There is no other reason for being in business than to count the money

23 replies
This is a quote from Stuart Wilde's 'The Trick to Money is Having Some!'

To quote it in its entirety:

"There is no other reason for being in business than to count the money. Manufacturing, creating, selling, P.R., and shipping are not the business - collecting and counting the money is the business."

I used to have a problem with that, but I'm a lot easier with it now. Does that statement clash with your beliefs? Do you have different reasons for being in business and if you do, do you think your reasons makes you more, or less profitable?

Peter
#business #count #money #reason
  • Profile picture of the author Dmitry
    No. Business is business. If I just wanted to give I'd do it for free. And I do it. But in the end of the day I count the money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Hamish Jones
    Obviously you want to make money from your business, but the reason I work for myself is more for the personal freedoms it offers me- especially in terms of how I get to spend my time!
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  • Profile picture of the author Nick Brighton
    Yep, it's equally about personal freedom along with enjoying to my utter core what I do.

    I also love helping people.

    But apart from these things, along with health and family, money is all I care about. So yes, I wouldn't be here if I didn't love money.

    But sooner or later you'll see that money is material. If you're in your death bed, what good is a gold watch? If you're driving a Murcielago with "yo byatches in da bak", what good is that when you've got no family to welcome you home for thanksgiving or Christmas?
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  • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
    The purpose is to make money and live and survive but money is not everything... What about love, relationships, family, children, hobbies, and etc ...

    Sure everyone wants to make money but business is infact about the product, creation and etc .. Because if you do not put every effort into high quality then you have no business and no sales which means no money..

    Just a thought

    James
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Carl Kelly
    Not a problem with it at all.
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    • Profile picture of the author Peter Bestel
      A year or so ago, I would've said that my reason for being in business was to provide well for my family, gain freedom and be happy

      Money is simply a way to attain these goals - I still believe that, but when I consider the business, I've made some subtle changes in my belief system.

      I now think of the business in isolation. For me, it's purpose is no longer to give me freedom - I do that. It doesn't provide for my family - I do that. And it's not responsible for making me happy - I decide that.

      The reason for being in business and therefore the reason for the business, is to make money - bottom line!

      Quite often and if managed well, the more money it can make, the more it can help me with my goals.

      So, instead of trying to ask of the business all these wonderful esoteric goals; make us happy; help more people; give me more free time etc, I've taken responsibility of those and I've decided on this singular business goal of making money. It has helped me focus the business more acutely and has had a dramatic and positive effect on profits.

      Peter
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  • Profile picture of the author bobsstuff
    "Business Is A Game
    You Keep Score With Money"
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    Bob Hale
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  • Profile picture of the author Janet Sawyer
    Originally Posted by Peter Bestel View Post

    This is a quote from Stuart Wilde's 'The Trick to Money is Having Some!'

    To quote it in its entirety:

    "There is no other reason for being in business than to count the money. Manufacturing, creating, selling, P.R., and shipping are not the business - collecting and counting the money is the business."

    Peter
    The whole quote, I agree with 100%, no argument from me there.

    Now what was that quote?

    I wonder how many here will actually take the time to read and understand that quote. Looking forward to the responses.
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  • Profile picture of the author takita787
    that's about sums it up lol.
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  • Profile picture of the author JasonParker
    Originally Posted by Peter Bestel View Post

    This is a quote from Stuart Wilde's 'The Trick to Money is Having Some!'

    To quote it in its entirety:

    "There is no other reason for being in business than to count the money. Manufacturing, creating, selling, P.R., and shipping are not the business - collecting and counting the money is the business."

    I used to have a problem with that, but I'm a lot easier with it now. Does that statement clash with your beliefs? Do you have different reasons for being in business and if you do, do you think your reasons makes you more, or less profitable?

    Peter
    Counting the money... That's my favorite part too.
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    • Profile picture of the author Peter Bestel
      You won't often find me quoting from the bible, but indulge me for a second:

      For the love of money is the root of all evil - Timothy 6:10

      Often mis-quoted, but whether you're religious or not, this is still something to bear in mind, don't you think?

      It's an important distinction from purely making money for money's sake to making money for the sake of your goals. However, this is to do with your personal goals and not your business goals.

      Is it OK for your business, to love money?

      Peter
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  • Profile picture of the author VegasVince
    Originally Posted by Peter Bestel View Post

    This is a quote from Stuart Wilde's 'The Trick to Money is Having Some!'

    To quote it in its entirety:

    "There is no other reason for being in business than to count the money. Manufacturing, creating, selling, P.R., and shipping are not the business - collecting and counting the money is the business."

    I used to have a problem with that, but I'm a lot easier with it now. Does that statement clash with your beliefs? Do you have different reasons for being in business and if you do, do you think your reasons makes you more, or less profitable?

    Peter

    "...and when they show up.....bill 'em.."

    Got the book on my shelf. Stuart rocks. This is one of Dan Kennedy's favorite books too....which makes me feel good...cuz I bought it years ago...and loved it.

    And concerted action in the market place trumps all the "secrets" as I suspect you'se know.

    xxxVegas Vince
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    • Profile picture of the author Peter Bestel
      Vince,

      I love the dedication too:

      "This book is dedicated to
      the Gods of Liquidity.
      May they smile favorably on
      each and every one of us."

