Do you ever feel like you should start your own business? For most of us, working in sales means going out, getting prospects, closing them and even delivering service.
I don’t know about you, but when I worked in sales back in the day, oftentimes, I would look at my managers and bosses and think they were no smarter than me. As a matter of fact, most of the time, my bosses were some ass-kissing morons—which was what got them their position in the first place.
I got into sales because I thought it meant the sky was the limit when it came to your income.
After being in sales for about 10 years, I realized that the sky wasn’t the limit. There really is a ceiling over my income-earning abilities.
This left me with two choices.
1) I could continue doing sales for the company I worked for and start a side business.
2) I could quit and start my own business.
Either way, I had to do something outside of my normal sales job if I was truly going to have no limit on my earning ability.
If you’ve been at your job for a while and earning a comfortable 6 + figures a year, you probably feel like it’s awfully risky to start your own business.
Think about it. Our entire lives, we’ve been conditioned not to start our own business. Our parents have discouraged us by saying things like: “You know, it sure is tough being self-employed. Government statistics say 93% of all businesses shut down within the first five years.”
While there is no doubt the odds are stacked against you when it comes to opening your business, it’s actually not as hard as most people think.
In 2010, I worked for a mortgage company and was the top producer.
I was absolutely crushing it when the government created a new law called the Dodd-Frank Act. Which means I lost my ability to originate mortgages.
The mortgage firm I worked for had no choice but to let me go, but luckily, another firm offered me a marketing position. After working for the new mortgage company for 90 days or so, I was making more money generating leads than any loan officer that worked there.
This pissed off the CEO and soon he figured out a way to let me go. Again, I had set myself up to earn unlimited income when somebody else got in my way.
That’s when I decided to start my own business.
I didn’t have a whole lot of money and didn’t know anything about business, but I knew I could make sales and that if I made enough sales I could sustain my business. That was all that mattered.
If you haven’t been in this position yet, you’ll be in it soon enough. You probably have some ideas running through your head of what you want to do for a living besides what you’re actually doing. Most of us have entertained that daydream.
Once you’ve learned the universal fundamentals of sales, you can literally sell anything anytime anywhere to anybody. This means you can start your own business and sell a different product that you’ve created or that you have the hookup on to a marketplace that you now control.
I’ve been self-employed now for 11 years and have never made as much money as I make right now—and I was always the top producer in every sales organization. I would have never been able to live the dream life that I’ve created on my terms without starting my own business.
Here’s what I would propose to you those of you working in sales and wanting to start your own business because you are tired of working for somebody else.
Read on to learn what it’s going to take to succeed on your own.
First of all, you have to stop partying. You’re going to need to save every dollar earned to build your business. So, no more hookers. No more blow. No more going out trying to be the cool guy. No more Rolexes. No more Fancy shoes. F*** all that s*** because you have to start saving money.
Second, stop trying to impress people. Nobody gives a f*** about your $300 shirt, $600 shoes, or $400 jeans. Nobody cares.
I’m a multi-multi-multi-multi-multi-millionaire and I am living proof that the only kind of clothes you need are the ones that look decent on you. As long as they’re not like hanging off your ass, you’re going to be okay.
While you’re saving up your money, don’t put it into a savings account. It needs to go into investment accounts, where you will invest and get back somewhere between 5-10% APR. The plan is that as your money grows, you’re stacking it up to funnel it into your new business.
If you’re working in a six-figure, or maybe even a multi-six-figure business right now for somebody else, imagine if you got to keep 50%, 80%, or even 100% of that money. Most of you would quadruple if not 10x your income. But if you want to make that happen, you need to make sure that your money is working for you. That’s why I advise you to invest, so you will compound your earnings and start your business the right way: funded.
Sales is just the start of your journey.
Some of you might get comfortable and stay in sales your entire life. Others want to level up and become self-employed to not only build a self-employed business but an executive board where they will eventually become a CEO. If you’re lucky enough to be the CEO, you can build your business the right way, then sell it and become a full-time investor.
If you’ve ever thought about starting your own business and you want some help, my program, Apex Entrepreneurs will help you go from sales professional to self-employed. If you like to find out more about the program, it is invite-only. Apply at jointheapex.com
Also, check out this video to give you the tips you need to get started on your own:
