Category Archives: Business

Business

Three secrets to becoming debt free

There seems to be no shortage of gurus who sell all manner of programs that “guarantee” you will get debt free. Great, that’s what is needed. Spending more money.

Yes, these programs work. Yes, they can be helpful. But why spend more money to learn how to get out of debt? Doesn’t that seem silly?

Here are three tips to becoming debt free:

Make a Budget

Go through your monthly expenses. Categorize everything as a want or a need. A need is what is required to survive, everything else is a want. Look at your needs again. What can still be moved to a want?

Set a little money away each month to drive toward a want. Let it be a reward for reaching a milestone. Keep it small, but it will grow over time.

Now look at the needs. How can these expenses be minimized? Store brands over national? Coupon clipping? Store specials? All of them help. Do it and push the saved money into debt payments.

Make a debt payment Plan

Get all your debt payments out and list them. Now order them based on the total amount due, smallest to largest. Pay off the smaller owned amount first. Pile every spare penny into it. On all the rest, make the minimum payments. Don’t worry about coming up with some complicated scheme based on the interest rates, amount owed, payment schedule, etc. Keep it simple. Smallest to largest.

As each debt is paid in full, add that money to the payment for the next largest. Let the payment grow. Let it snowball. After a few are paid, things will really pick up. Go!

Stay consistant

One of the biggest mistakes people make is paying off a debt or two and then spending a charging a big item. Don’t do it! Stay the course. Get all the debt done first, then start saving for a nice to have. Look at all the interest you are paying. Don’t it be nice to have that money working for you instead of the bank? Stay the course and it will happen.

Use the money set aside for small rewards are you pay off each debt. Pay cash for those rewards. Don’t reward yourself with more debt. Once debt free, use the same saving system to buy. If you don’t have the money, you don’t buy it.

Reach It!

There. Three secrets to becoming debt free and you didn’t have to buy anything. Make a budget. Plan your attack. Stay the course. You can do it!

 

Business

No more MLM…please

Starting a new home business? No more MLM, please. Why no more? Simply.

No more continuous shuffling of people in and out of your downline.

No more hotel meetings and dragging new sets of eyeballs every week to see “the plan” and maybe sign up.

No more cold calling people you meet at the grocery store or the local fast food joint.

No more buying product you don’t need and stock piling in your home just to maintain your level and your paycheck.

No more conning friends and family over for dinner just to spring the board plan on them during the evening.

No more products that are easily copied and available at your local store.

No more business that don’t work.

When starting a home business, it is important to have a product that cannot be copied, but is in high demand. It is important to have a business structure that delivers upfront profits and good duplication.

Start a business. Start a real business. Today.

Business, Commentary

Have Faith

The Apostle Paul writes in Hebrews that without faith it is impossible to please God. Dani Johnson writes that it is the lack of faith in one’s self that causes failure. Faith is more than just a religious expression, it is how we live our lives.

For the Entrepreneur, faith is an all important component. It is what let’s one know that success will be had. It is more than just leaping blindly from the ledge, it is in knowing that there is a place to land and it will be reached. Faith is that knowing.

Having constant failure in your business venture? Working very hard, but not seeing any results? Take a good step back and examine yourself. Do you believe you will have success or are you just wishing? Having the latter means you do not have faith. Success in business is not about winning the lottery. It is not dumb luck that a business grows and brings rewards to those who start. It is about faith.

Faith is the underlying support. Someone’s why is what drives them, what keeps them going. It is their faith that allows them to see success before it happens. It is their faith that cuts through all the murkiness. They have faith in their abilities. They know they have what it takes. They know they will be successful and realize their dreams. They have faith.

Work on your faith this week. Examine and meditate on how you truly see your abilities. Where you find lack, seek training and guidance. Build on small successes and increase your faith in yourself. After all, you are an Entrepreneur. You did start a business. You much have at least a mustard seed of faith in yourself to get that far. Grow it.

Commentary

Not the Tea Party

The bloggisphere is all alight blaming the Tea Party for the downturn in the market. They pull out all manner of “facts” to support their suppositions, but they are not truthful with their information.

It’s Reagan’s mess

While it is correct Reagan promised balanced budgets in his campaigns, he was not able to fulfill it. His tax cuts sparked growth in the economy and when he left office 8 years later, revenues to the treasury were twice what they were when Carter left office. Detractors will quickly point out that Reagan raised taxes twice in those 8 years, but they are slow to recall that $2 in spending were to be cut from every $1 raised. The cuts never took place in a Democrat controlled Congress. Reagan also caused two government shutdowns to try to get a balanced budget. The such budgets ever left Congress for Reagan to sign.

Clinton Balanced the Budget

Candidate Clinton’s budget proposal was lauded by all manner of Keynesian economics in 1992. These are the same economics who are complaining about the S&P downgrade and the Tea Party.

