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keystowealth

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The 3 Keys To Wealth


Strategies That Empower Anyone to Make Money

By David MacGregor

Freedom Confidential

Copyright - Freedom Confidential - All Rights Reserved

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 1


Introduction

My own personal story is instructive. You see, as a young adult I was a complete ignoramus
when it came to understanding “how” to make money - and more importantly, how to
accumulate wealth.

My parents didn’t teach me, nor did my schooling. So I grew up like many young people,
with no real sense of what I could achieve or how to go about it. Instead I followed my own
artistic instincts and became a musician. And, as a musician, I became used to the insecurity
of not having a job and became comfortable with the tradeoff between uncertainty and the
freedom to do what interested me most.

It was not until I turned 30 that I had the idea to start my own business. This self-employment
urge no doubt was nurtured by observing my own father who, throughout his adult life, had a
fish and chip business in the UK, and later in New Zealand.

I have always been an avid reader so decided that a book shop would suit my interests and
personality. I thought about it, planned it, and made it happen. I found a vacant shop, refitted
it, visited all the book wholesalers, and raised a loan from my bank. That was back in 1980.

Six months later I was out of business and out of money. Why? Because I started my venture
with not the slightest knowledge of how to run a business, or how to determine what sort of
business I should be starting in the first place. Like I said, I was pig-ignorant.

However, I did learn one lesson immediately. I was certain I would not attempt to start a
retail business again. Instead, I knuckled down and began reading business-related books,
entrepreneurial magazines and opportunity publications. Soon I found my creative juices
flowing and a few years later I had my first truly inspiring business idea.

At the time I was working as a sales representative for a greeting card company - a job which
I was quite good at, but already knew I didn’t want to stay at. So I worked on my idea - a
discount coupon booklet which I was going sell via high schools as a fundraiser - while still
doing my day job. And when I was sure of what I was about and had every detail worked
out, I handed in my notice and spent the next three months implementing my plan.

This time I was successful. And I know why. I was so motivated, so confident, so sure of my
idea that I had no doubt I would succeed - and so I did. I sold 30,000 copies of that booklet
in its first edition, and generated an income which was three times my annual salary as a
greeting card salesman - and all in just two months.

It was now 1984, and I was hooked on business.

I continued to publish that discount booklet for four years, during which time I started
another business - an introduction magazine sold by direct mail (that was before the internet
era). I built up the introduction business for eight years before selling it. And during that time
I taught myself everything I needed to know about computers, self-publishing, copywriting -
and even employing a small staff. It was certainly progress, compared with my first business
venture.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 2


Next came a period of financial turbulence. I started two different businesses in the
publishing field, both of which failed. This ended up costing me my house and leaving me in
debt to the tune of $35,000.

My previous optimism and confidence turned to despair and panic, as I viewed my situation
through lenses of doom. Fortunately for me, I was not to remain in that dark place.

A couple of years later, after reading a particularly inspiring book in 1997, I began another
publishing venture which ended up over the years by morphing into what I do now, Freedom
Confidential, my private membership service dedicated to providing information to those
who seek more practical freedom.

I’ve been working online now for over 17 years - my most successful business venture yet.
But at nearly every turn I have found my business life to be one of trial and error, having the
confidence and motivation to try new things, but often lacking the knowledge and
experience to get it right.

One thing I do know, is I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned because I’ve had to. I’ve learned
because I wanted to. And I’ve learned because there was no other way to move forward. And
what I’ve learned is this: no matter how much you think you know, there is always more that
you don’t know.

When I look back on my business life and experience - spanning over 30 years now - I
realise how much I’ve expanded my own sense of what is possible. My first business venture
was “small time”, based on a limited vision of what I was capable of. But as time passed I
expanded my vision and my possibilities - largely as a result of my previous experiences and
successes. I wasn’t born with a natural high level of self-confidence, so I had to earn it the
hard way - in the school of hard knocks.

