As usual, I just returning calls to clients and my phone rang. The Caller ID showed me it was my Mom's cell phone. I answered and said, "Hi Mom, what's up".
She responded, "Not much, how are you".
"Good, just working", I said.
"Well they took Mr. Bill back to the hospital from the nursing home, he has some sort of infection but he is doing O.K. right now" ( Mr. Bill, is Donnie's daddy ). She continued, "Mrs. Virgina's sick now"
"What?"
"You know she has been staying with us some since Mr. Bill has been sick".
"Yeah", I knew that.
" Well, she fell yesterday when she was at the nursing home with Mr. Bill. She hit her head but they checked her out and she seemed fine but, she was a little nauseated. Last night she started throwing up and having diarrhea. She had lots of diarrhea, I was up with her all night. This morning before I got ready for work I woke Donnie up and told him that his mama was sick and needed to watch her. Well he called me at work and said that he was taking him mama to the doctor because she wasn't doing any better. When he got to the doctor with her, he sent her to the hospital to be admitted."
I asked, "Do they know what's wrong with her"?
"No, not yet they just started her on some IV fluids". ( Obviously she is probably dehydrated )
She continued, "Anyway, after I got off of the phone with Donnie this morning. My cell phone rang, it was Mark ( her brother ) he said that Mama was going to the hospital. She has had another mini stroke". ( This makes me nervous she has had 2 or 3 mini strokes already which increases her chances of having a fatal stroke one day).
"How is she doing", I wanted to know?
"Her face is affected some this time Jackie, and her speech is affected. It is very very difficult to understand her".
My heart sank. I grew up and my Papa and Nannie were like a second set of parents for Stacy and I. During the summer staying at their house. Nannie fixed breakfast for us every morning usually 2 eggs over easy and 2 pieces of bacon with one piece of toast. Those were the best breakfasts I have ever eaten. During the day we usually helped Nannie and Papa with some sort of garden activity which usually lead to shelling butter beans, crowder peas, or shelling pecans right up until lunch. It was during these times we usually sat and talked with Nannie. She usually talked with us like we were adults even though we were only about 7 or 8 years old. Of course often times she talked to us about her growing up and how difficult life was before electricity and indoor plumbing. These were such great stories and I still remember many of them. At lunch time we usually just had a sandwich or Nannie fixed a small Mr P's brand pizza. Now that I have grown up I think these are really crappy pizzas but because of the memories that I have of them I still like them. After lunch Nannie and Papa religiously watched "The Young and The Restless" by default, so did Stacy and I. Usually while watching TV, Nannie or Papa or both would fall asleep. Then Stacy and I would also take a nap. In the afternoons Stacy spent a lot of time playing and occupying ourselves. It was during this time we played soccer, 1 on 1 using pinetrees in their yard as goal post, or made different kinds of paper airplanes while Nannie scolded us for wasting paper. We spent time making bows and arrows, slingshots, watching or helping Nannie and Papa as they did yard work, or worked on ceramics, a hobby of theirs.
Hearing about Nannies recent stroke makes me realize that the tomb on those memories is almost sealed. It's horrible realizing that such a fond part of life has almost evaporated.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
What do you do with your profits?
"Your wealth can only grow to the extent that you do!" - T. Harv Eker
What do you do with your profits?
That was a question that I recently discovered on a small business message board. Below was my response.
I don't use percentage for the most part other than 10% of what I earn is tithed or goes towards charity. 30% goes to Taxes. Then I live off of $5,000 a month $2,000 for personal expenses and $3,000 for business which includes, web hosting, advertising, and personal development/growth. Everything else goes to buying assests that will create a passive income i.e. stocks, real estate, other businesses. I currently live well below my means sometimes putting as much as $15,000 to $20,000 into investing on a monthly basis but I am dead serious to reaching a point in which I will be living 100% from passive investment income. I want to make sure that I am always able to do what I enjoy and can always provide for my family. Right now I enjoy working and thank God everyday for allowing me to work for myself. However, one day I may enjoy swimming in the Caribbean at that point that is what I will do. I say this because I see that many of my business clients build successful businesses but never learn what to do with the extra income. Most businesses owners don't ever consider how to generate income outside of their primary business; therefore they remain trapped in the JOB they own. Don't put yourself in a position to work your business because you HAVE to. Use your income to buy assests so that you will not always HAVE to work your business. Most of us entrepreneurs do this because we love to, let's be sure we keep it that away. If we want to take a break or hiatus or vacation let's make sure we put ourselves in a position where we are free to make that choice.
Just my opinion,
Jackie
* some of the language was changed to fit my blog
To expand on my specific plans for my income currently. I am working on saving 1 year's worth of expenses in a money market account. So that will be a total of $60,000 ($5,000 a month for 12 months ). Currently I am using Paypal's money market account primarily because the interest is extremely competitive (4.52% as of this writing) and they do not have any restrictions on accessing my funds. Many money market accounts have restrictions such as you can only write a check from your account 3 times a year and it has to be for more than $500. Paypal's money market account doesn't have any restrictions such as that. In fact with Paypal you can get a debit card and get access to your funds whenever you want.
After one year of expenses are saved at that point. I will let my money market account just continue to grow. I will then have the security of knowing that if for any reason I am taken away from my business and can't work or am unable to work that; I have at least one year's worth of expenses I can live on. I will then use all other income above and beyond my budgeted expense to invest in more lucrative assests such as common stocks and real estate. My brother, Stacy, is far more knowledgeable about real estate investing than I am while I know more about the stock market. He has no interest in the stock market and he has a laser focus on real estate investments.
