What's the business plan, Sam I am?

Many of us set out be our own boss, work from home, and all that good stuff.  But if you're serious about making money and growing a business, at some point you need a business plan.  What's that saying, if you fail to plan...?

Writing a business plan can be an intimidating task and all the "gurus" often make it seem like it's the secret handshake that gets you into a private clubhouse somewhere.  Well there's no need to dread writing your business plan anymore.

Here are 5 tips to help power up your business plan courtesy of the SBA:

1. The business plan should tell a compelling story about your business, explaining who, what, when, where, how and why.
2. Your plan should be focusd and clear.  It's not about the number of pages or style of the cover.
3. The plan should define specific business objectives and goals with general parameters to guide the organization.
4. Writing a business plan shoud force logic and discipline into a business.
5. A good business plan should be a live document.  It should be updated regularly.

Those are good points and I'm sure you've come across many too.  I'm a take action person so how about a guide to help write your business plan?  The SBA has a great one that takes you through it step by step!

Check it out here: http://web.sba.gov/busplantemplate/BizPlanStart.cfm

One of my favorite quotes is "You were born a winner, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." -Zig Ziglar

Thanks for reading. Please comment and share.

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

What's an e-conference?

I wondered the same thing when I saw that Kitco was having one.  Being into Gold and Silver and being that I follow Kitco, I thought if anything else I'd check it out.

The Kitco eConference took place on September 12 and 13 2010.  It was awesome!  Have you ever been to a trade show?  Well that's what this was minus the travel, convention center and hotels. When I logged in the graphics amazed me as it looked like a virtual trade show.  It was very impressive. It took a little while to adjust but still awesome.

There were exhibitor booths that you can visit with reps that would chat with you once entered their virtual room.  You even get to download their info into a virtual briefcase.  Some of my favorites were Sterling Trust, First Majestic, and Austrian Mint.

There was a lounge where you can chat with other attendees and share business cards with them as well as exhibitors.

There were also special guest presenters that shared valuable information.  Some of the guests included Ron Paul, Marc Faber, and James Morgan. My favorite presentations were by Puru Saxena and Mike Berry.  Puru's presentation was a home run! 

The main reason I wanted to attend was to learn more about the mining side of the industry and investing in those opportunities. There was so much information that I keep going back and learning new things.  Oh wait a minute, did I say keep going back?  Yes.  That's the greatest part.  You can keep going back from the comfort of your home or office to continue to review and learn new things. 

If you have an interest in Gold and Silver then give it a visit or two or more.

Kitco eConference is still open!


Thanks for reading.  Please comment and share.

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

What the US National Debt won't tell you, Gold and Silver Will?

I recently added a widget to the side bar that displays a clock of the US National Debt.  It's over 13 Trillion and rising quite rapidly.  So, what does that mean?

At first look, you see a number going up but this tells a contrary story for your "money".  The way I see that rising number is that's the rate at which the value of the dollar is declining.  That is the rate in which your purchasing power is declining.  I see it as the rate in which your wealth is being stolen.

I also see the price of Gold and Silver rising although not at quite the same rate, yet.  So my move is to get out of the depreciating dollar and move into gold and silver.

The numbers do tell a little white lie too.  You must begin to not think in terms of currency anymore.  Price is counted in currency and thus those rising and falling numbers.  Instead, think in terms of gold and silver preserving wealth and purchasing power.  When the dollar no longer has any value, how will you be able to buy food, shelter, water, etc.  When a fiat currency collapses, as they all do, the monetary system reverts to trading in gold and silver.

So don't think in terms of buying a house in dollars, think in terms of ounces.

Thanks for reading.  Please comment and share.

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

Is Gold (and Silver) Real Money?

I am in the school of thought that says Gold and Silver are "real money".  Article 1 Section 10 of the United States Constitution says no state shall coin money other than Gold and Silver.  United States Code Title 12 Chapter 3 subsection 411 says to redeem your Federal Reserve notes into "lawful money".  Why can't I find any current definitions in the USC of what "lawful money" is.  I'd say it's because of a little "temporary suspension" in 1971 by former US President Nixon.

