A little about Harry Potter, our vacation, and the benefits of an internet business……..

Well, after I started noticing twitter being talked about practically everywhere, I decided to take the plunge.  I knew Twitter had really made the jump from being a fad to being mainstream when it was being talked about on just about every popular television show and news cast - even the non-geeky and non-tech-savvy ones.

You can see my twitter page at http://twitter.com/HillRobertson

Twitter can really be beneficial for some great up to date info.  There are many ways that it can be used for internet marketing for both individuals and businesses.  Please subscribe to my posts (top right side of this page) and over the coming weeks, you will learn how you can benefit from twitter.

Later…….

- Hill

A few days ago, I went to pick up my kids from school (one of the benefits of not having a “job”).  After we got home, they had the brilliant idea of setting up a lemonade stand in front of our house by the road to make some extra money.  (I guess they get their entrepreneurship from me.) To me, this did not sound like the best idea since we live near the end of a small private road without much traffic at all.  However, I figured I would let them do it so they learn a little bit about business and “location, location, location”.  They would probably just sit there for an hour or two, drink the lemonade themselsves, have no customers, and that would be that.  I would teach them a little bit about business and they would learn from the experience and never set up a lemonade stand in front of our home again.  Boy, was I wrong.

Here’s what happened………

My kids got out their little folding table and a couple of chairs and set them right next to the road.  They taped some posterboard to the front of the table with a sign that said “Lemonade”.  They had “Mommy” make a pitcher of lemonade and a bucket of ice.  They carefully carried the lemonade and ice to the table and set it up nicely.  They even took some of Mommy’s coffee cups (with lids of course) and had them ready to go.

While I thought they would charge 10 or 20 cents for a cup of lemonade, to my shock, they were charging $2.00 PER CUP!  I couldn’t believe it and I have no idea where they came up with that price.  (No one would buy it at that price, would they?)

Well, it turned out that one of our neighbors a couple of houses down had a party going on in their back yard.  One of the “party attendees” meandered over to the lemonade stand.  He said, “I like to support our local businesses.” and followed with “How much for a glass of lemonade?”  My kids said “$2.00″.  (I was expecting a gasp or some sort of comment about how expensive it was or how it was 10 cents when they were young.)  He simply said, “I’ll take 3 cups.”  He even left a tip in the cup basket.

While I was amazed, my kids faces lit up with excitement as they landed their first sale and saw how quickly they could make money.  Well, this must have energized their little behinds because immediately following this influx of cash, our middle child hops on his bike and starts riding up and down the street proclaiming at the top of his lungs, “Lemonade, two dollars!”,  “Lemonade, two dollars!”.

At this point, our little 3 year old decided to join in and he got on his tricycle peddling as fast as his little feet could go.  Up and down the street he went following his bigger brother.  The bigger brothers taped another leonade sign on the front of the tricycle.  Now, their entire advertising and marketing staff was in full swing.

Shortly after, a woman drove by and also asked to buy a cup of lemonade.  So now, they had made 4 sales all within a time span of about 30 minutes.  I started realizing that they were beginning to understand business and how to make money.  I was getting concerned that they would not be interested in doing their chores anymore or working extra jobs around the house for money when they could quickly sell some lemonade without much physical effort and could make more money in a shorter amount of time.  We’ll see what happens…….

Now, to the point of this story…….

I was right their with my kids to experience this once in a lifetime event.  It was about 3:30 in the afternoon when the lemonade stand opened.  I enjoyed every moment watching the different emotions flood their tender impressionable minds.  I was there for their first lemonade stand.  There will never again be a “first” lemonade stand for them.  I got to experience it first hand because I do not have to be at a job working all day just to get home to see them for an hour or two and being exhausted from working all day.  I was able to be there with and for my kids.  Do you get to experience the lives of your kids?  Are you working all the time and missing out on your family?  Will you have regrets 10 or 20 years from now when your kids are grown and out of the house?  Think about what is really important……

The path your life takes is your choice.  You can choose to work for someone else and miss out on a lot of life experiences or you can take control of your own destiny and enjoy life to it’s fullest.

