EVALUATING ANY INCOME OPPORTUNITY

EVALUATING ANY INCOME OPPORTUNITY

You’ve just heard about the greatest opportunity or the latest “must-have” product to come along in the past century! So you jump inot the “opportunity” head-first without really thinking about it. You have visions of dollar signs dancing in your head. You tell, your friends, your co-workers, your dog…. Just about anyone or anything with a heartbeat about this great opportunity. You may get one or tow excited responses but most likely you will be shot down. The air has been let our of your balloon, your sails have been deflated.. your hopes have been dashed.

OR the Opposite Occurs

You pass on an income opportunity thinking you have seen it all BUT everyone else seems to get involved and you miss the boat!!

What went wrong??

Quite simply, you let your emotions get the best of you. You did not have the tools or the knowledge to discern the good from the not so good. You thought with your heart and not with your head.

Take some time to assess and answer the following questions in each category in relation to your current or prospective business. The more honest you are with your answers, the better the likelihood is that you’ll be on your way to finding the ideal income opportunity.

Your Leveraged Support Team (LST)

1. Does your LST understand how to build long term relationships?
2. Is integrity evident in the members of your LST?
3. Is crossline interaction encouraged on LST?
4. Do you and your LST have compatible values?
5. Does your LST us manipulative techniques to prospect new members?
6. Is the LST taking advantage of the latest Social Networking technology?
7. Are the LST members willing to do three-way calls and conference calls?
8. Is there room for leadership advancement?
9. Are you recognized and rewarded as a member of the LST
10. Does the LST celebrate your success?
11. Does the LST encourage your participation without making you feel pressured?

The Product or Service

1. Is the product or service highly consumable?
2. Do people have to change a habit or create a new one?
3. Is there a big learning curve to use or apply the product?
4. Will consumers purchase the product even if they are not involved with the opportunity?
5. Is the product fairly priced?
6. If nutrition based is the potency and purity guaranteed?
7. Does the company manufacture its own products according to the highest standards?
8. Is the product safe/low risk?
9. Are there valid testimonials?
10. Is there a money back guarantee?
11. Is there scientific research and credibility behind the product?
12. Is the product a fad?

The Company

1. What is the purpose of the company?
2. Is the company managed by a reputable and skilled management team?
3. Has the company been in business long enough to have a proven track record?
4. Does the company have a good reputation within its industry?
5. Does the company have solid financial backing?
6. Is there ongoing communication between corporate officers and the field leadership?
7. Does the company provide exceptional support material at a fair price?
8. Does the field leadership have input into company policies?
9. Does the company grow in economic downturns?
10. Does the company have plans for international expansion?
11. Does the company have long term vision?

The Compensation Plan (CP)

1. What is the minimum enrollment?
2. Is there tons of front end loading?
3. Is the CP a modern or 21^st century plan designed to create leverage AND personal productivity?
4. Is there good income possibility for part time involvement?
5. Does the CP pay weekly?
6. Are there monthly personal or group requirements?
7. Are you paid on personal purchases?
8. Will your organization eventually break-away from you?
9. Does the CP provide for quick or immediate income?
10. Does the volume flush to the company?

Just as Important – What About You –

1. Are you a team player?
2. Are you coachable?
3. Do you take personal responsibility for your actions?
4. Do you have integrity?
5. Are you willing to support and help your team, LST, and crossline?
6. Will you take the time to develop your personal skills?
7. Can you manage more than one thing at a time?
8. Do you have Stick-em? (my Dad’s term)
9. Do you have goals?
10. Do you follow through on commitments?
11. How do you manage your time?
12. Do you like to have fun?

My Dad said "Never Give Up"

Leave a Legacy by Never Giving Up!

Fifteen years ago, when Shirley and I started our “five-year plan” to become financially free with our own Home Based Business, we had no idea where it would lead us.

Here is the difference between us and most people. We have not given up. This journey has been challenging. We’ve had a lot of challenges, and I am sure we will have many more. We could have “thrown in the towel” many times. Before we learned what we know today, it was tempting to want to give up.

But my question was always. Give what up? Give up life? Give up learning? Give up growing? Give up caring? Give up setting an example for our kids? Give up on ourselves? Give into the failure mentality that is current in today’s environment????

My dad and mom taught us kids to “Never Give Up” on a worthwhile goal. Both my brother and sister have successful traditional businesses. Must have sunk in!

