Over the past few years I've watched people go into business for themselves and many times fail outright for no other reason than they didn't really know what to expect, and when reality hit, they got discouraged and quit. I've been in business for myself doing everything from selling insurance, owning a big rig truck, to owning a MLM business. It doesn't seem to matter what kind of business your talking about, the people who start them many times fail for the same reasons across the board.
I just wanted to write this post and give some advice to any new business owners who might be reading this.
I've got to say that the number 1 reason that I've seen people over and over fail in their own business is simply that they do not work as hard for themselves as they did for their boss. I have watched associates that were hard workers at a job become self employed and suddenly they show up at the office at noon then they leave at two for their childs ball game or something else that has come up. And although they are only working 2 hours a day they can't figure out why they can't seem to make a living. I've seen the same thing with hard driving truckers who will buy their own rig and suddenly they won't take this or that load because they don't like the miles or the don't like going to that location. Next thing you know they're out of business.
If you are going to be in business for yourself you have to realise that you are going to have to work for yourself at least as hard as you worked for somebody else all those years. You don't own your own business so that you can take things easier, you own you own business because of the freedom it provides. And because if you work hard at it the rewards are far greater than the pay from an employer.
The second most common reason I see people fail is that they have false expectations. When looking at a business, you see all the testimonials of people who made $15,000 their first week. Yes there are people who do really take off and make unbelievable money right off the bat, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Can you make $30,000 to $50,000 your first year? Sure, but that doesn't mean that you are going to be making $800-$1000 a week starting out.You are generally going to be making a small amount here and there , then as you get more experienced you start making more and in the case of residual income you basically give yourself a pay raise every time you do business. A little bit over and over ends up becoming a lot. The best thing you can do is find something that you can do part-time while still working full time on a job to make a living while you get started.
Third, and really the most important, don't quit. I'm not only talking about the business itself, but also the implementation of your ideas to further your business. Whatever you decide to try commit yourself to try it at least six times before you give up on it. Most things are not going to be successful the first time or maybe the first month you give it a try. Most people want to think about things for awhile before they make a descision. I've found that many times you will end up doing business maybe the forth of fifth time with people that you talked to the first time but they didn't decide at that time and if you had quit you would likely have not gotten that business because doing that particular action is where they knew to find you when they made their descision.
Also be careful of the people you hang with. There isn't much that is more catching than a negative attitude. Nobody wants to do business with someone who sounds down all the time. Be positive. Make it your goal that when you are talking to someone on the phone, you want to be the best phone call of their day.
When you come across information that can be discouraging, realize that where it may be true, there is always two sides to every coin. For instance, everywhere you look on the internet you see the statistic that 97% of the people who get started in an MLM business fail. This is a true statistic, but on the other side of the coin, 95% of the people who stick with it for 10 years are independently wealthy.
Basically, what you are going to find in working on a MLM business is that it is going to be 2-3 times as hard as you expected it to be. But if you stick it out, the rewards will be 10 times greater than you ever expected.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Don't Get Discouraged By Your Success
I remember several years ago when selling insurance we were told to keep track of the number of calls we made each week. Then we also kept up with how many sales we made. The idea was if it took 100 calls to make 1 sale and you wanted to make 5 sales a week then you knew you should make 500 calls.
I've noticed with myself and with others who I have observed that 75% of the people you talk to are not going to be interested. This can get a little discouraging. Maybe 1-2% of the people you talk to will sign up immediately. The other 23% tend to be like most of us who like to think about it before we commit ourselves to something.
Unfortunately, where I've found most people get really discouraged is not with the 75% who are not interested but with the 23% who talk like they are interested but then decide to think about it maybe for several months before they buy. What is really unfortunate about this is that because many get discouraged while waiting for a decision, they quit and never see the success.
You have probably heard that the first year or two can be difficult but if you can hang on for two years you generally have it made. The reason for this is that the trick to being successful is having enough of the people who are in the process of making a dicision that some of them are making the decision on a daily basis. Thus the very thing that tends to discourage is also the very thing that will ensure your success in the long run.
Just don't quit before you see the seads you plant bring forth fruit.
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
I've noticed with myself and with others who I have observed that 75% of the people you talk to are not going to be interested. This can get a little discouraging. Maybe 1-2% of the people you talk to will sign up immediately. The other 23% tend to be like most of us who like to think about it before we commit ourselves to something.
