Nicholas H. • It is really hard to go wrong with that approach, I guess people struggle with the 25 years side of it in the world we live it. Saying that I know plenty of people that spend 25 years trying the get rich quick appraoch only to fail.

I think mix leverage and organic. Leverage for the speed and organic for the stability and enough time to get customer feedback for your next product.

Simon D. • Sometimes organic seems so hard and leverage seems like the answer, but often you just need to go out there make sales and if people are not buying figure out why. If you are making sales you are onto a winner, more leversage to a product the market does not want is not going to solve that problem.

I have done it and I think we all probably have. Trying to find a market for your product rather than finding a problem a market has to solve with your product.

Leverage for a proven product for growth seems like a wise idea for scaling at that point.

Nicholas H. • Well said Simon, I know I have done that and to take it one stage on.... at one point I did a fantastic job at leveraging a product that was costing ME money to deliver, hows that for a bit of foolishness & learning.... do the numbers first!

Simon D. • I did that for a while, then I quadrupled my prices and fixed that problem. lot less customer service too and allowed us to give a better service.

Steve B. • I think a key part of the answer to this lies in your own personal values and style.

When it comes to money, there are four main styles of operation:

Spender
Saver
Avoider
Money Monk (anti-money/capitalism - money is not important attitude)

We all tend to have a strong preference for ine of these with another as secondary.

Donald Trump says "to be successful you have to look the part!" He has private jets, lots of cars, homes and dresses to impress.

Ingvar Kampard (IKEA Founder) says "Money comes to those who are frugal". He drives a 10 yr old Volvo and flies economy.

What I know for sure is that you need invest and you need to save to create wealth. My natural style is as a Spender. I learnt to satisfy myself by spending on investments that created wealth for me and also to control my spending and use money wisely.

If Peter made his billions by saving 25% and Investing 25% it sounds like he delayed gratification on is rise up and was frugal in his approach as he mentions nothing about spending. This can work for some but not everyone. Personally, I prefer to enjoy the good things in life as often as I can (most dont require lots of money BTW). We cant take all the money with us when we die so its important to answer questions, how much wealth do you want, and importantly, why???

For me creating financial wealth is more about how I had to develop as a person to be able to create it and being able to share more as a result. Choices and freedom it gave me are other key drivers. For some it is ego and others it results for a need to prove their worth.

My advice, be clear you are doing what you do for the best reasons and be true to your values.

Simon D. • To me business is a game. We just happen to have a scorecard in business called money.

The more we make, the higher we score with other business people.

But for me, it is about having the opportunity to make a real dent in the world.

Business gives me the opportunity to live life on my terms, to make a difference and a real bonus is the things that come with the choices money gives you.

But if I am honest, the egoic pleasure of making a big business and scoring highly drives me too.

When you wake up every morning and are looking forward to what might happen even though you are faced with immense challenges, you know you are onto something.

Great insights in your post Steve.

Paul B. • Hi Guys,

It's been a while since I have spoken to you all, but think this is a great discussion.

To me, there is no gauranteed route to financial success, it will be different for each individual. Reviewing the most successful business people, there are some real contrasts in approaches, but they all found a way it worked for them, utilising their own individual skills and knowledge matched to their individual values and aspirations.

I do think the biggest factor is risk taking. Every financially successful person has taken risks, and the more successful have done this through better risk taking. To me this is what separates the top 1% from the other 99%.

Organic growth will still be as a result of risk taking and am sure that that was the case for Peter, though at a different level than others would have taken, but the right level for him.

Steve B. • Hi Paul, great to see you on here buddy - hope all is well with the business.

Risk taking is critical to success. I see this almost every day in my business. Many people leave full time employment to join our property franchise. It is a big deal for about 50% of them as they have never had their own business. Some people just cant handle the thought of it and run back to the perceived safety of employment. Some people just dont have the temprament to handle being in business but it saddens me when their decision is driven by fear.

The truth is being in business for yourself is often times tough. But, you are the master or mistress of your own destiny and for me the rewards of choice and freedom have always far outweighed the downsides.

Simon D. • What really scares me is being in a job. That is seriously frightening.

Business is tough, but for the entrepreneur a job is hell!

But variety is the fruit of life and what is good for me is not good for all.

The world needs risk takers, and risk takers need people seeking stability and security to give job opportunities to. It is an essential partnership.

The question to ask is how much happiness does what you do give you every day? As long as it is legal and does not harm others, do what is right for you. Biut if you are not happy with your job or even being in business, change it.

You do have a choice even if it seems you dont.

Steve B. • Simon, it may stun you to hear this but I was totally scared of going out on my own and leaving the safety net of employment!

I was in my mid 20's, working as an outdoor pursuits activity centre manager and instructor. I loved the work for many years but it paid badly and I felt very suppressed by my boss. I was promised share options which never materialised and I was too green to understand contracts and agreements. I took him on good faith but he never wanted to share any of the business.

I started a business with a partner, which made the process of leaving employment easier. However, the best thing i did was kept my job and started a business alongside it. I worked bloody hard - 8am to 2am for 6 months and many weekends. However, after 6 months I could see it was working and the money was coming in. It was this that gave me the confidence to make the jump. The risk was massively reduced but I was a scaredy cat for sure!

Pretty ironic considering all thats happened since 1994!!!

