Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

Should you reveal your success? It's a dilemma....

I know several people online who are quite successful.... Yet they prefer to "fly low and collect the dough"....

It may sound unbelievable, but I can even think of those I know (who are successful) who shun free publicity. They're doing very well without it, and they're afraid that extra publicity will just generate competition.

So, you might be surprised at who's REALLY making money online. The real "superstars" of online profits don't always like to reveal themselves!

However, one successful model (which, from what I know is quite profitable) is the online software tool subscription model. That's where people subscribe to use a piece of software.

It can be profitable, especially if you provide a good and useful service. Some of the better known services of this type are WordTracker, BidNapper, AuctionWorks - and so on!

Another profitable model is the single-product sales model. I think this model works best if you have an affiliate program to go along with it. (Use the power of leverage.) There are plenty of these out there.... Study those web sites, and see how they work.

The subscription web site model is also a profitable model, but it should be niche focused, from what I've seen. If you can offer information which a niche market would love to have, but which is hard to find elsewhere, then you could have an idea for a successful subscription web site. Some successful subscription web sites are Bill Myers Online (for independent product developers), Stratfor (strategic forecasting of world events), and Crikey (Australian political critique and satire) .

Plenty of people make money from affiliate programs. Probably the best place to go to find out more about making money this way is Allan Gardyne's Associate Programs web site.

Ezines are a successful model too.... Such as our own The Entrepreneur's Hotsheet and the SeedZine (first issue comes out tomorrow!). Subscribe now! :)

So there's plenty of things you can do.... :)

The most important thing is to get started doing something.... You can't help but improve as you go along. As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step....

- Dien Rice

Re: Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

The biblical answer is that you should be rich,
but appear poor. The world's answer is to be
broke and appear wealthy. Take your pick. Okay,
I'm being a little facetious. But the point is
that the reality is we live in the age of envy.
Anything you have, you can be sued for by anyone
who has a dollar less than you and sees this as
being unfair. The government can freeze your assets in less than 10 minutes. And it is a
sinking, sick feeling when it happens. But whose
going to pay attention to a fat, balding, old guy
wearing jeans, t shirt and sneakers? Live very
low profile.

While I was writing this, I remembered what happened to Gary Halbert. He went around bragging
how many 1000's he was making a day and ended up
being put in a canvas bag while 2 thieves rummaged
thru his home.

My vote? Fly low and collect the dough!

> Should you reveal your success? It's a
> dilemma....

> I know several people online who are quite
> successful.... Yet they prefer to "fly
> low and collect the dough"....

> It may sound unbelievable, but I can even
> think of those I know (who are successful)
> who shun free publicity. They're doing very
> well without it, and they're afraid that
> extra publicity will just generate
> competition.

> So, you might be surprised at who's REALLY
> making money online. The real
> "superstars" of online profits
> don't always like to reveal themselves!

> However, one successful model (which, from
> what I know is quite profitable) is the
> online software tool subscription model.
> That's where people subscribe to use a piece
> of software.

> It can be profitable, especially if you
> provide a good and useful service. Some of
> the better known services of this type are
> WordTracker , BidNapper , AuctionWorks -
> and so on!

> Another profitable model is the
> single-product sales model. I think this
> model works best if you have an affiliate
> program to go along with it. (Use the power
> of leverage.) There are plenty of these out
> there.... Study those web sites, and see how
> they work.

> The subscription web site model is also a
> profitable model, but it should be niche
> focused, from what I've seen. If you can
> offer information which a niche market would
> love to have, but which is hard to find
> elsewhere, then you could have an idea for a
> successful subscription web site. Some
> successful subscription web sites are Bill
> Myers Online (for independent product
> developers), Stratfor (strategic
> forecasting of world events), and Crikey
> (Australian political critique and satire) .

> Plenty of people make money from affiliate
> programs. Probably the best place to go to
> find out more about making money this way is
> Allan Gardyne's Associate Programs web
> site.

> Ezines are a successful model too.... Such
> as our own The Entrepreneur's Hotsheet and
> the SeedZine (first issue comes out
> tomorrow!). Subscribe now! :)

> So there's plenty of things you can do....
> :)

> The most important thing is to get started
> doing something.... You can't help but
> improve as you go along. As the saying goes,
> a journey of a thousand miles begins with a
> single step....

