The first post might as well be the one where I outline the task at hand.  It’s as much a commitment to maintaining a positive attitude and faith that whatever happens ‘is all good’.  As we journey together I will share the story and together we will venture through the trials and tribulations of overcoming seemingly impossible odds – or at least very challenging circumstances.  Nothing is impossible with gods help and that is exactly what is needed.

Over $1m in debt – behind on all the bills including the house and the car and – a plan to earn money with $10 and $100 products.  It’s a tad daunting when the monthly cashflow is $20k.   Hence -the journey – step one is to make the commitment to succeed – to not let anyone down – most of all myself and my family.  And secondly, to share a journey so that others can be inspired and enouraged to overcome financial challenges too!!

Unless you think making a handful of chumps rich is your idea of a good home-based business opportunity. These handful of chumps may include names such as Bill Rodgers, and Harland Stonecipher. Note that the sheeple who praise them (and the lord) are of the ‘following’ type, they’d rather be part of a congregation that all believe in the same things rather than thinking for themselves… Followers of Christ and followers of anything/anyone else that will take them by the hand and promise to lead them to a life of freedom and riches. These are the types of people Bill & Harland market to, because they know they can get people easily sucked in with just the right scripted persuasion. Then these suckers will go out like pre-programmed robots and recruit more suckers.

Blastoff is just the latest tactic to gather as much money as possible from these people. Not for the greater good, or to make me, my friends and my family rich and prosperous. But simply to make themselves rich. The family member I had mentioned in my previous post had of course approached me to ‘get on board’ with this thing. And they even spammed two of my personal accounts and my Facebook account. I later discovered that Blastoff actually had a video tutorial specifically detailing members on how to spam their contacts. And now their ip has been black-listed all over the place as a result! I also stumbled upon a discussion forum noting how Blastoff had initially registered a hidden ip through GoDaddy (perhaps hoping this would prevent the black-listing issue?), along with some other interesting discrepancies regarding their domain registration, such as a two year domain registration, suggesting the people behind this venture don’t expect to keep it around long.

I could go on about the inner workings of the BlastOff Network and how they’ve been misrepresenting their portal site and their affiliation to the retailers, but I’ve found some links to other people who explain it much better than I would, so have at it, educate yourself:

> Here’s a blog where the author articulately journals their own experience from the beginning of the hype

> Here’s a guy explaining how Blastoff really works

> And if you’re interested in perusing the plethora of technical problems and ignorance members are enduring from the Blastoff Team, check out Blastoff’s GetSatisfaction.com’s customer support forum.

That oughtta sum this one up. But before you leave, please consider helping to stop these MLM & pyramid schemes by signing the petition to Congress to investigate the FTC.

Pre-Paid Legal is one of the longest running pyramid schemes around. > A recent investigative report on its imminent collapse. And I’ve been asked by a family member to join. Of course I said “no thanks”, endured the “it’s not what you think (a scam)” spiel, then proceeded to do my own research, my due diligence… There’s plenty of history of lawsuits and complaints out there that one would think would be enough of  a deterrent to stay away from the scheme. Unfortunately a lot of people choose to ignore and continue on recruiting, preying upon those at their genuinely weakest moments when really these recruiters have nothing more than a genuine agenda of building up their own down-lines. And yes, it has been a hard lesson to learn this with my own family member. Best I can do is not communicate with them until they shake free of this destructive mind set, hopefully it won’t take too long. We’ll see.

Coincidentally, some of the people behind PPL seem to have partnered with a new venture in hopes of recruiting more associates via the Blastoff Network. Or maybe they’re just trying to stock up on cash to buy themselves out for the umpteenth time. I’ll write more about the so-far disastrous Blastoff “next best thing to hit the internet” in another post.

In the meantime, I’ve attached some links to help educate you in what’s going on with the Pre-Paid Legal cult/racket.

Most recently:

> PrePaid Legal & the FTC make news again

> The evangelistic misrepresentations made by PrePaid Legal’s CEO, Stonecipher. Report by YouTube’s FraudDiscovery

> A former US Attorney unveils the fraud

Pre-Paid has a history of buying back its own shares to stay alive, and conveniently weathering lawsuits and federal investigations.

> PrePaid Toll Mounts

> Verdict Hammers PrePaid

> PrePaid Weathers Guilty Verdict

> PrePaid Legal Insurance- Justice for All?

