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The New FTC Business Opportunity Rule -

What You Need To Know.

Everyone knows that public policy and legal jargon can but you a sleep faster then counting sheep, but the new FTC business opportunity rule is poised to flip the industry on its head, so you might want to check this out.

In March, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission enacted an amendment to the FTC Business Opportunity Rule allowing individuals who are considering purchasing a business opportunity (“bizopp”) access to more information regarding the business. Due to unscrupulous sellers of fake businesses scamming millions of people each year with promises of overnight wealth, the government now requires sellers offering immediately viable businesses for sale to disclose much more data than previously needed by law.

How the new FTC Business Opportunity Rule protects you..

The FTC Business Opportunity Rule covers arrangements in which the seller of a “bizopp” who actively solicits potential clients and makes specific claims about the business being lucrative and workable must do three things or be in violation of the The FTC Business Opportunity Rule:

Provide the buyer with a disclosure document seven days before he or she signs any contracts or pays any money to the seller.

If earnings claims are communicated to the buyer, the seller must give the buyer another document entitled “EARNINGS CLAIM STATEMENT REQUIRED BY LAW”.

Sellers are legally obligated to refrain from deceptive business practices and/or misleading advertisement claims.

Any type of “work at home” business such as envelope stuffing, assembling crafts or other businesses that involve the seller buying items from the buyer is covered by the FTC Business Opportunity Rule. Sellers who say they will assist buyers in establishing or operating a business by setting up accounts, clients and locations from where the buyer can advertise services and/or products are also covered by the FTC Business Opportunity Rule.

Specifics of the disclosure document include:

Information providing the name, address and contact numbers of the company

Name of the person selling the business and date on which the document was delivered to the buyer

The new FTC Business Opportunity Rule provides you with better information.

Information about whether you, the company or personnel associated with the company have been involved in criminal or civil actions concerning fraud, misrepresentation, securities law violations and other deceptive actions that violate the  FTC Business Opportunity Rule.

Inform the buyer of any refund or cancellation policies

Inform the buyer of potential income earned by owning the business

List of at least 10 references who have previously purchased “bizopps” from the seller

The new FTC Business Opportunity Rule is meant to prevent consumers from being deceived by fraudulent business methods practiced by many internet scam artists. If you think you have been the victim of such unfair practices, you can file a complaint by calling the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357.

Any expert will agree that the new FTC business opportunity rule is going to take its toll on a lot of business opportunities that are not compliant. But it’s important to note that the new rule will help fix the reputation that hurt the business opportunity industry in recent years. I for one welcome the changes that the new FTC business opportunity rule will bring to the table.

(If you missed Part 1 or Part 2 of this series, you’ll want to go check them out first so you can get caught up on what’s been covered, and have a foundation for this last, critically important component for overcoming obstacles and learning anything fast. Click here for Part 1, and here for Part 2.)

To give credit to my ski instructors, the last big lesson to merit my breakthrough was consistency.

You see, each time I went to work with an instructor, I either hadn’t skied at all that season (it was my first time out), or it was my second and final time for the season.

I mentioned in Part 1 of this series that my first time skiing was 10 years ago. But in between then and the beginning of this season, I had only been out maybe 7 or 8 times…total, over 10 years.

I knew that consistency, and not spending enough time on the slopes to get comfortable and practice was my main setback.

You can’t expect to learn a new skill-set or overcome an obstacle if you don’t put time, focus and consistent effort toward it. It just goes against the laws of life.

And yet, every so often I hear someone saying , “Well, I tried out XYZ for a month, but it didn’t work.”

Seriously?

We all know better than that.

It’s so funny when I think of all the times I’ve taken on a new skill-set –and I’ll use sports as an example. Just because I was athletic my whole life (primarily in playing fast-pitch softball), I would get so impatient and frustrated with a new sport – like when I took on jet skiing, and then skiing, and later on golf. It was like I was a fish out of water.

Yet I expected that because I was athletic, I should be able to just pick it up like it was no big deal.

For those of us who were business owners before we came to the home or online business world…the same mindset is applied sometimes.

We think, “Well, I did the business thing before…so why does this feel so awkward, or why does this feel like it’s taking so long?” You feel like a fish out of water. And sure, if that’s where you came from, of course you’re going to have some skill-sets that you can apply here; but not all of them.

