"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons."Woody Allen
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Home Equity Loans - Borrowers Beware
Do you own your home? If so, it's likely to be your greatest single asset. Unfortunately, if you agree to a loan that's based on the equity you have in your home, you may be putting your most valuable asset at risk. Homeowners - particularly elderly, ...
Partnership Life Insurance
A partnership is fairly simple to set up. Two or more people get together with the intent of going into business; they get the appropriate licenses and file the necessary papers with the State and you are in business. When the areas of expertise of these ...
Sole-Proprietors, Prevent Identity Theft
Obtaining an EIN or employer identification number is a good idea if you are a sole-proprietor.From time to time, you'll be asked to provide your social security number or employer ID to clients or governmental agencies. Once you do that you have no ...
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Let's face it... Everywhere you turn, there's someone making a promise for you to create riches.
The problem is, these people don't always have YOUR best interest at heart.
Let's start with a TRUE story.
Two investment bankers went out to go yachting. When they arrived at the marina, one asked the other, "Where are the client's yachts?"
Now that's a great question. "Where ARE the client's yachts?"
Investment firms, insurance brokers, and mortgage lenders make HUGE commissions, whether or not YOU, the client lose.
But these lies are not just coming from the investment industry. Let me rant further.
Let's move over to the advertising industry.
The newspaper sales executive has an agenda...to sell you an ad.
The radio sales rep has an agenda... to sell you a radio spot.
The web designer has an agenda...to sell you a website.
The problem with those "agenda's" is, that advertising channel may not always be in your companies HIGHEST, BEST interest. Now, there is nothing inherently "evil" about selling advertising services. But there is something wrong with them accepting your money, when they KNOW that THEIR approach is not the BEST approach. (Have you ever heard a web designer say, "Gee, a website would be good for you, but, if you really want to make NOW money, you should go do some face-to-face selling?" I've NEVER witnessed that.)
The important point here is this: Only take out an ad because you made a wise decision, ON YOUR OWN, that advertising, in this media, in this way, is part of YOUR OWN strategy.
I won't spend any time ranting about the multi-level industry, because we've all seen the corpses scattered on the countryside.
Money-Making lies are not just the folly of private enterprise. Government is in on the lies as well. Politicians use job creation as a big campaign promise, but I've NEVER seen a private sector job created by a bureaucrat.
NEVER!
The SBA (Small Business Administration) was put into place to help fund entrepreneurs... but, less than 1 in 1000 applications gets funded.
Don't go believing that the government is going to help fund your business...because it's a BIG FAT LIE!
The IRS has several tax categories...Employee, sole proprietorship, partnerships, S corporation, C Corporations, Limited Liability corporation, and non-profit corporations... And you know who pays the most taxes? EMPLOYEES!
If you really want to lower your tax liability, you may want to get informed about corporate tax structures. I believe that every high school student should know how to set up a corporation by the time they graduate... but, because of the revenue that would be lost, this information is INTENTIONALLY left out of the sta! ndard hi gh school curriculum.
Now, let's talk about the money making lies in the school system. Now, I'm all for education, but education is by NO means a guarantee of success. And remember, colleges and universities have a money making agenda as well.
Here are some statistics:
Of the 691 billionaires on FORBES 2005 list, 388 are self-made; 18 are high school dropouts.
The average net worth of billionaires who dropped out of college - $9.4 billion (more than double that of billionaires who have earned Ph.D.s -$3.2 billion).
College dropouts are worth $5.3 billion on average, as compared to those who finished and earned bachelor's degrees (wherein, in comparison, are worth $2.9 billion).
According to a recent report from Cambridge, Mass.- based Forrester Research, a full 20% of America's millionaires never even set foot in college.
Self Educated....
- Billionaires: 18 - U.S. Presidents: 8 - Astronauts: 1 - Noble Prize Winners: 10 (6 Literature, 2 Peace, 1 Physics, 1 Chemistry) - Olympic Medal Winners: 61 - Oscar Winners: 61 - Best-Selling Authors: 55 - Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients: 13 - Congressional Gold Medal Recipients (U.S.): 12 - United States Goodwill Ambassadors: 2
(Statistics are from levinemedal.org)
In the words of Napoleon Hill, "In order to achieve success, it doesn't take more classes, more seminars, or more sermons. It doesn't take reading more books... what it takes is "A BETTER USE OF WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE!"
I could rant on and on, I could talk about "Flesh Peddlers" (Employment Agencies), or "Hope Brokers" (Motivational Speakers), or "Free Money" (Credit card companies, or grant writers, ad nauseum)... but I won't.
Instead, I will give you a brief synopsis of what DOES work:
1) Have a definite major purpose, to improve conditions, regardless of your craft.
2) Provide real and genuine value to the people you serve. Do this by being a master! at your craft.
3) Even if you have the greatest product or service in the world, you will always struggle if you can't communicate your value: Package yourself, and tell your story well.
4) Mastermind, with a warning: Choose your mentors well. The marketplace is filled with charlatans, and theorists who give half-baked advice. Hang out with people that are committed to the truth about reality. Avoid everyone else like the plague.
5) Faith is important, but learn the difference between REAL HOPE and FALSE HOPE. False hope is the road to heartache. Hope is the currency of phonies that have no REAL currency to pay you with.
6) Don't just be caring, understanding and grateful. DEMONSTRATE caring, understanding and gratitude. If you don't demonstrate these virtues in your communications and actions, there's no way for others to know.
7) Make clear agreements, don't sell yourself short, and get paid up-front.
There are givers and takers in this world. Givers will pay up front. Be prepared to give as well.
8) Live with integrity. There are talkers and doers in this world. Demonstrate your integrity with the actions you take.
Many years ago, when I was an Area Governor for Toastmasters International, I met a very successful man from South Africa. I asked him, "What would you say is the secret to your success?" He replied, "I can tell you in 3 simple words. Deliver The Goodies"
Now that is sage advice.
About the author:
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NC gov's plan not to run won't resolve tax fightWashington ExaminerBeverly Perdue says her decision not to seek re-election will free her up to take her proposal to raise the sales tax for education directly to citizens, without worry her stance could be used against her in a campaign. "This is not politics.and more » |
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19th year without tax hike on the tableBuffalo NewsBy Richard E. Baldwin NIAGARA FALLS—The city school district is in the enviable — and highly unusual — position of avoiding any increase in local property taxes for the last 18 years. Now the informal consensus among Superintendent Cynthia A. Bianco ...and more » |
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