The Importa - Issue 3

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CONTENTS 8

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JIM CARREY: ETERNAL SUNSHINE, DESPITE THE ODDS

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LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS

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6 DO’S AND DON’TS OF A MILLIONAIRES MINDSET

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THE BIG PICTURE WITH STEPHEN J. CANNELL

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10 BUSINESS BLOGGERS YOU MUST FOLLOW

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24 A SNEAK PEAK AT

WHERE RICH BUSINESS OWNERS VACAY

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28 IMPORTING IDEAS

FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX

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GOT A GREAT IMPORTING IDEA: COMMON MISTAKES IN IMPORTING PRODUCTS FOR RESALE

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35 DECLUTTER YOUR

HOUSE AND YOUR MIND

30 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Advertising Enquiries

editor@theimportamagazine.com

Published By: READ PUBLISHING Distributed By: READ PUBLISHING Designed By: READ PUBLISHING

Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by READ PUBLISHING. Links outside of this publication are provided for user convenience and do not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by READ PUBLISHING. The publisher or any of the editors, writers or contributors will not accept responsibility or liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication.

All material submitted is at the owners risk and while every care will be taken the publisher does not accept liability for loss or damage.

No person, organization or party can copy or re-produce the content on this site and or magazine or any part of this publication without a written consent from the editors’ panel and the author if the content, as applicable.

The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights with regards to copyright of their work.

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The Importa F RO M T H E E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F M AT T B U C H E L

Also in this issue: Welcome to the third issue of The Importa. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to check it out. In this issue, we’re hitting you with real world advice to help you on your business journey.

As you flick through the pages, make sure you check out the rags to riches story about Jim Carrey and his inspirational journey of determination, positive thinking and strength.

In the same vein, Steve Cannell failed in school and lost a football scholarship, but somehow forged his path to become one of television’s most prolific writers and television series creators and a highly skilled businessman. Read the tale of his rise to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

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1. Do’s and don’ts of a millionaire mindset 2. Importing ideas from outside the box 3. Common mistakes in importing products for resale 4. Where do rich business owners vacay?

5. Business bloggers you need to know about We hope you get a tonne of tips and stacks of ideas to help you smash it on your journey in business.

Remember to follow us on Instagram @ theimportamagazine to stay up to date and read more great content in-between issues.

Matt

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ETERNAL SUNSHINE, DESPITE THE ODDS

Jim Carrey

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tarting your own business can leave you fraught with doubt.

What if I fail? Who is going to buy my products? Can I pay my mortgage this month? Working for yourself has so many upsides, but sometimes these doubts become overwhelming.

When times get tough, it’s important to remember there is no such thing as failure, only feedback. Sometimes, life doesn’t go your way.

Adversity can strike when you are least expecting it, or there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. You want to escape the rat race and forge your own path to pursue what makes you happy, but niggling thoughts of confusion and concern prevail. If this is you, rest assured, you are not alone. This is all part of the road to entrepreneurship and it need not be a negative. Instead, these doubts make you stronger, more in control and more determined to rise up through the difficulties and create a business you are truly proud of. www.theimportamagazine.com

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When times get tough, it’s important to remember there is no such thing as failure, only feedback.

It’s hard to believe, but even the most successful people in this world have had their personal challenges. One such story is comedian Jim Carrey, who we know and love for his slapstick humour, rubber-like face and broad grin that warms the heart of young and old. Carrey embodies the ‘rags-to-riches’ cliché perfectly and is inspirational in his determination, positive thinking and strength of will that lead him from being homeless to worth over $150 million.

James Eugene Carrey was born to a middleclass Canadian family in January 1962.

His father was an accountant and his mother stayed at home to look after their four children. Life was ticking along fine, until Carrey’s father lost his job. The family moved into a farmhouse at a factory, where his father then worked as a security guard.

Jim was in his early teens at this point and helped the family make ends meet by working as a janitor with his siblings at night after

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attending school during the day. By 15, he quit school and worked as a security guard himself. Unfortunately, the family later had to leave the farmhouse and were forced to live in their Volkswagen bus for a time.