Unfortunately, where I've found most people get really discouraged is not with the 75% who are not interested but with the 23% who talk like they are interested but then decide to think about it maybe for several months before they buy. What is really unfortunate about this is that because many get discouraged while waiting for a decision, they quit and never see the success.
You have probably heard that the first year or two can be difficult but if you can hang on for two years you generally have it made. The reason for this is that the trick to being successful is having enough of the people who are in the process of making a dicision that some of them are making the decision on a daily basis. Thus the very thing that tends to discourage is also the very thing that will ensure your success in the long run.
Just don't quit before you see the seads you plant bring forth fruit.
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
Friday, March 19, 2010
Healthcare Reform - The Cost Control Mirage
Obama is telling people what they want to hear about health care, not what they need to know.
March 15, 2010
"What we need from the next president is somebody who will not just tell you what they think you want to hear but will tell you what you need to hear."—Barack Obama, Feb. 27, 2008
One job of presidents is to educate Americans about crucial national problems. On health care, Barack Obama has failed.
Almost everything you think you know about health care is probably wrong or, at least, half wrong. Great simplicities and distortions have been peddled in the name of achieving "universal health coverage." The miseducation has worsened as the debate approaches its climax.There's a parallel here: housing.
Most Americans favor homeownership, but uncritical pro-homeownership policies (lax lending standards, puny down payments, hefty housing subsidies) helped cause the financial crisis. The same thing is happening with health care.
The appeal of universal insurance—who, by the way, wants to be uninsured?—justifies half-truths and dubious policies. That the process is repeating itself suggests that our political leaders don't learn even from proximate calamities.How often, for example, have you heard the emergency-room argument? The uninsured, it's said, use emergency rooms for primary care. That's expensive and ineffective. Once they're insured, they'll have regular doctors. Care will improve; costs will decline. Everyone wins. Great argument.
Unfortunately, it's untrue.A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that the insured accounted for 83 percent of emergency-room visits, reflecting their share of the population. After Massachusetts adopted universal insurance, emergency-room use remained higher than the national average, an Urban Institute study found. More than two-fifths of visits represented non-emergencies. Of those, a majority of adult respondents to a survey said it was "more convenient" to go to the emergency room or they couldn't "get [a doctor's] appointment as soon as needed." If universal coverage makes appointments harder to get, emergency-room use may increase.
You probably think that insuring the uninsured will dramatically improve the nation's health. The uninsured don't get care or don't get it soon enough. With insurance, they won't be shortchanged; they'll be healthier. Simple.Think again. I've written before that expanding health insurance would result, at best, in modest health gains. Studies of insurance's effects on health are hard to perform. Some find benefits; others don't. Medicare's introduction in 1966 produced no reduction in mortality; some studies of extensions of Medicaid for children didn't find gains. In the Atlantic recently, economics writer Megan McArdle examined the literature and emerged skeptical. Claims that the uninsured suffer tens of thousands of premature deaths are "open to question."
Conceivably, the "lack of health insurance has no more impact on your health than lack of flood insurance," she writes.How could this be? No one knows, but possible explanations include: (a) many uninsured are fairly healthy—about two-fifths are age 18 to 34; (b) some are too sick to be helped or have problems rooted in personal behaviors—smoking, diet, drinking or drug abuse; and (c) the uninsured already receive 50 to 70 percent of the care of the insured from hospitals, clinics and doctors, estimates the Congressional Budget Office.Though it seems compelling, covering the uninsured is not the health-care system's major problem. The big problem is uncontrolled spending, which prices people out of the market and burdens government budgets. Obama claims his proposal checks spending. Just the opposite. When people get insurance, they use more health services. Spending rises. By the government's latest forecast, health spending goes from 17 percent of the economy in 2009 to 19 percent in 2019. Health "reform" would probably increase that.Unless we change the fee-for-service system, costs will remain hard to control because providers are paid more for doing more. Obama might have attempted that by proposing health-care vouchers (limited amounts to be spent on insurance), which would force a restructuring of delivery systems to compete on quality and cost. Doctors, hospitals and drug companies would have to reorganize care. Obama refrained from that fight and instead cast insurance companies as the villains.
