Quotes from pioneer of the field of economics and political science in India.

Chānakya (Sanskrit: चाणक्य Cāṇakya) (c. 350–283 BCE) was an adviser and prime minister[1] to the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta (c. 340-293 BCE), and was the chief architect of his rise to power. Kautilya and Vishnugupta, the names by which the ancient Indian political treatise called the Arthaśāstra identifies its author, are traditionally identified with Chanakya.[2] Chanakya has been considered as the pioneer of the field of economics and political science, having first written about the subject a millennium and a half before Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah.[3][4][5][6]. In the western world, he has been referred to as The Indian Machiavelli, although Chanakya's works predate him by about 1,800 years.[7] Chanakya was a professor at Takshashila University and was responsible for the creation of Mauryan empire, the first of its kind on the Indian subcontinent.

Quotes by Chanakya

1) "Learn from the mistakes of others... you can't live long enough to make them all yourselves!!"

2)"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first."

3)"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous."

4)"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you."

5)"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth."

6)" Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."

7)"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."

8)"The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman."

9)"Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest."

10)"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."

11)"God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple."

12) "A man is great by deeds, not by birth."

13) "Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness."

14) "Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends."

15) "Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person."

16) "Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth."

Quotes by Chanakya - II

1) A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode.

2) As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family.

3) As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is immanent what can you do?

4) Do not be very upright in your dealings for you would see by going to the forest that straight trees are cut down while crooked ones are left standing.

5) Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution.

6) He who is overly attached to his family members experiences fear and sorrow, for the root of all grief is attachment. Thus one should discard attachment to be happy.

7) He who lives in our mind is near though he may actually be far away; but he who is not in our heart is far though he may really be nearby.

8) If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation?

9) It is better to die than to preserve this life by incurring disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment's grief, but disgrace brings grief every day of one's life.

10) O wise man! Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is always sweet.

11) One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.

12) Purity of speech, of the mind, of the senses, and of a compassionate heart are needed by one who desires to rise to the divine platform.

13) Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.

14) The earth is supported by the power of truth; it is the power of truth that makes the sun shine and the winds blow; indeed all things rest upon truth.

15) The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there.

16) The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers its rear end, nor protects it from the bites of insects.

17) The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.

18) The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.

19) The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability.

20) There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy.

21) There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated with it.

22) We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment.

23) A good wife is one who serves her husband in the morning like a mother does, loves him in the day like a sister does and pleases him like a prostitute in the night.

24) Whores don't live in company of poor men, citizens never support a weak company and birds don't build nests on a tree that doesn't bear fruits.

How to Market for Entreprenuers

"Build a better mouse trap & world beats the path to your home" is an old metaphor & still many think of it as the truth, which is not, An Idea doesn't have much importance as execution in the real world( As the people who approached the venture capitalists know). So even if you make a better product then your competitor you need to market it effectively so as maximize your sales. Marketing is critical for organic growth of a business and its central role is in creating, communicating, capturing and sustaining value for an organization. Here are few Tips that i complied that will help the budding entrepreneurs. The tips which i am compiling came out of experience of being an entrepreneur since 1997.

1) Help the customer: Who ever your customer is, help him by telling/writing (Blogs) about the problems he faces, how they can be solved ( if possible the solution includes your products).

2) Building the trust: is foremost in any startup for longtime survival, so build it, let the initial few interactions be about the trusty things about the product & the company & see that the customer believes you, your product & your company. Don't outright ask them to buy your product.

3) Update your site & blog: Having a updates site about your company & your product gives a positive impression on the customer, If possiable, do include testimonials of satisfied customers & also if possiable any help( Complete Chronology) that you have went out of way to solve a particular problem of a customer ( Do include problem & solution).

4) Market Directly: Why spend lakhs of rupees, when you can reach out directly to your customer, just find out what does majority of your customers have in common, whether they attend a particular conference or a festival, try finding a pattern & use it by sponsoring that event. You will find your "Paisa"* to be effectively used. If you know where you customers live, you can also reach out to them personally and directly. Which would be a complete "Paisa vasool**".

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paisa

5) Name your services: Giving a name to some particular service, makes it tangible. It’s much easier to understand and purchase something that looks like a product. Notice that even software downloads or e-books actually look like a tangible product so that people can have a sense of what they are purchasing. Turn your service into a product by giving it a name, describing your process as a specification and then charging a flat rate instead of by the hour. You’ll find that it’s easier to sell, easier to buy and more profitable for your business.

6) Using Mobile: Not just in India, but in the most of world, mobiles still dominate internet when it comes to reach out to the people. Globally twice as many people use text messaging than e-mail. Mobile Marketing Programs allow your customer to opt-in and request certain kinds of messages and updates from you, give updates about specific offers, new arrivals & also status of the current order. Do use it infrequently to wish your customers on there birthdays, anniversaries or on some specific festivals which generally makes the customers to buy ( i.e., Diwali, Christmas,..etc).

7) Word of mouth/reference system: Word of mouth references play a very important role in getting new customers, Hence, Stop treating referrals like a happy accident. Run a referral program that includes regular meetings with people who agree to enthusiastically refer you. Start by creating a referral guideline that outlines what sets your business apart, profiles your ideal customer and describes what they might say that should trigger a referral to you. Put your focus on attracting “Centers of Influence” and “trusted advisers” who will refer you to their clients and customers. It’s like having a free sales force!

8) 20-80 Rule : 80% of your Customers are satisfied by 20% of your effort, Identify such customers, who are happy with what you offer and refer you. Profile them in detail; what’s important to them, what are their 7 biggest frustrations? Outline in what ways your company gives them what’s important and eases their frustrations. Now go get more customers just like that.

This is my first blog on marketing, please do add tips/tricks that you have some experience with or worked with you.

Thanks in Advance.