How Will I achieve My Goal?

How am I going to make my $25 per day everyday?

Well I shall start by selling my unwanted goods on eBay.  I know it's not exciting but it will get me started. I also know that it will not be unending source of income, but it will get me some income to start with.

I shall also be selling unwanted goods on Amazon, again it's not exciting but will get me some initial cash.

Both of these income streams will allow me to look at other ways of earning cash online.  My initial thinking is to become a business seller on eBay.  I have briefly looked into this but need to delve deeper.

If this gets done properly I believe this could earn me $100 per day everyday on it's own, but I do not want to put all my eggs in one basket.

I shall also be entering competitions and surveys each week.  This is obviously an unpredictable income source but anything I gain from this will be classed as a bonus.

As I progress through the year I shall keep reviewing my goals and updating this blog to let everyone know how I'm getting on.

Goal Setting & My Major Goal For Next Year

We all set goals all of the time, whether we realise it or not.  There are 2 types of goal, there's the necessary ones and personal ones.

For example, I need to get the kids in fed by 18:30, or I need to finish this report before my meeting.  These goals are necessary goals.  It is necessary to feed the kids (if you don't want to hearing them crying because their hungry), or to finish that report (in order to make your meeting go smoothly).

Personal goals could be, I want to drive a convertible car or live in a wealthier part of town.  These goals are the ones we desire and dream about.  It is these goals we need help with achieving.

To make our desirable goals that much more achievable we need to know how to set them properly.

For each goal I set I use the following criteria -

Goal Name
Deadline
Metrics

For example, my main objective next year is to replace my salary income with income from my online businesses.  I have a clear goal (I want to replace my job salary with my online salary).  I have a deadline (end of 2010) and I have some metrics (I can measure how well I'm doing by comparing my job salary with my online salary).

This main goal is huge and daunting.  Leaving it as it is would seem like climbing up a mountain and in the past I would've either started and stopped at the first obstacle or not started at all because it felt too big.  This year though I broken my main goal into smaller goals.

I've looked into how much I need to earn everyday to be able to replace my job salary.  I have then set a smaller, bite sized, goal which when I achieve that means I'm part way towards my major goal.

For example, I know that to be able to give up working for someone else I need to be able to earn $100 per day everyday.  That to me at the moment seems a lot and very difficult to achieve, however my first smaller goal is to be earning $25 per day by 31st March 2010.

Using my criteria from earlier I have a goal name (earn $25 per day), I have a deadline (31st March 2010) and I have my metrics (will I have $25 per day coming into my account).

I shall be using this technique for all the goals I set myself for next year.

I'm looking forward to the progress I'm going to make next year.

New Year New Start

Ok so it's not quite the new year yet but I have made my New Year resolutions already.  In essence New Year's Resolutions are Aims & Goals by another name.  We just set out to start them at an opportune time, when after all the festivities of Christmas are over and we look forward to a new start.  


This coming year is going to be a big one for me.  I have for too long drifted through life.  It is time to get on the rollercoaster and ride it.  I have been afraid to take action or been easily put off by those around me. It is now time for me to stand up for myself and make things I want to achieve happen.  No-one else is going to do it for me.


Time for me to commit these new goals of mine to virtual paper.

Why Multiple Income Streams?

Until recently I kept trying to use each new product I purchased on it's own. I was trying to achieve the same results the product owners were claiming were possible. When it I didn't achieve these results I would get frustrated or dis-illusioned and give up. I sometimes bought something else instead and started to try that before the other product had been given a chance.
I then read a paragraph in a product I bought which explained why they recommended multiple income streams.

They described the following scenario -

There are 2 companies selling cans of soda. One company has 1 vending machine and charges $1 for their soda. Their machine is in a prime location and sells 1000 units per month. The other company has 10 vending machine and charges 10c per soda, their machines however are in less desirable locations and each machine sells 100 units per month.

Company A = 1 x 1000 @ $1 = $1000

Company B = 10 x 100 @ 10c = $1000

Looking intially Company A sells more units out of its 1 vending machine and maybe is the best option. Now imagine that a vending machine breaks down at each company and it cannot be fixed for a month because they are waiting for a part to arrive.

Company A = 0 x 0 @ $1 = $0

Company B = 9 x 100 @ 10c = $900

Company B is still making money even though they have 1 machine broken. Company A has made no money because they put everything into just 1 machine and that is current broken.
This is the power of multiple income streams. If each stream earns a little then when they are added together they can become alot. If 1 one these income streams no longer makes money then not all our income has been lost.

Where have I been?

I know that I have not posted on here for a long time but my wife recently gave birth to our second child (another little girl and yes she's lovely) and as a result I have not been able to spend any time at the computer. I will be rectifying this now.

I shall update this as often as my girls will let me.

