The Success Center

If you’re just joining us, we’re having a conversation about network marketing, multilevel marketing, and trying to figure out if it’s worth investing in. Read my initial thoughts on the subject matter here.

What exactly is network marketing and multi-level marketing?

According to Wikipedia, network marketing is a type of marketing strategy that goes through the networks of independent people. For instance, instead of building a network of 50 people and selling my one product to all 50 people. I’m going to sell my product to you, get you to sell it to 50 people in your network, and you’re going to do the same. The idea is to make money from the initial sale, recruiting you into my network, and through your sales and the sales of the people you recruit.

It’s important to note that multi-level marketing is a business model and not necessarily a form of marketing like network marketing. MLM typically refers to the compensation structure of making money on different “levels” or down line as it’s often known as. The more people you have in your down line the higher the commissions you’ll make. However, most network marketing companies or programs have a multi-level marketing structure and so the two terms are often used together or interchangeably (Company XYZ may market it’s products using the network marketing strategy, but have a multi-level marketing compensation structure).

Reason #1 Why I won’t invest in a network marketing business – Too time consuming

As I stated in the introduction to this series, I will never join a network marketing group or program because they’re a bad investment of time. “How is that?” you ask. @nicoleangelo, a member of this blog’s community said it best,

. . .true success depends on others; u don’t advance unless you have a team that’s selling . . .

When you start in a network marketing program you spend so much time building your network that you never really get around to selling much of your product.  Spending too much time building your sales force and less time building of relationships with customers will ultimately hurt your sales.

Reason #1 Why you might invest in a network marketing business – Let your empire do all the selling

On the flip side of the equation, if you take the time to build your sales team you may be able to pull off a substantial amount of sales. I don’t just mean recruiting others to sell the products, you’ll have to train and support them as well (especially if you have inexperienced entrepreneurs). Build up top sellers in your team and you won’t have to sell anything. In theory your team would do all the grunt work for you. Of course, this dream of a sales team that “sells itself,” will only come true if you put in the necessary time to build it.

Biblical Perspective

Here’s where the plot thickens . . .what does the Bible say about how we spend our time? Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reads;

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

So, if you’re going to invest your time into a network or MLM business make sure that it’s in the right season of your life. Seek God’s direction concerning it and make sure you keep your motives and mindset in the proper order to be successful.

I want to hear from you, do you think network marketing is too time consuming? Or, will the time and effort invested yield great results? If you’re already working a program like Mary Kay, Pre-Paid Legal, Primerica, and etc., feel free to chime in with your two cents. Next we’ll explore the financial aspects of network marketing and why I think it’s a waste of money.

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Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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Last week I got an invitation to try out the beta version of the Wibiya Bar. You can read my short review of it here. The poll results were pretty interesting with a whopping 40% of you saying that, “It’s pretty cool! I’ll definitely use it!” and another 40% of you saying, “It’s ok. Nifty features and all . . . I might use it.” What’s a blogger to do? I decided to keep the bar up for a week, see how it performed, and also to see if it would net me a considerable return on investment. In the end though, I don’t think it has.

Actually, it really came down to a comment Steve Borgman made;

While I like the wibiya bar, it’s a little distracting/busy.

That and the fact that the bar took a little too long to load in the browser on certain occasions. In other words it started to become an unnecessary burden.

While the Wibiya bar is very functional in what it can do, but I feel like it just wasn’t functional for my community. No one was really using it as intended and there’s nothing wrong with that. This blog has plenty of social features built in such as the Disqus comment system, the Twitter re-tweet button, and the “share this” plugin for each article.

As a blogger you’ll find a lot of great tools, plug-ins, and widgets that can really enhance your blog. The only way to know what’s right and what’s not is to test them out. However, remember that you’re not testing it for self, but for the greater good of the community you’re trying to foster. If it’s not functional for them then it certainly won’t be functional for you.

