Beat The Credit Crunch - Be Your Own Boss - To Sum Up

The next few years are going to be very financially tight for most people. Jobs will be lost, wages kept at an all time low and prices will rise. Already we are beginning to feel the bite but it is going to get much worse. So what are you going to do? Hang in there waiting for the axe to fall or get your finger out and do something about it?

Don't wait until the crunch really hits home. Join the people who can't be sacked. Be Your Own Boss.

So how will being your own boss will give you financial freedom?
Look at it this way. When you are employed by someone else all the money you make has to go towards supporting the boss, his family and the business. The harder you work, the more the money you make will benefit him. You might get a bonus if you're lucky.

Being your own boss means that all those benefits go to you, not the someone else. That's where the freedom comes in. You are also free because you can choose when you work, how you work and where you work.

There are other advantages. Firstly, you can't be sacked. When you work for someone else in times of economic crisis you can't guarantee that if the boss has to cut costs you won't be the first to go.

Most people are terrified at the thought of taking on that responsibility. Others think it is a brilliant idea to be their own boss but feel that they wouldn't know where to start. That's where I come in. Having been a successful entrepreneur for longer than I care to remember I have developed a series of steps which will help budding entrepreneurs to find the skills, experience and information which will help them climb the ladder of success. It’s called ‘Prospecting For Gold’.

Anyone can use it to either start a new business or, if you are already a successful entrepreneur, to give you new ideas and new roads to travel.
What about the risks of being your own boss?

Of course they exist but they needn't be inevitable. Let's look at why people can fail.

Firstly the most obvious is that they haven't produced a long term business plan for their new venture.

Secondly, they can sometimes be tempted to start off at full tilt instead of building up gradually and continually monitoring the progress of the venture.

Thirdly, they are entering a market about which they know nothing but which they have been told will make them millionaires in no time with very little effort. Probably they have answered one of the get rich quick schemes on offer. Most of these 'businesses' are not scams, they're just not as simple or free to operate as they suggest.

Fourthly, while being optimistic is a good thing, over-optimism without very good cause is the place where fools go but angels fear to tread. You might miss a vital sign that there is a weakness which, if not dealt with immediately, may prove fatal to your business aspirations.

To really enjoy being your own boss and building up your own financial freedom you should start from the point of something you like and know about. Remember everyone has a skill, knowledge, experience or time that people will pay for. To help you discover how to utilize what you have a look at ‘Prospecting For Gold’ at http://www.showme-financialfreedom.co.uk/

Theodora has produced a programme to help new entrepreneurs find a business that suits them. It also will give existing entrepreneurs the opportunity to extend their businesses or find new financial mountains to climb Show Me Financial Freedom

Be Your Own Boss - Sell Other People's Products

You can make a very nice living from selling other peoples products. It's called Affiliate Marketing.

When people create a product, it might be a PDF file, a book, an information manual or video or anything similar which they want to sell on line they can do it themselves. The alternative is to pay other people - affiliates - commission for selling their products for them.

The affiliate puts up a web page promoting the item they have selected. As there will be a fair few affiliates each one tries to make his page the one that stands out. The prospective purchaser is then directed to the seller's page. When a purchase is made the seller sends the product to the buyer and the affiliate is paid the agreed commission without having to bother with packing and shipping the product.

The really successful affiliate concentrates on finding products in a particular niche market. By keeping in contact with the purchaser and providing a good service he or she will be the person who the purchaser will approach for more items in the same niche.

In this way you can build a customer base who you can approach directly with other products.

For help and advice on being your own boss and suggestions for finding your own niche click here http://www.showme-financialfreedom.co.uk/ or email affiliate@percydale.com . Also have a look at Be Your Own Boss/

You Are Everything You Choose To Be

Wouldn't you like to have the financial freedom to do all the things you want to do? You could be your own boss, take time off to be with your family and friends. Or you could travel anywhere in the world and spend time on your hobbies. So what is stopping you?

From the time we were very young we have had dreams of what we want to do. When we were very young we believed it was possible to achieve our dreams. Unfortunately family, friends and life itself seems intent on telling us that we can't.