It doesn't take much for me to put the puzzle together and figure out that Gold and Silver are the lawful money that those Federal Reserve Notes are supposed to be redeemed for.  

Gold stores wealth and maintains purchasing power over time.  The fiat currency in the fractional reserve banking system is designed to go to zero.  Fail.  Then there's a reset.  A transfer of wealth.  You know the golden rule?  He who has the gold makes the rules.  This time, more people have access to the wealth transfer.  What side of the fence do you want to be on?

If you haven't noticed, the value or the purchasing power of your notes are going down.  Start being lawful and redeem your notes for Gold and Silver.

In the side bar of this blog there are many links to get info about Gold and Silver as well as other great financial sources of information.

I'd like to make special recognition to Mike Maloney's book How to Invest in Gold and Silver.  It's actually a book more about monetary history but its recurring theme, proven throughout history is that all the fiat currencies that have come before have reset and valued back to Gold.  I highly recommend reading this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading.  Please comment and share.

 

MikeCREI

"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

Is Your MLM Waiving a Red Flag?

I have never been a fan of MLM.  I can remember when they were known as pyramid schemes.  Then they became multi-level marketing, then network marketing.  A wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf.

Many of the people I pay attention to used to frown upon MLM and now endorse it openly.  I wonder why?  In "these economic times" it's the business to be in, they say. Some of them have partnered with or have started their own MLM companies.

MLM uses legit terms and business practices to cover up the scheme. Words like direct selling, networking, leverage, and passive residual income.  They can help teach someone good skills needed to succeed in business but there are better ways to use those skills.

I came across the work of Dr. Jon M. Taylor.  He has the research that states that over 99% of people involved in MLM are not profitable.  He even has the tax returns to back it up.  I'm sure if you did a careful financial analysis you may find that your MLM business may be generating income but is it cash flow positive?  You can be going broke and don't know it.  You can check out Dr. Taylor's research on his site here.

On his site he has a free 48 page ebook that explains in details how to examine MLM's.  He even has an ongoing book series that is very interesting as well.  In one of his blog posts, he summarized his book.  The following are the 5 Red Flags you should be aware of when choosing to be involved in an MLM.

1. Recruiting of participants is unlimited in a chain of empowered and motivated recruiters recruiting recruiters -ad infinitum
2. Advancement in a hierarchy of multiple levels of "distributors" is achieved by recruitment rather than by appointment.
3. "Pay to Play" requirements are satisfied by ongoing "incentivized purchases"
4. Company pay out per ale for the person actually selling the product is less than the total of all the up;one participants, creating inadequate incentive to retail and excessive incentive to recruit- and an extreme concentration of income at the top.
5. The Company pays commissions and/or bonuses to more than five levels of "distributors".

Check out the blog in full on his site here.  Be sure to download the pdf also.  The link is in the fist paragraph of the blog post.

 Be diligent with your decisions.  There are many alternatives to MLM.  In fact Dr. Taylor lists over 3700 of them on his site.  There is no quick and easy way.  You must not be afraid of good old hard work and elbow grease.  Don't fall for False Profits.



















Thank you for reading.  Please comment and share.

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

Clicking vs Networking

This article was inspired by George C. Fraser.  You can find out more about him at his Facebook page here.



In the world of the internet, netowrking opportunites has exploded.  Finding people to connect with is no longer limited by location.  The amount of people to connect with is also virtually unlimited by the amount of resources the internet provides.  With all this access, has networking become bland?  With social media you see people with hundreds and even thousands of "friends" but how many of them do they click with?
Let us look at the difference between Clicking and Networking.