> - Dien Rice

Re: Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

I recently read a truism (is that a word) that stated the following:

"The rich person is not the one who has the most but who needs the least."

Years ago I use to study the billionaires and would call them and write to them, etc. (No shame). Here in the Twin Cities I was fortnuate enough to meet Mr. Carl Pohlad and I asked him why he sued Forbes over listing him as one of the country's most wealthiest people.

He said that ..."wealth and publicity do not mix." I recently found that out for myself.

In my opinion, I feel that if you are succeeding and feel a strong need to tel someone, then do it behind closed doors with a group of people who are inetrested in learning from you-a subscription based website or a high-priced newsletter.

I look at Gordon and the trials and tribulations he suffered as a result of simply...

GIVING.

So, again, me...I think it is really unwise to share with thos not desiring your understanding, knowledge and wisdom.

Taylor

> The biblical answer is that you should be
> rich,
> but appear poor. The world's answer is to be
> broke and appear wealthy. Take your pick.
> Okay,
> I'm being a little facetious. But the point
> is
> that the reality is we live in the age of
> envy.
> Anything you have, you can be sued for by
> anyone
> who has a dollar less than you and sees this
> as
> being unfair. The government can freeze your
> assets in less than 10 minutes. And it is a
> sinking, sick feeling when it happens. But
> whose
> going to pay attention to a fat, balding,
> old guy
> wearing jeans, t shirt and sneakers? Live
> very
> low profile.

> While I was writing this, I remembered what
> happened to Gary Halbert. He went around
> bragging
> how many 1000's he was making a day and
> ended up
> being put in a canvas bag while 2 thieves
> rummaged
> thru his home.

> My vote? Fly low and collect the dough!




I've discovered an amazing and simple picture that allows you to persuade and influence others!!!

Re: Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

This message is for everyone,

I can see the point about flying low. Now I am wondering, does that mean you don't actively promote your business? You don't tell people what you do?

Or do you mean you don't tell people how well things are going?

I have been finding that if you stick out too much with your marketing, people get envious and start taking shots at you.

I would love to hear what you all think.

Tim

Re: Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

Tim -

Tom O'Neill is the guy I originally heard and borrowed the "Fly low and collect the dough" phrase from in 1986 and immediately adapted it to my own lifestyle and business style.

We were providing computer services to various government agencies and encountered a lot of political grandstanding and credit grabbing. It was wise not to get caught up in the ego wars!

What it meant to us was let others have the credit and public accolades. Give credit to our customers for any brilliant actions we accomplished. Let the high profile personas have the spot light. Just do a great job in providing the product and service and get paid well without attracting attention.

Re marketing and pot shots - if your product/service is all your marketing says it is, and you don't beat your own chest too hard and let testimonials talk for you, then keep on. Make your company and customers the kings and queens, you fly low and collect the dough!

It's worked for me for a long while, and, as Taylor said above, you can share your successes and get some positive strokes from your inner circle of trusted friends and advisors who don't suffer from envy and anger.

And, I believe you can still share on forums such as this one, where Dien and the other moderators diligently stamp out the occasional acrimonious comments.

I'm glad old Tom's saying has made a difference. Now I'm going back below the radar and skim the waves:-)

Bob

Re: Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

Bob,

Thanks for the input. I myself am a bit more in the spotlight guy. I am starting to see how that just lets others put you in your crosshairs.

Tim

> Tom O'Neill is the guy I originally heard
> and borrowed the "Fly low and collect
> the dough" phrase from in 1986 and
> immediately adapted it to my own lifestyle
> and business style.

> We were providing computer services to
> various government agencies and encountered
> a lot of political grandstanding and credit
> grabbing. It was wise not to get caught up
> in the ego wars!

> What it meant to us was let others have the
> credit and public accolades. Give credit to
> our customers for any brilliant actions we
> accomplished. Let the high profile personas
> have the spot light. Just do a great job in
> providing the product and service and get
> paid well without attracting attention.