Despite the hardship, Carrey had found a passion for comedy. His parents were very supportive, with his father helping him put together his acts and driving him to gigs wherever possible. He began performing stand-up at age 14 at the YukYuk in Toronto, but was not welcomed with a supportive crowd. He did not give up though. At age 17, he returned to the YukYuk stage with a polished act and the response was much more positive. This was the start of his career.

Positive thinking is said to have played a huge role in helping Carrey move forward.

He would visualise success at every opportunity, and even wrote himself a $10

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million check to bank a decade later. He did make his goal, and this symbolic cheque was placed in his father’s casket in 1994 in tribute to dreams becoming reality.

As a new comedian on the circuit, Carrey moved to Los Angeles and continued to perfect his act, performing wherever he could – often for free – to boost his experience and contacts. He eventually caught the attention of fellow comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who invited Carrey to work with him on tour. Dangerfield brought Carrey to Las Vegas, from where he relocated to Hollywood.

As time went on and his contacts and his skills progressed, Carrey set his sights even higher – to move on from stand-up and break into the film and television industry.

Carrey landed his first major acting role was Damon Wayans in Earth Girls are Easy (1988), where Wayans was so impressed, he scored Carrey an audition on his brother’s show In Living Colour.

Carrey become a hit on the show and preformed regularly for four seasons.

In 1993, Carrey debuted on ‘The Tonight Show’, and the scripts started pouring in. His unique

style and over-the-top expressions made for memorable characters in 1994’s Ace Ventura, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber. The following year, he played the Riddler in Batman Forever. In 1996, he was reportedly the first actor to bank $20 million for a movie, starring as Ernie “Chip” Douglas in The Cable Guy. From here, the movies kept coming, including Liar Liar, Me, Myself and Irene, Bruce Almighty and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, to name a few.

In addition, Carrey has used his wealth and fame to give back to the community through various charitable pursuits, such as Comic Relief for St Jude Christian Research Hospital, the Better You Foundation, and the National Veteran Foundation.

From living in a van and working security at age 15 to help feed his family, to now a respected, well-known and highly successful actor, Jim Carrey offers hope for us all. We may not ever be worth $150 million, but we all have it within us to strive for our own version of success and a happy, fulfilled life both in business and beyond.

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LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS 7 of the world’s most extravagant toys for grown ups

By Matt Buchel

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o the wealthy really have champagne in their cereal and massages on private jets? Seeing how the other half (or 2%) live can not only be interesting, but inspiring. It can encourage us to work harder to be able to

partake in some of the luxuries that the wealthy enjoy. Here’s some inspiration to start working for yourself and earn the big bucks - some of the craziest and most expensive toys of the super rich.

The DTV Shredder Meet the skateboard motorbike that costs way more than your average car.

Priced at a whopping USD 120,000, the DTV shredder is a dual-tracked off-road vehicle with two tank treads, jet ski-like controls and the potential to conquer almost any terrain. It’s not just the rich who are into this vehicle - but the royals too.

The prince of Dubai and his two brothers had theirs super-charged with custom aircraft engines!

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Courtesy of Facebook

iPad 2 - Gold Edition The rich and famous don’t just have Apple products, they have Apple products encrusted with gold and diamonds and worth millions of dollars. The iPad 2 Gold edition was created by London based designer, Stuart Hughes, and sells for over 8 million dollars.

The device is made of 24k gold, with the Apple logo on the back encrusted with 53 internally flawless diamonds totalling 12.5 carats. The frame is made from the oldest rock in the world, Ammolite, and is finished off with a single cut 8.5-carat flawless diamond inlaid in its own platinum surround with 12 outer flawless diamonds. Bling factor: HIGH.

Personal Submarine

Courtesy of www.seamagine.com

This invention is literally a submarine that can fully submerge under water and can fit up to six adults in it. Ride around the reefs in style in the submersible technology that has been in the making for over 20 years and can reach a depth of 1500 metres. Sure, a personal submarine sound super fun, but keep in mind that one will set you back approx five million dollars.

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Miniature Custom Raceways Who said toy race cars were just for little kids?

Plenty of rich adults like them too. Slot Mods have created electric race tracks that are mini versions of some of the world’s most famous tracks, like Indianapolis, Le Mans and Monaco.

