Think and Grow Rich
Apr 30th, 2007 by Freddie
Don’t you just love Dragon’s Den?
What an amazing idea for a programme.
On the off-chance that you’ve never seen it, the programme allows fearless inventors to pitch their idea to a team of four multi-millionaire business gurus to try and persuade them to stump-up a Wedge-O-Cash for their idea.
It’s compulsive viewing.
I mean, are some of the inventors clueless or what?
To be fair, the program makers obviously love to have a smattering of complete idiots, just as The Apprentice makes sure it has a good mix of sensible people – and total nutters.
This is entertainment, after all.
The team give the inventors a pretty hard time and they come away feeling like they’ve had a thorough mauling from the lions just before feeding time.
When Andrew Gordon unveiled his invention, the StableTable, for stablising wobbly table legs, the gurus dismissed it with shouts of derision. One even quipped that he thought that’s what beer mats were for! The StableTable is a plastic device designed to be pushed under the offending ‘too short’ leg. An adjustment enables the user to eliminate all rocking.
I must confess it seemed a bit lame to me.
The team agreed that they couldn’t see it working and they sent him away with a flea in his ear - and no dosh.
One of the more entertaining features of the programme is the way the no-hopers shake their fists at the team and shout: “I’ll be back. I’m never giving up. Do you hear? NEVER! You haven’t heard the last of me….
BWHAHAHAHAH!”
They’re never heard from again…
Andrew, however, had other ideas and wasn’t fazed by his experience.
He seems set to make his first million from his ingenious plastic device. Apparently, the publicity of the programme brought an avalanche of enquiries to his web site (over one million hits), some of which resulted in hefty orders. His sales are now way past half a million pounds.
“They absolutely ripped me to shreds,” said Andrew. “But it’s quite remarkable to see how it has taken off so quickly. It’s all just word of mouth. I’m pleased I have proved the dragons wrong.”
The Exam Officers Association have just ordered 200,000 StableTables for… you’ve guessed it… those irritating wobbly exam tables!
B&Q, Tesco and Ikea have also expressed an interest.
So you can see the moral here. Unless you are a complete no-hoper Doofus like many of the inventors, never give up on your idea.
Ah, but the main problem is that you may not KNOW you’re a complete no-hoper Doofus. Many of the intrepid inventors do not seem to realise this fact.
Maybe you could go to a pal and say: “Hey John, am I a complete moron, in your opinion?” What you’re looking for here is any fractional hesitation, minute lifts of the eyebrow, stalling for time or evasive speech such
as: “Well… that all depends on how you define ‘moron’!”
If you pass the test, then stick to your idea. There are plenty of nay-sayers in this world. If you believe in something, then go with it with energy and passion.
If you do that, you may, like Andrew, make a wedge from your own particular wedge.
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Quote of the Day
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“Make no little plans - they have no magic to stir men’s blood.”
Daniel H. Burnham
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Get Free Anti Virus Software
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A good friend of mine, a veteran of the computer industry, reckons that most viruses are generated by the anti-virus software companies in order to keep you buying the latest upgrades!
Like all conspiracy theories, it’s complete hogwash of course.
What’s the definition of a microsecond? The time interval between a disgruntled employee leaving Symantec and him/her blowing the whistle on what really goes on behind the scenes. The fact that we haven’t heard a whisper means it isn’t happening.
But it gets quite expensive buying all this software.
You only usually get a free year of upgrades and then you have to pay again.
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and
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You don’t get all the bells and whistles like 24/7tech support, but you do get a decent piece of software which will protect your computer – and save yourself £40++
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Think and Grow Rich
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One of the most influential books ever written on wealth creation is Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill. If you haven’t read this book you’re not serious about making a better life for yourself.
I mean this.
Since we are in poetical mood today, I’ll leave you with this profound poem extracted from the book.
“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening,
When I counted my scanty score.
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid”.
The moral here is that Life will pay you what you ask and expect of it.
If you have low aspirations you will end up with little.
If you reach for the stars… well… you may not get them, but you certainly won’t come back with a handful of mud!
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Right, must dash…
I need to put the finishing touches to my invention.
Called ‘Stiff Tap’ it’s a coiled spring which fits inside your taps making them very hard to turn on. That way you get to exercise whilst you’re washing up.
Waddya reckon? Got legs?
Yours,
Stuart Goldsmith
The Money Tree
