Okay, I’m not a mass murderer or on the run from the law, but this has been weighing heavily on me.
I could have sat on this (and many friends told me I should), but I can’t.
I have to “come clean”.
My (flawed) ”Gold Mine” analogy…
I’ll start with a quick analogy…
If you were prospecting for gold and you found what you thought was the “mother lode”, would you tell anyone the location of your claim?
Of course you wouldn’t.
I’m no “Rockefeller”, I’m a dork (and proud of it)
I’m no “Rockefeller”, nor rocket scientist.
I was (and still am) a dork who didn’t want to work for anyone else and started a toner cartridge remanufacturing business in our basement 25 years ago.
So we could still eat and have a roof over our heads, my wife (our 30th anniversary is in two weeks) still had to work for “the man” while I was “playing” (in her eyes) in the basement (with my dogs at my side, watching Andy Griffith re-runs.)
But I promised her, “HP (her nickname isn’t Hewlett Packard, it’s “Honey Pie”), this time, this business is going to be THE one.”
My first vow - ”I’ll Do Whatever it Takes!”
When I moved that business on line fourteen years later, I vowed I would learn everything I possibly could to make our business explode.
And, it did. We went from our basement to a business with hundreds of thousands of customers in 100+ countries around the world.
Again, I don’t apologize for that success.
My second vow (and why I must apologize…)
After thousands of hours of research, traveling the country, hunting down the experts and literally spending millions of dollars in the process (not just on the research, the travel and the experts, but on Google AdWords, other pay-per-click ads and tons of other stuff), I also made a vow that I would not share one word of what I learned with anyone – they were my “secret weapons”.
I’m embarrassed to say that no matter how much my knowledge and resources could have helped other people, I kept my mouth shut tighter than one of our dogs (mutts, way better than kids!) when they are eating something they shouldn’t be.
Fear makes you do strange stuff…
I was afraid that if the word got out what we were doing to dominate our niche, it would somehow negatively affect my business.
That’s what I just “knew” would happen (and, honestly, I still worry about that) if I publicly shared my knowledge and resources.
(I don’t think anyone will deny that they would not walk up to their biggest competitor and say, “Hey, would you like to know all of our business secrets?”)
My “Gold Mine” analogy was dead wrong…
But, more and more (especially recently) I realized my goldmine analogy was wrong.
Dead wrong.
If you share your gold claim location, you could wind up with a pick axe in your head in the middle of the night.
Other than my wife of 30 years, was anyone really going to conk me on my melon as a result of my sharing my “gold location”?
I could have shared every bit of information, every expert’s name, every pay-per-click secret, every tip and trick we uncovered to get us to position one on page one of Google, every single bit of business-exploding knowledge and the good it could have done for our customers around the world would have been massive.
And, the risk would have been tiny, by comparison.
Not sharing my secrets was easy, until…
We recently went “old school” and started “smiling and dialing” for a local business campaign.
Though I knew the economy stunk, we were stunned to hear how many people were just hoping to survive (forget about thrive).
Seeing people face-to-face, in our backyard, who could use the knowledge I have had the good fortune to accumulate made it much harder to no longer share.
It was easier not sharing our secrets when our concentration and our customer base was solely on the internet (despite the fact we knew darn well that “real” people were on the other side of the “big string” called the internet that connects us all.)
Most businesses today share a common problem:
Our local business prospecting campaign helped me see most businesses today share a common problem:
They are all doing what they had been doing “forever”, despite the fact the world has changed dramatically (and they admit they know the world has changed, yet they haven’t.)
I realized if I would just open my mouth and share with them what we are doing it could mean the difference for them between hoping to survive or being able to thrive (even if they did only a fraction of what we are doing).
What also struck me is that I knew much of what I could share with them that they should be doing is free (or at least really low cost) to put in place.
My “Aha!” moment (my epiphany)
Though eleven years “late” I have finally had that epiphany, that moment which has made me say, “Screw it, I’m sharing what I have learned and I am going to publicly make it available to anyone who is interested in learning and using the same stuff.”