> Re marketing and pot shots - if your
> product/service is all your marketing says
> it is, and you don't beat your own chest too
> hard and let testimonials talk for you, then
> keep on. Make your company and customers the
> kings and queens, you fly low and collect
> the dough!

> It's worked for me for a long while, and, as
> Taylor said above, you can share your
> successes and get some positive strokes from
> your inner circle of trusted friends and
> advisors who don't suffer from envy and
> anger.

> And, I believe you can still share on forums
> such as this one, where Dien and the other
> moderators diligently stamp out the
> occasional acrimonious comments.

> I'm glad old Tom's saying has made a
> difference. Now I'm going back below the
> radar and skim the waves:-)

> Bob

They don't NEED to talk about it... so they don't!
 

Hi Tim,

> I can see the point about flying low. Now I
> am wondering, does that mean you don't
> actively promote your business? You don't
> tell people what you do?

> Or do you mean you don't tell people how
> well things are going?

> I have been finding that if you stick out
> too much with your marketing, people get
> envious and start taking shots at you.

> I would love to hear what you all think.

Well, the people I can think of who are doing very well but don't like to be public about it don't need to talk about it.

Their customers tend to be repeat customers, and they don't come to them because they are making lots of money, but rather because they're providing a good service!

So they DO talk about their service and how great it is, but they don't talk about how successful they are financially! That's something their customers don't really care about.

I think it's different if you're selling "how to" info though. If you're doing that, people like to know what you've done - it helps with your credibility then.

I think if you're successful, people tend to like to work with those who are successful. So talking about your success may bring in customers too, but it also attracts competition....

I guess it's a matter of weighing up the positives and negatives.

What I found fascinating, though, is that there are a lot of people making good money who prefer to be quiet about it. Like many others, I assumed that the most succesful people were the ones who spoke about it the most - but it's just not so.

- Dien Rice

Re: Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

A recent study by a prominent "think tank" (don't ask me where...I heard it on a Paul Harvey report) said that....OVER 80% of Americans......"DISLIKE (and even HATE) The RICH and AFFLUENT" in our FREE and Capitalistic society.

This is probably because of the "stuff" the Media AND Democrats have FED the public in the last 20 yrs.

Dick Gephart will stand in front of a TV Camera and say, "This _____ will benefit the RICH!"

And at the SAME TIME....at the SAME MOMENT...the Contractor who is building his MILLION DOLLAR PLUS home in Virginia....is standing in the audience waiting to ask him some questions about the home he is building for Gephardt.

The "average" American has been "Spoon Fed" a bunch of PAP for the last 20 to 30 yrs by the Dems. Yet the Dems who are spewing this garbage are some of the richest in our society.

WHY do they do this? So THEY can STAY IN POWER!

It's called CLASS ENVY!

Jesse Jackson has made MILLIONS off this. So has the "Rev" Al Sharpton and other PHONIES.

Rhetoric taken in and regurgitated by their able and willing "accomplices" in the press....to the "brainwashed public".

Nowadays it is "politically correct" to BASH THE RICH!

And....the RICH have also been brainwashed and "learned" to say, "Oh Yes! I am really sorry that I made so much money last year after spending 20 years sacrificing and strugling and FINALLY getting my business to pay off. Please excuse me for making a few mill. I WILL be careful not to make so much next year. Oh! I'm also sponsoring the ____ charity bazaar next week."

WHAT UNADULTERED BS WE HAVE HAD TO PUT UP WITH BECAUSE OF THE FRIGGIN LIBERALS!

The "successful" people in our society are AFRAID! Afraid of being attacked or sued by those who've bought into this "class envy" BS.

So...as a result of this FEAR....fewer and fewer of Americans will be hearing SUCCESS STORIES by those who "MADE IT"!

And as a result of the RICH not wanting to SHARE "How" they "made it"....you will have less and less of successful people "making it".

What hogwash! All because of the friggin LIBERALS and their BS agendas.

Anyway.....when and IF you who are reading this DO happen to make a million bucks in whatever you have sacrificed and struggled for....do NOT let anyone know! Keep it quiet because the "Class Envy" the American public has "bought" will try and "make an example of you" by attacking you!

How DARE YOU....make more money than the average factory worker! YOU should be ASHAMED of yourself!

