SEPTEMBER 2004 Greetings & Salutations: Time is your best friend. Unfortunately, it is also your worst enemy. To succeed in business, get to know the economic and seasonal trends in your chosen field of endeavor. But ... Seasonal & Economic Trends Aren't The Only "Time" That Can Make You or Break You! As a matter of fact, one element of "time" probably causes more people to fail in business than any other factor. Unfortunately, all too many of the ads offering business opportunities lead people to believe that they can "work less, make more money and enjoy doing nothing." But ... Look around you. -- The 'saddest' people in our society are people who have little or nothing to do with their time. With nothing to do, they do nothing and enjoy doing it less and less every passing day ... until it becomes a debilitating way of life. Right now, you're probably thinking ... "Next he's going to tell me how I need to spend more 'time' in my business to succeed." Wrong, wristwatch breathe ... almost the opposite! You must learn how to ... Wait! Having spent over 40 years ... man & boy ... in business, I would venture to guess that I have spent 20 of those years waiting for something to happen. Fifty percent of my time ... waiting for a customer to come through my door ... waiting for someone to deliver the goods or supplies I need ... waiting for the mail to arrive ... waiting for my ads to appear ... waiting for something to do! It's the "waiting," not the amount of "time" spent working, that kills most small, beginning businesses. Think about it! -- When someone has a 40-hours-per-week job, they spend 8-hours-per-day "doing" their job. They have things to do almost every minute they are on-the-job ... whether they are really working or not, they have 'something' to do ... even if it's just talking with the other employees. When that same person decides to get out of the rat race, start their own business, just lay back and enjoy life, even if their business will support them ... pay for food, clothing, shelter and transportation ... they don't feel successful because they only 'work' when there is 'work' to be done. Beyond that, even though they work less and make more money than they did on a payroll-job, they feel locked-in because, whether they have 'work' to do or not, they have to be in their store or office; or sitting behind their computer (waiting for something to do). The waiting gets even worse when the small amount of time spent working doesn't produce enough income to pay for the essentials of life ... food, clothing, shelter and transportation ... and there is nothing they can constructively do to produce more income. So, they spend more 'time' in the office or store or sitting behind their computer - or ... worse yet ... spend 'money' they don't have on inventory, equipment or machinery, for which they still don't have customers or 'work' to accomplish. In reality, the only constructive thing a small businessman, or woman, can do to produce more income is to create and implement more advertising - but - once the ad is created and placed, or the mailing is made, you're back to waiting. Although I have read thousands upon thousands of books, booklets, manuals, courses and articles about business, not once have I ever read anything that tells the beginner that "waiting" is the real name of the game. -- Having to "wait," the beginner quits, thinking they have failed when, in truth, they have simply given up. Over the years, I have seen a multitude of successful businesses closed, or abandoned, by beginners who simply couldn't wait. -- Don't be one of them. No matter what business you choose stop and realize that you are going to spend more time waiting that you are going to spend working. Then ... Learn To Wait Creatively! Believe it or don't ... even some highly successful business people success themselves to death because they have never learned to just relax and find something to do with their "waiting time." In order to find things to do with their "waiting time," they expand into other businesses to fill their time. Then, they have to create even more business activities in order to fill the "waiting time" in those businesses. Until, finally, they have stretched the financial resources of their original successful business to the point of bankruptcy by supporting all of their other 'time consuming' ... but less profitable ... business activities. (Hey! I've been there.) Contrary to popular belief, people don't really want to "work less" to earn more money ... they want to "do something" to earn more money. Then, even if they are earning more money, they are constantly looking for something else to do because life without something to do isn't worth living. So, learn to do the "work" you have, when you have the "work" to do, but find some good books, magazines and newspapers to read ... or puzzles to solve ... or other business people to talk with ... or articles to write ... or equipment to repair ... or even games to play ... to fill your "waiting time" - or - if you must work, don't hire that next employee and do the job yourself. The time you spend working will never kill you (or your business), but the time you spend waiting ... with nothing to do ... might. Now, let's do some ... Questions & Answers, Comments & Other Good Stuff! Anony Mouse was up against it ... "Still a big "0" after over 2 years in this. This last year I invested over $4,000 in Internet marketing without 1 cent to show for a return. Just giving money away I guess to people like you. -- Guess you have it figured out. -- Wish I was you. -- Now I have little or nothing left to invest in anything, but even if I did, how am I to REALLY know I am going to have some kind of return? -- I am 53 with 7 children just moved here, already about to loose the home we just bought, and so ... how am I supposed to believe or trust what anyone says anymore?" Mouse: Like so many beginning business people, you are trying to run before you can walk. If you had spent the same $4,000 in any of the small businesses in my Free Report, you would already be on your way to financial stability. One of my rules is: Do what you can with what you have until you can afford to get what you need to do what you want. Before you ever try to get into an "on going" business ... mailorder, Internet marketing, import/export; whatever ... you must first establish a stable financial base. You can not build on quicksand. -- AND -- Whenever you experience a set back, retreat to the next lower level of existence until you can rebuild your base. (I've had to do it a number of times in my life.) Suggest you go download my Free Report again and begin building your base ... before you go chasing rainbows. Download the report at:
SEPTEMBER 2004
Greetings & Salutations:
Time is your best friend. Unfortunately, it is also your worst enemy. To succeed in business, get to know the economic and seasonal trends in your chosen field of endeavor. But ...
As a matter of fact, one element of "time" probably causes more people to fail in business than any other factor. Unfortunately, all too many of the ads offering business opportunities lead people to believe that they can "work less, make more money and enjoy doing nothing." But ... Look around you. -- The 'saddest' people in our society are people who have little or nothing to do with their time. With nothing to do, they do nothing and enjoy doing it less and less every passing day ... until it becomes a debilitating way of life. Right now, you're probably thinking ... "Next he's going to tell me how I need to spend more 'time' in my business to succeed." Wrong, wristwatch breathe ... almost the opposite! You must learn how to ...
Having spent over 40 years ... man & boy ... in business, I would venture to guess that I have spent 20 of those years waiting for something to happen. Fifty percent of my time ... waiting for a customer to come through my door ... waiting for someone to deliver the goods or supplies I need ... waiting for the mail to arrive ... waiting for my ads to appear ... waiting for something to do! It's the "waiting," not the amount of "time" spent working, that kills most small, beginning businesses. Think about it! -- When someone has a 40-hours-per-week job, they spend 8-hours-per-day "doing" their job. They have things to do almost every minute they are on-the-job ... whether they are really working or not, they have 'something' to do ... even if it's just talking with the other employees. When that same person decides to get out of the rat race, start their own business, just lay back and enjoy life, even if their business will support them ... pay for food, clothing, shelter and transportation ... they don't feel successful because they only 'work' when there is 'work' to be done. Beyond that, even though they work less and make more money than they did on a payroll-job, they feel locked-in because, whether they have 'work' to do or not, they have to be in their store or office; or sitting behind their computer (waiting for something to do). The waiting gets even worse when the small amount of time spent working doesn't produce enough income to pay for the essentials of life ... food, clothing, shelter and transportation ... and there is nothing they can constructively do to produce more income. So, they spend more 'time' in the office or store or sitting behind their computer - or ... worse yet ... spend 'money' they don't have on inventory, equipment or machinery, for which they still don't have customers or 'work' to accomplish. In reality, the only constructive thing a small businessman, or woman, can do to produce more income is to create and implement more advertising - but - once the ad is created and placed, or the mailing is made, you're back to waiting. Although I have read thousands upon thousands of books, booklets, manuals, courses and articles about business, not once have I ever read anything that tells the beginner that "waiting" is the real name of the game. -- Having to "wait," the beginner quits, thinking they have failed when, in truth, they have simply given up. Over the years, I have seen a multitude of successful businesses closed, or abandoned, by beginners who simply couldn't wait. -- Don't be one of them. No matter what business you choose stop and realize that you are going to spend more time waiting that you are going to spend working. Then ...