There is a learning curve, just as there is with anything new to us.

And that’s why I’m so passionate about working with individuals and couples who are new to home business and online business…to help them, guide them, and move them through that learning curve more quickly than they could do just trying to figure it out their own.

We all know that if you’re going to get better at ANYTHING, it’s going to take focus, learning from someone who’s already done it, and consistent effort.

Now that, my friends, is a formula for learning any new skill-set or overcoming any obstacle!

Here is the formula, just in case you missed it

(If you missed the first part of this lesson, click here to check it out…it really lays the foundation for what I’m covering here today in Part 2.)

My 2nd major lesson was how critically important it was that I had a mentor…and to continuing having a mentor. Actually, I had many mentors over the years (hired ski instructors). And all of them were helpful to me at the time.

But the one who really made a difference for me was my mom-in-law. We worked together to figure out what adjustments were needed. She was knowledgeable from skiing for well over 30 years, and that certainly helped.

But even she had certain tips and exercises that didn’t work for me, that worked for her. It took the two of us together putting our heads into what would work for ME.

There’s no way she could know and experience what it was that I was experiencing. She couldn’t do it for me. So I had to use my own mind, feeling things out for myself, and then applying what she and my former instructors had taught me in previous lessons.

It was from that process that I had one of my biggest “Ah-ha”s (epiphanies) yet that made THE difference in my terrible left hand turns just a couple Sunday’s ago.

I figured out that I wasn’t leaning into my left turns. If anything, I was leaning away from them.

It was uncomfortable and even a bit scary when I started working on this new approach…leaning in hard, even over-exaggerating at first, to begin teaching my body to trust this technique. But it made all the difference in my confidence and comfort in my turns.

You might be wondering, “Okay Christine…so how does this “mentor”  lesson apply to our big topic here…which is overcoming obstacles and learning anything fast?”

Anyone who has ever worked with a coach or mentor in their life (at any age), knows that the fastest way to learn is to be guided by someone who has done it before, or even better, is doing it NOW.

That certainly sounds like common sense when we think of learning a new sport.

But what about learning new skill-sets related to work, or starting a new business?

The fact is, it’s just as helpful and important to have a mentor for learning new work-related skill-sets and/or starting a new business.

Let’s face it…it can be easy to get distracted by things that will only slow you down, or hinder you, when you’re doing something new.

Years ago I hired a personal trainer when I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t seeing any progressive difference in my body, when I was working out like a mad woman. He gave me one of the best analogy’s I’ve ever heard…

He told me that the way I was working out, “was like training for a marathon by practicing sprints, hurdles, the 400 meter, and running 10 miles.” As fast as I was putting on muscle (from lifting heavy weights), I was chewing it up with the other types of exercise I was doing at the same time.

He showed me exactly what I needed to do, to get the results I’d been wanting for the past 2 years. I lost 50 pounds in less than 12 months after receiving his mentor-ship and guidance.

(And by the way, this wasn’t one of those “personal trainers” that spent every workout with me, pushing me, and showing me what to do every time I came into the gym. He laid out what I was doing wrong, showed me what I needed to do, and then let me move forward and take action on my own.)

Find a mentor who has been there, done that, and even better, who is doing it now. They can help you get from where you’re at, to where you want to go in a fraction of the time it would take you to figure it out on your own. But just remember…they can’t do it for you

That’s all for today’s lesson. And if you joined me for Part 1, then you know we’ve got one more MAJOR lesson to go…perhaps the biggest lesson of all three.  This is a BIG one…you don’t want to miss it! So I’ll see you back here tomorrow.

In the meantime, don’t just “go back to work” or whatever it was that you were doing before reading this. Take just a minute or two, and think about what your big take-away was here today…and more importantly how you can apply it to your life.

What one actionable item can you take today (write it down now) that will move you closer to the results you want? Maybe it’s reaching out to a mentor you’ve not tapped into yet for wisdom or guidance (send an email, make a phone call). Maybe it’s blocking out an hour later today to research who is knowledgeable in what it is that you’re wanting to overcome or learn. Whatever it might be, write it down now, block out time for it now (unless you’re going to do it right now), and then be sure to follow through on it later. Because you and I both know, it’s that important to you.

See you tomorrow!

