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MJ DeMarco
I followed the science; all I found was money.
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Note from MJ:
Our next FEATURED USER is another forum regular who has provided tremendous value to the forum in the the realm of import/export. He is our very own Art Vandelay.
FEATURED USER!
Please give some love to @Walter Hay !! He also has a book available for purchase as well, so please check that out!
Oh No! Not Another Rags To Riches Story!
Off To A Bad Start
My early childhood was a story of serious and prolonged illness, and after my parents separated, malnutrition. The result was stunted growth which attracted every “brave” bully wherever I went. At the age of 15 I weighed 66 lbs (30kg)
Budding Entrepreneur At Age 8
In the early post WW2 years there was a rabbit plague in Australia. Gutted rabbits with skin on sold for less than 3 cents each provided they were big ones with good quality fur.
I had never heard of vertical integration, but I had a business idea that I later learned involves just that. I carefully skinned and cleaned some that I had shot. My father taught me that anything but a head shot was a waste of ammunition, and I was in trouble if I did a body shot, so I never wasted a bullet.
I wrapped the cleaned rabbits in newspaper and went door to door selling them for 10 cents each, a good example of value adding. I deliberately chose my target demographic in order to improve the chance of making sales. Older women took pity on me because I looked so pathetic, and I sold out whenever I went out selling.
Moved To The Big Smoke
When my parents separated, my mother moved with me and several of my siblings, to live in a run-down suburb in the city where at first we slept 5 to a double bed, 3 one end with me in the middle and 2 the other end.
I was frequently beaten up by the district’s bullies. My mother worked night and day to pay the rent and feed us. I recall being sent to the grocery store the day before payday with enough money to buy 2 eggs for the evening meal for three of us.
We operated a con that saw me, my mother, and one sister get a good 3 course meal once a week for the cost of a meat pie. No details because it would still work at any medium quality restaurant that is busy, but I don’t want to lead my readers into a life of crime.
Moved Down Market
The walk home after finishing work around midnight was too far for my mother so we moved closer to the CBD. My welcome to the new area involved the local bully’s enormous mother pinning me to the wall while her enormous son beat me to a pulp.
Having worked out my own version of a martial arts hold that didn’t require strength or weight, neither of which was in my armory, I caught him by surprise a couple of days later when he wasn’t holding his mummy’s hand, dropped him flat on his back, and gave him a huge black eye.
Second Business Started At Age 12
I saw an opportunity that filled a real need. Bath water was heated using kindling fired venturi style heaters. Wood was hard to come by after most of the district’s wooden fences mysteriously disappeared at night.
I negotiated exclusive access to the broken wooden boxes in the local beer bottle recycling depot and after splintering the wood sold it to - you guessed it, little old ladies. I gradually increased my price as demand outstripped supply.
Big Change In My Life
I know religion is taboo on the forum, but I mention it in passing because when I discovered a religion that:
About the same time I dropped out of high school to provide relief for my mother, worn out after years of working 70 hours a week. I began in the shipping industry as a messenger boy on a subsistence wage, working my way up to the point where I was earning enough to live on with a little left over.
My Big Breakthrough
This came when, after studying at night I got a boring, but better paid job as the Accountant for a car dealership, where different marques were sold in the one showroom.
After my boss decided that I needed an assistant, I trained a girl who did so well that I had a lot of free time. I used that time to study everything I could lay my hands on about the cars.
The professional salesmen were too lazy to bother, so, when they discovered I knew every detail about all the models, they would introduce me to prospects as “the expert”, and leave it to me to explain it all. They got all the commission and I didn’t even get a thank-you.
I persuaded my boss to allow me to attend to prospects if there were no salesmen available, and before long, I was outselling the pros.
My attitude was that I was not selling the car, the customer was buying it. I was there to help them understand what they were getting, how everything worked, and all the differences between makes and models. If they didn’t ask questions I kept quiet. I was not popular with the pros, particularly when they saw I was outselling them without using their con man techniques.
Career Change
Now with a sales record behind me, after applying for over 100 selling jobs,
I found one with a small manufacturer selling highly technical industrial chemicals, employing a staff of 4 including me. As the sole salesman I doubled turnover every year for over 3 years.
Producing >800% increase in sales led to the business adding 19 more workers, none in sales. A new director was brought in with capital to fund expansion. His sales experience was selling soap and cosmetics and he wanted to teach me how to sell. I resented being told that my sales approach was all wrong, so we parted company.
After a year of commission selling while trying but failing to find a decent job due to the fact that I had no letters after my name, I made the big decision. I started my own business not realizing that I was leaving the slowlane.
