EZINE - mde.net - December 2002                    Happy Holidays

MDE's Practical Technology Tips & Techniques Newsletter
You have received this monthly edition of my Practical Technology Tips & Techniques Newsletter by subscribing to it or selecting the free tools sample while visiting my web site.
For reference to all past issues, go to www.mde.net/ezine.

This month's articles include:

MDE News ------------------------------------ New format coming in 2003
I.   IT Manager Tips ------------------------- Set your goals for next year
II.  Web Development Tips --------------- Eliminate the 'right-click' on your web site
III. Product and Service Review -------- Bravenet.com  -  Web tools for webmasters
IV. Entrepreneur Thoughts --------------- Develop multiple revenue streams
V.  Special Offer of the month ---------  Buy 1 Get 1 FREE

I want to wish all of my newsletter subscribers a very safe and happy holiday season.  As 2002 draws to an end it is appropriate to reflect on this past year's accomplishments and to look forward to next year's goals. I hope you have had a very good year and that 2003 becomes the best year yet for all of us.

We also hope that you enjoy receiving our Practical Technology Tips & Techniques Newsletter and that you find information that helps you in your day to day challenges. Thanks again for your participation and best of success in the coming year.

                                                               Mike Sisco

MDE News
New format coming in 2003
This year has been an excellent year for MDE Enterprises. I continue to run the business from my home, and we are about to move to a new location. After 30 years of being away, we have decided to move back to middle Tennessee near Dorine and my home town. My Internet business has been so successful that it allows us to run the company from anywhere and this gives us the opportunity to be closer to family.

In 2003, I am creating a new look for the newsletter to focus more on helping IT managers achieve more. The purpose of MDE is to provide practical insight that helps empower IT managers everywhere. My IT Manager Development Series has now sold in 45 countries and has been acclaimed as one of the few sources of material that truly provides practical insight in helping an IT manager achieve more.  The success of the series encouraged me to develop more content and to seek other ways to promote awareness of tools that benefit the IT manager.

Stay tuned for next month's fresh new look and content and please tell your network of IT managers about the free tools and information available by signing up for the Practical Technology Tips & Techniques Newsletter.

I. IT Manager Tips
Set your goals for next year

Yes, it is that time of the year again  -  end of the year. Time to take a look at the last 12 month's accomplishments and to define what you want to accomplish next year. It is something that I have done consistently my entire career which is a much longer period of time than I care to think about.

What's all the fuss about?
It's really not a big deal whether you go through this effort or not, but I can tell you that I'm totally convinced that developing annual goals has helped me achieve much more in my career than I would have without doing it. How can I be so sure?  Simple, I take a look at past goals every now and then and I can see the achievements that were made. It's a given that when you write a goal down and review it often so it stays in the forefront of your mind, you are much more likely to accomplish it.

Decide what you want in life
I believe that to achieve anything you need to decide what it is that you want. Sure, we all daydream on occasion and think about what we would do when we win the lottery, but here I'm talking about specific objectives that are within your grasp if you decide to "go for it". Take time to develop two lists, one for your business career and one for your personal life. Both are important and worth taking the time to identify. I usually have about ten to fifteen goals when the lists are combined.

Some goals may be achievable and are ultimate accomplishments that you want while others are stepping stones toward a greater goal. Both types are important and worth listing. Believe me, looking back on your annual lists and seeing that many of your objectives have come to pass is very gratifying and creates a real sense of accomplishment.

Develop a plan
While you're at it, take thirty minutes and develop a quick plan of attack and put dates on the tasks that are necessary to accomplish each goal. When you start getting specific, you begin placing real emphasis on your commitment to follow-up and to complete your list. Keep your list handy so you see it often. Reminding yourself of what you want is great reinforcement that will help you reach your objectives.

Tell someone about your objectives
Again, another reinforcement that helps you commit to your objectives is to share them with others. It could be your management team, employees, spouse, children, or good friends. The point is that following up is the hard part and you need to create as much incentive as you can to do the work necessary to achieve each of your goals.

