It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.
“Remember, wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure and life is as simple as you want to make it.” – John Dessauer
A Guest Blog By: Heather Dessauer
A few weeks ago John and I had the pleasure of traveling to Phoenix, Arizona for work. While we were only there for about 5 days, upon my return home I realized that it had become Fall. The leaves had not only changed, but had also started to fall off of their branches. The smell of Barbeques and sun tan lotion was now replaced by that “Fall” smell (everyone in the Midwest, or East knows what I’m referring to. If you haven’t ever smelled “Fall”, it should be bottled and sold!). Now it’s very possible that this change had been happening for weeks before I left, but sometimes when we remove ourselves from a situation, everything becomes more evident!
I was born and raised in NW Indiana, and although in my early 20’s I saw that as a curse, I now understand the blessing of growing up here. The ability to enjoy the four seasons is a real pleasure. When I was younger it meant being able to swim in a pool or lake, and a few weeks later to be jumping into piles of leaves. It wasn’t a few weeks difference that we (my brother and I) were sledding down hills and having snowball fights (mostly my dear brother throwing snow in my face!). When I was young, the season change meant I better find a new way to keep myself amused! As I have gotten older, it means so much more.
I lost my Father on November 8, 2004. I was 24 years old. For about two months my life came to a screeching halt. When you lose someone that is such an integral part of your life, nothing is ever the same. This was the first year that I didn’t enjoy Fall. I didn’t enjoy the leaves changing colors. I couldn’t see the beauty in the first snowfall. It was, by far, the worst couple of months of my life. Although by the age of 24 most people feel that you should “have it together”, I did not. Losing my Dad made me realize that I better get it together, and start getting some things done! One of the lessons I learned very quickly was how valuable life is and how fast it can be taken away from you. Floating along taking things for granted and waiting for things to happen was no longer going to be acceptable. It was from then on that the seasons took on a different meaning for me, and so did life.
John and I have the pleasure to travel all over the world and meet all sorts of incredible people. I absolutely love to meet new people, and talk to them about what they enjoy. I am often saddened to hear about what makes my new acquaintances happy. I hear a lot about material purchases, or new business ventures. I don’t hear nearly enough about how they have found “success” in having a happy family, or a providing a loving home. So many people are so consumed with keeping up with their neighbors, or just surviving, that they don’t take the time to sit back and realize everything that is important is already right in front of them. I do understand that everyone finds pleasure different ways, but in my opinion there is nothing more important than family and love .
So from 24 on, my life changed. Now, I love deeper, appreciate more, and work harder. I realize that any day could be my last. I work harder for what I want, and don’t take for granted what I have. I forgive more, and forget less. I love my family so intensely that I truly don’t know how I could breathe without them. I never go to bed mad. I never, ever, ever say the word hate (my Dad raised us that it was far too intense of a word to use for anything, saying “hate” in my house was as good as cussing). I am thankful for every person that is in my life. I donate to every animal shelter I can. I’m always willing to help someone, no matter what that entails. I embrace the simple pleasures of life.
So as the season changes again, I want you to look at this as a new beginning, both personally and professionally. Let this be a new start for you to spend more time with your kids, or proceed with your new business venture. This can be a time for you to “start fresh”. Take a different road, or even a different turn. Forgive yourself for mistakes made, and find solutions instead of problems going forward. Appreciate all that you have, and understand how valuable it all is. What are you thankful for?
This week I am in Vancouver working with a client. I am amazed at how Canadian people are approaching the world economy. They have become very conservative, but sense there is a global shift in the World economy. They see opportunities, instead of problems. The main question that they are asking is, “How do I become successful?”
My answer? They need to fail. I have become a master at failing. As a society, we put so much pressure on becoming successful, most people think it is born out of the seeds of small victories. It’s not. It’s born out of devastating life events that bring you to the brink of total collapse.
Pushing the human body and mind to the outer limits of experience creates strength. Think about that statement. Are you operating within an environment in which you are playing it safe? Have you ever said; failure is not an option? If so, you may want to re-evaluate.
People have achieved more after failure and devastation than most people that have never had major life challenges. The strength that develops after devastation are the ingredients for success. Take these stats for instance:
1. More Millionaires were created out of the strife of The Great Depression. (Are you pumped up about the current economic woes or complaining about them?)
