Are you getting business advise from a coach who has never started a business?

There appears to be a growing trend in online business that disturbs me and it should concern you too.

In the past couple of years, all these “how to make six and seven figures by working harder, not smarter” courses have cropped up. It goes like this:.  A recent corporate refugee, let’s call her Suzie,  attends a large seminar where another recent corporate escapee tells her story of hating her job and being broke until she took these specific steps to create her dream business and ideal life and she can teach you to do the same to create your six or seven figure business. She sells a membership or coaching program or series of live calls, CDs and transcripts teaching you how to do what she did. Suzie and sixty other recent corporate refugees purchase the program and put some of the steps into practice. A hand-full of those seminar attendees do have an area of expertise and may go on to use the techniques from the seminar to leverage and make more money. But the majority of them will create joint ventures with others they met at the first seminar to interview each other in a free tele-class during which they sell a program based on what they learned at the seminar and within a short time, they are teaching others how to create a six figure business by teaching others to create a six figure business by teaching others to create a six figure business. But have any of those people ever really started a business other than selling the idea of creating a six figure business?

Now, I’m NOT calling this a pyramid scheme but it does have the feel of those letters people used to send out that said, “Send me $19.95 and I will send you my secret program that will teach you how I made almost $200,000 with less than a twenty dollar investment.” The program actually told people to send out letters asking people to send them $19.95 to learn how to make $200,000 with a $20. investment. If they sold 10,000 of these people, they would make $200,000 with a $20. investment.

Here’s the difference: Suzie and her pals from the seminar are NOT trying to screw anyone. They truly want to help others do what they did and make more money with this formula. They aren’t shysters. Most were successful in their previous corporate careers. But they were employees. The only experience they’ve had in self-employment is selling this formula. Yes, many put their own personality or brand into it but they are primarily all doing the same thing. No one is doing anything innovative so how can they possibly be creative and solve your business problems if they are simply following a formula?

It feels very much like a franchise and while there is nothing dishonest about most franchises, I wouldn’t go to someone who purchased and successfully ran a Subway for advise on how to start a business unless I wanted to open a sandwich shop.  If I wanted business coaching, I would not seek the help of someone who took a course in how to be a business coach but has never started their own business other than business coaching.  If I wanted to start a new business but needed help figuring out how to go about making my idea into a viable money making venture, I would seek advise from someone who has created businesses.

Barbara Winter and I have each started several successful businesses. We both love guiding aspiring entrepreneurs on the journey from idea to inspired self-employment. Neither of us use formulas and we don’t teach you to do what we do. We listen to your dreams and help you figure out how to make them into your own unique enterprise. If you’re ready for personalized, innovative problem solving, there’s still time to join us in April for an intimate 2 1/2-day mastermind where we’ll focus on your business your way. Find out more HERE.

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Are you sending the message “I am not a good investment.”?

In a blog post earlier this week, titled ‘The Natural Habitat of Winners’ Barbara Winter said, “When you are willing to spend your time and money to expose yourself to new ideas, new techniques for doing things, and new people who can add their enthusiasm to your dreams, you’re also sending a strong message to your subconscious mind about your own worth.”

The past couple of weeks, I’ve been receiving emails from readers saying they’d love to attend the Inspired Livelihood Workshop in Sedona but don’t have (or think they should spend) the money right now.

When I had my last retail business, my friends with neighboring shops used to complain about how slow business was and when they asked why I was doing so well, I cited advertising as one reason I had more customers and better sales. Of course, these merchants would complain that they didn’t have enough money to spend on advertising because business was slow.  They also didn’t have fresh, timely merchandise because they wouldn’t spend the money to attend trade shows and keep up on current trends. This thinking made no sense to me as I watched many of them go out of business. When things are slow, that’s when it’s most important to spend money to make them better.

“In times of change,” said Eric Hoffer, “learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.“

The *Early Bird price of the workshop is $397.  That’s for 2 days of focus on your business in a small group with three entrepreneurs who’ve made a career of making a living without a job by investing time and money in lifelong learning. While those who use lack of funds as a reason to not invest in themselves are still stuck in unsatisfying careers, even in what the media calls a weak economy,  weekend workshops with price tags of $3000. are full with hundreds of attendees. I’ve met entrepreneurs at those workshops who “couldn’t afford the tuition but couldn’t afford NOT to attend.” It’s no coincidence that the following year, those same entrepreneurs who knew they were worth the investment were back with stories of prosperity and satisfaction.

Not investing this way also sends a strong message. As Sondra Ray says, “When you say, ‘I don’t have enough money to go to that self-improvement seminar or buy that book, it’s almost like saying, ‘I am not a good investment.’ The best way to make money is to invest in yourself.

Are you worth it?

Barbara knows, “If you truly want to join the winner’s circle, take advantage of every  resource you can find. You never know what might happen if you do.

You could be sitting in a roomful of strangers and suddenly meet yourself.”
Read Barbara’s full article here

Thanks for caring about the planet we share.
Terri

PS *After March 15, the price of the workshop goes up to $497
learn more about the event HERE

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