SOWPub Small Business Forums - Michael Ross's Challenge

> Hi Duane:

> There has been a bit of discussion about
> this, primarily in regard to the tv show
> ""The Money Game"

> I don't know about you, or anyone else - but
> in my opinion, a television show in which
> the participants prove their money earning
> ability is vastly different than a person
> that has to do the same to put food on the
> table. A person in this situation is likely
> to feel a little more stressed. At least I
> did. *g*

> Not to mention that if it's bread and butter
> the person has to earn, the repercussion of
> not succeeding is different than the tv
> contestant.

The stakes are definitely higher in real life!

> I am, by no means, a television personality.
> However, several years ago, I found myself
> in a very similiar situation. So, I'd like
> to answer your post from the perspective of
> a "real" person in that situation.

Yes Please! :->

> I had a little less than 1,000.00. Seven
> hundred and fifty two dollars and fifty
> three cents to be exact. That was all I had
> to my name when I discovered (after leaving
> an alcoholic and abusive ex) that the
> marital assets that I thought would be
> divided up so easily - weren't. (He'd put it
> all in his name - and then transferred
> everything to his dad's name.)

> I had a mortgage payment due - in excess of
> eleven hundred dollars... utilities worth
> close to a thousand that were due for
> payment - and a child to feed and support.

> A year before leaving my ex, I had closed
> down my little home business in a last ditch
> attempt to make the marriage work. So, I was
> left with little cash, no job, no contacts
> and I needed to make money fast or my
> daughter and I would be literally out on the
> streets.

> None of my friends or relatives would help
> because my ex had already phoned and
> threatened anyone who intervened "would
> pay". Everyone I knew was petrified and
> would not get involved. I couldn't go to the
> police - he worked on their communications
> systems. (I tried - long story.)

> I couldn't get a job outside the house
> because he was following me and went in
> afterwards to harass people everywhere I
> went. It was easier for people to just
> "not" hire me.

> I then decided to sell the house. As it
> turned out, I couldn't even do that because
> my ex's name was also on the title and he
> would not agree to sell. According to
> Canadian laws, I could not sell without his
> agreement. (He was being a miserable sot and
> trying to make me suffer for leaving him. He
> figured I'd give up and come back)

> It was, in a word - a nightmare. I cried
> myself to sleep a number of nights before I
> got very angry and even more determined. To
> make a long story a little shorter... I had
> no options left but to take what I had and
> make it work.
> And I did... : )

> The points that Dien mentioned (in a later
> post) have some very good merit. You don't
> have to be a celebrity or have a
> "known" name... but you DO need
> persistance, perseverance and determination.

> I had over a decade of experience in
> graphics behind me. I'd worked as a
> "suit" for Canada's largest
> department store chain. I'd run my own
> little graphics company out of my home. I
> decided I needed to revive that and make it
> work for me... and fast.

> I got on the phone one evening and called
> everyone that I knew that my ex did not
> know. *g* (No risk of him intervening that
> way.) Parents of kids my daughter went to
> school with..
> people I'd gone to school with. Anyone I
> could think of. I asked them all to do me
> one favor.. to keep their ears open for
> someone looking for graphic arts or
> copywriting.

> I found one person that "knew someone
> who.."

> I remember walking into the board meeting to
> present my graphics proposal to a national
> board of directors looking to hire someone
> to do the graphics for an upcoming national
> event.

> I knew about the board meeting because my
> daughter's friend's mom told me about it
> when I made those calls. She knew one of the
> directors..

> I knew that there were three big companies
> competing for the contract. Before the
> meeting, I checked out the history of 'the
> competition.'

> I knew that part of the event they were
> running included selling 'event t-shirts'.
> Prior to the meeting, I had a local printer
> print my work on a tshirt so I could I let
> the board members pass the t-shirt around
> and look at the detail. It was no longer ink
> on paper.. it was a tangible, touchable
> sample.

> I convinced a small printing company to
> print the shirt (free) by promising the
> printer that the order was his if I could
> pull this off. Landing a national event
> would be a coup for him, too.

> As I made my presentation, I also offered to

> a) Do the graphics for all areas of the
> event, including the event souvenirwear as
> well as other printing projects (brochures,
> newspaper ads, etc)

> b)handle the details of ordering the
> t-shirts, sweatsuits, brochures, cards,
> printed items, etc

> c) Oversee the printing and proofing... and

> d) To have it all delivered to their office.

> By offering that, I reduced their work load
> immensely. (I also afforded myself the
> opportunity to buy the goods at wholesale
> and mark them up to make a profit. )

> As is typical, they said they would discuss
> the presentations and "get back to
> me".

> As I left, I gave them the t-shirt. I told
> them that having the shirt to look at would
> mean they didn't have to
> "remember" what it looked like
> when they were comparing proposals.

> As I walked past the board members, I leaned
> slightly towards the one that was related to
> my daughter's friend's mom and whispered
> (Donna said to tell you hello). *smiling*

> I got the contract.

> I ordered the merchandise needed on a 30 day
> invoice, collected the cash for the order,
> banked it - and paid for the merchandise 30
> days later.

> So, instead of just making the profit of a
> new graphics order, I also made profit on
> marking up the merchandise and earned a
> commission for selling the printer's
> services, too.

> Do you have ANY idea how much markup one can
> make on over 5 thousand t-shirts? Not to
> mention the sweatsuits, shorts, golf shirts,
> etc? *g*

> I was glad I didn't just go in offering to
> do the graphics alone. At the time of the
> presentation, I really had NO idea of the
> vast size that the order would be.

> It was one of my best... and one of my last
> offline events. I found the Internet shortly
> after. I've more than doubled my income
> online and have set up two successful
> internet businesses that employ multiple
> people. And - moved half way across the
> country. *g*

> I do it by not only knowing my field of
> expertise inside out, but also by knowing my
> competition inside. You can't be
> "better" if you don't know what
> you're up against. : )

> It is entirely possible to take little or
> nothing and turn it into a fantastic
> income... as long as you know your field and
> you have the persistance and belief in
> yourself to carry you through.

> Important points for anyone looking to get
> ahead:

> 1) As Dien says - You don't have to have
> employees to have others working for you too
> -- outsourcing is another way to have others
> working for you, use their services! (like I
> did with the printer)

> 2) The power of being able to sell something
> before you have to pay for it. (as I did by
> asking Hanes to invoice me for the shirts
> and asking the printer to verify my
> credibility because I had no order history.)

> 3) Contacts. Not just who "you"
> know.. but who
> your contacts know. The next door neighbor
> or the bank teller just might know the
> person, or wife of the person that is going
> to decide who gets that big contract in your
> field. (just as my daughter's friend's mom
> had a contact for me)

> and above all..

> Know your field. Prove your worth. Believe
> and you will achieve.

> Just my two cents...

> Linda Caroll

WOW! WOW! and ...did I say WOW!

Linda Thank You for sharing your story! I do believe that you have SOLVED THE RIDDLE in your own life!

Your story has more REAL lessons than most of the business opporunities in my basement.

It is very refreshing to read a real story especially beacause you earned money other than the internet/mail order etc.

I do appreciate you sharing this personal story in response to my question.

I have learned a lot from your Inspirational story.

THANK YOU!!

Sincerely

Duane Adolph