2. Lance Armstrong went on to win 7 Tour De France’s after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, including testicular and brain cancer. He simply willed himself to be a Champion after devastation. I have a feeling it changed his Health, once his mindset changed. (My second book, The Alchemy of Wealth talks about changing the Mind to change your physical world.)
3. It is estimated that Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times in creating the light bulb, before he became successful.
My point is I want you to accept failure as fuel. That’s right, I said fuel. Most people think of failure as the end of the road. I want you to look at failure as a chance to get off the road, and create your own path. It’s the part of life that keeps us energized. Not knowing exactly what your plan is makes for a life of adventure.
Are you ready for an adventure or do you like the status quo? If you like the status quo, you will probably be afraid to fail. I have failed so many times in my life. That’s actually why you should listen to me(read middle of page). I have succeeded in failure and I have been blessed with a truly wonderful life.
Success is a measurable item. It’s not measured by the amount of material goods that we have, but rather the everyday feelings that we experience, both good and bad. Our society would rather have you be judged by what you wear, or drive, or live in, to measure success. It also rejects the benefits of failure. I say you reject what society has put together for you and you create your own destiny (or someone else will). For you to be successful you have to embrace the failures and re-define your journey and how it’s measured. When that’s your path, you’re already successful. Congratulations you loser!
“Remember, wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure, and life is as simple as you want to make it!” – John Dessauer
As America continues to hope that the single-family market will turn around, it seems to be getting worse. I think that the reason that it continues to get worse is that we consider them as “investments”. I am here to tell you that single-family homes are not, nor have they ever been considered an investment as we know it today.
I’m not saying that no one has ever made money on single-family house investing as a strategy. I’m saying historically, that is not what the single-family house was created for. It was created for families to live in, not to invest in. But that mentality has changed recently.
Over the last 20 years, the single family home has become the most popular investment of choice. This applies to people living in the house, and people that may never live in the house and just use it for an investment vehicle. This caused an overabundance of demand for the product. Demand is one of two major ingredients for any boom market. The other major ingredient was supply.
You would see all kinds of construction from single-family homes to condominium projects during the boom. That continued to fester into condo conversion products to my own creation of a Divide and Conquer concept, where you take a commercial property and turn it into a residential product by re-surveying the property.
Whenever we experience a boom and then a bust in any market, it’s like a hangover the morning after a party. You end up saying, “Why did I do that”? It’s the same thing with the real estate bust. We had a great party, things got out of hand, and now we must heal our aching head and get back to some type of normalcy.
There are a lot of American’s that feel like they are still at the party. Not realizing that the party has come and gone. The clean-up time is here and nobody wants to clean up. American’s feel like we should bring more beer to the party or start up the music again.
The problem is, there is no more beer and no more music. Our inventory outpaces our demand. To straighten out the housing problem in America I think we need to do several things, including:
1)The government must let the process work its way through the system. The definition of capitalism in a free-market system is that which works without government intervention. The sooner this happens, the sooner the market heals itself.
2) American’s must realize that single-family houses are historically not good investments. Single-family houses up to a four-unit building are not geared as an investment; they are geared to live in. The comparative sales approach proves that these assets are based on current market sales, rather than financial performance of capitalizing the income stream, as in commercial assets.
3) Stop adding to the supply. Buy existing inventory. You cannot build a house today for what you can buy an existing one for. In many markets, the cost to re-construct a house is more than what you can buy an existing home.
4) American’s must change the idea of their home being an ATM machine.
We have a chronic debt problem in this country. The problem encompasses the Federal Government, personal and consumer debt. We have to move away from this idea. To do this, I believe, we need a major culture change. This would include how we view things like instant gratification and what we consider valuable.
5) Individually, we must make things happen for ourselves. The excerpt below is from an interview the Billionaire Sam Zell did with Forbes Magazine. I thought it was appropriate. (In Sam Zell’s words)
“I’ll tell you a story that I think is probably the most significant advice that I give young entrepreneurs. It’s the story about a Jewish man who lived in New York who started an appliance store in Brooklyn. [He was] very successful, very observant. He went to the synagogue every week, and life went on.
One day he went to the synagogue, and after he finished his regular praying, he reached out to God and said, ‘God, I’ve never asked you for anything, I’ve always been traditional, I’ve always been observant, but I’ve really got a problem. And the problem is that the neighborhood is changing, the business is tanking, and God, I need to win the lottery.’
