Due Diligence and How to Evaluate a Business or Money Making Opprotunity...ONE

[GordonJ]

This may take a few posts. I want to share some tips and hints on two things...

How to Evaluate a Business or Money-Making Opportunity (Sub titled, How to Create a Product for an Existing Market) And

Due Diligence.

Due diligence is a term that gets tossed around a lot. Rather than give you a long winded Wiki definition, I'll give you mine:

Investigate...ask questions.

So here is what happened as I developed The Boz's Headlight Cleaning Manual.

I arrived in El Paso around noon on Friday, Oct. 7. The Boz drove to Carlsbad and got me settled into the guest house on his ranch.

Saturday morning we did some chores, which included wiping out a black widow spider master nest and killing a rattlesnake...Hello New Mexico. Then in the afternoon we went to town and I OBSERVED Boz at work at and started my notebook.

I ask a lot of questions, if you've ever spoken to me on the phone, you can give an AMEN to that, can't you?

When we came back in the evening, I began my online Due Diligence regarding the headlight cleaning business. I investigated.

First stop...Google.

I used the search terms; headlight cleaning, headlamp restoration and as many variations of those I could think of. I was looking for a Biz-Op, someselling me How to Make Money Cleaning Headlights sort of thing.

Here are a few of the sites I found.

http://www.myheadlight.com/business-opportunity/ He sells bulk kits, 10 at a time, and claims you could make between 200 and 300 dollars for about 3 hours work.

So, I quiz the Boz.

What do you think about offering kits? Or a complete Business in a Tool Box type thing?

He doesn't want to get bogged down with the shipping, handling, storage, buying crap, he just wanted to have a manual to sell because he wants to build a boat, sell his ranch and move to Alabama. OK then. That narrows down what I need to do.

But after visiting the site linked above, I continued my Due Diligence and visited:

http://www.pro-vu.com/make_money_res...eadlights.html Pro-Vu will sell you a start-up kit for 100 bux. Hmmm. I see the typical supplier routine...you have to buy your additional supplies from this person.

This is a common tactic for licensed or distributorship opportunities, get them in at a low cost and make them dependent on you for supplies.

NOTE this. If you are investigating money-making ops, ask yourself the question, How do I get future supplies? IF you have to rely on a 3rd party, you've put yourself at their mercy for YOUR business. I shy away from these "franchise" type...even though they aren't a franchise, they often operate like one by becoming your supplier and ask for piece of the action. NO sez Gordon...NO!

So, then I thought about what franchises might be out there, my google search added franchise to the string:

http://drheadlightfranchise.com/thef...investment.php

For 25 thousand bux, 10 in cash, I could buy a franchise and pay these guys a royalty.

What this teaches me is: DANG BOY, there is an opportunity to make some cash cleaning headlights.

So, who else is offering a headlight cleaning business?

http://crystalclearheadlights.net/fr...rtunities.html

And I found 5 companies offering a FRANCHISE and several more offering kits and supplies so you could start your own business.

MY conclusion from this initial research was: YES, this is a viable business opportunity and it is heating up. It is part of the 13 billion dollar a year Auto Care aftermarket. There are franchises, biz-ops and another KEY

TV infomercials selling a product.

Walmart with auto centers now offer a quick headlight cleaning for 40 dollars in these parts, higher in the Northeast.

Then I called MY local detail shops, in Summit County Ohio and in Palm Beach County. The quotes I got were between 85 and 200 dollars so the first thing I did was to tell the Boz to RAISE YOUR PRICES. He was getting 20 bux for a car.

Now he gets 30 dollars with more sales and less resistance. It goes to perceived value. TV ads help with this.

OK. Then I watched all the videos on youtube about this. And I quizzed Boz about his method vs. those.

He told me he tried some of those, he tested everything on the planet to see if it worked...the crap on TV does nothing, must be a placebo effect for those testimonials...Boz has cleaned many a lens of a headlight AFTER they tried to clean it themselves with one of those As Seen On TV Products.

Now let me summarize my initial steps, to determine the viability of the idea before I go to the next post.

ASK questions, seek answers on Google.

Determine if a market exists for the service. Who is doing it? What do they charge?

Is someone already selling the OPPORTUNITY? GREAT if they are, it reinforces the need and gives you the opportunity to carve out a share of the niche.

