to them. 

They invested in themselves and studied hard. They mastered their crafts and whenever they could, they put their knowledge into action.

JK Rowling, Stepehn King and James Patterson spent years writing, suffering many rejections and setbacks before success came knocking.

Paul McCartney learned how to play the guitar and write songs, Dr Dre spent time writing raps and learned how to produce music. They performed numerous gigs mastering the art of their craft before success came knocking.

David Beckham practiced taking free kicks and penalties while his friends went out having fun. He practiced day and night until he mastered his skills.

Roman Abramovich learned about buying stocks and shares and then invested his spare money until he no longer had to work in the oil fields of Russia. The man is a billionaire who owns/owned the oil company he onced worked for.

Never Give Up!

One of the things which ties this group of people together, and separates them from others – apart from the fact they all acted on their ideas – is that they never gave up. They carried on even when times were hard going.

Stephen King worked as a teacher to earn money while he spent his spare time writing his unpublished books. He kept his rejection letters pinned to the wall, having to swap the pin for a longer nail because of the amount of rejections he was getting.

James Patterson received 30 odd rejections before he had his first short story published. His success is largely down to him self-funding his own TV advert for his first published book because the publishing company wouldn’t. 

Paul McCartney along with his Beatles band mates were famously rejected by Decca records because their music was considered ‘old’… that was before they became the biggest band the world has ever known.

JK Rowling was turned down 12 times for her first Harry Potter book and now look at it… Harry Potter is one of the biggest children’s adventure franchises in the world. Those Harry Potter books have spawned other books too.

JK Rowling also turned her hand to crime writing under the pen name Robert Galbraith, yet after her huge success with several Harry Potter books, the first of her crime books was rejected by publishing houses… until it was leaked that she was the writer and then it became a huge success… or at least, that’s how the story goes.

Whatever their passion or business venture was, these people simply did not give up and allow the thoughts and opinions of others to stop them from doing what they wanted to do. 

They knew they had something to share with the world, they knew what they wanted to happen and they made it happen.

The traditional idea of luck never paid any part in their success. Luck is created, as the saying goes…

“The harder I work, the luckier I get.” – Samuel Goldwyn

These people made their own luck by running with the ideas they had.

Become An Ideas Farmer

People have ideas all the time, they come right out of the blue, when we least expect them. We could be in the shower, sitting on the toilet, driving the car or at work. 

Ideas are flowing to us all the time.

One or several of those ideas could be worth a lot of money to you. If you follow on from the initial idea and take action.

The idea could be to learn a new skill, it could be the idea for a new book, it could be a new business venture, or maybe a website focusing on a specific topic.

Whatever the idea is, it will only stay as an idea until you explore it more.

Write down any ideas that you have and expand them. Go to town and write down EVERYTHING which comes to mind as you think through the idea.

Slowly you will see a plan grow, a plan which you can start to follow. 

Ideas can become very profitable and if you follow through on ideas they can take you to places you probably never dreamed of.

In 1964, the Beatles were already wealthy when Paul McCartney and John Lennon one day sat down to pen a new song. 

In an interview Paul McCartney said, “John would be getting an extension on his house or something, and the joke used to be, ‘Okay! Today let’s write a swimming pool.’ It was great motivation.”

“Then in the next three hours, ‘Help!’ appears from nowhere, you’d suddenly get the idea, this’ll be a hit, this is a good one. You become aware what you were doing was making money. Making good money.”

I love the sentence, ‘Today let’s write a swimming pool.’ To me it shows how powerful an idea is and what taking action can lead to.

An idea is the seed which when nurtured can develop into something beautiful. 

The nurturing process is actively working on it, doing whatever it needs and takes to grow that seed. If one idea doesn’t work, you try a different approach or a completely new idea.

The idea is to not stop and give up.

How To Become A Master Ideas Generator

Ideas, which are the seeds to wealth can be cultivated. 

