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Andrew Newberry is a distant family friend that knew about my business acumen. He knew how I had been in his position only 24 months previously and had heard about the new life I was leading with the wealth I had generated. I could hear the earnest desperation in his voice, when he asked me “how’d you do it Jack”? His question was open and sincere. In my eye’s he was at a point where there was only one direction for his life to go…up.

Andrew needed to make money fast. His family were in danger of losing the roof over their heads and although Andrew worked a fulltime job, there were difficulties that created this current crisis.

He couldn’t understand how I had done so much considering my humble beginings, while he had worked at his current job for over 10 years and was saddled with the difficulties he was currently experiencing. He told me he had no money to invest or anything like that, but could I advise him on what if anything was possible.

This was my response to him.

You see, what he was asking me specifically was, “how do I make money with little or no investment” My mind ignored his emotional pain and focused on the reality. That is the reality of what he needed answering.

Talking about Real Estate investment or anything that needed a capital injection was futile for Andrew, he needed to hear something different. This is what I told him to do, step by step. I told him that if he followed these two steps, he would have $100,000 within 12 months. He did it in 6!

Step one, get a little money. Not much needed, a few hundred dollars would do, but he has to find something as a seed capital account. I gave him the URL of a broker that does paid surveys online. These brokers represent companies that pay ordinary people for their opinions. They typically pay between $50-$300 per hour. He got his wife busy doing these through the day and evenings, they had $1000 within 2 weeks.

Step two, Go Shopping I explained to Andrew the mechanism behind my success. Compounding, intrinsic value, leverage, rapid capital gains, pyramiding profits. I then asked him to compound that thousand dollars by 30% 19 times. In other words, I told him to find 19 investment-objects that were for sale that he could buy, that had at least 30% or more spare intrinsic value.

Intrinsic value is everywhere. Whether you are buying New York sky scrapers of marble pool tables or Bertram boats, every market has a percentage of sellers offering their goods at well below market value.

Andrew started with old cars because he was a mechanic and now he had a game plan he was going to compound his money with his existing skill set. He traded up and up until he had $12,000 in six weeks.

Get your calculator out and see how he did it, how he evolved his money without a hitch. Start with 1000 then multiply by “1.3″ which is the same as 30% Don’t press equals, just hit “1.3″ and multiply symbol again. Do that 19 times.

When Andrew sold his last auto deal, he was ready to get involved in Real Estate. With $12,000 it wasn’t much but it was enough to start applying the same principles with Real Estate. This is where his compounding really escalated.

It escalated, because now he was using leverage….borrowed money. He called me on the day he was ready to start compounding with Real Estate with another problem. As I advised him “get into Real Estate Andrew as quickly as you can, around the $10,000 mark its time to get into that game”

He had a problem. The houses in his area were dear, he couldnt see how having $12,000 was enough to get involved.

I advised him that he should forget about houses until he had at least $40,000 He should focus on raw land. Raw blocks are cheap, and easily re-zoned into a higher purpose. With just a small investment at the local town planning department he could re-zone a residential into a commercial or the other way around where appropriate. Its called a “soft” or “paper” rennovation. No painting, no work, just a few simple forms and a fee to pay.

Creating a new use is just one way to add value to raw land, there are many others. Andrew researched and discovered them all. He stuck with land after all was said and done. He discovered buying a large block and subdividing it was very profitable. The second deal he did, he bought a block of over an acre, surrounded by established homes for $300,000 (with a bank loan) It was a corner block and he split it into three handsome sized blocks, tailored to the upper market. The first two blocks paid out his loan and put profits in his pocket, the last block he used as collateral for another bank loan where he built his own beautiful mansion on.

He sold it for a final profit of $354,000

That was about 8 months after our little chat on that cold evening.

To your health and rapid success.

One of the biggest challenges with a creative business is getting paid what you are worth.  The root of the problem isn’t that the client doesn’t have the money and it isn’t that the client isn’t willing to pay you what you are worth.  The root of the problem is how you are charging and how you are creating value in the mind of the client.