Believe it or don't ... even some highly successful business people success themselves to death because they have never learned to just relax and find something to do with their "waiting time." In order to find things to do with their "waiting time," they expand into other businesses to fill their time. Then, they have to create even more business activities in order to fill the "waiting time" in those businesses. Until, finally, they have stretched the financial resources of their original successful business to the point of bankruptcy by supporting all of their other 'time consuming' ... but less profitable ... business activities. (Hey! I've been there.) Contrary to popular belief, people don't really want to "work less" to earn more money ... they want to "do something" to earn more money. Then, even if they are earning more money, they are constantly looking for something else to do because life without something to do isn't worth living. So, learn to do the "work" you have, when you have the "work" to do, but find some good books, magazines and newspapers to read ... or puzzles to solve ... or other business people to talk with ... or articles to write ... or equipment to repair ... or even games to play ... to fill your "waiting time" - or - if you must work, don't hire that next employee and do the job yourself.
The time you spend working will never kill you (or your business), but the time you spend waiting ... with nothing to do ... might.
Now, let's do some ...
Anony Mouse was up against it ...
"Still a big "0" after over 2 years in this. This last year I invested over $4,000 in Internet marketing without 1 cent to show for a return. Just giving money away I guess to people like you. -- Guess you have it figured out. -- Wish I was you. -- Now I have little or nothing left to invest in anything, but even if I did, how am I to REALLY know I am going to have some kind of return? -- I am 53 with 7 children just moved here, already about to loose the home we just bought, and so ... how am I supposed to believe or trust what anyone says anymore?"
Mouse:
Like so many beginning business people, you are trying to run before you can walk. If you had spent the same $4,000 in any of the small businesses in my Free Report, you would already be on your way to financial stability. One of my rules is:
Before you ever try to get into an "on going" business ... mailorder, Internet marketing, import/export; whatever ... you must first establish a stable financial base. You can not build on quicksand. -- AND -- Whenever you experience a set back, retreat to the next lower level of existence until you can rebuild your base. (I've had to do it a number of times in my life.) Suggest you go download my Free Report again and begin building your base ... before you go chasing rainbows. Download the report at:
Nathan Pennington says you can ... "Stop losing money in the options market! -- Make 36% to 60% On Your Money EVERY YEAR--Without Trading Risky Systems. -- At Last! You Can Be Consistently Profitable In The Options Market And Even Beat the S&P 500 . . . With No More Risk Than Trading Stocks!" Check it out for yer ownself, at ... http://www.howitradeoptions.com
Nathan Pennington says you can ...
"Stop losing money in the options market! -- Make 36% to 60% On Your Money EVERY YEAR--Without Trading Risky Systems. -- At Last! You Can Be Consistently Profitable In The Options Market And Even Beat the S&P 500 . . . With No More Risk Than Trading Stocks!"
Check it out for yer ownself, at ...
http://www.howitradeoptions.com
This site is a place for non-US residents who are searching for a way to start their own online business, especially to get able to accept credit cards on their sites, open accounts in US banks with Internet access and get a US VISA Debit Card. http://www.non-us.com/index1.htm I have NOT checked it out simply because I'm not a non-US resident -- SO ... check it out aces high. Let me know what kind of experience you have with it.
This site is a place for non-US residents who are searching for a way to start their own online business, especially to get able to accept credit cards on their sites, open accounts in US banks with Internet access and get a US VISA Debit Card.
I have NOT checked it out simply because I'm not a non-US resident -- SO ... check it out aces high. Let me know what kind of experience you have with it.
