SCHOOL OF WEALTH

7 Attitudes That Are Keeping You Broke

2010-02-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

7 Attitudes That Are Keeping You Broke

By Wellington Rodrigues

There has been a lot of talk about inflation, depression and recession lately. There are only two ways to really "shield" yourself from the dire news that are flooding the media left and right; one is to move to a remote cave in the Himalayas. The second (and easier) option is... to transform your current "prosperity vibration".
And how do you know that you're not vibrating in a negative frequency when it comes to money and prosperity? Easy. I have a quick quiz to all my personal coaching clients who face money challenges. Throughout the years, I was able to track seven characteristics possessed by those who have reoccurring financial "dramas" in their lives.
Take a look at each and see if any of those applies to you at this moment...

Attitude 1- The lack consciousness

This is the classic attitude of the pessimistic individual. It encompasses those people who always focus their attention on the empty half of the glass. Their subconscious minds have been conditioned to see only that which is lacking, thus they block out or filter everything else.
No wonder why they're broke; they keep on looking for what is missing, and the worst thing is that they verbalize it through constant complaint.

Attitude 2- Low self-worth/esteem
This is a modern syndrome that affects more people than you can imagine.
Our educational and social systems are not very good at "producing" strong and confident individuals on a massive scale. We are usually measuring ourselves by those unrealistic standards created by the media and Hollywood. No wonder why many can't think they are good enough, or cute enough, or fit enough.
But the truth is: You receive according to your sense of self-worth. Your financial life usually reflects that attitude. Think about that, please.

Attitude 3- Resentment towards the "filthy" rich
Words have power – the power to move others, and the power to reprogram your subconscious mind. We must be VERY careful with the terms we use. In this case, I want to call your attention to the expression "filthy rich", used by many people unconsciously.
What the word "filthy" reminds you off, dear reader? Who in heavens created this expression? I do not know, but one thing I can deduct; whoever created that expression had a negative view of the rich.
What about you? Do you resent the super wealthy people in any way? What are your thoughts and comments about them? Remember that we can't be rich if we have an unconscious repulsion or resentment towards them.

Attitude 4- The belief that there's never enough
It may not be your case particularly, but many good people DO believe that there's not enough for everyone. They actually think that the rich are taking something away from everybody else. They criticize and judge the so-called "elite" and love to blame them for all the problems of this world.
Come on! Let's wake up and take responsibility for our own destinies. There are infinite number of ideas to be materialized, infinite inventions and discoveries to be made, and enough prosperity to feed and clothe the world thousands of times over. If you stop blaming and do your part, that is; if you CONTRIBUTE to this world, you will help create more value and wealth to all of us.

Attitude 5- The "hard work" mentality
This is a classical one that I hear most of the times. As good old daddy said: "Junior, you have to work your ass off to provide for your kiddies, buy a house and guarantee your future. No hard work, no money, no money, no honey..."
Hard work is a honorable thing for sure. But I'd rather follow the path of "smart work".
What do you think about the statement above? Some will think: "This guy is lazy", "he wants to earn easy money", "there's no easy road", etc.
Well, you are free to think as you want and I don't really care about what or how you think at this point. I am just asking you to go inside and check this aspect of your life. Do you think that those who work easy and make a whole lot more money than you are somehow cheating? If you do, you have resentment towards them, and guess what; you will never become one of them.

Attitude 6- The "parental imitation" syndrome
Our primary models in life are our parents. We learn how to walk, talk and express ourselves by observing them and other adults around us. Now, one thing that many do not know is that we also learn how to perceive and deal with money from them!
What was your parents' relationship to money and finances? Did they criticize the rich? Did they argue about money in front of you? Did they live in a state of lack or a state of prosperity?
You may be imitating them to this day. It is NOT your fault though, but just the way you were "taught".

Attitude 7- The "I'm holier than thou" syndrome (or money is not spiritual)
And to conclude, another classic attitude. One that I have heard over and over again form BROKE people. The concept that money is NOT "spiritual" (whatever spiritual means to you).
These kinds of people perceive having plenty of abundance as some kind of sin, or a violation of "spiritual laws". But guess what? They are very glad to accept donations and hand-outs. They even open "non-profit" organizations (which are VERY profitable by the way). BUT, what keeps their church or temple alive and kicking? You guessed it...M.O.N.E.Y. (forgive me God).
In reality most of these people have one characteristic; HYPOCRISY. There's nothing good or bad about money or about having PLENTY of it. MONEY is NEUTRAL, what we do with it is what counts.
So, if you're still hallucinating on the idea that the "poor and humble" will have a first class ticket to heaven, WAKE UP...you're not in Sunday school anymore... GOD is the richest guy in the UNIVERSE! And He wants to share some of that with you...
Do a reality check and see if you have any of the characteristics above...your financial future depends on it.

6 secrets of the 100 richest people in the world ,that you need in 2010

2010-02-05T08:44:00.001-08:00

6 secrets of the 100 richest people in the world ,that you need in 2010.

I am glad you are alive this year again. all thanks to God the owner of our lives. Happy new year to you. I trust God that this year will bring you all the good things of life you ever desire.In a world of more than six billion people, there are only 587 billionaires. you can be one of them. there is no amount of money you so much desire to have that someone has not gotten before. it is therefore good for you to learn from people who have gone ahead to make money. Getting rich is easy, but maintaining your wealth is a lot of more serious job .you need more effort to remain rich ,than to get rich. these secrets will help you to become a money magnet within 365 days.Before I start showing you the secret ,there is need for me to remind you that the current richest man in the world is bill gate, age 53.The following are the most common businesses among the first 100 richest billionaires in the world. information technology, stock and shares, telecommunication, marketing, oil and gas. A large number of them are between the age bracket of 40 to 69 years, in fact to be précised 85% of the first 100 richest people in the world are between that age bracket. this also quick lead me to a fact that most men make their millions in their age 40,though not all,but most men;that is why a fool at forty is fool forever.I need to quick remind you that our financial age bracket is divided into 3.age 0 to 25 is the learning period, this is the period you are expected to be learning something that will a tool for your money making I n the future. this period is either you are in school learning or learning a trade for your future.Age 26 to 65 is the supposed earning period of your life. this is when you are suppose to be earning money from what you have learnt during your learning life period. between this age range is where we have most richest people in the world.You should work on these secrets to make sure you become at least a multimillionaire before your age 70.Age 66 upward is the age you are suppose to be resting and travelling to any part of the world you so desire and be most devoted to God and walk closely with him.As much as possible work on these points.Secret 1:the richest people in the world did not just stumbled on it.they have a place they are going in mind rather than just living to chance.if you do not have financial goals ,you don,t have financial future.have a picture of your future.have 30,20,10,5 and 1 years plan.what is your plan for 2010Secret 2:none of the richest people became a billionaire in one day. none of them. all of them started small. most Nigerians wants to make one million in one day. you discovered that most people do not want to learn the process of wealth, they just want to get wealthy all of a sudden.if you can get rid of this thinking, then you are on your way to billions. be ready to start small. despise not the days of little beginnings. everything big ,started small. nothing big started big, everything big started small. Rome was never built in a day.stop looking for sudden millions, its never like that.if you start small,that is only the time you can grow big.your income from that business may be discouraging,but let me tell you several years ago,ken turkey was not given opportunity until the 100 times before the sixty years old man started small and became a brand in fast food business in the world today.There is a particular company at oshodi in lagos that is very big today and even listed on the Nigerian stock exchange. there was an managing director they had that rose from the poistion of the gatekeeper to the place of managing director. please start small wherever you are.Secret 3;get a product to maket. yes be ready to sell any thing legal.the richest people in the world sell their products internationally,a finding shows that dell makes averagely $7m daily selling his product.microsoft sell billions of his software that is why he is a billionaire. be selling something.people will only give you money in exchange for a product of vaule.most people do not know that if you must be a billionaire you must possess the ability to sell,I find that out.you must presently have something you are selling.sell anything people need.services,books,cloths,cars,phones,camera,phones,shirts,even if you have a regular paid job,please make sure you are selling something.u need to be selling something.Secret 4 ;think globally,act locally.What differentate the rich from the poor is their thinking.if you think you are rich,you will be .if you think you are small you will be.if you think there is economic recession you will se it,if you think there is no economic recession,you will see it.secret 5;Stop living a show glass life;do you know that the man that owns a private jet company do not have a private jet.stop living a lie so many people are living to show what they don’t have. As a result they are becoming poor by the day. Being rich is an habit, being poor is an habit. The more you live your life to show that you have money don’t really have, the poor you become. Some ways you show that you have the money you don’t have is by buying three cloth for one occasion when you know you cannot afford it, when you force yourself to buy a car you don’t have, then you become poorer faster than you ever think, when you are buying or purchasing what you cannot afford so that people will not look down on you, then you cannot become rich. When you are spending the money you don’t have by borrowing or staring yourself, then you will become poorer faster than you ever think.Secret 6;the 100 richest people in the world invest. they invest majorly in three things stocks, real estate and businesses. do you know that the richest man in the world would never have been the richest man in the world,if not that he float the shares of his company in the new York stock exchange, the largest stock exchange in the world. over 50 of the 100 richest billionaires in the world invest in one stock or the other according to research. you must be able to know what it takes to invest in stock and real estate. there is hardly any business you are involved in that does not include real estate.Till I come your way next time, remain financially intelligent.

2009-11-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

Lesson Three
Six Ways of Thinking "Rich"
By T. Harv Eker
Rich people have a way of thinking that is different from poor and middle class people. They think differently about money, wealth, themselves, other people, and life. Let’s examine six crucial differences between how rich people think and how poor or middle class people think.
By doing so, you will have some alternative beliefs in the files of your mind from which to choose. In this way, you can catch yourself thinking as poor people do and quickly switch over to how rich people think.
Remember, beliefs are not right, wrong, true or false, they're just past opinions which can be changed on your command. The fact is, you can CHOOSE to think in ways that will support you instead of ways that don't.
1. RICH PEOPLE BELIEVE "I CREATE MY LIFE."Poor people believe "Life happens to me."
If you want to create wealth, it is imperative that you believe that you are at the steering wheel of your life; that you create every moment of your life, especially your financial life. If you don't believe this, then you must believe you have little control over your life and that financial success has nothing to do with you. That is not a very rich attitude.
Instead of taking responsibility for what's going on in their lives, poor people choose to play the role of victim. Of course, any "victim's" predominant thought process is "poor me." And presto, through the law of intention that's literally what they get; "poor," as in money, me.
Here's some homework I promise will change your life. For the next seven days, I challenge you not to complain at all. Not just out loud, but in your head too. I've given this little challenge to thousands of people and several hundred have personally told me that this exercise completely transformed their lives. I invite you to email me with the results of this experiment. I guarantee you'll be astonished as to how amazing your life will become when you stop focusing on the "crap."
It's time to decide. You can be a victim OR you can be rich, but you can't be both. It's time to take back your power and acknowledge the fact that you create every moment of your life. That you create everything that is in your life and everything that is not in it. That you create your wealth and you create your non-wealth and everything in between.
2. RICH PEOPLE PLAY THE MONEY GAME TO WINPoor people play the money game not to lose.
Poor people play the money game on defense rather than offense. Let me ask you, if you were to play any sport or any game strictly on defense, what are the chances of you winning that game? Most people agree; slim and none.
Yet, that's exactly how most people play the money game. Their primary concern is survival and security, not wealth and abundance. So, what is your goal? What is your real objective? What is your true intention?
Rich people's big goal is to have massive wealth and abundance. Poor people's big goal is to have "enough to pay the bills..." on time would be a miracle! Again, let me remind you of the power of intention. When your objective is to have enough to pay the bills, that's exactly how much you'll get; just enough to pay the bills and usually not a cent more. You get what you truly intend to get. If you want to get rich, your goal has to be "rich." Not just enough to pay the bills and not just enough to be comfortable. Rich, darn it, rich!
3. RICH PEOPLE ARE COMMITTED TO BEING RICHPoor people are uncommitted to being rich.
Most of us have good reasons as to why it would be wonderful to be rich, but what about the other side of the coin? Are there reasons why it might not be so great to be rich or go through the process of trying to get rich?
Each of us has a file on wealth in our mind. This file contains our personal beliefs that include why being wealthy would be great. But for many people, their file also includes information as to why being rich might not be so great. These people have mixed internal messages around money and especially wealth.
One part of them says, "Having more money will make life a lot more fun." But then another part screams, "Yeah, but "I'm going to have to work like a dog! What kind of fun is that?" One part says, "I'll be able to travel the world." then the other part responds, "Yeah, and everyone in the world will want something from me." These mixed messages are one of the biggest reasons that most people never become rich.
In fact, the #1 reason most people don't get what they want is they don't know what they want. Rich people are totally clear they want wealth. They are unwavering in their desire. They are fully committed to creating wealth. They will do "whatever it takes" to have wealth as long as it's moral, legal and ethical. Rich people do not send mixed messages to the universe. Poor people do.
I hate to break the news to you, but getting rich is not a "stroll in the park." It's takes focus, expertise, 100% effort, and "never say die" perseverance. You have to really commit to it, both consciously and subconsciously. You have to believe in your heart you can do it and you deserve it. If you are not fully committed to creating wealth, chances are you won't.
4. RICH PEOPLE THINK BIGPoor people think small.
We once had a trainer teaching at one of our seminars who went from a net worth of $250 thousand to over $600 million in only 3 years. When asked his secret he said, "Everything changed the day I began to think big." In my book, SpeedWealth, I discuss the "Law of Income" which states that "you will be paid in direct proportion to the value you deliver according to the market place."Another way of understanding this is to answer the following question: How many people do you actually serve or affect?
For instance in my business, some trainers enjoy speaking to groups of 20, others are comfortable with 100, others like an audience of 500, still others want 5000 people or more in attendance. Is there is a difference in income between these trainers? You bet there is.
Who are you? How do you want to live your life? How do you want to play the game?
Do you want to play in the big leagues or in little league, in the majors or the minors?
Will you play big or play small? It's your choice.
But hear this. It's not about you. It's about living your mission. It's about living true to your purpose. It's about adding your piece of the puzzle to the world. It's about serving others.
Most of us are so stuck in our egos that everything revolves around "me, me and more me." But again, it's not about you, it's about adding value to other people's lives. It's your choice. One road leads to being broke and miserable, the other leads to money, meaning, and fulfillment.
It's time to stop hiding out and start stepping out. It's time to stop needing and start leading. It's time to start being the star that you are. It's time to share your gifts and value in a BIG way. There could be thousands or even millions of people counting on you. Are you up to the challenge for our society and our children's sake? Let's hope so.
5. RICH PEOPLE ARE BIGGER THAN THEIR PROBLEMSPoor people are smaller than their problems.
Getting rich is not a stroll in the park. It's a journey that is full of obstacles, twists, and detours. The simple fact is, success is messy. The road is fraught with pitfalls and that's why most people don't take it. They don't want the hassles, the headaches and the responsibilities. In short, they don't want the problems.
Therein lies one of the biggest differences between rich people and poor people. Rich and successful people are bigger than their problems while poor and unsuccessful people are smaller than their problems.
Poor people will do almost anything to avoid anything that looks like it could be a problem. They back away from challenges. The irony is that in their quest to make sure they don't have problems, they have the biggest problem of all... they're broke and miserable.
The secret to success is not to try to avoid or shrink your problems; it's to grow yourself so you're bigger than any problem.
Imagine a "level 2" character person looking at a "level 5" problem. Would this problem appear to be big or small? The answer is that from a "level 2" perspective, a "level 5" problem would seem BIG.
Now imagine a "level 8" person looking at the same "level 5" problem. From this person's perspective, is this problem big or small? Magically the identical problem is now a SMALL problem.
And for a "level 10" person, it's NO problem at all. It's just an everyday occurrence, like getting dressed or brushing your teeth. Whether you are rich or poor, playing big or playing small, problems do not go away. If you're breathing, you will always have so-called "problems."
What's important to realize is that the size of the problem is never the real issue. What matters is the size of you!Remember, your wealth can only grow to the extent that you do! The idea is to grow yourself to a place where you can overcome any problems that get in your way of creating wealth and keeping it once you have it.
Rich people do not back away from problems, do not avoid problems and do not complain about problems. Rich people are financial warriors and when a warrior is confronted with a challenge they shout: BRING IT ON!
6. RICH PEOPLE FOCUS ON OPPORTUNITIESPoor people focus on problems.
Rich people see potential growth. Poor people see potential loss.
Rich people focus on the rewards. Poor people focus on the risks.
It's the age-old question, is the glass half empty or half full? We're not merely talking about "positive thinking" here, we're talking about a habitual way of seeing the world. Poor people come from fear. Their minds are constantly scanning for what's wrong or what could go wrong in any situation. Their primary mindset is "What if it doesn't work?" or, more bluntly, "It won't work." Rich people, as we discussed earlier, take responsibility for creating their life and come from the mindset, "It will work because I'll make it work."
In the financial world, as in most other arenas, risk is directly proportionate to reward; generally, the higher the reward, the higher the risk. People with rich mentalities are willing to take that risk.
Rich people expect to succeed. They have confidence in their abilities, they have confidence in their creativity and they believe that should the "doo-doo hit the fan", they can always make their money back or succeed in another way.
On the other hand, poor people expect to fail. They lack confidence in themselves and in their abilities, and should things not work out, they believe it would be catastrophic.
You have to do something, buy something, or start something in order to succeed financially. You have to see opportunities for profit all around you instead of focusing on ways of losing money

