Articles by William de Ora

Buying a business offers you the potential to create, and control your future. You can make your own decisions, there’s no one to tell you what to do, and you get to reap the benefits. This is the joy of being your own boss. I’m sure you’re aware however that unless you take charge, your business will. Too many people end up being in a self- made prison rather than reaping the freedom and rewards. And, while you may think that you’ve escaped a boss, there’s no tougher boss than a business that relentlessly demands your attention 24/7. So how do you avoid ending up being ‘employed’ by your business? You must be the number one priority of the business. From the in-depth research gathered when writing The Invisible Entrepreneur: How To Grow Your Business By Taking 3 Months Off!, I saw too many entrepreneurs being the last in line to reap any rewards from their business. If you are investing in a business, then you need to make sure that it’s a wise investment, and that it does give you a return on your investment. As a business owner keep in perspective that having a business isn't an end in itself, but the means to an end. Over the past twenty-five years I have seen too many business owners forget that a business is a moneymaking machine. Now before you jump to any conclusions, and think that I’m saying that money is everything, it’s not. I know that making a difference is important. I also understand that you get to be creative, and you get to set the standards that align with your core values. However, there’s another benefit that you may not have thought about which is your business needs to give you sufficient funds to be able to invest in other income- generating vehicles. For instance, imagine using your business to generate enough revenue, so that you can then invest in ‘bricks and mortar’ and build a property portfolio that will give you a passive, and ongoing income. Would you agree that this could provide you with real freedom, and the opportunity to choose what you do, or don’t do in your business? Be clear about your short- term and long-term objectives Buying a business can often be an emotional decision. It feels like it’s the right thing to do, and if you just get started, you’ll figure out the rest. However, this can be costly, and may not lead you to your destination. So before you buy a business, it’s important to map out ‘why’ you are going into business, and what you really want to get out of the business. You must think in terms of the short-term as well as the long term. It’s much easier to map out your game plan when you know what game you’re playing. When reviewing the business’ financials, look at the previous turnover and historic costs, but also look at the scalability, and whether this business could operate without you. If you can't see the potential for this to happen, you may well be staring at a ‘vampire business’ that’s going to bleed you dry—delivering minimum returns for maximum input in terms of your time, effort, and resources. Begin with the end in mind How might you set up your first business, if you knew that it wasn’t going to be the only business you’ll ever have? In The Invisible Entrepreneur the focus is on you not being in your business, and having to run it day-to-day. It’s about you taking on the role as the investor of the business. And, if there’s one thing that I would encourage you to do is to begin thinking like the investor from day one. It might sound like an impossible role to play in the beginning, however it will pay you dividends if you can master operating like this. It will give you enormous freedom to direct two game plans simultaneously. Game Plan 1 is your business. Game Plan 2 is an investment portfolio, funded by your business. Another way of saying this is, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If you’re interested in creating a future that gives you the best of both worlds—your business and your investment portfolio, then please call me to discuss how this can be achieved. William de Ora is the best selling author of three business books. The Invisible Entrepreneur: How To Grow Your Business By Taking 3 Months Off! The Invisible Partnership: How To Live, Love, And Work With Your Life Partner The Invisible Branson: The Definitive Guide To Becoming A Business Rock Star To contact William: Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0414 834 733 W: www.InvisiblePartnership.com

Every relationship is an asset—in the beginning. Deciding to join forces with another human being is filled with promise and high expectations of what’s possible. You are filled with optimism and have a sense that you can take on the world. And, this isn’t limited only to your life partner. This same feeling comes when you employ your first team member, or when you get a sense that you have finally attracted the right 2IC. What about the sense of accomplishment you get when you sign up with a new client or you engage a supplier who really gets you. It’s all perfect, life works, you’re in heaven. But for some unknown reason to you, your life partner, your team, your clients and your suppliers quickly turn from operating as your best assets and become a liability! Shock, horror, what happened, where did things go wrong you may well be asking yourself. No wonder fifty percent of marriages end in divorce, and seventy-five percent of businesses fail within the first five years, can anyone live with, or work with, other human beings? However, you know that going solo isn’t an option either. So, what is the solution? A key to your success is to know how to work powerfully with your life partner. If you get this right, then you can adopt the skills, insights, and knowledge into all areas of your life and into every other relationship. And, trust me, I have worked with my life partner in our business for nearly twenty years. Some people thought that our relationship would end in disaster, and there was a time when they would have been right. Three years into our marriage we nearly got divorced. What I thought was a winning formula; our lethal weapon in life and business, almost became our worse nightmare. I had a lot to learn about what it takes to successfully work with your life partner and be together 24/7. Tips for valuing your asset To go from the brink of divorce, the potential collapse of a business, and the giving up of a dream to celebrating eighteen years of marriage, you could say that I have earned the right to share some tips with you. What I want you to know is that no matter how bad you think your current situation is with your life partner, there is hope. There is a solution. And, it can be turned around today. 1. Taking Responsibility Your first decision is to decide to become 100 percent responsible for the success and failure of your business and your partnership. For things to change you must be willing to go first. This can never be about you only changing when your partner changes. 2. Admit that there is a problem in your relationship Your second priority is to admit that there is a problem, or a breakdown in how you are relating with your partner. You then need to be willing to write down what you think the issues are, who you think is at fault, and how long these issues have been going on. Please understand that this is an exercise between you and the issues. This isn’t an exercise in you gathering evidence to fire off at your partner. No! This is about you being responsible for your thoughts, your opinions and your view of what you think is going on and being willing to get them out of your head and onto paper. 3. What you value most about your partner Prior to sharing your thoughts with your partner, it’s important that you get back to basics and reflect upon what you value most about your partner. Write a list of all their strengths, skills, talents and what you most admire about them. Look at the role they have been playing in your life and your business. Start to see where they have gone beyond the call of duty. Acknowledge that perhaps they’re not always able to operate from their strengths—meaning have they had to extend way beyond their capabilities and therefore operating in an area of weakness. 4. Create a goal worth playing for If you have become disillusioned by what you’re doing and how you’re operating, then perhaps it’s time to create a goal that is worth playing for. After all, you inspired your life partner about what was possible some time ago, perhaps it’s time to do this again. 5. Communicate Decide to communicate with your partner. Create the opportunity to share your views and be open and willing to hear their side of the story. The key is to not continue to work around the elephant in the living room. 6. Find a mediator If you need a third party to support you, then find someone who is experienced in working with their life partner. Not every issue can be resolved on your own. I share these tips with you not for the purposes of a one-off exercise. In choosing to have a rich and rewarding life-long relationship with your partner, you must consistently maintain, value, and appreciate your one and only asset. When I truly learnt to value, respect, and appreciate who Louise was and what she brought to our business and our personal partnership, everything started to work. I wish you every success.