THE ARMY ON THE MARCH

 1. Sun Tzu said: We come now to the question of
  encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy. 
  Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighborhood
  of valleys.

 2. Camp in high places, facing the sun. Do not climb
  heights in order to fight. So much for mountain warfare.

 3. After crossing a river, you should get far away
  from it.

 4. When an invading force crosses a river in its
  onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream.
  It will be best to let half the army get across,
  and then deliver your attack.

 5. If you are anxious to fight, you should not go
  to meet the invader near a river which he has to cross.

The Flowers

All the names I know from nurse:
Gardener's garters, Shepherd's purse,
Bachelor's buttons, Lady's smock,
And the Lady Hollyhock.

Fairy places, fairy things,
Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,
Tiny trees for tiny dames--
These must all be fairy names!

Tiny woods below whose boughs
Shady fairies weave a house;
Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme,
Where the braver fairies climb!

Fair are grown-up people's trees,
But the fairest woods are these;
Where, if I were not so tall,
I should live for good and all.

System

Every night my prayers I say,
And get my dinner every day;
And every day that I've been good,
I get an orange after food.

The child that is not clean and neat,
With lots of toys and things to eat,
He is a naughty child, I'm sure--
Or else his dear papa is poor.

ORGANIZE YOUR CUSTOMER MAILING LIST FOR OPTIMUM RESULTS.

A list of customers who have previously bought from you is your most 
important asset. These are the customers who will provide you with return 
business, which is more profitable than the first sale. But, are you 
getting the most from your customer list? There are some secrets you should 
know, so you can squeeze the most benefits out of your mailing list.
Most business' customer lists consist of this information: Name, Address, 
City, State, Zip. That's it. Unfortunately, this mailing list is almost 
worthless. You need to have more information in your files than just that. 
I have 32 information fields in my customer database! You should be able to 
set these up in your computer's database, or, if you don't use a computer 
(you REALLY should), all this information should fit on a large size index 
card in a card file.  

The Miser and His Gold

Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold
at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go
and dig it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed
this, went and dug up the gold and decamped with it. When the
Miser next came to gloat over his treasures, he found nothing but
the empty hole. He tore his hair, and raised such an outcry that
all the neighbours came around him, and he told them how he used
to come and visit his gold. "Did you ever take any of it out?"
asked one of them.

"Nay," said he, "I only came to look at it."

"Then come again and look at the hole," said a neighbour; "it
will do you just as much good."

Wealth unused might as well not exist.

Moving People For Profit

The term "Reloctation Consultant" is an all-encompassing business that 
involves everything that has to do with transferring people. 
The task of a relocation consultant may include any or all of the 
following activities and services that generally come with moving to a 
new location:  

  + Select a moving company.  
  + Selling the old house . 
  + Finding and buying a new home or renting a new apartment.  
  + Suggesting schools, churches, etc. 
  + Spouse job placement counseling  

Of course you choose which services you want to include in your repertoire.  
However, on a joint-effort with other professionals in your area, you can 
really offer an extensive menu of services.

Relocation consultants do not own moving companies. They hire moving 
companies for and on behalf of the client. As a relocation consultant, 
you also deal with real estate agents, travel agencies, and career 
consultants. You control the middle ground where all these services merge 
to fulfill the needs of your client.


SHELTER IS #1 
The most important issue in any relocation is where your client will 
reside in their new city or state. Some clients buy a home in the new 
city before they move. Others prefer to rent, giving themselves enough 
time to become familiar with the area before buying a house.
Most relocation consultants receive their commission from the real estate 
agent. However, if your client wants to rent, as opposed to immediately 
buying a home, the company relocating your client will more than likely 
pick up the tab, usually equal to one month's rent.

Some rental properties, however, will pay a relocation consultant a 
commission equal to one month's rent.


CORPORATE FIELD 
You can do a real volume business by targeting large corporate accounts.  
Companies in high-technology related products and services are the growth 
markets in relocation.
   
Contracts for technical top-guns range 3 to 5 years, so you can expect 
excellent turn over in the high-tech industry. Concentrating on a specific 
industry gives you credibility and lots of referrals. 

newspaper delivery

During periods of high inflation, most people have to "tighten their belts," and watch their expenditures a bit more closely. After all, buying on credit and attempting to spend more than you have coming in is a sure-fire road to financial ruin.



