Eskapology 101

Better Way To Grow Your Income

There’s a better way to double or triple your income.

I shared this simple message to close to 700 IBMC students and that is…

“Your skills, knowledge, and experience are relative to your income.”

Meaning, kung ano man ang kinikita (sahod) mo ngayon, that’s primarily based sa skills, knowledge, and experience mo in your job or business.

Unfortunately, many people think that “working harder” is what they need to do to boost their income.

So they took a second job or overtime.

Well, it may increase your income but it will burn you out. Mapapagod ka agad.

And because you’ve been working hard, you tend to forget about your health, time with your family, and even social life.

Wala ka ng oras at nabubuhay ka lang para mag-trabaho. Zombie?

Look at our public and private school teachers.

They go to school early morning, stay late at school to finish some paper work, and bring their student’s quizzes and homework to check at home.

No disrespect to them pero ano to?

Unli-Work?

They stay up late and go to work early morning.

Listen, I don’t know what you do for a living. And yes having a job is better than no job…
…but if you’re not happy with your income, you have to pause and think…”tama pa ba itong ginagawa ko?”

“Is this the best way to make money?”

“What’s a better alternative?”

“What new knowledge and skills I can develop to help me start a business?”

Ask yourself.

If you’ll think about it, the greatest teachers in the world didn’t teach us a lot but they told us to ask a question.

John F. Kennedy said…”Don’t ask what your country can do for you. Ask instead what you can do for your country?”

Martin Luther King said…”Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”

In my exclusive IBMC program, I help my students to ask questions intelligently.

The first question is “Why they want to succeed in their online business?”

Know your “BIG WHY” will motivate you to take action.

The next step is to teach them new knowledge and skills to will help them thrive in this new economy.

I teach them step by step how to create and package products that they can sell online.

Remember, we’re now in an information age. We’re moving so fast. There is a lot of new information every day.

If you’re not acquiring new knowledge and skills, don’t be surprised that your income isn’t increasing at all.

Again, your income is relative to your skills, knowledge, and experience.

The good news is, you can start studying and acquire new knowledge. Buy books, invest in seminars and programs, get a coach, and it doesn’t have to be me.

Take action and turn your new knowledge into skills.

Be consistent and you’re now gaining experience.

Common Mistake Aspiring EntrePinoys Make

by Jon Oraña 7 Comments

Many aspiring entrepreneurs make this common mistake.

This is the reason why many failed in business big or small. They missed the point of what being a true entrepreneur is.

But I have to admit, I made the same mistake too years ago that made me lost Millions of Pesos in just 12 months.

If you’ll think about it parang common sense lang e.

But as I always say…”Common sense but not common practice.”

What’s that BIG mistake entrepreneurs make?

Their primary focus is on making money instead of providing “value” to serve a market.

They simply ask themselves…”How can I make more money?” instead of “How can I provide more value so I can make more money?”

Let me explain further.

If you’re an employee, you don’t get salary simply because you’re reporting to office. You’re getting paid because of the VALUE you give to your employer.

Whatever your job is, you can be an accountant, nurse, engineer, or whatever, what you do in your job is the value you give to your company. In return they give you money or SAHOD.

If you’re a school teacher, it’s your ability to teach and the time you spent managing your class.

If you’re a call center agent, it’s your ability to answer call and help solve your customer’s problem over the phone or email.

If you’re a computer programmer, it’s your programming skills and an ability to develop new software or debug a code.

VALUE.

How much money you’ll make depends on the value that you provide in our society.

Some skills are more valuable than others and that’s why some people make more money.

How can you apply this in your business?

Simple.

Think of the VALUE that you give to people. The SERVICE that you provide to your target market.

Do you want to double the revenue of your business?

Do you want to increase your profits almost overnight?

It’s really simple. Start by ask yourself these two questions:

How can I serve more people?

The more people you serve the better.

That’s why many Entrepreneurs have become multi-millionaire quickly with the Internet, because they can serve hundreds of thousands if not millions of people online.

Here’s a tip for you.

You may partner with someone that serves the same customer as you are. Let that person help you promote your product/services and in exchange you give that person a commission.

