Zurieka and James Model are naturally
creative people who are inspired by nature
and love to live as sustainably and
ecologically as possible. Zurieka was a
former interior designer having qualified in
the early 90's and James is a technical whiz
in IT. Zurieka and James have been happily
married for nearly 10 years.
Zurieka was always drawn to creative work.
Zurieka learned early on though, that in
order to make a comfortable living as an
interior designer she needed to be
self-employed and work considerable hours in
order to become successful. The interior
design world isn't glamorous. Zurieka
discovered that the interior design industry
was very hard work with high levels of
stress. She found that she was constantly
pinned down to deadlines, juggling suppliers
and clients and all the while being the
person in the middle that gets tugged from
both sides! It is also highly competitive
and in order to build a good portfolio of
clients Zurieka realised you have to stick
your neck out to be noticed, approved and
accepted.
After marrying both Zurieka and James were
thrown into the deep end as far as family
obligations are concerned. Whilst most
people in their 40's, 50's and 60's are
prepared to take care of elderly parents,
they were not. Zurieka was only in her
late-20's at the time and the couple were
faced with having to care for two mentally
ill adult family members. Without going into
great detail, this was both emotionally,
physically and financially taxing to Zurieka
and James. Coupled with this Zurieka had an
aging parent that also needed aid. So while
most young people are enjoying their youth
Zurieka and James were having to act and
think very seriously and responsibly about
the needs of their families and their own
going forward.
In their quest for better financial
stability Zurieka and James got involved in
property investment. This in itself wasn't a
bad thing at the time. In fact it was quite
a sensible thing to do since property was
offering a solid return on investment for a
number of years. Once again they weren't
prepared for the many hassles that coincided
with owning one property let alone a few.
Then the global economic crises and
recession descended and put enormous
pressure on the couple financially. Debts
that had accumulated out of a simple need to
survive and care for family responsibilities
had begun to drown them. The couple felt so
overwhelmed by the heavy burden of debt and
the feelings of entrapment. It seemed like
there was no way out. The couple just had to
sit tight and ride the storm as it were!
Both Zurieka and James felt they needed to
find second jobs. James tried frantically to
increase his income picking up extra work
here and there and Zurieka was on the hunt
in a very dampened market for a second job.
The thought of spending less time together
and doing the things they love with the
people they love broke their hearts. Zurieka
and James felt they didn't want to weaken
their relationship or the relationship they
share with others, so they made a decision
to look for something that would be more
suitable so that they didn't sacrifice more
time in being slaves to the secular world.
It was at this point that they thought again
about home business opportunities and tried
a few different multi-level marketing
businesses. All the hype and "fluff" put
them off, but they stuck with it thinking
there must be something in this for 'these
people' to be successful. That's where they
got it wrong! Zurieka and James realised
that only a very small percentage at the
very top tier earned the substantial money!
0.5% were earning 6 figures annually! Less
than 1% were making $30,000 and less per
year! They also found the system to be
unfair. Only the top tiers were benefiting
from all the hard work carried out by the
'bottom dwellers'. Once again they
'invested' their earnings and energies into
a system that made them spend more than they
earned in return. Many of these systems have
some wonderful products, but Zurieka and
James found that if you don't have a system
that works well that supports and trains you
all the way, then your business is going to
fail. The couple also realised that the
market was very saturated by a lot of these
products. Therefore, competition was very
high and commissions so pithy that people
were lucky to make some 'pocket money' from
it in the end.
Zurieka searched tirelessly for a position
on the internet and this unique business
opportunity landed in the form of an email
in her inbox! At first she thought "Oh, here
we go again, it's another one of those...!"
However, upon closer inspection she found
that the business wasn't another affiliate
or multi-level marketing company. It didn't
involve being on the phone for hours on end
to strangers that waste your time, or having
to 'sell stuff' to family and friends! It
didn't require your spare room or garage to
be turned into a warehouse stocking lotions,
potions, vitamins, pills or magic juices! It
didn't require you to have "after hours"
sales parties in your home or going to
countless hotel lectures!
Zurieka liked what she was reading and
hearing. After contemplating the opportunity
for a few days and doing her due diligence,
Zurieka was "sold" on this concept and
decided to share her new found "gem" with
James. The couple took a more in depth look
at the business plan and immediately felt
that there was something of high value in
the business proposition. To them, this was
a unique business education system they
hadn't seen or heard about before on the
internet or in the marketing world. This is
a whole new business model that is changing
the face of the internet marketing world and
all who are serious internet entrepreneurs
or are seriously considering becoming
internet entrepreneurs!
Marriage &
Business
According to the Census Bureau, lasting
marriages create more wealth for their
partners than single life. A 15 year study
of 9,000 people revealed that those who
married and stayed married during that time
built up nearly twice the net worth of
people who stayed single. In fact, married
couples conceived the equivalent of an extra
4 % of income growth annually.
It is reasonable to conclude that two people
live more efficiently together than
separately and two people who are intimately
connected feel comfortable sharing more than
the average set of housemates share. It's
just more feasible to share large expenses
like cars, homes, holidays and major
appliances with the person we plan to be
with for the lifetime of the purchase. Of
course there is also the motivation factor.