He's telling people what they want to hear, not what they need to know. Whatever their sins, insurers are mainly intermediaries; they pass along the costs of the delivery system. In 2009, the largest 14 insurers had profits of roughly $9 billion; that approached 0.4 percent of total health spending of $2.472 trillion. This hardly explains high health costs. What people need to know is that Obama's plan evades health care's major problems and would worsen the budget outlook. It's a big new spending program when government hasn't paid for the spending programs it already has."If not now, when? If not us, who?" Obama asks. The answer is: It's not now, and it's not "us." Pass or not, Obama's proposal is the illusion of "reform," not the real thing.
Author: Robert Samuelson
Found in Newsweek
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
March 15, 2010
"What we need from the next president is somebody who will not just tell you what they think you want to hear but will tell you what you need to hear."—Barack Obama, Feb. 27, 2008
One job of presidents is to educate Americans about crucial national problems. On health care, Barack Obama has failed.
Almost everything you think you know about health care is probably wrong or, at least, half wrong. Great simplicities and distortions have been peddled in the name of achieving "universal health coverage." The miseducation has worsened as the debate approaches its climax.There's a parallel here: housing.
Most Americans favor homeownership, but uncritical pro-homeownership policies (lax lending standards, puny down payments, hefty housing subsidies) helped cause the financial crisis. The same thing is happening with health care.
The appeal of universal insurance—who, by the way, wants to be uninsured?—justifies half-truths and dubious policies. That the process is repeating itself suggests that our political leaders don't learn even from proximate calamities.How often, for example, have you heard the emergency-room argument? The uninsured, it's said, use emergency rooms for primary care. That's expensive and ineffective. Once they're insured, they'll have regular doctors. Care will improve; costs will decline. Everyone wins. Great argument.
Unfortunately, it's untrue.A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that the insured accounted for 83 percent of emergency-room visits, reflecting their share of the population. After Massachusetts adopted universal insurance, emergency-room use remained higher than the national average, an Urban Institute study found. More than two-fifths of visits represented non-emergencies. Of those, a majority of adult respondents to a survey said it was "more convenient" to go to the emergency room or they couldn't "get [a doctor's] appointment as soon as needed." If universal coverage makes appointments harder to get, emergency-room use may increase.
You probably think that insuring the uninsured will dramatically improve the nation's health. The uninsured don't get care or don't get it soon enough. With insurance, they won't be shortchanged; they'll be healthier. Simple.Think again. I've written before that expanding health insurance would result, at best, in modest health gains. Studies of insurance's effects on health are hard to perform. Some find benefits; others don't. Medicare's introduction in 1966 produced no reduction in mortality; some studies of extensions of Medicaid for children didn't find gains. In the Atlantic recently, economics writer Megan McArdle examined the literature and emerged skeptical. Claims that the uninsured suffer tens of thousands of premature deaths are "open to question."
Conceivably, the "lack of health insurance has no more impact on your health than lack of flood insurance," she writes.How could this be? No one knows, but possible explanations include: (a) many uninsured are fairly healthy—about two-fifths are age 18 to 34; (b) some are too sick to be helped or have problems rooted in personal behaviors—smoking, diet, drinking or drug abuse; and (c) the uninsured already receive 50 to 70 percent of the care of the insured from hospitals, clinics and doctors, estimates the Congressional Budget Office.Though it seems compelling, covering the uninsured is not the health-care system's major problem. The big problem is uncontrolled spending, which prices people out of the market and burdens government budgets. Obama claims his proposal checks spending. Just the opposite. When people get insurance, they use more health services. Spending rises. By the government's latest forecast, health spending goes from 17 percent of the economy in 2009 to 19 percent in 2019. Health "reform" would probably increase that.Unless we change the fee-for-service system, costs will remain hard to control because providers are paid more for doing more. Obama might have attempted that by proposing health-care vouchers (limited amounts to be spent on insurance), which would force a restructuring of delivery systems to compete on quality and cost. Doctors, hospitals and drug companies would have to reorganize care. Obama refrained from that fight and instead cast insurance companies as the villains.
