How a Poker Tip Can Change Your Life

A couple of years ago, I received a call from a good friend of mine from high school.

My friend said, “Ray, you have to start playing poker. It’s just amazing. You can play with us next week at Mike’s house or just jump online and join a game. It’s such a rush.”

He was excited. But I had to say, “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not interested.”

I’m just not that much of a gambler.

But then, about two weeks later, I was late-night channel-surfing and I came across a poker tournament on TV. Because of my friend, I stopped and watched. I wanted to see for myself why he was so excited.

Poker has taken off. It has become a billion-dollar business and a worldwide phenomenon. So I wasn’t surprised to see the face on the cover of the May issue of Inc. magazine.

Who was it? You got it right. The guy who started the poker craze: Steve Lipscomb.

“Oh boy!” I thought to myself the day that issue landed in my mailbox. “This is going to be a great story!”

And I was right.

Let me share with you five success secrets that Lipscomb used to build a $300 million business and kick-start a multi-billion-dollar industry.

1) Do Something You Love.

Why did Steve Lipscomb get into the poker business? Because he started playing the game, LOVED it, and saw a better way for poker to be “sold.” So simple. Right?

What do you enjoy doing? What products or services have you bought in the past that revolve around your passion? How can you improve them and sell them to other enthusiasts? Those are questions I ask my clients to help them discover how to make money with something they love.

2) Find a ‘Model’ That Works and Emulate It.

After Steve decided to turn his poker passion into a business, he looked for a business model that he could emulate – one that he could learn from. He found the model of the PGA golf tour and used it to build his $300 million business. (Amazing what we can learn from businesses outside of our own!)

3) Ignore the Naysayers.

Nobody believed in Steve Lipscomb. I know how that feels – and it’s not good. The cable companies, production companies, even people around him thought he was crazy. They said, “Nobody will buy this.” But he believed in himself and his idea. And that’s what YOU need to do.

4) Sell Your Vision.

Steve Lipscomb is incredibly strong in selling his vision to others. When no one believed in him, the only way he could get backers and employees was to sell his grand vision of what would be possible with his idea.

People like to be involved in something that’s going to be great. So it’s your job to sell them on what will be possible when YOUR IDEA grows into a reality. When you sell your vision, make it bright, clear, and exciting.

5) Build a Team.

Steve Lipscomb has a great team around him – and this has been a critical part of his success. To find and pick the right people for your team, you’ll have to understand their individual strengths and weaknesses – and learn how to manage both.

By taking it one step at a time, celebrating each victory, Steve Lipscomb has built a publicly traded company worth $300 million.

Pretty good for a guy with nothing more than a passion and an idea.$

[Do you know how Facebook and Google became the most powerful companies in the world?

It’s NOT helping you share pics of last night’s dinner...
It’s NOT searching for drunken cat videos…

And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about free Gmail accounts.
 

The simple truth is Facebook and Google SELL TRAFFIC.

They SELL TRAFFIC to business owners, and that advertising revenue alone has turned them into billion dollar companies.
 

Traffic is the most valuable commodity on the Internet, and that will never change.
 

This is why using the Traffic Authority business system is the ultimate way to make extra income in your business…

Click here to watch the video and start your own premium traffic business today!]

Financial Independence: What Is It? Why Should You Want It?

“True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”– Franklin D. Roosevelt

Twice a year, on January 1 and July 1, I review and revise my goals. When I think about Seven Years to Seven Figures — an important part of my life — I think about you and what I want for you this coming year. Here is what I came up with … You should be able to enjoy your life — whatever life you choose — without having a shroud of money-related problems over you at all times.

You should be able to quit your job if and when you want and start doing whatever it is you’ve been dreaming of doing.

You should feel confident that if something unexpected happens — an accident or illness in the family — you can take care of it.

