The Broke Millionaire

I Got That Feeling Again...

2006-02-06T21:34:00.000-05:00

9:33, Monday night.
It has been sneaking up on me all day, and now it is in full swing. The lump in my throat that means that as soon as my face hits the pillow my alarm will be blaring the bad news-that it is time to get up and drag my ass to work and face another freakin' week.
This is usually a Sunday night thing. Luckily, I decided to take the dreaded "Monday After the Super Bowl" off of work. You would think that since tomorrow is really Tuesday it would make me feel a little better about the upcoming week. You would think.

At least I know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I look at my goals like I am building a wall. Since I am a carpenter and not a mason, you would think that I would look at it like building a house but that's not the case. I like to make sure that every day I lay at least 1 "brick". I like to take 1 step toward my goal everyday. Even if it is a small step, it makes the next day at work go by a little faster knowing that I am getting closer to my goal of independence. I use Yahoo Calendar to give myself little reminders. I have it set up to send me an email on the first Friday of every month it says "Did you lay any bricks lately??" I know it probably sounds kinda corny or whatever but it sure feels good when I can answer yes to myself. Also I have it setup to send myself reminders of what my long term goals are. Like once a year I get an email reminding me what my long term goals are and where I should be at that time. Its pretty cool because I can keep track of what kind of progress I am making toward my goal. I suggest trying Yahoo Calendar. It is free and very easy to use. You can get reminders via email, or text message to your cell phone. Also it is accessible from anywhere since it is web based.
Did you lay any bricks today??

Get In the right Mindset...

2006-01-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

I just read an excellent internet article about starting a small business. I strongly recommend that you take a look at this:

How to Make A Million Dollars

Its Official!!

2006-01-11T16:24:00.000-05:00

Well, I have officially started my own business. I had to go downtown and get some paperwork to open up a business bank account, but now it is official- the Hi Tech Handyman is in business.

I realized that to achieve my goal of being a successful owner of many businesses, I need to learn how to run a business. My resumes that I sent out didn't even yield one response so I figured that the only way that I am going to learn how to run and grow a business is to start one of my own. The only skill that I have that I could come up with a legitimate business for is fixing and upgrading computers. I have always been good at fixing computers and I have from time to time made a little extra money removing viruses or what not from peoples computers. So my first real business venture is The Hi Tech Handyman. <-----Check out my website. It is very exciting. I haven't even advertised yet or even had one client, but i still am having a great time. I can barely sleep at night because my mind is going a million miles an hour thinking of all kinds of different ideas for my business and things that i can do to get an edge on the competition. Since i still have my shitty full time job, it can be frustrating trying to get all of the things that i want to do for my business done when i have so little time after work. It is also hard to stay focused when i am at work because i am "minding my own business". By minding my own business, i mean that my mind is always thinking about ideas for my own business and not thinking about what i am doing at the time. A strategy that i have for keeping myself organized is that i bought a Blackberry. It synchs with my computer to keep track of my contacts and my calendar. I give myself tasks to do every day for my business. I get reminders from my phone what I need to accomplish for the day. Sometimes if I get distracted while surfing the web or entrenched in a furious battle in an online video game, I get the little chime from the Blackberry to remind me that I have more important things to do. I am really happy with this phone.

If you think you might want to start your own business, sit down and figure out what you are good at. There is a market for almost anything. There is something that you enjoy doing that someone hates doing. Even if you keep your day job, try "minding your own business" in your spare time. I think you will find it is very exciting and rewarding.

Good Luck until next time...
bj
The Hi Tech Handyman :)

Its Christmas Time

2005-12-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

It’s Christmas Time

Well Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas to all. I just thought I’d check in and say that I tried that reverse visualization thing I was talking about. I also used another technique that I read about in a book about entrepreneurs, I harnessed what skills I have and I believe that I have come up with a way to make my skills into a profitable business. I’m not going to say exactly what my new business idea is yet, you are going to have to wait until I get the ball rolling.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Click Here for a Great Book about Making the Leap!

Motivation

2005-12-19T16:46:00.000-05:00

12/19/05

What is motivation? I'll tell you what motivation is. Motivation is carrying lumber through the snow in sub zero temperatures. Motivation is getting wind burn from building a house on a frozen lake during a blizzard. The main thing that motivates me to want to get out of the rat race and into financial freedom is the fact that I hate my job. I must admit I have spent a lot of time wishing that I had a different job and complaining about how bad my job sucks. I have decided that instead of complaining about how much I hate my job I am going to do something about it. In the last few weeks, I have put together my resume and I have sent it out to over 40 compaines either via email or old fashioned snail mail. Hopefully I get a call back and an interview or two soon.

