Monthly Archives: May 2008

Your Affiliate Company Is Stealing From You, Now What?

Affiliate companies stealing from their affiliatesThis month I am seeing many more daily charge backs than previous months. I have always had some charge backs but now it’s getting me a little bit worried. But are they really charge backs or just a way for the affiliate company to steal your hard earned money? Being an affiliate I know I’m at the bottom of the barrel, but I work very hard to get to where I am, so what can I do when I think they are skimming? I can’t do much about it, even though this is illegal, it is basically stealing and that is a crime.

I could move onto another affiliate program but this is the best paying program I have found in this niche. I’m feeling kind of down because it sucks when you do everything right and then something you cannot control gets in the way. Months of research and hard work down the drain. Of course the product is still very profitable but not as much as before.

I have already contacted my affiliate manager but what are they going to say? “Yeah we had to skim another 10% off your commissions cause we need the money?” It’s not going to happen and maybe even the affiliate managers don’t even know what’s really going on. So now what? Hmm, my thoughts are to basically start affiliate marketing in other areas, it’s just hard to get motivated.

It just sucks when you do everything right and bullshit tactics like this have to get in the way of your success. Greed is an evil thing. They might as well hold me at gun point and rob me. I will suck it up and still make money. Never put all your eggs in one basket and this is a very good reason why you don’t.Keep smiling things will work out, they always do. smily face

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east-van-playground

random photo taken in rainy park, East Vancouver playground, May 14, 2008

Rain Go Away, Leave Vancouver Alone Please!

[ad#ad-1]Kinda depressing outside (it’s raining in Vancouver right now) so a nice sunny shot with baby Stefania is a great way to brighten up my day. Wow, it feels like winter here in Vancouver, but it’s May ! When the hell is the rain going to leave Vancouver alone, argh!!!!! I wish my satellite was working, cause no TV and rain do not mix together very well….

Now I know why I was feeling crusty all day, it’s the fucking weather. I was looking at the computer screen and the screen was looking at me, we both didn’t get ANY work done today. I feel like a tool. That’s it I’m too bored to blog tonight, ciao! Tomorrow will be a fresh start, and I have to do list to help me focus.

Stefania at New Brighton Park, East Vancouver / Burrard Inlet

Stefania at New Brighton Park, East Vancouver May, 2008

When Real Estate Investments Turn Into NightMares

[ad#ad-1] I wasn’t really sure if I was going to write about my Winnipeg real estate because they have basically gone sour, and I realy hate to dwell on the bad decisions that I have made. That being said I am not ashamed as what has happened with my rental properties in Winnipeg, more than I am dissappointed at the outcome.

 I have both properties I own in Winnipeg for sale (duplex & fourplex). As I have blogged about in the past I have numerous problems with my properties, from tenants skipping on the rent to full arson fire in my duplex while the duplex was listed on the market for sale.

Well, after the arson fire it took over 1 month to hear back from the insurance adjustor regarding the extent of the damage, etc.  He finally got back to me about 10 days ago and stated it was $18,000 in damages to the duplex. I have no intention of fixing up the property because for that to happen it will take another 5-6 months, and by then it will be getting cold in Winnipeg and all the real estate buyers will be hibernating. And even if I could get it fixed in a 2 month time frame it still wouldn’t work, why? It seems like the shitbags in Winnipeg have nothing better to do than start arson fires in abandoned homes, break into houses or shoot each other on the damn streets.

My decision is to take a check for the $18,000 in damages and sell the duplex property for cheaper than what I was selling it for $64,000. Here is the problem, if you take a check instead of repairing the property you only get 50% of the value, so 50% of $18,000 gives me $9,000. But wait that’s not the best part, then I have to pay the deductible of $2,500, which leaves me with $6,500.

I bought the Winnipeg duplex for $52,000 and now I am asking for $35,000, because it is half burnt. I will probably get about $32,000, plus the $6,500 check gives me $38,500. So I will loose about $13,500 before lawyer fees, paying the real estate agent his cut and a few other surprises. So I will end up loosing about $16,000 on this deal.

Am I pissed about, yes and no. I am just happy to get rid of the place and get rid of the thought of dealing with this nightmare. Besides, I made huge gains in the places I own here in Vancouver, so if I loose even $30,00 between the duplex and the fourplex then so be it.  Loosing money is all part of the game, ask Donald Trump he lost millions and got it all back and then some.