I don’t want you to be rich, unless you want to be rich. I want you to have choices. That’s what financial independence means. Being able to choose or change your paths in life. Not being dependent on someone you don’t trust or don’t like. Having the power to take care of yourself and your loved ones. It doesn’t take a million dollars to do that. All it takes is a passive income that’s large enough to pay for your basic bills — housing, food, utilities, education, and entertainment.

Passive income — that’s the key. Passive income means income that you don’t have to spend 40 hours a week generating. It’s the income you get from your stocks, bonds, real estate, or a share in an income-producing business.

The traditional path to financial independence went something like this: Get a job with a good (preferably large) business and work hard for 40 years. Then retire on your pension and savings. You can still do that today, but it’s difficult. For one thing, there are very few businesses — large or small — that can offer you secure lifetime employment. For another thing, the cost of living is going up faster than average wage increases. Most people in the world who are strictly employees have been getting poorer, not richer, these past 20 years.

To become financially independent today, you are better off developing some kind of second income. That may be part-time consulting. Or a financially valuable skill that you can practice on the weekends, such as copywriting, resume writing, or graphic design. Or a side business like direct marketing. 

The idea is to add a second income to the income you currently have and to invest that second income in something safe and reliable that will give you passive income.

My recommendations for safe and reliable sources of passive income are bonds and real estate. The advantage of real estate is that you can generally get a much higher yield (ROI) from it than you can from bonds.

Your initial goal — in terms of becoming financially independent — is to generate passive income equal to the income you have now. If, for example, you are currently making (after taxes) $40,000 a year and that $40,000 is enough to cover your basic needs (as outlined above), your goal should be an after-tax passive income of $40,000.

To generate that much with bonds, you’d need about $800,000 in savings. To make that much with real estate, you’d need to have between $300,000 and $400,000 invested in income-producing properties. (Now you can see why I like real estate — even though it requires more work than holding bonds.)

Saving that amount of money may seem very difficult right now. But many of the people who have taken my advice about developing a side income were able to become financially independent much sooner than they expected. (All hit the mark in less than six years.)

Surprise Bonus: Once you’ve achieved financial independence, you can (and probably should) quit your job — even if you are years and years away from retirement age. The reason is that getting from financial independence to wealth is just a matter of doing more of the same thing. Not necessarily putting in a ton of extra hours but just doing more of what you like to do.

You should be able to enjoy the freedom of financial independence too. Every day in every message, I make sure that there is at least one bit of advice that will help you achieve that goal.

And every day I try to say something — or publish something that someone else has said — that will inspire you to get, and stay, on your own path to financial independence. No one cares as much about your financial future as you do. Use Seven Years to Seven Figures to help you and you’ll have helped me achieve my No. 1 SY2SF goal.$

[Do you know how Facebook and Google became the most powerful companies in the world?

It’s NOT helping you share pics of last night’s dinner...
It’s NOT searching for drunken cat videos…

And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about free Gmail accounts.
 

The simple truth is Facebook and Google SELL TRAFFIC.

They SELL TRAFFIC to business owners, and that advertising revenue alone has turned them into billion dollar companies.
 

Traffic is the most valuable commodity on the Internet, and that will never change.
 

This is why using the Traffic Authority business system is the ultimate way to make extra income in your business…

Click here to watch the video and start your own premium traffic business today!]

Can You Create Another Income Stream as a Consultant?

If you possess valuable knowledge and experience, you might be able to share it – and get paid for it – as a consultant. This could be a lucrative sideline to your current business or career. Consultants are well compensated – as much as hundreds of dollars per hour.

The word “consulting” might call to mind an image of a huge multinational firm sending teams of dozens of its staffers into Fortune 500 corporations. But many consultants have solo practices. Anyone who can help companies (or individuals) solve problems, avoid mistakes, or increase revenues deserves the title.

Companies often need expertise that isn’t available in house. For example, to handle a project for which they don’t want to hire a full-time employee. Or to offer a fresh approach to a problem.