As I invest in stocks I will have a specific focus on the types of stocks I am looking for. I will not make trades often, I will have a set criteria for the investments I will be looking for. I will look for small cap. Companies with minimal debt, large amount of positive cash flow, positive earnings that are increasing at a higher rate of return than long term treasury notes, solid management track record, companies that are growing to become industry leaders, and with a stock priced at 15 percent discount to it's intrinsic value. All of my stock purchases will be made with expectation of holding on to my investments for several years to come. If that was a bit difficult for you to follow, just subscribe to my blog and you will learn more as you follow my actions.
I have a weakness when it comes to understanding real estate investing, I have a lot more to learn about real estate. I am hoping my brother guides me to the right places so I can learn as much as possible in the shortest amount of time, this will help cut down my learning curve. Real Estate, offers some of the best investing opportunities when trying to invest for income. That is what I really like about the idea of investing in Real Estate especially when considering rental income. In my opinion rental income is superior to stock investing when investing for the purpose of income. However, the advantages to long term stock investing are huge. First, you are able to grow your income completely tax deferred until you sell your investment; after all you don't pay capital gains until you sell and realize a profit. Long term stock investing can be one of the very best ways to take advantage of compounding as long as your investments continue to grow at a rate that is beating long term treasury bonds.
If you have any questions about this post feel free to ask. If I don't know the answer I will definitely look it up, your questions will just help me learn.
What do you do with your profits?
That was a question that I recently discovered on a small business message board. Below was my response.
I don't use percentage for the most part other than 10% of what I earn is tithed or goes towards charity. 30% goes to Taxes. Then I live off of $5,000 a month $2,000 for personal expenses and $3,000 for business which includes, web hosting, advertising, and personal development/growth. Everything else goes to buying assests that will create a passive income i.e. stocks, real estate, other businesses. I currently live well below my means sometimes putting as much as $15,000 to $20,000 into investing on a monthly basis but I am dead serious to reaching a point in which I will be living 100% from passive investment income. I want to make sure that I am always able to do what I enjoy and can always provide for my family. Right now I enjoy working and thank God everyday for allowing me to work for myself. However, one day I may enjoy swimming in the Caribbean at that point that is what I will do. I say this because I see that many of my business clients build successful businesses but never learn what to do with the extra income. Most businesses owners don't ever consider how to generate income outside of their primary business; therefore they remain trapped in the JOB they own. Don't put yourself in a position to work your business because you HAVE to. Use your income to buy assests so that you will not always HAVE to work your business. Most of us entrepreneurs do this because we love to, let's be sure we keep it that away. If we want to take a break or hiatus or vacation let's make sure we put ourselves in a position where we are free to make that choice.
Just my opinion,
Jackie
* some of the language was changed to fit my blog
To expand on my specific plans for my income currently. I am working on saving 1 year's worth of expenses in a money market account. So that will be a total of $60,000 ($5,000 a month for 12 months ). Currently I am using Paypal's money market account primarily because the interest is extremely competitive (4.52% as of this writing) and they do not have any restrictions on accessing my funds. Many money market accounts have restrictions such as you can only write a check from your account 3 times a year and it has to be for more than $500. Paypal's money market account doesn't have any restrictions such as that. In fact with Paypal you can get a debit card and get access to your funds whenever you want.
After one year of expenses are saved at that point. I will let my money market account just continue to grow. I will then have the security of knowing that if for any reason I am taken away from my business and can't work or am unable to work that; I have at least one year's worth of expenses I can live on. I will then use all other income above and beyond my budgeted expense to invest in more lucrative assests such as common stocks and real estate. My brother, Stacy, is far more knowledgeable about real estate investing than I am while I know more about the stock market. He has no interest in the stock market and he has a laser focus on real estate investments.
As I invest in stocks I will have a specific focus on the types of stocks I am looking for. I will not make trades often, I will have a set criteria for the investments I will be looking for. I will look for small cap. Companies with minimal debt, large amount of positive cash flow, positive earnings that are increasing at a higher rate of return than long term treasury notes, solid management track record, companies that are growing to become industry leaders, and with a stock priced at 15 percent discount to it's intrinsic value. All of my stock purchases will be made with expectation of holding on to my investments for several years to come. If that was a bit difficult for you to follow, just subscribe to my blog and you will learn more as you follow my actions.
I have a weakness when it comes to understanding real estate investing, I have a lot more to learn about real estate. I am hoping my brother guides me to the right places so I can learn as much as possible in the shortest amount of time, this will help cut down my learning curve. Real Estate, offers some of the best investing opportunities when trying to invest for income. That is what I really like about the idea of investing in Real Estate especially when considering rental income. In my opinion rental income is superior to stock investing when investing for the purpose of income. However, the advantages to long term stock investing are huge. First, you are able to grow your income completely tax deferred until you sell your investment; after all you don't pay capital gains until you sell and realize a profit. Long term stock investing can be one of the very best ways to take advantage of compounding as long as your investments continue to grow at a rate that is beating long term treasury bonds.
If you have any questions about this post feel free to ask. If I don't know the answer I will definitely look it up, your questions will just help me learn.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Pistons 92 - Bucks 74
“If anything is worth trying at all, it’s worth trying at least 10 times.” Art Linkletter
There you have it. Carmen and I got back from the game at about 11:30 last night. As you can see from the title the Pistons won their first playoff game. Way to go Pistons! The game was awesome and we had really good seats on the first level. The entrepreneur in me was awful intrigued as well. I am always watching advertisers and analyzing how effective there advertising is. In The Palace, where the Pistons play, my head was spinning thinking about how much revenue was being generated right before my eyes. A vast majority of that revenue was being generated via advertising. There was subtle and not so subtle advertising everywhere. One company in particular Rock Financial owns the place I think. They bar none have the most advertising in The Palace. As we went to the game they were giving hats away that said Playoffs 2006, but on the back it said Rock Financial. There is a remote control blimp that flys around the Palace during half time, between periods and before and after the game branded with Rock Financial. Every seat at the game had inflatable Thunderstix (used to clap together and make noise) branded with Rock Financial. The lights circling the dome and on the Jumbotron seemed to flash something about Rock Financial every few minutes.
