Blind Gentlement

MY curiosity, in a sense, was stronger than my fear,
for I could not remain where I was, but crept back to
the bank again, whence, sheltering my head behind a
bush of broom, I might command the road before our
door. I was scarcely in position ere my enemies began
to arrive, seven or eight of them, running hard, their
feet beating out of time along the road and the man
with the lantern some paces in front. Three men ran
together, hand in hand; and I made out, even through
the mist, that the middle man of this trio was the
blind beggar. The next moment his voice showed me that
I was right.

“Down with the door!” he cried.

“Aye, aye, sir!” answered two or three; and a rush was
made upon the Admiral Benbow, the lantern-bearer
following; and then I could see them pause, and hear
speeches passed in a lower key, as if they were
surprised to find the door open. But the pause was
brief, for the blind man again issued his commands.
His voice sounded louder and higher, as if he were
afire with eagerness and rage.

“In, in, in!” he shouted, and cursed them for their delay.

Four or five of them obeyed at once, two remaining on
the road with the formidable beggar. There was a
pause, then a cry of surprise, and then a voice
shouting from the house, “Bill’s dead.”

But the blind man swore at them again for their delay.

“Search him, some of you shirking lubbers, and the rest
of you aloft and get the chest,” he cried.

The Time Machine

 The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of
him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. His grey eyes
shone and twinkled, and his usually pale face was flushed and
animated. The fire burned brightly, and the soft radiance of the 
incandescent lights in the lilies of silver caught the bubbles
that flashed and passed in our glasses. Our chairs, being his
patents, embraced and caressed us rather than submitted to be sat
upon, and there was that luxurious after-dinner atmosphere when
thought roams gracefully free of the trammels of precision. And
he put it to us in this way--marking the points with a lean
forefinger--as we sat and lazily admired his earnestness over
this new paradox (as we thought it:) and his fecundity.

Historical Associations

Dear Uncle Jim. this garden ground
That now you smoke your pipe around,
has seen immortal actions done
And valiant battles lost and won.

Here we had best on tip-toe tread,
While I for safety march ahead,
For this is that enchanted ground
Where all who loiter slumber sound.

Here is the sea, here is the sand,
Here is the simple Shepherd's Land,
Here are the fairy hollyhocks,
And there are Ali Baba's rocks.
But yonder, see! apart and high,
Frozen Siberia lies; where I,
With Robert Bruce William Tell,
Was bound by an enchanter's spell.

The Wind

I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass--
  O wind, a-blowing all day long,
  O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all--
  O wind, a-blowing all day long,
  O wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
  O wind, a-blowing all day long,
  O wind, that sings so loud a song!

CHAIN LETTERS AND PYRAMID SCHEMES - WHY THEY DON'T WORK!

If you are active in mail order, you've no doubt seen tons of chain letters 
and pyramid programs. In case you're not familiar with them, here's an 
overview, so you know what to watch out for.

Chain letters are those letters you get, instructing you to send, say $5, 
to the 4 to 6 people on the list, who will send you a report, or some 
product, or sometimes even nothing. Then, you add your name to the bottom 
of the list, moving the others up, and the top one off. 

 You then print and mail out as many as you can, hoping others will do the 
same as you. The letters are liberally sprinkled with references to how much 
money you will make, and how many people are sure to participate. Some even 
go so far as to promise you $1,000,000 and more, sometimes in less than a month!

Pyramid schemes are what chain letters are based on. You buy into one, 
then you need to recruit others below you, to move you up the line. The 
people you recruit, in turn, need to recruit others, and so on. Pyramids 
go by all kinds of names and formats. 

The Fisher and the Little Fish

It happened that a Fisher, after fishing all day, caught only
a little fish. "Pray, let me go, master," said the Fish. "I am
much too small for your eating just now. If you put me back into
the river I shall soon grow, then you can make a fine meal off
me."

"Nay, nay, my little Fish," said the Fisher, "I have you now.
I may not catch you hereafter."

