If It Is To Be It Is Up To Me

I first came across the title “saying” several years ago and not only is it poignant, it is also incredibly easy to remember when you come across frustrating moments in life and realise that unless you are being literally spoon fed your way through life’s ups and downs, then it is also FRANKLY TRUE.

I have for the last month been looking at what I have termed “Residual Income Opportunities” and although they are clearly diverse, vibrant and successful for many people within the businesses themselves; I am left with another piece of the puzzle. It seems that people who may choose or be drawn to participate in this type of business are drawn quite naturally to the income potential of the “leaders” and in most cases the leaders are extremely enigmatic characters and really want you to succeed too which in itself is also highly attractive.

The Multi Level Marketing companies in the main I have looked at, and of course dabbled with in the past usually provide unique, high quality products and services ready for you to sell as a retail item and this is one part of the business model. The other part of the business model is that of building a team referred to as a downline and inviting and showing others to do the same. This is of course an excellent way to duplicate your efforts and help others to do the same.

In all cases, straight from the outset you are told, this is not a get rich quick scheme, but if you put you learn about the products, how to market them ( materials and training supplied ) , how to “perfect your pitch” to gather interest from other people looking for an exciting home business opportunity themselves, plus around 2-5 years spent building your down line and home based business, you will achieve financial freedom. Please note I am aware I have simplified the system for this post, and I am fully aware that everything the successful people in these businesses explain is usually 100% true and is exactly what they did to achieve their own status.

Here is my question though, at this point I have been building my own online business to the point where I have to seriously question why I should NOT spend the same amount of time, effort, learning and marketing my own business to stronger, deeper levels as opposed to starting an MLM business that I know nothing about at this stage. I would question what you simply COULDN’T achieve YOURSELF given 2 – 5 years spent learning and taking action of the right kind.

It would not only provide me with a duplication model of my own in the future but I suspect the learning curve would be of greater value in the longer term. ( My company is not called Control Freak Ltd for nothing.) So in terms of investing my time and efforts, I simply have to return to the title post of If It Is To Be It Is Up To Me.

Why Do People Ask A Stranger About Investing?

My passive income march is starting to take shape, I have found a couple of great resources and mentors that have been successful at creating their own Financial Freedom through passive income and I am studying how they achieved their success and applying the strategies myself.

As there are naturally a lot of people looking at their financial situation at the moment, with the changes in mortgages, house prices and inflation, I am reminded of a story about peoples choices when it comes to looking for a return on their investment.

Oprah Winfrey had invited Robert Kiyosaki to be a guest on her fantastic daytime TV show to talk about Personal Finance and Raising Your Financial IQ. At a questions and answers from the audience session, one lady raised her hand and asked the question to Robert Kiyosaki:-

” I have “$10,000″ to invest, what would you advise I invest it in?” Oprah quickly responds, ” Robert, would you like me to handle this one for you?” She then goes on to ask the lady why she feels it is necessary to ask someone how to invest money, when she should be learning about it herself.

Now I know some great Financial Planners and Independent Financial Advisers who are experts in their field and I have done in the past exactly what that lady did and simply asked their opinion on what I should do with my money. I have also bought shares in companies I do not know exists, how many of us willingly talk to a broker, or buy shares online in “XYZ” mining company, when in fact we have never even SEEN the mine. It is all fascinating!

I spent a day recently at a seminar of 500 women, all had their own businesses and what struck me was the high percentage of those women who had found their financial circumstances had changed beneath them by events such as divorce or redundancy that had left them with a life to rebuild and a financial status that was fragile at best.

The reason I have chosen to carry out my own investing is because it is the provider of not only a sound financial independence of my own and choices for my family, but because I do not see why I should ask someone else to look after my financial future above myself.

Is Passive Income Really Passive?

I love the creation process of writing and creating unique products. My quest for passive income reminds me of a story I frequently tell about my first Ebook, Control Freak a Recipe for Debt Freedom. At this point it is worth mentioning that Passive Income requires input of some kind, it is not some mystical easy to gain income that just happens to be connected to the right business opportunity.

