Month: February 2023

Why My Early Business Ventures Failed

When I was in my 20’s I had a buddy who was a budding entrepreneur, and he had such an infectious enthusiasm for starting his own business that I’d often be persuaded to join him in his entrepreneurial exploits. For some reason we didn’t know at the time we nevar actually became the millionaires we believed we could be, and looking back now I can see why.

All of our business ideas centred around dealing in used cars, as we both worked in the automotive repair industry and knew the market, so that wasn’t why we failed. But when I look back at what we didn’t do I now know why we did. So here I’ll retell the story of our failed business, and maybe you will see where we went wrong.

It would always start with a phone call from my friend to tell me of a car the chief buyer at the used car lot he worked in had found at a bargain price that we could buy. We’d pool our resources, and buy said car, and spend the next week cleaning, fixing up and making good our business investment. We knew the resale value of every vehicle we bought and always had the opportunity to turn at least 50% profit, and we’d rub our hands together with visions of our profits. We would advertise the car in the top used car ads paper in the area and even pay the extra for the papers professional photographer to take some pictures. When the paper was published on a Thursday we’d sit by the telephone and wait for it to ring.

Usually by Saturday we’d had few calls and decided our price was too high, and lower it for the next weeks listing. Looking back this was our second business mistake, the first was our ad copy in the paper, it sucked and that’s why we didn’t get any calls, not because the price was too high. So once we had lowered the price we did get calls, and viewers for our now bargain priced car. Almost without fail these potential buyers would come and offer us a much lower price than we’d advertised, because they were mainly small traders who knew the business better than we did, and had spotted the same car listed two weeks, and the price drop, and knew desperation when they saw it.

Invariably by the third week of poor ad copy, price drops and failed haggling we would drop the price to the point where we would only just break even. Someone would get a bargain, which usually would turn up on a sales forecourt for even more than our first price, or worse for our battered egos back in the same paper we’d used for a higher price than we’d even dared to hope for, but would not be for more than 2 weeks.

And this was repeated many times over several years, with the same results for our grand auto business ideas, no sales, no millions and still repairing vehicles for someone elses gain.

Here’s where hindsight shows up our business mistakes.

1. Poor ad copy, we had no hope of getting any calls on our great cars with our very basic and uninspiring ads, even with a picture. The words just didn’t sell.

2. Price dropping, when you start dropping your price, your potential customers will see you don’t believe in your businesses products or services enough, and if you don’t believe why should they?

3. No business plan, although we had tons of enthusiasm we had no solid plans, even if our first car had sold we would have bombed because we had nowhere planned to go forward to.

4. Lack of professionalism, as well as poor ads in the paper our business suffered from the fact we were two enthusiastic amateurs, with no telephone manner, and poor salesmanship, we also lacked in confidence to hold up our prices and stick till it was sold.

5. Impatience, I firmly believe this is our biggest business mistake, and one I see all too often in online entrepreneurs. Impatience will stifle your business. The budding entrepreneurs that were my buddy and me didn’t want to wait for our profits, we wanted instant results, and that just doesn’t happen. Ask any “overnight success” and they will tell you they only acheived overnight success after years of trying.

6. Doing the same thing, and getting the same bad results. We never changed our routine, it didn’t work, but we kept following the same steps, and failing in the same ways. We should have been testing, and tweaking our sales techniques, instead we used the same ad format, in the same paper, and dropped the price in the same way every time.

So take a step back, and look at your business practices, can you see yourself making any of these mistakes?
Are you expecting instant riches from your business? Do you believe that dropping the price will get you more sales? Do you need to improve your ad copy? Does your business portray a professional image? Are you doing the same thing every time but expecting different results?

Be honest with yourself, look for the mistakes you might be making and don’t keep making the same mistakes every time. Hopefully you can learn a little from my business mistakes and turn your own business around to be what you want it to be this year.

1st Step to Manifesting Life

Do you know at least one person that seems to make the most of out every situation? Someone who has great success at the act of manifestation (the act or product of bringing about change through the direction of consciousness)?

You may even have felt a little jealous of the person because it appears they have everything, seemingly getting these things with minimal effort as though they were born ‘lucky’. Well, it is probably time you understand that the power of manifestation lies within each of us and it is up to you to learn more about it.

Attracting abundance is knowledge. Just like any other skill people have, manifesting is no different. Skills like playing a musical instrument or making gourmet meals require time and commitment to learn and practice. So does the skill of manifesting. How good you get, depends on how well you learn the skill and how well you apply it.

Even though some of us are better at certain skills, that doesn’t mean the rest of us, with practice, can’t improve or even surpass the talent expressed by another. Some seem to have learned it so well that they often times don’t even realize how they do it. Manifesting abundance now comes to them so readily it appears ‘natural’ just as a well trained pianist seems to play the piano without thought or effort. They learn to believe whole-heartedly that they simply deserve something; it is now part of their reality. Those are the ones that seem to be born ‘lucky’. Luck is not how they got there!

So, how can you start on your journey towards manifesting great things for yourself and those you love? Here is the first step – a basic understanding of the ‘Law of Attraction’.

