I heard Rika telling our cleaning lady that she wanted the kitchen closets done, and the cleaning lady replied, “Of course I can do that.” I chuckled.

When it comes top cleaning the garage, polishing shoes, cutting the grass, changing the car’s oil, or swimming across the lake, people seem to enjoy the challenge and brag about their accomplishments. “I lost ten pounds!” But when it comes to business, it’s entirely a different deal.

It Doesn’t Make Sense!

People often make serious mistakes because they took the wrong advice. If you look back on your life, you will see that many failures and losses were the result of implementing bad advice. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind before you take advice that you should be avoiding at all costs:

If you find it hard to get out of bed, watch the clock, and look forward to weekends, you probably not passionate about what you do. And it will be evident in your demeanor, your bank balance, your relationships, and your body.

Entrepreneurs, more accurately termed “Solopreneurs”, often believe that they are an island, that they must accomplish everything on their own with their own resources.  These Solopreneurs think that they are maximizing their chance of survival and profitability.  They are totally WRONG.  Consider what Micheal Gerber says in his world-famous book The E-Myth: Revisited.

“Picture the typical entrepreneur and Herculean pictures come to mind: a man or woman standing alone, wind-blown against the elements, bravely defying insurmountable odds, climbing sheer faces of treacherous rock–all to realize the dream of creating a business of one’s own. The legend reeks of nobility, of lofty, extra-human efforts, of a prodigious commitment to larger-than-life ideals. Well, while there are such people, my experience tells me they are rare.” – Micheal Gerber

I agree with Micheal Gerber that this image is absolutely absurd!  As long as you are a solopreneur, working on every facet of your business, you will be your business’ number one problem!!!  As Gerber explains in his book, there are 2 kinds of businesses:

1. People-dependent businesses
2. Systems-dependent businesses

Which Are You?

How do you know which one you are?  Well, simply ask yourself this:

“if I (or anyone else in my company) were to leave my business for 6 months, would the business still exist when I came back?”

If you answer YES, then you have a systems-dependent business.  If NO, then you likely have a person-dependent business.

What IS a Systems-Dependent Business?

So what IS a systems-dependent business?  Consider this: McDonald’s can deliver the exact same promise – the exact same food and customer experience – whether you are in Edmonton, Toronto, New York, or Kalamazoo.  And it’s delivered by disinterested, teenage kids – some of the least qualified employees on the continent.  And this do this BILLIONS of times every single year, at thousands and thousands of locations from sea-to-sea.

…and yet you can’t ever deliver that level of consistency to one set of customers of your one business, located in only one city or town.  What’s the difference?

The difference is SYSTEMS.  Your business depends on you (people-dependent) while McDonald’s depends on systems – the people can be swapped in and out.

I will now ask you: why is it that you are taking care of making sales calls, balancing the books, dealing with inventory, answering calls, cooking, cleaning, and doing all of this ON YOUR OWN?

True Entrepreneurs

The true entrepreneur sets up a system, then delegates it.  Once that’s taken care of, then they create a system for another area of their business, and delegate that out. And they do this with every area of their business until they ARE able to walk away for 6 months or more.

And the funny thing is that it is often the mundane, monotonous, pressing / urgent, and repetitive tasks that distract an aspiring entrepreneur from actually doing the “big-picture” items that will actually take their business to the next level.

Build a SYSTEM for these mundane, monotonous, and repetitive tasks, and DELEGATE.  Then get re-focused on the MOST IMPORTANT things… building your business, learning new skills, ideas, and strategies, and maybe even spend more time with your kids, spouse, family, and friends.

Systems for More Than Business

And what if you don’t own a business?  Well, in your family life you likely DO have many mundane, repetitive tasks that take time away from being with your family.

• Perhaps processing application forms for a charity you volunteer for.
• Perhaps calling all of your relatives for the forthcoming family reunion.
• Perhaps it’s really a pain for you to balance the family cheque book at the end of the month.
• Or maybe it’s a hassle to always be coordinating the parents for Johnny’s soccer team.