2009-11-06T22:28:00.001-08:00

2009-11-06T22:23:00.000-08:00

how to get rich slowly

2009-10-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

When people ask me for my top tip on personal finance, they’re often disappointed. My top tip isn’t sexy. “To get out of debt and to build wealth,” I say, “you must spend less than you earn.” People are hoping for something more — some sort of mystical secret. Buy you know what? As mundane as it sounds, that is the mystical secret of money.
If you want to get out of debt and build wealth, all you ever need to do is spend less than you earn. Everything else is we talk about at Get Rich Slowly is window dressing, a prop in support of the fundamental equation of personal finance:
[WEALTH] = [WHAT YOU EARN] - [WHAT YOU SPEND]
The wider the gap between what you earn and what you spend, the more financial success you’ll achieve.
Spend lessThis simple formula has a couple of implications. The first is that frugality can have a very real impact on your financial situation. Frugality is an important part of personal finance. When you decrease your expenses, your cash flow increases. If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck on $3000 a month, reducing your monthly expenses by $300 can give you substantial breathing room. (See the Charles Dickens quote at the start of this article.)
The big advantage of thrift is that you can implement it immediately. In theory — if there were no psychological factors — you could cut your expenses in half today and your savings would sky-rocket. Thrift pays immediate dividends.
The disadvantage of frugality is that there’s a limit to what you can do. You can only trim so much from your budget before you become miserable. Or until you don’t have enough for food and shelter. If you earn $3000 a month, you only have $3000 total you can cut. At $3000 monthly income, your maximum positive cash flow is $3000.
Earn moreThrift has limits. You cannot spend less than zero. On the other hand, there is theoretically no limit to how much money you can earn. Frugality is important, but if you want to make real progress, increase your income.
In the 3-1/2 years I’ve been running this site, I feel like I’ve never been able to make this point emphatically enough. The people I know who have met with wild financial success have all done so by increasing their income in some way. They’ve all had to make sacrifices to do this, but once they’ve met their goals, they’re able to scale back to a normal way of life. If you want to destroy your debt — not just defeat it, but destroy it — do something to boost your income. How do you earn more money?
Work longer hours.
Get a second job.
Start a small business.
Sell the stuff you have.
All of these work, but they all require sacrifices — especially the sacrifice of time. Most people feel that these options aren’t right for them. If that’s the case — if you’ve already cut your spending to the bone and you’re unable to earn more — then there’s really no answer other than extreme frugality and patience.
There are no silver bullets. There’s no magical way to change the fundamental equation of personal finance: To build wealth, you must spend less than you earn. If a person has already cut her spending to the bone and is unable to increase her income, she will continue to struggle.
This is the third of a thirteen-part series that explores my financial philosophy. These are the core tenets of Get Rich Slowly. Previous parts included:

2009-10-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Charlotte forwarded a great article from Mother Earth News. (When did they go online? It seems so antithetical to their nature!) In “Live on Less and Love It!”, Craig Idlebrook describes 75 ways that his family enjoys life while spending and consuming less. And he should know. He’s a practitioner of extreme personal finance:
On paper, my wife and I are poor. How poor? In 2005 we made $4,303.84 combined; in 2004 we made half that. We’re in such a low tax bracket that I have trouble convincing the government of our tax return’s accuracy; they simply can’t believe Americans can live on that kind of money.
[...]
We’ve arrived where we are now through a decade of daily financial decisions. Because we didn’t want to spend our time earning money at jobs we didn’t like, we instead focused on how to stretch our money. We found that by controlling our day-to-day expenses, we could save a lot of money without sacrificing our quality of life. Neither my wife nor I will ever be confused for financial wizards; there’s nothing we’ve done that you can’t do if you’re serious about saving money.
The 75 tips are grouped into categories such as “good cheap food”, “how to avoid rent”, “creative transportation”, and “when you can’t avoid shopping”. Many of these suggestions will be familiar to veteran cheapskates, but there are some gems that even I hadn’t considered before. Become a caretaker? Hmmm…
Here are some of my favorites:
“Buy raw ingredients instead of prepackaged foods. If you don’t know how to cook, learn. You’ll save on food bills, and your body will thank you for it in the long run.”
“For long-term stays, become a caretaker. A good place to find such caretaking jobs is The Caretaker Gazette.”
“Salvage materials for your new home. There are lots of possible sources: Look for someone who’s renovating a house and might let you cart away old materials; check the yellow pages for used building materials; or look for online groups, such as Freecycle, where people trade all kinds of unwanted items.”
“Switch off your water heater when you’re not going to use it for extended periods of time.”
“Ask if your city has a carshare program or start one with people you trust.”
“Don’t go into stores unless you need something. Always carry a shopping list. Remember, stores are designed to get you to buy things you didn’t know you needed.”
“Buy clothing used whenever possible. You may have good luck finding clothes at garage sales, or find a wider selection at thrift stores, consignment shops and on eBay.”
“Rediscover the radical notion of the library. Imagine Internet access and thousands of books, CDs and DVDs for free!”
“Trade your home with friends around the country and enjoy free lodging in a new location.”
My father loved Mother Earth News. He was a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, but he embraced the magazine’s do-it-yourself ethic, despite all the “liberal hippie” talk of recycling and sustainability. Me? I like it because it’s all about making the most of what you have, and about removing yourself from consumer culture. (And I like the articles on recycling and sustainability!)
[Mother Earth News: Live on Less and Love It!]

if you don't want to be broke

2009-10-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

there are basic things you should know if you will not remain poor or in debt. They are what I stated below:
Stop living a show glass life; stop living a lie so many people are living to show what they don’t have. As a result they are becoming poor by the day. Being rich is an habit, being poor is an habit. The more you live your life to show that you have money don’t really have, the poor you become. Some ways you show that you have the money you don’t have is by buying three cloth for one occasion when you know you cannot afford it, when you force yourself to buy a car you don’t have, then you become poorer faster than you ever think, when you are buying or purchasing what you cannot afford so that people will not look down on you, then you cannot become rich. When you are spending the money you don’t have by borrowing or staring yourself, then you will become poorer faster than you ever think.

2.stop believing lies about money
lies about money means misconceptions about money that has settled in people subconscious mindset thereby directing and dictating their behavior and lifestyle. Lies about money are memes. Meme is a unit of cultural information such as cultural idea or practice that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. Meme are point of view we live with and live by. These meme determines how you relate to money that determine how money enters or leaves your life. Your financial life hinges on these memes. These meme are your beliefs. These forms your belief systems about money. The memes operate with your subconscious mind. You probably already know that your mind has two major parts to it, your conscious mind and your subconscious mind.

2009-10-03T03:05:00.001-07:00

The Simplest Plan in the World for Getting Whatever Rich

By Andreas Ohrt

Over the past 18 years, I have been obsessed with learning how we can change our reality with the creative power of our minds. I've studied dozens of experts, read hundreds of books, and spent thousands of dollars in this quest. Through all of my experimentation, I've discovered that there are four simple core principles at the heart of the creation process.
In order to finish off the "Mind Over Money" e-course as effectively as possible, I have tried to make this knowledge as simple as humanly possible. I want every single person reading this to be able to take this information and use it, easily and quickly. Here then, is the most simple possible explanation of the power of your creative energy. Follow these five steps, and any goal can be yours.
STEP ONE: KNOW WHAT YOU WANT Yes, it seems so obvious, doesn't it?
You must know what you want in order to get what you want. Yet this most basic fist step is missed by the majority of people. You must know what you want as specifically as possible. This is the magic first step.
Daydreaming about your future will not bring you what you want. Waiting for life to work out the way you've always expected won't bring you what you want. The only wayt o get what you want is to decide, with clarity and focus, exactly what you want to create.
So how do you know what you want? Well, it's very simple. Write down your desires, your dreams, and everything that you want for your life. Then pick the one thing on your list that you know you could accomplish if you dedicated some energy to it. Pick that one and forget about the rest. Pick the very next goal in the creation of your live and go for it.
Focus, focus, focus. Don't waste your energy wishing and dreaming for a million and one things. Pick one and go with it. Just as the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, so does the journey to your ideal life begin with a single goal.
So begin with an easy, do-able goal, so far unaccomplished, plug it into this 4-step system. Write down as specifically and exactly what it is you will create. After it's finished, move on to the next goal.
STEP TWO: FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT You must give positive focus, energy, and attention to your goal. Setting a goal and then forgetting about it will not do. You must imprint it on your conscious and subconscious mind until it becomes reality.
Remember, thought is blindingly fast compared to the manifestation of thoughts into reality. Of course, as you practice this system and become more confident, your thoughts will come into reality much more quickly. But as a beginner, you must keep your energy and intention directly on your goal.
You must focus on what you want, not on what you don't want. Stop complaining about things that are not the way you want them to be. Instead, decide how you would like them to be and focus on that. Whenever you find yourself giving attention to some area of your life with which you are unhappy, immediately ask yourself "What do I want in this situation?" and focus on the answer.
Take a look at your goal every day, give it positive focus and attention. Before you fall asleep and after you wake up, instead of worrying about your problems, imagine your goal successfully attained, and feel how you would feel if your goal was accomplished. Go to sleep with this feeling, and your subconscious mind will quickly find a way to bring it into your reality.
STEP THREE: TAKE ACTION NOW!You must take action towards your goal, and you must take action right now! There is no other time that you can act. The past is gone, the future is an illusion. Making plans to take action is not action. You must take action right now.
There is always something that you can do to propel you towards your goal. It doesn't matter how tiny the action is, or how insignificant you might feel it is, you must do it. There is always some small step you can take. Take that step.
You must convince your subconscious mind that you are serious about accomplishing your goal, and there is nothing more convincing than taking action.
No matter where you are along your path to your goal, no matter how near or far you mihgts feel to be, there is always an obvious next step you can take. Take that step in this present moment. Right now.
If you have trouble figuring out what to do, or are paralyzed into inaction because it seems there are too many things to do, just do this: Make a list of all the things that need to happen in order for your goal to arrive. List all the intermediary steps that you will experience as your goal begins to enter your life.
Somewhere on this list will be the obvious next step. Do it. Do it now!
If your goal is truly out of your hands, you need a new goal. Waiting for other people to change or give you what you want is a sure way to always be unsatisfied. You must pick a goal you are in control of and do whatever it takes to make it come true. That is the only path to power and mastery in life, and the only way to ever feel fulfilled.
STEP FOUR: CHOOSE THE SAME THING EVERY DAYYou must be consistent. You must, consistently, choose the same goal every day until your goal is accomplished. You cannot send out constantly changing vague wishes into the universe and expect to create results in the real world.
It's as simple as ordering a meal in a restaurant. You must decide what you want and then ask for it. If you can't make up your mind the waiter will simply server someone else until you're ready. If you do not provide the universe with a specific goal which you consistently ake action toward, your "meal" will never come to you.
And the most important secret of all...
DON’T GIVE UP UNTIL YOUR GOAL IS ACCOMPLISHED

2009-10-03T02:59:00.000-07:00

10 Critical Cash Flow Rules

2009-09-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Tim Berry
Cash flow problems can kill businesses that might otherwise survive. According to a U.S. Bank study, 82 percent of business failures are due to poor cash management. To prevent this from happening to your business, here are my 10 cash flow rules to remember.
Profits aren't cash; they're accounting. And accounting is a lot more creative than you think. You can't pay bills with profits. Actually profits can lull you to sleep. If you pay your bills and your customers don't, it's suddenly business hell. You can make profits without making any money.
Cash flow isn't intuitive. Don't try to do it in your head. Making the sales doesn't necessarily mean you have the money. Incurring the expense doesn't necessarily mean you paid for it already. Inventory is usually bought and paid for and then stored until it becomes cost of sales.
Growth sucks up cash. It's paradoxical. The best of times can be hiding the worst of times. One of the toughest years my company had was when we doubled sales and almost went broke. We were building things two months in advance and getting the money from sales six months late. Add growth to that and it can be like a Trojan horse, hiding a problem inside a solution. Yes, of course you want to grow; we all want to grow our businesses. But be careful because growth costs cash. It's a matter of working capital. The faster you grow, the more financing you need.
Business-to-business sales suck up your cash. The simple view is that sales mean money, but when you're a business selling to another business, it's rarely that simple. You deliver the goods or services along with an invoice, and they pay the invoice later. Usually that's months later. And businesses are good customers, so you can't just throw them into collections because then they'll never buy from you again. So you wait. When you sell something to a distributor that sells it to a retailer, you typically get the money four or five months later if you're lucky.
Inventory sucks up cash. You have to buy your product or build it before you can sell it. Even if you put the product on your shelves and wait to sell it, your suppliers expect to get paid. Here's a simple rule of thumb: Every dollar you have in inventory is a dollar you don't have in cash.
Working capital is your best survival skill. Technically, working capital is an accounting term for what's left over when you subtract current liabilities from current assets. Practically, it's money in the bank that you use to pay your running costs and expenses and buy inventory while waiting to get paid by your business customers.
"Receivables" is a four-letter word. (See rule 4.) The money your customers owe you is called "accounts receivable." Here's a shortcut to cash planning: Every dollar in accounts receivable is a dollar less cash.
Bankers hate surprises. Plan ahead. You get no extra points for spontaneity when dealing with banks. If you see a growth spurt coming, a new product opportunity or a problem with customers paying, the sooner you get to the bank armed with charts and a realistic plan, the better off you'll be.
Watch these three vital metrics: "Collection days" is a measure of how long you wait to get paid. "Inventory turnover" is a measure of how long your inventory sits on your working capital and clogs your cash flow. "Payment days" is how long you wait to pay your vendors. Always monitor these three vital signs of cash flow. Project them 12 months ahead and compare your plan to what actually happens.
If you're the exception rather than the rule, hooray for you. If all your customers pay you immediately when they buy from you, and you don't buy things before you sell them, then relax. But if you sell to businesses, keep in mind that they usually don't pay immediately.

you will reach your goal

2009-09-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

You know, achieving success isn't easy. In fact, there's alot of hard work that goes into it. But one thing we knowsuccessful people do throughout the process is they staypositive about the eventual outcome. They keep their eye onthe prize. No matter what is going on around them, theystay focused on their goal.
One way we recommend the YOU stay focused is with a toolcalled The Daily Success Focusing Journal. Every evening,jot down five things you accomplished that day, and how youcan move each accomplishment forward with further action.
You can download the form here. Print a copy, then keep itwhere you'll remember to complete it each evening beforegoing to sleep.
Download the Journal:http://www.thesuccessprinciples.com/resource/TSP-DailyFocusJournal.pdf
Once you've determine your areas for further action, you canspend the last few minutes before drifting off to sleepvisualizing tomorrow as a perfect day -- accomplishingeverything you planned on the Daily Success Focusing Journal.

how to get to where you want,from where you are.