Gaining a good understanding of how the “law of attraction” works is the first step in bringing abundance into your life. You can create our own reality. You can attract riches, opportunities and happiness, etc., in our life when you learn to focus or attract yourself on them. In order to do this, you must learn to believe and think in a positive way towards those things you seek. You probably also know at least one person (hopefully not you!), who dwells on the negative and truly will focus on having less. They are attracted to ‘less’ not ‘having more’. When you focus on “I hate my current employment” then you will never notice the aspects of your employment that might be satisfying. You must understand that just wanting something isn’t going to bring that to you if you continue to focus on the ‘not having’ of that something. You may have personally experienced that “not having” attitude and learned that it blocked your true desires.

You must learn to focus on a particular item or scenario rather than on vague goals like ‘more cash’ or ‘winning money’. Focusing on winning the lottery, for example, is a fruitless event. Although, through luck, some win lotteries, focusing on winning the lottery is kind of like focusing on “not having.” Oddly enough, many who focus on winning naturally dream of what they could do to help others, even though many of those dreams could actually already be done with their current incomes on a smaller scale, but they don’t. This is probably because they focus on what they perceive as their ‘not having’ or ‘having so little’. With this attitude they end up believing that those dreams are only possible by winning the lottery. They are literally afraid to act on their dreams for fear that they do not currently ‘have enough’ to offer.

For example, I know several decently paid professionals that repeatedly tell me that they too would really love to sponsor a foster child in another country and they would if they won the lottery. They are afraid that they cannot currently afford $1 a day as that might leave them short of cash in case of an emergency like an unexpected auto repair. Their focus is on “not enough” rather than being focused on sponsoring a needy child. When they are focused on “not enough” it won’t ever matter how much money they have, it will never be enough.

Just talking about sponsoring a child brought their fears out into the open. It would be great if they could trust that helping a needy third world child would not put them at financial risk.

So what I would tell these professionals, who would like to sponsor a child but feel they just cannot, is that they focus on visualizing a starving child being fed by their contribution and perhaps a wonderful letter from that child, complete with a photo to be proudly placed along side other family pictures. This would be a positive image/thought to get that picture to become a reality. Perhaps talk it over with the rest of the family to see what they could do without to create that $1 a day. This is the first step in learning how to manifest their lives. This same first step will work for all aspects of life from healthy, happy relationships to personal wealth.

Is it your turn to make the most of out every situation? Is it your turn for others to see you as ‘lucky’? Does your lack of ability to manifest life leave your soul wounded or lacking? Would you like to learn all the steps to manifest life? You deserve it and it is time to take action.

Doug Gray

Minolta SRT Film SLRs: Still Clicking After All These Years

For a small, but determined group, the Minolta SRT series cameras are still a viable path to SLR photography. Even though the cameras themselves have been out of production for over twenty years and Minolta exited the camera business in 2006, Minolta SRTs are still a hot commodity on ebay, pawnshops and used camera dealers. Minolta no longer makes cameras and digital SLRs are now king of the camera hill. Despite these factors, the SRT camera line is still producing great images.

The SRT101 started the series when it was introduced in 1966. Over the next 15 years, Minolta produced the SRT100, SRT102, SRT200, 201 and 202. The SRT series also appeared with other names outside the US. In addition, Minolta produced the SRT-MC to be sold primarily by K-mart. A similar model, the SRT-SC was sold by JC Penny.

With the huge distribution and rugged metal construction, you can understand why so many SRTs survive today. Yet it would seem they are hopelessly outdated compared with the array of fine digital cameras available. Why would any one want one of these old warhorses instead of a dSLR?

Make no mistake, digital SLRs offer a number of advantages that no film SLR can match. Digital SLR’s allow you to preview your shots, you can transfer images to your computer for editing and you can use the same memory card over and over. In addition to not offering digital features, the SRT lacks autofocus, dedicated flash, program mode and auto film advance — that is a pretty extensive list of lacking features.

Yet it is those missing features that make the cameras attractive to so many current users, With no electronics, the SRT returns the photographer to an era when one’s own knowledge was paramount to getting successful images. As a purely manual camera, the SRT forces the users to learn photography from the ground level. Many users are using a SRT as s stepping stone to learning photography before splurging a full featured digital SLR.

Another attractive aspect is cost. Although there are a number of enthusiastic Minolta collectors, so many SRTs were produced and so many were well preserved by their owners, that good, used SRTs are still plentiful. While first class SRTs may eventually become highly collectible, for now you can easily obtain a good, useable model with lens for less than a hundred dollars. A little searching may turn up models for far less.

Even better, there are literately tons of lenses available for these cameras. Minolta, of course, produced the lion’s share of these lenses, under the Rokker X and Celtic brand names. Vivitar, Tamron, Soligor and many others also produced excellent lenses to fit the SRT series. Unlike the autofocus A-Mount Minolta lenses that can be used on both Sony and Minolta dSLRs, the X-mount lenses won’t fit any dSLR without an adapter. This means you can find some excellent X-Mount lens bargains. As more and more users switch to digital, their old Rokkor-X lenses end up on the auction block. The SRT shooter can find some truly rare and excellent lenses at a price that won’t strain the budget.