I still receive passive income from my first Ebook, written over 2 years ago, and recently updated for 2008 to include two bonus chapters. When asked about how the Ebook came about, I often say, “Well it was three or four years of total dedication to the cause, then a year or two of adjustment, then one moment on January 1st 2005 making the decision to WRITE a book to help other people, followed by three months of adding an hour or two to my working day to write it, one year spent wondering what to do next then a whirlwind year of discovery by the media after a very successful Press Release.” So apart from all that, I receive Passive Income from sales of that book for doing absolutely nothing!

If you sense a touch of irony about the real issue about Passive Income being Passive then you would be correct. To gain and receive Passive Income of any description requires sustained and persistent effort, do not be fooled by quick routes to easy Passive Income, there is no such thing in reality.

Whether you seek Passive Income or a Residual Income make sure you have an understanding of the work ethic and mindset required in order to able to achieve it. Luckily these are learnable skills for those who choose to further themselves as a person and to achieve greater success in life.

Investing In My Own Financial Education

I am starting to become more relaxed about the virtual world and all it has to offer. It is an immense subject matter, and at times it feels like I am in the middle of a market place the size of the United States with every shop keeper yelling “Buy this One” or ” Try this system” it is easy to become distracted, confused and downright rooted to the spot.

My acknowledgement is right up front, I am not going to compare on results alone after one month in comparison to someone who has been online for 6 to 8 years and has all that experience, trial and error, testing and measuring behind them.  Nor do I understand why people think they can simply “buy” experience by paying for an “instant” system to follow that will bypass all of the aforementioned experience. Whatever the route to passive income online is, it is bound to be full of frustrations, hurdles to overcome and a steep learning curve to climb.

At the core of my quest lies the need to learn through my own financial education about investing. I believe investing is the choice of “vehicle” that takes you from point “A” ( my starting point ) to point “B” ( my destination ). My investment choices are based on how fast I would like to get from point to point.

My selection of Virtual Real Estates is one of several choices, and is based on my personal goals. My aim is to place my financial future in my own hands; as with no disrespect intended, I do not hold the belief that it is someone else’s responsibility other than my own.

Is Monopoly The Real Thing?

I have been so fascinated with the aspect of building virtual real estates ( and starting them I hasten to add ) that I am reminded of the game of Monopoly. Now I will admit to being fortysomething and I can remember Monopoly as a child. I grew up in Cornwall with frequent power cuts in the winter, so one of the lovely ways to pass the time was a good old family board game. ( I think we should have more power cuts so families can experience for themselves the togetherness that a board game by candlelight brings.)

The game of Monopoly is all based on a throw of a dice and whether you had enough capital to buy the piece of land you may or may not land on. The idea of the game as I understand is to get at least one set of three properties, build houses on your set and charge rent to everyone who lands on your owned property. You then reinvest the rent into building four houses that you trade up for a hotel.

This becomes so much money for people who then land on your real estate they end up going bankrupt and this in turn ends the game by default. It’s last man standing.

My dilema of online virtual real estate is do I build lots of Old Kent Roads, or do I reinvest my time and energy into putting a house on the ones I have by making them bigger and better?

I think at this point its a balance of both, but I am drawn to the game of Monopoly of investing in key locations, putting houses on them, then trading them up for a hotel.

Whatever the outcome, it’s all a fascinating game of Monopoly.

Kim Kiyosaki Loves Real Estate I Prefer Virtual Ones

The consistency that both Robert Kiyosaki & Kim Kiyosaki deliver their core message throughout their series of books and other products is quite frankly brilliant. The decision making process with investing is down to doing research ( for yourself ), learning more today than you knew yesterday and then asking yourself the questions:-

1. Is what I am doing today forwarding my goal?

2. Am I investing for Capital Gains or Cashflow?

3. How can I improve on what I have done so far.

The Kiyosaki’s are long standing advocates of gaining enough cash flow from real estate investments to provide them with passive income sufficient and beyond to cover their living expenses. You will have to decide how you would ideally like to live first to decide on your financial freedom monthly income.

Since picking up & reading my first copy of Rich Dad Poor Dad one new phenomenon has become part of our every day lives, the Internet. One step further than that has been the speed factor of Broadband which has allowed us to surf the net at lightening speeds and has introduced a new growing global economy.

This scenario to me is an opportunity to create Virtual Real Estate ( websites ) that provide anyone with the same opportunity choice, build a website for cashflow or for capital gains. Don’t you just love learning?