The Secret to Becoming Rich

Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich, believes that a person does not have to be a genius to become rich. Any person can become wealthy if he thinks positively and has a deep desire to achieve his goal.

Positive Thinking: You must see your financial dreams and know that you will be able to attain them. You must already own them.

If you begin making up every rationalization under the sun why you can't succeed, pinch yourself. You have to discipline your body and mind to think positive thoughts. Teach yourself that those kind of thought patterns are unacceptable. You can obtain greatness, even if you are not the smartest, most talented, or best looking person in the world. Success is your if you'll just allow it to come into your life. Don't underestimate the power of your thoughts.

Burning Desire: Hill tells a true tale of a man named Edwin Barnes who desired to become Thomas Edison's partner. Most of us would have scoffed at him had we lived back then. Edwin Barnes was a nobody. Nevertheless, he had a deep desire, a life dream, and he was determined. He went to Thomas Edison and convinced him to hire him. He did not instantly achieve his dream, but he worked hard and ultimately became Thomas Edison's partner. This was a feat everyone thought was impossible.

Edwin Barnes followed these 7 steps to gain this great success:

1. Choose a definite dream.

2. Put all your energy into that dream.

3. Be willing to do menial work at first.

4. Visualize your dream.

5. Form a strategy.

6. Endure through the hard times.

7. Eliminate any way to retreat.

As you focus on obtaining your goals, answer these questions: What is the exact amount of money I want? What am I willing to sacrifice for it? What exact date do I want this money by? What is my strategy?

Don't forget, to successful people, there is no such thing as "defeat." What looks like defeat is no more than a great opportunity. Start creating opportunities out of failures and being successful today!

Stop Thinking Poor

Would you like to be rich? Most people do but few actually spend the time to learn how. There is a mindset that most rich people have. They understand what to do with their money to create more money. So if you want to be rich, then you have to understand and think like the rich to be rich!

But you want to Get Rich Quick. Nearly all non wealthy people want this as well. Sure it can be done, but the percentage is so extremely low you might as well say that it can not be done. You could have some rich relative, that you do not know about, pass away and leave you his fortunes. Maybe even hit the lottery, but you would have better odds being struck by lightning multiple times. These scenarious are not likey going to happen.

Be careful of those that try to sell you on the idea of getting rich overnight. Go ahead and read it, but do it with a very careful eye. See if they are just trying to get your email address so they can spam you later. If you really want the info or are just curious, sign up for a free email account at yahoo, msn or someone similar and use that email address for these type of queries. You will be amazed how much spam will soon start populating that inbox. This way you keep your personal email account as clean as possible. Explore the possibilities but be very cautious!

I try to reviews books and products that should help you understand the thought process of the rich and wealthy. Learn how to make your money work for you instead of working for your money, even if you are still in debt. You will feel better about your finances which will help you feel better about yourself and that alone is worth the journey!

Good luck and may we all enjoy the riches that the world has to offer!

Remember that books make great gifts for holidays and birthdays. What better gift than a book that can lead a friend or family member on the road to riches!

Here are the top 5 recommendations:

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

This book has been on the best selling list for awhile and for good reason. Easy to understand and just plain easy to read. Once you start you may have a hard time putting this one down. It can open you eyes to a new world as if someone turned on a light in your head. The methods are simplified so that not only will you understand them but your children can as well. This book will encourage you to change your outlook in a very positive way. Every few months pick it up and read it again to remind yourself about the changes you are trying to make. Great pick me up when times are sour.
Recommendation 4.5 out of 5

Richest Man In Babylon by George S. Clason



This book is a pleasure to read! If you have not read this yet then read it. Make your children or grandchildren read it as well. The lessons learned in here are timeless. So simple it's hard to believe they can work but they do. The 5 rules of gold if followed correctly will change your financial status before you know it. The 5 rules can help you get out of debt and build a nest egg at the same time.
Recommendation 4.5 out of 5
 
Start Late Finish Rich by David Bach


This book will give you methods to help you on your way to having a nice future no matter how late you are starting in life. Retirement planning for those of any age is always welcome advice and well worth the price of this book. Solid investment advice and the importance of investing is discussed in great detail. Gives hope for those that are close to retirement and are worried about not being able to retire. Whether you are 30 or 60 there is always a way to fix your finances and retire rich.
Recommendation 4.5 out of 5


How To Be Rich by J. Paul Getty

Written by the legend himself with great style. This man truly made millions in his oil businesses and investments. This book gives you insight in how he did it plus his thought patterns and formulas along the way. Absolutely great lessons in this book aimed more directly for a young executive but truly inspirational for anybody with a true desire to create their own wealth. His philosophy on business, charity and life are timeless.
Recommendation 4.5 out of 5

Retire Young Retire Rich by Robert Kiyosaki

This book goes into more detail while defending his ideas in Rich Dad Poor Dad but you should not read it first. Mr. Kiyosaki has many books inbetween that are worth reading as he touches on lessons from these previous books. You can probably get away with reading this one after Rich Dad Poor Dad. Okay if you really want to then go ahead and read it first but you will want to read the others after. Still very easy to read and understand as well as being encouraging. Encouragement or that little push is all we need sometimes to break away from the ordinary and live a better life.
Recommendation 4 out of 5

How to Start Your Own Business

How to Start Your Own Business

Running your own business is a rewarding but demanding career and life choice. There are many different opinions about how to start a business from writing and researching a detailed business plan to jumping into a passion and trying to make money out of it.