Of course there are a few caveats. If you should happen on a SRT model, you have to remember it is at least twenty years old and the original SRT models have been around for more than forty years. Bad things can happen to a camera after all that time, particularly if it has been sitting unused in a closet somewhere. Although the SRTs have reputation for great reliability, always check the camera carefully before buying. After time, the shutter speeds have been known become inaccurate, requiring repair to maintain good exposures, The seals around the cameras back may start disintegrating, allowing light into the camera. New seals are available and it is a fairly simple fix.

Undoubtedly the biggest concern is the lack of a battery for the camera’s internal meter. The meter on the SRT series is highly accurate, but it was designed to use a 1.35v PX-625 mercury cell. Environmental concerns ended the production of he mercury cells, and the available silver oxide cells are the wrong voltage.

This is really a paper tiger. Use of a silver oxide battery doesn’t seem to affect the meter reading that greatly. If you were using 1960s era film, which had very narrow latitude, the voltage difference might be critical. With today’s wide latitude films, I have used the readily available MS76 1.5v silver oxide cell with excellent results.

In addition, the camera will work fine without a battery, so you could use a hand held light meter.

If you want to really learn photography, there is no better way to start than a good, manual SLR. And there are few manual SLRs that offer reliability and accessory options at as low a price as a Minolta SRT.

General Vehicle Maintenance

Regular vehicle maintenance or preventative maintenance, if you will, can go a long way in making sure your vehicle runs at optimal condition. For example, no one truly enjoys the trips to a mechanic because our brake pads are worn down to the rotors or drums and we have to spend more time and dollars to repair the brake system. What little time it takes to make sure we do the “regular” things to our vehicle, makes the time well spent. The pay me now or pay me later cliché, in this case, is never more true. The following tips will aid you in keeping your vehicle ready to take you wherever you have to go.

Enough can’t be said about regular oil changes and oil filter replacement. Personally, I have oil changes every 2,000 miles. The recommended schedule is every 3, 000 miles. Because of my prompt attention to regular oil and filter changes, I have a 1978 Buick LeSabre with 195,000 miles on it and in 2006 it still runs like a dream. It should go without saying but a lubing of the chassis or “lube job” some call it, should be performed at the same time you have the oil changed.

The air filter, when dirty, is a common problem when you notice your car has less power and is using more fuel. A simple check of the filter will give you an idea of how dirty it is. Mechanics will almost always agree that this simple step can go a long way in improving your vehicle’s performance. Air filters are instrumental in decreasing the amount of dirt, dust and other damaging contaminants going into the engine. Simply put, your vehicle runs less efficiently when the filter is clogged with dirt and grime. Filters should be replaced every 3,000 miles. Also, have the air filter changed when you have an oil change performed on the vehicle to save time or an extra trip to the mechanic.

And while we’re talking about filters, the fuel filter is probably the most overlooked or forgotten item for regular checkups. Auto experts don’t understand why this happens but it does. Remember the Buick I just mentioned? I have had the fuel pumps and fuel filters checked regularly on that vehicle. I can honestly say I get approximately two more miles to the gallon when I calculate mpg/number of gallons of fuel used after I have replaced a fuel filter. Whenever you happen to notice or think to yourself, “I sure am using more gas lately”, check the fuel filter.

Regular replacement of the brake pads is also very important. Many expert mechanics will agree that all parts to the brake system are the most important safety features on an automobile. You must be able to stop your vehicle quickly and safely. All brake pads will wear out eventually. If you start hearing squealing like sounds or the feel of the pedal upon braking is “mushy”, you need to consider that the brake pads are beginning to become worn out. The responsibility of the brake pads is to provide friction with the pad to make braking or stopping possible. Brake pads can be easily diagnosed for wear and tear with regular examinations.

operating in a dance with the distributor and ignition coils. Many things can indicate problems and spark plug wire malfunction. There may be corrosion at the wires or connectors. Resistance can increase as the wires get older. The material encasing the wires may be shredding or wearing out.

The first sign of trouble generally comes when you start noticing a missing or stuttering type action when the vehicle is operating. There’s a significant tugging like symptom that feels to you that your vehicle can’t get the energy to move. Always keep your spark plug wires clean. Always troubleshoot for wires that look worn out or are not properly applied to the spark plugs. Replacing your spark plug wires will mean efficient starting and less ignition type problems that can follow because of worn spark plug wires.

Wash Me! Well maybe this one isn’t actually vehicle “maintenance” per se, but doesn’t a clean vehicle make you feel better? Again, have you ever noticed the vehicle seems to run smoother when she’s clean? Having the engine steam cleaned on a regular maintenance plan can also go a long way in extending the life of your engine. Engine cleaning will keep the corrosion and grime from building up on your spark plug wires too. It will help when you are looking over your engine for leaks, unplugged or loose wiring and keep the corrosion off your vehicle’s battery.

While these aren’t the only “regular maintenance” tips available, you can always research your vehicle’s handbook for other ideas that can help extend its life and keep it running in optimal condition.

