A Post About Posts

It has been awhile since my last post and I'm about to tell you why...

I've been sleeping. Just kidding. I've been busy. What does that really mean anyway? Everybody says their busy. Actually, I am focusing on a couple of my other internet projects and am not making time to continue posting on this blog. I may start posting here again soon but then again, I may not. Check out my other sites to stay in touch.

MustKnowInvesting.com
InsideInvestorSpace.com

Thanks for your support!

Piracy: Fight It or Compete With It

I just finished reading The Pirates Dilemma. The overall message in the book is that piracy is here to stay. You can choose to fight a losing battle or make a decision to compete with them. Apple, for instance, is a great example of a company that made the decision to compete and has done an outstanding job. Napster came along, let people download and share music for free, and changed the industry forever. Apple saw an opportunity and developed iTunes, the iPod, and much more. Old school artists and record labels have been fighting ever since and are losing the battle.

As I was finishing the book, I came across a great article on Mashable about how Nine Inch Nails is embracing the change. They have put the first volume of their new album on torrent sites to be downloaded for free. It's a multi volume album and if you want the rest of it, you can download it off their website for $5. How about that for cutting out record labels and industry execs?

In The Pirates Dilemma, there was a great story about how Madonna unfortunately decided to fight piracy years ago. By the end of it, someone had hacked into her site, posted all the songs from her new album up to download for free, and wrote a message across the top of the site about how the "pirate community" felt about her.

The music industry is not the only one under fire. Don't count yourself out. The free economy is already in motion. Check out the latest issue of Wired. The headline for article states "Why $0.00 is the future of business."

Another Twist to Social Networking

Yuwie advertises itself to be the first ever social networking site where you can make money by doing the same things that you would do on Myspace or Facebook. Providing most of the same features and functionality, Yuwie integrates the idea of network marketing with social networking. If you spend a lot of time on myspace anyway, you might as well get paid for it.

Find a Mentor & Do What Your Told

Whenever I first got started investing in real estate, I attended a 5 day seminar in Atlanta. It was an incredible experience! Although the seminar cost several thousand dollars to attend, I felt like I had gotten my money out of it by lunch on the first day. Finding a mentor who had been in the business for over 20 years was exactly what I needed.

One of the things that he said has stuck with me to this day. He said, "The worst mistake that you can make is not doing exactly what I tell you to do." He was not saying this from an arrogant view point. He was simply talking from experience. He has seen the market go up. He has seen the market go down and everything in between. He knows what works and what doesn't.

Every time that something isn't going as well it should or we are having some sort of problem in the business, I am reminded of his words. I have to ask myself, "What did he tell me to do that I am not doing?"

No matter what business you are involved with, having a mentor is key to your success. You can get where you want to be faster, more profitably, and without as many headaches. Seek out a mentor and do what is said. Once your system is running smoothe, then and only then, tweak what you are doing to strive for more.

P.S. A mentor relationship does not have to include personal contact. I have mentors that don't even know I exist. I learn from them through books, CDs, courses, etc.

Extra Money Making Opportunities

About a year ago, our company bought an excavator. We were renting one every couple months for different renovations that we were doing. We came across a good deal on a machine and decided to go ahead and just buy it.

We use it primarily for our own jobs. But being in the business that we are, we come across people that need demolition services from time to time. A couple weeks ago, we were contacted by someone that wanted some demo work done. We gave them a bid for $2,600 and they accepted. After all expenses paid, we will make around $1K. Not bad for a side job!

What do you have access to that could make you some extra money on the side? What assets or abilities could you leverage to make more money?

Martha Stewart, the Deal Maker?

Check out this article on Martha Stewart's newest acquisition....the Emeril Lagasse franchise.

Aligning Yourself for Success

I went down to Edisto this past weekend with a friend of mine, Adam Witty. We go once a year to talk about our goals and do some business planning. He is a fellow entrepreneur who has started several different companies.

Adam joined one of Dan Kennedy's programs recently and has positioned himself to be one of the speakers at Dan's next event. If you don't know the name Dan Kennedy, learn it quick. He is the king of direct response advertising.

Anyway, Adam is going to be doing a pitch on his "talk a book" program. Adam is a publisher and is going to be selling a publishing package for $20K. Dan's partner, Bill Glazer, thinks that Adam could sell 20 or more packages at the seminar. How about that for a weekend, $400,000!

That's power in numbers. There will be a ton of people at that event because Dan Kennedy draws a large crowd of devoted followers. By Adam aligning himself with Dan's network, he is going to be in for a nice payday.

P.S. If you have a book in you, check out Adam's company Advantage Media Group. They did my last book.