Don't Let Guilt Rob You of Your Most Valuable Possession
By Michael Masterson
My mother once told me that the first word I said was "No!" She said I continued to say "no" to just about everything.
"Does Michael want a bath?"
"No!"
"Does Michael want to take a nap?"
"No!"
"Does Michael want to take the bowl of spaghetti off his head?"
"No!"
Somehow, along the way, I stopped saying "no" indiscriminately. As an adult, I discovered that saying "yes" was a better way to win friends and influence people. But I also learned that there were times when "no" really was the right answer. In fact, knowing when to say "no" will actually help you reach your goals. "No, I can't make Ralph's goodbye luncheon next week. I'm working on a major deadline. But I'll be happy to kick in for his gift." "No, I can't volunteer. I've got a business meeting that day. But please give me a call next year." Don't let a momentary feeling of guilt sidetrack you from doing what you should be doing. You've carefully thought about your goals, you've set them, you've scheduled time to achieve them -- and there should be no shame associated with sticking to your plan. If helping others helps you feel good about yourself (it works for me), make that an integrated part of your goal-setting program. But don't be pressured into anything. Be in charge of what you do... and when you do it. -----------------------------------------------------Highly Recommended ----------------------------------------------------- Got It All? – You're grateful for what you have in life... but you still want more, right? More success. The ability to provide your family with financial freedom. And you really want to enjoy retirement. An early retirement at that. But how are you going to get there? Do you have a plan? Bob Cox does...
"Unless the great majority of Americans not only have, but believe they have, a fair chance, the better American future will be dangerously compromised." Herbert Croly Would You Like to Be My Partner? By Porter Stansberry
I'd like to make you a business offer. Seriously. This is a real offer. In fact, you really can't turn me down, as you'll come to understand in a moment...
Here's the deal. You're going to start a business or expand the one you've got now. It doesn't really matter what you do or what you're going to do. I'll partner with you no matter what business you're in -- as long as it's legal. But I can't give you any capital -- you have to come up with that on your own. And I won't give you any labor -- that's definitely up to you. What I will do, however, is demand that you follow all sorts of rules about what products and services you can offer, how much (and how often) you pay your employees, and where and when you're allowed to operate your business. That's my role: to tell you what to do.
In return for telling you what to do, I'm going to take roughly half of whatever you make in the business. Half seems fair, doesn't it? I think so. Of course, that's half of your profits. You're also going to have to pay me about 12 percent of whatever you decide to pay your employees, because you've got to cover my expenses for promulgating all of the rules about who you can employ, when, where, and how. Come on! You're my partner. It's only "fair."
Now... after you've put your hard-earned savings at risk to start this business and after you've worked hard at it for a few decades (paying me my 50 percent or a bit more along the way each year), you might decide you'd like to cash out -- to finally live the good life.
Whether or not this is "fair" (some people never can afford to retire) is a different argument. As your partner, I'm happy for you to sell your share of the business whenever you'd like... because our agreement says that, if you sell, you have to pay me an additional 20 percent of whatever the capitalized value of the business is at that time.
I know. I know. You put up all the original capital. You took all the risks. You put in all the labor. That's true. But I've done my part, too. I've collected 50 percent of the profits each year. And I've always come up with more rules for you to follow. Therefore, I deserve another, final 20 percent slice of the business. Oh. And one more thing...
Even after you've sold the business and paid all of my fees... I'd recommend buying lots of life insurance. You see, even after you've been retired for years, when you die, you'll have to pay me 50 percent of whatever your estate is worth. After all, I've got lots of partners and not all of them are as successful as you. We don't think it's "fair" for your kids to have such a big advantage. But if you buy enough life insurance, you can finance this expense for them. All in all, if you're a very successful entrepreneur... if you're one of the rare, lucky, and hardworking people who can create a new company, employ lots of people, and satisfy the public... you'll end up paying me more than 75 percent of your income over your life. Thanks so much.
I'm sure you'll think my offer is reasonable and happily partner with me. But it doesn't really matter how you feel about it, because if you ever try to stiff me -- or cheat me on any of my fees or rules -- I'll break down your door in the middle of the night, threaten you and your family with heavy, automatic weapons, and throw you in jail. That's how civil society is supposed to work, right? This is Amerika, isn't it?
That's the offer Amerika gives its entrepreneurs. And the idiots in Washington wonder why there are no new jobs...
[Ed. Note: Since the current economic crisis started, Porter Stansberry's dead-on predictions have caught the attention of CNN, Barron's, and Forbes... He's shown his subscribers how to make an enormous amount of money, no matter what the government and stock market did. Today, many of his readers are much wealthier. Donald Scheidt, for example: "You helped make the last two years of my father's life something great... you made him a millionaire." For a special preview of Porter's next moneymaking prediction, click here.] -----------------------------------------------------Highly Recommended ----------------------------------------------------- Build It and They Will Come and Other Myths – A fancy website has zero bearing on how much money you make online. In fact, you could lose money! Internet Money Club Director Brian Edmondson knows a better way. And it uses one of the simplest Internet tools: e-mail. Find out more here...