The tracks pay attention to detail, featuring such as details as pint-sized buildings, spectators and even camera crews. However, precision comes at a price - some of these electric race tracks can cost as much as USD 500,000.

Iguana Yacht Sure, the rest of us may have to tow our boats out of the water and load it onto the car to drive back home. But, the rich don’t need to worry about going to the effort. Cue: the Iguana Yacht. The 30 foot vessel has legs which will take you from sea to shore. It can drive up to 40 knots in the sea and then walk onto land.

But the extravagance of the Iguana Yacht doesn’t end there; it can also be decked out with 24-karat gold-plated trim, exotic wood and custom leather seats.

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6 DO’S AND DON’TS OF ADOPTING A MILLIONAIRE MINDSET

By Matt Buchel

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t’s no secret that becoming a millionaire takes hard work, ambition, skill and perseverance. However, studies have shown that most millionaires - and billionaires - have another quality that affects their wealth to; a certain mindset. Successful, wealthy people have been found to have strong, positive beliefs about themselves and their mindset towards the attainment of their financial goals. It’s the way that they approach situations and the attitude they have towards these situations that makes them successful. Here, we explore some behaviourism’s that financially successful people often adopt.

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DO: WORK TOWARD BIG GOALS

DON’T: PLAY THE VICTIM

Rather than checking things off their to-do list or watching the clock and counting down the minutes until lunch or home time, rich people work towards bigger goals. It doesn’t matter to them whether it’s 10am in the morning or 9pm at night, they’re working to accomplish bigger goals rather than time watching - they’re at work to make a difference.

But, not only do they set goals at work, but also for their personal life and when they’re close to completing one goal, they’re already considering the next.

Millionaires take responsibility for their own actions. Rather than shifting the blame to someone else when something goes wrong, successful people own up to their mistakes, learn from them and study them to figure out how they can improve next time. Not only does playing the victim mean that you’ll never learn and improve yourself from your mistakes, but it will also bring a lot of negativity in your life, something that successful people don’t waste time on.

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DO: FOCUS ON INVESTING Millionaires use their money to make more money. While whittling away a few dollars here and there is going to make your savings account grow and keep you financially ‘safe’, it’s not going to make you rich by any means. Financially successful people make sure that they are making enough money so that they can invest money while still having savings to back them up.

DON’T: WORK BY THE HOUR Rich people don’t limit themselves to a measly, hourly pay. They know that the amount of time and effort they put into working towards goals is a lot more valuable than the time of someone who’s just clock watching. For this reason their worth is measured by success, not time.

When a financially successful person launches a new product and it’s a huge hit or closes a massive deal, they will get a huge monetary returning, whereas if the deal doesn’t close or the product fails, they won’t receive anything, and they will take responsibility for that.

DO: ADOPT AN ACTION MENTALITY In order to be successful, one must understand that your own success is in no-one else’s hands except for yours.

Poor people believe that life happens to you, while rich people take the responsibility of their own future seriously, and shape it to take a successful path that they picture. The reality is that everyone will have their fair share of bad breaks, but if you are proactive in controlling your own life instead of reactively responding, the bad breaks don’t break you.

DON’T: BE A KNOW-IT-ALL Millionaires are obviously successful people, but most don’t actually adopt the mindset that they know everything. In order to continue growing their wealth, millionaires must constantly be learning and improving their businesses, so it’s important that they are open to improving themselves. Asking questions and listening to what others say are imperative skills in self growth, and in turn in financial growth too.

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1 What is a Business-in-a-Box? It’s a turnkey business opportunity where everything you need to get up and running quickly and easily is done for you.

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The Big Picture Stephen J. Cannell WRITER, BUSINESS M A N, T V M O G U L

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hen people think of Stephen J. Cannell they think of a man who cemented himself as one of Television’s most prolific writers and series creators of shows such as “The Rockford Files”, “Wiseguy”, “The A-Team” and “The Greatest American Hero”. They don’t necessarily think of Stephen J. Cannell as a businessman but an entrepreneur he was and quite frankly one of the best in the business!

The irony is that the great Stephen J. Cannell pretty much failed in school and lost a football scholarship at the University of Oregon due to severe dyslexia and an appalling academic

record but this did not deter the man.

