40 years of Biz-Op...the Winners, Losers, Flukes

[GordonJ]

20 years ago I wrote this:

www.gjabiz.com/npgs.html

I was working at Suarez Corporation Industries and was the "featured" writer on their newsletter, The NPGS Update Hotline. NPGS stands for Net Profit Generator System.

I was asked to research 20 years of Business Opportunity. Now, another 20 years have come and gone...what a difference.

So, here are my UPDATES. The winners, the losers and the flukes.

Heavy on opinion, feel free to disagree.

First a look at what my research showed back then:
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To be continued...have to put out a fire. (Biz, not literal).
Stopped the post a couple of days ago to take care of business. Now, I'm back, with a more concise post than originally planned.
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OK, I'm hoarse, so my writing might be a bit raspy.

Talking to potential copywriters and product developers, I have a lot to say on that subject, will try to get to it this weekend. And it relates to business opportunity.

This post is going to be truncated due to the number of people I'm talking to, so the good news, you don't have to read a lot of Gordonesq code, since I've been known to be cryptic.

20 years ago, the WINNERS were

Remote Direct Marketing
Real Estate
Publishing
Buying and Selling
Toll Positions

Not a web thing on the list. Now this did go back to 1976, so most Entrepreneurial efforts were off line.

The guidelines for the report were:

Small to NO investment.
Work from home.
Start small. Grow from profits.
Big potential (escaping the American Rat Race, although, today, the rat race comes with a slice of pizza).

The FLUKES were the one off guys, who got lucky, got on a trend early, or just an idea which couldn't be duplicated.

Pet Rock, Wacky Wall Walker, Mood Rings, CB radio and other FAD ideas, many of which made millions. In the scheme of business, you probably have a better chance of winning the lottery than hitting a home run with a fad or a fluke...but I included them in the original report because...

It was my opinion at the time, the whole TITANIC thing was the FAD of the day, albeit, a huge money maker for Suarez.

The LOSERS;

Network Marketing (MLM) (Still #1 20 years later)
Vending
Mailorder

There were others, but since this is now a digest version, best I get on to the last 20 years...and the Internet (or Online).

I've been online since 1985. First went "online" in 1975, in San Francisco posting to a bulletin board in Berkeley where my buddy was. Anyhow...

What have the WINNERS been the last 20 years?

At the TOP, software, programs and web sites. Kind of put them altogether...and much of this was due to timing. In 1996, we started getting "wired" here in Cuyahoga Falls, and I was one of the first to have access to this HIGH SPEED when many were using dial-up. So, perhaps, I got a year or so head start.

But BILLIONAIRES have been created via this technology...

Look no further than
Facebook
Google
Amazon

And all those sites which come up on a PC screen when you first log on...

Literally 100's of people have become richer, and much faster than at any time in history. It is what makes technology so exciting.

In addition to the Software and Web Sites, Mobile and Cell Phone tech has been perfected these last 2 decades, where today, there are millions of young people who have ALWAYS had a cell phone.

Heck, I didn't even get color TV until the 60's.

So, if you are tech savvy, have a good idea, get some investors behind you, go make your fortune.

NOW, for the rest of us.

This group, for the most part, follows my original MANTRA of business...

FLY LOW AND COLLECT THE DOUGH.

I've been criticized for not being more of a guru, for not attending seminars and speaking at workshops...but, it isn't anything which appeals to me. I am by nature and choice more of a loner ascetic.

To borrow from a slew of people ( from W.C. Fields, Groucho, Woody, Rodney, Moe...et al)

Don't want to join any club that would have me as a member...HA!.

I mention this because it skews my opinion and results.

For me, the perfect One Man Band business, which makes money and keeps people out of your business, or face...is the Harvey Brody TOLL Position model. CREATE or Acquire control of an in demand product/service and build a wall of protection.

Now the list of Biz-ops for our Small Potatoes Crowds here at SowPub...

PUBLISHING. If you are not a programmer, a techie, and you want an evergreen business opportunity, publishing is the giant whale the little guy can catch and ride for decades.

Along with publishing, and Combining TOLL positions with it, is writing, and via creation and/or acquisition...you can set up a toll booth online for less than 100 bux and have as close to an auto pilot business as you could get for that small amount of money. We've been publishing here for 16 years.

Both Dien (by the way, for new people here, it is pronounced Deen or Dean)

and myself have written a slew of works, which include HOTSHEETS, newsletters, reports, books, folios, cheat sheets, manuals, tips, booklets. You name it we've written (or acquired) bunches of INFORMATION products, which has been the backbone of biz-op

for the last 150 years.

INFORMATION, is the number one biz-op for the one man band starting out today. I'll be back to discuss (or argue) the point a little later and when time permits share some of the other research which came out of the last 40 years of looking into and investigating BIZ-OP.

More to come.

Gordon Jay Alexander

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by GordonJ

20 years ago I wrote this:

www.gjabiz.com/npgs.html

I was working at Suarez Corporation Industries and was the "featured" writer on their newsletter, The NPGS Update Hotline. NPGS stands for Net Profit Generator System.

I was asked to research 20 years of Business Opportunity. Now, another 20 years have come and gone...what a difference.

So, here are my UPDATES. The winners, the losers and the flukes.

Heavy on opinion, feel free to disagree.

First a look at what my research showed back then:

To be continued...have to put out a fire. (Biz, not literal).

Gordon

Thanks Gordon...

Looking forward to the update!

Your original story, though... wow! What a great idea!

Clearly these people were doing something right...

Was Howard Ruff one of your original ones? You don't hear much about him...

Of course, one successful model nowadays seems to be Bill Bonner, and Agora... They're a fascinating bunch to watch...

Best wishes,

Dien

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

Thanks Gordon...

Looking forward to the update!

Your original story, though... wow! What a great idea!

Clearly these people were doing something right...

Was Howard Ruff one of your original ones? You don't hear much about him...

Of course, one successful model nowadays seems to be Bill Bonner, and Agora... They're a fascinating bunch to watch...

Best wishes,

Dien

Dien,

You mention Agora being a fascinating bunch to watch. How right you are. Fear is their largest emotion seller. Yet, they also sell don't fear "fear" newsletters. I subscribe to a few of their free NLs and find their marketing ploys absolutely astonishing.

The one I enjoy the most is Laissez Faire Today. The editor, Chris Campbell, is an interesting fellow. It is free and worth every penny. I've corresponded with him several times which is why I say he is an interesting fellow. He doesn't come across anyone but genuine in his correspondence. Of course, his job is to sell Agora material and he does a great job of it in the LFT NL.

This isn't a promotion for Agora by any means. If it were up to me, these hucksters would be making an honest living like the rest of us.