 In order to live within your income - keep the bill collectors off your back - and not really lower your accustomed standard of living, this report is made up of a number of proven ideas to help you.



 One of the first things you should do is take write out a budget. You do this by listing your total take home income on one piece of paper, and all of your regular monthly obligations on another piece of paper. A good idea is to set up a separate envelope for each of your bills - use the envelopes from your incoming mail for these, marking on the front of each envelope what it's for.



 There should be an envelope for your mortgage or rent payment, for any payments to loan companies, and of course your charge cards, for your groceries, your lights, heat, water and telephone costs. Then, as you get paid, cash your check and divide the money you have into each envelope. If you're "strung out pretty tight," you may have to contact each of your creditors with a request to lower your payments, and extend them over a longer payback period. If after making out your budget - and actually seeing on paper how much money you've got to pay your bills - this is necessary, then by all means get in to talk with your creditors. Tell them about your situation; explain to them that you've taken a look at your income/outgo situation, and have devised a plan and work with you in everyone off. In almost all instances, they'll welcome your plan and work with you in every way possible to help you get caught up.



 Probably the biggest area in which you can cut your expenses is with your groceries. To do this, always make a detailed and itemized list of the things you need before you leave home. Total up the costs and if it goes beyond the amount you want to spend or have to spend, simply go back through your list marking off those things lease necessary. Never go grocery shopping when you're feeling hungry!



 When making up your list of groceries to buy, always check your local newspaper for best buys - if you've had to discontinue newspaper delivery - check your local post office about midweek and you'll find "grocery shoppers' supplements" stacked up by people who don't want them. Go through your papers with a fine tooth comb and compare prices. Shop at the "no frills" stores, the "food barns" and liquidation sales.



 By all means, clip out the "cents off" and refund coupons. Keep a sharp eye out at all times for these coupons and use them - if they're for brands or items that you don't want to use, offer to trade them with people who want them.



 It almost goes without saying that when you're trying to watch your expenses, you'll have to give up snacks and eating out. Instead of buying a candy bar to munch on as you walk through the store, buy a bag of apples and take one with you from home. Instead of eating out once a week, cut it down to once a month and make it a real reward for having lived within your budget for the preceding month.



 With your cooking, prepare more of your meals from scratch instead of serving processed, pre-cooked or hear and serve meals. Save your foil/transparent plastic wrap - just wash it and use it again. Use paper towels or do without napkins. Use bread wrappers and save those place containers - just wash and use them for keeping leftovers. Use washable cloth handkerchiefs instead of expensive facial tissue.



 Clothing is another area in which most people can save. Instruct everyone in your family that there won't be anymore new clothes purchases until you've got your finances reorganized - instruct them to learn to value and take care of the clothes they have - make them last longer. Learn to sew on buttons, repair ripped seams, and sew on patches. Never throw anything away - if something becomes outgrown or no longer wanted, save it for a garage sale or trade for something you can use at a second hand store.



 Learn all you can about auto upkeep and minor repairs. Visit your public library and explore what is available that you can use to learn how to "do-it-yourself" instead of having to pay someone to do it for you. Talk with your relatives, neighbors and co-workers about swapping services - you do little odd jobs for them in exchange for their doing things for you that you either can't or don't want to do.



 Save and sell all materials that can be recycled such as aluminum, bottles and paper. Don't splurge on gifts - either at Christmas or on birthdays. Think of things you can either make yourself or trade for - often-times a handmade card is a gift-enough when times are tough.



 And finally, don't go shopping at the big advertised sales if you don't have the cash in hand to buy a needed item. A savings of $50 on an item that puts you $50 in debt is no savings at all. At the bottom line, before you buy anything, ask yourself if you "really" have to have it! 

playground equipment

Whenever possible, you should encourage the children to be outside during play periods. If you have lots of playground equipment, you won't necessarily always have to have organized games, but you will have to have a playground supervisor - someone
to watch the children and see that they don't get hurt as they play. You can hire part-time help for this chore, perhaps from the local colleges, for minimum wage. If your city ordinances do not cover the specific age requirements of a playground supervisor, you might be able to hire students from your neighborhood high school. Select all the people you hire relative to their affinity with children and their dependability. Be aware of today's climate of extreme concern in protecting children in day care situations.

