Hello again; This week, I am returning to the narrative of my early days trying to build a new business. I promised to talk about some of my early ride listings and how I got them. This covers just a few of the hard lessons I have had to learn since starting out.
The Jewel’s Verne Astroliner my first big sale
As I told you earlier I went to work telling people about the site and trying to get more of them to list their equipment with me. I had wanted to work on a straight percentage of sales basis, but most ride owners didn’t like that idea. The ones that were interested in working on a percentage basis thought the ten percent I was asking for was way too high. The rest either wanted me to add something to their asking price, or they wanted to use the famous or infamous phrase I’ll take care of you. And i’ll admit to being happy enough to get some of those listings that I took them at their word. Yes, I was really green back then. But like I have said before, part of being in business is the education you receive. I continued to send out emails and make calls. Most people didn’t return them. I was new and there were places they could list for free.
My first listing
Actually, the first person to openly list his rides with me was Joe Miller. He had known my dad, and he also knew me. And Jo and his family are all just good people. He listed a tilt-a-whirl, a scrambler, a older ferris wheel, a go-gator, and several generators. I managed to sell the go-gator for him and i played a small part in selling the tilt. The scrambler, the wheel, and the generators are stil for sale. I talk to joe all the time. He and his family operate a traveling carnival in southern Louisiana. If you ever get a chance to meet him, you will love some of his stories about the amusement business. For example he was an army helicopter pilot in his previous life, and his wife’s father was a carnival wrestler known as chief little Wolf. He is also very proud of his kids, grandkids, and great grandkids.
More friends help out
Another family that helped out in the beginning was roger and Hellen brown the owners of magic valley rides. Not only did I know them, but for a while my mom and brother patrick traveled with them booking a food trailer on their midway and then later managing Hellen’s food trailer. They listed a wisdom gravitron, a chance zipper, and a rhubetz round-up with me. I later found out that they never really wanted to sell the rides, but they thought having the rides on my site would help me out. I eventually found out that the round-up was a wedding present. I found out about this when a buyer from Australia wanted to come inspect it towards making a purchase. But they were right, having those three big pieces on the site did make it look a lot better. And I appreciate every one who has ever given me a chance.
My first big sale
I made my first big sale when I learned through the internet that a showman from Australia was looking to buy a portable simulator. He mentioned imax. I didn’t know of anything like that, but I thought a wisdom astroliner might do. It was a early simulator ride built in the 1970’s and 1980’s by wisdom rides. There weren’t a lot of them made, and not all that many of them are still around. I thought if I could help find this fellow a ride, that it would start to get my name out there. So I called and emailed everyone I could think of. My brother Michael had previously worked for Eddie Burlengame owner of Pride of Texas shows. He told me to call and see if Eddie still had his. I did so, and it was for sale. It turned out to be a jewels verne model a larger unit that was one of only four that wisdom ever built. He told me what he wanted for the ride and promised to pay me anything over that number.
I sent the information and photos to Dave Moore, and he decided it was what he wanted. He eventually sent his daughter kirstin and her new husband to check out the ride in person. They had planned their honey moon in the states, and they decided to help out the family by detouring to Eddie’s winter quarters for a couple of days. After they saw the ride, Dave was convinced to make the purchase. I was so happy to have made the sale. I was sitting at home waiting on the check.
Lessons learned
I learned my first couple of lessons from this sale. One, you often have to remind busy people to send the check and you can’t be bashful about asking. Once I pointed out to them that it hadn’t been sent, they took care of it right away.
The second lesson had to do with that phrase above his costs. I hadn’t counted on the $3,800 cost of delivering the ride from kansas to long beach california where it could be loaded on a ship. On a $50,000 sale I received $1,200 check and was happy to get it. It also taught me to be more clear with clients about what was expected in the manner of payment.
And it convinced me that I didn’t want to work on a cost plus basis for my commissions any more than I would have to. As a matter of fact I no longer take any equipment on those terms unless I know the person involved and he or she has proven that I can rely on them to do what they agree to when they say they will.
For the most part I’ve ben happy with my commissions. There have ben a couple of clients who didn’t pay, and I will address them later; I am making an effort to be positive and accurate as I don’t want to be sued over these posts.
