As bankruptcies skyrocket, and home foreclosures soar, financial literacy and debt counseling programs have become big business. As I watch  what is happening, it sickens me to realize that these programs have been sponsored by the very agencies and companies which created the problems in the first place  (The banks, lending companies and the federal government) and that instead of being enlightening, they serve to keep people poor and under control.

Debt places the debtor in a state of economic slavery, and these programs perpetuate the notion that we can all be “good little slaves” by playing by the company “rules”.  The programs are designed to keep people tied to their jobs and living within the confines of budgets.

Entrepreneurialism is portrayed as “risky” and to be avoided.  And formal education is presented as a safe panacea for advancement in the workplace.

The creators of these programs should be ASHAMED of themselves!  Ashamed for their part in the enslavement of our country.  (And if you, dear reader, are not from the USA, don’t think that you are exempt from this rant.  The ramification of what I am saying affects YOU and your countrymen, too.)

There are international economic conspiracies at play.  They have shaped our current world and are responsible for the good times, the recessions, and what appears to be a horrific financial future for most of the world.

True financial education starts with being aware.  Aware of what?  The overall game plan of  the powers which are controlling our economies. That’s what.  This information is being hidden from the public, because the very sources of our news and educational programs are the same agencies which benefit from hiding the truth.

I believe that the total focus of financial literacy programs should be changed.  The emphasis should be on teaching the benefits of entrepreneurialism, invention and independence from banks, lenders and corporations.

This may not be a popular idea, yet, but times are changing.  As unemployment rises, many people are finding that entrepreneurialism and self-employment are viable alternatives to dependence on a shrinking job market.

I truly believe that those who are being funneled into government endorsed “re-training” programs are being deceived.  I think that the government is “buying time” in hopes that jobs will be available by the time graduation day rolls around.  At the very least, they are using the programs as a buffer against the civil unrest which mass unemployment can spark.

Of course, most people don’t want to be entrepreneurs.  They want jobs.

That too is a shame, but it’s not their fault.  Everyone who has gone through a public education has been conditioned to be a laborer, worker, manager or executive in the service of a company someone else controls.

This Free DVD Will Open Your Eyes To The World Of True Economic Education.

Have you seen the free DVD  “The Conspiracy Against Your Money?”

A lot of suspicions I had about the nature of what’s happening in our economy were confirmed when I watched it.  Especially the part about economic slavery.  The reality of it is vile.

We need to protect ourselves so that we are not victims of those in power.  Knowledge may not set us free, but it will make us less complacent and give us an edge over those who follow blindly.

My guess is that if you are reading this far into my rant, not much of what I am saying is news to you, but I’d appreciate hearing your comments.  So please leave a note here and let me and other readers know what you’re thinking.

The box is  one of those rural, loaf-of-bread shaped metal jobs. It’s been painted a few different colors over the years, and now it’s silver. It sits perched on a white post out by the road.  Every winter it gets hit by a snow plow, or just mangled by flying ice thrown by the plow’s blade.  (Hence the multiple coats of paint.) The front door is so bent that it won’t close any more– like it did when it was new– but the bent hinges usually keep it from falling open in a stiff breeze.

I try to keep the lid shut, but honestly I think the mail carrier doesn’t like fussing with it.  When I head out to get the mail, I never know whether it’ll be open or shut, or what might be waiting for me inside.

The latest invader was a bird – a beautiful Australian Silver Kookaburra !

Okay, okay.  So it’s a picture of a bird.  But not on a stamp — it’s on the face of a gorgeous coin I got from Numis Network. 

But in my mind the thing has wings, can fly, and had been building a nest in my mailbox. And even though I’ve never been in the presence of a real one, mine is a sweet little thing with a call loud enough to scare a crow. Hmm.  Imagination is a terrible thing to waste…

So there it is.  I’m a Numis Nerd, and I’m having a blast collecting coins and building a business around it.  Check out the video here, and you’ll see the other silver buddies that were living in my mailbox: a Chinese panda, and an American eagle!

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

But hold on there — If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you know that my main business is Internet marketing — and the primary products that I sell are CarbonCopyPro’s marketing education program and Wealth Masters International’s Membership Program.  That hasn’t changed, so don’t get the idea that I’ve jumped ship.

Thing is, I’ve always believed in diversifying, but the options were disappointing.  It is difficult for me to get excited about nutrition, software, or utility contracts.  But from the first time I saw Numis Network, I knew that it was a company I’d like.

You see, I’ve always liked coins.  As a kid I had a coin collection that kept me busy for hours.  As an adult, collecting art took the place of coins, but I still slow down in front of a coin shop’s display, just to admire the goods. 