First, you must create a business based on value pricing and not hourly pricing. The number one worst way to charge (and most creative businesses are charging this way) is by the hour.
Frankly, it shouldn’t matter how long it takes you to solve the client’s problems or provide your service, it should matter that the client is getting what he needs and what he wants.  If you’re creating value and you’re giving them value, they’ll pay you for that value. They shouldn’t be paying you for your time. If you’re being paid for your time you’re essentially setting the ceiling to how much money you can make because you can only work so many hours.
Therefore, you must determine, specifically what your value is to the customer, not how many hours you will work for that customer.

To do this, ask yourself the following questions:

• How do you impact that customer or potential client?
• What do you provide to them that will help them and helps solve their problems?  How will solving these problems impact the customer?  Is it a problem with high impact or low impact?
• What is important to the customer?  Why is it important to the customer?  How important is it?
• Have they had experiences working with someone in your type of business before?  If so, was it a good or back experience?  Why?  Exactly what happened?
• Why is the client coming to you for this issue?
• What is the client’s definition of success with this project?  Ask him to describe specific ways he will know he made the right choice in hiring you.

By getting the answers to these questions – not guessing what the client will say, but actually getting the client to answer these questions – you will have the information you need to create VALUE in the mind of the client.  If they perceive your work to be valuable, they will be thrilled to pay you.  If they do not perceive your work to be of value, they won’t pay you no matter how low you go on the pricing scale.
It’s all in the mind of the client.  Get in their head and understand specifically what they want and, even more specifically, why they want it.  Once you do that, getting paid what you are worth is a piece of cake!

Studies have shown that successful entrepreneurs possess these characteristics:

1. Self-confidence

This is that magical power of having confidence in oneself and in one’s powers and abilities.

2. Achievement Oriented

Results are gained by focused and sustained effort. They concentrate on achieving a specific goal, not just accomplishing a string of unrelated tasks.

3. Risk Taker

They realize that there is a chance of loss inherent in achieving their goals, yet they have the confidence necessary to take calculated risks to achieve their goals.

Entrepreneurs are people who will make decisions, take action, and think that they can control their own destinies. They are often motivated by a spirit of independence which leads them to believe that their success depends on raw effort and hard work, not luck.

So which of these three main characteristics is the most important? Believe it or not, it has to be self-confidence. Without self-confidence, nothing else is possible. If you don’t believe in your abilities, then the first challenge that arises may knock you off the path to achieving your goals. Here are a few things to keep in mind for maintaining a higher level of self-confidence.

Positive Thinking

Well, it all starts with a positive attitude, doesn’t it? Believing that something good will happen is the first step. Negative thinking simply is not allowed. You must truly believe that there are no circumstances strong enough to deter you from reaching your goals. Remember too, that positive thinking can be contagious. When positive thinking spreads, it can open doors to new ideas, customers, friends, etc.

Persistent Action

Now all of the positive thinking and believing in the world is useless if it is not applied towards a goal. You have to take action, no excuses are allowed. This action must also be persistent. Trying once and then giving up is not going to be enough. Keep at it one step at a time. If you can’t get by a certain step, then find a creative way to try again or just go around it.

At the beginning of this article we identified a few traits that are common among successful entrepreneurs. You should be able to look ahead and see yourself where you want to be. Now just maintain a strong belief in yourself and your skills, stick with it, and don’t give up. If you can do that, you’re already half way there!

Over the years countless institutes and individuals have asked the million dollar question. What makes an entrepreneur an entrepreneur? What traits or characteristics are inherent to a successful entrepreneur and is one born with those traits? There’s great news! Successful entrepreneurs are born every day!

Some people believe an entrepreneur is born while others believe an entrepreneur can be taught. Some believe an entrepreneur is like an artist – either you have it or do you don’t. Some see entrepreneurs as leaders that are focused, disciplined, competitive, and charismatic, while others see them as huge risk takers. And all of these analogies are right to some degree.