Executives and entrepreneurs I've spoken to told me that the consultants they hire must have experience specific to the company’s needs, that they must be practitioners and not theorists, and that they must be able to supply direction and specific, useable answers.

Can you diversify into consulting? Quite possibly. Are you good at what you do, and do you have the ability and the enthusiasm to communicate your knowledge and skills?

Think about what sort of information and advice and intelligence you’re capable of offering, its value, what you could charge, how to identify prospective clients and persuade them to hire you.

Whom do you know who might be interested? Your employer? Clients? Contacts? Could you write an article or give a talk that demonstrates your expertise for an audience of qualified prospects?

Establishing your reputation, networking, and marketing are the keys to building a successful consulting practice. No one would claim that it can be achieved overnight. But I did it – and so have many others.$

[Do you know how Facebook and Google became the most powerful companies in the world?

It’s NOT helping you share pics of last night’s dinner...
It’s NOT searching for drunken cat videos…

And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about free Gmail accounts.
 

The simple truth is Facebook and Google SELL TRAFFIC.

They SELL TRAFFIC to business owners, and that advertising revenue alone has turned them into billion dollar companies.
 

Traffic is the most valuable commodity on the Internet, and that will never change.
 

This is why using the Traffic Authority business system is the ultimate way to make extra income in your business…

Click here to watch the video and start your own premium traffic business today!]

Buying Investment Real Estate: Knowing When the Price is Right

“You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” – Rosalynn Carter

To scout for potentially profitable real-estate deals, begin by looking at the actual sales prices in the neighborhood you’re targeting. Your local tax assessor’s office should have this information, and it’s usually available online. Once you get the info, it simply becomes a matter of organizing and making sense of it. Here’s how to do that …

Make a list of a dozen recently sold properties, along with the square footage and selling price of each. By dividing square footage into the sale price, you come up with a price per square foot for each home. You then average those to come up with an average square foot price for the neighborhood. This immediately gives you a benchmark.  The first step to judge a deal is to see if your mortgage payments on a property — plus taxes, insurance, and maintenance — are more than covered by the rental value of the property. If that’s the case, given the average sales price per square foot in your neighborhood, there should be many potentially profitable properties to choose from.

To get an extra-sweet deal, try to buy 10% below the benchmark number in a normal, gradually rising market. And try to buy at least 5% below the benchmark number in a fast-rising market (assuming the rental yield is right).

If you’re in a market that’s soaring, however, it may be next to impossible to buy at 10% below the average sales price. In that case, a 5% discount may be a more reasonable goal. And if your market’s moving so fast that you find it difficult to buy even at the average sales price (since the average is constantly moving up at a rapid clip), that may be a sign of a bubble brewing. In that case, it will be all the more important to make sure you don’t buy a bubble property but instead have a large margin of safety in the form of a big rental yield.

In all cases, you want to be very thorough and careful when you put your money down on a house. But you want to be extra careful when prices are soaring. You don’t want to chase a fad or try to get in on the “easy money” by paying the latest price just because you’re convinced prices will continue to soar. To use two metaphors that are particularly appropriate for real estate: You’ve got to keep it real and keep your feet on the ground.

With residential real estate, rental values depend mostly on location, number of bedrooms, and size. And when you’re looking at properties that are all in the same general area, these numbers should give you a good yardstick you can use to quickly estimate the rent you might receive on any property you buy in that neighborhood.

All other factors being equal, a 1,250-square-foot, 2-bedroom house will get a higher rent than a 1,000-square-foot, 2-bedroom house. But it’s not likely to be 25% higher just because the square footage is 25% higher. It might only be 5% or 10% more. Similarly, a 3-bedroom house is not likely to get 50% more rent than an otherwise-identical 2-bedroom house. Even though there are 50% more bedrooms, the rental value may only be 20% more.

By analyzing a dozen properties for rent in your neighborhood, you’ll quickly develop a sense for what any given property could rent for. And if the property you’re looking to buy currently has tenants, your task is easier. There’s an established rental value on the property — the amount the tenants are currently paying.