So if I had to explain my own journey and come up with a formula for achieving business
and moneymaking success, I’d simply state it as three key points:

• Attitude
• Knowledge
• Opportunity

I’m no guru or mega-rich dude who can dazzle you with my wealth and personality. Rather
I’m an ordinary guy who has struggled to actualise my own dreams - which have largely
been driven by my fundamental need for independence. And through it all I have held on to
the belief that I can do what I set out to do - even if I have to try over and over again. And my
journey so far has proven to me the wisdom of that attitude.

Of course, I could have shortened my learning curve considerably if I’d known where to turn
for advice and knowledge. But I’m living proof that if you start with the right attitude, then all
else will fall into place over time. And so these three keys - Attitude, Knowledge and
Opportunity - are what I want to discuss in the pages that follow. And it’s my hope that you
may gain something from my own insights and discoveries, and create a shortcut for yourself,
so you don’t have to spend too many years in the “trial and error” mode as I did!

Yours in freedom

David MacGregor
The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 3
The First Key: Attitude

Attitude is everything in life. If you believe you can, you can. And if you believe you can’t,
you can’t. That’s a fundamental starting point for everything. Without a sufficient level of self-
belief you can never achieve anything. So any drive for personal or financial advancement
must start with the right attitude.

But what sort of attitude? Well, there are all types of slogans out there, sayings that contain
seeds of deeper truths. Things like having a “can do” attitude, seeing things through the prism
of “half-full” rather than “half-empty”. So it’s obvious that an optimistic outlook is a key
ingredient of a success-orientated attitude.

However, success quotes and inspiration can only get you so far. Attitude runs a lot deeper
than a few spoken words and slogans. There are more important things that must be learned
and internalised - which are just as much about one’s attitude, and which have the power to
make or break any venture you undertake.

Perhaps the most important of these deeper truths is learning the right attitude about the
“how” of making money.

How do you get money? No doubt as a child you saw your parents walk into a bank and get
it from a bank teller. Or in more recent years, by watching your parents extract it from money
machines as if by magic. Either way, such an experience would not have enlightened you as
to the “how” and “why” of money.

Later you would have learned you can get your hands on money by exchanging your labour
for it - perhaps a few chores around the house, or a part-time job as a teenager. And very
soon you would have fallen for the idea that money is got by finding a “job”. Need money?
Get a job. Need a better job? Get a better education.

That’s the way the world works - or so we are told. Trouble is, our eduction system never
explained to us the essential difference between those who look for jobs and those who have
jobs to offer. It never explained the polar opposites of working for a living vs creating a
living.

To move beyond the constraints of working for a living - and of needing someone to hire you
- you need to understand the nature of wealth creation, how money is really made. This is
the crux of the matter.

Let’s keep it simple. In the way we are taught at school, our goal should be to get a good
education, so we can get a good job - and earn good money. But this begs an enormous
unanswered question. Who is the person who creates the job in the first place - the job we
hope to get? What got him started down that path? What makes him different from the rest of
us? Is it possible you could be a job creator rather than job seeker?

The difference between a job creator and a job seeker is huge. The person who creates the
business, that makes the money, that provides the job for the job seeker, has got a hold of a
cosmic truth - that the source of all money is to be found in the act of value creation.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 4


To make money (rather than simply earn it) in this world, you need to create value that others
are willing to pay you for. Now, as a “worker”, your value is limited to the labour (whether by
hand or mind) you can provide to an employer. You may be paid by the hour, by the week,
by the month, or by results, but you will always be paid according to the value of your
particular input.

Of course, you could be very well paid for your labour input - depending upon your level of
skill and the talents you bring to the table. In fact, if you are a rare breed of leader, you could
command a significant salary if you can manage a business on behalf of a business creator.
But at the end of the day, your value would still be limited and defined by the nature of your
job - a job created by someone else, on their terms not yours.

The true money creators, on the other hand, break new ground by bringing new value to the
market place, and create fortunes by meeting the needs and wants of others.

