In an effort to be more competitive in the global marketplace,

our government has set up a website for federal employees to make suggestions about how to increase trade, exports, and overall competitiveness in the global economy.

What a great idea.  I should ask my kids for ideas on how to better guard the candy jar at home.

I wonder if anyone ever explained to them that federal employees work for the federal government which is the source of all federal
bureaucracy.  And often in direct opposition to free enterprise.  Which
by the way, it depends on for its existence.

Free enterprise is the key a thriving economy. Competition is the basis
of free enterprise.  But, when traditional businesses that actually
manufacture things have to spend so much time & money to fight through
government bureaucracy before they can even enter the global market to
compete, it’s not worth the bottomline.

Our government will wear out the typical entrepreneur before he/she even
thinks about entering the business world.  It takes big business to
compete on a global scale. But the bigger the business, the harder the
fight with our own government.  When you get to the size & scale of
business at the manufacturing level, our government will come down on
you like a  ton of ….paperwork, literally.

I don’t care how passionate you are about making anything (including
money), the roadblock of our own government is a big deterrent for
having a traditional big business like manufacturing anything to sell to
the world.

But let’s say you have the fortitude to press on anyway, and you launch
you business.  Just to get back to even – before you can make a profit,
you’ve got to pay for the resources expended (not for manufacturing
anything), but to win the ‘fight’ with government bureaucracy.  So how
are you going to make the money?

You can’t make money the way the government makes it – by printing it out.

You have to set your prices at a price point that will cover all your
costs – to include your fight with Uncle Sam, and make a profit.

Great…

Now you have all these Americans who scream "Buy American!"  But
regardless how loyal you are as an American, you’ll buy it where it’s
cheapest – best value at lowest price.

If the Chinese can easily make stuff in China and easily sell it
globally, and the US makes it virtually impossible to make stuff in
America and sell globally, how do you expect to compete in the global
marketplace?

Who in their right mind would even try to launch a manufacturing
business in America today?…Unless they were already rich or had
connections with (WITHIN) the government.

The US government is like a boxing trainer who forces the boxer to go 12
rounds with 12 sparring partners just before every fight – and can’t
understand why his fighter is always losing…
Who wants to be a boxer for that trainer?

There is an easier way to be an entrepreneur today, even in the global
economy.  It’s so easy, the list of "How To’s" is two items long.

Here’s the list of what to do to succeed as an Entrepreneur in the
global marketplace:

1. Don’t try to start a business to manufacture products in the US
2. Partner with a company that has already done the heavy lifting

That’s it. 

With today’s technology, just about any company that’s online
has a partnering program, or better known as an affiliate or associate program.

But here’s the secret; the better the company you partner with, the better your odds of success.   What to look for?

Here’s a list of desirable qualities you want in an affiliate company:

1. Financial stability
2. Solid Reputation
3. Global recognition
4. Free corporate support

When you’re competing in the global market, having a strong solid
partner is a big advantage.  Let the big guns take care of the hard
work, so you can focus on having fun making money.

If you’re seriously considering becoming an entrepreneur,
start by checking out my free video on the quickest, easiest,
and cheapest way to start a business at http://tinyurl.com/quickandeasybusiness.

Because You Asked…

For all the folks asking about the resources I used to build this blog, and recommended products, I thought it’ll be easier for all of us if I just list them here.  I am an affiliate of these products.  That means I’ll get paid if you buy any of these things through my links. I would recommend these products & services even if I didn’t get paid for it, but if I can monetize (get paid for) something I’m going to do anyway, why not? 

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How Technology Made A Homeless Man An Overnight Sensation

This is such a powerful video!  But it’s only the beginning of a story just as powerful as the video itself.   In one day, the video goes viral, over a million views, and Ted Williams is famous. 

From homeless to famous, overnight.  Literally…

Here’s the rest of the story:

This story has so many points.  About:

Hope

Victory

Preparedness

Persistance

Gratitude

Faith

God

Sure Ted was center stage, but a lot of people helped to make the story what it is today.  Starting with the guy who filmed the 1st video with his phone and posted it.

Honestly, could something like this have happen before youtube? or iphones?  or the internet? What are the possibilities?

With this very same technology, do you think it’s possible you could change your life around?  Maybe the change won’t be as dramatic as Ted’s.  Maybe you’re not as down and out as he was. 