In the many years since getting my MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, my life has revolved around investments and upscale collectibles.  While my college-mates were collecting kitch, I was trading bonds and buying blue-chip art.

I guess that my interest in investments and money is also why I like being a top-level member of Wealth Masters, too. And Numis Network is a PERFECT match, since I get to collect beautiful precious-metal coins at the same time! 

And yes… we’re talking beauty and collectibles here… Not bullion.  I’ve got plenty of that and I know the difference, as you should (and probably do.)  But I don’t get all excited over silver bullion and show it to my friends like I do with these collectibles.  Numis is the fun side of precious metals.

So, when you start your new coin collection, we can compare notes and wax poetic over the attributes of a perfect “deep cameo.”

Let me show you how to get silver and gold for free!

Advertising in newspapers, radio, television and magazines was my idea of marketing. Sure, every so often I’d send out a press release, if there was an event to publicise, but aside from that I didn’t have a clue.

Then the Internet blossomed. I looked at it as just another kind of advertising vehicle, and that impression was bolstered by the reps from all of the media I had been advertising with. They all were flogging online ads on their respective websites. Some even offered “online marketing plans” which were almost entirely composed of different styles of paid ads, bundled together.

Results from my offline ads were slowing down. Even ads in the papers which used to bring immediate results stopped producing. So, I dove in and spent thousands on Internet advertising. I should have thrown the money into a sewer. I had no idea what I was doing, and tried to use the same approach which once worked in my offline ads. The results were nonexistent.

In desperation, I tried one website after another, tossing dollar after dollar and watching the business in my stores grind to a halt.

That is when I knew that there had to be another way. I went onto the Internet looking for a better site to advertise on, and ran across an article about Internet marketing. It was full of terms like auto responder, SEO and social media, and it also mentioned a magic word. “FREE.”

My curiosity was piqued. I made a project of getting educated on “Internet marketing,” and found a variety of sites which all gave the best marketing tips for small business professionals. Eventually I was able to get glimpses into what techniques were free, and which ones cost money.

It did take a while, and a lot of effort, to sort things out. It seemed that some of the “gurus” I found were having a blast making every tip and technique convoluted and “secret.” And it was also glaringly clear that they were all either self-taught or hiding the source of their own Internet marketing education.

After months of digging, I discovered a single source for all kinds of Internet marketing education. It is perfectly suited for professionals and small business owners, and was exactly what I was looking for. I signed up.

At last I was armed with the ability to find new business leads online without spending a fortune to get them.

However, I had to adjust my expectations when it came to the timing of results. You see, when I relied on advertising, I expected quick response from the customers. I still like direct response advertising for that. But with online marketing, things were different. It was like watching a slow motion movie of a flower growing.

The closest analogy I can think of is that Internet marketing is like planting seeds. The marketer cannot expect to harvest a crop until it has grown. And notice that I say “seeds.” Plural. Planting one seed will not yield a crop.

That was a difficult lesson. For Internet marketing to work for any business, the marketer must do a lot of it, over a period of time, consistently.

Eventually, intelligent marketing action will start to yield the desired results, and make all the effort worthwhile.

It all starts with getting a solid Internet marketing education.

When I flipped through this month’s Money Magazine, my eyes nearly popped out.

The headline did it’s job. It made my head spin.  But the ad went on to confirm that the price of certain Silver Eagle Dollars can go for as high as $34,500! They’ve Got to be kidding, I thought.  Now, these are numismatic silver eagle dollars but still, $34,500? Wow, here is the actual advertisement:

The Famous Money Magazine Ad.

I didn’t change the ad at all.  There’s the whole thing.  And I hope they appreciate that I’m sending this out to my 10,000+ Twitter followers.  Who knows, maybe they’ll get some business from it!  (and send me a free coin??..hint, hint)

I love those shiny silver dollars, and the reason I personally found this ad so interesting is that I am involved with a company called Numis Network. Our flagship products are MS70 American Silver Eagle Dollars of varying years.

Now, here is an article that ran in a MAJOR Magazine selling 2010 MS70 Silver Eagle Dollars for $149 each and if you buy 10+ you can get them as low as $129 each.  Does that sound good, compared to $35K?

Well, with my program in Numis Network, we can get 2010 MS70 Silver Eagle Dollars the WHOLESALE price of only $99!

Not only that, with our program you get paid to promote the company and you earn money when you sell coins or sponsor someone who wants to have their own numismatic coin business and get preferred pricing, so, you actually can get coins for free each month!

Numismatic coins are red hot!  and this article just shows how people are starting to be aware of their value.