The secret to making money is quite simple really. Create or source something of value that
others will willingly pay you for. If you want to make a fortune, create something of
extraordinary value. This is the key. And it’s an open market. There is no limit to the potential
values that can be created, whether modest or life-changing. Anything of value is
exchangeable for money in the global free market.

If you want to turn yourself from a money earner into a money creator, then simply turn your
mind to the task of discovering or sourcing and bringing to market something of value -
whether a tangible good, or innovative service. And you don’t have to re-invent the wheel.
There are so many possible variations of products and services already on the market that can
act as a vehicle for a new venture. Often an existing product or service with a new twist is
enough to launch a successful new business enterprise.

Does creating value mean you have to form a mega-corporation and take on the world? Well,
if you are a Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Richard Branson, then the answer is “yes”. These giants
of capitalist enterprise and innovation have brought enormous value to millions of people -
and have been amply rewarded for their contribution to the global economy.

But there are plenty of smaller ways to create value and make money for yourself. There is no
written law that says only big companies can create value. One person can do it alone, if
necessary, and could search out a very small but profitable niche market and offer some
unique value - one that may never grow into a Microsoft, Apple or Virgin.

The beauty of value creation is that you are the creator. You determine what it will be, and
who will be the target market. You determine your own income. Sure, if you’re very
successful at it you may have to expand your business to cope with demand - but you will be
in charge and you will call the shots.

Where to start? Back in the early 90s I learned a valuable lesson, which may hopefully
illustrate to you the nature of value creation and how to find your own individual niche.

At that time I was trying to be a salesman - an insurance salesman no less! But I was failing
miserably. You see I have this debilitating fear of rejection. Now, while I am able to front up
and do a good verbal presentation to any interested prospect, I’m a dead loser when it comes
to picking up the phone to make an appointment with a complete stranger. And that’s what
happened.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 5


After my sales training I was given the task of opening a telephone directory and contacting
random people in my local area between the hours of 7 and 9 each evening. Well, first I
rationalised that 7 o’clock was too early, as people would still be eating dinner and would
not want to be disturbed. And by 8:30 I was thinking they were already settled in front of the
TV watching their favourite programme and would definitely not want to be disturbed!

In this way I reduced my working hours to between 7:30 and 8:30. But it was still too much. I
literally sweated that single hour as I picked up the phone and dialed - forever dreading the
potential response at the other end. Within five days I had quit.

I then read books and listened to tapes on how to overcome the fear of rejection, how to
boost my confidence and learn to think about selling and prospecting as a “numbers
game” (like speaking to 100 people in order to make one sale). All of these theories and
strategies ultimately got me nowhere, and I ended up feeling a complete failure.

That was until I read a book by Robert Fritz called The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to
Become The Creative Force in Your Own Life. This was a breakthrough event for me. In
essence it said that just like water finds its own level on the way to the sea (and follows the
easiest route while doing so), so we humans each have our own talents, interests and skills -
and that we should seek to discover them and simply use what we already have - not to force
ourselves into work that we are ill-suited for. Water does not struggle in its journey - and
neither should we.

That one book changed my attitude and outlook for life. Like many such books it opened the
door to a new way of thinking - a way that empowered me. After that I gave up trying to be a
salesman and concentrated on what I already knew I was good at and what was “easy” for
me - my own path of least resistance. So if you’re floundering around wondering what you
could be good at, or looking for some direction in life, then I certainly recommend you read
that book. I feel confident it will do for you what it did for me.

Discovering your own “path of least resistance” is the key to finding your life purpose and
doing what you are naturally good at. And once you know that, it’s much easier to find an
idea that fascinates and motivates you, and then to create a value and bring it to market. After
all, life isn’t meant to be hard!

The secret to making money is not to be thinking of the money at all! Instead you must focus
on what you love doing, on what motivates you, on what will get you out of bed in the
morning with a big smile on your face. That’s what makes successful people successful. If you
ask any mega-rich person what motivates them, invariably you will find it’s not the money as
such, but that money is simply a byproduct of something else - doing what they love doing.

