Entrepreneurship Can Be Taught

During tough business time we might want to turn this to our advantage with a try at making a living while working on our computer, from your home and beware as these schemes will abound. One of the more plentiful jobs to be found online include Multi-Level Marketing as a chance to learn direct sales, while data entry and other secretarial work are also offered. Sometimes we find a new business enjoyable when we first give them a try. They do need BIG effort before we enjoy the ease of these businesses and a good living while enjoying free time. There are so many to choose from and we will help you on this blog. You cannot work for someone else and have the same financial independence. The challenge of working for others is that the employment can be lost as quickly as it was found, and it can never provide you with the freedom to earn as you please and be at leisure when you want. In an ever tougher economic environment, giving over control of your work to someone else means that you can never have control over what you earn. This means that whatever company you are working for can close your position at any time, leaving you with no job but a lot of stress in its place. The good news is that there is work that can be done from your own home which does not involve someone else being your boss. Obtaining the financial independence that results from having your own business is a goal you can achieve when given a good path to follow. It is not difficult to obtain the tools you will need in order to create this business, and they will allow you to enjoy all the benefits of self employment. However, you cannot just start a business and expect it to be successful. A road map, in business terms more aptly called a business plan, is what you need to begin. In order for your plan to proceed to a state where it can provide financial independence, a set of directions must be constructed and followed. The first resource you will need to follow your directions on the right route is a mentor. This person will also find new paths for your new branches and provide creative problem-solving. Finding a solid business plan will also be the job of a support system. There are numerous ways in which the right group of people is trained to bring your business to a high level of success. Your support system will help you create joint ventures, encourage you to expand to complementary markets, and do whatever is necessary to expose you to every opportunity. You will rely on your support system to help you adhere to the principles dictated by your procedures and to make sure that you are always on the right track. To properly grow your business, you will require a little capital and a lot of hard work. This can happen sooner, or it can happen later. More than capital, you will want to cut the plug off the TV and get on with some income producing activity. Look for a business to become an agent for and you should join a team that give help in obtaining everything necessary to reach your goal of financial freedom. Finally, look for unique products that are not on general sale in the High Street and book time in the diary with your business mentor. The mentor (sometimes called a sponsor) has various duties, including business plan re-evaluation and resource investment, and it is the mentors job to do everything that is required to keep your business running smoothly so that you can achieve the success you both require and deserve. We believe that in tough times our advantage is that people are fed-up with big business and look for ethical people with ethical products.Look for unique products with the right culture and you will change your life

Richard Williams is the CEO/Founder of Mercantile Investors, a business established to help and coach those looking to make more sales or those looking to make a second career choice and start a home based agency. We would like to invite you to one of our local business workshops to learn from the best and most successful home based business owners.email richard@mercantileinvestors.com for more details

How To Escape Your Job?

'How To Be A Freelance Sales Agent'

What is a Sales Agent?

A Sales Agent is a self employed salesperson who works, usually alone, for perhaps several non competing companies. The Sales Agent obtains orders for those companies and is paid commission on those orders.

The Sales Agent usually works in a specific area of industry and within geographical limits. It is usual for the Sales Agent to keep his agencies within the same industry. A major advantage is the ability of a Sales Agent to offer his customer a range of products rather than the single product that an employed salesman can offer.

How do I become a Sales Agent?

You can start tomorrow. You may operate under your own name or you may trade as a company. It is not necessary to register the company if you do not want to form a limited company. (speak to an accountant on this).

If you use a name other than your own you are described as xxxxx, (your name), 'Trading As', xxxxx (your company name). In all circumstances you must inform your local Inland Revenue Office that you have commenced trading, (sorry but the dreaded Self Assessment comes in).

Will I make it as a Sales Agent?

Most important is that you have some sales experience. And if you don't then find a DSA (direct selling association) member company and learn the ropes. It is possible to come from a non selling background and build a tremendous business, earn plenty, become an effective Sales Agent witha DSA company and earn whilst learning to sell. Selling is about taking the hard knocks and not becoming disheartened. Being a Sales Agent is even more so because if you don't sell you don't eat. If you are not afraid of having variable earnings and are determined you can make it a success, you will. Often you can enhance income by getting your own sub agents and that can be a wonderful income stream

What about commission?