Most of us are convinced by the negative bombardment and settle for a life we don't really want but we get by. Eventually we almost forget our dreams. When we do remember them it is with rueful regret. We accept that they were just never going to happen.

Sometimes we see other people living our dreams. Were they just lucky? They aren't any more intelligent or better educated. Are some people born unlucky?

Your brain is a super computer, and like any other computer it will act in the way it is programmed. If you have fed it the wrong information you will get the wrong result. Now you have to de-bug your brain and reload the information that will lead to your success.

The answer is resoundingly negative. If your dream is humanly possible then you can achieve it. You need to get rid of all that negativity out of your brain and reprogramme it with positivity.

Now is the time to get started. For help and advice click here http://www.showme-financialfreedom.co.uk/ or email freedom@percydale.com . Also have a look at Be Your Own Boss/

Being Your Own Boss and Achieving Financial Freedom by Internet Marketing

Internet Marketing is rapidly becoming a really popular way to make money.

Most people start by selling odds and ends they want to get rid of on Ebay or Amazon. These are the two best known sites at the moment but others are being introduced. After a few successful sales it is obvious that here is a very good way to build up your own business.

After you have sold all your own spare bits and pieces you will need a good source of more items. For a start try car boot sales and charity shops. By a bit of haggling and buying several items at a time you can get quite a good deal.

But you don't have to rely on objects bought in this way. Buy goods wholesale - you can find sources in 'The Trader' magazine.

There are very clear instructions on both these sites telling you exactly how to sell, how you get paid, etc. Read them very carefully before you start. It is also essential to start in a small way until you are certain of what you're doing.

I also suggest you stick to Ebay and Amazon at first before trying other sites. They have been established long enough to have ironed out any problems and they do offer all the help you need.

For more information visit http://www.showme-financialfreedom.co.uk/ or email freedom@percydale.com

Theodora is has produced a programme called 'Prospecting For Gold' which is designed to help new entrepreneurs find a business that suits them. It also will give existing entrepreneurs the opportunity to extend their businesses or find new financial mountains to climb. Click here to learn more - Show Me Financial Freedom

Internet Marketing Using Sites like Ebay and Amazon

Theodora is has produced a programme to help new entrepreneurs find a business that suits them. It also will give existing entrepreneurs the opportunity to extend their businesses or find new financial mountains to climb Show Me Financial Freedom

Creating Your Own Products Is An Exciting Feeling.

We could all do with a bit of excitement. Creating a product which people want to by is a real thrill.

What about writing an instruction manual for something that most people would be interested in? 'How to make money', 'How to have a happy family life', 'How to lose weight', 'How to attract a girl/boy friend', 'How to improve your golf', 'Fly fishing for beginners', 'Grow your own vegetables'. The list of subjects is endless.

You don't have to be an expert in any of these things. You can find all the information you want on the web.
Never copy anything word for word. That is plagiarism which is illegal.

Other products you can make may be craft based. Create something which has a unique twist. It may seem totally stupid and un-commercial. But just think back on all the zany crazes that have taken off in the past.

Who would have thought that putting some dilute liquid detergent in a small container and attaching a twist of wire with a circle at one end would still be a steady seller decades later? Children everywhere have great fun blowing bubbles.

Of course if you have the knowledge to invent something new, have access to good marketing advice and are prepared to have a go then the sky's the limit.

'Prospecting For Gold' is a monthly plan which will help budding entrepreneurs to make the most of their abilities and experience. Being your own boss and achieving financial freedom isn't rocket science, but you need to know how to light the fuse. To learn more click here to visit http://www.showme-financialfreedom.co.uk/ or email freedom@percydale.com

Until tomorrow - start thinking.

Marketing Your Own Skills - Essential If You Want To Be Your Own Boss

Number Three on the list of how you can become a successful entrepreneur is by marketing your own skills.

Everyone has at least one skill and no-one knows everything there is to know about any skill. Many years ago when I first started writing articles and instruction manuals professionally I was told that my strong point
was that I wasn't afraid to ask the how, why and where questions that experts didn't like to ask because they thought they should know the answers but didn't. Experts had to admit they don't know everything. So whatever your skill is you will know something that people will pay for.