Discovering a talent for writing whilst in college he decided to try and break into television writing. Cannell quickly worked out that he had a real knack for the job. He played to his strengths and that was that he was quick and dependable and wasn’t afraid of hard work.

From his early works on shows like “Toma” and “It Takes a Thief”, Cannell quickly became a hugely successful television writer most favourably known in the industry for his incredible work ethic and prolific out put of work. As his star began to rise he was not afraid

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to take on more demanding ideas and write more serious work like scripts for the notoriously challenging “Columbo.”

After over a decade working at the University lot, Cannell decided that he was going to go out on his own and start his own production company so with the help of his lawyer Ken Ziffren Stephen J. Cannell Prods was formed.

He wanted to work for himself and be his own boss. He wanted more than just royalties. He wanted to own the rights to his own work.

Cannell quickly proved to be savvy and skilled businessman and a rare breed of entrepreneur who was not afraid to back and bet on himself. He knew his skill set, had a powerful work ethic, a passion for the profession he was in and proved to have a very sharp brain for business.

Cannell was a forward thinker, a problem solver and a man who thought outside the box.

One of Cannell proudest professional achievements was that he and his wife Marcia were the sole owners of their production company. They built the business from the ground up with no external backing or investors. The cash flow he generated was his own.

He was not playing with anyone else’s money so the buck stopped with him

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and the responsibility for success lay squarely on his shoulders.

Stephen J. Cannell Prods evolved into Cannell Entertainment and then later Cannell Studios. Stephen J. Cannell and Mvarcia Cannell remained sole owners of the production houses until they sold to New World Entertainment in 1995 for a cool $30 million.

So what was the secret to Stephen J. Cannell’s phenomenal success? How did a severely dyslexic television writer become one of the most successful creative entrepreneurs in the business rivalled only by the likes of Aaron Spelling and Norman Lear?

In an article for Success Magazine titled Character Development by Michelle Medley, Cannell shared a series of footnotes to success – his advice on how to get to the top!

Stephen J. Cannell’s Footnotes to Success Lighten up. Don’t take yourself so seriously that you can’t grow.

You can create business opportunities for yourself if you’re willing to bet on yourself.

Pour energy into your career, and it will make a difference.

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When you hire somebody, make sure they share your emotional philosophy and your human philosophy. Don’t get somebody who has a different take on what is right and wrong.

It’s better to be underpaid. You won’t be the first one fired when times are bad.

Finish what you start. Broken manuscripts teach you nothing.

Avoid saying no to an idea when you’re on the room. Always bring it back to the den and kick it around before you throw it out in the sand.

Hire people who are better than you, the secret to being successful.

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Don’t just play safe. Don’t just throw your fastball. Get out there and really mix it up.

The joy must be in the doing. If you’re focused on awards, on money, you’re in the wrong place.

Decide what you want to do. Don’t let other people grade your paper.

Root for your friends.

Refuse to fail. Keep smiling, keep punching. Don’t quit on your dreams.

Great advice from a man who went from being a studio writer to the head of a television empire.

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10 BUSINESS BLOGGERS You Must Follow

By Matt Buchel

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usiness experts are constantly nagging about how important it is to listen to educational podcasts and books to learn the perfect ways to grow a successful business. But growing a business is a busy lifestyle and sometimes there isn’t enough time to sit down and read a book or listen to a podcast. There is an alternative to this time consuming problem and that is blogs.

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Here are 10 Successful Business Bloggers that won’t waste your time.

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SMART PASSIVE INCOME smartpassiveincome

The Smart Passive Income is a great blog page for anyone who has a need to start a business, but is unsure if it will work. The blog is filled with experiments to find out what works and what doesn’t work well online.

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AMY PORTERFIELD AmyPorterfield

Amy has some awesome tips about how to grow a business on Facebook, using listings, email marketing and other strategies.

She constantly updates her feed with new information - excellent for anyone who is turning to social media to grow bigger.

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EOFIRE johnleedumas1

John Lee Dumas is the host of EOFire, an award winning podcast that’s filled with awesome speakers and successful entrepreneurs. This platform is

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perfect for anyone who really wants to get out there and be known quickly. His podcast is listened to by over 1 million people every month.