I remember being told “I don’t care if you are a ditch digger or a professional athlete, be the best you can be." “Give eight hours work for eight hours pay.” “Dig your well before your well goes dry.”

When I was 10 years old, my dad hurt his back working and we almost lost everything. My little brother and I took over the operation of the farm until he could work again. I lived hard work and commitment. When I grew up, I just continued on in what I was taught and have never given up.

While we changed directions a few times, we have never quit. We got better mentors, more focused information., better opportunities came our way, we searched and found truth. We never quit!

Life prepared us to never give up. When we lost our first son at birth we could not give up. When it happened a second time we asked why and slowed down for awhile, but we did not give up. We now knew what was important in life and we did not give up. Life is not easy, everybody has their own story and we celebrate them. We are not unique as I have seen many people win in many areas of their life. They did not give up either.

In the book “Think and Grow Rich” Napoleon Hill says “When you make a plan, if that plan fails, make another plan. If that plan fails, make another plan.”

So where is the rich part? …. We have a beautiful family, girls in university and doing well, are debt free, Shirley was able to stay home as a full time mom, we have an organic farm, and thriving home based businesses etc. I would say we are rich and we are not done yet. Never give up!

In my family, there was always a plan A, B, C… etc. It seemed that nothing ever went according to plan. We were constantly in a state of change. So it seemed a natural thing for me to always have a backup. “Dig your well before your well goes dry”

I’ve recreated myself a few times and am doing so again. We have mastered personal productivity and leverage, two important components necessary for success today.

The purpose of this article is to urge you to Never Give Up…. To Dig Your Well BEFORE Your Well Goes Dry… because in this debt-based monetary system it will go dry.

I’m so fortunate to have a great family, to know who I am and Whom I serve, successful businesses and great friends to share and grow with.

So just because your first vision doesn’t come true, leave a legacy by never giving up.

What Comes First.... Motivation or Action?

This post is inspired by motivational speaker, Doug Nielsen.
Take some time and watch his videos.

Which comes first, motivation or action? Most folks say motivation comes first. After all, we all need something to get us going, some heart-felt energy to drive ourselves to take the first few steps in a new venture, don’t we?

I’m firmly in the ACTION camp.

Some of us have little to no motivation, yet struggle ahead in a particular direction anyway. When it comes right down to it, we can all think of personal examples.

For example, most of us go to a job we do not enjoy, for less pay than we feel we deserve, for a boss we do not like, etc. We get up everyday and do it anyway. It may be a sense of obligation, of duty, of fear of loss, and so on.

Another example could be exercise. Many of us are motivated to set this goal at this time of year. We buy a piece of exercise equipment, only to have it become a dust collector. We are motivated, but our actions do not follow. So you can see that it was not helpful that our motivation came ahead of our actual (in)action.

Motivation alone isn’t always enough.

I played hockey when I was younger, but did not start to play goal till I was 12 years old. The coach had asked me to play goal but I did not want to. Playing out was fun, scoring goals was fun. My first game in goal, we lost 12 to 3. I certainly did not want to do that again! The coach sat me on his knee and told me I could not quit after my first time out. I had to play the next game.

I cried! But what he said made sense. I was not a quitter. The next game, we won and I was the hero. I did not want to do it at first. But it got easier as I got better. I was still scared stiff before every game, but I enjoyed the recognition and the challenge. I went on to have a fairly successful career as a goaltender. I certainly played at much higher levels than I could have as a forward…all thanks to that initial push and my coach.

So find any reason to continue, but just don’t quit.

From the Inside Looking Out…Not the Outside Looking In

Think back to a time when you got excited about something. Was it when you were looking at it from the outside and you knew next to nothing about it? Or was it from the inside, after you got over the hard, initial phase and could now see the real possibilities?

The latter, right? That’s because this is the wonderful, I-now-know-I-can-do-this-thing phase.
Is there something you’d like to try but just can’t seem to muster the effort? This is truly the hardest part. Stay with your project long enough to develop the skills, and each step will take you closer to victory.

In network distribution, there are people who have gone before you and who have skills that they want to share with you. Find your coach who believes in you and take that belief and motivation. Push yourself to develop the skills, and your confidence will grow. Then, your motivation will grow through the roof!

My friends, ACT FIRST. The motivation will follow.