A little thing in hand is worth more than
a great thing in prospect.

The Man and the Wood

A Man came into a Wood one day with an axe in his hand, and
begged all the Trees to give him a small branch which he wanted
for a particular purpose. The Trees were good-natured and gave
him one of their branches. What did the Man do but fix it into
the axe head, and soon set to work cutting down tree after tree.
Then the Trees saw how foolish they had been in giving their enemy
the means of destroying themselves.

Polish Up For Higher Profits

"I have a 31-step process. I shampoo seats, do the dashboard with Q-tips, 
clean the trunk, dress the engine, etc. It takes 3 hous for what I do, and 
I charge $120. That's detailed." This would be a typical response of 
someone who does Auto Detailing when asked what they can do for your car and 
how much they would charge you for it.

The age of upscale carwash is here. As we keep our cars longer (average 
length is 7.5 years) we take better care of them. This is why the carwash 
business is booming with $8 billion in revenue, and so is auto detailing.

EXECUTIVE PARKING 

Many auto detail services nest their business in executive parking lots.  
They get a permit from the city and from the business whose lot they use.

This is convenient for employees who otherwise may not have time to bring 
their cars to a shop that would take 3 hours to get detailing done.

In a mobile operation such as this, you will need a van or pickup truck and 
access to running water and preferably AC power. In some cities, there are 
companies that convert and customize pickup trucks into mobile detail shops 
with its own reservoir and portable power generator.

140 MILLION CARS 

Although many auto detailers will swear that a bulk of their business comes 
from car dealers, in reality the car dealer market is small and extremely 
competitive. Most car dealers need cars detailed before a used car is 
offered in an auction or is displayed in the lot.

However, the biggest market of all is still on the road, individual car 
owners, representing all of 140 million passenger cars plus another 30 
million pickup trucks on the road. This market, with an average age of 
7.5 years, is ripe for a detail job at least twice a year.

BUDGET DETAIL 

The best way to build up a base in this business is to introduce a mid-
priced service that offers extras that carwashes do not offer. 
Detail jobs in the range of $30 to $49 will open up a new market that can 
provide a stream of customers. You can provide a written list of what you 
do and how you build up your rates from the basic price of $30 to the 
premium rate $49. With 5 customers a day, at 1 hour each, you can average 
$200 a day. 

Business Opportunities Wanted

There are so many sure-fire, yet really simply ways to acquire real wealth, it's a wonder everybody with even the least bit of ambition isn't filthy rich. When you get right down to it, the only thing needed for anyone to make bundles of money, is long-range vision and the energy to put a money-making plan into force.



 One of the easiest methods of building wealth, and the one used most often by the "smart" people, is simply the furnishing of expertise, equipment or growth capital to promising beginning businesses. Basically, you buy in as either a part owner or limited partner - then, as the business grows and prospers with your help, you reap fantastic rewards.



 The beautiful part about this whole concept is that you can do this same thing, or duplicate it over and over again. You can start out with say, marketing and sales leadership for a small, garage type business - then with your holdings and earnings from that business, invest in another and keep doing it until you own a part of 25 to an unlimited number of businesses. Looking at the idea for a "dollar return" point of view, if you were getting $200 per month from 25 different businesses, your monthly income would amount to no less than $5,000 and that's not too bad for a fledgling millionaire.



 Look around your own area - with just a little but of business moxie and perception, you're sure to find hundreds of small businesses that could do better, perhaps even become giants in their field with your help.



 Mot small businesses need and would welcome marketing, promotional, advertising, and sales help. If a quick survey of business turns you on with enthusiasm about the potential profits with just a few changes that you can suggest, then you are on your way.



 Basically, you set up an appointment to see and talk with the business owner about some ideas and help that could double or triple his profits. Whenever, and so long as you approach him in that manner, he's almost always going to want to see you and hear what you have to say.