Some real adversity
I was doing pretty well, starting to gain some clients and increasing the listings on the site when I had a bit of real adversity. I told you that Michael built the site in a way where I didn’t have to know anything about how it worked. Since it was my brother who set it up, and since it was working; I was happy not knowing all the nuts and bolts behind how it worked. Besides, it left me free to concentrate on selling equipment.
Well, Michael got offered an amazing job with Jane Baxter of Floyd and Baxter. He was hired to be her general manager in charge of her independent ride unit which included a mondial space roller and five or six other rides. Michael was responsible for all aspects of moving the rides, managing a staff, filing reports, etc.
He no longer had time to help with the site. and I needed to update some things. I needed to change the listings on the featured items section of the home page and I had just started to think about the value of adding links pages. At first, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I mean I have this site and I don’t know the first thing about maintaining it much less expanding or improving it. I didn’t have a budget to hire a webmaster, and I don’t think I would have been willing to trust someone new with my baby if I had. So I knew that I would have to learn a lot of new skills in order to pull this off. I’m sure most of you noticed the key point here. I decided I would find a way. Since I am writing this post now, you know I succeeded. You will have to come back over the next few weeks to find out just how.
Sharing is caring
This is where I ask for your help by your leaving comments and sharing with your friends and family. Well, first I have to apologize to a few readers of my previous posts. When I transferred the site over to Word Press, my comments were reset to closed. This meant that no one could leave any new comments on my first few posts. I got an email informing me of this, and I have corrected the problem. But I want to say I’m sorry and to remind you that I treasure every comment that I receive. I believe they are a gift of your time, energy, and love. I respond to every one of them.
I also see them as an invitation. Most of the time I will visit at least one of your posts and leave you my thoughts. I believe I have comment luv enabled now which should give you some extra back links. But if I don’t have it installed, please let me know.
When moving the blog to Word Press, I lost my social media sharing buttons. I am in the process of reinstalling them. But for now, I would consider it a personal favor if you would copy the url and share it on your networks. I know this means an extra step, but I’m hopeful my friends will do it for me.
I’m doing my best to live up to the standards of openness and honesty I set out in the first few posts. I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey. I love hearing from you, so feel free to drop me an email. We can talk about blogging, social media, youtube videos, google hangouts, etc; or we can just get to know each other and become friends. I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks and take care out there, Max
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It’s funny, taking a percentage seems like such a straightforward exchange, but of course it’s waaaaay more complicated. It’s tough learning anew business, doubly so when the business is yours.
Debra Yearwood recently posted…Synchronicity, both beautiful and challenging
hi debra; yes it does seem simple. but I’m going to share one of my favorite lines. I don’t know who said it, so I’m going to take credit for it. 🙂 basically, never under estimate the ability of human beings to make simple things complicated. glad you are continuing to follow my story. thanks again, max
Ha ha I work in financial services and we definitely know how to complicate things. I’m told o do a good job of uncomplicating things. That’s the way it should be or people just don’t trust us
Thanks Anne; But complicating things applies to all humans not just those in finance. 🙂 Max
I enjoyed your story very much Max. Funny how we all learn the same lessons in different places and parts of our lives:) As to the clients that didn’t pay, I hope that you can correct that and it sounds like you won’t let that happen again. And as to learning lessons on Worpress… well, we’re all still doing that:)
Jacqueline Gum (Jacquie) recently posted…DIY…Where’s The Justice?
Hi Jacqueline; Thanks for those words. Yes we are always learning the same lessons. Yet another reason why those of us who survived learning them should share our experiences. I do now require a contract which I’m told will put me in a better position should I have someone else refuse to pay. One of the big questions is when you have an online business do you use social media to put pressure on someone who refuses to pay. I have generally thought that this is a bad idea, but perhaps its a subject I will bring up again so we can have a good discussion about it. And the word press problem this time was a quick fix. I just changed permalinks back to custom and all my old links are valid again. 🙂 so glad I won’t be losing that traffic. thanks for your support my friend. Take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…First listings first big sale and first hard lessons
Another great read Max; I love stories about how people get their businesses off the ground. Part of that is learning and getting let down by others. Unfortunately that always seems to be the way.