Any of these items could be systemized and delegated.

So many routine and mundane tasks…

• WHAT IF you could get someone else to do any or all of this?
• Would that make you extremely happy?
• Would that give you more time to be with your family, kids, and friends?
• Would your life experience be better if you just didn’t have to deal with any of that boring, productivity-killing, repetitive brain-freeze?

Well, having your own Virtual Assistant (VA) may or may not be a fit for you.  To find out if and how a VA would help you in your specific circumstance, contact Tina at 1-877-977-4776, or Info@SaveTimeBoostProfits.com to get a FREE 30-minute consultation.

How do you decide which Joint Venture Partner you want to work with? After all, we have literally millions of options, don’t we?

If you agree that basically, people don’t change – we change our choices, but not who we essentially are – then their past track record must, to a large extent, predict their future choices.

• I’m talking about a track record that starts early in life, and consistently repeats.
• Also, small decisions and actions give us clues to who people are.

We want to work with winners, not wanna-be’s. The quality of our network will determine our net worth, and we can’t afford to hook up with losers. That means that 97% of people simply don’t qualify to work with us. Here’s a simple checklist:

1.  Their Track Record.

Talk with people about their successes and failures in their lives, from childhood. Winners and leaders will always, like the proverbial cream, rise to the top – in teams, in groups, in organizations, in clubs, at school – wherever they choose, and wherever their passion is. If a champion believes in something, he or she is going to make it work. They have track records of success in many different areas of life. Ask the hard questions.

2.  Their Daily Choices.

Watch their daily choices – do they deliver on time, return calls and emails promptly, dress professionally, groom themselves well? Are they reliable, punctual, respectful, honest, and straightforward? Are they generous? Do they honor their promises and make good and take responsibility when they mess up?

3.  Their Money.

Have they made money? If not, what makes you think that will suddenly change? If they have money, where did they get it? Inheritance? Are they self-made, or Daddy-made? If the boy lives with his parents, is a stay-at-home-dad, has his wife support him, and moves from one financial disaster or network marketing company to the next, how will you benefit from partnering with him? Ask them!

4.  Their Associations.

With whom do they associate? Look at their friends. Birds of the feather flock together. Losers love to team up with each other.

5.  Their Input.

Look at what they read. BIG clues there. Be careful of “seminar junkies” – they flare up fast and fade away even faster.

6.  Their Philosophy.

Determine their philosophy. Avoid mystics, socialists, and altruists. You will discover their philosophy by observing their lives. Do your due diligence.

7.  Their Involvements.

What clubs / groups / cults / organizations do they belong to?

8.  Their Action.

Are they action-takers or procrastinators? Are they overly analytical? Do they embrace change positively? Are they “big hat, no cattle”, or the real thang?

9.  Their Presentation.

How do they present themselves? Their dress, grooming, business cards, car, pen, shoes, paperwork, binders, hair, (men with nose / ear hairs, women who have unruly, wet, or badly cut hair) nails, jewelry, tattoos, piercings… Everything is a clue. Do the women dress act like flirts / sluts? Avoid smokers and drinkers.

10.  Test Their Metal.

Even is all the above are in line, test your potential JV partners in small matters before opening up the store. Give them enough rope to hang themselves, enough opportunity to steal, and enough time to let their masks slip.

Be patient – it’s well worth it. Remember, you’re looking for 3% of people.

The Red Flags of Conmen

Conmen play the vague, politically-correct, altruistic games that call for “trust and respect” and “giving back”, while avoiding specifics, making elaborate promises, and never committing to anything in writing.

An outspoken and highly intelligent, perceptive, and prophetic blogger recently wrote,

“Obama has been b*tch-slapped by North Korea who has no fear of any reprisal. His naiveté and narcissism has damaged America’s global standing and put us and our allies in danger. Obama’s tough talk carries the significance of Boy George fighting in mixed martial arts.”

I would trust this blogger whom I have never met, more than many people whom I know.

