Are you board with retirement?

Are you tired of a career choice that no longer ignites your passions?

I came across a great article by Brad Sugars at Entrepreneur.com tonight while making last minute preparation for the ”Power Your Business to Hyper-Success Teleseminar” I am doing this week.

It gives you 6 excellent tips to help you get a kick start into a new game when time and your life savings are on the line.

Here is an excerpt:  

“There’s a big difference between starting a company as a young entrepreneur with stars in your eyes and launching a business at an age when you need reading glasses. If you’re a twentysomething student with an idea for a better search engine, like Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, you can start over if the idea is a dud.

If you’re a retiree looking for a second career, you have a lot more to lose–including your life savings.

The upshot is that many people elect to hang up a new business shingle when friends their age are settling down to a life of leisure. The challenge is figuring out what to do and how to do it, without betting the farm on a venture that might not pan out.

Why are some successful in building a (post-retirement) business and how can you accomplish the same feat? Here are some guidelines to steer you in the right direction.

1. Find the market gap in the business you know. Sometimes the best way to determine what business to go into is to identify a need that isn’t being served by the business you came from. One of my friends used to be in the car wash business and knew that he sold three times more car wax than his competitors. After he retired, he set up a consulting company teaching his methods to other car washes. He knew there would be a demand, and he had the expertise to meet it.

2. Consider turning your hobby into a business. My father-in-law loved building computers, so after retirement he set up a small home computer building and repair business. An ex-banker in Savannah, Georgia, turned his love of local history into a tour business. You could do the same thing with gardening (be a consultant), baking (open a local cookie-making business) and so on. The added bonus is that if it’s a hobby, it won’t seem like work.

3. Investigate franchising. If you can find a home-based franchise that interests you, the cost will be relatively low, and you get pre-built systems and support materials so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. This also reduces the risk of failure, and you get startup training as well as ongoing assistance that you wouldn’t get as a solo operator.

4. Use your connections. You’ve spent a lifetime building your network; now use it. I know a retired fruit and vegetable buyer who used to serve as a middleman between farmers and airline food services. Over the years, he developed contacts in Dubai. After retirement, he became a broker between the farmers and customers in the Persian Gulf. It was an ideal part-time business with no employees required.

5. Keep upfront expenses to a minimum. Nieukirk, the ex-Caterpillar painter turned home builder, didn’t need an office and had to purchase nothing more than a van, some ladders and a number of tools. Starting small ensures that you can preserve most of your savings, avoid capital-raising efforts and associated debt, and back out gracefully if the business stumbles or the life of an entrepreneur doesn’t suit you as well as you expected.

6. Avoid a 40-hour work week to start. Don’t get yourself into a situation that requires your full-time attention from day one. You’re not 20 years old anymore, and you might not have either the energy or the desire to work 40, 50 or 60 hours a week. Get your feet wet with a part-time commitment. You always have the option to add hours if business is good and you’re having fun.

If you play your cards right, you’ll find a way to be productive and make money even after your core earning years are behind you. You may not set the world on fire, but you’ll put some extra money in the bank and enjoy yourself to boot.

Then again, as they say, a spark can start a fire. Colonel Harland Sanders was 62 when he sold his first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in 1952. By the time he sold his franchise operations in 1964, Kentucky Fried Chicken was a household name. So remember, you’re never too old to be an entrepreneur.”

It never ceases to amaze me how  constant the keys to entrepreneurial success remain.

Keep Learning,

Steve

Your Success Champion.

PS - If you find this material helpful, please comment here.

My friend Joe Vitale recently hosted a seminar in Austin in which he introduced his “AAA Plan to Wealth”.

Nerissa video taped the event and they have posted a 45 minute excerpt on the internet.

I watched it this morning while in the gym and was inspired to share it with you.

Those of you who have read my reports or participated in our coaching programs will find the informaton very familiar.

Enjoy!!

Many of you know that Joe is a personal mentor of mine. 

Watching this reminded me how grateful I am to have this amazing relatonship with Joe.

It also reminded me how appreciative I am to have the opportunity to have such an amazing realtionship with you.

Talk about wealth!

Thank you for visiting.

Sincerely and gratefully,

Steve

Your Success Champion

PS - Keep and eye out for some amazing announcements I will be making next week.

PPS - Did you enjoy this video and find it helpful in any way. Let me know.

It is often the case that the people who attend our various success coaching programs explore and find whole new venues for creating the life success they desire; entrepreneurial. for retirement, or otherwise.

Aside from the subconscious limiting beliefs and counter-intentions we help them overcome, many arrive to our program believing that it is difficult to take a concept to success.  They think they need to have special skills or talents or that they need realationships with other industry specialists and experts like publishers. 

The truth is that, with the maturity and power of the internet, and a veritable army of success mentors and coaches to help you, it has never been easier to build the dream of financial independence and success. 

