June 2011 - Aerial photo of the Olympic Park main stadium and Orbit tower under construction (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is the year of the Olympics. An important event for many athletes who are training for years to be in optimal shape to compete in the Olympic Park in London. The City is preparing as well. But have a closer look at the athletes and the circonstances. Experience and research shows that many athletes, in despite of all efforts and preparations, are not optimally for their performance. Especially in extreme performance, most athletes lack essential vitamins and minerals. Even elite athletes!

The issue often is that for sports performance, everything around the athletes is considered: the venue, the equipment, in a soccer stadium, the grass and climate should be optimal. The nutrients however get neglected. The evening before, often they will eat a dinner from a restaurant from which they can not control the sources (which was proven by a cyclist failing a doping test apparently caused by the steak he ate which contained restricted hormones). And also lacking minerals like iron, vitamin B, zinc, selenium (which by the way are in our energy drink Winrgy). For athletes, suppletion is necessary for optimal performance, that’s one thing scientists are agreeing on.

Paul Gebbink, sports physiotherapist and former Mr Holland, explains the need for sports nutrition in this movie:

Athletes, take the information and go for quality. Then you will perform!

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• All systems go at London’s Olympic Park (ctv.ca)
• Professional Athlete Doesn’t Always Mean Millionaire (geardiary.com)
• Even the sun won’t stop Olympic athletes from sleeping (time4sleep.co.uk)
• For Athletes, Dealing With Pain May Be A Big Gain (wnyc.org)
• Competition winners become Sainsbury’s 2012 School Games Sports Reporters at the Olympic Park (prweb.com)
• Which Olympic Athletes Pay the Highest Taxes? (turbotax.intuit.com)
• Athlete’s expenses and funding are poles apart (smh.com.au)
• London Olympic Park Gets Major Test (voanews.com)
• London 2012 Olympics: organisers reveal details for 10,000 capacity live site on Olympic Park (telegraph.co.uk)

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Add to this that prices are increasing: expected utility bill will raise 8% in 2013, the fuel for the car will not be cheaper. On the other side, there is a call for salaries not to increase (or even decrease) and as companies and other organisations are saving costs, employment will reduce as well.

That’s the scene set. Happy? I think there’s a need to think. Are you accepting this downturn and just moan you will not have the means to do what you like? This will lead to you not enjoying life and even worse, a mental depression. Or will you look for a way to get out of this situation? To create a new stream of income (which is doable, even part-time), and increase your spending power – and by doing so, the spending power of other people? That’s the spirit I like to see! So see the time to come as a test. If you are looking for options and opportunities, if you aim to outperform the economy, I like talking with you. Because with the ‘sit down and wait’ attitude, where will you get? It’s even not fun!

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RopaRun Team 46 van een ander jaar (Photo credit: Riemer Palstra)

Acht lopers, vier fietsers en twintig mensen begeleiding gaan meedoen met de RoPaRun, die tijdens het Pinksterweekeinde wordt gehouden. Feeling-healthy.net steunt de atleten met producten zodat ze fysiek de uitdaging aankunnen. Maar zelfs daarbuiten kunt u het goede doel van deze ploeg steunen.

Bij alle bestellingen in de webshop van Feeling-healthy.net die de code ‘jaarbeurs’ hebben, doneren we 20% aan het goede doel. Gebruikt u vitamines? Sportvoeding? Shampoo? Bestel de topproducten van WIN en steun het goede doel waarvoor het team zich inzet. Meer uitleg over de actie op de speciale pagina.

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Paris Exposition: Champ de Mars and Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, 1900 (Photo credit: Brooklyn Museum)

A member of a social club approached all members of the club with the question – colleagues of the company I work for will participate to the RoPaRun. Do you want to sponsor and support us? After a short thought, we realised that to run from Paris to the Coolsingel in Rotterdam, even in stints and in a team, endurance, energy and recovery are important. And we have this in our company, so we decided to support the athletes using sports nutrition products.

It is wise to get used to these products. After a build-up meeting, I explained about the products and the benefits, and shortly explained the business model. The athletes were enthusiast and eager to try them in reality, in a training situation of course – which was possible as I was prepared to sample them. As warm cakes, they were taken by the team members and the coach.