Fellow bloggers and blog readers, let me hear from you. What’s your favorite social tool/plugin for your blog? What works for your site? What feature do you wish you had? Leave your mark in the poll below and add your two cents in the comments section as well.

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Now is really a great time to own, start, or grow a business. The TV says there’s a recession, but I say there’s opportunity for progress. Are you aware of how many resources, how much wisdom, knowledge, and understanding you can gain from blogs now-a-days? The library still has it’s place in society and certainly in doing research to starting or growing a business. However, a blog can give you that information and so much more.With blogs you really get first hand advice that you would probably have to pay a consultant to receive.

Today, I want to share with you some of the best blogs for entrepreneurs that I can find. I subscribe to each of these in Google Reader, my RSS feed reader of choice. Don’t know what RSS is? Check out Darren Rowse’s excellent explanation of it here. You can subscribe to my Google Reader shared items here.

Business Pundit – What I like about this blog is it’s really all about business. You won’t find too many “tips, tricks, and how-to’s” here, just good old fashion business reporting. Great information on big business brands in a way that gives you an “insiders” look into their success.

Seth’s Blog – Seth Godin is the entrepreneur’s entrepreneur. Seriously, if you want to learn from one of the most informative businessmen, you’ll love his witty, educational, and brief blog posts. Nuff said!

Duct Tape Marketing Blog – This is by far one of my most favorite blogs. A lot of the links I share on Twitter come from John Jantsch’s blog. He has truly built a wealth of practical marketing information, social media tips, and business advice all in one spot.

CopyBlogger – If you’re a blogger this site is a great spot for practical information and help to increase your readership, traffic, and become an overall better blogger. If you’re looking for information on making money with your blog then visit . . .

ProBlogger – Darren Rowse really puts a lot into delivering solid content for his readers and it really shows. You’ll find great articles on ways to create a profitable blog, increasing reader engagement, best practices, and more. You might even like my guest post there; 3 Money-Making Magazine Strategies for Blogging Success

Possessing Your Land – This is a great blog by Paul Cooley who shares business principles from a Christian perspective (like yours truly). It’s not updated regularly, but there are still plenty of great articles in the archives to be read.

Success Factors – This is a blog by my good friend, Steve Borgman. I really enjoy his articles on success, branding, and even metrics for measuring your success. How cool is that? You’ll find a wealth of valuable information, inspiration, and empowerment from Steve’s posts.

Young Entrepreneur Blog – Another one of my favorite blogs! I love their interviews, social media tips, and articles on entrepreneurship and leadership. I’m not going to say anything else about this blog other than subscribe to it now!

Small Business Trends – SBT is by far one of the greatest blogs for entrepreneurs I’ve come across in a long time. Pod casts, white papers, marketing tips, social media advice, blogging advice, it’s all there for mass consumption. There’s always something new to read and share. It really does have it all and they do a good job of delivering all their content. Check it out!

Chris Brogan.com – If you’re an entrepreneur and you want to learn how to maximize social media, Chris’s blog is the place to learn from a master. If Bill Gates started a blog about making money, would you read it? Of course you would! Same thing here with this blog, it’s an excellent resource for maximizing social media [business wise] in a way that really earns your customer’s trust. You might even check out Chris’s excellent new book; Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust

What are some of your favorite blogs for entrepreneurs? What blogs or websites really help you to maximize the web, business resources, or social media? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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I’m always testing and trying out new plug-ins, techniques, scripts, etc. just to figure out what works and what doesn’t. If you’re a frequent visitor to The Success Center then you may have noticed the orange bar at the bottom. It’s officially called a Wibiya bar which is supposed to help increase web traffic and reader engagement of a blog. It’s currently in beta testing so you’ll have to sign-up to receive a beta key before you try it out.

There are some things I like about it such as the Facebook integration, Twitter integration, multiple language support, and even how it allows you to navigate through the blog’s content. These are all nice features, but there are a couple of things I don’t like, such as how the bar falls behind videos and certain images on the page. Wibiya said that they’re about to release a fix for this common issue so we’ll see how it performs in the near future.