Car Maintenance And Repairs

Driving an automobile is a luxury that most of us take for granted. Automobiles are the primary means of transportation in United States, with ninety percent of American adults owning or previously owning a car or truck. What we don’t realize is that operating a car or truck is a responsibility that can bring serious consequences. Every year in the United States alone, more than ten thousand vehicular accidents occur. An average of four hundred Americans die each year as the result of automotive accidents. It’s a tragic figure, especially when you consider that many of these accidents could be prevented with proper maintenance and routine check-ups. Keeping your car well-maintained means reducing the risk of mishap or even death, and protecting your loved ones and fellow drivers.

Before hitting the road, be sure to conduct these checkups regularly:

Tires
Most Americans use all-season tires. These tires should carry you safely from season to season, but it is imperative that you check the tires regularly for wear or damage. Ideally, tires should be checked on a weekly basis.

Brakes
The brake system serves one main purposes: to slow down or stop the car when it is needed. If you step on the brake pedal and it goes all the way to the floor, you’ve got trouble. Late-model automobiles are equipped with a brake warning light. This dashboard indicator will light up if something is wrong with your brake system. If your brake warning light indicates trouble, it is imperative that you check the brake system immediately. Consult your owner’s manual for maintenance advice, and call an experienced mechanic for repairs. Brake repairs or replacements are no job for a weekend or hobby mechanic.

Headlights
In 2005, over 2,300 pedestrians died because drivers suffered eye problems or had faulty headlights in the automobiles. Properly maintained vehicle headlights help you drive safely, and see more clearly. Replace your headlight bulbs at least once per year.

Wipers
Many people don’t think of changing their wiper blades until it is too late. This is one of the easiest and most inexpensive parts of the car to maintain. Change your wiper blades twice a year, in the spring and just before winter.

There are 10 common reasons why automobile owners visit the mechanic:

1. Electronic/Ignition control
2. Suspension/steering
3. Electrical problem
4. Brake system
5. Oil change/filters/lube
6. Exhaust system
7. Radiator repairs
8. Fuel system/carburetor
9. Clutch/transmission
10. Air conditioning system

Routine check ups and proper maintenance of a car be expensive, and budget restrictions are often the leading factors in keeping car owners from living up to their responsibilities. This does not need to be a problem. The key is in knowing how to save on car maintenance and repairs. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) confirmed that $20 billion has been wasted on unnecessary auto repairs due to fraud and incompetence.

If your car is not performing to its full potential, remember the following tips to help you save money on repairs:

Preventive Maintenance
Be your car’s best friend, and you can save a bundle. By conducting regular preventative maintenance, such as regular oil changes and radiator flushes, you prevent unnecessary damage to the car and save a lot of money in the long run. Regular checkups by a qualified repairperson will keep your car running better, longer.

Conserve
Even automobiles need to take a break now and then. If you drive your car everyday the miles will add up quickly, and damage can occur prematurely. To avoid this, consider carpooling with friends and coworkers. Ask around to form your own carpool group. You’ll all save on maintenance, and you’ll be able to pool your fuel and parking expenses.

Estimate
Before choosing a mechanic to repair your car, be sure to get a written estimate. If the mechanic wants more than your budget can afford, shop around. Compare estimates to find the best deal. Just be sure that you are paying for quality service.

Do It Yourself
You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish after doing a little research. Read over your owner’s manual from time to time. Learn as much as you can about your car. Understand potential problems and how to solve them. For example, that mysterious clunking noise might be bothersome, but could be as simple to fix as tightening a bolt. Regular maintenance tasks like oil changes and radiator flushes are fairly easy to do if you understand your vehicle and take the time to do the job properly.

As an automobile owner, you have a responsibility to keep your car properly maintained at all times. Consider it an investment in your car’s future, and remember that it could save a life.

Sourcing Parts At Reasonable Prices For Your Classic Corvette

With any classic vehicle finding a source of auto repair parts can be a major concern. So it is with classic Chevrolet Corvette as well as Chevrolet Stingray autos.

Corvettes have always had distinctive wheel covers and are a refreshing change from slotted mag wheels. The wood steering wheels add a rich touch if you are lucky to ever find one.

Interest has been spread into the 1968 and later models, especially car equipped with the lift out roof panels. In these cars, the excellent General Motors (G.M.) Turbo Hydra-matic transmission was the desired feature. Indeed one of the most valuable vehicle of this group has been the 1970 LT-1 350. Chevrolet itself had offered some good gymkhana suspension parts for this group of cars that are relatively inexpensive and greatly improve handling qualities.

Where can you find used parts for your classic Corvette? First of course are local swap meet and car clubs in your area. If you can shop close to home better be it.

You actually hold and fondle the part, inspecting it yourself. Why have to arrange and pay shipping charges. As well you may make valuable contacts for your Corvette restoration projects. Often one local contact will lead to another good source for parts as well as classic car restoration expertise.

Next on the list are magazines – such as – Corvette Enthusiast, Vette and Corvette Fever. It might be said that Corvette websites on the internet might be next on your list. However the actual magazines may provide a source for you first. Why not whittle down your Corvette resource list first rather than searching through the websites that may or may not have stock and be of the stature they claim. Websites can be made and put up easily. Magazines articles usually have current sourced lists; will place the vendors in some ranking. If there are ads – those ads have to paid for – which is an indication of the solvency and current resources of the firms involved. As well you may get additional good tips form the articles in the magazine. Classic car magazines such as Hemmings are also very useful.

