Life and business are very similar in many respects. There are rules you must follow or appear to follow in order to succeed. These rules are generally in opposition to what you have been taught through education, your parents and the world around you. You have 2 choices; accept the fact that life is a game and that you must play or get off the field.

Choice is King! The first rule I can think of is the power to choose. If you can convince yourself that you are in control of your life, you are freed from the burden of finding someone or something responsible for your failures. This is a blessing although it might not seem so at first.

As an adult, with the sole exception of Acts of God, you have made a series of decisions to place you right where you are right now. I realize there are many events, circumstances, and actions of others that play into this whole dynamic, however the way in which you handled yourself and your reaction to those variables has dictated your outcome.

Life is fluid. You must be flexible, since you don't know where you are going. People usually end up with some variation of what they were chasing, but rarely get exactly what they want. That is fine as long as you are flexible.

Clarity is key. You have to know what your target is in order to recognize what will get you there, and what it looks like if it's a bit different than you expected, as most things are. Always remain Alert, take notice of what's working and not working right away so that you can adjust your game plan. Remember, the clearer the goal, the easier this will all be. Also remember that Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Just Do It! That is probably the single best phrase for life and business that has ever been thought of. Most people spend all of their time planning. Planning to do this or that and getting ready to do this or that. Sooner or later you have to Just Do It! No matter how big or small this or that may be, do all or part of it now or don't do it at all. Action is the only thing that separates us from anyone else on the planet. You are not required to be perfect. As long as you are walking down the path of your goals, the answers and the path will present themselves.

Luck. Welcome to my favorite excuse. Those of you, who already have the power to create this little anomaly, know there isn't much to it. Luck has been defined as Opportunity and Preparation meeting. If you are in constant pursuit of whatever you desire through education, hands on experience, networking, etc, you will be able to cash in when opportunities present themselves, and they will. It is important that Timing be addressed when talking about Luck. Timing is everything! In almost all circumstances, if you have done your preparation, time will work for you. This is crucial because you can't get it back.

Here is a quick reference chart of 20 of the most important Laws of Business, which also apply to the Laws of Life.

LAW	REASON
People run from anything that chases them.	You will most often only get to do business with clients who approach you.
Nobody wants to be sold.	Try to keep quiet long enough to allow them to buy what they already want.
Everyone wants to buy.	Try to keep quiet long enough to allow them to buy what they already want.
People love to brag.	Whether your Quality / Service / Price is the best or the worst, word will get out.
People love to spend money.	There are buyers for everything. Find them.
Everyone expects a markup.	No one wants to be told about it.
Don’t give out business cards.	If they want it, they will ask for it.
Don’t make cold calls.	If they want you, they will find you. Do a better job at marketing.
Don’t answer calls on the 1st ring.	Busy people get work.
Don’t tell people what they want to hear.	Tell them the truth. Don’t be mean, rude or sarcastic, just tell the truth.
Act like you have everything you could ever want and could care less to get any more.	People who don’t need, Get!
Be satisfied with your life at whatever point you are at.	You won’t have to act like you are. (See Above).
Find mentors and spend as much time as possible with them.	People who are in a better position than you, can save you a lot of trouble, if you listen.
Don’t tell people your problems.	They don’t care.
Don’t tell people your accomplishments.	They don’t care.
Be humble.	This will serve you in countless ways.
Ask for what you want.	Don’t think people will figure it out or care.
The client’s budget is not your problem.	It’s theirs. There is a product or service for every client. You might not be a good match.
Learn everything you can about everything you do.	Many, many doors open for people who take life seriously.
Set your goals high.	Halfway to a high goal is better than all the way to a low goal.

Editorial written by Rolando J. Pozo.

GETTING TO KNOW US.

The Tampa Tribune has published an article by Rolando J. Pozo in this months issue of the West Tampa Shopper. The article is a call to local residents and business owners to acknowledge the many great attributes that make up West Tampa as well as an encouragement to join the Chamber and get involved.

Rolando & Associates Consulting, Inc. is in the process of obtaining another sales associate. This individual will be indoctrinated in the ways in which we acquire, service, and relate to our customers. It is crucial to our success that every member of our team represent the firm in a similar manner. I look forward to introducing you to our new member in the near future.

Rolando J. Pozo was recently interviewed by freelance reporter Derek Maul for an article in the Tampa Tribune West Tampa Shopper. This article was a biography of his life as it pertained to West Tampa. He was also asked for his input on the Chamber of Commerce and Community involvement regarding the revitalization of the area. The article will be available in the next newsletter.

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS.

A/C Specialist, Inc,:
We have recently been asked by A/C Specialist, Inc, to modify a database they have been using for years in order to adjust for price increases and salary changes within the organization. We look forward to resolving this issue for them.

Caldeco Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc.:
We have been asked to shoot, edit, and produce several television commercials for a summer Marketing campaign. We have a very creative plan outlined and can't wait to see the results.

COOL STUFF

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TECH TIPS & TRICKS

My Wireless Internet Connection Keeps Dropping Out, What's Going On?: Wireless Internet connections are becoming more mainstream with the falling prices of wireless routers. The only problem is they're not all that reliable. When you throw in the Windows factor, they get more unreliable. Make sure that you are using the software designed for the router and not letting Windows handle your connection. Windows detects all available routers in the area and attempts to connect you to the strongest signal even if it's not your router. Why Windows why?

My Cell Phone Is Really Sluggish When Going From Menu To Menu, Why?: Just about every piece of electronics sold today is a computer. You've probably been told to reboot your computer a thousand times, the same goes for your electronics. I recently experienced my brand new TV needing a reboot. As I was home sick for 5 days and felt like doing nothing else, my TV's volume decided to cut in and out. I tried everything i could think of and nothing. The only thing I didn't try was unplugging it. That's the first thing the repair man did when he showed up. He said it was the equivalent to a reboot. The TV has been fine ever since. Make sure you shut your cell phone off once a day and take the battery off at least once a month for optimum performance.

I Need To Purchase A Piece Of Electronics But I Can't Decide Which One To Get?: There are many websites that will not only allow you to compare electronics side by side, but if you really feel like doing your homework there are user forums that will answer the really tough questions that the typical salesperson at your favorite store will not be able to answer. This will make it possible to get the best unit for your needs.

Alerts!

Viruses: Basically the best advice we can give you is to shut your computer down, unplug it and leave it that way. You may still get a virus, but you won't know so it won't matter. Here are the latest little jewels to come out as defined by Symantec.com.

W32.Kassbot.B is a network-aware worm that propagates by exploiting the Microsoft Windows DCOM RPC Interface Buffer Overrun Vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026).
DON'T GET IT!

W32.Pinkton.A is a worm component that spreads through America Online Instant Messenger (AIM).DON'T GET IT!

Trojan.Tooso.I is a Trojan horse that interferes with the operation of security software by terminating processes, stopping services, removing registry entries, and deleting files. DON'T GET IT!

Backdoor.Omerta is a Trojan horse that lowers security settings and opens a back door on a compromised computer. DON'T GET IT!

Backdoor.Kotilla is a back door Trojan horse that allows unauthorized access to a compromised computer. It contains an editor that allows components to be reconfigured and the remote attacker is notified via a specified IRC channel when a computer is compromised. DON'T GET IT!

Trojan.Abwiz.B is a back door Trojan that allows a remote attacker to perform various unauthorized actions on the compromised computer. DON'T GET IT!