Once you’ve figured the monthly rental value of your target property, multiply that number by 12. That would be your gross annual rental income. Divide that number by the asking price, and voila! You have the gross yield you’d get if you were to pay the asking price.

Now, you’re going to use yield to figure out the maximum price you’d be willing to pay. I suggest you shoot for a minimum gross yield of 12%. Get that, and you should be able to realize a net yield (net rent after mortgage, taxes, insurance, vacancy, maintenance, and all costs) of 6% to 9%, depending on the property’s condition and whether or not you manage it yourself.

To figure how much you’d pay to end up with a particular gross yield, simply divide the annual rental income by that yield. So, let’s say you’re looking at a house with a $1,200 monthly rental value. That’s the same as an annual rental value of $14,400. So, if you want a 12% yield as a minimum, you can pay no more than $120,000 for that property ($14,400/0.12 = $120,000).

It’s that simple.

To sum up, there are two principal reasons that having the right rental income is so important. First, it can add substantially to your total profits. Second, it gives you the all-important margin of safety. If you have to hold onto the property longer than you had planned, for whatever reason, you won’t be hemorrhaging big bucks in the meantime. Instead, you’ll be making a steady income that will grow over time.

And here’s another huge bonus when you get the rental yield right: You don’t waste time having real-estate agents drag you through properties that aren’t close to being a deal! That in itself can be worth a small fortune to you in time saved.$

[Do you know how Facebook and Google became the most powerful companies in the world?

It’s NOT helping you share pics of last night’s dinner...
It’s NOT searching for drunken cat videos…

And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about free Gmail accounts.
 

The simple truth is Facebook and Google SELL TRAFFIC.

They SELL TRAFFIC to business owners, and that advertising revenue alone has turned them into billion dollar companies.
 

Traffic is the most valuable commodity on the Internet, and that will never change.
 

This is why using the Traffic Authority business system is the ultimate way to make extra income in your business…

Click here to watch the video and start your own premium traffic business today!]

Seven Years to Seven Figures: Donald Trump on Negotiating

Here are Donald Trump's best tips on how to be a great negotiator:

• Consider what the other side wants.

Trump tells the story of how he acquired the tallest building in southern Manhattan, 40 Wall Street, for $1 million plus the liens. He did so because  he spoke to the owners personally, not through an agent, and found out what they wanted — in this case, to get out of real estate.

• Be reasonable and flexible.

This might not seem like the kind of tactic you’d expect from Donald Trump, but he makes the point that unless you are willing to be open-minded when it comes to deals, to think long-term and not worry so much about the small things, you may miss out on some big opportunities.

• Trust your instincts.

Against all expert advice to the contrary, Trump had a gut feeling that he could turn 40 Wall Street into the premier office location in that part of town. He ignored his advisers and made it happen.

• Know exactly what you want and keep it to yourself.

“If you’re careful about what you reveal,” Trump says, “you’ll have more flexibility as you gather more information about he contours of the deal.”

• Make sure both sides come out winning.

There was an HBO movie about Atlantic City in which Trump and Steve Wynn (the Las Vegas casino developer) are portrayed as belligerent opponents in Trump’s successful acquisition of Trump Marina for $320 million. “That is highly inaccurate,” Trump says. “The bidding contest was friendly and, though Wynn lost out in the end, the publicity helped him enormously in his eventual conquest and development of Las Vegas.”

• Let your guard down — but only on purpose.

It’s a good idea to make seemingly random, calculated off-hand comments. Sometimes, they provoke responses that are helpful in figuring out the other person’s interests and intentions.

• Be patient.

Most successful entrepreneurs like to move quickly — but there are some deals that require time. Trump says he’s learned to be patient and it’s paid off. “I’ve spent from five minutes to 15 years waiting for a deal,” he says.