And that’s why our business is perfectly timed. If you want to earn money promoting gold and silver numismatic coins or if you simply want to get a better price on your gold coins or silver eagle dollars, you can check out my website at WealthBuilderCoins.com

This is the perfect timing in history to be purchasing silver eagle dollars and to potentially make money doing so, is just awesome.

It’s my prediction that you will see more and more advertisements like this as the gold and silver rush continues.

Now, our company is not a precious metal investment program, so see this clearly.    This article is pretty cool  considering everything going on in the world.  But one question I love, is “How much can I sell my coins for in 5 years?” My answer to that is, “Isn’t it cool, we can even have that conversation???

The question we must ask ourselves is, “Would you have been better off buying one silver of gold coin each month for the last 5 years?”

Well, then consider this: “Will you be better off buying one gold or silver coin each month for the next 5 years, and possibly make money doing so?”

Citigroup Has Warned Customers It May Refuse To Allow Withdrawals!

Business Insider – 2/19/2010

“Effective April 1, 2010, we reserve the right to require (7) days advance notice before permitting a withdrawal from all checking accounts. While we do not currently exercise this right and have not exercised it in the past, we are required by law to notify you of this change,” Citigroup said on statements received by customers all over the country.

What situation are they expecting to precipitate enforcing that rule?  My guess is that they are getting ready for the possibility of a huge bank run.  It could be that when the public finally realizes that their buying power is being reduced by the runaway printing presses in D.C., or if there is any form of political or financial instability, they may want to get their money out of the banks and into a hole in their back yard — and FAST!

Recently I posed this question to Mike Maloney, a monetary historian who is also “Rich Dad” Robert Kiyosaki’s precious metals advisor.

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

To find out more about investing in precious metals, go to Mike Maloney’s GOLDSILVER.com

If you’d also like to know about collecting numismatic gold and silver coins, visit my online coin shop WealthBuilderCoins

Now here’s some legal stuff:

I’m an affiliate of GoldSilver.com, and I own WealthBuilderCoins.  If you buy from those sites, I’ll make money (Yay!).  And if you act on anything I’ve written or said, you do it at your own risk, because even though I’m strongly opinionated, I’m not an investment advisor.

Having a passion for anything can be helpful when setting goals, but keeping the vision of your legacy in mind is a tremendous motivator!

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With all of that raw commerce and entertainment, one thing I remember quite clearly, and often, is a chant that permeated every visit.  It turns out to be one of my first lessons in marketing, and it came from a very unlikely source.

Wandering among the throng, there were several “independent operators” who hauled loads of  almost anything saleable, approaching buyers with lines like “need a watch?” and “Tube socks here.”  Some were shy, others brazen, but one tall black man had his whole act together.  Over his shoulders was a load of bright white cloth, and in both hands he hand he held aloft a full-size draw-string heavy-duty brand-new laundry bag.

With a gleaming smile he called out, over and over, the one line which still shapes my copywriting: “You KNOW you NEED a LAUNDRY BAG!”

The line is pure music.  It is direct, and speaks to a hungry crowd. It asks a question, but it’s a command which makes you think. Every time I heard him, I wondered, “Do I? Could I use one of those?”  and then realized that he was selling those things all day long because everyone else was wondering if they needed a bag, too!

The experience stuck with me, and yesterday I remembered it as I was writing headlines for some new ads.  You KNOW you NEED a NEW BUSINESS!

Scams, Schemes, Systems, Fraud and Pyramids! Anyone who has been in the network marketing industry for longer than a day has most likely run into an accusation of having been suckered into a scam.  Defense against such claims of fraud and gullibility is useless, and can make the new recruit seem like he has joined a cult.

Network marketing scams and underhanded schemes are something I have not thought about much lately.  When I started paying my bills with my commission checks, people suddenly stopped mentioning the word in my presence.

But a few days ago something happened which made me realize why the general populace have such a fun time throwing rotten eggs at our industry.  Here’s what happened:

It was past lunch time.  I was hungry.  A buddy and I were driving past a little restaurant.  Before I knew what I was doing, I said to my friend, “You hungry?  Let’s stop for a burrito.”

His reaction, which was a little stronger than “No Way!  That place stinks!” took me by surprise.  He smirked and gave the place what we call a “Chicago Salute” as we drove on by.

I should have known better. You see, we had eaten there only a few weeks ago, and I thought it was Okay.  Not great, but not exactly worthy of being black-listed.  But I remembered that we were both disappointed by the place, and we each knew why.

Then I realized what the problem really was, and in a flash I saw an instant parallel to some people’s perception that the Network Marketing/MLM industry is full of schemes and scams.  You see, when we had eaten there before, it was at the suggestion of a mutual friend.