1. Clicking is genuine.  You tend to desire to bond with those who have similiar likes and experiences regarding people, places and things.  Networking is superficial.  Often the connection doesn't go beyond the surface of what you have in common.
2. Clicking is synergistic.  This is when both people bring their skills, resources, and energy to the relationship that benefits both involved.  Networking tends to compromise.  Both people or one may have to sacrifice and then both only partailly benefit, not fully realizing their potential.
3. Clicking is based on trust first.  When you click with someone there is a trust and belief in the good of the the other person.  Networking tends to be a show and prove before I trust you.
4. Clicking is about the relationship.  When you click, you are looking to build rapport more than "just business" over time for the long term.  Networking tends to be about the transaction, the lead, the sale, the job, etc.  Basically about the immediate now.
5. Clicking is mutually beneficial.  People who click tend to use "We" and "Us" in terms of their interactions.  Networking is often selfish usually using the thought process of "what's in it for me?"

We all need to network.  It's the way to filter through to the people you click with.  When we go to a seminar, event, or meet someone online, the immediate time provided is for networking but then it's important to follow up and build relationships.  Click and build lasting weath.  Only network and you will always only be as valuable as your last sale.

Thank You for reading.  Please comment and share.

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

Are You Graphically Challenged?

Are you sure you want to delete this post? This action is permanent. Yes, delete postNo, keep post

Designing graphics that rock is time-consuming
even if you have the talent, and let's face it,
most of us don't.

And today, if your site doesn't have laser-sharp
bold graphics, it's not going to get your
prospects' attention.

Instant Banner Creator just cured all your
graphics headaches.

Creating these graphics can't be made any easier.
You point... you click... you are done! You don't
have to know Photoshop, Flash, or anything more
complicated than operating a web browser to design
high-performing banners, buttons, headers etc.

And here's the kicker...

Instant Banner Creator is free to join, and
they even host you images for you. Be sure to
grab your free membership today!

Click here to check it out.


To your success,

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

Try out Instant Banner Creator Now.

Viral Videos for List Building

All experience marketers know the old adage that “the money is in the list “. Network marketers have developed contact lists in many different ways over the years. Generally a sign up form is offered with a free giveaway. Someone simply fills out the form with a name and e-mail address to “opt in” to the autoresponder and the free giveaway is provided to them. In return for that, they generally understand that they have granted permission for whoever made the offer to follow up with other e-mails with other offers.

Several years ago the singular e-mail opt-in was taken a step further when software was developed that asked the first recipient to forward the offer to 4-5 of there friends in order to qualify for the free giveaway, or perhaps even a very low priced offering. Hence, list building became viral, meaning that a single e-mail to a single individual could be multiplied in a near exponential manner as each level of opt-ins continued to forward the offer to even more people.

The Web 2.0 World

Of course the latest to trend in the network and internet marketing community is the Web 2.0 world of blogs, YouTube, Twitter and the like. The use of videos in various social networks in order to communicate and establish a following with the subscribers has become ubiquitous. The net result of all this is that seemingly the most effective way to communicate with potential subscribers, or even to acquire subscribers and customers these days is probably through the use of videos.

Videos have a number of advantages, including the ability to present yourself as a sincere and a knowledgeable person in a face-to-face way. A potential subscriber or customer is more likely to buy from someone they they feel like they know. So consequently, it’s almost imperative these days that you use the video medium in order to communicate with potential prospects to turn them into eventual customers.

The New Viral Video World

Interestingly, a new video software system to build a contact list and potentialcustomer list virally has been introduced. Internet guru Joel Therien, CEO ofKiosk.ws, is in the process of launching very easy to use video building software called Easy Video Producer that has the potential to be a very effective way of generating contacts in a viral manner. This system is unique because the software itself is being offered as the free giveaway for this video “tell-a-friend” system. Essentially, the system will offer you free and extraordinarily easy to use video generating software that builds and posts your personally produced video and information capture form on a website or blog. A contact management system is included with the free offer as well.