Observing all of this made me think of several things. First of all how much monthly income does a company have to generate to buy that much advertising? How profitable can the loan industry be? I wonder how effective that advertising is. I am certain Rock Financial has plenty brand recognition but I wonder how much money that brand recognition creates for them? I wonder if they even know? Ultimately, I wonder if it is even cost effective for them. If it is cost effective, I wonder why they choose to advertise in a sporting venue and if there could be a better venue for that form of advertising?
I can not even go to a basketball game without entrepreneurial thoughts constantly running through my head. It can both be a blessing and a curse. Do you ever find yourself thinking about things like this?
There you have it. Carmen and I got back from the game at about 11:30 last night. As you can see from the title the Pistons won their first playoff game. Way to go Pistons! The game was awesome and we had really good seats on the first level. The entrepreneur in me was awful intrigued as well. I am always watching advertisers and analyzing how effective there advertising is. In The Palace, where the Pistons play, my head was spinning thinking about how much revenue was being generated right before my eyes. A vast majority of that revenue was being generated via advertising. There was subtle and not so subtle advertising everywhere. One company in particular Rock Financial owns the place I think. They bar none have the most advertising in The Palace. As we went to the game they were giving hats away that said Playoffs 2006, but on the back it said Rock Financial. There is a remote control blimp that flys around the Palace during half time, between periods and before and after the game branded with Rock Financial. Every seat at the game had inflatable Thunderstix (used to clap together and make noise) branded with Rock Financial. The lights circling the dome and on the Jumbotron seemed to flash something about Rock Financial every few minutes.
Observing all of this made me think of several things. First of all how much monthly income does a company have to generate to buy that much advertising? How profitable can the loan industry be? I wonder how effective that advertising is. I am certain Rock Financial has plenty brand recognition but I wonder how much money that brand recognition creates for them? I wonder if they even know? Ultimately, I wonder if it is even cost effective for them. If it is cost effective, I wonder why they choose to advertise in a sporting venue and if there could be a better venue for that form of advertising?
I can not even go to a basketball game without entrepreneurial thoughts constantly running through my head. It can both be a blessing and a curse. Do you ever find yourself thinking about things like this?
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Just some rambling...
"Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead." Scottish Proverb
Carmen and I just came back from the movies we went and saw the movie "The Sentinel". Great movie by the way, it's about the Secret Service and possible betrayal among the ranks. I have always liked the Secret Service and at one time gave some thought to possibly joining. Of course, that was a very long time ago even before nursing school. About that same time I had even given some serious thought to possibly joining the Peace Corp. I remembered when I was in nursing school I emailed the Peace Corp about working as a nurse with them when I got out of school. I was told that I would not be able to work as a nurse because I was only graduating with an Associate's Degree. That was pretty much the end of that. I am not sure why I even had a desire to work with the Peace Corp; I think it had something to do with the fact that I new I would spend a lifetime trying to improve my personal life so I felt that I should in some way selfishly serve the world so that I may do my part to help other's improve their lives. I considered the Peace Corp because I wanted to work to improve lives of people who can not help themselves. Not to sound cynical however, I feel very confident that the majority of Americans can choose to improve their life most of us just choose not to. In most 3rd world countries they don't have any form of decent healthcare and starvation is a constant threat to life for the majority of the population.
Tomorrow, evening we are going to another Detroit Pistons game. It is the first game of the playoffs and we are sitting on the first level this time. Carmen is very excited and I am looking forward to it as well. It will be a lot of fun there will be a lot of excitement in the air. I have to tell you Detroit has some of the best sport fans. It is just a great atmosphere to be in. To be honest, I most likely wouldn't be there if Carmen wasn't such a sports fan but I sure don't mind watching professional sports live. I will keep you posted in my next blog post. Well I am going to wrap this up and play a little online poker at www.mytruepoker.com wish me luck!
Carmen and I just came back from the movies we went and saw the movie "The Sentinel". Great movie by the way, it's about the Secret Service and possible betrayal among the ranks. I have always liked the Secret Service and at one time gave some thought to possibly joining. Of course, that was a very long time ago even before nursing school. About that same time I had even given some serious thought to possibly joining the Peace Corp. I remembered when I was in nursing school I emailed the Peace Corp about working as a nurse with them when I got out of school. I was told that I would not be able to work as a nurse because I was only graduating with an Associate's Degree. That was pretty much the end of that. I am not sure why I even had a desire to work with the Peace Corp; I think it had something to do with the fact that I new I would spend a lifetime trying to improve my personal life so I felt that I should in some way selfishly serve the world so that I may do my part to help other's improve their lives. I considered the Peace Corp because I wanted to work to improve lives of people who can not help themselves. Not to sound cynical however, I feel very confident that the majority of Americans can choose to improve their life most of us just choose not to. In most 3rd world countries they don't have any form of decent healthcare and starvation is a constant threat to life for the majority of the population.
