Cash Flow!
A question raised by many a logical person who sees the need to flee despotism:
“How will I be able to pay my way?”
“Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done and why.
Then do it.”
Robert Heinlein
If you can earn a living at home, you can probably earn a better lifestyle offshore. At home you are just like everyone else, except other people probably have better connections. Offshore your training and experience are unique. You can win respect just by fitting that standard definition of a subject authority; A know it all from out of town.
Get started, even if what you do is not the highest and best use of your talents. Tax advantages of an offshore location may compensate for many errors. At home starting a business may involve taxes equivalent to taking on a partner that won’t share risk or work, will hinder you with silly rules, and still expect half of any profits. You also have advantages in another country beyond lessening the drag of an onerous home environment. If you’ve dreamed of your own business, the opportunity to start it may be offshore as a PT.
What you know and what you’ve experienced, sets you apart once you enter an environment sufficiently dissimilar from where you were raised. Keep your eyes open for a pleasure you can’t locate, and that won’t violate any long held tastes of those around you. A sushi bar may not work, but a sports bar may be appreciated by everyone. What can you offer that your new neighbors may not know about but will appreciate enough to spend money on.
Your immediate goal is to become conversant with the two main elements of business management. How does money come into your business, and how does money flow out of your business. Cash flow. Once you can manage these two elements, driving P&L (profit and loss) becomes a matter of application. If this first entry into business succeeds you have four choices.
Keep doing what you are doing.
Phase it out as you start a more international business.
Sell the business.
Find someone to manage it.
First, think about what makes you happy. Then think about what will make you secure. If the combination suggests you need a business that can go with you, if you choose or have to leave, it’s time to think international.
Start developing a business that can move. The Internet is a good tool, but competition is stiff and will remain so. Avoid businesses where others say they have succeeded — the opportunity is usually past by the time people share their methods. Instead once again look around you, export of unique items can be done from anywhere. If you move, you can add inventory from your new location. I’ll not get too specific, I can’t in a general message. There are of course as many opportunities as there are people that will read this letter. What you need is to leverage your talents and skills in your own peculiar manner. Find the highest and best use for your time.
Highest and best use is an idea from real estate. If that piece of ground is currently a gas station, what would be a higher and better use for the property. Is the difference worth the cost of change? Apply that to your choice of countries you wish to own. That is the purpose of learning how to move your life and business offshore. If pleasures are offered elsewhere, or dangers threaten at home, moving your mind and body to where they can experience their highest and best use may suddenly be worth the difficulty of change.
To appropriately live an excellent life, it’s not just the location, location, location of real estate. Your time and pleasures of life may be most important. That is a decision you must make for yourself. How will you spend your life? Usually change is required if we are to achieve everything we are capable of achieving. At least we need to be prepared for change. The real decision is personal. How much achievement is required for you to find personal peace and comfort – and to protect that salubrious condition?
Avoid having your life controlled by others. Your life’s balance can only be found by you. Be assured there are others like you waiting for you to join them.
Once you can approximate where success may intersect happiness, go out and start building that life. Adjust as you get close enough to test and improve on your dream.
Josh Morph