CathsCauldron

Build your own McDonalds!!

2007-10-13T21:10:00.000+10:00

Here's a fab new way of building a massive multi million dollar business without and risk at all.
Play the game:

Why not try before you by so to speak.
From purchasing to employing staff this game has it all and with no risk what more could you want :-)

Visit HERE to check it out.

The best advice!!

2007-07-24T17:40:00.000+10:00

Where have i been?

I've been down actually!
Very down due to lack of funds basically. I have been fed up with trying to make money online, being very unfocussed and basically stayed offline for quite some time.
I have since gotten my act togeather and am about to launch my new business website, FINALLY! and STILL i have no money.
I am spending $100 here or there to scrape up enough product to actually launch so i can then make some profit to put back in.
I am going to grow slowly but this is fine with me as at least i will have started.
I have also come across two of the best forums for Aussie biz people particularly micro busineses they are www.themessydesk.com.au/forum/index.php
www.freebusinesstips.com.au/forum/
ALL the help you need plus some inspiration!

I'm glad to say i'm back on track so i will keep you posted again and hopefully one day i can use this blog to compile the list of how to's for broke start ups lol.
Till next time.
Cheers

Warrior Forum

2007-05-19T20:40:00.001+10:00

Howdy people!
I just want to be sure all you ave checked out the warrior forum?
It is a top forum with people from all over the world discussing and creating money making opportunities, ideas, busineses.
Check it out at www.warriorforum.com

FREE STUFF!

2007-05-19T18:33:00.000+10:00

Hi readers.
I don't normally display such an obvious ad in my posts but hey this one is so good i had to.
Vista Print (I'm sure you've all heard about them by now or been on their site) I had but was yet to use them. Well this offer changed that. I chose to order a stamp for my new business. Previously i had one made up at a local printers for $70- $95 (sorry i cannot remeber exact price as it was 10yrs ago) Knowing how expensive they are i couldn't resist buying one for free from Vista Print. I say buying as you have to pay the postage which was very small. I LOVE my stamp.
You can get free business cards 250 of them!!! Great start to any new or small business, my sister did just that to start up her small design business from home. A great saving.
Anyway i'm going on and on but this really is a great offer unlike the thousands out there so check it out now by clicking the Vista Print banner to the right.
They've certainly got a new customer in me!

Work from home

2007-05-19T18:08:00.000+10:00

Ok we all know EVERYONE wants to work from home.
Well almost everyone.
There are many many sites out there containing information on how to work from home, why to work from home and who to work from home for.
One great easy way to add some extra cash to your pocket without too much more work than you do now is by answering online surveys. Surveys are sent out by many well known companies researching products and consumers and they are willing to pay you for the time it takes you to complete a quick survey. There are a lot of groups who will link you to paid survey sites, some offering cash but most offerin points or prizes. I suggest you opt for the cash only paid surveys as they others can be a huge time waster.

See side panel link for the best paid survey site that will pay you cash for all surveys completed and offer a great variety. Give them a go if you are looking for some extra cash to help you through or to use for other money making ideas.

Company fees

2006-11-22T09:50:00.000+11:00

Hi,
I mentioned in an earlier post that company fees were set to come down from $800 for registering a new company to $400.
Well it has. Below are the costs for registering a new company.
If you have trouble viewing this you can download the complete document here
ASIC
Registration – companies, registrable Australian bodies, schemes
201
Application for registration as an Australian company
Part 2A.1 company (s112)
- having a share capital
- not having a share capital
$400
$330
5(a)(i)
5(a)(ii)
202
Application for registration of a body corporate as a company
Part 5B.1 company (ss601BA & 601BC)
if already registered (as a foreign company) under Division 2 of Part 5B.2
- in any other case
$330
$400
5(b)(i)
5(b)(ii)
401
Application for registration as a registrable Australian body (s601CB)
- if incorporated or registered under a law dealing with the incorporation of associations
- if incorporated or registered under another law
$330
$400
6(a)(i)
6(a)(ii)
402
Application for registration as a foreign company (s601CE)
$400
6(b)

USP

2006-10-21T11:36:00.000+10:00

What is a USP?

Well it stands for Unique Selling Point or Unique Selling Proposition.

Basically it is what makes your business stand out from the crowd. What makes you differant or special?

How can you be sure your product is Unique?
Find a niche. Find a specific market within a market and target your products to the people within that market. For example Lamborgini is in a very specific market as is underpants for larger people a more specific market again would be underpants for incontinent larger people. Not pretty but a niche market all the same. Many larger people have incontinence issues due in part to their size and the current market place is yet to realise this. There are incontinent undies foor the elderly, pregnant and hospitals but not yet the mainstream public whom may use them for weight issues.
We know weight is the new problem typically in the western world and this product would be a great niche within a niche. There is a large market, easy to identify and even easier to market to. This is one example of a unique product. By researching the market and defining one area you have more chance of finding a niche market big enough to capitalise one yet small enough to still be unique.

Taking a product already out there and changing it to benefit the consumer is a tried and tested way to add uniqueness to your product as is finding an aggravation, something that doesn't quite work or isn't meeting your needs and revising it, adding missing parts to make it more user friendly or if there is no product to do what it is you wish to do create it! There are so many ways to be unique in the marketplace today why be the same? Why blend in and target the same audience that thousands are doing now or have done so.
You need to stand out in todays marketplace to even have a chance.

USP - Your new best freind. Find it and market it right and you cannot go wrong.

You may have a product identical in nature to your competitors but with a handy very user friendly packaging. Maybe you sell

Start up capital

2006-10-21T11:26:00.000+10:00

Start up capital where to find???

Well wether it's $100 or $50,000 you need to start your business it can be very difficult to find. Good ideas require money. Unique ideas require a much larger capital base in most circumstances due to the unknown nature of a new market or idea.
The ongoing funding can be hard to access particularly if the idea is untested or hard to research.

There are many forms of start up capital from family and friends, banks and building societies, to shareholders and venture capitalists.
Business angels or venture capitalists have very strict requirements to be met before an idea will be investigated. They are sometimes wishing to invest other times to manage or both invest and manage or oversee the running of the business. Sometimes it is possible you may have to give up a large portion of shares typically the better the idea.
In almost all cases you need to have a top management team in place to expand and continue to grow the business.

Small start ups can be launched on a credit card as risky as this sounds it is very common. A personal loan is another good option certainly safer.

There are many varied ways to fund a business start up although i must say all are not without risk and you need to really believe in the idea and follow that up with a strong business plan to make a sucess of the business in order to return a profit to the shareholders or yourself as only then is it worthwhile.

Frustrations

2006-10-09T13:51:00.000+10:00

Today i am frustrated!

I work from home and when children are present work is not.
Besides the kids i have had visitor after visitor and have been at the computer for two hours and managed to send 1 email.
Frustrating!

Besides the constant interuptions i seem again very unable to stick to one single task and get lost on the internet for hours, researching, contacting, studying. All helpful but not very progressive.

My morning routine lol if there was one would be to spend 1 hr answering emails and following up last nights research. Then i get offline so i can focus on supposedly one task like label making but in reality i work on biz plan, labels, sales figues and product lines all at once, again completely NOT helpful.
I am my own hindrence as i'm sure many of you are so if i was just to get out of my own way i'm sure i'd get things done.

Business as usual

2006-09-17T13:38:00.000+10:00

I'm plodding along still.

I have finally had some sucess in finding some products i am happy with, only a few mind you, yet they fit my criteria of great quality, no harmful additives and other such requirements.
I have found this process of product research much harder than first expected. The internet is a great resource for finding suppliers but the products still need to be paid for and shipped, all taking time and money for sometimes a dismal result. I guess it's all par for the course.

I have a whole range sorted and will purchase that in smaller quantities once my website is operational which will be very shortly.
I contracted a web developer on scriptlance.com to do it as my original Graphic designer had too many other commitments. So there's been a long delay with getting it up and running but it has given me time to research more products and sort the labelling.

I'm happy to have been able to put in more orders for packaging and the like and only wish i had that big fat business account to draw on some people have upon start up. That i'm afraid is a log way off for me as i am trying to fund this completely on my own which is extremely difficult yet rewarding.
I'm thinking shortly i may need a loan or some investors at least for some bigger purchases such as a company car (primarily used as advertising) a laptop for ease of information sharing (running between two houses) and a large quantity of stock for the official launch.

Anyway i'm still at it and getting closer to launching everyday.

I am hoping to be involved in some business training one on one shortly which will help me firm up the figures (yes i'm still yet to do this) me and my procrastination!

