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.

Reflect on 2008 to Create a 2009 that Shines

As 2008 comes to a close, I find I am reflecting on this past year and years previous. I do this every year, but this year I am more focused.

Last night, I was looking at pictures I found on my laptop computer. Our youngest daughter has downloaded pictures from her camera over the years. She has even scanned some of our old, 35 mm pictures, so I had a whole history to review and reflect on. What an unexpected blessing.

By nature, I can get kind of nostalgic. I think of what people have gone through in their lives. I wonder if they look back with satisfaction or discipline or regret. A wise man once told me, the cost of discipline is ounces but the cost of regret is unbearable. This has stuck with me.

I think of communities and even companies, how they developed and of the people who lived and developed them. What were their principles and convictions? The same is true when building a life. Some people who start against all odds build great lives, yet others who have great beginnings fail. I came to the conclusion that lives are built day by day; lives are built on the seemingly little daily events and on the foundations of one’s principles.

One of the best things about networking is, it is about life, it is about people. The people we meet, the relationships that grow, the impact people have on us and vise versa. Life is, after all, a journey and in the end it is the people we have an impact on that matter the most.

As we look forward to a new year, I find I reflect on these thoughts even more. Last night I spent hours going through pictures of our family and therefore our lives. I want to share a series of questions I am going through at the close of 2008.

These 30 questions can be asked, meditated upon, and answered in all areas of our lives: family, business, spiritual, personal, etc. If you find value here and want to do the same, then feel free to ask yourself the following.

Reflection Questions:

1. What did I accomplish this year?
2. What accomplishment am I most proud of?
3. What did I learn this year?
4. Knowing what I know now, what would I have done differently?
5. What are my most lasting memories of this year?
6. Why am I doing what I am doing?
7. What did I contribute to others?
8. What were my biggest challenges or obstacles?
9. Which ones did I overcome?
10. Who are the most interesting or challenging people I met?
11. What did I learn from them?
12. How did they impact my life?
13. How am I different now than I was at the start of the year?
14. What am I most grateful for?
15. What else do I want to reflect on?

Projection Questions:

1. What excites me the most about the coming year?
2. What are my FIVE most important goals for this year?
3. How will I best develop and use my skills?
4. How will I build up my strengths?
5. How will I apply the most valuable lessons of last year (and previous years) to 2009?
6. What do I want to learn?
7. How am I going to learn this?
8. Who do I want to meet?
9. What relationships do I most want to develop?
10. What new habits will I create?
11. What old habits will I change or eliminate?
12. What will I do to become healthier this year?
13. What lasting memories do I want to create?
14. Who will I serve more effectively this year?
15. What impact will I have?

We are definitely living in interesting times. Times that cannot be taken lightly. We need to get better or we fall behind. We need to grow to thrive. Staying were we are is a recipe for falling behind. It is a truth and the nature of our system.

Let me know if these questions help you.
If you are one of the few who do go through them, I guarantee the impact will be amazing!

Here is to fighting the good fight and coming out victorious in 2009!

To your contiued Success!

Fred.

The only measure of success is the ratio between what we might have been and what we have become.
In another words, success comes as the result of growing to our potential!
H.G. Wells