Business Lyceum

e-Letter
Practical Instruction in the Arts and Sciences of Making Money


Editor/Publisher:  J.F. (Jim) Straw

SEPTEMBER 2012

Greetings & Salutations:

If you are like most people in the U.S., you drive an automobile - but - how often do you really think about what you are doing while you are behind the steering wheel? -- You don't think about applying pressure to the accelerator.  You don't really remember how you decide how much pressure to apply ... too little, you slow down in the middle of traffic ... too much, you get a speeding ticket.

Or, how about steering the car? -- Without remembering what you are doing; or how you are doing it, you easily keep the car in your lane of traffic.  And, when you want to turn left, or right, you just turn the steering wheel in the direction you want to go and guide the car smoothly and accurately into the correct lane of traffic in the chosen direction ... without considering the coordination of steering, accelerating and braking you have accomplished.

You don't think about it, you just do it.  But, it wasn't always that way.

If you will remember, back when you were first learning to drive you probably had a hard time just keeping the car between the ditches. -- It took a conscience thought ... and no little effort ... to get the car to go where you wanted it to go, at the speed at which you wanted to go ... without bumping into, or running over, something.

The reason you drive so well (I hope) today is because, at the time you were learning to drive, your dreams of driving yourself to and from school events, or to a job, or cruising with your friends ... chasing girls (or boys) ... was all-important to you.  Nothing else was quite as important.  Your social life and economic future were irretrievably linked to your ability to drive an automobile.

Driving an automobile meant freedom ... freedom from depending upon your parents ... freedom to go the places you needed or wanted to go when you wanted to go ... freedom to explore places you had never been before and do things you had never done before ... freedom to be yourself. -- If you didn't learn to drive an automobile, you knew you would forever be dependent upon someone else to get you to where you wanted to go.

Aren't those 'reasons' for learning to drive an automobile very, very similar to the 'reasons' you've wanted to own your own business?

Owning your own business means freedom ... freedom from depending upon someone else for a paycheck ... freedom to have the things you need or want when you want them ... freedom to pursue the activities you just can't afford on a paycheck ... freedom to be yourself. -- But, in all too many cases...

It Just Ain't That Important!

Think about it. -- Learning to drive was all-important to you when you were young because, if you didn't drive, you simply couldn't survive in our mobile society.  Even the survival of the human race seemed dependent upon your learning to drive.  After all, if you couldn't drive, you would be less likely to find a mate and procreate.

But, owning your own business isn't quite that imperative.

Without a business of your own, you can still get a job and earn enough to afford, at least, the basic necessities of life.  And, even people who have never held a job have mates and procreate ... and procreate ... and procreate some more.

Beyond that, when you were learning to drive a car, you were more than willing to pay the price to achieve your goal. -- Even though you had giant butterflies in your stomach every time you seated yourself behind the steering wheel you persisted.

There were times you just knew you would never learn to control that great iron-beast, but you persevered. -- After all, your social and economic life depended upon you learning to drive ... not learning would mean the death of your hopes and dreams.

While owning your own business is a worthy goal, less than 2% of those who pursue that goal do so with any kind of dedication. -- They have the desire but not the ...

Imperative Motivation!

Talking about 'motivation' is easy - but - getting 'motivated' is not an easy task ... especially when there is no imperative (life or death) reason to become motivated.

Face it, most people would like to be rich and successful ... or at least be better-off than they are. -- Some dream of driving a luxury car, living in a big home in a fine neighborhood, and taking vacations at exotic locations around the world.  Others envision paying-off their debts, having a little-extra in their saving account, and being able to just go on a vacation.

The dreams are real - but - unless the person having those dreams is 'motivated' to make their dreams a reality, it will never happen.  After all, they won't die if they don't achieve their goal; no matter how grandiose their goals may be.

Young people won't die if they don't learn how to drive a car either - but - they firmly believe that, if they don't learn how to drive, they won't have a life; which is just about the same as being dead to them.

When you think about it, it really is a ...

Sad Commentary On Life!

While over 90% of the young people in this country find it imperative that they learn to drive a car, less than 2% of those who want a better life ever do anything to achieve it.