Maybe your life won’t change overnight.  Maybe the change takes all of 2011.  One whole year instead of one day.

But do you think this year, with over 300 days to go, you could do something with your time to change your financial future?  Use today’s technology to start your own internet business?  Maybe even completely turn your life into a dream come true by the end of 2011?

Or, this time next year, laugh and cry and be amazed at the amazing things other people have done in their life…

When that happens, I want you to think of me, or this blog and listen to that little voice inside asking, "Why not me? What did I do? What kept me from doing something great?"

Whatever excuse you come up with, think about our friend Ted.

If you’ve been wanting to venture into starting your own business, but just don’t know what to do or where to start, give me call and let’s talk – 808-306-0749.

This is how to live life!

When you do anything with this much excitement, people notice!  Even if it’s not their particular field of interest.

The world loves people with passion…but only when it shows!

Why do kids make Christmas exciting and fun?

Because they’re excited and they don’t bother trying to hide it!

Christmas is still my favorite holiday.  But I can remember being really excited about Christmas!  Of course, I was a kid, and it was mainly because of the presents.

But I can also remember becoming a teen - and trying to be more cool and mature.  And then hiding my excitement about Christmas and presents… and birthdays, and summer vacations, and new movies, and new friends, and girls…

But being cool and mature meant not letting my excitement show.  And over the years, not acting excited about things in life eventually led to being…not as excited about things in life.

Funny how that works.

How about you?  Have you let the yearsof hiding your excitement about the things in life cause you to be not excited any more? 

You know how to get back the excitement?  Act excited!

Think about it. If acting not excited can get you not excited, then surely acting excited will get you excited!

Be like this three year old kid conductor.  When you do something with this much energy, you can’t help but get excited!  And when you’re having this much fun, you can even mess up, but so what?!   You can laugh it off!

More things in life should be done with this much excitement!

2011 should be looked forward to with more excitement! 

Even with the current economy, I’m excited about next year.  I’m excited about my business and what’s going to happen in 2011.  And I’m going to try to take a lesson from Jonathan – the maestro in the video.  Have fun, be excited, and not care what people think! 

If you’re not that excited about the coming year…or your life, maybe you should do something different to get some excitement back.  Like owning your own business, and being able to take control of your own financial future.

Find something you can get excited about.  And then pursue it passionately!

You only live once, and you can’t turn back time.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a kid again.

Have fun, get excited, and let it show!

Has the internet changed your life?

It’s changed the whole world! And even though no one person can legitamately take credit for it, Al Gore sure tried.

But the US started developing the net way back in 1957, after the Soviets launched Sputnik. Al would have been nine years old. Now, that’s an impressive science project. Mine was mold…at least that’s what my Mom said that stuff was. We finally completed the invention of the net in 1969. So what?

Who knew except the US military? But 20 years later…

Sir Tim Berners-Lee invents something that really did change our lives.

Before he came along, about all we might have done on the internet is email. So what did Sir Tim invent? The World Wide Web, or better known as www, is credited to him alone. I wonder if that’s how he got the "Sir".

No wonder Time magazine picked him as one of the most important people of the 20th Century!

So how has the www changed your life? A source for information and entertainment, great savings of time and money, more efficiency at work (or not), but…

Have you found a way to monetize it yet? Get paid – make money on the www?

I have! The www has made owning my own business a reality; 24 – 7, 365 – And with no inventory, employees, or bosses. No brick-n-mortar store, and no going door-to-door.

Thank you Sir Tim!

Because of him, or more specifically the World Wide Web (www.), just about anyone today can own a business and run it practically anywhere in the world.  And at a fraction of the cost – time and money wise.

How long are you going to just waste time surfing the net, when you could be surfing the beaches of the world? All it takes is time and money. What better way to start than with your own business?  We can help you get started right!

For a free video that will show you the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to start your own business, check out: http://tinyurl.com/quickandeasybusiness.

Who knows, maybe someday you might be telling your kids about how a knight  in shinning armor saved your life.

"What you got ain’t nothing new." 

(From "No Country For Old Men")

Wow!  Everybody needs to hear this 23 second speech. But they need to hear it in the context of our current economic state. 