It’s true all successful entrepreneurs share a few qualities and skills that allow them to be successful. These inherent qualities can be taught; but they often seem to be an inherent driving force that sends individuals down the path of being in business or formally training to for a career in business.

Entrepreneurs see the world differently. They have the ability to see the world as a system. They have the ability to see something in its entirety and as an integrated unit, and they seem to possess the ability to see opportunity within the global picture. They are what is called a system thinker.

There are other characteristics they possess. Entrepreneurs possess an overpowering need to achieve and tend to be very competitive against themselves. They are continuously trying to outthink themselves and others and they are constantly looking for the edge. This is a process that occurs as naturally as breathing and is a driving force behind most entrepreneurs.

They have the determination and dedication to follow through with commitments and they always appear confident and in control. You’ll notice they also possess a positive atmosphere. They are of the mindset “I can,” and “I will.” They are not afraid of failure because failure is not in their vocabulary nor is it an option.

They are objective but have the ability to weigh risks realistically within the big picture. They have an uncanny ability to anticipate developments which gives them the edge on many competitive situations. Entrepreneurs seem to feel right from their gut, call it instinct. They are a resourceful group that possess excellent problem solving skills and are able to diligently work through obstacles as they occur.

Entrepreneurs are excellent communicators and recognize how important clear and concise communication is to their success. They also possess a sound working knowledge of the business they are involved in.

When it comes to successful entrepreneurs it’s a question of what came first, the chicken or the egg. Is it inherent qualities that we are born with that lead us to be entrepreneurs or is it when we choose to become an entrepreneur that we develop the skills and qualities of success? That’s a question we shall leave to the great debaters to resolve.

What is for certain is that successful entrepreneurs are born every day and that you too can be a successful entrepreneur by developing the skills of success.

Studies have shown that successful entrepreneurs and home business owners possess the following characteristics. Do you?

1. Do you have Self-confidence?
This is the magical power of having confidence in yourself and in your strengths and abilities. This isn’t bravado or braggadocio but an unshakeable belief in yourself.

2. Are you Achievement Oriented?
Results are gained by focused and sustained effort. You concentrate on achieving a specific goal, not just accomplishing a string of unrelated tasks.

3. Are you a Risk Taker?
There is a chance of loss inherent in reaching for any goal, yet you have the confidence necessary to take calculated risks to achieve your goals.

So which of these three main characteristics is the most important? Believe it or not, it is self-confidence.

Without self-confidence, nothing else is possible. If you don’t believe in your abilities, then the first challenge that arises may knock you off the path to achieving your goals. Here are a few things to keep in mind for maintaining a higher level of self-confidence.

* Positive Thinking
It all starts with a positive attitude! Believing that something good will happen is the first step.

Negative thinking is just not allowed (so stop it right now). You must truly believe that there are no circumstances hard enough to deter you from reaching your goals.

Try the exercise created by French psychotherapist Emile Coue – every morning repeat “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.” You might be surprised that this simple exercise has been getting results since the early 1900s!

Remember too, that positive thinking can be contagious. When positive thinking spreads, it can open doors to new ideas, customers, friends, etc.

* Persistent Action
All the positive thinking and believing in the world is useless if it is not applied towards a goal. You have to take action, no excuses allowed. This action must also be persistent. Trying once and then giving up is not going to be enough. Keep at it one step at a time. If you can’t get by a certain step, then find a creative way to try again or go around it.

Entrepreneurs are people who make decisions, they take action and control their own destinies. They are often motivated by a spirit of independence which leads them to believe that their success depends on raw effort and hard work, not luck.

As Ronald Regan pointed out: Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.

Look ahead and see yourself where you want to be, maintain a strong belief in yourself and your skills, stick with it, and never give up. If you can do that, you’re already half way there!

We’ll leave you with a couple of quotes from Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965):
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“For myself I am an optimist – it does not seem to be much use being anything else.”

Onwards!

You awake in the middle of the night with a business idea that will change the world. The only problem, of course, is you need money to get the business moving. What do you do?