Gary Curran needed something I had already provided... "Do you have a form that lines out an exclusive sales contract? -- I'm going to rep a product nationwide in Canada with exclusive sales rights and I want to obviously do it in writing. I thought of you first ... before going to a HIGH priced lawyer to draw one up." Gary: I published an Exclusive Sales Agreement in the January, 2000, issue of the eLetter. Jan00.html
Gary Curran needed something I had already provided...
"Do you have a form that lines out an exclusive sales contract? -- I'm going to rep a product nationwide in Canada with exclusive sales rights and I want to obviously do it in writing. I thought of you first ... before going to a HIGH priced lawyer to draw one up."
Gary:
I published an Exclusive Sales Agreement in the January, 2000, issue of the eLetter.
William Lucas didn't know where to look ... "Just a short note to ask you if you know of an honest, reliable company that can issue a merchant account for people like myself here in Canada? -- There are a lot of companies that will issue a merchant account for businesses doing sales on line, but I am looking for a company that will issue a merchant account for Canadian mailorder companies doing business offline as well as online." William: Believe it or don't ... the best place is your local bank. They probably don't offer Merchant Accounts directly - but - all of them are affiliated with companies that do. Just ASK them.
William Lucas didn't know where to look ...
"Just a short note to ask you if you know of an honest, reliable company that can issue a merchant account for people like myself here in Canada? -- There are a lot of companies that will issue a merchant account for businesses doing sales on line, but I am looking for a company that will issue a merchant account for Canadian mailorder companies doing business offline as well as online."
William: Believe it or don't ... the best place is your local bank. They probably don't offer Merchant Accounts directly - but - all of them are affiliated with companies that do. Just ASK them.
Claude Lee wrote ... "I need an e-mail autoresponder system. -- Could you POINT me to one - or something else to help?" Claude: I have had very little experience with autoresponders - but - I have found a free book on the subject for you.
Claude Lee wrote ...
"I need an e-mail autoresponder system. -- Could you POINT me to one - or something else to help?"
Claude: I have had very little experience with autoresponders - but - I have found a free book on the subject for you.
Tarun Malhotra met up with an ol'negotiator ... "I have a residential lot of land that I wanted to put an option on. I contacted the owner and he said that if I was interested, he would entertain offers in writing but would not give an asking price. -- What's is the best way to communicate an offer and then finally get it under contract (i.e. send an option to purchase contract right away, or some other contract to get the negotiations going)." Tarun: The seller is using an old negotiations tactic ... get the buyer to offer first ... he might get an offer higher than he wanted. -- So ... it's your move first. Go ahead and make him an offer "far below" what you think the property is worth. When he rejects it, then ASK him how much he wants. If he is still non-committal, make him a "very slightly" higher offer. Do that over and over until he finally relents and either accepts your offer or tells you what he wants.
Tarun Malhotra met up with an ol'negotiator ...
"I have a residential lot of land that I wanted to put an option on. I contacted the owner and he said that if I was interested, he would entertain offers in writing but would not give an asking price. -- What's is the best way to communicate an offer and then finally get it under contract (i.e. send an option to purchase contract right away, or some other contract to get the negotiations going)."
Tarun: The seller is using an old negotiations tactic ... get the buyer to offer first ... he might get an offer higher than he wanted. -- So ... it's your move first. Go ahead and make him an offer "far below" what you think the property is worth. When he rejects it, then ASK him how much he wants. If he is still non-committal, make him a "very slightly" higher offer. Do that over and over until he finally relents and either accepts your offer or tells you what he wants.
Leon Rawitz used me as a steering wheel ... "I was hoping you might be able to steer me in a good direction regarding the development of a cooperative advertising program for a manufacturer to its dealers (whose customers are end-user consumers). -- A manufacturing client has made the decision after acquiring one of their former competitors, to re-brand the former company's products under another divisional name (which enjoys very little name recognition). -- To create awareness, they are asking us to develop a Cooperative Advertising Program. They are hoping that their dealers will embrace and enthusiastically participate in this program to help spread the new brand name. -- Are there resources that you would suggest that would help identify potential pitfalls to avoid, best practices and successes and failures of companies that have launched similar coop programs?" Leon: Although I have been involved in some Co-op Advertising, I have never set one up. -- So ... I did a little search & found this site. It seems to have a ho'bunch of how to articles.