Here is a great article about this very thing by Justin Petroccelli, Entrepreneur.com:

Blogosphere to Stratosphere

It illuminates how savvy bloggers are turning mere concepts into the building blocks of a media empire.

“The internet has made it possible for almost anyone to start a business. But beyond that, the proliferation of blogs means that now, more than ever, an idea in and of itself can become a business.” Justin Petroccelli

Do you have something to say?

Trust your instincts and inspiration.  Put up a blog and start saying it. 

You will be surprised by how many people want to hear your voice.

Keep Learning,

Steve

Your Success Champion

PS - Please let me know if you found this article inspirational or helpful in some way.

Bill Losey is a highly sought-after adviser, educator, and author. He has nearly 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry. He’s a certified financial planner, a certified senior adviser, and certified RSP-trained retirement coach. He’s the founder of National Retirement Planning Month. He publishes Retirement Intelligent, an award winning newsletter that reaches thousands of subscribers worldwide. And he’s the author of a fantastic new book called “Retire In a Weekend: The Baby Boomer’s Guide to Making Work Optional.”

This interview is the first in a series of 12 interviews I have conducted with true experts.  I am so excited about the value of the information provided by each of these extraordinary people, I just could not wait to share this one with you.

In this interview, Bill provides pragmatic advice and practical steps which help you create the retirement of your dreams beginning right now.

Whether you are 30, 60, or 70, following the financial strategies Bill outlines in this interview will guarantee that you have everything you need financially to create the abundant retirement you desire.

He likes to say ‘life is too long NOT to be doing those things that are fun and rewarding” and explains why it is so vital to begin with a clear image of what, outside of money, is really important to you.   

Bill Losey “America’s Retirement Strategist”

I am always interested in knowing whether or not the information I am providing you is useful.  Please comment on this blog and let me know how you like this post.

I am standing for all that is possible for you.

Sincerely and gratefully,

Steve

Your Retirement Success Champion

PS - I invite you to share this post with your friends and family.  I promise you they will thank you for it.

Are you paying attention to the outside forces that can have a big impact on your business? 

Or is your head in the sand?

As an entrepreneur, it’s your responsibility to be aware of the external forces that can make or break your business.

In the March 2008 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine, Andrea Cooper wrote an excellent article entitled, “The Influencers: What forces will affect your business in the coming year?”

She outlines the top 25 Influencers; the individuals, groups and trends that will have a substantial impact on business this year. 

Here are 6 that I thought were particularly interesting:

Mortgage Crisis

Continuing fallout from the mortgage crisis will undoubtedly affect you and your business in 2008. As banks wrestle with the problem of bad home loans, it may reduce their capacity or willingness to hand out money to entrepreneurs.

A Generational Shift

The first baby boomers are becoming eligible for retirement, and the nation is on the verge of a generational shift as those under age 44 assume more power. Boomers are itching to leave corporations and start their own businesses. Services that help them, such as small-business counseling, mentoring or virtual back-office support, should fare well. Older boomers are looking for meaningful part-time work that helps them leave a legacy; savvy entrepreneurs who create flexible opportunities can reap rewards from their talents.

Shrinking Middle Class

Working longer, commuting farther, sinking financially–that’s how The Trends Journal described the average member of the U.S. middle class last year.  What can entrepreneurs do? Believe that the high cost of oil will have real consequences on buying power, and make it easy for clients to work with you, whether it’s with convenient locations or via the internet and other technologies.

College Entrepreneurship Programs

Used to be, people didn’t think about going to college to learn how to be an innovative business owner. That was before the rise of college entrepreneurship programs. The latest trend on campus is teaching entrepreneurism outside of business school, even to English majors.

Socially Responsible Companies

Consumers care more than ever about corporate social responsibility. The “Edelman Trust Barometer 2007″ found that top concerns include employee treatment and open communication about a company’s conduct and impact, whether good or bad. “People are looking for responsible products, and they’re willing to pay a premium,” says Chris Deri of PR firm Edelman. “Take advantage of your smaller size and be nimble enough to be responsive to those demands.”

The 2008 Elections

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization surveyed its U.S. members about the presidential elections. Nearly 50 percent of them ranked the contest important or very important. The survey found that affordable health care is at the top of their wish lists, but it’s just one key item among many in this presidential race. “Everybody’s concerned about the economy,” says Alan Carsrud, executive director of the Global Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University. But the presidential election isn’t the only one to watch. What happens in Congress and the state legislatures can have just as much of an impact on your business.

Let me encourage you to read the entire article

You can read it here: 

                                    The Influencers

Keep Learning!