I’ve only had the bar installed since the weekend and already there are a few people that have joined the Facebook community. And, I’m getting a few stats in such as RSS subscriptions, searches, translations, etc. Bad thing is, the stats don’t show you who actually clicked on what it just gives a general “impression” count (or at least that’s what I assume it is for now.) It’d be nice to have some in-depth analysis of how the bar is performing. But that’s beside the point of this post. The bar is really for you guys (and gals) that make this blog-a-zine what it is. I want to make sure that whatever I include is something that will really benefit the entire community. So, here is your opportunity to tell me if the Wibiya bar should be kept or should I send it on it’s merry little way? Cast your vote in the poll below and while you’re at it, let me know of any other changes, enhancements, or adjustments I should make to your Success Center.

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Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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I’d like to take a moment and thank my good friend, Darius B. Will for consistently asking me when the best time for would be to quit his job and take his business full-time. (When I say, consistently asking me, I mean, hounding me, ha ha.) Darius is a photographer and is the man behind the camera of my photos.

So, to answer his question . . . I wrote an entire series based on quitting a job and starting the business you’ve always wanted to start. God has a tendency to minister to me as I minister to others and He definitely did as I wrote these articles. I pray you all have been blessed because of Darius’ “consistency,” in finding the answer to his question. Here’s an overview of the entire series;

Quit Your Job and Make Millions - 6 Things you need to do in order to quit your job and start your business.

Save Money, Quit Your Job, and Make Millions – 6 ways to “get your money right,” so you can finally quit your job and start a business.

6 Ways to Market Yourself after You Quit Your Job – 6 Ways to market yourself once you quit your job to start your business.

Maximizing Social Media after you Start a Business – 3 Power tips on getting the most out of social media and networking online. (Plus, resources and links for further learning)

I also talked to my good friend, Jeané Elliott Bennett, who is an independent distributor of Gourmet Scented Candles. Jeane was kind enough to answer a few questions on quitting her job, taking her business full-time, and entrepreneurship.

Rod: How did you know it was the right time for you to quit your job?

Jeane: I was stressed out from my job. My blood pressure had risen to stroke and heart attack level and my doctor was really concerned and took me off from work for six weeks and put me on disability. Although the money was good, my health was more important.

Rod: What circumstances were you facing in deciding to quit your job and start your business? (Did you have worries about your family, debt, start-up capital?)

Jeane: I faced no challenges when I decided not to go back to work. I had the support of my family. My concerns was to make my business work. I refused to go back to the corporate world and stress myself out.

Rod: What was the final straw in deciding to quit your job and start your business?

Jeane: My health was my final straw and being with a company that didn’t fully appreciate their employees. I was making the big wigs rich, though making a decent salary but the demands were too great for their benefit. Enough was enough. Also, driving 2-2 1/2 hours to and from work each day took it’s toll on me.

Rod: When you finally started your business, what strategies did you use to market yourself?

Jeane: My strategies, came from my up-line. I stayed on conference calls, webinars, read books, and soaked up everything that I could. I am still doing those things to this day. I Learn from others and I listen very intently.

Rod: What is your social media strategy for your small business?

Jeane: I network via internet. Social networking sites. I find it to not only be fun but more cost effective. There are no dues to pay and I’m able to network with a wide range of people on a daily basis.

Rod: Thanks for your input!

Jeane: Thanks Rod, those are good questions!

I truly believe that the majority of us were put here on this earth to achieve something greater than working a 9-5. Not to put down career holding professionals that make our society function, but entrepreneurs keep society profitable! If you’re stuck in the,  “I hate my job” state of mind then it might be time for you to strike out on your own. Just make sure that you are prepared when you do. Don’t forget to answer the poll question below!