The viral concept is that you would then attract traffic to introduce yourself to the prospect in a more personal way, offering them the opportunity to opt in and use the same free software that you used to prepare the video. The prospect and new contact would in turn use his free new system to attract even more potential contacts for his list and yours as well.

As in the earlier e-mail systems, the originator of the viral distribution of the free software would have access to every subscriber in the levels below him. So, what is offered is a system that provides a free and very simple (even a cave man could do it) method of posting videos to the internet that have a specific purpose of giving away additional software in a viral manner to capture a fast growing network of contacts with whom you can continue to build a relationship.

The Issues I See

The problems with this system are not dissimilar from those in other earlier systems of using free giveaways to build a list. . You first must be able to get your video in front of an audience and in order for them to subscribe, and they in turn must have an audience to subscribe in order for the system to work effectively. It can probably be most effectively used by someone who already has a subscriber list and wants to expand it rapidly.
Another potential negative is that the the new contacts you generate with this list, both directly and indirectly, are not yet buyers and it’s likely that many of them will have no interest in your particular marketing niche. Proper strategy of course is to build credibility over time through a series of value adding free offers that are designed to help categorize their interests. Only then should you move on to the stage of offering them the opportunity to buy your stuff.

This new Easy Video Producer software system appears to offer a simple and easy, no cost way for the experienced, and particularly the relatively inexperienced non-technical networker to make effective use of videos for viral list building, and business promotion.

Written by Rich Keesling
You can visit the site at:
Easy Video Producer

$1.54 a day to Protect Your Wealth

You can tell what someone values by what they spend their money on. This applies to every part of life. What do eat? Where do live? What do you where? Who do you spend time with? This not meant to be judgmental but to serve as an inspiration to self examine your choices.

The high levels of unemployment in this country is no secret. Yet I'm sure if you went to the unemployment office, you'd see pretty much everyone there with a cell phone. Even more so a Blackberry, iPhone, or some other smart phone. Yet, when I mention Gold or Silver, I get many excuses. The main one is "I can't afford it"

Here's a solution. Do you have $1.54 a day? I'm quite sure you spend more than that on things you don't need. $1.54 a day gets you a 1 Ounce Silver Eagle every month. Even better if you mention it to 2 friends, you get a bonus 1 ounce Silver Eagle. How you ask? Silver Snowball is the best way to begin your journey to obtaining real money.

Yes, Gold and Silver is Real Money. United States Constitution Article 1 Section 10 says so. United States Code Title 12 Chapter 3 Subsection 411 say to redeem your Federal Reserve Notes in lawful money. So what are you waiting for?

Go to Silver Snowball and start to lawfully redeem your money. $1.54 per day to protect your wealth.

Enjoy this short clip.




Thank you for reading. Please comment and share.

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"
www.mikecrei.com

Jim Rohn Budget for Financial Independence

Hello Friends,

Becoming rich or wealthy may be terms that sometimes may make people uncomfortable. I can understand that. Hollywood in the 80's helped make becoming rich a slightly bad word. How about another term that expresses doing the right things in a better light. How about Financial independence.

I watched an awesome video clip of Jim Rohn speaking on financial independence. His definition of financial independence is: the ability to live from the income from your own personal resources. At the time of him making this video he used a 20 year time frame but I think today it can be accomplished in 5-10 years.

It all depends on your philosophy. Philosophy in this case is the ability to gather the right information and put it into action. When it comes to money, there are only two philosophies. Rich and poor.

Poor people spend first and invest what is left. Rich people invest first then spend what is left. What's great about the rich way is that the amount of money doesn't matter. It is in the doing of things in the “Certain Way” as Wallace Wattles says, that will lead to financial freedom.

Here's a basic way to examine this philosophy. Depending your situation and philosophies, you may adjust these percentages to fit your goals.


Never spend more than 70% of your income for your expenses. Set aside 10% for some form of generosity. For some it can be charity or tithe. Use 10% as Active Capitall. Do something with your earnings to make a profit and acquire assets. The next 10% use as Passive Capital. This is money you let other people use. You help others acquire assets that they make a profit from and you earn interest for letting them use your money. That's letting your money work for you.