Two ladies I know have built up a very successful business doing home decorating – hanging wall paper, painting woodwork and ceilings with extremely professional results. And they clean up after themselves which men don’t always do!

Several other people I know walk dogs for people who are at work all day or are too elderly or infirm to do it themselves.

Many people need odd jobs done round the home that can be handled by what used to be called ‘handymen’. Putting up shelves, changing a washer, moving furniture around are all jobs which need doing but don’t warrant the attention of larger firms.

Writing press releases, advertising brochures, designing adverts for local businesses, writing reports for occupational newspapers are just some of the ways anyone with journalistic ability could go.

The opportunities for photographers are massive already and are growing every day.

If you would like some suggestions for how you could develop your own skill email your question to skills@percydale.com .

Better still, visit http://www.showme-financialfreedom.co.uk/ to see how you can get on-going help to Be Your Own Boss and achieve Financial Freedom.

Five Reasons Why 2010 Is A Good Year To Start A New Business

1. Now that all public and private enterprises are having to make drastic cuts in their spending the only way you can be sure that you won't be 'let go' (which is a polite way of saying 'sacked') is to become your own boss.

2. When the country is in an economic downturn anyone wanting to establish a new business has to make sure that every penny that he or she can lay hands on counts. The new entrepreneur will maximise every opportunity. The result is that the business will have a far more stable foundation than those that were started hopefully and inefficiently by people who didn't really understand business principles. They borrowed money when they wanted to expand. The Banks were almost falling over themselves to lend you money. Building Societies were only to happy to increase mortgages to far too optimistic levels. Like a pack of cards business after business tumbled into insolvency when the good times came to an end. Businesses begun during a downturn are far more stable. The only way for them to go is up.

3. In the current economic conditions the new entrepreneur must start small. Each upward step can only be taken when it financially wise to take it. Even a small, possibly only a one person business, can develop rapidly into a large and very successful concern when the economy improves. Weak businesses have gone to the wall. Businesses which have managed to survive have been struggling to keep up with the overheads they were obliged to keep going. Like recovering invalids, they are still weak and struggling.

4. With imagination the most unlikely start can be built into a successful business. Was it Marks and Spencer that originated in a market stall? Tesco was a small shop. Steam engines started as an idea in someone's kitchen.

5. In times of national and global near recession Governments can't give you much financially but they are desperate to give small businesses every opportunity to grow. They know that the private sector in the shape of new businesses are their only chance of recovery.

Now is the time to get started. For help and advice click here http://www.showme-financialfreedom.co.uk/ or email freedom@percydale.com . Also have a look at Be Your Own Boss/

Marketing Your Own Services - Making Money From A Home Business

Network marketing was the first way of making money from that we looked at.

The second way of making money from home in the list of ‘Seven Ways to Make Money From Home’ (see below) is Marketing Your Own Services. This way of making money working from home is really for someone who just wants to make a little extra money although there are ways of building this into a lucrative business.

Basically this is charging people for doing something they haven’t the time, inclination or ability to do themselves. This might be because they’re too busy, or perhaps they are elderly or disabled in some way or they just don’t like doing it.

Can you offer a shopping service? Although most supermarkets offer a home delivery service not everyone is on the internet or don’t want to order on line. You could run a nice little home business doing this.

There are many people who hate ironing, mowing the lawn, weeding (but if you do this it is essential to know what is and isn’t a weed!), housework, the list is endless but by now you should have got the idea.

Any system of making money working from home has several ‘Must do’ actions.
You should get a small account book and note down everything you spend and everything you earn.

Make a list of all the services you will be happy to offer.

Work out what you would have to charge to make a reasonable profit. For example you might charge 10% of a shopping bill plus mileage costs or charge per item if you’ve chosen ironing as a service.

Design a business card with your name, address, ‘phone or mobile number and the services you offer.

Get a good answer phone to take messages when you are out. Most people won’t try your number twice if they don’t get through the first time.

Tell people what you are doing.

For more information email marketing@percydale.com . If you really want to build a business you’re happy with which has the potential to make as money working from home as you want click on ‘Prospecting for Gold’ on the sidebar.