Until then i'll be sorting the new website and labelling up products ready to photographing for site.

I hope to see you all at my launch!

Affiliate Program Tutorial

2006-08-20T15:11:00.000+10:00

I have been researching affiliate marketing some more for my blogs and websites trying to find the best way to make money online and after experiencing some problems with my new website (first) i posted on this forum as usual for some help. Well i not only got help for my site i also stumbled upon this fabulous Affiliate Program Tutorial.

It's free and has some great tips all in a step by step way which i find very useful.
Best of all there were links to research tools rarely spoken of but also free and fabulously useful.
Check it out here.

Busy ness

2006-08-14T19:04:00.000+10:00

BUSYNESS as opposed to BUSINESS is quite typical of working for oneself!

This i am now discovering. I am yet to launch and i am so bloody busy!
I wonder sometimes if it achieves anything at all particularly online as i so easily get distracted once i dial up. If i stay on track great, but this is certainly not the norm.

Busyness can be a negative thing in business as you become so wrapped up in the day to day you forget the big picture.
For me i can never forget the big picture as that's who i am yet the day to day busyness gets me quite annoyed as it takes me further away from the vision. When your a one man show this is naturally going to happen.
I think the trick is to set time say at the end of the week to refocus and plan the next step to keep you inline with your goals.

Having a light at the end of the tunnel makes it all worthwile.

See you on the other side :-)

Internet Research

2006-08-04T17:19:00.000+10:00

Lately i have been doing pretty much ALL of my research online and am beginning to wonder if this is an effective method to research?

Primarily i'm researching suppliers so in this instance i think it's probably quite effective as long as you, unlike me, can keep yourself focussed.

Market research: I believe the internet is a great starting point though don't assume it can all be done online and get the required results. I think any online research must be backed up with on the ground work; by this i mean surveys, focus groups, enquiring and such. Combined the two make a very powerful force yet alone i think they are both somewhat ineffective.

Services: For this the internet is fantastic, most companies now days offer enquiries via email which is great for researching a wide variety of companies before nailing down your top few.Sometimes the annonimity of the www is what is needed to dig out a deal or at least arm you with the appropriate information before doing battle with the insurance companies or large advertising firms.

You can check out Graphic Designers previous work and decide not to use them without offending or find a useful link or two for future use without having to ACT NOW! as so many adverts tell us we must.

Used properly the internet has to be the most powerful tool today for busineses; used improperly or without focus it can be equally detrimental.

Chasing Suppliers

2006-07-23T15:47:00.000+10:00

I have been busy, busy chasing suppliers and working on my business plan.
Still plenty to do but i'd like to get it looking sharp before getting further advice in regards to the financial side of things.

I have been doing some price breakdowns for a few products, some look good some a little scary.
Things seem to be fine until i add in freight!!
Scary as starting small this can be quite high and unpredictable.
Anyway i'm still progressing and hope to be launching in a few months time.
Back to it..

2006-07-04T11:05:00.000+10:00

What have i been up to lately?

Well i have been busy researching and writting my business plan, a task that never seems to end as the more i research the more i find out how much more i need to know. This is good though as by the time i'm finished i always have a very clear idea of what i'm after and how to get it along with any areas i need help in.

I'm a long way off nailing down my target market as i'm struggling to get a handle on this. I have a broad overview and a few segments but being precise is so important and here i lack experience.

The financials are always my biggest problem and therefore i will be getting help with these at a later date.

Thinking big enough is always a challenge also as we all tend to plan for what we think we can achieve not what we want to achieve so i am stretching myself in this department all the time.

I find looking at my competitors an interesting if not frightening experience as they are already doing what i propse to do only usually with a large amount of resources behind them. I believe this competitor analysis is important though and once disheartened continue on and you shall see the cracks. I look for the competitors weakneses as these shall be my strengths. Being large isn't always a good thing as they can lose touch with their customers and therefore not be servicing their needs properly.
If you find they are great at what they do there must be an area they are slightly weaker in this may be your niche.

Being a visual person i tend to spend far too long on the image, culture and feel of the business rather than the nuts and bolts, if your the same make an effort to get the help you need early on as it really helps your ideas evolve. You are better able to write the mission statement and image/personality of the business as you know where it's headed and who it is.

Finally don't be scared of writting a business plan. It really is the most important thing in starting and running a business as it not only helps you gain a better understanding of the business and where it's headed but it keeps you on track to reach your business and personal goals.

Company Fees to drop

2006-06-25T11:44:00.000+10:00

I have recently read that to incorporate or become/start a company instead of the usual $800 fee it will be dropping to $400 in a move by the government to help out small business.

I think this is fabulous as in general a company offers much more protection to business owners depending on their situation.

I was saving to pay for incorporation of my new family partnership business as i am paying things week by week, so this will take the pressure of to some degree even though i am unsure as to when it will be brought in.

A great way to incorporate is online at

Why are we here??????????

2006-05-19T18:37:00.000+10:00

I'm wondering???
What the hell do we think we are doing here, on this planet if we are just coasting through life but affecting no-one?
Why don't we make a stand?
Why don't we stand up and be counted?
Say what we think!

What on earth do we think is going to happen if we say "NO! I don't agree! That is wrong!"

Why do we feel so little empathy for others?
Why can't we ALL voice our opinions?

I hear people complain often about Governments, Unions, Bosses, Co-Workers etc yet they NEVER do a thing about it.
Even joining some type of group would be a simple yet effective way of voicing your opinion without feeling like the only one.

It's true there's power in numbers!

I believe business has a lot of power wether large or small and can not only affect employees lives but suppliers, customers, local councils and government. Why not use your business to voice your opinion.

What do you stand for?
What does your business stand for?
What are your ethics, beliefs?
Do they match your actions?

By believing in something you show you care, you will naturally attract similar thinking people to your organisation and therefore have the power in numbers to start affecting change.

Do you want environmental change? Is it an end to poverty you desire or maybe defense of human rights. Is Fair trade important to you or would you rather support a local charity?
Whatever best aligns with your company and your set of beliefs there is an organisation out there needing support. Find one, Join one and make someone's life better.

Stop the grumbling and take action!

Still Alive

2006-05-19T13:32:00.000+10:00

Just letting everyone know i'm still alive :-)

Can't say i have done alot on business due to $ or lack of.

I have been working on obtaining keywords for the website, frustrating!

I've also been keeping busy working on my business plan.

Hope to report more soon.

Income from home

2006-04-30T12:15:00.000+10:00

Income from home: Well for me that is dropshipping.
I have been a little lax in getting into dropshipping in a big way, just too much going on really but i figure if i want to see a real increase in income i need to dedicate a fair amount of time to this.
I've found some great products my newest being new to the market and well priced, along with the incentive of a great affiliate program paying $5 per sale to me.
Check their product out at
The Lock Block

It only costs $19.95 to join the program which included the product itself.
One of the best overall deals i've found in that you not only get the product but the affiliate program, great percent of sale, personal contact and as much help as you need.

I'm raving now but this is just one example of a great product out there that you can market and sell and have some faith in.

Dropshipping is wonderfull in that you can market online or off, via a blog, website, forums, auctions and many, many more ways. It is easy, quick and you can do it from home or on your laptop on holidays it's so simple.
Finding a good product is half the battle for me as i want to believe in the product. I want a quality product also not a junk watch or throw away cd.

Just one way to create an income and it really just comes down to how much work you wish to put in.

Three steps at a time

2006-04-20T11:23:00.000+10:00

I've been told to take things one step at a time but am finding this isn't always possible.
In my situation (lack of money) i find i'm taking three steps at a time or more.

I need to focus on EVERYTHING which is impossible but whilst i'm waiting on my Graphic Designer i need to be creating the products ready for website which also need the labels sorted ready to apply and photograph for web. Not only that but my market research is still lacking and needs to be sorted before the website goes up which in turn requires me to find the best keywords to use and the most relevant and helpfull information to have ready to go on launch.

So as you can see there are a thousand and one things to do even with a small startup and a home business. Taking one step at a time is not possible and i wouldn't nessesarily want it that way anyhow as i'd be bored in a week. The pressure gets to me but the new challenges keep me going.

I plan to continue three steps at a time as long as i'm taking at least one step i have momentum which is nessesary for all startups. Once this momentum is lost i find it easy to procrastinate and make excuses even to the point of thinking "why bother!" this is obviously not good and it only makes things harder.

So my advise take THREE STEPS AT A TIME that way your always busy, creating momentum and if one thing stops you have two others to continue on with.

F.E.A.R

2006-04-01T14:42:00.000+11:00

F... Fight.
You've got to have some fight in you. Do you have what it takes? Do you want it bad enough?
Fight for what you want/ believe and it will happen.