If you follow your interest, your passion, your natural talents - and find a way to express that
by creating value that other people will happily pay you for - then you will have found the
secret to success. The money will flow naturally from that.

It is this attitude to money and value creation that you must develop, if you intend to create
wealth. Money is the byproduct of value creation. Focus on that and thinking in terms of how
to meet the needs of others by providing them with value - and you will be well on your way
to success.

But there is more than attitude involved. You need knowledge also.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 6


The Second Key: Knowledge

There is one thing I’m certain of. With the right knowledge you can accelerate the realisation
of your wealth goals. I know this from my own personal experience, where I was forever
starting from square one, and having to learn by trial and error. I know now, that if I’d had the
knowledge of certain basics much earlier in life, then I would have achieved a lot more a lot
sooner.

Armed with the right mindset about wealth creation, it’s now time to look at the knowledge
required to develop an action plan. So let’s start with a few definitions.

What is wealth? It's a good question - one where the answer is often misunderstood. And I
think the best answer is that wealth is the net value of your material assets. Sure, there are
other sorts of "assets" - like your health or state of mind, but for the purpose of this discussion
we are talking about material assets.

Money is not wealth per se. Money is just printed paper, made "legal" by the government and
used as a medium of exchange. Money is a means of buying and selling assets, but is not an
asset in itself - not when you understand the true meaning of the word.

Another reason paper money is not wealth is that its purchasing power is constantly affected
by government actions. And history shows that when a government loses control of the
money supply through inflation, then money can lose its value - down to virtually zero.
When push comes to shove, money can end up not even worth the paper it's printed on.

What are assets? These are things that have tangible value - due to their income-earning or
capital growth potential. The three main asset classes are: business enterprises, real estate
(houses, buildings etc) and paper assets (stocks, bonds etc). Other asset classes include
precious metals (gold, silver etc.) and collectibles (art, antiques etc).

What sets an asset apart from money is the fact it has historic tradability and/or income
earning power. That is why when a country faces hyper-inflation, and the value of the money
plummets, those people holding tradable assets can still survive.

What is financial independence? It is having enough income-producing assets to provide you


with all the money you need to live the way you want to - without working. And the best way
to judge the degree of your real or potential financial independence, is to ask yourself the
question, "If I stop working now - how long can I survive?" For most people, the answer may
only be a few weeks or months!!

So it follows that financial independence is not just having a well-paid job - which you could
lose at a moment’s notice - but having a source of income that will keep flowing even when
you stop working.

How do the rich become rich? I think Robert Kiyosaki provides the best answer to this
question in his books Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The Cashflow Quadrant. And if you haven't
read his books, then I thoroughly recommend that you do. See http://www.richdad.com

Essentially, the rich become rich because they have developed the habit of purchasing assets,
not liabilities (as the poor do). And secondly, they set themselves up so their income comes
from the ownership of such assets - not the having of a job.
The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 7
Perhaps Kiyosaki's greatest insight is his development of the Cashflow Quadrant - which is a
simple illustration showing four types of individual - and four types of underlying mindsets.

E B

S I

The "E" stands for Employee - someone who earns their living by working for someone else.
That could be as humble as being the school janitor, or as high as being the CEO of a large
corporation. The basic mindset of an "E" type person is the need for security - i.e. pay,
retirement fund, benefits, redundancy provisions etc. However, being employed really offers
no real security - rather the illusion of it.

The "S" stands for Self Employed - someone who earns their living by working for
themselves. This could be as a professional, like a doctor, dentist or lawyer, or self-employed
tradesman, consultant or commissioned salesperson, or an owner-operated business of some
type. The basic mindset of an "S" type of person is the need for independence. The key point
here is that the “S” type of person needs to continue working in order to earn an income.

The "B" stands for Business Owner - someone who earns their living by owning a business
enterprise - one that can function without their necessary individual time-input. A business
owner is quite different from a self-employed person in his own business. If a self-employed
person stops working, his business and income stops also. Whereas, a business owner can
walk away from the business - and still earn a living. A "B" type of person is usually someone
with a large vision or mission, and someone who is able to lead, inspire and build a team.