It is especially disheartening when you receive a 'note' like this:

"Jim, please take me off your mailing list.  I have been reading your materials for over 20 years.  In all that time it has never made me any money.  I'll be 65 this year.  I really wanted to make some money from your programs but I guess I'll just have to live off my Social Security."

Sad. -- Over the same 20 years he was reading my material, I was making millions upon millions of dollars doing exactly the same things; the very same way, I was teaching him (and all my other readers) to do it.

Although there are thousand upon thousands of books, booklets, reports and courses on the market on almost every subject relative to making-money, no one has yet discovered a way to get the people who read that information to "use" it.

What is the "Imperative Motivation" that separates the 2% who succeed from the 98% who only dream? -- Maybe we will never know.

It's up to you!



Now, let's do some ...

Questions & Answers, Comments & Other Good Stuff!


Martin Reimer
wanted to know ...

" I was wondering: Is it possible to make a "rack jobbing" business with imported products or that kind of business only works with closeouts?"

Martin ...

The vast majority of products sold on racks are imports.

You will find my article about starting an import business at ... May02.html



Athel M. Hart asked me to ...

"I am seeking your help to check out my website and share it with your downline, so that I may get some people to get interested and become members."

Okay, Gang ...

Check it  out aces-high  -- http://5Linx.net/L519635



David Samet needed some clarification ...

"How can I collect "Finders" Fees and avoid any charge they can be called "Transaction Fees" - I am not licensed as a broker dealer to collect "commissions"... What I want to do - is have a client who say is interested in raising money for a business idea - and have another client looking to invest (or for opportunities) - and I want to put the two of them together and earn a fee from the person looking for the money."

David ...

There are no licenses required to be a Finder, because ...

A FINDER is NOT a PRE-SELLER -- Pre-sellers accept a selling price from a product source, add-on what they feel to be a fair margin of profit, and sell the item. After they make a sale, they then buy the product and ship it to the buyer.

A FINDER is NOT a DEALER -- Dealers take-on a product, or service, for continuing promotion and sales. They are responsible for the distribution of a product, or service, from the prime source to the end user.

A FINDER is NOT a REPRESENTATIVE or AGENT for either the buyer or seller. -- Representatives & Agents are empowered by their clients to negotiate the purchase, or sale, of specific products or services. They can legally sign documents obligating their clients.

A Finder is nothing more than a "match-maker" for a fee. The professional Finder simply matches QUALIFIED buyers with QUALIFIED sellers, or vice versa - "FOR A FEE!"

Finders DO NOT sell anything; except their knowledge. -- Finders DO NOT negotiate anything; except their own fees. -- Finders DO NOT add-on their profits.

BUT ...

It is very, very difficult to remain only a finder in finance.  The investor/lender will want to depend upon the finder to provide detailed information about the opportunity rather than going directly to the borrower/promoter.  Beyond that, the borrower/promoter will offer to pay any amount in order to gain the financing they require but will all too often renege when the deal is done because the finder did nothing but intoduce him to the investor/lender.

It can be done - but - it is most difficult.


Cecil Jones tells me ....

"I'm closing a deal in 2 days on an option that I used, and I wanted to show you the proof. -- I put a property under option for $75,000 and sold it to a cash buyers for $133,000 with the help of a realtor who is now on my team. -- I'm making $58,000 on this deal! -- The great thing is that I didn't put a penny down on this deal. -- Thank you very much for inspiring me. -- If I can do it anyone can! -- I thank God for you J.F. (Jim) Straw! -- P.S.  People what are you waiting for????  Jim Straw is the real deal!  He will help you (if you are willing to help yourself)!"


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!

An old Chinese proverb advises ...

"If you would have one year of prosperity, cultivate grain.  If you would have 10 years of prosperity, cultivate trees.  If you would have 100 years of prosperity, cultivate people."

Them old Chinese know what they're talking about.

Adding to that sage advice, old J.F. (Confucius) Straw says, "If you would have a prosperous business, cultivate satisfied customers."

 


Can you stump the old master? -- Betcha can't!

Over the past 50 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.


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