How Network Marketing Is Financed

Network marketing has all the benefits of a franchise with none of the expense involved in buying into a franchise.
Network marketing has all the advantages of owning a shop without the overheads.
A shopkeeper has to rent or buy business premises on which he has to pay rates, insurance, a large amount of stock or equipment, heating, lighting, telephone, water, etc.
A shopkeeper has to be in attendance at least 5 days a week for most days of the year for at least 8 hours a day. Or hire staff with the extra cost of wages, NI contributions, pension contributions and extra insurance.
All these expenses have to be paid for out of the income from the sale of goods or services.
Network marketing removes all this cost and you can be earning money from week one.
You sign up as an agent or distributor and pay a small sum which can be less than £100 for your starter equipment. All you order is what your customer has requested. They pay you the retail price you pay the company the wholesale price and keep the difference yourself. Bonuses are easily achievable on your volume of sales plus the volume of sales made by people you have recruited to join the scheme.
The company benefit by having a large number of outlets all over the country, sometimes even internationally without the expenses involved in having staff and premises etc. All the money they save goes to paying their agents.
These are not ‘get rich quick’ schemes. They are as good as you want them to be.
If you want more information about network marketing email your name, address and phone number to me at network@percydale.com
Or if you're interested inconsidering other ways of making money from home look at 'Prospecting for Gold'.

Network Marketing – The Quickest Way to Make Money From Home

First of all let’s get one thing straight – Network Marketing has nothing to do with Pyramid selling, which is illegal.
You can start making money literally from day one. Providing you choose the right company. Don’t choose one which has a ‘niche’ quality. E.g. health products, water or air systems, burglar alarms. They will take longer to establish.
Perhaps the two best known companies are Kleeneze and Avon. Both sell items which are reasonably priced and which people want, need or use on a regular basis. Both companies are well run, easy to operate and give great scope for development.
The beauty of network marketing is that you can take it up as a profitable hobby, a part time business bringing in a respectable income, or you can work at it and build a network of people doing the same as you are which puts you in the high earner bracket.
If you’d like to know more about this type of business email your name, address and telephone number to network@percydale.com .

Seven Ways to Make Money From Home

There are seven basic ways to make money from home. Before making any decisions it is best to study them all to see which one feels most comfortable for you.
This doesn’t mean that only one way of making money from a home business is open to you. You start with the business that suits you best, and, if finances are an important issue, one which will provide an immediate income.
The seven ways of making money from home are :-
1. Network marketing.
2. Marketing your own services.
3. Marketing your own skills.
4. Marketing your own products.
5. Information marketing.
6. Internet marketing.
7. Affiliate marketing.
In future we’ll look at each of these in more detail but for those of you who want to get started quickly take a look at ‘Prospecting for Gold’, just click on the sidebar. Or you can drop a line to Gold@percydale.com.

Be Healthy, Wealthy and Wise – and Be Your Own Boss

If you had three wishes what would they be?
What do you really want?
Some people say they’d like to be happy. Others want to be rich. Most people say they would like more time to spend with family and friends. Practically everybody wants to be free from worry and to be able to do all the things they don’t have the time or money to do now.
It’s worth while taking time out to sort out what you really want.
These are my suggestions.
a) I want to be happy. I therefore need enough money to keep me free from worry about getting the things I need. (Whoever says money doesn’t buy happiness hasn’t ever been really broke. It doesn’t but happiness, but lack of it can cause absolute misery. If I’m going to be miserable I’d rather be it in comfort.)

b) I want more time to spend with my family and friends and doing the things I want to do rather than spend my life working just to earn enough money to live on.

c) I want work that will allow me to choose when I work, how I work and that I enjoy. To do this you will need to be your own boss.
That sounds great! I’d love to be my own boss but I don’t have any spare cash to set up a business. And I can’t think of a business that I could start.
Worry not! Tomorrow I’ll start you off with ways to find out how you can set up your own business with little or no outlay.
Visit www.showme-financialfreedom.co.uk - or take a short cut by clicking on ‘Prospecting for Gold’ in the sidebar.

Ten Ways To Build A Customer List.

1. Preparation is 75% of the battle. Choose a niche subject which interests you and study the question and answer sections in relevant magazines. More information on readers’ problems is what they will pay for. So:-

2. The most obvious things is to find a product that a lot of people want. Notice want, not need. People will fulfil their wants rather than their needs. Buying something you want has the feel good factor.