What Business is All About

Business is not personal – it’s about the transaction of value, and it has nothing to do with “giving back”, your wife’s lumbago, or helping the poor.

1. I do what I commit to, and you do what you commit to, and if not, there are consequences.
2. If you don’t pay me what you owe me, I’m coming after you hard with a very nasty lawyer, of that you may be assured.
3. I’m not interested in the consequences of your personal choices or your lies or excuses.
4. And if we do good business, we may become friends. Maybe, but not necessarily.

That’s why we need to be very specific when setting up our Joint Ventures.

How Do Your Role Models Behave?

I have found that people who smile and laugh a lot and insist on hugging everyone in sight are usually adroit at back-stabbing, stealing, and lying. You don’t see the Donald giggling and tickling his way through life. I don’t want to talk hockey and discuss my family with you – I’m here to make money. If you want to be popular and avoid stepping on toes, you will soon find yourself in the company of other compromisers and snakes who will steal the milk out of your tea while recommending their personal psychic and asking you to sponsor their local free injection clinic for drug addicts.

“Tell it like it is” – there are millions of people, and just as many JV opportunities out there for a good Joint Venture Broker. I would rather be feared and respected than liked. And the same goes for real entrepreneurs who make real money – they’re not signing up for popularity contests or trying to win awards or titles. Model truly successful business owners – think of Ari Onassis and Jimmy Pattison. They are serious about business and they expect you to be so, too.

Your good JV partners will feel a lot more comfortable when you get serious about business, and the losers will run away for fear of being exposed for what they really are.

It’s like sugar in your gas tank, poison in your pop, the worm in your apple – the one flaw that can cripple even the best Joint Venture, and something to be avoided at all costs. The reason why many newbies to Joint Venture brokering fail is their choice of JV partner. Because of their low self-esteem and confidence, along with their limited belief and low aspirations, they approach people by whom they don’t feel threatened. (This is the same reason why network marketing newbies try to recruit losers.)

Who Are You Dealing With?

Think about it:

• When you try to set up JV’s with copycats, counterfeits, caricatures, wannabe’s, and “managers”, you’re not dealing with real decision makers.
• Sycophants, sidekicks, mimics and morons cannot make a JV work – they don’t have what it takes. If they did, they would be the head honchos, the chiefs, the principals. But they’re not.

They talk the talk, but they can’t walk the walk. They’re just parasites and pawns, and they with frustrate you and fail you.

The posers and pretenders will sabotage and scuttle your lucrative JV.  Don’t even bother.

Aim Higher

Smart JV Brokers know that the higher you go, the more you grow. Deal with the top guy, the president of the company, the real deal, and you will find your Joint Ventures flowing and flourishing.

1. They make good decisions, which they make fast.
2. They can pay their way.
3. They have a track record of success, and that is a clear prediction of their future with you.
4. Winners are generally generous and upfront.
5. They will tell it like it is and practice what they preach – that’s how they got to be the owner of the business.

Getting to the Top

The way to get to the top people is to create a really good, complete, professional presentation that requires no money, no risk, and little time from the other party, and pushes all the right buttons.

• It should be logical, short, and sweet, understandable, and concise.
• Most of all. It needs to have high, residual potential.

After all, the JV is about money, leverage, and results – it’s not about you, so don’t get your self-esteem or lack of experience slow you down and lower your expectations.

Go to the top dog, not the concierge. Pitch your JV with the focus on the bottom line and his or her interests – not your own. And stop trying to sell yourself – successful people don’t have to convince others that they are successful.

Red Flags

Here are a few red flag words that will chase off any winner:

• “Integrity” the bigger the loser, the more often he will use this word!
• “I am honest”
• “I will try / do my best”
• “If”
• “I hope / I guess”

If you have done your homework and you have the right training and support, you will speak easily and as an equal.

You may feel important by dealing with losers, but you will become important by dealing with winners.

