A couple of years ago, I read a report of a survey done by Len Clements in 1991 by Market Wave, his marketing research firm. While brainstorming for an idea about home businesses for this post, I ran across a note I had made at the time suggesting to myself that I make a website . . . → Read More: I Can’t Do That, I’m Scared]]>

A Survey

A couple of years ago, I read a report of a survey done by Len Clements in 1991 by Market Wave, his marketing research firm. While brainstorming for an idea about home businesses for this post, I ran across a note I had made at the time suggesting to myself that I make a website out of the results of this survey.

The survey was done on over 6,000 people who were not at that time business owners, and had never been business owners. The question asked was “If all obstacles were removed, would you like to own your own business?”

An astonishing 85% said yes, they would prefer to work for themselves. I say astonishing only because getting 85% of any diverse group to agree on something this wholeheartedly must mean there’s something to it.

Another way of looking at it, as Mr. Clements himself says, the other 15% must have misunderstood the question, or why wouldn’t they prefer to work for themselves.

WOW

This almost makes me want to go out there tonight and start applying the 3 foot rule. (In case you don’t know, the 3 foot rule means you prospect or try to recruit anyone within 3 feet of you.)

If 85% of the people want to work for themselves, let’s get to it. How can we possibly fail? Just start talking to people, right? How hard can that be?

Hold On A Minute There, Buckwheat

If you’ve tried the 3 foot rule, you know as well as I do that you don’t get 85% of the people within 3 feet of you interested in your opportunity. In fact, I felt lucky if I got one in 100 to express any interest. Hmmm, there must be something else at work here.

Now granted, there can be things you’re doing that are driving prospects away, such as being needy, having a lousy presentation, poor sales skills, etc., etc.

However, after seeing that 85% figure, Mr. Clements got interested in what kept people from starting a business if they wanted one. If that many people want to have their own business, but don’t, there must be some pretty compelling reasons preventing them from starting.

So, he did further research.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

After further inquiry, it was discovered that people had some basic fears about starting their own business. And the same four fears came up over and over and over. Not everyone had all four, but everyone had one or more of these four.

1)    It takes too much money

2)    It takes too much time

3)    There’s too much risk

4)    I don’t know how

Those were the four fears that kept those 85% from following their preference for owning their own business and working for themselves.

What’s Holding You Back

If you’re here reading this blog, you’ve overcome at least some of your fears of starting your own business. Aside from mlm or network marketing, do you know of any other business model that 1) has low start-up cost, 2) gives you the ability to start part-time or spare-time while you get it started and profitable, 3) has low risk, and 4) teaches you how to do it?

If you are thinking about starting your own business or are looking for your dream business, sign up for the free 7 Days – 7 Insider Secrets newsletter and learn how to find a company that maximizes your chances at success.

Acknowledgment

I wholeheartedly urge you to read the entire article that I’ve excerpted here. It’s (c)2008 by Len Clements.

Humor

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, ‘What does love mean?’

‘Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired…’   Terri – age 4

‘Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.’   Danny – age 7

‘Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss’   Emily – age 8

‘Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.’   Bobby – age 7

‘During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.’   Cindy – age 8

‘My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.’   Clare – age 6

‘Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.’   Chris – age 7

‘Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.’
Mary Ann – age 4

‘You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.’   Jessica – age 8

My dictionary says that a why is a reason or an explanation.

As it applies to your home business, it’s your reason, your motivation, what turns you on about being in business for yourself or for that matter, not just being in business for yourself, but anything that isn’t easy where the rewards, whether . . . → Read More: Why, Oh Why?]]>

What Is A Why

My dictionary says that a why is a reason or an explanation.

As it applies to your home business, it’s your reason, your motivation, what turns you on about being in business for yourself or for that matter, not just being in business for yourself, but anything that isn’t easy where the rewards, whether material or spiritual, outweigh the hurdles, barriers, effort or time required to make that venture succeed.

What makes an actor or a musician struggle to make it in their industry? Ask them, they all have a reason. It could be for the money, it could be they have something they want to say, they might just want a better life for themselves than they saw their parents had.