I know that what I really should be doing is starting my own business. That is what I really want to do, I'm just not happy working for someone else. I know that I am capable of building a business with my own blood, sweat and tears from nothing into a steady stream of income. I know that I have enough intelligence and enough drive to build my own business. What I don't know is what business I would like to get into. I have my Michigan Real Estate license and several of the companies that I have applied to are in the commercial/investment real estate business. I would really like to learn the business of investment property and property management. I know that once I learn that business I will be able to find profitable investments and manage them. I would like to someday own apartment complexes, strip malls, hotels and things like that. I figure the best thing I can do is try to get a job at a company that will allow me to learn as much about that business as possible.

I have so many ideas floating around in my head of things I would like to do. I have always liked computers and I have dabbled in computer programming. Sometimes I think that I would like to develop a new kind of software. Also, I have thought about maybe selling computer parts on ebay and also start my own website selling computer parts. I have thought of a few inventions or improvements to other products. All in all I have so many ideas but I can't choose which one I want to pursue.

I read somewhere that a good way to make decisions is to reverse visualize. I think thats what it was called. I'm gonna try it. They say that you should imagine yourself 10 or 20 years down the road. Really imagine it. Think about your future office, your car, your family, ect. Then think about how the future you would respond to the question "How did you make your first million?"

I know what definitely won't be the answer:

"I made my first million by taking the safe road and by being a loyal employee of this little carpentry outfit in southeastern Michigan." At least that narrows my possible answers down some.

Until next time...

My first blog post

2005-12-15T18:52:00.000-05:00

12/15/05

Its 6:53 p.m. here on a snowy evening in Livonia, MI. I am 24 years old and I am a rough carpenter. My job sucks. I have to work outside in the cold and sometimes I have to put myself in very dangerous situiations. It just so happens that my boss is really into figuring out all of the angles and such for rafters and stairs mathematically. I happen to be really good at math so I have been promoted several times in the last 4 years since I started at the company. Sounds Good, right? Wrong. I have gotten used to the money that I make. I have bought a house and I am engaged to get married next year. But I hate my job. Now, with the responsibilities that I have, I am finding it very hard to make the career change that I need to. I don't really have the experience that I need to get a job in any other field making anywhere close to what I make working construction. It's not for lack of trying. I have read several books about business, and self help type books. I have sent my resume to tons of companies. I have taken the classes to get my Michigan Real Estate Liscense, and I passed the test. My dad is a Realtor and he wants me to come and work for him. The only problem is that I know that we couldnt get along good enough to work together all day long. Plus I don't think that Real Estate Sales is something that I want to do.

I really have no freaking clue what I want to do. I would like to become a builder/real estate developer but that takes something of which I have very little. $$$$$$$$$$$$. Thats right, the almighty dollar. I have gotten used to barely making ends meet with what I make now, so if i have to take a paycut to change careers its gonna be tough. I want to get into a field where i can learn as much as possible about running a business. I want to know about the pros and cons of owning a business. I don't want to be self employed, just owning my own job. I want to and will be a business owner. If you don't know what the difference is and you ever want to go into business for yourself, I strongly recommend a book called Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

I am what i like to call a Starter. Every job i have ever had, when i first start there i love getting up and going to work and learning a new system. I have always been a fast learner and i always excel in the beginning. After some time, i get bored with the same day in, day out routine. Then my improvement slows and i start dreading monday mornings. And then it gets to the point (like right now) where i absolutely loathe going to work. I know that i have to take that and harness it into something profitable. Im not sure what it is going to be but it will happen.

I know its only december 15 but I am starting my new years resolution today. I am starting this blog and i am going to post when i have a new development or setback in my career. Something deep inside me has always told me that i am going to succeed in whatever i do. Today, I am in debt with little money in the bank. I am a high school dropout with a GED. And I know i am going to be rich someday. Just watch and see. Not because I am greedy. I grew up in what i like to call an upper lower class family. my parents are divorced. I have had some really tough times. I don't want my family to have to go through the things that i went through. I want them to be able to have and do things i never dreamed of. And i want to be there with them. I want to have the freedom to spend as much time with them as possible. I know that i can and i know that i will.

I doubt anyone will read this blog right now. Why would you? I am a broke ass construction worker. I am really writing this for when i am rich. I can tell people to go back and read my blog posts and they can see that i really started from nothing and hopefully i can inspire them to have confidence and believe in their dreams.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Acutally, who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others."

Nelson Mandela