The next morning he gets up, checks the newspaper and he didn’t win. So the following Saturday he gets up, goes to the synagogue again and now business is worse. He’s really getting worried again. He finishes regular prayers, reaches out to God again and says the whole bit: ‘Business is worse, the creditors are calling every hour instead of once a week … I need to win the lottery, please. I’ve never asked you for anything.’
The next morning he gets up, looks at the newspaper… he didn’t win. So now it’s the third Saturday and now as he finishes his regular prayers he’s on his knees and he’s crying and [his business is] entering Chapter 11 proceedings. And he says ‘God, I’ve got to win the lottery.’ And at that point, from up high, comes a voice — and it’s the voice of God — and He says ‘Moishe, you’ve got to buy a ticket!’
I literally had a young entrepreneur in here ten days ago and I told him this story. And I said: ‘You’ve got to find a direction, you’ve got to find where you can excel. [...] What’s your skill set, how do you react to things, and how do you identify an opinion, a view?’
So I told him this story and he sent me a thank you note and stapled to that thank you note was a lottery ticket. We checked, but I didn’t win.” – Sam Zell
“Remember, wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure, and life is as simple as you want to make it!” – John Dessauer
I believe that the simplicity of life gets polluted as technology increases. I think the simplest way to get back to basics, is to identify three things that you like, in three different categories. I call it the blueprint to enjoyment.
Please try this exercise. Take three things in three different categories, for instance:
1. Three people you like to hang out with. (Excluding family)
2. Three things you really enjoy. (Excluding family, computer, etc.)
3. Three places you love to be.
This exercise is tougher than you think. Sometimes getting a list simplified of things that you really enjoy becomes muted by the popularity of technology. Cell phones, email, texting, etc., makes life a little bit less defined then before. We lose something in translation as to the purity of enjoyment, with technology today. Here is my list of three:
People (you want to have conversation with)
Ray Shovlain (College Basketball Coach/Business Professor) – Ray was my college basketball coach. He is still coaching at the University. He is also a Professor in the Business Department. Ray not only excels as a coach on the floor, but also as a Professor in the classroom. Ray is a conversationalist; you can sit for hours with him and talk about college athletics, politics, life, among many other things!
John Childers (Professional Speaker/Mentor) – When I first got involved in real estate investing and professional speaking, I was introduced to this man. He is a great guy. When you speak with him, you get lost in his creativeness. Primarily we talk about the speaking industry and creative real estate deals.
Todd Ritsema (Childhood Friend) – I have known this person for probably 39 years. We recently attended our 25th high school reunion. It is very cool to connect with people that have been a part of your past for so long. We usually discuss everything from our youth, to cigars and life.
Things (that you could live without, but wouldn’t want to)
Cigars – I have been smoking cigars for the better part of 20 years. I have narrowed my smoke down to one particular brand. The CAO Brazilla Amazon. Its not so much the type of smoke, but the camaraderie and peaceful time it produces. Whether enjoying a smoke with friends, or enjoying the tranquility that it produces alone, I couldn’t imagine my world without them.
Jazz – My love for jazz has grown since I graduated from college. I have some favorites that have made a distinct impact on my love for the music. First, Miles Davis. His album, Kind of Blue, has defined me as a lover of Jazz Music. I also love John Coltrain. I can’t think of any other musician that inspires emotion like Mr. Coltrain does with his saxophone. Finally, I would have to say Rosemary Clooney. This classic voice and “old school” style always makes me want to listen longer.
Books – I love to read. Today, my library is condensed down to my iPad. My most recent stint of books has been about pirates. Reading a book is like watching a movie in your mind. Of course, no library would be complete without Real Estate H2O and The Alchemy of Wealth. J
Places (three days or a lifetime)
Chicago, Illinois – Call me bias by growing up there, but in all my travels, I have yet to find a city that compares to its cleanliness, diversity, and excitement. Three other things I love about Chicago are its architecture, museums, and sports scene.
Key West, Florida – This is really my second home. One of the things I like best about Key West is the food scene. Some of my favorite places are: Blue Heaven, Louie’s Backyard, and the gas station at White and United for a late night snack of Dion’s Fried ChickenJ.
