There is Gold Inside You

INTRODUCTION

Rarely a day goes by without banks, governments or the media reminding us of the endless list of problems related to financial, economic, and social crises. The emotional bombardment we suffer leads us towards disappointment, exasperation, despondency and an almost pessimistic vision of our future. This book is aimed at turning around that negative dynamic which we are encountering in our lives, and is addressed towards men and women of any age, be they students, employees, freelancers, professionals, entrepreneurs or disgruntled business people in search of alternatives.

It certainly feels at times like the world around us is falling apart and that our financial capacity is getting worse by the day. We need look no further than our close circle of friends and family to see that the companies we work for and even the public institutions that ‘guaranteed’ a certain security, can no longer assure of us of this anymore. It is also clear that even the most powerful businesses and multinational household names are undergoing more radical structural changes, reshufflings, mergers or acquisitions and leading to hundreds or thousands of job losses.

You don’t need to have detailed knowledge of either history or different economic theories to know that economic cycles, with their peaks and troughs, are precisely that - cycles - which repeat periodically. What we don’t know however, is the extent of those cycles and how long those peaks and troughs can last.

Therefore, governments and public administrations, as well as different economies (national or household) can only create tools to help them survive, with the least social impact possible. What we cannot forget is that we live in a constant process of evolutionary change, where it is not possible to precisely foresee the conditions of each economic cycle, or its consequences, duration and socio-economic impact on businesses, employment, salaries and so on.

How have previous generations overcome and survived during these periods? We can find the answer by studying the processes of generating workflow and capital, and by demographic movements (immigration, emigration). Governments, administrations and institutions can only maintain a certain degree of social peace and impose certain measures to improve stability to a greater or lesser extent and for a relative amount of time.

The viability of our personal and household economies cannot and should not be dependent on the venerated welfare state, which we have so blindly trusted in until now, as if it were both omnipotent and eternal. Globalization has challenged and will continue to challenge the viability of the systems of many advanced economies, which traditionally used to set the rules, mechanisms and systems for worldwide economic stability.

However, the whole system of governments, administrations, and international organizations sometimes fail and the created fail-safes unravel. Dependence on the immediate socio-economic environment is no longer valid.

It is time to think globally, acting on a personal level. It is time to identify, analyze and leverage your most distinctive personal abilities and skills, using the talent and knowledge you possess to be successful. It is only from this basis that you can create a value generating system that will enable you to produce income which is resistant to crises, recessions, or instability in the banking sector or in government institutions.

It is in everyone’s interest to review their level of competitiveness, capacity to generate value and understanding of the markets. You must learn to package and sell your "personal value" at a universal level and develop your own personal entrepreneurial machine for generating unique universal value.

This book will bring you closer to understanding that your financial independence is intimately linked to the capacity of knowing how to create constant value and propagating this in the most efficient way possible.

What have merchants been doing since the Phoenician and ancient Greek times? Initially trading along the Mediterranean and then, in line with more advanced cultures, taking their products and value services to other more distant locations in the Far East and Asia, as well as the Americas. The same happened to settlers and merchants all across America and the Wild West.

You must aim to be more efficient than the national system that you depend on or in which you carry out your activities (market, government, institutions, etc.); otherwise if it goes down, it will take you down too.

The journey we are proposing in this book is intense, challenging and long, but the proposed system is highly productive, profitable and generates huge economic potential. Having reached this point, financial independence is in your hands and it is well worth all the efforts. Nothing is easy, but then again, who wants nothing?

Among many areas that we will cover, we are also going to explore how the concept of generating entrepreneurial value is within everyone’s grasp.

Finally, you must understand that this book is aimed at the general public, at anyone with the will to nurture their "personal entrepreneurial machine for generating unique value", both in their immediate environment and at an international level. Financial independence is within the grasp of whoever genuinely sets out to seek it, develop and grow it.

This book attempts to be as practical and pragmatic as possible based as it is on theories, but also on years of our combined personal experience and the experience of many other entrepreneurs, professional freelancers and business people across all kinds of sectors, both national and foreign.