STEPS :

• Start with an idea. This doesn't have to be a brand new invention or new product. In fact, many successful small businesses have found a way to deliver an existing service more efficiently or economically or have customized an existing product or service.
• Put together a business plan. This doesn't require hundreds of pages with thousands of charts. Use the plan to research things like how much you can charge for your product/service, how much it will cost to produce or deliver (include variable & fixed costs), and the size of your potential market (i.e. # of customers). The plan should evaluate your competitors - how many competitors, how strong are they, where are they, how will you compete. The plan should state what is required to enter this market, barriers to entry such as high fixed costs (factories, restaurants) and government regulations that must be met.
• Determine if you need financing. Your business plan will include a section on financing. How will you pay the costs to start and run your business? Do you need a bank loan? Use credit cards? Self finance? Also, you'll need to consider how much salary you need to support yourself while starting your business.
• Put together your initial marketing plan. Marketing need not cost a fortune. Some businesses require very little. For example, many service businesses such as accounting firms build their practices through word-of-mouth referrals. You can also join free or low-cost associations to build awareness of your small business. Again, your business plan (product, customer, competitor) will help you determine the marketing efforts you need to undertake.
• Build your infrastructure early. This doesn't mean build a big factory or a fancy office. It simply means keep accurate customer records, a clean set of updated books and a technology foundation, if necessary. One of the downfalls of many small businesses is that they don't know if they're making or losing money (i.e. the need for a clean set of books). Another downfall is when small business owners try to sell their company years later but lack accurate customer history and customer information. Many times, the customers of a small business are its best asset, and, without the records, the small business can be sold only for salvage.

TIPS:

• Use free resources. Your local library contains numerous useful references regarding incorporation, writing business plans, marketing, as well as information specific to your industry. The Small Business Association, Chambers of Commerce, AMEX Small Business website, associations for your industry, associations by ethnicity...all of these offer training, materials, networking and sometimes financing. Another good option is SCORE, a group of retired executives who provide business start-up advice.
• Recognize that getting your business off the ground will take time. Most businesses don't become profitable right away, so plan for that in your personal life too. You will be making sacrifices to be your own boss.

WARNINGS:

• Running your own business is extremely time-consuming. You can rarely leave work "at home" because you're the boss now.
• Be sure to carve out time for yourself. Make sure you stick with an exercise program or build in time to see your family. As mentioned in Warning #1 above, running your own business can consume you.

How to Become Rich Someday

How to Become Rich Someday

There are many way to become rich, but many more to become poor. Of course it's never easy and many quick methods involve a lot of risk. so take your time and follow these steps to build your wealth.

Start by investing in your most important asset: your mind

• Get into honors classes in high school
• Do well in high school (3.85+ highly recommended)
• Score well on your college exams (SAT, SAT II, etc)
• Take AP classes in high school -- they are cheaper than taking classes at college but your credits are worth the same. Plus you will probably get more individual help from a high school teacher than you would in class of 100 freshmen.
• Participate in extra curricular activities, including community service, sports and the arts
• Be kind and gracious. Everyone, including admissions officers and waiters, appreciates advanced social skills (making other people comfortable around you)
• Learn to speak a different language fluently. (Spanish, French, German, etc.)
• At College (two years or four years) take your time to play but also study
• Listen to what professors or teachers say, so you can not only to get good grade, but learn something.
• If you must do alcohol, illegal drugs and sex, be responsible. They can mess you up and then you'll never be rich.
• Don't take your love life too seriously.

High Risk/Dubious Morality: not recommended

• Stealing
• Lottery
• Stocks
• Gambling
• Seducing a rich person with the hopes of marrying into wealth

Invest

• Start investing as early as possible. Do not wait until you have "enough" money to invest. You will end up with a larger account in the end if you start investing a small amount early and keep adding more regularly.
• Make smart investments
  If you don't understand what you are investing in, don't. Start with something easy like index funds. They have fewer ups and downs than individual stocks, and you will not have all your eggs in one basket.
• Stay as debt free as possible. A paid-for education and a paid-off house will enable you to invest more money in the stock market or your own business.

Start your own business
It is often better to be an employer than an employee, if you are disciplined and able to devote time and money. Learn all you can about running a business. Take a class. Ask an experienced business owner for advice. Be careful, though. Many businesses fail, especially in their first year. You could end up with considerable debt, no savings, and no benefits. Get help!

Be an entrepreneur

• Real Estate
• Venture Capital

Be Smart

• Learn about budgeting, credit, and debt. Learn how credit cards work!
• Put an amount of money in the bank monthly. 10, 20, 30 dollars is good, only if you can afford it. By the time you get old, retirement would be easy.
• If you are in college and can't afford an apartment and don't like those nasty dorms, then gather with 3 or 4 people, and buy a good sized house while splitting the payment. It'd probably cost less than a apartment.