The "I" stands for Investor - someone who earns their living by investing. The basic mindset
of an investor is someone who values independence and financial freedom highly, and
intends to make their money work for them - rather than working for money. An "I" person is
not simply an investor, in the sense of having a retirement plan or money in a mutual fund -
but is an active investor, making his own investment decisions and working on investments as
other people work in jobs. Both business owners and investors use leverage to maximise their
own efforts.

So, according to Kiyosaki, the way to become rich is to derive your income from either
business or investments - that is, by being a person on the right side of the Cashflow
Quadrant. This entails changing your focus if necessary. The "E" or "S" type person focuses on
income, whereas the "B" or "I" type person focuses on acquiring income-producing assets.

Of course, it's quite possible to be operating in more than one quadrant at the same time. For
example: you could be an "E" type person who is a part time "I" person. But the essential
point is that if you want to become rich - and that means wealthy - then you need to be
active to some degree in either the "B" or "I" quadrants. And the more active you are, the
richer you will become.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 8


Are there any other ways to get rich? Yes, there are - including:

• You can marry into wealth


• You can become incredibly stingy, live like a pauper, and save, save, save
• You can work incredibly hard - two jobs perhaps?
• You can become a criminal - rob banks, or become a drug dealer
• You can become rich if you are exceptionally talented - like a film or sports star
• You can be lucky and win the Lotto
• You can inherit money

However, the options above all have their obvious drawbacks. Either they involve leading a
miserable life, depending on luck, counting on the wealth of others, breaking the law, or
being a "one-in-a-million" type of person. When you get down to the nitty gritty, there is only
one sensible way to accumulate wealth and become rich - that is to spend your time and
energy building or acquiring income-producing assets.

Want to get rich quick? This is a constant temptation, and one which usually causes us to lose
rather than make money. If you choose the path of building a business, or an investment
portfolio, then you will know that it cannot be achieved overnight. Genuine opportunities to
"get rich quick" are far and few between, and are either reserved for those who are already
rich (because of the need for considerable cash to take advantage of such an opportunity), or
overly dependent on luck (as some of the examples above).

It's interesting to note that the two proven ways to wealth - business building and investing -
both involve what is called leverage. In the case of a "B" person, building a profitable
business involves leveraging off the skills and talents of others, by building a team. It can also
involve the leveraging off existing business systems. A "B" person is more like a conductor -
directing the energies of a diverse group of people, talents and systems. Investing is similar.
It's the principle of using money to create more money. And in every case, such investing
involves using leverage of some sort.

Because "becoming rich" is something most people have thought of, or wished for, it is an
area ripe for exploitation. One manifestation of this is the number of books peddling an
esoteric theory of wealth. The idea here is to present "getting rich” as some sort of insider
secret, known only to a few. Such theories often include some useful truths, but are often
wrapped up in "fluff".

One example I can think of, is where you are exhorted to give away a certain percentage of
your money, and that this action will put you onside with some sort of cosmic law of
abundance. There are many books that have promoted such an idea - the essence of which is
that there is a mystery to being rich, one which you need to be inducted into.

In the case of the "giving to get" philosophy, I can see a grain of truth, and that is the idea that
in giving money away, you are in fact showing your detachment to it. In other words, by
being able to give it away you are expressing the fact that you do not fear losing your wealth.

This raises the issue of "fear", which I think is a factor of any wealth creation plan. It's
obvious that fear is a negative. It can stop you from starting a business. It can stop you from
making an investment. And if you are primarily driven by fear, then it is virtually impossible
to change your circumstances in any way whatsoever, let alone in the matter of creating
wealth.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 9


So any theory of wealth-building, which urges you to first start giving away a percentage of
your money, is really only presenting the idea that being emotionally detached from your
wealth is a necessary precondition of accumulating it.

