97 percent

Actually, if you’re NOT a fan of Robert Kiyosaki and the Rich Dad “brand” of personal development then it’s probably because you haven’t encountered him yet.

Those who ARE aware of Kiyosaki will know he is a genuine star on the wealth creation scene.

The latest news is that he’s launching a new online service; Rich Dad World. As part of the promotion of this, they are giving away access to about $800 worth of tools and information; coaching, audios, webinars and various tools to help you get your financial intelligence on track.

So, click through for Free Access to Rich Dad World today

(no, that’s not an affiliate link)

If you haven’t yet got into the Rich Dad stuff, do yourself a favour and take a look right now.

When you think of the word “franchise”, you probably think of McDonald’s, KFC, Car Valet services and many many more. These full-on franchise businesses usually involve a large injection of cash up-front, extensive training, premises that are fitted out with the corporate colour scheme, staff uniforms etc. etc.

At the heart of the franchise business model though is a simple but vital component; duplication. The franchise model is built entirely on the ability to duplicate business processes (and success) over and over. You basically take a fully fledged recipe for a profitable business, follow it step by step and success should follow. This process is usually so well defined, that customers come to expect a high level of consistency, with service and products, at any franchise operation of a given business (e.g. a Big Mac is expected to be almost identical from any McDonalds outlet).

Franchising is a very powerful business model which, if you follow the recipe, can lead to consistent and predictable results. The biggest stumbling block for many people would be the initial investment required. This is often in the order of tens (sometimes hundreds) of thousands of dollars.

But what if this obstacle could be removed? Furthermore, what if you could also remove the need to hire staff, the need to operate from a dedicated premises, and even the need to go through a lengthy training program? What if all you had to do is two simple things:

1. Buy hamburgers for personal consumption
2. Encourage others to do the same

Would you be able to do that? Around 95% of people would respond with a resounding “yes”, it’s a no-brainer. Now, eating hamburgers as a franchise opportunity doesn’t actually exist (maybe I should look into that?). Equally simple “franchise” opportunities DO exist, they follow the exact same 2-step model given above, are available to ANYONE without massive up-front investment, and require no staff or premises EVER (unless you want to go that way of course).

I know this because I have one of these simple “franchises”, I spend a small amount of time on it every week (because I don’t have a shop, staff, or retail sales to make) and I have been able to assist others in doing the exact same thing.

Perhaps you already own one and didn’t realise it? Take a look at your network marketing business through franchise lenses and you might see it.

So, all those New Year resolutions were made, perhaps yours included things like “make an effort to work my business”, “finally find a business I like” or something else along the lines of “finally getting around to taking some form of sustained action”?

If things are panning out as planned then I’m truly happy for you, however the vast majority will be finding that one month has all but gone by and still nothing has changed. In most cases, this will be because they themselves haven’t changed. As the saying goes, it really is insanity to expect different results from the same actions.

So, if this sounds like your situation, what can you do to change? Well, you can change your business (this is what most people do, over and over again), you can change YOU (personal development and/or education or you can change what you’re doing (or not doing as the case may be).

Now, just in case you didn’t pick it up from what I said, the last thing I want anyone to do is change business unless you’re 100% it is not the right vehicle for you. Jumping from one business to another is what most people do, most of the time. I’ll give you my opinion on this right now; most “wisdom” says you need to work at a network marketing business for 6 to 12 months. I believe this advice should change to 5 years.

In other words, pick a business with a product you like, with a compensation plan that rewards effort, a plan that’s not too complicated (so you can explain it easily) and make a commitment to work at it for 5 years minimum. At the end of the day, even if you’re working on the basis of this being a part-time income, it is still a business, and it is a very rare business indeed that is an overnight success. At the end of the 5 years, even if you haven’t got the results you were hoping for, I’m willing to bet that you’ll have acquired some great skills that will enable you to achieve success.

It’s a sad thing that network marketing has gained a “get rick quick” reputation, and it is understandable that this is an attractive option to people who need extra income ASAP. I truly wish there was a magic wand that could be waved, however there is no such thing.

So, assuming you’re not going to fall into the trap of changing business, what can be done to change your fortunes? My main recommendation is to invest time in yourself, seek out information relating to skills and personal development – there’s plenty freely available online. I also recommend that people get into the habit of reading books such as “Think and Grow Rich” and “Rich Dad Poor Dad”.

“Hang on!”, I hear you cry, “isn’t this the same advice we hear from the 3 percent crowd?”. Well, that’s a good question, and the simple answer is “yes”. You see, investing in yourself will stand you in good stead, no matter whether you’re in the 3% or the 97%. You will find a lot of invaluable material in the books mentioned. They will enable you to find out more about who you are, and help keep you focused on your business activities, whether full-time or part-time. What I am not assuming is that your goal is to become a multi-millionaire!