I don't have an issue with the terms rich and wealthy but I'm okay with financial independence too. If your current financial situation is not what you would like it to be, the power is within YOU to make the changes needed. The amount of money doesn't matter. You can't measure yourself with another person's yardstick. All that you want, you can achieve if you do things in the “Certain Way”.

Thanks for reading. Please comment and share.

MikeCREI
“Building Wealth One Friend at a Time”

What is Asset Spending?

"It's not your salary that makes you rich but your spending habits." -Charles Jaffe

There are many quotes that you will find that will echo the same point. What you spend your money on is a good indicator of what you value and it directly affects your financial condition.

Regardless of your job, income, or position, have you ever said "my paycheck is gone before I get it?" That is a sign that you are spending too much of your income on liabilities instead of assets.

Robert Kiyosaki has the best definition of assets and liabilities that even an economics professor can understand. Assets put money in your pockets and liabilities take money out.

In today's economic times it is important to pay attention to where your money is going and to whom it is benefiting. I often come across people who may be struggling financially but they have the newest smart phone, premium cable/satellite TV, and the latest hot fashions on. If you can't be financially fit, you might as well pretend, right?

Everyone understands residual income. You continue to generate income for doing something once. If you've been to a network marketing presentation then you've been exposed to the concept. It can work the other way too. Think about this. How many times did the cell phone guy sell you the new smart phone? How many times do you pay? How many times did the cable/satellite guy sell you their services? How many times do you pay? Every month you contribute to your poverty while making someone else rich.

I don't subscribe to "cutting back" to build wealth. You should enjoy life and everything that it offers. What I am suggesting is to shift your spending habits. Instead of spending your earned income on liabilities, spend it on obtaining assets that then can be used to buy and/or expense the things you enjoy.

When making spending decisions ask yourself, "is this product or service making me richer or poorer?" Become customers of businesses that are dedicated to making you richer!

Thanks for reading. Please comment and share.

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

The Busido Entrepreneur

Greeting Friends,

An entrepreneur should have core values. These values shape your reputation and become the foundation of your character. Regardless of your industry, ultimately all business is people business. All things being equal, people want to do business with their friends. All things being not so equal, people still want to do business with their friends.

So, what does this have to do with Bushido? Bushido is translated as The Way of the Samurai. Bushido came about as a fusion of Buddhism and Shintoism. Bushido is known to have 7 Principles:

1. Gi: the right decision, taken with equanimity.
2. Yu: bravery tinged with heroism.
3. Jin: universal love, benevolence toward man; compassion.
4. Rei: right action; courtesy.
5. Makato: sincerity; truthfulness.
6. Melyo: honor
7. Chugo: devotion, loyalty.

Zen and Martial Arts have been a big influence on my life and I like these 7 Principles of Bushido. Using these principles as the foundation for my character, I will attract like minded people who share these values and therefore relationships can be built.

I have been asked what does my tag name mean (MikeCREI). MikeC represents my given name and the REI is principle #4. No matter what your values are or what you say, you will always be judged by your actions. Actions are the live presentation of our core values. When your actions contradict your principles, then you know you have some work to do. Another way I express it is I like to BE about it, not talk about it.

Stay true to yourself and your values and success will find you.

Thanks for reading. Please comment and share.

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"
www.mikecrei.com

Credit Medic pt1

Hello Friends,

Many of us has felt a credit crunch recently. If you have good credit, bad credit, or no credit, the recent economic conditions has affected us all. Credit is and will be more important in the near future as this country moves more toward a cashless economy.

First is to increase your Credit IQ. The following are 3 books that will assist you with that:

1. Rich Dad's ABC's of Getting Out of Debt
2. The Complete Guide to Credit Repair
3. Debt Cures They Don't Want You to Know About
   

While you read those books and increase your Credit IQ, you will discover the value of obtaining your credit report. These are the 3 main credit reporting agencies:

1. Trans-Union
2. Experian
3. Equifax

You are allowed to get 1 credit report free from each agency every year. You can contact each one individually or you can get all three from one place.