2009-08-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Jack Canfield

Have you ever made a list of what you want from life? Fromthe kind of career you work at to the kind of income you enjoy...to your relationships, your health, your vacations, materialpossessions, spiritual well-being and more?
If you haven't, it may surprise you to know that simplydeciding what you want is the often first and most importantstep to getting it.
It's true. Our brain is a goal-seeking organism. In fact,scientists now know the brain uses its own reticular activatingsystem to filter through the millions of images, sounds,impressions and other messages we receive each day - to letinto our conscious mind only that information we need tosurvive or meet goals we have identified.
When you decide what you want, you instruct the brain to startlooking for information, resources, opportunities and otherways to achieve the 'want' you've identified. While this maysound like an impossibility given your current situation orcircumstances, we've seen countless individuals 'suddenly' getwhat they want--often from a source or opportunity that alreadyexisted in their life or sphere of influence. They had justnever instructed their brain to find it before.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT?
To help your reticular activating system begin finding YOURwants in unexpected places, take time now to decide what youwant in the following seven areas. Don't hold back! And forgetabout whether YOU think it's possible for you right now.
Turn to page 25 of The Success Principles book - Principle 3:Decide What You Want -- for explanation. Then click here todownload a simple form you can use to document what you wantout of life.
Download the form:http://www.thesuccessprinciples.com/resource/TSP-DecideWhatYouWant.pdf
Jot down anything and everything you've dreamed of being,doing, owning or having. Then don't be surprised when it showsup in your life!
FINANCES - Write down how much income you want to make, how bigyour savings account should be, what your investments will belike, when you want to pay off your mortgage, how much you'llwant for your children's college education and so on.
CAREER/BUSINESS GOALS - Write down your dream career or thedream business you would like to own. Write down in vividdetail what you want a typical day to be like. Write down thekind of people you would like to work with and so on. What isfulfilling to you?
FREE TIME/FAMILY TIME - If you could have any amount of freetime or any kind of family experiences you wanted, what wouldthey be? Jot them down now. How many days off a year do youwant? What kinds of vacation experiences and trips do you wantto go on? What would your hobbies be if you had all the freetime and family time you wanted? What kinds of special eventswould you attend?
HEALTH/APPEARANCE - If you could look, feel and act exactly asyou wanted, what would your health and appearance goals be?Would you lose weight? Would you wear designer clothes? Wouldyou eat healthier...even have your own private chef? Would youovercome a chronic illness or medical situation you are inright now?
Write down now what you want in terms of your health andappearance.
RELATIONSHIPS - We all thrive and live more fully when we'resurrounded by people who love, appreciate and empower us.Decide what kinds of relationships you want in YOUR life. Is itsomeone to love, a fantastic relationship with your spouse,better bonds with your children or siblings? And what aboutyour professional associations? Do you want phenomenal mentors,important friends, powerful business associates or otherinfluential people in your life? Decide now who they are.
PERSONAL GROWTH - Do you want to be better educated or becomea more powerful, confident person through personal growth?Decide now what you want to learn and know. Or perhaps you seekgreater spiritual knowledge or teaching...or simply take a yogaclass and get more balance in your life.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE - Do you want to volunteer for the PeaceCorps or donate millions of dollars to your favorite charity?Do you want to mentor others, befriend a group of needyindividuals or otherwise make a difference in the world? Decidenow what you want your role to be.
REMEMBER THIS...
Whatever you want from your life, remember that what you wantWANTS YOU! It's merely a matter of first deciding, thenwatching incredible opportunities and fulfillment show up inyour life.

How to Become a Money Magnet Using the Law of Attraction

2009-08-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Tommy Engan
Did you know that it's just as easy to create a million dollars as it is to come up with a penny? The neat thing about the Universe is that it's completely non-discriminatory. Whatever you ask for, it delivers it - but on one condition:
You must believe 100% that it's possible.
If you've created anything before with your will - be it a new job, a dollar, a new shirt or anything else, I can guarantee you that you can use the same principle to attract and manifest unlimited amounts of money.
Of course, as you know, all this is easier said than done. If it was that easy, everyone would be a millionaire.
So how do you become a money magnet using the law of attraction? Here are the rules:
Be grateful for every penny you have. When you pay for your groceries, be grateful that you can afford them - even if you're just spending a dollar. Every time you spend money on anything, thank the money itself for having your back! I know that may sound weird, but trust me, this stuff works!
The law of attraction states that what you focus upon expands and it is no different with money. So the next time you find money in your house, on the ground or anywhere - even if it's just one cent or a nickel - pick it up. Thank the universe for giving you this gift.
Again, what you focus on expands, and what you're telling the universe by doing this is "thanks for sending me money". By the law of attraction, it HAS to send you more. Next time, maybe you'll find a dime. The time after that, you'll get a raise at your job. Before you know it, a small business you are running is starting to make money like gangbusters. And so on.
Your ONLY job is to keep this going. Keep being grateful for every dime you spend and receive. I can guarantee you that if you keep doing this, you will create miracles in your life.
Now pay very close attention. What you are about to read may very well challenge your current beliefs:
You are about to discover a new technology that will get you everything you want - without even trying. Eradicate struggle, procrastination, money issues and anything else you want - at the touch of a button - literally. Create the life of your dreams - automatically.
This radical technology is causing huge ripples in the self-help world, as it produces rapid results that no other book, method or teacher can touch. The best part? You don't actually have to DO anything - it's an automatic process. It doesn't matter if you're young, old, thin, fat, rich, poor, healthy or sick - what you are about to experience will change your life

HOW TO ATTRACT MONEY WHEN YOU ARE BROKE

2009-08-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

To become rich you have to become wealth conscious, right? but how? While trying to become wealth conscious many people encounter a major obstacle "empty pockets." It is hard to feel wealthy when you are broke. They say a sense of gratitude, giving away money in charity, and moving around with a wallet filled with currency notes and yet to be used credit cards may you feel wealthy and you make more money. What if you are so broke that it is difficult to you even to pay for you lunch? I know how difficult it is, but there is a solution. Law of attraction works for you. I always tried the exercise of law of attraction to get money.
The first step is to relax yourself. Use some relaxation techniques. If you don't know any relaxation methods, please write in the comments down, I will provide you with some. This helps you to come out of the anxiety and worry of not having enough money for normal daily living. You cannot attract money with anxiety and worry, so first relax your body and mind.
Then use visualization exercise to see yourself receiving the money. Try most probable route of receiving money, like a friend or a relative. If this is not possible for you, visualize receiving money from the universe or if you can from God. Continue these exercises till you are sure of receiving the money. The feeling should be like a sixth sense telling you that you are going to receive the money. There should be no doubt, no anxiety, you just know that the money is coming. If you have close friends, tell them you need money, just ask, ask anybody, even God needs some route to give the money you needed, look for the route, friends, relatives, siblings, boss anybody even a bank.
Continue this exercises to improve your wealth conscious. Once you are wealthy enough, everything becomes automatic.
God bless you.

Money Help - Top Ten Ways To Attract Money

2009-08-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

1. Know What You Want Don't just think you want something. Know it! Most of us know exactly what we don't want in our lives. We have to become just as clear about what it is we do want. Knowing that you want to make $10,000 a month or more is much clearer than just knowing you want more money.
2. Listen to Your Gut Pay attention to what your gut or intuition is telling you and act on it. Often we ignore the many signals our inner selves give us or say to ourselves, "That's crazy, I can't do that." Your intuition will lead you where you need to go in order to get the money help you need...if you let it.
3. Use Positive Money Affirmations Write a short positive affirmation that states your money goal. For example: "$10,000 easily flows into my life each month." Click here to find out how to use affirmations effectively and here for examples of prosperity affirmations.
4. Visualize Your Goal See yourself living the life you would lead if money were no object. Create a moving picture of all the things you would be, do and have when your money goals are realized. Allow it to become so real in your mind's eye that you actually experience the feelings of safety, joy and freedom that having money brings to you.
5. Get In The FlowStep into the flow of the Universe and ask for money help. Whatever power or deity you subscribe to, ask for some guidance. Get quiet at some point each and every day and ask to be alert to your highest good, ask to be in the right place at the right time, ask to know what your life purpose is and how you can best serve others'. Ask and ye shall receive ;o)
6. Get Moving Wishing just ain't gonna make it so. You need to take action! I know from personal experience that making changes is often uncomfortable and sometimes even downright terrifying. Even when I know these changes are for the good.
Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, "It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, 'Always do what you are afraid to do'." A great book by Susan Jeffers says the same thing but in a different way, "Feel the fear and do it anyway!" The great thing is, once you take even a small step towards your goal, the Universe will place opportunities in your path. Wealth Beyond Reason can give you lots more money help!
7. Listen To Your Self-Talk Pay close attention to what your mind is mumbling to you. We all have some pretty heavy negative programming going on up there, especially where money is concerned. A question I ask myself often when I notice that my self-talk is negative is, "Do I really want what I just thought to manifest in my life within the next 3 minutes?" If I don't, I cancel the thought and replace it with a more positive, uplifting one.
8. Ride the Waves Life isn't always a calm sea. Sometimes we have to hold on tight and ride the waves that threaten to overtake us. Use these times to look for opportunities, because they are always there. It's easy to blame circumstances when things get tough but blaming or despairing over something doesn't move us forward to where we want to be. As Carl Sagan said, "It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
9. De-clutter Your LifeClean up! Not just your home or office but your relationships both personal and professional. You can't work at your best if your life is full of clutter. It may sound harsh but let go of those people who suck the energy right out of you, leaving you feeling like a wet dishrag. Throw out anything in your home or office that you haven't used for over a year. You'll be amazed at how light and creative you feel once you've de-cluttered your life and how quickly the money help you've asked for starts manifesting!
10. Nurture Your Passions Love gardening? Love motorcycles? Whatever your passions are, nurture them. Think you can't make a living at something you're passionate about? You'd be surprised! It's easy and fun to build a business based upon your passion for a subject! Go here now to find out how. Our passions reveal to us our life purpose. It's our inner selves letting us know what will bring money, love and joy into our lives.

How to Become a Money Magnet

2009-07-24T11:25:00.001-07:00

How to Become a Money Magnet
By Valerie Dawson

Like most people, you have probably been taught to see money as a tangible resource that resides in your wallet and bank account until you need to spend it. You use it to pay bills, buy products and services, and support worthwhile causes.When you need more money, you probably do what most people would do: take physical action that will bring in more money, such as working extra hours, asking your boss for a raise, or even selling a few of your material possessions. What you may not realize is that you can attract money into your life in much easier ways; simply by changing the way you think about money and abundance. It’s called the Law of Attraction, and getting it to work effectively for you can make the difference between a lifetime of lack and struggle, or abundance and ease. This report is going to share 7 of the biggest mistakes that people make when attempting to use the Law of Attraction to attract more money into their lives; and offer helpful suggestions on how to turn them around if you find that you may be doing the same.
Law of Attraction Money Mistake #1 Holding a Mind-Set of Lack and Struggle Based on your own life experiences, would you say that obtaining money on a regular basis is easy or difficult? In other words, do you have to work very hard to receive enough money to cover your monthly expenses, or does money seem to come to you effortlessly? Take some time to think carefully about these questions because they reveal something very important: your overall mind-set regarding money and wealth. You can tell immediately whether you have a wealth mind-set or lack mind-set by looking at your life experiences. Law of Attraction Think Rich Lesson #1 Your Mind-Set Creates Your Experiences The Law of Attraction is activated by your mind-set – in other words, the things you think, believe and feel on a regular basis. Here’s how it works: Your thoughts trigger your emotions. Your emotional state emits a specific frequency of energy to the universe, and the universe returns events and experiences into your life, that correspond with your emotional frequency. When you think and feel positively on a regular basis, everything in your life seems to flow more easily, including money. When your thoughts and emotions lean more toward the negative side on a regular basis, you experience more problems, setbacks and financial lack in your life. Also important are your beliefs. Your beliefs form the structure of what is possible for you. If you believe you have to work hard to have a lot of money, you’ll create exactly that experience for yourself. If you don’t believe you deserve more than a certain amount of money, you’ll block more from arriving. Whatever your beliefs are, they are your TRUTH, and you will subconsciously create evidence that supports that truth over and over again until you learn to do things differently.
Law of Attraction Money Mistake #2 Focusing on What You Don’t Have Have you ever agonized over a shortage of money? Have you worried obsessively about not being able to pay your bills or buy something you wanted? Believe it or not, you were probably making the situation worse by doing so. We know that lack is the condition of not having something you want – in other words, the absence of something. But the absence of exactly what may surprise you. Lack is not the absence of money, or health, or love. Those are just the symptoms of lack. At its core, lack is simply the blockage of ENERGY. When it comes right down to it, everything is energy. When you experience lack of any kind, it’s a sure sign that you are cutting off the natural flow of energy through your life. Every time you worry about your financial situation, agonize over a shortage of money, or feel stressed about your bills, you attract more of the experience of lack into your life.

Law of Attraction Think Rich Lesson #2 Focus on What You DO Have and DO Want It may sound incredibly difficult to focus on the positive when your life doesn’t look so rosy, but it is vital to find a way to do it. When you focus on the good things you already have and think about the things you want from an optimistic and hopeful state of mind, you cannot help but attract more of them into your life.There are endless ways to begin focusing your thoughts on the things you do have and do want. Start a gratitude journal and jot down a few things each day that you are grateful for. (Hint: even if these things are not related to money, they can still get that positive energy flowing and attract more good things into your life; including more money.) You can also visualize having more money and imagine being able to pay your bills easily. The more you focus on things like this, the more they will begin to show up in your physical reality.

