Sex dictionary

Long before AIDS made an entry into our dictionaries and our daily paranoias, there were other sexual scares: syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and genital warts, to name a few. But no one really talked those days about safe sex (although some of these other sexually-transmitted infections could also eventually cost victims their lives). In stopping sexual permissiveness dead in its tracks, AIDS may well have done us a favour: because, the careful sexual behaviour that is our best security against AIDS also constitutes our best protection against other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

The essence of safe sex is avoiding high-risk partners and practices, and using condom-management strategies. But when it comes down to the specifics, many questions arise:

Who are the high-risk sexual partners?

The high-risk groups are homosexuals, bi-sexuals, prostitutes, intravenous drug abusers; heterosexuals from Central Africa where AIDS is common; those who have had multiple blood transfusions in areas where AIDS is rampant. Sexual episodes with high-risk partners are the most common way the infection is passed on.

The risk of acquiring AIDS from one penis-vaginal intercourse episode with someone from a high-risk group has been estimated to be: (with condom) – 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 10,000; (without condom) – 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 1000. (The wide range of odds is because of different rates of infection among high-risk groups).

Of course, someone who’s not a high-risk partner is not necessarily a no-risk partner. When two people sleep together, it’s essentially group sex: they are in effect sleeping with everyone each of them has slept with in the past five to ten years.

How many sexual encounters with a high-risk partner would it take for the virus to be transmitted?

The virus can be transmitted through just one sexual encounter with an infected person. But the chances are less than in the case of multiple encounters with high-risk persons. In one study at the University of California, less than 10 out of 100 persons were found to have contracted the virus through a single sexual encounter with an infected person. But another study found that the odds got steadily worse with continuous sexual activity with an infected partner over a two-year periods – 12 out of 14 people ended up infected.

That is why another cardinal commandment of safe sex: avoid multiple sexual partners. Especially if they are unknown, casual partners, you have no way of knowing which of them is infected, and with every encounter, the laws of probability favour you less and less. Sex with a single, known, trustworthy partner is one of your best armour devices against serious infection. So, if you’ve tried the rest, now try the best: monogamy!

Is a man more likely to give the infection to a woman than the other way round?

Sperm does appear to contain a higher concentration of the virus then vaginal secretions and the virus does appear to be more efficiently transmitted from men to women then from women to men. But men shouldn’t get too smug about this. In Africa, where the disease has had more time to do its work, there’s a one-to-one infection ratio between men and women.

Which is the most risky sexual practice?

Without question, anal intercourse without a condom. The walls of the rectum are thinner than the vaginal walls and therefore more prone to abrasions and tears. So, the AIDS virus from an infected partner’s semen is absorbed more easily during anal sex.

Other high-risk practices (with an infected partner) are condomless vaginal intercourse fellatio, cunnilingus, the sharing of insertive sex toys and anything that would involve blood contact.

Moderate-risk practices are French kissing, oral sex using condoms, vaginal sex using condoms and spermicide, and anal intercourse using condoms and spermicide.

How safe is kissing?

The AIDS virus is carried by bodily fluids – apart from semen and blood, that includes urine, vaginal secretions, tears, saliva and even faeces.

Does that make practices like oral sex and ‘tongue kissing’ unsafe? The virus is found only rarely in saliva. In a study of 83 patients (reported in The New England Journal of Medicine), the virus was detected in the saliva of only one.

In another study reported in the same journal, in families where an AIDS -infected member shared food, drink, cutlery and crockery with the others, not a single non-infected person caught the virus.

In these same households, members kissed each other without spreading AIDS. Kissing on the cheeks and lips appears to be perfectly safe. And, to date, there’s no evidence that saliva transmits the virus.

Still, since the virus has been isolated in saliva (although in rare cases), caution is the better part of l’amour, especially where deep kissing or French kissing – the kind that curls your toes – is concerned. In the U.S., the Surgeon-General has advised against it. While there has been no documented case of the spread of AIDS in this way, it would be difficult to document because people who start with this kind of kissing often don’t stop there. Although most researchers feel that transmission is unlikely even from erotic kissing because there probably wouldn’t be an adequate amount of virus in the saliva or a sufficient amount of saliva exchanged, the fact remains that it’s theoretically possible.

How risky is oral sex?

So far, researchers haven’t confirmed a single case – in either homosexuals or heterosexuals – attributable to it. But, as with deep kissing, it’s difficult to document because oral sex so often goes along with other sexual activities. Therefore, the experts advise against letting semen enter the mouth. The risk is lowered if the man wears a condom or doesn’t ejaculate in his partner’s mouth. But both need to remember that a small amount of the virus may be present in the pre-ejaculatory fluid.

Oral sex is less risky for a heterosexual man, because he usually comes in contact with less fluids. Still, the virus can exist in small concentration in vaginal fluids.

What are the safe-sex activities you can indulge in with a partner of doubtful credentials?

There are several such activities you can enjoy short of intercourse: dry kissing, hugging and caressing, massage and mutual masturbation (provided the man does not ejaculate near the woman’s vagina; and provided vaginal secretion do not come in contact with broken skin).

Don’t condoms offer foolproof protection against STDs?