3. Get to know your product. Come over as an expert by knowing what you’re talking about. Feel genuine enthusiasm.

4. Write a short Press Release about your product and email it to all the publications whose readers might be interested in your product. Don’t make false claims but make sure you note all the plus points. If you’re not sure how to write a good Press Release email pressrelease@percydale.com for a Free leaflet.

5. Find clubs, organisations and web sites and write letters. Talk about what you know with fellow enthusiasts and you can’t go far wrong. Ask questions or request info from readers. Always include contact details. Replies will give you contact addresses of people who are actively interested in your chosen niche.

6. Contact secretaries of clubs with details to be put on notice boards or included in members’ newsletters. Offer special rates to people who order through them.

7. Put a brief advert in the classified sections of magazines and newspapers directing people to your web page for free information available via a squeeze page. Want to know more about squeeze pages? Email Squeeze@percydale.com for free information.

8. If you make your promotion letters interesting to read then it’s not just people who share your interest that will be interested. Others readers will be intrigued and possible follow it up. This may sound odd but... people are interested in what’s interesting.

9. Have your product all ready to go as soon as you get the response you want. Have a follow-up product ready to promote in 2 to 4 weeks time.

10. Include a nice friendly letter thanking your customer for their custom. Possibly offer a desirable incentive gift in return for them recommending two addresses of people who might be interested in receiving information.

Ten Things Real Entrepreneurs Know

Real entrepreneurs know that:-
1. You never stop learning.
2. Simple ideas can trigger massive results.
3. Life never stands still. It’s going up or going down. You choose which way it goes.
4. Doing nothing is never the answer to a problem.
5. Some people work hard to get to the top of the tree but even they reach it they will never achieve as much as if they had aimed for the stars but only got part of the way there.
6. Real entrepreneurs are always looking for new ideas.
7. It doesn’t matter how good your job is the only really successful person is the owner of the company. He is the only one who can’t be sacked.
8. If at first you don’t succeed the only failure is the person who doesn’t pick himself up, dust himself down and start all over again.
9. If at first you don’t succeed but keep on trying you will eventually achieve success.
10. Being a success is a habit you want to cultivate. It gets easier every time you achieve it.
Theodora Cochrane has been a successful entrepreneur for many years and is author of 'Prospecting for Gold' which is a business course designed to help budding entrepreneurs to take the first steps to success and to offer helpful suggestions to successful entrepreneurs who are looking for opportunities to climb a few more mountains.
For more information click on "Prospecting for Gold" on the right sidebar or send your name and address to to gold@percydale.com

Don't Buy The Box

We often laugh at young children who ignore the present but play with the box. But isn't that what a lot of us do?

You get the sales letter with the bonuses, testemonials and tempting pictures of the cash you can make and the life you will lead.

All packaging! It's the pretty ribbon, the sparkly paper and the fancy box.

Don't be fooled. Find out if what is in the box is really what you want.

Cross out all the blurb and see what is really on offer. If the bonuses are worthmore than the product don't buy it.

One of the things we do with 'Prospecting For Gold' system is to help new entrepreneurs formulate their own business plans and choose the best of what's on offer.

Send yourname and address formore information to gold@percydale.com

Storm Over -No Damage

Yesterdays post was missed because I was anxiously watching my trees lashing about in the terrific winds and hoping that none of them would blow down on top of either my horses or me.

Thankfully they didn't so there will be a double dose of blog today.

While watching the trees I was able to do some thinking about business opportunities in general.

Looking back over the years I've been studying business opportunities I've noticed that MLM marketing is one of the most controversial on offer. Some regard them with complete and utter disdain, others find them extremely successful.

The arguments against multi-level marketing reminds me of what my Bank Manager (we could actually talk to a real one back in the dark ages) said to me when I was 1 shilling and three pence (old money) overdrawn.

"Just imagine what the state of the economy would be if everyone in the country was 1/3 overdrawn."

In the light of the present credit card debts that amount is laughably small, but my argument is still valid. The odds against that happening were millions to one at that time.