Part of the mastery behind marriage is the
drive to set goals and achieve dreams with
the help and support of a lifelong partner.
We know that reaching goals is enhanced by
being accountable to a group rather than
simply depending on yourself. Behavioural
change programmes like Weight Watchers are
successful mostly because of the added
support that comes with being accountable to
a group. Wealth creation is a slow,
difficult process that requires judgment and
perseverance. Having the accountability and
support of a spouse clearly adds to the
success of the undertaking.
Whether we agree on this fact or not,
marriage also brings a network of familial
support in the form of parents, aunts,
uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews who all
know something or someone who can help you
along the way. As frequently as we might
feel life would be easier without all the
extended family, we have to accept that the
larger network of folks who are invested in
our marriage are also invested in our future
and our goals.
In contemplating our marriage I am awed by
how much James and I have been able to
accomplish in generating a healthy income.
We bring together our complementary outlooks
which enables us to find solutions that are
better than what we would have arrived at
individually. That's the allure of shared
resources. Individually we don't know it
all. A couple can create bountifully and
more efficiently together.
James and I feel that there are no
unreasonable goals, only unrealistic time
frames. In keeping "grounded" we remind
ourselves that life isn't perfectly mapped
out and we won't always follow the path
perfectly but that is why when you have each
other you are able to remind one another of
where you need to be going when you
occasionally err off course. Perhaps that
means that by working together toward common
goals, we can forge a somewhat straighter
path for ourselves and get there a bit
faster. This may be what is contributing to
our wealth generating ability.
The lousy recession, coupled with other
family responsibilities and obligations,
have left us feeling as if our wealth
generating efforts are at times deflating.
However where will we look to bolster our
savings and regenerate lost income from
investments that are no longer earning what
they used to? Obviously to each other. To
our marriage. We are well aware that the two
of us working together will ensure a more
significant impact than either of us could
do alone.
We are also amazed by how much more
effective any wealth generation effort is
when couples use the practices that work
inside a viable business. Nobody creates and
keeps wealth without a solid financial plan.
Every couple should understand the basics of
agreement, shared vision, budgeting and
planning. These tools make the marital
business flourish.
So if marriage is good business, then
business can be good for marriage. It is
even more gratifying to know there are
benefits beyond the obvious when you choose
to make a lifelong commitment to another
person.
Why I Choose To Work At Home
Working from home was something that always appealed to me. I mean be honest with yourself do you have a natural inclination towards hustling and bustling in the rat race everyday, enjoying gruelling commutes to and from “the office”? Perhaps some people enjoy working in a competitive office environment, answering to a boss and getting involved in office politics. I personally do not enjoy this type of environment, never have and never will.
My reasons for choosing to work at home are numerous. I decided that I was worth far more than a pithy salary. I also value my humanity and sanity and discovered that there was something very inhumane about travelling day in and day out on expensive public transport wedged under smelly armpits and many people who had no real sense of personal hygiene. Commuting day in and day out was beginning to make me realise what it must feel like to be a cow on a cattle truck off to the slaughterhouse! My mental angst was exacerbated by physical health issues and the time had come for me to make serious changes in my life once and for all.
The cons of working for someone else, being a slave to a disloyal employer or an arrogant know-it-all-but-really-knows-nothing boss are vast. As an employee you will always be a slave to someone else’s time. Your time is of no real value when you work for a boss. You don’t get to decide what to write on your salary cheque every month. You are answering to someone else for your productivity or lack of it. You are not really indispensible when the going gets tough, in fact you may be the first to be laid off your job for all you know. If most of your time is taken up working for an employer and sleeping, how much time do you have left for the more important things in your life, the things you value most?
Working at home provides me with far more choices. I decide what time I work and don’t work. I decide where I’d like to work on any given day, be it the home office, the garden, the café, the park or the beach. I have flexibility and mobility that a restrictive office environment would never be able to offer me. I enjoy having breakfast with my loved ones each day. I enjoy being home working with my family on personal and business projects. I decide what to write on my pay cheque every month. The more productive I’ve been the greater my sense of accomplishment. My conscience is clear, knowing that I live a more sustainable lifestyle, not impacting the environment unnecessarily by imposing on energy resources to get to and from my “day job at the office in the city”. I enjoy the comfort of being home, working with my loved ones rather than away from them. They get the best part of me rather than the exhausted, stressed and detached individual that used to come home after a long day at “the office”!
I choose to work at home because it means
freedom. I don’t answer to a boss,
I am my own boss. I answer to myself. I am
accountable and responsible for my own
actions. What I put into my business is
what I get out. The rewards are priceless.
I feel more creative and energised working
from home.
To enjoy having a meal in a calm, relaxed
environment with my family, to take time out
and have a coffee or lunch with a friend, to
hop on a plane and enjoy a week’s vacation
when I want, to give back voluntarily to the
charity that I believe in wholeheartedly, to
be passionate about what I do and to help
inspire others to do the same…is all
priceless! Working at home gives me this and
so much more! I have FUN working at home!
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