Tomorrow, evening we are going to another Detroit Pistons game. It is the first game of the playoffs and we are sitting on the first level this time. Carmen is very excited and I am looking forward to it as well. It will be a lot of fun there will be a lot of excitement in the air. I have to tell you Detroit has some of the best sport fans. It is just a great atmosphere to be in. To be honest, I most likely wouldn't be there if Carmen wasn't such a sports fan but I sure don't mind watching professional sports live. I will keep you posted in my next blog post. Well I am going to wrap this up and play a little online poker at www.mytruepoker.com wish me luck!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
The Wealthbuilders weigh in on Dani Johnson
Dani Johnson, is by far the premiere training in my homebased business. I recently had a guy that said he had listened on her website to one of her free trainings and thought that she was a great "motivational speaker". That quickly told me either he was lying and he had not listened to anything on her website or he was talking about another Dani Johnson. Make no mistake, Dani is not a motivational speaker she is an industry wide trainer. Don't get me wrong you may leave one of Dani's seminars and be motivated by what you have learned but the difference is this. Dani Johnson, does not motivate or encourage you to succeed she actually teaches you how to succeed. Dani teaches step by step processes which are duplicatable for anyone to follow i.e. anyone can read a script.
I recently received an email annoucing that Dani Johnson was going to be hosting a conference call for the Wealthbuilders. I got very excited by that news. The Coastal Wealthbuilders are by far the best training and support network in this industry; now combine that with a training hosted by Dani, the best trainer in the industry and that sounds like it will be an extremely profitable event for any home based business entrepreneur.
Here are some recent testimonials from Coastal Wealthbuilders who are also graduates of First Steps to Success!
"Coastal Vacations is my car to success, Dani Johnson's Seminar's turned it into a Dragster!!! The only months that I've made any money in Coastal are the months that I attended a Dani event. 9 months later that equals 85,000 dollars"- Stacy, MS
"After attending my first "First Steps to Success" seminar, I was amazed at what I had learned. Dani's training was the best I had ever experienced. No garbage, just the truth about my business. Little did I know she would impact my thinking, my marriage, the way I associate with my kids, and strengthen my faith. I encourage all of my associates to attend! My husband and I will be in Minneapolis, we have no excuse not to and EVERY reason to be there!"-Renae, MN
"Since I have become a Coastal Wealthbuilder in Sept. of 2005, I have attended two "First Steps To Success" seminars and one "Creating a dynasty" seminar. I feel that having started my business fully loaded with the expert advice and training of Dani Johnson, along with fellow Wealthbuilders and team trainers, I have totally created my own "Power-house" of success! Always invest in yourself and the rest shall follow naturally! Never wait for things to happen! Go out and happen to things!" Molly, WY
"After attending my first First Steps to Success I increased my income from $3,000 dollars a month to $15,000 dollars my very first month after that seminar." -Jackie, MI
I recently received an email annoucing that Dani Johnson was going to be hosting a conference call for the Wealthbuilders. I got very excited by that news. The Coastal Wealthbuilders are by far the best training and support network in this industry; now combine that with a training hosted by Dani, the best trainer in the industry and that sounds like it will be an extremely profitable event for any home based business entrepreneur.
Here are some recent testimonials from Coastal Wealthbuilders who are also graduates of First Steps to Success!
"Coastal Vacations is my car to success, Dani Johnson's Seminar's turned it into a Dragster!!! The only months that I've made any money in Coastal are the months that I attended a Dani event. 9 months later that equals 85,000 dollars"- Stacy, MS
"After attending my first "First Steps to Success" seminar, I was amazed at what I had learned. Dani's training was the best I had ever experienced. No garbage, just the truth about my business. Little did I know she would impact my thinking, my marriage, the way I associate with my kids, and strengthen my faith. I encourage all of my associates to attend! My husband and I will be in Minneapolis, we have no excuse not to and EVERY reason to be there!"-Renae, MN
"Since I have become a Coastal Wealthbuilder in Sept. of 2005, I have attended two "First Steps To Success" seminars and one "Creating a dynasty" seminar. I feel that having started my business fully loaded with the expert advice and training of Dani Johnson, along with fellow Wealthbuilders and team trainers, I have totally created my own "Power-house" of success! Always invest in yourself and the rest shall follow naturally! Never wait for things to happen! Go out and happen to things!" Molly, WY
"After attending my first First Steps to Success I increased my income from $3,000 dollars a month to $15,000 dollars my very first month after that seminar." -Jackie, MI
Monday, April 17, 2006
Proof, that Coastal Vacations is not a scam!
"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." Benjamin Disraeli
I often get this question from potential clients, "How do I know that Coastal Vacations is not a scam?"
I can completely understand why someone would ask this question. I even had the exact same question myself prior to getting started with Coastal Vacations. Heck I thought, " This sounds to good to be true, it must be a scam". However, I thoroughly did my research and I am glad that I did. Obviously I know Coastal is not a scam now because I have earned over $34,000 so far this year with my Coastal Vacations business; that's just working part time. There are many many more people out there succeeding with Coastal Vacations. You can read and hear about some of them here.
Before someone thinks Coastal is a scam they need to research how reputable our travel packages are . How can Coastal Vacations be a scam? We have 30 plus vendors which make up our lifetime memberships. Most of the companies that comprise our memberships are household names, that have been in business for 12 years or more, most are publicly traded and are licensed and bonded. These include such companies as, Walt Disney World, Hertz, Budget, Quest, Access, Fairfield, Marriott, and Universal Studios just to name a few. Our travel membership packages are easily worth 10 times the amount that we charge. Our Lifetime Travel Memberships will literally save you tens of thousands of dollars off of travel for the rest of your life. Here is the Proof!
Sometimes clients ask, "Are these vacations for real? How is it possible to offer such a valuable product for such a low price?" This questions is easily answered on our website under the link titled FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).
Are these vacations real?
These vacations are absolutely real! Many resorts and marketing companies have been selling vacation packages that are similar in nature for nearly 25 years at much higher prices. However, the packages they offer aren't nearly as extensive. Because the cruise lines, hotels, and resorts rarely achieve 100% capacity at any given time, they find that participating in vacation package programs is an affordable way for them to advertise, enticing guests to come and stay for pennies on the dollar knowing that they will spend money in the restaurants, gift shops, casinos, night clubs, etc, while they are there.