This kind of personal development will inevitably lead to a change in what you’re doing, which covers the third option mentioned. I think it should be starting to become clear that it all starts with an investment of time; time to understand your business, time to learn about yourself and your goals, and time to develop yourself in positive ways.

Ultimately there’s not a HUGE difference between the 97% and the 3%, in fact the only difference is often the size of the ultimate goal (e.g. becoming a millionaire versus being able to pay bills comfortably). The thing is, if you’re aiming to be a successful “97 percenter” you can adopt these ideas in moderation, rather than needing to spend every hour of every day trying to be superman or superwoman!

I will leave you with this to ponder; January 2010 is almost done, what will you do from February 2010 onwards to make a difference?

One of the barriers that home-based business operators often fail to overcome is something I refer to as “short term thinking”. You may have heard it referred to as “lotto mentality”, “get rich quick” or, if you’ve read a lot on the subject, as a “failure to defer gratification”.

You see, many people are in a bad place financially, and are desperate for a quick fix. These people see the glossy ads on the web, promising untold wealth for little work, and they want a piece of that action. They sign up expecting a magic wand that will fix up their situation in double-quick time.

Sadly, for them at least, this is unrealistic. Real, sustained results come about over time, by building up an income-producing asset over time, and by resisting the temptation to spend every dollar earned in commission on luxuries, or even servicing credit card debt.

If you haven’t done so already, get your hands on a copy of Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” – now do NOT panic, or ignore this advice just because it’s written by a millionaire, or because it is generally recommended reading for people looking to become wealthy themselves. The advice and philosophy is equally applicable to the 97 percent, just as it is to the 3 percent!

One of the key ideas that Robert Kiyosaki writes about is the creation of income-producing assets; in other words investing time and money creating something that effectively works for you, earning you a recurring income. Now this asset could be a stock investment, it could be real estate, or perhaps a business. The key idea is that this asset, once you have made the effort to create it, will continue to make you money with little or no further input on your part.

I hope you can see how this can apply even if you’re simply looking to earn a little more to spend on life’s luxuries (or more increasingly to pay off consumer debt). By investing a small amount of money and time, having the self-discipline to invest back into the asset (e.g. in the early days at least, spending small commissions on growing the business instead of seeing them as extra spending money), you can easily set up a revenue stream that will continue to reward those initial efforts, month after month.

By deferring your need for gratification (i.e. not looking to buy yourself a treat right away) this revenue stream builds up, providing a solid secondary income stream that is yours to use as you wish. Whether that is paying off credit card bills, or paying for a family holiday, the choice really is yours.

Conversely, the short term thinker will make (maybe) $100 in commission in month 1 and use it to pay a bill. The following month the commission is still $100 because nothing has been done to grow the network. After a few months of this, and perhaps with the commission cheques decreasing in value, it’s all too easy to give up, stating that “this business doesn’t work”, or “it’s not for me”. In reality it’s simply the approach that needed adjusting or, as Robert Kiyosaki would say, it’s a lack of “financial intelligence”.

As I write this, I am reminded of a story I heard as a child, about a shoemaker. I need to check, but I think it may have been the story “The Elves and The Shoemaker”. The concept I am thinking of specifically is that the profit from a pair of shoes was used to buy the leather required to make 2 pairs of shoes, with the number of pairs doubling each time. This is the same concept I am touching on above; you can either spend the profits from one pair of shoes (or one commission cheque) on treats for yourself, or you can invest that back into your business which is then the start of exponential growth in your business.

It’s a simple choice, and one that I sincerely hope more people will start to make to improve their lives.

Will you make the right choice?

With the advent of a new year (and indeed new decade) it seemed an appropriate opportunity to review where we’re going with all this. The good news is that the core purpose remains the same; to provide encouragement and hope to all of those people currently being dismissed as “failures”.

So that doesn’t change at all – what WILL change is some of the blog content and opinion pieces… Over the past couple of months I have come to realise that I had allowed 97Percent to become a vehicle that was primarily being negative towards certain approaches and aspects of network marketing. While I feel justified in my views, it fails to offer anything positive that can actually help people enjoy a life of success.

So, from this moment onwards when I see things in the business that “annoy” me, I shall bite my virtual tongue, and focus on posting content that is truly of value. This will mostly relate to the path of personal development, which I would encourage anyone to explore even if their main objective is to create a secondary income.

While I still maintain that product is the key factor for the majority of home-based business operators, expanding the scope of your thinking will pay dividends over time. I’m sure there’s many of you questioning this concept, however it does bring benefits.

In any case, I look forward to sharing experiences and information with you all, and wish you all that you desire in 2010 and beyond.

Best wishes

Gaz