It will depend on what you sell. If you are selling quick turnover, high volume, repeat order products around 10% is the norm. If you are selling high value items with long lead times 20%, even 30% is required. You will have to wait a long time for the sale to mature and you are at greater risk of losing the order. When getting started look for highly consumable or repeatable that you cannot buy on the shelf of your average shop

Set up costs

Not a lot, if you already have transport to get you to the customers. You will need a telephone and some headed notepaper. If you have a computer this will save on this cost and also make letter writing and accounting less costly. Things like visiting cards are sometimes supplied by your principals, you will need to project you own image as an independent agent by having your own printed material. Resist the temptation to print these on your computer. They usually are cheap and look it.

Where do I find agencies?

The major place to find genuine agency opportunities is by joining MAA or AgentBase. Many 'so called' agencies are advertised in local and national newspapers but beware. Some of them are 'Pyramid Schemes' and some need you to invest thousands of pounds and no return if it goes wrong. The DSA website is good and also the MAA or AgentBase publishes a regular magazine carrying adverts from Principals seeking Sales Agents in all industries. Once you are established many agencies are passed on by word of mouth from other Agents who work for the same Principals as you do.

How many agencies to hold

Initially only one until you have gained some experience. Once you feel comfortable with the concept of being your own boss you can expand your number of agencies gradually but do not collect agencies. Remember each one has to be serviced and all Principals seem to want you to spend all your time pushing their product. Too many agencies can call your integrity into question.

How about job security?

A surprising amount. There is a piece of legislation called 'The Commercial Agents Regulations 1993' which dictates that you must have a contract with your Principal and that contract must have certain protection and obligations for both parties enshrined in it. Copies of this can be obtained on the HMSO Website, Free legal advice and many other benefits for members are afforded by joining the 'PROFESSIONAL SALES ASSOCIATION'. Tel 0207 407 8833.

Conclusion

Most Sales Agents consider themselves to be at the pinnacle of their sales career. They rely on their professionalism, salesmanship and customer relations to earn their living. In return it is theoretically possible to enjoy an income far in excess of that usually earned by a paid salesman.

The only limit to the size of their earnings is the amount of time, effort and salesmanship they put in. Not for them the petty squabbles, rivalry and jealousy that arise when such earnings are within a company structure.

My own reasons for this are not just the potential earnings I really enjoy the satisfaction derived from nobody telling me what to do, when to do it, how much I will get paid and when I take free time.

I really enjoy roaming around the world doing business!

If you are new to this or need to make money before waving two fingers at the boss (no matter how you feel about your employer be polite as they will be your best prospects) and running a business your way needs some practice simply join an MLM company or go to the DSA website as these companies are great at getting you in business very fast.

A great business to take a look at is here

Opportunity Presentation

This business cost me about £200 to start and has returned more than £1 million in income.

Once established it takes a few hours a month to run .

I will not give you a 100% promise of £1Million as the variable factor is your skills and how hard you work. What I will do is show you how to start a business,
supply you with all the support needed to become successful and pr...ovide
you with the required knowledge necessary to build up a
profitable, viable business as a manufacturers agent and work from home business.

Give me a call and I will get you started!

Cheers
Richard
0845 056 9325

I am looking for an entrepreneur who wants to earn £100K a year

Opportunity Presentation

This business cost me about £200 to start and has returned more than £1 million in income.
I have several people who also joined in with me and they earn the same or more.

This business is for those who are prepared to work hard in exchange for a six figure income.
Only suitable for business minded individuals who enjoy training, recruiting or managing people.

UK based only to call 0845 056 9325 and I will tell you more

Firstly click on the link at the top of this article

Be a linchpin not a cog!

Why do you have a front lawn?
It's a tradition.

Lawns were invented as a way for the landed gentry to demonstrate that they could afford to waste land.