Tim recently posted…Dharamsala and Chonor House
Hi tim; Yes, it does always seem to be the way. My brother Michael went through it back when he was working as an air brush artist painting rides. Its the main reason why he went into working for other companies managing their rides instead. He traded his passion for a steady pay check. I’m still learning, but I don’t see myself quitting. I do want to bring in income from other sources so I’m less dependent on sales commissions. But even affiliate products, advertising, or creating a online product all have their own pitfalls. I’d love to hear a few of your travel night mares as I want to travel more in the future. Maybe you can save me some heart break. take care out there, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…First listings first big sale and first hard lessons
Hi Max,
Isn’t it neat to think back to your first big sale and compare that to where you are now? Your post made me think back to when I ran my computer company and secured a government contract for voice recognition software. I like how you shared the lessons you learned, especially asking for what is rightfully owed to you.
Kind Regards,
Bill
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Hi Bill; Glad you liked it. Yes, I have always asked for what I was rightfully owed. the trick is actually getting it. How did you make out with the government on that contract? We all have to learn. thanks so much, Max
I think everyone who has ever opened their own business has learned lessons about how to deal with clients that don’t pay, although the exact details of the situation may be vary from business to business. I know my husband had a few challenges with that too when he ran his own business. It’s good to see your persistence and how you learn along the way.
Donna Janke recently posted…Feast on Foot in Historic Winnipeg
Hi Donna; Yes, persistence and perseverance I do have. But as long as you have to depend on the client to send a check there is always the possibility that they won’t pay. I’ve gotten better at picking clients. I’ve considered having buyers pay me directly, but most buyers are uncomfortable with that. And it presents a whole other group of potential problems. Glad you continue to follow my posts. Take care, Max
Hi Max – I love reading these stories and I greatly admire the fact that you were able to transfer to WP yourself. I tried and tried, but I finally gave up and hired someone to do it for me.
It is unfortunate that in the business world, you can’t just assume trust – if you do you will be taken for a ride by many. Everything needs to be set out clear and in writing. Guess you learned that huh?
Lenie
Yes Lenie; I learned that lesson and sadly had to learn it again later on a much bigger scale. Still not sure I want to share that story or not, but we’ll see. I made most of the word press migration myself, but I did have to get help from my web master friend ashely Faulks on the last step. I copied some html code wrong or didn’t delete all the old code first or something. It was the part where you redirect the blogger url’s to word press so you don’t lose any back links or credit from google. Unfortunately it means having to include the date in my posts, but that is a small price to pay. glad you finally got yours done. I would not advise anyone to start with blogger if they have any plans of using the blog for their business. take care, Max
You learned lessons from your mistakes and learned to correct them. Now you have a successful business and great blogs. I am taking inspirations from your posts. Thank you for sharing your learning curve.
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Thanks Bindu; One of the things I never counted on was being an inspiration. Now, not only do I accept and embrace my roll as someone who inspires others but I am openly seeking coaching clients and speaking opportunities. I think its also great that some posts I wrote hoping to help blind readers actually helped more sighted people. We are all learning and as such can and should also be teaching. Let me know if i can ever do anything to help. Warm regards, Max
Max, I have had to learn those lessons with eBay. I did not charge enough shipping a few times and I had to pay for it and lose out on money. I get it. Your are doing great and thanks for sharing your lessons and triumphs with us. Keep up the good work! =)
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Hi Chrystal; Thanks for your comment. Its good to know that people want to hear my story. Yes, we all go through these learning experiences. I have persevered and consider myself successful even if I did wish I were making more money from the site and the blogs. I know I am doing something that is all mine and that I am much happier doing. Thanks for sharing little miss bbq with us too. Take care my friend, Max
What a terrific post Max. And congratulations on migrating to the WordPress platform.
I don’t think there is enough time and space to share my lessons – from a salesperson in the fastener industry, to computers, then sales management to… even that list is too long!
Anyone who has started a business can relate to your stories. It think that is one of the reasons I love reading your posts Max, I can relate!
Patricia Weber recently posted…Top BS Facts about Introvert Experiences You Might Think Are True
Hi Pat; Thanks for the comment and the tweet; So many people run their own businesses now either full or part time, so I hope even more people will identify with my experience and read the post. I also hope I am getting better at coming up with good titles. I had to get just a bit of help from ashley faults to finish the word press migration, but he said considering I didn’t do this for a living i should be very proud of myself. I told him I was. 🙂 Next up, I think I need to record my first video for the new site. a few friends have suggested a short one that will load with the home page. What do you think? thanks again and take care, Max
Just wanted to say I was driving home from Seattle the other day with a friend. We were talking about her finally starting a blog when I came upon a big truck hauling a strawberry-looking tilt-a-whirl ride. I then told her I knew a blind blogger who sells used carnival rides. She then said, “I guess I have no excuse for not starting a blog.” See how far your reach goes, Max?
