Sunday, November 8, 2009

Bill Bartmann is the Rags to Riches Authority

Bill Bartmann is a “Rags to Riches” Authority

Bill Bartmann has had his share of ups and downs, personally and financially. He began in the down position, the youngest of eight children in a family where the parents worked low-wage jobs and they moved around a lot.

Bill Bartmann left home at the age of 14, travelled with a carnival and later joined a street gang. By the age of 17 he was an alcoholic. On night when he was intoxicated, he fell down some stairs and was seriously injured; he was told he would never walk again.

Bill Bartmann’s first Rags to Riches success began at this point in his life. Bill Bartmann really began to impress people when he walked out of the hospital, got his GED, went to college and then law school. He became wealthy investing in real estate and later went into the oil business.

Bill Bartmann was living the good life of a successful business man until OPEC slashed the price of oil, forcing Bill out of business and one million dollars in debt!

Rags to Riches Again!

Bill Bartmann refused to give up. Bill and his wife and business partner, Kathy, borrowed $13,000 to buy bad loans offered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Within three years they paid their entire million dollar debt from the oil business as they grew there new debt collections company. The company grew over the next 13 years with 3,900 employees and revenues in excess of $1 billion.

Company Success passed on to Employees

Bill Bartmann and his wife ran a very successful company while taking great care of their employees. They pioneered novel financial instruments still used today on Wall Street. They implemented fantastic benefits for employees including salaries at twice the industry standard, free health care, free on-site child care, 250% 401K match program and company trips for all employees and spouses.

The annual trips included places like the Bahamas, Las Vegas and ocean cruises. One year they leased 27 Boeing 747s to fly 6,000 employees and spouses to Disney World from Tulsa.

Bill and Kathy Bartmann have been recognized on the covers of national business magazines; Kathy on the cover of Forbes and Bill on the cover of Inc. They were listed individually in the Forbes 400 wealthiest people in America; one national magazine ranked them number 25.

A Heart-breaking Setback

Bill Bartmann suffered another setback when his former business partner committed fraud; the company was forced into bankruptcy. His partner later admitted to having committed the fraud without Bill’s knowledge and was sent to prison.

During the ordeal Bill Bartmann was indicted on 57 felony counts; if convicted he faced 600 years in prison! There was a 2-1/2 month long trial where the government produced 1,000 exhibits and called 53 witnesses to prove Bartmann guilty. Bill Bartmann rested his case without calling a single witness or producing a single exhibit. He wasn’t guilty; the jury unanimously acquitted Bill Bartmann on all counts.

The Federal Bankruptcy Trustee issued a report 17 months after Bartmann’s acquittal, publicly acknowledging “Bills company had not committed fraud.”

From Rags to Bailout Riches

Bill Bartmann does not give up hope! Though this experience would have embittered most people, Bill Bartmann forgives those who did him wrong and focuses on moving ahead. Bill Bartmann believes that failures are life’s greatest lessons and he certainly has learned his share of valuable lessons in his life.

Bill Bartmann travels the country, sharing his story of his successes and how he dealt with challenges. He has written a new book, Bailout Riches, to share insights on how regular citizens can benefit from the most recent economic crisis. Bill Bartmann says there is no need to become a victim of the economy; another statistic for the nightly news.

Bill Bartmann’s book will show how he made a billion dollars in the last economic crisis and how the opportunity is even bigger this time around. Read Bailout Riches, follow Bill’s tested and proven steps and make a fortune buying bad loans for pennies on the dollar.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Business Website Tips from Bill Bartmann: What Not to do with your Website

If you are building your business website, there are a lot of things you should consider putting on your site, like pertinent information about your company, how to order, how to contact you, etc… But just as important as what should be on your website are the things that you shouldn't have on your website. Here's a look at a lot of things that could doom your website from the get go.

Too Much Color

Bill Bartmann's tip # 1 is while no one disagrees that the beautiful world of colors that are available when creating websites are nice, there is also too much of a good thing. When it comes to color in a website, you want to make sure that it is being used for the right reasons, not just to show you can. Make sure the colors you use work with your branding. Also, make sure they are not too overbearing. While bright colors may make you think of flashy advertising, they can be a strain on the eyes to have to look at. If people feel they are straining too much to see something, they may just decide to avoid it and go elsewhere.

Fonts

Bill Bartmann's tip # 2 is don't do use fonts that will plague your website instead of help it. There are so many ways you can make the words on your website look, it may be tempting to try a number of them. Avoid the temptation. You want to use a font that is easy to read and clear to those looking at it. Remember, all of the people who come to your website will not have perfect vision. That may mean that if you try to use too fancy of a font, they will not be able to figure out what the words really are supposed to mean. It doesn't matter how pretty your website is if the people using it can't read what you are saying. They won't learn any more about you or your company that way.

Flash and Flair

Bill Bartmann's tip # 3 is a lot of people want to use all sorts of flash and flair to dress up websites these days. While a little flash and flair here and there can really jazz up a site, try not to overdo it. There are a couple of reasons for this. First is that all that flash and flair may be lost on some users. Those who are looking up your site, but have slow connections, may not be able to see all of those pretty things. Additionally, if it is taking them too long to download, they may not be able to see any of your site and will end up leaving it altogether to go to one they can read more easily.

