Here is something that has been nagging at me in the back in of my head for quite sometime. It might be today because well Im a bit hung over from Darts night with the boys, but here goes. Funny thing is garry has been on the war path about something very similar. And I do believe he is right. Read this post for an idea of where I am at with this. make money by shutting your mouth

Ok here goes. Im a plumber by trade, pretty good one too. NOw typically when someone calls me up, usually by referal or what not, and always in the evening, What I tell them is this, Im 94.5/hr after hours with 1 hr travel at 94.5/hr, so the knock on the door is 195$ and if you want me to take a day off of work the rate is 72/hr, usually scares people off.

Hell I dont want to work at night I have better things to do, like this

So usually I get a response of wow thats expensive.
And I tell them out right yeah but Im good at what I do and guarantee my work. So its up to you.
Then comes a bit of shocked anger well why shouldnt I just look in the paper,
me: go ahead and do that but remember you called me.
Them: do you give free quotes ,
me : nope I charge 150 bux to come look.
Them: really:,
me: yeah my time and knowledge is worth money
them: most plumbers give free quotes.
me: true but honestly I dont need the business.
Them: if I pay you 150 bux will you do the job?.
me: depends on you after you see my quote.

That selfish mindset of mine got me an 8000 reno which took all of about 20 hrs. Mind you I did the whole thing top to bottom dry wall hardwood and tile, (outsourced it to 3 friends).
No I dont let customers buy their own fixtures because I’ll be forced to come back and service their sh!t products.
I go high end all the way I know what works what doesnt work and I dont deviate from that list of products. You want kohler? Um no , but I’ll sell you moen at the same price. Kohler has a 4-8 week order time on service parts, moen I can get in 45 mins, but I’ll take your 1500 dollars nonetheless.

Now quite often that isnt the case and Ive only knuckled down on this as of late. See in the past it was come look for free, and I wouldnt get the job, because they would have their buddy or local handy man do the job. Which is sort of funny because I was asked to go do a service call by a lost bid and I blatantly told them I wouldn’t service them because I didn’t get their job, anyways.

Work for food?

So yesterday afternoon a buddy calls me up asks me to come over for a bbq, so I do then while Im there he goes on to explain that hes “thinking of renovating his master bathroom” I was like oh god here it comes butter me up with a bbq huh, screw that. Then hes like wanna come and have a look? I’m like ummm get your check book out its gonna cost you, he smirks and laughs , I told him Im serious man, I charge. Anyways I ate his food and drank his beer left and went and played darts.
Sure I sort irked him but know what A bbq doesn’t feed my family… money does.

And I dont work for friends anymore anyways. “oh I know a friend who is a plumber he’ll give you a good price” WTF !!!! I don’t think so, and dont refer me out like that.

SO yes you have to money orientated.

Point is some people expect something for nothing. Usually information and the net is particularly bad for that.
Ive watched my out going links being hijacked and lost sales as so many others have. Strange thing is that it seems like these types don’t want you to make money providing a service but ask for advice in return? Peeves me off.

SO Where does the free line stop and the paid line begin?

Look the long edn to a short story is like this, Find a niche where people are freaking desperate for help. Aren’t familiar with the whole IM thing, and dont really know what adsense is, stay out of the geek, and MMO, blogging, and tech area. And you’ll make money.

What is your purpose

My purpose is to help people but not at my expense. I know people have problems and lots of them and don’t have answers and I feel for those people, I really do, despite my rough exterior I’m a pretty sensitive guy and can feel compassion for people with problems.

Hell I have friends bringing them to me on a weekly basis. Like I’m sort of sage,
why probably because I don’t judge I just listen. We humans do way to much talking and not enough listening. Try just shutting your big yap and putting aside your selfish desire to be right and imparted half baked rumour and information and swallow your ego, and you’ll be shocked and amazed at what people will tell you. I hold so many friend and family secrets its just nuts really. I know stuff about friends and family that they don’t tell their own wives or moms and friends and husbands and whom ever else.
Just because I give a shit about them

Funny thing is if you’re smart you’ll be making mental notes then run home and start researching that problem and in short order you’ll have a some good content to build a niche blog around.

If your purpose isn’t to help anyone other than just yourself you’re in the wrong business.

And yes that help should cost or come with some cost and yes you should be providing some value for what you’re offering.
Discovering your purpose isnt a big thing, just be honest about who you are and what you want from life and your happiness will follow as a natural extension of that, but here is the rub you have to go do it.

People are so busy trying to find happiness like its something they misplaced like its an object and maybe just maybe that next e-book will be it, that next piece of software will be it.

Know what my short answer to that is: all the happiness you WILL EVER FIND is inside of you.

• Stop being object oriented,
• objects don’t make you happy,
• others opinions of you wont make you happy,
• stop being other oriented and start being self oriented, because you and only you will make you happy.

So often I hear my friends (single ones anyways) say they “want someone to make them happy” (dating niche) another person will never make you happy and another person will never make you feel anything, unless you give away all your personal power to another.
LOL Im way off on a tangent arent I
Not happy with where you are today, guess what if you dont make another choice about that you’ll be in the same place tomorrow.
This is going to sound bad but I believe it to be true. Nature punishes weakness and if you give your personal power to another person or invest it in something external to you then you will be punished. The whacked thing is you’re in control of that.

Money is energy and needs to flow in order to grow.

Here is how. You have to have a healthy set of personal boundaries. You have to have a sense of your own personal worth and  if you don’t then you’re going to have a hard time making a living and thus punished by your own weaknesses.

Dont sell youself short NEVER EVER EVER.
Is your product worth 97 bux? if yes sell it for that, if it isn’t then make it worth it. You have to be honest with yourself really you do.

Because if you are then your copy will reflect that and people will spend that.