Jeri recently posted…#Editor: Proofreading Sample
Hi jeri; I want to thank you for several reasons. One, you left this awesome message as a comment instead of sending me an email. So lots of people will see it. Hopefully, some of them will be motivated too. Second, that you thought enough of me to use me as an example to your friend. Third, that when hearing this your friend now sounds motivated to take action. I was actually on a group call with other blind people some of them business owners when the email came in so i was able to share it with them too. 🙂 You will have to let me know if your friend follows through. Feel free to give them my website and email address. If I can help them in any way all they need to do is ask. I love this news. Thanks again and take care friend, Max
Max, I love how you say “part of being in business is the education you receive”. I think people want the success without the experience first, and there’s only one way to get experience. I’m always left wanting to hear the next part of your story! And I like the new site. It looks great and is easy to use. Nice work.
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Hi Meredith; So glad to hear that you are enjoying the site and the posts. I didn’t know for sure that people would want to hear my story, so hearing that you can’t wait for the next part makes me feel really good. And I can’t claim much credit for the new site. I just used the basic word press 2014 theme and added my posts. I need to add a contact form and a page for people to hire me as a speaker. Thanks so much. I’ll do my best to live up to your kind words, Max
Hi Max,
Congratulations….the migration to WordPress surely seems to have been done up well, and the little tweaks can always be worked on later 🙂
All I can say is that it’s a blessing to have helpful people around us, and for you, I think your brother, Michael is one such person. Wishing you every success with your new blog, with many more sales to come.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Harleena Singh recently posted…Internet Addiction: Are You Suffering From This Disorder
Hi Harleena; Michael and my other brother patrick are both helpful. Michael is the tech guy and patrick helps sort photos and videos. and as you know from our emails I’ve had a lot of other people show up to help team ivey along the way. glad you and others want me to continue sharing. take care, max
There’s really an important lesson at the end of your story: tell your readers what you want them to do next – call to action and necessary instructions.
And when you say about “part of being in business is the education you receive” – that’s so true.
I like to think it’s actually one of the biggest benefits.
Have a great day Max!
Eve Koivula recently posted…3 Reasons You Should Create Your Own Info Products
Hi Eve; You are the second person to notice that line about education. I thought people would miss it, or if they saw it; they wouldn’t understand it. I was actually prepared to have to defend that statement. One of the things I love about the new blog is it is bringing me a whole new batch of lessons to learn. I was starting to get to the point with the midway marketplace where I knew what needed to be done and was just trying to find ways to do it all. I still haven’t gotten out on location to record videos. But as my good friend robin hallett has said the blind blogger may end up being the vehicle that takes me around the world. thanks so much for your comment. Take care sweetie, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…First listings first big sale and first hard lessons
Another great story Max. It’s hard starting a new business, and there are loads of lessons to learn. But at least you started and persevered. And learned from your mistakes. So that’s the best of all. Love the photo too.
A.K.Andrew recently posted…10 Ways to be Creative this Summer
Hi A.K. I’m glad you enjoy my posts. That photo was taken when the ride arrived in australia. It had a rough trip. The fellow who bought it has since resold it to a promoter who operates an adult theme park. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to what people think it is now. Thanks for your comment and good luck on your vacation, Max
Max, I enjoyed reading your post. We’ve all had our share of mistakes and bumps along the way, that’s just part of the learning curve…and it never ends. We can all really relate. 🙂
Hi Susan; So glad you enjoyed it. I see you as one of the most prolific writers I know. And you are a good friend, so I appreciate your opinion. And while everyone is busy, I know you have so much going on in your life; that it means a lot that you take the time to visit and read my posts. Take care sweetie, Max
You have an amazing memory for details, Max. And it seems that, like every business person, those first lessons to learn are the hardest. Yes, collect what is rightfully owed to you and don’t be afraid to ask – several times – till you get paid. Reminds me of when I didn’t work on a contract basis and went only on good faith. That didn’t last long! Appreciate you sharing your story with us.