E... Education.
You have to educate yourself in the unknown areas. If you lack general business skills do a course, read books, talk to people anyway you can you must continually educate yourself to keep ahead of the pack.

A... Action.
Take action! You cannot sit and think "I'd love to do that, I know it will work, It will come" etc
You must take action everyday, little by little things get done.

R... Revise.
You must continaully revise what your doing, what's working, what's not, why, what needs changing, updating? Revise your plan to suit the business, revise your goals to suit your dream.

Fear holds many of us back. Myself included. If you follow the path above you will overcome fear without even trying. Things will happen, they have to. You will gain momentum and you will achieve your goals. Try it and see.

FEAR can be a good thing, use it to your advantage!

Business Update

2006-03-30T14:27:00.000+11:00

Well i have to update you all of course but quite simply i have nothing to tell.

NOTHING

WHY? Well as i am reliant on personal income (currently that is zero) hubby's income supports us for now so i can no longer afford to use his to buy products or goods in relation to my business.

I should be working on my plan or my wealth creation strategies but to tell you the truth they are all impossibly hard and getting me no where.

I will get back into it again but i have been focussed completely on the renovation of my house which also chews up any money we have free.

I'm thinking of taking on a new direction something to do with home renovation/homeware sales etc. My passion is renovating old houses and one day i hope to be investing in such houses and renovating for profit. My other passion is furniture and homewares and as stated in a previous post i hope to open a chain of stores selling unique renovated furniture and homewares.

As i'm looking at setting up websites i figure i should be looking in these areas.

I plan on working on my already established plans and pursuing them still but may instead of focussing on small business help online i'll tackle the equelly competitive market of home reno.

As yet this is just an idea and as i have so many of them i really need a kick in the pants to stay focussed on one thing at a time.

I'll get back to that now and see how i go.

Simple Systems

2006-03-09T11:38:00.000+11:00

Cathy has the typical problem of a paper chase every time she needs to do something, whether that be orderinbg, emailing, paying accounts etc she needs to find the paperwork nessesary check it and reply or process individually each time. This is time consuming especially when her paperwork is all stored in an in tray until she goes through it piece by piece.

NOT GOOD!

She designs a new system more thorough than the in/out tray system which is only one part of a larger system.

Step one: Sort into categories.

Supply
Clients
Product
Business
Personal

She sets up a file draw for each categorie and a row of pockets for each categorie.

Next she breaks these categories into smaller ones such as

SUPPLY

Hardcopy of suppliers details
Invoices
Purchase orders
etc

Each item has a pocket also which is where the hardcopy and up to date information is stored.

Cathy purchases some stamps Processed, Faxed, Mailed etc

SEE THE SYSTEM AT WORK

Monday morning cathy has set aside 1hr from 9am - 10am to sort and process all incoming mail online and off. Hard mail is first as once online it is easy to be distracted.

As the mail arrives it is sorted into the corresponding pockets.
Starting at the first pocket each piece of paper is dealt with individually, if a reply is needed it is done, if an order needs to be placed it is done. If this is not possible it will be put back into the pocket until further information is gathered to be dealt with at a later date.
Once the paper is dealt with it is stamped faxed, processed etc and if no such stamp available it is ticked top right corner in red
Next it is filed in corresponding file draw.

This process takes place each and every morning which helps organise the business, keep clutter down and creates and energy in the business as there is continual problem solving and oversight. The momentum gathered in starting the day well continues and helps get more done.

Once the hardcopy is finalised the online tasks begin.

The backup system here is MYOB which is another story but using this software helps a business maintain clarity and keeps financial side to the business in check. This in turn helps the owner oversee the entire business and allows for instant information.

Cathy would first recieve and reply to all emails. Business related will be printed and a hardcopy placed in either the pocket or files once dealt with and stamped.

Banking, ordering, etc all finalised and hardcopies printed and filed.

Printing hardcopies is wise in that if there is ever a problem you can double check, you have a record, you can attend to it at a later date and if placed in a pocket you are less inclined to ignore it and move on where online it is easy to think "I'll do it later" and not!

This simple system suits cathy.

It gives her a timeframe, a guideline, a backup of hardcopy, keeps clutter down, opens her eyes to the important tasks and more importantly gets them done thereby streamlining the business.

The system can be further broken down by adding an in/out tray for dealing with incoming mail less regularly or mailing less often. Phone systems can be utilised to deal with enquiries and software can backup the system with automatic printing of specific forms. There are many ways to tweak a system to suit the business or person.

For cathy the problem was not only clutter but also her own procrastination. The new system helps her avoid this and also allows her time to research properly before acting on paperwork.

Another problem she has in with training staff so she will next move on to creating an operation manual to help clarify each task in the business and keep everyone on the same page/

These systems are not solid. They need to be tweaked, changed, refined to suit the individual purpose. If for example Cathy found she was spending too much time sorting and dealing with each piece of paper she could break it up further into days. eg Monday bookeeping, Tuesday ordering etc. By completely seperating each task they can seem more manageable.

Try creating your own system even a simple paper shuffle can help enormously.

I don't see McDonalds for instance dropping their system for creating the perfect French Fry. Why would you when it works so well, when a 16yr old can step in an see exactly what needs to be done.

Not all busineses have simple systems but you'll find almost all have some sort of system wether it's to get the trains to run on time haha or the sheet metal throught to the final product systems are at work everyday, all around us so why not utilise them in your business?

Systematize your business

2006-03-08T18:44:00.000+11:00

If you want to find success in your business you really need to systematize the most critical or important areas of the business. The ideal is to have a fully systematized business, all areas, all processes with all people at all levels running and constantly improving the system.

Sounds wonderful right! But how do we do this?

This is easily achieved if the work needed is put into to creating the systems that best suit your type of business.
Some are very generic to specific industries, think McDonalds, KFC, Pizza hut.
The fast food industry would not survive a day without their systems.

McDonalds the business who does this best has a system for every single process involving the business from recruiting, order taking, cooking, cleaning to training, food prep and open and closing. Even thier franchise placement goes through the system.

In small business i believe this type of "Thinking like the big guys" is vital to survive.
It will free up your time and help you manage the business, plan for the future expansion or growth or at the least insure the day to day running goes as smoothly as possible.

For an established business to start with it is sometimes a good idea to find a troublesome area of the business and create a system to support and correct the problems. From this you can move to other areas.

It is not a one man show either. If you include your staff in the process from beginning to end you will often not only find the weakest links in the system and fix them before they evolve but you can then rely on the staff to run the system, work it properly having helped design it and use it every day they can typically see what is needed most and be more objective.
Staff are often the ones training new people also which is especially important in correcting and maintaing the system.

Below is an example of a very easy, basic system for a very common problem. As i said ANYTHING and EVERYTHING can be systematised!

Next post i will show you a simple system anyone could use.

Fee free listings

2006-02-21T13:55:00.000+11:00

Have you checked out

yet???
If not.. Why not??

I don't know about you but i am tired of paying out fees to Ebay and other such auction sites and find Oztion a great new auction site.

They also offer an affiliate program so refer your friends and help this online auction site grow.

They have a wide range of categories with many new ones being added all the time and a wide range of products at great prices.

Let me know what you think.

Small Business Small time.

2006-02-12T11:54:00.000+11:00

I have to air my frustration!

Why do so many small busineses act that way?

What way?

SMALL!

They act like a small business.

Learn from the big guns, follow what they do, copy their methods.

I hear people groan all the time my business this and my business that when they are not prepared to look like a big business, act like a big business or generally behave like one.
How do they think they can grow without a business plan? Marketing? etc why won't they put that little bit of effort in to make the business more focussed and streamlined if the end result they are hoping to achieve is a healthy profit line or expansion.

Sure they are happy to juggle, stress and do all the day to day of the business, run themselves ragged all in the name of business yet they won't truly act like a business owner and MANAGE it.

Step back and do the real work. As they say WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER!

Bill Gates has said in the early days of Microsoft working from his garage he answered the phone like a large corporation would, he presented like one, he behaves like a large company from day one. He did this so well no one actually knew he was working from his garage until he became famous and told his story.

Surely in this day and age no believes they can run a successful small business without a plan?

It drives me crazy. They may have the best idea in the world but without planning they are in the dark.

I'll leave you with my frustration now as i'm feeling much better having gotten it off my chest.

Many busineses don't plan to fail but fail to plan!