- Hill

Even though it has only been 1 month since Christmas, in the blink of an eye it will be Christmas time all over again.  Time seems to move so quickly.  I tease my wife all the time and tell her, “It’s only 11 months until Christmas”.  She sweetly snickers, rolls her eyes, and occasionally mumbles, “Oh, brother….”  Doesn’t it feel like we just had Christmas and it has already been a month?

Where has the time gone this past month?  Have you already abandoned your New Year’s Resolutions?  If you want to improve yourself by the end of this year, start right now.  Whatever your goal may be, get on the path to acheive your goals now or you will be wishing you did in a year from now and making the same old New Year’s resolutions (that you will probably break again next year).

If you want more money, focus on starting your own business now.

If you want to lose weight, start exercising and eating healthy now.

If you want to be a better Christian, start daily Bible studies now.

If you want to be a better parent, start right now.

If you really think about it, you probably already know what you need to do and what you should do to achieve whatever you want.  The key to acheiving it is actually doing it.  We do what we want to do.  Most of the time, what we want to do right now will not give us the long term results that we really want.  Just take a look at debt in this country (and the root cause of the economic situation we are in now).  People want things now instead of doing the hard and not-very-fun thing of earning and saving the money first.  So, people go into massive debt that they can’t afford.  Then with the interest added on top of it, it makes it even harder to catch up.

This is the same pattern for most anything.  Take being overweight as an example.  Exercising and eating right are not very fun and it takes an ongoing effort.  It is much more fun and easy to eat that banana split (my favorite) or go through the drive-thru and pick up a super-sized “value” meal.  After all, there is always tomorrow to start exercising.  However, that tomorrow never comes.  I think you see where I am going with this…..

The bottom line is that it is your choice.  I talk about choices all the time.  Everything you do is a choice and only you can make those choices.  Whether they be easy or difficult, you decide the path of your future.  You are who you are today because of the decisions you have made in the past - like it or not.  And….  The choices you make from this point on will determine who you will become.  You are in control of your future.  Make wise choices and you can the person you want to be.

- Hill

Millions of Americans are nervous about what the future holds in this seemingly inevitable economic crash.  There is frantic debate on how to ease the pain of the impending crunch.  From bailout to “hand up”, everyone comes up with different ideas on how to approach it and no one seems to know what will really happen no matter what we do.

Politics has heavily entered the debate and the finger pointing and blame game is more fierce than ever.  No matter what caused it, it looks like we are in for a tough ride one way or the other.  I try to look at the good in everything and here is my positive outlook about the economic crisis……

This could be a good wake up call to all Americans.  It SHOULD get people to take a hard look at their finances and especially their spending habits.  People should realize how much they are spending on things that are really not important.  Most Americans do not save enough for a rainy day if they save anything at all.  In fact, most have quite a bit of credit card debt that was incurred by a “gotta have it” mentality on totally unnecessary expenditures.  Hopefully people will focus on getting their debts paid off instead of eating out every other night and buying the latest cool gadget.

Families all across America would do good to spend some time at home with their kids instead of taking them to the movies and eating at the local chain restaurant.  What ever happened to the good old days of playing catch with your son in the backyard on a beautiful Saturday afternoon or having a make believe tea party with your daughter?  What about having a picnic at the local (and FREE) park?  What about going camping for a family vacation instead of traveling to the nearest theme park and racking up the credit cards on hotels, food and tickets?

A lot of the personal spending issues are due to not planning appropriately.  Do you run to the store every time you run out of something and end up going there three or four times a week?  With gas prices the way they are, that can rack up the bills.  A better approach is to plan out the meals for the week ahead of time and take one trip to the grocery store and get just what you need (and don’t go when you are hungry and tempted to buy everything in sight).  Plan out your budget on a regular basis and stick to it.  Do NOT do any impulse buying!  We could discuss budgets and all kinds of dos and don’ts but that is for another time….