From the product development standpoint, brainstorm and figure what you want to do, what you don't want...can't do, etc.

In this case, it is MY opinion the Boz is leaving a lot of money on the table, but he wants to build a boat and pretend he's Walter Cronkite sailing around the seas...ok.

If somone else does it, I'd suggest a KIT, ready to be mailed out, everything fits into an average size tool kit...perhaps with training, one day...and support in the form of a private forum...and marketing materials.

Easily a 1995.00 product with a lot of profit built in.

OK then, I'll move to the next post. The important thing is for you to reach your own conclusions, and not take anyone's word for anything...

Gordon Jay Alexander

[GordonJ]

In the first post I showed you how I researched and did my due
diligence on the Headlight Cleaning marketplace.

Then I turned my attention to the product Boz wanted to bring out,
a complete manual on how to do it.

Who would want this manual?

Well, I'm pretty savvy in the Biz-Op field and I know if there is
a low cost franchise for a service business, there are hundreds of guys
who want to do it, but don't want to invest money in the franchsise or
distributorship...

these are MY people. Fly Low and Collect the Dough. Entrepreneurs who
like an all cash business without getting bogged down in a business.

My friend Jim Staw says he gets mail every month that says, "Jim, I don't want
to start a business, I just want to make some money."

I'd say there are a few million guys like that. Which is why my Chatteling
products are so attractive.

Anyhow, I instinctively know this market, but you should use Google again and do some keyword searches for work from home, low cost businesses to start, go to Entrepreneur and look over their offerings...
in other words, investigate to see what sort of products are out there and
where are they being sold, and who is buying them.

I gave Boz the estimate that he would probably slow down after the initial
first 1500 copies were sold. I also told him, 1000 of those buyers won't really do it, maybe piddle around and get Aunt Lucy and some family members to let him make a few bucks. It is the nature of the Biza-Op market.

Everyone who has ever sold a money making HOW TO, knows and understands the majority of your buyers are satisfied with your manual or book or report sitting on their library shelf and never really doing it.

And this comes to my COPYWRITING STYLE. I have an Anti-Copywriting style...

in other words, HYPE is at a minimum. I try to show what is involved, how much it costs, so I can eliminate the NON buyers with my copy.

I've been involved in eye tracking studies and know how people online read copy, so I put a few skimming speedbumps in their way.

Most readers want to know:

What is this? Can I do it? HOW MUCH? Can I REALLY DO IT? So they go back and read the copy.

I'm happy to lose 90% of the people who hit the promotion in the first few minutes. Thanks for looking, don't let the virtual door hit you in the butt.
NOT an attitude, but my copy seeks those people who can THINK about what is involved.

They have to form their own conclusions, I don't try to manipulate them to buy something.

If you've followed my writing for awhile, you see a pattern of here it is, take it or leave it.

Personally, I'm annoyed with the hype and copy we see online trying to sell those 2000 buck launches and for all things Internet Marketing.

LOOK, you're an intelligent person (I think of my readers)...here is what I have to offer...
here is the price...
buy or don't...doesn't matter to me.

I'd rather have people buy who really think they are going to benefit from this, and they always do, even if their only benefit is to expand their library...I'd much rather have you for a customer than
some guy who is looking for magic, silver bullets and buys into the Internet Marketer's hype of
get rich quick...

we adults don't need to be hypnotized, NLP'd on, manipulated, or secret copywriting persudaded to make
a decision

IF all the facts are presented.

That's how I roll with my copy.

Which takes us back to product development. I just recently left a snide reply to a guy who is trying to sell one of those "get laid" products. His promotion was offensive and "putrid" in my opinion.

Why go into that kind of market just because you think you can make a buck off of some desperate guy who is simply lonely. Hey, in my next post, I'm going to reveal the secret to some of you younger guys on how to meet women and be happy, may not get you LAID, but,
hopefully even our younger SowPub readers are more mature than THAT...OOPS got off track...

Those who have been around know I'm a Ben Suarez trained marketer and I haven't found a system which tops his Net Profits Generator System NPGS...which has the four components...
PROSPECT
PRODUCT
PROMOTION
MEDIA

In the Boz project I knew my media would be the www Internet.

I knew the PRODUCT fit into a large category of biz-op (which I do NOT use with any negative connotation attached, please don't infer it)...