Next for resources are actual websites devoted to this passion. The sites can be Corvette specific – such as vetteweb, the general motors website itself, The Corvette Club of America etc. Google the term “Corvette Links”, “Chevrolet Corvette Links” or “Stingray Links”. One link will always lead to more and additional links. Corvette enthusiasts are like that – always trying to be helpful and to share.

A terrific resource always is eBay. EBay is the premier online auction site. It can easily be found on the web at its home of ebay.com as well as various worldwide specific sites – whether they be ebay.ca in Canada or ebay.uk in the United Kingdom. EBay has both its original sales areas as well as the more specific and distinct eBay motors. The beauty of eBay is that somewhere in the world someone may have exactly the part, component or technical manuals that you are looking for.

In essence it may be “just lying around” and be of found money to them and yet be exactly what you require. It may be that that item is not available in your local area or the locals may want a killing for it. Either way eBay can be a very useful resource. Some of the items on eBay are on an auction basis; some are on a “buy now” price. Some are both. The beauty of eBay is that it has advanced features which may make your search for that exact hard to find Corvette car part easier. You can conduct product searches on eBay easily and specifically. If you are an eBay member (no cost to register), then you can have the eBay system email you the moment someone lists that part. Then you can either bid on the item, or if it is a buy now you can choose to purchase it. In addition eBay has a buyer request area where you can put out feelers and a request if anyone has that part or knows of contacts or leads that have that component available. Remember though with eBay that shipping costs are major component of the final and real cost of any good purchased. All that matters, if evaluating cost, is what the product costs when it arrives at the door of your shop.

Lastly never forget your local or area Chevrolet dealer themselves. There is both an amazing and remarkable amount of early Corvette parts still in the parts inventory of some Chevrolet dealers as well as some General Motors Chevrolet dealers who specialize in classic Corvette and Corvette Stingray car, mechanical as well as body parts.