 Your playground will require a fenced-in area. Drive around and look at the playground equipment in the playyards of your public schools and at day care centers in your area. You should have the basic sandboxes, swings, slides and jungle gyms but in
this area you can be creative and original, provided your equipment meets safety standards.

 Some states require that you have a registered nurse on the premises, but generally, the main things needed are medical information from the parents and a written procedure to follow in case of accident or illness. Basically, when a child is injured
or be comes ill, you should take him to the nearest medical center, while another staff person gets in touch with the parents, and explains what happened. If the parent cannot be present at the medical center, all information should be passed on to him/her immediately it is available.

 It's a good idea to have all your helpers indoctrinated with basic Red Cross first aid knowledge, and have a well-equipped first aid kit on the premises. As for any requirements relative to a full-time nurse, you should be able to hire registered nurses
who are either not working or looking for extra income. You might be able to "hire the license" of a registered nurse. You pay a small fee to hang her license in your office, and she agrees to be available to serve your needs when you call.

 Most day care centers are currently charging from $35 to $65 per child for a five day week, plus $5 to $10 more for the inclusion of breakfast, with another $l per meal when they serve an evening meal to the child. If you do not receive pay in advance, you can very quickly get "in the red." We strong suggest setting up your financial structure and clients' payment schedules with this in mind.

 By having your customers pay in advance, you'll eliminate a lot of bookkeeping chores and time, the problems of collections, and you'll have operating funds with which to run the business. A point to stress when asking for payment by the month, in advance,
is that because monthly payments are based on only four weeks of day care, they'll be getting a week of free service every three months.

 Every profitable day care center requires a sharp manager or director. This person might be yourself, or someone you hire for the job. Regardless, this person will be the key to your success. The director should have an empathy with people, be an excellent judge of people, be sales oriented, and have an outgoing personality. As much as anything else, this person must have the ability to listen to, and really hear what other people are saying
without the influence of preconceived opinions, or making snap decisions. This person has to have the success of your business in mind at all times, which means building and maintaining an impeccable reputation.

 Your director will be responsible for the hiring and supervision of your other help and the budgeting, scheduling and overall day-to-day operation of the business. It is imperative to the success of your business that you have the very best person you can get in this position, regardless of the cost. A good director for a day care center will command a salary equal to teachers in your public schools, plus fringe benefit allowances
such as free enrollment for their children and perhaps medical and dental insurance if you choose to provide group coverage.

 When a prospective client calls to ask you about your services, you should explain how you operate, and emphasize your invitation for them to bring their child in so that the two of them can be taken for a tour of your facilities.

 Once in the center, your manager or director takes the parent and child on a tour, all the while explaining to parent the advantages of the center's structured learning and play program as compared with everyday run-of-the-mill baby-sitting services. It's important to have the child along, because as he sees the other children at play, he will be drawn to them, and this will greatly influence the parent in deciding that your center is the
right place for his child.

 After the tour, steer the parent back into your administrative offices and propose enrollment of the child. Begin by asking where the parent works, what hours and if he or she ever has to work overtime. You then ascertain the hours they'll want to drop off and pick up their child.

 Strict procedures are absolutely essential regarding the pick- up of any child. Frightening as it may be to contemplate, we have all read accounts of strangers (or non-custodial parent) kidnapping a child. Printed forms must be provided, and authorization signatures must be compared when anyone other than the legal guardian takes a child from your care. You will learn these requirements from your licensing office. Our advice to you is to follow them meticulously.

 You should have a slickly printed, quality brochure showing your rates, your services, an outline of the curriculum, and a statement of your benefit goals for the children.

 Check with a legally qualified person about the need for a contract. The parent will probably simply fill out a questionnaire-file card giving address, place of employment,
medical information about the child, and place he or she may be reached in case of emergency.

 Most day care centers accept all children between two and six years of age. And there are many nowadays who take infants from six weeks. Of course, your personnel in this situation will be thoroughly oriented in infant care, and you must ascertain if these babies are well when brought in to you. Otherwise, you put yourself in the position of "hospital" care instead of day care.