Product Insurance

2006-02-08T16:29:00.000+11:00

I have been chasing down Product Insurance which seems a hard task when you make products at home yourself.
They want to know so many things i cannot answer and yet ask nothing i can.
You would think if your buying pre made bases from an organic supplier it would be all good but NO.
How annoying. Maybe one day i'll get my answer though so i'll keep you posted.

I am in need of this type insurance as my products will be used on the skin and therefore could cause someone harm and in turn get me sued. So i guess i have no choice.

I'll let you know how it progresses.

SYDNEY

2006-02-06T16:33:00.000+11:00

Hi, I just wanted to tell everyone what a blast the Bridge Climb was.
My calves are killing me two days later but it was fantastic! Well worth the money.

On a business note i think this was a brilliant idea. Imagine - thinking up the idea to have people of all ages and fitness levels actually walk over the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge!
Even i would think i was dreaming on that one. The insurance, council permission, safety, security etc etc how scary.

It is an amazing idea that has been setup perfectly. It is so streamlined and systemised it's magnificent. They get the maximum amount of people through with many people coming back again and again, charge a good price get 12 people through per group with groups leaving every 15 minutes. They would make PLENTY! insurance, wages etc taken out would still be a fantastic profit.

Now that's dreaming big!

something everyone MUST do, it's great.

Our friend was scared of heights and i wouldn't say he's cured by any means but he made it and is very glad he did.

Positive Attitude

2006-02-03T09:35:00.000+11:00

Ok it's easy to say "Stay positive" but when starting a new business venture it's a must.

There are so many hurdles and issues that come up it's easy to forget why your doing it.

There are many people and organisations out there to help Small business start ups with many of them being easily accessible online any time of day or night.

I have had the problem of losing that positive attitude in the past and dropping the new venture before it even gets started. Not this time! I am continually propping myself up. I remember why i want this, what it is i'm trying to achieve and then the hurdles seem smaller. With one step at a time most problems are manageble. There is ALWAYS someone who's either done it before or has the experience nessesary to help you through and most often it's free.

I don't believe you need a fortune to start a small business, even to start a large business depending on the industry of course. It's all doable as long as you have the positive attitude nessesary as then people will want to help you and be drawn to the cause.

When down just think of the why, not the how.

Affiliate Marketing

2006-01-30T14:35:00.000+11:00

What is affiliate marketing?

A great way to make money online.

Well that's what they say. I say to start with it's a hard way to make money online.
You need to read A LOT! then put it into practise. I have spent hours and hours doing exactly that and with no outlay of cash so if you have the time go for it.
Once all the ground work is done your set. With the odd tweak here and there you'll be producing money without a lot of effort. The effort is all in the BEGINNING.

There are many great free resources online with my fave being www.associateprograms.com
They have great free advise, tutorials and far more information than i can give you here so check them out for yourself.

You don't need to pay to learn affiliate marketing make use of all the free information from people who've been there and done it.

I believe with a lot of effort in advance affiliate marketing can reap good rewards but don't expect to make money quickly or without the work.

for more info or links on this topic follow the links to the right under resources.

DROPSHIPPING

2006-01-30T13:30:00.000+11:00

What is Dropshipping?

I don't know about you but i get sick and tired of searching the net for ways to make money. Sick of trying things, spending hours and never making any money.

Sick of being told "it takes a while"

Well to start making money now to put to use on other projects why not try Dropshipping? I use it to generate enough money to allow me to put it towards other online pursuits and find it's great. Here's an explanation below of how it all works.

Own A Business Without Buying Stock?

It is possible to own a business without buying a lot of stock or renting a retail outlet. Many people are operating their own businesses from home without having to buy stock in advance.

You register with a dropshipper for wholesale reselling, copy and paste photo's and product information directly into ebay or similar auction sites, your own website, mail order catalogue. Wait for a sale. When the sale is completed and payment has been made to you you then return to the dropshippers site place an order, pay and enter your customers address details, the product will automatically be mailed to your customer. Sale finalised.

You need to be sure of the dropshipper which is why it is important to go through a verified dropshipper. One i use is Dropship Australia they check all suppliers out, have a wide range of suppliers and products, keep you updated on the latest products and news via thier newletter and more importantly are used by thousands of people with a great reputation. So Get A Bigger Slice Of the Internet Pie check them out now and start making money from day one!

I find dropshipping good because i don't need to outlay any of my own money up front and it can appear to the buyer you are a large company selling many top quality products.

A great easy way of earning an income online.

Small business misgivings

2006-01-28T09:26:00.000+11:00

Hi,
I'm on for a ramble.

I have a query? Why do small busineses feel it is ok to start a business without some sort of written business plan?
Answer: It's too hard!

I don't believe this is so. It is just a gathering of information collected along the way as you research your idea.
I think people tend to stop after they get a bit of an idea it could work as they are in a hurry to get started. That's fine but do the plan bit by bit as you go and be sure to have a set goal in mind. Do you want the business to become a public company? do you just want to earn a decent living? do you want to be able to sell it off? do you want a manager to run it for you?
These things are best set out from the beginning, it helps keep you clear on where you want to be. Sure things change and life gets in the way but just adjust the plan to suit. Revise it, update it and keep it handy to reinforce what it is your trying to achieve.

Another thing Market research. This is another area small busineses don't explore enough. Multi million dollar busineses wouldn't dream of operating without it why should we? If we look to success in the hope to copy and achieve something similar why not copy the tactics used that work, that get the big busineses where they are?
We all need to know our customer so we can understand what it is they want or need, how else can we supply that need and in the process make money?

I'd love all small busineses to operate as big busineses do and i bet there'd be an explosion of growth. As Bill Gates said and did you need to act like the big company you wish to become from day one. Look like it, sound like it, act like it no matter who you are whether your at home selling undies on ebay there's no reason people need to know that. Let them think you are a large underwear retailer and one day you will be.

SYDNEY here i come.

2006-01-20T17:48:00.000+11:00

On the 4th Feb i am off to Sydney (One of my fave places on earth) to climb the Harbour Bridge.
Fantastic business idea that one.

I'm staying at the Mercure with some friends and hubby for one night on Darling harbour which i adore and going to Manly the next day for a Tandem Parasailing adventure.

Being my friends birthday i have organised it all online which was a good exercise as i can discover little hints and tips for my own websites.

Ease of payment seems the biggest one to me along with a quick loading page and easy to follow details. Note to self to make these a top priority on my own sites.

I booked our Tandem parasail through www.adrenalin.com.au they are great, easy and fast. Check them out they have all kinds of adventurouse things to do at reasonable prices.

Another good adventure site is www.godo.com.au or for a gift try www.redballoondays.com.au
all great fun sites i'll be using lots.

Product Problems

2006-01-20T17:40:00.000+11:00

Well as my business requires me to make some of my own products i have been trying to do exactly that with very little success!
I'm growing very frustrated.
I have ordered samples of my pre made product, sorted colours etc and ready to order (Expensive) but still need to create others to supplement the range. They are supposed to be quite easy but given every failure costs money i find this hard to believe.

As i'm still in the prototype stages i'm not too concerned just annoyed. I am determined though that i will have at least my top 4 self made products created and quality checked within the next month.

As for the pre made i shall be placing a large order soon an creating, printing labels ready to go as soon as it arrives. Therefore i can photograph and send to the Graphic Designer who is patiently waiting on me and my products.

Stationery sorted even to the design of name badges and t-shirts. I plan on selling my branded products on the website also to help grow the brand and make it a recognised wanted item.

Till then i shall get back to my flunked products and start again.

Step by Step

2006-01-09T15:42:00.000+11:00

What have i been up to?

Well i have finally put in a few more oders one for my actual wholesale product (well for the samples) so we can choose the ones we like and order in bulk at least this way we will actually have some product.
We will be buying a full range wholesale and bulk and repackaging some, labelling ourselves.
The rest we have to make so we have also ordered some moulds along with enough product to create about three seperate products.

This will help us organise labels, do our costing per product and establish our prices, also it will keep my Graphic designer happy as he will finally have some photo's to go ahead with our website.

Brought a new digital camera also as i left mine in a taxi on New Years eve a nice expense but nessesary as i find these days it's hard to do business online without one when you sell your own product.

Next on the expense list will be a laptop computer. Business expense yes! I've always wanted one but now i'm trying to run a business between two homes (Myself and my business partner mum's) it's getting ridiculous carrying all the nessesary information to and fro and updating, viewing, discussing information not at hand.

So it's all still happening. Things are going smoothly. This week we shall have around eight products created and be ordering raw materials for the next range.

Step by Step we are getting there. I find it hard working pay by pay but i think we spend our money wiser this way also as i'm sure the laptop would be first priority if i had the money in the bank hehe.

