On Social Security Disability. Today is the First Day blah blah blah.

Good News: Social Security Disability Approved.  

Bad News: Social Security Disability Approved

This is actually the official DAY TWO.  I got the word Thursday afternoon from the attorney that Social Security Administration, in fact, has approved my Social Security disability, but they also defined some very different criteria than the disability insurance company on my ability to work.  The disability insurance company stated that I could earn $XXX over and above what they paid me, but SSA does not share that loose interpretation: I cannot work.  According to Social Security Disability rules, if I can work, then my Social Security disability could be put under review.  So this means that I can act in an ADVISORY CAPACITY but Barb would be doing the work.

Reasonable Accommodation

Rich with Headset using Voice Recognition

While it is, and has been true that I cannot sit for extended periods of time, cannot stand or walk for extended periods of time.  There have been many limitations, for instance, the neuropathy and stabbing electric shocks, which were initially in my legs, are in my arms and hands, which effects by ability to type.  I can still use the laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone, using many accommodations (like speech recognition and a headset, using a stylus, TENS, and GOOD DRUGS) so that I can blog and post ads.  Most internet marketing is copy/paste (if you do it right).  I also have many automated tools that do much of the work for me.  Most times, it is simply selecting a message I had already composed and stored, copy/paste a URL, and click SEND.

Tilt-top Hospital Table

When I cannot sit at the desk any longer, I shift to another position.  I have a bed in my "office / bedroom / living room" and a tilt-top hospital table to which I strap my laptop.   I can (and for that matter, am doing it right now) lie in bed and work on the laptop.   The same hospital table can flip around so the legs of the table fit around the base of my recliner, allowing me to work on the laptop while sitting in my recliner with my legs elevated.

Work In Progress

Most of what I work on day to day in Internet Marketing is the result of months of effort previously expended on these projects.  I've already spent the money for these programs, and based on what I've seen, if I can get to the point of making this a profitable venture, I just need to set up the accounts, and point the tools to the right place, and put much of the "work" on autopilot.  I have many "lists" that I use on a daily basis, that are simply going to a bookmark in the browser, and clicking a link.  My system has a program  that automatically logs me in to the proper website, I make a few clicks, copy, and paste, and click a button to submit my advertisements.  In an hour a day, I can submit thousands of classified ads online, distribute several thousand email ads, and read through emails on all of my 8 email accounts.  I can do this from either of my two laptops, either at my desk, or lying in bed.

The rest of my day is spent on "creative processes".  I write blogs, create ad copy, play around with different automation tools, and research articles.  Much of this can be done on either of the two laptops, the tablet, and the "phablet" - my gigantic smartphone.  Again, when I look at the documented limitations for which I was awarded Social Security Disability, these things are excluded.

Some tasks like graphics creation must be done on the laptop on which the graphics programs are licensed.  My accounting program is also licensed for one machine, but I can connect remotely from  my other laptop to do the necessary bookkeeping.  None of these things have me tethered to a desk: I have designed-in the necessary flexibility so that I can work around some of my limitations.

From a financial perspective, all expenses are incurred through the business, and all income is attributed to the business.  Until the business becomes profitable, the out of pocket expenses incurred are all attributed to start-up costs, and our personal investments in the company as being treated as Owner's Equity.  Even though the accounts are all under my name, they were mostly established when my company was a sole proprietorship under my name with a DBA (Doing Business As) my company name, and simply carried over when we formed the LLC.  To change the names on all of the accounts, change all logins, change all the signature lines, and re-brand everything to align with Barb is unrealistic.  My name is as much of the brand as my company name.

I can (and intend to) teach OTHERS to do this work.  It's just that it is not yet tied up in a nice tidy package with bows on it yet.  At this point, I do not see the need to notify Social Security Disability about what I am doing.  I compared task for task to my previous job duties and responsibilities, and it still boils down to my inability to do the physical aspects of the job.

WorldProfit

Worldprofit is a "teach you everything you need to know as an Internet Marketing Newbie" and provides a plethora of tools and techniques to get your "Internet Business" going.   I spent some time wandering around in Worldprofit home page, checking out all the neat stuff in my Silver membership goody bag.  There is SO MUCH there, and I admit I am overwhelmed.  It is hard to find something when there is so much.  Neat stuff, just SO MUCH OF IT.

