| I read something the other day I couldn't believe. It | | | | how to sell online, and many professionals who would |
| angered me. Want to know what it was? The news | | | | like to sell an information product. The opportunities |
| article I read talked about being cautious when | | | | are usually endless. Last year the number one |
| looking for work. Apparently your boss, the one that | | | | profession in the market place was being a business |
| pays your bills, has nothing better to do than run | | | | coach. With more and more people jumping the |
| phony ads on and in your local paper looking to | | | | corporate ship without a life raft that need is getting |
| entrap you. I found this very odd. The other strange | | | | bigger all the time. Sock some money away in the |
| attitude I see recently revolves around this "Feed the | | | | bank and get a feel for what you are doing before |
| Pig" campaign. This sends out a real subtle message | | | | you jump the ship yourself. When the time is right |
| upon first viewing. It scolds the viewer and looks | | | | you must make a clean break. It is customary to |
| down upon basically creating a better life for oneself. | | | | give your boss a 2 week notice. But if your situation |
| The whole idea here is to save money and live as | | | | is really dire don't be afraid to call the thing off and |
| tight as you can and to live in fear whenever | | | | bolt for the door. You have to do what is best for |
| possible. Is this still America? I have to ask this out | | | | you despite all the nagging advice of your weekly |
| loud because if I am not mistaken this country was | | | | local business columnist. The average salary, take |
| built on having real balls. In fact if you go back in time | | | | home pay, from a company is a little under a |
| you'll find that people had their own businesses. This | | | | thousand bucks a week. It is not uncommon to get |
| was actually the norm at one time. Somewhere | | | | as much as $5,000 a week when you get things |
| during the industrial revolution we lost scope of this | | | | moving in your business. The trick is going to be |
| and jobs became the norm in 20th Century America. | | | | making that number consistent. You will have to |
| The idea of free spirited living slowly succumbed to | | | | work with business coaches to get those high |
| living like a thrifty coward. You don't owe the system | | | | numbers to be a regular thing but it is worth it. Here's |
| anything. A recent episode of the news on ABC | | | | How You Ditch Your Boss There is one eternal truth |
| showed that the banks are not sympathetic to | | | | that you must comprehend. 90% of all companies I |
| foreclosures. They have no problem throwing you | | | | talk to do not know how to market themselves. This |
| back out on the street. You see I differ from most | | | | is true in just about every income bracket I run |
| people. I am actually embarrassed to tell people that | | | | across and this also includes many different types of |
| I attended college. I would rather be out on the | | | | industry. Some of their marketing woes would stun a |
| street duking it out and getting into all kinds of | | | | rhino. It is mind boggling how these companies |
| adventures. It is the heart and soul of an | | | | manage to stay in business month after month - |
| entrepreneur. I'd rather do that than to live in fear of | | | | year after year. It is going to be your job to meet |
| a bank, existing within meager means, and to cower | | | | with them and figure out what they need. The |
| in front of an idiot boss. BREAKING FREE First of all, | | | | second earth shattering world truth is that companies |
| never look for a job while at work. This is one of the | | | | would just as soon hire a temp, gurus, or a |
| worst things you can do. Your boss has a "busy" | | | | consultant of some sort to get them through a |
| schedule and who knows what he does behind | | | | hurdle. As an employee your transition into hardcore |
| closed doors. I haven't worked in a corporate hell | | | | business entrepreneur is going to be challenging one. |
| hole in years but here is a clue. You can bet that | | | | Eventually you are going to have to be good at |
| once he is in his inner sanctum he has nothing to do | | | | sniffing these out. Your skills will improve. You may |
| but to scour the web looking for clues on his staff. | | | | want to create an information based product to |
| This is in between uploading pictures of his kids to his | | | | launch your departure from your company. Info |
| personal site, yapping on the blow horn, and surfing | | | | products are always in demand for companies. |
| joke sites. Its another hard day in the life of a typical | | | | Anything you can do to shorten a learning curve for |
| corporate bonehead. You owe it to yourself to | | | | a company is always welcomed, and there are many |
| expand your horizons and to take on a new type of | | | | areas in which you can service. You can create a |
| paycheck. Becoming an entrepreneur takes a lot of | | | | product for tutorials and training, teaching, online |
| guts and a lot of knowledge. This is the kind of | | | | demonstrations and so on. Anything recorded in video |
| education that you won't get much of in an office | | | | and audio get a much higher price than something |
| environment. Posting resumes on job sites is a bad | | | | you would sell in a printed format. This could build up |