Till next time work smarter not harder.

C@th

Big Business

2005-12-28T14:42:00.000+11:00

Today i just want to acknowledge all the monumental achievements of a great businessman Mr kerry Packer.

He was someone who didn't ask why?, just how? He made things happen. He created his network of friends, family, advisors, partners, aquaintences and even enemies all of which in some way or other helped him grow the empire he has today. He was a charasmatic man yes, had a way with words and wasn't afraid to tell it like it was yet he was always a fair man, a generous man and a very pro active, forward thinking man.

He didn't dwell on the past or worry his new idea may not work. He'd call in his advisors, talk it over, gather the support team he needed to give it a go.

Above all Kerry Packer has passion. He was driven by something. He was focussed and never gave up.

I'm sure we can all learn a lot from him and hopefully aquire half the success he came to know.

PASSION! can do many things, Passion could be many things from sport, a hobby, a need to be secure, a promise to a wish. Passion is what drives a person forward, stops them living in the past and i think we all need to discover that PASSION within.

To a passionate man i say THANKS!

GETTING CREATIVE

2005-12-22T17:43:00.000+11:00

As with the last post i mentioned Blog comments this time on a more positive note i'm happy to have read a few peoples comments stating that my blog has helped them.

One in particular asked how can you have so many ideas?
This has given me an idea :-) me being an ideas person and all. I'll create a site on how to be more creative, How to come up with many ideas.

I know a bit about this being the creative type myself so i'm sure i can give you all some tips on the subject.

To start with i believe you need to become quite self aware! By this i mean know yourself! Know what you like, don't like, how colours, shapes affect you etc.
How does this help?
Well when you are aware of how things affect you and what feelings are stirred in you, good or bad you can hone in on your instincts, intuition if you like and use that to guide you.
By being in touch emotionally with your surroundings many, many ideas will come your way and you can be pro active in the way in which you produce ideas.
I warn you though, there will be many that are no good, too expensive, wrong time etc, etc it is then a process of eliminating the ideas that don't suit your needs or are not viable at this time.

Start an ideas diary! - This is a great tool.
If you get into the habit of writting down each and every idea that pops into your head you will have them down before you lose them and at a later date can add to them, flesh them out and analyize them properly. Once you get started you will have so many TRUST ME you'll need a diary.

Write feelings, colours, shops you liked, pictures, shapes anything and everything it's amzing where your ideas will come from.
I believe ANYONE can be creative. Some may need to work at it others don't.

It can be a wonderful tool when used correctly and a pain in the neck when not.

Most creative people tend to jump from one idea to the next or procrastinate which i do regularly so you might have to wait until i get my two websites up and running before you get to see this new one otherwise i'll never do any.

Write, Write, Write and see the creativeness inside you explode. Tis FUN!!!

Bye for now.

BLOG COMMENTS

2005-12-22T17:39:00.000+11:00

Ok,
I have just read most of the comments left by my blog readers and find that almost all are directed at getting thier own website noticed.
That's fine if it's worthwhile us being directed there and preferably if it is in line with my topics.
If not please don't bother! I WILL delete them. If you have a site that may help others in the related field i'm posting on then by all means tell us.

BLOG SPAM is NOT ok.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2005-12-22T16:57:00.000+11:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

May you all have a safe, fun filled christmas and a busy, business building New Year!

Lesson in BAD business

2005-12-06T19:07:00.000+11:00

A recent experience of mine has lead to this post on how NOT to run a business!

I wanted to buy a unique product online which i won't name purely for my not wanting to be sued otherwise i'd absolutely LOVE to name them.

I paid via credit card online and sent the order off. That's where my trouble started.
I recieved a phone call to say my payment had not been honoured by the bank.
As i use a debit visa i thought "No problem, a direct debit probably came out i'd forgotten about"
No, The bank tells me i had funds in the account and that a request was never made by the business.
So this time i ring back and try my dad's card. "Sorry" Was the reply we cannot accept that this is really the card owner (I put him on)
Now this is an ONLINE business offering payment by credit card online or by phone!
INFURIATING!

So i have put the order in online and been rejected again with the excuse being "We cannot be certain of the ownership of card"

I was by now so irate that i cancelled the order entirely.

The problem is this. This was a Birthday present for my Nan. She is extremely hard to buy for, loves her garden and this is so unique she's probably never seen it or would never buy it for herself yet she will ADORE it!

So as i cannot buy it from any other source (Patented) i am trying again.

This time i've paid via direct deposit and faxed the order off. I'm awaiting the reply.

My message to all, including myself is to be completely able to accept online payments if they are offered.

Before offering, check they work, obtain the relevant insurances and at least make it easy for the customer to pay another way if this is not possible.

To top it all off this business has a P.O Box only so i could not even drive the 45 min trip to pick them up.

It has now taken over 2 weeks to get this product, by the time i hopefully recieve it i'm sure it will be 3 weeks.
All i can say is that it is extremely unprofessional which is a shame as they have a great product and the market cornered for now. Word of mouth referrals will come thick and fast once people actually see the product but not after my word of mouth that's for sure.

Surely the loss of future business would not be worth it?

Anyway i see it as a great lesson for the running of my own online busineses.

UPDATE
I have my product!
Not only do i have it but i have a sincere apolagy along with another product to the same value free.
Now that's better.
I must say this has not only been a lesson in how NOT to do business but also in how to fix mistakes.
I'm happy to refere my friends though i will advise not to buy online.

Feed the hungry FREE

2005-12-03T16:55:00.000+11:00

This is free to do just click each day and 1 cup full of food will be given to the needy.

Make it your homepage so you never forget to click.

http://www.thehungersite.com

STEP 7

2005-12-03T15:03:00.001+11:00

MISSION STATEMENT

I wrote up my mission statement for my new web based business.

To do this i needed some specific information which was harder to come by than i first thought would be.

I had to find out EXACTLY what i was selling?

(Surely you'd think i would know already?)

You see nobody actually sells a product! What you are selling is an emotion!

ASK YOURSELF THESE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO FIND YOUR PRODUCT

Why would someone buy this product?
What do they think they want?
How must they feel to want this?
Therefore what emotional need are they trying to fulfill?
How does my product relate to this?
Can i fill that emotional need?
What other products would fill this need?

EXAMPLE

PRODUCT: Anti wrinkle cream

To hopefully erase wrinkles or at least soften them
To look more youthful
Unrecognised, less attractive, lost youth
The need to be recognised, to be wanted physically
The cream would make them believe they were more youthful looking
Yes by giving back a feeling of youth
Many, varied but based on youth.

MARKETING STRAGEDY:

Use of youthful images, lifestyle,
Use specific words relating to youth
Target other industries relating to youth for example gyms

and the list goes on.

As you can see by asking questions you find more questions needing to be answered.

In the above example a lady wanting an anti wrinkle cream is more than likely trying to recapture a youthful appearance. In todays world youth is like gold! Wanted, craved by all now wether or not we agree with this is irrelavant. All we need to know is WHY she buys this particular cream? What does she hope to achieve with it? And theirin lies the key to selling the product.

FULLFILL THE NEED NOT THE WANT

How does this relate back to my mission statement?

I needed to find out the needs of my primary customer to be able to understand what it was i was trying to sell. Knowing the need rather than the product means you can comunicate at an emotional level with your customers and better understand how to service those needs.

My mission statement tells the story of who my business is, what we sell (the emotion) and how we best hope to achieve this. It is a personal thing and must tie in with the beliefs, values and long term goals of the business.

My partner and myself have written a personal mission statements as well as the business one and therefore we will be able to follow this blueprint to the business a lot better being that it is based on us and our desires.

Complete unfinished tasks

2005-12-03T14:51:00.000+11:00

I have completed unfinished tasks from "Scared" post.
Domain, hosting, name reg, letterheads, biz cards etc. I have written my mission statement which is explained in STEP 7. And decided on a merchant account for my new business.

I'm on a roll.
Finally! You need to keep the momentum going if you wish to get there as many a time i just stopped.... and you lose interest on what usually is a great idea. Many a time i could have made it with many a new idea but just lost that momentum and here i am starting again.

So my new business is moving along nicely. Cashflow is non existant still as i haven't launched yet but week by week as each new expense comes along i clear it out of the way only to find another.

I start paying my graphic Designer this week $200 at a time until final payment is made and site launched.
I'm happy to pay for a designer (freind of a freind) uni student to design my site as that will be the main point of contact and hopefully sales for my business until i jump into party plan at a later date.