We try to offer you clear, simple, practical concepts, getting rid of all the chaff contained in the typical textbook or the rhetoric of the self-help book, which is so distant from day-to-day life.

The information we provide here is the fruit of years of personal experience working across very diverse sectors in different countries and environments, which has given us a clearer view of what is going on, not just on a specific national level, but in a more globalised environment (what we call supranational).

Nowadays, not everything can be looked at from a purely local or fully global perspective. By combining both, you can envision situations and possibilities from different perspectives and environments and open your mind when you begin your entrepreneurial venture.

Part of the book will cover everything you need to know to become financially free; later on it will also cover the personal development side of your journey, both go hand in hand. You cannot become successful unless you master your internal world and who you are. You can also not become successful until you fully understand the world in which you are living and how to leverage the opportunities around you.

Begin to read this book as if you were a sailor, a merchant, an aspiring entrepreneur, a pioneer or a warrior in search of a cause - your cause – which is: To generate huge market value in the most universal manner possible, in order to be able to achieve personal and financial independence.

Welcome to the world of logic, reason and method, applying entrepreneurial generating value systems necessary for financial independence.

Now YOU are the ultimate money making machine!

INDEX

Introduction

PART I THE ENVIRONMENT AND YOUR UNIQUE VALUE

1 - The Road To Awareness

2 - The Need for Innovation and Constant Value Generation

3 - Establishing Your Desired Professional and Personal Lifestyle

4 - The Search for New Skills & Personal Talents

5 - Creating Real Value with Local, National & Universal Potential

6 - Principles of Financial Independence

PART II YOUR UNIQUE GROWING VALUE ON THE MARKET

7 - Planning Your Road Map to Reach Success in Life

8 - The Globalisation of Your Venture for Generating Value

9 - Understanding the Markets where You Will Succeed

10 - Transforming a Value Concept In a Business Concept

PART III YOUR UNIQUE VALUE AS A BUSINESS AND SOURCE OF INCOME

11 - Methods to Generate Recurring Passive Income

12 - Constant Improvement to Your Value Generation System

13 - Basic Sales Plan & Financial Projections

14 - Promoting Your Personal Brand & Your Value Machinery

15 - A Structured Lifestyle Based on Solid Foundations

PART IV FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE AS A WAY OF LIFE

16 - Various Aspects of Growth

17 - Various Personal Economic & Financial Aspects

18 - Goal Setting for Success

PART V ROADMAP TO PERSONAL FREEDOM

19 - Opening Your Mind to the World

20 - Tips and Ideas - Bringing More Light to Your Venture

21 - In Summary - The Paths to Personal & Financial Success

ANNEXURE

Annexure 1

Annexure 2

Annexure 3

Annexure 4

About the Authors

PART I

THE ENVIRONMENT AND YOUR UNIQUE VALUE

Chapter 1

When you look around, you will see that there are three types of people: the professional wage earner, the freelancer, and the entrepreneur for small, medium or large businesses. These three groups live in local, national and international environments and a small percentage in globalised or multinational environments. The visions of these three groups are very different.

Personal success can certainly be achieved at a local level. There are those who have had great success in the past and will continue to do so in the future. However, the constantly shifting situation due to the consequences of globalization is gradually modifying basic local economic principles; times are certainly changing in the business world.

You only need to take a trip to your local supermarket or shopping mall and see that the products on offer are not only local and what comes from other countries, might even be cheaper, more evolved, perhaps higher quality and possess a better value for money ratio.

When you turn on the TV, take part in social networks, or use any search engine, you encounter offers for products and services from other countries. However much you may oppose it, you have to face up to the influence of what is going on in the outside world.

The intention here is not to dissuade those who are successful in local business or professional activities from pursuing their vision. We encourage those who intend to launch a new venture to look outwards, study what succeeds beyond local borders in order to create, adapt and thrive in your future business venture.

For those who are reading this book with the intention of genuinely changing their approach to life and reaching financial independence, it is essential to have a good understanding of what is going on in your immediate vicinity and also, what influences you externally.