My new vow – Sharing “What’s working right here, right now!”
For example, getting a page one listing in Google is way easier than you imagine, costs next to nothing and that is the first tidbit I am sharing: http://www.tonerrefillkits.com/ThriveOrSurvive/
At that link, you’ll see the first post I have created in our new “Thrive or Survive” blog that will be a giant, free, “what’s working right here, right now” resource (with ideas from some of the most successful minds I have had the good fortune of finding through all of my research).
It will reveal what we are doing now, who we are learning from, who we are relying on, the information we are depending on, the tips, tricks, secrets, etc., that are working and how you could be using the same stuff to get your business or yourself, thriving again.
First page Google listings? Not a problem…
Legally send your advertising only to your competitors’ customers who have Gmail accounts? Done.
How to spend $.50 a month to maintain your present customers’ loyalty? Easy and a government agency will help you do it faster and cheaper than you could on your own (and that doesn’t happen often, does it?)
Why Facebook can (and definitely WILL be) a Google competitor… (and how to quickly get up to speed on something you probably never use, or if you do, never thought of using it to make money!)
How $.10 worth of candy or a $.35 LED flashlight is your best friend… (and where you can buy them for that cheap)
The one thing you must NEVER do first thing in the morning if you want to succeed and why I can guarantee you and everyone else is doing it)
How you can LEGALLY see who your biggest competitors buy from and how much they are buying (and the U.S. Government actually provides the data)
The first (and BEST) question to ask your prospects (and if you haven’t prospected in a long time, the best way to get started again.)
How you can SPY on your internet competitors and see exactly what keywords they are using, how long they have been using them, their top ads (and more…) (all yours by just clicking on a little-known web site)
And, those few topics that are coming up are just the tip of the iceberg!
I promise my posts will include stuff you can use to thrive, not just survive, today (and it is not just for people with on line businesses, or just for people who have their own businesses, by any means).
It will be presented in plain-English, quick-to-read, easily grasped pieces.
And, if you like the quick pieces and want more on a topic, let me know. I will gladly share who I borrowed, bought or stole those ideas from and how to get more of their wisdom.
I will also reveal the software I use, the systems I use, the actions I take and more.
It will all be revealed, down to the last detail (okay, there are still one or two things that are so important to me it might be a while before I reveal them, but give me time… I am new to this sharing of my secrets thing…)
Don’t be the same sort of secretive person (jerk?) that I was…
The only thing I ask is that you don’t behave like I did.
When you see the great stuff that is there and recognize how valuable it is, please agree to share it with somebody, anybody, everybody you can think of.
And, if you have some of your own secrets that have helped you not just survive, but thrive in this goofy age we live in, will you please share those on that blog, as well?
I apologize, again, for keeping these resources secret, and hope you understand what I know understand…
Zig Ziglar said it best…
The “gold” is found by sharing what you have with others.
As my buddy Zig Ziglar says, “You can have everything you want out of life by helping other people get what they want, first.”
Here’s to Zig,
John Galt – “TheRefillMan”
And I thought this was just another online printer cartridge refill company…
Okay, we can’t deny we are that…
But, we really like what we do and really do want to see other people make use of this information.
Any fear I had about sharing this info is completely gone (and was from the very first replies I received.)
Though I felt like a jerk for not sharing, no one (as yet) has called me one.
I can’t wait to share more (and, I also can’t wait to see what other people contribute from their “secrets”).
Thank you, again, for the post (and the patronge).
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
John
Great idea of a resource. I think it deserves its own URL.
Thanks!
We thought about the separate URL (and actually have an old one at http://www.JohnGaltSpeaks.com) but another “secret” (secret no longer) is that by putting the blog within our web site, we get Google “juice” by having people come to the TonerRefillKits.com web site, whereas that “juice” would be “wasted” on the JohnGaltSpeaks.com web site.