Leon Rawitz used me as a steering wheel ...
"I was hoping you might be able to steer me in a good direction regarding the development of a cooperative advertising program for a manufacturer to its dealers (whose customers are end-user consumers). -- A manufacturing client has made the decision after acquiring one of their former competitors, to re-brand the former company's products under another divisional name (which enjoys very little name recognition). -- To create awareness, they are asking us to develop a Cooperative Advertising Program. They are hoping that their dealers will embrace and enthusiastically participate in this program to help spread the new brand name. -- Are there resources that you would suggest that would help identify potential pitfalls to avoid, best practices and successes and failures of companies that have launched similar coop programs?"
Leon: Although I have been involved in some Co-op Advertising, I have never set one up. -- So ... I did a little search & found this site. It seems to have a ho'bunch of how to articles.
Soraya Bandyneeded help getting started ... "I am interested in starting a SHOPPERS GUIDE, selling Ad space to local business. This guide will be Ads only with no editorial content and I want to mail it directly to a targeted consumer. Right now my only competitors are two local FREE newspapers that run weekly, they are bulked dropped at specific locations around the city. My guide will be printed monthly. -- Would you be able to give me any information on starting a SHOPPERS GUIDE? -- Where could I get the most reliable LISTS (and hopefully the least expensive) from for my targeted consumers?" Soraya: I have never started a Shopper Guide - but - if I were doing it. First, I would look at the available Shopper Guides already being published in order to get a complete idea as to how they are put together. Then, I would contact the local newspaper to see how much it would cost to have them print each issue on newsprint (newspaper paper). (Most of the "shoppers" are printed by the local newspapers.) When selling your advertising, you have an advantage in that you can tell the advertisers, "Unlike the others, we don't just dump the publication and hope someone sees it. We direct mail xxxxxx copies each month to local people." -- That should allow you to charge a bit more for advertising. For mailing lists ... look in your telephone book Yellow Pages under "Mailing Services." Those companies will not only supply the lists, they will do the mailings for you ... usually cheaper than you can do them yourself. Another idea: Most local newspapers also have a service whereby they "drop in" advertising flyers, etc. -- and "insert" program. Check to see how much it would cost to have your "shopper" inserted with one issue of the local newspaper each month. Then, you can claim the same circulation as the local newspaper ... of course, you would also have the added expense of printing the number of copies required. By the way, you'll find a host of ideas you can adopt & adapt to your "shopper" in my Special FREE Report at:
Soraya Bandyneeded help getting started ...
"I am interested in starting a SHOPPERS GUIDE, selling Ad space to local business. This guide will be Ads only with no editorial content and I want to mail it directly to a targeted consumer. Right now my only competitors are two local FREE newspapers that run weekly, they are bulked dropped at specific locations around the city. My guide will be printed monthly. -- Would you be able to give me any information on starting a SHOPPERS GUIDE? -- Where could I get the most reliable LISTS (and hopefully the least expensive) from for my targeted consumers?"
Soraya:
I have never started a Shopper Guide - but - if I were doing it.
First, I would look at the available Shopper Guides already being published in order to get a complete idea as to how they are put together. Then, I would contact the local newspaper to see how much it would cost to have them print each issue on newsprint (newspaper paper). (Most of the "shoppers" are printed by the local newspapers.)
When selling your advertising, you have an advantage in that you can tell the advertisers, "Unlike the others, we don't just dump the publication and hope someone sees it. We direct mail xxxxxx copies each month to local people." -- That should allow you to charge a bit more for advertising.
For mailing lists ... look in your telephone book Yellow Pages under "Mailing Services." Those companies will not only supply the lists, they will do the mailings for you ... usually cheaper than you can do them yourself.
