The title of this piece is from The Hurricane, a movie about the boxer Reuben Carter who spent a couple of decades in prison for crimes he did not commit. Peoples' circumstances are their prison and have the same limiting effect. Our evangelism about changing peoples' lives speaks to this notion of transcendence through shining a light on an alternative.
Most people readily admit they need or want more money. This is somewhat universal. At the same time, they are "stuck" in the patterns of their lives. The lack of awareness of viable alternatives is a prison for some.
This being said, we fully recognize that what we do is not for everyone. The "prison effect" is just one factor.
Our mission is to educate people and raise their level of awareness to an alternative. We then guide them through an information acquisition process and serve as a consultant in their decision-making process.
The end-game in our business is to provide a vehicle - for those who choose to get in - to transcend the place that holds them. Our job is to point to the car and encourage them to take it for a spin. For some, it enables them to put their prison in the rearview mirror. Many think our car is like any other car. And, just as many - are content riding a bicycle for the remainder of their lives.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Sunday, April 2, 2017
The Priorities of What We Do
It is with a degree of pride that we accentuate our differences from many other marketing groups. Our"targets", that is to say, who we choose we want to work with are reasonably specific. This is conscious and intentional. Our business stability is much stronger if people "join" who are well-grounded in what makes us different. This blog articulates many of these.
However, although we talk about incorporating change into lifestyles, mindset, business models, compensation structures and the like, there are three guiding priorities that build one atop the next (or) are attached in consecutive layers. The first and most foundational is:
However, although we talk about incorporating change into lifestyles, mindset, business models, compensation structures and the like, there are three guiding priorities that build one atop the next (or) are attached in consecutive layers. The first and most foundational is:
- A Philosophy of Life and Doing Business - Our goal is to help people and in so doing, help ourselves. We do this by being as honest and transparent as is humanly possible. We do not sugarcoat the realities but at the same time posture that what we do benefits individuals, families and ultimately society. As such, on this foundation is built the next layer:
- Community - The social group is also the business community. We talk extensively about competence being achieved through learning and then teaching Ultimately, one's success in our community is a function of increased levels of competence (knowledge and skills) that can be transferred to others... and this process of learning and teaching needs to perpetuate itself.
- A Way to Make Money - This is a paradox. It is both last but most important. The reason for this is that although the money "vehicle" could be just about anything, the money will never happen unless the first two are in solid focus.
However, having said this, the money is the most important part, right? The point here is: if you start with the money, the probability of the money happening is quite low without a foundation of why and how to make it happen.
Working Poor No More provides this foundation.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Balancing Benevolence and Personal Gain
I have been reading (cherry picking) through Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations to try to understand economic theory as it relates to what we do. The following paragraph is copy and pasted:
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In a famous passage, Smith remarks that a human being needs the "help of his brethren, so that "it is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only. He will be more likely to prevail if he can interest their self-love in his favor, and show them that it is to their own advantage to do for him what he requires of them".
Our goal (and our success) are dependent upon attracting people to what we do. This is in the context of a social group where healthy tension exists (in reciprocity) between helping others for one's own benefit. This is a core construct and this is how all economies function. The dynamic between self-gain through advancing the goals of others in a group cycle over and over and over again.
The "marketing angle" or the message here needs to be focused on showing others what is in their own self-interest. This is because in many cases, it is rarely apparent to them. The persuasion aspect, therefore, is to never confuse our own personal self-interests with what is motivating the people we are attempting to attract.
As stated above, human beings need the "help of their brethren". We will be more likely to "prevail" if we can interest others' self-love in our favor. We win when we effectively communicate "what's in it for them" effectively - and then teach the adoption of this mindset that will ensure the long-term stable growth of our business.
I encourage you to read this post until it becomes ingrained in your understanding of how we function. It encapsulates everything we do.
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In a famous passage, Smith remarks that a human being needs the "help of his brethren, so that "it is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only. He will be more likely to prevail if he can interest their self-love in his favor, and show them that it is to their own advantage to do for him what he requires of them".
Our goal (and our success) are dependent upon attracting people to what we do. This is in the context of a social group where healthy tension exists (in reciprocity) between helping others for one's own benefit. This is a core construct and this is how all economies function. The dynamic between self-gain through advancing the goals of others in a group cycle over and over and over again.
The "marketing angle" or the message here needs to be focused on showing others what is in their own self-interest. This is because in many cases, it is rarely apparent to them. The persuasion aspect, therefore, is to never confuse our own personal self-interests with what is motivating the people we are attempting to attract.
As stated above, human beings need the "help of their brethren". We will be more likely to "prevail" if we can interest others' self-love in our favor. We win when we effectively communicate "what's in it for them" effectively - and then teach the adoption of this mindset that will ensure the long-term stable growth of our business.
I encourage you to read this post until it becomes ingrained in your understanding of how we function. It encapsulates everything we do.
Economic Self Interest in the Context of a Social Group
At the end of the day, everything we are about circles back to the premise of long-term financial security. There are a lot of different lenses we can look through to bring this into focus. Ultimately, we "promote" economic self-interest in the context of a social group. The "group" supports and makes possible the entire framework that incentivizes individual participation.
Today there are many internet-enabled ways to make money and most of these are talked about somewhere on this blog. Among them is what I describe as the "helping people" model. What this directly infers is attracting people to a community with common values and goals. The process of educating - and getting people to adopt our values and participate in the attainment of our stated goals.
The point here is that first and foremost we are educators who have a story to tell. Our story explains a viable and realistic path to financial security. As a people business, our role is to expose as many people as we can - to who we are and what we do. And - explain how and why we think we can help them.
The Working Poor No More philosophy is that everyone who is in debt and whose assets do not exceed their liabilities is among the working poor. This is regardless of age, status or current income level. Most people, especially those we attempt to attract will have "relative stability" inherent in their careers. They are meeting their bills, contributing to their 401K, driving a nice car, and saving for annual vacations.