How are you able to offer these memberships so affordably?
First, you must understand how the Vacation and Travel Industry works. The prices of Cruises, Resort Stays and Airline Tickets change daily based on their projected capacities and vacancies. Resorts rarely achieve 100% capacity and they actually lose money on those empty rooms. Therefore, resorts are more willing to reduce room rates or create special pricing packages to attract guests. Once the guests are there, they are banking on the fact that guests will spend money in their restaurants, casinos, gift shops, etc. Coastal Vacations is also in a position to purchase in mass quantities to get the best deals.
You can read the rest of the most Frequently Asked Questions yourself by going here. Obviously by looking at the receipts posted here, you can see that the savings is real.
If you are trying to determine if Coastal Vacations is a scam, after reviewing the previous information it is obvious that it is not for the following reasons. They offer a very tangible reputable product, at a very valuable price. Which is obvious from the 27 pages of receipts located here. So if Coastal Vacations offers a real product at a valuable price, and they have real people making real money, marketing that product as evident from these testimonials, how can there be a scam?
If you still feel that Coastal Vacations is a scam then it is obvious that this is not a business for you. I wish you well in your search for a home based business but I am not certain how much more transparent Coastal Vacations can be.
I often get this question from potential clients, "How do I know that Coastal Vacations is not a scam?"
I can completely understand why someone would ask this question. I even had the exact same question myself prior to getting started with Coastal Vacations. Heck I thought, " This sounds to good to be true, it must be a scam". However, I thoroughly did my research and I am glad that I did. Obviously I know Coastal is not a scam now because I have earned over $34,000 so far this year with my Coastal Vacations business; that's just working part time. There are many many more people out there succeeding with Coastal Vacations. You can read and hear about some of them here.
Before someone thinks Coastal is a scam they need to research how reputable our travel packages are . How can Coastal Vacations be a scam? We have 30 plus vendors which make up our lifetime memberships. Most of the companies that comprise our memberships are household names, that have been in business for 12 years or more, most are publicly traded and are licensed and bonded. These include such companies as, Walt Disney World, Hertz, Budget, Quest, Access, Fairfield, Marriott, and Universal Studios just to name a few. Our travel membership packages are easily worth 10 times the amount that we charge. Our Lifetime Travel Memberships will literally save you tens of thousands of dollars off of travel for the rest of your life. Here is the Proof!
Sometimes clients ask, "Are these vacations for real? How is it possible to offer such a valuable product for such a low price?" This questions is easily answered on our website under the link titled FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).
Are these vacations real?
These vacations are absolutely real! Many resorts and marketing companies have been selling vacation packages that are similar in nature for nearly 25 years at much higher prices. However, the packages they offer aren't nearly as extensive. Because the cruise lines, hotels, and resorts rarely achieve 100% capacity at any given time, they find that participating in vacation package programs is an affordable way for them to advertise, enticing guests to come and stay for pennies on the dollar knowing that they will spend money in the restaurants, gift shops, casinos, night clubs, etc, while they are there.
How are you able to offer these memberships so affordably?
First, you must understand how the Vacation and Travel Industry works. The prices of Cruises, Resort Stays and Airline Tickets change daily based on their projected capacities and vacancies. Resorts rarely achieve 100% capacity and they actually lose money on those empty rooms. Therefore, resorts are more willing to reduce room rates or create special pricing packages to attract guests. Once the guests are there, they are banking on the fact that guests will spend money in their restaurants, casinos, gift shops, etc. Coastal Vacations is also in a position to purchase in mass quantities to get the best deals.
You can read the rest of the most Frequently Asked Questions yourself by going here. Obviously by looking at the receipts posted here, you can see that the savings is real.
If you are trying to determine if Coastal Vacations is a scam, after reviewing the previous information it is obvious that it is not for the following reasons. They offer a very tangible reputable product, at a very valuable price. Which is obvious from the 27 pages of receipts located here. So if Coastal Vacations offers a real product at a valuable price, and they have real people making real money, marketing that product as evident from these testimonials, how can there be a scam?
If you still feel that Coastal Vacations is a scam then it is obvious that this is not a business for you. I wish you well in your search for a home based business but I am not certain how much more transparent Coastal Vacations can be.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Investing Lessons
" Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing. " -- Warren Buffett
Sitting here on Saturday morning with my laptop and Fox News' business block on the television. I decided to make a post to my blog, specifically one sharing more with my readers about what I am learning about investing. I am a big fan of Warren Buffet ( the worlds greatest investor and the only person alive to have earned his entire wealth stictly from his own investment activity) and his style of investing. I just got done reading a book titled How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffet. It is a great read and I have probably learned more from that book than any other book on the subject of stock picking and stock valuation. Warren Buffet, has earned an annual return on his investments of about 29%. The 500 largest companies on the New York Stock Exchange often called the S&P 500 only returned about 11% during that same time period. For the life of me, I can't figure out why more people don't make this man's strategy a case study for their own investment style. Just like when I started my Coastal Vacations business, I found someone who was successful and have consistently followed their lead. I agree with Warren Buffett's style of investing because it logically makes sense and his track record speaks for itself.
Buffett's, style of investing is controversial in the mainstream of Wall Street investors. Which make no sense to me since most of the Wall Street investors don't even beat the index of the 500 largest companies on the New York Stock Exchange (S&P 500 Index). This statement can be proved by the fact that 75% of all actively managed mutual fund DON'T beat the S&P 500 index. That tells me that I will listen to Warren Buffett's advice, over the majority. Warren Buffett teaches:
- Don't Diversify, instead concentrate your entire portfolio on 15 to 20 stocks that you understand well. Conventional wisdom teaches that diversivication prevents possible losses in your portfolio. Warren Buffet, believes that diversification will dimish your gains as well. He believes that you prevent possible losses by understanding your investments. If you don't completely understand the businesses that you are investing in then don't invest in them regardless of what your broker says.