I don’t watch the news, so I don’t know if the sad state of the economy, real estate, or job market is still so prevalent in the news as it was in the recent past.  But even if it’s not big in the news – cause it’s not "big news" now, I hope people aren’t thinking somehow the economy has magically become better.  One hard look in their savings or the quality of life of friends and family should slap them back to reality.

Have we seen the worst of it?

Think of it this way; if you’re sick, something has to be a catalyst to the healing process for you to get better.  Medicine or your immune system has to start the healing process.  Until then, you’re going to get sicker.

Our economy is sick.  Something has to be a catalyst to get it better.  Do you think the recent elections will be that catalyst?  Is there something else going on in the country, or the world, that could be a catalyst for the cure?  If not, then the economy will get sicker.

So, no – we haven’t seen the worst of it.

"Can’t stop what’s coming." 

Do you think the state of the economy will somehow stop at a magical boundary line before it affects you?  It’s not.

"Ain’t all waiting on you." 

Do you think the state of the economy will somehow stay behind a magical boundary line before it affects you? And wait there until the president, or the government, or…an army of entrepreneurs fixes things?  Even if one of those three (You know which one I’d bet on.) initiates the cure, trust me,  what’s coming is not waiting on anything before it’s going to affect you.

What makes you so special that a problem this big would not affect you?

"That’s vanity."

But this isn’t a ‘doom & gloom’ message.  This is a ‘Call to action!’ message. This is a wake-up call.

You don’t have to just stand by and watch disaster come.  And you don’t have to just sit and wait for someone to come save you from what’s coming.  You can do something about it before it hits you personally.

Three things you should do regardless of the state of the economy is:

1.  Minimize your out go.  Get what you need and get out of debt.  Stop using credit to increase your lifestyle.

2.  Maximize your cash flow.  Get to work, work hard, and get paid.

3.  Leverage your income.  Create a passive income asset so you don’t have to spend all your time, and all your life doing #2.

One vehicle that can help you do all three of the above is to own your own business.  Yes, even your own business will help you do #1.  How?  By lowering your taxes.  You probably have a computer, internet, iphone, etc., right? 

So do I.  But because I own my own business, I can write them off as legitimate business expenses. 

And the objective having my own business is to make money – #2.

But your own business must be the right type of business to have #3.

There is a unique affiliate program that allows you to do all three of these things; save you money, make you money, and leverage your income.  It’s not for everyone, and maybe it’s not for you, but you "can’t stop what’s coming".  If you don’t already own a business, you need to get started.  It’s one of the very few ways for you to take control of your own financial future.

If you’re looking for the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to own a business, check out my free secret tip video at http://tinyurl.com/quickandeasybusiness.

Did The Silver Screen Teach You Anything?

I’m a movie fanatic.  And I like inspirational quotes.  I’m also a personal development geek.  I read PMA books for leisure.  As an entrepreneur, I’m always looking for inspiration to keep the edge.  Otherwise it’s too easy to settle in with the mainstream average just barely getting by. So a lot of times when I’m watching a movie, someone will say something and my entrepreneurial mind will pick it up as inspirational or educational. 

This page is for those moments.

WARNING – This next clip is not family friendly or all-age-appropriate.  There’s cussing ("F-word") and graphic violence.  But because the lesson is so important, I’ve included the script of the speech that teaches the powerful key to success in anything.  If you’re not comfortable with foul language and violence, don’t watch the clip!  Just skip past it and read the script excerpt. 

Five Hundred 

Vin Diesel, "Five hundred."                   

Redneck, "Five hundred what, douche bag?" Spits on Vin Diesel's shoes.

Vin, "Five hundred fights.     

That's the number l figured when I was a kid.
Five hundred street fights...
and you can consider yourseIf
a legitimate tough guy.

You need 'em for experience,
to develop leather skin.  

So I got started.
Of course, along the way...
you stop thinkin'
about being tough and all that.
It stops bein' the point.
Get past the silliness
of it all.
 
But then..."

Vin takes off jacket.

"after...
you reaLlze that's what you are."  

Redneck, "Look, I got no problem with you, aLL right?"  

Vin, "I'LL tell you,
you learn a lotta things on the way to five hundred,
none more important than this..."

Vin Diesel proceeds to beat the crap out of the redneck.

Here’s the lesson:

To get good at anything, you gotta do it a lot.