Law of Attraction Money Mistake #3 Attracting Lack with Negative Emotions Focusing on lack and struggle is destructive enough, but it’s possible to make it even worse by infusing this focus with strong, negative emotions. Think of your emotions as the fuel that lends power to everything that manifests in your life. When it comes to money, do you often find yourself locked into negative emotions like these? Fear Anxiety Helplessness Hopelessness Pessimism Doubt Frustration Worry Jealousy ResentmentEvery time you experience emotions like these, you are creating more lack. In order to turn lack into abundance, you have to avoid investing in these negative emotions.

Law of Attraction Think Rich Lesson #3 How to Prevent Negative Emotions from Creating More Lack

There are two things you can do to prevent these emotions from creating more lack in your life:1) First, avoiding sinking into feelings like those described above is crucial. As soon as you notice yourself starting to feel stressed or worried about money, immediately shift your focus to something else. You can engage in a bit of self-talk if it helps; say something like, "There’s no point worrying about something I can’t control, so I’m going to focus on something that makes me feel good." Then spend time on unrelated activities, or find a way to feel better about your financial situation.2) Secondly, begin directing more positive emotions toward your financial situation.Even if you have to engage in a bit of fantasizing in order to do so, you need to get some positive emotions flowing to attract more abundance. There are many ways to do this, but one that works well is to keep affirming, "I always have more than enough money for everything I need." Just keep saying it over and over again, allowing yourself to feel confident and happy that your financial needs are being met. This is also a good thing to do when you notice you’re starting to feel worried or frightened about not having enough money. Immediately turn the focus around and say, "I ALWAYS have more than enough money for EVERYTHING I need." (Say it with power and conviction in your voice, and really believe that it is so.) As you begin shifting your focus from negative emotions to positive emotions every day, you should start to notice your financial situation shifting to a better place also. You might receive an unexpected check in the mail, you might get a bonus or pay raise at work, or you may even notice you’re starting to receive unexpected gifts or discounts. These are great signs that it’s working! Keep replacing negative emotions with positive as often as possible and you’ll keep the good energy flowing – which will keep inspiring greater and greater change in your life.

2009-07-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Cost Question

By Dr. John C. Maxwell
Want to Live the Dream? Pay the Price.
Have you ever been strolling through a shopping mall or car lot when - POW! - THE perfect product captures your attention? Perhaps it's the sporty convertible with a V-8 engine and unbelievable acceleration. Maybe it's the adorable dress that's exactly your style, has a flattering fit, and accentuates all of your finest features.
Whatever the case, there's an initial moment when you're enamored with THE product. For a split second reality is suspended as you imagine the joys of owning it. Unfortunately, two words generally bring this pleasant daydream crashing to a halt: price tag.
The Dream Is Free, but the Journey Isn't
When you first think about a dream, you only see possibilities and potential. As my friend Collin Sewell observed, all dreams begin obstacle-free. However, at some point we have to confront the Cost Question: Am I willing to pay the price of my dream?
If you want to achieve a dream, you have to be willing to do more than just imagine the outcome. You have to be willing to pay a price to start the journey. Dreams don't fall into our laps by accident or good fortunate. They must be attained at the cost of personal sacrifice.
The Price Must Be Paid Sooner Than You Think
Dreams can't be bought on impulse. Buy now, pay later financing isn't an option. If you want to own a dream, then be prepared to make a hefty down payment.
I think most people realize that there will be some cost for achieving their dream. They have a vague notion that someday they will have to pay a price. But they don't realize how quickly the costs come. Stepping toward a dream is like launching a rocket; massive amounts of energy must be expended at the beginning. Otherwise, gravity takes hold and the journey never gets off the ground.
The Price Will Be Higher Than You Expect
All dreams have price tags attached, and the cost is always higher than we expect to pay. Not once in my conversations with successful people have I heard someone say, "Getting to the top was much easier than I anticipated." The reverse is true. Those at the pinnacle of their professions point to the hardships and sacrifices they had to endure to reach the top.
Having done a good deal of travel, I've learned the taxi principle: ALWAYS find out the cost before you get in the cab. Unfortunately, dreams are far too complex for us to accurately access the costs upfront. A noble dream is worth the expense, but the full costs won't be apparent until we're already on the journey.
The Price Must Be Paid More Than Once
As a young leader, I mistakenly thought acquiring a dream was like buying a ticket to Six Flags: pay once and enjoy the rides. Experience has taught me otherwise. Following a dream forces you to make continual sacrifices.
Just as a rocket must shed weight to escape gravity, so to a leader has to let go of some goals to accomplish others. You have to give up to go up.
Let's face it: dreams don't work unless you do. Easing off the accelerator and coasting won't get you to your desired destination. For dreams to be apprehended, leaders must have an appetite for hard labor.
It Is Possible To Pay Too Much for Your Dream
Although sacrifices go hand in hand with success, it is possible to overpay for a dream. Don't mortgage relationships or discard your moral compass in pursuit of career goals. I've seen it happen all too often. I've watched people sacrifice marriages, neglect their kids, ignore their health, and abandon their conscience - all in the name of a "dream."
As Jesus of Nazareth once said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul?" Some prices aren't worth paying. Do not allow your dream to dictate your values. Rather, make sure your values inform and govern your dream.The Cost QuestionBy Dr. John C. Maxwell
Want to Live the Dream? Pay the Price.
Have you ever been strolling through a shopping mall or car lot when - POW! - THE perfect product captures your attention? Perhaps it's the sporty convertible with a V-8 engine and unbelievable acceleration. Maybe it's the adorable dress that's exactly your style, has a flattering fit, and accentuates all of your finest features.
Whatever the case, there's an initial moment when you're enamored with THE product. For a split second reality is suspended as you imagine the joys of owning it. Unfortunately, two words generally bring this pleasant daydream crashing to a halt: price tag.
The Dream Is Free, but the Journey Isn't
When you first think about a dream, you only see possibilities and potential. As my friend Collin Sewell observed, all dreams begin obstacle-free. However, at some point we have to confront the Cost Question: Am I willing to pay the price of my dream?
If you want to achieve a dream, you have to be willing to do more than just imagine the outcome. You have to be willing to pay a price to start the journey. Dreams don't fall into our laps by accident or good fortunate. They must be attained at the cost of personal sacrifice.
The Price Must Be Paid Sooner Than You Think
Dreams can't be bought on impulse. Buy now, pay later financing isn't an option. If you want to own a dream, then be prepared to make a hefty down payment.
I think most people realize that there will be some cost for achieving their dream. They have a vague notion that someday they will have to pay a price. But they don't realize how quickly the costs come. Stepping toward a dream is like launching a rocket; massive amounts of energy must be expended at the beginning. Otherwise, gravity takes hold and the journey never gets off the ground.
The Price Will Be Higher Than You Expect
All dreams have price tags attached, and the cost is always higher than we expect to pay. Not once in my conversations with successful people have I heard someone say, "Getting to the top was much easier than I anticipated." The reverse is true. Those at the pinnacle of their professions point to the hardships and sacrifices they had to endure to reach the top.
Having done a good deal of travel, I've learned the taxi principle: ALWAYS find out the cost before you get in the cab. Unfortunately, dreams are far too complex for us to accurately access the costs upfront. A noble dream is worth the expense, but the full costs won't be apparent until we're already on the journey.
The Price Must Be Paid More Than Once
As a young leader, I mistakenly thought acquiring a dream was like buying a ticket to Six Flags: pay once and enjoy the rides. Experience has taught me otherwise. Following a dream forces you to make continual sacrifices.
Just as a rocket must shed weight to escape gravity, so to a leader has to let go of some goals to accomplish others. You have to give up to go up.
Let's face it: dreams don't work unless you do. Easing off the accelerator and coasting won't get you to your desired destination. For dreams to be apprehended, leaders must have an appetite for hard labor.
It Is Possible To Pay Too Much for Your Dream
Although sacrifices go hand in hand with success, it is possible to overpay for a dream. Don't mortgage relationships or discard your moral compass in pursuit of career goals. I've seen it happen all too often. I've watched people sacrifice marriages, neglect their kids, ignore their health, and abandon their conscience - all in the name of a "dream."
As Jesus of Nazareth once said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul?" Some prices aren't worth paying. Do not allow your dream to dictate your values. Rather, make sure your values inform and govern your dream.

2009-07-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Five Pillars to Wealth
By Kofi Oppong

You should know that there are five pillars to wealth, putting them all together will allow you to live the life of your dreams. For me this is time freedom and lots of money, why not? I am not ashamed to say I like money and enjoy spending it! Time freedom allows me to do what I want, when I want, and how I want. The five pillars have been used by many millionaires to create wealth. So what are they?
1. Career
2. Business
3. Property
4. Stocks
5. Internet
Add your mentality and mind set, then gain some ideas from millionaires or wealthy mentors and the cash will start flowing in.
Of the five pillars listed above the career in the form of a job is the most limiting in terms of tax paid and time freedom. You should use this area to fund the development of the other four.
When you are earning as much as you would in your career from any of the other four pillars, then it is time to give up the just over broke (JOB)! If you only have a career then I would suggest using seminars to learn about the other four pillars.
Your financial education begins with you! Most people have a hidden talent but don't know it as they are caught in the systems of perpetual debt and lack of understanding of the 5 pillars to wealth.
The foundation of the five pillars are your mindset / Psychology and your millionaire concepts. I.e think big, the end goal is the big picture and your five pillars are the vehicle to get you there!

2009-07-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Ten Financial Mistakes That Will Put You In The Poor House
by Maria O'Brien on 7/29/2008

As a teenager, I became a much better driver after my only car accident, in which I crashed into an oncoming vehicle and both were totaled. I was a much more aware motorist, and certainly drove more carefully, after this event. Mistakes can be the best teachers, as the lessons learned are ingrained by the outcome of our failures. Finances are the same way. You can avoid making bad financial mistakes (that could land you in the poor house) by learning what not to do. Here are ten of the biggest financial mistakes people make that you can avoid.
1. Spending more than you earn
Whether you make $20,000 a year or have another zero on the end, your spending habits are the single biggest influence on your financial success or, conversely, your failure. Avoid the poor house by spending wisely and keeping your expenses in line with your income. Ideally, save and invest a percentage of each paycheck or income source you have. And don’t spend money on a credit card that you can’t pay off when the bill arrives.
2. Wasting money frivolously
Spending money wastefully, even if you do spend less than what you earn, is another bad money idea. Even if you think you can afford the payments, buying a new car every two years just doesn’t make fiscal sense for most people. Ironically, most first-generation millionaires buy slightly used vehicles or drive their new ones for many years instead of frequently buying expensive, depreciating vehicles. The problem with wasting money is that you have less for saving and investing.
3. Not having a financial plan
Eschewing a financial plan, and not setting goals can set you up for financial problems. Success in any area is largely dependent on having a written plan, short-term and long-term goals, and by working that plan. Reevaluate your plan and track your progress often using whatever method best suits you, whether it’s through online software or in longhand in a notebook. Discuss money with your spouse or partner, meeting regularly to go over the budget and common financial goals.
4. No insurance or the wrong type
Allowing yourself and your assets to be exposed to damage, injury or lawsuits without proper coverage is another way to lose everything you’ve worked to obtain. Health insurance protects you in case of physical injury and high medical bills, and an umbrella policy over your house, auto and other policies protects you from lawsuit judgments.
5. Investing in get-rich-quick schemes
Putting your money in investment vehicles you don’t understand or buying those get-rich-quick packages will put you on the fast track to the poor house. Your best bet for avoiding all of that is to invest in things you understand and regularly adding to and diversifying your holdings. Don’t waste your money on online courses and packages that promise to teach you how to earn six figures online. Do the research before you spend the money.
6. Taking on too much debt
How much is too much debt? Some financially-savvy advisors say any debt is too much, including Dave Ramsey, who became a millionaire and then lost everything because he relied too heavily on debt in his personal life and for business finances. Others are comfortable with small amounts of debt, or house mortgages and auto loans. But realize that even student loans can be hard to handle if money is tight. If you do acquire new debt, do so cautiously and after researching the best loan options.
7. Not expecting the unexpected
Life happens, and if you don’t have any emergency savings, life insurance on yourself and your spouse and contingency plans for potential income loss, you’re setting yourself up for financial trouble. Plan to save three to six months’ expenses in easy-to-access savings accounts as a starting goal for a rainy day, whenever it happens.
8. Working the minimum
Whether you’re just doing the bare minimum at your job or only making enough money to scrape by, working the absolute smallest number of hours you can get away with or completing only the essential tasks, you’re putting your career in jeopardy. To get ahead at work or in your business, give your work the time and attention it deserves. After all, your ability to make income is likely the biggest financial asset you have.
9. Counting on Social Security funds
If your retirement plan is entitlement benefits, it’s past time to reevaluate that plan. Social Security is on shaky ground, and the sensible approach is to discount it entirely when planning for your future. That way, if anything does come through, it’s just icing on the cake in retirement.
10. Putting money above family
While most people tend toward not doing enough for their financial success, there are those at the opposite end of the spectrum whose priorities have been warped until money takes the highest place in their lives. Take the time to evaluate your life and the place money has in it. Money is simply a means, a tool, and should never be sought as the end in itself.
Just Say ‘No!’
It is not just a cheesy anti-drugs campaign. Saying ‘No!’ should be a regular expression for someone trying to stay in the black. Anytime you’re presented with a reason to spend, be it for just a large sized fries at lunch, additional coverage, or buying two to get the third free, alarms should sound and you need to ask why you’re forking over that extra dough. Don’t let it just apply to things you add on to a bill. Just say ‘No!’ to everything that forces you to open your wallet, then take a good hard look and decide if it’s worth your hard earned money.
What financial mistakes have you made? Which ones have you been able to avoid?

2009-07-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

Don't Lose Money!By: Brian Tracy

Throughout the history of American enterprise, you've heard the words, "work hard and save your money." Work hard and save your money. It is the oldest rule for success in America. It's so important, as a matter of fact, that W. Clement Stone once said, "if you cannot save money, then the seeds of greatness are not in you."Saving Is a DisciplineWhy is it that saving money is so important? Because saving money is a discipline and any discipline affects all other disciplines in your life. If you do not have the discipline to refrain from spending all the money that you earn, then you are not qualified to become wealthy and if you do become wealthy, you'll not be capable of holding on to it.The Law of AttractionA principle with regard to saving your money is the law of attraction. The law of attraction is activated by saved money. Even one dollar saved will start to attract more money. Here's what I suggest that you do. If you're really serious about your future, go down and open a savings account. Put as much money as you can into it, even if it's only ten dollars. And then begin to collect little bits of money, and every week go down and put something into that account.Attract More Money Into Your LifeYou will find that the more you put in that account, the more you will attract from sources that you cannot now predict. But if you do not begin the savings process, if you don't begin putting something away towards your financial independence, then nothing will happen to you. The law of attraction just simply won't work.
Invest Your Money ConservativelyOnce you begin to accumulate money, here's another rule. Invest the money conservatively. Marvin Davis, self-made billionaire, was asked by Forbes Magazine, "How do you account for your financial success?" And he said, "Well, I have two rules for financial investing." He said, "Rule number one is, don't lose money." He said, whenever I'm tempted, whenever I see an opportunity to invest where there's a possibility I could lose it all, I just simply refrain from putting the money in. Rule number two is, whenever I get tempted, I refer back to rule number one. Don't lose money.Get Rich SlowlyGeorge Classon says, in The Richest Man In Babylon, that the key is to accumulate your funds and then invest them very conservatively. One of the characteristics of self-made millionaires, one of the characteristics of old money in America is that it's very cautiously, conservatively and prudently invested.Don't try to get rich quickly. Concentrate rather on getting rich slowly. If all you do is save ten percent of your earnings, put it away, and let it accumulate at compound interest, that alone will make you wealthy.Action ExercisesHere are two things you can do to apply these lessons to your financial life:First, open a separate savings and investing account today. From this day forward, put every single dollar you can spare into this account and resolve to never touch it or spend it for any reason.Second, whenever you consider any investment of your savings, remember the rule, "Don't lose money!" It is better to keep the money working at a low rate of interest than to take the chance of losing it. Be careful. A fool and his money are soon parted.

