The October issue of the e-ret@iler contains:

1. The article of the month: Are you a "my"?
2. e-ret@iler advisory of the month: 2004
3. Our Power Promoting idea of the month: Gift
Certificate Donations
4. Your e-ret@iler subscription and contacting
Profits Plus and Tom Shay

=> Print the October issue of the e-ret@iler so
you can read it at your leisure.

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1. Article of the month: Are you a "my"?

Most people speak in a "possessive" tense - my
car, my home, my business, my stockbroker, etc.
You have probably spoke about your mechanic, or
your dry cleaner.

Have you ever heard someone refer to your business
in a possessive tone? It is indicative of
something special - a special relationship
between the customer and the business. It is
something that each of us should want to achieve.
For in achieving the status of a "my", we are
likely to have customers that look far beyond
the issue of price. If you want to be a "my"
to your customers. take a look at this month's
article.

Click on this link to visit the Profits Plus
website to read the October article of the month.

Are you a "my"?

0 <= After printing the October e-ret@iler, check
here if you plan to read the article of the month.

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2. e-ret@iler advisory of the month: 2004

It is only the first of October, but soon the
various media that you read, listen to, and view
are going to be talking about goals for next
year.

We have decided to get an early start to prompt
you to consider what you are going to be doing
for 2004. To assist, we are going to do so in two
ways. The first is to tell you about the many
tools we have created that can help in your
business, and secondly with a verbal boost.

When you visit our website, there are many
tools that can help you in assessing your
business knowledge as well as show you
where you could improve. On the website, you
can:

1. Calculate 14 financial ratios. These are the
many yardsticks that an accountant utilizes.
As you visit the site, you can see what ratios
relate to each other, what their ratio indicates
to you, how to perform the actual calculation, and
then when you enter the numbers and click the
appropriate calculate button, our website will
calculate that ratio for you. All you have to
do is print it out, save it, and compare it to
the same exercise from next month to see what
progress you are making.

2. Financial knowledge test. A 20 question,
multiple choice quiz, that quickly tells you
what you know, and don't know about finances.
When you answer all 20 questions and then
click the enter button, your test will be
graded. You will then see your score, as well
as the answers to all of the questions you
have incorrectly answered.

3. Business knowledge test. Just like the
financial knowledge test, but this one
deals with the general operation of a
business.

4. "Open to buy" calculator. Read the
article to see how an "open to buy"
calculator can work in your business. Then
read the section of how it works. You can
also download a free "Open to buy" calculator
that will work on your computer.

5. AMP calculator. See what you should include
in your annual advertising plan. When you use
this tool in your business, we have observed
businesses that have obtained a 30% savings as
they purchase their television, radio, newspaper
and direct mail advertising. While there is an
explanation and sample of this tool on the
website, we also offer it as an online service
that will track all of your data for you.

6. Our newest tool has just been added to the
website. Think about a product that you have
ordered from a wholesaler on a regular basis
for several years. You probably know how many
you sell each month and how often to order this
product.

Now you can order from the manufacturer with
these advantages: lower cost, lower or free freight,
and a longer period to pay for the product. The
downside to this situation is that you must purchase
the product in a much larger quantity. Is it
worth it?

Previously this has just been a guess. With the
new "Cost of Inventory" calculator, you can
enter the sales rate, quantity usually ordered,
the cost, freight, and retail price. Then enter
the special cost, freight and quantity to be
ordered. Add a factor for the cost of money and
the "Cost of Inventory" calculator will tell
you what the advantage is to each of the two
ordering styles, as well as when the other
style becomes more advantageous. This is another
free tool from Profits Plus.

Many people say they will create their new goals
when the new year starts. What is wrong with
right now? What is wrong with using these
tools, developing some goals for your business
and then start making that happen right now?

The word of encouragement for your work comes
from Nelson Mandela. He said,

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond
measure. It is our light, not our darkess, that
most frightens us. WE ask ourselves, 'who am I
to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?'
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child
of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the
world. There is nothing enlightened about
shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure
around you. We were born to manifest the glory of
God that is within us. It is not just in some
of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our
own light shine, we unconsciously give other
people permission to do the same. As we are
liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically
liberates others."

Think about what Mr. Mandela said, and then
take the tests, use the tools, and then work
to make 2004 the best year your business has ever had!

Business Tools

0 <= After printing the October e-ret@iler, check
here if you plan to visit the business tools page.

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3. Our Power Promoting idea of the month: Gift
Certificate advertising

Do you wonder about all the times that some group
has asked you for a donation of an item for a
door prize for their event? Don't we often go
wandering about the business looking for something
that we want to get rid of? Perhaps, something that
while it is old, doesn't look too much like an old
piece of junky merchandise from our store.

The promotional idea for the month of October is
that you instead give a gift certificate to this
group. The idea is that as you give the gift
certificate, the winner of the door prize has
to come into your business to receive it. This is
good because our overall goal of all advertising
is to introduce new customers to our business.

The second point within this idea is that when you
give a $15 gift certificate as a door prize, it
should actually be three $5 gift certificates. Have
you ever had someone walk into your business with a
$15 gift certificate, select a $5 item and then ask
for the rest of the gift certificate to be redeemed
as cash? Then, you have the reason for giving the
door prize gift certificates in $5 increments.

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4. Your e-ret@iler subscription and contacting
Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Simply stated, the e-ret@iler is free. If you
received it as a result of someone passing it to
you, you can get your own subscription by visitng
the Profits Plus website and entering your
e-mail information to get a subscription.

Contacting us is just as easy. Our phone is
727-464-2182. The fax number is 727-898-3179.
Our mailing address is: PO Box 128 Dardanelle, AR 72834 USA.

Thanks for taking the time this month from
your business to visit with us by way of this
e-mail newsletter, the e-ret@iler. Our goal is
to have you find a bit of information in it that
will help you make your business more profitable.

We continue to ask you to make an effort to
locate and do business with other small businesses.
You will meet some really great people and
find others who really appreciate their customers,
just the way you do!

Get your Profits Plus, and may God bless you and
yours! See you next month.

Tom Shay