      Change book to forum and I think we've got ourselves the Warrior Motto!

      Peter
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      • Profile picture of the author David Reed
        Peter.

        I totally agree with you.

        But your sentiment is hardly surprising coming from a Scotsman

        David
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        • Profile picture of the author Peter Bestel
          Originally Posted by David Reed View Post

          But your sentiment is hardly surprising coming from a Scotsman
          David,

          Maybe that would be true, if I wasn't a Scouser!
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  • Profile picture of the author rapidscc
    Ouch peter,

    I myself would like to count tons of money, specially dollars, just think dollars here in my country is x 43.

    Although that statement stinged a bit when I read it.

    To me the heart of business is profit..The way of the merchant is to earn but the method is to GIVE VALUE...

    So in my opinion that statement has a truth in it but only half of it.

    The other half is VALUE..A lot of us here always declare adding value to the market place don't we..So that's half of the story..For me that is...

    ~Omar / Rapidscc
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  • Profile picture of the author BIG Mike
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author johntanyishin
      Yeah, i had a debate in my school before. The topic was "All businesses exist solely because of money, profit making is the bottom line." I remember discussing about corporate social responsibility, non-profitable businesses, etc.

      It really depends on your values. What do you want by doing this business? So if it's money, so it is!

      JTYS
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  • I had some Romantic ideals regarding business. Then I got some business planning advice from Bev Clement. She pointed out that:

    A business is either an organization or a person(s) operating with the objective of making a profit from the sale of goods or services. (Italics mine)

    Unless you are specifically setting up a not-for-profit entity, you're NUTS if you think making a profit isn't the #1 goal of your business!
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    "The will to prepare to win is more important than the will to win." -- misquoting Coach Vince Lombardi
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    • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
      Very simple quiz.

      Ask yourself this question.

      If you could set up your business so it completely run without you and you had no input whatsoever.

      No say in what happened...no one would listen to you...they wouldn't even take your calls.

      No interactions with clients.

      No surfing the warrior forum or doing any business related activities whatsoever.

      In fact not only would you not have to do that you would not be allowed to do it...you would have to stop immediately and NEVER do any of that stuff ever again.

      Yet you still made exactly the same income...would you be happy with that?


      Now if there are some of the things you do in business that you wouldn't want to give up then clearly you have other reasons for being in business besides the money.

      Kindest regards,
      Andrew Cavanagh

      P.S. I actually have a huge problem with the statement.

      It ignores an underlying morality that should be in us all...to serve our fellow man.

      That should be at the core of any business idea along with the concept of profit.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sean Hoffman
    That all depends on what form of evil you are working for
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  • Profile picture of the author Shaun OReilly
    Originally Posted by Peter Bestel View Post

    This is a quote from Stuart Wilde's 'The Trick to Money is Having Some!'

    To quote it in its entirety:

    "There is no other reason for being in business than to count the money. Manufacturing, creating, selling, P.R., and shipping are not the business - collecting and counting the money is the business."

    I used to have a problem with that, but I'm a lot easier with it now. Does that statement clash with your beliefs? Do you have different reasons for being in business and if you do, do you think your reasons makes you more, or less profitable?

    Peter
    I've read Stuart Wilde's book at least twice and dip into it now and
    again.

    However, in this instance, the quote is incomplete because there
    are OTHER reasons - as well as counting the money - for being in
    business.

    If you want to just count the money - then do what my sister does.
    (She works as a teller in a bank).

    A pre-requisite for a business is of course to turn in a profit.

    I'm in business to make a difference and make a profit - and no -
    they are not mutually exclusive.

    There's more to business that just money.

    What's it all about Alfie?

    The bottom line is not the only bottom line in my business.

    For me, there's also a distinction between monetary income and the
    psychic income you get from being in business.

    You only want the money for what you think it will do for you.

    Best wishes,

    Shaun
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    .

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    • Profile picture of the author Peter Bestel
      Shaun,

      You're right, of course, Stuart Wilde goes on to explain that there's more to a business than just counting the money, but short of transcribing the whole chapter I considered this to be enough for our discussion.

      I don't think we're coming at this from such a different viewpoint, we are just making different distinctions.

      I am not in business solely to make money. Money is nowhere near my number 1 driving force. I love providing the service that we do. I love thinking up new ways that we can help people with our business. I love being creative with marketing strategies. I love the control and flexibility we have giving us a tremendous work-life balance.

      To allow all this to happen, the job of the business is to make money.

      To make money, not at all costs and within the boundaries of our beliefs, but its job is to make money. Everything else that the profits allow us to do, how it makes us feel and how we impact the rest of the world, is our decision.

      Peter
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  • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
    I don't think I have a problem with it, (I like counting money)

    Kim

    Originally Posted by Peter Bestel View Post

    This is a quote from Stuart Wilde's 'The Trick to Money is Having Some!'

    To quote it in its entirety:

    "There is no other reason for being in business than to count the money. Manufacturing, creating, selling, P.R., and shipping are not the business - collecting and counting the money is the business."

    I used to have a problem with that, but I'm a lot easier with it now. Does that statement clash with your beliefs? Do you have different reasons for being in business and if you do, do you think your reasons makes you more, or less profitable?

    Peter
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