Anywhere – This may seem a little “cheesy”. But I could be anywhere as long as I am with my wife, Heather. We always seem to have a great time wherever we are. We will be traveling quite a bit shortly and have been looking at it as “a great adventure”. I can’t wait! I believe you should make everywhere an interesting place. With her I can spend three days or a lifetime, anywhere…
If you find yourself, down, or in poor spirits, get back to the things you enjoy. It will immediately submerse you in the familiar, the comfortable and the calm. Use it as a re-charging of the batteries. You never know, you might find that enjoyment is really not that far away in life.
“Remember, wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure, and life is as simple as you want to make it!” – John Dessauer
This weeks Powerball lottery is approaching $200 million, and will probably be over by the time you are reading this. My family sat around the other day, talking about what each one of us would do if we actually won. I’m sure you may have done this before.
There are several things interesting about that activity. First, you get to see how people would actually use the money. Second, you actually use an exercise that I practice called “borrowed experience” which I will discuss further.
I have always been fascinated about how people spend their money. I have certainly spent money in good ways and bad ways. People often spend money in ways that will gain them pleasure or avoid pain.
They may buy a new car. But the reason that they buy the car isn’t so much that they need the car, it has more to do with the way the car makes them feel, or how they think people will perceive them inside the car. I have been a victim of both of those things, unfortunately. A car really is just an item to get you from point A to point B. I have learned the lesson that “things don’t make you feel better, people and experiences do.“
I have a friend that at the age of 25 won the Powerball lottery. He won 36 million dollars and in two years he blew through the whole thing! What a two years it must have been! I wonder what he spent the money on to gain pleasure or avoid pain?
Anyway, as I thought about what I would spend the money on I tried to keep my thoughts on people and experiences rather than material items. I realized that the money not only goes a lot further, but it is quality well spent. I have a saying that I use a lot, “tourists come home with trinkets and t-shirts, and adventurers come home with friends and stories!”
The second thing that I thought about when we were discussing our possible lottery winning was an exercise that I use called “borrowed experience”. Borrowed experience is when you put your mind in the actual experience of what you want, without actually having it.
If you read my second book, The Alchemy of Wealth, you know that I talk a lot about this technique. It is the science of the intellectual and physical connection that we know very little about. It is really the notion behind some other great books in history such as Wallace Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich (1910) and Earl Nightingale’s, The Strangest Secret! (1957)
For instance, if you want a certain type of car, but it is out of your price range you could use borrowed experience. Instead of actually buying the car, you test drive the car or better yet, rent the car for a couple of days. Whatever you were looking to get out of the car, which in this case, would probably be pleasure, gets fulfilled.
You can use the same thing with the lottery. Actually most people do it already. When lotteries get to a massive level, like this week’s Powerball, people use borrowed experience and may not even know it. As the drawing for the lottery becomes closer, people often put themselves in the mindful positioning of already winning the lottery.
People, in their minds are already spending the money. They are already seeing themselves with the possessions the lottery winnings would provide. Again, I would recommend people and experiences, over material things. This visualization or borrowed experience practice is invaluable in business and in life. Visualization is used in meditation, athletics, strategic thinking, and many other areas.
So the next time people ask you what you have been up to, let them know that you won the lottery! It will be a great conversation, but you may have to buy them dinner! Good luck!
“Remember, wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure and life is as simple as you want to make it!” – Johnny D.
A guest blog by Heather Dessauer
When John acknowledged my passion for writing, and asked if I would like to do a guest blog, I jumped at the chance. I have always thought that this was such an amazing platform to share thoughts. Most importantly, if you know John, you know that he doesn’t share the spotlight often, so I couldn’t pass it up! 
As I have progressed in years (or aged as some of you would like to call it) there has always been one constant in my life. CHANGE. I didn’t put much thought into it when I was younger. My grades changed, the weather changed, my playmates changed, seasons changed. I always just went with the flow. I adapted to whatever was different, made the best of it, and moved on. It seemed so natural then, that I never put any thought into how much things changed, or how I handled it so seamlessly.
I suppose this all changed as I got older, and life became more difficult (or as I made life more difficult). Change to me, began to mean problem. Just the thought another adaptation made my head spin. My palms would sweat, my heart would race, I immediately began to think of the “what ifs” and always set myself up for the worst. Well I think you know what happens when you set yourself up for the worst…the worst happens! After about 7 years of this torture, I grabbed life by the “you know where” and made a decision. I decided that I was going to make every change in my life positive! No matter how drastic, dramatic or life changing it was.
