Getting yourself on sound financial footing is a lot like building a successful business. It can be a decades-long enterprise requiring planning, skill, patience and a little bit of luck. The proverbial millionaire next door is an overnight success 20 years in the making. Considering the long road ahead, you have every reason to get started today.

Have a PlanFinancial security won't happen by accident, and it won't happen overnight. Just as businesses have quarterly goals, annual revenue targets and five-year business plans, you need to approach your life with a long-term strategy made up of a series of short-term actions and goals. Success rarely happens at random. You need to have a plan.

Invest in YourselfWhen businesses want to grow, they invest in themselves. The same logic applies to individuals. Before you even begin your career, an investment in education can provide an opportunity to increase your potential lifetime earnings. Going to college or a trade school can provide knowledge and credentials that make you a more attractive and higher-paid part of the workforce.

If circumstances or personal interests do make education an attractive option for you, consider starting a business. Entrepreneurs from all walks of life have started successful enterprises. Working for yourself can bring more satisfaction, more money and greater control over your job stability than working for somebody else.

Keep in mind that investing in yourself is not a one-time effort. Think of it from a business perspective. Investments in research and technology, infrastructure and physical plants are an ongoing part of the business. Keeping up with the times and the competition is part of the process of maintaining a successful business and a crucial part of building and growing the business to take it to the next level. Looking at the situation from a personal perspective, if you have a bachelor's degree going back to school at mid-career can provide a boost to your credentials and help you keep pace with the competition. If you have a trade, continuing your education can open up new opportunities.

Regardless of your profession, adding a new skill or designation can increase your revenue generating opportunities. If you run a business, opening up a new sideline can increase your opportunities in the marketplace. If you don't own a business, moonlighting at mid-career can provide a second source of income that serves as a backup to your primary career.

Learning new skills is an investment that should continue over the course of your lifetime. Expand your interests. Keep an eye out for opportunity. You can continue to build your skill set even during retirement. A second career is not only often more fulfilling than the first one, but it can set up a revenue stream that truly makes your golden years golden. Even if you've been tremendously successful and no longer need to work, you can continue to invest in yourself by building your knowledge base. Learning about your investment portfolio, for example, can be an interesting and lucrative opportunity. In an age marked by scandal, there's no better motto than "trust but verify."

Get out of DebtDebt management is a critical exercise for every successful business, and there's a reason for the saying "cash is king." Be different. Buck the trend. Don't rack up debt in the typical consumer fashion. The cost of an education and a primary residence are generally beyond most people's ability to pay for in cash. Beyond that, if you can't pay cash don't make the purchase. As far as education and the home, pay off the education before you buy the home.

As for the home, don't stretch your budget. Buy what you can easily afford and pay it off as quickly as possible. Forget the advice about good debt and bad debt. All debt is bad. There's a long list of financially strapped investors who had supposedly great and fool-proof ideas about going into debt to put the money to work in investments that would earn a greater rate of return than the cost of the interest rate to service the debt.

If you are an entrepreneur, debt may be a necessary tool. Putting your money in to an appreciating asset is different than using debt to fund a new car, vacation or wardrobe. Paying interest on consumer goods is simply a waste of money and undermines your financial foundation. Investing in your business is a way to increase your potential revenue.

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A 5-Point Plan To Financial Success

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Nearly half of American voters say they'll vote against Barack Obama no matter what.

That doesn't give the Democratic president much wiggle room as he tries to win re-election in a politically polarized America amid a weak recovery from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

So, with the presidential contest up for grabs, what does Obama need to do at the Democratic National Convention to take a clear lead against Republican challenger Mitt Romney?

Here are five things that would make President Obama's week successful:

Take back the mantle of "strong leader"

Obama-bashers at the Republican National Convention scored some political points last week when they attacked the president's leadership skills, his ability (and willingness) to transcend partisanship and, as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice put it, "leading from behind" on foreign policy. Democratic convention planners need to convince undecided voters that Obama is a bold leader who ordered the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a courageous leader who fought for an auto industry bailout despite strong public opposition and a tough leader who fought Republican obstructionists as he tried to keep the economy from slipping into depression.