It will take a change in habits but they are all good changes and great for building family values and strengthening the family bond.  Your kids will appreciate it too and learn some valuable lessons and build tremendous character along the way.

This economic downturn can get us all to WAKE UP and get our own finances on the right track.  We cannot directly change the way government wastes our money and has no fiscal responsibility, but we CAN take control of our own finances and families.  It is not going to be total Armageddon and if you get your own act in order and your finances under control, it could actually be the best days of your life if you focus on the importance of the little things that we take for granted.

Use this as a time to appreciate the blessings that you do have instead of focusing on what you don’t have and can’t get.  Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses.  (They are probably floundering in debt and on the brink of bankruptcy wishing they had the life you have anyway.)  Do you have family that loves you?  Do you have food to eat and clothes to wear?  Stop and smell the roses….  They are all around you if you take the time to appreciate them.  Even in tough economic times, we are all so richly blessed.

- Hill

Labor day originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union of New York City looked to create a “day off for the working citizens”.  Most “working” people with typical jobs look forward to this day off of work.  Frequently you will hear people with a job excited about a day off.

While taking time off from “work” to spend time with your family is a very good thing to do, wouldn’t you rather work for yourself and be able to take off whenever you want and not have to wait for a national holiday to spend time with your family?

Don’t just settle for trading your time for money at a JOB where you will always be a slave to your employer and many times have to sacrifice important valuable family time to fulfill your employers dreams instead of your own.  If you haven’t already, now is the time to start your own business and start paving the way to your own freedom and financial independence.

You can do it.  One of the best ways is to start an internet based business doing whatever you love to do.  Just set up a blog or some sort of web based tool to get your information out there and build up a list of subscribers to your information.  From that list and the relationships you build, you can create a product or service and start selling it.  It’s not as difficult as you may think.  The toughest part is just getting started.  Maybe labor day is the day for you to start forging your path to success.

Happy Labor Day!

- Hill Robertson

When the economy gets a little rough and gas prices go sky high (among many other climbing expenses), people tend to increase their negativity.  They pay more attention to the negative things around them.  They get bombarded by media and practically everyone around them.  Many change their spending habits, cut unnecessary expenses, and do everything they can to survive without going under.

Right now, media keeps focusing on home foreclosures, job losses, oil going up, the stock market going down, food prices going up, and just about anything else that can cause someone on a tight budget to get depressed.  It is very easy to get caught in the trap of focusing on the negative and feeling like everything is “gloom and doom” and everything is going to get worse.  These ideas, thoughts, and feeling are exactly the WRONG way to be thinking………

Believe it or not, if you are reading this blog, most likely you are “RICH”.  Let me explain…….

If you have a computer, you are in an elite group.  Only about 5% of the world population has a computer.  Think about a few other things that you probably have…….

Do you have a roof over your head?

Do you have a car?

Do you have food in your kitchen?

Do you have …….  and so on….

Think about the things that you DO have in your life.  There are so many other people that have a LOT less than you.  They would love to be in your shoes.  They would appreciate having what you have and being in your situation.  Do you appreciate what you have or are you focusing on what you don’t have and how bad things are?

Do you have kids?  Do you focus on how they don’t clean up their room or all of the noise they make?  Do you focus on how much of your time it takes to take care of them or what you wish they did differently?  Or, do you focus on the joy they bring to your life - all of the times they laugh at silly things you do or when they pat you on the back or jump in your arms to show how much they love you?  Be thankful for your children.  They are a blessing from God.  Many other people long to have children of their own but can’t due to physical or other situations - and they would love to have a child that would mess up their room, make a lot of noise, and take a lot of their time.  To these people you ARE rich.  It’s all a matter of perspective…..

Do you have a home?  Do you complain about how much work it is to keep clean?  Do you complain about mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, doing the laundry, and cleaning every nook and cranny just to do it all over again the next day?  Or, do you focus on the fact that you have a home that you can relax and feel safe in?  Be thankful for your home.  It may not be a mansion, but their are countless people that wish they had a home.  They would gladly mow the lawn, do the dishes, do the laundry, and clean every nook and cranny and anything else they would need to do just to have a home.  They would be so thankful.  To these people, you ARE rich.  Are you thankful for your home?  Again, perspective…….