Another theory behind wealth creation is the need for a wealth mindset. Now this is actually
quite valid. Becoming wealthy is like any other goal. And the first point of setting a goal is
that you need to believe you can achieve it. If you believe you can't, for whatever reason,
then you will not begin the process in the first place. So it's obvious you need to believe you
can become wealthy, before you can set upon that road.

But such theories are not the only place to start. It can be much more productive to look at
concrete strategies for wealth creation, and let the reality of such plan motivate you into
believing you can do it - rather than repeating "I am wealthy" mantras for the rest of your
life.

Action leads to belief just as much, or perhaps more, than belief leading to action. It's like
self-confidence. Do you become self confident by repeating to yourself, "I am confident" - or
do you achieve it by doing things which raise your evaluation of your own abilities? I do
believe it's much more productive to discover and implement actual strategies and plans for
becoming wealthy, rather than focus on just the desire to become so.

Perhaps one of the most popular ways for an average person to become wealthy is through
real estate. Why? Because most of us have experience with it and that basic knowledge can
get us off to a good start.

The essence of good real estate investing is to know that profit is gained at the moment of
purchase. In other words, you need to become someone who can sniff out bargains and buy
real estate below the generally perceived market price. This is normally possible when in a
particular case the seller has more need to sell to you - than you have of buying off him.

In securing your capital profit at the time of purchase, you are able to realise a better return
on your investment capital, via rental returns, and can also be assured of realising a profit
over time if or when you sell that property in the future. Through a continuous process of
buying and accumulating rental properties you can gradually, and with certainty, increase
your net worth - and your income.

Another strategy for wealth creation is buying and selling anything of value. Many wealthy
people are good traders. They are good at buying low, and selling high. You can do this for
antiques, rare cars, or anything where there is ready demand. And if you have accumulated a
lot of specialised knowledge, then you can use that to trade your way into wealth.

Another good strategy - if you want to move into the "I" quadrant - is to set aside a certain
amount of money each month for investing - perhaps money you are earning in a second job
or part-time business. You then use those additional funds to purchase blue chip stocks for
example, adding to your accumulation month after month.

And of course, there is the proven wealth creation strategy of building a business - as a
system for generating profit without the need for you to be ever-present.

In fact, being a business owner is perhaps the most effective way of becoming wealthy - a
strategy that is proven by the example of well-known business tycoons, who always seem to
head the list of the world’s mega-rich.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 10


Creating a business that generates income, without the need for you to be ever-present is, in
my book, the most promising and accessible way to build wealth. You just need to decide on
the nature of such a business and what value you intend to bring to market. Such a business
not only generates an income but builds an asset of increasing value - even one that can be
passed on to your heirs.

Learning how to become wealthy requires listening to and learning from those who have
become wealthy themselves - what is sometimes termed “modelling”. I certainly believe that
Robert Kiyosaki has become a master educator/mentor, and I recommend his various books
and courses without reservation. He has definitely opened my eyes as to the missing links in
my own financial education, and of wealth creation.

The fact is, all of us have been short-changed in some way regarding wealth education,
because it is never taught in school. At school one learns how to become "employable" -
which means getting passing grades, going to University, and grooming yourself so a business
owner will want to hire you - hopefully.

This type of education is a vicious circle, because the educators themselves do not know
how to create wealth, and therefore cannot teach how it is done. The only way out of this is
to educate yourself. There is no other way.

Fortunately, such education is readily available via the free market - through books, audios,
videos, and the internet. But there is one simple and important rule when seeking a wealth
education - to make sure you are learning from someone who is actually wealthy themselves,
and that he or she achieved their wealth using the very same strategies being offered to you!

To illustrate what I mean, consider many of the online business opportunity gurus. They offer
books, videos or courses on how to make money online, and may suggest specific business
ideas to implement. Meanwhile they are making their money by selling you the course. And
if you think about it, why would anyone already making a fortune on the internet switch
horses and start selling online business “how-to” info?

With the right attitude under your belt, and the right knowledge seared into your mind, you
are now ready for the next key - opportunity.