He's telling people what they want to hear, not what they need to know. Whatever their sins, insurers are mainly intermediaries; they pass along the costs of the delivery system. In 2009, the largest 14 insurers had profits of roughly $9 billion; that approached 0.4 percent of total health spending of $2.472 trillion. This hardly explains high health costs. What people need to know is that Obama's plan evades health care's major problems and would worsen the budget outlook. It's a big new spending program when government hasn't paid for the spending programs it already has."If not now, when? If not us, who?" Obama asks. The answer is: It's not now, and it's not "us." Pass or not, Obama's proposal is the illusion of "reform," not the real thing.
Author: Robert Samuelson
Found in Newsweek
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Exciting News For Ameriplan IBOs
Did you hear today’s big annoucement?
If not, listen now: (507) 726-3896 option 3
EVERY IBO can earn an EXTRA $2,550 with March Madness!!
Go to: http://www.ourteam2000.com/ezine/marchpromo.pdf for all the details.
For all EXISTING IBOs this contest began at 00:01am Monday, March 15 and ends Sunday night 11:59pm Central Time, April 11, 2010 – for
YOUR PERSONAL 3 new IBOs = You win $150 cash (plus more)
Next phase, help your 3 get 3 within their first 7 days, and you win an additional $300 cash
Next phase, make sure your 3 turn SRSD within 4 pay periods, and you win an additional $2,100 cash
It will only take 39 new IBOs if you follow the above, AND…
a. You will be a National Sales Director
b. You will earn $2,550 Promo Cash in addition to your normal bonuses
See the flyer above for all the details!
This is soooo exciting!!
Do not delay!!
Procrastination will rob you of your goals.
Start immediately!!
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
If not, listen now: (507) 726-3896 option 3
EVERY IBO can earn an EXTRA $2,550 with March Madness!!
Go to: http://www.ourteam2000.com/ezine/marchpromo.pdf for all the details.
For all EXISTING IBOs this contest began at 00:01am Monday, March 15 and ends Sunday night 11:59pm Central Time, April 11, 2010 – for
YOUR PERSONAL 3 new IBOs = You win $150 cash (plus more)
Next phase, help your 3 get 3 within their first 7 days, and you win an additional $300 cash
Next phase, make sure your 3 turn SRSD within 4 pay periods, and you win an additional $2,100 cash
It will only take 39 new IBOs if you follow the above, AND…
a. You will be a National Sales Director
b. You will earn $2,550 Promo Cash in addition to your normal bonuses
See the flyer above for all the details!
This is soooo exciting!!
Do not delay!!
Procrastination will rob you of your goals.
Start immediately!!
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
Friday, March 5, 2010
Know Your Pills Before You Take Them
The pill is a modern panacea. Doctors prescribe pills for everything. You can buy them over-the-counter. Most people have a dozen types in their medicine cabinets.
With so many pills in circulation, mistakes are inevitable. Over a million people a year are affected by taking the wrong pill.
MedHelp can alleviate the confusion with Pill Finder. This site lets you find pills by shape, color and markings. Alternately, entering a drug's name will provide pictures of known pills.
All the information about the pill is listed. This includes the dosage and manufacturer. Click on a drug name for a full medical explanation. If you aren't sure about a pill, check this site first.
http://www.medhelp.org/pillfinder
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
With so many pills in circulation, mistakes are inevitable. Over a million people a year are affected by taking the wrong pill.
MedHelp can alleviate the confusion with Pill Finder. This site lets you find pills by shape, color and markings. Alternately, entering a drug's name will provide pictures of known pills.
All the information about the pill is listed. This includes the dosage and manufacturer. Click on a drug name for a full medical explanation. If you aren't sure about a pill, check this site first.
http://www.medhelp.org/pillfinder
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Kyle
One day when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid named Kyle walking home from school. He looked like he was carrying all his books and I thought to myself, he must really be a nerd carrying all his books home on a Friday. I walked on.
And then out of nowhere I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him and knocked him down. His books went flying and his glasses landed in the grass nearby. As he looked up, I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. As I jogged over, he was crawling in the grass looking for his glasses. There was a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses I said, “Those guys are jerks. They should get a life.” He looked at me and smiled and said, “Hey, thanks.”
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him gather his books and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, but had gone to a private school before this year.
We walked home together. I helped him with his books, and he turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football with me and some friends on Saturday. He said yes, and we hung out all weekend together. The more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends felt the same way.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, he decided to go to college at Georgetown. I chose Duke. I knew in my heart we’d always be friends. The miles between us would never be a problem. He wanted to become a doctor. I was going for a business degree on a football scholarship.