Selling those technically demanding industrial chemicals taught me a big lesson. The boss had tunnel vision and wouldn’t consider introducing products outside that very limited specialty. I often suggested ways to solve manufacturing problems that I met up with in factories, but he was stubborn.
I decided to become a manufacturers’ troubleshooter. Now with my background in selling products that at least partially solved some of those production problems, I set out to offer free problem solving in industries that I knew well.
Coincidentally, my solution to the problems almost invariably required them to buy my product. There were many occasions when I had to formulate a new product or more often, modify an existing one.
Start Up Capital.
Having been very poorly paid I had accumulated only $47, so if I didn’t make a sale within a week, or two at the most, my children might go hungry.
I made that sale, and I so impressed the factory manager that he made sure I was paid within 7 days. It was a big sale, and that company became one of my best customers.
How I Made That Sale
Having persuaded the factory manager that I could fix the huge problem they had tolerated for years, I arrived at opening time, ready for work. I deliberately wore a suit and tie with a white shirt! When I removed my coat and tie, rolled up my sleeves, and joined in the hard grind in hot, dirty conditions, it wasn’t just the great performance of the product that I was demonstrating.
I worked there all day, although my demonstration quickly proved that I had the solution. I had coffee breaks and lunch with the men. I became one of them, and that recognition was as important as the fact that I had made their working lives easier on a daily basis from then on.
After that I rarely had to go through that process. My wife would have killed me if I had ruined a good shirt every time I made a sale, but I desperately needed that first sale.
Hello Fastlane
With surprising speed I found myself without debt, two European cars in the garage, and work that I enjoyed, including plenty of travel.
Industrial Experience
Over the 20 years of operating that business, I visited thousands of factories spanning an enormous range of industries. I taught myself a working knowledge of chemistry – at least enough to know how to avoid blowing myself up.
I acquired knowledge of industrial processes that I could use in problem solving in other industries and built a reputation that led to requests for help coming in from other countries. This led to me exporting my products to Fiji, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, the Philippines, USA, Norway, Taiwan, and other countries.
On one occasion, a US customer forgot to order in time. They phoned in desperation and I air freighted at their cost two 44 gallon drums so their factory could continue running, while the rest went by sea.
Asian Experience
I traveled extensively and as my sons reached about 14 years of age I periodically took one with me. They opened many doors because Asian society values family life. My sons learned a lot more than they missed during their absences from school.
I appointed an agent in Taiwan, who sold huge quantities. Currency restrictions made it difficult for Taiwanese importers at that time. I visited them after each order and collected in cash and travelers’ checks the balance owing. I returned home carrying the maximum allowable legal tender.
In Taiwan I visited countless factories with my very enthusiastic agent. By then there were frequent complaints about mainland Chinese businesses price cutting and taking away business from Taiwan, and many were already making a move to mainland China. That was when I decided to follow them, and since then I have lost count of the number of times I have visited China.
Exporter Becomes Importer
I sold my chemical business for 4 times net profit. Prior to that, in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China, my network was building. I had met countless “cousins” of people I had dealt with, all of whom wanted me to import their products. When I made my choice I didn’t imagine it would grow as fast as it did. This was before the advent of the internet; everything was done by fax or telephone.
Marketing via direct mail, print Yellow Pages, and direct sales visits to prospects resulted in massive rapid growth, despite selling on quality and service at prices substantially higher than my competitors.
With all willing and available family members employed in the rapidly expanding business I chose expansion via selling franchises, and ultimately sold franchises in four countries.
After Retirement
Bypass surgery complicated by my other health problems dictated retirement, but as you might guess, I am a workaholic and retirement drove me crazy.
The result is two books so far: Proven China Sourcing, the latest revision of which is to be released within a few weeks. The second has the cumbersome title: “Create And Source Power Labels For Private Labeling Profits.”
What a mouthful, but I had to distinguish it from the ubiquitous PLR business model. It deals with how to create labels and packaging with selling power and use them to create a great brand. Covering 26 ways to brand and label your product, it leans heavily towards the use of marketing psychology. You can find it here: Power Labels – for Private Labeling Profits
FASTLANE FORUM
There is nothing to compare. I enjoy my time on the forum, and it’s great to see so many genuine people of great ability willing to help others.
All power to MJ for this great creation of his. May it long remain free from spammers and takers.
ALL REP $ FROM THIS POST WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO WALTER.
Our next FEATURED USER is another forum regular who has provided tremendous value to the forum in the the realm of import/export. He is our very own Art Vandelay.
