Entrepreneur and Investor vs. Employee

Employee, Self- Employed, Business Owner, or Investor… Which one are you?

Have you decided which one you are?

Well if you haven’t you should fast. For those who don’t know the difference between Employee, Self- Imploded, Business Owner, and Investor or have no clue what that are, let me give you the k.i.s.s. ( keep it short and simple) explanation.

Employee- you work for some one

Self- Employed-you work for yourself

Business Owner- Others work for you

Investor- your money works for you

Simply said? It’s actually easier read than doing. You have to be self-motivated to do what the big boys do. You actually have to kick your self in the ass and be a go-getter. You have to be a leader, a student and a teacher. What I want to instill in you is that you don’t have to be that employee any more. Honestly I love my dedicated employees; they are what keep my businesses going.

I know being an employee may seem easier because you don’t have a lot of responsibility. Climbing the corporate ladder isn’t all its cracked up to be. What about a down size? What if they don’t need you any more? What’s next? Being an employee is never safe if you ask me. A job is a temporary solution to a long-term problem.

I chose not to be an employee because I like spoiling myself. I like to stay up and wake up when I want to, Eat lunch when and where I want, travel whenever I want, etc. Imagine going to a beach for a weekend with you significant other at last minute because you want to. Sounds Good? You know that you will never get away with that at ABC’s company without putting in vacation time if you get that. What about giving yourself a raise because you want to? The list just keeps getting longer.

Figure out your passion and what you are good at doing. Your passion is something you would do for free. Remember money follows vision. Write a business plan. And go from there.

I love investing because you really just watch your bank account grow. Trust me it feels good to watch the accounts grow and grow! You can invest in Real Estate, other businesses, stocks, etc.

The day that you decide that you want to be in control of your destiny is the day you start controlling your destiny. When would now be the right time to do so and live life with ease? Good luck on your journey.

Nicole

The Apprentice LA

I absolutely love this show. Donald Trump is doing yet another thing that no one believed would work. But much to their surprise, it’s a big hit on NBC. This show is about people competing to be his right hand man. My question is how can I learn from him without being on the show? Do I pay him $50,000 an hour like others?

I really like when they go into the board room and Donald chews the candidates out, then fires them. It’s funny for me but sad for them. This show is all about marketing. At the end of the day it is all about the bottom line. (Also know as net profit.) Like in any business. When I watch this show I think of new ways of marketing my company and or other businesses that I work with. It’s a new way to expand your horizon. Because sometimes the candidates do things that cause you to scream at the TV telling them that it was a stupid idea, and how you would’ve done it.

The strange but great thing about this show is that the candidates sometimes are already successful. Since Donald is a billionaire, why not learn from him and gain access to his contacts. Remember that it’s all about whom you know. I’m a loyal viewer of The Apprentice LA. If you have time you should watch it on Sundays on NBC. You’ll learn something.

Nicole

You've gotten your Real Estate License.. What's Next?

I think you need to do some research for yourself. Read books on real estate, listen to audio books in the car, and let your new world be REAL ESTATE. Call everyone you know. Tell them that you are in Real Estate now. Ask them for referrals. I mean it when I say call everyone you know. Go through your yearbook if you have to. Attend networking events so you can network and pass out your cards and get theirs. The reason why I'm stressing call the people you already know and getting to know other people is because statistics show that everyone should know at least 250 people. You do the math. Just build up trust with people. Making a real estate purchase is a big decision in ones life so become trust worthy.

Next thing do is to put together a business plan. It may sound like a lot of work but it is a business, and with a business plan you can use it to track your success. (I personally like structure in my business.) A business plan can be written on the back of a napkin as long as it states a goal.

Next is a marketing plan. WooHoo!!! The world lives on marketing. In a marketing plan you simply state how you are going to connect your customers with your services and or products. A marketing plan consists of six basic components:

Target Markets- Who are your customers? Find out who has a need for your service. Do some research to acquire more information about your market. You need to know what they like and their spending habits.