With a notepad and a pen, sit down and write down all the ideas you have for new business ventures, books, products or services. Whatever they are, however stupid you may think they are, simply write down all the ideas you have.

Read through them and filter out any which on second glance appear to be unlikely to work. Begin to evolve on any which you think can work and carry on until you are left with a few good ones to work with.

To become a master idea generator, spend time each day coming up with a list of 10 new ideas for different things.

Such as:

  • 10 non-fiction book ideas
  • 10 fiction story book ideas
  • 10 website ideas
  • 10 business ideas
  • 10 service ideas
  • 10 physical product ideas
  • 10 life changing social ideas

Spending time thinking up ideas in different fields will help to acustom the brain into seeing and thinking up ideas.

Look around at the things around you and think about how they can be improved or used in different ways. 

Becoming an ideas person can bring in a lot of money, the more ideas you have, the greater chance you have of hitting on a real profitable idea… and the greater chance you have of having several profitable ideas giving you multiple income streams.

Multiple income streams is another secret to wealth accumulation and that is something I shall discuss in another post.

But remember, ideas are only profitable if you take action and make them real. If not…

an idea is nothing more than just an idea.

The Apprentice Idiots

I watched an edition of The Apprentice last night, after missing the first show last week. I’ve been a fan of the show since the first series, and I used to think it was something that all aspiring entrepreneurs should watch. But now I’m not so sure. I think it could give them a false sense of security. 

You see, in the first series, they had candidates who could be described as normal. They approached tasks in a rational (if sometimes misguided) way, and most of them treated the others with something approaching respect. Most had ability.  

Good for reality ~ but not so good for reality TV.  

The producers ~ realising that the biggest untapped audience will come from people filling in time before the next series of Big Brother, rather than entrepreneurs ~ have clearly decided that conflict and eccentricity are what ‘sells’. And so they’ve filled the show this time with a collection of characters who make for great entertainment, but who I wouldn’t employ if they worked for free.  

There’s the ultra-alpha male, the toff, the superbitch, the emotional wreck, the David Brent clone…Get the idea? The end result is great entertainment, and even the least business-savvy viewer gets to believe that they could probably do better than that – which they probably could. 

If you didn’t see the show, let me give you a little test. At short notice, you have to pitch to a hotel to do their laundry for an evening, and need to quote a price. Do you:  

a) Ring an established service to get a feel for market prices and then base your price on theirs? 

Or… 

b) Pluck a price from thin air in the car on the way to the meeting?  

If you answered ‘b’, you should almost certainly be killed, but you’d fit in well with the women’s team. Because that’s precisely what they did ~ they just guessed. But worse that that, the figure they chose was £4.95 per item laundered, which is about 25 times more expensive than the going rate! 

Now anyone who was more concerned with common sense and effective action, rather than strategy meetings, brainstorming, synergy, customer interfaces and the myriad of other corporate crap that these people seem to be able to regurgitate on tap, would have realised two things.

Firstly, that guessing a price in a market you know nothing about is moronic. Secondly, that guessing a figure that is more than the item would cost to replace, just has to be wrong. A child could work that one out.

The fact that one person came up with this plan was bad enough ~ but when all her team mates were so devoid of any common sense that they went along with it…well that’s really worrying. 

So watch The Apprentice for the entertainment, but don’t be fooled by the notion that these people are the ‘cream of young British business talent’, and you could do better. You almost certainly could do better, but doing better than someone who, but for their over-inflated ego and comedy value, would most likely find themselves employed flogging double glazing or toting time-share, is no great achievement. 

For some real business insight, watch Dragon’s Den. There are some numpties there too, but at least you get to see them sweat.  

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 Kind Regards 

John Harrison  

PUBLISHERS NOTICE  

“No Gym, No Problem!”

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Hello. 

 Now Gyms Have Been Closed Temporarily You Might Be Wondering…

 What To Do Instead?

Well if you’re anything like me, the answer isn’t ‘nothing’!