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Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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Last week I started a poll just to get a feel for the kind of content you all would like to see here, at The Success Center. And the results are pretty interesting to say the least.

The #3 answer was a tie between learning, “How to manage my money and become debt free!” and “How to maximize social media and social networking!” In my own opinion, if you maximize social media/networking, you’ll make money, and have the ability to become debt free. But, that’s just my thought on the subject.

The #2 answer was – “How to start, manage, and grow a business!” Which, I believe got there because everyone wants to learn how to make more money and really do what God has called them to do. It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of a major corporation, you can still feel unfulfilled in what you do.

And the #1 thing you all want to learn here at The Success Center is . . . “How to utilize biblical principles to become successful.” That kind of shocked me because I honestly thought that the majority of you wanted to learn how to maximize social media/networking. Just goes to show you how much I really know what you want, but that’s actually the whole point in the poll.

The Poll is closed, but if you didn’t get a chance to cast your vote you can sound off in the comments below by answering, “What would you like to learn here at the Success Center?”

This week’s poll question is “Have you ever thought about quitting your job and starting a business?” I’ll share the results in another post next week. All this, of course, ties into this month’s current series, “Quit Your Job and Make Millions.” Check it out if you haven’t done so already. And don’t forget to subscribe to The Success Center so you can stay up-to-date on new posts as they arrive.

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Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good success story and no one’s story really amps me up more than this guy’s! P. Diddy aka. Sean “Puffy” Combs started out as a dancer, made big as a rapper, producer, and moved into media mogul territory. You don’t have to be a fan of his music, clothing, or perfume products to really grasp what kind of an impact he’s making on a daily basis. This video is 40 minutes long, but well worth the watch. Be inspired, empowered, and equipped for your own success by understanding his!

What can we learn from his achievements past and present? Sound off in the comments below.

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On Monday, I explored the idea of what you should do in order to Quit Your Job and Make Millions. Today I want to explore one aspect of that article that kind of hit home for me. I suggested saving up at least 3 months worth of your current salary. When you’re just starting out money, above all things, money will become your main concern. If you’re prepared at the beginning, you can focus on making customers happy, making more money, and having more fun.

There was a time in my life when I started a business (several as a matter of fact) and I did it without saving a dime. I struggled for almost a year with very little sales and I was unemployed. Trust me, you don’t want to start your business on pure “adrenaline and excitement.” Take a step back, be strategic, and move when the time is right.

Note: Your current circumstances, current level of discipline, and sense of urgency about your destiny will determine how long it takes for you to save up enough to take your business full-time. If you’re serious about this then listen very carefully to the tips below.

Here are 6 things you can do to save money, quit your job, and make millions;

1. Create a 3 Month Budget – Everything starts with a plan. You’ve spent a long time getting your business plan together, why wouldn’t you put together a financial game plan? I’m not the king of budgeting and I don’t have all the money in the world; but I know exactly what my expenses are, how much is coming in, and a pretty good idea of what’s going out. It’s not hard to do, but I suggest creating one with some tools you probably already have. Microsoft Word features budget templates that you can download for free from Microsoft’s website. (You can also download them directly from Word!) Also, check out Quicken online. It allows you to track expenses, create a budget, and it’s free. (Oprah’s favorite things are gadgets. . . mine are free!)

Bonus: Try out Mint – By far, one of the best looking and performing personal finance tools to come around. Plus, it’s free! (There’s my favorite word again!)

2.  Cut Out Unnecessary Expenses - Sounds easy right? Well, your flesh will tell you, “we can’t stop going out to dinner for a month straight, are you crazy!” But, your spirit knows the plans God has for you. And it doesn’t involve working a 9-5 forever. You’re going to have to start that business God gave you and in order for His plans to prosper. So, you’re going to have to let some things go.