Don Alm.....Capitalist...Entrepreneur and not so proud to be an American anymore.




Reprint Rights to Proven Successful Info Products

Re: Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

Don,

You bring up a great point.

In order to fit into society, you need to just be getting by. If you do good, well you must have cheated someone and be made to pay.

I am a landlord and I would not dare go over to my tenants house in a nice car. That would only enrage them and make them think how I made my living off THEIR backs. It doesn't matter that I skrimped and saved to buy my rentals and that I spent a many weekends working on them. I slipped and fell on the sidewalk that I(the tenant) was supposed to shovel. Tim has a nice car lets sue him. I'm not done.

Lets move onto the other landlords. Look at that Tim with his ad in the newspaper, bench signs, news releases, flashy business cards, that he places all over the place. He must really be ripping off some poor old lady to get a properties so cheap. I think it is terrible what he does, he gives the rest of us HONEST landlords a bad name. You know what, I think I saw some trash on his property, I think I'll call the city. You know I'm not sure that he should be putting that bench sign (totally legal mind you) where he does, I'm going to complain. Also, let me complain to the newspaper because of his creative thinking, he is always the first ad in the Homes for Sale section. I don't like the fact that at our monthly landlord meetings, he places his "I BUY HOMES" business cards on the desks. That is not right. Who cares that he has paid his yearly dues to be at the meetings. He is not playing fair. Translation: I am mad at Tim because he is just plain more successful and/or creative then I am. Instead of trying to be more creative/successful myself, I'll try and make it hard on him. I will try and knock him down.

Thats how I see it. Now not every landlord is like that, but there are a fair number who think that way.

Tim

Flying low with a twist
 

Don't Let 'em See You Comin'

Michael Ross.

You've given me my new motto [DNO]
 

dno
> Don't Let 'em See You Comin'

> Michael Ross.

It's not about politics
 

The finding of that study is not surprising, but it has little to do with political beliefs, affiliation or propaganda. It is also not limited to the last 20-30 years or to the US, either.

The fundamental reason behind distrust, resentment and hate of the affluent is simple: being human.

We are imperfect creatures, and wealth and power can bring out the worst in us. Throughout history, this worst side of human nature has been demonstrated by both those who have wealth/power and those who don't.

You are correct in saying that the have-nots look at what the rich have and (1) want to have it for themselves and (2) resent the rich for being rich and having "stuff" when they themselves do not. It's a perfectly natural reaction. They're envious; it's human.

And because it IS human, this reaction isn't limited only to those who really are poor. The person who has $10 million almost certainly looks at the one with $100 million in a similarly envious way, as does that one when looking at the possessor of $1 billion in wealth. The BIG difference, though, is that they do not simply envy/resent those with more; they set out to acquire it for themselves.

The have-nots (even if they're making a decent income) don't know how to get it for themselves, since they're job-oriented and working at a job will never propel them into the ranks of the rich. They may do well and even become comfortable financially, but will continue to resent/hate the affluent as the study found because the wealthy not only have more to begin with, they also have the know-how of increasing their wealth.

(This can be very, very frustrating. In a parallel situation, imagine watching your golf partner regain last season's form with only a few weeks' play, while you yourself can't put up a decent score until mid-June. Makes you want to club him -- literally -- doesn't it?) *g*

I think we can agree that most people are not suited for self-employment and/or entrepreneurism. Have-nots know, either consciously or instinctively, that they lack the temperament/drive/ability to strike out on their own and this fuels their envy, too. It's a cycle, yes, and it's not going to begin changing until envy is no longer part of the human makeup.

Envy is only one side of it, though. The flip side, which contributes just as much flame to the issue, is the human tendency to press one's advantage. We may not like it much or even want to admit it, but it's in each one of us to some extent.

At the benign end, it's the tendency to want/have more than one needs, "a little extra"...extra money, another vehicle, more clothes, etc. All the "just in case" stuff. Logical and practical, they are for the most part justifiable. Kept at this level, the tendency is not a problem.

But, just like envy, it too, mushrooms, and people acquire more, better, bigger stuff just because they want to. Simply owning it fans envy, but often the tendency doesn't stop there. People use wealth and power to get and press their advantage, to dominate others, be it financially, socially or emotionally.