I know Biz-Op. It is a field of HOPE filled with scamsters, scumbuckets and sydicated hucksters.

But, it is also a field, which can change a person's life.
Find the right opportunity that fits you, and something you can do without moral conflict, and be proud of, you'll come away as believer in what you do.

So, the headlight cleaning manual is for handy guys or gals, who can operate a cordless drill.

My PROSPECT is not afraid of getting his hands a little dirty, eliminates the IM crowd, good!

My PROMOTION tells what it is, and the price, take it or leave it, thank you very much.

When you are investigating either a biz-op or a product to develop to a niche group, use the NPGS four part formula.

Ask questions. Who is my prospect? What do they want/need? Does my PRODUCT give them this?

How and where do I find them? What should my promotion say to them?

ASK yourself, WHO do I want as a customer? In my case, I eliminate the best I can those people looking for an IM, Internet Marketing solution, even though, I've sold many virtual products over the years and use IM and I'm fairly adept at it...I don't teach it and don't want those
people as my customers...

YOU decide you want.

In Summary,

Determine your MARKET, your PROSPECT who, hopefully will become a lifetime customer.

Brainstorm and then create or ACQUIRE your product. Guys like me are for hire to help you create your own prodcut. I've helped many people and my name is nowhere to be found on their product, that is what a ghost writer will do.

In the case of the Boz, he'd rather not be out in front, so I got my name on the product and we're doing a joint venture.

Use the NPGS four parts.

Promote and advertise your product, IF you find the need to write IM HYPEY COPY, maybe you should reconsider your product, OK?

In the next part, some super secrets never shared with anyone before.
GJA

[GordonJ]

Where are you GOING?

With your Biz-op, Business or money-making efforts?

Where are YOU going? With your life? Where is your destination?

So in this third installment, we get back to GO...the starting point,
back to Square ONE.

If you haven't read Crossroads of Life (on the home SowPub page), I think it would be relevant to this discussion.

In that little story about destinations, I talk about maps and goals.

MAPS. If I were home in Cuyahoga Falls, OH and wanted to go to NY City and headed West...8 hours later I'd be in Chicago, probably. A simple MAP or even GPS would have told me the way to go.

Sounds silly, right? Yet, there are many of us walking around in circles,
going nowhere after years of walking...that is, too many of us haven't reached any destination, especially when it comes to Financial Freedom.

It reminds me of what Joe Karbo wrote and echoed to me in person,
Most People Are Too Busy Earning a Living, They Don't Have Time to Become Finacially Free.

One thing we've learned here at SowPub these last 11 years is...nothing is certain or guaranteed. Both Dien and I have fallen ill.

We've lost some SowPubbers, other's have had their own health, family,
or just life problems.

Some have lost children. Loved ones. Lost their incomes. Livelyhood. Businesses.
Divorces.
Babies.
Elderly parents.

In other words, we've continued to march along in the PARADE OF LIFE.

And even with the best laid out plans, working with high quality people, having a worthy project...getting excited and motivated...

WELL

Sh*t Happens.

Some heavy-duty, life-changing, never-thought-about SH*T... happens.

No one gets to go along a smooth unobstructed highway at full speed.

There are, speedbumps.

Or giant sink-holes in our road and ruts on the path.

But even though unexpected Sh*t happens, it doesn't mean we shouldn't at least have a destination...while, at the same time...being aware of and enjoying the JOURNEY to the fullest extent our current situations allow.

Making Money is one of the Great PRE-OCCUPATIONS. It isn't the MONEY. It is the idea inside your head about what YOU will use the money you make for.

Could be Survival.

Could be Pleasures.

Could be anything you want it to be.

Money (as taught on the Square One Workshops) represents POTENTIAL.

The happiest people who've visited the forum seem to be those that have found their PASSION.

They LOVE what they do, and so, in having found this great love, they are persistant, passionate,
and
postive people.

And, they find the money often follows their passion.

But happiness may not be a worthy goal for some. A purposeful, meaningful life of contribution may be more important to some and perhaps, happiness is over-rated as a goal?

I don't want to philosphize today, or get to Cryptic, as I've been known to be...

so I want to advance this thread along...from Concept...Research...Market...Product...
to the bottom line... SALES Destinations.