> Attorney General’s Office Nets Refunds From Multi-Level Marketer

After reading all this, one would wonder how they stay in business. Well we’ll have to ask the FTC. Better yet, sign the petition to Congress to investigate the FTC.

Cheers to an MLM-pyramid scheme-cult-free life!
Stick with honest work and believing in yourself no matter how hard things can get. Don’t let recruiters intimidate you by saying “you must not want to make money” or “you must not want to live to your fullest potential”. Intimidation is not a loving way to treat your friends or family.

There are some seriously shady people out there making cheesy little YouTube videos in an attempt to make whatever it is their pushing go viral. Usually they’re pushing a way to get rich quick, a way to retire early, a way to get that fancy new car you’ve always dreamed of, a way to take your dream vacation, a way to make money while you sleep…

These chumps always have a link to their recruitment sign-up page, usually at the end of the video or at the Info section of the YouTube posting. These ‘alluring’ links and/or tags often contain catch words like: millions, money, dreams, success, leads, cashflow, residual income, business opportunity, revenue share… you get the idea. The scheme is to get the viewer excited and want to sign up to their MLM scam, networking scam, pyramid scam, or even Ponzi scams. The sad thing is that there are plenty of vulnerable people out there, especially in our current economy crisis, falling for these traps. Usually resulting in, more often than not, silence on their part after they eventually realized they’ve been scammed.

I’ve posted some  of these YouTube videos for your viewing pleasure and education. Notice how they often have their comments disabled to avoid dealing with rebuttals that might reveal their scam. Some have comments which they might even try and argue because they truly believe themselves that what they’re doing is running a legitimate business. They have already fallen victim to the mind control tactics used to keep them recruiting, and some people are deep in it.

Would you trust this guy?
Anyone with posture and gestures like this guy is just putting on a show, and clearly enjoying the (cheesy) spotlight.

This woman wants to counsel you on your fears.
She seems sweet, introducing you to her family and such, but she wants to remind you that you shouldn’t let your internal fears stop you from succeeding, and then pitches her 7 day boot camp on how to get leads. Have a great day now, bye bye!

Meet Coach Kenny. He has a disclaimer: This is not a professional video.
No sh**t, give a brotha a break! After he introduces you to his family and talks about how blessed his life is,  he pits one MLM scam against another, of course he wants you to sign up with the other one.

The homemade commercial: Acting that deserves… some kind of award.
Classic scenario of breaking out the sales pitch when a loved one is down and out. I can’t believe the girl’s own mother put her up to making this highly laughable video.

You probably know already how a butterfly transforms itself from a cocoon to a fully majestic creature. Maybe you can even recite at the top of your head, one by the one, the stages of the metamorphosis. It has been a cliché to use what butterflies undergo to describe great transformations, victorious developments and successes. But little we know, butterflies can teach us more about life, success and freedom.

Do you know that an adult butterfly’s body is ten times the weight of its wings? Imagine now the load that they carry while they wander around the garden and flaunt their splendors. Even if you look closely, you won’t see a tinge of heaviness nor hardship. You might probably need to know why.

According to scientists, butterflies experience excruciating pain (the maximum they can handle), during the process of getting out of the cocoon. As they struggle for freedom, a liquid from their veins are pumped out to their wings making those paper-like wings strong and hard. As they go through that severe suffering, they become tougher. As they go through that needlepoint-like passageway, they reach their maximum potential.

This only proves that all, even those beautiful creatures that seem to have no cares in the world, carry their own shares of load. It’s just that they are strong enough not to notice the heaviness anymore.   However sometimes, in real life, the load might get a bit heavier and harder to carry. But you can always make yourself tougher, like the butterflies. You can take hardships as avenue to make yourself bigger and better so you can carry the everyday weight of taking responsibility of your life. You can carry the weight with ease if you arm yourself with the right attitude and perspective. You can choose to take actions to get out of your cocoon.

I experienced the same struggle when I decided to join Create Abundance core team. Through the process, the coaches didn’t help me get out of my cocoon. Instead, they empowered me so I’ll become tougher. I’m glad of the choice I made; I am now enjoying the garden of abundance and starting to flaunt my own splendor.

How about you? Are you already flying or still stuck in your cocoon?