By taking the land away from the grazing sheep, they were sending a message to their neighbors. We're rich, we can happily waste the opportunity to make a few quid from our front lawn.

In every city there are expensive hotels that are noisy, with £50 breakfasts, no parking, blinds that don't make the room dark and rooms that don't have enough space to swing a cat let alone hang it up with your suits.

We are paying extra to stay therby ensuring we'll be surrounded by others just as wealthy and just as interested in showing it.

Rich people will always indulge the desire to stand out, otherwise what was making it, or keeping it all about?

I think we are seeing a new rich:

Spending on and investing in time, not things..

The new trend in spending money is to buy craftsmenship and not the efficiently mass produced.

It will not be a better price than Matalan, but the very fact that you can pay for an artisan to create it, an artist to design it, a talented worker to bring it to life--that act makes a powerful statement about what you can afford and what's important to you.

Instead of a bigger house, it's a house that's built from scratch by craftsmen. Instead of a bigger steak, it's a handmade dish of locally grown organic vegetables...

In these days of quoting, losing margin all through price cutting and bad selling

Keep your eyes open for another way, use showmanship to display niche quality, tell a story rather than "this is the best price and value" story .

Price & value is just one pitch available yet rarely the most effective for the audience you may be trying to reach....

Stand for something in these unique times and be prepared to fail!

If you need a marketing consultant to discover what you stand for then give up as they will make thousands and if you to search for a marketing angle, you're unlikely to find one.

Standing for something means giving up a lot of other things, and opening yourself to criticism. Most people in any industry aren't willing to do that, which is why there are so few linchpin's in the world.

First, decide it's great to fail and to make a big noiuse while failing.

This will put you on the right path as you go searching for the way to capture that right way and share it with the world.

Now sack your salaried sales staff, find a sales agent, a great sales agent, a selective agent, one that's almost impossible to get through (as they are seeing customers or recruiting a sales team) to, one that commands respect and acts as a filter because after all, that's what you're seeking, a filtered, amplified way to spread your idea.

Often, businesses hire 'consultants & trainers' to solve a specific problem for the lowest possible cost. And a good team at the right price is often the right approach. WRONG!! Average people get average results and I say pay the most you can afford..... Also link it to sales performance.

Spend more and get something great. So seek out and find a linchpin who combines inspiration and professionalism and initiative and pushes back on your quest to be the best and dump.

When you interact with someone like that, you might pay more but you get far more than you paid.

Get self employed sales agents who sell nothing and earn nothing or sell lots and earn lots! Be prepared for some hard-work in finding the good guys as they are not easy to find and want to earn a good six figures.

You can cut the costs of pampering a salaried sales force and increase sales at the same time.

There's a lot of pressure for freelance agents to fit in, conform and comply. It seems easier to generate new business that way. That's not the sales agent you want though.

You need the person who's willing to push themselves out to an edge and will follow the only path that actually leads to success.

And then it's not just the agent I refuse more business than I accept! For me I need to see the client to cares enough about the project and in making a difference to have the guts to hire me.

The Client ofetn seem to not progress to the finishing line, lose focus, change price, worry about what the agent makes rather than the increase on bottom line business profit (so looking up the wrong end of the telescope) , sometimes clients are not trustworthy and just can't keep thier word!

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." George Orwell

Whether you are a client my thoughts are the same as Seth Godin who says focus on the following:

What works to change mindsets, to spread important ideas and to create an audience for work that matters? What's worth your effort and investment as a marketer or creator?

In the race between 'who' and 'how many', who usually wins--if action is your goal. Find the right people, those that are willing to listen to what you have to say, and ignore the masses that are just going to race on, unchanged.

Quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality, quality and a bit more quality will be a good start!

One example is Pixar

At every turn, Pixar messed up the marketing of their new movie. It has a hard to spell name, no furry characters, not nearly enough dialogue (the first 45 minutes is almost silent), no nasty (but ultimately ridiculous) bad guy, hardly any violence and very little slapstick. Wall-e didn't get a huge Hollywood PR campaign or even a lot of promotion, it doesn't feature any hot stars and as far as I can tell, the merchandising options are quite limited.