Part I

If you’re like me, there’s a good chance that at some time in your life you made a decision to learn how to do something new. And it required learning some new skills. Maybe you’re new to the home business or online business world, or maybe you’re taking on a new sport to bring some newness to your life.

Whatever it may be, I’m going to share a story with you that if you pay close attention, you’ll be able to apply it to this journey you’re on, as you are learning new skill-sets and mindsets. And IF you choose to apply what you learn here today, I promise it will make a significant impact on how quickly you learn and overcome obstacles.

10 years ago I decided I wanted to take up snow skiing. Well actually, I was lovingly nudged by Matthew’s mom.

For my birthday this year, my awesome mom-in-law got me a private lesson for my birthday to get me warmed up and back into the swing of things.

As excited as I was about being “athletic Christine” and taking on a sport I had not mastered…I was nervous. I’ll even admit that I was dreading part of the experience.

It had been 2 years since my feet had been in ski boots…and yet I remembered just how uncomfortable and awkward they could be like it was yesterday.

But onward I went with the instructor to the bunny hill.

My first initial feelings as I came off the lift and navigated my way down the hill (doing my best to not fall on my face) were how painful my boots were already…how was I going to make it through the rest of this day?

I was having a heck of a time turning without feeling incredibly uncomfortable and feeling like at any minute my skis were going to tangle up and trip me.

After just a few runs down the mountain, I was exhausted…stopping over and over to catch my breath and relieve the burning in my legs. (If you’re a skier, you already know that I was leaning back…which was causing the burning and exhaustion.)

My boots were KILLING me. I kept loosening them, but they only hurt my legs and feet more.

You might think after all this pain and discomfort, that I would have decided to, “Forget it,” and never come back to skiing again.

Nope…not me! (I love pain, don’t you?? 

So fast forward to my 4th day of skiing (1 month later…just two Sunday’s ago).

My mom-in-law and I decided we would spend the 1st half of the day working on some exercises and drills, and then the latter half of the day just skiing.

Things started off better as we warmed up on the bunny hill, but once we were at the top of the mountain on the blue intermediate runs, we realized something was wrong.

The drills my mom-in-law were giving me were making things worse. I even tripped myself once, when I was only skiing at a snail’s pace!

After scratching our heads, finally she asked me, “Are you putting your weight on one or both skis?” And I realized most of the time my weight was on just one ski. No wonder I was so exhausted and wasn’t feeling in control.

“Scratch that,” she said…and we spent the rest of the day focusing on my balance.

As I reflected on that day, and the previous weeks of skiing, I realized I learned some pretty profound lessons through my painful, and even sometimes scary experiences up on the mountain.

There are 3 major lessons you can learn from my skiing journey and can apply to your business, and to your life actually…when it comes to learning new skill-sets and overcoming obstacles.

And to keep this short and digestible, I’m going to share just the first one with you today.

The first thing I learned was how important it is to look toward where I wanted to go (which was downhill).

When you look behind you when you’re trying to move forward…it just doesn’t work. You either stop, or fall, or crash into something that you don’t see coming. When you look in a direction other than where you’re wanting to go…you get stuck. And you can’t get back to where you came from without having to climb back up a hill, which is actually much harder than going down the hill.

In my case, I often was either looking down at my skis (to make sure I didn’t trip myself…LOL), or I was looking off to the side. But I wasn’t looking toward where I wanted to go. Because my head wasn’t pointed downhill, my body was resisting going in that direction, which is why my turns were so uncomfortable and hard for me. Once I pointed my head downhill, my upper body followed, and then so did my feet.

Are you beginning to see how you can apply some truths of skiing to your own life?

If you find yourself in the midst of change, or discomfort, or learning a new skill-set, take a moment to reflect:

• Are you looking behind you?
• Are you looking in a direction other than where you are wanting to go (are you being distracted)?
• If you’re feeling resistance, what is one thing you can do today to get yourself moving naturally toward your goals? And if you don’t know, what would you do if you did?
• How can you get your whole mind on board with where you are going?

(By the way, this just reminded me of a fantastic resource for breaking through resistance…the title may be a bit “off,” but trust me, this is a great book for breaking through barriers. It gets ALL parts of your brain on board and moving in the same direction. I really think it should be called “How to Get Anything Fast”, but considering the co-author is Joe Vitale, it’s no surprise it has a “sexier” name: How To Get Lots Of Money For Anything FAST by Stuart Lichtman and Joe Vitale.)