FEATURED USER!
Please give some love to @Walter Hay !! He also has a book available for purchase as well, so please check that out!
Oh No! Not Another Rags To Riches Story!
Off To A Bad Start
My early childhood was a story of serious and prolonged illness, and after my parents separated, malnutrition. The result was stunted growth which attracted every “brave” bully wherever I went. At the age of 15 I weighed 66 lbs (30kg)
Budding Entrepreneur At Age 8
In the early post WW2 years there was a rabbit plague in Australia. Gutted rabbits with skin on sold for less than 3 cents each provided they were big ones with good quality fur.
I had never heard of vertical integration, but I had a business idea that I later learned involves just that. I carefully skinned and cleaned some that I had shot. My father taught me that anything but a head shot was a waste of ammunition, and I was in trouble if I did a body shot, so I never wasted a bullet.
I wrapped the cleaned rabbits in newspaper and went door to door selling them for 10 cents each, a good example of value adding. I deliberately chose my target demographic in order to improve the chance of making sales. Older women took pity on me because I looked so pathetic, and I sold out whenever I went out selling.
Moved To The Big Smoke
When my parents separated, my mother moved with me and several of my siblings, to live in a run-down suburb in the city where at first we slept 5 to a double bed, 3 one end with me in the middle and 2 the other end.
I was frequently beaten up by the district’s bullies. My mother worked night and day to pay the rent and feed us. I recall being sent to the grocery store the day before payday with enough money to buy 2 eggs for the evening meal for three of us.
We operated a con that saw me, my mother, and one sister get a good 3 course meal once a week for the cost of a meat pie. No details because it would still work at any medium quality restaurant that is busy, but I don’t want to lead my readers into a life of crime.
Moved Down Market
The walk home after finishing work around midnight was too far for my mother so we moved closer to the CBD. My welcome to the new area involved the local bully’s enormous mother pinning me to the wall while her enormous son beat me to a pulp.
Having worked out my own version of a martial arts hold that didn’t require strength or weight, neither of which was in my armory, I caught him by surprise a couple of days later when he wasn’t holding his mummy’s hand, dropped him flat on his back, and gave him a huge black eye.
Second Business Started At Age 12
I saw an opportunity that filled a real need. Bath water was heated using kindling fired venturi style heaters. Wood was hard to come by after most of the district’s wooden fences mysteriously disappeared at night.
I negotiated exclusive access to the broken wooden boxes in the local beer bottle recycling depot and after splintering the wood sold it to - you guessed it, little old ladies. I gradually increased my price as demand outstripped supply.
Big Change In My Life
I know religion is taboo on the forum, but I mention it in passing because when I discovered a religion that:
- Wasn’t after my money
- Had no hierarchy
- No paid ministry – all work done by volunteers
- All congregations were independent
- Were identified by Bertrand Russell in “Power - A New Social Analysis” P81 as: “The best representatives of the primitive tradition (first century Christianity) are the Christxxxxxxs.” No name – I’m not proselytizing, but if anyone’s curious, just PM me.
About the same time I dropped out of high school to provide relief for my mother, worn out after years of working 70 hours a week. I began in the shipping industry as a messenger boy on a subsistence wage, working my way up to the point where I was earning enough to live on with a little left over.
My Big Breakthrough
This came when, after studying at night I got a boring, but better paid job as the Accountant for a car dealership, where different marques were sold in the one showroom.
After my boss decided that I needed an assistant, I trained a girl who did so well that I had a lot of free time. I used that time to study everything I could lay my hands on about the cars.
The professional salesmen were too lazy to bother, so, when they discovered I knew every detail about all the models, they would introduce me to prospects as “the expert”, and leave it to me to explain it all. They got all the commission and I didn’t even get a thank-you.
I persuaded my boss to allow me to attend to prospects if there were no salesmen available, and before long, I was outselling the pros.
My attitude was that I was not selling the car, the customer was buying it. I was there to help them understand what they were getting, how everything worked, and all the differences between makes and models. If they didn’t ask questions I kept quiet. I was not popular with the pros, particularly when they saw I was outselling them without using their con man techniques.
Career Change
Now with a sales record behind me, after applying for over 100 selling jobs,
I found one with a small manufacturer selling highly technical industrial chemicals, employing a staff of 4 including me. As the sole salesman I doubled turnover every year for over 3 years.
Producing >800% increase in sales led to the business adding 19 more workers, none in sales. A new director was brought in with capital to fund expansion. His sales experience was selling soap and cosmetics and he wanted to teach me how to sell. I resented being told that my sales approach was all wrong, so we parted company.