Take note of the positives in your life and focus on what you DO have.  Focus on how things will get better and look for the good in everything.  It is there if you look for it.  You will be much happier if you do.  Even in a rough economy, you are RICH.

Put your focus where you should.  Be appreciative.  It is all perspective.  Have a positive one and enjoy life….

- Hill Robertson

Some of the biggest complainers these days about the higher cost of gas, food, and other basic essentials have been those that claim to be on a “fixed” income. The truth is, there is no such thing as a fixed income. Now, you may have a fixed income for a particular job that you have but you are free to generate more income in other ways. So, fixed incomes are a myth.

Many times, people who complain about their fixed income are either lazy and just vegetate watching television all day or they come up with every excuse in the world as to why they can’t earn additional income. Even people with some kind of handicap can create additional income if they really want and focus on what they CAN do instead of feeling sorry for themselves and focusing on what they can’t do.

It is all a matter of attitude and actions. Anyone with the right positive attitude with the right focus and actions to accomplish their goals can be successful in anything they set their mind to.

- Hill Robertson

I love to observe people. I really enjoy watching how people react to different situations and what type of attitude they have. One of my favorite times to do this is around Christmas time when the malls are flooded with people rushing around to get the hottest toy for their kids of the perfect gift for their spouse. It brings out the best and worst in people.

I like to go to the local mall and sit in the food court area. I usually get honey chicken with fried rice at the Chinese place. They use to have awesome wontons there but they got rid of them once they changed ownership. Anyway, I’ll sit there and nibble away while observing people complain about the long lines or that the one specific gift they came to get was sold out. Usually, the attitude that is displayed with these type of comments is a very negative attitude that points the finger at everyone else. Their attitude doesn’t make the lines any shorter or help them find the sold out gift. All it does is make everyone else around them more negative.

If you look carefully enough, you will see the more positive site of people too. While I sit there savoring my last few grains of fried rice, I see happy people with positive attitudes and a smile on their face as they enjoy the time of the year and enjoy spending time with family. They have to wait in the same long lines and don’t get that sold out gift but they have the proper perspective and they are upbeat and positive. They make people around them happier.

So, people are characterized by their attitude. What is your attitude? Are you portraying a positive or negative attitude to others? Do your customers dread calling you because you are grumpy and have a bad attitude? If so, they may not be your customers very long and they certainly won’t recommend you to anyone else. Or, do your customers enjoy talking with you because you have a positive attitude and they feel better about themselves after having a conversation with you? If so, they will be long lasting customers and they will recommend you to others they know and your business will grow.

Remember, business is all about people. Without people, you have no business. With a bad attitude, you have no business. Everyone has an attitude the portray - whether good or bad. Your relationships will be based on attitude. Be sure you have a positive one if you want a successful business and a happy life.

Many people I know seem to live by the motto of “working for the weekend”. They go to their JOB Monday through Friday and put in their time. They practically proclaim that they have no fun and don’t really “live” until the weekend comes and they don’t have to work.

People with job mentality tend to think a JOB is the way to success. They either jump from job to job every few years looking for happiness and maybe a little bit more pay or they work hours and hours of free overtime trying to impress their management to rise up the corporate ladder thinking that it is a path to success. They never really think about building their own business and creating their own success and freedom. They typically think that anyone that becomes successful in their own business had different circumstances than them or had some advantage that allowed them to be successful.

Why just work for the weekend when you can work for freedom? You can have the freedom to do what you want to do when you want to do it. If you can eliminate the things and activities that are robbing you of your valuable time and you focus on things that can make you productive and successful, you can determine your success in life whether it be monetary, physical, or spiritual. It is your choice. You can make the decision and take the action to make any of your wildest dreams come true. Make wise choices.

So, are you working for the weekend or are you working for freedom?

- Hill Robertson