When the average business owner wants to boost his profits, he usually:

1. Focuses on sales instead of profits (strike one),
2. Looks about him at what everyone else is doing (strike two),
3. And looks for “expert” advice from the wrong people (strike three).

It’s like catching fish with a boxing glove. Boosting your bottom line requires strategic thinking, and it’s best to accomplish this without any cost or risk, and the minimum of time.

Think like a general instead of a soldier, and a like chess player instead of a checker’s player, and you’ll start thinking like a Joint Venture Broker. Strategists move beyond ego and fear to a rational approach that focuses on profit and abundance. It’s all about leverage and understanding reciprocity and systems.

You Need to Ask Yourself:

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.

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 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…

Want to see how a young woman put together a simple JV Strategy and made $11,000 from it?

We’ve put together a short video (7:28 mins) that explains how you can use coupons or gift certificates to create a stream of passive income for yourself. This is one of the most popular and most talked about joint venture strategies. It’s fast, it’s easy, and you can literally put together a joint venture tomorrow using this strategy.

But wait, because we REALLY want you to see just how easy it is to create a profitable joint venture, and we don’t want you to have any excuses why you can’t do it, we’ve also included 10 complimentary coupon templates and an amazing step-by-step Quickstart Guide. It’s the complete package; it’s all here. The only thing it’s missing is two legs and a heartbeat.

The Quickstart Guide walks you through every necessary step to put this strategy to work for yourself. It even includes a professionally written “swipe-and-deploy” letter you mail to businesses you’d be interested in setting up a joint venture with and scripts for talking with the owners and managers that have the ability to make the decisions.

To watch the video, just go to http://jvwisdom.com/coupon/

Once you’ve watched the video and have an idea of how to use the strategy, then download the templates and the guide, and take action tomorrow and form your first joint venture.

It’s that easy. http://jvwisdom.com/coupon/

1.  Multiple Joint Ventures running simultaneously.

We understand how one Joint Venture can feed another and open new possibilities, how some fail and some work, so we’re always running a number of Joint Ventures at the same time with the least amount of time possible. We realize that we can create unlimited wealth through Joint Ventures.

2.  New Joint Ventures being added regularly.

We don’t sit back when we have a comfortable, residual income from multiple sources – we continually add new Joint Ventures. We are realistic and understand that Joint Ventures don’t last forever.

3.  Joint Ventures that are not working being aborted and scrapped regularly.

When we see that the Joint Venture or the JV partner is not working out, we don’t hesitate to walk away. Especially if we see dishonestly, greed, ego, or other agendas. We look for patterns.

4.  High standards and expectations.

We don’t look at small, impotent Joint Ventures, and we expect our partners to be as professional, production, and punctual as we are.

5.  Very selective whom they partner with.

We don’t deal with unknown people – we prefer to work on a referral basis. We do our due diligence and we’re careful with whom we associate.

6.  Specific requirements before considering a JV.

Simplicity, potential, time, risk, cost, integration possibilities, the people behind it and their track record and resources. We don’t leap blindly and emotionally into every new venture, because most of them are not good. They have to meet our standards to even be considered.

7.  Fast decisions, most of them “No.”

We don’t have to think about a JV for a long time – after getting the details, we make fast decisions. We stick to our commitments and get things in writing.

8.  Massive action taker.

We don’t sit around waiting for things to happen – we make them happen, follow up, make calls, take action, and WORK. We expect our JV partners to do the same.

9.  Professional, well-prepared, positive attitude.

We have high self-esteem and it is reflected in our grooming, dress, behavior, communication, the people with whom we mix, and our preparation and follow-up.

10. Always learning and helping others.

We are generous, friendly, and straight-talking. We like helping others to help themselves and we’re always open to learning new things.

Why do you employ people? For each of them to produce value, resulting in net profit in excess of the amount you pay them.

Why would you accept less than that? I know some of us are saddled with unions, relatives that work for us, people we’ve inherited and can’t easily get rid of, and many other excuses, however here are a few pointers that I think will help.

Remember, getting the job is the first job of someone who wants to be an employee. After that, every day, they have to prove to you why you should still hire them. and not give them the sack.

1.   Link their income to their production.

Work out what your real net profit is, your incremental profit, and a way to measure the output of every employee. This takes some analysis and a spot of Work Study (Organization and Methods), but it is well worth the exercise.

