If you’ve been to his site, you know how valuable the information is and how committed he is to helping everyone find their perfect business that will deliver the financial security and lifestyle that they truly deserve.

Listen, I believe in Steve and his mission 100% and that is why I’m emailing you today.

Steve just finished putting together a manual that teaches you step by step exactly how to find your perfect business.

Everyone has a unique idea for a business…

But very few actually pursue it.

Do you know why?

Studies have shown that the reason most people haven’t started their own business is because they don’t know if it will work.

They don’t know if they can actually do it.

And they don’t want to take the risk and find out the hard way that their business idea was not a good one.

And quite frankly, I don’t blame them.

Check this out.

Steve has found a scientific way to eliminate all of that doubt and mathematically determine what you’re perfect business is for you.

Go here and see for yourself – it’s truly amazing.

Be sure to let me know what you think. I’ll post this on my blog as well for you to comment.

To Your Success!

Jack M. Zufelt
“Mentor to Millions”

You’ve found your Core Desires.  You can feel the power of your Conquering Force surging in your very soul, pushing you forward to your brilliant future of self actualization and success.  So what’s stopping you?

In my last blog, I talked about how you can determine whether Invisible Barriers are holding you back.  Now let’s talk about what those barriers might be:

• First, the obvious one:  You haven’t yet found your Core Desires, so you’re trying to push yourself into future that you don’t realize you don’t want.
• You doubt your ability to succeed.  If you’ve spent most of your life trying to achieve goals that you weren’t really born to achieve, you’ve probably tasted your share of failure.  Now that you’re embarking on the right journey, you’ll begin to see successes like you’ve never seen before (punctuated by the inevitable setbacks) and you’ll start to trust your abilities.
• You’re so relieved/positive/excited to have discovered  your true Core Desires that you expect your path to be clear.  The path won’t be clear.  There are always setbacks and obstacles.  Unleashing your Conquering Force doesn’t eliminate challenges; it just gives you the power to get through them.
• You’re in too much of a hurry to do your research.  You’ve heard me use this phrase before:  due diligence.  It means giving a task the amount of time, money or energy that it deserves, considering what’s at stake.  This is your life we’re talking about, here.  Does that give some indication of how much due diligence your preparation deserves?
• Your pride prevents you from risking mistakes (because you’ll look bad) or from learning from them (because you don’t want to admit that you’re wrong).    There is a certain amount of exposure when you throw yourself into a new direction.  People will notice.  They may comment.  Some may even criticize.  Are you pursuing your Core Desire?  Yes?  Then turn your eyes forward and keep striding  toward self actualization.

You don’t know how many years you have on this earth, but you know for sure that they are limited.  You’ll either put them to good use or look back on them with bitter regret.  It’s such an old, hackneyed phrase, but you really do have to Go For It! Find your Core Desires.  Flip the switch on your Conquering Force.  Go over, around, under or through every obstacle, including Invisible Barriers.  Make your time count.

Are you ready to reach the kind of self actualization that comes with discovering your Core Desires and igniting your Conquering Force?  Let me help you overcome your Invisible Barriers and hit the “Jack”-pot of success like you’ve only dreamed of!

“Well, Jack,” you want to say.  “It’s not that simple.  I mean, if it were simple, everyone would be doing it.”

Self Actualization: Are You Zooming Toward Your Success?

It is simple, once you know how.  I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s simple.    We’ve talked a lot about finding your Core Desires and unleashing your Conquering Force.  But if you’ve stalled, it’s time to deal with the invisible chains holding you back.

Have you ever seen a trained elephant?  Seven thousand pounds of mammal, held in place by a chain not much thicker than a woman’s choker.  Even if the elephant likes its handlers, it must want to wander off at times, go exploring or check out the pink cotton candy a few yards away.  But it stands there, swishing its trunk and looking around, never thinking to jerk its broad leg and snap that thin strand holding it back.  Why?

When elephants are babies, they’re put in a chain too strong for them to break.   The elephant tries to free himself, but soon learns that it’s futile.  As he grows, he doesn’t realize that the chain can’t hold him anymore, and he simply doesn’t think to try.

