Yes, I Talk A Lot About Money

It's a question I hear all the time. "I thought you were a Christian. Why are you always talking about growing your business? Aren't you supposed to live in poverty?" 

Absolutely not! We were made to live in abundance and prosperity. And I'm not going to get into a teaching of Scripture here. Let's just say if you want to go read the Bible, there are plenty of passages about abundance throughout.

We are supposed to be blessings in the world. And let's be real. It's hard to be a blessing to anyone when you are poor. If you feel called to be a doctor but you can't afford college and medical school, that's a problem. If you feel that you should foster children, that's hard to do if you can't afford to care for them. If your work is to feed the hungry, it's hard to support the charities that make this possible without money.

Everything in our society today takes money. Healthcare is expensive. Food is expensive. Homes are expensive. And so, yes, I talk a great deal about building your business and making money. Because my family and I require all of those things and more to live to our fullest potential. And I want to help others have them to - which takes money in order for me to have the tools necessary to reach and teach them.

And since I am passionate - called if you will - to help others fulfill their missions, it stands to reason that I am made to live in abundance.

I don't make any pretenses about it either. My goal with my business is to make as much money as possible. I need healthcare for my husband. I want all 7 grandchildren to go to college and not graduate with a mountain of debt.

I am watching people worry about how to pay rent and still put food on the table during this crisis. No one should have to make that choice. 

I see students that are struggling to keep up with school work because their schools don't have the resources to do distance learning effectively. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you had enough money to gift your child's school all that they needed?

I'm watching businesses close permanently because their owners didn't have enough to carry them through this crisis. Or didn't have the ideas and resources to pivot and keep their business open and making money. Wouldn't it be a blessing to them if someone had shown them how to create a profitable side hustle, where and how to save enough to help weather the storms?

I want to start a group home for foster children that have aged out of the system and have no place to go. I want to help ensure that no child ever goes to bed hungry. I want everyone to be able to live up to their full potential and use the gifts they were given to help make this world a place that is safe and prosperous for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Lofty goals? Perhaps. But with money, I can make a start.

So yes, I want to be rich. Because I cannot fulfill any of these goals without the necessary tools to do so. Healthcare costs money and I want the best for my husband. College gets more expensive every year and I want my grandchildren to be able to go where they wish to get the education they need to fulfill their purpose.

It will take money to remodel my home or purchase another property to turn into a group home. And even more money to furnish it and pay daily expenses and so forth. I already support a charity devoted to ending childhood hunger. But think how much more they could do if I - and everyone who supports them - could double or even triple our contributions! Which is why I work so hard to help others build abundant lives. But how many more could I reach if I could afford more tools, better tools, more help?

I was given the gift of being able to communicate and connect with people. And I would be a failure if I did not use that gift to do the most good. This is what I was meant to do. And in doing it I become successful. But it takes money. And so to become what I was meant to be, I will need to be rich. And there is nothing wrong with that! In fact, I believe that if I didn't do what God had called me to do and prepared me to do and gifted me to do, I would be derelict in my duty to Him.

So why am I going on this crusade today? Because I am tired of people using the "nobility in poverty" excuse for their failure. I am done watching people tear down those that are trying to better themselves as if there is something wrong with that. 

I am tired of seeing all of the frightened, overwhelmed, angry, desperate people coping with this new life we suddenly are forced to live.

I have had enough!

I am also fed up with those who purport to help others but in reality all they are helping is themselves. I am not going into details here, but you know who you are. You are the ones who keep promising the next breakthrough is right around the corner, if only you can pay just a little bit more. The ones who teach that it's okay to leave your integrity at the door when it comes to your business. After all, it's not like you're really hurting anyone. The ones who keep quiet when they know things aren't right but they don't want to jeopardize their own cushy set-up. Yes, we were made to be abundant but not at the expense of others.

If you want the best possible life for your family, it's time. If you feel called to do something with your life but don't know how to get there, it's time.

If you've been trying to grow in abundance but deep inside you feel it's not supposed to be, I'm here to tell you, YOU ARE WRONG! So let's work together to get past that mindset of lack.

If you've been listening to all the naysayers tell you that money is the root of all evil, remind them that the correct proverb is "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil." Then dump those negative nellies and surround yourself with people who love and support you in your growth.

And if you are experiencing some success but in your heart you know you are not acting with integrity, then it's time to stop and look at what you are doing.

You've read my passions. What I am called to do. What are yours? And how can I help you live them? Share in the comments.

Bartering: Get What You Need Without Cash

No matter what the emergency is - lack of funds because the ex cleaned out your bank account, power outage making ATMs inaccessible, or global economic collapse making cash worthless - there is a skill that can help you acquire what you need without money. It's called bartering.

Bartering is simply the exchange of goods or services for other goods or services without the use of money. So a farmer may trade produce or eggs to a mechanic in exchange for repairs to his vehicle. In more modern times, you might see a wide variety of services exchanged by bartering. For example, I was recently able to barter my grandson's senior pictures in exchange for a few hours of social media marketing coaching.

In order for bartering to be successful, both parties must feel that they have received equal value. So it's important that you actually have something worth bartering.

What kinds of things can be bartered? Personal care services like haircuts, manicures, massages, lawn care, housecleaning. Clothing. Children's clothes and maternity wear are especially popular. Toys. Food items. Crafts. Technology. Professional services such as dental and medical care, bookkeeping, tax preparation, photography, web design, marketing and advertising.