Kyle was the valedictorian of our class. Of course, I always teased him about being a nerd.
Graduation day came and he had to make a speech to the class. As the time for the speech drew near, I could see he was a little nervous so I went over and smacked him on the back and said, “You’ll be great, big guy!” He looked at me with that wonderful smile and said, “Thanks!” He then cleared his throat and began:
“Graduation is a wonderful time, because it’s a time when you have the opportunity to thank those who have helped you. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach… but mostly your friends.
I am here to share with all of you that being a friend is the best present you can give anyone. I’d like to tell you a story.”
I looked on in disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself that weekend. He had cleaned all of the books out of his locker so his mom wouldn’t have to do it. As he spoke, he looked right at me and said, “Thankfully, I was saved. A person I didn’t even know, who is now my best friend, saved me from doing the ‘unspeakable’.”
I heard a gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular young man told us all about his weakest moment. His mom and dad looked over at me with a smile I’ll never forget.
Not until that moment did I realize the depth of what had happened. I realized for the first time in my life that we can never underestimate the power of kindness. One small gesture had changed a life forever.
Author Unknown
And then out of nowhere I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him and knocked him down. His books went flying and his glasses landed in the grass nearby. As he looked up, I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. As I jogged over, he was crawling in the grass looking for his glasses. There was a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses I said, “Those guys are jerks. They should get a life.” He looked at me and smiled and said, “Hey, thanks.”
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him gather his books and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, but had gone to a private school before this year.
We walked home together. I helped him with his books, and he turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football with me and some friends on Saturday. He said yes, and we hung out all weekend together. The more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends felt the same way.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, he decided to go to college at Georgetown. I chose Duke. I knew in my heart we’d always be friends. The miles between us would never be a problem. He wanted to become a doctor. I was going for a business degree on a football scholarship.
Kyle was the valedictorian of our class. Of course, I always teased him about being a nerd.
Graduation day came and he had to make a speech to the class. As the time for the speech drew near, I could see he was a little nervous so I went over and smacked him on the back and said, “You’ll be great, big guy!” He looked at me with that wonderful smile and said, “Thanks!” He then cleared his throat and began:
“Graduation is a wonderful time, because it’s a time when you have the opportunity to thank those who have helped you. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach… but mostly your friends.
I am here to share with all of you that being a friend is the best present you can give anyone. I’d like to tell you a story.”
I looked on in disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself that weekend. He had cleaned all of the books out of his locker so his mom wouldn’t have to do it. As he spoke, he looked right at me and said, “Thankfully, I was saved. A person I didn’t even know, who is now my best friend, saved me from doing the ‘unspeakable’.”
I heard a gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular young man told us all about his weakest moment. His mom and dad looked over at me with a smile I’ll never forget.
Not until that moment did I realize the depth of what had happened. I realized for the first time in my life that we can never underestimate the power of kindness. One small gesture had changed a life forever.
Author Unknown
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
How Do You Handle Failure?
One thing that I find often seems to stop people in their tracks is the failure to meet short term goals. One thing that can make all the difference between if you are successful or not is how you view your own failures. Realistically, if you have never failed to meet a goal then you probably have not set very many of them, or you have never set them high enough to really challenge yourself.
I would ask you though, when failure comes, how do you take it. Is it so disappointing that you loose your enthusiasm for you business and don't try as hard the next month. Or do you view it as a direct challenge to yourself that must be overcome whatever the cost?
Unfortunately most get discouraged and don't try as hard the next time, then when they don't meet the goal again they try even less until eventually they just give up. That's why most never make it. The winners are those who view failure almost as a personal insult or a challenge that they must beat almost as if they have to prove to themselves that they are stonger than the challenge that stumped them the last time.
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
I would ask you though, when failure comes, how do you take it. Is it so disappointing that you loose your enthusiasm for you business and don't try as hard the next month. Or do you view it as a direct challenge to yourself that must be overcome whatever the cost?
Unfortunately most get discouraged and don't try as hard the next time, then when they don't meet the goal again they try even less until eventually they just give up. That's why most never make it. The winners are those who view failure almost as a personal insult or a challenge that they must beat almost as if they have to prove to themselves that they are stonger than the challenge that stumped them the last time.
http://www.hartlinefinancial.com/
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