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Sidewalker Attempting to Escape

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

The Grind

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I've been reading the forum for a while.

Decided to chose e commerce. I've read business books and the forum, knew nothing about e com until a few days ago. Read Bio's ama thread. Read some more, the more I read, the more confused I get, people contradict what someone else said which makes you more confused and makes you research and read more, its a never ending spiral actually. In reality, I can read 24/7 but wont learn anything until I do something.

Step #1 is researching to find a potential product to then research some more about the product, do some math, then contact a manufacturer to try and order samples.

I'll be updating this thread every other day minimum. I can't see me typing much when I update as It will likely take me a while to actually get something done. I've already been researching, really not having much progress, I feel like I don't know what I'm looking for. Niche, thats about it, with not 50 other competitors on Google.

One thing I will say though, I won't quit on this thread, I can't quit. I work 60 hours a week now, 7 days a week, making 10 bucks an hour, If I don't start a business and start learning soon, Ill be here in 20 years, still making 10 dollars an hour, a cog in the machine.

With that being said, hopefully someone gets a minimum amount of value from reading the progress I'll be making.
 
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jockinbox

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Step 1 is habits

Whatever habits made your a sidewalker, unlearn those first

No tv
No dinner dates
No credit cards

Debt is only acceptable if it helps you make more money.

Affirmations, twice a day
"I 'your name' will succeed"

Start reading 20 minutes a day

Also, check out Tai Lopez 67 steps. Best 6 bucks I ever spent

We'll talk about step 2 when and if you return
 
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The Grind

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Step 1 is habits

Whatever habits made your a sidewalker, unlearn those first

No tv
No dinner dates
No credit cards

Debt is only acceptable if it helps you make more money.

Affirmations, twice a day
"I 'your name' will succeed"

Start reading 20 minutes a day

Also, check out Tai Lopez 67 steps. Best 6 bucks I ever spent

We'll talk about step 2 when and if you return


Thanks for the comment, i've read your writing on here, good stuff, definitely someone to watch on this forum.

Interesting you say all that, I don't want to get into detail about how much self development is such an enormous part of my life now. But ill just say I've read many self improv books, i got into it a 2 years ago.

1 year ago my mind set was the opposite of what it is now, i had no clue making any real money was possible, started out with rich dad poor dad. Changed everything.

Moreover, I read the miracle morning a while ago. I get up at 4am everyday and do a 2 hour routine. Sleep is at midnight, I never go out, I dont care about fun, no time for it now, I dont watch tv, paying down my credit card debt. That leaves me with a couple hours in the morning and an hour or 2 at night after working both my jobs, to work on a business.

I did Tai Lopez's 67 steps in less than a week. Every video. ( thats how obsessed I am with learning about life / self improvement ) However, I dont have any actual RESULTS from any of it yet. I know more than most people about life and money, thats about it. It's time I start the process.

I've been researching for a niche the past hour, haven't found anything yet worth further researching.
 

jockinbox

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Thanks for the comment, i've read your writing on here, good stuff, definitely someone to watch on this forum.

Interesting you say all that, I don't want to get into detail about how much self development is such an enormous part of my life now. But ill just say I've read many self improv books, i got into it a 2 years ago.

1 year ago my mind set was the opposite of what it is now, i had no clue making any real money was possible, started out with rich dad poor dad. Changed everything.

Moreover, I read the miracle morning a while ago. I get up at 4am everyday and do a 2 hour routine. Sleep is at midnight, I never go out, I dont care about fun, no time for it now, I dont watch tv, paying down my credit card debt. That leaves me with a couple hours in the morning and an hour or 2 at night after working both my jobs, to work on a business.

I did Tai Lopez's 67 steps in less than a week. Every video. ( thats how obsessed I am with learning about life / self improvement ) However, I dont have any actual RESULTS from any of it yet. I know more than most people about life and money, thats about it. It's time I start the process.

I've been researching for a niche the past hour, haven't found anything yet worth further researching.


When you find this niche, and you get a product in it and the math works and it's all awesome and you make some profit, then what?

Cool, you made some cash

It's not going to last forever, eventually people will come and copy that niche.

The product is NOT the answer
The niche is NOT the answer

The answer you seek is the angle.

If you have a unique angle, no one can compete. When you have this angle you move vertically (scale) until you hit a wall.

Then you move horizontally (different niches) meanwhile you perfect your angle.

Redo Tai Lopez 67 steps, take all 67 days. Write daily notes.
 

The Grind

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When you find this niche, and you get a product in it and the math works and it's all awesome and you make some profit, then what?

Cool, you made some cash

It's not going to last forever, eventually people will come and copy that niche.

The product is NOT the answer
The niche is NOT the answer

The answer you seek is the angle.

If you have a unique angle, no one can compete. When you have this angle you move vertically (scale) until you hit a wall.

Then you move horizontally (different niches) meanwhile you perfect your angle.

Redo Tai Lopez 67 steps, take all 67 days. Write daily notes.


When I said I did 67 steps within a week, I meant, the first time I did it. I've done it probably over 5 times.

Finding the angle, as in providing value that the other stores arent giving the customers, info/guides on the products, better customer service, etc. Right?
 
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jockinbox

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When I said I did 67 steps within a week, I meant, the first time I did it. I've done it probably over 5 times.

Finding the angle, as in providing value that the other stores arent giving the customers, info/guides on the products, better customer service, etc. Right?

Yup it can be anything, think outside the box.

If I'm selling iPhone 5 covers for $1 each and making 17 cents each how would you compete with me?

Bundle it with a screen protector sell for 5 bucks make $3
Move vertically by doing different phone models/bundles

Sell it in retail level for 20 bucks make $19

Make an ecommerce store and sell for 10 and make 9 but have a "lifetime guarantee" the chances they break 9 covers is slim

The product does NOT matter. Once you master an angle you can do it with any product.

