The Importance of a Plan B

If you have not read the little Bio I have on myself, then you missed that I am a licensed pharmacist in NY. That being said, I can say through personal experience that I have witnessed first hand the ravages on families that poor health can create.
I want to share with you a story that I just experienced first hand today. In doing so, I feel this will provide everyone out there with a great reason to start pursuing a Plan B for their financial future.

Early this morning, I received some prescriptions for a patient at a major NYC hospice. The patient is clearly dying and is on a great deal of what we call palliative medicine. These are medications to keep you comfortable. This patient only had their new Medicare Part D coverage instituted by President Bush and a secondary card to cover copays. Once I had finished processing the medications, even with supplemental insurance, the copays came close to $500. I had the unpleasant task of calling the patient's wife to ask how she was to pay for the medications. Here is the crushing part. She tells me that she must have his medications. However, she has no money left. She and her husband are on fixed income through social security. She herself has advanced Multiple sclerosis and already has heavy bills of her own. She tells me that all she can do is continue to charge on her card until she cant any longer. Her last statement to me was "soon enough, we will all be on Medicaid." She also said "things like this are easier to handle when you are earning a living and have a job."

This story is tragic already. What makes this situation all the more difficult to handle is the lack of money. Its hard enough coping with the loss of a loved one. Not having the money or resources to provide for them the way you want to makes it the harder to handle.

Now we should all look at this and learn. We cannot afford to rely on our J.O.B to be our safety net. We clearly can see Social Security is not a help at all. Although 401k have their place, they may not be the all out vehicle we need to be comfortable and secure in the retirement years. The point is that if there are alternatives to the 9-5 that can increase our income consistently, residually and passively, why are we not doing it? Why do we continue to stay in the rat race?

Considering your own business, whatever it might be should be of paramount consideration for those that feel they have what it takes to make it happen. I believe you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. Look at me. I studies science, not business. Yet that is where I am going. That is what I am learning. I have taken my desire to help others and put it to a different health....Financial health. As I continue on my journey and grow and gain the wealth that is possible, I will be helping many. When that happens.....I will sleep real well at night!!!

The cat is out of the bag.

How effective would my blog be without mentioning what business I do and what the model is? Not very effective at all. As I mentioned in prior posts, I am in the health and wellness industry. The business model is Network Marketing. Uh oh!!! This is the part where everyone runs for the hills screaming ITS A SCAM, SCHEME, PYRAMID (or some other geometric shape) right? Well, maybe thats because what you know of the business may be just from what others tell you or perhaps your own experience is negative. I would like to address these 2 issues here. I hope I can shed some light on this topic. Perhaps you may see something you did NOT know.

Let me address the primary issue everyone has about this business...ITS A PYRAMID SCHEME! Ok, a TRUE pyramid scheme is NOT a true form of business or a sustainable form of business. This scheme purely revolves on enrolling people into the scheme with the lure of money, purely for the sake of enrollment. There is no product or service being bought or offered. Hence you are paying money in exchange for NOTHING. That is the true scheme and as the name refers to, it is in the shape of a pyramid. This type of activity is illegal in all 50 states and in most parts of the world.

Here is where a discerning mind should question and consider this fact: If Pyramid schemes are illegal, how is it that there are so many companies that use this pyramid model that we all run from? The answer is simple...a Pyramid Model is used in just about EVERY form of business out there. Its just that the illegal ones have cast a negative light on the term. In fact, if you are at your job, ask your HR person or supervisor for a listing of the corporate structure of the business. Once you get it it might look a certain way. I will avoid the "PYRAMID" term here. Lets use words people are more comfortable with. Your organizational chart will look 1 of 3 ways: 1) Hierarchial 2) Matrix or 3) Flat. Statistically speaking, Hierarchial structures are the predominant business structures used. Here is he definition of it in Wikipedia: "A hierarchical organization structured in a way such that every entity in the organization, except one, is subordinate to a single other entity. This is the dominant mode of organization among large organizations; most corporations, governments, and organized religions are hierarchical organizations. Hierarchies denote a singular/group of power at the top, a number of assistants underneath and hundreds of servants beneath them." In other words, there is a person or small group at the top with many below....Top to bottom structure....UH OH a PYRAMID!!! Now before you flip out...just relax and realize that just about any job you have ever had...you were in and still are in a pyramid structure...hierarchy...model...WHATEVER!!. There is good news though. Keep reading and find out what it is.

Network Marketing and the companies who use this model still use a Hierarchial form of business. You can say pyramid you know. There is good news about this form of business...at least for the company I am with. I will not speak for others. It is an INVERTED PYRAMID. Traditional business cannot survive without KEEPING people at the base of the pyramid. This model cannot succeed for you or others without bringing you to the top. Dont believe me? Fine. Go to Barnes and Nobles or any other venue. Pick up, or just go to the page if you chose, Why we Want you to be Rich by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki (hmmm...I think these 2 know a little bit about business and how to make some serious money dont you?) Look at chapter 27 page 307-308. This is Robert Koyosaki's response to the Pyramid Scheme question everyone LOVES to ask. Here is one GREAT point that I love about this. If a Network Marketing business is an inverted pyramid, it means then that you really have no superior or subordinates...everyone dictates their own pace...their own level of success...your own creativity. When was the last time you heard of a job offering that to you? There are so may other things to say about the business. I will save that for the next post.

Now that I have explained the model, I hope you have a clearer understanding , in principle, of Network marketing. I will be writing some more posts about this business so that you can gain more insight into a revolutionary form of business and a way to achieve a LIFESTYLE. I wish you all a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!