2009-07-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

How Do Entrepreneurs Do It? The Incredible Power Of Mental FocusBy Kerry Needs

Wouldn't you just love to know how the likes of Richard Branson or Dragon's Den entrepreneur Peter Jones accumulated their wealth? To truly discover the attributes and qualities that separates the rich, successful people from those who struggle against life?
Well, all successful people have one thing in common- the power of their mental focus. These people are experts in mirroring their inner world with what they desire in their outer world. It is living the principles of Whole Science to its fullest- noticing and appreciating that our inner, mental world is not distinguishable from the outer, material world.
It truly seems a miracle how many entrepreneurs go from nothing to great riches, doesn't it? So what is it about their mental state that is so important? And how can you replicate this mind-set to succeed in your life? Just think-what would happen if you won the lottery tomorrow, if you became a millionaire overnight? I'm sure you're already thinking of the house(s) you would have, the places you'd visit, the clothes you'd wear... and soon enough you're becoming excited at the prospect of having wealth beyond your wildest dreams.
What would happen if I told you that part of what you were doing just then is the secret to many entrepreneurs' success? No, not dreaming of winning the lottery, but thinking of all those things you do want. I bet if I told you to think of a car you'd like to buy, you have a mental image- right? Maybe even hearing the sound of the powerful engine or the good feeling you'd have driving it around.
Entrepreneurs have these kinds of images running through their heads pretty much all the time, which enables them to consistently gain the specific results they want.
'The power of positive thinking' has now become a marketable commodity. From empowerment gurus such as Anthony Robbins to groundbreaking movies such as 'The Secret', we are consistently told that the way to achieve our desires is to focus on what we want- not what we don't want.
Anthony Robbins likens it as to a speed rally driver racing round a track- if we focus on the wall, that's what we're going to crash into! To achieve the outcomes, goals and dreams you truly want in life, focusing on the end point- where you want to go, is the main key to success.
So what if there were solid, reliable scientific evidence for the power of mental focus? I'm guessing we would all begin to hold images in our minds of cheques instead of bills arriving through the post! But firstly, why is it important to focus on where you want to go, instead of those things you want to avoid? Well, by making pictures or images in your mind, you are giving instructions to your unconscious mind.
Believe it or not, your unconscious mind doesn't know the difference between a real image and an imagined one, which is why dreams can often seem so terribly lifelike and can sometimes frighten us- as if they were actually happening. An important thing to remember is that the unconscious mind does not process negatives. It actually deletes them. The reason being is that you will, consciously or unconsciously, create an internal picture or representation of that which you were trying to avoid. Have you ever thought 'I mustn't spill this' or 'I better not knock that over' . Your unconscious mind will create a picture of that which you wish to avoid- so a spilt glass of wine or broken crockery can often result.
But what about those negative things we hold in our mind on a consistent basis? Things like 'I'm poor' or ' I'm no good at anything'. What kind of images do these create?
'So what?' You may be thinking. 'It doesn't actually matter what thoughts I have, positive or negative, these thoughts are mine and thinking positively won't change a thing'. This would be indeed true under the interpretation of our current scientific model. However, the power of our mind is much more influential than we first thought.
To put it briefly, advances in physics have discovered that when you delve through the levels of our being, our molecules and our atoms, all that is left is energy- interconnected energy fields. They discovered that particles also act like waves, and can change depending on our observation.
What do I mean? Well, everything exists as possibility, or a waveform. When quantum physicists discovered that the act of observation causes possibility to collapse, it meant that our minds have the potential to create reality.
Simply put, our minds are like a laser beam which when focused, have the potential to change the 'energy' around us. Since the new paradigm of science has revealed that mind and matter are part of the same force, the same 'energy', it means that having a consistent focus is akin to being a magnet, pulling those things toward you which you hold in your mind.
Our thoughts create our reality? Having focused thoughts of wealth can bring us riches? Surely, its not that easy? I hear you say. And you'd be right. Just think, if our minds are lasers we need to have enough power within us to drive that laser towards what we want. Many successful people have noted that a burning desire and passion towards what they wanted to achieve helped them towards financial freedom.
As Napolean Hill, author of the acclaimed 'Think and Grow Rich' states 'weak desires bring weak results'. So if you were setting up a business say, but were not truly focused, passionate or determined about that business it is less likely to succeed.
To create enough 'mental energy' that is needed to achieve your goal there has to be so much desire for what you want that it will drive you into taking action. For example, entrepreneurs such as Donald Trump, Duncan Bannatyne and Richard Branson all mention that their goals sometimes became a bit of an obsession- something that they would pursue at all costs.
So as you think of that house or car you want, stop, and just ask yourself- how much do I really want this? You'll know how much if you get an excited feeling- the feeling of 'I've got to have this!' Ask yourself- what will it be like if you get what you want? Imagine living in the house, or driving that car. If your reaction is nothing less than bursting with excitement and enthusiasm you can be sure you're on the right track.

2009-07-03T13:51:00.002-07:00

How Can Duncan Bannatyne Spend So Much Time on TV and Still Grow a Multi-Million Pound Business?By Richard Parkes Cordock

Some years ago, I interviewed Duncan Bannatyne as part of my research into high-performing entrepreneurs. The first time I first met him, Duncan wasn't as famous as he is today; he hadn't yet starred in Dragons' Den. However, he was a hyper-successful entrepreneur who was listed in the Sunday Times Rich List and could freely choose how he spent his time. In fact, Duncan had bid £7,000 at a charity auction and won a walk-on-part in a Guy Richie movie. He enjoyed it so much, he decided he wanted to become an actor - and let his people run his companies (in here is a clue to Duncan's success!)
He told me he'd just finished studying at the New York Film Academy, which is off the Strand near Trafalgar Square in London, but his subsequent auditions hadn't gone well. Even with this lack of success in the movies, his star quality and 'winning smile' shone through, and it's no surprise to me that Duncan has become a household name for his TV work.
I interviewed Duncan at the Park Lane hotel in Piccadilly, asking the same questions I had asked many UK entrepreneurs.
Duncan said one thing to me that day which, at the time, didn't register with the potency it does now as I look back and reflect on those particular words.
He told me he had a Board meeting the following day and that he should have looked at his accounts but didn't because he knew they were going to be fantastic.
How did Duncan know? He knew because he had people in his company who thought and acted like him. He had people he could trust in his absence to run the business and make decisions for him, while he went off pursuing his own acting career, and in later years his own television career.
His people think and act like business owners.
Let's look at what is going on in the mind of a business owner, the mind of somebody like Duncan Bannatyne, and the mindset and attitude you need to develop in your own employees, so that they too think, act and make decisions like a business owner.
1. Confidence and Belief
The starting point for success for any great business leader is true inner self-belief and confidence.
·Confidence in your own ability to achieve the goals you set out to achieve. ·Confidence that you can overcome any obstacles. ·Confidence that you can make your customers believe in and buy from you.
Simply put, if entrepreneurs didn't believe in the businesses they set out to create, they wouldn't start in the first place, because they wouldn't be able to make the team believe or their customers believe.
Your employees need to share the same level of inner confidence as someone like Duncan.
Anybody that has a vision and takes it personally upon themselves to create a business needs to have within them an unswerving, unshakable resolve, which becomes something of substance that other people can buy into and believe in.
It goes back to the very simple fact that if you don't believe in what you are doing you can't make your team believe. If your team don't believe, they can't make your customers believe. If your customers don't believe, they won't buy, buy again, or recommend you. So belief is the starting point.
2. Passion and Desire
The next core trait of a business owner, or someone like Duncan, is passion and a pure unadulterated love of what they're doing.
Passion is the fuel that drives you forward, it provides momentum and energy, and is infectious. People around you will be inspired by your passion and will pass on that energy to their team. This feeling will be conveyed to your customers who will then be compelled to buy from you.
It's your job as the business leader to instil your passion in every member of your team.
Customers pick up on passion and belief. It is a company's passion and belief that customers buy into.
If you show passion and deep belief in everything you do, you give your customers a memorable and remarkable experience which they will want to share with others.
But, if your employees don't share your level of passion and belief for the business, then as a company you will never achieve high levels of success and fulfil your true potential.
Clearly people like the Barman lack that passion and desire, and if you have employees like him, you'll never be able to create a business which customers can believe in and buy from.
Whereas if you have people like Paolo who love their job, and demonstrate business-owner-thinking, they will exude an inner confidence and passion for what they do, which in turn will send out viral shock waves into the market about how excellent your company is.
3. Courage
The third element of the mindset of a business owner is courage and the confidence to step outside your comfort zone.
So much about success at a personal and business level comes down to having the confidence and courage to conquer your own inner fears, doubts and limiting beliefs. It's having the courage to do the very things that you are uncomfortable doing.
You only have to look at one entrepreneur, Richard Branson, who (by his own admission) is a shy person and uncomfortable in public speaking situations.
However, he knew only too well that the best way to promote his brand was for him to become the face of it. Now, whenever we think abut Virgin we automatically think about Branson. When Virgin Brides was launched, he famously dressed up as a bride himself; when he launched Virgin Cola he drove a Tank down Fifth Avenue in New York to proclaim his battle with Coca Cola. He even injured himself whilst abseiling down the Palms Resort Fantasy Tower whilst promoting his new airline route between San Francisco and Las Vegas. He personally does television and radio interviews, but speaking to an audience is not naturally comfortable for him, as it is for media personalities such as Jonathan Ross or Ricky Gervais.
However, what Branson clearly does is find an inner courage, which is fuelled by his passion and supported by his own inner belief in himself, to step outside his comfort zone, and to do the very thing he needs to do to achieve his goals.
4. Goals and Purpose
The fourth element is to have a clear purpose, clear goal, and a higher vision and mission.
You need to understand why you do the things you do.
You can have all the passion and energy in the world, but without a clear goal (which everyone understands and believes in), nothing will ever be achieved.
In the courses and books I've written, I talk about entrepreneurs having 'man on the moon goals' which are ambitious, stretch goals.
America would never have made space travel history if President Kennedy, in 1961, hadn't set a goal to land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth.
By announcing this goal publicly, the whole team behind the mission had something real and tangible to work towards. They passionately believed in that goal and as a result, made it happen.
In your organization your team needs to have the same clarity of goals, the same higher purpose, and your own 'man on the moon' goals.
There may be thousands of sub-goals in order to achieve the higher purpose, but if your staff don't understand what the higher goal is, there is no way they can help drive your company towards it.
A perfect illustration of this is the story (possibly apocryphal) of President Kennedy visiting the space station in the early 1960s when the space rocket was being developed.
In true Kennedy style he stopped to speak to somebody who was sweeping the floor. Kennedy said to the man, "What are you doing, sir?" The man sweeping the floor said, "Mr. President, I'm helping put a man on the moon."
Everybody in your organization has to understand what the higher purpose of your company is. They must know what your man on the moon goals are what their part is in helping you to achieve them.
If they don't understand what the bigger picture is and if work to them is purely a job without a sense of purpose, then there is very little reason that they will give their all. Ultimately it is the customer who will suffer.
5. Persistence and Tenacity
The fifth element of business-owner-thinking is pure persistence and the refusal to accept no for an answer.
This is a trait consistent with all high achievers. Every entrepreneur business owner you ever speak to will have endless stories where they have had to demonstrate persistence and never give up.
Inevitably in business, whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. It is your inner resolve (and the inner resolve of your employees) to keep going and to push on, to overcome the endless hurdles and crushing lows, and push on through to reach your ultimate goals, which is the difference between success and failure.
Without the passion and belief, it would be all too easy to give up when faced with those endless barriers.
Famously, Branson's engine blew up the night before the maiden flight of his Virgin Atlantic crossing. For most people this would have been a barrier, but Branson pushed on and kept going to create one of the world's premier airlines.
Duncan Bannatyne ran out of money before finishing the build of his first nursing home. Where other people at that point may have given up and said, 'Well, I can't complete this because I can't afford it', Duncan found an ingenious, creative way of solving the problem. He asked his mother and her pensioner friends to temporarily fill the nursing home in order to persuade the bank to release the final payment of the loan which was dependent on the nursing home being full.
Stories that entrepreneurs tell you about persistence often sound like they have been made up, and are a testimony to their levels of creativity and ingenuity. It's this level of creativity and ingenuity you need to unleash in your staff.
6. Energy Flow
The sixth trait of entrepreneurs is having positive energy and thinking positively even when times are tough.
So much in business is about the flow of energy, and creating an environment where a positive flow of energy can thrive, without being destroyed by negative people who disrupt the balance.
I used to work for a software company in London and each day the managing director would walk in, and with him through the door, would come all of his negative energy.
Prior to him walking through the door, the office would be buzzing and alive but his negative energy would soon start to infect everyone and create negative pockets throughout the company.
Virtually all companies have this negative energy in some shape or form, but coming from the business owner it is inexcusable. It's your responsibility as a business owner or business leader to create an environment of positivity, of positive thinking, of can-do and will-do, and of ambition and drive where success can, and will be achieved.
7. Failure
Number seven is the understanding that failure is a good thing.
The reality is that nothing of any note has ever been achieved without experiencing failure along the way.
Failure is inevitable when trying something new, pushing for new heights, and new innovations, or entering new markets as entrepreneurs inherently do.
It goes without saying that not everything will work. Entrepreneurs embrace failure, see it as a positive and agree that if you're not failing, you're not trying hard enough.
That's not to say that they actively seek it, but when it comes along they are ready to react. It doesn't get them down because their belief, passion and their drive keep them going.
All too often though, in companies failure is seen as a negative thing and is frowned upon.
In certain circumstances, failure through lack of attention or lack of effort should be seen this way.
But when trying new things, such as innovating and changing, it is only those companies that recognize that failure is part of the journey to success who truly will achieve higher goals.
You need people who understand that failure can be a positive thing and should be learnt from. They know that by failing they can develop wisdom and experience which will ultimately get them closer to their goals.
8. Hard Work and Hustle
Number eight is hard work and the hustle factor. It is simply taking action. It is the physical act of working with a level of commitment, intensity, and sense of urgency, that is needed to get things done to deliver results.
Duncan Bannatyne didn't start his multiple businesses without working hard, putting in the hours, and being 100% committed to achieving his goals.
I'm sure Duncan will agree that his journey, and the journey of his team, has been fun. They've enjoyed it and as a result, the hard work has not seemed like hard work because it was fun.
It was fun because they were doing something they were passionate about, that they believed in and that they had the desire and the ambition to create.
If you have people who are despondent and indifferent to their work, and who see it as a chore, then how can they ever perform at a higher level? How can their own inner splendour pour out into your products and services and be felt by your customers?
It can simply never happen.
That is what customers should pick up on, the fact that you enjoy your work and love what you do.
The beautiful Apple iPod could never have been designed by someone who didn't love and enjoy their work. It was clearly created by someone who loves music, loves design, and loves technology. It was not something that happened overnight. I would imagine it required thousands of hours of intense effort, concentration and time.
The people working on that project are clearly proud of what they've created. It shows in the smallest details: in the design of the iPod player, the packaging, the marketing, in the way the menu system rolls up and down, and from the constant innovation that comes from generation to generation of not only iPods but a whole range of Apple products.
Apple is a clear illustration of a company whose people embody business-owner-thinking. Their products have become so beautiful and have that wow-dazzle factor that they sell themselves.
As a result, their customers are passionate fans of Apple and now, because of the energy and buzz in the marketplace, people want to be part of Apple.
That could never have happened if the people in Apple didn't love their work, or if they acted like the Barman I spoke about in Chapter 1.
Similarly, it wouldn't have happened if the people in Apple were Middlemen who neither underperformed or over performed.
Putting it all together: Leadership
The net result of all of this is that business owners are actually leaders.
They are people who lead themselves to achieve their higher goals, and are able to lead and inspire their teams to achieve more.
It's the personal development of your staff to turn them into leaders (who think, act and make decisions like business owners) that you need to focus on to achieve extraordinary results in your company.
Can anybody become a leader?
I'm often asked whether anybody can become a leader and whether everybody has these traits within them.
Without question I say the answer is yes, if that person is working in an environment that they are passionate about and have the desire for.
Everybody demonstrates this leadership ability at some point in their lives. I spoke in the previous chapter about buying a house, and the increase in business acumen and leadership you demonstrate when you want something that badly.
The same is true when you book a holiday. You immerse yourself, and for a moment in time, you become a leading expert on your desired destination, whether it is a two-week long haul trip to Thailand, or a five day skiing holiday in the Pyrenees.
A friend of mine recently wanted to get tickets for a key Manchester United European Cup game at Old Trafford. Immediately, with this goal in mind, he fought harder than he usually would and demonstrated just the kind of traits that a high achieving entrepreneur would, simply because his own ambitions and goals were aligned. He was chasing a goal that he was passionate about, that he had a burning desire for, and that he believed ultimately he could reach. Needless to say, he got his coveted tickets in the end!
Leadership ability and business-owner-thinking lies within everybody if the right circumstances arise. But this may not be the case currently with everybody in your organisation.
Your staff who are like the Barman may not show leadership ability at work, but this doesn't mean they don't have leadership ability within them. They just don't have it in them for your company, or for the work that they're doing.
The Barman could for example, be a gifted cyclist and someone who outside of work regularly organizes long-distance bicycle rides from the UK to the South of France. He could be a first-class footballer who is the captain of his local football team and leads by example. He could be a church goer who leads his church group every Sunday.
Given the right circumstances and the right motivations and desires, anybody can be a leader and a person of high-performance, but they have to be playing to their strengths and following their passion.
In your company, you need to find and actively develop people so that they play to their strengths. You need to align their passions, goals and motivations with the goals and aspirations of your organization. You need to develop your people into leaders who think like business owners, not just employees.
It is these people who will make your customers want to buy, buy again and then do your marketing for you. It is these people who will transform your workforce into your salesforce.
I'll explain in the following chapter how you can download (in MP3 format) a copy of my interview with Duncan.
This extract is taken from the book Profit Upgrade - How to add $1,00s, $100,000s or $1m+ to your bottom-line profits (each year, and even in sluggish times).