In the early 90′s, Anders Ericsson conducted a study on the amount of time musicians put into playing/practicing.  The research showed the average hours devoted to practicing by the elite before they got to that level was 10000 hours.  Dr Ericsson and his team of researchers later found this to be true for other fields and disciplines.

This success key didn’t get to the general public until 2008, when best selling author, Malcolm Gladwell popularized the 10000 hours rule in his book Outliers: The Story Of Success. 

That’s a pretty amazing discovery – a very powerful key to success.  You don’t have to have natural born talent to be good or excel at something.  You just have to put in the time to master that skill.  From music to sports, gaming to selling, writing to speaking, you can get good at it.  You can master it.

In essence, success is a planned event. 

Vin Diesel put it in layman’s terms.  Actually it was more ‘in-your-face’ terms.  If you want to get good at fighting, you’ve got to fight – a lot. The number might be a good metric to use at the beginning – it’s a target to shoot for, but really, when you’re pursuing something with passion, who’s counting?

So if you want to be successful at something, do that thing…alot.

If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you’ve got to sell or serve.  A lot. 

But one day, you’ll wake up and find yourself a success. 

——————————————————————————-

It’s Never One Thing 

This is from the movie, The Rookie.  The true story of Jim Morris, the oldest rookie in major league baseball. Great inspirational true story and movie!

This particular scene is Jim Morris trying to explain why he never made it to the major leagues to his son. 

But here’s the lesson; this is…

The Secret To Success

This clip tells the reason so many people fail in life.  But I’d rather talk about it revealing the secret to success. 

Have you ever heard people asking a superstar, "What’s your secret?"  Have you ever wondered that yourself?  In the internet marketing world, more than a few gurus have made a lot of money selling the secret.  And a whole of people have wasted a lot of money trying to buy the secret.  And wasting a whole lot of time trying to find it.

Actually, it wouldn’t all be a waste if they realized the truth this clip reveals.

"It’s never one thing."

As far as success is concerned – here’s another quote for you, "Everything count."

Everything you put into trying to succeed at whatever you’re pursuing counts.  All the time.  All the money.  All the blood, sweat , and tears.  All the learning, practicing, performing, and failing – everything.  It all counts.

So the next time someone tries to sell you the secret to success, go ahead and buy it.  But you better not stop there.  Put it in your bag because…

It’s never one thing.

What Does Model T Fords And Southwest Airlines Have To Do With Owning Your Own Business?

People were making cars before Henry Ford came along.  But they were expensive.  Why?  Because they were made by hand.  They were more status symbols than a necessity.

Henry didn’t invent the automobile or the assembly line, but he did use the assembly line concept to mass produce cars. Once he got his factory going, he was making more cars than the other 299 auto manufacturers.  When the last Model T rolled off the assembly line, Ford was making a car every 24 seconds.  This was back in 1927.

Ford’s first year of production sold over 10 thousand Model T’s.  Over a period of nineteen years, Ford sold over 15 million cars.  How did he sell so many?

Because he was selling them for about $800 a piece.

That’s how Henry Ford changed the world.  He made the automobile affordable to the masses.  He democratized the car.

Way back in 1967, Rollin King and Herb Kelleher sat down over a napkin, drew a triangle connecting Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, talked about starting an airline that was fun and cheap, and changed the history of air travel.  Back then, if you wanted to get from city to city too far to drive, you took a bus. 

Unless you were rich. 

King and Kelleher’s new airline, Air Southwest was going to change all that.  Of course, the airline industry wasn’t thrilled, and put up a good fight.  But Victor Hugo said, "Greater than the tread of mighty armies is an idea whose time has come."

On June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines took it’s first flight through that triangle on that napkin – Dallas, Houston, San Antonio. 

Today, Southwest Airlines is one of largest and the most profitable airlines in the US.  They fly over 100 million people a year to 66 cities around America, over 3,200 times a day.

What did they really do?  They made air travel available to the masses.  Southwest Airlines democratized air travel.

After what has happened with the automobile, and air travel, do you believe someday someone will come along and democratize space travel?  If you live long enough, your vacation could be a trip to the moon or Mars.

So what does all this have to do with owning your own business?