• Annual Credit Report.com

The next information you need to be aware of is your Credit Score. Your score is not free but you can get it from one of the agencies mentioned above. They all offer some sort of program that will give you access to your scores as well as offer monitoring and other services. Take a look at all three and decide which one you prefer. You want to be sure you pick one that gives credit scores for all three agencies.

There are also third party companies that you can get your credit score and monitoring services but I'll let you look into those yourself. You see some of them on TV with catchy songs. Those companies are good if you prefer to go that way but do the research for yourself.

Take some time to acquire this information and in part 2 I will go over some tools that you can use to begin to repair any damage to your credit you may have.

The Credit Medic is on the case!

Thanks

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

Niche Marketing before Noon!

Hello Friends.

This morning, after doing some housework, I had the buzz to create a new site. So I used the following tools for my new site. Check it out!

First, I used the feemium web design and hosting site Weebly, (www.weebly.com) to design my new splash page.

Second, I used freemium affiliate network Clickbank (www.clickbank.com) to pick products in a niche. In this case the niche is learning
languages.

In these tough economic times adding other income streams is a must. The internet is the best leveraging tool today. Use it. Did I mention all this is free to use?

Feel free to contact me if you need help setting up a niche splash page or with anything I've covered so far.

This has been a good morning! Enjoy the rest of your day as well.

Thanks

MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"

An Entrepreneur's To Do List

Hello Friends,

I worked at an insurance company for a brief stint. I think the only reason I was there was to learn this very important lesson on being an entrepreneur.

During one of the coaching sessions the regional manager made this statement; “do what makes you money during business hours”. An entrepreneur may not work the traditional 9-5 and thus must be aware of how time is spent. At the time I was also reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In this book he says, “Do not prioritize your schedule. Schedule your priorities” (pg 161).

This was an important lesson. Employees tend to do things that are not vital to making money and are good for multi-tasking. An entrepreneur must be focused. An entrepreneur’s job is clear. Raise money. Always be raising money!

There are 3 “to do” categories that an entrepreneur’s tasks must fall under. They are marketing, converting, and closing. That’s it. Any task or activity must fall under one of these categories or it is not making you money. Period. I know, sometimes there’s some “thing” that “must” be done “now”. In that case, delegate. Whatever time you set to take care of a moneymaking “to do”, do not allow interruptions.

Let’s look at the 3 “to do’s” of an entrepreneur.

1. Marketing: any activity that spreads your message, mission, and/or mantra. This also includes growing your brand awareness and of course, customer acquisition/lead generating.
2. Converting: you have a lead and now you must turn them into a customer. This is when you re-enforce your marketing (message, mission, mantra), but it’s now focused on how you, your product, or service benefits them.
3. Closing: is when your lead is now a customer. You present your offer for acceptance. Negotiation may take place but this is where the details of the business are being done and you get the sale or the contract!

Paraphrasing Jim Rohn, if you have to work full time to make a living, then work part-time to build a fortune. Now that you have an idea of how to spend your time more effectively you can get faster and greater returns on your time invested.

Thanks
MikeCREI
“Building Wealth One Friend at a Time”

Before you join a Network Marketing Company...

A Network Marketing business is a great way to start your Entrepreneurial journey. If you have a “regular” job and need extra money, it fits that bill too. If you're unemployed then it should be highly considered. Quite frankly if you’re not doing some sort of your own business in this era you will struggle financially.

The thing with Network Marketing is there’s usually an upfront franchise fee, then a membership fee, or you have to sign up for the services and/or auto-ship products monthly. That’s all fine but what's the plan for making money?

The key to Network Marketing is the first “to do” of an entrepreneur, MARKETING. There are many methods; print ads, fliers, business cards, direct selling, networking events, etc. All necessary but the INTERNET is a very strong leveraging tool.