Regardless of whether you like Donald Trump, he’s shown resilience and tenacity at the highest levels of business entrepreneurship. It’s worthwhile to emulate his best ideas.$

[Do you know how Facebook and Google became the most powerful companies in the world?

It’s NOT helping you share pics of last night’s dinner...
It’s NOT searching for drunken cat videos…

And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about free Gmail accounts.
 

The simple truth is Facebook and Google SELL TRAFFIC.

They SELL TRAFFIC to business owners, and that advertising revenue alone has turned them into billion dollar companies.
 

Traffic is the most valuable commodity on the Internet, and that will never change.
 

This is why using the Traffic Authority business system is the ultimate way to make extra income in your business…

Click here to watch the video and start your own premium traffic business today!]

Don’t Trick Your Prospects: A Marketing Lesson From the Movies

The purpose of a great headline is to get your readers’ attention. And the purpose of the remainder of your sales letter is to get your readers to buy your product or service.

But if there is a disconnect between what the copy promises and what the product delivers, you’re going to have dissatisfied customers who feel betrayed.

Result: You end up spinning your business’s wheels, trying to constantly replenish your customer base. You’re losing them out the side door as fast as you’re bringing them in the front.

A few years ago, I read an interesting article in The New York Times about something similar that happens in the movie business. David Pogue wrote about how excited he was when he saw a trailer for the film National Treasure… but very disappointed when he saw the film and it bore little resemblance to the trailer.

Shortly after saying something to that effect in the paper, Pogue received a surprisingly candid note from the film’s director, Jon Turteltaub.

Turteltaub explained that the trailers are often put together LONG before the movie’s final edits. In fact, they’re sometimes finalized when filming is barely half complete. That means there’s a good chance for the more-than-occasional disconnect.

But that’s only the unintended consequence. Turteltaub hinted that sometimes darker forces are at work.

“For me,” said Turteltaub, “the biggest problem that comes up is when the trailers and TV spots don’t reflect the essence of the movie they are selling. You see that a LOT. The studio often feels that the movie they made isn’t a movie they can sell… so they sell it as a different movie. That can help fill seats on opening weekend, but it usually backfires. Personally, I think that’s what happened with Sweeney Todd. Perhaps they didn’t want anyone to know it was bloody, gory, and a musical. So they hid that. What happens is that the wrong audience sees the movie on opening weekend, and the word of mouth is all wrong. Great movies can get lost because of this.”

Here’s the lesson: If you find out late that your product isn’t going to appeal to your market, don’t be tempted to just put a new spin on the advertising. You’ve got to do the hard work of making the product fulfill your prospect’s needs, as you promised in your promotion.$

[Do you know how Facebook and Google became the most powerful companies in the world?

It’s NOT helping you share pics of last night’s dinner...
It’s NOT searching for drunken cat videos…

And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about free Gmail accounts.
 

The simple truth is Facebook and Google SELL TRAFFIC.

They SELL TRAFFIC to business owners, and that advertising revenue alone has turned them into billion dollar companies.
 

Traffic is the most valuable commodity on the Internet, and that will never change.
 

This is why using the Traffic Authority business system is the ultimate way to make extra income in your business…

Click here to watch the video and start your own premium traffic business today!]

Seven Years to Seven Figures: Who Makes The Big Money?

You can live very well, and even become financially independent, by earning between $100,000 and $150,000 a year. So, how do you boost your income to that level? According to a CNN/Money series titled “Who Gets Paid Six Figures?”, the best-paid workers in the U.S. are CEOs of profitable businesses. No surprise there. Top business leaders enjoy a median base salary of $528,000 (according to Salary.com.).

Next on the mega-income ladder are surgeons. Orthopedic surgeons make about $290,000, while their heart-bypassing counterparts bring in $250,000. Anesthesiologists make more than most people think, typically in the $230,000 range. Working your way up the corporate ladder to become CEO takes years and years of work, not to mention talent.