As for AuzzieStart i am working on that now.
finding it harder than first thought as i am building the site myself so i am re thinking this and may use a generic web hosts template and add my own bits and pieces. Not forgotten though just been working on my other income streams. haha i wish! one day anyway.

GOOD ADVICE

2005-11-22T18:52:00.000+11:00

Hi all!

I have recently realised you can't pay enough for good advice. saying that i just received some free from my 3rd year law degree friend.

It is in regards to me changing my partnership business into a company.
No one seemed to have an idea on how or if it could be done and after some help from an online friend i questioned my soon to be lawyer friend and was sent home with some homework hehe. LAWYERS!!

She has given me a good start and showed me it is not only possible but i need to do it now rather than later. Liability issues aside, my plan being to build the brand needs the assurance of a company.

I will be saving hard now since it's $1500 and as soon as i'm ready my friend will help me set it up. She also advised me on what's called founding shareholder which my mum will become and this gives her special rights. Being primarily a financial shareholder it will help keep her position within the company with a more limited role if she wishes.

There's a lot to it but i am confident with the right help i'll grow my business and we will become a recognised brand.

CAN'T WAIT!!

On with the job.

P.S. ASIC are annoyingly un helpful until you do something wrong!

Home sweet home!

2005-11-12T14:38:00.000+11:00

Well we are all moved in finally!

After 5 loads to the tip, Who know's how many loads to the house and 3 breakages one almost being hubby's ankle we think we are finally ready to start the big task of home renovation.

With almost EVERY room needing something major done we have a lot ahead of us but it's all good fun.

The shed comes first of course! Hubby is a mad V8Supercar collector FORD through and through with many cabinets set up and pictures to hang the shed had to be lined (Dust proofing i'm told) and a new one built for the workshop, seperate of course for the dust.

Maybe once that's all done we'll get onto the house. I've rushed in in my usual manner and ripped out the ugly old linen cupboard which of course i'm now regretting as i now have no where to store my junk. Had to be done. I've sploshed on some colour to try and decide but hate them all, built a garden bed out back and cleared the front bed.
Busy, Busy.

That's the house. As for the busineses HA! i have $4 in the bank for now and a house to renovate but i am still as determined as ever. I'll start work on Auzzie$tart asap and get working on the party plan research.

So now i'm all caught up i'll get going.
Till next time here's another link to get you thinking.
http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/mtf/roadtrip/farmers.html

We're In

2005-11-07T17:33:00.000+11:00

Hi,
Just a quick post to let everyone know i'm in the new house.
At old one cleaning now Yuk!

Been running inbetween the two for days now but still managed to clear a garden , build new garden and best of all rip out an unsightly old linen cupboard. Argh gotta love renovating.
Anyway i'll try not to get so tied up in it all so i can keep on target with my websites.

Thankyou Audrey for all your help!

Talk soon.

BIG NOISE

2005-10-30T15:04:00.000+11:00

http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/mtf/povertyhistory/petition.php

Sign and pass on to your friends.

Make a differance!

OPEN YOUR EYES!

2005-10-30T14:51:00.000+11:00

I want everyone to follow this link and read!
It will blow you away. If it doesn't something is wrong.
I have been a supporter of the NIKE WATCH campaign for a long time and in that time i've seen snails pace progress. Not due to Oxfam as they have done plenty but from Nike's side.
I no longer buy NIKE! Haven't done so for years and hope you'll do the same.

Please browse the site, the link below will give you a good starting point to the issues.

http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/index.html

I'd love to hear people's comments.

OPEN YOUR EYES! HELP SOMEONE

2005-10-30T12:02:00.000+11:00

SCARED!

2005-10-23T10:56:00.000+10:00

Ok guys (and Girls)
The fear has kicked in!

My Graphic designer has just told me he can start my website in about 3 weeks and it will be finished in 2-3 weeks. ARGHHHHHHHH

As yet i don't even have any products!

I wish to start selling online and then venture into party plan but i need the money to buy the raw materials to create the product.

We have played around with a few but are no where near to being ready for sales.
We don't have our labels printed, paperwork sorted or product.

I'm going to face this head on though and hope it's the push i need.
I will be busy this week i'm sure. Here's a list of things to do this week.

1. Pay for and post business name registration
2. pay and order domain name
3. Pay and order website hosting
4. Pay and order raw materials for products
5. Pay and order pre made products
6. Consult with printers for labels and pricing
7. Create letterhead, business cards, vouchers, invoices etc.

I'm sure there's more i'm forgetting but that will do for starters.
Besides all this i need to get Auzzie Start website online which involves adding much more content, buying domain and web hosting and writting a few articles to post to ezines( whatever they are) after all this i need to find affiliates.

Along with all this i am moving house in about 2 weeks into a lovely run down old home we brought which needs floors, roof, painting inside and out, a completely new bathroom, verandah on back, front fence, new sheds built and loads more. CAN'T WAIT!! seriously i can't wait. I love home renovation just could've come when i was vegging out not starting a new business from scratch.

Anyway it will all get done i'd just better get off my bum and get busy.

Fantastic Forum !!

2005-10-21T17:21:00.000+10:00

I just wanted to let everyone know i have found the most FANTASTIC forum!! It is Party Plan Australia.

This is a great resource not only for party plan based busineses but online or female orientated market segments.

The ladies on this board are so helpful and genuinely want everyone to succeed. They are willing to help as much as possible if they can and they share information and stories.

I've found it very informative particularly on the subject of party plan start ups as that's what i'm looking at doing along with online sales. Many of the members have created their own companies from scratch and have a wealth of knowledge and information to share.

There are a lot of good business forums out there i suggest you find one in your chosen area and read like crazy.

STEP SIX!

2005-10-21T17:14:00.000+10:00

Registered the business name..

Ok, I have been procrastinating due to finances on this one but as i need to register a domain name i need the business name registered first.

Sent off the paper work and the money boo hoo. ($133) not too much i know but have just purchased a house every dollar counts and hey it's so much more fun spending it on products hehe.

Free webhost WHERE?

2005-10-08T12:53:00.000+10:00

I am desperately seeking a free or very cheap webhost for my new website Auzzie $tart.
Being an affiliate based site and the fact it is my first i don't want to spend a lot until i learn the ropes. I want an Australian based host.

I have found a paid one for my new party plan business which i'm happy to pay for but am hesitant for this one yet as i want it to make me money to help fund my other busineses.

As for my new business? It's still a bit slow getting everything togeather yet but moving along.
My new Graphic Designer friend has agreed to make my website at a discounted price but i have to wait till he finishes up Uni about 6 weeks.

By then i want to be ready to sell online so i'd better get moving with labels, domain name, business name registration etc.

It all takes either money or time but in my case i've found my particular products take money!
Something i don't have a lot of.
I'm planning to buy enough to get me going of each product and then buy as i sell of course.
I'm rambling again so i'll stop now.
I'm off to Adelaide for a week on Tuesday so that will give me a nice break from it all then i can start fresh. Hopefully with a bunch of new ideas.

Graphics Work done

2005-09-25T12:56:00.000+10:00

Hi again,
I have been busy designing and finishing my logo.

After drawing it up and scanning it into my computer i sent it to a freind who sent it to a freind (Graphic Designer student) who turned it into a vector graphic for me. I have since chopped and changed it to suit and sent it back for a final check.
It has saved me heaps having someone do it for me for free and i thank him a ton!

I've spend a fair amount of time on this logo as i want it to be a great branding tool.
Recognisable, clean lines, easy to print, able to vary for differant purposes etc.

I've used only three colours so it will be cheaper to print and easier to reproduce.

I'm very happy with it and have created all my letterheads, business card, invoices etc.

This is the fun stuff to me i LOVE it!

Now time to get busy with the not so fun.

I'm still struggling to come up with enough money to do a few things such as registering the business name $133 Registering the domain name $ and ordering my next batch of product bases. I'll get these three things happening as then i can keep moving forward. In the mean time i will explore website template creation with my new Graphic Designer friend and hopefully have one ready soon.

AUZZIE $TART my affiliate website is coming along nicely. I have put a lot more content in and a lot of websites am always adding more and hope to be online really soon.
I am looking for a free web host for this site as i will be learning the ropes and it will free up some money for my business site.

Will write again soon with hopefully a lot more progress.

One step at a time

2005-09-11T17:44:00.000+10:00

An update:
I have created few more products some good some need more work which is good as i'm learning.
I have to get more money before i can buy more bases to make more product but will do so each week.

House contracts signed waiting on a settlement date.

Aussie $tart website gaining more content still trying to track down a cheaper option for getting online as it's my first website with many more to come so i want to learn from it.
Researching affiliates for this blog as well as Aussie $tart.