The best changes are the ones that you make consciously. When you do this, you gain control of your life! If you have read John’s previous blog (and my favorite) titled “33” you learned about our conscious decision to simplify, both personally and professionally. Anytime you can change for the better it is positive for your health. The most recent, and best, change that I made was to become a vegetarian. This began from a set of personal challenges that John and I chose to do (read about it here). It just so happened that I felt better, healthier, and had more energy, so I stuck with it! John on the other hand, has found out just how deep his affection is for meat products, so he continues to be a carnivore.
This lesson about change in your life applies the same for business. In a very short period of two years, John and I have experienced more change (in our business life) than I could write about. We’ve put weeks of thought and planning into a new idea, only to have it fall apart. We’ve started new ventures, only to have them not work out. We’ve made plans for our future, only to have to alter them completely. We’ve never looked at these changes as failure, instead; we find the positive and move on. You see, the only one in control of your life is YOU! It’s up to YOU to make the appropriate changes in your life to create happiness. It is how YOU overcome obstacles that will define your life. Don’t become a victim of your circumstances and the changes around you! Change your circumstance, so that you may be in control!
The best thing to do when you are going through a hard period of change is to concentrate on the constant! Instead of dwelling on the challenges, the obstacles, the hardships, focus your energy on your “rocks” (family, friends, health). I always refocus my energy on my amazing husband, and my incredible family and friends. My favorite two sayings are, “it could always be worse” and “it is what it its”. Are these incredibly annoying to hear when you are suffering through a life changing experience? Yes! Are the both true? Heck yes! Although it’s natural to want to throw yourself a little pity party now and then, just remember it is always a party of one, which surely isn’t going to be much fun!
Remember that everything really does happen for a reason. Learn to adapt. Learn to appreciate what you have. Learn to make the best out of any situation. Learn to make changes happen, not be changed by circumstance. I will close my blog with a quote from the smartest man I know. “Remember, wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure, and life is as simple as you want to make it.” – John Dessauer
As our nation decides what to do with the debt ceiling, I couldn’t help but write this week’s blog about the topic. Although we have self-labeled ourselves, “The Greatest Nation on the Planet,” I think we have financially embarrassed ourselves in front of the world. Among that self-evident fact, others have arisen.
Every time I hear the statement “we need to borrow more money, so that we can pay our bills as a nation”, I say in my mind some expletives that I will save for that space. So what we are saying is that we have paid, and continue to pay, our bills with borrowed money? This is why our country is not only financially bankrupt, but also morally bankrupt.
No business or family could survive long-term using that strategy. When you are paying bills with borrowed money it screams to you that something is wrong. One of two things are apparently broke when that happens. One, you are not bringing in enough cash. Two, you are spending too much. Period. End of story. I have paid bills with borrowed money in my economic past and it is always a recipe for disaster.
You do not need to have a PhD in Economics to understand this concept. The government, the media, and Economists want to wrap this in very complex situations, graphs, charts, and formulas. We also need to understand what we are dealing with. There are actually two different targets.
The first target is the deficit. Many people get this confused with our national debt problem. The deficit is not debt so much as it is the reason that we go into more debt. Currently, we have a deficit this year of $1.5 trillion. That means we spend $1.5 trillion more than we bring in! Because of that, we have to borrow that much money through selling treasury notes.
The second target is the debt. Currently, we owe about $14.5 trillion to various creditors. As big as that number is, it pales in comparison to the number when you add in our long-term liabilities such as Medicare and Social Security. That number is closer to $60 trillion! You see, we have borrowed for a long time from those entitlement programs to fund “The Great America”. The government has decided that they do not have to put long-term liabilities on its balance sheet.
The third target is timing. We need to have a sense of urgency with this. It’s not our debt level that will lead to our insolvency, it is the cost of the debt. Interest rates on borrowed money will inevitably rise. The cost could very easily rise to the point where we would default on it simply because it would be too great to afford. That time is coming and we must be vigilant and prepared.
Here is the formula for solving our debt problem:
1. Be real with what the problem is. Include all of our liabilities, not just the short term ones. We cannot be great if we are living in a financial illusion of a relentless machine that prints money.
