Make Yourself Unemployable

I am almost unemployable. I have a hard time being content while working for other people. I guess it's because I don't understand their business policies that have a net effect of driving customers away into the arms of a competitor. I guess this is why I like Network Marketing so much.

In network marketing you are free (in most companies) to build your business in a different way than another does. Some may wish to build online through pay per click ads or another through blogging and free memberships in social media sites. Still anothe may choose to build through face to face networking groups, warm markets or personal contacts and another may distribute cards and flyers.

In network marketing there usually is no dress code. Some of the most successful networker's of all time have spent their careers in boat shoes and blue jeans. I am not saying to dress that way, but only saying, that in this industry you are free to be authentic.

Being authentic is where it's at when you are trying to attract people into you business. Being in a business that helps people is important to me. I hope it's important to you as well.

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To Have Friends We Must Be Friendly

We are at the time of year (the Holidays) of Thanksgiving and Christmas soon. This is the time of year when many people feel lonely. Once my sister asked me why she didn't have more friends. My reply was simply to have more friends you must be friendly.

Now, I didn't come up with that it's from Proverbs 18:24. In business and life we get ahead more through our friendships than anything else. What good is talent without friends.

In today's world we can meet friends through a variety of networking sites. One I think is useful is AdlandPro. Click here to check out Adlandpro In adlandpro they have free classifieds, forums on all types of subjects and best of all a chance to meet new people from across the street or around the world.

Network Marketing Thrives on Hard Times

Network marketing companies have found that hard times cause their enrollments to soar. Why is this? I think it is simple really. When people find that jobs are hard to come by, they start looking at other options.

Suddenly that crazy brother or sister in law with all the entrepreneurial ideas is looking a little smarter. Now, that friend at work hawking the vitamin juice may not be such a health nut kook after all.

A word of caution is in order. Good companies are available to join but the scammers are also looking for the unwary, as well and are more than happy to take your money and run. Remember, any worthwhile business will have a product or service that is able to be sold to an end user attached to their opportunity.

If you never hear about the product or service or no one ever talks about how they enroll customers into their service or how customers use their products, then you may be talking to a scammer. Usually the scammers and gifting schemes will spend some time telling you how their program is legal. Why would any legitimate business have to cover that unless someone had asked a question?

Follow a few simply rules while investigating any network marketing opportunity.

Ask questions and don't be bullied into signing up today.

Research the owners online.

Stay away from Start-ups (most new companies fail in the first 2 years)

Look carefully at the products or services

Is the product or service of sufficient value that I would buy it at retail? If not and you don't have a need for that product or service then ask: will others buy it? Am I overlooking something? If others will buy the products or services, this company may still be a winner, if competitively priced. Is there enough value that people will continue buying for years?

Are they a customer focused company?

In other words do they have web sites for retailing to customers? Do the emphasis getting customers as well as representatives?

Is their product or service in High Demand?

Does it appeal to a large audience of consumers? Does it capture a growing trend or address a problem?

If you're looking for a plan B because you plan A job or career isn't working out, then I say welcome to my world. Plan on working to learn the industry during your first 2 years. Some people are very successful right off the bat, but that is the exception nopt the norm. If the company or sponsor you choose offer good training, then plug in and learn and you'll do well in the networking industry.

Credit Card Companies Driving Customers into Debt

Getting behind, missing a payment or going over your credit card limit can cost you big time. American consumers are finding themselves behind the 8 ball as they have an average of more than 9,000 dollars in credit card debt.

In a 2 income family, all it takes is one wage earner losing their job or getting their hours cut to fall behind. Once you fall behind it becomes hard to get back on track again as the money that was going to pay your monthly card payments is now being used for living expenses.

First, your credit card company will charge you late fees and over the limit fees then they'll raise your interest rate. Next they will charge you that higher interest rate
on your balance as well as the fees they have added on. Soon you're 3 payments down with no way to get back even in sight.

Now what do you do?

First step is to call your credit card company. Many of them will have a reduced payment program you can get on for 3 to 6 months. After that they'll expect you to be back on track.

If things get bad enough you could file bankruptcy but you'll still be stuck repaying 40-60% of those credit card bills. That bankruptcy will be on your credit file for 10 years. The cost of the financial education you didn't get in school is a big one.

Your best bets may be trying to reduce expenses by requoting things like house insurance and car insurance, giving up cable t.v. or eating out as often. If you still can't bring your expenses in line with outgo you may need to add a part time job or start a network marketing business to add additional revenue.

For those who are to the point of being behind on all your credit cards and other debts it may be time to work on a debt settlement with your creditors.If they look at your credit and see that you are behind with all your payments then they'll be likely to negotiate.

The Lifetime Penalty of Poor Credit

Most of us know that if we have poor credit it is harder to buy a car or home. Do you know that it could cost you up to or more than a million dollars in extra interest and payments in a lifetime?

Here are some of the places you pay more with poor credit:

House loans, Car loans, Utility deposits, Personal and Business loans, Student loans, Car insurance, Health and Life Insurance, Credit cards and much more.