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COPY BLOGGER copyblogger.com/blog

Copy blogger was started in January 2006 and has grown from there, teaching people how to create awesome content, to catch the reader’s eye. This blog page is perfect for anyone aspiring to become a content creator or blog writer and wants to really grab their audiences attention.

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CONVINCE AND CONVERT ConvinceConvert

Convince and Convert begun in 2008 by Jay Beer, who had a passion to help spread advice and counsel to leading businesses world-wide. Jay’s blog is jampacked with tips, trips and advice on the world of business and the importance of growth and abundance.

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MARIE FORLEO marieforleo.com/blog

Marie Forleo is all about positivity. She is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist and is always working for the greater good. Her blog is filled with inspirational blogs, quotes and photos to help boost the lives of those who follow her. This blog is perfect for anyone who also believes to change the world for the better through their hard work.

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GUY KAWASAKI guy

Guy Kawasaki is an author and the creator of the graphic design tool Canva, who is helping entrepreneurs like himself all over the world to achieve their goals. His blog page is constantly updated with relevant content, pro tips and inspiration for anyone who wants to follow his journey of entrepreneurialism.

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THINK ENTREPRENEURSHIP thinkentrepreneurship.com

Think Entrepreneurship is a great blog created by Pete Sveen who is a blogger,

Youtuber and podcaster. He created his online blog with the goal to inspire others with similar goals as him to start their own businesses and journeys.

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UNDER 30 CEO under30ceo

Under 30 CEO was founded in 2008 with the mission to help young entrepreneurs.

The blog has stacks of advice, trends and events for younger entrepreneurs who have or are wanting to start a business. Under 30 CEO provides not only advice, but also helps provides inspiration through talk shows with successful entrepreneurs.

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MIKE MICHALOWICZ

mikemichalowicz.com Mike is a successful entrepreneur with a background of growth and is sharing his story among others who want to become just as successful. Mike is an author and a podcast speaker who shares his struggles, methods and advice on his page. Mike’s page is perfect for anyone who aspires to grow successful with their own business.

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A Sneak Peek at Where Rich Business Owners Vacay

By Matt Buchel

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f you happened to stumble across a genie, a magical bottle and three wishes, chances are that - for most either money or travel would be high on the list of wishes. After all, wealth and visiting luxurious destinations are both things that many aspire for.

If you haven’t yet found your genie in a bottle, there’s one thing that can help you tick both boxes; a job. Working helps you earn money, which in turn gives you the opportunity to visit new places in your time off.

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But, with work comes inflexibility - you only get a small amount of time off per year and quite often when you’re working for someone else, wages are less than impressive. So, what if we told you there’s a way to have the flexibility to earn good money and travel when you like? By owning your business, you’re the boss - though taking time off may be hard depending on the industry- you do have the opportunity and flexibility to choose when your holidays are and how to tackle your time off. Plus, if your business is successful you’ll likely be earning a healthy wage too.

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So, now we’ve established that owning your business can be a great lifestyle choice, let us continue to inspire you

with holiday destinations that the rich and famous prefer.

St Tropez The land of Glamour, super yachts and luxury villas: it’s no surprise that the rich and successful flock to the aquamarine shores of St Tropez like bees to honey.

A playground for celebrities like Bridgette Bardot, Gigi Hadid, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Leo Dicaprio, the French beachside town attracts some big names. Unlike most other seaside spots St Tropez is littered with designer shops, like Louis Vuitton and

Hermes, and Michelin star restaurants which line the streets and allow for a serious credit card work out.

Aspen Unofficially known as The Billionaires Retreat, the skiing village of Aspen, Colorado’s prestige comes primarily from two things, it’s history and it’s geography. However, the village is now littered with luxury condos and romantically lit restaurants, the perfect holiday destination for the rich. In fact, a private plane lands or takes off in the Aspen Airport every six minutes. But, the beauty of Aspen comes at a price, “We say how lucky we are to be here.” Says Robert Wagner. “We had to put on a lot of makeup to pay for this!” referring to how many high paying movies he’s had to star in to be able to afford a condo in Aspen. www.theimportamagazine.com

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Bora Bora With a one bedroom overwater pool bungalow starting at about $11,500 per night at the Four Seasons Bora Bora, it’s safe to say you have to be pretty wealthy to be able to afford to stay here. The pinnacle of poshness, and the epitome of elegance, unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s likely you’ve come across the stunning overwater bungalows on your Instagram feed.