- Buy stocks you know at a great price. This goes against conventional wisdom about such tactics as Dollar Cost Averaging. If you don't think you can make an annual return on your investment dollar greater than long term treasury bonds, then you need to be investing in those bonds and not common stock.
Dollar Cost Averaging -- is a strategy where you buy a stock you feel will do well over the long run and you simply invest a set amount each and every month at the same time with the same dollar amount every month. The problem is that when the stock is over valued, as an investor investing in an over valued stock will decrease their annual returns on your money. Buffet believes when the stock is overvalued you would be better off finding a better value in the market or simply invest in long term Treasury Bonds.
- No one loses money when selling a stock for a profit. It's better to take your profits then risk taking a lose. Buy low sale high. These are all conventional wisdoms that Warren Buffet just does not practice. If he invests in a solid company with a solid track record and good management in place he will keep the stock indefinitely. If a stock price takes a dip but the previous factors remain in place for the company then Warren Buffett is not concerned about an immediate stock price dip. He knows that eventually the stock price will have to fall in step with the company's profitability.
Also Buffett does not believe in selling high only to re - enter a stock position when the price falls. There are several reasons for this. No one can time the market so theoretically it's impossible to buy at the bottom and sell at the peak. When selling a stock you have to realize the capital gains and therefore you are taxed on them. When being taxed you are unable to use that money to reinvest therefore when you do re-enter into your stock position you have to use after tax dollars. That one fact alone will diminish your portfolio returns. Not to mention by jumping in and out of a stock position you are also charged more in brokerage fees which also will add up fast depending on how often you are in and out of the market.
I am not a mathematician, but I am determined to learn how to understand financials of companies on the stock exchange and how to determine the best return on my investment dollar. I will share with you through this blog what I learn, my victories, and my set backs. It is not enough to own a great business such as Coastal Vacations, you must also know how to manage your increase in finances that come along with this business. By managing finances, I mean we should pay off all debt, save up a year's worth of finances in a money market account such as Paypal's, and start investing your money so that your money will began to work for you. Coastal Vacations will quickly lead you to financial security, but it will take your assets earning you an income while you sleep to lead to financial independence. Use income from your business to buy and own those assets. I will pass along what I learn about buying those assets as I continue to learn it.
To learn more about picking and valuing stocks like Warren Buffet. Buy Picking Stocks like Warren Buffet from Amazon.
Sitting here on Saturday morning with my laptop and Fox News' business block on the television. I decided to make a post to my blog, specifically one sharing more with my readers about what I am learning about investing. I am a big fan of Warren Buffet ( the worlds greatest investor and the only person alive to have earned his entire wealth stictly from his own investment activity) and his style of investing. I just got done reading a book titled How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffet. It is a great read and I have probably learned more from that book than any other book on the subject of stock picking and stock valuation. Warren Buffet, has earned an annual return on his investments of about 29%. The 500 largest companies on the New York Stock Exchange often called the S&P 500 only returned about 11% during that same time period. For the life of me, I can't figure out why more people don't make this man's strategy a case study for their own investment style. Just like when I started my Coastal Vacations business, I found someone who was successful and have consistently followed their lead. I agree with Warren Buffett's style of investing because it logically makes sense and his track record speaks for itself.
Buffett's, style of investing is controversial in the mainstream of Wall Street investors. Which make no sense to me since most of the Wall Street investors don't even beat the index of the 500 largest companies on the New York Stock Exchange (S&P 500 Index). This statement can be proved by the fact that 75% of all actively managed mutual fund DON'T beat the S&P 500 index. That tells me that I will listen to Warren Buffett's advice, over the majority. Warren Buffett teaches:
- Don't Diversify, instead concentrate your entire portfolio on 15 to 20 stocks that you understand well. Conventional wisdom teaches that diversivication prevents possible losses in your portfolio. Warren Buffet, believes that diversification will dimish your gains as well. He believes that you prevent possible losses by understanding your investments. If you don't completely understand the businesses that you are investing in then don't invest in them regardless of what your broker says.
- Buy stocks you know at a great price. This goes against conventional wisdom about such tactics as Dollar Cost Averaging. If you don't think you can make an annual return on your investment dollar greater than long term treasury bonds, then you need to be investing in those bonds and not common stock.
Dollar Cost Averaging -- is a strategy where you buy a stock you feel will do well over the long run and you simply invest a set amount each and every month at the same time with the same dollar amount every month. The problem is that when the stock is over valued, as an investor investing in an over valued stock will decrease their annual returns on your money. Buffet believes when the stock is overvalued you would be better off finding a better value in the market or simply invest in long term Treasury Bonds.
- No one loses money when selling a stock for a profit. It's better to take your profits then risk taking a lose. Buy low sale high. These are all conventional wisdoms that Warren Buffet just does not practice. If he invests in a solid company with a solid track record and good management in place he will keep the stock indefinitely. If a stock price takes a dip but the previous factors remain in place for the company then Warren Buffett is not concerned about an immediate stock price dip. He knows that eventually the stock price will have to fall in step with the company's profitability.
Also Buffett does not believe in selling high only to re - enter a stock position when the price falls. There are several reasons for this. No one can time the market so theoretically it's impossible to buy at the bottom and sell at the peak. When selling a stock you have to realize the capital gains and therefore you are taxed on them. When being taxed you are unable to use that money to reinvest therefore when you do re-enter into your stock position you have to use after tax dollars. That one fact alone will diminish your portfolio returns. Not to mention by jumping in and out of a stock position you are also charged more in brokerage fees which also will add up fast depending on how often you are in and out of the market.