Over a decade ago now we were introduced to an  intriguing  and  unique home exercise programme. We decided to  publish  it  in  limited  numbers and it created something of a sensation, with many of our customers saying it’s the most effective thing they’ve ever tried…

And It Takes Just 7 Minutes A Day!

This isn’t just a ‘make do’ programme because your  gym is closed. It’s a programme which you can use  for life, no  matter where you are without special equipment, and achieve  spectacular  results.

You can find out all about it and hear from some of the people using  it  to transform their fitness and their appearance HERE.

These are difficult times, but it doesn’t mean we have to give in.

With this programme, I believe it’s possible for  you  to  come  out  of  this fitter and healthier than you went in.

Take a look  CLICK HERE and see what you think.  

Kind Regards 

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John Harrison

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www.streetwisenews.com/vince

Knowing Your Numbers

I want to start by talking about Coronavirus. Don’t switch off! I know you’re sick of hearing about it. But there is a useful point which I’ll come on to. 

As I write this, there is still massive uncertainty about where the Coronavirus outbreak is going to take us. The greatest minds on the planet,  people who have made a life’s work of studying precisely this kind of virus – cannot come to a consensus on exactly how serious this is and how many people will ultimately succumb to the disease.

And the reason they can’t do that is quite simple – they are missing a key number without which no projections are possible.

We can see how many people are dying with the disease, (but not necessarily OF the disease – a seperate confounding issue which I’ll gloss over for our purpose here) and we have a figure for the number of cases. We also know the size of our population. So it should be simple shouldn’t it?

If there are a 65 million people in our UK population, a thousand cases and 50 deaths, then our mortality rate looks like 5% and we could lose over 3 million people if everyone got it.

But we know this isn’t right. Why? Well there are a few reasons but first and foremost is the key number I mentioned earlier. You see, we don’t actually know the number of cases. All we know is the number of serious cases presenting at hospital, added to randomly by various celebrities, footballers, royalty and rich folk who had the where with all to pay for their own test.

We know there are very many people with mild or zero symptoms infected with Coronavirus, but we don’t know how many. Without that number, any projections about the path and likely toll of the disease are worthless.

As I write this there have been 11,568 positive tests for Coronavirus in the UK and 578 deaths. But these tests weren’t taken randomly – most were taken on people already ill. A death rate of 5% looks terrifying. But what if that 11,568 is the tip on the iceberg, and it surely is? So how big is the iceberg? Without knowing we can’t say whether 578 deaths is indeed terrifying, reassuringly low or somewhere between the two.

To take this to an admittedly extreme example, if 20% of the UK population was already infected (with most asymptomatic or with mild symptoms) then those 578 deaths would be spread over 13 million people, so a one in 22,000 chance of dying after being infected. Nobody is suggesting that is right, but 11,568 cases isn’t right either. The truth lay somewhere between the two figures. 

Knowing your numbers is critical in projecting what will happen with a virus, and it’s also critical in projecting what will happen in your business. Just as the number of deaths is meaningless in isolation in assessing the destructive capability of a virus, so the number of sales is meaningless in assessing the potential profitability of a business project.

You need to know exactly the same things as the statistician trying to understand where a virus is headed…what is the size of your target market (population) how many people have been exposed to your marketing (infections) and how many people have purchased (deaths). It’s only then that you can determine potential. How you do this will depend on what you’re selling and how you’re selling it, but it can usually be done. Testing is the key.

So if you’ve made a 1,000 sales that might sound good to you. But that figure means something very different if only 5,000 from your target market have seen your offer than if 100,000 have seen it. 

I see a lot of people focussing on sales figures without giving these figures real context. It’s only by adding context in terms of the level of exposure to what you’re offering, and the size of the overall market in relation to that exposure, that you can assess what the sales figures mean for long term potential.

To do otherwise would lead you down the path of rejecting potential fortune makers, and persevering with seemingly ‘hot prospects’ which have already eaten into most of their potential.

