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Darren Herbold gets $ 30.000

on MLM Advertising / Marketing solution

My secret to success is keeping my priorities straight–Christ, my family, then business. It's funny, and I shouldn't be surprised by this, but when my priorities are in order and I am honoring them, things always seem to work out

Age: 23

Highest Education: Bachelor's degree in theology

Year Started Business: 1999

Type Of Business: MLM advertising/marketing solutions–"I'm just starting out and see this only as the beginning. I am always open, and who knows what will happen in the next year? I focus primarily on information and marketing services. In a nutshell, I help companies develop marketing and lead solutions for their products/opportunity.

Market: "I will work with anyone who is serious about reaching their goals. Personally, I focus on people who are honest in their desire to work hard and achieve the goals they have set for themselves."

Number Of Employees: None, but many, many key relationships

Best Month (Gross Revenues): $30,000

Hours Worked Per Week During Start-Up: 40+

Hours Worked Per Week Now: 40+ –"I absolutely love what I do!"

Favorite Business Magazines: Forbes and Business Weekly

Favorite Business Books Or Authors: "Many books have added to my knowledge, I read the executive summaries to get a good grasp of almost every business book that is printed. However, if I had to choose my favorite, it would be Anointed for Business, by Ed Silvoso."

Relaxes By: "I absolutely love playing sports of any kind, but just spending a day with Naomi (my wife) is incredibly refreshing! Quite often I also have classical music playing in the background while I work, and that always makes for a less stressful day."

Keeps In Shape By: Making sure he receives all the nutrients his body needs, playing hockey and other sports

Favorite Part Of The Job: Starting and creating new marketing tools and systems that help people reach their goals, being able to work from home, and being able to offer his family a wide variety of "life" choices–"Best of all are all the key relationships I have made and the mutual friendships that have started because of just helping people."

Least Favorite Part Of The Job: Spending time with people who can't see the potential of this industry

Companies Admired: Wal-mart

Favorite Quotes: Here lies a man who was smart enough to surround himself with men who were smarter. -Epitaph on Andrew Carnegie's tomb; Essence of Leadership: The courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. Leaders do not set out to become leaders, but they become one by the quality of their actions and the integrity of their intent. -Unknown–"I try and live my life by following the examples/characteristics in these two quotes."

The Person Who Most Influenced His Life: "My father has been an incredible support and source of knowledge that I could always lean and rely on. Without his past experience and business aptitude, I would never be where I am right now. In every 'success' story is one person who had an incredible impact on one's life. I'm just super blessed that my dad was that person."

Heroes: His father because of the direct impact he had and has on his life

Special Accomplishments: Volume Producer of the Year–Life Force International 2003; Rising Star of the Year–Life Force International 2003; strategic software provider/partner for multi-million and billion dollar companies; founder of PinnacleGold.com (http://www.founder.pinnaclegold.com)

Months Before Achieving A Profit: "During the first couple years, it was a lot of work. I made a profit within the first three months, but most, if not all, of my profit in the beginning went straight back into my business.

Contact Darren At: (780) 432-4953 or Darren@herbolds.com.

GETTING STARTED:
I'm starting a home business next month. I have a maximum of $3,000 in start-up capital. Where should I invest it?
DH: Investing capital is always an interesting question. There are always safe choices one can make, but it takes a lot of research to find the best spot. Often it is in the advertising realm, but you really need to research carefully on what kind of advertising to use. Speak to the five most successful people in the field you are interested in, and see what they have to say. Seek out those who have worked their business hard for one to five years to see what has been the key to their long-term success.

I've just started a home business. My spouse has given me six months to make it work. Any advice?
DH: Research your industry before you start. In my opinion, you should be able to see a return in almost any investment in six months, as far as network marketing goes. However, realize that the return on your investment may be small. It may take anywhere from one to five years of hard work to truly build a stable and successful source of income that you can put on autopilot.

They say it takes money to make money. Should I try to get a small business loan for my start-up capital or just try to get by with my own limited finances?
DH: As you can see, I'm really big on research. Once one has done his or her due diligence and has a plan set up on how to market AND has tested the plan to see how effective it is, then a loan may be an option. However, always, always research and test everything before making that kind of decision. Personally, I have never taken out a loan to start any business venture I have been involved with.

TECHNOLOGY & TOOLS:
How quickly do you adopt new technology for your business?
DH: I am always open to new advances that help conduct my business in a more efficient manner. If they work, I use them. The key is to always take the best from every idea or advancement and run with it. People get into trouble when they do one of two things: when they are not open to new ideas and when they forget the proven marketing methods of the past. I spend a majority of my time currently building Internet marketing tools for various companies and projects.

How do you use e-mail in your business?
DH: E-mail is virtually where the bulk of my communications take place. Mainly, it is a fantastic tool for keeping in contact with vast majorities of people in an efficient and personal way.

How do you utilize the Internet?
DH: The Internet is the lifeblood of my business. Not only are my businesses hosted on the Net but also all my communications, finances, and investments–actually, almost everything is in some way managed by resources on the Internet. It allows me to effectively utilize my time and accomplish much more than is otherwise possible.