Doing this, you tap into a larger number of people. Again, the more people you serve the better.

The next question you should ask yourself is this:

How can I provide more value to my customers?

What do I mean by that?

For example, you sell digital cameras. So your market is people who are interested in photography. Instead of just selling your cameras, why don’t you create 1-day workshop that will teach newbies on how to be a better photographer?

Or maybe you can create a series of video tutorials, put it in a CD or YouTube and sell it to them.

Or maybe offer an online coaching program like what I do.

Believe me, if you’ll think hard and long enough, you can think of something that you can offer as added value to your customers.

Your own imagination is the only limitation.

What Business To Start This 2016?

by Jon Oraña 21 Comments

QUESTION: “Sir Jon, ano pong magandang simulang negosyo this 2016?”

I answered this question in the past, pero sasagutin ko ulit.

Dahil paulit ulit din ang nagtatanong. (Makulit lang?)

First, if you want to succeed in business, you must ask the “right question” to get the “right answer.”

And the question, “ano ang magandang negosyong simulan this year?” is a wrong question to ask.

As usual, every start of the year, most magazines, newspapers, and talk shows are talking about the HOTTEST business trends and what Pinoys should consider to start.

Maraming gustong mag negosyo pero di alam kung saan at paano magsisimula.

But the problem with “hot business report” are these:

First, since they’re announcing the hot business opportunities, expect a lot of people to start that business.
Meaning, there will be lots of competition. By the time na mag start ka, yung “hot business” e “cold” na yan parang bangkay. Deadbol. Tsugi.

We’ve seen it in the past and lots of people lost their money.

It was somewhere early 2000 when “pearl shake” business boomed and bust in just 12 months after.

Who made a lot of money? The franchisors.

Ang franchisee? Gutom ang inabot. Nga nga. Thank you for all these hot business trend reports.

Second, the problem with these hot trend reports is they’re normally being reported by motivational speakers, writer, T.V. or radio hosts, who are likely that they don’t have their own successful businesses.

Lastly, many of these reports are SPONSORED by some corporation to promote their own businesses.

You think I’m lying?

I’d like you to check out a popular local business magazine and read some of their articles. You’ll see what I mean.

In short, all these reports won’t help you.

But the question is…”Where should I start Jon?”

Instead of getting feedback from the outside, get something from the inside first.

I call this “Think Inside The Box.”

I teach this strategy step by step through my program “First Steps To Freedom.”

But the concept is really simple.

And that is, you must survey yourself first. Your experience, knowledge, skills, natural ability, passion, interest, network, etc.

Start from there. And see in what business you may use some if not all of what you have.

Remember, when you’re starting a business and you’re a solopreneur, it relies primarily on YOU.

So, to get a higher chance of succeeding, you must have something to offer in your business other than your time.

Maybe you have skills that you may use for your fledgling business.

An experience maybe. Or natural ability maybe. I had great success with Internet business because I’ve been in the industry for years as a web designer and programmer. My skills and experience naturally led me into this business.

So it’s not really an accident that you’re reading this blog post from the Internet.

I’m playing to my strength.

Unless, you really know who you are, it will be difficult to find the right business that fits your lifestyle, that you’ll enjoy doing and can bring you lots of cash.

Overworked and Underpaid?

by Jon Orana 24 Comments

I met many Entrepreneurs through the years.

After I started blogging in October of 2011 to help my kababayan, I met even more Entrepreneurs online.

Most of them are complaining and they feel trapped in their businesses.

They barely make any money. Pambayad lang sa kuryente, upa, pasahod at sa pang araw araw na gastos. And they work 12-16 hours every day even on weekends.

Yes, they own a business but it isn’t E.L.F. (Easy, Lucrative, and Fun) business. It’s completely opposite. Masarap lang pakinggan that they’re Entrepreneur but they’re overworked and underpaid.

Sometimes, they’re thinking…”Should I give up on this business? Maybe it’s time to quit.”

I know the feeling because I’ve been there for four times. It was really a struggle keeping those businesses.

In 2005, I started a drugstore. I invested nearly P500,000 in it.