The greater the competition from the outside is, the higher the level of service and quality, the better the design, the stronger the performance or the lower the pricing will be, etc. Therefore, how are these national companies forced to react? They are forced to reduce costs, outsource processes, innovate and adapt to the new challenges of demand and the pressures of supply. Globalization is not only affecting companies and governments, but also you.

Unfortunately, even though it is a bitter pill to swallow, some of the current welfare structures created by our governments and institutions could become non-viable. Some are already bankrupt or in their death throes while others are being fundamentally restructured. In spite of all the protests and outcry, the processes of reorganization have already begun with massive cut-backs and there’s no going back now. It is essential that each individual considers long and hard that no one here is going to save you or your family unless you save yourself, because we are clearly moving into different times.

This is not scaremongering or over-dramatizing, but a socio-economic reality, and however unfair it may seem, given the welfare state you may have become accustomed to over the last few decades, either you react in time or you could find yourself in a position of financial suffering. Even if you live in a stable country with a solid economy and a low unemployment rate, don´t underestimate the economic cycles that affect entire countries and regions along the decades.

Neither the financial systems, nor the governments are going to take pity on you. At the very most, international institutions will help some ailing economies, but rarely you. Your own salvation and financial independence depends on your own worth, skills, intelligence, and to a great extent, your capacity to see into the future and adapt to change.

We are not focusing on the negative, but merely showing the current situation as it is; times are changing and the sooner you can accept it and leverage your opportunities in this world, the sooner you will be personally and financially free. Don’t view this information as something daunting; see it as an opportunity.

How does all this affect employees, freelancers, professionals or entrepreneurs? Well, in the same way we mentioned previously for businesses, failure to adapt to these changes means giving way to those who are better prepared, more flexible and faster. At the same time, you have an opportunity to jump onto the band wagon and take the reins of your financial future.

The speed of the current marketplace, boosted by new communication systems and technology, the influence of emerging nations (BRICS), immigration, and cheap products and services flooding the market, does not leave us much choice: either adapt or perish.

In other less dramatic terms, companies that fail to adapt and react may fold and your job may disappear. You also need to react and adapt at a personal level to secure your own future. Ultimately, whoever can offer the highest value at the best price tailored to the market, will survive. This is the law of supply and demand.

We have referred to the word ‘adapting’ frequently in the above introduction, so what does the term adaptation really mean in this context? It is about identifying your most finely-honed skills and talents, leveraging your knowledge, identifying your place in the market and knowing how to package your product or service according to existing demand.

It also means searching for opportunities in global markets, in whatever language necessary through the most suitable channel. Companies are not the only way to channel values, talent or expertise anymore. The Internet, international organizations, associations, and personal networks all offer ways to achieve this as well.

Doesn’t this all sound a bit devastating and over the top? You may think so, but it is what companies, entrepreneurs and employees in the United States have been doing for decades, moving from one state to another depending on where the opportunities arise. The same has happened in Europe, not only during historically prominent periods of migration, but between different social classes over recent decades, moving between villages and cities and often to nearby countries. The difference now is that you can export your best competencies by travelling, moving to different cities, or offering products, services and skills by means of virtual markets.

We must not confuse terminology. We are not saying that social struggle, or fighting for fairer national social and economic systems, or fighting for your job within a company, is unnecessary; this is not our intention.

Look out there, take stock, understand what is coming; plan and act before it’s too late. Movements such as those experienced across many European and North American capitals throughout 2012 and 2013 in favor of fairer systems are taken into account by politicians and national administrations. At the end of the day however, the ones who have to foot the bill, pay the mortgage or a bank loan for example, are each and every one of us.

Social struggles, international bailouts or government cash injections into financial structures won’t help you when your house is repossessed or your accounts are frozen. What is really pivotal is your individual capacity to generate sustained and recurring monthly income.

On the personal side of this, we would like to emphasize the importance of feeling good about yourself and your ability to create your financial freedom. Unfortunately, due to shifting markets and societies, individualism, loss of values, and a newfound disdain on behalf of companies for their greatest asset (their staff and associates), to name a few, has left many people feeling unprotected, disoriented and lost.

