Rudy Ruettiger Is a Misplaced Hero

We Americans love “heroes” – particularly if it features the little underdog who overcomes all odds.  I must confess that I love the 1993 movie RUDY, the story of a 5’6” 165-pound kid who dreamed of playing at Notre Dame.

After years of hard work and perseverance, Rudy got to play ten seconds of football in the last game of his senior year.   Rudy is a good motivational story for young people, but we Americans misplace too much importance on such situations.  Rudy never got to play a second in the NFL – he was too small and untalented.

Rudy became a symbol with many sports awards named for him at both the high school and college level.  Rightly or wrongly his fame moved him into many self-promotion enterprises, one of which (Ruby Nutrition)  got him into financial trouble with the SEC.

But here is my bottom line. Most successful people don’t spend their lives taking the highway of most resistance.  They find what skills they are best at (which fortunately they usually like) and exploit them with time and effort.  If you don’t think you’re good at anything – take  skills, personality, and aptitude tests.  They  often open new pathways of lesser resistance.  

Make $ With Others Gift Cards

I don’t know how many people have old gift cards from undesired stores in their desk drawer.  Some people just procrastinate and others are just ignorant.

To cash in the card for a 92 to 72% return, people need to know where to shop around and compare at: PLASTIC JUNGLE, GIFT CARD RESCUE, GIFT CARDS.COM,  and CARD POOL, my four top websites.

Better To Make Your Own Flies

A number of people have asked be about GONE FISHIN TACKLE COMPANY which pays people for making fishing flies.  If you read carefully you will discover YOU pay for the materials and shipping out of your meager profits. 

Fly fishing making is an art and if you are good at it, make your own variations of popular flies and with some sandwich bags and cardboard printing sell your own flies.  Try consignment at local outdoor and boat rental spots.

Myths About The Elite 1%

The “top 1%” of wealth producers in this country have been a political issue in recent years.  Studies reveal that most of us have stereotypes or false images about this endowed population.

The number of people making $10 million dollars per year has declined 55% since 2000 – a good indication that wealth does not exclude you from a bad economy.

Contrary to another popular image only 20% of the “elite 1%” came from a family of wealth.  Most rich people were not born rich, but resemble us in most ways.

Want to become rich?  33% of the “top 1%” are business owners or entrepreneurs; 16% are medical specialists; 14% are in banking; 8% are lawyers; 6% are scientists, engineers, or IT people.  Only 2% are from sports and entertainment.

Don't Sell Inferior Cosmetic Products

Avon Products is the largest Direct Sales Company in the world and some 42 other cosmetics firms spread across the Top 100 of Direct Selling News.  Most direct sales beauty products are more expensive than those sold at Wal-Mart, but are their top quality? Do customers like them ?

If you’re considering entering the home biz cosmetics field, you might want to evaluate the products and firms at MAKE UP ALLEY, a site that even evaluated the Japanese DS firm of Amore Pacific.

Blue Ocean Strategy & Home Business

What are the implications of the highly popular “Blue Ocean Strategy” and those of us interested in operating a simple home business?

 Quite a lot since BOS is not about any industry or market but about strategy.  While the average person doesn’t have the time and funds to access all the frameworks and tools that are taught by the BOS people, we can learn much by the basic keys.

 Our goal should be to differentiate our products and services at a low enough cost to have little competition (blue ocean).  Yet we jump into situations where we usually sell the same items at the same prices to the same markets.

Under BOS’ Value Innovation, our business strategy should shape the structure of our business.  Specialize in weekend and night services.  Provide direct online help in assembling your products.  What you do that the others don’t opens a new market opportunity.

A leadership strategy that home business people neglect is that the media and innovators generally like “the little guy” who asks for advice or wants to talk about a new service or product.  With today’s social media it is easy to reach a mass market at little cost if you reach out to the connectors and mavens of your community.

Changes in your business strategy will change all aspects of how you relate to your customers.