It’s really amazing how all of this stuff is interconnected (especially in the Google search engine ranking world), but once you know it, you can really use it for your own advantage.
Thanks, again, for the “thumbs up”.
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
John,
Great idea and thank you for sharing your knowledge! I am constantly trying to find the the missing key to allow my business take off to the next level. I appreciate your willingness to share what works for you.
Greg
My pleasure, Greg.
Thank you, also, for the kind words and the “thumbs up”!
I have met Dean Jackson in person and though I am not in the real estate biz, this guy is the “real deal” as they say and knows his stuff inside and out.
If you ever have a chance to meet him, you will be stunned to see he is about 6’6″ and a very imposing figure.
Definitely check out his information and also sign up for his free email as he “gets it”.
I have a ton more stuff to share (and still learning stuff all the time), so I hope to keep you and everyone else up-to-date.
Thank you, again,
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
Hearty greetings John G – How refreshing that during a time of “greed on steroids” that you’ve opted to do what’s right for you and others, rather than what’s PC. “Spot on” ole man…methinks Ayn would approve. A Bronx cheer for all the naysayers!
Best wishes always to you and yours from a repeat loyal customer! Michael Aviles
My pleasure (and thanks for the “thumbs up”)!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not “Mother Theresa”, but I really love the idea that I can take these ideas and help people speed up their learning curve, fix a business problem or do something they never imagined possible for their business.
And, as I have said in a prior post, if sharing this information makes someone think of us and then give us a chance to compete for their business down the road, that’s the icing on the proverbial cake.
Thank you, again (and now, count yourself as person number 20 in over 11 years and many millions of visitors who made the Ayn Rand connection… pretty sad, isn’t it?),
John G. (and my wife, who goes by “Dagny T.”) – “TheRefillMan”
I’m in it for the m&ms. That was the funniest surprise I have ever had in an order! Having an inexpensive refill really helps cut down my personal cost for registering Girl Scouts!
How’s Hank Rearden , Dagny Taggart and Francisco d’Anconia these days?
Unfortunately for the world (but fortunately for them), they are all hanging out in Galt’s Gulch.
Want to see something really freakin’ cool?
This guy really went “John Galt” (I have to just be content with the fact I stole the name as my “nome de internet”…):
Valle Escondido (in Panama)
Make certain you check out his blog, as well, as Sam (Valle Excondido’s John Galt) is a man who walks the Ayn Rand talk.
Someday I will meet him.
Thanks for the post!
John G. “TheRefillMan”
Also, Corky, you should pat yourself on the back because you are only (now) the 21st person to make the John Galt connection.
11 years and millions of visitors and that’s the total number who “got it”…
BTW, “Atlas Shrugged” is available as an MP3 and as you already can appreciate, it could make you hope for bumper-to-bumper traffic if you were playing it in your car…
BlackstoneAudio.com (not an affiliate link, just a quick reference where to get it.)
Thanks, again,
JG
Very cool JG, I cant wait for a movie to come out. I guess its never been made because the liberal Hollywood types cant figure a way to make it without twisting it their way. I’m looking forward to more of your posts. That URL thing was great for the search engines, so simple but so effective. I’ll check out the Atlas audio also. Thanks for sharing,
CW
Refreshing.
I look forward to your valuable knowledge. Benjamin Franklin never took a patent on any of his inventions. Of course, I would recommend securing your business before releasing the secrets.
Hello John and toner family. A big thank you as always!
Years ago I knew your “Stuff” was a bargain and referred my friend and customers to you without a concern. You or your people were always there with ideas when my printer got a “hair ball.” I look forward to your new posts.
Regards
Foster
As a user of your products for a number of years now I wish to say thanks for the great service and products you provide. I’m looking forward to learning all I can from you.
As a little side, My good friend Dave in Oregon was the original inventor of the LED keychain light that you include with you orders. I played a small part in helping himm with information on how to do the electroless ggold plating needed for the contacts inside.
The cool part. I still have one of the original prototypes in my posession, it work perfectly at 20 years old even with the original non-replaceable battery.
