Robin J. Elliott: Joint Ventures with the Prophet of Profit, Training, Strategic Alliances

If you have one of the two dry cleaning businesses in a small town, with high overhead and limited customers, scarcity is a reality to you. If your business depends on the weather, the traffic, offshore competition, finding good people, or politicians, or if you sell your time, lack and risk are your constant shadows. And if you have all your eggs in one basket, if your income depends on the whims of others to any extent, or if you rely on others or serve a limited geographic area, shortage and fear follow you home at night.

Many “businesses” are really simply prison cells, shackles, time vampires, and Swords of Damocles. If you own a franchise or if you are a self-employed salesperson posing as an entrepreneur, scarcity is a reality for you. Without scalability and replicability, you’re what Domenick Celentano, an Adjunct Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, calls an “Artisan Entrepreneur.” Or what I call and “Paid Slave” or “a Laborer with a New Lable” – not much different from being an employee, except that you work harder for less and take more risk. You can be a soldier or a general.  Entrepreneurs are generals.

Stephen Duke wrote, “There are lots of ‘independent business owners,’ but few are actually ‘entrepreneurs.’ Most are skilled technicians or managers in their fields and they work IN their own business, but fewer still work ON their business. There is a difference.
Self-employment is on one end of the continuum and Entrepreneurship is on the opposite. The difference is what the individual actually does for the business: Are they simply doing what they were doing for the ‘Man’ before they started working for themselves? Or, are they working at building a “world class company” that does the things they once did for a living?

Don’t be delusional about self-employment, even if you are not working by yourself – it is still not entrepreneurial. One must really be working on building a company that is less egoistic and more centered around its stakeholders i.e. what’s in it for them, instead of what’s in it for me. When you understand this, you understand the difference between the self-employed business owner and the entrepreneur.”

To move from scarcity and risk to abundance and peace of mind, I became a Joint Venture Broker 23 years ago. There is literally no limit to my business, except that which I choose. My business is ultimately scalable, and I operate with no cost, overhead, employees, risk, inventory, advertising and marketing budget, or administration. And I have plenty of time on my hands. If you choose to keep the business you have, you can put your bottom line on steroids by understanding how to use Joint Ventures and create huge back-end income at 100% profit, while reducing risk and time spent.

There are many fish in the sea, if you set your business up that way. Threats fade away, and you can focus on building nets and working when you feel like it. A good Joint Venture Broker has his ego in check, focuses on the bottom line, is very selective, and enjoys abundance. And he sleeps well at night.

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com

Imagine an architect who meets with a builder/developer and a town planner. The developer wants to build a magnificent building. He says, “I have this feeling that I should build something – not sure exactly what it should look like, or what it would cost, or where I would find the money, but what do you think?” To which the town planner replies, “Well, I guess we could find some space somewhere,  after all, it sounds like a noble cause – we’ll come up with a space, I’m sure…” and the architect pipes up, “Well, I don’t want to be too rigid, and the front of the building could look more or less like this, but I have a feeling it will just come together – I’ll check with my psychic…” Ridiculous, right?

That’s how most people try to build wealth. They rely on the wrong people giving them spurious advice, they rely on “gut feel,” and they have no discipline. They spend more time planning a party than their old age, and they live in the moment like animals. But the worst aspect of this lack of planning or thought is the real underlying motive –refusal to take responsibility or to be held accountable. That’s why the masses follow the mystics and witchdoctors of our time, why they live vicariously through sports teams and film stars, why they join cults, and why they become “course junkies”, waddling from seminar to seminar and never applying anything they learn. Cults are great for people who don’t want to have to think or make choices. It’s easier to be a sports fan on your couch, clutching a slice of pizza in your chubby paw, than to actually go and play the game.

If we seriously want to build real wealth, we can’t hide behind silly excuses like “fate”, “destiny”, feelings, gods, demons, angels, spirits, and chance; we need to be very specific and logical. “Feelings come and feelings go, but feelings are deceiving; I build my life on rational choices – naught else is worth believing.” The architect builds for the future – the archeologist (like an accountant) looks at the past. Winners look to the future and leverage their past experiences, good as well as bad, while losers blame their past for their slothfulness and use the past as an excuse. Like blaming your failure on slavery that happened hundreds of years ago.

Architects, builders, and town planners are very specific, logical, and realistic about what they do. Engineers building a bridge don’t make decisions based on hope, feelings, fortune tellers, psychics, or mystical expectations. When you want to build a bridge from where to are to where you want to be, you had better understand that bridges can collapse if they are not built properly. There is time, cost, responsibility, and accountability  involved. Without work, persistence and perseverance, no building can be built, and nothing of any real value accomplished. The foundation on which you plan your future is your philosophy. If your wealth philosophy is wrong, you will end up like most other people – poor, frustrated, resentful, jealous, and bitter.

Rika and I rented a boat last week and spent three hours boating in Howe Sound. It was a wonderful experience. The boat was well prepared, maintained, and full of gas. We had life jackets, a whistle, food, water, a map, hats, sunscreen, and a cell phone with us. We took advice from the people who rented us the boat. We were well prepared for the trip, we knew where we wanted to go, and what we wanted to do, we paid for the boat hire and insurance, and it worked out great. We didn’t wander down to the water and try to cut down a tree with a penknife to build a raft to go boating. Success is not random or ethereal.

If you would like to build wealth, travel to your Treasure Island, and be assured that your philosophy will enable you to accomplish that, DollarMakers is here for you.

