Lest We Forget

Remembrance Day
Letters that Remember

As the title says, in Canada it is Remembrance Day weekend. It is a time to reflect on those who went to war for our country and died for the same. It is time to remember their sacrifice for our national freedom. It is time to remember their families left behind. Never Forget!!!

Hello everyone. Did you see that YouTube video on the Blogger page called ToDoLists? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HXoU1LJtMg . Quite amazing really. Like she says, we all do them for whatever reason and it does reveal quite a bit about us; what is on our minds, short to long term goals or simply what we need at the grocery store. She was quite smart to actually take all the To-Do Lists she received from people and create a book. And she did it from home.

I felt this was quite appropriate for my blog as anything you do @home can be lucrative if you think about it. For her it was ToDo lists. Can you think of anything? Mom's recipes? Dad's tricks of his trade? Your brother's or sister's system for finding a "friend"? Car tips?

As you know, I have started full-time studies to get a degree. I took on way to much at my age, and dropped a couple courses. Now I am still behind with only three. My ToDo list is turning out to be a ToStressAbout list. I didn't want my @home experience to be that. You see, two of these courses are online courses and one is not. But all three are highly involved - lots of reading - some overlapping assignment due dates. My current mindset cannot do it like I could when I was just out of school. That study pattern has long disappeared. To top that off, tourist season is over - my job is down to one charter (possibly) a week. This means I may have to depend on the social systems to keep food on the table and money in the bank. So I am slightly distracted too. I am contemplating dropping the online courses (dispite the penalties). See what happens when you take on too much. :-)

If you get a chance take a look at this: http://www.refocus.savingshighway.com/index.php?id=refocus&page=home&theme=5 . I haven't done all that much with it yet, but I see a great way to save a dollar and make one too while helping others.

I was told by a wise entrepreneur once, that it is best to buy an existing business, get trained by the former owner and run with what exists. Wise advice, don't you think? It is in most cases, expecially if that business is doing well and the owner is truly getting out of it.

Well I saw an ad on a restaurant website last week. It had a shuttle service and Limo service that catered to clients of not only the restaurant but to the people of the community in which it was built. I took a chance! I emailed the owner of the Limo/Shuttle service and asked him if he ever looked for drivers? (Good sideline work I felt). I got a reply quite quickly that he was getting rid of the shuttle service and continuing with the Limo service, but if I wanted the whole works, and since he was 65, I could have it all.

Wow - here was an established business with established clients. I persued it some more and asked what he would take for the business. $40,000! Hmm.. not bad considering a van, limo, phone number and clients were already in place.

I called my bank and asked if the assets (van/Limo) would be enough to secure a $40K loan. No problem as long as financial statements could be submitted. I asked the owner if we could talk about it. He was willing.

Well to make this long story a little shorter, he must have changed his mind when he thought about things. When I said I was going to call him he immediately emailed that I should get my own van and do as he did. His business suddenly became worth more to him. Maybe what I had done by offering to buy the business was make him see that is was worth something for him to stay with it.

Although disappointed I learned a good lesson and thanked him for his patience and advice. We need to start what we want ourselves. Whether it is @home or outside, it will be ours and define who we are. Then down the road we can sell it and retire.

Enjoy this weekend. Think about what you can do @home. ReFocus! and see what happens.

Take care
Paul