Is Sold, Dispatch Now Worth It?

There are increasing numbers of people who are listing their goods on Amazon through Amazon's Marketplace facility. Amazon's Marketplace is similar to Ebay in that you list your product and wait for someone to purchase it. However unlike Ebay you do not have to pay for the listing upfront. You only pay Amazon once the item is purchased. In fact you do not actually have to give Amazon any money at all as they take their cut from the price paid the buyer of the item sold.

Sold, Dispatch Now! is system designed to help people make money through Amazon's Marketplace facility. It's creator, Sharon Fussell, is not claiming that it will make you rich but you can earn extra cash doing this, and in these troubled times extra cash is always useful.
It takes you through the whole process of using Amazon's Marketplace. From setting up an account, to listing your items, to dispatching your orders. It uses books as examples of the items being sold but pretty much anything can be sold as long as it has a barcode or ISBN number. It also takes you through what to sell and how to find replacement stock.

I purchased this in 2007 and listed a number of books I had read. Within 2 days of listing these books I had sold my first one, I was hooked. I have consistently sold books on Amazon ever since. I have also sold CDs, DVDs and computer games. Some of the computer games were very old (over 8 years old) and they still sold.

Would I recommend this to anyone? Yes I would thoroughly recommend it. In fact I have recommended people sell their items on Amazon rather than Ebay as I find it far easier and friendlier to use.

What Have I Been Successful At Online?

Of all the things that I have tried making money at online the only one I would consider that I have been most successful at is selling items on Amazon.co.uk.

I didn't know that you could sell things through Amazon until I read Sold, Dispatch Now!. I started by selling books and old computer games, and I mean old. I sold a game that was about 8 years old for £25. I have lots of books and I mean lots. I have sold most of the ones I have read now. Which still leaves me approx 200 - 300 still to be read.

It is extremely easy to join and implement that I much prefer it to selling on Ebay.

What Secret Have I Discovered?

In the previous post I mentioned that I had discovered the secret to making money online. Now this secret is not new or big or even clever, it is just what has made everything click for me.

What is this secret?

It is to work out how much I would need to make each day to meet my lifestyle choice. What does this mean?

Well my ultimate goal is to make $5000 per month online. To achieve this I need to make $167 per day online.

My first goal though is to make $100 per week online. To achieve this I need to make $14.50 per day.

$14.50 per day. That doesn't sound too hard does it?

So how do will I achieve my goals, with the other idea that has finally clicked into place. Multiple Income Streams. Again this is not a new idea but it has taken me a long time to fully understand the concept.

What Have I learnt in 2 years online?

I've been trying to make money online for 2 years. I have made money but not consistently. I have been reflecting on why this is recently. In this soul searching I have been very honest. I suffer from a lot of common fears that effect people who are unsuccessful at making money online.

1) I am easily distracted by new offers or products that are promoted. This is a common problem with lots of people who try to make money online and fail.

2) I either do not carry out the instructions in the manuals or do not carry them out to the letter. Again this is another common factor that stops people making money online.

3) I make excuses for not carrying out the instructions. I seem to find other things to do instead of making time to action the latest manual I've bought. Again another common thing that stops people succeeding online.

4) I am afraid of investing more money (once I've bought the manual) as I always see the cost but without the return. This the fear factor kicking in and as is another common trait.

It is only recently that I have discovered the secret to becoming successful online. It is my intention over the next few weeks and months to re-read and take action on these products I've bought. I am determined to make money online and I WILL be successful.

My Eldorado

Hi there, my name is Matt and this first post is setting out what my personal Eldorado is.

I'm 35 (soon to be 36), I'm married to a beautiful woman called Claire and we have 2 beautiful daughters. They are 20 months and 5 days old (at the time of writing). I have been trying, unsuccessfully, for 2 years to change my lifestyle.

There are several reasons for this but mostly it is down to 2 things - 1) I put things off. I'm forever saying to myself "I'll do it tomorrow" and as always tomorrow never comes. There is always something to "get in the way". 2) I keep buying the next big thing. Every time there is a promotion I seem to purchase it. I cannot afford to do that now but I have loads of stuff I've bought but never done anything with.

I am determined that this year I shall meet the targets I set myself. I shall use the information I have already purchased and will put into practice the actions that others have used to change their lifestyle.

So that's a little bit of background, but what is my personal Eldorado? For me it is to be able to 1) Work from home and 2) Earn a minimum of $5000 per month. These are the minimum standards I want. As time progresses my Eldorado may change, but these are the basic 2 things I want to achieve, everything after that is a bonus.

Everyone has their own Eldorado and each one is different. This blog is my record of how I will get to mine. It will include all the successes and failures, all the ups and downs, and hopefully will be an inspiration or help to others who wish to make the journey to their own Eldorado.