Can you imagine the meetings?

Can you imagine the yelling?

Pixar, recently purchased by Disney, could crank out multi-billion dollar confections. They know all the moves, they have the chops to create merchandising powerhouses. And with just one movie a year, they certainly must have been under huge pressure to do just that.

And yet, instead, they make a great movie. A movie for the ages. A film, not 90 minutes of commerce.

The irony, of course, is that they'll make plenty of money. Bravery often pays off, even if paying off is not your goal. Especially if that's not your goal.

Marketing isn't always about pandering to the masses and shooting for the quick payoff. Often, the best marketing doesn't feel like marketing at all.

Are consumers "potential suckers to be exploited"?

The no-frills, low-margin online business model is pushing businesses into finding new ways of making money. But should all consumers be considered as “potential suckers to be exploited”?

A middle ground should be the place in a combination of service, quality and price.
The web allows reduced overheads and we can pass this along to our buyers and staff.

As the internet makes price comparisons even easier – and drives down prices – businesses that refuse to change will be in trouble. Any consumer sector that charges more than it needs to for basic services faces the threat of a cheaper entrant stealing a major market share.

Now a new scam is showing up with a simple 'bait & switch' tactic which means every customer is seen as someone who can and should be pushed into paying for additional things above the basic offer.


Being treated like a stranger in town so being taken around the houses in a taxi and the fare ramping up does not make us feel that good service is taking place! Would you tip the driver? NO! Will you refer others? NO! Will you get back in the same cab? NO! So why should we allow this in sales and that is online or off line.

It might be fine when we are talking about add-on luxuries that people choose to buy, but the problem comes when the goal is to exploit customers’ vulnerability to make a fast buck.”

Using the example of overpriced extended warranties on electrical goods I don’t suppose anyone wants to abandon the benefits of competitive markets, but something is lost in society when those who work in the service sector are encouraged to see customers not as people to please and help, but as punters to be exploited.

Easy Jet has helped transform the consumer market place for air travel. Its approach has brought flying within reach of millions more people and it has forced other airlines to be more competitive. As the internet makes price comparisons ever easier, any consumer sector that is charging more than it needs to for its basic services faces the threat of a cheaper entrant stealing a major market share. This is the good news. The bad is this: no frills, low margin models encourage businesses to explore other ways of making money from their customers. This is where all the hidden extras come in.

I hear every day similar experiences of trapped customers being fleeced when they need some assistance or make a mistake like going slightly overdrawn for a few days or the hard sell pressure put on people buying electrical goods with overpriced extended warranties.

In the end this is simply shifting profit from one activity – the basic service – to another – the add-ons and hidden charges.

Be a canny consumer avoid most of these ways that make you pay above the minimum.
If it is an add-say NO!!

Will Work-At-Home Jobs Save Us From The Recession?

It’s the hottest job and being recognised only after years those in the know have enjoyed the lifestyle others only dream about .......

The best job option in 2010—one you can’t get from any job centre or even a newspaper ad.

In fact, this is being hailed as the most promising new direction for anyone who is truly motivated to better their current financial situation.

If anyone still doubts the importance of an alternative to unemployment, they should drop by a job centre plus in any major city of the country right now.

They’ll see men and women waiting in line by the thousands, to compete for what is in many cases, a handful of low-paying jobs.

If anyone still doubts the importance of an alternative to unemployment, they should drop by a traditional recruitment consultants in any major city right now.

If we could line up all those actively engaged in a job hunt we’ll see men and women waiting in line by the thousands, to compete for what is in many cases, a handful of low-paying jobs.

The simple truth is this…

What the British people need are more good jobsm or rather simple to run home based business opportunities, with the flexibility and rate of pay that allows them to support their families without having to dump their children in expensive nursery care, or settle for a substandard quality of life just to put food on the table and keep the roof over our heads.

One need look no further than your own street or village to see the devastating effects of the current economy. For some, it is a near-permanent recession.

Concern grows that it may take years to overcome the current financial situation as was mentioned in the budget as we have a deficit that will take years for the UK and for millions of families and not enough through traditional 9-5 jobs.