Let’s hope Covid-19 is a case of the latter. 

Motivational Quote Of The Day

“The longer you’re not taking action the more money you’re losing.”

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Carrie Wilkerson

Alternative Quote Of The Day

“Fun is like life insurance; the older you get, the more it costs.”     

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Tim Vine

Today’s National Day  

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NATIONAL STAY POSITIVE DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE  

“No Gym, No Problem!”

empty gym.png

Hello. 

 Now Gyms Have Been Closed Temporarily You Might Be Wondering…

 What To Do Instead?

Well if you’re anything like me, the answer isn’t ‘nothing’!

Over a decade ago now we were introduced to an  intriguing  and  unique home exercise programme. We decided to  publish  it  in  limited  numbers and it created something of a sensation, with many of our customers saying it’s the most effective thing they’ve ever tried…

And It Takes Just 7 Minutes A Day!

This isn’t just a ‘make do’ programme because your  gym is closed. It’s a programme which you can use  for life, no  matter where you are without special equipment, and achieve  spectacular  results.

You can find out all about it and hear from some of the people using  it  to transform their fitness and their appearance HERE.

These are difficult times, but it doesn’t mean we have to give in.

With this programme, I believe it’s possible for  you  to  come  out  of  this fitter and healthier than you went in.

Take a look  CLICK HERE and see what you think.  

Kind Regards 

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John Harrison

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www.streetwisenews.com/vince

The Only Assets That Matter

Keeping it simple is usually a good principle in investing – and that’s definitely true when it comes to deciding what should make up the core of your portfolio. There are only a handful of established, transparent and proven asset classes that have distinctive properties.

Striking the right balance between them is the first decision in any investment strategy. Equities have historically been the best choice for growing your wealth: shares have outperformed bonds and cash in all major markets over the long run.

If you’re young and saving for a distant retirement, you might have almost all your portfolio in the stockmarket. But shares are volatile, so an older investor who wants their wealth to be more stable might choose to keep just half of their assets in shares.

Your property should mean far more than your house: it could include offices, shopping centres, factories or warehouses. History suggests commercial property returns will be lower than equities, but this asset brings steady income and useful diversification.

Most of us will invest in property through Reits, which make up 10%-20% of a balanced portfolio. Bonds have two main roles: as a steady source of income and as a safer asset that does well when shares swoon.

With yields as low as they are, the former now looks less compelling: investors may prefer to stick with equities for much of their income instead of switching entirely into bonds at retirement. But holding safe government bonds helps balance the volatility of stocks, so they could still make up around a quarter of a balanced portfolio even at today’s meagre yields. 

Cash provides a buffer for unexpected expenses, but also means that you are well placed to take advantage of any buying opportunities the market throws up. But too much cash will be a major drag on your returns. An allocation of 5%-10% is sensible in most circumstances. Finally, there’s gold.

Some investors suggest holding commodities in general, but the yellow metal is the only one with a strong case for being a core holding. Gold pays no dividends or interest; in fact, it usually costs you a small amount in storage or management fees to own it.

But it’s a highly liquid and trusted asset that consistently does well during crises. Keeping 5%-10% of your money in gold is a simple way of insuring against a major meltdown

Motivational Quote Of The Day

“Once you say you’re going to settle for second, that’s what happens to you in life.”     

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J F Kennedy

Alternative Quote Of The Day

“One-armed butlers – they can take it but they can’t dish it out.” 

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Tim Vine

The Fruit Box 

The Fruit Box is an Australian company that delivers fresh fruit to company break rooms as an alternative to the usual unhealthy stuff you find in such places.

Ten years ago, the company had two delivery vans. It has more than 50 vans and delivers 600,000 pieces of fruit each week.

Might this work in major cities in the UK? I can see no reason why not. Healthier eating is high on the agenda of a lot of office workers, but good quality fresh fruit isn’t always easy to source and transport when they’re on their way to work. 