Perception is reality in American politics. President Obama needs to change public perceptions.

Reduce the Democratic Party's enthusiasm gap

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5 ways Obama can make convention a success

CHARLOTTE, N.C. San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro stepped into the national spotlight at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night with a soaring speech that evoked the struggles of his Mexican immigrant ancestors and how they paved the way for his success.

"The American Dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay," Castro told the cheering convention delegates.

Castro said his family's personal story highlights the choices Americans face in the election: Americans can chose President Barack Obama's policies, which he said invest in future generations, or chose his Republican rival's plan that he said helps the wealthy few.

And Castro brought the yelling delegates to their feet when he declared: "With the opportunity we build today for a shared prosperity tomorrow, America will prevail."

Castro spoke for 20 minutes as the showcase orator at Time Warner Cable Arena. Texas delegates shoehorned into the back of the arena stomped and waved blue and red placards during his speech.

Comparisons to Obama

Castro, 37, became the first Latino to give the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, a fact that underscores the importance of Hispanics to Obama in the Nov. 6 election.

The selection of Castro to keynote the convention also drew comparisons to Obama, whose "audacity of hope" speech at the Democrats' 2004 convention in Boston helped propel him to the U.S. Senate and later the presidency.

Castro spoke of humble beginnings and public assistance to achieve his dream - to be the mayor of San Antonio, the city of his birth.

Castro was introduced to the convention by his twin brother, Joaquin, placing them together on a national stage during prime-time television for the first time.

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Castro shares personal story during historic DNC keynote

DALLAS & FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Mouser Electronics, Inc., a leading global authorized distributor for semiconductors and electronic components, salutes Maxim Integrated on their striking new branding initiative. The new Maxim Integrated is being unveiled today with the ringing of the opening bell on NASDAQ.

Founded in 1983, California-based Maxim Integrated is a worldwide leader in the design, development, and manufacture of analog and mixed-signal, high-frequency integrated circuits. A sampling of the applications for Maxim circuits includes consumer electronics, personal computers and peripherals, handheld electronics, wireless and fiber communications, test equipment, instrumentation, video displays, and automotive applications. Mouser strives to have the newest Maxim products in inventory and currently stocks the worlds widest selection of Maxim products for immediate shipment. Visit http://www.mouser.com/maximic to see their new branding and a complete listing of the Maxim products, reference designs, and many other tools for design engineers and buyers.

Our partnership with Maxim has been a tremendous success for us, and a huge benefit to our customers, says Mike Scott, Mouser Electronics Vice President of Semiconductors. Today is an exciting time for Maxim and we are proud to support them in their endeavors as a strategic partner. We look forward to many years of continued success together.

With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser caters to design engineers and buyers by delivering Whats Next in advanced technologies. Mouser offers customers 19 global support locations and stocks the worlds widest selection of the latest semiconductors and electronic components for the newest design projects.Mouser Electronics website is updated daily and searches more than 8.9 million products to locate over 3 million orderable part numbers available for easy online purchase. Mouser.com also houses an industry-first interactive catalog, data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, and engineering tools.

About Mouser Electronics

Mouser Electronics, a subsidiary of TTI, Inc., is part of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. Mouser is an award-winning, authorized semiconductor and electronic component distributor, focused on the rapid introduction of new products and technologies to electronic design engineers and buyers. Mouser.com features more than 3 million products online from more than 450 manufacturers. Mouser publishes multiple catalogs per year providing designers with up-to-date data on the components now available for the next generation of electronic devices. Mouser ships globally to over 375,000 customers in 170 countries from its 492,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility south of Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit http://www.mouser.com.

About Maxim Integrated

Maxim makes highly integrated analog and mixed-signal semiconductors. Maxim reported revenue of approximately $2.4 billion for fiscal 2012. For more information, go to http://www.maxim-ic.com.

Trademarks

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Mouser Electronics Congratulates Maxim Integrated on Global Success

Lionel Messi has revealed that it is his dream to become successful with Argentina, ahead of his side's 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru.

The diminutive forward is regarded as arguably the best player of his generation, having enjoyed enormous acclaim at club level with Barcelona since his debut in 2004.