At issue is this: none of these people own their lives and are living life on their own terms. This is not a judgment, but simply a description of how most people "choose" to live their lives in the absence of an alternative. Our job is to raise this level of awareness.
Pursuant to true long-term security - in creating a parallel and independent personal economy - we elevate the potential for people to understand change and provide the structure and resources to bring it about.
This is a noble and worthy endeavor.
Today there are many internet-enabled ways to make money and most of these are talked about somewhere on this blog. Among them is what I describe as the "helping people" model. What this directly infers is attracting people to a community with common values and goals. The process of educating - and getting people to adopt our values and participate in the attainment of our stated goals.
The point here is that first and foremost we are educators who have a story to tell. Our story explains a viable and realistic path to financial security. As a people business, our role is to expose as many people as we can - to who we are and what we do. And - explain how and why we think we can help them.
The Working Poor No More philosophy is that everyone who is in debt and whose assets do not exceed their liabilities is among the working poor. This is regardless of age, status or current income level. Most people, especially those we attempt to attract will have "relative stability" inherent in their careers. They are meeting their bills, contributing to their 401K, driving a nice car, and saving for annual vacations.
At issue is this: none of these people own their lives and are living life on their own terms. This is not a judgment, but simply a description of how most people "choose" to live their lives in the absence of an alternative. Our job is to raise this level of awareness.
Pursuant to true long-term security - in creating a parallel and independent personal economy - we elevate the potential for people to understand change and provide the structure and resources to bring it about.
This is a noble and worthy endeavor.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Financial Literacy in Context of What We Do
I was in my car this morning listening to talk radio on my way to the grocery store. Ric Edelman, a nationally syndicated financial advisor was talking about restructuring Social Security and the impact this will have on how he recommends structuring portfolios. The point he was making was that Social Security is a common baseline for everyone (in retirement) that he builds upon in projecting future needs. Surprisingly, the average monthly check is only around $1700.
In the context of generating monthly income - if your investment portfolio of resources are not significant - what strategies are there if you have not "saved" or planned for additional sources of income that will grow (and/or) at the minimum, sustain your lifestyle? What we do is one answer. - one viable alternative.
All investment strategies are tied to the amount of risk you are willing to take. Obviously, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. Younger people are advised to be more aggressive. Older people - more conservative. Our model is a totally different paradigm and no matter what your age, risk tolerance, and cost are not barriers to entry.
If you are not well established with a 401K or if a trust fund discussions are not part of an occasional family dinner... if you do not know the difference between an index fund and bond fund... then perhaps what we do will make sense to you.
We have created our own economy that is built on a foundation of mutual success. You can choose to participate. Our role is to guide and educate. Your role is to make an informed decision after gathering sufficient facts.
We wish you the best in this process.
In the context of generating monthly income - if your investment portfolio of resources are not significant - what strategies are there if you have not "saved" or planned for additional sources of income that will grow (and/or) at the minimum, sustain your lifestyle? What we do is one answer. - one viable alternative.
All investment strategies are tied to the amount of risk you are willing to take. Obviously, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. Younger people are advised to be more aggressive. Older people - more conservative. Our model is a totally different paradigm and no matter what your age, risk tolerance, and cost are not barriers to entry.
If you are not well established with a 401K or if a trust fund discussions are not part of an occasional family dinner... if you do not know the difference between an index fund and bond fund... then perhaps what we do will make sense to you.
We have created our own economy that is built on a foundation of mutual success. You can choose to participate. Our role is to guide and educate. Your role is to make an informed decision after gathering sufficient facts.
We wish you the best in this process.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Our Business Plan
Our Business Plan has three fundamental elements. They are not equally important. Here's why.
1) The first (and most important to understand) is the ability to adapt to change. Integrating something new into your life requires investing your time in different ways. Most people (attesting to the failure rate in home businesses) do not successfully navigate from point A to point B.
2) The second is understanding what a "learning community" means. People and relationships are the foundation of our business. We need to engender and pass along what we know and help others develop proficiency and competence as marketers.
3) Third, is the tools we use and the business we promote. The reality is that there are many, many directions this could take. There are many, many: a) tools suites, and; b) compensation models. We utilize a selected few and at the very top of our marketing funnel we use Working Poor No More" as a differentiator. Ultimately, the funnel leads to the tools and the business, but these are not the starting point. Why? Because if the first two are not in place (change and community) the third does not matter.
Here is the Google result for Business Plan: "A business plan is a formal statement of business goals, reasons they are attainable, and plans for reaching them. It also contains background information about the organization attempting to reach those goals."
If you do the same search, you will find a lot of ads for Business Plan templates that enable you to plug and play with your own sets of variables and definitions. There are academic articles that describe Business Plans at further and further levels of detail. All of the information is "out there" that we have adapted specifically to our structure.
What you need to know is that this plan exists and is proprietary to our group. The important thing to understand is that seat-of-the-pants, willy-nilly, you're on your own ways of approaching business success are at the other end of the continuum from where we operate.
There is a dedicated site for our Business Plan that will be shared with you when/if you join us. It is not, and is not meant to be the be-all and end-all, but more of a starting guide to understanding our target markets and our methodologies - all under the umbrella of the thoughts and principles that drive our business success and integrated into a plan-of-action.
This blog does a pretty adequate job of providing background information about our organization and what makes us tick. The key is how we execute: who we target, how, and why. The rest is simply applying the effort to make it happen.
The first step is to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you able to change the way you invest specific hours of your days. The result(s) will be life-altering.
Literally, and, at the end of the process, when all elements are integrated into how you function as a home business owner, you make money.
1) The first (and most important to understand) is the ability to adapt to change. Integrating something new into your life requires investing your time in different ways. Most people (attesting to the failure rate in home businesses) do not successfully navigate from point A to point B.
2) The second is understanding what a "learning community" means. People and relationships are the foundation of our business. We need to engender and pass along what we know and help others develop proficiency and competence as marketers.
