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5 Qualities of a Great Business Opportunity - by John R. Barker




1. A low overhead and startup cost

Overhead is any fixed cost that accrues whether you make a dime or not. They include; rent, employees, utilities, phone access, etc. Starting a business can be costly if it requires developing a new office space. A home-based business makes the most of existing resources. The lower the fixed costs, the greater the odds a new business will be able to weather the storm from start-up to profitability.

After much searching, I chose The Success Website as an additional income stream: http://www.thesuccesswebsite.com/2542 It is a great opportunity at just .95 per month. It requires NO additional overhead and I am entitled tax write-offs on my computer, Internet access, phone line, in-home office space, utilities, lunches where I talk about the opportunity and more. In tax savings alone it pays for itself without making even a dime. (*Consult your tax advisor for your specific situation).

2. Leverage

Leverage is the difference between the rich and the poor. The rich effectively leverage their time, money and resources. The poor do not. The rich leverage time by having others do tasks at less than what they have the potential to earn during the same time period. The poor spend their time working for the profit of others. And, the rich leverage their money by controlling a cash flow generating resource ?assets - with as little of their own money as possible.

Working on your business and in your business are not the same. As Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki says, if you can walk away for a year and it doesn’t miss a beat you have a business. If not, you’re self-employed ?you have a job. You are not utilizing the power of leverage. (I highly recommend Kiyosaki’s books if you have not read them. Learn more at http://www.getSynergized.com/richdad.htm)

3. Little or no inventory

Inventory is expensive to acquire and maintain. It requires a big chunk of cash - or debt - to acquire and there is no guarantee of selling even one widget. It requires complicated systems. It requires a team of people to manage it, order it, sort it, ship it, restock it, count it and reorder it again. Inventory also requires space. Having a low, or ideally, no-inventory business is the way to go.

Again I recommend the Success Website ?mentioned above. I also recommend e-books - electronic books that you can store on a diskette. Check out some examples at http://www.CoachingWorksInc.com/ebooks.htm

4. Product or service benefits people

It’s easier to sell something you can stand behind than not. It’s also easier to sleep at night knowing what you have to offer is improving the life of another. Seek out a business with a product or service that produces an asset for those who buy or use it.

An asset puts money in our pocket. A liability takes money out. Nothing feels better than helping people create assets in their life ? investments that produce ongoing good for them. Do you offer assets or liabilities?

5. The product or service produces residual income

Residual income means you invest an hour today and you get paid for that hour indefinitely. This is the information age. Intellectual property is a hot product. The creation of intellectual property may require some time up front, but in the long run it pays and keeps paying without any additional effort. You can either invest the time developing your own intellectual property - books, music, etc. Or, you can take advantage of IP that already exists with the right business program.

My Success Website business puts money in my bank account every month. If I never did anything else, it would continue to produce a passive revenue stream for me.

As a fledgling entrepreneur, I tried a lot of ways to make a little (very little) money. I made many mistakes. If you utilize these five criteria in evaluating a business before you enter it, I believe your long-term results will produce the financial goals you desire. Best wishes to you for all the success you can handle!








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John R. Barker is a personal and professional coach, author and successful online businessman. He is co-creator of the hot new, 5-Day Financial Makeover telecourse. You can learn more about him at http://www.getSynergized.com or e-mail him directly at mailto:John@getSynergized.com

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