The Third Key: Opportunity

Opportunity is where preparation meets chance. When you know what you want, and you
know how to achieve it, you will be amazed how many opportunities present themselves to
you. For keep in mind, opportunities are not “visible” to those whose attitude and knowledge
is inadequate. But once you have the right attitude and the right knowledge, opportunities
will pop up everywhere. And it is these opportunities you need to recognise, sort through,
evaluate and act upon - if your dream of wealth is to be fully realised.

Let me give you a personal example of a huge missed opportunity, due to my own previous
inadequate attitude and knowledge. It was back in 1998, while I was still recovering from my
“stone broke and deep in debt” situation.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 11


At that time I purchased a shiny new iMac from Apple. It was quite a revolution in design,
with its egg shape and bright-coloured appearance. The innovative all-in-one design concept
was one of the first fruits borne as a result of the return of Steve Jobs to Apple. By the end of
2000 he was already revolutionising the company and bringing it back from potential
“death”. He initiated the development of a completely new operating system with the
introduction of MacOS. And he then launched the iPod, which revolutionised the music
industry. The rest is history, as you no doubt know.

I watched all this as an avid Apple fan, having purchased my first Mac computer back in
1986, just two years after the original launch of the Macintosh, as it was called then.

However, I could not see the opportunity before my eyes. I had no working knowledge of
investing, or the share market. I was totally absorbed in my new business and my desire to
drag myself out of a bad situation. So you can guess what my shortsightedness led to. I failed
to understand how Apple was destined to become a huge success. And even as I write this
report the company has just been recognised as the world’s leading brand. All of this success
has naturally boosted its share price into the stratosphere over the past decade and more.

But I failed to see the potential. My eyes were closed - because I had neither the right attitude
nor the right knowledge. So I never thought to buy Apple shares back then, when they were a
bargain, and even when I had funds available. And because of that, I missed the opportunity
to become a millionaire in short order.

The opportunity was there, but I didn’t see it. And that’s how it is in this world. Right now
opportunities are staring us in the face, but we don’t see them. We don’t recognise the
potential. We will never see the potential unless our mind is prepared to see it - via the right
attitude and the right knowledge.

Of course, to take up any good investment opportunity you do need money on hand, so it’s
certainly possible to recognise such an opportunity and yet be unable take advantage of it,
due to your own financial situation. In this case, I recommend focusing on the idea of
starting a business as the path to wealth - as there are many ways to start such a business
without a huge bank balance. But once again, attitude is important here.

One of the many myths I have continually encountered during my life, is that you cannot
start a business or take up an opportunity without a substantial amount of money. Now this
may be true if you’re considering a McDonald’s franchise, or the dream of developing a car
that runs without gasoline. But it is demonstrably not true for many other opportunities.

The “I can’t get started without money” myth is also an excuse of sorts, usually uttered by
those who are putting up a barrier to their own desire for something more in life. However, in
my own experience I have started each of my successful businesses with virtually nothing.

For consider the following: Earlier in this report I mentioned that my first successful business
venture was a discount voucher booklet. I can “vouch” for the fact I got that business off the
ground with no money whatsoever. All I had was a good idea, a high level of motivation,
determination to succeed and the time to implement it. The driving force was my energy and
commitment - not my money.

Sure, you always need some money - like enough to place an initial advert, or get a flyer
printed, or put gas in the car - but you most definitely can get a good idea off the ground
without a bank account stuffed with cash.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 12


Another example is the business I started back in 1998 - the one that was the early precursor
to Freedom Confidential. In fact, my situation was much worse than having no money, as I
had lost everything and was deep in debt. However, after reading the inspiring book I
mentioned, I came up with the idea of a club which offered a monthly newsletter, an offshore
bank introduction, and a taped course on how to go offshore.

Unsurprisingly, I called it “Club Sovereign”. I launched that business by writing a very


successful and persuasive 16 page sales letter, which I put together in a handsome spiral
binder to give it visual substance and create a good impression. And it worked.