However, he has come in for criticism following his failure thus far to inspire Argentina to a major trophy - something the superstar is desperate to put right.

"I have had the good fortune to win trophies with my team and on a personal level," he told reporters. "I am missing one with the senior team. That is my dream. It is a difficult road to the World Cup."

The Albiceleste currently sit third of nine teams in the South American zone after three wins, one draw and a defeat in their first five games, and Messi insists his country must approach the next two matches with a positive mindset.

"Paraguay and Peru will be two difficult opponents, all the games in qualifying are difficult," he added. "The qualifiers are very tough and we must keep growing as a team. Against Paraguay we must have the ball and attack because we know they are a hard team.

"We are getting results and we can work calmly. We hope to continue like this in our next two games. You cannot drop points at home, and we want to play well, but the most important thing is to win. We will try and play well and excite the fans."

Nonetheless, Argentina seems to have turned the corner under new boss Alejandro Sabella, with five straight wins for the team, including emphatic friendly victories over Brazil and Germany.

Messi has played a key role in the recent run, recording hat tricks against the Selecao and Switzerland, and he attributes his improved form to the country's passionate support.

"I do not know if this is my best year with the national team," he remarked. "We have won a few games in a row and it is a while since we managed that. I played well at the Copa America, then there were some ups and downs, now I am enjoying how it is going.

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Messi eyes 'dream' success with Argentina

San Diego State coach Steve Fisher is hoping a move to the Big West will help elevate the entire league.

Kent C. Horner/Getty Images

With 11 NCAA tournament bids in the last three seasons, and at least three more looking very likely this upcoming year, Mountain West men's basketball is at its competitive apex. There is significant talent spread across the league, extremely well-regarded head coaches at many of the programs, and some of the loudest, toughest homecourt environments in the country. The product is undeniably good.

In theory, the rise (and presumed staying power) of MWC hoops should be a valuable asset for a conference reexamining its broadcast rights in light of the shuttering of the conference's The Mtn. Network this past spring. But when asked about the value of basketball in ever-changing broadcast rights negotiations, league commissioner Craig Thompson made a sobering and salient point.

"I think the greatest example a couple summers ago was Kansas," Thompson said, noting how at one point, the Jayhawks looked like they were going to get squeezed out of the realignment picture when a Pac-16 and a defunct Big 12 appeared possible. "... Really, Kansas basketball was arguably not an issue in anyone's mind."

If no one values Kansas basketball as a piece of this ongoing national shell game, then you can forget about UNLV, San Diego State or New Mexico moving network needles. It's a football-driven world, which explains pretty much everything that's gone on the last couple of years in the Mountain West, and what's still to come as the reinforced league continues to try to find its footing.

Given the shortcomings that helped lead to The Mtn.'s demise -- very limited distribution outside of a premium tier on DirecTV, no high-definition broadcasts for basketball outside of the conference tournament -- it's easy to forget that it was the first conference-specific TV network. The league, tired of what it considered second-class treatment from ESPN in terms of broadcast times and dates, struck out on its own in a precursor to networks that are now printing sheaths of money for the Big Ten and Pac-12. Six years after the launch of The Mtn., the concept clearly has been validated, but the football product in the Mountain West was never good enough or stable enough or in markets large enough to make other vendors want to pay for distribution or for the BCS to fully let the MWC into the party.

So, faced with earning around $1 million a year from Mountain West rights, schools like BYU, Utah, TCU, Boise State and San Diego State all made financially prudent (if, in some cases, geographically curious) decisions. Most are grabbing many times that from a BCS conference while BYU elected to go independent and control its own product with its own TV network that has five times the distribution (65 million homes) The Mtn. was able to claim. It's hard to blame any of them for the moves, but the result is, as the Mountain West continues to try to shore up its football side, a really good basketball league dangles a bit in the wind.

Perhaps it's positive spin on a move forced upon him by administrators trying to offset massive budget cuts in the California state school system, but San Diego State head coach Steve Fisher actually seems enthusiastic about his program's looming move to the heretofore low-prestige Big West starting in 2013-14. His Aztecs, who are loaded this season and also likely will bring a ranked team into the Big West next year, are set to become the latest program attempting to thrive with a Gonzaga/Memphis model: Load up for bear in nonconference play and try to use your program to elevate the rest of the league closer to your level. But for Fisher, the potential for better TV exposure could be the biggest plus to switching leagues. Not coincidentally, the Big West has a broadcast deal with ESPN.