| idea if you are still employed. Faxing out your resume | | | | to be a sizeable nest egg. After you get your feet |
| is another bad idea and will most likely get you sent | | | | wet in this area and feel comfortable you can quit |
| to the HR office if you get caught. I suggest cheap | | | | your job. If you are a risk taker you can just quit |
| postcards to potential business ventures. Try doing | | | | without a plan like I did! This will help you get on your |
| something cheap with an 800 number on it so you | | | | feet quick and this type of brash move is not for |
| can check your messages discreetly. You can put | | | | everyone. Leaving a job on a whim was one of the |
| together a simple newsletter and sending it out to | | | | greatest things I have ever done. It forced me to |
| prospects or business partners you want to meet up | | | | learn new skills and strategies. I was able to score |
| with. Thanks to information technology there are a | | | | $5,600 bucks in 24 hours using a combination of Ebay |
| lot of ways you can mask your money seeking | | | | techniques, web site marketing and my 800 number. |
| efforts. This includes voice broadcast, FAX, 800 | | | | I bet you can do the same. Everyone is an open |
| numbers, newsletters, webinars, email marketing just | | | | book and has a wide range of skills and abilities that |
| to name a few. To plan your escape you need to do | | | | are unique to each person. Walking Out Into The |
| the following. 1. Set up a 800 number with a | | | | Wide Open Air A good friend once asked, "Did you |
| pre-recorded message on it. This will let people know | | | | ever walk out into the middle of nothing?". I knew |
| what you are offering or selling. Some 800 numbers | | | | what he meant immediately and its true, being in |
| will let people FAX in order forms to you. I found | | | | business for yourself can be a very scary position in |
| that working with 1.800.PATLIVE was a great choice. | | | | life. There are no limits to how much you can make. |
| Its inexpensive and very discreet. You can have a 10 | | | | That is the message I wish the media would project |
| minute selling commercial on it and open up five | | | | on people instead of this really lame, "Feed the Pig" |
| separate lines with different offers on it. 2. Create a | | | | BS. Living cowardly is not the American way. There is |
| newsletter that you can mail out to potential business | | | | nothing to be gained from cowering away from your |
| clubs and social groups. 3. Submit articles to niche | | | | own potential and its certainly not admirable or |
| publications. The beauty of this is because niche | | | | noteworthy. I'd like to comfort your nervous nature |
| publications are so underground your boss will never | | | | and tell you that its okay to be scared. Its alright to |
| know where to look. These are not like the | | | | be terrified of your sloth like slow moving boss with |
| magazines you can buy at Borders and Barnes and | | | | bullish overtones and bad karma. I'd like to tell you |
| Nobles. Its also great for lead generation. 4. Take | | | | that it is okay to over think the future and worry |
| orders for phone consultations for what you do. You | | | | about what your coworkers will think of you for |
| can take your calls on your lunch hour and when you | | | | leaving your place of employment. I'd like to bring |
| get off at 5 PM. This is a great thing to do when you | | | | your fears to rest but there is one thing that I think |
| are just starting out and it's a great way to build up | | | | you should know..... .... I wish I could remember the |
| your bank account while still being employed. 5. Get a | | | | names of all my former coworkers. But the truth is I |
| merchant account so you can process orders online. | | | | can only remember certain faces. I don't remember |
| Getting a web site will help you accept payment | | | | the full names of people I worked with in the |
| from your public. Make sure you get 50% - 100% for | | | | corporate arena. I suppose that has largely to do |
| your services up front. Get your money up front the | | | | with the fact that I feel those day do not matter |
| way lawyers do. You tell them that you work on | | | | much in the current scope of things. My new days of |
| retainer only or by project basis. 6. Set up a seminar | | | | being an entrepreneur greatly outweigh those |
| after work at community based setting. This could | | | | torturous long days and asinine late nights I spent in |
| be in a café, bookstore or in an art gallery. You | | | | corporate life. To do these skills well you may need |
| can get a great room at a public library. Treat the | | | | some practice before you split. You will have to ditch |
| affair like an exhibition and make sure you get plenty | | | | all the fundamentals you have now in your current |
| of business cards from prospects. 7. Find out what | | | | environment. You will have to trade in all the negative |
| people want. Everybody wants something in this life. | | | | situations for powerful new ones. These will seem a |
| Your job is to be the facilitator in this area. A lot of | | | | bit odd at first. Be strong. |
| doctors have side projects that they cannot deliver | | | | Ted Cantu runs iMobile Media ( )and works out of |
| to the public due to lack of marketing ability, there | | | | NYC, Chicago, and Detroit, Michigan. |
| are start up companies out there that do not know | | | | |