Condoms have been shown to be laboratory-effective in blocking the transmission of gonorrhea, syphilis and herpes. The most efficient are latex condoms which have been studied under the electron microscope – neither bacteria nor viruses have been able to penetrate them. That includes the AIDS virus, which is about 25 times smaller than a sperm.

Some experts however have their doubts about the efficacy of condoms made from natural skin, such as lambskin, in blocking transmission of the microscopic AIDS virus. These condoms are made of hundreds of layers of porous collagen. Although the chances of a virus navigating through them are slim, lab tests have shown it’s possible.

However: Even with latex condoms, when it comes down to actual practice, they have never been anywhere near 100 per cent reliable. They slip, they break, and people often don’t use them soon enough, or withdraw them carefully enough. Consider this noteworthy statistic: one out of 10 women who rely on condoms as contraception still get pregnant each year – although contraception can occur only a few days each month. In contrast, you are susceptible to the AIDS virus 365 days a year.

Here’s how condoms fared in one real-life study of couples, one of whom was infected and relied on condoms to prevent the spread of the virus to the non-infected partner. After using condoms for between one to three years, three of the 18 spouses contracted the virus, a failure rate of 17 per cent. Says the study’s chief researcher, Margaret Fischl of the University Of Miami School Of Medicine, “Our study shows that using condoms decreases the risk, but clearly it’s not a foolproof system”. Evidently, there is still no such thing as ‘safe sex’ with an infected partner – only degrees of risk.

How can you improve your margin of safety using condoms?

One of the best ways is to use them in tandem with s spermicide which contains the active ingredient nonoxynol-9. This ingredient has been shown to kill the herpes and AIDS viruses (at least under lab conditions).
Choose latex condoms over those made of animal membrane such as lambskin. Latex is less porous.
Choose the well-known brands. They are more likely to have undergone thorough testing and less likely to have undetected holes.
As a general rule, the thicker the condom the greater your margin of safety. (That again makes latex your best bet).
Check that the condom you use has a reservoir or receptacle at the end so that semen can’t spill over the sides during ejaculation. By catching semen in its reservoir, this kind of condom also lowers rupture risks to near-zero.
Never use petroleum-based lubricants such as petroleum jelly with a latex condom – they will cause the latex to disintegrate. But, lubrication does help prevent condom from tearing. Use K-Y jelly, water or – best of all – a spermicide containing nonoxynol-9. (Do not use saliva).
Put on the condom as soon as erection occurs, don’t wait until ejaculation is imminent – some viruses may escape in the pre-ejaculatory fluid.
When you remove the condom from its wrapper and place it over the tip of your penis, make sure it doesn’t catch on a ring or fingernail.
The condom should seal tightly to your skin. A condom that makes hasty withdrawal necessary, and semen spillage possible, is injurious to your partner’s health!
Withdraw right after ejaculation, because if the erection is lost the condom may slip off, allowing semen to escape. Hold on to the rim of the condom as the penis is being withdrawn.
Dispose of the condom safely so that no one (a child, for example) could accidentally come in contact with semen.
Don’t ‘store’ a pare condom in your wallet or the glove compartment of your car. Heat damages latex. Condoms should be stored in a cool, dry place like a bedside drawer.

What else, in the sexual arena, increases your risk of catching AIDS?

Sexually transmitted diseases, particularly syphilis and chancroid, are associated with genital ulcers, which allow the HIV virus easy access to the bloodstream.

Isn’t there any foolproof protection against AIDS?

There are two. One is to stay celibate: an answer which, for most of us, is of course a non-answer.

The second is to have sex only with a partner who has been tested for AIDS. But this is not an easy, or practical, as it sounds. It arises from the fact that the so-called “AIDS test” is not really a test for AIDS at all. It is a blood test that detects the presence of antibodies produced by the body to fight the invading virus – called the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. (It’s therefore called the HIV test). If the test detects these antibodies, what it means is that, at some point of time, the person was infected by the virus.

However – and this is where the main snag arises – it takes anything from a fortnight to six months for the body to produce the HIV antibodies. This is the so-called “window phase” – the period during which the infection, while already present, may not be signaled by the test because the antibodies haven’t yet been produced. What this means is that a negative result on the HIV test (no antibodies) is valid only if the test has been done at least six months after the last sexual exposure.

On the other hand, there have also been problems with the use of the ELISA test to detect HIV antibodies – quite commonly, especially in the case of heterosexuals, ELISA has shown false positives! To exclude the possibility of error, a positive result with ELISA must be confirmed with the so-called Western Blot test. If the results are confirmed, that’s bad news, but both tests should be repeated a few weeks later to ensure that there was no mix-up in blood samples in the lab.

However, even if a potential sexual partner has been certified as HIV-negative, remember that sex with such a partner is ‘safe’ only until his/her next sexual encounter. After that, as they say, all bets are off. (Unless, of course, you and this partner enter into a mutually monogamous relationship – after you too have tested negative!)

What’s the bottomline in safe sex?

It’s that, where safe sex is concerned, it’s better to be a believer in healthy overreaction than to go by the no-case-yet norm. As late as 1984, the medical world was saying we have ‘no case yet’ of the heterosexual spread of AIDS. One year later, oops, we’d got one. Since AIDS may have a few other unhealthy surprises in store, it’s better to err on the side of caution.