 Generally, children aren't allowed to bring toys from home. You may want to allow the children to bring their own blanket from home for nap time, but if you allowed toys from home you would be opening "Pandora's box" of possible problems relating to sharing and ownership. In light of this, you will want a full complement of appropriate toys and play items in your center.

 If you decide to include short-term baby-sitting services, a good idea would be to include within the layout of your facilities a small one-bedroom apartment for a live-in or couple. An older retired couple would be ideal, with the husband serving also as maintenance and handy-man.

 Around-the-clock baby-sitting services, in addition to your regular day care center, can add tremendous and immediate cash-flow profits to your business, but correspondingly increase your payroll for qualified personnel. Such services would enable the parents to drop their children off in the evening, and leave them around the clock or over the weekend. There will generally be no need for any planned program because these children will be sleeping during most of the time they're in your care.

 As you establish the image and reputation of your day care center, the parents in your area will be much more inclined to leave their children with you for baby-sitting duties. And because you are considered tops in the area of responsibility , you'll be able to charge the very top rate of the baby-sitting fee structure. Keep current with fees charged by other quality businesses similar to yours.

 The demand for unplanned or emergency baby-sitting services is very large. Not too many day care centers are aware of this potential for extra profits yet, but the ones that are find that their incomes can increase by 30 percent or more! We certainly
recommend consideration of this idea for anyone involved in a day care service.

 Another area that could mean enhanced profits for you is bus or van pick-up service for the children. Of course, this would increase your operating costs (and consequently your fees) but the convenience of pick-up is gaining in popularity. You'll need a custodian for indoor and outdoor cleanup, and if you have access to a bus or van, he could be assigned additional duties as the driver. Some day care centers offering pick-up service for their children contract with local transportation services to provide this service. Be certain of the driving experience of your driver if you contract for this transportation service.

 Most day care centers open with very little fanfare or advertising. Generally, even without advertising most are reporting 90 percent capacity enrollment within six months.

 With grand opening fanfare, and a strong advertising campaign, you should be able to be at 90 percent capacity within your first six weeks. In an area where a severe short age of day care facilities exists, and with the right advertising and promotion, even sooner.

 Your first step should be the door-to-door, hand-out distribution of a quality informative brochure. To save on costs, you can hire students attending advertising classes in your area colleges or even a free lance advertising copywriter to help you with the design and writing of this brochure. However, the bottom line should be that you have a good commercial printer do the printing on the best paper you can afford. All of this has to do with the image you're wanting to create, and the quality of the service the "buyers" feel they're getting for the prices you are charging. Don't skimp on your brochure - you're aiming at people looking for the best place for their children.

 You should place at least a two-column by four-inch grand opening display ad in your local newspapers. At the same time, you should place similar ads in the local magazines and other publications catering to the working mother. Send along a group
 picture of your staff, and a story about your services with your advertising order. Phone the editors at your local newspapers, radio and TV stations and invite them out to your grand opening.

 Be sure to place a "service information" ad in the yellow pages of your telephone directory. This should be the largest size you can afford. And remember that you need to make contact for a yellow page ad well in advance of the release date of the directory.

 After your grand opening, and until you attain full capacity, continue to hand out your brochures at the entrances to the office buildings which house companies employing working mothers. Continue to run ads in your local newspaper, although these ads
needn't be quite as large or run as regularly as the grand opening ads. Run an ad in the classified section describing your baby-sitting services.

 At your grand opening, offer free refreshments for everyone. Coffee and punch for the adults, with juice for the children, and cookies for everyone. You should have members of your staff circulating among the parents to answer any questions and hand out
brochures about the center.

 You can begin small, and expand in stages with your profits. However, you must draw up a long-range plan detailing exactly what you intend to do, and each milestone you'll have to pass before proceeding to your next goal. In this way, you c an succeed and
attain not only the ultimate business, but also the kind of profits planned at the start.

 The basic, and bottom line secret to success with your own day care center will be your ability to hold your costs in line while achieving maximum capacity enrollment. You've got the plan, and my best wishes for success!eir children off in the evening, and leave them around the clock or over.