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com

Watching Richard Attenborough’s “Life of Birds” on PBS last night, I saw a striking example of nature’s socialist counterpart – the Cuckoo. There are so many parallels, and the analogy clearly describes the win/lose basis of socialism.

Female European Cuckoos lay their eggs only in the nests of other bird species. The cuckoo egg usually closely resembles the eggs of the host bird (one of whose eggs is often removed by the cuckoo). The host may recognize the intruding egg and abandon the nest, or it may incubate and hatch the cuckoo egg. Shortly after hatching, the young European Cuckoo, using a scoop-like depression on its back, instinctively shoves over the edge of the nest any solid object that it contacts, including, of course, the eggs of the host bird! With the disappearance of their eggs and rightful offspring, the foster parents devote all of their care to the young cuckoo. Frequently this is an extremely difficult task, since the cuckoo chick often grows much larger than the host adults long before it can care for itself. So you see a pair of small foster parents working very hard to keep up with the voracious appetite of an outsized young cuckoo – another bird’s young.

Socialism tells us, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” So here we have the Cuckoo, laying her eggs in another bird’s nest, and having someone else raise her offspring, while her baby kills the offspring of the host bird! The producer (the host bird) does all the work, and ends up with nothing, while the parasite (Cuckoo) does no work and simply breeds more losers. Talk about the welfare state! Here we have a clear, combined example of the perils of affirmative action, unions, collectivism, the dole, racism, statism, and multiculturalism! Scary!

Next time you hear people talking about socialized medicine, “giving back”, “sharing the wealth”, and raising the minimum wage, remember the Cuckoo. Socialism allows the government to steal your wealth and make you work for those who won’t take responsibility for their own lives. It forces you to sacrifice your family and quality of life for the leeches in our society. And it’s partner in crime, mysticism, simply reinforces this poisonous philosophy.

Ayn Rand said, in her wonderfully prophetic book, Atlas Shrugged, “I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” You deserve the fruit of your labor;  don’t let some Cuckoo politician or witchdoctor steal it from you.

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com

It is said that a child that grows up with clear boundaries, consistent discipline, and set standards feels secure, loved, and in control of his life. Those of us who have had the privilege of working with successful entrepreneurs know that their “no nonsense”, bottom-line approach to business is what made them successful. They don’t pussy-foot around issues, they call a spade a spade, get things in writing, and use lawyers, and we know exactly where we stand with them.

Conmen play the vague, politically-correct, altruistic games that call for “trust and respect” and “giving back”, while avoiding specifics, making elaborate promises, and never committing to anything in writing. An outspoken and highly intelligent, perceptive, and prophetic blogger whom I follow on Twitter, recently wrote, “Obama has been b*tch-slapped by North Korea who has no fear of any reprisal. His naiveté and narcissism has damaged America’s global standing and put us and our allies in danger. Obama’s tough talk carries the significance of Boy George fighting in mixed martial arts.” I would trust this blogger whom I have never met, more than many people whom I know.

Business is not personal – it’s about the transaction of value, and it has nothing to do with “giving back”, your wife’s lumbago, or helping the poor. I do what I commit to, and you do what you commit to, and if not, there are consequences. If you don’t pay me what you owe me, I’m coming after you hard with a very nasty lawyer, of that you may be assured. I’m not interested in the consequences of your personal choices or your lies or excuses. And if we do good business, we may become friends. Maybe, but not necessarily. That’s why we need to be very specific when setting up our Joint Ventures.

I have found that people who smile and laugh a lot and insist on hugging everyone in sight are usually adroit at back-stabbing, stealing, and lying. You don’t see the Donald giggling and tickling his way through life. I don’t want to talk hockey and discuss my family with you – I’m here to make money. If you want to be popular and avoid stepping on toes, you will soon find yourself in the company of other compromisers and snakes who will steal the milk out of your tea while recommending their personal psychic and asking you to sponsor their local free injection clinic for dug addicts.

“Tell it like it is” – there are millions of people, and just as many JV opportunities out there for a good Joint Venture Broker. I would rather be feared and respected than liked. And the same goes for real entrepreneurs who make real money – they’re not signing up for popularity contests or trying to win awards or titles. Model truly successful business owners – think of Ari Onassis and Jimmy Pattison. They are serious about business and they expect you to be so, too. Your good JV partners will feel a lot more comfortable when you get serious about business, and the losers will run away for fear of being exposed for what they really are.

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com

Want to be an eagle instead of a turkey? The eagle has the longest lifespan of its species It lives up to 70 years, but to reach this age, the eagle must make a hard decision. In it’s 40’s,  its long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey which serves as food. Its’ long and sharp beak becomes bent. Its’ old-aged and heavy wings, due to their thick feathers, become stuck to its chest and make it difficult to fly.

Then, the eagle is left with only two options: die or go through a painful process of change, which lasts 150 days. The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountaintop and sit on its’ nest. There, the eagle knocks its’ beak against a rock until it plucks it out. After plucking it out, the eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back and then it will pluck out its’ talons.

When its’ new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its’ old-aged feathers. And after five months, the eagle takes its’ famous flight of rebirth and lives for 30 more years.

We’ve all heard it said, “No pain, no gain.” Many times, in order to survive and thrive, we have to start a change process.   We sometimes need to get rid of old memories, beliefs, habits, and other past traditions. It takes guts to break free, but it’s well worth it. Only freed from past burdens, can we take advantage of the present and create a magnificent future. Come fly with DollarMakers!

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMaker.com