One morsel of good news: while some people acquire the virus after just a single exposure, others don’t acquire it after repeated exposures. What this means is that, even if you’ve been having unprotected sex for years, it’s conceivably not yet too late to start protecting yourself.

Corsets and Bodices – Hot Lingerie

Corsets and Bodices – Hot Lingerie is renowned the world over as the hottest words in the sexy dictionary. If you need to feel hot then you need hot lingerie. What many people may not know is that in the lingerie list of items sold, although bras and sexy lace panties are pretty much top of the list for purchases, the bodice and the corset sometimes known as a basque is also very high on the hot list.

Corsets And Men Love

Men love corsets – Why? Maybe it has something to do with their tightness on a woman’s body or maybe it has something to do with the way they push up and accentuate a woman’s breasts and improves her cleavage area. Another reason could possibly be down to the fact that it appears their lady is all trussed up and some men find this highly sexual, erotic and a big turn on. Whatever it is, the man or men in your life, deep down would almost always veer towards this choice as their favourite in the lingerie department. Obviously, with a corset and bodice, this almost always requires an outfit completion. The outfit is not complete without the addition of a suspender belt and the sexiest of stockings to your shopping list. With this combination of the three items, corset, suspender belt and sexiest of stockings, this completes your man seduction kit.

Corsets and Women Love

Are these lingerie items a favourite with women? Some women love corsets, some are scared of them thinking that they will look like some dominatrix, whip in hand, ready to whip her lover into shape. It does not have to be like this. It is true that corsets, nowadays, do have a dominatrix stigma attached to them but this does not mean you have to assume the role of the dominatrix bitch from hell. You can leave this role for some call-girl and her clients. Your role in this usually pretty and beautifully decorated sexy piece of lingerie can be just you, whether this you is plain, upmarket, loving, sexy, sadistic, immoral, down and dirty, crazy, witch-like, bitch-like or dominatrix bitch from hell, it is entirely up to you how you play your role. However, it is true that wearing a fine corset, basque or bodice can have an amazing effect on your personality, changing you from once shy, quiet, village girl to a hot wanton sex goddess with a desire for fiery hot sex. This is just the magic of the corset. A period piece of lingerie magic that will last until the end of mankind womankind.

If you study Doc Love’s THE SYSTEM – THE DATING DICTIONARY, you will find that it describes four male archetypes:

Wimp
Macho Boy
Gentleman
Gigolo

And each archetype has such a unique description, which can make you wonder how men can be so different from each other! Well, a careful analysis reveals a certain pattern, which is what I will describe here.

A man’s psychological attitude can be analysed in several dimensions/spectrums, and I will focus on two such dimensions for now:

The Sensitivity Dimension: You have a SENSITIVE guy on one end of this spectrum, and a CALLOUS guy on the other.
The Attachment Dimension: You have a FAWNER on one end of this spectrum, and a CHALLENGE on the other.

Using this method of analysis, the archetypes can be summarised as follows:

A WIMP is a SENSITIVE FAWNER.
A MACHO BOY is a CALLOUS CHALLENGE.
A GENTLEMAN is a SENSITIVE CHALLENGE.
A GIGOLO is a CALLOUS FAWNER.

Sometimes you meet a woman that tells you she wants a sensitive guy, and keeps complaining about what a nasty jerk her boyfriend is! All her friends know that she’s with the wrong guy and tell her to break up. She also knows “intellectually” that she deserves better. But no matter how much she complains, she somehow cannot “get herself” to leave him!

And when she actually does encounter a sensitive guy, she is likely to cry on his shoulder and complain about her boyfriend for hours together. The sensitive guy keeps asking (or should I say “begging”) her to give him just one chance! He promises to treat her like a princess and do anything to make her happy. The woman is touched and moved by his sincerity, but still finds that something is missing. She cannot really describe what it is…but somehow, she feels that she just can’t respect him. She also doesn’t feel “attracted” to him! She actually feels MORE attracted to the jerk she complains about!

And the next day you meet another woman, whose boyfriend is the sweetest guy in the world! He treats her with the utmost respect, frequently buys her gifts and flowers, tells her several times how much he loves her, forgives her for everything, puts up with her put-downs and is always ready to apologise whenever there is a conflict between them.

Her friends tell her that she has the best thing going for her, but she is somehow not happy with him! And no matter how hard he tries to please her, she always find something wrong with him and criticises him for it!

If you are a student of Doc Love’s THE SYSTEM – THE DATING DICTIONARY, you can easily tell that the second woman’s Interest Level in her boyfriend is very low. And it is very likely that she would soon dump him for someone else!

Now, I have heard these stories HUNDREDS of times over and over again! And I’m no longer amused by these things, as they have become too much of a chiche!

But it wouldn’t surprise me if it gives you the following impressions:

Women are so stupid and illogical
Women hate guys that are nice to them
Women like guys that treat them like trash

Well, nothing could be farther from the truth. And I’ll tell you what the real truth is….

Macho Boys are attractive NOT because they are abusive jerks, but because they EXHIBIT challenge.
Wimps are repulsive NOT because they are nice to women, but because they LACK challenge.

A woman that is good-looking but has a low self-esteem is drawn to Macho Boys. She harbours a subconscious belief that she does not deserve to be treated well, and the Macho Boy provides her the perfect validation for her beliefs. (He treats her like trash….but she definitely likes the sex eh?!)