And chances are you’re not about to start on a medical career at this point in your life. But, as the CNN series pointed out, there are many other ways to earn a $100,000+ living — professions that not only are easier to get into and master but also may be more appealing to you. For example: General Merchandise Manager If you have a good deal of experience in buying retail goods and you know how to keep inventories down and merchandise flowing, you can make $100,000 or more working for a top retailer.

Hair/Makeup Artist for Advertising and Film

If you’ve mastered your trade at the salon, you may be able to jump up to this higher-paying and more glamorous calling. “As a freelance hair and makeup artist in commercial advertising,” says Jon Luca, CEO of Artist Untied (an agency representing stylists, makeup artists, and prop designers), “you can make a pretty penny if you’re good at your art. With each job you get, you build your Rolodex of photographers and your reputation among commercial directors.”

Retail Home Furnishings Consultant

You don’t need a degree in architecture or design to make a good living helping people beautify their homes. The trick is to learn what kind of decor the wealthy people in your area like and then specialize in that type of design. Make the trend your friend. Find out what’s hot, determine where you can buy it inexpensively, and set yourself up in business.

Fitting Model

If you fit perfectly into one of the standard fashion-industry sizes — plus, petite, and big-and-tall included — you can make good money working as a showroom fitting model with a clothing company or clothes designer. You don’t need perfect cheekbones to find this kind of work, but you do have to be attractive and well-groomed “The most successful fitting models,” says Susan Levine, owner of Model Service Agency, LLC, “know how different fabrics behave and are very knowledgeable about the line they’re modeling.”

Court Reporters

Top court reporters can make up to $88,000 working for the New York State Supreme Court. On top of that, they make money on transcripts. That brings their overall compensation to more than $100,000. The transcript rate in New York ranges between $2.50 and $4.30 a page. Six hours of testimony works out to about 250 pages. In terms of initial training, you’ll need between two and four years of education.

Broadcast Captioners

Broadcast captioners are the people who write the real-time subtitles on live television programs that are used by hearing-impaired and foreign-language viewers. According to Kathy DiLorenzo, director for VITAC, a captioning company, they typically earn $50 to $100 for every programing hour they caption. To make over a hundred grand a year at $50 an hour, you’d have to caption 40 hours of programs a week.

Video-Game Artist

Computerized visuals are created by artists who work in conjunction with designers, programers, engineers, and producers to create the amazing effects seen on modern video games. The job of the artist is to understand the game concept and convert it into computer art. While many have degrees, many don’t “You need to be talented before you’re educated,” says Robin McShaffry, director for Mary-Margaret.com.

Perfumer

For this highly paid profession, all you need is a good nose. Perfumers typically work for fragrance houses, developing aroma formulas for everything from perfumes and shampoos to candles and furniture polish. “Creating the right scent is 50% art and 50% science,” says Ken Lesenko, a fragrance-industry veteran at KWL Research Associates. “The science involves creating a formula that won’t taint the client’s unfragranced base in terms of viscosity or color, for instance,” Lesenko says. “The art part is like creating music.”

Then, of course, there are these lucrative careers that I routinely recommend:

Advertising Copywriter

In this position, you write the words that persuade potential customers to purchase products or services. You are essentially a salesperson — but instead of talking to just one customer at a time, you are communicating with many. Imagine how much a salesman would be worth if he could convince tens of thousands of people at one time to whip out their credit cards and BUY!

Graphic Designer

People who have a skill for graphic design and development are always in high demand. Effective graphics — in advertising and packaging — can have a huge impact on the sales of a product. The designers are compensated accordingly. Professional Travel Writer How would you like to take a first-class trip to Cancun, where you and your spouse would be wined and dined over a long weekend at a new luxury hotel? Or would you be more enticed by a rafting expedition down the Amazon in Ecuador’s rainforest? By taking up travel writing as a side business, you may not make huge money, but you will enjoy many of the perks of a millionaire lifestyle — at absolutely no cost to you. .