I am not a mathematician, but I am determined to learn how to understand financials of companies on the stock exchange and how to determine the best return on my investment dollar. I will share with you through this blog what I learn, my victories, and my set backs. It is not enough to own a great business such as Coastal Vacations, you must also know how to manage your increase in finances that come along with this business. By managing finances, I mean we should pay off all debt, save up a year's worth of finances in a money market account such as Paypal's, and start investing your money so that your money will began to work for you. Coastal Vacations will quickly lead you to financial security, but it will take your assets earning you an income while you sleep to lead to financial independence. Use income from your business to buy and own those assets. I will pass along what I learn about buying those assets as I continue to learn it.
To learn more about picking and valuing stocks like Warren Buffet. Buy Picking Stocks like Warren Buffet from Amazon.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Happy Easter
"Everyone has his burden. What counts is how you carry it." ––Merle Miller
What a great week this has been so far. I am heading out of the office this evening and taking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off for Easter. Tomorrow, Carmen and I will go to her grandmother's house to help her move. On Sunday, we will be at her parents house for Easter. I thank God for the ability to own my own business and to work for myself. I can remember when I was nursing, it would have been very difficult for me to get Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. Now I simply look in the mirror and ask my boss if it's OK to take the weekend off?
Needless to say he said YES!
Happy Easter!
What a great week this has been so far. I am heading out of the office this evening and taking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off for Easter. Tomorrow, Carmen and I will go to her grandmother's house to help her move. On Sunday, we will be at her parents house for Easter. I thank God for the ability to own my own business and to work for myself. I can remember when I was nursing, it would have been very difficult for me to get Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. Now I simply look in the mirror and ask my boss if it's OK to take the weekend off?
Needless to say he said YES!
Happy Easter!
Monday, April 10, 2006
We had a blast this weekend
"Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure." Earl Nightingale
This weekend was awesome, we went to the Detroit Pistons' basketball game. They played the Indiana Pacers and won. Actually let me start from the beginning. Carmen and Jon (another distributor in Carmen's business) put up a sales contest for their offices. The winners went to eat at Genji's, a Japanese steak house here in town and went bowling afterwards. That was Friday night, on Saturday Jon and Carmen had rented a Ford Excursion stretch limo and that was our ride to the game. Since Carmen is my girlfriend, I was able to go along. It was a blast. I guess there are more perks to this relationship than I had originally thought.
Eating at Genji's was as usual, awesome. That is one of my favorite restaurants. I love the Asian culture including their food. Afterwards, when we were bowling we had a friendly competition between the offices, it was Clean Air Concepts vs. Covenant Filtration Inc. Unfortunately they won and now Carmen has to get a plaque made for them as part of the bet between her and Jon. The loser had to get a plaque made for the winning office stating they were the champions. On Saturday the limo was awesome. It was the same type of limo Carmen rented for me on Valentine's Day. An astonishing clean white 18 passenger limo with very dark tinted windows, complete with custom leather interior, flat screen TV, sun roof, custom coolers recessed in the interior, and CD player. I love riding in limos, I need to continue making money cause I plan to do that more often. The game was a lot of fun also, even though the Pistons killed the Pacers. I am not really a sports fan but I love watching professional sporting events live. It's such a rush and there is so much you miss when watching them on TV; not that I watch them very much on TV.
So what did you do this weekend?
This weekend was awesome, we went to the Detroit Pistons' basketball game. They played the Indiana Pacers and won. Actually let me start from the beginning. Carmen and Jon (another distributor in Carmen's business) put up a sales contest for their offices. The winners went to eat at Genji's, a Japanese steak house here in town and went bowling afterwards. That was Friday night, on Saturday Jon and Carmen had rented a Ford Excursion stretch limo and that was our ride to the game. Since Carmen is my girlfriend, I was able to go along. It was a blast. I guess there are more perks to this relationship than I had originally thought.
Eating at Genji's was as usual, awesome. That is one of my favorite restaurants. I love the Asian culture including their food. Afterwards, when we were bowling we had a friendly competition between the offices, it was Clean Air Concepts vs. Covenant Filtration Inc. Unfortunately they won and now Carmen has to get a plaque made for them as part of the bet between her and Jon. The loser had to get a plaque made for the winning office stating they were the champions. On Saturday the limo was awesome. It was the same type of limo Carmen rented for me on Valentine's Day. An astonishing clean white 18 passenger limo with very dark tinted windows, complete with custom leather interior, flat screen TV, sun roof, custom coolers recessed in the interior, and CD player. I love riding in limos, I need to continue making money cause I plan to do that more often. The game was a lot of fun also, even though the Pistons killed the Pacers. I am not really a sports fan but I love watching professional sporting events live. It's such a rush and there is so much you miss when watching them on TV; not that I watch them very much on TV.
So what did you do this weekend?
Friday, April 07, 2006
$1,000 to Andrea Rooke
"I will equip you for success beyond your wildest dreams, if you let me" Dani Johnson
Way to go Andrea! Andrea, earned her self $1,000 this week with her Coastal business. Andrea is a teacher and a sports coach in her home town in Texas. She only works her business part time but has a goal of being full time in May of this year. If she continues to stay focused on the activity of her business and stays plugged into Dani Johnson's First Steps to Success then I am certain she will reach her goal.
It is interesting to note the top 3 people that I have brought in my business are all 3 graduates of Dani Johnson's First Steps to Success. Two of them have attended First Steps more than once (Stacy and Jen). I can't take credit for any of their success, the credit goes to them and their continued efforts to stay plugged in to Dani Johnson's training. I am privledged to say that I am able to watch them all change their lives inside the home based business industry. You guys are amazing!