And I have NEVER found a woman that feels “attracted” to Wimps at a primordial level! A Feminista that has a low self-esteem might stick around with a Wimp for a long time, but it’s NOT because she is attracted to him. It’s only because she’s looking for someone to dominate and use like a punching bag….and the Wimp makes the perfect candidate for this kind of abuse. (Eventually even the Feminista would leave him for a tougher guy, but that’s a different story.)

Doc Love’s THE SYSTEM – THE DATING DICTIONARY teaches you how to strike a proper balance by becoming a GENTLEMAN that treats women well, but also displays CHALLENGE at the same time.

Currently, the top ten sex books for men on Amazon are split between two subjects. 80% of the books are devoted to matters relating to male sexual health and performance issues, whilst the other 20% deals with sexual abuse and its aftermath.

Of the eight books centred around male sexual health, six focus specifically on improving potency, with Secret Aphrodisiac Sexual Stimulants: Aphrodisiacs for Male Impotency, Building Libido & Sex Drive Enhancement by William Livingstone revealing the many aphrodisiac sexual stimulants that can be purchased – pills and tonics to boost the libido and bolster the erection – and Male Potency: A Man’s Guide to Optimal Sexual Health by L B Johnson looking at the nutritional factors needed to achieve a healthy and fulfilling sex life, including many herbs of the Amazon rain forest.

However, another two – Drugs Compromising Male Sexual Health by Walter Krause and Sexual Health for Men by Richard F Spark – actively discount these lotions and potions, quoting the risks and dangers of consuming and applying such chemicals.

Male Sexual Dysfunction – A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References by ICON Health Publications is a complete medical dictionary of expressions and terms relating to male sexual dysfunction.

Whilst Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy by Mantak Chia and Michael Winn reports on mystical Taoist principles and shows the reader how to harness sexual energy from transcendental states of consciousness.

The two sex books for men at the top of the chart Men’s Sexual Health: Fitness for Satisfying Sex by Barry W McCarthy and Michael E Metz and Male Sexual Health: A Couple’s Guide by Richard F Spark aim to help a man and his partner to learn that mutually satisfying sex is the core principle of any successful relationship. The primary focus is on educating the reader to realise that not all sex finishes with both partners climaxing simultaneously.

There are varying levels of pleasure and satisfaction in between but, at the heart of the best relationships is an honest intimacy that allows a couple to explore all methods of foreplay and erotic arousal that will allow both to achieve orgasm as part of a mutually exciting experience.

The most popular book specifically targets male fitness, as this is a major factor in establishing the stamina to be able to indulge the different types of foreplay and intercourse techniques which will promote the best climaxes.

The two titles that stand apart from the rest in the top ten male sexual health books on Amazon concern sexual abuse. Sexual Abuse of Males: The SAM Model of Theory and Practice by Josef Spiegel looks at the psychological and physical repercussions of the childhood abuse of boys, whilst Opening the Door: A Treatment Model for Therapy With Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Adrian Crowder addresses the various techniques used by professional counsellors and therapists to try to repair the damage.

Earth is so old. God made the sun, earth, the moon, and other planets. That´s what many of us believe. Now no one knows if that is the truth. Now this can also be denied by many anti-religious people. But something has made this world? Now lets take it to be God himself. Now God made everything that exists in world today. When it comes to evolution of the human race, we know talks are going to crop up about Adam and Eve.

Adam was the supposed first male of the world and Eve was first female. Now God knew that a male alone couldn’t continue to race. So just like he made a female side to all the animals, he made a female side to human also in the form of Eve. Sex then became the most important activity. This is because if there was no sex, there would be no human race. As sex increased, humans increased. This is the reason why sex SHOULD be given a lot of importance.

Today, there are many countries in the world where sex is considered as a taboo. I am from a very different kind of a family. I was born to an Indian lady and a Scottish man. This is perhaps the reason why I have an open and broad mind about sex. If I were born to an Indian couple, then I would be considering sex as a taboo like so many other Indians. Why is it that in developing countries sex is not given the importance and the openness it needs and deserves? Why is it that the inhabitants of these countries have forgotten the basic lessons of evolution of human race? Is it so shameful?

Now I don’t know so much about other developing countries apart from India. Now this stay in India, I have learned that pre-marital sex is supposedly obscene and a taboo in itself. If a girl loves a boy, all efforts are made to separate them, at least in most cases. But yes, its true, even India is trying to adopt the western culture. What they don’t understand is the way of clothing, the cosmetics, their skin color, and such things are not what they should be picking up from the western culture. They open-mindedness is what is required. The orthodoxy is what has to vanish and banish. But it will take another 62 years for that to happen, or may be even more. No one is going to go to each of the small village in India and tell them to speak freely about sex, to be actively involved in it. I mean why be against sex, where as Hindu religion (predominant religion in India) is the only religion with a complete BOOK on sex? Its the only religion where God is shown active in sexual activity (Lord Krishna in Kamasutra). Now when you believe so much in God, shouldn’t you also believe in everything related to the same God?