So one foot in front of the other, I'm getting there.

HAPPYDAYS!!!

2005-09-08T17:22:00.000+10:00

Been a while>

Hi there.
I haven't posted for so long as i have been busy, busy. Not on the business unfortunately but i brought a house!!
So am back on the road to financial security and hopefully financial independance.

As for the business - well i am still creating new products trying to find the right one's. Having trouble finding a suitable website template but have narrowed down a few.
Am yet to register the business name, domain etc due to a strain on finances given i'm buying a house.

I'll get there.

I must add i have a very strong motivation to become a millionaire.
I am determined to do it an via business as this and real estate are my preferred means.

I very much want to start a company and run all busineses under the one umbrella but am a way off that as i am still on start up.

Auzzie $tart is my new website, set up to help others like me to get on with it and i hope to have that online shortly.

I'd better get moving on all this or i'll still be dreaming in a years time.

Millionaire's Road, WHERE????

2005-08-20T16:46:00.000+10:00

I want to be a millionaire!!!!!!!!!

WHY???

Well for as long as i can remember i have wanted this. I was born wanting this.

My reasons are probably security and success.

I am tired of struggling for money, tired of wanting things just out of my reach, Tired of dreaming.

I want to be able to help people, that takes money.

I want to be able to travel and learn about other cultures, takes money.

I want to live life to the full and not be dependant on a job, takes money.

I believe there is so much to life we miss out on working, worrying or holding back.

I am happy to work for it, happy to work hard for it but regardless i want to acheive this goal.

I plan on doing so by setting up and successfully running multiple busineses, some online, some not.

Buying property 1st one for myself soon and then many investment properties.

And finally invest in the stockmarket, paper assets.

This is probably many people's dream and has been mine for so long i am fed up with it. I am ANGRY, mostly at myself for not pushing, not setting deadlines and not taking continuous action. It drives me crazy!! But it's CRAZY that motivates me.

So i am setting this goal here and now in the hope that others may also.

I will state it clearly and as i've been told to do be specific!

GOAL

I WILL BE A MULTI MILLIONAIRE BY AGE 40!

There, specific and with a timeframe. (by the way i'm 32 now)

Now the steps i'll take.

Not completely sure on these yet but i'll write what i know.

1. Grow my new business so i have continued growth and can slowly exit from the running of the business by making it automated.

2. Set up AUSSIES START website (an affiliate site helping others set up new busineses) This will hopefully give me an income

3. Finish two other websites i've been working on and get up and running, also affiliate sites but with my own product attatched to one. Will fill you in later.

4. Buy my own house. Am in the process of doing this now with some help from my Dad as my funds fall short. Small house needs renovation then will buy investment properties from the equity.

This will do for now but i am going to put this all into a spreadsheet with timeframes and hang on my wall above me with tasks even down to the day, that way i am continually working towards my goal.

I really hope others will join me.

Write down your no 1 goal, make it huge, make it fun, find a hunger that motivates you then plan it out similar to above but in much more detail.

Till next time happy goal hunting.

STEP FIVE

2005-08-20T16:37:00.000+10:00

We have our ABN!! WOO HOO!!!~
We also have one product. We brought a kit form which we made up today and was a great learning experience.
Very simple to use but now we know what we need to do to get it the way we want it and we can order the ingredients wholesale now and begin working out the costing.

So STEP FIVE would be making and testing our first product, fixing gliches and testing until we get it the way we want it.
More products coming next week so we will do the same then start the costing process.

Looking into wholesale and bulk buy for some of our products to make things more efficient.

STEP FOUR

2005-08-16T22:44:00.000+10:00

STEP FOUR -
Decided on a basic product range.
Ordered some product online.
Our product is bought in bulk and handmade so we needed this to get started with the learning process and to make sure we actually like what we are proposing to sell.
More products will come as we have the money to buy.

I'm hoping the online side of sales will take off once people have tried the product as we will be selling via party plan also and people may not want another party but want more product.

STEP THREE

2005-08-14T17:07:00.000+10:00

STEP THREE - Brainstorm session at 2am.

I couldn't sleep for all the marketing ideas running through my head so up i got at 2am and wrote them all down.
I typed them up today. Things like products names, hostess ideas and gifts, can you believe even a TV commercial??
This would all be good and all except for the fact that as yet we don't have our ABN approved, no product or even materials to make, try them, no market segmentation or professionals on our team.

So all i can say is trust me to do things backwards and being that this is my own story on how my start up came to be then i guess this all qualifies as a STEP.

This goes to show the workings of my mind in a very clear way. Eg. I have gone from procrastinator (target market) to insomniac action girl in the space of a few days!
I don't mind the sleep deprivation as i get so excited and spurred on which can sometimes get me lost in the big picture so i think i need someone to bring me back down to earth and back to the boring details. I'm SO not that person.

To help you understand how my and others, yourselves included personality types can either help or hinder try this little test. http://www.oneminutemillionaire.com/tools/hots.asp so spot on you'll be amazed. The HOTS meeting is greet to check it out, While there check out the whole website and by the way his book The One Minute Millionaire is FANTASTIC! Opens your mind. (Not an affiliate link, YET hehe)

Here are my results so you can understand what i'm on about.

Your Answers Indicate A Hare Role
APPROACH: Conceptual/Spontaneous
DESCRIPTION: The Hare generates the concepts and ideas. They like to reframe the problem and look for solutions that may be unusual, unique,and/or outside the boundaries of traditional thought. Hares are good at exploring alternatives and perceiving the "big picture".
Hares want freedom from constraint, and when a rule exists they may break it. They may act impulsively, letting their feelings guide them. They derive satisfaction from the process of creating,discussing concepts and ideas,and overcoming obstacles.
When everything is in its place,the Hare may become restless,get impatient,and have a tendency to move from one subject to another.
CONTRIBUTION: Fresh,original concepts that go beyond the obvious,and are not constrained by fear of failure.
WEAKNESESS: Because the Hare enjoys generating ideas, they may move from one idea to another without stopping to evaluate the consequences.
If left alone to refine concepts,they will solve the problem within the problem within the problem,and eventually lose sight of the objective.
INSTINCT: Reframing problems to achieve breakthrough solutions,moving in new directions,examining possibilities without regard to risk.

Very insightfull. Let me know how you go and what type you are.

While on the subject here is another site i love with a goal challenge to write a list of 101 goals. So much harder than you'd think. Give it a go. http://www.markvictorhansen.com/goal_mining.php

Well as usual i've rambled on excitedly and lost track of my subject so i'll go do some real work haha.
Till next time.
Bye

Easy Money!

2005-08-13T17:21:00.000+10:00

One word - EBAY.

Why do i say this? Easy for beginners you still need to put in the work but it really is minimal for the possible gain especially the education you get.

I believe Ebay is a great starting place to not only learn web based business but to get you excited about it.

You can register for free here's a link www.ebay.com.au and just have a look around.
Once you set up an account you can buy and sell preferably sell as we want to make money here.
When you are aware of your fees and be sure to cover them you can make quite a lot of money if you pick the right products.
How do you pick the right products? search and research or like me trial and error. I was selling motorsport memorabilia and it can be extremely profitable. Find a similar niche or just something you love and go for it. Hobbies are best as you tend to know a lot about them and therefore write better ads.

Set the opening bid at whatever you can bear to sell it at plus costs and off you go.
Many people start by going around garage sales and then selling thier finds on ebay others get an ABN and buy off a wholesaler or dropshipper.

Either way you are learning, it's fun and it will inspire you to go further.

Goodluck

Aussie wealth creation help

2005-08-13T16:28:00.000+10:00

I was thinking, if i'm having trouble finding wealth creation strategies specific to Australia then so must be others.

To rectify this i am going to start a website for Aussie Wealth Creation.
Until then (Shortly) here are a list of resources i've found to be a great help to me.

Wealth Creation
1. www.oneminutemillionaire.com
2. www.richdad.com
3. www.robertgallen.com

Business Systems
1. www.e-myth.com
2. www.ebay.com.au

Government Agencies
1. www.abs.gov.au
2. www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au
3. www.acci@acci.asn.au
4. www.search.asic.gov.au/gns001.html

Forums
1. associateprograms.com/discus/index.php
2. http://forum.richdad.com/forums/

Ok that should get you started anyway. My favourites have to be The One Minute Millionaire book, Fantastic and another book great for opening the mind is The E- Myth, Unbelievable both of them. If we all did business this way we'd have an amazing future.

If you find anymore great sites let me know so i can post them on here or my new website.