Something for an ambitious entrepreneur with huge upside potential.

Today’s National Day  

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NATIONAL I AM IN CONTROL  DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE  

“No Gym, No Problem!”

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Hello. 

 Now Gyms Have Been Closed Temporarily You Might Be Wondering…

 What To Do Instead?

Well if you’re anything like me, the answer isn’t ‘nothing’!

Over a decade ago now we were introduced to an  intriguing  and  unique home exercise programme. We decided to  publish  it  in  limited  numbers and it created something of a sensation, with many of our customers saying it’s the most effective thing they’ve ever tried…

And It Takes Just 7 Minutes A Day!

This isn’t just a ‘make do’ programme because your  gym is closed. It’s a programme which you can use  for life, no  matter where you are without special equipment, and achieve  spectacular  results.

You can find out all about it and hear from some of the people using  it  to transform their fitness and their appearance HERE.

These are difficult times, but it doesn’t mean we have to give in.

With this programme, I believe it’s possible for  you  to  come  out  of  this fitter and healthier than you went in.

Take a look  CLICK HERE and see what you think.  

Kind Regards 

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John Harrison

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www.streetwisenews.com/vince

The £1 Coin Worth £1m

A rare 22-carat gold sovereign from 1937, with a face value of £1, has become the first British coin to sell for £1m. The coin bears the face of King Edward VIII, despite Edward having abdicated in favour of his brother, George VI, the previous year.

Edward had also broken with convention in being depicted facing left, as he preferred his left profile to his right. Since the reign of Charles II in the 17th century, monarchs had traditionally faced in the opposite direction to their immediate predecessors. But Edward VIII was quite a vain character.

Owing to Edward’s abdication, the trial coin, of which six were made, never went into mass production. Edward asked for a set of the coins, but his brother refused. Four of the coins ended up in museums, with the remaining ones held privately. The Royal Mint sourced one of the latter from the US, where it had gone after being sold for £516,000 in 2014. “When the opportunity came along, I felt I could not turn it down.

It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says the present anonymous buyer. “I’m aware that [£1m] is a lot of money for a coin, but if I did not secure it now, I’d not get the chance again.” The most expensive coin in the world remains the “flowing hair” silver dollar, which was the first coin to be struck by the US Mint in 1794. It sold for $10m in January 2013.

Motivational Quote Of The Day

“The best way to predict  the future is to invent it.”

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Alan Kay

Alternative Quote Of The Day

“Fun is like life insurance; the older you get, the more it costs.”

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Kin Hubbard

3,000 lunches a day-and no kitchen!

A San Fransisco run by two Stanford business graduates provides lunches for over 3,000 office workers in the bay area each day, and they don’t cook or prepare a single one.

Eat Club’s secret is that they are middlemen – reaching deals with individual restaurants each day, negotiating discounts, and then delivering to their customers for a flat $7.50 a head. Nothing fancy – just three menu choices each day.

This seem like an excellent business model – let someone else invest in a restaurant, kitchens and everything else that’s needed, and then simply sell what they produce. If consumer tastes change, the company aren’t locked into one kind of food and can very quickly change supplier.

I can’t think of any reason why a business like this wouldn’t have a great chance of success in any major city – and with much lower risks and start up costs than a traditional catering operation.

Today’s National Day  

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NATIONAL EPILEPSY AWARENESS DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE  

“No Gym, No Problem!”

empty gym.png

Hello. 

 Now Gyms Have Been Closed Temporarily You Might Be Wondering…

 What To Do Instead?

Well if you’re anything like me, the answer isn’t ‘nothing’!

Over a decade ago now we were introduced to an  intriguing  and  unique home exercise programme. We decided to  publish  it  in  limited  numbers and it created something of a sensation, with many of our customers saying it’s the most effective thing they’ve ever tried…

And It Takes Just 7 Minutes A Day!