"What is going to happen [next year], we're going to have a much more impactful TV schedule when we're not burdened with what we've had to deal with since we went away from ESPN. It's been an albatross on everybody," Fisher said last week. "First, [it will help] internally, administratively, financially, then exposure-wise, people would laugh and say [San Diego State's] in the witness protection program because no one could see you. We could not have a nonconference home game on ESPN. That will all change dramatically for the better, so we're already ratcheting up our nonconference schedule to fit what we're going to be."

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Andy Glockner: Mountain West hoops success hasn't translated into broadcast gold

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cruise Planners - American Express Travel, the nations largest home-based travel agent franchise network in the cruise industry, recently found that the majority of new franchise owners are entering into cruise sales with no prior working experience in the travel industry, according to an internal audit of new franchise owners.

From stay-at-home moms to former pet sitters and retired real estate agents, Cruise Planners has seen an influx of new franchise owners from all walks of life with no previous familiarity in selling cruise or land travel, yet have exceeded all expectations by selling hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel bookings. The host agency attributed this high level of success to its training programs, innovative marketing materials, business development coaching and overall expertise in the travel industry.

Its rewarding to see how our new travel advisors are excelling in this competitive business without any previous experience selling travel or prior understanding of the market and how much it has changed over the years, said CEO/Co-founder Michelle Fee. The data we collected on our new franchise owners is clearly a testament to our turn-key business model.

Cruise Planners positions franchisees with an introductory training course held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida that defines the travel market, while teaching them about technology, travel trends, social media and giving proven marketing strategies and tips.Whether a new or seasoned travel professional, Cruise Planners further develops sales skills with continued learning through Cruise Planners University (CPU), which offers new programs and technology to streamline and enhance home-based business models. What allows Cruise Planners franchise owners to flourish is our business in a box strategy that ensures each franchisee has the tools to be effective and, of course, their own personal motivation and drive is the icing on the cake, continued Fee.

As a working mother, it is important that I have everything I need easily at my disposal so that my business can run smoothly and efficiently, said Monica Pollack, a New Jersey based franchise owner since June 2011 and stay-at-home mom. Cruise Planners is constantly offering me something new, from upgraded marketing and training materials to stronger connections to cruise lines and travel vendors in the industry, which has been the key to building my successful business in such a short time.

Headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida, Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Services Representative, has more than 800 franchisees across the country that independently book cruises and associated travel. For more information, visit http://www.cruiseplanners.com, http://www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com, or visit the companys Facebook page.

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Success at Cruise Planners, No Experience Necessary

SEPT 4 I will admit to having a specific pet hate in football, a certain tactical element of the game that I really dont like.

Its not diving, time-wasting, shirt-tugging or anything else of that negative nature. Those cynical aspects of the game, whilst admittedly not particularly edifying, are inevitable in any team sport with a strong competitive edge.

No. Its something else entirely: the thing that annoys me more than anything else is short corners.

It seems pretty self-evident to me that corners played directly into the heart of the penalty area present one of the most obvious routes to scoring a goal.

After all, corners provide a rare opportunity for a teams best dead-ball striker to compose himself and send an unimpeded delivery directly into the dangerous area immediately in front of the opponents goal, where the attacking teams most accurate and powerful headers of a ball are waiting to guide it goalwards.

Even if the defending team succeed in repelling the initial corner, the sheer number of bodies in a small area means that anything can happen: unintentional fouls, fortuitous deflections and defensive errors can easily result in a goal.

Furthermore, even a defensive clearance doesnt mean an end to the danger: with so many attacking players in the penalty area, if the second phase of possession is won by the attacking team, they can easily maintain the pressure by putting the ball straight back into the danger zone.

Finally, corners can be meticulously rehearsed on the training ground, where strategies such as bending the rules by blocking defenders to create space can be practised and practised until they are perfected.