Clinton gave the middle-class the largest tax increase in American history and budget deficits of $220 billion a year. This plus his wife’s attempted take over of 1/6 of the American economy lead to an electorate revolt that gave the Republicans control of Congress for the first time in decades. The Conservatives cut taxes and spending and balanced the budget. No longer invited to the elite parties in Washington, RINOs thanked Newt by throwing him under the bus and slowly losing power. These same RINOs now yell at the Tea Party.

Bush Spent the Surplus

Bush was chosen the Republican candidate over the objection of the Conservatives. A Social Democrat at heart, Bush was the embodiment of tax cut and spend life crazy. The growth during his Presidency was more a left-over of Reagan era policies than his own. The spending really ramped up the last two years of his Presidency when he finally had a Congress that would not oppose him. That is when the Democrats took full control back again.

Listen to tapes of the various talk radio shows during the Bush era and you will hear people pissed off. They were holding their collective noses voting for RINOs all around the country because the thought of total Marxism running unchecked was too great. The support for Fascism’s track of the Progressive ideals was nearly too much to swallow. This culminated in the Tea Party spawning after the 2008 election. No longer bound by some allegiance to a party, they found one another and grew.

The Real Blame

Lost in all the shatter is how much S&P agreed with the Tea Party. The cuts have to be real, not just some reduction in the rate of growth. No Democrat has proposed real cuts, his Holiness Obama included. Only the Tea Party backed bill sought to cut real spending and it died in the Senate at Harry Reid’s hands. America would not have defaulted, but the crowing from the Progressives was great and they had the People well scared. Yes, the Progressive share much of the blame, but they are not the root cause. They are but a symptom of the disease.

The late comedian George Carlin was heading in the right direction with his rant on the voters. Yes, the start of this whole mess is the public. Once Politicians realized that many voters’ had their votes for sale and the Supreme Court reversed 150 years of Constitutional precedent, the race over the cliff was on. Money was borrowed and borrowed to ensure the end was not reached while they were in office. This last bunch were caught out when the music stopped. The Progressive gravy train is over. It is up to the People of America to get out of this mess; not the Politicians, not the Government, but the People. The People have the power. Hopefully they will seek Freedom and Liberty and not shared misery through Tyranny.

Business, Commentary

“Two if by Tea” is good for America

Recently, Rush Limbaugh started his own line of tea. The brand is call “Two if by Tea” and is run by his with Kathryn. He says the tea is the best and the formula is well researched. Despite being only available on-line, it is selling well.

The broke 98% crowd hears this news and reacts in the most typical of fashion. Phrases such as “Doesn’t he have enough money?” and “More money for him” come out of their mouths. They are too broke and down on their own lives to see the bigger picture. Rush’s expansion into tea excellence is good for America.

The venture shows the entrepreneurial spirit. It is giving new jobs to some Americans. Rush has gone out of his way to make sure as much of the product comes from America and not overseas from some Chinese sweat shop. The ingredients, bottling and labeling are all high quality. The patriotic theme is more than a marketing stance. Think of it as all-American tea for all Americans.

Seeing the entrepreneurial spirit in action should be applauded, mattering not if you like Limbaugh or tea. Forget the taking head haters and look beyond his politics. Look at the employment of Americans without help from the government. It is in the entrepreneurial spirit where America will find release from the current economic malaise. It is the entrepreneurial spirit that help create, shape and drive America. It is the entrepreneurial spirit that made America great, not government spending and enslavement.

Celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit. Buy tea.

Business, Commentary

Focus on the solution

Bam! Failure! Bam! Failure! Plunk!

Failure comes to all. Failure is a part of growth. Failure happens. It is what you do with failure that is important. Failure only wins if you do not get back up and move forward again.

It is good to take ownership of the failure (the “buck stops here” principle), but do not dwell on it. Analysis what went wrong and then seek solutions. No, hunt down solutions like your life depends on it.

Finding solutions to failures and problems separates the 2% from the rest. They do not see failure as a negative. It is simply a way to eliminate a pathway, find a dead-end and an opportunity to start again. It shows them what does not work and points toward what does.

Solutions are what allow one to overcome obstacles. Concentrating on the problem and failure leads nowhere. Over analyzing the situation also leads nowhere. Knowing the cause of the problem is only helpful if it leads to a solution. Otherwise, it is a wasteful exercise or self-loathing.

Own the failure. Understand what went wrong. Own the all out creation of the solution and overcome.

Business

Time. We All Get The Same.

Time. Some want more of it. Some use it wisely. Some squander it ruthlessly. Some use it to succeed. Some use it to dig dipper into despair.

Everyday on Earth is measured in units of 24 hours. Unless scheduled for departure, every human gets the same about. Everyday. Every week. Every year. The rich do not get more and the poor do not get less. Some relish in it, others try to manage it.

The matter what book one might read on time management, the secret is it cannot be managed. No matter what one might do or how hard one might try, the clock moves forward at the same rate. Due dates always arrive. The secret is to manage yourself in time.

Ever wonder where the time goes? Ever wonder why some get some much done and others flounder? The answer is obtained by a very simple task. Journaling.

What-ing?