3) Third, is the tools we use and the business we promote. The reality is that there are many, many directions this could take. There are many, many: a) tools suites, and; b) compensation models. We utilize a selected few and at the very top of our marketing funnel we use Working Poor No More" as a differentiator. Ultimately, the funnel leads to the tools and the business, but these are not the starting point. Why? Because if the first two are not in place (change and community) the third does not matter.
Here is the Google result for Business Plan: "A business plan is a formal statement of business goals, reasons they are attainable, and plans for reaching them. It also contains background information about the organization attempting to reach those goals."
If you do the same search, you will find a lot of ads for Business Plan templates that enable you to plug and play with your own sets of variables and definitions. There are academic articles that describe Business Plans at further and further levels of detail. All of the information is "out there" that we have adapted specifically to our structure.
What you need to know is that this plan exists and is proprietary to our group. The important thing to understand is that seat-of-the-pants, willy-nilly, you're on your own ways of approaching business success are at the other end of the continuum from where we operate.
There is a dedicated site for our Business Plan that will be shared with you when/if you join us. It is not, and is not meant to be the be-all and end-all, but more of a starting guide to understanding our target markets and our methodologies - all under the umbrella of the thoughts and principles that drive our business success and integrated into a plan-of-action.
This blog does a pretty adequate job of providing background information about our organization and what makes us tick. The key is how we execute: who we target, how, and why. The rest is simply applying the effort to make it happen.
The first step is to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you able to change the way you invest specific hours of your days. The result(s) will be life-altering.
Literally, and, at the end of the process, when all elements are integrated into how you function as a home business owner, you make money.
On Building Credibility
In the total universe of money-making opportunities, why would anyone choose us?
This is a fair question that warrants a thoughtful answer. The core of the answer revolves around the values we embrace as an organization - but at the same time, the challenge is to not provide the same... yeah, yeah, yeah thoughts that everyone espouses.
The single most distinguishing feature of our difference is how we deal with the failure rate in the home-based business industry. Our premise is that the failure rate is due to peoples' inability to adapt to and integrate change into their lifestyle. Said differently, people do not "find" the time to constructively engage in the activities that will build a business and crawl out of the entrenched patterns of their lives.
Therefore, this core value is "embracing change"... and the degree of change will predict the amount of success. It is the mature and responsible understanding that nothing happens without applied effort within the context of an intentional strategy.
Let me use this as one example from my own experience. I worked for years needing to be at work at 6:00 am. This required my alarm going off at 4:30. When I got home, the routine was to catch up on (reading) the day's news and in so-doing fall asleep for a nap upright on the sofa. Then, the TV was on and this occupied the hour or so until it was time to start dinner. Then, the Network news to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy and then nodding off again... how pathetic - every day for years.
Now, ask yourself, where did you see me mention 'working on my business'? The necessary change came when the TV was turned off. This is the change that was necessary, for me.
Everyone has their own structure of how their time is invested. Good, bad, or indifferent - this "inventory" simply "is" for every individual.
In building our credibility, we do not sugar-coat the reality the change necessary. There is a lot more in regard to the process we have chosen to work within, the skills required and a host of other factors. However, unless you are exhibiting the daily habits of applying effort, you will not be an effective leader.
This is the raw truth and we hope you can appreciate it for the value and advice it holds.
This is a fair question that warrants a thoughtful answer. The core of the answer revolves around the values we embrace as an organization - but at the same time, the challenge is to not provide the same... yeah, yeah, yeah thoughts that everyone espouses.
The single most distinguishing feature of our difference is how we deal with the failure rate in the home-based business industry. Our premise is that the failure rate is due to peoples' inability to adapt to and integrate change into their lifestyle. Said differently, people do not "find" the time to constructively engage in the activities that will build a business and crawl out of the entrenched patterns of their lives.
Therefore, this core value is "embracing change"... and the degree of change will predict the amount of success. It is the mature and responsible understanding that nothing happens without applied effort within the context of an intentional strategy.
Let me use this as one example from my own experience. I worked for years needing to be at work at 6:00 am. This required my alarm going off at 4:30. When I got home, the routine was to catch up on (reading) the day's news and in so-doing fall asleep for a nap upright on the sofa. Then, the TV was on and this occupied the hour or so until it was time to start dinner. Then, the Network news to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy and then nodding off again... how pathetic - every day for years.
Now, ask yourself, where did you see me mention 'working on my business'? The necessary change came when the TV was turned off. This is the change that was necessary, for me.
Everyone has their own structure of how their time is invested. Good, bad, or indifferent - this "inventory" simply "is" for every individual.
In building our credibility, we do not sugar-coat the reality the change necessary. There is a lot more in regard to the process we have chosen to work within, the skills required and a host of other factors. However, unless you are exhibiting the daily habits of applying effort, you will not be an effective leader.
This is the raw truth and we hope you can appreciate it for the value and advice it holds.
Clients and Being of Service
There is a whole world of words, semantics, and definitions that we very consciously attempt to use as differentiators in defining who we are as a marketing organization. In referring to people we work with as clients, it is really a mindset "trick" in understanding that you are (for all intents) employed by them.
Anyone you bring into your organization,, we encourage you to think of as clients, in the sense that they support your income - like in any business.
Referring to them as recruits, downline or enrollees all miss the mark. Until you fully appreciate that you need to be of service through teaching, helping and coaching your "clients" and treating them in the context of the lifetime value they represent, you can not consider yourself to have evolved to the professional level of an at-home business owner.
Lifetime value. Ponder this. Enter into relationships instead of "signing people up" and seeing what happens. Mentor. Teach. Coach. Encourage. Support. Be a role model for others to emulate.
This is at the core of anyone's success. Leadership in setting the tone, the pace, the activity... what you do and how you do it must be an example to those who look to you for guidance.
No one starts here. Everything is earned. As you earn competence and credibility, you will earn money. This is also part of what is referred to as the Law of Compensation.