Considering all the above, I have never been able to understand it when teams decline the opportunity to deliver a corner directly into the penalty area, electing instead to play it short and try to find a more meandering route towards goal.

Short corners immediately remove one of the biggest advantages enjoyed by the attacking team the fact that no defender can be within 10 yards of the ball before it is struck. As soon as the corner is played short, it allows the defending team to close down the man in possession, making it much more difficult to deliver an accurate cross.

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Man United and Barca cut corners for success

"I'd done my best and I know I couldn't have done any more than that."

Baker, who contracted traverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spine that affects nerve endings, when she was 14 months old, was riding horses before she could walk, tucked into a basket saddle on her mother's pony.

She was encouraged to continue riding in order to relieve the constant pain in her back and at the age of ten, declared that she wanted to go to the Paralympics and win a gold medal after watching her teammate Lee Pearson compete in Sydney.

Asked if she had a message for any ten-year-olds who might have been inspired by her success this week, she said: "Go for it, just do it. Follow your heart and follow your dreams and don't let anything hold you back."

Baker, from Uxbridge, Middlesex, claimed that she and Cabral, her Polish-bred horse who is nicknamed JP after the late Pope John-Paul II, had been so far behind the music that she had to "completely improvise".

She clearly did an excellent job because no one, not least the judges, appeared to notice as she glided across the arena with the 11-year-old Gelding, controlling him with her voice and upper body movements.

As Baker completed her event, the crowd, who had been warned not to cheer or clap the competitors to avoid scaring the horses and causing a fall, were initially unsure how to react and just a faint ripple of applause rang out.

But realising she had done well, Baker threw her arms in the air, indicating to them to make some noise. No one needed to be told twice and the arena was soon filled with deafening cheers.

"I'm never going to get that again," she said. "I'm never going to get that with JP again so why not make the most of it?"

Baker's mother Lorraine, who now coaches her daughter, was in the arena to witness her come full circle and achieve her dreams.

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Natasha Baker attributes Paralympic success to Mcdonald's

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.Anthony Gemma made his fortune at the helm of his family's plumbing business, but he's making his name in Rhode Island by waging what sometimes seems to be a one-man mission to take down U.S. Rep. David Cicilline.

Gemma, 42, is making his second run for Congress against the one-term Cicilline, a fellow Democrat he's been accusing since 2010 of being "unfit to serve" in Congress. They face each other in the Sept. 11 primary.

Gemma (pronounced JEM'-uh) has rarely let up on his scathing criticism of the former Providence mayor since he came in a distant second to Cicilline in a four-way primary in 2010. In recent weeks, and offering no hard evidence, he acknowledged spending $40,000 on a private investigation into Cicilline and accused him of orchestrating massive voter fraud going back to 2002, including paying people to vote, paying campaign workers under the table and other misdeeds. Cicilline has disputed all of it, saying Gemma is waging a smear campaign.

The accusations have overshadowed Gemma's personal story of success in businesses and service to the community with a cancer charity he started.

Cicilline has a huge cash edge over Gemma, who is largely self-funding his campaign. Cicilline had $483,000 cash on hand to Gemma's $25,000, as of Aug. 22, although Gemma has since given himself $150,000, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. The winner will face Republican Brendan Doherty, former head of the state police, on Nov. 6.

Gemma grew up poor, the youngest of nine children. His family lived four or five children to a bedroom, he told an audience at a senior housing complex in East Providence last month. He was 10 when he began to learn plumbing at his father's knee.

"I understand how hard it is to earn a dollar," he told the crowd, which nodded in agreement.

Gemma worked his way through college at Suffolk University, where he graduated cum laude, and then went to Roger Williams Law School. He returned to the family business in 1999 and built Gem Plumbing & Heating into the most well-recognized plumbing company in the state.

One trick to getting there was its phone number: 867-5309. Familiar from the 1982 Tommy Tutone hit "867-5309/Jenny," the number has helped business because potential customers didn't have to search for a number when looking for a plumber, Gemma has said. The company trademarked the number in 2005.

Gemma was president and CEO of Gem until 2009, when he launched a marketing firm.

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Gemma tries to turn business success into votes