Six Fatal Mistakes to Avoid While You Still Have a Job

Good for you if you currently have a job. But NEVER take it for granted that you’ll have a job forever! You could lose this job because you have lost favour with your boss or your boss’ boss. You could lose your job because the company you work for is filing for bankcruptcy. You could lose it because the company has been bought over by a competitor and your position has been taken over by someone else from the acquiring company. Fire, flood, changes in government regulations and many other reasons and circumstances could cost you your job.
This article highlights 6 fatal mistakes most people make while they still have a job and why they should avoid them.
FATAL MISTAKE 1 – Did Not Lock-In Credit Cards & Loans
Martinez was frustrated and fuming. The bank officer had just informed him that his loan application was rejected. He was counting on this loan to pay for much-needed equipment to start his new venture. Worse still…he was told that his new credit card application was also rejected. Reason: He did not have a job. So he was considered a credit-risk based on the bank’s credit policies.
Only two months ago Martinez had left the company he had worked as a Warehouse Manager for six years. He used to receive mail from banks inviting him to apply for one of their credit cards. Even pre-approved card applications…all he had to do was to agree!
IF ONLY he had applied for the loan and the credit card before he resigned.
Don’t make the same mistake. A loan, a credit card and a line of credit will always be handy when you start or run a business – especially on those low or no cash inflow days.
FATAL MISTAKE 2 – Did Not ‘Improve Self’
Have you tried cutting a piece of wood with a blunt saw? If you have you’ll understand what Stephen Covey the author of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” meant when he used the phrase ‘Sharpen the Saw’.
What a difference a sharp saw makes in the results. Not only is the sawing effort much easier, but also the sawn pieces look smoother and cleaner. Just like a saw, a skill is just a tool. Whether it’s in basic writing or public speaking or photography… alternative nutrition…computer repair…carpentry…or another skill, sharpening a skill produces better results.
You can sharpen a skill by taking a course, reading a couple of books, learning from a mentor or from years of doing it. Soon…you’ll be an expert in that skill. With some imagination and guidance, you’ll be able to make some money with this skill.
Sharpening the saw is not limited to sharpening a skill. It includes other areas of self-improvement such as:
becoming a member of a professional body (example: if you’re a manager in your company, apply to be a member of the Institute of Management).
completing the last couple of examinations and projects to get that degree (which you’ve been procrastinating for too long).
learning a new skill from scratch (in an area that you’ve always dreamed about).
While you have a job, you have opportunities to use your skills and sharpening them. For example, to sharpen your writing skills, you could volunteer to be the editor of your organization’s monthly newsletter. Or to improve your computer repair skills, you could come to the office on a weekend to repair some of your company’s damaged computers.
It would also be almost certain that you’ll be admitted as a member of your professional institute if you’re currently working in a related position. For example if you’re working as a Cost Accountant, don’t you think the Association of Cost Accountants will easily admit you as a member when you’ve clearly stated your position and job functions in your application? You’ll most likely be rejected or at best appeal to be a member if you do not have a job.
When you’re out in the ‘real world’ (my meaning of this is the world outside the ‘comfort zone’ of a job) and perhaps starting or building a business, you will be so pressed for time in the race to make your first buck to stop the leaking money bucket of limited savings…that it is unlikely that you’ll be in the state of mind to sharpen your saw. At that time…talking to customers, meeting a supplier or simply checking your inventory will most probably be a higher priority than attending a class on auto repair techniques (for example).
You’ll be saying to yourself: “If only I did it….” while had a job.
FATAL MISTAKE 3 – Did Not Put Money Aside for a ‘Rainy Day’
My beloved mum always reminded me that if I spend one dollar and five cents for every dollar I earn, I’ll end up broke…But if I spend ninety five cents and saved five cents for every dollar earned, then I’ll have money in reserve when a need (‘a rainy day’) arises.
How true it is because there will always be rainy days in your lifetime. And the bigger rainy days will be the months after you quit or lost your job. Then you’ll begin to feel the financial pinch on expenses that you never used to think about while you were working for someone else and they were paying the bills.
Most people make calls from their work phone, use company equipment (such as the company photocopier, laser printer, mobile phone, comb binder and computer) for personal purposes and the even ‘luckier’ ones get petrol and parking reimbursements.
When you no longer have these benefits, then you’ll begin to realized how much money comes out of your pocket when you’ve to pay for them.
Put aside money while you’re still receiving a paycheck. Don’t wait until it’s too late. It’s much easier and less stressful to quit your job and to start something when you’ve adequate money in reserve.
FATAL MISTAKE 4 – Did Not Have a Systematic Strategy for Developing ‘People Assets’
‘People Assets’ are defined here as your valuable contacts and relationships that can be leveraged to generate income.
A good source of valuable contacts is your job. Besides office colleagues, you’ll get to meet customers, suppliers and service providers. Depending on your position in your organization, you may have the opportunity to attend seminars, travel overseas and participate in trade shows – with more exposure to all kinds of people.
Outside your job, you’ll also have many opportunities to meet people. In your neighbourhhood, religious organization, social club, PTA, your mechanic, hairdresser, plumber, former classmates, etc. etc.
Therefore it’s not the lack of exposure that causes most people to fail to develop people assets….BUT most people fail to develop ‘people assets’ due to some of these reasons:
Sloppy with gathering and recording details of all the people met. (Details should include much more than just the person’s name, contact details and company name. It should also include the contact’s interests, spouse and children’s names, favourite food, car he/she drives, etc. etc. Gathering these information is an ongoing process and requires a contact management tool).
Did not develop relationships due to unwillingness to invest time on new contacts (by having activities together like playing games, going for family outings, trips, get-togethers, drinks).
Did not take the opportunity to go the extra mile to help others while you had a job (and you were in a position to do so). The good feelings and goodwill that are generated from your acts of service are assets that you could ‘cash in’ as returned favours long after you’re no longer in the company.
Your strategy is to convert as many of these contacts to ‘people assets’ as possible from a casual (“Hi” and “Bye”) level to the F-Level (that is, the Friendship level) where both parties can mutually call upon each other at anytime for a conversation. From the F-Level nurture these ‘people assets’ to the Relationship level (or R-Level). At this level people will go out of their way to help each other. Finally, the highest level is the P-Level where people become business, social or life Partners with one another.
FATAL MISTAKE 5 – Wasted Too Much Time on Unproductive Activities
When you have a good job especially one that pays you more than your total monthly expenses, it is very human to feel a sense of security. There is no urgency in your money situation. You tend to ‘enjoy life’- indulging in all kinds of activities many of which are unproductive as far as money is concerned. These unproductive activities include such time wasters as…
frequently hanging around entertainment joints (like pubs, night clubs, discotheques);
indulging in unhealthy vices (such as gambling);
talking, talking, talking with the same group of friends during working hours;
going for lunch with the usual clique instead of with different people to nurture new relationships. (Imagine going for lunch say 3 days a week for four years with the same people. This equates to over six hundred lunches. How many other people could you have spent those time with?);
talking on the phone for too long;
internet chat, net surfing, etc.;
behaving like you’ve made it and you’re on holiday during company-paid trips – instead of learning about the local market, meeting local business people, gathering local business information.
The key word here is ‘moderation’. You are not expected to forego every little joy of life completely or to indulge only in actions with an ulterior motive. Life would be rather boring then.
Just remind yourself that time is limited and precious. Every person has 168 hours a week. What you do with these hours while you still have a job could impact your life when you don’t have a job.
FATAL MISTAKE 6 – Did Not Start and Develop a Parallel Career
A parallel career is here defined as something you do while you still have a job with the end goal of working for yourself. It’s not merely a sideline, second income or part-time job. If you take on a sideline or a second job just to supplement your primary income and your end goal is NOT to change career…NOT to work for yourself…then this sideline or second job is NOT a parallel career.
Many people who had left or lost their jobs look back with regret. They missed opportunities and made mistakes. How they wished they did not bask in the sunshine of a false sense of security with a job. They should have started and developed a parallel career while they still had a job. Their career change transition from employee to entrepreneur would have been a less stressful one because they had the ‘comfort’ of a paycheck.

How to Find a Good, Clean, Used Car and Pay Less

How to buy a Car

Buying a car is usually our second biggest investment after our home purchase and most of us will do it more than once in our life.