2. Use the simple idea of stopping spending and increasing income. Period. We need to create a surplus every year. In other words, if we bring in more money than we spend, we will need to use that surplus to pay down the debt. The surplus needs to happen immediately. An amended current budget and an act by congress of a balanced budget act, which for the next 30 years has a surplus of at least a $2 trillion a year. (YES, it’s that serious!)
3. We all need to live within our means. This must be the country’s number one priority for every citizen. If we don’t, we simply will not have a country. In the introduction of my upcoming book, The Twist, I give you the story of the fall of the Great Roman Empire. The similarities are scary when you compare their society with ours.
4. If politicians don’t want to perform, get rid of them. We have no time to waste. This is the single greatest risk to the survival of our country. We cannot kick the can down the road, we cannot argue, we cannot take self-interests in front of national priority.
5. We have to change our culture. We make nothing here. Get the country excited about making products here again! We need to make everything again. We need to import less from other countries. If I were president, I would not only impose those ideas above, but also the idea that we are no longer the policemen of the world. If we do help another nation, they will pay us for it. It is ridiculous how we waste money and lives in wars with very little return. We destroy a nation through war and pay them to rebuild it! Those foreign policies must end immediately.
6. We need to make improvements in Infrastructure and Energy. Have you seen the bridges, roads, etc. in America today? Pathetic. Along with our weak energy program. We need to move to not only a cleaner alternative, but also more importantly, a more controllable one. Foreign oil and fossil fuels are the most expensive (when you include all of the wars) form of energy on Earth. If we are going to borrow any money at all, it should not be to pay bills, but to invest in these two important topics. Our future depends on it!
The government will probably form some plan so that we can raise the debt ceiling once again. That is my biggest fear. That which this great nation is cowardly pushing major issues down to future generations so that we can enjoy and not be burdened with the tragedies of our immature spending habits, and out of control borrowing. The time is now to take care of the issues.
If we don’t control our own destiny something or someone else will. I believe that the choices that will be made will simply not be enough. We cannot talk about lowering our deficit by $2-4 trillion over ten years it just won’t work. Talk without action is a nicely wrapped present with nothing inside.
“Remember, wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure, and life is as simple as you want to make it.” – John Dessauer
Our country and the economy started to change at the end of 2007. Since, people and businesses have scrambled to maintain and grow cash flow which has become an uphill battle. In 2010, after three years of the struggle, we decided to start over and make a major change to our business model. I wanted to give you some ways that we have helped our business and how you may too.
If you haven’t already done so, evaluate your office space and your personnel. I had to make some tough choices in 2010 to layoff my employees and move from my office space to find alternative ways to make cash flow better. What I found was not only remarkable, but also efficient. I asked the question, “How could we do more with less?”
Out of that necessity we started on the path of simplicity. To fully answer the question, I knew I would have to turn to the Internet. Not just the old Internet, but doing business in “the cloud”. Although cloud-computing concepts have been around since the 60′s, the applicability in today’s society is relatively new. In the 1960′s, the cloud was a concept similar to today’s Internet acting more like a utility. With cloud computing, you don’t have to download a bunch of software to your computer, saving time, money and space. Today it is the sleeping giant of business efficiency.
Here are some ways we use the cloud to achieve maximum efficiency and cash flow in our business. Here is my disclaimer: I have no connection to their companies other than using their services.
Sugarsync – Sugarsync allows us to fully back up our computers in a secure military type of encryption security, but it allows us to access our information anywhere, at anytime via the cloud. That becomes invaluable, because we can get to our information on the fly. We do not need to be in front of our computer, or even at our office for that matter. I could be at an Internet cafe in Europe and have access to all of our information. It also allows us to access our information over different media, such as smart phones, laptops, and tablets. This has saved us space, time, and money. Not only are you able to go paperless, you no longer need filing cabinets, buildings to house the filing cabinets, or lug around a ton of computing equipment. If you are still a little gun shy, and you don’t fully trust the cloud backup, you can still back up all of your data using an external hard drive as a back up to your back up. Cost $149 per year Savings: $40,000 per year
Grasshopper Virtual Phone System – I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on phone systems. Not only the systems themselves, but also the actual phone service. I scratched all of that and went to the cloud. I now have a local number, 800 number and fax for around $10/month. I only really use it for incoming calls; all of my long distance is included in our cellular plan. If you call my office you can hear a sample of the system, leave me a message to let me know you checking in. It is very expandable and has all of the features of a “real phone” system (call waiting, call forwarding, caller identification, etc.) It also has some innovative stuff like sending your voicemails to your email. Cost $10 per month Savings: $4000 per year.