Are you being held by breakable chains?  I call these Invisible Barriers, and here are some signs that they are halting your progress toward self-actualization:

• You find yourself procrastinating on behaviors that will move you forward.
• You realized you needed help or more information but failed to seek it.
• You rushed through a job that deserved your time and attention (due diligence!)
• You set aside time to work toward your Core Desires, and, at the end of that time, realize that you’ve gotten completely side-tracked from the task at hand.
• You allowed yourself to develop unrealistic expectations about your potential results, and then wanted to quit when they weren’t fulfilled.

Don’t these behaviors indicate that you haven’t identified your Core Desires?  Sure, they can be signs of that.  But if you’ve spent the time and mental energy to know that you are headed in the right direction, you might be dealing with Invisible Barriers.  We’ll talk more about how to unearth and eliminate those barriers in my next blog:  Self Actualization:  What’s Holding You Back?

Are you ready to reach the kind of self actualization that comes with discovering your Core Desires and igniting your Conquering Force?  Let me help you overcome your Invisible Barriers and hit the Jack-pot of success like you’ve only dreamed of!

You’ve heard of him by now – hero Jasper Schuringa threw himself on the terrorist who was trying to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253, grabbed the bomb out of his hands and held him while other people put the fire out with blankets and fire extinguishers.

Self Transformation: Where Is My ON Switch?!

First, let me say, my gratitude and admiration know no bounds.  I can only hope that I would have that kind of courage in a similar situation.  Actually, my greater hope is I’ll never have to face a similar situation, but if I did, I’d want to react like Jasper Schuringa.

You might be wondering why I’m writing about Jasper Schuringa in a blog post about self transformation.  His heroism is obviously a great example to us, but, besides that, he serves as a terrific model of the difference between living by Core Desires versus living by goal-setting, affirmations, and (the dreaded) New Year’s Resolutions.

If you read my last blog, you know that in crisis moments, heroes probably aren’t sitting down and listing goals, baby steps, affirmations and rewards.  Heroes see what they want and they go get it! Jasper Schuringa knew what he wanted – an intact airplane.  So he leaped over seats and went after it.

This is the kind of intensity that I want for you in your life!  Hopefully you’ll never come face to face with a terrorist.  But you are face to face with time, mediocrity, and unrealized hopes.   It’s time to unleash the Conquering Force in you to find the self transformation that will change your life forever.  How?

First, answer these two questions:

• Are you smart enough to learn what someone is willing to teach you?
• Do you believe that the information  that you need to know to achieve the success you want already exists somewhere in a book, class, CD, coach or minister or course of some kind?

Let me make this easy for you:  the answer to both questions is

YES!

Mark Twain once said, “I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life.  The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want.”

Can you have what you want out of life?

Let’s say it again:

YES!

Do you know how to get it?

My friend, it’s time to learn.

If you’re ready to make real, lasting changes in your life, learn how now by accepting my gift to you this New Years, a huge discount on my self-transformation products that are proven, truthful and effective.

Have a brilliantly successful 2010!

“Where are the kids?” the man yelled.

“They’re upstairs!” his wife answered hysterically.  “They’re not answering!”

The staircase was utterly invisible in the churning smoke.  Flames were engulfing the house.  And the two children were out of sight and silent.  The man had to make a choice.

He decided it was important to him to save his children.  So, it being so close to the holidays and all, he sat down and wrote out a New Year’s Resolution:

q  Save my children from the fire.

Just seeing the words on paper encouraged him, so he set about breaking it into baby steps:

1. Cover face with something.
2. Find the bottom of the steps  . . .

When he was finished with his baby steps, he pondered for awhile, chewing on the end of his pencil.  Then he wrote out his reward for completing each of the baby steps, just to keep him motivated:

1. Complete Baby Step One, I get to download five songs for my mp3 player.
2. Complete Baby Step Two . . . .

All right; I admit.  The last part of the story is what my dad would have called Hogwash!

The beginning of the story is true – the couple awoke to realize their kids were upstairs in the burning house.  But of course the guy didn’t make a New Year’s Resolution.  He didn’t think about rewards.  In fact, he didn’t think at all!  He groped his way to the stairs, staggered up to the second floor and searched until he found the two little boys, huddled in terror in a corner.  Then he grabbed one each under an arm and ran for the stairs and the exit.