Resume-Writing and Career-Counseling Specialist

Statistics show that at any given time 57% of the roughly 80 million American workers are looking to change a career, go for a raise, or take on a better position. Another 5.8 million people are either on unemployment or trying to find a job for the first time. That means there are a lot of potential customers for anyone who can create effective resumes and/or provide professional career-counseling services. As a resume writer and career-counseling specialist, you could establish a part-time or full-time home business that earns you anywhere from $15,000 to $150,000 a year.

Direct-Marketing Entrepreneur

You can earn $75,000 to more than $1 million a year in your own direct-response business. What does it take to get started? I estimate somewhere between 200 and 400 hours of your time over a 12-month period — only 4 to 8 hours a week. Just stop watching TV and you’ll have all the time you need.

Professional Consultant

The old saying “Those who can’t do, teach” is a bunch of bull. In business, it’s more like “Those who want to get rich, teach.” The trick is to pick out one business skill that you are good at and become THE authority on that specialty. You can then market yourself as an expert consultant. This will not only get you out of the trenches, it will also likely double your income.

Real-Estate Investor

Get started as a part-time real-estate investor by buying and selling rental properties or by buying them and renting them out. Choose properties in a local area that you’re familiar with. Buy the least-expensive fixer-uppers in good or up-and-coming neighborhoods. Flip pre-construction properties in booming areas. You may not become the next Donald Trump, but you will quickly develop a high-dollar second stream of income.

There are dozens of additional ways to make good money — even six-figure money — in a career that excites you, allows you to work from almost anywhere, and provides you with a substantial amount of control over your future. The important thing is to know that you are not bound by your current job.

You don’t have to spend the rest of your working life answering to the same boss, dealing with the same clients, working in the same place, making the same commute, and earning what you earn now. You can make a change — a dramatic change — and, in a relatively short time, be enjoying a new and completely rewarding career.$

[Do you know how Facebook and Google became the most powerful companies in the world?

It’s NOT helping you share pics of last night’s dinner...
It’s NOT searching for drunken cat videos…

And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about free Gmail accounts.
 

The simple truth is Facebook and Google SELL TRAFFIC.

They SELL TRAFFIC to business owners, and that advertising revenue alone has turned them into billion dollar companies.
 

Traffic is the most valuable commodity on the Internet, and that will never change.
 

This is why using the Traffic Authority business system is the ultimate way to make extra income in your business…

Click here to watch the video and start your own premium traffic business today!]

The Number One Character Trait for Effective Leadership

I believe there is only one inherent character trait that is essential for effective leadership: ambition. You may not think of yourself as ambitious, but relax. Even the saintly Gandhi had ambition. When asked why he had abandoned a successful law career (and a well-cushioned lifestyle) to pursue a risky, self-sacrificing career of political leadership, Mahatma replied with a single word: “Ambition!” Granted, it is not necessarily an attractive personal trait to desire power, distinction, and public approval. Gandhi chose exactly the right word to describe the force that compelled him to risk all — even his life — in the pursuit of a worthy goal.

By his early 40s, he had come to feel terror at the prospect of living to old age in conventional comfort. He trembled when he imagined himself on his deathbed uttering the most tragic of all last words: “I could have done much more with my life.” Then, for 40 years, he focused his energies on the single goal of Indian independence. Although few leaders are as admirable in their behavior, as noble in their goals, or as successful in their craft as was Gandhi, all leaders are driven by ambition.

All effective leaders desire to help their own family, company, organization, or nation to achieve its highest potential. They willingly put themselves on the line to achieve that end. Ambitious leaders are not satisfied with current performance. Their ambition distinguishes them from timid leaders. They not only want true greatness for their organizations, they are committed to do all that is necessary to realize the potential. That is appropriate ambition. They realize that most organizations are seriously underperforming. Few come anywhere near to achieving their potential.