A Fatal Flaw to Avoid in Your Joint Ventures

It’s like sugar in your gas tank, poison in your pop, the worm in your apple – the one flaw that can cripple even the best Joint Venture, and something to be avoided at all costs. The reason why many newbies to Joint Venture brokering fail is their choice of JV partner. Because of their low self-esteem and confidence, along with their limited belief and low aspirations, they approach people by whom they don’t feel threatened. (This is the same reason why network marketing newbies try to recruit losers.)

Who Are You Dealing With?

Think about it:

• When you try to set up JV’s with copycats, counterfeits, caricatures, wannabe’s, and “managers”, you’re not dealing with real decision makers.
• Sycophants, sidekicks, mimics and morons cannot make a JV work – they don’t have what it takes. If they did, they would be the head honchos, the chiefs, the principals. But they’re not.

They talk the talk, but they can’t walk the walk. They’re just parasites and pawns, and they with frustrate you and fail you.

The posers and pretenders will sabotage and scuttle your lucrative JV.  Don’t even bother.

Aim Higher

Smart JV Brokers know that the higher you go, the more you grow. Deal with the top guy, the president of the company, the real deal, and you will find your Joint Ventures flowing and flourishing.

1. They make good decisions, which they make fast.
2. They can pay their way.
3. They have a track record of success, and that is a clear prediction of their future with you.
4. Winners are generally generous and upfront.
5. They will tell it like it is and practice what they preach – that’s how they got to be the owner of the business.

Getting to the Top

The way to get to the top people is to create a really good, complete, professional presentation that requires no money, no risk, and little time from the other party, and pushes all the right buttons.

• It should be logical, short, and sweet, understandable, and concise.
• Most of all. It needs to have high, residual potential.

After all, the JV is about money, leverage, and results – it’s not about you, so don’t get your self-esteem or lack of experience slow you down and lower your expectations.

Go to the top dog, not the concierge. Pitch your JV with the focus on the bottom line and his or her interests – not your own. And stop trying to sell yourself – successful people don’t have to convince others that they are successful.

Red Flags

Here are a few red flag words that will chase off any winner:

• “Integrity” the bigger the loser, the more often he will use this word!
• “I am honest”
• “I will try / do my best”
• “If”
• “I hope / I guess”

If you have done your homework and you have the right training and support, you will speak easily and as an equal.

You may feel important by dealing with losers, but you will become important by dealing with winners.

It’s sensible to buy one dollar umbrellas at the dollar store and hand them to restaurant guests as they leave on a rainy night – far better than handing them expensive “corporate gifts” that you have to pay for.

But how much better would it be , how much more attention would you get, and how much more word of mouth advertising would you enjoy if you handed out $75 gifts to all your customers? And what if it didn’t cost you a blue cent?

What Impresses

Nobody is impressed with discount vouchers, two-for-one, “Buy one, get one” and bulk deals – what they ARE impressed with is stand-alone, no-obligation, real value, like a gift, as opposed to bait.

What about handing your female customers a nice Gift Certificate for a complimentary manicure, paid for and provided by the local spa? The spa would get a whole bunch of potential new customers, and they would be happy to pay for the printing and provide the manicures (subject to availability, of course). Far better for them than expensive advertising.

Add to Your Bottom Line at the Same Time

Naturally, you could negotiate a commission on any sales resulting from said Gift Certificates, as well.  That would drive net profit directly to you bottom line with no cost, risk, or time. As long as the Gift Certificates are distributed to the right demographic or psychographic model, it’s a win-win, since you’ll be passively endorsing and recommending the products and services of the vendor providing the Gift Certificates.

Think of the Possibilities…

How about Gift Certificates from interior designers, home theater purveyors, kitchen renovators, yoga teachers, jewelers, kayak and boating places… provide samples, classes, consultations, reports – the sky is the limit. Imagine all the possibilities, and consider the exposure and publicity you would get!

• Target your markets, and Joint Venture with the providers of the Gift Certificates to reciprocate by paying you commissions and / or distributing YOUR gift certificates.
• You could even SELL the Gift Certificates for a dollar each to other businesses.

Think about it…