Also, promised some never before published secrets...so here they are:
Secret ONE...the anti-"Get LAID", pick up women method to, uh, er, getting laid and picking up women. (In a manner of speaking).

This secret was given to me by one of the great Cassanovas aboard the USS Woodrow Wilson...we had two, one
was just a powerful personality with an amazing sense of humour which the ladies love...

the other was an average guy, and he was the STUD. And I stalked him, followed him, observed and tried to pick up what his secrets were...I truly thought he had advanced persuasion powers and it was a subject of
great interest to me back then. I had already spent 10 years studying salesmanship, hypnosis and all things
persuasion.

One day, I just confronted him and DEMANDED to know what his secret was. He laughed.

Here's how the conversation went...

Alex, do you ever get horny? Of course you do. Do you think girls get horny?

My reply, I never really thought about it.

HIM: They do. And when in a place like here (Hawaii) they are going to do things they wouldn't do back home. Here, they let their hair down, they want a good time. They want some action. All you got to do is let them know...

you are ready, willing and able to give them what THEY want.

Just put yourself on their path.

I asked, Where are these girls, how do I find them?

And he grinned, AT any hotel on the Island, you know they aren't locals, and you know they are looking for ways to fall in love with Hawaii...be one of the ways. Give them a memorable vacation.

There is an important lesson in there...I'll give you some time to digest it, then I'll post the fourth part...

GJA CS2 (SS) USS Woodrow Wilson SSBN 624 1969-1971

GJA Fan Club...

(Hurry must Print!) And Take Serious Action immediately! ...

Entire Thread...

Before it's Too Late! ...

Almost [Guaranteed] Success Stories into the Very Near Future...

Definitely a Ton of {Gold} being ''Shared'' throughout Gordon's ''Fly Low and Collect the Dough'' ...

And Related... GJA, Intelligence Command Knowledge Centre...

Left side... Left side! ... Scan, Read, Study, Learn and Apply! ...
http://www.sowpub.com/

Especially if you're [Fairly New] to SowPubs... And/Or Business in General and Just Passing through...

REMOTE INFLUENCE

Seeds of Wisdom Stories
>White Bread
>Know Your Future?
>Crossroads of Life
>Small Potatoes
>World's Greatest Go-Kart
>50 cent ad into a....
>Remember Needles!
>Mary Campbell's Cave
>Stealing the Snickers
>Larry and Tom
>The Cuckoo Clock....
>The Queen of Hearts
>Starting with Little
>Millionaire Mentality

[Think] Address America! ...

Al's wife was pretty skeptical at first, at least until Al brought home a fist full of cash. Al became the first Address America Affiliate and David acquired a very good ...
http://www.addressamerica.com/story.htm
http://www.google.com/search?q=David...w=1440&bih=692

All the best...

Phil

I can vouch for Address America. Made a lot of money installing their Nightvision Address signs in Pa and NJ from 96 to 2004. Another Sowpub member (Lawrence) taught me how to boost my response by door knocking instead of using Address America Flyers. $1000+ days were common but I haven't worked that Biz-Op since moving to Australia in 2004 but from what David Ashley tells me the signs are still selling very well. David teaches a non sales marketing system of posting his magic flyers on doors. I remember that first spring day I put out my first 300 flyers back in 96 which was before David developed the address signs.

The flyer was an offer to paint reflective house numbers on the curb in front of the house. The flyer instructed anyone interested in having the service done to just write their house number on the back of the flyer and tape it up inside of a window so the flyer could be seen from the street. Boy was I excited the next day when I counted 31 homes with flyers in the windows. At $15 per job I made $465 minus about $5 per house for paint, reflective glass beads and Jumbo Size plastic house numbers that we would give to the home owner for their house or garage and the catalogue of health products we gave each customer to increase back end profits.

Later that year we started to hand make the first address signs which were OK but nothing like the ones David started to mass produce the following year
with super reflective number made by 3M on each side of the signs.

Address America is a great fly low, collect the dough biz-op. David has sold millions of them. Marketing them door to door was a great experience for me but it was just a Biz-op, not a real business. It was a way to make money but I was still self-employed... meaning I owned a job and didn't get paid for any days that I didn't work.

Today I prefer to be a business founder and have others do the work for me although I still do plenty myself most days while I continue to systemize the business so it can run without me.