Now more than ever it is essential for proven, non-traditional ways of self-employment to be explored and utilised.

My thoughts are that things are tough and I wanted to see just how tough so I made a CV and started a job hunt. If you have to find a job in the morning .... you won't. I tried for shop work, sales jobs and even tried to offer my services for FREE with a sell nothing earn nothing deal...

Richard Williams.

So age they say should not work against us and this should make me a great candidate for sales....... simply unless you are lucky traditional employment does not exist.

Job categories such as retail and manufacturing are expected to continue their nosedive. In other words, if you think you can get a secure job in a shopping arcade, grocery store, or factory, you’re out of luck.

Recently as part of my ongoing investigations into the predicament of the under or unemployed of our country, I discovered my little-known job (work from home business) was the alternative all these years later in 2010. I took this up in 1993 which pays astoundingly well. In fact the hourly pay potential is six to ten times our UK typical £5.93 minimum wage.

It’s much more cost effective for a company to take sales agents aboard and some companies allow you to find your own people to also work from home and that is when the BIG money can roll in.

It’s a massive saving to the company, which in turn they can pass on as an excellent profit for their contracted agents and any people that they take into the sales team.

This is not a pitch to join my business as quite frankly my income is enough, I am not rich in money although I am so happy to have found my dream lifestyle.... meaning I have no BIG desire to charge about helping others build a business just now..... My car is the car of my dreams, we have a nice holiday home near the Indian Ocean and we work just a few hours a week.

If you are keen to do something new and want to avoid job-hunting and simply want a better lifestyle then get into direct sales and build your very own sales team.

The place to start looking is the DSA at http://dsa.org.uk/ and look for a product range that has a great future.

You should find a product that is 'repeatable & consumable' as once we find a customer we would want them to come back for more and thus save us from constanly looking for new consumers.

Ask yourself ....“Can someone with no college education or University degree or previous experience really do well with this business and can I see this as my new high-paying job ? “Yes!” replies those who are ready to get going and hurry up... get on with it and don't allow me to slow you down.

Look for (ask the company to allow you to speak with people) average people as the real test is would a single parent be able to join and be making more money than you ever thought possible, and all from the comfort of home.

“Friends and family are going to get green with envy. In fact, based on my experience, some of them will start with you and others will say NO and regret it too.

The people who joine me liked it because within the first month on the job, they started seeing money coming in. I’d say this is a great job for anybody—all you need is a computer with an Internet connection, the ability to read and speak , and you’re good to go.

No other option existed for me in 1993 as I lived on the family chicken farm and had to travel a very long way to find an opening as nothing else was in my area.”

I can say I was soon (within 6 months) is smiling all the way to the bank and never made this kind of income in my entire life, and was soon thrilled with my decision to work from home.

Personally my business started when lucky enough to be introduced to the home based business/job by my (late) mother and a chap called (late) Dusty who saw many people make a fortune around the world in the previous 15 years.

My mum was enterprising and had been involved with the early days launching AVON and been in other USA direct sales ventures. She knew how much this kind of work could change lives. So she made it something of a mission to get me to do it!

I got the buzz and this enabled me to coach anyone who was truly motivated to work, to be able to have a chance for one of these high paying jobs and that is why I took the time to write this

TODAY in 2010 we are so lucky to have the same kind of business opportunity and now with technology it is even easier to build your new dream job.

• More MONEY—instead of depending on the whims of the economy, you can create a reliable and growing income for yourself without financial risk.

• More TIME—enjoy more quality time with your family and friends, instead of working nonstop as a wage-slave just to survive.

• More OPTIONS–to support your favorite charity, give back to your community, or to pursue other interests that are important to you.

• More FREEDOM—to control your own destiny, tap into your full potential, and finally live the kind of life you’ve envisioned.

Still want to know what I do?
The company is called Forever Living Products and they have lots of enthusiastic people to coach you in your business..... Don't ask me to help as I am busy packing the Sun Tan Lotion (an FLP product of course)