Laurie Hurley recently posted…3 Mindset Blunders That May Be Holding You Back From Success
Hi Laurie; Thanks for the complement, but some of this was written down in an earlier blog post in a time far far away. 🙂 Also, we tend to remember the mistakes better than the successes. I didn’t want to use the word failure there because everything has some elements of success. And its only fare to share the bad days along with the good ones. thanks for the comment and get better soon, Max
Hey Max,
What a great share and look at how far you’ve come.
Before coming online I never in a million years could ever see me just working on commission. My Dad was a salesman and that’s how he got paid so I know that you have to be up front and ask for the money. I’m sure you got better and better but it’s those early lessons that really teach us the most.
I can’t even imagine how you are able to work on your site with all the things that you have to do behind the scenes. If you lived close to me I’d be over there helping you but at the same time it’s a huge sense of accomplishment getting this done isn’t it? That’s why you’re such an inspiration. People can come by and make fun of things all they want but when they realize that you’re blind and you’re doing this then that will set them in their place quickly.
No more excuses, we have none.
Great share Max and I hope you’re having a wonderful week. Great weather, hot but no rain! Yay!!!
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted…The Seven Deadly Sins Of A Selfish Website
Hi Adrienne; You always say just what I need to hear. A couple of people have started to ask why I haven’t recorded a video for the new blog. I have actually been thinking about some short say three to five minute ones. And I was looking for a title. Thanks to your comment and another one from jeri I’m thinking no more excuses unless someone already has a trade mark on that. If they do, maybe I could get around that by using a subtitle. no more excuses lessons from the blind blogger. What do you think? Remember when you talked me through adding a gravitar because you said people didn’t want to see the blue monster they want to see your pretty face. yep, that’s where I was going. Just call me super grover. I forgot about that one last week. Funny what pops into your head sometimes. The weather is hot, but with both of us having dogs who get scared in storms; I think the heat is easier than having thunder storms. Well, dinner is waiting. Wanted to reply to your comment first. Thanks so much for supporting and encouraging me. And I hope you get a smile out of it as I help others. Take care sweetie, Max
When I was little, the tilt a whirl was my favorite ride. I used to ride on it for hours at a time. I agree with you that being in business is an education. I also don’t know much about certain online technical issues and things having to do with my website but I am trusting and have used other’s help at times. I am grateful that my recent course included marketing although I wish we had covered even more on the subject than we did.
Hi Michele; Thanks for your comment. The tilt-a-whirl was one of my favorites too. I like rides that don’t go upside down. I’m sure they taught you enough about marketing. After all so much of that changes so often. What for was your course work in? Was it online or in person? About how many hours of study were involved? Wishing you all the best with your new business, Max
Hi Max,
My course was held over the phone but it includes a thick manual and a CD with written forms as well. The course took 4 months to complete with classes by phone which were held once a week for 2 hours at a time. I hope this helps.
Michele Harvey recently posted…Ethics in Life Coaching
Hi Michele; Yes, that does help. It lets me know that if I can get the manual read on to tape or digital audio files i would be able to take the course. this is something that has been in the back of my mind. Perhaps you could email me a contact number so I could look into it. the recording for the blind and dyslexic agency requires two clean copies of a book in order to read it. thanks for the help, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…First listings first big sale and first hard lessons
Are you saying the agency will make an audiobook of the coaching material for you?
Michele Harvey recently posted…Ethics in Life Coaching
I used this organization http://www.lifepurposeinstitute.com/ in order to receive my training and certification.
Everything you need should be on their site. I suggest you check out several other coaching organizations before choosing. One size does not fit all. Do some research to learn more about the field of coaching as well. These are the things that I did. In addition, you will need permission from the institute to turn their written materials into audio files, I believe.
Michele Harvey recently posted…Ethics in Life Coaching
Hi Michele; yes rfbd will record text books and manuals like that for the blind. and thanks for the resource. good suggestion about getting more information about schools as well as coaching in general. I’ve had some conversations with william butler and robin hallett about what coaching is and isn’t. thanks again, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…First listings first big sale and first hard lessons
Oh yes, there are many lessons to be learn in business. Too bad they often have to be learned the hard way. Thank you for sharing your story. Your site looks good.
