Another Coffee Shop Bites The Dust!

And so goes our economy.  I usually go to a local Starbucks to write my blog and check emails.  This morning I decided to go to the coffeshop on the Square in downtown New Braunfels, only to find the signs gone and a sign in the window, "Office Space Available."  So, I'm back at the local Starbucks.

It surprises me how much business is done at a Starbucks.  I spoke with a Yellow Book salesperson the other evening after one of his appointments.  They move from one small town to another, working as teams.  He said they used to rent an office space, but with laptops, they usually meet at the client's place of business, or at the Starbucks.  That has really changed from when I owned a software company in the 80's.  I see job interviews, managers conducting out-of-office one-on-ones, etc.  A lady that makes wedding cakes meets clients here all the time.

Traditional businesses are falling left and right.  At the same time, opportunities are always there.  Robert Kiyosaki will tell you that recession is a great time to start a new business.  In his latest book, "The Business of the 21st Century", he quotes from a recent study, "72 percent of all adult Americans would rather work for themselves than for a job, and 67 percent think about quitting their jobs "regularly" or "constantly"."  What he recommends is the direct sales industry or network marketing.

You can't depend on the longevity of a traditional business.  It has as many flaws as owning your own business.  A traditional business needs employees.  Employees never have the same level of commitment as the business owner.  They don't have the same fixed costs and intangibles.  Employees can make your business or break it up with a poor performance.  Being the business owner requires you to be self-motivated, willing to make things happen when no one else is doing anything.

Being a business owner requires sacrifice.  I don't watch all the television and sports that I used to watch.  We don't get to be with family as often as we would like because we are attending Super Saturday trainings, or traveling on business.  When we travel to work with our business partners, we usually get up early and work late, making the most of their time, because we are only available for a short period of time.  Most people are not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make their business solid.  After 10 presentations, with one no-show and 9 "No's", they are ready to do something else.  A "no" just means that you are getting closer to your next "YES!".  Persistence is critical for any business owner.

Robert Kiyosaki and Napoleon Hill will tell you that successful people have just failed more times than those that are not successful.  Kiyosaki says that he has lost everything on two different occasions, yet today he doesn't have to work, because he has built a solid stream of income and true wealth with time and financial freedom.

If you don't want to be an "employee" the rest of your life, you must be willing to fail many times, and then celebrate the small victories as you move forward.  There is no 'silver bullet' in doing our business.  It's a matter of speaking with a lot of people and finding those who value their health or want to be their own boss.

Do you feel like this?

Or this?

You have to believe in yourself and walk around with a big smile on your face.  If you look frustrated or down, people are not going to want what you have to offer.  Obviously, it doesn't make you happy.  They must see you full of energy, enjoying everything in life and needing to ask you what you do.  Greet strangers as you walk by them.  Show a genuine interest in others.  If you are not genuine, people will see right through you.  Some days you have to fake the happiness, but if you act like you are happy, you may just start feeling it.  Remember, "Things could always be a lot worse."