This isn’t just a ‘make do’ programme because your  gym is closed. It’s a programme which you can use  for life, no  matter where you are without special equipment, and achieve  spectacular  results.

You can find out all about it and hear from some of the people using  it  to transform their fitness and their appearance HERE.

These are difficult times, but it doesn’t mean we have to give in.

With this programme, I believe it’s possible for  you  to  come  out  of  this fitter and healthier than you went in.

Take a look  CLICK HERE and see what you think.  

Kind Regards 

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John Harrison

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www.streetwisenews.com/vince

Making A Success Out Of Failure

There’s something grimly compelling about failure, and for that reason, I expect Simon Jameson’s book to be a big success.

Jameson has started and failed in 10 businesses, and has now decided to turn these failures into an asset. His new book, Badpreneur, chronicles the story of his business downfalls. It isn’t all bad news though. Some of his businesses did make some money, but he lost it all again on the next venture!

Although the book is about failure, the underlying message is a positive one – don’t give up. As Thomas Edison once famously said – “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Wouldn’t it be the ultimate irony if the one way that really works for Simon Jameson, is a book about business failure!

Motivational Quote Of The Day

“The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”   

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Confucious

Alternative Quote Of The Day

 “I’m not saying my wife’s a bad cook, but she uses a smoke alarm as a timer.” 

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Bob Monkhouse

Dragons Slayed

Watch a few episodes of Dragons Den and it’s easy to become convinced that the Dragons are infallible. I’ve never held that view (I’ll tell you why in a moment) and the case of Jacqueline Williams seems to prove it.

Jacqueline went on the show to get investment for her Basket Geni invention, a device which prevents hanging baskets being stolen or blown off their hooks in the wind. Despite some encouraging comments, she failed to get any investment.

Undeterred, she pressed on alone and has signed a deal with one of the UK’s leading garden centre distributors, who supply the likes of Homebase and B&Q. The initial order is for 20,000 units with high hopes for massive expansion both in the UK and overseas.

So the Dragons were wrong not to invest? Perhaps. You see, there are many different types of business, and just because you know how to build and run a high street retail chain, or an international company, doesn’t mean you have what it takes to judge whether a new invention is likely to take off, or whether a start-up idea has potential.

This is always worth bearing in mind when receiving advice and opinions about your idea. The person advising you may be successful, but is he or she successful in your specific field? And is their definition of success the same as yours?

That’s the other thing with those Dragon’s you see; where a business bringing in £100,000 a year profit might be Nirvana for you, it’s probably not worth the bother for them. Maybe the Dragons were right not to invest in Jacqueline’s business after all. Their finite time and resources could be better spent elsewhere.

The lesson here I think, is to seek out investment, support advice and partnership from people who understand and are motivated by, the level at which you hope and expect to operate in your business. Aiming for the top isn’t always the best strategy.

Today’s National Day   

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NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOUR DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE  

“No Gym, No Problem!”

empty gym.png

Hello. 

 Now Gyms Have Been Closed Temporarily You Might Be Wondering…

 What To Do Instead?

Well if you’re anything like me, the answer isn’t ‘nothing’!

Over a decade ago now we were introduced to an  intriguing  and  unique home exercise programme. We decided to  publish  it  in  limited  numbers and it created something of a sensation, with many of our customers saying it’s the most effective thing they’ve ever tried…

And It Takes Just 7 Minutes A Day!

This isn’t just a ‘make do’ programme because your  gym is closed. It’s a programme which you can use  for life, no  matter where you are without special equipment, and achieve  spectacular  results.

You can find out all about it and hear from some of the people using  it  to transform their fitness and their appearance HERE.

These are difficult times, but it doesn’t mean we have to give in.

With this programme, I believe it’s possible for  you  to  come  out  of  this fitter and healthier than you went in.

Take a look  CLICK HERE and see what you think.  