Sometimes I don’t quite understand now I cant help that. But now that I am staying in India, the girl I am in love with is an Indian. Now I was always worried about the possible differences we might have had in our mentalities. But I am lucky and I must say that the generation today even in a country like India is making efforts to understand sex. A person who is actively involved in SAFE sex is a hero in himself. He shouldn’t be looked at as a criminal.

Why is it that sex is seen as a taboo? This is because surely somewhere sexual activity might have been used in non-acceptable manner. This is the reason that when it might have happened in an uncontrollable account, sex was made into a taboo. I really hate those men who have to take advantage of their physical ability to force a lady into some sort of sexual activity. Sex is not something to be hurtful and forced. It is something both a man and lady is supposed to enjoy. They should be able to compliment each other in sex.

A couple that is healthy in their sexual activity, is a healthy and wise couple. Sex has changed over the past centuries. With time everything changes. Earlier, oral sex was not that famous, but when a religious script like Kamasutra have oral sex pictures and paintings, there is no harm in actually having it now in the sex dictionary. But personal hygiene and health is a must. You cannot be personally unhygienic and spread you bad hygiene to the person you are getting sexually involved with.

Now some might say after being with the same partner for long might turn sex into the most boring thing in life. But this is sadly not the truth. Just like sex has changed in itself so much since the past centuries, we can blindly accept that so many changes have been caused, that means so many modifications have been made, that means there are so many things that can be done differently, that further means that its a vast subject, which no one ever bothers to research apart from sex experts. This is exactly why sex experts make such a posh living. Because everyone wants to have a non-boring sex life, so in stead of researching on their own they take help from the sex experts. Well there is nothing wrong in it. I myself am in favor of this. The margin of mistakes and risks are lower in taking help from a sex expert.

What am I trying to say in this who writing here? I am just trying to talk freely about sex. Because if a person has to be good at sex, he has to be able to talk about it freely to the world. This is just my try to be good at sex. This is just something I learned from a sex expert. Talking. Talking about the subject sex, itself gives you the interest and enthusiasm to have a better sex life with your partner. My next article is going to be the various beliefs about sex that people have in mind, mainly ´SIZE MATTERS´ notion. For now I can only say, don’t be ashamed of talking about sex, don’t be ashamed of having sex, be a LOYAL and SAFE sexually active person.

A good sex life will reflect in your day to day activity. The night you make love to your wife/husband or girlfriend/boyfriend, the next morning you are happier than the morning before. The key to keep the lock called love open and alive for many more years to come is Sex. Use this key well and healthy and decently and legally and you will see how smooth your relationship with your partner goes on.

People are always looking for money. We need finance to exist in this life, no matter who we are. Millions of people everyday are trying all sorts of gimmicks and get-rich-quick schemes and millions more are being hoodwinked with scams. There are really only four ways to make money!

FOUR WAYS TO MAKE MONEY

WIN IT. Not a sure way to raise finance and many people end up losing more than they win as they try to gamble their way to riches.

INHERIT IT. Not a sure way either. You have to have some rich relatives who think you’re the best thing after sliced bread.

BEG, BORROW or STEAL IT. Absolutely not recommended. All are short-lived with long-term consequences. Fraud, scams, dishonest dealings and lies have a short life. Ask “Bernie” Madoff, an American swindler, former stockbroker, investment advisor and financier trusted by thousands. He got away with his nefarious schemes for a long time, but they finally caught up with him. The FIFA chaps also found that this is a slippery slope.

TRADE SOMETHING FOR IT. Now we are talking! You either have to trade your TIME, ASSETS or EXPERTISE for money. There is no other way to real financial independence.

Once you understand this, the rest is much easier to figure out.

Ask yourself:

Do I have time available? Get a full-time or part-time job and work for someone. Look for opportunities or create them. Join sites like elance.com or fiverr.com and offer your services. Remember, though, you only have so many hours in a day.

Do I have assets I can trade for money? Good question. You can get into Affiliate Marketing by recommending products from online marketplaces like Amazon, ClickBank, JVZOO and get paid good commissions for sales without having to handle the goods and finance yourself. Then you have eBay, Craigslist, OLX, Bid&Buy and a host of other sites that allow you to buy and sell. You can even sell at Fleamarket stalls, and bazaars. There are opportunities everywhere.

Do I have some expertise? This is a far better question and the results are more satisfying. Write some short reports and sell them to people who need to know what you know. Write Kindle books and publish them for free on Amazon’s global platform – and earn great royalties ranging from 30% to 70%. Teach courses on Udemy. Run seminars and webinars.

Why would people want to pay you for information when they can find it free on the internet?

Simply because they have to search for the information they want, sift out the good from the not-so-good and put it all together in a workable plan. It’s so much easier to pay someone who knows exactly what to do and worth the money as they exchange their cash for your expertise.

Think about it. Everybody knows something that others want to know. You can write one course, one eBook or one report and sell it over and over again.

All you need are some creative ideas.

You can get the “how to” by asking Google and watching some YouTube videos that walk you through the technical side of things.

I have an Author friend who ends every teaching session with the words: “Now Go Home… and Write Something.”

I end this article with the same thought: Now Go Home… and Trade Something!

Anytime I remember the beginning of my journey into establishing my presence and business online, I smile and laugh because of how I run my business back then. The truth is that I didn’t have any direction. Remembering those days when I drag myself out of bed to do a bit of blogging here and there, and placing ads on those blogs still makes me laugh.