 Once both places are sold in Winnipeg I plan on buying a condo or 2 here in the next few months and manage them myself (someone I can always trust).

I thought I was doing the right move buying in Winnipeg (cheap prices, low vacancy etc.), but if you have shitty property managers, along with a bad social environment the outcome is what you have just read. Bottom line, I can only really blame myself, and a bunch of random events that I have no control over.

I will chalk this up to experience and move on, I am still going to buy more real estate in Vancouver, NOT Winnipeg. If I didnt buy the places I have here, I would be a couple million less wealthy so who fucking cares if I loose $30,000? Not me, on to the next deal and that’s it. Bada Bing!

PS: My goal is to have $20,000 in rental income per month, right now I’m at $5,000 a month. I am 25% of the way there, not bad if you ask me. Another 10 condos and that will get me right to $20,000 per month in rental income.

Think big, get big results….

Working From Home – The Dark Side Of It

[ad#ad-1]It’s amazing how much work you can get done when you put your mind to it, and you’re left alone to do it. I feel like I accomplished some good work today, not something I usually feel I have done. Working at home with a wife AND 2 kids closeby is a challenge to say the least. Then on top of it you have the nonna and nonno calling every morning to see how the grand children are doing , lol. Running a $600,000 business from home is strange. Everyone thinks you make enough just to “get by”, so I guess they don’t your business too seriously so they feel it’s ok to interrupt you when they need to. If I rented a big office in downtown Vancouver, then I would look like a success I’m sure , haha. It’s funny how appearance is everything. If people know you’re at home they figure you must not be doing very good.

I have always said the fastest way to make more money is to save more money. Why bother paying rent if you don’t have to, seems really stupid to throw $3,000 a month just to play the part of a high roller. People who act like high rollers usually aren’t rolling in anything, except the bus. This is the reason I don’t rent office space, waste of money and very unnecessary. That being said I need to find more quiet surroundings to work from.

Some of the spots I have thought of to use as my office space include the public library, backyard patio (maybe still too close to home), various coffee shops, parent’s basement (doubt that would work well), or B.C.I.T in Burnaby. Hell, I could even work from my Caddy if I needed to, pull up to some random house on a residential street and use their internet access. I was even thinking of working from my garage, good enough for me. I will have to figure out a solution, cause it’s driving me a bit nutso.

Its tough I want to be home but it’s hard to focus, when you have little Stefania (my daughter) sitting on my lap as I make Google ads, and wanting to watch Tree House.

Does anyone have any suggestions where would be a good place to work from that has free wireless internet access? Leave a comment I would love to know!

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Robson Steet/ Thurlow Avenue, downtown Vancouver

random photo: taken on Robson Street downtown Vancouver on May, 8 roughly 8 pm

Working Towards A $100,000 Net Per Month

The lack of updates are a result of me working on my $100,000 a month goal. I have been researching new niches to try to find another “golden goose” to give me the jump I need to pull in at least another $500-$1000 day of profit, hopefully I have found it. Now I need to start the whole process of building campaigns, testing and so on. Lots of work ahead for me, at least my income will be coming in nicely from what I’m getting daily so far, while I work on this new money maker.

That’s the great thing about affiliate marketing, you can work the same hours every day but your income will continue to grow and grow, it’s the snowball effect of having so many ads running on Google. Obviously not everyday is like a shiny new penny but overall, you can’t beat this lifestyle. The cool thing about pay per click, if you put in the work it will happen. No office, no need for 20 employees, a laptop with a wireless internet connection and the world is your office.

And the reason I even blog about my financial status is to help to guide me along the way, that’s the only real reason. I don’t really like people knowing how much I pull in, feels weird. I guess if I blog about it, then it’s my fault though lol.

And the goal for $100k? I made it for September 2008, that helps to burn a little fire under may ass. It keeps me on my toes and helps to make me focus more. I was always the kid in school who got distracted easily, and who distracted others from doing there work. Something that I’m constantly working to improve on.

** PS: Don’t forget Mother’s Day on Sunday May, 11.

That’s all for now.

Shot of freighter in Burrard Inlet, taken from New Brighton Park in Vancouver

Random photo:
Picture taken of freighter in Burrard Inlet, May 5, 2008 from New Brighton Park in Vancouver