Building Assets (or making da money)
When it comes to the sign industry, I always try and encourage individuals to read some of the powerful finance / business books available. One of the books that I recommend for all of my new friends, especially for those who are looking to go into the sign (or any) business, is a book by Robert Kiyosaki titled “Rich Dad Poor Dad”. If you are a regular reader of this blog you might remember that I wrote about Mr. Kiyosaki in the blog article “Do You Own a Sign Business or A Job” back in October of 2007. Without going into all the concepts and financial principles advocated by Mr. Kiyosaki, I would like to focus one particular idea / definition that still just blows me away and defines how I make many financial decisions for both my sign company and my life as a whole…
According to Robert Kiyosaki
- An Asset is anything that puts money IN my pocket
- A Liability is anything that takes money OUT of my pocket
It’s just that simple and by considering these two simple definitions, I am able to quickly get to the heart of why I am considering a particular purchase. More importantly, by applying this criteria to investments, inventions, business opportunities etc. I can really shine a hard light on the actual situation.
For example… my car, tv, radio, furniture, books, golf clubs etc all take money OUT of my pocket. Do I enjoy them? Yes. Are they necessary for survival? That is debatable. Are any of thee things putting money directly into my pocket? NO
On the reverse side… a high yield savings account, CD’s, stocks / bonds, real estate properties / rentals, or a profitable business (hint, hint… a sign business) are all things that put money IN my pocket. Money IN pocket is gooood in my humble opinion.
So, keeping this in mind, which category should I be spending my time, efforts and money on? Should I be more concerned with buying the latest model Mustang (which will loose value immediately) or should I focus on developing the systems I need for my sign business to capture more revenue this year? So, to be clear, the decision is… Mustang now for short term pleasure or Business now for long term financial freedom.
Kinda puts a different light on things now doesn’t it? I don’t know about you, but financial freedom has a pretty nice ring to it.
So, with all of that being said, what specific advice or guidance can I offer this time to help you find and build more assets? What type of invention, investment, hot stock or business opportunity sounds good and will start putting that money IN my pocket?
Well, ever since I first read Rich Dad Poor Dad (and a host of others) I have been searching for the right business model / product that can slingshot me towards a more secure future and solid financial freedom. My criteria for such a venture had some very specific requirements that ALL had to be met before I would consider it…
- Be a service or product that I personally believe in and can be enthusiastic about (this my priority number one). This product / service has to be simple and easy to learn.
- Flexible growth and scheduling (build at my own pace around the time devoted to my sign business)
- No Inventory / Shipping / Fulfillment
- Complete Business / System Automation
- Solid Training tools, classes, resources
- A genuine commitment to helping participants build true wealth
After 5 years of looking. After literally a dozen “business opportunities” that I researched and rejected. After seemingly waiting forever, I have finally found it…
Monavie
This is a simple but incredibly effective fruit beverage that is based on the incredible properties of the acai (Ah Sigh ee) berry found in Brazil. The most immediate benefits of drinking the Monavie juice is a dramatic increase in energy, much better nights sleep, relief of aches & pains as well as faster recovery times for those who lead an active lifestyle. While it might seem like a bunch of hype… I actually experienced these effects within three days of starting to drink the juice. Please pardon my french, but it was freakin’ unbelievable how much of a difference it made!
So, what did I do… I still was skeptical and researched the whole thing for another couple of weeks. I checked out the facts and the science of the acai berry itself on wikipedia. I searched and read a bunch of sites (both for AND against) about the company itself and other people’s experiences. Even then, I still hesitated because, well, I’m American and I’m always looking for the “hook”.
Well, I am pleased to say that I have not found a “hook” and have signed on with this incredible company. It has meet all of my “asset building” requirements and I am looking forward to continuing my ongoing quest for complete financial freedom.
Since the focus of this entire website and blog is to help and encourage the sign community I thought it only fair to let you all know of my discovery. I encourage each and every one of you to take a look at Monavie and evaluate if this can also help you work towards financial freedom.
Most importantly, why don’t we all work together and see what we can do to supplement our sign shop incomes as a team! I would love the opportunity to be directly helpful to each and every one of you achieve some of your financial goals. I believe this is THE way to do it!
So, DON’T sign up with whomever you have in your area locally (you probably do have someone just starting up).
DO contact me here at Monavie – Juice Network and lets work on building a Monavie team together.
I would love to blog about the whole venture and illustrate to everyone how we all can seize control of our lives and achieve complete freedom for ourselves and our families.