You're Just 3 Steps Away From Your New Business
By Paul Lawrence
I'm willing to bet that one goal you have for next year is to become wealthier than you are right now. If you've been paying attention to Michael Masterson's advice, you know that means starting your own business. Well, what's stopping you? Instead of dreaming about starting your own business, do it! Don't worry about the details. Just come up with a sensible plan and get your business off the ground. You can go back and fine-tune it later. As Michael says, "Ready, Fire, Aim." Here's how it works... Step 1. Identify something that people want and will pay for. One of the common stumbling blocks for aspiring entrepreneurs is deciding on a product or service to market. The primary consideration is to choose something that people will buy. And the easiest way to do that is to go with something that others are already selling successfully. Step 2. Find a way to supply it. This step just requires a bit of common sense. If you're selling a service, you either supply the service yourself or hire someone else to do it (or help you). If you're selling a product, you seek out suppliers that can provide you with merchandise at a low enough price for you to be able to make a profit. Step 3. Sell it to the people who want it. I'm a big believer in direct marketing for small start-up businesses. It's a relatively inexpensive way to get your sales message to prospective customers via e-mail, regular mail, ads in local papers, or even flyers distributed door to door. If you really want to run your own business, it's time to take action. Just think -- by this time next year, you could be living your dream. [Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is the publisher of the Street Smart Business Program, which is packed with dozens and dozens of practical tips on starting a small business. For more information, click here.] Antioxidants: The Aging Antidote Antioxidants are your body's natural free-radical fighters. Many of them are produced by your tissues and organs themselves. You get others from the nutrients you consume. Vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and enzymes can all function as antioxidants. But your ability to produce antioxidants declines with age. The harder you live and the more stress you're under, the more overwhelmed your body's defense system becomes. The solution is to consume a diet rich in fresh, colorful, organic plant foods. Use herbs, spices, and cocoa whenever possible. (These are actually much higher in antioxidants than most foods.) And adopt an aggressive regimen of antioxidant supplementation. For this very purpose Total Health Breakthroughs has developed a multi-antioxidant blend. We will be releasing it in just a few weeks. It's brimming with polyphenols, anthocyanins, pterostilbine, and resveratrol. Just mix it with a bit of water, and you have a veritable fountain of youth in a glass. We're looking for a small group of initial testers. If you would like to put your name on the list (and receive a significant discount when the product is released), click here. Back in the day when I was just starting to work my way up the business ladder, it was my policy to give my boss more than he had a right to expect. Maybe more important, I made it a point to let him know whenever I did something good. If you aren't doing that, maybe you should. You don't have to be a boastful, self-aggrandizing SOB to get the word out. You need only be brave enough to start a conversation. The fastest way to establish a companywide reputation as an up-and-comer is to get involved in the pet projects of senior people. If you don't already know what those projects are, you can find out by asking. Ask your boss. Ask your boss's colleagues. Ask your company's CEO or CFO. Identify several problems that they're trying to solve and choose one that you'd be interested in working on. Present yourself to the person in charge of dealing with that problem and offer to help in any way possible. Don't be pushy. But be enthusiastic. And obliging, almost servile. You need two or three big feathers in your cap. You'll get one feather for each such voluntary effort. One caveat: Try never to claim more credit than is due. In fact, try not to brag about your efforts at all. You can get the word out merely by talking about them to the people who count. Ask for their opinions. Share ideas that might be helpful to them. Get into the mix. Let the key people know how good you are without seeming to want them to know.
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"I love today's issue of ETR. I am eager to start a new enterprise and create multiple streams of income."
Jerry Garrison
-----------------------------------------------------Highly Recommended----------------------------------------------------- Do You Know What Your Optimum Selling Strategy Is? If not, don't spend another dollar on your business until you hear Michael Masterson explain it. He does so, in detail and with easy-to-follow examples, in our Info-Marketing Bootcamp Home Study Program. "Until you discover the OSS for your niche, your chances of success are dismal," Masterson says. "After you know it, making money is as simple as following a path of dotted lines."
Indiscriminately (in-dih-SKRIM-uh-nit-lee) -- from the Latin for "not separated" -- means arbitrarily; not based on making careful distinctions. Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): "Somehow, along the way, I stopped saying 'no' indiscriminately. As an adult, I discovered that saying 'yes' was a better way to win friends and influence people. But I also learned that there were times when 'no' really was the right answer."
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