Historically, wealth has been used time and again to establish and maintain dominance, i.e., to keep the have-nots not having. Initiative and drive were prohibited. Today, we certainly have the freedom and opportunities to do our own thing and work to become as wealthy as we want, but that doesn't mean the tendency to dominate is buried in history.

Unscrupulous landlords still exist, demanding exorbitant rents for substandard housing. Price-gouging shopkeepers do business every day. Service providers charge well above the going rate if they find a captive audience. These examples are not isolated but they aren't the norm, either. However, enough of them happen every day to give the general impression that the practices are more common and widespread than they really are.

In the wake of the Enron calamity, many of us have probably wondered, even in passing, about the accounting practices and ethics of other large corporations. While it was happening, though, the company as a whole likely viewed its actions as the best strategy for its own future: more, better, bigger.

So, the upshot of the whole question -- hate/dislike of the affluent -- is the result of two major contributing factors, both part of human nature. Of themselves they are certainly not political. The tie-in to politics comes into play because of traditional[/i] affiliations, but haves and have-nots exist on both sides of the aisle -- as does grandstanding. This is not a political issue and it is pointless and misleading to try and make it one.

What it comes down to, I think, is how much responsibility we owe to our fellow humans. Some people will always be takers and there's not anything we can do to change that. I don't believe in unlmited handouts or unearned entitlements and over the years I have put in way more money into the public trough than I will ever get back. BUT I also believe we are all responsible for our "community," be it local, national or global, because in the end, if the community doesn't make it, neither will we.

Sounds like what a college prof. might say [DNO]
 

dno

Does a college prof. = liberal?
 

That would raise countless eyebrows in the halls of higher education from coast to coast (and worldwide, I suspect). Although it is true that much progressive/liberal thought originates on college campuses, this applies principally to a small handful of well known schools.

For the most part, however, I would say that academia is nearly always the last bastion of traditional opinion. Scholars, no matter what the discipline, have to be convinced of the correctness of new paradigms, since in most cases they have already published opinions that in some way or other support the prevailing, i.e., existing, view. Their reputations and credibility are on the line, so it's not likely for them to endorse differing opinions unless the supporting documentation is solid. This applies not only to *hard" sciences, but to the social sciences, as well.

Dien, since you have an *insider view* of the university environment, you probably know better than any of us how accurate the above assessment is.

P.S. I'm neither a college prof nor a liberal. *g*

Re: Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

Tim wrote -

> I am a landlord and I would not dare go over
> to my tenants house in a nice car. That
> would only enrage them and make them think
> how I made my living off THEIR backs. It
> doesn't matter that I skrimped and saved to
> buy my rentals and that I spent a many
> weekends working on them. I slipped and fell
> on the sidewalk that I(the tenant) was
> supposed to shovel. Tim has a nice car lets
> sue him. I'm not done.

> Lets move onto the other landlords. Look at
> that Tim with his ad in the newspaper, bench
> signs, news releases, flashy business cards,
> that he places all over the place. He must
> really be ripping off some poor old lady to
> get a properties so cheap. I think it is
> terrible what he does, he gives the rest of
> us HONEST landlords a bad name. You know
> what, I think I saw some trash on his
> property, I think I'll call the city. You
> know I'm not sure that he should be putting
> that bench sign (totally legal mind you)
> where he does, I'm going to complain. Also,
> let me complain to the newspaper because of
> his creative thinking, he is always the
> first ad in the Homes for Sale section. I
> don't like the fact that at our monthly
> landlord meetings, he places his "I BUY
> HOMES" business cards on the desks.
> That is not right. Who cares that he has
> paid his yearly dues to be at the meetings.
> He is not playing fair. Translation: I am
> mad at Tim because he is just plain more
> successful and/or creative then I am.
> Instead of trying to be more
> creative/successful myself, I'll try and
> make it hard on him. I will try and knock
> him down.