Beth Niebuhr recently posted…Vacation and Business
Hi Beth; Glad you liked the site and the post. trying to keep th new site really clean and simple. and you are right the lessons here were hard and expensive. thanks for caring, max
Hi Max. Thank you for the story. We all make mistakes at first especially when we are starting out. It is too bad we can’t just take people on their word, but in business, doing so can reveal people who are not to be trusted or aren’t financially sound. Good for you for adjusting and learning from this and coming out stronger.
Hi Erica; thanks for the soothing words. Unfortunately, I made this same mistake last year on a bigger scale. but then i did get smart insisting on written contracts with anyone before taking action. I will need to do the same with the coaching and speaking. yet another thing to put on the list for the new blog. Of course, I don’t have any clients for coaching or speaking yet; but its never too early to address details like contracts. By the way do you have a website or blog I could visit to show my appreciation for your thoughtful comment? thanks so much, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…First listings first big sale and first hard lessons
Max, I loved your blog. You are so knowledgeable about carnival rides, and have such a detailed memory. I admire that but don’t have those talents.
Learning about business the hard way, well I know about that. Stick with it, someone once told me that, in a neighborhood of sheep and wolves it’s good to be the wolf. I think it’s good to be a wolf with integrity and it sounds like you do too. Don’t let anyone take what you are obviously working so hard for.
Good luck my friend.
Hi Patricia; Thanks for your comment. It sounds kind of like what a professor once said. He thought that given all forms of government are flawed the best kind to have would be a benevelant dictator. I agree with what you said about being a wolf with integrity. Unfortunately, I made this same mistake again last year. But after that I finally got smart requiring all sellers to sign a contract and adding a check box to my submission form where they have to agree to my commission before we even get started. I don’t do anything until I have their agreement. once i get it, then I work my but off. glad you like the new blog. I’m hoping to do some coaching and public speaking and would appreciate any referrals you would feel comfortable sending my way. for now while I’m learning the coaching is free. thanks again and take care my new friend, max
Always hard when you start out. I am glad you are sharing your experiences.
I also feel your pain when it comes down to moving sites. I have gone through the same situation couple times. It is never easy and always seems to make a mess of things.
Hello; I’m glad you want me to continue sharing my experiences. As for the transfer it wasn’t all that bad thanks to improvements in the word press import function and a plug in for redirecting your old urls. the only real problem now is I believe I will either have to stick with the post titles that include the date or I will have to manually edit future permalink urls to remove it. best of luck to you with your sites. send me some links so i can stop by. warm regards, Max
I’m pretty fascinated by the picture of the Jules Verne Astroliner. Looks like a missile. You probably could have sold it to an arms dealer.
Hi; Funny you should mention that. Whenever I list laser tag units for sale I notice visits from home land security in my stats program. And giving rides new names is one of the best ways to keep old rides working. I just found out that this ride has been resold to an adult theme park and is now known as the shafter. I don’t guess I have to tell you what their riders think it looks like 😉 thanks for the comment, max
Max, there are always going to be problems when you first set up a new website, and you will have to go through a period of adjustment, but once things are settled, you’ll be rolling along just fine. It’s great that you have shared your problems with your readers, too, as honesty is the best policy!
For a guy who’s got a lot on the go, you are doing really well!
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Hi Lorraine; thanks for your encouragement. such a good thing that i was already part of the blogging community before starting this site. It has meant lots of uplifting comments and more than a few shares. the transition hasn’t been anywhere near as bad as when i moved the midway marketplace to word press, but then this was a brand new or lets say like new website. Ashley said I should be very proud of getting the site migrated and only needing his help with the last bit of the process. take care my friend. xoxo max
Broaching the subject of money with someone that owes you money can be a very awkward song and dance, but a necessary one in business. Your experiences and life lessons have brought you to a point in your life where you are able to share them with others. Thank you for continuing to share your journey with us.