I’m going to stop here, because I want to give you some time to chew on this first BIG lesson. Don’t just be a scholastic learner…be an experiential learner. Tune out of the world for a moment, and take some time to reflect on and apply what you’ve learned here today. That’s when you will see positive change show up in your business and life.

I’ve got another major lesson for you tomorrow, as this story continues.  Be sure to check back for it because you don’t want to miss it!

It just might be, and you may not even know it.

In today’s video, we discuss this growing epidemic, but more importantly, 2 simply things you can do to avoid falling victim.

Watch this short video now, to learn what you must do to keep distraction and overwhelm to a minimum and build a profitable business.

Not this guy, a goal setter from a very early age Rob Summers would meticulously dissect his goals apart to intensely focus on one thing. Whether it was isolating a particular mussel that needed to be strengthened for pitching or the months of grueling rehab that laid ahead, Rob Summers never gives up, he finds away.

Take a few minutes to watch the short video and learn more about Rob and allow him to inspire you to achieving your goals. Remember, even if everyone tells you it’s not possible, and more importantly if its never be done…Never Give Up!

The MIGHT Time System

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MIGHT Time…first off what exactly is MIGHT Time? Everyone knows that one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face, is getting the most out of their time.

Any little distraction can devastate your productivity for the day and keep you from accomplishing the actions that move you closer to your goals.

So take a moment and imagine what your life would be like if there was a system you could simply plug into, where all you have to do is show up, and where you accomplish more in one hour then you do all day.

Sound crazy?

Let me introduce you to PRO U Professor Patrick Combs, and a powerful system he co-founded called MIGHT Time.

He calls this system MIGHT Time, because it’s a specific time during which you accomplish MIGHTY victories that help you achieve your dreams. The first rule of MIGHT Time is showing up matters.

You see MIGHT Time is not about setting goals, anyone can do that right? That’s why the second rule of MIGHT Time is showing up matters.

MIGHT Time is simpler than goals…

Here’s a fact for you, most goals that are set are NEVER achieved. Why? Because simply setting goals isn’t enough. That is why MIGHT Time is made up of seven super simple strategies you can implement today to ensure you are taking the right actions to achieve your goals.

• Dedicate one hour of your day for just 3 days week for working specifically towards your dreams in life. Just one hour – no more, no less. Call this hour your MIGHT Time.
• Start your day with your hour of MIGHT Time. (The sooner in the day you do your MIGHT Time, the sooner you’ll get into that productive mode.
• During this hour, take 3 actions dedicated to the pursuit of your dream. (Just 3 – No More Trust Me).
• These actions must help you in pursuit of your dream. They cannot be “to-do list” type actions.
• Each action must be easily completed in 20- 30 minutes.
• Eliminate all distractions for this hour. (Close the door, turn off all ringers…yes, that includes your cell phone, too, and NO EMAIL.)
• Take BOLD actions. You cannot accomplish a big dream staying in your comfort zone; these actions are meant to drive a different result, so they must be different actions than normal.

What’s important here is that you understand that when you consistently implement these seven strategies, you will see for yourself just how mighty your days can be. Your efforts will compound over time, and this one hour, three times a week will cultivate new opportunity and make your dreams become your reality.

You’re probably wondering, as MIGHT Time becomes a part the very fabric that drives you, how you will keep yourself accountable and consistently do the things that will help you stay the course.

Ask yourself these key questions…

Because the questions listed above are direct, they will give you the perspective required to keep you on course with actions in your MIGHT Time.

Little by little you are beginning to understand the power of putting MIGHT Time to work for you 1 hour a day, 3 days a week.

The bottom line…MIGHT Time Works.

But I want you to be the judge, so I am personally inviting you to join me on a call I co-host with Patrick Combs and experience MIGHT Time first hand. Simply click here or on the image above to gain access to a special MIGHT Mastery Call. The call is held every Monday – Wednesday at 10:30 EST, and as a bonus, I will also send you a FREE video series to help jump start your MIGHT Time today.

Debt Free Marriage…Is It Really Possible?