Worse, most individuals in positions of authority are either satisfied with the status quo or fearful of assuming the risk to transform their organizations to achieve greatness. In sharp distinction are those few individuals who have high ambition for themselves and their organizations. Those who act on that ambition are leaders. When Lou Platt became CEO of Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1992, he was only the third person in the company’s history to hold that title. He was an experienced executive, he had worked at HP for 26 years, and, because he was the designated successor to CEO John Young, he had time to prepare for the challenges of leadership.

But in spite of all that experience and preparation, he faced the same question every new leader must answer: “Where do I start?” Here’s what he did:

1. He established a leadership team. In selecting the team, he sent a signal about his priorities, goals, and agendas. He looked for people who were compatible team players, but also people who represented a diversity of perspectives.

2. He listened and set an agenda. He spent many hours “walking around” in the HP tradition, listening to the needs, concerns, and aspirations of employees, managers, and customers. His long-term concerns were the challenges of revitalization and continual growth: “Nobody stays on top forever. Since HP has moved from challenger to a leader, what worries me most is complacency.”

3. He built the case for change. Platt spent only 25% of his time on operations. He devoted the other 75% to communicating the need for breakthrough performance. He did this by going on the road and talking directly with HP people. He challenged them to perform at higher levels, even as he restored pride in HP’s principles and values. He pushed responsibility for change down to operational levels, and held the appropriate people accountable for realizing the needed changes.

4. He concentrated on what only he could do as CEO. Platt spent more time dealing with HP’s key constituencies. He reached out to customers, opened effective channels of communication with the HP board, and, of course, spent more time listening to employees and communicating the importance of ambition and change.

[Do you know how Facebook and Google became the most powerful companies in the world?

It’s NOT helping you share pics of last night’s dinner...
It’s NOT searching for drunken cat videos…

And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about free Gmail accounts.
 

The simple truth is Facebook and Google SELL TRAFFIC.

They SELL TRAFFIC to business owners, and that advertising revenue alone has turned them into billion dollar companies.
 

Traffic is the most valuable commodity on the Internet, and that will never change.
 

This is why using the Traffic Authority business system is the ultimate way to make extra income in your business…

Click here to watch the video and start your own premium traffic business today!]

Investing in Your Own Business

Previously, I urged you to resolve to increase your family income by between 10% and 25% in the new year. The way you are going to do that is by developing a financially valuable skill — selling, marketing, or profit producing. That resolution, by the way, applies even if you are employed by your own company. Having your own business is a good thing — but unless you make yourself more valuable to it each year, there will come a time when your business will outgrow you.

So, whether you work for yourself or someone else, you are going to make more money this year by helping that business become more profitable. Today, we are going to make an entirely separate resolution. Today, we are going to focus on the business’s income, not your own.

Today, you are going to promise to do one of two things: Increase the profits of the business you own. Start a business and make it profitable. Having your own business is not the only way to get rich, but it is — far and away — the most reliable way. And it’s also the way that most wealthy people got that way. Many people I know are hoping to make up for all the money they’ve lost in the stock market by investing in speculative stocks, commodity futures, options, etc. On the other end, just as many are paralyzed by fear, not knowing what to do next.

Starting your own little business and learning how it operates from the bottom up is a surer way. Every year, millions of people all over the world strike out with little ventures of their own — and that some of those people, hundreds of thousands of them, are successful. I am bold enough to think that I understand a good deal about starting small businesses. And I will continue to tell you in regular messages everything I know about being successful in little entrepreneurial ventures.$

[Do you know how Facebook and Google became the most powerful companies in the world?

It’s NOT helping you share pics of last night’s dinner...
It’s NOT searching for drunken cat videos…

And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about free Gmail accounts.
 

The simple truth is Facebook and Google SELL TRAFFIC.

They SELL TRAFFIC to business owners, and that advertising revenue alone has turned them into billion dollar companies.
 

Traffic is the most valuable commodity on the Internet, and that will never change.
 

This is why using the Traffic Authority business system is the ultimate way to make extra income in your business…

Click here to watch the video and start your own premium traffic business today!]