Friday, April 5, 2013

WHY the Rich Get Richer

Let me preface this (as always) with the caveat that I am poor. I do not have wealth in the form of endless funds. I do have the luxuries that come with being a workaholic, which includes A LOT of eating out and travel (all as tax deductions).
Seriously, it comes in, it goes out. It really comes in and....O-M-G, HOW MUCH did you say you wanted...It's a vicious cycle.
 
My entire life I've heard the phrase. You know the one. WELL, recently I've gotten to spend time with people THAT REALLY, REALLY HAVE MONEY. I mean, they've worked hard, their family before them have worked hard, you know the rest.

The more time I spend with folks like this, the more inspired I am. (Also, the more I realize how I have no grasp of the poverty I and those around me live)....also, that credit limits can be limitless for some people. Who knew?

So in conversation with such, ideas come into play. They're buried in work and money and have no time or desire to enter various fields but are ALL ABOUT telling me what I should be doing with my last 16 years (60 is my max, people, don't give me any shit).

The one said, "There is a market for this too", when I approached him about a market that someone else had brought up (Joel). He went on to say, "Well, if you do that, it would be very easy to do this, branch that...", and on and on and on....

I guess people who succeed are ALWAYS thinking about "What would I do if this failed, what would I do if I decided I didn't want to work day in and day out with my brother in the flamily (yes, I typed flamily) business"...It's a whole different concept of keeping your eyes open for the next option.

I've always watched How It's Made and said, "You know the difference between that company and us?". ...IN UNISON, the Schutt family replies, "Yes, they have the equipment and we don't". True. Every day. That guy didn't start out making 8 million flip phone cases for Verizon Wireless. He was making personalized pencils with an engraving machine. Got the contract through a friend of a friend, and there he was. Standing next to me in Philly learning how to use the 8 new machines he'd bought with a home equity line of credit to fill this contract so he could teach his neighbors how to do it. Do or die. (Because I'm sure his parents were going to kill him if he lost the flamily farm.)

Necessity is the mother of invention. I am in NEED of money and jobs for my county. SO I am going to keep my mind and eyes open. (Did you know there is a machine that runs 24 hours a day printing the pads on the buttons on the controls within your car? Prints the numbers, etc on any calculator you buy, Jitterbug flip phones, landline phones? The buttons on your keyboard were pad printed. Um-hmm. Yeah, I met that guy too. Same place. (called pad printing. it's hard as shit to make a plate). Leaving that one to the Malaysians for now.

I guess what I'm getting at is if we all take the approach like "Why am I getting this from China instead of making this in Saline County (or Catskin)?" 

We started GIG with a $150 heat press off ebay. Granted, it was junk and didn't last more than a few months, but it made money to put into more and better and so on still.

I can't help but believe I'm missing something; that something is staring me right in the face; that my lack of action is going to be my greatest regret. Help me put my head on straight. If YOU have an idea for something (JOHN DUNN, you are excluded from this), pass it on. Tell a friend, tell your loan officer. Tell someone.

Uneventful, I know. That is all. (Sign me Stumped)