There is no faking it. You put in the work to gain competence and you get paid. Conversely, no skills, no money.
Being of service and treating people as clients (who are paying you to lead and teach is a great way to define who you are and what you do in our business.
Anyone you bring into your organization,, we encourage you to think of as clients, in the sense that they support your income - like in any business.
Referring to them as recruits, downline or enrollees all miss the mark. Until you fully appreciate that you need to be of service through teaching, helping and coaching your "clients" and treating them in the context of the lifetime value they represent, you can not consider yourself to have evolved to the professional level of an at-home business owner.
Lifetime value. Ponder this. Enter into relationships instead of "signing people up" and seeing what happens. Mentor. Teach. Coach. Encourage. Support. Be a role model for others to emulate.
This is at the core of anyone's success. Leadership in setting the tone, the pace, the activity... what you do and how you do it must be an example to those who look to you for guidance.
No one starts here. Everything is earned. As you earn competence and credibility, you will earn money. This is also part of what is referred to as the Law of Compensation.
There is no faking it. You put in the work to gain competence and you get paid. Conversely, no skills, no money.
Being of service and treating people as clients (who are paying you to lead and teach is a great way to define who you are and what you do in our business.
Shake Up Your World - A Rebirth of Magnificent Proportions
I approach this title with a certain amount of glee and aspiration. Our goal with this site is to motivate and instigate change. The admonition in the title is a call to action that will have life-altering implications. However, we always need to temper the hyperbole with reality.
At the time of this writing in early January of 2017, we are typically called to make resolutions in a spirit of renewal We take a collective deep breath, and in a state of calm repose, make our best attempts to set goals for the year to come. With earnest intent, we set out conceptually to define how want things to be - in defining our future(s).
Ultimately, you make decisions. Your life is the accumulation of the choices you have made. From the extent of your education to relationships and who you spend your time with, how much television you watch, your level of involvement with self-medicating, whether you have your future mapped out in writing... there are and there will be on-going choices you make. These choices have consequences... or every action has a reaction...
In this context, "shaking up your world" is a choice. You can go with the status quo, or you can responsibly and intelligently make changes. What we do with Working Poor No More is such a choice. We simply take you by the hand, lead you to the window and point to the potential that is outside (of your current, personal experience).
The promise of a Rebirth of Magnificent Proportions is where the potential for hyperbole exists. This is meant to inspire your ambitions - not a promise that it will happen. There is a great deal of learning, application and execution between these two ways of defining promise.
Our intent is to simply apprise you of the potential in the context of something that is plausible and reasonable to understand and engage.
At the time of this writing in early January of 2017, we are typically called to make resolutions in a spirit of renewal We take a collective deep breath, and in a state of calm repose, make our best attempts to set goals for the year to come. With earnest intent, we set out conceptually to define how want things to be - in defining our future(s).
Ultimately, you make decisions. Your life is the accumulation of the choices you have made. From the extent of your education to relationships and who you spend your time with, how much television you watch, your level of involvement with self-medicating, whether you have your future mapped out in writing... there are and there will be on-going choices you make. These choices have consequences... or every action has a reaction...
In this context, "shaking up your world" is a choice. You can go with the status quo, or you can responsibly and intelligently make changes. What we do with Working Poor No More is such a choice. We simply take you by the hand, lead you to the window and point to the potential that is outside (of your current, personal experience).
The promise of a Rebirth of Magnificent Proportions is where the potential for hyperbole exists. This is meant to inspire your ambitions - not a promise that it will happen. There is a great deal of learning, application and execution between these two ways of defining promise.
Our intent is to simply apprise you of the potential in the context of something that is plausible and reasonable to understand and engage.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Making a Positive Difference
At risk of sounding too simplistic, our business philosophy is to make a positive difference in peoples' lives. The reality is that money lubricates life. When income exceeds expenses, money literally eliminates the stress of daily living and liberates people from financial demons. This allows people to be their best-selves - happy and comparatively free - at least on a financial dimension.
As such, and in a much broader context, our culture (our ethos) positively impacts society. This is much larger than a "business opportunity". Inherent in this is collectively, as a community, we elevate the quality-of-life for large groups of people who we support through education and through teaching to take purposeful, well-defined action(s).
We make a positive difference by paying attention to relationships and to the best of our ability, doing all we can to ensure others' success. This is inherently a process that happens over time - and with time, we build stable and lasting businesses that are built around our culture and sense of community. When applied to large numbers of people, the societal benefit becomes somewhat self-evident.
If you look at the real potential to build something to pass along to your heirs, there is no other way to approach what we do.
As such, and in a much broader context, our culture (our ethos) positively impacts society. This is much larger than a "business opportunity". Inherent in this is collectively, as a community, we elevate the quality-of-life for large groups of people who we support through education and through teaching to take purposeful, well-defined action(s).
We make a positive difference by paying attention to relationships and to the best of our ability, doing all we can to ensure others' success. This is inherently a process that happens over time - and with time, we build stable and lasting businesses that are built around our culture and sense of community. When applied to large numbers of people, the societal benefit becomes somewhat self-evident.
If you look at the real potential to build something to pass along to your heirs, there is no other way to approach what we do.
Permission Marketing
First, let me preface:
Without giving away too much about what makes our marketing group unique, it is safe to say that we seek to establish stable, long-term relationships. This is done within the context of a community. We rely on and support each other in building businesses that create financial stability. The kind of stability that evolves into higher and higher levels of prosperity. Individual by individual, this defines what we do as we grow participation in our groups.
This being said, how we initially approach and market to the groups we target has everything to do with the initial contact(s) we make. We do this through asking for permission (if they are receptive to?) receiving further information about what we offer.
In this context, the chapters that Seth Godin shares a great primer to get your head around how we build large, stable organizations. We are not mass marketers in the traditional sense, but very specifically and intentionally are thoughtful, courteous and methodical in our approach. This level of sophistication (both in terms of etiquette and strategy) is one of the key variables that sets us apart. Depending on the group we are marketing to, this has to be done right.