Investors and Equity

Practically every economy is built upon the backs of small businesses and entrepreneurs. Every day someone comes up with an idea that will make a great business. Every day, these same people wonder how they will come up with the cash to get the business off the ground. The classic answer is to look for investors, and this is where things can go bad.

If you’re seeking investors for your business, you are going to need to form a business entity. Corporations and limited liability companies are the most popular, and give you the ability to trade ownership interest in exchange for cash contributions. With a corporation, investors will buy shares in the corporation. With limited liability companies, the investors will buy membership interests. Regardless, this traditional exchange gives rise to a problem common among small business owners, to wit, giving away too much equity.

From Joy to Misery

A common mistake made by new business owners is to give away too much equity when getting initial cash contributions. This occurs because you let insecurities impact you evaluation of the business. Instead of giving away two percent of equity in exchange for $50,000, you give away ten percent. Let’s look at an example.

I start a business selling digital gadgets. I prepare my business plan and realize I need $250,000 to get everything up and running. I have $50,000, but need to find the rest somewhere. I form a corporation with 1,000 shares and start approaching potential investors. I offer 100 shares for $25,000. I find five investors that give me $125,000 in exchange for 500 total shares. In summary, I now have $175,000, but have given away half the equity in the business. While I am not happy about this, I am still so enthused about the business idea that I shrug it off.

The business gets rolling and I start selling gadgets like a madman after one year. This gives rise to a serious cash problem. I am getting orders, but can’t fill them because of cash flow problems. To make a proper go of the business, I need another $100,000.

Where am I going to get $100,000? My business is only one year old, so a bank won’t touch it. My investors haven’t seen penny one back, and are unwilling to put more money in. My only option is to sell another 400 shares for $100,000. Fortunately, I sell the shares, raise the money and stay in business. However, there is a major problem.

In raising all of this money, I have now sold off ninety percent of the equity in the business. I am left owning 100 shares and only 10 percent of the business. This is going to severely impact my physical, emotionally and overall motivational well being. Slowly but surely, I am going to become very bitter. It was my idea and I am doing all the work! It isn’t fair that I only own 10 percent of the business!

On second thought, this impression may come on very quickly. Regardless, the business is destined to experience major problems because the primary motivating force is no longer motivated. Unfortunately, many people with business ideas run into this problem.

If you are starting a business, guard your equity at all costs. Selling equity should be a last resort. Try to get loans or trade profit sharing in lieu of selling equity. If you must sell equity, do so only in small percentages. You do not want to the small business person in the example above.

Are you shocked when seeing your household expenditures every month? The expenses seem to increase every month. If you are in this situation, try these 5 recommendations before your extra paid money will accumulate to a significant amount!

1. Recycle those junk letters.
Each month, you will probably received a dozen or more letters from direct mailing companies in your mailbox. Some of these letters are printed on one side only. Collect these letters and combined them into a writing pad. You can also used them to print draft documents. Besides saving money, you are also saving a lot of trees.

2. Install water saving kit in your toilet cistern.
When flushing the toilet, the amount of water used is usually more than is required. By installing a water saving kit in the cistern, the amount of water saved can be as much as three gallons per month.

3. Use the fan
Whenever possible, use the fan. The air conditioner is a major contributor to your utility bill. By using the fan, not only are you saving on your utility bill, you are also building up your body’s tolerance to heat. Your chances of getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke during the hot summer season are greatly reduced.

4. Do not throw away that old bar of soap yet.
As your wash your hands with soap on a daily basis, the bar will become smaller and smaller until it is almost unusable. Instead of throwing it away, simply stick the old bar of soap onto the new one. Just make sure both of them are wet when sticking them together.

5. Cut the tube of toothpaste into half.
When you can no longer squeeze out any toothpaste from the tube, just cut it in-half. There is some more toothpaste left that can last you for a couple of days if you have a large family. If you live alone or with your spouse only, the extra toothpaste can last up to five days or even more.

Start cultivating these useful habits today and make them a part of your daily life. You will be pleasantly pleased when you notice your household expense start to decline bit by bit as time goes on.