Another idea: Most local newspapers also have a service whereby they "drop in" advertising flyers, etc. -- and "insert" program. Check to see how much it would cost to have your "shopper" inserted with one issue of the local newspaper each month. Then, you can claim the same circulation as the local newspaper ... of course, you would also have the added expense of printing the number of copies required.
By the way, you'll find a host of ideas you can adopt & adapt to your "shopper" in my Special FREE Report at:
Well ... that's it for this month. -- In order to make every issue responsive to YOUR needs, please send me your questions; or tell me what sources or resources you need to build your business; or give me any thoughts you want to share with your fellow members. Believe it or don't ... I ain't a mind-reader. -- If'n you doesn't tell me what you need, I may never touch upon the information, sources or resources you need. This is your publication for you to use to your benefit ... I am just your moderator. Until next month, keep well ... J.F. (Jim) STRAW Grande Panjandrum
Well ... that's it for this month. -- In order to make every issue responsive to YOUR needs, please send me your questions; or tell me what sources or resources you need to build your business; or give me any thoughts you want to share with your fellow members.
Believe it or don't ... I ain't a mind-reader. -- If'n you doesn't tell me what you need, I may never touch upon the information, sources or resources you need.
This is your publication for you to use to your benefit ... I am just your moderator.
Until next month, keep well ...
J.F. (Jim) STRAW Grande Panjandrum
Thoughts For The Month! "Still achieving, still pursuing, learn to labor and to wait." -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." -- Thomas Alva Edison
"Still achieving, still pursuing, learn to labor and to wait." -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." -- Thomas Alva Edison
Can you stump the old master? -- Betcha can't! Over the past 40 years (man and boy), I have made bundles of money in direct selling, service contracting, wholesale merchandising, entertainment (I was a professional Trumpet player, vocalist & Radio Announcer), freight forwarding, import/export, retail merchandising, warehousing, real estate, electronics manufacturing, finder's fees, closeout merchandising, financial brokerage, business consulting, steel fabrication, gold and coal mining, offshore banking, mailorder, writing, and publishing. -- That being the case ... No matter what business you're in ... whether you're just starting, well on your way, or at the top of the heap ... I've probably been where you are, done what you are doing. -- So ... Anytime you have a question about 'how' to do something in your business - or - if you have any comments about anything I've said in issues of this e-Letter; or if you want to add your 2 cents worth ... just "ask" me or "tell" me. Send your Questions, Comments or 2 Cents Worth to ... with "Question" - "Comment" - or, "2 Cents Worth" in the SUBJECT. If I, personally, don't have an answer to any question you may ask, I will contact some of the professionals in your field of endeavor (I will probably know one or more personally) to get the real 'skinny' for you. Note: If you want to ask a question anonymously just tell me so when you send in the question. -- Nobody but you and I will know who asked the question.
Over the past 40 years (man and boy), I have made bundles of money in direct selling, service contracting, wholesale merchandising, entertainment (I was a professional Trumpet player, vocalist & Radio Announcer), freight forwarding, import/export, retail merchandising, warehousing, real estate, electronics manufacturing, finder's fees, closeout merchandising, financial brokerage, business consulting, steel fabrication, gold and coal mining, offshore banking, mailorder, writing, and publishing. -- That being the case ...
No matter what business you're in ... whether you're just starting, well on your way, or at the top of the heap ... I've probably been where you are, done what you are doing. -- So ...
Anytime you have a question about 'how' to do something in your business - or - if you have any comments about anything I've said in issues of this e-Letter; or if you want to add your 2 cents worth ... just "ask" me or "tell" me.
If I, personally, don't have an answer to any question you may ask, I will contact some of the professionals in your field of endeavor (I will probably know one or more personally) to get the real 'skinny' for you.
Note: If you want to ask a question anonymously just tell me so when you send in the question. -- Nobody but you and I will know who asked the question.
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