A reader asks: 'Money Spinners articles are informative. You mention many names, for example, Janaki. Are these projects real and verified?' Here is my response: 'Janaki is a real person and lives in Chennai with her husband and two kids. Money Spinners carries articles on real, viable, doable projects that I know personally. But, names are always fictitious and dialogues are often edited. Tell me, how does it matter to you whether Janaki is real or not, whether Sujatha earns or not? You must understand the spirit of the articles and become prosperous by using the project ideas. Rest is immaterial.'
This reader says he is in need of money. If he is resourceful, hard working and full of common sense, his problem can be converted into an income opportunity. He can achieve what Ofu achieved years ago.
In December 1998, New Zealand Work and Income support (WINZ) office commissioned a computer company to install new systems. I was a consultant for this company. So, I went to WINZ. During the lunch break, I saw a young man sitting outside the office, waiting for an interview with WINZ officer for getting income support from the government until he found a job.
"What made you come to New Zealand?" I asked him. "I was born in a backward country in Africa. There is no income potential in my country as there are no industries. When I read on a website about migrating to New Zealand, I applied for NZ immigration and came to New Zealand a few months ago. But no one gives me a job because of my nationality and broken English," replied Ofu.
"This proves an important point: you may live in a prosperous country and still be poor. If this is true, the opposite must also be true: you may live in the poorest country in the world and still can become prosperous. Centuries ago, millions of working class people migrated to America from Europe, worked hard on nothing and created the most prosperous nation in the world. We are lucky to live in the time of the Internet and the computer. Unlike the migrants of Europe, we don't have to leave everything behind us and go to unknown destinations. We can make the unknown destinations come to our room through the Internet and the computer. What migrants did to America over centuries can be done by us to our countries in a matter of a few years, if we take a new attitude and embrace entrepreneurship and self-employment," I told Ofu.
"I was born in an undeveloped area near the Deserts of Sahara. How could I become prosperous without leaving that place?" Ofu raised the question that I have heard hundreds of times before. "Give me a computer and an Internet connection, I'll make money even from the Deserts of Sahara," I told him with a smile.
After a long silence, Ofu asked me, "Is there any reliable quick-money making system that I can buy on the Internet?" I replied, "Shortcut seekers always buy such silly systems and lose money. Instead of correcting their folly, they start blaming others. Making money online is a process that you must learn by working hard. Visit as many content rich websites as possible and read useful articles. Do something about what you learn. You will make money. Believe in your capacity. Learn the principles of success and growth. Aspire to create your own future based on hard work and resourcefulness."
Then we discussed about an interesting opportunity. There were more than 100,000 immigrants in the country and many of them were languishing in low paid jobs or were unemployed. Ofu could do research on the Internet to collect information on career, education and income opportunities available to immigrants and publish them as a weekend info-paper. He would generate revenue from ads by hundreds of businesses and budget super markets that target these immigrants. He would distribute copies of the paper free of cost to immigrants. With the support of WINZ and other development agencies, cost of publication would be negligible.
When Ofu had a clear goal, his energy was unleashed. He worked non-stop for 4 months. In the fifth month, he made a net profit of $50. At the end of the year it was NZ$4,000 a month. Had he gone for a job, he would not have earned more than $1,500. Within 2 years, he saved enough money to start his own street corner grocery shop and now provides employment to many immigrants.