Later, Jonathan Brito told reporters:  “If I’ve got to jump through fire to save my kids’ lives, that’s what I’m going to do.”  In fact, he even went back into the house one more time and brought out the family dog.

Why?  Why would he risk his life to go farther into that burning house?  Why didn’t he have to think about it or make a conscious decision?

He didn’t need to make a resolution, because his kids were a Core Desire.  He loved his children.  He didn’t need to go through a self-transformation, because he was already in tune with his identity – he was defined in large part by the fact that he was their father.

We’re closing in fast on the end of 2009.  Has it been a good year for you?  Are you happy with where you are, what you’ve accomplished?  If not, you might be considering making a self-transformation with one of the dreaded New Year’s Resolutions.

q  I’m going to quit smoking

q  I’m going to lose weight

q  I’m going to start a new career

q  I’m going to get rich!

Here, let’s see if you can finish this sentence:

New Year’s Resolution’s are made to be . . . .

Right!

Broken.  Why did you know where I was going with that?  Because New Year’s Resolutions don’t work. But, Jack, you might be saying.  I have to do something.  I can’t just stay like this, in this life, with these problems!  Are you saying there’s no hope?

Absolutely not.  In fact, I’m here to teach you how to finally, really make permanent positive changes in your life – how to flip that switch that will propel you to your Core Desires and unleash your Conquering Force that will get you there, wherever your personal “there” is.

We’re going to talk about this more in upcoming blogs, but in the meantime, if you’re ready to make real, lasting changes in your life, learn how now by accepting my gift to you this new years, a huge discount on my self-transformation products that are proven, truthful and effective.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve 1881

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving. It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn’t been enough money to buy me the rifle that I’d wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible.

After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn’t in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn’t get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn’t figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn’t worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity.

Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. “Come on, Matt,” he said. “Bundle up good, it’s cold out tonight.” I was really upset then. Not only wasn’t I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We’d already done all the chores, and I couldn’t think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one’s feet when he’d told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn’t know what.

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn’t going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn’t happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed. “I think we’ll put on the high sideboards,” he said. “Here, help me.” The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.

After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood – the wood I’d spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. “Pa,” I asked, “what are you doing?” You been by the Widow Jensen’s lately?” he asked.

The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I’d been by, but so what?

Yeah,” I said, “Why?” “I rode by just today,” Pa said. “Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They’re out of wood, Matt.” That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for an other armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. “What’s in the little sack?” I asked. Shoes, they’re out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without a little candy.”

We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen’s pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn’t have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn’t have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn’t have been our concern.

We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, “Who is it?” “Lucas Miles, Ma’am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?” Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.

“We brought you a few things, Ma’am,” Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children – sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn’t come out.

“We brought a load of wood too, Ma’am,” Pa said.

He turned to me and said, “Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let’s get that fire up to size and heat this place up.” I wasn’t the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn’t speak. My heart swelled within me and a joy that I’d never known before, filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people. I soon had the fire blazing and everyone’s spirits soared.

The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn’t crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. “God bless you,” she said. “I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us.” In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I’d never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true.

I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it. Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.

Tears were running down Widow Jensen’s face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn’t want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine. At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, “The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We’ll be by to get you about eleven. It’ll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn’t been little for quite a spell.” I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away. Widow Jensen nodded and said, “Thank you, Brother Miles. I don’t have to say , May the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will.”

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn’t even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, “Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn’t have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand.”

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Widow Jensen’s face and the radiant smiles of her three children. For the rest of my life, Whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life. Don’t be too busy today. Share this inspiring message. God bless you!

Let’s all be an “angel” to someone this Christmas season and through out the coming year. If you have children include them so they can experience the joy of helping others.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jack M. Zufelt

“Mentor to Millions”

P.S.-Don’t forget to get your Christmas gift from me!

A Christmas Story & Gift From Jack!

REMEMBER to scroll to the bottom after you’ve read the story
to receive your Christmas gift from me!

Part 2:  Stories abound that touch the soul and remind us of
what is really important.

Here is one by Claire Robinson:

Eric scuffled out of the run down apartment building. Again
he was alone. The streets looked like a long wet pieces of
black licorice under the street lights.  As Eric walked he
began his escape into another world. He left his feelings of
loneliness and unhappiness and entered a world in which he
hungered to belong.

