Billy Florence Leadership Insights

Quixtar Billy Florence - The Right Outlook on Failure

Failure. It isn't a very fun word. No one "likes" to fail. It is much more fun to "succeed" than to fail. But is failing really failing? It is important that we have the right outlook on failing. When we fail at something that doesn't make us a failure as long as we learn from it. The bigger the goals you have in life the more you will need to fail to get there.

John Maxwell calls it Failing Forward. I love that. Leaders must understand that failing is part of the process. But just fail forward by learning and moving on. Try to learn from other people's failures and certainly try not to make the same mistake twice.

Enjoy these great thoughts on failure.

Billy Florence - Failing Forward Favorites

"He is foolish to blame the sea who is shipwrecked twice." – Publilius Syrus

"One’s best success comes after his greatest disappointments." – Henry Ward Beecher

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." - Henry Ford

© 2007 Florence News reprint permission to Billy Florence Quixtar & Amway News site.

Amway's Fred Harteis On Hard Work

Fred Harteis is a man of strong work ethic.  I love this about Fred.  Not only does he work hard but his attitude about work is contegeous and inspires others to work hard as well.  He has a great no-excuses outlook on life.  I read this on a Fred Harteis blog and I thought I would share it...

Fred Harteis On Hard Work:  Anyone being challenged realizes what hard word is. Whether it is in business or your daily life, we all have to come out of our comfort zones and jump in. Hard work always pays off in the end.

"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." - Vince Lombardi

© 2007 Florence News reprint permission to Billy Florence Quixtar & Amway News site.

Orrin Woodward - Great Quotes on Listening, Reading & Learning

There were three great quotes on one of Orrin Woodward's blog sites.  They were all about the importance of listening to others more than we talk and reading and learning.  Our natural tendency is to talk more than we listen.  It is to watch TV more than we read and learn new things.  Lifetime learning and personal growth is a choice.  Reading and listening to others is a choice that we have to make and work at.  No one is perfect but we should all work every day on these things.  Enjoy these awesome quotes...

Quixtar Orrin Woodward Favorites

“The Future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.”
- John Sculley, Former CEO of Pepsi and Apple Computer

“Value your listening and reading time at roughly ten times your talking time.  This will assure you that you are on a course of continuous learning and self-improvement.”
- Gerald McGinnis, President and CEO of Respironics, Inc.

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
- John Wooden, Hall of Fame Basketball Coach

© 2007 Florence News reprint permission to Billy Florence Quixtar & Amway News site.

Jim Janz - Focusing On Horizon with Secretary General

We sometimes get so caught up thinking about all the things we must do now that we forget to look down the road a ways. I like this quote that Jim Janz has shared...

JIM JANZ, “As the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish diplomat, is an experienced resource when speaking about keeping our eyes fixed on the future rather than today’s difficulties.”

Jim Janz & Sharon Janz – Legends In Leadership About Focus

“Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find his right road.” - Dag Hammarskjold

About Jim & Sharon Janz

Jim Janz and Sharon Janz are members of independent business owner (IBO) trade association, IBOAI. Janz is the 2007 association chairman.

IBOAI, the official trade association leadership team including Billy Florence, Jody Victor, Randy Haugen, Joe Markiewicz Don Wilson and Jim Janz serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners, (Quixtar IBO’s ) throughout North America.

© 2007 JIM JANZ & SHARON JANZ QUIXTAR IBO. Reprint permission provided to Billy Florence Quixtar & Amway News site.

Billy Florence - Tips For Buying A Home

Now is a good time to buy a home if you are ready and you don't already own a home that you need to sell. It is certainly a buyers market. There are plenty of homes to choose from and you can find a great deal as there are people out there who need to sell.

There are some good things you need to know if you are house hunting. I read this article from CNNMoney.com. I agree with most all of the points that the article makes. But there is one that I do not agree with. It says "not to worry" if you can't put down the usual 20%. I understand that it is no longer the norm to pay down 20% when buying a home but it is still a good idea for many reasons. You may have excellent credit and be able to qualify for a loan without paying the 20% but it is still a good idea to pay money down. And 20% is still best.

Here are a few points made that can help you as you are looking for a home:

Don't buy if you can't stay put.

If you can't commit to remaining in one place for at least a few years, then owning is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner.

Start by shoring up your credit.

Since you most likely will need to get a mortgage to buy a house, you must make sure your credit history is as clean as possible. A few months before you start house hunting, get copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you discover.

Aim for a home you can really afford.

The rule of thumb is that you can buy housing that runs about two-and-one-half times your annual salary. But you'll do better to use one of many calculators available online to get a better handle on how your income, debts, and expenses affect what you can afford.

Do your homework before bidding.

Your opening bid should be based on the sales trend of similar homes in the neighborhood. So before making it, consider sales of similar homes in the last three months. If homes have recently sold at 5 percent less than the asking price, you should make a bid that's about eight to 10 percent lower than what the seller is asking.

You can read the complete article at CNNMoney.com:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101/lesson8/

© 2007 Florence News reprint permission to Billy Florence Quixtar & Amway News site.

Amway Randy Haugen – Traveling Through Pages Of History

Randy Haugen points out the words "fitly chosen." Books can be your best friends and mentors. They can give us wisdom and help us to learn what it took another a lifetime. But the key is in choosing the "right" books...

Randy Haugen, “It is possible to spend the day with some of the greatest people in history; no particular timeline of introduction is required. Your local library is filled with biographies of men like Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, and Marie Curie. Be sure and note the words, “fitly chosen” in the Douglas Jerrold statement below.”