This does not have to be the case, however, as the situation is neither terminal nor so drastic, but you do need to recover that spirit of the adventurers, settlers and colonizers of other times. Success is up to you, and with this book we will help you to identify that value, method and system for achieving your financial independence. Look at this as an opportunity to revamp your life, both personally and professionally.

You may be asking yourself; how can I plan anything when I am overloaded with obligations at work, family commitments and so many other pressures? This is a valid question, because there are still only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. If you are unemployed or your obligations have not pushed you to your economic or emotional limits, you may be able to find the necessary time. In any case, sooner or later you need to make the time to plan and take action to avoid being in a situation where you could be unemployed or on the verge of bankruptcy.

Remember, the times of crisis and recession are not new in the history of our countries, but are part of the evolutionary cycles of our societies. We should therefore learn to deal with them, learning from past lessons and changing our perspectives, procedures and attitudes as we develop the basis for a personal and social future of constant improvement.

J.F. Kennedy summed it up perfectly in his inaugural speech as 35th President of the United States in January 1961: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country". And in this book we are adding to that phase: What can you do for yourself; that you can then do for your country?

Chapter 2

We refer to three types of people in Chapter I; employees, freelancers and entrepreneurs. From a different angle, we can also add that "there are another three types of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened" (anonymous, but used by Mary Kay Ash, an American entrepreneur).

Of all these groups, we hope you are within the first, or at least in the second group, but wanting to change things. We are going to touch on this issue because it is essential for your economic success and your financial independence. To succeed you must form part of the first group: those who make things happen.

In order to make things happen in your personal and professional life, you need a high degree of consciousness and understanding of the outside world, both in your immediate and global environment.

As your aim is to achieve personal and financial independence, you need to be able to constantly generate value, since it is the essence of your personal venture: creating the personal entrepreneurial machine to generate unique value and innovation. This constant process, which in other more technical fields is known as open innovation, requires looking beyond your immediate environment and your borders.

You need to ask yourself what is new, what is necessary, what do other cultures and people from around the world use, wear, eat, produce or expect from services and products? If the most innovative companies in the world do this to be competitive (3M®, Procter & Gamble - P&G®, Unilever®, Dupont®, etc.) we have no choice, but to do the same on a different dimension and scale.

This process is what helps to generate unique value, which as you will see later on, applied across time, place, format, market and promotion, can become profitable and transform into a system that generates recurring income.

The more unique and special the value created and offered, and the more universal and recurring it is, the greater your potential for financial independence will be. For example, the founder of IKEA®, Ingvar Kamprad, demonstrated unique capacity in developing the concept of the budget flat-pack furniture easily assembled by the client. Furniture was very common, but the affordable price, variety of options, and the convenient system developed to assemble it, made it unique in its field.

Velcro® or Post-It® (3M) were unique in their fields, as were pizza deliveries, catalogue mail-order, and so on with many other easy to understand concepts. Regarding the concept of universality, what is important is that the created value is tailored to different environments, contexts or places, thus facilitating their growth and commercialization inside and outside local, national, and international environments.

In the pyramid chart that follows, you can see from the bottom to top how knowledge and creativity flow towards the most evolved phases of innovation. You can observe how from a very basic data collection phase, via our senses, we begin to structure ideas and concepts. These together with experience and copying existing ideas, shift over to the creative phase of initial innovation. It is then; if tenacity, time, and resources are in place, that we will move on to innovation for improvement (or evolution), the precursor to major breakthroughs. Finally, we reach the summit which leads us to the most important discoveries.

The process below happens naturally and it is how the human brain has helped human kind to get better at regular life activities. From the bottom of the pyramid, you can see the different stages of how the mind processes, understands, comes to conclusions and eventually leads to creativity in a natural way. For some people this process comes easier than others, some people might only reach the know-how. The point is that our minds naturally lead us along the road of innovative thinking, that is, if we allow it. Based on this, we can now replicate the same