Anyone who is considering doing Address America is welcomed to use the Door Knock presentation that Lawrence taught me by downloading the Magic Marketing.zip folder at: http://www.divshare.com/download/16090416-2f1

I bet the headlight cleaning Biz-Op is everything that Gordon and Boz Claim it is. In fact - you'll see that I have redirected one of the links on my old Magic Marketing Flyers to their sales page!

Cheers,
Steve
www.RisingIncome.com

PS: You can download the official Address America Operations Manual at http://www.addressamerica.com/mav/Op...Manual2006.pdf

[GordonJ]

There may be other forums who offer up REAL DEALS as to small business and Biz-Op (just making money as Steve says)...but this is MY favorite.

The "problem" with this forum is...

it is reality based. Where are the guys claiming to make 50k a week from their IM efforts? From their SEO and Blogging? OH, they're somewhere else...good.

When it comes to getting off your Azz and actually doing something, I've found more Doers here than anywhere else.

If I had more time, a 36 hour day, I still wouldn't get to all these great ideas found here. I'd definitely do the fantasy posters SteveSki is doing, what a great idea.

I dabbled with Samir's balloon biz, a doable idea. I've INVESTIGATED various Biz-Ops in FL, OH, PA, NC and NM in the last year...my new JOB, becoming the traveling George Haylings (Dien Rice??) looking for and finding small, hidden, odd-ball, little-known, under-the-radar, fly-low-and-collect-dough type of operations...but Steve is 100% right...

These things MAKE YOU MONEY, but they don't sustain you, it requires continuous effort...which, if you've read my Chattel Report-Sprint to Freedom or BYBA...

You'll see I suggest you use the Biz-Op money to build a sustainable business model which doesn't eat your lunch, use up your time and preferably an absentee from site, remotely run business.

There are scores of doable, verifiable money-making opportunities, like our HEADLIGHT CLEANING business. These kinds of things can and do put a big wad of cash into your pocket quietly and quickly...

BUT it is what you do with the wad of cash which will determine how much work you have to do in the future.

I've got some ideas on that, which I'll be posting soon.

Chatteling.
Headlight Cleaning.
Address America.
Fantasy Posters.
Any of Dien's HIDDEN BUSINESS ideas...

Can put some cash into your pocket...what you want to think about is...what if, like Gordon and Harvey Brody...I found myself flat on my back for a a month or two and was UNABLE to work...what happens to my income and savings?

It is a good question and one which will be discussed here extensively in the near future, as long as my NEW found energy and march to restoration of health continues...as long as the snakes, spiders or mice (oh my) don't put a damper on my sprint to health, that is.

Gordon J. Alexander

[GordonJ]

In a word: PHIL,

Do a search on Phil, and you'll have an encyclopaedia of links to some of the best business research on the Internet... you could profit tremendoously from his posts.

Gordon Jay Alexander of the PHIL Fan Club....Yay Phil.

Originally Posted by Phil

GJA Fan Club...

(Hurry must Print!) And Take Serious Action immediately! ...

Entire Thread...

Before it's Too Late! ...

Almost [Guaranteed] Success Stories into the Very Near Future...

Definitely a Ton of {Gold} being ''Shared'' throughout Gordon's ''Fly Low and Collect the Dough'' ...

And Related... GJA, Intelligence Command Knowledge Centre...

Left side... Left side! ... Scan, Read, Study, Learn and Apply! ...
http://www.sowpub.com/

Especially if you're [Fairly New] to SowPubs... And/Or Business in General and Just Passing through...

REMOTE INFLUENCE

Seeds of Wisdom Stories
>White Bread
>Know Your Future?
>Crossroads of Life
>Small Potatoes
>World's Greatest Go-Kart
>50 cent ad into a....
>Remember Needles!
>Mary Campbell's Cave
>Stealing the Snickers
>Larry and Tom
>The Cuckoo Clock....
>The Queen of Hearts
>Starting with Little
>Millionaire Mentality

[Think] Address America! ...

Al's wife was pretty skeptical at first, at least until Al brought home a fist full of cash. Al became the first Address America Affiliate and David acquired a very good ...
http://www.addressamerica.com/story.htm
http://www.google.com/search?q=David...w=1440&bih=692

All the best...

Phil

Thanks for your posting. I read it. Good.