Marketing Blah, Blah, Blah

2005-08-13T13:23:00.000+10:00

I know i was supposed to be segmenting my market since the last post but it's a job i just hate to do.
I will as i know i HAVE to but these are the things i'd rather out source (If i had the money)

I was in hospital on Thursday just for day surgery to remove some pre cancerous cells so i'm using that as my excuse for not taking action but hey it's a pretty good one i think being the procrastinator that i am.

Today i will do my research and hopefully a few assignments on my course also.

Hope to have a little more to report next post.

Market Segmentation

2005-08-08T16:54:00.000+10:00

Well today i began the long process of segmenting my market.
I find this rather difficult in the field i've chosen and more so being that it is a world wide business (well hopefully) I began the chore but have a long way to go.

I also worked more on my logo now i just have to work out how to get it onto the computer. I am doing a Graphic Design course via distance education at the moment so if i get up to speed in that i should have no trouble with my logo.

As mentioned earlier i have applied for my ABN and have to wait 28days or so to hear back. As of now we have no product still so i will order the kits tonight so we can start playing with it until we get the finished product we like. Our products are all things we can make at home so i will also buy some of the more everyday goods we will need and try them also.

Have to start working on label making soon too as that is what will sell the product and i don't know how to make round one!

Market segmenting is a huge task so i will go now and do some research online to get some stats.
Wish me luck!

Blogger annoying me.

2005-08-06T14:23:00.000+10:00

I have created two previous blogs which are in my edit posts but won't show up in blog. Frustrating me big time!!
Don't know how to fix it. So i'll publish this and see how it goes before doing anymore posts.

STEP TWO:

2005-08-05T16:44:00.000+10:00

STEP TWO:
Tonight, I have to get an ABN (Australian Business Number) yes i'm an Aussie. We need this number to be able to buy our product wholesale and it tells the Tax dept we are operating as a business, so they can keep an eye on us..

Apply for the ABN tonight online.
Research some keywords for the website so we can use these in our marketing from the outset.
Research domain names, website hosts etc. Looking at Godaddy.com and a few others.
Possibly start our business plan.
Also have to look into an email address for hubby's business so i'll sort mine out at the same time.

I think that's enough for one night so i'd better get started.
Update you all tomorrow.

STEP ONE - THIS IS IT!

2005-08-05T16:25:00.000+10:00

STEP ONE
Ok! So, I am all excited!

I have finally found a marketable product perfect for selling online.

Makeup and Bath products.
Yes you read right. Sounds a little old doesn't it? Especially when i mention i make them at home (Cringe, Think cottage industry) BUT I have a clever, unique name, logo, colour scheme which i believe is very marketable. It is the type of product range once brand is recognised that can grow astronomically.

I am hoping for strong growth but am focussed on doing what's nessesary right now.

Ok - So being a newbie in this field as a lot of readers may be i want to share the steps i take with you.
I want feedback!
I want to use this blog as my own kick in the pants when i start to procrastinate!!! Regularly.

I plan to stop procrastinating as i believe that we do so only because of fear. So i plan to be fearless. (Well if it's in the plan it has to be done right?:-)

So wish me luck on my journey, here are my first baby steps.

STEP ONE: Well i've already done this i guess in researching the internet for products. I found a few suppliers of the loose material needed for making makeup and bath products. They sell sets, DIY etc.

I actually stumbled across these while looking for other things but hey once found i can't leave the sites alone.
I read and read all information, cross check with other sites and save or print specific information. Next I put it to my mum to become a partner as we will need someone making the products, an office (she has a good one) and she is as bored at home as me. So now i have a partner. We brainstormed a name and after a few my dad mentioned one (The one) and it just clicked. You know it when you hear it. I love the name. The pictures started to flow in my mind and dad's as he's the creative type too. Before we knew it we had a logo (Well almost just needs critiquing)and a catch line. Our colour scheme was easy as it's a natural progression from our logo picture. So we shall use all of this in our stationery, any correspondance, stickers, labels, uniforms and website. Too easy!

I must say i love this creative stuff! It is my strenght! Just wait till i strat talking accountants or legals arghhhhhhh! Then i'll procrastinate.
Well on to step two. What next.

Shut Up and Put Up!

2005-07-06T21:13:00.000+10:00

Ok! I am sick of talking! Sick of asking questions! and sick of dreaming!
I am going to put up or Shut up!

I am applying for an ABN tonight online so i can actually start.

Once i have this i will register the business name and contact suppliers.

Get the momentum happening. Plenty of questions to ask along the way i'm sure so for now i must take action!

I've noticed people tend to listen when you have something to show.

I'll keep you updated.

Frontpage

2005-04-27T17:58:00.000+10:00

Ok, so i've started my websites using Frontpage.
I have the introductions pretty much done but the links confuse me a bit.
It's a start anyway and i quite enjoy working on them in between running after the kids.
I very much need to focus on one at a time though which isn't really me as i tend to have a number of things going at once.

I have a few diffreent ideas for the name of one product which i discovered was already taken and trademarked. Being that it is a very similar product and i want to sell online i think i'd better keep well away from their name lawsuits don't appeal to me.

I'll let you know how i'm progressing if anyone has designed a website using Frontpage and has it up and running i'd love to hear from you.

Hello

2005-04-18T18:21:00.000+10:00

Hello all!
I'd love for this blog to be an interactive site for myself to learn the answers to my life's questions and others to hopefully learn off me.

I love to read and learn about wealth creation strategies to try and help myself and my family along in life. I am terrified at the thought of living paycheck to paycheck forever.I am following the methods taught by www.richdad.com ,
www.oneminutemillionaire.com and www.multiplestreamsofincome.com to name a few. I love the business of being in business and am striving for this currently but need to create some sustainable multiple streams of income and hope to explore this more in this blog.

My aim in business is to create a chain of Furniture and Homeware stores across Australia.
This would be my passion as i love to renovate, build, buy, decorate etc furniture and homewares. I just love being around the stuff. So i have a starting point anyway, I've even done a business plan on this though it needs quite a lot of tweaking due to me being completely hopeless with figures. (Even after two years of MYOB training!)
I've studied business for years now and love Micheal Gerber's www.e-myth.com way of biz. I completed a course in Business Management topping the class so i guess now only fear holds me back on this front.

I am currently looking into some internet business ideas as a way of starting out and gaining experience as well as start up money for the grand plan. I am a part time seller on ebay but now find the right product hard to come by.
I'm currently writting an E-Book which i find quite easy as i'm the creative type but then it comes to the website setup and again i stop dead. Any help here would be appreciated.

So that's where i'm at, besides a maddenning hunger to suceed i have a long way to go.

I am extremely passionate about making money, not for money's sake but for the security it brings, for the possibilities and opportunities. For the chance to make a real impact in peoples lives through tithing and educating.

I want to take action now so i created this blog to help clarify my journey.
I'd appreciate any comments or feedback, tips, links, ideas etc to help me conquer the world (well maybe just my world for now hehe)

My other interests are more creative such as painting, poetry of which i have many published in anthologies some can be viewed at www.poetry.com my better ones i'll post on here some time they are mostly soppy stuff as i usually only write when depressed.
Renovation, this is something i can't help doing as i love beauty, I hate ugliness and need to fix it immediately wether it's an ugly paint covered old table or ripping down an old wall in a home i love it all.I love to find old junk and give it new life, I love the challenge of being cheap! Yes CHEAP! I find it far more fullfilling to do things on a tight budget, you always get the best stuff that way. I love to travel and adore photography.

I am extremely interested in Fair Trade and am a closet activist. (Slowly coming out of the closet) I think everyone should check out the oxfam communnity aid abroad website www.oxfam.org take as much action on thier campaigns as you can. Even if it's just sending an email, signing a partition or joining the walks etc there are many ways to help that don't require money.

Another charity i am passionate about is World Vision they do amazing work and it is my hope to have an income stable enough to be able to sponsor a child within this year as it's something i have wanted to do since i was a kid. Check them out at www.worldvision.com
Also if you want a quick great way to help click this link.www.thehungersite.com and they will donate one cup of food per click. visit everyday. They have great ideas for gifts too.

I believe in one world! No matter how hard that is to achieve i believe it's possible. Multiculturalism is the best thing to happen to Australia and the rest of the world, look at the fantastic restaurants we have, the shops, the ideas etc. There's always going to be extremists in the world and i'd like to challenge everyone to see past that to the beauty within everyone.
Ok now i'm sounding like an idealistic moron but hey that's probably who i am anyway.
Here's to ideals!!!!

Thanx for reading.
till next time
Smile till it hurts! People will wonder what you've been up to.