For the general public, I think their idea of starting your own business is limited to the elite few.  People with degrees, and connections, and money.  Lots of money.  Or the ability to get it.  At one time, that was true.  But not now.

The internet changed the way we do business forever.  Now it’s possible to have your business up and running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  You can even do business practically anywhere in the world, and from any where in the world. 

While today’s technology, particularly the internet, has made so many things possible, it can still be expensive to run a business – even an online business.  In any business, there are so many aspects and associated costs.  An internet based business is no different.  So even an internet business can be just as expensive, risky, difficult, and stressful as a traditional, conventional business.

Unless you can find a business model that combines the unique advantages of the internet, affiliate programs, and franchises.  And makes it all accessible to the masses – not just the elite or rich.

That’s what we do at Paradise Development.  We democratize free enterprise.  That’s our mission.

We want to keep free enterprise alive by building an army of business owners.  Within the masses of humanity, there are entrepreneurs that have yet to succeed or even start their own business because of lack of money, training, or support.

You might be one of those people who thought you would never be able to own your own business.  Just like there used to be people who thought they could never be able to own a car, or afford air travel.  But technology and Ford and Southwest Airlines changed things. They democratized things that was once only accessible to the privileged few. 

Now you can be a part of history.  Maybe not for the history of the world, but how about just your family; your legacy?  There are places a horse and buggy can’t take you.  You’re going to need a car or a plane.  Or a business of your own.  What’s holding you back?  Free enterprise has been democratized.

If you want to know more about how we can help you become an entrepreneur, give me a call at 808-306-0749 or email me at jgsmith.pd@gmail.com

Owning my own business, especially an internet business can be a challenge. It’s like going in the opposite direction of the crowd. Not the internet part, but the owning my own business part. Everybody else is stuck in a rut, chasing their tails in a rat race. I’m working my way out and trying to get as many people to come with me. That’s the hard part. People sure like to be comfortable, even when they’re miserable. And they do love company. That’s why I look for inspiration to go against the current. Any dead fish can float along with it.

If you want to join us in the fight to keep Free Enterprise alive, be an entrepreneur.  Start by checking out my free video on the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to get started in your own business at http://www.tinyurl.com/quickandeasybusiness If you’ve got a quote that inspires you, share it with the rest of us here.

- Xerxes was curious as to why there was such a small Greek force guarding Thermopylae and interrogated some Arcadian prisoners.  The answer was that the other men were participating in the Olympic Games, a very important event for them. When Xerxes asked what the prize for the winner was, "an olive-wreath" came the answer. Upon hearing this, Tritantaechmes, a Persian general, said to Mardonius: "Good heavens! Mardonius, what kind of men are these against whom you have brought us to fight? Men who do not compete for money, but for honor."

- “People say I am ruthless. I am not ruthless. And if I find the man who is calling me ruthless, I shall destroy him.”- Robert F. Kennedy

- “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” – Frank Herbert Dune

- “Do not give any time to your past, you can’t change what happened 5 minutes ago.” – Jan Ruhe

- “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” – Martin Luther

- “Fear of failure or success is one and the same. Both are fear of exposure. Not of our strengths, but of our weaknesses.” – Kevin W. McCarthy

- You can make money or quit. Quitting’s not an option.

- The only pain that matters is the one I inflict.

- Pain is just fear leaving your body.

- Don’t flinch, don’t fall; hit the line hard.

- A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.

- Fear is just excitement without breath.

- Don’t be afraid your life will end; be afraid it will never begin.

- I fear neither death nor pain. I fear the cage.

- How long will you play the game of life before you realize it makes a difference whether you win or lose?

- When you focus on victory, you become a man.

- Who competes for second place?

- A Dream is man’s only true possession.

- Fear: thief of Dreams

- Beaten paths are for beaten men.

- All men are great in the dreams, reality just narrows the competition.

- Competition can anger and discourage, but win or lose, it makes you better.

- 99yards, 2nd and 11”. Are you gonna knock on the door, or kick it down?!

- Only those who dare to lose, win!

- This is a contact sport!

- Dispose your fears. Give it to the enemy.

- All losers had one thing in common before they lost, a chance.

- No scrapes, no scars, no proof.

- It’s all fun and games ’til someone gets hurt. That’s why we call it a fight!

- Talent alone won’t make you a success. Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready.  The most important question is, are you ready?