Millions of dollars to be made out there. Wouldn’t mind making a few of my own.
Richard Frisch
President, Queen City Plating, Inc.
Mukilteo, Washington
Hello, Richard!
Thanks for the post, the kind words and the patronage. All three are greatly appreciated.
I love the story about the LED flashlights. That is the sort of thing that I love hearing about and love the fact that you shared it.
I also really like the plating part of the story.
I watched an HD show on TV recently and they were showing parts dunked and moved, dunked and moved (preaching to the choir, I’m sure…) and seeing what came out at the end was glorious (see, contrary to my wife’s contention, I don’t ONLY watch Andy Griffith reruns!)
I don’t know why this came to mind but there are companies out there now who are powder coating MacBook Pros, iPhones, iPads, etc. (they get about $500 – $800 bucks for a MacBook Pro powder coating.)
They have some in-house geek who pulls the things apart so the can work with the case separately from the “guts”.
The MacBook Pros are metal…
Makes me wonder, Richard…
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
Thanks, John! I look forward to learning anything you want to teach! Will you be sending out an email letting us know when there is a new post?
Lance
Hey, Lance:
Glad you liked it and I look forward to providing all sorts of great stuff (and, I am hoping other people weigh in with their “secrets”, too).
I am new (as you probably realized) to the whole blogging thing so I don’t know if I have this thing set up to alert on posts or if that is even possible.
I will check with my best pal and mentor of 42 years (Yikes! There’s a story in and of itself…) to find out how best to do that.
I have a tendency to like to write so I don’t know if people necessarily want to get an email every time I get a bug up my whatever.
I think you can use an RSS reader and set it up to alert you to new content (and I think the way you start that process is by clicking on the RSS feed button on the blog).
Okay, again, clearly I am not “THE” expert, but I am pretty damn good and figuring things out and making them work, so I will do that with this WordPress blog, as well.
Thanks, again, for your post!
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
Well this appears to be totally excellent, John. I am a never-got-started businessman and this may be just what I need. I’ve done things like import welding machines in order to sell them, desultorily sold a few (ebay) and slackened off and slackened off and the remaining two or three are sitting in the shed now (and for months) doing nothing.
Even my dull brain perceives that one ought to put more effort than that into things.
Reading your blog and following your suggestions may very well be assistance, guidance, motivation, inspiration that I need to pick a product and start marketing it in earnest.
John Galt. Was that the name you went under from the beginning? I don’t remember it. So that’s a major plug for Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged? I ought to reread it, I guess.
I’m in for the ride…..
Thanks for the opportunity.
Thanks for the post!
Yep, been “John Galt” since day one (seriously flattering myself, of course).
Don’t reread it though, get it on MP3! Makes you wish for bumper-to-bumper traffic if you listen in the car.
BlackstoneAudio.com has it (not an affiliate link, so I make no money off of recommending it.)
As for the “wannabe” businessman, don’t be too hard on yourself for the past. Just do something and do it now.
My best advice on a business/business plan? Ready, Fire, Aim.
Too many people with too many great ideas have taken too much time to perfect the plan and never get started.
I refer to Zig Ziglar alot but he asks how many people wait for all of the lights to be “green” before they start out on a road trip?
None of us do, of course.
Then, in typical Zig fashion he asks why all of us wait for all of the lights to be “green” before we start a business, go back to school, start a new diet or exercise routine, commit to volunteering somewhere, going back to church, making amends with a lost friend, etc.
As for picking a product, even something as simple as eBay is a great resource for what is popular, what is selling (what isn’t).
And, for me, I like the idea of finding products with some real competitive “heat” to them because it means people are buying them (so the market is there) and then the job is determing the “twist” that makes them buy from you.
