Why Most People NEVER Make Decent Money...
Why Most People NEVER Make Decent Money From Business Opportunities and How You Can Make Sure You’re Someone That Does
First off. An apology. If you’re one of those enlightened highly self-aware people who knows exactly who they are and what they want, then what you are about to read will seem pretty obvious. But for the rest of us, this is a wake up call to how things really are when it comes to choosing the right business opportunity.
Over the years I’ve received countless letters, emails and had conversations with aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners and people who want a secondary income. Many complained about the number of businesses and opportunities they tried only to be disappointed or end up failing.
Yes, many of them were the victims of scams, bad quality opportunities or just plain bad luck. We’ve all been there. And that’s exactly why I started What Really Makes Money to stop serious seekers from wasting their time on substandard and miss-sold opportunities.
But that’s only half the story. You see, a significant number fail to make perfectly good enterprises work – no matter how hard they try. You could call it their opportunity blind spot. They simply haven’t the right personal qualities or skills to make it work. Some people just aren’t cut out for certain opportunities. Not now. Not ever.
“Hey, I’d love to do the tango, but with 2 left feet I’ve resigned myself to watching others”
OK. Let’s not deceive ourselves any longer. If you want to find the right kind of business opportunity or second income venture for you, you’ve got to be brutally honest with yourself. If you don’t then you can look forward to years of disappointment. But if you can make an honest picture of who you are and where your key talents lie, then you will achieve more success, get more done faster and with less stress.
LESSON ONE - DON’T BE SEDUCED BY THE WORDS
Let me hold my hands up and bow my head in shame. I’m a sucker for a great sales pitch. I know and have used ALL the sales tricks imaginable, but cannot resist a well-crafted pitch. Whether that’s face to face with a salesperson, through direct mail or through advertising, I am putty in their hands. The number of expensive clothes I have bought because the sales assistant has convinced me that this ‘look’ is right for me. Of course the moment I get home, I try the clothes on again and get a withering look from my wife.
It’s just the same when it comes to business opportunities. Most people are seduced by the big Biz Opp promises only to find out that they are not suited to the opportunity itself. Any decent copywriter is going to try every strategy to make even the most complex and difficult to succeed with opportunity sound like a complete no brainer. They are trained to overcome your natural scepticism and skirt around those difficult issues.
LESSON TWO - HORSES FOR COURSES
Some people are born salespeople. They exude confidence and are able to think quickly on their feet. Others are quiet and much prefer to work away quietly on the details. Both are equally valid, yet each is suited to a specific type of opportunity.
Take good old Network Marketing. You’ve seen them all, Kleneeze, Telecom Plus, Amway, Herbalife and the rest. Now, if you want to be successful AND enjoy multi-level marketing, then you must have sales and interpersonal skills. To create the ‘profitable downline’ you’ve got to recruit more people and then continue to motivate them to get those sales that you end up getting a slice of.
Or Spread Betting. Everyone’s talking about this latest money-making craze. But what many fail to realise is that to be successful you need the kind of specialised knowledge of investment strategies, risk management and market analysis.
Look, I’m not knocking either of these kinds of opportunities. You just have to understand that to get the most out of them you need to be a particular type of person with particular aptitudes or specific developed skills and knowledge. Otherwise, no matter how hard you work or how much you want it to work, then no amount of good intentions are going to help you.
My avowed aim is to tell you exactly what you need to make these opportunities work. This will help you to narrow your search, and stop wasting your time and money on dead ends and mismatched enterprises. In this issue, we investigate a Product Development Opportunity from Manhattan Direct/Bill Myers/Markiteer. This is an example of a perfectly good business opportunity. However, to get the most out of it you need particular personal attributes and capital investment.
As ever, if you have the slightest doubt about a business opportunity, let me know either via email nicklaight@yahoo.co.uk or write to the usual correspondence address and I’ll investigate on your behalf.
But I can only do so much. The rest is up to you. That’s why it’s so important to get to know yourself as you REALLY are.
Right. It’s pen and paper time again. Divide a page into three. Write down these 3 headings
“WHO AM I?” In this column, write down all your personal qualities – good and bad. Are you introvert or extrovert? Are you a people person or are you much happier working away in isolation? Do you have an eye for detail or do you prefer to see the big picture? What attributes do people compliment you on? Often it’s difficult to objectively assess your own personality. So ask someone you trust (but not a loved one) to give you an accurate appraisal. Tell them to be honest, even if it means telling a few home truths. If you really value the importance of what you are doing and the end results then don’t get offended – this is real help they are giving you.
“WHAT CAN I DO?” Do you have practical skills? Are you good at DIY, gardening, fixing appliances or even cleaning? Through your work experience have you developed skills which you take for granted. Every skill, no matter how humble, marketed the right way can be leveraged into some profitable venture. We’ll talk more about how you can create a value added business in a future WRMM report.
“WHAT DO I KNOW?” Everyone has some area of knowledge that is developed. It could be academic, work related, sport or hobby. You may take your knowledge of 1960’s beano comics for granted, but applied in the right way this could be transformed into a money-making venture. Take a look at the E-letter opportunity in this report and see where you might be able to apply this to your specialist knowledge.
Once you’ve finished putting EVERYTHING down, take a look at your inventory. What does it tell you about yourself? If you need further clarification, rate each of your skills, qualities and knowledge out of 5 (where 1 is the strongest and 5 is weakest). Now take a look at all your 1s and 2s. Are there certain patterns emerging? Where do you talents really lie?
MOST IMPORTANTLY: How could the goals you set down in your last report be amended to reflect this?
(By the way, you HAVE written your goals haven’t you? If not, then shame on you. Please understand, they really are important. As we progress, you will need your clearly stated goals so you can amend and refine them).
Right, let’s get on with it! I hope you enjoy this report and as always I’d love to hear your views – contact me on nicklaight@yahoo.co.uk