Paul B. • Steve, good to hear some more of your story. People are normally too quick to see people's successes without appreciating the sheer determination, application and balls that has got them there. They will just see the end result with no idea of the journey.

Within most business owners is that desire to have the control over their destiny and they may not realise it until there is an opportunity (whether created or forced) and that is when the hidden desire is awoken and the will to make things happen.

Simon, I think once you have owned your own business you can't go back, being a business owner or entrepreneur is now the only option!

Simon D. • I hear you Paul. I cant imagine what it would take to go back. In fact it is just not an option no matter what happens really once you live on your own terms.

I remember the day I decided. I just quite my job with no plan of what was happening tomorrow. The next day I decided to become a consultant for traders. I sold 20 people at £3000 a piece then used it to build a business.

The success did not continue though as I did not pay myself for two years trying to figure out how to build a business. After a lot of hard work things got where I wanted them to go, but today is still a never ending journey of learning as business changes just like that. It moves fast and we all have to have a great network to stay on top of it all.

The power of groups like this.

Very interesting to hear your early days Steve. And I thought you were born a gazillionaire property guru :-)

Steve B. • Paul, you are right, people often put success of others down to luck, right place/right time and the old favorite, 'you were a born leader/entreprenuer!'

Fact is when I was 16 and left school I had extremely low self-comfidence and couldnt speak to more than 3 or 4 people I didnt know without stuttering/jamming up. I remember once when I was 17, my car broke down right in Bournemouth town centre. I knew it just needed a bump start. Hundreds of people passed me by every few minutes but I didnt have the confidence to ask any of them for a push! In the end, after 1 hour of waiting, two lads in their 20's saw me and guessed I was in trouble. They gave me a bump and off I went.

Amazing to think back about these things when now there is very little that scares me (except spiders!).

Steve B. • Simon - born gazillionaire property guru hey - after reading these posts youll think again...

My first biz grew quickly, we had 20 staff and I had no clue about leading and managing people. I had an office at the back of the building and our staff kept coming in to ask me questions. I got fed up of the interputions so I put a sign on the door that said:

"Piss Off Im Busy! Figure it out yourself or you job may be at risk!!!"

Talk about inclusive open door management style!!!

Makes me shudder to think how bad I was as a leader/manager back then!

I suspect half the staff from PPP will be on here in a flash saying "your not much better these days boss!!"

Paul B. • Steve, I hope all these stories are going to be in your next talk. Excellent examples of demonstrating that it is down to ourselves to shape our own future and we are always learning, even when your a gazilionaire!

One thing that has made itself clear to me recently is that success is about coming up with solutions, finding ways others can't see and this only happens through belief, a desire and persistence.

Simon, things certainly do move fast, especially when you are having fun and you see opportunities all around (and there just isn't enough time in the day) and that's why we end up getting in a conversation on LinkedIn late into the evening!

Steve B. • Paul - I remember listening and learning from Robert G. Allen, one of my mentors and the legend that wrote No Money Down and Multiple Streams of Income in early 2000's. He opened my eyes to the art of what is possible. I recommend all Bobs books highly. He made me think outside the box more than any other mentor I ever had.

As Warren Buffett said "Observe the masses, and do the opposite". Very true in business if you want to stand out, or even better, be a game-changer!

Nicholas H. • What a great stream of posts and interesting to see the way we develop.
I was listening to Radio 4 yesterday on the way home and they were talking about business and if successful business people just have massive ego's combined with the ability to take advantage of others, which was some people’s perception.

Clearly they don't know how it works, as we know it is about long term relationships and as we have seen in these posts it isn't about a massive ego but the ability to take a risk that is slightly more than we are comfortable with and find a way to make it work. Plus pick ourselves up and try again if it has gone wrong.

That is not to say I haven't bumped into the odd Bast*rd and massive ego's but they are in the minority.


Great posts and great advice.

Ash Z. • LOVE THIS FEED!! lol i remember i thought i knew everything about property, i had done my homework since i was 19y old reading books, the papers, watching TV programmes, finding my first deal in the Docklands, penthouse not built yet going for £80,000!?!? needless to say that is worth £1.8million now, i lost out to that deal because i was to young and didn't know anything. I loved to spend and then i think i became a monk when it came to money, now i'm a realist :-)

When i did my mentorship with Steve everything i thought knew was thrown out the window!! I had to go back to school and get schooled. Everything he has outlined is what you need to do. 8am to 1am 7 days a week for nearly 2 years. Observe the masses and do the opposite has now led me into the USA. Believe me when i tell you it works, i went from selling pushchairs at mothercare to selling and managing HMO's

Work hard and you will make the money, always save for a bad or even a good day. A friend once said to me always put away £300 cash somewhere safe in your house and forget about it, don't even touch it when life may throw obstacles at you....

Ben K. • Late to join in this thread guys and fabulous reading... isn't it strange how people's perception of entrepreneurs and 'successful' business people is that they are somehow 'different'?! underneath all of the people I know who might be in that category are 'normal' and the only difference is that they exercised the choice that we all have to keep trying when others stopped...and to have a goal that inspired them and a belief that never left them.

All paths have challenges...not all people choose to climb over or around the challenges...but for all but the 'silver spoon hand me down wealthy' those who have 'made it' are those who have strong commitment and resolve...but are warm, friendly, sincere, and genuine as people if any ever takes the time to get to know them.

Its a real pleasure and an honour to share with you guys....here's to a wonderful sharing future...