There is something emotional about cars, it represents our taste and style, our economic status and our character. Some women even claim that a car is a man’s extension of his reproductive organ. One the other hand (the good hand 🙂 there are women out there that might express their exhibitionism and extravagance by choosing to drive a red flashy car for the whole world to notice them. Both sexes would agree they sometimes feel they ”fall in love” with a certain car model.

There are people who get very existed from a small scratch on the cars lower side, as if it were their own skin. The beauty of the car, its aerodynamics shape, the gadgets inside, the seats the feel of it all play a major part in our decision making.

In our modern life it’s almost impossible to function without one and it’s expensive to acquire, to finance and to maintain.

Buying a Used Car

The question I would like to bring up here is whether it’s wise to buy a used car or to make an additional effort and buy a new car.

If you look at it purely from an economical stand point then it’s quiet obvious that due to the fact that you miss out on the heaviest depreciation hit the average car absorbs in the first two and three years it’s wise to buy a used car. A car of two or even three years on the road is basically a new car and in some cases didn’t even finished the manufacturers original bumper to bumper warranty. (Not included labor 🙁

On the average you might save on a used car anywhere between
$3,000 to $8,000. In case you know how to do it via a car dealer that will buy the car for you at a car auction limited to car dealers only (for a couple of hundreds of Dollars commission(you might even get a real bargain. Search: carbuyingtips.com/auto-auctions

Another good reason to buy a used car is the fact you can put your hands on a bigger or better or in other words more car for the same budget as the new smaller car would have cost you.

More and more manufacturers offer “certified pre-owned” programs. Cars sold as certified pre-owned (CPO) bridge the gap between new and used. They are subject to a rigorous inspection and repair process, and usually are covered by a warranty from the manufacturer. CPO cars will usually cost a bit more, but the added warranty and peace of mind makes them a good value.

If you want to get extended warranty look at: carbuyingtips.com/warranty

Where do you get the market value of the cars, that’s pretty easy, all you have to do is follow this link: Blue Book – Used Car Values at: cars.com/go/index

When purchasing a used car you should protect yourself from buying a flood damaged vehicle by doing a little research and by having the vehicle thoroughly checked by a mechanic. Rain, thunderstorms, swelling rivers and seasonal hurricanes hitting the coastlines all contribute to flooding disasters that can mean serious water damage to vehicles in those areas.

Water damage from 1999’s Hurricane Floyd ruined approximately 75,000 vehicles and more than half of those ended up back on the road. Tropical Storm Allison damaged another 95,000 in 2001 and Hurricane Ivan left more than 100,000 vehicles water-logged. The numbers for Hurricane Katrina are expected to skyrocket above half-a-million and safety experts warn that many of these flood damaged vehicles also will be dried out and offered for sale. Hurricanes and tropical storms, however, are only part of the problem.

Flooding can occur throughout the year and in any part of the country; however, auto industry analysts caution consumers that the risk of buying a flood damaged car is not limited to these areas. Flood damaged cars are often repaired cosmetically, and moved to adjacent states or even across the country where they are sold to unsuspecting consumers. These floodwaters can cause damage to vehicle computer and electrical systems, as well as potentially causing anti-lock braking and airbag systems to malfunction . World Trade Center Damaged Cars, thousands of cars were damaged in New York City on 9/11/2001. It’s a prime example of disasters having long term effects other than the initial death and destruction. These cars will no doubt be salvaged, rebuilt, sold at car auctions and have their titles rebuilt, most likely out of state.

An important help is the nationwide history data base of the cars in terms of damages, salvaged, lemon, flooded, fraud, accidents, rental etc’ you can look it up at: carfax.com

In addition it’s recommended you have a mechanic check it out – A certified, trusted mechanic will test the electrical and safety systems, two of the major components that water can affect. They can also look for signs of water damage that may not be visible to the untrained eye.

Car Donation

It is estimated that every year, more than a million Americans donated their cars. Why do they donate their car? Well, few reasons: A. The proceeds go to charity organizations and it provides for the donor a good feeling of contributing to society. B. its tax deductible (Less than it used to). C. The car is being towed or driven away by the company who arranged the deal.

Unfortunately, whether through ignorance, confusion or greed, a substantial percentage of car donors have been deducting the full “suggested retail price” – what a dealer would get for reselling your trade-in instead of the fair market value. That’s far more than the IRS had intended, costing the government millions in lost tax revenue.

The charities weren’t making much, either. Most of the donated cars were sold by the charities for a pittance at auction, and middlemen who administered the programs on behalf of the charities took a large percentage of those meager profits.

So IRS changed the rules last year. From now on, if your car is valued more than $500, the deduction is limited to the charity’s actual selling price. The donor must attach a statement of sale to the tax return in order to receive the deduction. (The charity is obligated to provide the statement within 30 days.) You are not entitled to know the deduction amount before donating your car. Although the IRS has closed the loophole in the law, there is still a way to deduct full market value of your vehicle: If the charity uses the car itself to further its specific purpose.

How and Why You Should First Research Motor Homes Online

Are you interested in buying a motor home? If you would like to explore the country or just have a motor home to camp in, you may be in the market a new motor home. If you are looking to buy a motor home, you are urged to avoid making one of the most common motor home buying mistakes. That common mistake involves going into the situation uneducated. Instead, you should take the time to research motor homes, before you decide to go right out and buy one.