I found that the highly profitable Clickbank products could all be listed on my Worldprofit Landing page with one click.  So COOL.  It also lists a bunch of eBooks that I can give away or sell.  I have HUNDREDS of eBooks and videos for which I have purchased reseller rights, so that will be one of my pet projects that I can fill up my ViralHosts domain with.

I just found a ClickBank Promo Kit.  A couple mouse clicks and I had ALL the listed ClickBank products on my homepage.  I figured out how to get the newsletter thing to work too.  I played with this today, and I earned my FIRST ClickBank sale ever!.

I found some very interesting features.  For one, in the ClickBank Promo Kit, if you select the Newsletter kit on one of the ClickBank products, it creates a newsletter to your associates with that as a featured product.  If you click the link PM, it sends to all of your downlines.  Another feature: 3000 emails with Quantum Safelist.  Just copy/paste your subject, body, and URL and click one button.

Blogger

I set up a Google Blogger to my primary Google email account: rich@spahoconsulting.org.  I guess I should have set this up on my "civilian" email since I'm not representing the "business".  I'm just playing with blogs, playing with Internet Marketing, and scaling back now that Barb "owns" the business.

Really Retired This Time

I made the announcement publicly that I am officially RETIRED AGAIN, and that my consulting business has terminated.  Barb is taking steps to take over the eCommerce businesses.  I will act in an advisory capacity and mentor.  Until I have all the tasks documented, I will need to be engaged in at least the bookkeeping end of things.

Barb Taking Over the Store (Literally)

 Barb has been doing the updates to the LifeBalanceProducts product catalog.  She has been writing posts for the LifeBalanceProductsBlog.  She is really getting into it, but is writing article length copy rather than 300-500 word posts.  She created a BEAUTIFUL piece on gardening.

Barb actually started to look at the DVD's from the Elite Marketing Conference I attended.  It was good training, and I even picked up quite a few things.  I'm encouraged that she is at least trying.  It was not an easy task convincing her that her new reality was that this is now HER BUSINESS.

Vendor Problems

Yesterday I had spoken with a representative of MaxEBiz, the software vendor that created our eCommerce Stores.  They have a no refund policy, but considering that I have not had ANY traffic to the sites (yes plural), he asked if I would consider holding on for 30 days, and if it does not work out, make an offer for what I believe is a fair refund amount.  He is having them reset the SEO blast based on the new product catalogs, not the initial loads.  I am hoping this starts to produce because I think this is something that Barb can make work as long as I am around to advise her.

I discovered this morning that the MaxEBiz sites STILL do not have the correct domain names.  I was unable to contact them for THREE DAYS while I was locked out of the DOBA catalog.  All they had to do was update the DOBA account numbers, but nobody responded at all.  I had to get the owner of a consulting company connected to them text someone there to get me a call back from Tech Support.  I don't think that making phone calls exceeds the limitations spelled out in the Social Security Disability restrictions.

Going Down Fighting

This transition is not going to be easy for me.  I cannot just sit around with nothing to do, read, and accomplish nothing.  I need a purpose.  I need to DO SOMETHING.  The problem is, if I am just sitting around, that gives me time to THINK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE THAT I CANNOT DO!   Just because Social Security Disability says that I cannot do it, it does not have any provisions where the government provides me with Elves to get things done.

Ideas For Modus Operandi Going Forward

Since I cannot DO, I can teach.  I've thought about this for a long time.  I need to keep working at making my ventures in Internet Marketing profitable.  To date the score is:  Lions 1, Romans 0.  The secret is to establish process and procedures, document it, and pass it on. I still must direct some effort to making the day to day tasks automated.   If I can make this work and make it idiot-proof, I have several people locally who could use an income boost for circumstances beyond their control.  If  I can put together a system, and get them to emulate what I have done that is successful, even join me in in my venture using the tools and techniques I have purchased for MY company, we may be able to keep the hounds at bay.

My dream is to get this all automated, and be able to spend an hour a day doing this while ON THE ROAD.  I always said I wanted to travel when I retired.  I don't do airplanes well, as I established  last week on my trip to Las Vegas.   Driving for long periods of time is a problem, but if I had a motor home in which I could pull  over to lay down if my legs bother me....  Oh, I'm sorry.  It must be the pain medications talking.