Without giving away too much about what makes our marketing group unique, it is safe to say that we seek to establish stable, long-term relationships. This is done within the context of a community. We rely on and support each other in building businesses that create financial stability. The kind of stability that evolves into higher and higher levels of prosperity. Individual by individual, this defines what we do as we grow participation in our groups.
This being said, how we initially approach and market to the groups we target has everything to do with the initial contact(s) we make. We do this through asking for permission (if they are receptive to?) receiving further information about what we offer.
In this context, the chapters that Seth Godin shares a great primer to get your head around how we build large, stable organizations. We are not mass marketers in the traditional sense, but very specifically and intentionally are thoughtful, courteous and methodical in our approach. This level of sophistication (both in terms of etiquette and strategy) is one of the key variables that sets us apart. Depending on the group we are marketing to, this has to be done right.
A Right Way and A Wrong Way
Is there a right way and a wrong way to approach a home business? Around the Holidays, between Thanksgiving and New Years (every year) there are always multiple promotions from different "follow me and my system" marketers. Typically, they host webinars and then have a campaign to follow-up (forever) until you unsubscribe.
There are a lot of clues left by this process. The problem is that for the vast majority of people, the skills sets required to execute this kind of "marketing funnel" to a targeted national or worldwide audience are well beyond their time and talent. So, even though there are many examples of state-of-the-art processes, building one yourself is an extremely tall order.
Some advocate "the only way" is through paid advertising and they will show you how to make it happen. Others sell the process itself and include landing page builders integrated with free offers and auto-responder campaigns. Many or most of these have affiliate programs and "the model" is to sell their tools and their process as an additional income stream. There are different levels of sophistication and integration that make all of the pieces of marketing funnels fit and work together.
The issue is this: it is really a full-time second job to learn and implement all of this stuff, and the commitment required to make it happen is simply beyond the capabilities of most people. Therefore, even if they invest in a course, a process, or a suite of tools... getting it all to work and having the skills to make it "hum" is a huge problem.
Therefore, somewhere between knowing + doing nothing - and - these state-of-the-art systems are some common sense best-practices that the majority of people can engage in to build a home business. At the end of the day, our "job" is to get our message of "what we do" in front of people for them to evaluate and then provide on-going information that reinforces the viability of making money and encouraging them to join in the effort to enhance their own income.
The most simple, first thing anyone can do is to point people to a company capture page with no other supporting resources (that talk about who you are as a marketer or a leader). However, you can piggy-back off of other people until you gain and build your own resources (like this blog and individual posts within it).
The key is to get started doing something/anything - and then building on your time and talents. This will differ for everyone based on your personality type, the skills you initially bring to the table, whether you have other commitments, including children and any number of other factors.
Short of investing thousands of dollars in your education to implement state-of-the-art systems, you have to find your sweet spot of engaging with your business. Your business is finding people who will embrace the idea of partnering with you to make money. We are "selling" participation and group-think. We are marketing a community of shared values. The key here is "buying into" a philosophy, as opposed to buying a business opportunity. We are not selling a "deal" as the means to our end, we are selling a culture of interdependence that will sustain everyone.
There are a lot of clues left by this process. The problem is that for the vast majority of people, the skills sets required to execute this kind of "marketing funnel" to a targeted national or worldwide audience are well beyond their time and talent. So, even though there are many examples of state-of-the-art processes, building one yourself is an extremely tall order.
Some advocate "the only way" is through paid advertising and they will show you how to make it happen. Others sell the process itself and include landing page builders integrated with free offers and auto-responder campaigns. Many or most of these have affiliate programs and "the model" is to sell their tools and their process as an additional income stream. There are different levels of sophistication and integration that make all of the pieces of marketing funnels fit and work together.
The issue is this: it is really a full-time second job to learn and implement all of this stuff, and the commitment required to make it happen is simply beyond the capabilities of most people. Therefore, even if they invest in a course, a process, or a suite of tools... getting it all to work and having the skills to make it "hum" is a huge problem.
Therefore, somewhere between knowing + doing nothing - and - these state-of-the-art systems are some common sense best-practices that the majority of people can engage in to build a home business. At the end of the day, our "job" is to get our message of "what we do" in front of people for them to evaluate and then provide on-going information that reinforces the viability of making money and encouraging them to join in the effort to enhance their own income.
The most simple, first thing anyone can do is to point people to a company capture page with no other supporting resources (that talk about who you are as a marketer or a leader). However, you can piggy-back off of other people until you gain and build your own resources (like this blog and individual posts within it).
The key is to get started doing something/anything - and then building on your time and talents. This will differ for everyone based on your personality type, the skills you initially bring to the table, whether you have other commitments, including children and any number of other factors.
Short of investing thousands of dollars in your education to implement state-of-the-art systems, you have to find your sweet spot of engaging with your business. Your business is finding people who will embrace the idea of partnering with you to make money. We are "selling" participation and group-think. We are marketing a community of shared values. The key here is "buying into" a philosophy, as opposed to buying a business opportunity. We are not selling a "deal" as the means to our end, we are selling a culture of interdependence that will sustain everyone.
Friday, December 16, 2016
The Community is Your Asset
There is a point of confusion that most digital marketers to not adequately address.
This entire blog talks about culture and community, and here's why.
Businesses (can) come and go. Unless you literally "own" the company - you are promoting someone else's opportunity. You are not in control of your business. What you do control, however, are the relationships, the "group think" and the alliances and common purpose you build with people.
This is your asset - and it is all relationship-based. Some call it your "list". And... the industry adage is "the money is in your list". Actually, some marketers advocate collecting names and having a lot of names to make different offers to - over time. As such, they say that this large list is the asset. I agree with this to a point, but am also inclined to disagree.