Hi Heidi; Thanks for those encouraging comments. Addressing money is a difficult subject for a lot of business owners. Even when you believe you are worth what you are charging, it can still be difficult to push for what you are do. I think the best thing we can do besides requiring a contract or at least written confirmation is to discuss the fees openly and unapologetically in the beginning. I should have mentioned in the post that I now have a fee schedule on the site, but that came later. thanks again, Max
Max — as usual, I enjoyed your heart-felt story. You let people see who you really are and I’ve learned from your lessons. First, don’t be afraid to ask for the check. It’s amazing how shy we can be about getting paid for the work we do or the products we sell! When I don’t know someone who wants me to do some work for them, I ask to be paid in advance. That took courage at first, but I got stung once and once was enough.
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Hi Jeannette; I’m glad to hear you learned from your experience as well. I would love to charge in advance, but that just isn’t possible with the equipment selling. I have considered having the buyers pay me directly, but that brings up a whole other group of potential problems many of them legal. I do require that someone wanting to advertise on the site pay in advance. However, I don’t have any such advertisers yet. 🙂 And when someone submits a listing they can see right away what the fee will be should I deliver a completed sale. I would appreciate your opinion. I put one of my rides on the home page as a featured item. I did it because my commission from that item would be serious. I’m trying to decide what to charge someone if they want their ride to appear there. Its a prominent location. I also have to decide on rate per week or per month. And it really helps to know that people want the truth. I’l do my best to keep it coming, Max
Great post. Everyone makes mistakes. Not everyone learns from them though.
Hi Jason; that sounds like something a good friend used to say. My friend jim would say there is no shame in being dirty but there is a lot of shame in staying dirty. 🙂 I miss that guy. he knew a million jokes and stories. but to your point I try not to make the same mistake twice. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, but I do my best. thanks for the kind words, Max
Hi Max. I actually read this post today and I learnt some things from you but top on the list is wearing the coat of determination agaianst all odds.
Keep doing your best and where you are now would be nothing compared to where you would be tomorrow okaforchris.blogspot.com/2014/07/bruxism-teeth-grinding.html?m=1
Best Regards
Hi Chris; I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I will be checking yours out soon. I’m a bit behind on comments because I was featured in a guest post. so I’m having to comment on two posts right now plus friday is tomorrow and that means its time for another post from the blind blogger. take care now, Max
Max, loved reading this post. Having your own business (I had another one before I was a freelance photographer for nine years) sure teaches you lots of lessons. It really teaches you to become a good observer and to make modifications and adjustments as you go. Each time I had/have a setback, I make adjustments in how I interact with people or the policies I have in my contracts or the prices I charge. I guess it’s all a learning process. At the beginning the learning curve (at least for me) was steep, but then over time, even though I’m still learning, that curve levels out a bit. In any case, I love your voice and your writing, and am looking forward to hearing more in future blog posts.
Michele
Hi Michele; Thanks for your warm words. I’m glad to hear we are both survivors, learners, and teachers. 🙂 Of all the things I thought when I started this blog, finding out people like my writing style is probably the most surprising. I like that word voice because my writing is not technically sound. It gets the message across, but somewhere english teachers are rolling their eyes at me. I can just feel them. I had heard from people that I inspire them. This wasn’t a surprise it was more a case of not wanting to believe it or not understanding it. so thanks for letting me know you like the way I tell my story. Looking forward to reading some of your work soon, Max
Max- I always enjoy your Posts. Congratulations on moving from Blogger to Word Press. The site looks very proffessional. You mention some of the lessons learnt from your business. That’s called experience. You will get better and people will start to recommend you and things will get better. Like you I am not very good at discussing money or even asking for money!!
Hi Mina; Most of us aren’t good at it. I think the hardest part is believing that you are worth whatever you are asking. I have yet to meet an entrepreneur who is over priced. we all set the number too low. Experience is something you have to have, I just wish there were a better easier way to get it. I know I’m not the only one who thinks so. but we are smart enough to know its inevitable. Looking forward to learning and growing together, Max
Max, I admit, just my pure love for the Tilt-o-Whirl makes me enjoy reading your posts. It’s not often you come across someone who sells carnival rides…obviously someone has to and there’s no doubt a business for it, but I can’t say that I’ve ever met or known anyone in the business. And so for that, it’s always enjoyable to read your stories. Plus we have that whole Texas thing going for us too! 😉 Being in business for yourself can certainly be tough. I learned some very valuable but hard lessons when my ex and I owned a radio station. But you learn as you go and hopefully don’t make the same mistakes twice. We all have to have some risk for reward. Plus I learned that you have to plan for the unexpected. We sure didn’t expect our principal investor to die suddenly of a heart attack. Nor did we plan to have his widow entangle us in legal battles which put us into personal bankruptcy. I’m just glad to be on this side of things! Thanks for sharing your stories with all of us…it’s refreshing to read stories of perseverance through adversity.
