The Rick Schwartz Domain Name and Traffic Blog: RicksBlog.com – Home of The Domain King®

Morning folks!!

An Industry of Rookies Get Tested. The title says
it all. Some will earn their wings, more will crash and burn. These are facts.
We are a young industry made up of folks in which this is their very first
business. They are thrust into it and sometimes not prepared for the tough
realities of life. No domainer jumps up and says: “My house was just foreclosed
on.” However do you really doubt no domainer has met that fate or will soon?

This is when you earn your wings or you crash and
burn. Look at my earlier posts this year. Pull back on the throttle and your
days are numbered. You are crossing a GRAND canyon. Why would anyone pull back
on the throttle? Give it every ounce of thrust you can. It’s the only way to
make it to the other side.

I talk from experience as I have shared this story
many times. In 1992 or 1993 my back was up against the wall. The economy was
bad. My business was once again on the ropes. I had no safety net this time.
Would I charge $10,000 on my credit card? $10,000 that I did not have and add
to the debt I had already accumulated? Would I go half way around the world to
Seoul, Taiwan and Hong Kong? Would I stay in the best hotels that I had no way
of affording because if I stayed in a dump that I could afford, would anyone
take me seriously? I wrestled with that decision for weeks, maybe months. I
finally decided there was no other avenue and I had to go for broke.

I went for 10 days. I worked all day each day from
5AM to Midnight. From Midnight to 3am I would do the research and have faxes
sent. There was no email at that time. At least email used on a daily basis. I
would passout for 2 hours and then on again.

In Taiwan I met a man named Peter. I told him I was
on my way to Hong Kong to see somebody. He told me instead of seeing him, go
see “Ben”. So I took his advice and met with “Ben” in the hotel room I could
not afford for over 3 hours. We shared the exact same war story. We were a
kindred spirit a world away. We were born within days of each other. We were on
the same wave length. That conversation, Peter, that trip, that go for broker
deal changed my life and I have NEVER looked back other than to appreciate
where I came from and how hard it was to get here and how much fun I had doing
it.

Reach DEEP my friends. You would be amazed what you
can accomplish when your back is up against the wall. The opportunity you can
create. The fire you can make with SHEER WILL!

Truly amazing and that is what is so cool about
recessions and being challenged. Once you reach that deep just ONE TIME, then
you KNOW you can reach DEEEEEEP whenever you really need to.

Pull back on the throttle?? Are you kidding? No you
are not. Sadly you are not. You are a rookie. Rookies pull back, pros give it
all they got. Which one are YOU?

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning folks!!

Here is your Report Card for 2009. Now this does
not work on new business as a new business is growing by definition. This is
for businesses 3-5 years or older.

During a recession if you
can manage to “Flat line” no growth……You are doing GREAT!

During a recession if you can manage to just lose
10% year over year.....You are doing GREAT!

During a recession if you can manage to just lose
15% year over year.....You are doing Pretty Good!

During a recession if you can manage to just lose
20% year over year.....You are doing about average!

During a recession if you lose 25% year over year.....You are under great stress!

During a recession if you lose 30% year over year.....You are under great stress and scrambling to stay
alive and pay the bills.

During a recession if you lose 35%-40% year over
year.....You are GREAT TROUBLE!

During a recession if you lose 50% year over year.....You are probably out of business.

Of course this all depends on overhead. Fixed
costs. Employees. The more you have of each, the more trouble you are in.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning folks!!

How long can you fill a balloon with air before it
explodes? The answer depends how big the balloon is. Some think the dollar is
in trouble. It may be in trouble because some want it that way. But if it were
really in trouble, answer me this: Why is everyone trying to get their hands on
the almighty dollar like never before?

Personally I think we are at a tipping point. We
have yet to tip, but we are at the point. I believe forces close to home are
trying to destroy the dollar. They may succeed, maybe not. Like everything else
it is a market and a pendulum. However when you screw with the market, you
screw with the pendulum that works naturally and flawlessly if you don’t mess
with it.

That said, we have messed with it. The pendulum is
no longer relevant. The pendulum is now in control of magnetic political forces
and not its’ natural state.

So then we get to my favorite subject, NUMBERS.
That disqualifies most people as most people are not numbers people. What would
happen to you and your family if you are married, have 4 kids, 8 months behind
in your mortgage, $100,000 in Credit card bills that the interest alone is
$2500/month and then your wife gets pregnant? Do you think you would spend more
or pull back? Go out to eat every night with the kids or make meatloaf at home?
Buy 2 new cars or keep driving the one that is in the garage and still working?
Whatever the decisions are, we all know the right one. But if you are
irresponsible, if you don’t care, if you want to put the burden on someone
else, then book a vacation as well and invite your family to stay. If you want
to make it worse, go to the casino for a night. Let’s gamble everything!

There is a recipe to make this balloon pop. First
is a false hope of optimism. Hooray the stock market is at 10,000!! It’s still
down 30%. But I think it will hit 9000 again before you see 11,000. Things on the street are not good. Talk
to your barber. Talk to the restaurant owner. Talk to the guy about to get
foreclosed on. Talk to the nearly 20% that don’t have a full time and steady
job. Talk to the folks that 90 days after their unemployment benefits stop.
(You’ll have to wait a few months for this one, but it is the tsunami that is
about to hit)

That fallout is coming. It could be avoided, but there
is no will to do so where it counts. Like gas on a fire this has the potential
to explode in our face. The folks building this bomb will be LONG GONE when
that baby explodes. Don’t believe a word I am saying. Just do the math. Don’t
listen to bullshit, do the math. Let the numbers tell you who lies and who
tells the truth. Numbers don’t lie, PEOPLE LIE! Politicians lie! Agendas lie!
Companies lie! Banks lie! Wall Street lies! Lawyers lie! Defendants lie! So
when you know everyone is lying, what do you do? What can you do? Maybe
nothing. But the very least you can do is call them what they are…..LIARS! THIEVES!
THUGS!

When does the balloon pop? How much more can be
added? Infinite? I don’t think so.http://usdebtclock.org/

What does this have to do with domains??
Everything. If your house burns down it affects your business, your future and
every aspect of your life. For those rooting for the downfall of the dollar, don't cut your nose to spite your face. It may not burn your house down, but the dream of your summer home may be gone forever just in case you think you have no skin in the game.

Brush up on your Chinese.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz