We Found a Wallet

The Wallet

My co-worker George and I, recently on vacation in Barbados, were jogging along the beach behind the Light & Power Company and we found a wallet. Our wives jogged along behind us.

As we ran, it so happened that we chatted about our US economy back home; how it seemed to have affected the entire world; how both of us needed to work on our family budgets; and how we ought to learn investing in the stock market.

We hopped on to the short pier and jogged away from the shore.

Not far from the wooden supports anchored deep in the sea bed, something in the water caught our attention. A small article gradually bobbed and weaved in our direction.

As it sailed closer we noticed it was a black object wrapped in plastic. Closer observation revealed a billfold.

Instantly, George and I glanced at one another. I playfully said

“Money!”

Jokes aside: I wondered why the wallet was floating in the briny. Why was it placed in a sandwich bag? Could it be the property of someone who drowned in the ocean?

George said…

“Let’s not touch that thing, bud. Could spell trouble.”

“Ah, come on” I said. “It’s only a wallet. Not like it is a dead body. Besides, you know I like to help people. We need to do a little detective work here, pal.”

We watched and waited until it came closer.

“How do you suppose to get that wallet out of that water? And don’t ask me to reach down there either. Swine flu is on the grunt, bro.”

“Swine flu, in Barbados? Swine flu or no swine flu: You can’t swim, anyway? You’re too scared to get wet and help someone.”

“It’s not that I’m scared, man. I aint about to fall into no water and get eaten by no shark. I saw a small one over there” he said, pointing.

“I have an idea” I offered.

“What idea?”

“See the man over there fishing?”

“Oh no…”

“We’ll ask him to fish out the wallet for us.”

“What about the money? We’ll have to share it with him, too?”

“Okay. Split it three ways, if necessary.”

“What if it’s only a couple o’ bucks? It won’t be worth it – sixty-six cents apiece, big spender.”

“There could be hundreds in there” I said with mocked elation.

“You’re kidding me? Who in their right mind will wrap a wallet with two hundred dollars in a Ziploc bag and toss it in the Caribbean?”

“Perhaps it was some filthy rich person out there on a cruise ship. Didn’t want to take chances with water spoiling their fun. I don’t know.”

“Excuse, my man… Would you help? We dropped the wallet in the water. Would you fish it out for us?”

“You sure?… What’s in it for me?”

“Beside water, who knows” George humorously said.

“We’ll split it three ways” I suggested.

“Alright, then” said the fisherman. He tossed the line and quickly hauled out the wallet. Up it flew, dangling to and fro.

“True. It is a wallet” the fisherman confirmed. “But who wallet it is, man?”

“Tell the truth, we’ll find out.”

“I know it didn’t belong to you” he said, looking at us. “I was going to swim out and get it, but I cut my foot. The smell of blood might bring in a shark.”

“Let’s see what’s in the wallet. If it’s a couple of hundred we’ll get sixty-six dollars each. How’s that?”

“No-no, man!” fearfully exclaimed the local fisherman. “We should take that wallet to the police, man.”

Cautiously, I unzipped the plastic bag and took out the wallet.

Lo and behold, to our disappointment, there was no money; just a dry piece of paper with a handwritten note. It read…

“This is my only gift for you. Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I’ll share with you.

· Make a budget so you can invest money for the future

· Make a Will so you can save your family heartaches.

“No money in the wallet, man” said the fisherman?

There could not have been a stronger omen for George and I. Only a moment earlier we were speaking about making a budget. Here was definite confirmation. We complied with the message as soon as we returned home.

As for the Will (meaning the Last Will and Testimony) neither of us had a Will in place. And so it goes for millions of people all over the world. Many die without a Will. Some consider it taboo to make a will when they are in good health.

The legal term for dying without a Will is known as "Dying Intestate. Dying Intestate leaves a family to face legal battles that could last for years, and cost thousands of dollars in legal fees. I often wondered if the note in the wallet was a special message sent to us from God Himself.

Let me leave you with this warning. If you don't believe in making a budget to control your spending, sooner or later you will regret that you didn't. Do it today.

Regarding investing in the stock market, there are plenty of books on the market that will show you how to successfully invest.

Lastly, some attorneys charge under one hundred dollars to file a Simple Will. It's a wise idea to get yourself situated. You never know what the future holds. Look at it this way. You didn't have to go on an exotic vacation and find the wallet to tell you how important these things are. You heard it here for free.

www.allanrussell.com

Budgets for Budgeting Days

What is a budget?

In the United Kingdom a budget is an itemized statement that reflects the financial status of the U.K. for the coming fiscal year. It contains proposals for spending, for tax purposes, and is presented to the nation in a speech delivered by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It compares to the State of The Nation speech by a U.S. President.

Another meaning of the word budget as found in the dictionary is: a plan specifying how the resources, especially money, will be allocated or spent during a particular period. It can also mean the total sum of money set aside or that will be needed for a specific purpose.

There are a few more definitions of the word budget and budgeting, but for the purpose of this article we’ll stick with those mentioned above.

Budgeting and having proper budgets can produce less stress. And the absence of stress leads to a healthier more pleasurable life.

Yet, there are hundreds of people in the world today who have never made a budget of any sort. To them the question of budgeting remains a situation of laissez faire; let the coin fall as it may. They prefer to let life’s event take their natural courses without personal intervention.

Whether one sits with pen and paper, or places a laptop on their legs, knowing where you stand financially is of utmost importance.  You need establish a budget in preparation for the rainy day.

The safest way to build a nest egg for the future or build an emergency fund is to establish a budget. Some say you need to set aside 3 months of cash for those unforeseen circumstances.

We spend money like there is no tomorrow

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, old Polonius warns his hard-headed son Laertes about the pitfalls of borrowing and lending; in other words, the dangers of incurring debt. It is from this passage of literature that we find the quote “Neither a borrower nor lender be”. When you lend money to a friend you run the risk of losing both the friendship and the money.

In today’s world, our biggest cancer is not of the physical kind, but of finance – debt.

 Now, almost four hundred and fifty years later, we as a people have all but totally ignored the advice of Polonius. We continue to borrow money left, right, and center. We have become a nation of spend-thrift people. We spend money like there is no tomorrow. Millions of families have no savings for their children’s college fund; no savings for vacations; no savings for general upkeep; and no savings for retirement. The majority exist from one paycheck to the next.

How sad will it be for those who will reach age 90 and still find the need to fill out applications and submit resumes for employment?

With all the great medical advances present today, we continually add years to life, but not life to years. Some have even become cynical to the idea of frequent physical exercise. They rely on medication for their survival.

Maybe it is due to the quality of home entertainment that we have largely become a sedentary nation. The potency of television programming very much outweighs the desire to shed the extra pounds. There is no budgeting for weight loss. So we keep spreading at the hips and elsewhere.

The budget you act upon today could save a life. The life you save could be your own.

Caveat Emptor - Let the Buyer Beware

Caveat Emptor! Let the buyer beware. 

I recently received a phone call from a company supposedly in Las Vegas.

Naturally, I was excited when I got the message. One Mr. Stephen Fisher said he wanted to speak with me regarding my involvement with the Carbon Copy Pro BiB program – Business in a Box.

Thinking that I had received a qualified lead for my business, I quickly returned the phone call. We played phone tag for a short while, and eventually I caught up with Stephen.

To my dismay, he was not interested in joining my business. He wanted to share some information with me; not over the phone, but on my computer.

I returned to my office, and went online to check the leads garnered from my web site landing page. To my surprise, his contact information did not show up.

The next time we spoke on the phone, my first question was…

“How did you acquire my contact information?”

He said he went to my web site and just as he was about to exit, my contact information – including my phone number – popped up.

Fair enough, I thought.

“How can I help you?”

“I want to show you a way to gain top listing on Google without doing the Pay-Per-Click garbage.”

Immediately, a red flag went up. Why was Stephen so keen on offering this exclusive opportunity to me?

I instantly got the gut feeling this was a scam.

My CC Pro sponsor never mentioned anything about a magical new way to beat the Google system. He was in the business longer than me. If it was legal, why would he hide it and continue to webinar the pay-per-click method? And lastly, why should these Nevadan gurus possess these great privileges above all else?

Just for the heck of it, I decided to listen to Stephen’s pitch: more so out of curiosity.

This Mr. Fisher asked me to go to my computer because he wanted to show me a demonstration. Dutifully, I followed his instructions.

For 20 minutes he walked me through several pages that were supposed to show how his company placed other internet marketers in the number one slot with Google search engine.

After he had done his share of jabbering, he tossed me over to the “T.O. Man”: In the Timeshare business, the “T.O. or Turn Over Man” is the fast talker who either closes the sale quickly, or sees you out the door.

Instantly, I smelled a rat. These guys wanted to rip me off!

One tiny bit of information I learned kicked into play.

“He who holds the money wins.”

 Getting down to the real nitty-gritty: Stephen and gang wanted me to pay well over two thousand ($2K+) by credit card to place my company on top listing with all high ranking search engines, with a six month guaranty. Bang-bang went the bell.

Poppycock! Hogwash! No way Hosea! Caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware! I’m outta here!

www.allanrussell.com

The Googlebot Crawls When Ready

A few weeks ago, my friend Michael was feeling overwhelmed with all the information and training he was receiving on the internet. His money was running out and very little was coming in. In his frustration he had forgotten all about the Googlebot. 

The Googlebot is search bot software used by Google to retrieve information as it crawls the web. It looks for keywords, tags, and meta tags to index web sites for its search engine.

Learning internet marketing was not an easy thing for Mike. There is a lot to sift through when you are new to the web. Many a sleepless night was spent trying to imbibe the essence of what he had come up against during the day. Meanwhile the Googlebot crawls.

Without further hesitation, one day Michael decided to call his sponsor and give his final decision. He had become frustrated beyond the point of no return. His site was up and nothing was happening: no hits.

As it happened, his sponsor was not available when Michael made the call. So he decided to drop a two-word email instead.

“I Quit!”

The message would’ve brought good news to his wife! But Michael knew it wasn’t the time to discuss this with her. In his heart of hearts he could almost hear the lecture. Having spent these many hours on the World Wide Web with nothing to show for it, she was way-way past the feelings of being neglected.

However, you guessed it!  

Just as Michael opened up his internet browser to send the email message to his sponsor – for crying out loud! You already have a hunch at what he saw.

Michael’s heart almost leapt through his mouth when he discovered a string of brand new qualified leads and a few converts in his inbox. The autoresponder had done it work.

Later during the day, when Michael clicked on Google search engine, he found that the Googlebot had given his site placement at the top section of the first page; a very coveted position for all internet marketers.

“Why did it take so long” he wondered?

And then Michael realized it was due to Google’s Googlebot software.

The Googlebot Crawls When it’s Ready.

http://allanrussell.com

No Purchase Necessary

Generally speaking, when you read or hear of “no purchase necessary” you think of entering sweepstakes and contests. You expect to win something for nothing: no matter how small.

People love free gifts, free information, and free money. Best of all they crave to enter sweepstakes and win without a financial commitment on their part. It’s referred to as “good luck”. By the same token, when success is not accomplished here, we call it “bad luck”. To the diehard we say “better luck next time”.

In the late 1960, among the numerous love songs of the day, The Beatles had a hit entitled Money Can’t Buy me Love. Forty years later the situation remains the same. There’re lots of thing you can buy with money, but money won’t buy you love.

But love is not often taken into consideration when we think of no purchase necessary. The focus remains on material things.

Material things are good to a certain extent. Too much can be dangerous. The Bible says “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”

Let us put a different spin on our topic – no purchase necessary.  How does the subject fit into things spiritual – things pertaining to the soul of man?  What is there to be won with no purchase necessary? I dare say at this point the total impact is not quite as intriguing.

There is no purchase necessary to win the love of God. It’s there for the taking. Even though you might think you don’t want it, the offer still stands: free and clear. There’re no strings attached. No need to give up an email address or a phone number to get it. For the saint and the sinner alike; there’re no prejudices, no limits, and no bars. 

It won’t be necessary to enter a contest and win a free trip to heaven. God’s love is always there: around you, above you, beside you, and beneath you. There’s a chance for everyone to experience an instant win.

Reach out and take it: No Purchase Necessary.

www.allanrussell.com

Looking Glass Future

Wouldn’t you like to look into the future and see what it holds for you? Where could you obtain a Looking Glass that reveals these future secrets?

There’s a small test to try on your friends. Not a pop quiz: Just a simple correctly worded sentence.

“Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?”

Do you know what?

90 ~ 95 percent will give the same answer.

“I don’t know.”

Likewise for the cousin question: “What do you want out of life?”

Does this ring a bell?

People plan vacations quicker than they plan their lives. Couples plan weddings to the oomph degree, and then leave the marriage up to chance.

Statistics might show after the wedding is over, many marriages take the downhill trail; like runaway horses. If the relationship turns sour, it could be compared to Rambo mania.

The last time I checked with Albert Einstein there was no formula to accurately predict the future. But there is a way to find out what you want out of life without stressing over a Looking Glass Future.

We’ll get to that soon.

Thanks to the great King Solomon and his unmatchable wisdom. “It’s all vanity and a vexation of the Spirit.”

However we can’t rest on our laurels and expect great things to happen for us. The Holy Word says “one plants, another waters, but the Almighty gives the increase”.

How can you get an increase if you don’t know what to plant? How can you water when there is nothing to water?

There’s a method that has been used by several successful people; to discover what they want out of life. Perhaps you too can try it and realize similar success.

Before we get started, find yourself a nice quite spot. Some people are so efficient at concentrating; they can sit in a busy airport and do this.

Get a clean sheet of writing paper. Draw a line down the center of the page. Label the left column “Don’t Wants” and the right “Wants”.

Starting on the left of the page list the thing you don’t want. Keep writing for 20 minutes. Don’t erase anything. No one is going to grade you, okay? The ideas don’t need to follow a sequential order. Write them as they come.
Do it quickly.

After you have exhausted your idea, go to the right side and list the corresponding positive ideas. For each thing you don’t want there is something you do want.

For instance…

· “I don’t want to be poor.” Means I want to have lots of money.”
· “I don’t want to be sick.” Means I want to be in good health.
· “I don’t want to be single for the rest of my life.” Means I want to be married.

By the end of the task you should have a personal discovery of who you are and what you want out of life. You don’t need a Genie in a Bottle or a Looking Glass.

http://www.allanrussell.com/

allan.russell0@gmail.com

Ugly 2 Words

Two words that usually rank high for stress levels (like the plague) in the English language are “Retirement Income”. I called these the ‘ugly 2 words’. At the mere mention of the ‘ugly 2 words’ in the same sentence, we often begin to pale.

Perhaps to the primitive tribes somewhere deep in the jungles of Borneo, the ‘ugly 2 words’ might be perceived as a relatively new phenomenon; maybe even a taboo. But for the majority of us in the new world the ‘ugly 2 words’ often bring on the he-be-gee-bees; no matter at what age we are.

Taken separately, the ‘ugly 2 words’ register no negative psychological impact. The word ‘retirement’ – for example – is generally linked to old age; those far off years we might never live to see. Even if we are blessed to make it to the fifties, sixty-what-not still seems like a millennium away.

As for the partnered word ‘income’, we the people are normally satisfied with the feelings of entitlement during the working years. We work for paychecks, and the paychecks take just barely care of our current needs; and maybe some of our wants. By the end of our working years, we believe we are entitled to receive a paycheck from the government – a monthly Social Security Check.

Oops!

Did I say Social Security Check?

Well pardon me. Sweet dreams!

You might be hit by an airplane on a disused runway quicker than you will receive a good size Social Security Check from the government in the future.

Experts often say the realization of a dream- come-true is greater than the dream itself. I say the reality of a Social Security Check is a Nightmare on Your Street.

But it’s a nightmare that can be avoided by using proper prior planning.

As the deadline for retirement approaches, adults will quite often shake a pill bottle. The impending headaches are too much to bare cold-turkey.

Like the ostrich in the desert, they will bury their heads in the sand, seeking to soothe their nerves with the instant gratification of home entertainment. They will grab the remote control and flip through the expensive 200 television channels.

Others will tip the bottle of alcohol, or light-up a joint. Naturally, such actions will briefly dull the pain, but won’t solve the problems.

Over all, the decision to make financial preparation to meet the twilight years is a personal choice. No one will ever walk behind you cracking a whip. By and large the days of slavery are gone. No one can make you spend your money on their choices. That is entirely up to the individual.

But for a percentage of people who are honest with themselves, the closer they get to D-day, the more they wish that someone did take a whip to their backsides: Force them to stash away a few dollars. Then they wouldn’t have to face the ‘ugly 2 words’.

I know what you are thinking. “What’s the use of investing? My 401K is steadily losing money. What sense does it make to set money aside for the future when the market is eating up your money? Is it really worth it after all?”

The answer is YES. It is worth it.

The economy is just like the tide. One day the tide is full, the next day you can practically walk a good 500 feet before you get your feet wet. One season there is plenty, the next season there is a drought. Of such is life. The key is being able to stick it out.

It’s the same with most everything in life. Keep on keeping on is the answer. Investing in the stock market is not only for the rich. There are time-tested methods of growing that nest-egg for the future.

Take a hop skip and a jump over to your local bookstore and invest in a book authored by Ken Little. It’s called Alpha Teach Yourself Investing – In 24 Hours. It will probably open up your vision for your future. The ‘ugly 2 words’ will not be ugly any more.

www.allanrussell.com

Whats new in MLM China

Believe it or not, the Chinese middle class population currently stands at well over 1 billion people. One-sixth of the world’s population calls China their home. What's new in MLM China?

These figures definitely deserve the attention of internet home based business owners - those who are seeking international expansion.

Middle class folks everywhere generally have a small margin of disposable cash. They are dependable workers who want a little more out of life. To become rich and work from home is an attractive combination. For some it is the desire of the heart. MLM could be the answer.

With one billion mouths to feed, and a rising credit surge, the need for a growing income is a definite must have.

Quoting an excerpt from “China’s Credit Boom Spurs Concern” with the subtitle - Officials Weigh More Regulation, Fearing Banks Are Taking On Too Much Risk. The article was written by Jason Leow in Shanghai and Andrew Batson in Beijing, April 21st, 2009.

“China's government is considering measures to regulate the torrent of bank lending, arising from concerns that much of the credit surge that has helped keep the economy growing could be wasted.”

“A senior official at a local branch of the China Banking Regulatory Commission said the commission is considering rules aimed at ensuring that loans go to the real economy, such as government stimulus projects, rather than being diverted into the asset markets or bank deposits. A spokesman confirmed Monday that the rules are being circulated internally for comment:” end quote. This article was printed in the Wall Street Journal page A4.

Here is a question I’d love to get an answer to. Are people in China buying food on credit like they do in the US?

I love (me) some Chinese food. Just the thought of it makes my mouth water. But there is a noticeable difference between the food served in Chinese restaurants in my area, and the tasty dishes prepared by my Chinese friends here in Atlanta.

Whether you like it or not, all food items cost money. And eating cheap is one side of the coin. But quite often the price you pay for eating cheap brings on poor health in the long run.

Good food is not cheap, and cheap food is not good. No offense intended to the fast food millionaires who carry-on smiling all the way to the bank.

I have a small cluster of Chinese friends. They tell me the economic downturn is also showing a negative effect upon the great Chinese population. Although the Chinese Yaun might be holding its own against the American dollar, according to my friend who recently returned from vacation in his homeland, the day-to-day challenges for the average Chinese person are very similar to the effects here in the United States of America.

I asked my friend “Is there a need for extra household income in China?”

He gave me a monosyllabic answer.

“YES!”

After all said and done, who doesn’t need extra cash in this day and age? Credit is good, but cash is better; don’t let the credit card companies do a number on your mind.

As the debt numbers continue to sky-rocket even in the far corners of the earth, people still have to eat. A person can tighten his belt by only this much more. Anything beyond that is bordering on starvation.

As far as marketing American products on the internet in China is concerned, my friend did mention a few company names like Nu Skin and Amway. But I’m sure there are other companies in the Direct Selling industry in that vast country.

To break into the Chinese market seems like a great (if not the greatest) opportunity to expand your MLM business. Seeing that Direct Selling is the wave trend of the future, it is feasible to think a well-planned marketing campaign will go off with a bang; like the gunpowder the Ancient Chinese gave the rest of the world.

There is a way to get around your need to learn Mandarin.

Go find a few Chinese friends within your list of acquaintances. Conduct a few tentative interviews with them to discover if they'll be interested in becoming millionaires. If they do, you might not hear a clap of thunder, or see a flash of lightning. It would be just a matter of time and building confidence and show yourself as a leader. From then on they will become your voice in a strange land. It’s really that simple. That's what's new in MLM China.

http://allanrussell.com/

Internet Home Based Business Opportunities!

Internet home based business opportunities! Whoa: Make it do what it do, baby!

Right now there seem to be a million “internet home based business” opportunities on the web. Do a search and see for yourself. Tell me how many you find in the space of 20 minutes.

Recently I clicked on Google Good Keyword Tools and found some mind-blowing results. During the month of March 2009 alone there were a decent 60, 500 for keyword search phrase “internet home based business”: And that’s just local. There’s got to be a solid reason for this high volume of searches.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to crunch these numbers. At a glance they should tell you the need for internet home based businesses is on the rise. It stands to reason, doesn’t it? The figures did not go back to the months of January or February. But this recent economic downturn is opening up new doors in our lives.

I jumped in and started swimming before crunch time in the economic downturn. I didn’t do any surfing prior to my involvement with internet home based business. I learned about the one I chose through a friend. He sent me a link in my email, I clicked on it, and voila. I’m in like flint.

My internet home based business is ranked highly on the list of favorites. It is known as the BiB (Business in a Box) with Carbon Copy Pro.

Jay Kubassek and the crew have done a killer job to set up their turnkey full marketing system. It’s incredible what they have accomplished. Their goal is to raise 100 millionaires in 4 years; and let me tell you this. They’ve made a believer out of me.

I hopped onboard with CC Pro a couple of months ago, and I couldn’t be more satisfied. It is really unbelievable how the system works. And let us not speak of the Compensation Plan. Hang in there, baby. Stick with it and learn it. Not many of the home based internet businesses offer an upfront payment of a thousand dollars per sale on first level product. That’s why I said “stick with it”. My bank manager might soon get to know me on a first name basis, my friend. And what’s nice to know is that you can do it too.

I love not having to drive across town to sit in a classroom, or attending weekly business opportunity meeting. No more inviting strangers to my house. No wondering if I’ll return home to find items missing.

CC Pro frequently conducts conference calls and webinars. The training is not built around the “old rah-rah” excitement “Go-get-em-dog” "3-foot rule" principles. Carbon Copy Pro is a total deluxe internet home based business.

Naturally I’m still in the trenches, learning how to use the ammunition. So I don’t intend to come across like a high-rolling internet home business owner. Although my goal is $50k a month in a couple of years: I wouldn’t deceive anyone.

I’m not an overnight millionaire in my internet home based business: Far from it. For me it is a sharp up-swinging learning curve. The biggest mountain I have to climb is the technical side; the actual hands-on branding me, and marketing the product to the millions of people who surf the web daily.

Marketing! Even if you have a peanut size idea of what internet marketing is, it's still good. The idea of branding yourself might be something new to you?

Years ago the word branding was used to describe the act of distinguishing cattle. With a red hot poker, ranch owners and cowboys seare logo in the cows' hides. But like everything else, the word branding has taken on a new meaning. It is currently used in regards to advertise a distinctive design, to link consumers with specific manufacturers, and to link customers with you as a unique product.

To brand yourself means to establish you (the internet business owner) as an authority in your area of expertise. It defines you as a leader in the business and has nothing to do with hot metal pokers, cowboys, and logos.

Branding is done through writing blogs, articles, creating videos, and offering information of value to the consumer. When you help them to identify their problems, offer working solutions to these problems, and assist in stoning their enemies, they will be a friend for life.

Another form of branding is having your own personal website.

My old MLM companies gave me a web site that branded them and their products: not me. My picture or my voice was nowhere to be seen or heard on their sites. My name, email address, or a phone number might have appeared in a couple of places on the sites, and that was it. All the rest of the stuff was about them; not about me. They branded themselves; not me.

Not so with the latest wave of internet home based business ownership. One of the ways you brand yourself is by getting your own personal domain name, and following their instructions to set up the site. Case-in-point is MLM Lead Systems Pro.

MLM Lead System Pro is a lead generating internet home based business opportunity. The system is tailored to funnel visitors through a series of pages offering information on how to get FREE leads as well as paid leads for your business. Your business needs two things. You need more leads and more money.

For a minimal monthly cost ($1 for the first 14 days) MLM Lead System Pro will teach you all you need to know to set up your own system and get it running within a short space of time; even if you are new to the internet. There is a series of tutorial videos to walk you through the set-up process.

A big challenge for me was videotaping. As good as I am at photography and speaking to audiences, videotaping was not ‘a walk in the park’. Parading alone in front a camera is a task of a different nature. There never seems to be enough rehearsal to confidently brand myself in this area of marketing. I’m getting better, however.

I use MLM Lead System Pro in tandem with Carbon Copy Pro . They work like ‘needle and thread’, ‘hand and glove’. They go great together to form the perfect internet home based business.

Check it out and see for yourself

http://allanrussell.com

MLM Business Meeting in the 21st Century

MLM Business Meetings in the 21st Century. Same-ole-same-ole…
This is a story of a first-time Multilevel Marketer (a newbie to the business)
It’s unbelievable! He is still being trained in the business with the same old worn-out methods that have been in existence since the pre-dawn of the industry…
Upon reading the follow text, ask yourself. Could this be me?

Meet Mr. Newbie… (Forgive the gender)

So Mr. Newbie attended the MLM business meeting.
He fell in the love with the MLM business. The idea of working through others is totally fascinating. This is it! He bought into the program hook-line-and-sinker.
Now he’s totally consumed with the idea of getting a FIRM GRIP on success, at last.
SUCCESS! At last!
Wahoo!
Finally in sight is Financial Freedom! The big RESIDUAL RETIREMENT CHECKS!
The MASSIVE Mansion in the CARIBBEAN! The PAID vacations! These MLM business meetings are great!
SUCCESS!
“Mr. Bank Manager, here I come!”
Got to keep the energy pumping. Before he departed from the throes of the rah-rah meeting, it was almost drilled into him:
“This business is built on excitement. Excitement spreads like a wild fire!” “Ignorance on fire gets the greater attention.”
“You’ve got to have a sense of urgency to build it right. If you want to make it big in this thing, I mean really big, within the next 24 to 48 hours; you've got to create your warm market list of friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, and so on. Here’s a memory jogger list. When you get it together, get excited and call ‘em up. Call me if you need any help, okay?”
“Here’s the script. Take it home and study it.”
“Remember: Don’t tell them too much.”
“Stick to the script and you'll do just fine: All right?”
“Remember! Just pique their interest. Don’t give away too much on the phone.”
“Invite them to the big Saturday MLM Business Meetings so they can see the big picture.”
“Let the experts at the op meeting will do the rest for you. You got that?”
Right on, bro!!!
All-rightee-then!!!
After the MLM Business Meeting is over, Mr. Newbie dashes home: 200 mph around the I-285 in Atlanta, GA.
On his way to the apartment he tenaciously clings to the memory of the blaze of excitement that heated up the expensive hotel room…
Phew!!!
At home he eagerly dashes in to greet his wife.
“Honey!” he pants. “I’ve got it right here! Here’s the key to our Mansion in the Islands!”
And he proudly presents a brilliant new beginner’s kit; almost untouched by human hands.
“BIG DEAL!” she thinks. “Where’s the money?”
No matter how excited he tried to appear, when he rushed through the door, his wife looked at him as though he had been chased by a bear in the middle of summer.
He puffs and pants, desperately trying to convey the raw feelings of excitement to her.
“Good for you!” she chimes, sarcastically.
“Perhaps she doesn’t really understand what I have here in my hands…” he whimpers within…
Moments later he is seen busting his butt trying to satisfy the call to action.
Out comes the cellular phone contact numbers - the old trusted address book (donkey’s ears old: both front and back covers missing) containing email addresses; the works!
He sure as heck does not want to lose the few dollars he spent to join the MLM Company: Not after what he learned in the MLM Business Meeting
This is it!
Ka-boom!
“I’m going to be RICH…! Rich…! Rich…! Rich… I’m gonna be Rich just for spite!”
But it’s not that simple. From the get-go Mr. Newbie goes through hell and high water putting the warm list together.
Yet he struggles and eventually finishes the list.
Having finished the list, he does a little editing. This one will; that one won’t etc…
When he is through editing the warm list, if he has ten (10) good suspects he is lucky.
BUT HEY…!
Lookee here!
Look what he’s got!
The strongest suspect is Uncle Bob.
“Uncle Bob will definitely do this…” he thinks. “He was in this type of business before…”
“And this is a brand new MLM debt-free Company! No competition. Products are doing great on the market. People are joining by the thousands all over the world. We'll be number one in 5 years. The Comp Plan is awesome, too! I can't wait to tell him about this one.”
“Let’s get to work, buddy!”
“Man-up!”

“Charge!” said the inner voice.
Run to the ten-pound telephone and call him, right now.
Ring-ring!
"Hello!"

"Is this Uncle Bob?"
Uncle Bob hears the script. He know it's Mr Newbie, but he knows it’s a script. He’s done this several times AND FAILED.
Besides, this is does not sound like his nephew’s usual tone of voice.
“This is some nervous cockamamie faker trying to make a big impression...”
Uncle Bob knows there isn’t a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The dream died for him several years ago.
“Away with the malarkey, my son:” he muses. “The idiot thinks he’s on to something.”
But wait just a minute…!

Hold up for just a minute…!

Listen up, my friend!!!!!!!
I mean you… My reader...
Does this sound familiar to you? Does this sound like an experience you’ve had with an MLM business in the past?
(It certainly was mine.)
Yes indeedee!!! But I never gave up on the idea. I kept searching, knowing that one day I will be in a position to help somebody, and that person could be you, right now.

Friend! I have some Good News 4 U!!!
After many years of struggle in this business, I recently found a better marketing plan to achieve my goals; right now… Just the same as you do, I need more leads and more money.

Let me introduce you to the idea of Gains Without Pains…
Yes… I said it…
Gains without Pains…

Yes! There is A BETTER WAY…
Right now, I want to share with you How to Build your MLM Business in a rejection-free atmosphere.
And I did say
REJECTION FREE…
Instead of being the Hunter, you will become the Hunted. People will hunt you down with credit card in hand ready to buy from you.
Networker Marketers across the globe will hunt you down and pay you to learn how to get FREE leads and improve their bottom line.

It is called a ‘funded proposal’

YOUR MLM business will explode.
Aint that SWEET!!!

Need to know how?
There is Mike Dillard’s boot camp website Magnetic Sponsoring. The URL is www.allanR.magneticsponsoringonline.com. Click on the link. You’ll be glad you did.
Go ahead.
Click it… or Lose it…
Ten… Nine… Eight…Seven…Six…Five…Four…Three…Two…One… GO!!!

Networking a Home Based Business

It’s amazing what can be accomplished when two people plough together with the same goal in mind: networking a home business.

A quote from the Holy Bible tells us…

“If one can put a thousand to flight, two can put ten thousand to flight; and a triple-braided cord cannot be broken.” Voila! Networking a home base business was born.

In more recent times - some 50 years ago - a company called Amway seems to have captured the essence of this Biblical principle found in Deuteronomy 32: 30. Amway is one of the most successful names in networking a home based business.

The passage of the Scripture has not only been adopted by the iconic home based business leader, but it has also served to build other network home based businesses in the wake of the luminous giant.

Shining above the rest is a group of people who work together sharing the same purpose. Ultimately, together they accomplish more than one person who shoulders a burden alone. And to work alone at times can be a thankless chore.

Individuals who work alone for linear wages (money earned from hourly employment) generally earn enough money to pay the bills. Some folks call it running in the same spot: Trapped in the day-to-day chores of putting food on the table. You got to eat to live. By the sweat of your brow, you eat your bread.

It can be said that a bread winner who conducts a business from home could be classified as a ‘home based business owner’. But there is a difference between a self-employed person who works from home, and a network marketer who runs a home based business. As mentioned earlier, one person works for linear wages, while the other generally utilizes the skills and services of other like-minded people. Together they work tirelessly to create never-ending streams of residual income; the sweet money.

Money to a self-employed worker is just as sweet as residual income is to a network marketer. Self employed persons generally labor out of a personal need for accuracy and perfection. They maintain a mindset that says “If you want it done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.” Be that as it may, time and financial freedom are least on their agendas. They often work longer hours, and face more difficult tasks than if they worked for a large corporation. Granted the monetary pay-off might be somewhat higher in the long run. Those who are self-employed chose to work from home because of the savings that are involved, the flexibility of setting their own hours, and tax benefits.

However, not all home based businesses are equal. A person who works from home and faces the full brunt of responsibilities has placed him or herself in an exclusive job. Whereas, a person who makes a profit by scheduling the duties of others while operating from home, is running a true home based business.

Home based businesses have been in existance since the primitive age of bartering, when items were exchanged for goods and services. For example chickens were given for beans.

In modern times we use money. Instruments of cash have made it simpler for the purpose of trading. Instead of lugging around the globe with tons of gold and silver, we use paper currency or plastic credit cards. Whether you work in a virtual home based business or a brick and mortar environment, making a profit is the main focus.

But why have these home based businesses recently come to the forefront of attention? In today’s economic climes, millions of searches are being made on every internet search engine known to mankind – Google, Yahoo, MSN and so on. Surfers are seeking bona fide home based businesses. The reason for this apparent surge may be due to current worldwide economy.

With the recent economic downturn (the instability and unrest in the marketplace; high unemployment figures; dwindling 401K retirement accounts etcetera) people everywhere are looking for ways to protect themselves and their families from financial disaster. The downturn has become an epidemic of global proportions. And on the surface it appears the real answer will be found in ownership of a home based business.

But will a home based business provide the lasting answers? The answers to this question can be as numerous as there are people.

A large percentage of the populace still seems to cling to the old entitlement mentality. They are fully convinced that the government will take care of them during the twilight years of retirement. They continue to believe deep down that the world owes them a living. But these are a dreams of a darker shade; inevitable nightmares.

“You’ve got to have a dream” is a line from the old movie - South Pacific. Quite often, dreams take quite a bit of elbow grease to bring them to fruition. Except you are prepared to put forth the necessary effort to bring forth the required results, the project is doomed for failure. No matter how excited you were at the inception of the idea of owning a home based business, those emotions will not remain the everlasting impetus to continue growing your home based business.

But don’t get me wrong. I am not against owning a home based business. I am a home based business owner myself. And I can testify it is hard work. I put in a lot of elbow grease on a daily basis.

You've got to work at building your business everyday. The reason for failure in most home based businesses is due to the expectation of instant results – microwave results. Some people have guaged their expectations on what they heard or read of someone who make $50k a week. They expect money to literally fall into their laps out of thin air.

So ‘Why a Home Based Business’?

There are tremendous tax advantages in owning a home based business. Among them is time freedom, and a chance to earn residual income – like royalties. But Uncle Sam is not as kind as he used to be. He wants to know that you are running a bona fide business and not a hobby masquerading as a business. He needs to see accurate documentation. He needs to see the usual paraphernalia that goes along with business ownership: Papers of Incorporation; A Mission Statement; Company Vision; Projections, and accurate bookkeeping.

Lastly, you must consider what you are going to do with all the extra income. The answer to this would be to invest it.

I’ll tell you more about this at a later date.

http://allanrussell.com

What If Factor.

The What If Factor

Positive or Negative?

Have you ever noticed what two little words can do for your confidence? I’m talking about “What If”.

So you set your goals. Let’s say you want to purchase a car. Having done your due diligence, you fixed your desires on a particular vehicle. Mind you, the price is within your spending range, and performance is what you want. Your confidence level is at the max. For weeks you ate, slept, and drank that car, even though it sat on the showroom floor.

Now let’s say you hadn’t mentioned your desire to own that vehicle to anyone; not even a spouse or a loved-one. There are some well-meaning people, some in our families, some closest to us, who will come up with a ‘What If’.

“’What If’ it breaks down? It’s gonna cost you a fortune to repaired it. My mechanic told me those cars are hard to work on. You have to take them back to the dealer.”

Except you are the unflappable type, there will be a knock at the door of your confidence.

And you’ll say to yourself… “You know what? That’s something I didn’t think about.”

Doubt sets in.

Take another example of the negative “What If” factor.

Let’s say you had a thought to invest in the stock market. Robert Kiyosaki, Donald Trump, and Warren Buffet: all of these men made millions of dollars due to their personal investment programs. And they continue to advise the public to invest their money; to make their dollars work for them instead of working for the money.

We all know that every individual is not the same. We think differently, look differently, and act differently. Sometimes we believe what is good for the goose, is not always good for the gander.

Right now you might be caught up in the linear income phase of your life. You work every day to pay the bills. But one day on your way to work, as if a little bird whispered in your ear, you were struck with an epiphany.

“In order to keep ahead of inflation, I need to invest in the stock market.” These are the words you casually mentioned to your spouse. No big deal! Like I said, just a casual remark.

“Are you sure you know what you are talking about? What If you lose the money? How will we survive? You know that thing is like gambling.”

There it is again: “What If”.

"No doubt about it; that’s something to consider."

Your confidence is shaken.

Lastly, the big one…

This time we’ll look at a personal desire to be a Public Speaker. Every last one of your closest friends know that you have the gift of the gab. Not only did you kiss the Blarney Stone; you also broke off a piece and swallowed it.

All of a sudden some meaningful family member says to you…

“What If you got up there in front of all those people and caught stage fright? Won’t that be embarrassing?

‘What If’ is one of those old clichés that is generally meant to shake the confidence in a client, a child, a partner, a spouse, and countless other people.

I haven’t really done any research on whom or where the term derived. What I know is this: When I was an insurance salesman, the “What If” interjection helped me to close a ton of sales.

“’What If something happens (God forbid) to the bread winner? How will the family survive?”

But there is also a very positive side to the “What If” factor.

“’What If’ you do not start an investment program soon: How will you deal with inflation in the future?

Here is Ken Little's Golden Rule for investing:

"The best time to start investing was yesterday. The second best time is today. Tomorrow is better than nothing"

“’What If’ you do not teach yourself how to invest: How will you learn?

“’What If’ you do not teach your child how to invest? How will they survive the impending future?

You see, there is a myth about investing. They say you need to be a rocket scientist to invest in the stock market.

Investing is hard; that’s another myth. And yet another myth: You need to have someone who knows about the stock market to handle your investing.

When you give your money to someone else to hold for you, whose interest do you think will come first? What If you gave it to them and they lost every red cent, how would you feel then? Wouldn’t it be better to have lost it knowing what you did wrong, and learn from your mistakes?
There are a couple of books I recommend. “Alpha Teach Yourself – Investing in 24 Hours” by Ken Little, and “Investors Business Daily” by William J. Oneal.

Read the first book first and follow with the second. Between them they will set you on the road to good financial health.

What if you don’t study the books and work on the ideas?

http://mlmsolidsecrets.com/

Secret to Building Your Residual Income

Secrets to Building Your Residual Income

One of the biggest mistakes that online marketers make is that they focus on the short-term earnings of their business and not the long-term residual income potential.

You can earn a legitimate $35,000 residual income within your first year if you understand and follow this approach.

The idea here is that you will build a solid team, and then enjoy the residual income from this team for years to come. Do the work once, and get paid for life...

If you have 10 marketers that you have personally referred who is EACH earning a $10,000 per month income with WMI, you would be earning approximately $35,000 RESIDUAL income. THIS SHOULD BE YOUR FOCUS AS YOU ARE BUILDING YOUR TEAM.

Even if you are barely breaking even in your OWN business, your sole purpose should be to go out and recruit your 10 leaders or however many people you have to until you have a $35,000/month residual income (or whatever your goal is.) To do this however you must have the belief and vision knowing that you are in the game long-term for the residual income.

You may even go as far as helping your new members close their sales by calling their applicants and BiB customers FOR them until they have made a few sales.

Do whatever it take to maximize your residual income and you will enjoy the payback for years to come. http://allanrussell.com/

Money Is Found In The List.

The Money is Found In The List.
No mystery, no smoke, and no mirrors!

The money is in the list.

Perhaps you have attended one of those big weddings where the guests far out-number the regular attendance at your local Sunday worship service.

You thought to yourself
“I didn’t know this young couple knew so many people…”

Well, there's no secret to it. They were collecting lists of names from various sources: parents, friends, relatives, and the social media networks - FaceBook, MySpace, Tagged.

Then you think to yourself

“If only I could’ve had this many people to attend one of my networking business meetings, what a deal that would be, eh?”

On my personal FaceBook page, I’ve been sending out the same message. “The Money Is Found in The List.”

Lo and behold, a friend (a young woman on FB) asked me what it is about. So I clicked on her profile and surely enough she is a networker. She represents a well-known network marketing company. You mean to tell me that she really doesn't know the meaning of my statement, or is she just kidding me?

"The money is found in the list."

"Build it and they will come."

The reason the wedding had so many guests in attendance was because of a list; or maybe two. The same goes for your business. The more names you have on our list of prospects the greater the chances for your business to succeed.

To build an effective list of names for your Network Marketing business, you’ve got to use an autoresponder. The autoresponder sends emails out to your prospects, even when you are not sitting at your computer.

The object of the exercise is to create, let’s say, a seven-part email campaign. Then you can set the intervals as frequently as you want. Having written the emails once, anyone joining your list will automatically receive the seven-part email campaign from you, over the time-frame set by you.

Again, it doesn’t matter if you're sitting at your computer or not. Those emails will be delivered to an inbox somewhere around the globe. You won’t ever have to physically do the work again. It will be done automatically for you. If ever those people decide they don’t want to receive any more emails from you, they can easily unsubscribe. And all of this will be done for you without you having to lift a finger.

The fact is, people have to be told seven (7) times about your product or service before they decide to get involved; before they decide to buy it from you. And that’s the whole purpose of the autoresponder.

Generating leads and building the list is the PREMIER IMPORTANT ASPECT of your network marketing business. And the same goes for brick and mortar businesses as well. You've got to find a way to place your product or service in front of thousands of prospects 24/7 and without high expenses.

There is nothing of greater importance than keeping the pipeline constantly full of names: What’s more, filled with qualified leads. One of the best autoresponders cand be had by visiting http://www.aweber.com/.

Good luck with your sorting.
http://mlmsolidsecrets.com/