Steve

http://www.championsuccess.com/

PS - As always, I welcome your comments

On Tuesday of this past week I hosted the “Retirement Shifts” Teleseminar with my associate Bill Losey, “America’s Retirement Strategist” and author of “Retire In a Weekend - The Baby Boomers Guide to Making Work Optional“. 

 It was a terrific, well attended event.   We talked about:

• The Surprising Facts that will impact everyone in the Baby Boomer Generation  
• Proven Strategies for Generating Income for Retirement
• A Novel Twist on Retirement Planning
• A way to create financial security for yourself and your loved ones
• How to go about Pursuing the Retirement Life that is really possible for you
• How You can Manifest the Abundant, Joy-Filled Retirement You Desire
• Critical Information that will help you Overcome Whatever is Stopping You
• and more…

Click here to listen to the recording:  http://www.thesecretforretirement.com/teleseminar-recording.html

The fact of the matter is your retirement is coming.

The question is - Will you be ready?

Bill and I present information that will help you know with 100% certainty how to have everything you want in retirement, exactly as you want it to be.

I invite you to comment here once you have listened to the recording.

With sincere gratitude and admiration,

Steve

www.championsuccess.com

PS - Listen to the recording and then let me know if you found it of value. 

I was interviewed by business consultant and entrepreneur Todd Goldfarb earlier this week. 

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you know that our paths are running a close parallel.  This is good for you because you get a double dose of ‘great stuff’ that will help you accomplish more and win big in life.

In fact, I interviewed Todd 2 weeks earlier and just have not gotten it posted yet.  Stand-by for more information on that interview.  Todd is awesome.

So, in the mean time, check out the Secrets to Success interview Todd did with me this week.

At one level it is about helping others accomplish more and win big in life. 

At another it is about changing the world.

I promise you will get something valuable out of our converstation. 

Click here to check it out.

Listen to me:

Every successful person I know follows very similar principle daily disciplines.

These disciplines create the experience of the day and keep the joy of accomplishment from disappearing into the fog and turmoil of life.

These disciplines are what give you power and illuminate the inspired actions you ahve taken that manifest miracles each and every day.

Often times, however, people believe that these principles and practices will not work for them. 

I want you to know that this thinking is nothing more than a limiting belief which is literally stuck in your subconscious mind. 

It is the same limiting belief that sabotages success in every area of your life in which you struggle.

Following the daily disciplines of truly successful people;

people who live in abundance and joy each and every day,

people who are not derailed by adveristy of challenge,

and you will experience the same miraculous manifestation of abundance and joy in your life.

I wish you much success and happiness,

With sincere gratitude and appreciation,

 Steve

www.championsuccess.com

PS - If you missed the “Retirement Shifts” teleseminar I did with “America’s Retirement Strategist” Bill Losey, click here to listen to the recording.

Many of you know I am a great admirer of Tim Ferris’ book “The 4-Hour Work Week“.  It had a profound impact on my views of living successfully as an entrepreneur.

If you have not read it, you should do so immediately.  “The 4-Hour Work Week”

While browsing about Tim’s blog site this evening I stumbled upon a great interview with Michael Gerber.  Years ago a friend of mine recommended Michael Gerber’s book, “The E-Myth Revisted“. 

It was the first of a long line of books I devoured on the topic of creating entrepreneurial success.  The “insights in this book have given thousands of entrepreneurs new control over their businesses” - Success Magazine

In his most recent book, “Awakening the Entrepreneur Within” Michael Gerber “examines how to recalibrate the scale of objectives and other facets of the core entrepreneurial experience.”  This is the context of the interview with Tim. 

There is really no point in me trying to sumerize the interview here.  You should go read it for yourself.  It is great.

Click here to read: “Escaping the Entrepreneurial Seizure: Interview with Michael Gerber“.

I particularly liked what Tim says is the advice Michael gave him:

“Don’t hedge and don’t think small.  I didn’t hold back material for a sequel, I aimed for the top of the top, and I credit Michael’s advice as, in part, responsible for the subsequent success of the 4HWW.  It was that recalibration of ambition that made it all possible” Tim Ferris.

So why is this on my blog?

Here’s why:

While Tim takes the principles of successful entrepreneurship to entirely new levels, the basic premise of Tim’s outrageous success is really pretty simple.

By following a few simple, yet key entrepreneurial success practices, he gets to do what he loves to do, while allowing others to contribute to his success by doing what they love to do.   He does not “go it alone”.   

He not only finds and engages great avenues to outsource those tasks and activities he does not enjoy doing, but surrounds himself with great coaches and mentors to help him remain clear and focused.

As a result, he enjoys the wildly successful, limitless, and abundant life he wants.

Tim is a beacon for what is possible for you.  He is a true champion of success.  Enjoy!

Steve

www.championsuccess.com

PS - I invite you to comment.

