The Future In One Lesson

We know we are at the end of the industrial age, and we are trying very hard to enter the information age. So far the information technologies have just created faster industrial age functions.

The new age is coming - for more information consider the news article at Bastiat Free University's free registration and login page. There will also be plenty of small business and finance posts made to The BFU Journal - you will probably enjoy them also.

Personally, I have retired from most of my regular duties, including this blog. With a dozen or so web sites, I have to cut some of them if I expect to spend time in study and growth during my retirement. If you need a fix of small business advice with little self serving comment you can peruse the archives of this blog - there is some good stuff here that will not go out of date.

A quick self serving comment - but one that may be of value to you.

For over a month I have been unable to use a computer. The small business opportunity I outlined here grew by almost thirty percent during that period. This started as a test of their system, but hit break even within six months and continues to grow slowly and profitably with little further input. My total costs were less than $35.00, I expect in a year or two to be earning a few hundred a month or more for my small initial effort. Extra money is always nice. Take a look and a free trial if you wish - it is interesting.

You can find me at Bastiat Free University if you have questions.

Best to all,

Allan

Barriers created From The Mists Of Ignorance

"It's not what you are that holds you back, it's what you think you are not." - Denis Waitley

Denis has it half right.

It can also be what you think you are not, and how knowledgeable you think you are that hold you back.

In fact perhaps we should reshape the entire statement.

What you think about yourself and your environment determine what you will be able to accomplish.

It may have been Zig Ziglar that said "If you think you can't, or you think you can, you are right."

This is where we scare off the college professors. The honors they have received, and those they have taken upon themselves, blind them to this following true perspective.

We know very little, and much of what we think we know is just plain wrong.

That is why belief is so much stronger than accepted fact. Our educational systems are constantly setting boundaries. Only through faith and desire have individuals again and again extended those boundaries.

In the early 1950's Roger Banister announced to the world that he would run the mile in under four minutes. Everyone thought he had lost it! The sports "experts," the medical establishment, everyone! In 1954 he did it. It has been reported that within one year, over 30 people ran faster than Banister himself. When asked how it was possible for so many people to run that fast so soon, Banister said: "It was never a physical boundary, only a mental one." - source unknown

You have the ability to accomplish much more than anyone has ever let you believe - including yourself.

Find your passion, find your own four minute miles -- break them all.

"The risks and rewards of creative entrepreneurship are greater, and of far more value to society, than illusions of security that enslave human cogs in a social machine." - Allan Wallace

Here we are talking about your own business, that is a good place to start tearing down boundaries - but don't stop there.

We are all surrounded by solid looking barriers that limit our achievement. Most such walls were erected using the mists of ignorance - run right through them.

persevere and enjoy,

Allan

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A Quick Warning Of Perhaps Major Importance

I don't think I have ever done this from this blog, and only once or twice from other blogs.

I think you should put off your search for better start your own business ideas for a moment and go look at the warning about two financial tsunamis.

I at least think it is important.

Small Business Ideas Blog - time for a change

There appears to be a better fit for my small business ideas than this blog.

Take a look at the prior post on the three required ideas for business success, and then look at my Squidoo lens about the three axioms of business.

It did take longer to build the Squidoo lens, but it works very well. I also don't have to play popularity games with templates, something I just could never get behind. I have good content - but with a blog that is just not enough.

Each page on Squidoo is already pulling traffic. It is easy to set up online marketing and and should draw well for a very long time. I can even easily direct the income to charities if I wish. I had planned to use the lens to direct traffic to this site, and add a few links to my other sites also, instead I will leave this site here and mainly make new lenses at Squidoo.

My updates here will therefore be infrequent.

I have over a half dozen lenses so far and I'm having great fun playing with them. For those of you with the big question, yes it is free to build a lens - just like you can have a free blog.

I figure it takes about the same time to make a quality lens as to write 3 blog posts. They are individually at least a dozen times more powerful than a post. There is also no demand or deadline requiring frequent updates, therefore no burnout.

Visit my nice niche Swiss shop, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Allan


P.S. I know many of you come here for ideas on how to start your own business, follow that link.

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Three Secrets Of A Successful Business.

There are a thousand little pieces that go into creating a successful business.

There are only three that are absolutely required.

1) Be Too Early

If the market is saturated, you will be fighting the current. A saturated market is a market ready to decline, almost everyone that wants to be in this business is already in it. Consider real estate a year ago when folks were still quiting their jobs to get a license.

The commodities market has been climbing for years, and folks are still afraid of it. You will find it easy to get a job as a commodities broker, and on good terms. It will take you a year or two to build your business, just in time for folks to get excited and over commit. When all your neighbors become brokers - find your next business.

If this sounds like value investing, and how to really make long term profits in the markets, you are right.

2) Focus

This is a tough one. It is so easy to be diverted from your quest by other great opportunities.

If you expect to be a success you need to concentrate on making your one business exceptional, as opposed to having several pretty good businesses. Today only exceptional is good enough. If you apply efforts in many directions your forward progress will suffer.

3) Persist

If you started too early it will be a while before your hard work pays off. If you lose your focus and try some other ideas, one may look promising - now you are off in another direction.

The law of inertia applies to business. An object in motion tends to stay in motion, an object at rest tend to stay at rest. It still takes work to change the state of the object.

It takes a couple of years to develop a loyal client base. If you stop every six months and re-start a new venture you will never develop the momentum to become powerful.

Apply yourself.

Keep applying yourself.

Persist.

Create and sustain your own successful business.

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What Is Your Passion? build a store around it today

Take the afternoon and build a specialty store that centers on your passion.

Okay, I'm a bit late on starting the vacation I mentioned in the prior post. I'll start it on Monday.

For now I've got an assignment for you.

Create your own store at Squidoo, it won't cost anything but some time, you will learn some interesting stuff, and you will be able to make money for yourself or a charity.

I built a store about Swiss Goodies and gifts, and didn't find a top Squidoo group to join to make it part of an online mall. I therefore created, for us, The Mall. Right now the only store in The Mall is mine, that presents an opportunity to you.

Think about your (family and work safe) passions, that's long enough. Now go to Squidoo and create a store based on your passions. It is fun and easy, and the results will be satisfying.

Then join my group.

Just one warning. I started my specialty store late at night, got frustrated, and didn't return to it until I started my vacation. You can avoid having this frustration by being awake when you work on your store. It's funny how easy building the store was with my eyes open.

If you have questions, e-mail me.

enjoy,

See you at The Mall.

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Time for a vacation

I Think it's time to recharge the batteries. I should be back by early December.

There is a lot of good stuff in the archives to your right.

Or start some long term planning on your future.

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