After a year of commission selling while trying but failing to find a decent job due to the fact that I had no letters after my name, I made the big decision. I started my own business not realizing that I was leaving the slowlane.
Selling those technically demanding industrial chemicals taught me a big lesson. The boss had tunnel vision and wouldn’t consider introducing products outside that very limited specialty. I often suggested ways to solve manufacturing problems that I met up with in factories, but he was stubborn.
I decided to become a manufacturers’ troubleshooter. Now with my background in selling products that at least partially solved some of those production problems, I set out to offer free problem solving in industries that I knew well.
Coincidentally, my solution to the problems almost invariably required them to buy my product. There were many occasions when I had to formulate a new product or more often, modify an existing one.
Start Up Capital.
Having been very poorly paid I had accumulated only $47, so if I didn’t make a sale within a week, or two at the most, my children might go hungry.
I made that sale, and I so impressed the factory manager that he made sure I was paid within 7 days. It was a big sale, and that company became one of my best customers.
How I Made That Sale
Having persuaded the factory manager that I could fix the huge problem they had tolerated for years, I arrived at opening time, ready for work. I deliberately wore a suit and tie with a white shirt! When I removed my coat and tie, rolled up my sleeves, and joined in the hard grind in hot, dirty conditions, it wasn’t just the great performance of the product that I was demonstrating.
I worked there all day, although my demonstration quickly proved that I had the solution. I had coffee breaks and lunch with the men. I became one of them, and that recognition was as important as the fact that I had made their working lives easier on a daily basis from then on.
After that I rarely had to go through that process. My wife would have killed me if I had ruined a good shirt every time I made a sale, but I desperately needed that first sale.
Hello Fastlane
With surprising speed I found myself without debt, two European cars in the garage, and work that I enjoyed, including plenty of travel.
Industrial Experience
Over the 20 years of operating that business, I visited thousands of factories spanning an enormous range of industries. I taught myself a working knowledge of chemistry – at least enough to know how to avoid blowing myself up.
I acquired knowledge of industrial processes that I could use in problem solving in other industries and built a reputation that led to requests for help coming in from other countries. This led to me exporting my products to Fiji, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, the Philippines, USA, Norway, Taiwan, and other countries.
On one occasion, a US customer forgot to order in time. They phoned in desperation and I air freighted at their cost two 44 gallon drums so their factory could continue running, while the rest went by sea.
Asian Experience
I traveled extensively and as my sons reached about 14 years of age I periodically took one with me. They opened many doors because Asian society values family life. My sons learned a lot more than they missed during their absences from school.
I appointed an agent in Taiwan, who sold huge quantities. Currency restrictions made it difficult for Taiwanese importers at that time. I visited them after each order and collected in cash and travelers’ checks the balance owing. I returned home carrying the maximum allowable legal tender.
In Taiwan I visited countless factories with my very enthusiastic agent. By then there were frequent complaints about mainland Chinese businesses price cutting and taking away business from Taiwan, and many were already making a move to mainland China. That was when I decided to follow them, and since then I have lost count of the number of times I have visited China.
Exporter Becomes Importer
I sold my chemical business for 4 times net profit. Prior to that, in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China, my network was building. I had met countless “cousins” of people I had dealt with, all of whom wanted me to import their products. When I made my choice I didn’t imagine it would grow as fast as it did. This was before the advent of the internet; everything was done by fax or telephone.
Marketing via direct mail, print Yellow Pages, and direct sales visits to prospects resulted in massive rapid growth, despite selling on quality and service at prices substantially higher than my competitors.
With all willing and available family members employed in the rapidly expanding business I chose expansion via selling franchises, and ultimately sold franchises in four countries.
After Retirement
Bypass surgery complicated by my other health problems dictated retirement, but as you might guess, I am a workaholic and retirement drove me crazy.
The result is two books so far: Proven China Sourcing, the latest revision of which is to be released within a few weeks. The second has the cumbersome title: “Create And Source Power Labels For Private Labeling Profits.”
What a mouthful, but I had to distinguish it from the ubiquitous PLR business model. It deals with how to create labels and packaging with selling power and use them to create a great brand. Covering 26 ways to brand and label your product, it leans heavily towards the use of marketing psychology. You can find it here: Power Labels – for Private Labeling Profits
FASTLANE FORUM
There is nothing to compare. I enjoy my time on the forum, and it’s great to see so many genuine people of great ability willing to help others.
All power to MJ for this great creation of his. May it long remain free from spammers and takers.
ALL REP $ FROM THIS POST WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO WALTER.
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