There is also the industry mantra of "know, like and trust". The admonition is that people need to know, like and trust you to do business with you. I have no argument with this. The question for me is that from a large "list", you may or may not have people who are currently participating with what you do - and putting money in your bank account. Therefore, all of the good will, liking and trusting is of no tangible monetary value.
Therefore, the notion of inter-dependence is key to my definition of community. Or said differently, having a stake, or "some skin in the game" is a requirement. As such, names and email addresses are of little utility other than the "potential" of them participating with you financially at some future date.
Again, the asset is the sum total of the relationships you build - one at a time - with the trust of everyone holding everyone else's best-interest as a core value. And, with the understanding that this community moves forward as its own economy where everyone has a vested interest in ensuring that all who participate have success.
This entire blog talks about culture and community, and here's why.
Businesses (can) come and go. Unless you literally "own" the company - you are promoting someone else's opportunity. You are not in control of your business. What you do control, however, are the relationships, the "group think" and the alliances and common purpose you build with people.
This is your asset - and it is all relationship-based. Some call it your "list". And... the industry adage is "the money is in your list". Actually, some marketers advocate collecting names and having a lot of names to make different offers to - over time. As such, they say that this large list is the asset. I agree with this to a point, but am also inclined to disagree.
There is also the industry mantra of "know, like and trust". The admonition is that people need to know, like and trust you to do business with you. I have no argument with this. The question for me is that from a large "list", you may or may not have people who are currently participating with what you do - and putting money in your bank account. Therefore, all of the good will, liking and trusting is of no tangible monetary value.
Therefore, the notion of inter-dependence is key to my definition of community. Or said differently, having a stake, or "some skin in the game" is a requirement. As such, names and email addresses are of little utility other than the "potential" of them participating with you financially at some future date.
Again, the asset is the sum total of the relationships you build - one at a time - with the trust of everyone holding everyone else's best-interest as a core value. And, with the understanding that this community moves forward as its own economy where everyone has a vested interest in ensuring that all who participate have success.
Our Marketing Sites (so far)
You can click on any of following sites to get a sense of how we approach market segmentation and drill down on specific groups, or geographic areas. You will note they are all "neutral" in terms of contact information and does not disclose nor link to the business that drives our incomes.
Also, you will note that each site is built on a FREE Google Sites host. They are simple, one page sites that encourage people to get back to the person who led them to the information. As you advance in your skill sets, you can develop your own.
In any event, here's the list:
Also, you will note that each site is built on a FREE Google Sites host. They are simple, one page sites that encourage people to get back to the person who led them to the information. As you advance in your skill sets, you can develop your own.
In any event, here's the list:
- 401Konundrum - Targeted to people who are about to retire, but have done a less than adequate job at saving and planning for it.
- Business Owners - Targeted to individually owned, small retail shops, food establishments, child care centers, contractors, etc.
- Independent Grad - Targeted to college students, including fraternities and sororities as well as student organizations. These can and should have discrete sites.
- Money Club - This site is Money Club Warwick, which is my "home town". It is obviously intended for local marketing. The Banner can be changed and used in any town, anywhere.
- Our Money Bus - This was one of the very early sites that is now primarily used as a follow-up site - to send people to as a further explanation. You will note that the video is used at the end of a couple of the other sites. This can stay or go, if you get to the point of creating your own sites..
- Union175 - Targeted to Unions of any labor stripe.
- Motivated Volunteers - Targeted to Fundraising Groups. Youth Sports, Religious Affiliated, School Groups... any group seeking to make money.
It is important that you understand that these are additional resources that are specific to our Marketing Community. There is a whole host of additional resources that our business provides and the larger marketing community provide.
Our group is one of many that all lead to our core business. You will note on my "About Me" page on this blog, I am just one person out of thousands carving out "one way" to get from Point A to Point B, in terms of educating people about what we do, and then enrolling them in our business.
One aspect of our training is to teach you how to "employ" any of these sites. Again, you need to develop some of your own resources to make this work. This will begin your learning curve.
The first thing will be to make a landing page that you tell people about yourself and the business. This will be a Google Site. It is not complicated and there are tons of YouTube videos that teach how to make it happen, in addition to our training.
The point here is, there are things to do, and things to know as you ramp up your skills and knowledge.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
The Launch to Profitaiblity
This is critical. People need to launch to profitability as quickly as possible. This does not happen on its own - and therefore hand holding, cajoling or any other means of motivation in the first weeks is essential.
Perhaps a bit over-stated, but the general idea is that if people are in profit, there is no reason to quit. Therefore, initial profitability is a first little insurance policy. It follows that to get into profit, something needed to have been "done". It is a bit more complicated than wash, rinse, and repeat because at that point the "recruit" having just had their initial success - now has two roles, instead of one. In addition to finding people to get involved, they need to apply the skills necessary to support their newly enrolled person.
This defines the life cycle of our business: enroll and support. Or said differently: marketing and teaching. It defines the success cycle. We really only do two things: 1) find and enroll people into our business, and; 2) support them i whatever they need to be doing to become competent and profitable.
Perhaps a bit over-stated, but the general idea is that if people are in profit, there is no reason to quit. Therefore, initial profitability is a first little insurance policy. It follows that to get into profit, something needed to have been "done". It is a bit more complicated than wash, rinse, and repeat because at that point the "recruit" having just had their initial success - now has two roles, instead of one. In addition to finding people to get involved, they need to apply the skills necessary to support their newly enrolled person.
This defines the life cycle of our business: enroll and support. Or said differently: marketing and teaching. It defines the success cycle. We really only do two things: 1) find and enroll people into our business, and; 2) support them i whatever they need to be doing to become competent and profitable.
Literally: Our Business is Others' Success
Your main responsibility as a business owner (in our business) is to do all you can to ensure people [those you rely on for their monthly participation in your on-going income] have success. This happens on a number of levels, the most fundamental one is ensuring you develop a relationship and you engender a culture that includes a sense-of-belonging.