An important component to Network Marketing is building downline. The key ingredient to marketing online is driving traffic. Since most of the Network Marketing companies have great websites that will do a lot of the CONVERT and CLOSE (the other two “to do's” of an Entrepreneur) work for you, it’s important for you to leverage their efforts and drive traffic to their/your site.

So, building traffic and downline are two keys to success in a Network Marketing business. Doing this first will give you a foundation to be successful in any Network Marketing company you choose and your rate of ascension will get you the props at the next meeting!

If you’re considering a Network Marketing business opportunity, join my group and get some FREEMIUM tools to start building your downline and driving traffic before you spend your money.

Thanks
MikeCREI
“Building Wealth One Friend at a Time”

Freemium to Premium

Hello Friends,

What is Freemium?

Freemium is a business model in which a company provides its core product or service for free and generates revenue through secondary sources. This model was made popular by internet based companies such as Google and Social Media sites.

When I began my current entrepreneurial journey I was strapped for cash, had limited resources, and I was taking on an industry I knew little about. I did not let that stop me. After all, this is the information age. My philosophy is information is free though knowledge comes at a price. I was willing to access the information and my price has been time, patience, and perseverance.

Since I had little money I knew I had to find another way. I came up with a motto, to accomplish as much as I can with as many free resources as possible. So that has been my mission and I will share some of them with you.

1. Google: What can I say? I’m a Google fan boy. So many free tools to get your internet and/or offline business going. They deserve a post all to themselves. Gmail, Blogger, Groups, Docs, Calendar, and Voice! The list goes on. Wave is interesting too and I think will be the new way to “email”.
2. Zoho: If you’re a Google hater, then Zoho is a great alternative. They have similar tools as Google does with some unique features as well. Well worth a look.
3. Open Office: Why does MS Office cost so much in 2010? If you’re like me and need a fantastic alternative take a look at Open Office.
4. Skype: Keeps me connected. As of writing this, I do not use a cell phone due to Skype and Google Voice.
5. Meebo: IM is fun and effective. Meebo lets you get all your IM clients into one place.
6. Personal Brain: This is an awesome organization tool. I’m a visual thinker and this is awesome for getting my thoughts together as well as keeping my information organized.
7. Yola: Excellent web hosting and easy to use drag and drop web design.
8. Bravenet: Great web marketing tools.
9. Weebly: I just came across Weebly. It’s like Yola and Bravenet combined with more high end look to it. I wish I found it earlier!
10. The Library: Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore was my office for about a year. I'm considering relocating soon and the Public Library wherever I end up will be my office in the beginning there too!

These are just some of the resources I used to get my business and my life on the road to success. There are many others in all areas. Feel free to comment and share any other free resources you use.

Thanx
MikeCREI
“Building Wealth One Friend at a Time”

My New Blog!

Hello Friends,

Thank you for taking the time to check out my new blog. This blog is will serve as a forum to express my thoughts and share information about business, entrepreneurship, finance, and personal development. There are many sub topics that those can get in to as well, so I my drift at times but life's a journey after all.

So here’s the tour of the stuff in the side bar:

• Subscribe to the RSS if you use a reader.
  
• Subscribe via email if you prefer to get my posts via email.
• Subscribe to my Group to get the juicy stuff that I don’t publish to the blog.
• I'm not really sure how Follow works but I'm sure it's cool.
  
• I usually just post quotes to Twitter but need to use it more.
• Gold Spot/Silver Spot: I’m really into Gold and Silver and the charts are courtesy of GoldSilver.com.
  
• Useful Websites: A list of websites I frequently visit for information gathering, fun, and stuff lol.
• Blogroll: Blogs that I subscribe to. I’m looking for more but man the list get long fast.

I hope you enjoy the blog and find it useful. Please subscribe, follow, comment, and share!

Thanx
MikeCREI
"Building Wealth One Friend at a Time"