I don't know how many of you realize this and I know Tim would never say this himself, but Tim knows what he's talking about. Tim is well respected over on Creative Real Estate Online, http://www.creonline.com. Many of you have asked if creative real estate techniques work. Well, Tim Jensen is a living, breathing example of someone who is making it work. In fact, it was some of Tim's posts among others that got me started thinking about bandit signs as a way to market my up and coming real estate business. Further, I was out on some errands today. While I was out, sure enough I noticed some bandit signs. Because of what I'd read, I wrote down the phone number and URL from the sign.

So... take a page out of Tim Jensen's playbook.

Rick Smith, "The Net Guerrilla"


Click to Discover How to Get a Great New Life in 10 Days!

What is a 'bandit' sign? (dno).
 

..

Jealousy and ignorance....
 

Hi Eve,

I agree with some of the things you said in your earlier post, in that I think much anti-rich feeling is probably jealousy combined with ignorance.

I also think Don Alm is right about the hypocrisy of many of our politicians.

People are jealous of those who have what they don't. And they're even more jealous when they don't understand how those people got what they have!

I've come across the common view that the only way you can get rich by "ripping people off" - many people really believe this. They don't realize that this very belief of theirs in fact is holding them back!

This is also true in academia. There are some smart academics who have this kind of belief too. However, you will find many radical views in academia too. I think the hallmark of academia is its diversity - you'll find a full spectrum of views, from the most liberal to the most conservative. From the socialists to the laissez-faire capitalists. Academics I think are more likely to be independent thinkers. Well, as long as you're not too independent! ;)

Knowledge really is power in business. I've worked in the past with a great guy who is making good money in his business - but he works like a dog. Typically, he works 6 days a week, from about 8 am to 8 pm sometimes.

I see this as the "business trap" which I want to avoid. His problem is that he's using no leverage! He's in a time trap and he's not sure how to get out.

But most people know nothing about leverage, and it's much more difficult to apply leverage if you're a salaried employee than if you're in business. I think the solution is the right kind of education - education on how to be an entrepreneur. They generally don't teach you this in school - but I think times may be slowly changing....

- Dien Rice


A great book on how to use leverage in your business....

Nice Post Tim
 

A bandit sign is one of those little 18 x 24 signs you see on the side of the road.

Some say Work From Home or The Dish Network and things like that. Or Lose Weight, Ask Me How.

Nice post Tim, I get hit with things like that as well. Though no snow down here.

Terry (Houston)

Re: Should you reveal your success, or hide it...?
 

Rick,

Thank you for those kinds words. I don't know how creative I am when it comes to financing real estate, however I like to think of myself as a creative marketer.

As for bandit signs, I don't use them that ofetn, because the city asked me to stop. If i put up a sign its usually next to a for rent or for sale sign.

I will say that I have gotten a couple deals directly from the bandit signs. I would definately try them. Just try and use them in a lawful manner otherwise you may get called by your city or even fined.

Good Luck,
Tim

Re: Jealousy and ignorance....
 

Hi, Dien --

Thanks for the further insight into academia. And I also agree about hypocrisy being so common among all politicians.

As for getting ahead by ripping other people off, that, too, is a no-no in my book. There seems to be some sort of "fail-safe" in life; sooner or later we're made to pay -- in one way or another -- for cheating. Progress is much more quick if we don't start the cycle in the first place. *g*

Your comments about leverage and the "business trap" are so true, and lessons I've learned through painful experience. I didn't know these things when I had my business a few years ago, and in the end bankruptcy was my only option.

I AM going to set up a business again. This time, however, I'm taking the time to learn from others with experience and your board is the place I turn to first every day. Thank you for shaping it into the excellent resource it is. I have learned so much in the past year, most especially from Gordon. His wisdom strikes a chord with me, so when he speaks I always pay attention.

Thanks a gazillion -- to both of you.

Eve §:)

Re: A Bandit Sign Is...
 

... one of those signs you see at road intersections. Many of them say things like "Lose 50 lbs. in 30 days. Call 1-800-555-1212."

Sometimes the signs are stuck into the ground. Sometimes they're stapled to utility poles.

Do they work? Well, I don't know about other areas but real estate entrepreneurs seem to be getting results with them.

One caveat. As Tim suggests, be careful that you don't run afoul of the law. They're illegal in some areas.

Rick Smith, "The Net Guerrilla"




Click Here to Discover How to Create a Great New Life in 10 Days!