Like Bruce Lee says "I'm not afraid of the guy with 1000 different kicks, I'm afraid of the guy with 1 kick practiced 1000 times"

Such a shame, I've gotten so much out of Tai and I'm only on day 10.
 

The Grind

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Yup it can be anything, think outside the box.

If I'm selling iPhone 5 covers for $1 each and making 17 cents each how would you compete with me?

Bundle it with a screen protector sell for 5 bucks make $3
Move vertically by doing different phone models/bundles

Sell it in retail level for 20 bucks make $19

Make an ecommerce store and sell for 10 and make 9 but have a "lifetime guarantee" the chances they break 9 covers is slim

The product does NOT matter. Once you master an angle you can do it with any product.

Like Bruce Lee says "I'm not afraid of the guy with 1000 different kicks, I'm afraid of the guy with 1 kick practiced 1000 times"

Such a shame, I've gotten so much out of Tai and I'm only on day 10.

I dont think of any of that because I've never had a business before, and 3 decades of working for an employer, business angles dont just come to me.

How can the product not matter, it definitely does. Am I going to order diet pills and make a store, in 2014? No, there's way too many stores and competition.

Realistically, how long should it take me to find a product to pursue?
 

jockinbox

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I dont think of any of that because I've never had a business before, and 3 decades of working for an employer, business angles dont just come to me.

How can the product not matter, it definitely does. Am I going to order diet pills and make a store, in 2014? No, there's way too many stores and competition.

Realistically, how long should it take me to find a product to pursue?

Why not?
Just put the store next to a place where a lot of fat people pass by

Halbert says the only advantage he wants in selling burgers is a starving crowd
 
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The Grind

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Why not?
Just put the store next to a place where a lot of fat people pass by

Halbert says the only advantage he wants in selling burgers is a starving crowd

So your saying I need to realize that the product really doesn't matter, focus on providing an "angle" to customers that the other stores don't?
 

Iammelissamoore

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Cheers on your quest.

The reason why you'd probably recognise most of the info you research contradicting from one person to the next is because different methods can be applied to doing similar things. There's no right or wrong way specifically to do something, yet, it will still yield results. Mistakes are lessons in disguise and, as you work on your problem-solving methods that will make life worthwhile for consumers, you will see things align nicely based on your own methods.

Focusing is really important and that's a part of the Process I love, forget about what everyone else is doing, or how they're doing it, unless of course you're stuck and you're researching solutions. Other than that, once you're getting through, focus on your own A-Game, you'd be amazed to see how much you'll accomplish.

(I'm taking my own advice too. lol.)

Mel.
 

The Grind

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Researched last night and all this morning to find a niche, haven't found anything. Going back to researching how to research for niches.
 

jockinbox

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it appears my words have fallen on deaf ears


oh well,
 

The Grind

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I appreciate the advice, absolutely. But if your going to degrade me every time I don't understand what your saying, then it's not worth it at all, spend your time helping someone who has business experience. Of course I don't understand I've never had a business before.
 

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Its not the money but the way you think, you will understand one day.
 
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Entrepreneur99

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Very interesting points @jockinbox
(please don't take my questions the wrong way, I'm trying to understand fully what you're saying)
So you say the product is not as important as we think it is, but then doesn't this defy the commandment of NEED? If we choose any product and focus on the margins are we not then "chasing the money" so to speak, and just crowding already crowded niches?
 

jockinbox

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So you say the product is not as important as we think it is, but then doesn't this defy the commandment of NEED?

Yeah let me clarify

Of course need and you obviously need to validate your idea before scaling, however my point is:

Eventually you realize that 80% of products sold are made by 20% of the manufacturers so there really isn't that big of a difference between a generic and a branded product (unless specified by the purchaser, which would be an "angle" as I said)

If we choose any product and focus on the margins are we not then "chasing the money" so to speak, and just crowding already crowded niches?

That's what OP was doing, unless he makes an angle and adds value hes competing with kids and people in Asia that are OK with 16 cent profit margins.

Not gonna get very far.
 

Entrepreneur99

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@jockinbox Ah I think I understand. So you're saying the OP should stop focusing on finding a product which nobody else has yet found and instead find an already good and proven product, and make it more useful (NEED) by adding something to the deal or the product itself? i.e a USP?
 
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blaksol

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The $10/hour at 28 stood out to me as possibly being in one of the lower living cost areas. I am in upstate SC and just wondering if anyone else in the forum is from the area.
 
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Davo

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I'm not ready to start learning and start a business because I don't have 100$?
There's a bit more to it. The idea when starting up is to be a sponge and take in as much info as you can, as fast as you can without letting yourself get stopped or slowed by walls (some self created).

Your mindset has to shift to become efficient (with cash & time) and also to solve problems for yourself and others.

Do you have $100 to spend on INSIDERS right now? No

Can you sacrifice something this week to get you that $100? Possibly (e.g. don't buy coffee and lunches)

Can you hustle on CL and make $100 THIS WEEK so you can get INSIDERS by the weekend? Possibly - by flying through RichKid's thread

Getting INSIDERS will make you realize that it's part of the process. It's not an end goal, it's just part of becoming an entrepreneur. You take a calculated guess on risk vs reward and then take action.

If you subscribe and you realize the info isn't that great, that's fine - you only lost $100. If you do find it amazing and soak up even more info in there, you've just sped through in a few days what could have taken weeks/months/years to find.

I'd rather find out asap rather than waiting a few weeks/months to find out.
 

The Grind

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I got the impression I should just keep reading here even though I've been reading here non stop for quite a while, I havent read everything here on e commerce so i'm continuing reading while taking small breaks to research products. I finished bios thread a while ago, reading e com mans thread now.
 

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