 In preparing for your meeting with him/her - set you ideas down on paper. Put them together in an impressive marketing or profit-potential folio. Outline your ideas, the costs involved and the ultimate profits to be gained.



 The, when you arrive for the meeting, be sure to look the part, and act the part of successful business person. A few amenities for break the ice, and then begin with your proposal or presentation.



 The bottom line is simple that you tell the business owner that you can do all you say for him through it to the ultimate profits for a 10 or 20 percent limited partnership in the business, which really won't cost him anything. Of course, if he's reluctant to give up any part of his ownership, you come back with the idea of being hired as a consultant.



 Almost all small businesses need help of some kind. The owners get bogged down in a myriad of everyday problems and things to do - find that there just isn't enough hours in a day to handle everything that should be taken care of - and end up neglecting or not doing some of the things they should be doing to keep their business prosperous - and as a result, the long struggle for business survival begins, with more than 60% of them selling out at a loss or just closing up shop.



 The other way to "cut yourself in" on a piece of someone else's business is to supply needed money. If you can come up with 10- or 15-thousand dollars, you can easily "buy into" most small businesses. Be sure to look the business, and it's market potential over, but once you spot one that can really be a winner with just a little bit of operating cash or money for expansion, then jump on it.



 You can have a never-ending supply of such businesses to choose from, simply by running a small advertisement in your daily newspapers in the classified section under the heading of Business Opportunities Wanted. Such an ad might read

businesses are satisfied

Again, by hiring other people to do the actual collection work for you, you'll not only free yourself for other work, but you'll be making more money: Three people can do more in less time than one person.

 The next thing is to set up an area-wide collection depot. This could be a pre-fab building on a vacant lot, a vacant used car lot, or a closed service station.

 In setting up an area-wide (or neighborhood) collection depot, you will need space - some sort of shed to store or stack your papers in until you load them up and haul them to the recycling center where you sell them. You'll need a scale to weigh them, and some sort of office or desk space to manage your cash and books.

 You'll need space enough for your customers to drive in beside the scale and unload their papers, and at the same time an arrangement whereby you can pay them immediately. A vacant service station would be ideal. Your customers can pull in just as if
they were going to purchase gasoline; you could have your scales set up between the driveways where the gas pumps are usually located, and store your accumulating loads in the service area of the building.

 In most cities or counties, you'll need a business license or permit. For more details, see our report, Basic Steps To Starting Your Own Business.

 You'll need a couple of signs, one on each side of your driveway. These will announce the fact that you buy old newspapers. They need not be anything fancy, just simple attention-getting announcements that you're open for business and paying money for paper. Generally, the going rate for newspapers dropped off at a central collection depot is $.02 per pound, and the papers need not be bundled. This will give the sellers $40 a ton for dropping them off, and at $50 a ton, that will work out to $10 per ton profit for you. (Again, these rates are rising, so be sure you are absolutely current by checking out the going price in your area.)

 In addition to old newspapers, you should organize your time and schedule to call upon all the businesses, stores and warehouses in your area. Talk to the business owners or store managers and ask them if you can haul away their old cardboard boxes.

 If there's competition in your area, you might end up having to pay for these boxes, provided they're clean. The thing to do is to call upon everybody who uses paper products or cardboard boxes. Remember, the more people you have giving you paper, the
more money you are going to make. Many already established recycling services do not bother with the smaller stores and warehouses, but these add up quickly if you are diligent in finding a number of them.

 Check close by in your surrounding area, and find out if the businesses are satisfied with their present pick-up service. Ask first if you can "have" their old boxes; many of the smaller stores will give them to you because it decreases the load for their rubbish service to haul away. Where necessary, offer to pay per pound if they'll save them for you.

 As mentioned before, the important thing is to get everyone providing paper for you - people collect and have it ready for you to pick up when you drop by on your designated collection day. Besides that, you start making really big money when you can park your truck in one place and fill it up from a group of closely located stores or businesses. With this is mind, you could conceivably drive through four blocks, making one stop in the middle of each block, and have a ton or more of paper or cardboard
boxes every fourth block.

