Will pay vs won't pay - pricing your services

I listened to an interesting webinar the other night where the topic of discussion was about business ideas and whether or not they are viable.  One of the key points was people's willingness to pay. 

Many people get so caught up in the fact that they have a great idea, they don't think about whether anyone will pay for it.  Its really important to determine who your target market is and whether or not they CAN pay and WILL pay.

I'm sure you can think of examples from your own life.  There are things that you don't have time to do, don't want to do, or don't have the skills to do that you will pay for.  In fact, if you can find someone to do one of those things you can't/won't do and they do it well, my guess is that you would hire them over and over again as the value they provide you is enormous. 

For example, if you can't speak Spanish, are you going to spend hours or days trying to piece together (incorrectly) a letter on BabelFish?  You just wasted your valuable time to do something wrong when you could have paid someone to do it right in a fraction of the time.  

Think about the services you offer and whether or not you are providing real value.  If you are offering a service people are reluctant to pay for, don't worry - just tweak your idea or find a different market. 

How to Keep Yourself Motivated as an Expat Entrepreneur

Being an entrepreneur is not always easy.  Especially if you have worked in a big office all of your life and break out to start working on your own, the transition can be difficult. 

Here are some ways to keep yourself motivated if you are working alone:

1.  Music - make a playlist of all of your favorite songs, songs that get you motivated or make you want to work harder (Eye of the Tiger, anyone?)

2.  Take breaks - just because you are working on your own business does not mean that you have to do it 24/7.  Studies show that people take breaks are more productive throughout the day.

3.  Connect with people outside the office - if there are meetups in your town or groups that you would be interested, go out and meet people!  Connecting with people online is great, but don't forget about the real world.  You never know who you will meet!

4.  Make a vision board - we all have things that we want to accomplish, but when we get overwhelmed with projects in our professional and personal lives we tend to lose sight.  Take a posterboard and clip words or pictures of goals you want to accomplish.  You will be amazed how much you accomplish if it is right there in a place you can see it over and over.

5.  Get a coach - If you talk to successful people, most of them will tell you that they all had someone who acted as a coach or mentor for them during their career.  I don't care how organized or focused you are, there will be times where you will need someone else to hold you accountable.  Life or business coaches are great because they can provide objective advice based on facts and encourage you to get rid of your limiting beliefs. 

6.  Remember how miserable you were at XYZ Company - Whenever you have a rough day or the doubts about being an entrepreneur start creeping in, think back to your worst day at a job you hated.  Think about the time where you had to stay late on your loved one's birthday, think about the time someone with less experience beat you out for the position you wanted, think about the time where you made the company millions of dollars and all you got was a pat on the back... Now breathe.  Appreciate the fact that you are no longer at your soul crushing job and get motivated to make it happen!!!

Moving to Mexico Without a Job

A lot of people fantasize about leaving their boring cubicle job for a new, exciting job in another country. So how easy is it for you to pack up your things and move to mexico without a job? Answer: not easy at all.


If you are a sales manager at a multinational corporation in your home country and you expect to come down and get a cushy job in middle management, think twice.  It is very difficult to get a job - even at a multinational - if you don't speak Spanish and/or don't have a Mexican work permit.

What about working at your home country's embassy or consulate in Mexico?  While the requirements aren't as tough, many of the embassies require that you live in Mexico for at least 6 months before you apply for a job.  If you apply for a job that is open to foreigners, you will be considered after EFMs (Eligible Family Members of current embassy employees).

While I don't want to discourage people from picking up and moving to Mexico, I want to stress the fact that unless you want to teach English or sell timeshares, you will have a difficult time finding a company to sponsor you for a work visa...but if you are an expat entrepreneur, you don't need a sponsor - just an idea and some seed money to get set up!

WELCOME! BIENVENIDOS!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! This blog is intended to be a compliation of everything having to do with entrepreneurship, international trade, and doing business in Mexico.