Haugen – Quick Quote Favorite About Books

A blessed companion is a book, - a book that, fitly chosen, is a lifelong friend . . . a book that, at a touch, pours its heart into our own. – Douglas Jerrold

ABOUT RANDY HAUGEN: Randy Haugen and Val Haugen are members of independent business owner (IBO) trade association, IBOAI

IBOAI, the official trade association, leadership team including Billy Florence, Jody Victor, Randy Haugen, Joe Markiewicz Don Wilson and Jim Janz serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners, ( IBO’s ) throughout North America.

Billy Florence leads Team DCI and owns Bill Florence Enterprises and Equad News.
Jody and Kathy Victor lead Markerman Productions. Fred Harteis owns Harties International.

Key words: Bill Florence, Colombo DiSalvatore, Don Wilson, Randy Haugen

© 2007 Randy Haugen. Reprint permission given to Billy Florence Quixtar & Amway News site.

Amway's Joe Markiewicz – Learning & Literature

I love this quote that Joe Markiewicz has shared from Mr. Andrew Carnegie.  He had so much wealth and was able to do so many things in his life.  But you can tell from this quote and others that Andrew Carnegie had a real love and passion for the simple act of reading and writing...

Joe Markiewicz, “Industrialist, Andrew Carnegie in this excerpt, expresses the true enjoyment of literature and an atmosphere of learning. His enthusiasm is contagious.”

Joe Markiewicz & Mary Beth Quick Quote Favorite

“Amid books, newspapers, pencils, pens and ink and writing pads, and a clean office, bright windows, and the literary atmosphere, I was the happiest boy alive.” - Andrew Carnegie

Joe & Mary Beth Markiewicz own Markiewicz International and are members of IBOAI.

IBOAI, the official trade association, leadership team includes Billy Florence, Jody Victor, Randy Haugen, Don Wilson Fred Harteis and Jim Janz. They serve and protect the business interests of independent business owners, (Quixtar IBO’s ) throughout North America.

The 2007 IBO Board of Directors Executive Committee Team includes Jim Janz, Chairman, Don Wilson, Vice Chairman, Bob Andrews, Brad Duncan, Kanti Gala, Randy Haugen, Bill Hawkins, and Kathy Victor. Governance and Oversight Committee includes Jody Victor and Billy Florence. Other serving board members include Joe Markiewicz, Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady.

© 2007 Joe Markiewicz Amway Quixtar IBO. All rights reserved. Reprint permission provided to Billy Florence Quixtar & Amway News site.

Quixtar Billy Florence - Financial Favorites

Money and finances can certainly be the source for many arguments in most American households. I don't know the exact percentage but I know it is a high percentage of arguments that trace back to money issues in most families.

Being on top of your finances is big relief for families. I don't mean just making more money. Having your finances in order begins with living within your means. Making more money can be very helpful but first and most importantly we must live within our means.

I thought I would share a few great financial common sense quotes...

Billy Florence - Financial Common Sense

"A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about the what-ifs of life." - Suze Orman

"People first, then money, then things." - Suze Orman

"Gold cometh gladly and in increasing quantities to any man who will put by not less than one-tenth of his earnings to create an estate for his future and that of his family." - George S. Clason

"Gold clingeth to the protection of the cautious owner who invest it under the advice of men wise in its handling." - George S. Clason

© 2007 Florence News reprint permission to Billy Florence Team Quixtar & Amway News site.

Quixtar's Don Wilson - Zig Ziglar Favorites

Zig Ziglar is a name known by most. He is one of the top motivational speakers and many have grown and been inspired by listening to him live and on tape. These are some classic Zig quotes that I wanted to share. I hope you enjoy them...

Don Wilson Amway - Growing from Zig Ziglar

"Success is not a destination, it's a journey."

"The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won't work - if you won't."

"The basic goal-reaching principle is to understand that you go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will be able to see farther."

"You are the only one who can use your ability. It is an awesome responsibility."

"If we don't start, it's certain we can't arrive."

© 2007 Don Wilson Quixtar Amway IBO. Reprint permission given to Billy Florence Quixtar & Amway News site.

Billy Florence - Online Sales Double Digit Growth

This article was first published on http://www.e-quadnews.com/.

Online Shopping To Soar 18 Percent

The pundits forecasting internet sales saturation had it wrong – again. Online sales are expected to soar in ’07 by nearly 18 percent. According to a recent report, total 2007 online sales are expected to rise to $259.1 billion. Online purchases excluding travel will reach $174.5 billion. This strong growth will come off of an impressive performance in 2006. Total 2006 online sales last year rose 25 percent to $219.9 billion. Excluding travel, online retail sales rose 29 percent to $146.5 billion, representing six percent of total retail sales in 2006.*

*How retail is tracked and reported differs by reporting organization. Traditionally, retail sales are defined as excluding travel related purchases. Generally, retail sales statistics do include the following categories: apparel, accessories and footwear; computer hardware and software; autos and auto parts; home furnishings; consumer electronics; music and video; appliances and tools; office supplies; sporting goods and apparel; books; toys and video games; gift cards and gift certificates; event and movie tickets; food, beverage, and grocery; jewelry; flowers and cards; over-the-counter medicines and personal care; computer peripherals; baby products; cosmetics and fragrances; and pet supplies.

Although some continue to forecast stagnating sales numbers, other prestigious firms disagree. Sucharita Mulpuru of Forrester Research states, “Online retail is years away from reaching a point of saturation.” One indicator of a maturing market is its profitability. Expenses and revenue are both facts of online business life. More than eight out of 10 survey participants reported profitability. Three out of four are more profitable than they were in 2005. Retailers who offer quality customers channel choice appear to be in the best position to benefit in 2007.

© 2007 Florence News reprint permission to Billy Florence Quixtar & Amway News site.