 One other thing you'll need in order to efficiently handle cardboard boxes is a sharp knife with which to slit the sides of the boxes and flatten them Out as you load them onto your truck or trailer. A simple "handyman's utility knife" costing about $5 will handle this chore for you with ease. When you buy one, though, be sure to buy an extra supply of blades as well, because cutting through cardboard will dull your knife very quickly.

 Another paper products source: the offices in your area, particularly those with computers. The age of computers has ushered in more reports for offices than ever before, adding reams and reams of paper to the average office trash basket. When you
visit these offices, take along a couple of "Save-a-Tree" boxes and ask the office people to discard all their waste paper into these boxes for you - letters, envelopes, outdated reports and files. You can usually get the "Save-a-Tree" boxes at your recycling depot, and when full, we're talking about 35 to 45 pounds of paper. Most offices will fill one of these boxes in a week or two, depending, of course, upon their volume of paperwork. And while you're on this kind of "foraging" trip, don't forget to check in at all the print shops. They waste and throw away almost as much paper as they sell.

 It will pay you to contract for a quarter page ad, or the largest ad available that you can afford, in the yellow pages of your area telephone and business directories. Whether or not you advertise the prices you pay in the ad is entirely up to you, but
generally it's not a good idea to do so, because you would be stuck with those rates for over a year. You might word your ad to explain that you pay one rate per pound when paper is brought to you, and another rate when you pick up and haul away.

 At the same time, you should run a regular classified ad, perhaps even one with more words in the Contract Jobs section of your daily paper. Your best advertising days will be Thursday through Saturday. These are the days when people are specifically
thinking about cleaning up around the house or their offices. Also, these are the days when people think about what they can do to earn extra money.

 This is the kind of business that "snowballs" with visibility and word-of-mouth advertising. It will definitely benefit you, then, to join the various civic and service clubs in your area, attend their luncheons and mingle with the business leaders in your area. Volunteer to assist in some fund-raising events, and whenever possible, become a guest speaker and tell about your business.

 It isn't hard to stand up before a group of people and talk about your business, particularly if you know what you're talking about and believe in what you're saying. It does take at least an outline of a script, perhaps a few notes, a rehearsal and the essential ingredient of enthusiasm.

 Make your talk interesting and informative. Do some research and present statistics on how much paper the people of this country use each year. Explain the limited supply of timber, and the need to recycle as much as possible. Detail how these facts
and figures opened your eyes, and caused you to do something about it - to open your own recycling center. And then, lead your talk into explaining how the recycling business is an avenue for everyone to benefit: the ideal fund-raising endeavor; a cleaner environment; and a chance to preserve some forest land.

 Getting free publicity for a recycling center can be easy. In addition to serving as guest speaker before civic and service groups in your area, you may find radio and television stations and newspapers, and even weekly shopping guides anxious to give
you time or space.

 By all means, try to get a story into these people detailing your grand opening, follow-up with appearances on talk shows, and press releases about the different organizations raising money by collecting newspapers and turning them in to you. Set up a contest among the different organizations, with prizes for the teams or organizations collecting the most paper. Hold special "Seniors' Days" when you pay extra for all paper turned in by persons over a certain age. Keep an eye out for angles such as the largest amounts turned in, and stories about your regular collectors who keep turning in paper regularly until they attain money goals.

 Emphasize in your publicity contacts that recycling is a kind of community service that benefits all citizens. You're cleaning the environment, conserving timber, and putting money into the pockets of all who participate. Think about it; submit press releases to the media; calling them and inviting them to cover human interest stories emanating from your business!

 This business takes organization, some energy on your part, and at least in the beginning, your time. But if you put forth the effort as we have outlined, there's no reason you shouldn't easily realize a very comfortable income with your own RECYCLING BUSINESS. It takes effort on your part, but if you're looking for a lucrative business, you have here a plan to act on!located stores or businesses.