The next day, some e-mails of the organisers dropped in the mailbox. They felt attraction by the sports benefits but also about the body balance, metabolism – weight loss. ‘Can I please try to loose some fat’? was a question of three people.

Signature in Leuvehaven, Rotterdam (Photo credit: joostboers)

I was struck. The positive spirit of the team, the coach and the will to increase potential of all people in that group, including those who are not involved as athletes and coach – as supporters, logistics and chef. They received samples, at least to stay awake and fit during the event. And to improve their own situation. That’s what I love of the business. You can help people expand their vision. And support in various ways. Which business is offering this in such a thorough way? Allowing you to change other peoples lives? Or structurally support the charity?

Related articles

• Rotterdam Marathon 15 April 2012(everyrunsawinner.wordpress.com)

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Netherlands (Photo credit: ladydog22)

Many people are happy to work for a listed company. It’s safe, big and reliable. At least: that’s what they used to be. What happens with listed companies nowadays? Business units get sold. Reorganisations take place. People getting discouraged to stay in the company until retirement. Management changes, vision changes, bonus culture – if the shareholders are not playing tricky games to take the leadership outof the company. Are you really happy? What is ‘a reliable company’? Does employment for life still exist?

We have a company. Just a partnership, sole entrepreneurs. No overhead. We outsource that. We work with people who we value, train them to be successful in three markets that actually grow: wellness, e-commerce and network marketing. That’s our success. It can be your success, too.

And yes, we are listed. Not on any stock exchange. We are in the Management Team top 500 of the best companies in The Netherlands. For the 4th year, now on the 84th place. Yes, a network marketing company. Where’s your company on that list? I think there are many companies that have a reputation – but who are lower on the list. If at all.

Think of what this means. Exercise your potential. Contact us. It’s just you who will win.

Related articles

• 60 percent of listed companies see profits down (lookatvietnam.com)

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Mortgage bank (Photo credit: newneonunion)

I think we should half taxes… for the time we have no government as the Dutch government is not working for the next couple of months. The ministers of the coalition decided they did not have a good solution to improve the economy. I have one: increase spending power i.e. facilitate people earning money instead of cutting down through higher taxes, raising energy prices and tempting employers to have a ‘zero-raise’ policy which combined with the increasing price level and suggested decline of the mortgage facilities means a lower income for most people.

More radical: as the bank capital situation is not strong, the government wants to decrease the amount of ‘subsidy’ on interest payments and increase spending power it would be an idea to pay off the ‘too much’ outstanding capital in mortgages, which tops off the mortgages so solves that problem for the banks, people don’t have so much interest to pay off and they can spend more.

Most important is that the country is in the coming months sliding in an economic vacuum and it is not sure what the effect of this will be. I think it’s better not to be dependent of government or collective funded sources of income – including pensions only. With our business, we build a residual income making income independent from personal time and other people’s decisions. I think everybody should have a look into this way to build a new stream of income.

Related articles

• Dutch government on verge of collapse after talks fail (teddyoshea.wordpress.com)
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• Reasons Passive Residual Income Is The Solution For Any Home Business Owner (blogpronews.wordpress.com)
• Economy topples Dutch government (timesofmalta.com)

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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 27: A girl rests on a bus as it drives past Christmas lights on Oxford Street on November 27, 2011 in London, England. Retailers have predicted that tomorrow will be the busiest and biggest online shopping day of the year, as consumers purchase goods in time for Christmas deliveries. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Online marketeers are often focused on improving results. They improve the performance of business and websites, at the benefit of other people. Did they ever consider optimising their own results? That’s why the MPRV.biz Online Marketing Challenge has been launched. This competition is based on the fact that marketeers are working with the same website, the same webshop, the same business, in the same market. They will win the business revenues and they would not have overhead, logisitics, warehousing or administration to cope with. Just the bare marketing. In two months time, the revenues of the webshop, new business realised with partners and total income will be monitored.

Will you take the challenge? Be sure to register before 23 April 2012 as the results will be measured during May and June 2012.