Why was Eric escaping? Eric was an orphan. His mother died
when he was two and his father was never around. His father
did provide food but he drank away the rest of his earnings.
His brothers and sisters had orphaned him too. They had run
away from the world which seemed to keep Eric a prisoner.
Education had orphaned him too. He just did not have the
clothes or the social acceptance to be a part of school. So
each day would grind painfully past with nothing to do or
live for.

This is why Eric was escaping; escaping into a world of
imagination, fun and fantasy. A world which treated him like
an equal. This wonderful place was the “Christmas World”.
He did not understand why people were so kind at this time
of year, but they were. He loved to walk the streets and see
the lights and Christmas scenes. He loved to hear the gaiety
and laughter of the holiday season. As Eric approached one
department store, he gazed in the window.

There was Santa in red and white sitting in his magnificent
throne giving candy to little children who would sit on his
lap. A tear welled up in his eye. He could never remember
Santa coming to his home.  At age 12 he knew Santa was not
true but still he wished he could find a present under the
non-existent tree in the front room.

Eric became depressed in his beautiful world. No longer was
he equal. He was cold, helpless, hungry and feeling
abandoned. This feeling overwhelmed him and hurt so much
that he darted down an ally to get away from it.

As he was halfway down the ally he heard a soft, timid
whimpering sound. He stopped–looked around–and started to
walk on. He heard the noise again and began to move toward
it. There huddled in a dark corner was a cold wet stranded
puppy. It tired to growl to frighten off this giant
stranger, but it was too weak and hungry for any sound to
come out.

Eric picked up the puppy and began petting it. He became
aware of how frail his new found friend was. He felt a
quiver go through the puppy and realized it was time for a
decision. In his pocket was one of his most treasured
possessions, his lucky dime. He had found it in his mother’s
old purse. Though he never knew his mother he loved the dime
and knew it was lucky because it was once hers. Eric looked
at his dime and he looked at the quivering friend. He held
the puppy tight as he once again emerged into the Christmas
world. Quickly he paced off the two blocks to an old grocery
store. There in that store he left the only remembrance of
his mother and bought a carton of milk.

Carrying the puppy and clutching the milk he descended down
the dark ally. Sitting on the ground, he poured the ivory
liquid into his hand. AS tears trickled down his cheeks,
feelings of loneliness and abandonment vanished. A Strong
union of friendship was created as Eric whispered in the
puppy’s ear, “Puppy, I’ll be your Santa.”

There are many children who will not have much of a
Christmas, if any, this year. Let’s all decide to give to a
child this Christmas season so they can feel loved and be
uplifted no matter what their circumstances are. And
remember, it is not the cost of the present that matters it
is the love that is felt when we give from the heart.

I wrote the following poem after having discovered the
blessings that come to me for giving to others.

To have your spiritual needs met,
It is better to give than to get.
Reach out to those in need
And your soul you will feed.

I hope you all have a wonderful, fun and love filled
Christmas season!

Jack M. Zufelt
“Mentor to Millions”

P.S. And now for my opportunity to give to you!

For the first time ever I’m giving 12 gifts away this year!

Join me in my celebration of the Holidays and except a gift
from me for the next 12 days by going here:

http://www.12daysxmas.com
DNA of Success

It is Christmas time all around the world!

I love this season because it causes people to be nicer, more giving and focused on others.

Just as gifts were brought and given to the Christ child so we, in similitude, give gifts to those we love.

Merry Christmas from Jack Zufelt!

There are two parts to this letter. The first part is a report that will open your eyes about how giving can bless YOUR life, your health and your finances! The second part is the kind of story we all like to read at Christmas time.

Today I’ll be giving you Part 1 so please keep an eye out tomorrow for Part 2 as well as my CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU, at the bottom of this letter.

PART 1: Giving Can Bless Your Life!

Did you know that research has proven that giving is good for your health and wealth?

God knew what He was doing when he said it is better to give than to receive. I say let’s do both!

Here is the report sent to me by a friend of mine, Dr. Roger Allen from the Human Development Institute, that proves giving is very beneficial.