If you want to learn business, investment and wealth from zeron contact me: 09154142208 or email me at jomarieabayon@yahoo.com.ph

1. 1668 Nekoma St. NW Atlanta Ga 30318
2. 4050 Blanton Ave Atlanta Ga 30331
3. 2070 Joseph E Boon Blvd NW Simpson Rd Atlanta Ga 30314
4. 1950 Detroit Ave NW Atlanta Ga 30314
5. 235 Westview pl SW Atlanta Ga 30314
6. 990 Stonewall Dr SE Atlanta Ga 30315
7. 1339 Graymont Dr SWAtlanta GA 30310

ASKING 250K ALL CASH or MAKE OFFER

OR AVAILABLE FOR OWNER FINANCING

CALL 201-546-5713

1. 1668 Nekoma St. NW Atlanta Ga 30318
2. 4050 Blanton Ave Atlanta Ga 30331
3. 2070 Joseph E Boon Blvd NW Simpson Rd Atlanta Ga 30314
4. 1950 Detroit Ave NW Atlanta Ga 30314
5. 235 Westview pl SW Atlanta Ga 30314
6. 990 Stonewall Dr SE Atlanta Ga 30315
7. 1339 Graymont Dr SWAtlanta GA 30310

ASKING 250K ALL CASH or MAKE OFFER

OR AVAILABLE FOR OWNER FINANCING

CALL 201-546-5713

Pastor Ma$e is back! And this time with his new mixtape titled “I Do The Impossible” .. Tracklist after the jump!

Download

01.DJ J1 Is A Made Man
02.Intro To I Do The Impossible
03.Listen Close
04.Empire State Of Mind (rmx) f. Alicia Keys
05.If I Come Back For You f. Mo Manson, Murda Mook, LA, Gruff, Charlie Clipz, Cashflow, Loaded Lux & 2 Way
06.Buy U A Round (rmx)
07.When NY Was NY
08.Programmed To Do The Impossible
09.Do It For U f. Trey Songz & P. Reala
10.Gimme 20 Dollaz (rmx) f. Ron Browz, Jim Jones, OJ Da Juiceman, & Shawty Lo
11.Come To Me f. Verse
12.Shut the City Down
13.Get It f. Cam’ron & Kidd Rossi
14.Immortal
15.Try To Sleep With A Broken Heart (rmx) f. Alicia Keys
16.Activate My Swag f Rose Raz
17.NY Minute (rmx) f. Jadakiss & French Montana
18.I Need A Girl (rmx) f. Trey Songz
19.Married to the Streets f French Montana
20.In The Wind f. Nikateen & Rose Raz
21.Public Apology Ladies

People often over-analyse starting up a business. As PricewaterhouseCooper’s Nigel Reynolds explains, in the early days, it really is all about cash flow – cash is king.

Now more than ever, business owners are concerned about managing cash – but you simply can’t think about money coming in with a short-term frame of mind.

As a small business owner in this current economic climate, what is your number one strategy in retaining customers and encouraging stable growth in the medium to long term? How far ahead to you consider when trying to grow your business?

On the face of it, cutting costs sounds pretty simple. In reality, if you know your numbers, it is rather simple.

Here are some ideas to evaluate for potential cost-savings in any business:

1. Insurance – whether it’s commercial, auto, or health insurance, if you haven’t shopped around in a few years, you need to. This area alone has saved my small business $9,000 over the past 2 premiums with slightly better coverage. Granted, it took a lot of time and energy to get to that point, but how can you argure with that level of savings?
2. Telephones – cell phones and land lines can both be EXTREMELY over-priced if you don’t shop around. Make sure you have the best group or individual or combination of the 2 for all of your cell phones. For land lines, if your internet is reliable enough, you seriously need to consider VOIP. VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and simply means using internet data lines instead of phone lines for your phones. In my business this would save us about $250/month IF we had reliable internet. Our internet is very spotty, has little competition, and relatively slow so we’ve tested with VOIP several times and just can’t make it work. :-/
3. Vendors – When was the last time you renegotiated with current vendors OR shopped around to make sure you’re getting the best rates? Through buying in bulk, group purchases (with similar businesses), shopping around, and good old fashioned renegotiating (particularly on things like fuel charges and freight expenses) you should shoot to save 5-10% on all of your purchases. While your at it, double-check your retail price list and make sure your mark-ups are sufficient. We found a handful of items on our price list going for little to no mark-up as we performed this exercise.
4. Pre-payment discounts – While you’re calling to renegotiate prices with your vendors, be sure to find out if they offer pre-payment discounts. Those are simply discounts for paying early which could be within 10 days, or 10 days after the end of the month, or whatever their terms are. If you consider those discounts can range from 1% to 5% this can be VERY significant. If your business buys $200,000 in products each year, at 1% you would save $2,000 year or$167/month just by paying a few days earlier!
5. Meals & Entertainment – and all other “discretionary” spending. Are those meals, trips, expensive hotels, etc. etc. etc. really necessary? If they’re an integral part of your business recruitment strategy then fine. But make sure your deducted-meals are actually legit. Meals are only allowed for documented business purposes (i.e. names, place, and business discussed all have to be available to the IRS) and overnight travel. Even then, only a portion of those meals can be deducted. The upper-management of Walmart and Sam’s Club are still required to fly coach and book modest rental cars when traveling just like their founder always did.
6. Shop around for cheaper services – Every business needs the help of other businesses to get things done. This could be your IT firm, your accountant, lawyer, bottled water delivery company, tire and oil change business, uniform company, or even your payroll company. I’m well aware that it’s very hard and expensive to find a lawyer you trust, so if that’s something you already have, I’d leave that one alone, however the others can be done with relative simplicity. Just changing our payroll from Paychex to Quickbooks has saved us over $100/month (though QB prices have just gone up slightly so the gap is lessening).
7. Improve Efficiency and Productivity – This is probably the most important of all of them which is why I put them as a separate step in a separate category for fixing your business. This all boils down to basically 1 thing: Paying people for the results they deliver.

In a nutshell, that’s what an efficient, productive business will consistently do. It will pay people for their work. What a novel concept, huh? Now you need to determine if your business is a better model for a Results Oriented Working Environment (ROWE) like I discuss in my blog on Intrapreneurship and Entrepreneurship or whether your business simply needs to get away from paying everyone an hourly wage with no incentives.

Here are the steps to take to increase productivity for every employee in your business:

1. Make job descriptions – If your people don’t know exactly what their duties are, you as a leader aren’t even giving them a chance to succeed. Everyone needs a job description and possibly even a daily, weekly, and/or monthly checklist to make sure they’re taking care of all of their responsibilities.
2. Create processes, procedures, scripts, and checklists – This goes hand-in-hand with a job description. If you don’t have scripts to teach people how to handle customer inquiries, procedures for how to track those inquiries, and checklists to make sure nothing has gotten missed you will never ensure a consistent customer experience. Making this fundamental throughout your business is the key to successful franchising. If you want a successful, universally applicable, consistent business, this is your foundation. This will also help you determine who on the team needs to stay and who needs to go.
3. Know your numbers – My last blog dealt with this in detail so to just make the point quickly… If you don’t know the income and profit per person on your team it’s very hard to develop benchmarks, set goals, and recruit new people who you believe can achieve those goals.
4. Remove temptations to “cheat the system” – In my business this comes in 2 major forms. No temptation to play on the internet for the office people, and no temptation to take extra long lunches or sneak home early for our service guys. The first is temptation is removed but letting everyone know their internet usage is tracked and will result in dismissal if internet use is inappropriate. GPS systems on our service trucks take care of the latter temptation. Very rarely do I ever analyze either item. Basically it’s just there in case a problem develops.
5. Incentivize and create healthy competition – I still credit the doubling of our profit/day/technician in large part to converting a portion of technicians’ income to commissions. Find ways to incentivize everyone on your team to do their best.
6. Get rid of those who don’t stack up – If you’re the kind of guy who hates to let people go and so cuts everyone’s pay instead of just letting the weakest link go, you need to change your practice immediately! There is nothing worse for morale then to have everyone “punished” with lower pay when the low-hanging fruit needs to go (and everyone but you knows that). If you really feel that bad about letting an unproductive employee go, cut your income first before any one else’. To keep costs down, review my blog on how to let someone go without paying unemployment.

Keep in mind, that the more drastic the situation the more drastic the cost-cutting measures required. Act quickly and decisively and move on. If you make a mistake in that process, learn from it.

To your cost-cutting success, Bryan