Those with a bad credit history may find that getting a checking account is harder and may pay ridiculous fees weekly just cashing their paychecks. Renting the apartment you want, in a good neighborhood, may also be a problem due to your credit history.

In addition to paying more in interest and qualifying for loans, Getting a job is also tied to your credit with more and more employers today. According to Forbes Magazine, in 2006, 42% of employers checked credit as a condition of hiring. These numbers will continue to go up each year.

Getting out of debt will be a never ending process when you are overcharged for every credit transaction. What's the solution?

Get the financial education that our schools failed to give us as children and young adults. The average high school graduate is unable to balance a checkbook and yet banks are pushing credit cards on that same student who has no clue how to manage his finances.

I would recommend books by Larry Burkett or checking out Crown Money management.

Start a Part Time Business and Kiss a Bad Boss Goodbye

Have you ever worked for a bad boss? I have and it ruined my time spent on the job. The only thing a bad boss is good for is motivating you to get a new job or start your own part time home business. If you have worked for a bad boss warn others by rating your boss at eBoss watch. You can also check out a new boss here before you take a job.


Here's what Seth Godin said about jobs:
Be careful of who you work for The single most important marketing decision most people make is also the one we spend precious little time on: where you work.

Think about this for a second. Your boss and your job determine not only what you do all day, but what you learn and who you interact with. Where you work is what you market. Work in a high stress place and you're likely to become a highly stressed person, and your interactions will display that. Work for a narcissist and you'll develop into someone who's good at shining a light on someone else, not into someone who can lead. Work for someone who plays the fads and you'll discover that instead of building a steadily improving brand, you're jumping from one thing to another, enduring layoffs in-between gold rushes. Work for a bully and be prepared to be bullied.

Working for a bad boss can become the very motivation you need to get your part time business going. Most networking businesses require 10-15 hours of spare time a week and less than $500 dollars to get off the ground. Every time you experience some success in your new business you are a little closer to saying goodbye.

Identity Theft is rampant

I have have had several people tell me that they have had their identities stolen. Thought I would post about it here with a couple videos. I never worried about this type of thing years past but it is something to be aware of today. A couple years ago my wife and I found that another couple had used our social security numbers on job applications. Fortunately they didn't try to open any accounts in our names.

Identity Theft

How Do Criminals Steal Your Identity?



Precautions I take if I am on the internet is making sure I use my Firefox browser (it alerts me to bogus sites) I watch for a lock on secure pages when using a credit card, Never reply to spammers email as there are many phishing schemes coming via email. Most at risk online are those using Microsoft Explorer browsers as far as I am concerned.

At home I shred any sensitive documents before trashing them. There are many ways we can all reduce our exposure to identity theft. There is a new service called Lifelock to secure your credit accounts.

Nothing to fear but fear itself

In today's economic climate, while many people are not expressing their fears, many would admit to being anxious. Certainly if one had assets in the stock market there would be some cause for alarm.

Years ago it was Franklin D. Roosevelt who popularized the quote: There is nothing to fear but fear itself. I would hope that most Americans would take that to heart and keep moving forward.

As for myself, I have done pretty well in networking and have a declining income coming in from our previous years work. One of the first things that I learned as an entrepreneur was to be persistent.

The other evening we attended get out of debt presentation at a church in Orlando. The speaker was Anthony Stroman from Atlanta. He gave a great presentation of the costs we incur as a result of poor credit which includes paying more for just about any financial service including auto and home loans, insurance and much more. Anthony shared a money map of:

7 steps to retire in 2-5 years.

The 7 steps:

1. Eliminate debt

2. Get Good Credit

3. Tax Planning

4. Budgeting or Cash Flow Analysis

5. Financial Planning

6. Will and Legal Services

7. Passive Income

We had to admit that almost all of what he shared was right on the money and we were convinced as were the majority of the attendees.

As for myself, like most Americans, I have not been as careful with debt as my father would have hoped. Like many Americans I am concentrating on getting my personal finances in order.

Dad Gave Pretty Good Advice

Most of us, looking back, would have to admit that our dads gave us pretty good advice when it came to money. Why was that? I think it was because they had already either been down the wrong road when it came to money or they were smart enough to observe others and stay off the paths of destruction.

My dad was raised by a single mom during the great depression of 1929. His father had abandoned the family leaving my grandmother to care for a family of 4 kids.

Dad told me his childhood memories of slogging through the Kansas snowbanks hunting squirrels and rabbits for food. His first car was a compilation of several junkyard model A parts to make up a running auto.

My dad always said if it costs more than $5,000 dollars it better have a foundation under it. This, of course, was back when a new car was about $5,000 dollars. He was definately not in favor of borrowing money. One could never accuse my dad of acting real spiritual, but he had learned well the old proverb that the borrower becomes the lenders slave.

The older my dad got the more he hated debt. Thing is, the older I get the more I hate debt. Funny how that works, isn't it?