Arthur Brookes, an economist and professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Syracuse, works with successful entrepreneurs. In an article entitled The Privilege of Giving (Marriott Alumni Magazine, winter 2008), Dr. Brookes states that the entrepreneurs he works with are very generous. He used to believe they were generous because of their excess wealth. They give money away because they have money. However, many entrepreneurs told him that they have money because they give it away.

Dr. Brookes didn’t believe them and so put their theory to a test. Working with a number of universities and community foundations, Dr. Brookes sponsored a study of thirty thousand American families. The researchers gave these families an exhaustive survey asking questions about their jobs, how much money they make, what they do with their time, whether or not they volunteer, how much money they give away to charities, etc.

To his astonishment, he learned that the more families give away the more they receive. In other words, if you have two families and control for every other variable (education, number kids, region of residence, ages, religion, etc.), but one of those families gives $100 more to charity than the other family, that family will, on average, have a net income of $375 more than the non-giving family and that difference can only be explained by their charitable giving (only variable on which the families are measurably different).

When Dr. Brookes got the data he was convinced it was wrong, so gathered new data, rewrote his analysis and found that he got the same results again … and again. The results consistently suggested that the return on an investment of $1.00 given to charity was $3.75–an amazing outcome.

Giving is its own reward the rewards of giving are far more than financial. There is a good body of research in neuropsychology that shows that people who are generous with their money have more endorphins and fewer stress hormones in their brains. They are both happier and more effective than people who do not give.

Something about giving changes us. But the change only happens when we give “not grudgingly or of necessity” but voluntarily and with goodwill. It is then that the good we put out to others comes back to bless our lives. Spiritual teachers and the great religions of the world have long taught us to give and that our giving shall be returned to us manifold.

In the classic book, The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran imparts profound wisdom about giving. “You oft would say, ‘I would give but only to the deserving.’ The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.”

And now for my opportunity to give to you!

For the first time ever I’m giving 12 gifts away this year!

Join me in my celebration of the Holidays and accept a gift from me for the next 12 days by going here:

http://www.12daysxmas.com

Merry Christmas!

Jack M. Zufelt

“Mentor to Millions”

Making Changes in Tough Times: Are You REALLY Ready to Take a Chance?

Axler’s traditional market, traditional Kosher Jewish consumers, was shrinking, and in spite of the trend toward more healthful living, no one was rushing in to fill the gap in sales.

So would you like to hear the bad news first, or the good?

I’ll start with the bad:  When he decided to develop Brekfish, Axler didn’t give his research due diligence.  Due diligence can be loosely defined as “giving a task the amount of work and attention that it deserves.”  When it comes to researching major decisions that could make or break your small business, that task deserves quite a bit of work and attention indeed.

Is Brekfish as bad product?  Quite the contrary:  All reports are that it’s delicious – crisp and flavorful.  It could very well become the healthy choice for bacon lovers.  The mistake Axler made was that, before making changes, failing to find out whether his hopes of getting Brekfish on the supermarket shelves were realistic.  Retailers were unwilling to put the product on the shelves until Axler created consumer interested with a big-budget campaign.  He simply didn’t have the resources.

Now for the good news:  While Axler failed to forage for the best information, the best information was thrust upon him.  Fortune Small Business sent three experts to offer him the best advice.  What gems of wisdom did they have to offer?

• Rather than targeting national-chain supermarkets, focus on his best local markets, like delis and specialty supermarkets.
• Narrow his brand. Because the company had been in business for so long, the various products had packaging that reflected the time of their development, and even different brand names. Business consultant Victoria Nessen Kohlasch, chief executive of Nessen Kohlasch & Associates, insisted that he had to select develop unified packaging to develop brand recognition.
• Update his website to give it more value (recipes) and make it easier to buy.
• Focus on the health benefits of his products in both advertising and packaging.

If you are currently the vice president of a small fish business, you will find these specific tips helpful.  If you aren’t (and I’m guessing you aren’t), you still have a great deal to learn from Alan Axler.  Chances are, a panel of experts won’t show up at your door to hand you the information you need.  You have to go get it!

Go to the library, take classes, find mentors, talk to people, search the internet – do whatever you have to so you can start making changes toward your brighter, happier, more successful future.  This is your future!  Give it all the due diligence it deserves.