How many of your own Website(s) do you have?
DH: I don't have many personal sites; I focus primarily on building marketing systems and providing lead solutions for other companies. However, here are two sites run by my team: http://www.marketingoutlet.com/ and http://www.worldvacationrental.com/. In the last two months, we have also launched many successful marketing systems for various influential companies. Two examples are listed below:

http://www.pinnaclegold.com/–Online marketing system built for Unither Pharma, a pharmaceutical company that promotes the product HeartBar.

http://www.yourteambuilder.com/–A marketing system built for Tiscali, a billion-dollar telecommunications company based in Europe.

On a side note, we are always open to new possibilities and partnerships with other potential companies and people who want marketing systems and/or lead solutions built for them as well.

Do you use auto-responders?
DH: Yes. In any business, time management is an absolute key to being successful.
Autoresponders allow you to free up hours of time keeping in touch with your contacts and answering questions.

If you use voicemail, what is your primary use for it?
DH: If I am already on a call and someone is waiting on my second line, then my voicemail kicks in. After all, I can only talk with one person at a time.

Describe your computer system and how you use computers in your business.
DH: I use an office laptop from Dell. It provides me with mobility when I need it. I have a printer, digital camera, and an external hard drive to back up my hard drive. When I'm on the go, I have a PocketPC that stores all my pertinent information. Nothing fancy, just enough to get the job done.

What software do you consider in the "must-have" category?
DH: In any business I think that Microsoft Office is a must have, not only because of its wide variety of tools but also because of the vast majority of the business world that uses it. Also, a good contact manager is important as well.

What other technology do you use in your business?
DH: My cell phone and an E-330 Pocket PC.

Name your favorite business URL's our readers can benefit from:
DH: http://money.cnn.com/ and http://www.crown.org/.

Of all the technology you use, rank the top three.
DH: Laptop (It allows me to work from and in any arena in the world), cell phone (allows me to stay mobile and still accomplish my work), and Pocket PC (fantastic contact manager; easy integration with my other systems, extremely portable).

MARKETING & ADVERTISING:
How do you market on the Internet?
DH: Marketing on the Internet can take shape in various forms of advertising. By owning and partnering with key networks, I have been blessed to have vast sources of advertising opportunities open to me. I purchase advertising of some sort on a monthly and even weekly basis. It's just part of my business expense. As in most cases, good research needs to be applied before rushing into advertising solutions. And, in most cases, I would always run several smaller test campaigns before launching the real campaign.

Approximately what percentage of your sales originate from Internet marketing?
DH: Approx. 98%.

What other kinds of marketing do you utilize?
DH: Your own story and testimony is and will always be the most important marketing resource you have available to you. You have to believe in the company you own or are marketing. If you do, people will recognize the positive changes in your life and will start asking questions themselves. This type of marketing by far is the most powerful you will ever find.

Do you recommend using a toll-free number in advertising?
DH: I know many people who do use toll-free numbers, but personally, I don't use one. My goal is to find people who are willing to step up and make the first move to change their lives, etc. If a couple of pennies in long distance will hold them back, then it is just not the right time for them to work with me. However, for service and support lines, I believe it is professional and efficient to use a toll-free line. So, for me the answer changes depending on the use of the line.

Where do you market?
DH: I always love to market internationally. My goal is to reach and work with as many people as possible. However, depending on the product, availability, opportunity, etc., this may change.

THE HOME OFFICE:
How should someone set up his/her home office to maximize its effectiveness?
DH: Every system, tool, gadget, whatever you need to run your, daily, business should be within arms reach of where you are sitting. Perhaps even more important is making sure you have a bright and quiet office. Preferably somewhere where you can close a door and work without distractions. Personally I always need a big window so I can get a lot of fresh air as well.

What, if any, ground rules have you established for yourself and family in order to operate a successful home business?
DH: For me it is extremely important that spending quality time with my wife is never jeopardized. I usually take every Sunday off of work. I try not to even turn on my computer on that day. My Christian faith is also very important. So, every morning I try and make sure that my priorities for the day are in order, and spending time reading the Bible or in prayer takes precedence over my work. I try very hard to keep these areas in my life in this priority sequence: 1) faith/devotion to God; 2) my wonderful wife; 3) family; and 4) work. I have found that, in my own life, when the first three areas are given their proper respect and commitment, business seems to follow.

What are some of the advantages to working at home? What are some of the disadvantages?
DH: Advantages–The freedom to jump up and do any crazy idea that pops into my head at a moment's notice; the freedom to move and live in places I normally would never consider; and the freedom to spend more time with the people I love and enjoy being around. There are just too many positives to name them all.

Disadvantages–right now I can't even think of one. There is a caution I will add, though. You have to be self-motivated to work from home because there are many distractions that can pull on you. However, for those of us that love what we do, there are no disadvantages that I can see. Not yet anyways. ;-)

MANAGEMENT STYLE:
What part(s) of your work do you farm out?
DH: I try and keep a very hands-on approach to most areas of my business, especially in the marketing area. However, for behind-the-scenes technical and logistics, those are usually handled by support staff. I'm not a programmer, so those areas need to be "farmed" out.