I’m not talking about super competitive markets where people are cannabalizing each other’s business, but something where you look at it and say, “Wow, I had no idea there was so much interest in “Sugar Gliders”" (Small, mean, flying squirrels that stink, bite people and eat their young (not the young of people, but their own offspring…)
But, people are paying up to $400 for the stupid things as “pocket pets” that terrify their kids once they get them home. And, the accessories, food, medicine, you name it that goes along with it? Another excellent money maker.
Best of all? Some marketing genius came up with the recommendation that “to make certain your Sugar Glider thrives and doesn’t become depressed, they need a mate!”
Double the sale, double the profit, instantly!
I can’t claim credit for that example, I stole it from one of my mentors. But, it makes the point perfectly that there is money to be made in all sorts of stuff if you only start looking.
I hope to provide lots of other ideas and inspiration in the future.
Thanks, again, for the post and for visiting.
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
Count me as #22, loved the book on tape. Was disappointed with The Fountainhead but I guess one classic is more than most of us can claim. Thanks for the blog although Thunderbird thought it was spam so I came in through the front door.
There are more of us Ayn Rand fans out there (I hope and pray there are…) daily, but will there be enough?
I have somewhat promised (okay, I promised to my wife) that I won’t go political in this and I really won’t.
But, I am hoping people take this input I am providing to heart and realize that the biggest potential in their future can only come from their own efforts.
To paraphrase Zig Ziglar (who was talking about relying on someone else to motivate you), “What if they don’t show up?” What if the bailout for you, your family, your industry, your neighborhood, your whatever, doesn’t arrive?
You can either sit their watching the water come up through the hole in the bottom of the boat or you can bail (kind of ironic I didn’t see that coming and I was the dork writing it…) like a maniac to see if you can rescue yourself.
Thanks, again, for the post and for coming in through the front door (in my haste to start sharing, I failed to put a link to our home page on the blog and failed to put a link to the blog on our home page… Yikes! Now you know why I am not calling myself the expert… )
By the way, count me out on an “Atlas Shrugged” movie… I just can’t imagine how it could come out anywhere near as good as the book (unless they did it in black and white and somehow worked in a part for Andy Griffith!)
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
Zounds, man! When the apology email came in this morning, from the subject line, my first thought was that TRK was a casualty of the economy. Panic hit me as I started to figure out where I was going to get my supplies from now. Don’t scare us like that!
Now that I’ve got my pulse back down, I can sit back and enjoy your new blog.
DG
Hey, Sluggo (not from the Mr. Bill skit on the old SNL “when it was funny”?):
So sorry to have given you a panic attack!
I don’t know what it was that I said, but several people thought our apology was an indication that we had gone to the “great toner cartridge recycling plant in the sky” (and nothing could be further from the truth).
I’ll have to be more careful what I write in the future.
The economy does blow (is that PC?) and that was my main motivation for sharing this stuff.
While I don’t profess to be “THE” expert, all I know is we are here 25 years after starting in our basement and moving forward isn’t going to happen because of any stimulus program (still haven’t seen a penny and I thought Ed McMahon told me the check was in the mail!) or outside intervention.
The point for me is that a lot of people seem so caught up in this quagmire that they don’t even think of the “get out there and make it happen” approach any more and look (and feel) “shell-shocked”.
Don’t get me wrong, I know for a fact there are a lot of businesses and professions where extra effort isn’t going to make THE difference, but I do know the ones that do get at it are still going to do better than the ones that wait to be rescued.
As an aside, the smartest person I ever met in my entire life (who I will introduce in the blog quite soon) made an interesting comment during a seminar of his I attended in December 2009…
He pointed out that the most successful stock traders weren’t the ones who were best at picking winners, they were the ones who knew when it was time to get out of a stock (whether it was winning or losing at the time.)
He said the question they ask is simple, “Is the stock I am holding on the list of stocks I would be buying today?”
If the answer is “No”, they sell the stock.
He then asked, “How many of you are in jobs, businesses, careers, etc. that the stock trader would tell you to ‘sell’ if you applied the same logic?”
There was quite a silence in the room and he followed up with, “I am not telling any of you to do anything radical, but does that make you look at your present circumstances in a different light?”