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Hi Pamela; well, us texans got to stick together. funny considering how bloggers are spread all over the world that I have managed to connect with several from the lone star state. and its interesting that you mentioned adversity. One of my favorite books is called the adversity advantage. It was written by the blind climber eric weihhemayer. Its not the book about climbing everest its a guide to overcoming adversity and using it to make you a better person. Maybe its people like him and tom sullivan the performer and rachel skodorus the dog sled racer that make it hard for me to see myself as an inspiration. thanks for supporting me, Max
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I really don’t know a whole lot about business so it’s great learning through your experiences. These stories are very nice reads in the middle of my recent long days. Thanks for sharing them.
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Hi carl; it makes me feel good to know that I can bring you some joy or at least distraction during the middle of a busy work day. I look forward to reading your posts too, max
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Thanks for sharing the ups and downs of your business experiences, Maxwell. I like your persistence and courage, especially with your blog. So many people talk about trying it and never do it. Like a previous commenter said, WordPress is something we’re all learning. I definitely feel that, and I’ll be anticipating your posts.
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hi deidre; thanks for your friendly comment. Its always good to hear people like what you have to say. word press is constantly evolving meaning constant learning for those of us who use it. looking forward to sharing the journey with you, Max
Hi Max,
I enjoyed your post and thanks for inspiring me to check on my Google page. It was sitting there collecting dust! I added a background picture, deleted old posts where the pictures were bad and updated the info for links and such. So will get started with this, spending just a little time each day to build it up.
I also use Click to Tweet but code it myself. I made a video on how to do it. Cool stuff and makes you independent of Click to Tweet.
Tried to donate, and the button just takes me to my PayPal to login but no payment or anything is there…
Just wanted to give you a heads up.
Take Care,
Carol Amato
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hi carol; i would have loved to do my click to tweet that way but couldn’t find an explanation that made sense to me. its a shame your video didn’t come up when i googled CTT. i agree with you and adrienne its always better to avoid using plug ins or third party services if you can at all avoid it. sometimes the fact i use a screen reader means I have to accept a lesser solution. thanks again and take care, max
Hi Max,
Do accept my congratulations on your move to WordPress platform, hopefully you will enjoy the platform! The most important aspect of life I cherished so much is having people who are blessed and ready to bless people around them. That makes life better and worth living beyond what I can ever imagined
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Hello; thanks for your warm welcome. I have ben using word press for the blog on my amusement equipment selling site for almost two years now. I am very happy with it. I wish i had shown the confidence to start out the new site with a self hosted site, but maybe I was meant to do it this way so people could learn from my experience. we all have to help others and be ready to accept help. I look forward to getting to know you. take care, Max
Hi Max! It’s great to see your new blog and to read about some of your early experiences. I’m glad to hear that your determination and hard work are paying off. Sometimes it’s good to look back to those early days and to think about the first things we learned when setting up our businesses. It makes us realise how far we have come and what we have achıeved! İt’s easy to lose sight of these things when you are busy with the day-to-day running of a business. Take care and keep writing – I am looking forward to reading more of your posts. Kirsty
Hi Kirsty; Great thing about sharing the early days is not only does it remind me of how far I have come. It also lets others know what is possible. I believe these personal posts about good and bad days as I continue to grow will b try helpful in establishing myself as a coach and mentor or public speaker. I’m starting work on turning my gust post for harlena into a video series. Hope you will be there to enjoy tim and support me it that too. I’m looking forward to following your progress and getting to know you better. take care, max
Congratulations on your move! I have pleased to read about it. I am going to share the post on my Twitter page to see my followers. By the way, Keep posting more and we will get a lot of help in the near future. Thanks!
Thanks James; You must have seen it on twitter. Because that post goes back several years. I have the Revive Old Posts plug in to thank for that. Take care, Max
Max, it was really brilliant work! I appreciate you for this success. By the way, I am going to share the post on my social media pages to see my friends and followers. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Hi James; I appreciate your kind words. Good luck, Max