I wrote the monthly newsletter myself. I sourced the particular offshore bank account
information. And I purchased the audio tape course at a steep discount. I then offered this
package for $395 by placing small classified ads. My only upfront cost was a couple of
hundred dollars for initial advertising. Once I had sold my first subscription, I used the cash
to expand my promotional activities. And within one year I had not only earned a good
income, but paid off all my debts.

Opportunity appears when attitude and knowledge intersect. And once you have got hold of
an inspiring idea or opportunity that truly motivates you, you will find ways to make it
happen. I guarantee it. But just to get your juices flowing, what follows are a few practical
ideas and strategies which you can implement now, if you’re ready to fly.

When it comes to investing, you obviously need money in hand. And in that sense, it’s
obviously difficult to create an “I” persona without sufficient capital. That’s another reason
why I like the “B” business route to wealth, because it’s open to more people. But if you do
have some cash stashed away - even a modest amount - and you’re looking for some
innovative ideas as to how best to employ it, then the following information service may be
of interest.

It’s called M4 Research and it provides an interesting source of investment and moneymaking
information, especially for those with more limited funds and who are looking for something
“outside the box”.

When it comes to entering the world of business, you obviously have a plethora of choices.
But my own area of expertise and preference is in global business ventures that you can
operate online. This fits in well with my “freedom” mission and my desire to see more people
participate in the “internationalist” lifestyle.

An online venture also represents a very low-cost entry into business, when compared with
more traditional business opportunities. A quick comparison of overheads will illustrate what
I mean. If you were to purchase a franchise - as a business owner - then you would be up for
a considerable cash input, not to mention staffing costs, rent and dozens of other monthly
costs. You could never get started without some serious investment capital.

On the other hand, opening up “shop” online can be virtually costless by comparison. You
can register an online business name, which is your domain name, for less than $10 a year.
You can have your website hosted for less than $10 a month. You can get artwork done to
make your website look professional for a couple of hundred dollars - and you can run it as a
sole operator with no staff to worry about. And if your fledgling business grows, you can
outsource or contract any work you cannot manage, or that you simply want to offload.

The trick, of course, is to find a profitable market niche in which to build such a business.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 13


If you don’t want to create your own product or service, then you can be an affiliate. This
provides a shortcut to a business of your own, by simply plugging into a successful existing
enterprise and promoting their products or services.

However, there is a catch. Even though as an affiliate much of the grunt work is already done
for you - like product development, overall marketing strategy, order fulfilment and
advertising aids etc. - you still have to do something. And that “something” is the task of
bringing visitors to your affiliate website and turning them into customers.

For a novice this can be next to impossible, especially if you follow the advice of those who
say you can do it for nothing. A much better strategy is to take the time to learn how to do
affiliate marketing right. Why try to reinvent the wheel, when you can learn from the pros?

Well, I’ve given you the 3 Keys to Wealth - attitude, knowledge and opportunity, the
essential strategies that can empower anyone to make money. So what you need to do now is
take this information to heart and develop a plan to reach your own personal financial goals.

The rest, as they say, is up to you!

In parting, let me just say I wish you all the best in your own journey to prosperity. I know the
road is not always easy, but like most things in life, it’s often the process itself that is most
rewarding. So cast off your doubts, set your sights high - and step out.

You’ll never regret it.

David MacGregor

About The Author

David MacGregor has been operating various online businesses since 1998, and expatriated
from his home country in 2000 to become what is known as a “PT” - or an internationalist.
The essence of this lifestyle is that one steps out of the “nation state” mindset and considers
the whole world one’s potential home. The advantages are significant, in that one can arrange
one’s affairs so as to live a lot freer - including the ability to live income tax-free legally,
protect one’s assets, and generally lead a productive, happy and free life largely out from
under “Big Brother’s” thumb. David provides extensive educational and practical resources,
to anyone who wants to discover and implement this lifestyle, via his private membership
service - Freedom Confidential.

The 3 Keys to Wealth - Page 14

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