INVEST IN YOURSELF

For all those that missed this week's HOTT!! Show, listen in as Slip N Slide's Recording Artist, Atiba, Cool V & Money Mike drop some heavy, click "HERE"

Check out some of this playa's heat:
"Hey Lady": http://www.zshare.net/audio/64225501ac0781c8/
"Where you are dappa" http://www.zshare.net/audio/64641427d48d053e/
"Eighty6" Remix: http://www.zshare.net/audio/6464495108e8026f/

The rule of thumb in investing is, never invest more than 5% of your portfolio in one particular Company or stock. Unless, that company is Yours.

In today's economy, with Greed running wild from Scandal Ridden Corporate Executives, so-called Investment Advisors & Accountants, Banks and Government Officials, how can anyone have trust in the system anymore?

The only Trust we can have nowadays is in our self and our abilities to succeed using the basic fundamentals in building a solid foundation to success.

Getting back to the basics, we must focus on:
1. Establish a Budget
2. Have a Business Plan
3. Build a Team
4. Establish Credit & Cash Reserves
5. Write down your Goals

Establishing a Budget, is the most important starting point for anyone in life, artist, family, business, anyone looking to succeed beyond tomorrow. For more information on how to create a basic budget, here is an excellent link that you can copy and write down & develop for your needs.

http://www.betterbudgeting.com/budgetformsfree-basicbudgeting.htm

Creating a Business Plan, is most often overlooked. Some of the best business plans started from just a napkin. When we hear the word Business Plan, that brings back memories of those tough courses in college or in high school, and it's time to run for the hills. When in fact, a Business Plan is something that will continue to evolve from that napkin or one pager, into more pages and more specifics about your company as time goes on. Let's simplify Business Plan to what is your Plan? If you have a Plan, this will help keep you on track to your Goals, #5.

For those that want to begin understanding & developing your plan, here's an excellent outline to begin with:

http://www.score.org/downloads/Business%20Plan%20for%20Startup%20Business.doc

Building a Team, is very difficult and takes time. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but can everyone be trusted? That is something that takes time. It's easy to say well I trust my mom or dad, or long time friend, but are they who you should be working with? Are they capable of helping you take your business to the next level? The Team you build should have experience, expertise, willingness to sacrifice, and strength in what they do. Never forget; no one will ever get the job done the way you want it done, unless many times you do it yourself. This will require questioning, researching or doing your homework, and willingness to learn from other's mistakes and successes. Remember, Success Breeds Success, we are guilty by association.

Establishing Credit & Cash Reserves, as they say in the Corporate world, without debt you have no credit. What they really mean is, you are many times only judged by how much credit worthiness you have. In today's economy, getting credit is a very difficult thing to do. Banks use to give credit to anyone and everyone, so for those that were able to use their credit wisely and pay off their accounts in a timely manner and purchased only things they could pay for at the end of the month, they are considered credit worthy. Unfortunately, if we listened to those who advised us "never, never use credit" and never established credit and only used cash, you have no credit worthiness, when looking for a loan, a mortgage, business credit, or funding for your company. It is important to build Cash Reserves before investing in anything; you always want to know during a rainy day or tough times that there is money available to keep you out of DEBT. Though it's important to know, as you build your finances and or your business, that building good credit will in time put you in a position of worthiness to your borrower or investor, or whoever that may be, as you can show them that you have a track record and history of credit worthiness, giving them a reason to invest or borrower with you. This DOES NOT mean go out and rack up as much credit as you can, it simply means using it wisely and establishing a history that will give anyone a good reason to work or do business with you.

Writing down your Goals, realize that without Goals, how do you know where you want to be in life? Why would anything matter in life, if you don't have a Vision or your Sights set on your Goals and where you want to be. It's easy to say I want to be worth a million dollars, but when asked HOW WILL YOU GET THERE? It's easy to say I want to be a Rock Star, but when asked HOW WILL YOU MAKE THIS HAPPEN? It's easy to say I want to be Successful, but what is your definition of Success & HOW WILL YOU ATTAIN THIS? Always dream bigger, but make sure you start by putting those Goals in WRITING, and have a plan on how you will get there. When you can go to work everyday and see your Goals in Writing, it will you focus your energies on achieving the Goals set forth. If you believe it, see it, dream it, you will achieve it.

The above topics have been simplified for this discussion only, and they are topics for future more in depth discussions. Simply put, begin to educate yourself, and begin to start asking the same questions, but most importantly put them in writing. Envision and see your dreams everyday by having them in writing, and begin with a Budget and then a Plan on how today will get you closer to your Goals & Dreams.

If you don't begin Investing in Yourself now, when will someone Invest in YOU?