Are you ready to invest in your future?  Check out my Making Money is Fun video series.  Learn all about the different types of investments that are out there (and find out my favorite choices) so you can begin now making changes that will lead you to major success!

Have you seen the headlines?

“Recession Is Over According to Financial Experts” – ABC News

“Recession is Very Likely Over” – Market Watch

“The Recession is Over” – Forbes.com

“The recession?  It’s Over, Economist Says” – MSN Money

“Really?” Brandy asks, looking around her toy strewn living room.  “Because my husband still doesn’t have a job, and the best I’ve been able to do is cleaning houses.  My best friend was just told that she can either move to Detroit and take a pay loss or sign up for unemployment.  And my mom got forced into early retirement with half the pension she was expecting.

“Where is this big recovery in the economy I keep hearing about?”

Brandy isn’t alone in asking.  While economists celebrate, many people are still struggling to pay their mortgages and pay their rent.  Consumer spending fell 0.5 percent in September, and we learned this week that the unemployment rate hit 10.2 percent.

Brandy knows that to get out of this situation and ensure a brighter financial future, it’s critical that she and her husband focus on making changes in their approach to money.  “I watched your Making Money is Fun videos,” she tells me.  “My Core Desire is to make sure we are never this vulnerable to the ups and downs of the economy again.  But I’m scratching to pay my electric bill – I’ve got nothing to leverage!”

This is where I had to disagree with Brandy.  It’s true that there are people in the world who are truly living hand to mouth – living under a corrugated tin roof and counting on strangers to bring them bowls of rice to fill their bellies.  There’s an old saying, “Of whom much is given, much is expected.”  Brandy, believe it or not, is one of those people.  As you are.  As I am.

The definition of “poor” in the U.S. and all developed nations tends to be very different from the corrugated/rice bowl version.  The truth is that while unemployment and worries about bills are very stressful and destructive, most of us still have untapped resources.

If you’ve already watched the Making Money is Fun Videos, you’ve probably already guessed one of Brandy’s resources:  her house cleaning business.  Although most businesses are suffering a downturn, professional home cleaners are continuing to stay afloat in many regions.  Brandy takes pride in her work, and has more requests than she can keep up with.  I suggested she leverage her time by hiring helpers and training them to meet her exacting standards.

“But what,” you may be asking, “does this have to do with me?  I don’t clean houses!”

Take out your magnifying glass – it’s time to find your untapped resources.  Do you have:

• A large unused lot of land? Rent it out for out-of-season recreational vehicle storage?
• A postage stamp collection that grandpa left you? Find a reliable collector and sell it.
• Two free mornings a week? Use them to start the home business you’ve always dreamed of on a small scale.
• Bulky antique furniture stashed in your basement? Sell it and make the money work for you in a way that maple credenza never did?
• A talent or expertise you neglect – singing, photography, writing, word-working, an exhaustive knowledge of WWII battles? When Janene Snyder of Eudora, KS was faced with her husband’s unemployment and her own job uncertainty, she set about making changes by turning her love of garage sales into a $4000/year bonus. So give your own talent or expertise four or five hours a week and see what it can bring you.

The key to success in leveraging these unused resources it not only tap them, but apply the benefit toward building the future you want.  In other words, if you sell your amazing nutrolls to co-workers over the holidays, don’t use the money to buy more extravagant Christmas gifts.  Leverage the money by putting it toward making permanent changes in your financial outlook.  Invest it in education, resources, or people that will make you money.

Has the economy recovered?  In the Money magazine article “Earth to Economists,” David Rosenberg, chief economist at Gluskin Sheff, is quoted as saying, “Only economists see the recession as being over; the man on the street sees it a little differently.”  So does that mean, sit tight and keep your head down, because this is no time to be making changes?

No.   Refusing to change your strategy will be as devastating to your future as making a radical change without doing your research.  So start analyzing the corners of your life and make a list of possible untapped resources.  But don’t make any major decisions yet – not until you read my next blog about due diligence!

If you want to learn more about making changes by leveraging your time, influence and money to build the future you crave, the Making Money is Fun videos will get you started – telling you everything you need to know about leveraging and giving you the run down on the various investment options out there.  Find out what two investment options I think are the best for most people in this rocky economy!