Now I am a great fan of Kleeneze. When I first retired from teaching and retreated to my smallholding to live the life of a hermit with my beloved computer and the internet I signed up with Kleeneze to help out a new distributor and to get me out meeting human beings for a change.

My friend left the company after a month. I loved it and have been doing it on a very part time basis for over 12 years. Why do I like it? Well my customers are now my friends. I don't run it as a business, although it has never made less than £10 per hour which isn't bad for a hobby.

The point of this is that one or two very respected and responsible gurus denigrate Kleeneze as the representative of MLM saying that if every distributor recruited five people there would very soon be all distributors and no customers. Like my BankManager's argument, it is invalid.

Many people will view it as I do, an enjoyable hobby. Others won't be willing to put in the effort needed to turn it into a full-time business and build a team. Those that do, and enjoy it, will be very successful and will make the money they want.

If you are interested in Kleeneze contact me via the email address at the end of this post. Please make it clear that it is Kleeneze that you are interested in, otherwise you will receive information about my main business which is finding your niche as an entrepreneur.

Hope those of you the the SW UK also survived the gales with no damage.

For information on business building or Kleeneze contact me on gold@percydale.com

Take The Plunge

What would you say about a developer who bought some land but didn’t do anything with it – then complained because it hadn’t made any money for him?

Stupid, Huh?

Maybe another man wasn't that stupid. Maybe he got the land, bought the building materials, got them organised into neat piles and - - - went away and did something else! Then he, too, complained because he hadn’t made any money.

Both men explained that making money from building a house is impossible. The whole idea was a bad one. It was all probably just a big con! Not only that, but all the property developers who were successful were lying or just lucky.

Then you get the sensible bloke who made a fortune. He bought his plot, got the materials he needed and then, with the advice of an expert, built a house, sold it and was on the first step of success where the sky is the limit.

Which are you?

Do you invest in a scheme but fail to follow it through to success?

Why?

Did it not really set you on fire? Did you go into it convinced you wouldn't succeed? Or did you chicken out at the last minute?

If you want to succeed don't run up and down the bank or dip your toe in the shallows. Breathe deeply, square yourself up and TAKE THE PLUNGE.

'Prospecting For Gold' will help you make those first steps to achieving your goals.
If you are really aiming for the skies email your name and address to gold@percydale.com .

Sensible People Heed Warnings

People who can’t see some sort of global recession coming are like people standing with their backs to an elephant and insisting such animals don’t exist.

Too much of our money is being wasted on futile schemes and posturing by people in authority who should know better. Bonuses, severance pay and golden goodbyes are dished out willy-nilly whether they are deserved or not.

And who pays?

We do - in taxes or higher prices.

The money taken from us isn't an endless resource. When it runs out the economy goes haywire - and you're slap bang in the middle of a recession.

At present it’s not an elephant they don’t believe in? What if it was a lion, not an elephant?

Taking no evasive action would be extremely dangerous.

So let’s take it that the recession is like a lion. It might pounce. It might go away. But the wise person gets to a place of safety as soon as possible.

How can you and I get to a place of safety from the lion of recession? If you want to find out then send your name and address to gold@percydale.com.

Let's Get Down To Business

So here I am back blogging again. This time it’s going to be updated daily to try to get through to some hopeful entrepreneurs who haven’t quite got where they want to be yet.

I’ve come across a lot of people who are getting very disheartened by the numerous get rich quick schemes there are. By the time you've bought them, tried them and found they aren't really for you it's easy to think you're doing something wrong or the scheme is a scam.

Most such schemes are genuine and have done what they claim for some people but by no means all.

So what are the reasons for failing?
a) You haven't really done much more than think what you might do.
b) You haven't followed the instructions to the letter.
c) A certain amount of luck is involved.
d) The scheme doesn't ring any bells for you.

Being an entrepreneur is like climbing a mountain. You don’t just need to know the route you have to know how to tackle it.

Consider I am your guide. I'm not going to climb the entrepreneurial ladder for you. I can show you how to chose the right business for you personally and then suggest the steps you should take to succeed.

I call this 'Prospecting For Gold'.

To find out more send your name and address (and 'phone number if you wish) to gold@percydale.com for a FREE information pack send.