3. Use the Envelope System – This is a tip by financial guru, Dave Ramsey. In short, Dave says to give every dollar a predestination and place it in an envelope. Put grocery money in an envelope labeled “groceries”, gas money in an envelope labeled “gas,” etc, etc. It keeps your money separate, you’ll know exactly where it’s supposed to go, and paying with cash keeps charges (and overdrafts – the financial devil in disguise) to a minimum. You can watch the video explanation of the system as well as how to get out of debt by clicking here.

4. Grocery Shop Wisely – As a man, when I go grocery shopping, I have a tendency to shop with my eyes and not with my brain (I know, I’m not the only one!).  My mom could go into a grocery store, buy like items, and spend up to 50% less. The key (talking to all my fellas) is to use coupons, buy store brand items, and break frozen dinners down – buy the ingredients, (hungry man dinners, anyone?) and cook them yourself.

Note: Did you know that when you buy a frozen dinner you’re paying for processing, packaging, and marketing costs? Cut out the middle man, cook it yourself, and save money!

5. Bring in Extra Income – This tip won’t save you money, rather, to earn you more of it to go towards your “early retirement.” Work overtime, pick up a part-time job, have a garage sale, sell stuff on Ebay, etc. Do whatever you have to do to bring in extra loot and quit your job. You might have to put the vision on the back burner but that doesn’t mean you can’t cook it! You might have to let it sit back there and simmer while you’ve got the front burner of money boiling over!

6. Pay your Tithes and Offering – Non-believers, pay attention! The key to financial freedom is right here in this scripture (via Biblegateway.com);

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. – Luke 6:38 (New Living Translation)

Did you catch that? When you give your tithes and offering to your local worship house the bible says, the amount you give is given back to you, pressed down to make room, FOR MORE! #1 – Tithing is a biblical principle and shows our obedience to God and offering is our sacrifice. #2 – When we do it and we give consistently, God honors our sacrifice and returns what we give . . . with interest for being obedient. Wow!

Note: Read Malachi 3:8-11 and see what God has to say about testing Him when it comes to the principles of tithing and offering. (I dare you, I double dare you to click!)

And there you have it, 6 ways to save (or make) money so you can finally quit your job and start your business. I hope you were as blessed reading this as I was writing it. Where does the “Make Millions” portion of this article title come into play? That happens when you walk away from work (smartly as we’ve learned) and launch your business. Of course, these aren’t the only things you can do to save money. What techniques do you use to save or what tools have you found most helpful in keeping your mind on your money? Share them below!

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Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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I don’t usually post on Sunday and I don’t typically address you all this personally either, but, we have a serious situation on our hands. In one corner we have, The Success Center, as it is, with articles that cover a variety of topics on success. And in the other corner we’re facing a community of Christians, entrepreneurs, small business owners, etc. who I really want to impact on a deeper level. My entire goal for starting this blog-a-zine was to merge the two.

So, I’ve been thinking, “Am, I doing a good job or is it hit and miss?” I ran a poll earlier this week that asked, “What would you like to learn here at The Success Center?” It got a few votes but it doesn’t paint a clear picture of the needs of the entire community here.

In the coming weeks I’m going to be “re-focusing” a lot of the content here to be more in-tune with your needs as Christian entrepreneurs. And for those of you who are not Christians, you’re more than welcome to join in the conversations. As I stated in this video, I’m not a preacher and I will never hit you over the head with religion. But, I am a man of faith and that’s what I stand for.

So, I want to open up a dialogue between writer and reader. What kinds of problems, obstacles, mountains, or challenges do you face as an entrepreneur? Do you struggle as a blogger working with Word Press? Do you have a problem organizing yourself? What about your finances? Are you in debt and looking for financing for your start-up company? Are you having problems maximizing social media? This is your space to tell me your needs. How can I feed your entrepreneurial spirit? Let me know in the comments below.

Rod

p.s. – Feel free to email me your questions, comments, or concerns rod(at)rodkirby.com, send them to me on Twitter, or Facebook. – Flickr image by RyanLF

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