Sorry for the tangent, but it just came to mind.
Thanks, again, for the post!
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
I knew I wasn’t dealing with a ‘normal’ company when I received my very first order years ago (loved those M&Ms). Getting the email today and reading this blog – proves it again. I look forward to your words of wisdom…
Claude
Hey, Claude!
You have no idea how right you are… Normal? Not by a long shot… We are some of the strangest folks you could ever hope to meet (and I mean that in a good way).
I haven’t shared the M&M’s story, as yet, but in near future I think I will tell exactly how that came about (and I can’t take credit for it… Oh, wait a minute, of course I can because my wife doesn’t know the password to the blog!)
I won’t say anything more other than to say we get more unsolicited comments about the M&M’s than anything else (I would have hoped people would rave most about our products, our guarantee, customer service, etc., but free candy? Wow! The GI’s were on to something in WWII giving away chocolate!)
Thanks, again, for the post and the patronage (don’t forget, there’s more candy in every box and even if you don’t need toner right now, candy could be on its way to you, immediately!)
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
I have been a true fan of John Galt (and, of course, tonerrefillkits) ever since my first order, back around 2003. A fair and honest guy, and a company with great service, great products, and great prices. And lots of M&Ms! I’ve been back from time to time, but much less recently, since my wife’s business folded.
Then I get this email apology.. thinking… “this is a marketing ploy; bait, with a hook attached… no, it can’t be, that’s just not John G.” So I am compelled to read through to the end, ever wary, waiting to read words like…”Just send $19.99 to subcribe….” And.. true to John G form.. they never appear!
I am amazed, but not at all surprized. You are a true Prince among men.
Timing couldn’t be better, because I just talked to a friend about building a web site to promote his kayak fishing and water adventures business. I will anxiously be waiting for every new post and piece of wisdom you have to share.
Thanks a ton for all you do to make the world a better place,
John Lapolla
Dear John:
Thank you, so much, not only for eating a ton of M&Ms over the years, but for the kind words in your post.
I literally just picked up Annette (my wife) at the airport and promised her I wouldn’t touch my laptop once we got home.
Well, when I went to close the lid on it, I saw two comments pending on the blog.
The first was someone who contributed another motivational quote of the day (which was most welcome).
The other, was yours.
What a great way to cap off a great week.
Now I am putting the laptop away.
(Before I go, if you need any help or input on the kayak fishing and water adventures business web site, drop me a note. I will be glad to offer whatever input I can.)
Have a great weekend and thank you, again, for the patronage and the kind words.
John G. – “TheRefillMan”
I, too, am in it for the m&ms. I also have a great time refilling cartridges in front of my students (“No, the room isn’t on fire. This is my magic wand I use to poke holes in toner cartridge so I can refill it. If I refill it instead of buying a new one, I have more money to buy pencils and paper. All right, who knows where Mrs. C-H hid the duct tape? No, this isn’t for everyone, especially someone interested in a life of crime. No matter how careful I am, I usually leave toner-colored fingerprints on the desk”).
I love teaching middle school students. They’re a ton of fun.
Thanks for the information. Thanks also for the consistently excellent customer service!
Dear Fairy God Mom:
Thank you, so much, for your post (and I apologize for overlooking it, initially).
It really does crack me up to think of how many people really like the M&Ms (the GIs in WWII were really on to something handing out chocolate!).
As for doing this in front of the middle school kids, I think that is great. Hands-on stuff seems to be falling by the wayside in favor of PC-related stuff (it’s amazing when we hire for a warehouse/work-with-your-hands sort of position how even a pair of pliers or screwdriver seems to confuse some people).
As for the duct tape, the good news is we are now including “sealing discs” that are self-adhesive with the kits to further round out the “everything you could ever need is included in this one kit” philosophy.
Thank you, again, for the post (and the patronage).
(And, I apologize, again, for the delayed reply.)
Have a great weekend,
John G. – “TheRefillMan”