Any Expert will agree that having a debt free marriage is harder now than ever in today’s society. However, debt and marriage do not need to go hand and hand. If each partner takes some simple financial steps, it is possible to have a debt free marriage. As financial difficulties is one the main causes of divorce, this obstacle to life together needs to be addressed by both parties involved.

Before tying the knot, it is important to have an open and honest conversation about debt and marriage. For instance, if one partner has a lot of unpaid student loan debt, then the other partner will need to file as an injured spouse in order to receive their full tax return. While this may not lead to a debt free marriage, it is one of the ways debt and marriage can be worked out without calling in the divorce lawyers.

When It Comes To Having A Debt Free Marriage…Honesty Is The Best Policy.

Another debt and marriage topic that should be out in the open is credit card debt. Each partner should disclose to the other how much they have and then as a couple decide how to pay it down. In this way, you can embark on a debt free marriage if you are able to pay off the cards before committing. Debt free marriage is attainable with a little hard work and a lot of communication.

Debt and marriage can also be caused by having an expensive wedding. A debt free marriage will be a happier bonding so you may want to forgo a large reception. Embarking on a debt free marriage can be accomplished with a potluck reception or even a backyard wedding. If each partner is on the same page on how to deal with debt and marriage the union is likely to last longer.

Debt free marriage can become a reality to the couple that can discuss debt and marriage without fighting.

One final thought on the matter is to open a joint savings account. This is often a very effective way get on the same page, as you will have the ability to track how much you save as a couple. With your finances in check and out in the open, you and your spouse can head down the road to debt free marriage.  Remember, money problems do not have to cause the end of your union if you work with a financial counselor to talk about your difficulties with debt and marriage. A trained counselor can help each partner to communicate to the other one about his or her reservations and fears when it comes to the way each handles money. Paying down consumer debt and saving up and paying with cash for what you want is always the best way to have a debt free marriage.

Size Does Matter…When It Comes To Your Commissions.

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With the new year upon us, the business opportunity industry is poised for the flood of people looking to stake their claim in today’s modern day gold rush.

As they push their way in like the Black Friday shoppers you saw on the news, looking for the best deal on a business, the majority of them will forget that size does matter, and that their potential profit will be affected by this fact.

Size Does Matter…Because It Costs You The Same To Market.

Everyone knows the two most popular opportunities for new business start up’s are MLM or Affiliate Marketing

The reality is that whatever your business is selling your cost to market on Pay Per Click (PPC), Banner, or any paid media will cost you about the same.

So ask yourself this one key question…If it’s going to cost you $1.00 every time someone clicks on your ad…Wouldn’t you rather have your hard work and efforts pay you commissions in the hundreds if not thousands dollars vs. the nickels and dimes paid out from most business opportunities or affiliates?

Little by little you are beginning to realize why size does matter when is comes to your commissions and just how much of a difference it can make between having a profitable business and a expensive hobby.

You see, when you specialize or niche, as we say in the business, you tend only deal in high ticket items. A great example of this would be a cardiologist. Everyone knows that they get paid more for their services then say a general doctor.

Now, you may pay your family doctor $ 75.00 for a visit, but the cardiologist makes 10 to 100 times more for their services…But why?

They’re both in medicine…Right?

It goes right back to size does matter.

When you specialize in a niche, you become an expert and experts get paid more for the same effort.

Sound reasonable?

Size Does Matter…The Solution!

Having been in home business for well over a decade know, I have found only one industry that will allow you to find that niche where you can become the expert or guru, that commands 10 times more for there efforts…and it’s the direct sales industry.

Because the direct sales industry will actually pay you what you are worth. It pays you for your efforts, it does this and more because size does matter.

Now I can almost hear you brain saying…”I Hate Selling!”

Well the reality is in direct sales…you actually sell less!!!

Sound crazy? We’ll let me explain.

If you want to make $1,000.00 per month with a MLM or Affiliate Business and lets say your commission on a single sale is $ 50.00, you would need to make 20 sales in that month to reach your goal.

Because I am in high demand direct sales company, if I want to make that very same $1,000.00, guess how many sales I have to make per month in my business?

5?
10?

You guessed right….2.

20 sales vs. 2 sales. Hmm…

…Who’s really selling more here?

Any expert will agree that your return on investment or the bottom line is a key factor in deciding whether a business model is right for your financial goals, so remember when looking at a business and how much it will pay you, always keep in mind size does matter.