2009-07-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Do’s and Don’ts For Financial Success – Money Expert mark aucamp

Now more than ever it pays to be savvy when it comes to getting the credit you need to run your life. Luckily, you don’t have to be an expert to stay on the money. These simple steps could help you find financial success. Do know what you owe… In the current climate, you need to know exactly where you are before making plans – and what you really owe could come as a wake up call. Instead of wading through files and old bills, you can find your credit accounts, from credit and store cards to loans, mortgages and even mobile phone accounts, listed in your credit report, along with your repayment record. You can see your Experian credit report for free with a 30 day trial of CreditExpert, the online credit monitoring and ID fraud protection service. …and don’t stick your head in the sand The worst thing you can do is nothing. Interest could be mounting up on borrowing you’ve forgotten, so you could end up owing even more in the long run. Do keep up with your repayments… It can be tempting to skip the occasional repayment if you’re having a tough month but you could rack up penalties and interest – and it will be recorded on your credit report for at least three years, where lenders will see it when you make a new application. …and don’t be afraid to talk to your lenders If you’re having financial problems it’s in their interest, as well as yours, to come up with a sensible solution. Together, you may be able to agree a new schedule of affordable payments, although this may mean that it will take longer to clear what you owe. Do your research… When you need a card, loan or credit account of any kind, research what’s on offer – visit personal finance and price comparison sites to see what’s out there and what matches your circumstances. You’ll stand a better chance if you ask for an appropriate and affordable deal. …and don’t take a scattergun approach There’s no point in firing off lots of applications in the hope that one of them will succeed. Not only could you get turned down, but you could damage your credit rating in the process. Each application will trigger a search by the lender and these leave a record on your credit report. If other prospective lenders see a lot of these, they could fear you’re overstretched, out of financial control or even suspect a fraud. Do shred before you bin… ID fraud is one of the UK’s fastest growing crimes, so make sure thieves can’t get hold of personal or sensitive information from your rubbish and use it to borrow money in your name or max out your accounts. …and don’t put too much in the recycling You may think you’re doing your bit for the environment but you could also be offering a free gift to a thief. Remove the address or account information from all letters and documents before you put them in the box – even an old catalogue could put your ID at risk if a bin raider picks it up. Do check your credit report regularly… Lenders look at your credit report every time you apply to them and when they’re setting interest rates and other conditions, so it pays to be sure that all the information it contains is up to date and accurately reflects your situation. You’ll also be able to spot suspicious applications or transactions that could indicate attempted ID fraud. …and don’t assume everything’s okay If you haven’t received any payment demands or red bills, don’t assume you have a good credit rating. A simple clerical error or misunderstanding could damage your credit status, so make regular checks on your credit report part of your financial routine. A credit monitoring like CreditExpert can help – members receive an email or text alert every time there is a significant change, like a late payment recorded by a lender or a large change to a credit account balance. Do put a shine on your credit history… If you can demonstrate that you are a responsible borrower with a stable lifestyle, you have a better chance of getting the deals you want. You can improve your credit status by taking simple steps – for example, ask lenders to correct any errors in your credit report, close unused accounts and register to vote at your current address. …and don’t assume the past is over and gone If you’ve been bankrupt, taken out an IVA or had court judgments against you for debt, the evidence remains on your credit report for at least six years and even a missed repayment can be seen by lenders for at least three years. If special circumstances, such as illness, an accident, redundancy or divorce, were behind any past problems, you can add a note of explanation that lenders may take into account when deciding whether to make you an offer. Do ask for help If you’re having problems, get free, professional advice. Try Citizens Advice at adviceguide.org.uk, National Debtline at nationaldebtline.co.uk or the Consumer Credit Counselling Service at cccs.co.uk. As well as offering advice on how to manage and reduce your debts, these organisations have the legal right to negotiate with creditors on your behalf. …and don’t be tempted by offers that are too good to be true “There is no magic spell that will allow you to walk away from money troubles without any consequences and only you can sort out your credit status, so be wary of miracle cures for your financial ailments. They almost always cost you money you can’t “

2009-07-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Spending On Dates Could Cause Financial BurdensBy Tom Dawson

Taking a lady out on a date could have significant financial implications for many men, it has been claimed.
Research released by NS&I as part of its quarterly savings survey shows that single males are set to spend more than 12 billion pounds each year on romantic rendezvous, in comparison women were indicated as splashing out around 4.5 billion pounds. The average man expects that the typical date will set them back by about 52 pounds, with the opposite sex looking to fritter away just over 32 pounds.
However, research from the financial services firm revealed that a trip to the movies or a fancy meal could place significant numbers of consumers under monetary strain. Three-quarters of British males claim that they have spent more cash than they anticipated while on a night out, with some 12 per cent being left short of funds at the end of a date. Meanwhile, one in four respondents state that they are prepared to use a credit card to supplement romantic spending, despite being aware that they will struggle to keep up with repayment on this type of borrowing. An estimated 16 per cent stated that they are ready to borrow money from family members and friends to finance going out on a date.
Due to overspending while on dates, it may be possible that men develop difficulties in meeting other demands on their spending. Such areas could include loan repayments, mortgage or rent costs, utility and grocery bills and credit cards.
Further research showed that just under half (45 per cent) of men believe that being seeing as financially well-off and generous in the eyes of a prospective partner is important. Meanwhile, some 17 per cent of women expect the man to pay for the bill when on an evening out, although just 29 per cent think that being wealthy helps to make a good impression among men.
Commenting on the figures, Dax Harkins, senior savings strategist for NS&I, said: "There is no doubt that dating costs a lot and many people in Britain need to think beyond impressing with wit and charm and also plan their finances. Given the expense, especially for men, it is great to see that some are setting money aside specifically for this reason. However it is clear that men need to keep at least a few of their thoughts on money when they're trying to impress on a date, so they don't end up overspending or being caught short of cash."
Whether planning a weekend break at a five-star hotel in London or a mid-week trip to the cinema, those wishing to treat a loved one in style may wish to consider getting a cheap loan. Not only could a loan help borrowers to splash out on their partner in style but also assist with other sources of financial demand. A cheap loan may additionally be of help to those wishing to go on a dream honeymoon. A recent study carried out by esure indicates that the average post-wedding vacation costs 1,614 pounds, with beach holidays shown to be increasingly popular

2009-07-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Checking Bills Advised To Help Avoid Unnecessary Financial PressureBy Tom Dawson

Despite the convenience that paying for bills via direct debit may provide, it is not a reason for Britons to be complacent when it comes to keeping track of their money management, new research suggests.
In a study carried out by moneysupermarket, it was revealed that such a payment system is becoming increasingly popular among many consumers. At present it was revealed that a quarter of credit card bills are paid using direct debit, with this proportion rising to 48 per cent for gas bills. Meanwhile, 63 and 54 per cent of demands for payment on landline telephone and electricity bills respectively are met this way.
Research from the price comparison site also revealed that 17 per cent of consumers have uncovered an error on their bill during the past three months, while over the last year about one in three have discovered that they have been incorrectly charged. Overall, it was indicated that around eight million people were overcharged in the last quarter. Moneysupermarket went on to assert that at "a time when household budgets are being squeezed more than ever, the last thing Brits need is to be landed with an incorrect bill". In spite of this however, it was shown that half of respondents claim that they do not check every bill that they receive.
Indeed, following on from being charged more money than they should have been for bills, it is possible that consumers could find that they develop greater problems in managing various demands on their spending. Such areas could well include personal loans, credit and store cards and mortgage repayments.
Commenting on the figures, Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles for moneysupermarket, said: "The staggering amount of people who've been hit with an incorrect bill only goes to show how inadequate some providers can be. Consumers are already facing increased living costs, the last thing they need is to be charged for something they never had. Worryingly there are millions of people who still don't check their bills, meaning they could be paying over the odds for a service they have never received. If you don't check all your bills you're leaving yourselves open to being taken advantage of."
Mr Barnes went on to report that it is particularly important for consumers on direct debit to check every statement that they receive. He added: "If payments are made automatically against incorrectly charged bills, suppliers are raking in millions of extra pounds."
However, those who choose not to adopt direct debit appear to be more cautious with managing their money. A third of such consumers believe that direct debits limit their ability to control their spending, with one in ten not trusting companies to charge them the right amount. Meanwhile, women were shown to be keeping a more cautious eye over their finances than men.
For those consumers finding that they are struggling to keep up with various demands on their spending, a debt consolidation loan might be advised. By doing so, it is possible that borrowers can merge numerous financial constraints, such as household bills, council tax and credit cards, into a single low-cost monthly repayment. A debt consolidation loan might be of additional help for Britons after a recent uSwitch study showed that by opting to receive bills via email rather than postal mail consumers could save 162 million pounds a year. Overall, it was stated that switching payment methods could generate annual savings of 237 million pounds.

2009-07-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Fifteen Great Money Saving Ideas and Tips to Survive This Recession
Fifteen Great Money Saving Ideas and Tips to Survive This Recession
Mark Aucamp