How To Barter

1. This is a good way to get rid of any excess or unneeded supplies or other items you may have. I swapped brand new floor mats for my old Jeep in exchange for some pretty nice camping equipment. I didn't need the mats, since they didn't fit in my new Jeep. And the person who took them didn't go camping anymore. So we both had these basically brand new items that had never even been out of the box. We could have sold them online maybe for less than what we paid for them. Or we could exchange them with someone else for something we needed and wanted. Before you throw anything away, determine if you can exchange it for something you need.

Do you can food? Put up a few extra jars to barter. Bake? Make a few extra loaves of bread or some extra cookies to barter. Plant a few extra rows of vegetables. Whenever you make anything, always make a little extra to barter.

2. Learn some skills. Having a needed skill could be very valuable in an emergency. I recommend a variety of skills so you always have something to offer. In time of financial or medical crisis, technical and business skills could prove profitable. During the zombie apocalypse, skills like hunting, woodworking, and medical knowledge will be highly prized. If you don't have a set of skills to offer, now is the time to develop some.

3. Start now to perfect your negotiating skills and build your network. The Covid-19 pandemic has created a surge in bartering recently. The loss of jobs has forced many people to resort to bartering to survive. And many people are turning to bartering to avoid stores and exposure to the virus.

How Do You Find Someone To Barter With

First, tap into your own personal network. If that doesn't work, there are plenty of online sites devoted to bartering. Too many to list here. Just google "bartering websites" and you'll find them.

Remember, bartering is currently taxable, so you will have to report the fair market value of what you received as income. If we are in the midst of the zombie apocalypse, that will probably be less important.

By the way, I'm always willing to discuss exchanging my social media marketing skills, dried herbs from the garden, homemade jams, or some extra yummies (I'm a pretty good cook). And the hubs is really good with mechanical and electrical stuff. What have you got that we might be interested in?

How To Make Money Online

Some time ago, I read an article about how to make money online.  In it, the author compared online marketing to the California Gold Rush.  The article said that just as hundreds raced West in the hope of striking it rich, so too are hundreds rushing to get online with the same dream. And, it says, just as so many struck out in California instead of striking it rich, the same is happening to the vast majority of online marketers.

Are people really making millions online? Yes, they are. Are they the minority? I don't know. I don't have the data on that. Are there plenty of people making a decent living online? Yup! That I do know because I'm one of them and I know many others. Can you make a fortune online? Yes. It's definitely possible. But more importantly,I know that you can make a living online just like many of us are already doing.

How Do I Get Started Online

How do you get started? First, you need to decide what your business will be. Will you become an affiliate for others' products? Join a network marketing company? Will you create your own products? What types of products and/or services will you offer? Coaching? Training? Both? Will you be a paid speaker? 

Second, it's a business. Treat it like one. If you think you are going to sign up for free affiliate programs, put up some free classified ads, then sit back and watch the checks roll in, don't quit your day job. Join a network marketing company, sign up all your broke family and friends, and make millions.  Self-publish your book and wind up on the New York Times bestseller list. It doesn't work quite that way. You can't own a McDonald's franchise without a little upfront investment. The same is true of any business. You can find some legitimate businesses that are very inexpensive to start. Many network marketing companies have very low start-up fees.  And there are some very good affiliate programs that are free to join but pay very good commissions. Yes,you can self-publish a book for very little cost. Start an eCommerce site for a low monthly cost. But you still need to invest a little bit of money, no matter what business you start. And the less money you invest, the more time you will need to commit to make it successful. If you aren't ready to make the investment, in time or money, you might as well walk away now.

Once you have decided on the basis of your business, you need to learn all you can about internet marketing and your business in particular. There are many ways to do this and you will find all kinds of "gurus" offering to help if you will pay them enough. Some of them really do know what they are talking about and some of them don't. I can personally recommend some of them and we will be featuring many of them on this website. You can also read this blog for help. Be prepared to spend a little bit of money on some of the better books, courses, and seminars. Consider it part of your "online marketing degree!"

Spread the Word

Let everyone know you are in business! This seems to be one of the biggest obstacles for most online marketers. Either they think they can't afford to advertise or they don't know how to do so effectively. Some, especially the network marketers, are afraid to do so because they think no one will take them seriously. Let's face facts. You can't slap a McDonald's on a street corner and expect to do business if no one knows your McDonald's exists. You can't expect customers to find you if they don't know who you are. Tell people! If you don't have money to advertise, start by telling everyone you know. You can do that pretty inexpensively and you know far more people than you realize. When I started, the first thing I did was send an email or a postcard to everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) I could think of telling them what I was doing and inviting them to visit my website. Some of them ignored me (Network marketing, after all). Some didn't. Some of those that visited became my customers. Six of them even became involved in the business with me. Those six helped me build my initial team of over 300. Not too bad for a few emails and a postcard or two. And the ones who laughed? They aren't laughing so much anymore!

Do the Work

Work your business. The number one reason most internet marketers fail is that they give up. They just quit. They don't make thousands of dollars overnight and so they just stop working. Do you know how much my first commission was? 84 cents! Twenty-five years later I'm not going to tell you how much I make, but it's enough to support me quite nicely. Am I a millionaire? Not yet. But I make more than enough to live on. So get up and go to work every day. If you have to keep your regular job while you build your business, that's okay. Just be sure you do at least one thing everyday to move your business forward.

Making money online is just like any other business. You will get out of it what you put into it. I can't promise you will get rich. I can promise you that if you find a legitimate business or affiliate program, take the advice of those who have gone before you, let people know you are in business, concede that you aren't going to get rich without some investment, and most importantly, WORK YOUR BUSINESS and DON'T GIVE UP - you can make a living online. Heck, if I can do it, so can you!

If you're looking for a very select company of entrepreneurs to hang out with, come join my private Facebook group. We'll support you, challenge you, train you and encourage you when you need that extra push. Come check us out!