Fuzemeeting – We do most, if not all of our meetings using fuzemeeting. It’s a conferencing site that you can use to accomplish a lot, if you don’t have an office. You can not only do conference calls but webinars, with streaming videos, powerpoints, etc. but also video conferencing with up to 8 people. (Think about it, when is the last time you had a meeting at your office with over 8 people?) The best thing, you can record everything and send links to people that attended so they can review it at a later date. Cost: $70 per month Savings: $40,000 per year
QuickBooks Online – One of the things I like best about the cloud is the remote capabilities. I like being able to look at the books at any time. I know one thing, one of the challenges I have had in business in the past has been with the books. Now I can see the books at anytime, anywhere. They are not just on one computer in the office. This saves me the cost of a bookkeeper, and a lot of heartache. Cost: $25 a Month per Company Savings: $20,000 per year
Google – I had a hard time with this one. I did not know if I wanted to relinquish so much responsibility to one company. After all, Google does so much! Our company emails go through Google so that we can get them anywhere, anytime, on multiple devices. You can do everything from research, to reviewing and storing documents, and more. You will have to explore all of the areas that Google has. It is truly mind-boggling. With all of that accessibility, research, storage, etc., I’m not quite sure how we would work without it. Cost: FREE Savings: $15,000 per year
I put the savings amounts there so you can get an idea of how powerful the cloud really is ($119,000 per year in savings). If you are not harnessing this power, you are wasting time, money and energy. For us, this has been our simplification system that allows us to spend more time on ourselves, family and other interests. It’s a difference of having you work on your business instead of in it!
“Remember, wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure, and life is as simple as you want to make it!” – John Dessauer
I read one of my favorite blogs (Red Head Writing – She is a hilarious!) this week and it got me to think about its topic. Gut Feel. This is a natural instinct that everyone has, but hardly anyone uses consistently. In business, it is your best weapon.
In my entrepreneurial career, I have created and continue to create many companies. Some have worked out great, others have struggled, and some are just so-so. I believe it is your gut feel that not only creates a good business, but also its level of so-called success. Deals and businesses sometimes are too good to be true.
Donald Trump said, “Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you’re generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.” To me that means three things. 1) Listen to your gut. 2) Stick with what you know. If you don’t know it, learn it before making a decision. 3) Its o.k. to say no in business (and in life).
I have had a gut feel about people I have gone into business with and every time it turns out to be the correct feeling (good and bad). It’s how you communicate with your gut that makes the most difference. It’s actually when you ignore that gut feeling, is when you should be relying on it most.
When we ignore our gut feelings we ignore the primal instincts that we have as a species. Think about your history with gut feelings. Gut feelings about a job, partner (personal and business), or a business idea. You were usually right. I am learning to use my gut feel more. Here is what I would suggest:
Remove your head and heart when making decisions in business. I went to a pretty good business school for college. They would have never said not to use your head when making decisions. In the real world however, your gut instincts have more power than you think. They will not only keep you safe, but also make you money. Go with Your Gut and your head and heart will follow!
Your truest gut feel comes to you among tranquility. If you need to discover your gut feel about something in business, go to a quiet space. I love to go to my quiet space to think clearly. I also think that meditation brings out the best in gut feels. Learn to recognize the gut feel as your inner voice.
Always pay homage to your bad decisions. When you make a bad decision, you always say things like “I knew it!” or “I had a bad feeling about this!” Try to review all of the bad business decisions you have made and how you communicated to yourself afterward. That communication should echo how important it is to listen to your gut in business.
You already have this business skill. Great news! You already possess the skills necessary for this. You do not have to invest in any products or schools. This is something that we have been evolving with since we started to exist on the planet. Use it!
If you start to implement these ideas in your business, you can have an instant mentor that looks out for your every move. It may take some practice, but in time you can get pretty good at not only making decisions, but also making them on the fly. This can be critical to your success!
“Remember, wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure, and life is as simple as you make it!” – John Dessauer