As nice as it is to hear that you should take the time to research motor homes before you go about buying one, you may be wondering exactly why that is. What you need to remember is that motor homes are just like cars; they are sold in all different conditions. Just because a motor home looks nice or looks like it is new, it doesn’t mean that it runs nicely or runs like it is new. You will want to spend your money on a motor home wisely. By taking the time to first research motor homes online, you may be able to prevent yourself from wasting your money on a motor home that doesn’t last long or one that is considered a poor investment.

Another one of the many reasons why you should take the time to research motor homes before you decide to buy one is because that research is easy to do online. When you use the internet, you have an unlimited number of motor home research tools right at your fingertips. A few of the research approaches that you may want to take are outlined below for your convenience.

One of the easiest ways that you can go about researching motor homes for sale is by performing a standard internet search. If you have already found a motor home that you would like to buy, you will want to perform your standard internet search with the make, model, and the year of the motor home in question. Your standard internet search will likely lead you to online websites where that exact motor home is being discussed, often by other owners. You will want to read any information given to you and you will want to be on the look for any motor home owners that have a number of complaints about their motor homes, namely the one or ones that you are interested in buying.

You can also use the internet to find information on Kelley Blue Books that are designed for motor homes. You may even be able to find an online version to read through. If you are unable to find an online version of a value guide for motor homes, you should be able to order one online. These recourses are important ones; therefore, you will either want to examine them online or buy printed copies. By having the estimated value of motor homes at your fingertips, you can prevent yourself from spending too much money on a new or even a used motor home.

There are also a number of consumer reporting websites that you may want to think about visiting. These websites can often be found by searching with a phrase like “motor home consumer reports.” What you will want to do is try and see if any of the motor homes that you are interested in buying have been recalled in the past for needed repair or updates. Although recalls are becoming common in the auto industry, you will want to try and find a motor home that has not been recalled or at least one that was properly fixed. If you know the make and the model of the motor home in question, you may want to perform a standard internet search with that information, as well as add the word “recall,” in your search box as well.

Even if you have yet to start shopping for motor homes, you can still use the internet to find and research motor homes that come highly rated and recommended. In short, the internet is a nice, easy, and convenient way to go about researching motor homes that you may be interested in buying. In fact, the internet can also help you find motor homes for sale. If you do not have internet access at your home, you may want to think about visiting your local library.

Picking Products on Clickbank

When you are setting yourself up to be an affiliate on Clickbank, you almost go through overload. Clickbank offers 10,000 products that you can pick from to sell online, each of which usually offers a pretty generous commission. The problem is how to go about picking just the right products to represent. You don’t have to worry about the merchants because under the Clickbank system, you can select a product and immediately start selling it and Clickbank handles all the commissions and interaction with the merchant entirely.

The anxiety comes because there are just so many products on Clickbank to pick from that you could make it a full time job evaluating all of these products. So developing a system to “drill down” into that massive catalog to products that not only make sense for you to sell but that will represent maximum profitability to you is essential. It will be a system that will help you narrow down catalog of products you will be excited about and a system that you can refine and improve as you get more familiar not only with the Clickbank products but with the tools they give you to evaluate those products.

The first and probably best way to “cut out from the herd” products that will work for you as a Clickbank affiliate is category. Clickbank has it’s merchants assign specific categories to all of the products that are in the marketplace. That way if you only want to sell adventure games, you can find that category of product and then get more specific about the particular products that appeal to you. There are two reasons category will be a big measure of your success selling Clickbank products.

One is that you know your niche market. You are going to take these products to a body of customers you know well. You know their tastes and they come to you to get products to fit their specific interests and the area of specialized knowledge that you share with your customer base. The second reason is that you know what you like to sell and what you are good at selling. You might flounder trying to sell self help courses in auto repair but be really good at selling ebooks about business. And the more you can combine the products you are going to sell with your particular market and your skills and interests, the better chance you are going to sell a lot of units and make yourself and the Clickbank merchant wealthy. That way everybody wins.

Using keywords similar to what your customers might use to find the products you are selling, you can narrow down the selection of products to just those you would want to sell. But Clickbank gives you a wealth of information that can be analyzed to make the decisions of which ones make the final cut. You can sort the product list you have developed by popularity to find out which of these products is selling well for a large number of affiliates on Clickbank already. It might be easy to want to pick the ones that are big sellers for lots of affiliates but use some judgment here. Remember also that if a lot of affiliates have picked up those products, the internet may be saturated with offerings of that product and you might have a lot of competition for selling the same Clickbank product offering. Look at trends of sales and see if you can find products that are increasing in popularity but not peaked yet. Those will be your money makers.

Popularity is not the only variable that can point you toward Clickbank products that will bring a good return on your effort to sell them from Clickbank. Note the commission level. As a rule only pick up products that offer a 25% or better commission. That means the merchant wants to share the wealth with and you will see a very healthy profit from the sales you make. Other variable limits should be that the product should have a percent of total sale of at least thirteen dollars or better, a 70% or better referral rate, low return numbers and a gravity of 50 or higher. By developing an evaluation system that combines all of these variables about the product under consideration, you have a great chance of picking winners and money makers from the Clickbank product library every time.