What makes a small businessman get up every day for years going to work to make his business prosper? Why does he want to prosper? Does he just want to survive – eke out a living? Does he want to provide for his family and ensure his children have a better start in life than he or she did? Or does he have stars in his eyes and want to ensure that he can help end world hunger? Or help bring relief to victims of natural catastrophes?

Whatever it is, they’ve got a reason, a why for doing what they are doing. A reason big enough to put up with the trials and tribulations they put up with on their journey to success. Your why defines your journey, it’s the goal or the target, it’s where you’re headed. It’s your explanation of why you’re doing what you’re doing.

How Do I Find A Why

You may already know your why and be on your road to success, if so, this may be a refresher or a look at better ways to help your business partners discover what they are striving for, what motivates them.

I’ve seen a few different methods on how to find a why for doing your business. The simplest is to ask yourself what you want out of the business? The answer is whatever it’s going to be, but keep asking. If it’s money, ask what would having money do for you? You may say so I can take time off when I want to. Ask what would you take time off for? You could answer something like: so I can go to events in my children’s lives and spend time with them and bring them up the way I want them raised instead of having them raised by schools and daycares. Whatever it is, it will be highly personal and highly motivating for you.

Another way I found is in a book by John Kalench. He lists some questions to help you discover your motivation in life.

1)    If I didn’t have to work for a living – what would I love to do?  (This is about “doing what you love.”)

2)    If I were just given $1 million tax free, what would be the first thing that I’d do with it? (Of course you’d pay off your bills, we want to look beyond survival. Think BIG prosperity, stretch yourself and think of what you’d really love to do with the money.)

3)    If I learned that I had six months to live – what would I do with the rest of my life? (Assume they are six healthy months – what would you do?)

4)    If I did that or had that, what would it bring me? (As above, you may have to ask this a few times to get to the bottom of it, or maybe not, it may be sitting right on the end of your tongue waiting for the right question.)

There are many ways to do this, but the basic idea is what do you want a business for, what do you want to achieve with it, what will it enable you to do?

Whose Why Is It

You might be tempted to take someone else’s reason as your own, because that seems simpler than all this hard thinking about your reasons for being in business. Trust me on this, this reason, explanation, why, is what will motivate you when the going gets tough, when that new recruit you thought was in the bag says no or disappears, when one of your best producers goes off to another company.

Why Do I Need A Why

Knowing why will keep you going, Len Clements says one of the top five reasons why people fail in network marketing is THEY QUIT. Knowing why you’re working your business will keep you working your business and carrying on towards your goals, instead of giving up.

Help Your Partners Find Their Why

You’ve probably noticed that not only can you use this information to find your own why, your own purpose; you can help your business partners get on the right road to success by helping them find their why for doing the business.

Time Freedom – Geographic Freedom

This topic (of whys) was sparked into life by something I was reading from one of my mentors about his whys for building a network marketing business. He wanted time freedom and geographic freedom. When I read that, chills ran up and down my spine. I had forgotten that was one of my whys, but there it was and I got all excited about it all over again.

I want to be able to go visit my Dad whenever I want, I want to be able to take a month off to take a motorcycle cruise around some part of the country, I want to be able to jump in at a moment’s notice and go help my church at major catastrophes to bring relief to people who lost everything.

If you build that stable, long-term residual income, all these “I want to’s” become possible. Find a why that’s big enough to take you there.

Why, Is There Anything Else?

Once you’ve got the why for your business , you can pick a company and product that fits in with it and aligns with what you want to achieve. In order to do that, you have to know how to research and investigate network marketing companies to find the company that will help you achieve your goals.

Now here’s what might not be so obvious about all this fuss about finding your why and finding the right company. By finding the company that best fits you and your why, your passion is assured and that passion will be obvious to your prospects and make your business easier.

For more info on what to look for, go to www.AlansMLMTips.com and sign up for the “7 Days, 7 Insider Secrets” email newsletter. (The cost is $4000 with a temporary 100% discount if you sign up right away!)

Humor

Just to close out on a lighter note – here’s some funny ads courtesy of Len Clements.

Earn $90,000 in One Year or More! Pretty safe claim, isn’t it?

You Can Make A Fortune-By Passing Out, or Mailing Tapes I Will Give You. Passing out seems like less work and a lot more relaxing.

Free Allergies Sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, and if you act now, they’ll even throw in a little athlete’s foot!

See you next week!