Kind Regards 

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John Harrison

john harrison.jpg

www.streetwisenews.com/vince

Moby’s Trick

When musician, Moby, released the album Play, in 1999, it was a critical disaster. Just 30 people turned up for the launch party, and the omens weren’t good.  

So how come nine years later, it had sold over 10 million copies?  

The answer is fascinating, and may contain within it, the germ of an idea for you to transform one of your struggling products or businesses into an outrageous success.  

The ‘normal’ way to make money from a record (certainly in pre-Internet days) is to get it played as much as possible on the radio and TV. People hear it, like it and go out and buy the album. And then the bandwagon starts to gather pace.

But with thousands of artists battling for a limited amount of airtime, it isn’t easy for a relative unknown to get significant coverage. Without radio and TV coverage nobody gets to hear the music. And if they don’t hear it, they don’t go out and buy it.  

At first, nobody was playing Play, and nobody was buying it.  

The record company (and Moby himself, who was broke at the time) were keen to recoup some money from what was looking like a disaster. What they did, was probably done as a last resort, but it turned the record into a hit and Moby into a star.  

They started licensing the tracks on the album to companies for use in advertising campaigns. I don’t know whether they did it purely for the licensing fees, or whether they had the longer game in mind from the start, but the outcome was that the songs on the album quickly gained a massive audience ~ far bigger than could normally be achieved from radio play alone.

Play was the first album to have all its tracks licensed for use in either advertising or films.  

People heard the songs in the ads and movies, liked them, and went out and bought the album. The rest is history. 

I know what you’re thinking though…

“Why the heck is he telling me that? Has he taken leave of what few senses he has left? I don’t have any undiscovered music to license out – or anything else for that matter!”  

Well maybe you haven’t, but the point is this – there’s always more than one route to the same destination, in this case a multi-million bestselling record. Your destination will probably be different, but there will still be numerous routes to get there.  

There will be the well-trodden path that everyone else is on. It will be crowded and uncomfortable and you’re going to have a real fight on your hands to make any progress. In music terms, think about the huge queue of ‘hopefuls’ outside the X Factor auditions, and you get the idea.  

And then there will be other paths, which may take a little lateral thinking to reach, but they’ll be less crowded and you’ll get the chance to do things on your own terms. Compare the rise of Arctic Monkeys via the Internet and word of mouth to that of your average X Factor winner, and you’ll see what I mean. 

It’s difficult for me to be specific here, because I don’t know what you’re involved in, and working on, but let me give you an example from my own business which might explain what I’m talking about a little better…  

Walk into W H Smith and you will find thousands of books competing for attention – and their publishers are the lucky ones ~ the ones that have managed to secure some shelf space. Only a small percentage of books even make it to the shelves.

I don’t have a single book in W H Smith or any other bookstore for that matter (not that I’ve ever tried to get them there) and yet I sell millions of pounds worth of books and other publications every year. 

How did I do it?  

By selecting a different, less crowded route to achieving the same end…selling a lot of publications and making money. In my case, this different route consisted of a combination of unique subject matter and unusual marketing methods, but it doesn’t really matter.

The point is that I looked at the mainstream way of doing things, didn’t like the crowds or the odds and looked for a different route. 

Whatever business or field you’re in, there are back roads, shortcuts and alternative routes away from the main highway that everyone else is using. Once you separate yourself from the crowd, the rules of the road are far more flexible. You get to do things your way, maybe even carve out a piece of your own track while nobody’s looking.  

It’s all the more satisfying when you arrive at your destination, knowing that you’ve done it on your own terms, and avoided becoming a physical or emotional casualty of the mainstream journey.  

Moby did it, I did it, and you can too.

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 Kind Regards 

John Harrison 

PUBLISHERS NOTICE  

“No Gym, No Problem!”

empty gym.png

Hello. 

 Now Gyms Have Been Closed Temporarily You Might Be Wondering…

 What To Do Instead?

Well if you’re anything like me, the answer isn’t ‘nothing’!