Take periodic status checks
Make a real effort to assess the status of your plan at least quarterly during the year. Monthly is even better. If you really want something worthwhile, you have to put forth the effort. Nothing in life is really free. Even when you get a free book like I give people that join my newsletter list, you still have to read the material and do something with it to gain the benefits. Staying abreast of where you stand on each objective keeps you 'in the game' and lets you determine whether the goal is still a valid one or not. If not, scratch it off the list and move on.

Results are the proof
Where I live, where I play golf, having a home based business, and many, many other things are all goals that I've written down in the past. You can't tell me that there isn't a connection in there somewhere.

Good luck and best of success in reaching your goals for 2003.

II. Web Development Tips
Eliminate the 'right-click' on your web page

If you want to protect images that you use to enhance your web site, you can protect them by eliminating the 'right-click' capability that gives the user the option to copy and save the image onto his PC. Simply add the following code to your html code of your web page.

<script LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
function click() {
if (event.button==2) {
alert('DO NOT STEAL! --Your message here--');
}
}
document.onmousedown=click
// -->
</script>

III. Product and Service Review
Bravenet.com  -  Web tools for webmasters

We will be discontinuing the section on Web Development Tips in the newsletter as we target more material for the IT manager. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel and it's a very bright light.

Introducing Bravenet.com. This is an excellent web site with many tools and ideas to help you enhance your web site. There are free items, lots of clipart, and even applications to enhance your site including guestbooks, search options, calendars, and more.

Go to the web site and join their newsletter list. It's free and you will enjoy the many tools and items they provide their members access to. I've been a member for two years now and have gotten a lot of insight and ideas from Bravenet's free monthly newsletter and web site.

It is simply a SUPER SITE full of content that will benefit your webmaster.

Click on the logo to see more.

IV. Entrepreneur Thoughts
Create multiple lines of revenue

We have all heard the adage, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." before. Many of us have been burnt by doing this. In fact, sometimes it is hard to keep it from happening. Here are a few examples:
   -  Putting all your investments in technology stocks
   -  Holding onto all your company stock options until the price gets higher
   -  Remaining the employee of a company without evaluating your options and developing an alternative plan

In a small business, you need to have more than one source of revenue.  You can't always control the events that lead to sales of products and services although you can certainly influence them. Take prime examples like the buggy whip manufacturer. Ultimately, his business suffered from a lack of need for lots of buggy whips. So too did events in the world affect many of the dot com companies that flourished in the 90's. All of a sudden, many went out of business when people decided they needed products and services from companies that were viable and stable and could show a profit.

My business is simple as I focus on helping IT managers all over the world. I have four revenue lines that generate consistent revenues. My revenue base is made up of Internet sales (books and published articles), IT manager training services, IT consulting services, and company affiliations.

The goal with any small company should be to develop multiple lines of revenue that help take up the slack when one of them is down. It makes for a better peace of mind and a smoother revenue flow for your company. You might also consider this as an employee. Too many people get caught off guard when a company has to downsize. Having a small part-time revenue stream on the side can help you put money aside for future needs and will buffer the impact if you ultimately have to leave your company prematurely. Nothing is a guarantee these days so it makes sense to put alternatives in place for yourself and your family.

Special offer of the month
Buy 1 Get 1 FREE

Through the end of December, you will receive 1 free ebook for every ebook you buy from my  IT Manager Development Series. For more information on this offer, take a look at http://www.mde.net/itbuy1get1free/index.html

Thank you for reading this month's newsletter. Feel free to pass it onto your friends. Have a great day and best of success in all your management efforts.

Mike Sisco
 
Mike Sisco is the author of the IT Manager Development Series and President of MDE Enterprises, an IT management consulting and training company. This newsletter is free and intended to provide a variety of practical technology insights to help you improve your business. All material is copyright protected and is available for your personal use but is not available for distribution or resell purposes unless specifically authorized by Mike Sisco.