Any expert would tell you to sit down and analysis your current spending habit before considering any money saving ideas and tips. You should do a budget of all your income and expenses and see how much money you have left at the end of the month. Armed with your spending information you should then consider the money saving tips below. Keep a record of how much you should be saving next month and compare the results. It is important that you continue this exercise annually. In the current market it is difficult to know what to do with your savings so I suggest you consider looking at the last money saving idea for a tip that will save you thousands of pounds in the future Switch to Freeview TV Switch to Freeview digital TV and save up to £200 a year. You will need to buy a Digi box receiver for around £50. Then you will receive more than 40 free digital TV Channels for free and there’s no monthly subscription to be paid. Switching your Gas and Electricity Providers Consider switching your fuel providers it could save you £100’s. As a nation we don’t like changing our utility providers and as a result our suppliers don’t offer us any better deals. They use their cheaper deals to entice new customers. Use a Comparison site to find the best deals around for your Gas and Electricity. Cheaper Telephone and Broadband bills Shop around for cheaper telephone and broadband suppliers. Many providers offer cheaper dual packages and low cost dial up services as well as cheaper line rental. Use a Comparison site to find the best deals around today. Reduce your Mobile Phone costs Consider switching your mobile from a monthly contract to a pay as you go scheme if you don’t use your mobile a lot. If your family all have a mobile phone then you should consider a package with all the phones included. Make sure that you all share the number of call minutes and the texts each month. There are deals around that will provide you with new phones within the package and they will allow you to alter the number of texts and call minutes each month. Shop around for Better value Insurance Cover Shop around for cheaper Car Insurance, Building & Contents Insurance and Life Insurance. Remember everything that glitters is not golden. When looking to rebroke or change Insurance providers you need to compare like with like and not on price alone. Always look for the same cover and definitions for each Insurance policy or a better policy for a cheaper price when looking to change providers. The cost of life cover only Insurance has reduced due to the fact that we are all living longer and the unthinkable has happened Life Insurance policies have become cheaper. If you have any Critical Illness Insurance cover then tread very carefully and use a mortgage broker to rearrange a cheaper policy for you. The reason for this is the Insurance companies have changed many of their Insurance cover definitions and the number of conditions that they will cover. For peace of mind you should use a mortgage broker for protection. Should they change a good policy for an inferior policy then you could claim compensation for negligence. Food Shopping 1. Always make a list and try not to deviate from your shopping list. 2. Don’t take your children or husband shopping as you will probably find it really hard to say no when they ask for something and they will only increase your shopping bill. 3. Have your supermarket shopping delivered, it’s a great way of ordering what you need to maintain your weekly budget. 4. Try and cook all meals from fresh, they are healthier than ready made meals and more nutritious. Invest in a cook book if you lack inspiration or knowledge. 5. Look for a Farm shop with a butchery attached; our local Farm shop sells half a Lamb for £20 and half a Pig for £30 they are already frozen ready for the freezer. What a bargain! 6. Consider using the supermarkets own brand products as they are often the same or similar as branded products without the brand name and price tag. 7. When last did you shop at your local market? The food is generally cheaper and fresher from your local market as they have lower overheads and can therefore pass on the savings to you. 8. Use the discount supermarkets like Asda, Aldi and Lidl. There are big savings to be made here. Don’t worry about shopping here; the food is quality and the car park is full of expensive cars, which suggests that everybody is shopping here – rich or poor. Always ask yourself whether or not you really need a product or service and always consider alternatives. Don’t be enticed to buy the special offers like, buy one get one free promotions or the 30 off discount offer. It’s not a bargain if you don’t need it in the first place. Remember a bargain or an offer is either priced to get rid of stock quickly for a reason or it is priced into the product to start with. Save money by Buying in the Sales Clothes we all agree are cheaper if bought during shop sales. It’s possible to save a hundred pounds or more on a designer evening dress or a suit or any other type of clothing. Sometimes we just need to be patient and not be impulsive when deciding to buy items. Slowly, slowly catch a Bargain! Have a look in the charity shops. You will be amazed at the designer clothes and the quality of some of the items they have for sale. Always check on e Bay for anything that you are considering buying, people all over the country sell clothes that are new or nearly new and have either never been worn or are nearly new. There are some real bargains to be had if you are willing to spend the time searching. Recently there have been some swap sites being launched on the internet to swap designer clothes for cash or other garments. Consider Shopping Online The internet has grown rapidly over the past five years and you can buy just about anything while sat at home in a comfy chair. You can use the comparison websites to search out the cheapest price for the item that you are looking for and you can compare one brand with another without leaving your chair. Are you claiming all your allowance Many of us don’t know what benefits and tax credits we and our families are entitled to when it comes to claiming for Pension Credits, Child Benefit, Child tax Credits, Working Tax credits, etc. It is reckoned that around £8 billion a year is not claimed by people who are entitled to claim benefits. Prepaid Credit Cards I love this idea as it gives you all the benefits without the credit card balance and you cannot overspend on it. To use a prepaid credit card you need to transfer an amount of money onto the card first before you go shopping. I guarantee that you will only spend what you can afford. This is a truly money saving product that everybody should have. Quit Smoking If you are smoking 20 cigarettes a day then you will be spending around £2,117 a year or more. This is a mind blowing amount of money and it will just be going up in smoke. Now look at the benefits to your health and the health of your children, family and friends. We found when my wife and I gave up smoking that the house smelt cleaner and fresher. Our home does not need painting inside as often anymore, which is now saving us a small fortune as we don’t need to paint as often. Just think if you packed in the weed, you and your family could enjoy a foreign annual holiday each year. You could choose to overpay your mortgage and finish paying it earlier. Alternatively, you could choose to save the money over the next twenty five years and save £52,925 plus any interest. Wow! What are you waiting for? One persons junk is another’s pride and joy Consider selling anything that you haven’t used in the last two or three years. This is a pretty good indicator of whether or not you need it or not and if you have not used it the chances are that you don not need it. Sell it for some hard cash on e bay. Annual Holidays This year is an exception compared with previous years when we were all going to America and other exotic holiday destinations. Now we find that our money in America won’t go as far as it did last year due to the exchange rate. Our European holidays have also just become more expensive due to the exchange rate. America is now 25 more expensive and the Euro is nearly on a parity with the Pound. So why not have a holiday in the UK and support our economy. At least your money will be worth the same and you will save on the cost of holiday travel. You would be surprised at how beautiful our island is. Savings If you are fortunate to have any savings then your need to search out the best Individual Savings Account (Isa) accounts. You can also chose to save up to £850 per month split between the two types of accounts. An Isa provides Tax free savings and a saver can invest up to £10,200 into an Isa each tax year irrespective of whether you are a low or high rate taxpayer. Under the new provision announced by The Chancellor Alistair Darling in the last budget you can be put £5,100 into a cash Isa or a saving account and £5,100 can be invested in stocks and shares. You can withdraw your money at anytime as long as you have not locked them into a fixed rate deal, once the money is withdrawn you cannot return it and if you withdraw during the year you will lose the tax free incentive and the money will become taxable in the year you with draw it. If you are a lower or high rate taxpayer then you will not pay any tax on the money invested in an Isa each year. Under normal circumstances you would pay 40 on the interest received from other saving schemes. If you are a lower rate taxpayer then you would pay 20 on the interest received from other saving schemes. Your Mortgage At present your only hope if you have any savings is a maximum return of 1.5 per year – this is appalling and outrageous! So why not over pay your mortgage which will be on an interest rate of 4 to 7 depending on your mortgage deal. By overpaying your current mortgage will save you many thousands of pounds in interest and you can choose to reduce the term of your mortgage as well. Imagine paying your mortgage off two or three years early. If you paid £500 per month and you were to overpay your mortgage and you paid it off three years earlier you will save £18,000 plus the interest you would not be paying

2009-07-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

Modern Methods To Save Money - 4 Tricks To Tackle Money MattersBy Abhishek Agarwal
People who wanted to be in control have always been frugal and have constantly saved up money. These people save more and more money so that their future is better established.
People find money harder and harder to save as time progresses. They are happy with spending their balance and call saving money isn't a part of life anymore but a resolution to salt away some hard earned cash of yours.
Most people deny that they can save any more and say that they are already cutting down on everything they can and live between the paychecks. They explain that inflation has caused saving money to become next to impossible.
People do, however, have the potential to save more.
Here are a list of modern ways by which you can build your bank balance.
1. Save a portion of your salary. Most people who build successful budgets save up to 30% of their total salary by crediting it immediately to their savings accounts. It is human nature to spend all the money we receive as our salary. In order to constrict ourselves from doing so, we must limit the cash in hand. This increases our savings.
2. Use cash. Many customers use credit cards for payment. These cards are so easy and comfortable that people use it for buying almost everything. In fact a recent survey showed that most middle class families had around $7000 outstanding on their cards. This makes them pay almost an entire grand on interests alone. The comfort offered by these credit cards is probably the chief reason for overspending. People fail to keep a track of how much they spend and end up spending more than they can afford to.
3. Plan your work and Work your plans. Add only things that you feel are definitely achievable in your goals. Don't keep changing your mind about it. Use definite amounts of money and not a hazy figure like around $2000. Instead say, I will save $2000 this year.
Prioritize your life and set goals based on this. Fix a definite time period for each.
4) Use retirement benefit plans of your company. You can save a lot of money for your future with plans like 403(b) or 401(k). These are plans where your company deducts a very small portion of your salary each month and invests the money in mutual funds or any instrument of your choice. You get this back when you retire.
All this in the end means only that saving is not a lifestyle of resolution. It is a great fruit your receive as a gift for all the labor you put in.

2009-07-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ezine Advertising Tips - How to Generate Thousands of Responsive Visitors From Ezine AdsBy Fabian Tan
A secret way I use to get an avalanche of traffic and leads is ezine advertising. But you might be asking, which ezine spots are profitable for me? I don't believe anyone is going to hand you their spots on a platter; you've got to test out the spots yourself. People who are successful in advertising with ezines spent a lot of money to find the right spots that produce, so you've got to respect that these people have spent their resources to find them.
Alright, how do you generate thousands of responsive visitors from ezine ads? I'm going to hand you my secrets for reeling in the traffic. So read on. Firstly, you need to of course find a few ezines to advertise in. Then you need to write ad copy that compels prospects to take action.
An important step you have to take is to set up an ad tracker so you can track your results with different ezines you happen to advertise in. For me, I just set up a simple domain extension like and I track sign-ups like that. But you can get a hold of those ad tracker software if you're not the more analytical type.
I would advise sending the visitors from ezines to a name squeeze page to capture subscribers. The goal is not to make short-term front-end sales, but to build a list that will pay you in the long-term. So do send your traffic to a squeeze page to build your mailing list, as it will pay off big for you in the future.
Fabian Tan is a well-known Internet Marketing expert and the author of the popular 45-page Report:
"Murder Your Job: How To Build Cash Sucking Autopilot Businesses In 30 Days Or Less!"
Head over to http://www.MurderYourJob.com to get your FREE copy now!

2009-07-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Two Rules For Maximum Web Site ProfitsBy Sean R Mize

In traditional web design, your website benefits to some extent from the amount of links you offer--viewers have more of an incentive to visit your site. (This is the logic behind the successful "portal" websites that sometimes offer little beyond a very good and well-organized collection of links.) In direct response web design, your website is actually harmed by offering viewers external links, or any distractions from buying the product.
Therefore, the first basic rule of direct response web design is this: no external links. Once your customers get to your website, they should only leave once they've bought your product (or decided that it isn't for them.)
Basic Rule #2: Small User Base, High Conversion Rate
Traditional web design's aim is to attract and retain a consistent user base. If a traditional website's hit count is high, the website is more attractive to potential advertisers, allowing the website to make money. But that high hit count carries with it a cost: bandwidth fees. (Think of bandwidth fees as your electronic "rent.") The more users go to a website, the more data your web server is responsible for sending and receiving--which means a higher basic operating cost.
In direct response web design, you also need a high hit count--initially. What you don't want is a high hit count that keeps coming back for more without ever buying a product (unless you want your viewers to constantly return to your site in order to check for new products and offers--for some specific notes on what to do if this is your business model, see the next chapter.)
In order to accomplish this, make your website as simple as possible. Give your viewers some basic facts about the product, some information about how this product stands up against its competitors, a few positive testimonials or a photo or two, and then an ordering procedure. That way your viewers can read your information, think about whether they want to buy the product or not, and then either buy it or leave--keeping your bandwidth costs down by keeping out people who won't be of value to your product sales.
Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article writing success, 'Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide'
Download it free here: Secrets of Article Writing

2009-07-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

Make a Living From Internet Marketing Without Spending a DimeBy Alex Cadens

When I first started exploring the internet business arena I always found myself paying a lot of money to join websites or programs that most of the times left me clueless about what I needed to do in order to make money online, and what is worse, some of those websites or programs encouraged me to spend more money on their products or simply asked me to promote those products by using paid advertising options.
There is nothing wrong with using paid advertising, but the problem is that setting up a PPC AdWords campaign or any other for that matter is a risky business, and you need to know exactly what to do in order to avoid getting hurt.
However, as much as I got hit hard in my pocket, I kept going until I finally felt capable of telling the difference between scams and really educational and business oriented resources. From there I actually consider I did not spend money, but I invested money, for the simple reason that I was getting value and know-how, something that would allow me to get a return on that investment.
After joining and investing a couple of good internet marketing programs, I discovered that there are literally dozens of free traffic techniques that can deliver the same -if not better- results that the PPC or paid traffic techniques (in which I wasted a lot of money).
However, it is a fact that free traffic techniques take time to deliver actual results, whereas a well laid out PPC campaign can make you money in a day. It is really up to each person which one is best, based on availability of cash, risk tolerance (because using PPC poses a risk of losing money) etc. In any case you need to know what to do, where to do it, and when to do it.
In my personal view, it pays off to be patient and go for free traffic techniques. They will demand an additional effort on your part, but you can gradually scale up your results without risking a single dime.
Some of those free traffic techniques involve writing articles, using social bookmarking, creating feeds that link to your content and many others that require a bit of work but little or no money.
If you know how to do things and how to adequately canalize your efforts, you can start a solid internet business with an unlimited potential for growth with only your brain power and a fair share of effort. A realistic estimation based on my own experience, is that within a 6 month period you can be hitting the $3,000 monthly income mark without spending money on anything other that a good educational internet marketing resource, which is the one thing that will enable you to achieve this goal.

2009-07-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Worst Investment of the 20th Century?By Graham Summers
Graham SummersLevel: BasicGraham Summers is Senior Market Strategist at OmniSans Research. As such, he co-authors Gain, Pains, and Capital, OmniSans Research’s FREE daily e-letter covering the equity, ... ...

The Worst Investment of All Time Is Set to Make New Lows
One investment, more than any other, has proven to be a terrible storehouse of value for well over 80 years.
While some disasters unfold rapidly (Enron, subprime mortgages, etc.), this investment's decline has occurred in slow motion, losing an average of 3.6% a year. Indeed, you can hardly find a period in the last 89 years in which this investment actually MADE money.
That investment is the dollar.
The dollar has lost 94% of its purchasing power since we abandoned the gold standard. The most dramatic loss in purchasing power occurred directly after Roosevelt made it illegal to own gold. However, with few exceptions, the dollar has been spiraling downward ever since 1920.
After Nixon ended Bretton Woods (legislation that pegged the dollar to gold indirectly), the pace of purchasing power destruction accelerated with the dollar losing an average of 4.4% in purchasing power annually.
Gold and the Dollar have maintained an inverse relationship ever since this time. One zigs, the other zags. One rallies, the other falls. And starting in 2000, both entered long-term trends: the dollar falling while gold rallied.
Now, nothing ever goes straight up OR straight down. And starting in June 2008, the dollar erupted in its strongest rally in decades, jumping 22% in eight months. The story here was easy to understand, although most of the media ignored it. With the dollar continually in decline and interest rates well below the rate of inflation in the post-Tech Crash, foreign corporations and institutional investors borrowed heavily in dollars.
Doing this meant their debts were continually shrinking relative to their profits (sales were denominated in a currency that was rising relative to the currency in which their debts were denominated). This means their debts were easier to pay off.
However, when the dollar started a rally in July '08, this positioning began going horribly wrong. Anyone short the dollar got killed and had to cover their shorts (buy dollars) which in turn pushed the dollar higher. At one point there were an estimated $9 trillion in dollar shorts in the world. So the dollar rally was the mother of all short squeezes. And as you can see, it kicked gold in the teeth.
However, with the Feds running the printing presses and inflationary concerns hitting the market (oil and most industrial commodities have soared in the last three months), the dollar's rise may have come to an end. If the dollar breaks below 79 in a meaningful way, it's "look out below" time. Which should put gold above $1,000 in a sustainable way.
Paul wrote last week that based on the historic trends in the last gold bull market (1970-80) he expected gold to begin its next leg up this fall. However, looking at the dollar vs. gold chart above, it may already be happening. Watch these two investments closely. We may be on the verge of a truly seismic shift between the gold and the dollar.
Good Investing!

2009-07-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Good Financial Management 'Can Help Control Debts'By Abbi Rouse
Although the past few days have seen the country gripped in the throngs of love, the majority of Britons would prefer their partner to be careful with managing money, a new study indicates.
Research carried out by CreditExpert indicates that more than three out of four (76 per cent) adults in a relationship would rather they did not receive a gift this Valentine's Day and instead were secure in the knowledge that their significant other was successful in organising their finances. As part of its Love or Money study, the credit report company indicated that, during a first date, 55 per cent of Britons would view a wallet or purse which is full of credit cards as an indicator of bad monetary management.
Those looking to get to grips with their finances, however, may wish to consider applying for a low-cost personal loan. In using such a loan as a means of debt consolidation, it is possible that borrowers can merge demands for payment across a number of credit cards into a single low-rate repayment.
The study indicated that although 84 per cent of Britons are aware that when a couple apply for joint credit two people become financially linked, consumers will often avoid asking each other financial questions. About half of people would wait to be told a date's salary, with 81 per cent having never asked their other half about their credit history. Meanwhile, just over a fifth (21 per cent) of those in a relationship state that they would leave their partner if their ability to manage their money had an impact on their own life.
Jim Hodgkins, managing director for CreditExpert, said: "In the run-up to Valentine's Day, we are all encouraged to spend money. It's refreshing to see in our research that the majority of the British public would actually prefer their partner to be careful with their finances than spend money on an extravagant present. Good financial management can help couples keep their debts and credit agreements under control. Regular credit report monitoring enables you to keep tabs on your own credit status and be aware of where you are financially linked to a partner via a joint credit agreement."
The company also reported that their loved one's credit history is vital should someone want to buy a home with their partner or apply for a joint loan or other type of borrowing arrangement. Should one person have a negative financial background, it was claimed that money lenders could opt to refuse a joint application. CreditExpert went on to point out that should couples have differing attitudes when it comes to managing money this could cause difficulties in the future if they are linked together in a fiscal, as well as an emotional, sense. As an example, it was suggested that should one consumer be late in repaying credit card bills then their partners' ability to get credit could also be damaged.
In being honest with their loved ones, it is possible that consumers will be able to get to grips with finances more easily. Furthermore those looking to be open about money, with the full knowledge of their other half, may wish to apply for a consolidation loan to pay off other debts quickly. This may be of assistance to a significant number of consumers after a recent engage Mutual Assurance study revealed that over a fifth of Britons who are either married or co-habiting have a financial secret from their partner.