I didn’t set any goals for myself and was not cocksure of what I really wanted to achieve. The resultant effect of this was that I bounced from opportunity to opportunity because I was distracted by the different kinds of marketing strategies and ideas that captivated my unfocused and goalless mind. But the day came when I realised that results only comes from focused efforts in one or two areas.

The reason am telling you this is because I want you to learn from my past experience and to relate it to what I am going to talk about. Apart from not having any clear cut plan, I also didn’t have any personal development tools in my arsenal to ensure a continuous success. Believe me, for you to build your dream business (I assume this is the reason you are reading this post) or climb the highest mountain in the world, you need the “right” tools to accomplish this.

Just like a mountaineer needs the “right tools” to climb the mountain, a business owner also needs the “right tools” to use in order to achieve success in their business. You have to embrace personal development because ignoring it will definitely be to your detriment. Those who ignore personal development on a personal and corporate level will surely experience stunted business and personal growth. Hence, the right personal development tools must be utilized alongside a focused plan to achieve and ensure success.

Over the years, I have come across different type of tools and resources which have contributed to my success in the different industries I have been and am involved in. Though these tools are a big part of my ongoing learning process (yes, I am still learning because I want to sustain my success), the success I have attained in my physical rehabilitation business can be attributed to a strong personal development plan and the right tools I use in order to keep me on the right track.

You see, this applies to every aspect of your life too and I want to help you with that. In this post, I will share with you some of the key personal development tools I have come across on my business journey. Like I said at the beginning of this post, apart from not having a clear cut goal, I also struggled with a lot of personal issues, one of which was confidence and self-assurance.

As I am being honest with myself, I also want you to be honest with yourself because I know that once you use these tools am about to teach you, your life and business will be positively affected. So open your mind. Know what you want to get out of this post and what you want to change because this is the first step to positively change your life and business.

1. TED

Have you ever heard about the TED talks? And if you have, how many of these talks have you watched and listened to, and how many of the individuals giving speeches on this site are you following? If you haven’t heard about the TED talks, then you are about to find out what it’s all about.

TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) talk is a global set of conferences run by a private non-profit organization known as the Sapling Foundation, under the slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading”. It is one of the best free resources on the internet for education, fresh ideas and enlightenment as far as business and mind-set issues are concerned.

It is a website where people watch videos on a variety of different topics. Though some of the videos there might not be related to what you are looking for, you will surely find some that you will be of use to you. One thing I also want you to know is that the individuals who give speeches on this site are some of the smartest and most successful people in business and in the fields they specialize in. I highly recommend that you check out this site, see what stirs your mind and apply the ideas being discussed.

2. Mindbloom

As the name suggest, the aim of this site is to enhance your life. This site enables you to work on whatever it is you want to work on by way of creating a “tree” for free. One of the core aspects of Mindbloom is the “bloom” programme. Apart from using it to wake up on the right side of your day, you can also use Bloom as your morning wake-up call, to remind yourself to eat a healthy snack between meals, to shift gears after work by scheduling a bloom with your favourite song and family photos, to remind yourself to pack lunch so as to save a few dollars each day.

You might think these “little things” have no effect on your life, but I can assure you that it had and is still having a great effect on mine. So these “little things” can improve the quality of your life and there are many more personal development tools on this website that can help you with the different aspects of your life. I definitely recommend that you check out this site.

3. Udemy

This is another site that I strongly recommend you check out immediately. If you are looking for a course in a particular area, look no further than Udemy. The site provides a wide range of courses on different subjects. Just name it and Udemy will probably provide a well-structured course on it. These courses are handled by experts who have excelled in their different fields. So you are definitely in good hands.

Let’s also look at this from a business perspective. We all know that knowledge is power (that is if the knowledge is put into action) and the more knowledge you have, the more valuable you become. By being more valuable in your chosen niche, you will be able to improve your business income by improving yourself and the business. Less I forget, it is worth knowing that some of the courses on this site are free. What can you get for free these days? What are you waiting for? Check out this site.

4. Lumosity

This is another mind blowing site designed and maintained by neuroscientists. Yes, these neuroscientists really know what they are talking about when it comes to the optimal performance of the brain, the subconscious and conscious mind. Believe me, just as you know your conscious mind is always at work, your subconscious mind too is “never” on holiday.

The development of the mind is so important because the state of your mind can either positively or negatively affect any endeavour you undertake. This is why am also recommending this site for you. The strength of the mind is equally as important as the strength of the will. With more than 50 million users, many paying $15/month or $80/year for full access, the services being offered on the site has caught on like wildfire. Like anything other personal or business endeavour, you only get out what you put in.

As a company, Lumosity work with over 100 researchers all over the globe. Test results after a 10-week period have shown that after working with 4000 participants completing crosswords, half online and half on Lumosity, the Lumosity group improved more than the crosswords group on an assessment of cognition. Like it or not, the statistics are strong. So it may be worth a go.

5. Vision Board Deluxe

This is a great app which does pretty much what it says on the tin. You are at liberty to create your own vision board which will propel your success even further than you think. And this can be done on the go by using your phone or tablet. You may be familiar with this concept of creating a vision board and why people do it if you are a big fan of personal development. And in case you are not or you want more information on this, let me explain.