Way to go Andrea! Andrea, earned her self $1,000 this week with her Coastal business. Andrea is a teacher and a sports coach in her home town in Texas. She only works her business part time but has a goal of being full time in May of this year. If she continues to stay focused on the activity of her business and stays plugged into Dani Johnson's First Steps to Success then I am certain she will reach her goal.
It is interesting to note the top 3 people that I have brought in my business are all 3 graduates of Dani Johnson's First Steps to Success. Two of them have attended First Steps more than once (Stacy and Jen). I can't take credit for any of their success, the credit goes to them and their continued efforts to stay plugged in to Dani Johnson's training. I am privledged to say that I am able to watch them all change their lives inside the home based business industry. You guys are amazing!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Congrulations to Jen Wilson
"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that." Norman Vincent Peale
I have to take a moment to send out a quick congratulations to Jen Wilson. Jen, made over $3,000 yesterday with her Coastal business. Jen, has kept her full time job up to this point so that $3,000 is basically like bonus money for her. Not to bad for a part time business. Jen came to me as a training sale from my brother Stacy. Coming in at the Premiere level she quickly saw the advantages to owning the Platinum package and quickly upgraded before completing her training on the Premiere package.
Jen takes her business and the opportunity to coach and train others very seriously. It has truly been an honor to work with her, her desire not only for her success but to help other's succeed is always apparent. I have met her personally on a couple of occasions at Dani Johnson events and will see her again real soon. Another reason for Jen's success is her belief that "Income follows Personal Growth". Her continued improvement not just in her skill but in herself has been inspiring to watch. I am very proud of Jen and wish her much continued success. It is both humbling and rewarding to see someone succeed in their business and to know that you played some small part in that.
I have to take a moment to send out a quick congratulations to Jen Wilson. Jen, made over $3,000 yesterday with her Coastal business. Jen, has kept her full time job up to this point so that $3,000 is basically like bonus money for her. Not to bad for a part time business. Jen came to me as a training sale from my brother Stacy. Coming in at the Premiere level she quickly saw the advantages to owning the Platinum package and quickly upgraded before completing her training on the Premiere package.
Jen takes her business and the opportunity to coach and train others very seriously. It has truly been an honor to work with her, her desire not only for her success but to help other's succeed is always apparent. I have met her personally on a couple of occasions at Dani Johnson events and will see her again real soon. Another reason for Jen's success is her belief that "Income follows Personal Growth". Her continued improvement not just in her skill but in herself has been inspiring to watch. I am very proud of Jen and wish her much continued success. It is both humbling and rewarding to see someone succeed in their business and to know that you played some small part in that.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Congratulations to Stacy O'Quinn
"Everything depends upon execution; having just a vision is no solution." Stephen Sondheim
This past month my brother Stacy O'Quinn wrapped up with $30,100. Now that is his profit after purchasing travel packages at his cost. Way to go Stacy! He deserves it, he is a hard worker and truly desires to help other people succeed.
I always share my great months with you as well. However, as you follow my success I have to be honest and share with you the weak months. Thank God, there has not been many of them. But, this month was one of them. I finished the month of March with a big fat Goose Egg. Those of you who are still wondering what a Goose Egg is, it's a Zero! I contribute this to me allowing myself to get distracted by my recent move to Michigan. I have not stayed as focused as I should have and have not spent very much time working my business at all. Now I am seeing the results of that and to be quite honest it is painful.
I have made some changes to get refocused, Dani Johnson's last First Steps to Success has really helped with that. I have doubled my advertising. I have applied principles that I have recently learned from the motion picture The Secret. I am listening to Dani Johnson on a daily basis especially anything that I have or that she has recorded on her website related to Prospecting and Closing. I have also registered for her teleseminar that is coming up related to Prospecting and Closing. I have identified some specific areas of my prospecting that I feel I can improve; such as, connecting better with clients through the FORM process.
So here is the math behind my progress for my goal of earning over $250,000 after the cost of goods in 2006. So far I have earned $34,000. $250,000 minus $34,000 equals $216,000. Divide $216K by the 9 months left in 2006 and that comes to $24,000. So I will have to average $24K a month to reach my goal. For the month of April I am going to focus on reaching $30,000. By reaching $30,000 this month that will help me to provide a cushion for future months. Thanks for following my journey, stay tuned...
This past month my brother Stacy O'Quinn wrapped up with $30,100. Now that is his profit after purchasing travel packages at his cost. Way to go Stacy! He deserves it, he is a hard worker and truly desires to help other people succeed.
I always share my great months with you as well. However, as you follow my success I have to be honest and share with you the weak months. Thank God, there has not been many of them. But, this month was one of them. I finished the month of March with a big fat Goose Egg. Those of you who are still wondering what a Goose Egg is, it's a Zero! I contribute this to me allowing myself to get distracted by my recent move to Michigan. I have not stayed as focused as I should have and have not spent very much time working my business at all. Now I am seeing the results of that and to be quite honest it is painful.
I have made some changes to get refocused, Dani Johnson's last First Steps to Success has really helped with that. I have doubled my advertising. I have applied principles that I have recently learned from the motion picture The Secret. I am listening to Dani Johnson on a daily basis especially anything that I have or that she has recorded on her website related to Prospecting and Closing. I have also registered for her teleseminar that is coming up related to Prospecting and Closing. I have identified some specific areas of my prospecting that I feel I can improve; such as, connecting better with clients through the FORM process.
So here is the math behind my progress for my goal of earning over $250,000 after the cost of goods in 2006. So far I have earned $34,000. $250,000 minus $34,000 equals $216,000. Divide $216K by the 9 months left in 2006 and that comes to $24,000. So I will have to average $24K a month to reach my goal. For the month of April I am going to focus on reaching $30,000. By reaching $30,000 this month that will help me to provide a cushion for future months. Thanks for following my journey, stay tuned...
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