With the possibility to board a canoe to a private white sand island where you’ll be greeted with champagne and a personalised dinner set up for you and your guests to enjoy as the sun sets- Bora Bora is the definition of indulgence.

Dubai Dubai is known for its extravagance, from a 24 carat gold facial to hotel reception pillars made of Gold carat pillars, it’s jam packed full of unapologetic opulence. Possibly the cities most well known attraction is in fact a hotel, Burj Al Arab. The hotel costs $24,000 and night and features a rotating bed, thirteen pillow choices and a private butler. But, the luxury doesn’t stop there, the hotel’s newest luxury amenity is 24 carat gold iPads. When guests check in, they’re given custom created gold iPads which serve as a “virtual concierge” that 26

offers information on everything from the hotel’s restaurant menus and spa treatments to housekeeping and butler services. It’s fair to say that Dubai and Burj Al Arab are fit for a king, or at very least, a successful business owner.

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Make $3,000+ per week with just a Phone & Laptop w w w.yo u r i m p o r t i n g ca s h f l ow. co m . a u /a b f s

Want your very own lucrative importing business, with low overheads, and no huge up front or ongoing expenses? Our Importing Cashflow Business-in-a-Box model shows you how to earn a 6 figure income, without all the expensive overheads.

Why an Importing Cashflow Business-in-a-Box? •

simple & easy to run •

Affordable - Invest as little as $39,900 + G.S.T.

When you invest in a Business-in-a-Box, you •

Complete Mobility - Work wherever you like, whenever you like, with no restrictions

own importing business up and running quickly, easily and with minimal hassle. There are no

Choose Your Hours - Completely flexible, the business can be run part time or full time

•

receive a complete turnkey system to get your

No Qualifications Required - Our model is

•

No Franchise Fees - This is NOT a franchise;

huge capital outlays, no need to carry stock, and

it’s YOUR OWN business, so there are NO on-

no staff or warehouse required.

going fees, and NO agreement is required.

•

Training & Support - A complete Sales and Marketing System, as well as coaching and support, is provided for a full 12 month

A complete turn key importing business in a box

For more information, visit our website to apply for your no obligation, complimentary online video and receive our free information package delivered to you.

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IMPORTING IDEAS FROM

OUTSIDE THE BOX

I

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mporting products from overseas can be an incredibly profitable business.

The profit margins are large and the startup can be simple so, if you’re hard working and determined, you could be earning big bucks importing. Many people succeed with an importing business, in fact, you may wonder why more aren’t doing it. So, what should you sell? Importing timbers from Bali or clothing and electronics from China are obvious options, but why not think outside the box and look at some different options from around the globe? The possibilities are endless, so we’ve curated a few ideas to start you off.

India - Spices

United States of America American Muscle Cars

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Italy Catering Equipment

France - Champagne

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South Africa - Chocolate

Timor Leste - Coffee

If you would like to turn your passion into a profession click here: yourimportingcashflow.com.au 30

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Got a great importing idea?

Common mistakes in importing products for resale.

By Matt Buchel

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ake a look on Ebay on Amazon and you’ll see thousands of products that are imported from China, Vietnam, Thailand, and all over the world. So you may have thought about taking a piece of the action for yourself, with plans to import products in the fashion, homeware, electronics or food industries.

And at first glance, these can be very attractive – they are huge markets, with millions of customers, and incredibly low-cost prices – just imagine buying items for $5, and selling them on for $10 or $20?

But despite the seductive margins and huge potential markets, buying low cost product doesn’t guarantee you a big profit overall. “Just because

it seems like a good idea, that’s not a good enough reason to import it… mathematically, it has to add up” says Matt Buchel, author of “The 12 Most Common Mistakes Made When Importing and How To Avoid Them”.

First, many low cost products have a short life span, so you can be stuck with a whole heap of products you have paid for, but can’t sell.

Next there are the margins. If you want to make, for example, $1,000 per week from importing, and you have a product yielding $10 per unit, that’s 100 products you have to sell consistently each week, or 14 per day. Starting to sound a bit hard?