Servant leadership obviously involves serving. There is nothing more important than serving others and ensuring they are on track and have the skills and habits to apply on a daily basis. We are in the people development business. If "our" people are not evolving and gaining competencies (incrementally, day by day, week by week) then our business(es) will be made of sticks, and not of bricks. (Three Little Pigs analogy, intentional)
The tools of the trade in this regard are that of any other relationship. Phone calls, emails, texts, participation group training, getting on company calls. You need to get comfortable with asking the question, "What did you do to build your business today?" in the context of how can I help? Nothing happens in our business without "activity: and doing the things that will get what we do in front of other people for them to evaluate.
Your success is in direct proportion to the success of the people you support and work with. Your income is in direct proportion to the amount of money the people you are working with are earning. The size, stability and total dollar value that passes through your group is the asset you are working to build. However, please understand this point: economies are made of people. People drive business. If people go away, the money goes away... or said differently, everything is people-dependent.
You are building your own economy that is independent of your job, the State, or the National economy (other than owing taxes on what you earn). Our business is a people development business. If we engender competence, if you and I are competent and can pass along what we know - the money is a by-product of this value you bring to the equation.
Servant leadership obviously involves serving. There is nothing more important than serving others and ensuring they are on track and have the skills and habits to apply on a daily basis. We are in the people development business. If "our" people are not evolving and gaining competencies (incrementally, day by day, week by week) then our business(es) will be made of sticks, and not of bricks. (Three Little Pigs analogy, intentional)
The tools of the trade in this regard are that of any other relationship. Phone calls, emails, texts, participation group training, getting on company calls. You need to get comfortable with asking the question, "What did you do to build your business today?" in the context of how can I help? Nothing happens in our business without "activity: and doing the things that will get what we do in front of other people for them to evaluate.
Your success is in direct proportion to the success of the people you support and work with. Your income is in direct proportion to the amount of money the people you are working with are earning. The size, stability and total dollar value that passes through your group is the asset you are working to build. However, please understand this point: economies are made of people. People drive business. If people go away, the money goes away... or said differently, everything is people-dependent.
You are building your own economy that is independent of your job, the State, or the National economy (other than owing taxes on what you earn). Our business is a people development business. If we engender competence, if you and I are competent and can pass along what we know - the money is a by-product of this value you bring to the equation.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Ignorance is Expensive
This is a provocative title that is potentially off-putting. I understand.
It is really meant to be an attention grabber and nothing more. So allow me to apologize if it raised your eyebrow.
In writing about "ignorance being expensive", the reality is most people have not taken the time to understand the difference between active and passive income, not even mentioning how to make it happen.
Most people have a job and pay their bills and are content with the cards they have been dealt. They get up every Monday morning and do it again and trudge through to the following weekend. Of the active income they earn, perhaps some is saved. For most, little is invested. It is how most people describe (and end up in) the rat race.
All we are here to tell you is that there is an alternative. It is passive income. You do the work once, and the same money comes month after month after month - passively, and grows geometrically.
This is the model we operate under. Nothing more. It is not a magic pill, but merely describes what we do. Therefore, if you do not have stocks, or own real estate, have written a book and receive royalties or any other mechanism to realize residual income...
Simply, we invite those who may not know about "our world" to learn more.
It is really meant to be an attention grabber and nothing more. So allow me to apologize if it raised your eyebrow.
In writing about "ignorance being expensive", the reality is most people have not taken the time to understand the difference between active and passive income, not even mentioning how to make it happen.
Most people have a job and pay their bills and are content with the cards they have been dealt. They get up every Monday morning and do it again and trudge through to the following weekend. Of the active income they earn, perhaps some is saved. For most, little is invested. It is how most people describe (and end up in) the rat race.
All we are here to tell you is that there is an alternative. It is passive income. You do the work once, and the same money comes month after month after month - passively, and grows geometrically.
This is the model we operate under. Nothing more. It is not a magic pill, but merely describes what we do. Therefore, if you do not have stocks, or own real estate, have written a book and receive royalties or any other mechanism to realize residual income...
Simply, we invite those who may not know about "our world" to learn more.
Already have a successful business?
If you already have a successful business, what we do will complement (not compete with) what you currently do. As such, we are a diversification option.
There was an analogy that I heard recently that you cannot be the pastor of two churches under two denominations. The question posed was 'what do you really believe' and those who follow (attend your church) would have legitimate cause to wonder what your true convictions are? If you are marketing products within the same category, I would be inclined to agree... i.e. two weight loss products, two skin care lines, two anti-oxidant health drinks, two travel companies... name your deal...
We represent a tools, training and education"deal". Our business ramps quickly due to person-to-person commerce with no money going to the parent company, other than a monthly administrative fee to cover the back office and on-going product development.
Therefore, what we do, does not compete with product or service-based businesses. The closest thing we do compete with with"launches" and / or learning platforms - that provide tools, teach skills and have a monthly membership fee - associated to belong.
Therefore, we very casually expose our philosophy (first) to people who posture themselves as successful online. We share this blog and see if they choose to reach out to us. Many companies preach focus and fidelity and not chasing the next shiny object. Frankly, we are inclined to agree.
However, we are a great complement to any business, and; once people are established with their primary business, we would be shooting ourselves in the foot if not exposing current successful business builders to another viable source of complementary income.
There was an analogy that I heard recently that you cannot be the pastor of two churches under two denominations. The question posed was 'what do you really believe' and those who follow (attend your church) would have legitimate cause to wonder what your true convictions are? If you are marketing products within the same category, I would be inclined to agree... i.e. two weight loss products, two skin care lines, two anti-oxidant health drinks, two travel companies... name your deal...
We represent a tools, training and education"deal". Our business ramps quickly due to person-to-person commerce with no money going to the parent company, other than a monthly administrative fee to cover the back office and on-going product development.