Ang botica is very deceiving. Akala mo maliit lang na capital ang kailangan. But that’s because maliliit ang mga gamot. So for you to fill your small store with goods, you need more capital. Maybe P1 Million.

Do you know why I started a drugstore?

Because I have a relative who looks like they’re doing good.

Stupid me.

First, I thought they’re doing well. Akala ko lang so ginaya ko sila.

Second, I have no background or experience in that business.

In less than a year, I gave up that business, sold it for a lost, and migrated to Canada.

Nasayang ang oras at pera ko.

The reason I’m sharing this to you is this.

Before you start a business, make sure you understand it well. Know the entire operation. Look for someone who’s really successful at hindi mukha lang successful.

Get mentoring and coaching. You’ll save a lot of time and money if there’s someone to help you step by step. And it doesn’t have to be me.

Also, start a business where you have an advantage or in a field where you have skills and experiences.

I can’t emphasize this enough.

That’s why my program “First Steps To Freedom” is about understanding yourself. Knowing what your weaknesses and strengths are.

And use that as a compass. A guide on what business to start.

Lahat tayo ay may weaknesses. In school, we were told to improve where we’re weak at.

Kung mahina ka sa Math, you should get a tutor in Math.

Kung mahina ka sa Science, get a remedial class in Science.

If you spend too much time working on your weaknesses, all you’ll end up with is a lot of strong weaknesses.

Get this and accept this: We’re all “disabled” in some areas.

Letting go of these areas to focus on things we love to do and that give us greatest results is the secret to greater confidence, happiness, success, and freedom.

Imagine you’re running a business where you’re having fun, using your strengths, and with superb confidence.

That’s the business you want to be in.

Pinalayas Ako Ni Misis

by Jon Orana 84 Comments

Yes pinalayas ako ni misis.

In case you aren’t aware, I’ve been working full-time from home for 5 years now in my tiny 80 square feet spare room. There’s where I started my business online.

I still work there until recently…pinalayas ako.

Nope. Hindi kami maghihiwalay. In fact, we’ll have overnight date tomorrow in a hotel. We’ll dine in a fancy restaurant and probably watch a movie as well.

Pinalayas nya ako sa sarili kong office because she’s now working on her Internet Business about stocks and investing. For a few days lang naman.

Here’s my office for today. The public library. My laptop is the one in the middle.

My office for today

When I started my online business somewhere in 2006 my wife is an unbeliever. In her mind, I’m probably being scammed.

I can’t blame her. She has this typical “kinsenan katapusan mentality”. She likes security like most Pinoys. She’s coming from the old and obsolete advice of…” finish college and get a good job.”

Kapit tuko sa trabaho kahit wala namang progress financially.

And then one day, I showed to her that I just made over $16,000 that day. Not from recruiting or pyramiding scam but from my own Internet business.

Then I bought her a genuine Louis Vitton bag just because I want to. There’s no occasion or birthdays or anything.

Unbeliever pa din sya? Not anymore!

You see, most people have this “to see is to believe” mindset.

Let me ask you this: Nakikita mo utak mo?… Hindi?… So wala kang utak?

Friend, you don’t have to know the statistics about employment to realize that having a JOB will not make you rich. I don’t have to keep telling you that you and I have been fooled to believe that having a job is the way to prosperity.

It is not!

In any business, employees will make the least amount of money while the owner makes the most.

Unfortunately, in the Philippines especially, there are many talents. Businesses can brutally lower down their salaries to a point na parang di na maka-tao.

And then, kakaltasan ng Tax.

Kakaltasan ng Philhealth

Kakaltasan ng SSS.

Lastly, kakaltasan ng wagas na Pag-ibig.

Anong natira? Payslip.

Yan, lagyan mo ng suka, patis, isang basong tubig, bawang and you now have an “Adobong Payslip”

Then buy an NFA rice because that’s the only rice you can afford, masarap na hapunan na.

If you’re happy with that kind of life, please do not visit this blog again.

Otherwise, I encourage you to dream again and pursue that business that you have in your heart.

Comment below and let me know your thoughts.

To your freedom,
Jon Orana