Over a decade ago now we were introduced to an  intriguing  and  unique home exercise programme. We decided to  publish  it  in  limited  numbers and it created something of a sensation, with many of our customers saying it’s the most effective thing they’ve ever tried…

And It Takes Just 7 Minutes A Day!

This isn’t just a ‘make do’ programme because your  gym is closed. It’s a programme which you can use  for life, no  matter where you are without special equipment, and achieve  spectacular  results.

You can find out all about it and hear from some of the people using  it  to transform their fitness and their appearance HERE.

These are difficult times, but it doesn’t mean we have to give in.

With this programme, I believe it’s possible for  you  to  come  out  of  this fitter and healthier than you went in.

Take a look  CLICK HERE and see what you think.  

Kind Regards 

jhsig bw.png

John Harrison

john harrison.jpg

www.streetwisenews.com/vince

The Crack Of Noon

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We often hear from people who are desperately trying to find a new unique business idea. Far better (and easier) to take an existing idea and modify it, or tailor it to a particular group of customers.

A perfect example of this is Executive Tours of California who run tours to Europe. Nothing unique about that, until you find out that these tours are called ‘Crack Of Noon Tours’, and the itinerary is designed specifically for people who don’t like getting up early in the mornings.

So all the excursions and activities are scheduled from noon onwards. Needless to say, there are no early morning flights.

So there you have it. Are there any other products or services that could be adapted for late risers? Or to turn it on its head, are there any products or services that can be adapted for the early to bed brigade?

Once you start thinking about any product or service, the number of potential niche markets you can create for a product or variation to service , is almost infinite.

Motivational Quote Of The Day

“Don’t look down on anyone unless you are helping them up.” 

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Jesse Jackson

Alternative Quote Of The Day

“My wife said to me: “If you won the lottery, would you still love me?” “Of course I would. I’d miss you, but I’d still love you.”

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Frank Carson

DIY Food

I don’t know about you, but when I go to a hotel restaurant, I don’t even want to have to think about how the food got from its raw state onto my plate. I just want to eat. But not everyone feels the same way, and the Hotel Vitale in San Fracisco has  a service for those people.

The hotel is situated close to a farmers market, and as a guest you can accompany the chef to the market to select your ingredients for your evening meal. Then, he’ll either cook it for you, or assist you to prepare it yourself, depending on your preference.

This might not be your idea of a great day out, but the fact remains that the popularity of TV cooking programmes means there’s an awful lot of frustrated chefs out there who would love to get their hands dirty under the watchful eye of a top chef….even if it meant cooking their own food and then paying for the priviledge. Could this be a service you coud introduce to a hotel near you.

Today’s National Day   

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NATIONAL PROPOSAL DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE

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 Hello. 

Is your gym a safe place to be during the Coronavirus outbreak?

I’m really not qualified to answer that, but I know some people have taken the decision to stay away, and in the  coming  days  and weeks  it’s  possible the decision might be taken out of our hands.

So What To Do Instead?

Well if you’re anything like me, the answer isn’t ‘nothing’!

Over a decade ago now we were introduced to an  intriguing  and  unique home exercise programme. We decided to  publish  it  in  limited  numbers and it created something of a sensation, with many of our customers saying it’s the most effective thing they’ve ever tried…

 And It Takes Just 7 Minutes A Day!

   This isn’t just a ‘make do’ programme because your  gym is  either  closed or doesn’t feel safe. It’s a programme which you can use  for life, no  matter where you are without special equipment, and achieve  spectacular  results.

   You can find out all about it and hear from some of the people using  it  to transform their fitness and their appearance HERE.

   These are difficult times, but it doesn’t mean we have to give in.

   With this programme, I believe it’s possible for  you  to  come  out  of  this fitter and healthier than you went in.

   Take a look  CLICK HERE and see what you think.

Kind Regards 

john sig.png

 John Harrison.

john harrison.jpg

www.streetwisenews.com/vince