As I have said before, your subconscious mind is always working. In fact, whether you realise it or not, it’s working really hard, even right now as you read this post, filtering all kinds of stimuli from the environment around you. If it doesn’t do that, you would go completely mad from everything you have to process. But the subconscious mind is far more important than just filtering all kinds of stimuli. It is also the most important factor in many successful people’s journeys.

Once you create a vision board, you activate your subconscious mind by constantly reminding it that what you are doing is so important. You are focusing your mind on what you truly want and because of the excellent bit of kit it is, it will work to ensure you receive everything you desire. You may not fully understand this idea (though I would be happy if you could catch this idea right away), but I promise you, your subconscious will open doors and your eyes to opportunities you didn’t even know were there.

The most important thing about cost-effective marketing is to focus on high-return activities. Different channels work for different companies, there’s no one-size-fits-all. If there’s one thing we know though it’s that you should absolutely spend money on marketing your business online. Even a budget of $1,500 can go a long way.

Research $0

The great thing about research is that the only resource you’ll need to spend is your time. If you don’t do thorough research before spending your first marketing dollar you probably won’t put the remaining $1,499 to particularly good use.

A good place to start is by doing a quick Google search of your industry, identifying patterns, understanding consumer behaviour, studying your competition, and even reaching out to your target audience for first-hand market research. The data you collect during this process will serve as the foundation of your campaign.

Certainly, there are ways you can spend money on research. There are organizations that sell reports with seemingly critical information, as well as tools that’ll pull data from around the web for your consideration. Services like Springwise and Trendwatching are great for this, but can be a bit pricey. There’s more than enough free information out there to help get you off the ground.

Email marketing $350

In spite of all the new tools and techniques, email marketing continues to prevail as one of the most effective marketing methods you could implement. The fact is, your email list is gold – these are people who have responded to your outreach, opted in and are primed to hear from you. If you do nothing else, take advantage of email marketing and center your campaign around it.

So what does $350 get you? Right now, it’s the equivalent of a one-year subscription to MailChimp, which needs no introduction. An email list of 2,001-2,500 contacts will cost you $30/mo, technically totalling $360/year. Depending on the size of your list and needs, you can pay more or less – it’s free for up to 500 contacts.

New apps such as Conversio, showcased on my startup’s website evercloud.co, allows you to easily grow revenues by supercharging existing customers through intelligent email receipts and thus increasing lifetime customer value.

Video marketing $300

According to Cisco, consumer internet video traffic will account for 80 percent of all consumer Internet traffic globally in 2019. That is a whopping 64% increase from 2014. For marketers, if you’re not already taking advantage of the impact that videos have in your content marketing strategy, then you absolutely have to jump on the bandwagon.

Posting unique content to YouTube or Vimeo and sharing it on relevant social media channels can help establish an online presence. Of course you can also just share interesting third-party videos to your followers if they’re relevant, but it’s also important to create your own videos.

Alternatively, you can sell videos on Udemy, an online learning platform, which can be a powerful sales vehicle for individuals and businesses who want to share their knowledge and leverage their expertise and generate a scalable, recurring revenue stream.

Costs associated with video marketing can vary. Video editing software and hosting doesn’t come cheap, services such as JWPlayer cost $300/year, but can easily prove to be a very shrewd investment.

Paid social media marketing $450

With a bit of testing you will quickly know which social media platform to focus your content creation and promotion efforts on. This isn’t to say that you should forget about posting or interacting on other channels. But when it comes to spending money, nail it down to the one or two platforms you’re confident will get the best engagement.

Once you’ve identified your channels, start promoting your best content with paid ads. Get up and running with a business page on Facebook or promote content from any type of account on Twitter, Instagram, and/or LinkedIn. A Twitter card, for instance, can give you a brand boost and build your email list at the same time. LinkedIn not only offers boosted posts, but also detailed analytics that helps ensure your posts are reaching your desired market. That $450 budget will prove one of the most inexpensive ways available to get your message in front of (highly targeted) new eyes. When used effectively, any major social media site can help you gain traction and collect followers quickly, leading to more interaction and sales in the future.

Sometimes managing all your social media and online presence can be time-consuming. That’s where companies like Hootsuite and Mention become extremely useful. Hootsuite lets you manage all your social media pages from one dashboard and has other tools such as scheduling your posts, and Mention is your eyes and ears for what people are saying about your brand online. And then there are newer services, like Kickstagram, a platform to successfully manage and make the most out of your Instagram account. Additionally, Publicfast lets you connect with social media influencers, which can have a massive impact on your social media efforts. And of course you can always outsource your social media marketing to pros like GoodAudience, who have the knowledge and experience to really grow your social media presence.

Don’t be afraid to look beyond social media platforms – community sites like Quora, Reddit, and Medium can be a great way to advertise your product or service. Just make sure you aren’t blatantly promoting your business, it won’t be well-received!