With the launch of the amazing Miraculous Retirement Coaching Program, I have been closely monitoring  a couple of interesting information sources. 

And, my interest in the practical application of binaural audio and subliminal video programs has me monitoring the work being done by organizations like Sharp Brains, Immrama Institute, and Hypnotic I Media are doing. 

Every once in a while, these topics cross over in very intersting ways. 

For instance, I saw reference to an article entitled “Ten Important Truths About Aging“ by Elkhonon Goldberg and Alvaro Fernandez of Sharp Brains (www.sharpbrains.com).

I was really stunned by the implications of these Truths:

     Neuropsychology Indicates That We Can Control Our Aging

     Aging Means Lifelong Development, Not Automatic Decline

     Some Skills Improve With Age

     Some Skills Need To Be Continuously Nurtured And Trained

     Not All Instances Of Forgetting Are Of Equal Concern

     We Are In Control, To A Large Extent

     There Are Four “Pillars Of Brain Health”

     Cross-Training Our Brains Builds Up Cognitive Reserve

     Computer-Based Brain Exercise Programs Can Help

     Embrace “Good” Stress; Eliminate “Bad” Stress

     Retirement Is Overrated

The article also makes reference to a recent book The Wisdom Paradox: How Your Mind Can Grow Stronger As Your Brain Grows Older, by Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg.  

In it Dr. Goldberg explains:   

“that as we undergo experiences, we actually change our brains by creating new neurons and synapses.  This process never stops; our brains enjoy lifelong plasticity.  Until recently, a popular misconception was that neurons die as we age and do not get replenished. Now, neurogenesis, or the ability of our brains to create new neurons until the very day we die, is a proven reality.”

The article concludes:

“Many baby boomers want to remain active and mentally stimulated beyond arbitrary retirement ages. Given demographic trends, this will create a large group of people working into their 60s, 70s, and 80s. Society at large will have to adapt its education, health and employment policies to benefit from this trend.

In summary, the latest neuroscientific research has shown that, contrary to popular belief, the brain is constantly undergoing neurogenesis.  Learning new things and targeted mental exercise promote the development of new neurons and connections between neurons, just as muscle growth is promoted through physical exercise—and this can take place at all ages.  Indeed, work itself, and embarking on second and third careers, can provide great cognitive exercise.”

Did you get that?

In another of my recent posts, The Miraculous Sound of Clarity, An Education For Entrepreneurs & Retirement Planning In A Box, I reference Marc Freedman’s book “Encore - Find Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life” indicating that this is precisely what people approaching retirement are doing.   

As you dig a little deeper you will discover that doing something you are truly passionate about provides maximal cognitive stimulation with minimal ‘bad’ stress. 

So if, as you approach retirment age, you begin pursuing the interests or vocations you are truly passionate about; perhaps those you have deferred for years, you will not only be more satified and joy-filled, but you will likely live a longer, healthier life as well.

With sincere gratitude,

Steve

www.championsuccess.com

Make no mistake.  We are clearly entering a new era. 

There are millions of baby boomers launching second careers as part of a new form of retirement planning.  And, they don’t want to wait until they are 62 or 65 to get started.

They want to start in the late 40s and early 50s, early enough so that they have enough time to go through the inevitable ups and downs, explore different options and do something significant for a significant period of time.

This demographic trend is just beginning and as this wave continues it will undoubtedly effect virtually every aspect of our lives well into the future.

There are also approximately 82 million Gen-xers and Gen-yers, many of whom are rejecting the traditional circa 1960’s/1970’s get a job - work hard for 40 years  -  save your money - and retire to sun-city corporate culture and are instead exploring an myriad of opportunities that exit for independent entrepreneurs.

This shift has huge implications. 

It is easier to earn a real living working from home than ever and by leveraging the internet, vast networks of resources, and other independent entrepreneurs pursing their passions, it is trivial to make your company seem bigger than it really is.  

With more discretionary spending capacity than at any other time in history and ready access via various technological advancements, consumers are more willing to spend money than do it themselves. 

This has opened the door to the service-orientated industry that has recently skyrocketed.

So, what are the best opportunities going into 2008?

I found this article yesterday while doing some research for another project.  I realize it is a little dated (December 2007) but that does not make it any less helpful now.

Click here to learn more: Top Ten Opportunities in 2008 for Personal Businesses

Before you decide which of these is right for you, let me suggest you read through my free report, “The Secret to Astonishing Entrepreneurial Success“ 

It will help in two vitally important ways:

1.  You will have a hightened appreciation for the importance of excitement about what you choose.

2.  You will know something most other entrepreneurs do not know which will allow you to succeed effortlessly while they struggle and strain.

The most valuable insight I can offer you once you decide is to engage a coach or a mentor.

There are certainly enough of them out there.

Thanks for visiting today,

 Steve

www.championsuccess.com