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Malieveld vol boze studenten (Photo credit: marie-ll)

An interesting discussion in the Dutch unions. Due to the economic situation and the discussion in the government, they actually are not agreeing themselves whether they should go to the Malieveld in The Hague and demonstrate (FNV Bondgenoten) or if they should talk and try to influence the government in their decisions made in the Catshuis at this moment. I think this is a bit of a mentality issue – how is your filosophy the economy should be run. The FNV looks to aim for mobilising the community with signs and caps making other people aware care should be taken for them. I think in this time, a more assertive approach is in place.

Is it, from a workers perspective, even responsible to rely on one source of income? In this economy, I think the best you can do is make an effort to improve and contribute. In a job? You may be able to have a valuable contribution. What about taking some responsability for your own actions and start your own business? The majority of people is aiming for it anyway (about 60% in The Netherlands) however only a minority actually will do something. I think putting an effort in actually improving your situation makes much more sense than holding a sign on the Malieveld. It may be a group expression of opinion, emotions so you wish, but that time (also if you count travel time) can be spent more useful.

Related articles

• Older age handicap for employment? Think Business! (feeling-healthy.net)
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2010 Taipei International Book Exhibition: Digital Publishing Pavilion. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We are living in dark times, considered from economical perspective. It seems. People say this. But are we really? Yes, if you are in manufacturing then it may be difficult. If you are in printing or publishing, you may be worrying about a future. Are you estate broker, banker, builder or architect? Beware. Fitness is getting a competitive market with low margins i.e. not that much to earn. Even in health care, it gets less profitable – also as the governments are cutting spendings down.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 27: Shoppers walk down Oxford Street on November 27, 2011 in London, England. Retailers have predicted that tomorrow will be the busiest and biggest online shopping day of the year, as consumers purchase goods in time for Christmas deliveries. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

There are plenty of booming businesses. The traditional bookshops have difficulties but the e-commerce colleagues are florishing. Some have understood the art to take the best of both. The regular retail shops have Black Saturday, the online shops know of a bigger Black Monday where people buy even more online. The online business is growing. Doing business internationally never was so easy as it is nowadays. Just set up a webshop and make people know about it.

Health care is getting tricky but the preventive health opens opportunities and can make a good profit. The market worldwide is growing. Booming even. People get older but don’t want to live like oldies: they just like to go downhill on a mountainbike, still being 70 years old. They want to travel and not compromise on limited capabilities to move.

What about clever business models? Who really facilitate giving power to the people? Who make it possible to take a share of a growth market? I can not understand people who do deny a good opportunity to make money. It’s there. Use it. Take your part.

Related articles

• ObamaCare and the End of Nothing (thehealthcareblog.com)
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• Marketing’s Role in the Business ()
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• We’ve Never Done It This Way Before…. (christiansread.wordpress.com)

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: LinkenIn Corp CEO Jeff Weiner (L), and U.S. President Barack Obama, (R), greets the audience during town hall meeting hosted by LinkedIn Corp. at the Computer History Museum on September 26, 2011 in Mountain View, California. The president used the opportunity to share his view on job creation and the current economy. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

What is unique in business? Many people try to find this like the bucket with gold under the rainbow. Forbes describes in a great article how any business can survive and grow, in any economy. I think the article touches to a couple of enrtepreneur’s characteristics and bare business basics. For example the stock market. This seems to be a guidance on the overall economy, and according to me it is heavily overvalued in the media. It is a derived, parallel market which turns everybody’s eyes away from what is most important: running a business that makes money. And there still is money, and people still want your products and services – you may need to emphasise the solution you can bring to them. You may need to re-focus on the benefits that you and your company may bring to the clients – perhaps this can be drastical. Where are you saving the client headaches and money? Show this and you have a benefit that is worth the price. Look where potential clients will be and allow to be found. You yourself must be the solution – but your (potential) clients need to be aware of that. So communicate this difference to the people you want to do business with!

I could prove it with my LinkedIn profile. I have chosen to take a paid profile, which entitles me to see more details about the people who are searching for me. The first 50-55% of the people arriving on my profile after a search did so when typing in variations on my name. Which means that it didn’t really matter what I mentioned in the summary, which is indexed by Google, as long as my name is in there. And some other words related to what may be useful for people to know about me as this of course gives some other anchors for the search engine. That’s making a difference. Not the business. Not the strategy. The person behind it all makes the difference which can not be replaced. You.

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