Products/Services- What are you offering? What are field of Real Estate are you specializing in? Residential, Commercial, etc,

Promotion- How are you going to inform your customers about your solution to their needs? (Passing out business cards is a form of promoting.) Do a free seminar about buying Real Estate. Those who show up are prospects!!!

Budget- how much money do you have set aside for marketing? The more money you spend in marketing the more customers you will get. Its called law of probability.

Distribution- How can your customer get to whatever it is you are offering? Are you doing this full time or part time? When can you be reached? What’s your schedule? When are you in the office?

Pricing- What is the price of your solution to you customers needs? What’s your commissioned rate?

Services- What other options can you offer to enhance your solution’s value?

I want to leave you with some marketing ideas but you really should be open-minded and find as many ways as possible. Not all techniques work for everyone.

• Again Attend as many networking events as you can. Make friends. Be prepared to prospect and pass out business cards.
• Business Cards are very inexpensive now days. Your company may provide you with some but if not you can go to a store that specializes in printing. I like Staples personally. Vista Print is good and they have some that are free.
• Classified ads in your local newspaper are inexpensive also. (Don’t worry people still really read them).
• Internet Marking is huge now days. Place ads online some are free some are not. Just go to Google and type in any question you have (that’s what I do!) about any kind of Internet marketing.
• Give a free seminar on real estate and if you are selling high end Real Estate you should advertise using a headline like “Learn how to buy Luxury Properties” Like I mentioned earlier people respond to free and you know that they are prospects if they come. Get their addresses (home and email)

Always have a place where you store emails and home addresses because you can always follow up and say hello. (Don’t forget to ask for referrals.)

Okay. I think that’s enough to get you started! Good Luck on your journey and remember, my three favorite words NEVER GIVE UP!

Nicole

Dreaming is FREE! So Dream BIG!

Dreaming IS free for everyone. So why isn’t everyone dreaming bigger or dreaming at all? If dreaming is free, how much does it cost not to dream? Lets do some math.

Dreaming Bigger= Accomplishing goals, happiness, wealth, success, etc.

Not Dreaming big= Poverty, depression, underpaid, rat race, etc. You get the point.

When you believe that impossible is nothing, you are stepping out in faith. Faith is having confidence or trust.

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve - Napoleon Hill”

It’s really time to step outside of limited psychological conditioning and begin a journey of self-discovery. You should know that the only limitations that you have is the one you put on your self. A lot of successful people watch cartoons because there isn’t any limitation there’s only someone’s imagination.

One of my goals in life is to let others know that’s it okay to think outside the box. Dream for what ever you want and who ever you want. I walk around smiling and thinking about new business ideas and new ways to help people. It gives me an adrenaline rush because I have already trained myself to know that in my world, anything is possible. When someone chooses to share his or her dreams and goals don’t be ignorant and laugh. Be wise and support them because dreaming is free.

You can dream about pink unicorns or you can dream about being the richest person in the world. Dreaming its one of the freest ways to be excited about life so don’t be afraid to do so. It didn’t stop Martin Luther King Jr., Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Oprah, etc. Don’t let anything hold you back and don’t hold anyone else back.

Good luck on your journey!

Nicole

Something to Get the Day Started

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent."
John Donne

Ready, Set, Go!

Hello! How are you doing today? I'm Nicole. First I would like to thank you for your interest in my journey. My journey is about finding myself and my way through the business world. Every so often I will blog about my journey experiences; it is nice to have support. So I’m asking for 300% support.

I quit my job at a major retail store just recently. I still have bills that need to be paid and I will pay them but I feel that they will be there if I’m rich or poor, dead or alive. I was not comfortable being another underpaid minority. I like thinking outside the box. I like dreaming. So I quit, and here I am.

My first business that I’ve started is a Business Consulting Firm. I did not attend college or any other classes. So this will be a life experiment and I hope others learn from my experiences. I do not know yet what my other business ventures will be. But God will bring them to me when its time. Just like this one! Ready, Set, Go!

Nicole