2009-07-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

3 Smart Ways to Make Money With Your ArtBy Greg Gillespie

Before I tell you a story about how just one piece of artwork created over 15 years ago continually and regularly brings me $3,000 every year I would like to ask you a question.
Have you ever wondered how you could be capitalizing on your art talents in way that could generate some extra income for you and your family?
I certainly have as a veteran artist of some 25 years, creating and selling art across the globe, have at times wondered if there were any ways to actually sell my art that would keep on bringing me income long after I have finished my artwork.
The times when my income has dropped for whatever reason, recessions, global financial crisis or just general market dips, have been testing times and have forced me to "think outside the square". After careful research along with some trial and error, I have come up with 3 sure fire ways to make money from your art, that are bound to help you if you put them into practise.
#3 Smart Ways To Make Money From Your Art
1. Sell your art online and have royalties come in for years to come
2. Sell your art tution to students willing to learn "how to..."
3. Other people sell your art & art tuition
So how is it done?
#1 Sell your art online - collect royalties for years.
This is my preferred Smart Way No#1 as it has a payoff that just keeps coming, for me personally 4 times a year I receive a royalty check for work done over 10 years ago. This is a very smart way to make lots of money from your artwork, but you have to know what you are doing before you can guarantee success with this method.
Who Will Pay For My Artwork? What are the Markets? First and foremost you need to work out which markets are going to be interested in your artwork. Do you like to paint landscapes? Or animals? Or cartoon characters? Or Cars & Bikes? Or Nudes? Or abstract? Or caricatures?
Each of these have different markets that can be exploited for royalties for years to come. Some of the distributors of such art are: jigsaw puzzle companies, computer and cell phone wallpaper companies and homewares companies, are 3 goldmine areas to explore. Each of these different markets rely on fresh and inventive artists like yourself to come up with more "PRODUCTS" for them. That is right, you are the product creator, they are the marketers. That is how it works.
Let me give you an example:
Several years ago I was approached by a jigsaw company in Australia "Blue Opal Jigsaws" and asked if a piece of artwork I had already made for a former client who allowed me to retain copyright of the original and profited from, could be reused for a new jigsaw they had planned.
After careful negotiations I was offered $1,500 for some slight modifications to the artwork and a 7% royalty, payable quarterly for the life of the product.
I currently receive approximately $3,000 annually from this one puzzle that keeps on selling over and over. I will give you a hint - it is in the souvenir/tourist category (this market never gets tired of buying your product, because they are a new breed every year, as most people take that big overseas holiday perhaps just once in their lifetime and so they want something classic to remember their trip by) which is the perfect market for a repeat sale of your product. You don't want to choose something that is contemporary if it is longevity is your aim, as it will eventually lose steam and fade out of existence.
Here's an another example:
Visit all the pop culture websites and make a list of the coolest people (celebrities of course!) and create cool caricatures of them(just Google celebrity and follow the leads). They need only be head and shoulders, (face really - you will see why in a minute). Each different subculture idolizes a different mob of heros, so get your mind into their space, in fact MySpace is a great place to start. Learn your market, think like your market and create what you would want if you were them instead of you. It takes a little time but well worth it when you read this next sentence.
Each year the mobile phone ringtone industry sells $7,000,000,000 dollars worth of ringtones to young people around the world. This market has tons of disposable income (mummy and daddy are paying for the house, food, transport and general upkeep) so they love to spend their time (also tons to spare) with friends online and on their cell phones. Guess what they love to spend their spare cash on - "Wallpapers". For those of you youthfully challenged readers are probably wondering what's a Wallpaper and why would they buy it?
A wallpaper for a cell phone or mobile phone is the display image on the full color screen on the phone itself. The picture is small so a celebrity head that fills the screen is going sell better than a whole body, so less work to do (this is easy if you know the secrets to a quick and cool caricature).
Wallpaper sales are the next most popular download (read purchase$) next to cell phone ringtones, so you can see it is a huge market. Yes I hear you say but how do you sell to this young lot, isn't the market saturated with products like this? Well yes there is competition like any field but you only need a small piece of a very big pie to feed the family as they say.
You could setup your own website, (more info on doing this correctly below) and draw in traffic by giving away 5 free wallpapers to members who register for your weekly newsletter (the one you send with your latest "pay for" caricatures, that is the who is hot and in the news this week, follow scandal websites for tons of ideas here!!!) and watch the income increase as your newsletter subscriptions increase. If only 4% of subscribers bought your latest celebrity caricature of the week for .99c and you had a subscriber list of 50,000 you would be $1,000 a week better off.
Work once and get paid many, many times now that is smart.
#2 Sell Your Art Tuition Online - Everyone Wants To Learn How To.
Now the obvious suggestion here is to launch a website and setup a shopping cart and off you go to success, but if it were that easy then everyone would be doing it right? Exactly, so that is NOT what you are going to do. You are going to set yourself apart from the herd and have people lining up for your tuition and keep on paying you forever, or as long as your art teaching is popular.
So how is this going to be done?
Everybody loves to watch don't they? Yes, they love to watch others and see if they can pick up some tips on how they are doing their magic, whether it is oil painting a landscape in "plain air", sketching caricatures at a theme park, or creating fantasy art with 3D computer programs. Whatever your leaning towards, if you have mastered your craft then you can get people interested in learning your methods by this very simple technique, that doesn't cost you a cent.
A) Set up a YouTube account
B) Record yourself creating your art
C) Publish to YouTube some introductory video lessons
Once you have published your artwork on YouTube and all the other major video sharing sites, watch the traffic of visitors come in to your website to learn more. That is how it works for me, as some of my videos have had 50,000 viewings in less than a year. That is a lot of targeted traffic for your site and the "Full length videos on DVD delivered to your door - for $39.95" or the "ebook instant download version for $29.95". I personally have "How To...Products" that have been selling on an almost daily basis for months now and the best thing is the market is steady despite the economy being anything but.
#3 Get Other People To Sell Your Art & Art Tuition!
This one is also a favorite smart way to make money by selling your art online. Creating art as in example #1 and then selling the tuition in #2, sets you up perfectly for doing this - getting AFFILIATES to sell your artwork for you.
You see there are whole armies of folks selling things online to their audiences who login on regularly to the websites that they control. Most of their time is spent on creating content for blogs, answering forum posts and keeping the site up to date, so they have precious little time to do what you and I do - make art!
So those with the website visitors, (some popular sites have hundreds of thousands of unique visitors everyday) are in the perfect position to sell your wares, your artwork by commission, your art 'how to...' products. I personally have a long list of affiliates who are out there promoting my ebooks who only get paid IF they make a sale. Now that is my kind of workforce, no base salary, no holiday or sick leave to account for, only commission on sale. It doesn't get any better than that.
Using the contemporary example above for cell phone wallpapers, you can approach hundreds of website owners with your - "this weeks best sellers celebrity caricature wallpaper" and have them sell for you on a royalty basis as well.
The limits to these lucrative areas are boundless and with your crazy artistic imagination you are going to do well to follow these 3 smart ways to profit from your art online.
Click here to see some celebrity caricature examples you could be doing: http://www.learn-to-draw.org/caricature-celebrities/ and scroll down and go to page 3, 4, etc for some very cool looking celebrity caricatures

2009-07-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

10 Money Tips For Recent GraduatesBy David Weliver
Entering the working world after school can be daunting enough without worrying about money. Unfortunately, now that you're really on your own, there is nothing more important than staying smart about your personal finances. Here are ten tips to help you get off on the right foot financially.
1. Start Saving - Apartments and cars are expensive, and entry level jobs don't pay much, but don't use this as an excuse not to stash away a percentage of your pay. Not only is it critical to get into the habit of saving early in your life, but you'll want to have a cash reserve saved up for the unexpected and eventually, a down payment on a home. To make saving painless, have 10% of your income automatically deducted from your paycheck. High-yield savings accounts, like those from ING Direct and E*Trade, pay more than 3% interest and make saving easier than ever.
2. Build Credit - If you don't already have a credit card, sign up for a card with cash rewards like American Express Blue Cash or Chase Freedom. Use it to buy your everyday purchases like gas and groceries, but pay it off in full every month! In time, this will build your credit history so you can get approved for auto loans or a mortgage when you need them.
3. Make a Plan to Get Debt Free - If you graduated with credit card debt, make a plan to pay it down quickly. Focus on high-interest credit card balances first, and put as much extra cash as you can towards the debt every month. Whatever you do, avoid going into more debt. It can be tempting to spend your new paycheck on new clothes, going out, and lavish vacations, but doing so will cost you for years to come.
4. Open a 401k - If your employer offers a retirement plan like a 401k, don't miss out on this important benefit. Ask your human resources manger about enrollment paperwork, and elect to contribute at least 6% of your before-tax income to your fund. Many employers will match 50% of your contribution, and this money will grow, tax-free, for your entire career. If given the option, choose "high-risk" portfolios that have the potential for high returns. You're young, so you can tolerate the risk.
5. Open a Roth IRA - In addition to your employer-sponsored retirement plan, get into the habit of saving for the future on your own. A Roth IRA is the perfect way to go. You can open one from most financial institutions and contribute up to $5,000 annually (as of 2008). Unlike a regular IRA, you contribute after-tax dollars to a Roth, but when you retire, your distributions are not taxed. This is the perfect compliment to your 401k, which lets you contribute pre-tax dollars, but will be taxed when you take distributions in retirement.
6. Learn to Budget - In order to make sure you don't go into debt, learn to set up a simple monthly budget and stick to it. Write down how much you make each month, and then tally up your expenses like rent, gas, cell phone, food, student loan bills, entertainment, etc. Aim to keep your expenses well below your income, and save the rest. If you find that you spend more than you make, take a long hard look at what you can cut out of your spending, or take on an extra job to make ends meet. There are many free online tools that can help you with your budget, including one of my favorites: Mint.com.
7. Start a Business - Don't think you're the entrepreneur type? You don't have to be to earn a little extra cash from your own business. One of the key ways people become financially successful is by creating income streams outside of their salary. Think about ways you can turn a hobby or interest of yours into a part-time gig. Maybe you have an impressive MP3 collection and could DJ parties, or you're an IT whiz and can help people with their computer programs. Know your way around the Web? Start a blog that earns revenue from advertisers and affiliates.
8. Set Goals - Successful people figure out where they want to go, and then figure out how to get there. You should do the same, both financially and professionally. Make a plan for where you want to be in five years, and reevaluate your progress every couple of months. How much do you want to be earning? Where do you want to live? How much do you want to have in the bank?
9. Improve Yourself - Your greatest asset is your education and skills that you can use to find employment or run a business. Consider whether an advanced degree could improve your earnings potential. If going back to school isn't for you, continue to enrich yourself by reading plenty of books in your field or taking a few extra classes. You never know when a new skill will propel you into a new position or make you worthy of a big raise.
10. Give Back - Finally, remember that money isn't worth working for if you only spend it on yourself. Even if you can only spare a few dollars a month, choose worthy causes and give to them. Knowing that you're helping to make a difference to others less fortunate or to advance important research is worth every penny.

2009-05-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

How to Make Money Right Now Even If You Are Unemployed

By Max Lauplin

How To Make Money While Unemployed
If you are someone who has recently been unemployed or has been on unemployment for some time now, then you know how frustrating it can be to find a reliable job. In fact, you probably know first hand that getting a decent job during these hard times is near impossible.
Want to know a little secret though? You've been looking for opportunities in all the wrong places. It is possible for you to make a very good salary doing some that you enjoy. How? By making money online.
Earn A Great Salary By Making A Living Online
There is tons of opportunity on the internet and getting started with earning cash online is now easier than ever. This is because there are tons of resources on the internet which allow you to easily leverage the work of others in order to reap in huge profits.
Honestly, making money through the internet is literally as easy as identifying an interest that you have and then finding a potential market which shares that same interest. Once you are able to finding something that you have a passionate interest for then you will be absolutely set to make some niche cash online.
Use A Solid System To Get The Most Out Of The Internet
The only downside to making money through the use of the internet is that there is a ton of stuff to learn initially. So much so that you will most likely be overwhelmed if you aren't quite sure where to get started or how to get started for that matter. That is why is is very important to find a solid and proven system for making cash online using legitimate means.
Earning money on the internet will require you to essentially construct your own business model. This can be very difficult if you are just starting out as there is a ton of crap information out there.
Do you want to know a little secret when it comes to making money online and working from home? If you truly want to earn money then you need to have access to an honest "make money online" guide. Guess what? I've gone through all of the guides for making money online and I've analyzed each and everyone to see if they really offer value. Do you want to know what I found? There was only one guide that offered a genuine way to make money online with no experience at all.
I have literally done all of the hard work for you. I've tested what works and what doesn't so that you don't have to. If you want to take advantage of my hard work then click the link below to read my review of the very best "make money online" product out there. You do want to make money online, right?

2009-05-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

Make $100 Dollars a Day - 3 Ways to Make Money Without Leaving Your Home
By Samuel Austin

Looking for a way to make some quick cash without leaving your home? Of course you are. Everybody is. However, you don't need to look any further. We have the solutions to your money woes. Simply read on.
1. Advertise: If you have a website, you can sell the advertisement space for cash. If your website is successful and gains a lot of traffic, then you can stand to make even more cash by upping the prices. For example, say you have a website that has 100 advertising spaces on offer. Sell each advertising space for 30 dollars per month and you will make 3,000 each month, or 100 dollars a day. And this is for doing absolutely nothing but maintaining a successful website!
2. Online surveys: it's completely possible to make 100 dollars a day simply by filling out surveys. In fact, many people make up to 400 dollars a day. All you need is the right state of mind, an internet connection and a passion for reading and voicing your opinions. Have all that? Then you're ready to go.
3. Create a membership site: Like your own website, a membership site works by monthly paid memberships. Each member pays a certain monthly fee and you provide them with an all-access pass to the information on your site. The number of members, the more money you stand to make. For example, if you have 150 members at 25 dollars per month, then you are making 3,750 dollars per month. This works out to 125 per day.
It is completely possible to make 100 dollars a day without even stepping foot outside of your door. Can you current place of employment promise you that? Didn't think so.
If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.
Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program.
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