Get a notebook and journal every thing you do in a day. Write down the time a task is started. Write down the time of every interruption. Write down how every minute is spent. At the end of the day, review the journal. What was productive time on an assigned task? What is just goofing off? What is frivolous? What is quality time? What is personal time?

The journal does not lie. It shows where your time went. Spending 2 hours a day talking to co-workers? Some co-worker bothering you 10 minutes of every hour? Hour much longer than you thought? Productive time too short?

No this for a week. Review at the end. Sum the time on productive tasks and divide by the hours expect. How productive are you? Now you know.

The exercise must be done every day to start to have some effect. The answer to where time goes will become answered. Now you know the source of distraction and delay. Now you know where to aim energy to improve. Now you will start to manage yourself in time.

Commentary

Let Others See Your Satisifaction

You strive and try. You retry and start over. You mold and form. You adjust. Finally, you step back and are satisfied with the result. The task is complete. The job done. You smile. You are satisfied.

When you do this for your business, do you do this alone? Is there anyone that sees you? Or do you do it all out of sight where no one sees? Learn to allow others to see your satisfaction.

People are drawn to leaders. People are drawn to other who are satisfied with their work. People are drawn to satisfied leaders.

Satisfied leaders start a task determined to give their best efforts. There is no kinda doing anything. Leaders start with the intention of finishing. The in between doing is done with 100% of their best. Doing it right the first time diminishes the need for rework. It produces the required result once and the next task is targeted.

The effort is focused. The effort is directed. The effort is pure. Satisfied leaders are not just going to stick their big toes in and just stirring. They jump in and enjoy the journey. The enjoyment builds the satisfaction. The journey builds the results. The results speak for themselves. The leader is satisfied. The job is complete. There is no need for rework.

Commentary

Are You Looking Or Searching?

Growing up, I remember my mother telling me to search, not just look. I couldn’t find anything unless it was sitting on top of everything else. That’s looking. That’s just kicking the tires and seeing what might happen. That is living life unguided. That is just going along.

Searching is far more active. It requires moving things out of your way, looking under things, actively being involved. Searching is what those who want do. It is what those who want to truly find do.

Going about just looking results in nothing. Window shopping is just looking. It consumes time, but does not result in anything lasting.

Are you looking or searching?

Looking about for solutions to one’s problems or avenues to new discoveries will lead to frustration and resentment. The issue with looking is that it lacks purpose; it lacks drive; it lacks determination; it just is. It is passive. There is nothing propelling it. There is no Why, so there can be no How.

Searching, on the other hand, is about finding solutions will all manner of vigor. Searching will chase down solutions. It will go down avenues to find them. It is relentless. It is full of drive. It is determined. It has a Why and pushes the How through all possible combinations. It finds new ways when old ways run dry. It makes discoveries that lead to more solutions. Searching is active.

Are you looking for searching?

Looking is use Google or Bing to find 42,000 ways to make money on-line. Looking will take one to many websites, perhaps even sign up for a few. Looking sees $200 to start and thinks that’s too much. Looking leads to thinking everything is a scam and there really isn’t a way out. Looking is what the 98% do.

Searching uses Google and Bing to find reviews. Searching discovers which businesses are best. Searching scoffs are $200 to start as too cheap and understands the profits will be too low. Searching leads to start a business that costs thousands and doesn’t worry about the fees. Searching gets results. Searching is what the 2% do.

Are you looking for searching?

Business, Commentary

DRIVE to Business

Want to know what sets Entrepreneurs apart from Employees? Want to know what makes them tick? It is quite simple. It is DRIVE.

Now DRIVE is not just some verb meaning they push forward. DRIVE is an attitude. DRIVE is a way of life. DRIVE lives and breaths. It is.

Determination

No matter what happens, an Entrepreneur is determined to see the outcome. No obsticle is too great and no setback is too large. They go through, around, over or under anything in their path. They will not be stopped. They are the bull.

Readiness

An Entrepreneur does not just jump without looking; they prepare. When action is required, they are on the ready. They train. They practice. They look for the opportunity and then jump. They move against the flow. They are the boy scout.

Initiative

The Entrepreneur does not need to be told to move, they are already are. They set goals and then assign tasks to complete them. They do not need to be told what to do and when to do it. They see where their strengths and weaknesses are. The seek training to strengthen all aspects. They are the self-starter.

Vision

The Entrepreneur knows where they want to go and plan to get there. No wondering around in the wilderness aimlessly looking for a promised land, they know where they are at all times. Their vision guides and propels them. They are the profit.

Expectation

The Entrepreneur expects to win. There is no “perhaps in the future” or “maybe it will work” attitude. They are instead “when it works” and “I know it will work” mentally. And if it doesn’t? They have DRIVE to change course and expect results. Failure is just another step to the goal, but an end unto itself. They are the winner.

Know that you know the difference, it is time to put DRIVE into your business. It doesn’t matter if you are an employee or wanting to start a new business, the practice of DRIVE will lend results. Survey yourself and your situation, determine goals and strategies, and then DRIVE to them.