Well, maybe suggestion is too weak a word to use here.  Our friend gave the place a totally over-the top, glowing review.  He painted an aromatic, three dimensional picture of the place.  “The owners are friendly, the wait staff is hip and gorgeous, the furniture is all designer-made in high Spanish-Modern fashion, and the food is bountiful — presented in exotic arrangements worthy of an Iron-Chef rerun.”  Oh yes, and “The burritos are as tender as cake, with the most delicious combination of ingredients to be found West of the Atlantic Ocean.  All for Ten Dollars!”

Do you get my drift?  We’re talking about burritos here.  Even so, my buddy and I entered the establishment ready for a culinary treat.  What we found, though, didn’t quite match up.  The place was way too bright, with IKEA knock-off furniture and staff who seemed worn down from being perky.  The food was a good value, but nothing “special.”

We left there with the realization that out mutual friend suffered from very limited dining experience, and poor taste buds, to boot.

As my buddy’s salute was lowered, I saw quite clearly why so many people have latched onto the MLM/Network Marketing Scam bandwagon.  It is because the reality of working in the industry never matches the expectations of those who are introduced to it.

Over zealous presentations and slick, hyped-up marketing materials usually underplay the fact that success is achieved by both learning new skills and applying them daily.  Couple that with the reality that most new recruits are not born entrepreneurs, and a situation is created where recruits claim the “business” does not “work” and that they were “duped” and “scammed.”

I will not defend recruiting tactics here.  It is obvious that without a fresh supply of warm bodies the MLM industry would perish.  However, I do fault anyone claiming “scam” when they should simply be admitting having made a business decision based on hope instead of reality, and that they failed at transitioning from a consumer (opportunity buyer) to an entrepreneur.  And this fault is double when they justify their innocence by broadcasting a story of scam and fraud. Misery loves company, as they say.

After all, a burrito is a burrito, unless you were expecting it to be a cake. There’s no need to shoot the chef.

Sign in on this page to see a business which is not a piece of cake.

Have you ever wondered why so many people drop out of network marketing? I think I know the answer, and it may not be what you expect.

If you have engaged in prospecting and recruiting for an MLM/network marketing business, why did you do it?  Was it for immediate profit from signing up new bodies, or to build a team so you could get residual income?

What happened to your downline?  How many people dropped out once they got a whiff of work?

Did you ever get the residual income and stability you expected?  Do you wonder why?

When prospecting, did you present materials (websites, DVDs, CDs, brochures, etc.) provided by your company?  Did you give an exciting version of what it is like to be associated with the company, highlighting all the glowing benefits of distributorship?  Was your pitch worthy of an infomercial?

Most companies give their representatives slick, commercial materials, and advise that the reps maintain an upbeat energy level when introducing the company.  Newbies usually go too far in that aspect, and it’s easy for them to mask their inexperience by slipping into excited obnoxiousness.

Very few companies give realistic, behind-the-scene views of what it actually means to market their businesses effectively and succeed.  And who can blame them?  For MLMs to survive as businesses, there must be volume in both the numbers of representatives, and in product sales.

It is little wonder that network marketing companies mask the facts, and rely on constant recruitment rather than seeking out quality recruits.  Since “populating the grid” is usually the goal, they appeal to everyone in an idealistic way, expecting that dropouts and attrition will be overcome by massive signups.

So why do new representatives drop out?  I believe it is because of the unrealistic expectations set up by the companies and their sponsors.

Consider this: When was the last time you recruited a business professional or small business owner?  Here I am talking about someone who has achieved success in a profession or small business, and is looking for another venture.  Did any of them comment on the “hype” presented in your corporate materials?  Did you adjust your presentation to talk about what it takes to actually operate in your business?  Did you find that these prospects were less interested fancy lifestyle claims, and more interested in the security of operating a viable business?

Compare that presentation to the average one which tries to recruit people who have never before experienced either success or their own business.  These prospects are presented with glitz and glam, and glowing reports of success.  They are encouraged to see themselves reaping the benefits of operating a successful business, and that vision is never balanced with the less glamorous picture of the work it takes to get there. They are not sold a business.  They are sold endorphins, emotions and dreams.

Given the two types of prospect, which one would you expect to drop out?

You most likely understand this point intuitively.  MLM/network marketing reps drop out because they started in a business with unrealistic expectations.

It is a sinking feeling to watch your hard-built downline disintegrate.  But what are you to do, if you absolutely need hundreds of signups to make a check?  Your choices are simple:  Either become a master recruiter and perfect your ability to appeal to peoples hopes and dreams, develop a way of signing up fewer but targeted leads, or find a new company which you can promote in a realistic fashion and does not require heavy recruiting.

“Under-promise and over-deliver” is a great motto to keep in mind when recruiting.