Content Marketing $400

Never underestimate the power of good content. Blog posts, infographics, whitepapers, eBooks, newsletters, whitepapers, videos, webinars, the list goes on! If you’re not a confident writer or simply don’t have the time to dedicate to writing your own blog you can look into outsourcing this task. Blog Hands is a blog content writing service meaning your blog will be one less thing to worry about, and costs are completely dependent on the length and number of blog posts you’d like. Allocating roughly $400 would be a good place to start, which would get you ten 400-word blog posts. 400 words is a bit on the short side, but they also have plans for 800, 1,200, and 2,000-word blog posts. The key here is to post relevant content that shows visitors your company is a thought leader in your respective field, while also helping with search engine optimization.

Ultimately, the strategies you choose to invest in may be different, and they probably should be, as every business and every target audience is different. What works for one group of followers may fall flat with another, which is why research and ongoing testing is so important. But what I want you to walk away knowing is that marketing doesn’t have to break the bank to be effective. With just $1,500 and a little research, you can successfully implement a full-stack digital marketing campaign. The great thing is that you will quickly learn what works and what doesn’t, and you can re-allocate your budget accordingly.

At its heart, SEO (search engine optimisation) is simple. The basics of SEO haven’t really changed since Google first started dominating the way people search the internet: make each page relevant to the topic it’s about; keep to just one topic per page; get some proof that it’s a worthy page by getting links pointing back to it.

Of course, like everything that’s outwardly simple, there are a lot of small details that need to be right.

Which is where SEO training comes in.

There are a number of different ways you can get SEO training:

Learn online

This can be done via articles such as this one, videos on YouTube, forums that deal with internet marketing and quite a few other sources.

Whilst this can be cheap – depending on how much you value your time – you need a certain amount of knowledge in order to be able to filter out information that’s no longer relevant or is just plain wrong.

For instance, a lot of the finer details of techniques such as link building change over time as Google does its best to reduce or remove the influence of the spammier techniques.

Which means that, yes, links are still important but some links are better than others and how the link actually links is getting more important.

Buy a course or a book

Amazon is awash with books on SEO. It gave me 8,325 in the books section alone when I checked just now.

You can check through the reviews of these to get an idea about the usefulness of the book. If you do that, pay more attention to the reviews from people who are marked as verified purchasers.

The look inside feature will also help you decide whether or not you get on with the style of the book.

And remember to check the copyright date. Books take a while to get through the publishing process, so the more recent this is, the better.

Courses are more difficult to check unless they’re on a site like Udemy which allows feedback and tells you the number of subscribers to the course.

The best online courses are membership based as these have the revenue to keep abreast of current techniques.

Personal SEO training

This is probably the best way to learn SEO.

The biggest advantage is that you actually have to set the time aside to learn.

Unlike a book or an online course where you can put it aside and – at least in theory – come back to it later.

That discipline can make all the difference to your learning experience. As much as anything because you’ve actually been physically (and hopefully mentally) present during the training.

You can then use what you’ve learned in your training to implement SEO on your website.

The implementation isn’t difficult. If anything, most of it is repetitive and relatively mechanical.

Even if you decide to hire an SEO expert to carry out the work involved, it’s worth doing some training yourself so that you can check whether what’s being done on your behalf is using the right techniques.

That’s something I was taught at university and have never forgotten. It means that you know the right things to ask and can check that what’s being done to promote your site will be likely to work positively for you.

The best way to learn SEO is to have face to face training.

You get tailored help to make sure that your precise needs are met and you can ask questions to make sure that you fully understand the search engine optimisation process.

There are several different event types that could require limo service. From weddings and proms to airport transportation and group events, riding in a limo driven by an experienced driver takes some of the strain off of the host. With the proper limo company in charge of the travel details, there is no need to be concerned how your party is going to get where they need to go.

The first and perhaps most important factor to consider when choosing a transportation company is how many people you have to fit in the vehicle. Some companies have large stretch limousines and stretch SUVs while other companies may only have town cars and vans available. Be sure to get an accurate count before deciding what type of vehicle you are going to get.

Some of the common types of vehicles available at many limo service companies include stretch Hummers, Lincoln Town Cars, and stretch limousines. All of these cars can transport various amounts of guests. A town car or sedan is sufficient for one or two people while a stretch limo or SUV works better for larger groups.

The next factor to think about is where you are traveling to and from. Many companies will only work in their local area while others will drive you anywhere you want to go. There are even some limo service businesses that will take their passengers across the country if that is what they want to do. Just be aware that the farther you go, generally, the more expensive the trip is going to be.

When calling around to various limo service companies, be sure to get quotes before you choose one. Every business is different and to get the best deal you need to shop around. Ask them about any added services that you may benefit from as well. Some businesses will add on more time or a beverage package for an additional charge if you want it as part of your trip.

If you are ordering your limo service for your wedding, you want to make sure that the company you hire will be accommodating to your needs. You are most likely going to want to stop and take pictures at various locations while still keeping a certain schedule. Be sure the transportation service that you choose allows you to be in complete control of what you are going to do while you are in the car.

Before making your final decision, go and visit the limo service company that you have decided on. Ask to take a look at the vehicle that they are offering you so that you can be sure it is one that you are going to be happy with. If you do not completely agree with what they have picked out for you, you will have the opportunity to view the rest of the fleet on the spot.

Whenever you are planning a special event and you want to get transportation, make sure it is done by a professional company that Is well-known and trusted. The most important thing is that you get where you need not only on time, but also safely. Check reviews and ask friends and family for suggestions before you settle on any one driving company.