• Don’t be too generous, and remember you’re not a socialist organization. People should get paid according to what they produce, not what they need.
• Set traps to catch rats. Take a really good look at productivity, shop your own business, record phone calls, restrict Internet use, use Secret Shoppers, send one employee on leave for a week and see if the others cope. If they do, get rid of the worst one.
• Educate your employees about profit and business.
• Look after your champions, and remember that people change.

2.  Increase the production of your salespeople.

Teach your salespeople to sell, make them accountable, don’t accept excuses, have a sales meeting EVERY day, and fire your worst salesperson on a regular basis. Focus on results, not pipe-line, reputation, branding, market share – just the bottom line. Get them all onto a commission-only basis. Beware of  “sales trainers” – they usually can’t sell.

3.    Weed out the leeches and parasites.

Make their job unbearable if necessary; simply give them lots of work that they hate and micro-manage them. They’ll soon leave if you do it right. You’re in business to make a profit, and you don’t owe them anything.

4.   Learn to Delegate.

The best program I ever attended to learn about management was the Dale Carnegie Management Course. I learned a lot of valuable information about delegation, and I highly recommend it. Most “managers” have no idea how to manage, motivate, or discipline people. Your people need to set their own goals, report to you how they’re doing and how they will improve, and be accountable for their commitments. No excuses acceptable.

5.    Understand Joint Ventures.

In my business, everyone I deal with is a JV partners. I run my company with no employees, no risk, no cost, no overhead and little time. So I make a lot more profit and I don’t have to deal with losers and users. Lean and mean. Learn how JV’s work.

6.    Don’t hire socialists, smokers, or people who don’t need a job.

If you need an explanation for this one, you have a problem.

7.   Reward innovation, honesty, loyalty, and ambition.

These qualities are hard to find. Look after your champions and lock them in with residual commissions and long-term incentives.

8.    Familiarity breeds contempt.

Don’t be their “buddy”, maintain your distance, be strict, hold people accountable, and lead by example.

9.    Set up a “Dress and Grooming Code”.

When people look good, they feel good, and they do better work.  Set and maintain high standards in every area of your business.

10.    Train them, train them, train them.

Especially in the Joint Venture mindset.

If you have one of the two dry cleaning businesses in a small town, with high overhead and limited customers, scarcity is a reality to you.

If your business depends on the weather, the traffic, offshore competition, finding good people, or politicians, or if you sell your time, lack and risk are your constant shadows.

And if you have all your eggs in one basket,

• if your income depends on the whims of others to any extent,
• or if you rely on others or serve a limited geographic area,

shortage and fear follow you home at night.

Are You a Soldier or a General?

Many “businesses” are really simply prison cells, shackles, time vampires, and Swords of Damocles. If you own a franchise or if you are a self-employed salesperson posing as an entrepreneur, scarcity is a reality for you. Without scalability and replicability, you’re what Domenick Celentano, an Adjunct Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, calls an “Artisan Entrepreneur.” Or what I call and “Paid Slave” or “a Laborer with a New Lable” – not much different from being an employee, except that you work harder for less and take more risk. You can be a soldier or a general.  Entrepreneurs are generals.

Stephen Duke wrote:

“There are lots of ‘independent business owners,’ but few are actually ‘entrepreneurs.’ Most are skilled technicians or managers in their fields and they work IN their own business, but fewer still work ON their business. There is a difference.

Self-employment is on one end of the continuum and Entrepreneurship is on the opposite. The difference is what the individual actually does for the business: Are they simply doing what they were doing for the ‘Man’ before they started working for themselves? Or, are they working at building a “world class company” that does the things they once did for a living?

Don’t be delusional about self-employment, even if you are not working by yourself – it is still not entrepreneurial. One must really be working on building a company that is less egoistic and more centered around its stakeholders i.e. what’s in it for them, instead of what’s in it for me. When you understand this, you understand the difference between the self-employed business owner and the entrepreneur.”

Why I Use Joint Ventures

To move from scarcity and risk to abundance and peace of mind, I became a Joint Venture Broker 23 years ago.

1. There is literally no limit to my business, except that which I choose.
2. My business is ultimately scalable.
3. I operate with no cost, overhead, employees, risk, inventory, advertising and marketing budget, or administration.
4. And I have plenty of time on my hands.
5. If you choose to keep the business you have, you can put your bottom line on steroids by understanding how to use Joint Ventures and create huge back-end income at 100% profit, while reducing risk and time spent.

There are many fish in the sea, if you set your business up that way. Threats fade away, and you can focus on building nets and working when you feel like it. A good Joint Venture Broker has his ego in check, focuses on the bottom line, is very selective, and enjoys abundance. And he sleeps well at night.