On top of that, approximately 15% of your sales will likely have some

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sort of customer service issue – arriving late, arriving damaged, not as the customer expected, which eats into your margins with refunds, replacement costs, additional shipping costs. So now you’re having to sell another 15 products a week to maintain your target $1,000.

Just having a product on a website doesn’t guarantee sales, and when you do make sales, everything comes at a cost. First there’s advertising, to attract people to your online store. If you’re selling on Ebay or Amazon you’ll need to pay a commission on your sales. If you sell through your own website you have the costs of running and updating your website as well as finance fees

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such on payment methods such as credit cards and Paypal.

Then there’s the cost of shipping for each product, especially if you have promised a fast delivery. You may be faced with import tariffs on bringing in the product.

All of these take a chunk of your margin, and what started as $10 per unit may turn out to be more like $3.

If you haven’t imported before, it’s time to do some research on suppliers.

With potential language barriers and communicating from afar, how do you make sure your product meets your specifications? Will it use materials that

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can’t be imported into Australia, and is your supplier involved in unethical practices (such as child labour)? You may have to buy in bulk to achieve the best per unit price, then have to pay for space to store excess stock, or run the risk you won’t sell it. And you’re manging all of this plus trying to deal with some 100 customers per week.

The maths stacks up more easily for higher priced products, continues Matt. With products that retail at $1,000 with a $600 margin, you only need to sell to two or three customers per week to meet the

$1,000 goal. You can spend more time reaching niche customers through targeted advertising, and building credible customer relationships that mean you spend less time dealing with issues and refunds. Once you get to this level, says Matt, “You’re not dealing with eBay or Amazon, you’re actually running a real proper business… people make an enquiry, you pick up the phone.”

Having a cheap product online may seem like an easy way to make money, but at the end of the day, people buy from people.

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DECLUTTER YOUR

House AND YOUR Mind

By Matt Buchel

I

t’s easy to get caught up in daily life and let household items pile up in your space without taking the time to sort through them. However, disorganisation of your belongings can lead to an unsettled mind.

Being disorganised takes up space in our head, so by refreshing your home, it will also help to refresh your mind.

Feng Shui is considered the art of placement—understanding how the placement of yourself and objects within a space affects your life. In relation to Feng Shui, the law of prosperity refers to abundance and means that you should be able to move into a prosperous state of being in all areas of your life. Therefore, it’s clear to see that Feng Shui and the law of prosperity are directly linked to how your belongings are set out and how much you have.

Feng Shui explores the notion that nature abhors a vacuum. When a vacuum is created, particles of matter be they physical or thoughts will join together to fill the gap, so it’s important you are very clear about the energy you are letting go of, that you will no longer allow it to impact/exist in your life and what it is you are inviting to fill the space you have created. This doesn’t necessarily need to be physical things, it can be opportunities, a new direction, travel, an adventure, experiences.

Clutter is any object or repository of objects that occupies space in your home/workplace, which you dislike or do not use, or which has been waiting more than twenty-eight days for sorting.

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All objects are alive with memories, feelings and associations.

Everything is connected to people, places and events and the messages we are receiving from the objects around us, even if we don’t ‘see’ them because they blend into the background, have a presence within us when we are around them.

Feng Shui clean up tips: Identify your clutter by considering what the objects in your space are saying to you - clutter is stifling your energy.

Keep in mind that what doesn’t affirm you is holding you back from reaching your true potential and parting with it will help.

If you’re having trouble parting with something, remind yourself that when you let go of those objects which are less than excellent, energetically you create a space for something wonderful (object or opportunity) to flow into your life.

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Put time aside to declutter - whether it’s your mind or your space - perhaps three sessions of 30 mins per week - and reward yourself with a treat afterwards.

Physically parting with some belongings that you don’t need can be difficult, so make three boxes, ‘keep’, ‘throw away’ and ‘unsure’. You can take some extra time at the end to go through the ‘unsure’ box to decide what you really need.

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Surround yourself with items that reflect who you are now and who you are choosing to become, and you let go of those objects that don’t support the best version of yourself. The way you receive messages, experience events in your life and your ability to move through difficult circumstances in your life will begin to change and improve very quickly.

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