Therefore, what we do, does not compete with product or service-based businesses. The closest thing we do compete with with"launches" and / or learning platforms - that provide tools, teach skills and have a monthly membership fee - associated to belong.
Therefore, we very casually expose our philosophy (first) to people who posture themselves as successful online. We share this blog and see if they choose to reach out to us. Many companies preach focus and fidelity and not chasing the next shiny object. Frankly, we are inclined to agree.
However, we are a great complement to any business, and; once people are established with their primary business, we would be shooting ourselves in the foot if not exposing current successful business builders to another viable source of complementary income.
Security
The definition of security differs for everyone. For some, having a "secure job" meets their definition. For others, being on a track for a secure retirement needs to fit into the equation. For many, the idea of not having to depend on someone else is key to their definition. In this sense, security has everything to do with control - and having the ability to control your life and your future.
Our market is not people who fit neatly into the first two categories and who are satisfied with their stable existence. Therefore, right off of the top, we can exclude 80% of the population who are employed and buying-in to the conventional American dream of a house, a car and meeting all of their bills.
Your potential success will be affected if you do not understand this reality. And, it begs the question of who we target as "higher" probability prospects. Are there groups/populations who inherently have an "itch to scratch" as it relates to security and improving their personal status quo? On the one end of the continuum are people who are unemployed or underemployed, which one would think makes them inherently "hungry". If you are to believe the current national statistics, this percentage of the population is now 4.6%. So, that will never get us there.
Then, if we apply the 80/20 rule, and assume that 80% of people think they are doing 'just fine', this leaves about 15% of people who have the attitude and aptitude to "innovate" and do something different in their lives. This is 15% of people who will take a risk, get out of their comfort zone - and who have the initiative and drive to do something more with their lives.
Therefore, your personal security is inherently dependent on finding and educating a minority of innovators and early adopters. It also points to the fact that you can waste a lot of time and money on chasing your tail in pursuing non-viable people. In other words, to work smart, you need to "get clear" on who our market is, and who it is not.
We will help you get there. To talk about these market segmentation strategies here, would really be tantamount to providing the keys to the cash box and are considered proprietary.
How, who, when, and why we target and approach potential business partners is both a fundamental skill and understanding that will contribute to your success and personal stability.
Our market is not people who fit neatly into the first two categories and who are satisfied with their stable existence. Therefore, right off of the top, we can exclude 80% of the population who are employed and buying-in to the conventional American dream of a house, a car and meeting all of their bills.
Your potential success will be affected if you do not understand this reality. And, it begs the question of who we target as "higher" probability prospects. Are there groups/populations who inherently have an "itch to scratch" as it relates to security and improving their personal status quo? On the one end of the continuum are people who are unemployed or underemployed, which one would think makes them inherently "hungry". If you are to believe the current national statistics, this percentage of the population is now 4.6%. So, that will never get us there.
Then, if we apply the 80/20 rule, and assume that 80% of people think they are doing 'just fine', this leaves about 15% of people who have the attitude and aptitude to "innovate" and do something different in their lives. This is 15% of people who will take a risk, get out of their comfort zone - and who have the initiative and drive to do something more with their lives.
Therefore, your personal security is inherently dependent on finding and educating a minority of innovators and early adopters. It also points to the fact that you can waste a lot of time and money on chasing your tail in pursuing non-viable people. In other words, to work smart, you need to "get clear" on who our market is, and who it is not.
We will help you get there. To talk about these market segmentation strategies here, would really be tantamount to providing the keys to the cash box and are considered proprietary.
How, who, when, and why we target and approach potential business partners is both a fundamental skill and understanding that will contribute to your success and personal stability.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Business is a Team Sport
There are a lot of ways to write about this. The obvious one is to make football or basketball analogies, and then have the discussion evolve to leadership with quarterbacks and point guards. Somehow, I think all this has already been done.
As such, I am not going to go in that direction, but more importantly want to contextualize "team" and what it means to "our" sport. So, let me start here: a team is a group of people who work together with the common goal of winning a game. Our game is money.
Teams practice and have coordinated strategies (plays) that define what everyone's role is for bursts of time. The question then becomes, what "plays" do we run and how do we coordinate among ourselves in our business? And, even before this, what drills do we run in practice to sharpen and refine fundamental skills and mechanics?
All of this is completely analogous to athletics. However, there are plenty of opportunities to learn about individual skills. The key to all of this, from my frame of reference, is how we coordinate our teams on a state-wide, national or worldwide basis? Some call it support, some call it being an effective sponsor... whatever the case, it should be obvious that we all do not end up in the showers together at the end of practice and give each other a lift home.
We talk about our business being a relationship business. We talk about the importance of understanding community as a core construct. Building a team (or) being a part of a team is simply another way to express the same thing.
If you want to have success, you need to embrace the fact that you can not "go-it-alone" and inherent in the process is a great deal of communication and coordination. Business is a team sport.
As such, I am not going to go in that direction, but more importantly want to contextualize "team" and what it means to "our" sport. So, let me start here: a team is a group of people who work together with the common goal of winning a game. Our game is money.
Teams practice and have coordinated strategies (plays) that define what everyone's role is for bursts of time. The question then becomes, what "plays" do we run and how do we coordinate among ourselves in our business? And, even before this, what drills do we run in practice to sharpen and refine fundamental skills and mechanics?
All of this is completely analogous to athletics. However, there are plenty of opportunities to learn about individual skills. The key to all of this, from my frame of reference, is how we coordinate our teams on a state-wide, national or worldwide basis? Some call it support, some call it being an effective sponsor... whatever the case, it should be obvious that we all do not end up in the showers together at the end of practice and give each other a lift home.
We talk about our business being a relationship business. We talk about the importance of understanding community as a core construct. Building a team (or) being a part of a team is simply another way to express the same thing.
If you want to have success, you need to embrace the fact that you can not "go-it-alone" and inherent in the process is a great deal of communication and coordination. Business is a team sport.
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