What part(s) do you feel should never be farmed out?
DH: I strongly believe in a very personal approach to every customer, marketing partner, or strategic partner. These contacts, in my opinion, should never be farmed out. People trust and form partnerships with you based upon their perception of you. Personally, I feel a lot more comfortable portraying myself to people than allowing others to speak on my behalf in those areas.

Do you encourage or discourage partnerships?
DH: For me this is a "yes" and "no" answer, depending on the situation. I do believe that when first starting out, especially in network marketing, people should build their businesses themselves, network, and learn from people along the way. Once you have an established a business or company, then partnerships make sense because the company is hopefully branching out into new areas, and one person does not have enough time to manage it all. Let me clarify, I would not want to be spending all my time working, rather I would start forming strategic partnerships so that things could run smoothly in the background, freeing up time to spend away from the business or to pursue new business goals and ideas.

Do you encourage or discourage hiring family members?
DH: This answer is very relative depending on a person's relationship with his or her family. I would tend to caution people before entering into this type of arrangement with family, as there have been many families hurt by and through family business ventures. On the other hand, it can work out incredibly well and effectively. I would suggest writing all expectations and responsibilities on paper and making sure every family member gets a copy just to ensure that there is no confusion later. This is normally done in any business partnership, but for some reason, we forget about it when family is involved.

MONEY & INVESTMENTS:
What are the advantages of earning a lot of money. What are some disadvantages?
DH: Advantage–for me it is the ability to spend more time with my family, but it is extremely rewarding to be able to invest financially into other people's lives. I am extremely blessed right now, and I believe it is my responsibility to share that with others. Disadvantage–You can become consumed with your work. This is usually because of greed, etc. It is extremely easy to become numb, and just expect success. I have a plaque that just says "Be Thankful." I look at that and am reminded everyday that I always need to be thankful.

Best general tax advice?
DH: Do your best research and talk to as many tax lawyers and accountants as you can. Find lawyers and accountants who deal specifically in your field of work. However, once it's all said and done, pay what you owe.

Best general investment advice?
DH: I don't tend to invest much in the markets. However, there are many good, low-risk savings accounts and CDs in many places outside of North America. Make sure and think outside of our North American box. Just do a search on the Net to get a good grasp of what's available. I personally would invest in real estate for long-term growth and security.

You're in business already, and you've just received a windfall of $20,000. What would you do with it?
DH: I would throw it into an interest-bearing account. I would keep my eyes open for things that might present themselves, but I would not go out looking. If business is good, then keep doing what you are doing and enjoying. Never rush into any decisions. Besides, there's probably someone whom you could help out as well.

POWERFUL IDEAS:
What was the motivating factor that drove you to start your own business?
DH: Obviously, the answers are very in-depth, but in a nutshell they are: 1) in the beginning I wanted financial success, as do most people; 2) because of that "success," I wanted to make sure that my family had the freedom to pursue almost anything they wanted to; 3) by not being tied down to a full-time job, I am looking at getting more involved with part-time volunteering at children's outdoor camps.

What role, if any, did your family play when you were getting your business off the ground?
DH: My father was always incredibly supportive and even started giving me marketing ideas when I was in my teens and could care less. Thankfully, he kept wanting to work with me and helped me start a few things and we never looked back. The important change that happened, though, was when I decided to listen to what he was saying. Even more important is that Naomi (my wife) supports my efforts 100%. Having a supportive spouse is perhaps one, if not the greatest, resources anyone will have if they are married. She keeps everything balanced for me. She knows much better than I do when I need a break, or when I should keep pushing even harder.

What motivates you now to continue building your business?
DH: To be able to offer even greater freedom and opportunities to my family, but even more, to be in a position where I can help other people get the help or break they never received yet from life.

What's the best thing about being self-employed?
DH: Being able to set my own schedule is still an incredible feeling.

How often do you read books and/or listen to or watch tapes for improving your business skills or knowledge?
DH: I'm usually listening or reading something every day that helps me gain a better understanding of certain subjects.

What was the biggest obstacle you had to face when you were launching your own business? What's your biggest obstacle now?
DH: The biggest obstacle while launching was just sticking with what I had decided to do. This usually meant just being bull-headed and pushing hard for the first three to 12 months. After that, you always need to watch and make sure you are not becoming complacent. I am always playing with new ideas and branching out into completely different fields of business.

If you had to start your business all over again, what would you do differently?
DH: I would make sure and attend more "live" events and get to know leaders in my field much more quickly than I did before.

What is the legacy you hope to leave?
DH: I hope that I will have been able to impact people on a deep spiritual and emotional level. I never want my life to just focus on business. I want it to focus on "success" in life. Finances are just a small part, if even a part at all, of being successful. I want to help people. My business and the freedom that it brings will hopefully allow me to do that on a larger scale than I could have before.