Using Other Peoples Money

Using Other Peoples Money

============================= In This Issue: ============================= 1) 'Tis The Season 2) Using Other Peoples Money 3) Should I Use A Credit Card Or A Debit Card On-Line? I don't normally include "articles" in the PDCB Updates - it's not *that kind* of newsletter. But I'm basing this edition largely on external input, simply because it includes information that is directly relevant to the PDCB community and I couldn't have put it better myself. Added together, the 3 articles make up a story that goes something like ... If you're not in the gift business, sales can be slow at this time of year, so it's a good time for research, planning and investing your time in and out of your business. Here's an example of something you might look into for the New Year ahead, but if you decide to buy on-line, think security - and here's a tip for how to manage your on-line purchases safely. They also cover all the bases in dealing with PDCB'ers as business-people, consumers - and human beings =:> ============================= 1) 'Tis The Season by Teresa King ============================= It is December, and if you are not selling Holiday Goods, you are probably experiencing low sales, to no sales. 'Tis the Season to be Jolly' - It is not jolly when the budget is tight and you want to buy your loved one's wonderful things and the cash is around next year's corner. But, chin up, as next year will be better. For those of you just starting your marketing, in a few months things will start falling into place. For those of you going into your second year - things are just going to get better. Next year is going to be better......Say it with me, and say it with conviction.... think it, feel it and believe it, and before you know it, it will happen. "NEXT year is going to be Better!" There I feel better, don't you? There is power in a group who thinks positive thoughts together..and never doubt that. You can see it all around you as people gather in groups with what they believe....It is awesome to watch the power of positive thinking, and even more incredible to be part of that powerful positive flowing energy! Okay, so many of you are on a tight budget, but that does not mean that things are bad or that things are not going to improve. Money, though we all desire it, is not everything. Spend time with your loved ones. That is a gift that shall always be remembered and cherished. As a child from a very poor family, I can't remember the meager gifts, but singing with my sisters and brothers and stringing popcorn will never be forgotten. Being lifted up onto a loved adult's shoulders and being twirled in the air will be memories for me that last a lifetime. Think about your most wonderful memory... was it really a possession? So, though there are money worries for many of you, it's going to be okay. Net Marketing is here to stay for a long, long time, and it is "normal" for this month to be slow. So, let's not sweat it and worry too much. Take this time to revamp your website, clean up your computer, organize your mail, and send email to your customers wishing them Happy Winters' Holidays. Then spend some wonderful moments with your family and friends. Do, continue to advertise as business is as usual...even if it feels slightly disheartening. Remember, you reap what you sow. So..keep putting out those seeds. Happy Holidays to you! Teresa King (c) December, 2000 ********************************************* Teresa King is a successful net entrenpreneur who invites you to stop by her site at http://www.tipsfortop.com ********************************************* ============================= 2) Using Other Peoples Money By Matthew Lesko ============================= “Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant." - P.T. Barnum John Ray, the famous 17th century author, was known to have written the aphorism, “Money begets money.” In the business world, I'm sure you've also heard the saying, “You've got to have money to make money.” There are countless sources of cash, but by far, the best one to utilize for your business is … other people's money. Perhaps one of the greatest “secrets” of the richest people in the world is summed up in those 3 words: Other People's Money – OPM for short. Read on to find out more or get your share right now: http://www.roibot.com/r_fsfe.cgi?R18298_actionplanhtml If you took a cross-section of the most affluent business people, you'll find that the majority of them launched their fortunes using OPM. In the next few minutes, I will show you how you can obtain other people's money for your business. What you do with the money, however, is up to you – but if I were you, I'd take P.T. Barnum's advice, and make money your servant so that you, too, you can make your own fortune. The use of other people's money has become such an ethical and acceptable mainstay in business because one can leverage other people's money to your benefit. For example, you can leverage borrowed money into high-yield investment programs that could generate a return that would then pay back your lender and line your pockets as well. Or you can leverage borrowed money into asset-producing or income-generating real property. Or you can simply borrow money to start or grow your business. The benefits to using OPM are obvious: 1) When you use other people's money, especially within the parameters of a corporation, your debt is assigned to your business, and your debtors can make no claims against your personal finances; and 2) the infusion of cash allows you to have money to make money for your business. My latest book shows net-preneurs the secret formula that unlocks the funding theur business needs: http://www.roibot.com/r_fsfe.cgi?R18298_actionplanhtml Of course, even with the proliferation of lending institutions and venture capitalists, it is often difficult to obtain other people's money, Well, since Wall Street Journal has kindly called me a man who “finds answers in unlikely places,” I'm going to reveal an unlikely place where you can obtain other people's money. This one is available to all, and yet very few ever take advantage of it. It's the federal government. In fact, I've even coined a phrase for this source of money: I call it “other taxpayers' money” – OTM for short. The federal government has millions of dollars of taxpayers' money allocated to funding businesses like yours and mine. Here are a few great sources of OTM: 1) If you want to get training and/or money to start your own business, millions of dollars are available at : http://www.sba.com They'll also show you how to find alternative sources of financing, how to protect your invention, how to sell your idea, how to license your product, how to write legal contracts, how to sell overseas, and how to buy business equipment. 2) If you want money to export and sell products to foreign countries, you can obtain it from the Export-Import Bank of the United States at http://www.exim.gov Or you can go to The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) at: http://www.opic.gov 3) If you want to obtain government contracts, then access the Procurement Assistance Offices online. Here, you'll learn how to draw up a business plan that'll get your business noticed. They can match the product or service you're selling with the appropriate agency, and then help you market to them more effectively. You can find these programs at: http://www.dla.mil 4) If you need venture capital for a new or existing business, then you need to go online and access the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC). These are privately- organized and privately-managed investment firms that are licensed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). With their own capital and with funds borrowed at favorable rates through the federal government, SBICs provide venture capital to small independent businesses, both new and established. You can access them at: http://www.sba.gov/INV 5) If you need free help or want to learn how to do your own personal or business taxes? All you have to do is access: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/bus_info-bus_help.html You can also obtain a free 26-page book on the Internet called The Credit Process: A Guide for Small Business Owners. It's written for small business owners seeking financing for the first time. It covers: Sources and types of financing Funding Resources Preparation of a business plan Preparation of loan applications Action to take if a loan is denied. It also contains an especially useful and comprehensive glossary of finance terms, agencies, and fair lending regulations. *********************************** Matthew Lesko is a New York times syndicated columnist, and author of 2 New York Times best-sellers. He is regularly featured as the nation's top expert on government freebies on TV programs such as Larry King, Oprah, David Letterman, Jay Leno, the Today Show and Good Morning America. His latest book, “Free Money for Entrepreneurs on the Internet” identifies hundreds of little-known sources of free government money for “net-repreneurs” and reveals the secret formula for easily obtaining the money for your business. http://www.roibot.com/r_fsfe.cgi?R18298_actionplanhtml *********************************** ============================= 3) Should I Use A Credit Card Or A Debit Card On-Line? by Tim Johnson ============================= The world of e-finance is changing rapidly. You can take advantage of what is available, but you need to have a little knowledge to make the right decisions. One of the more recent changes has been debit cards and on-line banking. Visa & MasterCard have jumped onto the debit card band wagon. You can save money & headaches in the long run if you think about it. I started doing this when I wanted to write a check for an on-line purchase, but couldn't most of the time. I didn't want another credit card for a couple of reasons. First, it's too easy to use. Secondly, even though there is protection against unauthorized charges, it's just a headache. So, here is what I have done. I found a local bank that offered FREE Internet banking as well as a Visa or MasterCard debit card with their checking account. I did not get the overdraft protection or the auto transfer from savings to checking. It shouldn't be too hard to find this in your area. Always have this account close to a zero balance with your money in the savings account. When you want to make a purchase, find out how much you will need and open a new browser window to the bank. Transfer over only the money needed to make your purchase. This will become very important as more and more on-line service companies that offer a free of service if you give them credit card information. By keeping this account at a bare minimum until you wish to make a purchase, you won't have a surprise 6 months down the road when you realize a service you didn't want has been billing you since you signed up, but forgot to cancel. If you want the service, you can easily contact the company with a credit card to use for the service. Using a debit card with a bank that offers on-line banking will help if you are trying to stay on a budget. It will lower your costs because there is no interest on a debit card unless you have a credit line or overdraft attached to it. All around it has worked out very well in my case. *********************************** Tim Johnson is a medically retired Police Officer who had his left arm amputated because of cancer. He is currently working full time on the Internet. You too can have a successful web site http://www.more4yourmoney.com *********************************** ============================= 4) And Finally ... ============================= The PDCB community has become very geographically and culturally diverse (which is great) - so I won't make the mistake of assuming that we are all celebrating the same things over the next few weeks - or indeed celebrating anything at all ! If you are - have a good one, if you're not - you can steal a march on the rest of us by working while we play. In every cases - I wish you all the best at this time. ============================= That's all folks - keep the feedback coming as always. mailto:feedback@practicalselling.com Stewart =============================