Music

Bill Bartmann's tip # 4 is while it seems fun to have music in the background of your website, it is not always the wisest thing. Music, while attractive, can be a problem if not expected. Many people these days are looking up websites and services they need while at work. The music playing from that will do nothing more than get them in trouble with their boss and make them leave your site immediately. For others, the time it takes to download the music, and get it to play, will slow them down. Still others are already listening to their own music, either mp3s or Internet radio, and your music will interfere, annoying them. That is not a way to start a good customer relationship.

Bill Bartmann has experienced the ups and downs of business ownership as he has going from homeless to billionaire to bankrupt to billionaire again. Bill Bartmann has developed an online course to help entrepreneurs make a good start in business and then successfully grow the business.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Bill Bartmann: How to Write a Business Plan

Many businesses that fail do not have a good business plan. Your business plan is an essential step in your education as you clearly define the goals of what you are doing, why your are doing it and how you are going to accomplish it. You are not writing a novel to impress the public; you are preparing this document for yourself and for others that you will have a business relationship with, including lenders, partners, vendors and suppliers. Your business plan will demonstrate how you will succeed; and therefore, they will succeed.

Lenders will look at your business plan and come to a conclusion that they can or cannot safely invest in your business. If you present them with a plan that shows a business that has great potential, then they are more willing to fund your business. They know there is a good chance that you will repay the loan, with a good return.

If you plan to enter into a partnership, then you must earn the trust of your partner, so he will be willing to invest time and money into the venture. Your business plan should demonstrate, clearly and concisely, your vision of how the business is going to look.

You can negotiate lines of credit with vendors if you show them a clear business plan. They will want you to succeed so that you become a regular customer; therefore, building their business.

Your business plan should demonstrate that you are serious and focused on your commitment to build a successful business. You need to demonstrate skills, knowledge, experience and what makes you stand out from the rest of the companies in your industry.

So, how do you present all of this? The rule is “thin to win.” The more “wordy” you are, the less you know; the less you understand what you are getting into. An efficient business plan looks very crisp and clean, with easy to read font. Many experts have created many styles of business plans. Here is an overview of what should be in a business plan:

The Executive Summary is very important; it is the first part of the business plan; how well it is written and the message it conveys will determine the reader’s interest in reading the rest. The Executive Summary contains:

Your Vision Statement
Your Mission Statement
Goals
Strategies
Action Steps
Table of Contents

Company Background – This section contains the name of the company, your personal history in the business, your experience and the stage of development you company is at. It’s OK to disclose if you are a new start-up. Describe what makes your company unique, patents, trademarks, knowledge, experience and anything that sets you apart from your competitors. Do you have any industry advantages, a better system or are you in a prime location?

Products, Goods and Services – Here, you describe your products and services and how they benefit consumers. Demonstrate uniqueness, value and reasons why you feel more people will purchase from you than from your competition.

Market Analysis – This section will show your business as one with the capacity to survive; the ability to sell your product or services. You will be demonstrating your understanding of the economics of your business if you clearly describe the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities that are part of your business. Being able to recognize where you might be weak and what you intend to do shows you thought things through. Recognizing possible threats to your business, like market trends, fads, advances in technology, etc… will also demonstrate good planning. Stating possible opportunities that can come from your business helps a lot too.

Marketing Tactics – Describe your retail techniques and pricing analysis. Show that you understand your market and how you determined the price of your goods or services.

Management Team – This section is about you and the key managers or department heads in your business. It does not contain long bios; just credentials and qualifications that are significant to your business. This section is also used to disclose how you compensate the key people in your business; their annual salary. You will also include staffing milestones here; if you plan to hire more people, when you plan to do so, and how many employees you project your company will grow to support.

Operations Plan – Here, you share more relevant information about your business and its assets, including plant and equipment; describe the physical facility. How much working capital is needed and how will it be spent? How do you plan to find quality help and train them to develop your labor force?

Financial Statements – If you have a history, here is where you put your Profit and Loss, Cash Flow Reports and Balance Sheet for each year. Also include future projections; what you think you will make in the next few years and how your numbers are realistic based on available data.

Funding – This section is a brief Loan Proposal. Provide a brief overview of your loan request; how much you need, the type of financing you want and the terms of financing desired. Lenders like to see that you have thought about the financial stability of the business and that you understand something about how financing works. Define the terms that will work in your business and how you came to figure this out. Will you require long-term or short-term financing? Will you pay monthly, quarterly or annually?

Use of Capital – What will you use the borrowed money for? Will it go toward the purchase or lease of a building, equipment, beginning inventory, operating capital or something else? How will this loan help you to be successful running your business to ensure your ability to repay the debt? Provide references to your previous funding history, loans you’ve repaid before. Provide business references in this section to give testimony of your past business practices; delivered as promised, performed excellent service, quick, timely, honest and dependable, etc...

Your business plan should distinguish you from your competition. It is a very important part of your Loan Proposal Document which will be used by lending institutions, private investors, potential partners and anyone that you will have a business relationship with who will want you to succeed.

Bill Bartmann has borrowed billions of dollars from hundreds of lenders and investors; he is experienced at handling the negotiations and presenting himself and his business in a positive light. His course covers all the details you need to know about customizing an effective business plan for your business. Bill Bartmann’s Billionaire Business Systems is an online course that has guided many entrepreneurs to business success. Learn more at http://www.billionaireu.com