Let The SDI (Self Directed Income) Industry Empower You !!

By Tommy UsuryFree Kennedy

Note: The term SDI (Self Directed Income) industry is being used to describe the sales and marketing industry otherwise referred to as: (a) the multi-level marketing industry or (b) the network marketing industry.

To my knowledge the world is still waiting for an SDI “home office” company to reach out to partner with co-creators or innovators from within (a) the SDI (Self Directed Income) industry and (b) the Self-Improvement/Personal-Growth/Human-Development industry and (c) the Barter/LETS/ UsuryFree Time Currency industry.

The SDI industry of the 21^st Century is evolving from the (MLM) multi-level marketing or network marketing industry that was pioneered by Nutrilite, Amway, Shaklee, Avon and Mary Kay in the mid-20^th Century.

The Self-Improvement/Personal-Growth/Human-Development industry became very popular in the last half of the 20^th Century because personal growth has much to do with business success in the SDI industry and/or otherwise.

The Barter/LETS/UsuryFree, Time Currency industry is the newest kid on the block BUT it may be the catalyst that demonstrates astonishing power and potential in setting we-the-people free from the twins yokes of ‘usury’ and ‘taxes.’

During the 1990’s, Neil Anderson, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada resident and a well-respected and experienced MLMer with 25+ years experience in the industry teamed up with other innovators and together we-the-people decided to create some new language for this fledgling and misunderstood industry. To leave behind the negatives attached to the MLM or network marketing industry, we-the-people created the new label - the SDI (Self-Directed Income) industry. Those who have been using this term to describe this industry are reporting much positive feedback.

The SDI industry first set out to serve and promote only those business opportunities whereby the business owner does not hire employees. Traditional network marketing enterprises were well positioned to become the most popular businesses within the SDI industry because an SDI entrepreneur was identified as one who offers a business opportunity whereby s/he builds a network of entrepreneurs and each individual runs her/his own enterprise (usually from their residence). While this concept “decentralizes” commerce, the big box stores are trapped within the commercial model of “centralization.”

In recent years, various sales and marketing companies have been creating new models and terminology to dis-associate themselves from the negative experiences of the too many unsuccessful MLMers and/or network marketers of the 20^th Century.

In addition to the MLMers or network marketers, the SDI industry has expanded its definition to proudly define an SDI entrepreneur as any entrepreneur in any home-based business, direct sales enterprise or otherwise who earns income(s) from her/his self-directed efforts.

Creative SDI entrepreneurs of the 21^st Century are likely to be in the process of establishing an SDI Portfolio whereby they are earning income(s) from more than one source. Indeed, more and more conventional business men/women are now creating their own SDI Portfolio to supplement the income from their traditional store-front businesses.

Historically, the SDI “home office” suppliers of products and/or services, with the co-operation of the pioneering, SDI entrepreneurs of the 20^th Century subtly coerced new recruits to dedicate all of their time, money and efforts into marketing the products and/or services of that one SDI company into which they happened to be first sponsored.

Additionally, some of the MLM pioneers engineered ‘ghost’ systems whereby they made more money marketing books, tapes, (audio and video) meetings, and T-Shirts etc. to their new recruits at the fringe of their networks than they made by marketing the SDI 'home office' company's lines of products and/or services.

The 'home office' company and the SDI leaders exerted strict control over their ever-expanding networks during the 1970’s and 1980’s, so that all of one's time and energy was devoted to the one SDI opportunity. Over the years, the ease of modern technology has been transforming the SDI industry so that indeed, it is now possible for any SDI entrepreneur to receive monthly pay cheques from more than one source.

No longer do home office suppliers nor dominating SDI leaders control their SDI networks as they did in the 1970’s and 1980’s. In 2014, many SDI companies are re-writing the fine print on their application forms to erase that sentence whereby they maintained the right to ‘terminate’ any distributor/associate who was found to be earning income(s) from more than one SDI business opportunity.

More and more people are aware that (a) mutual funds’ investors are looking for alternatives (b) traditional marketing moguls are struggling (c) consumer debt and personal bankruptcies are at an all time high and (d) conventional men/women who have ignored the SDI industry are now researching it and assessing its potential as a worthwhile investment risk for the 21^st Century.

Prior to this 21^st Century, mutual funds’ investors were pitched on the idea that mutual funds were designed to be held for long term, and therefore many have been slow to cut their losses and move their money elsewhere. By leaving their financial wealth in the hands of the so-called experts multiple thousands of mutual funds’ investors have lost trillions of dollars since the dawn of this 21^st Century. Now they are ready and willing to take an active role in future investment opportunities.

Pre-Christmas 2014, traditional retail sales are reported as being the lower than usual while online sales continue to increase. I daresay that it is the SDI industry that is leading the growth of digital or online shopping.

Business bankruptcies are expected to increase in 2014 leading to more wage-earners being laid off. Of course, increased business bankruptcies leads to more personal bankruptcies.

The most creative investors/entrepreneurs of the 21^st Century are those who are awakening to the ‘conspiracy’ of the plutocracy otherwise known as the ‘Usury Elites’ and are therefore ready and willing to (a) serve others with honesty and integrity (b) spend/invest their federal cash and time differently and (c) learn about how they can create and spend their own ‘usuryfree’ time currency, by adapting the LETS (Local Employment Trading System) software (or a hybrid model) to facilitate time trading within their own local and loyal networks of willing participants.

Indeed, more and more wage-earners are making an informed choice to invest time, energy and money in the SDI industry by launching a part-time enterprise from their home whereby they can purchase quality products and/or services for personal consumption at discount prices and offer these products for sale to local loyal consumers for negotiated exchanges using a combination of federal dollars and any usuryfree community currency.

At the same time these creative SDI entrepreneurs qualify for substantial, legitimate income tax deductions available exclusively to businesses because they are now positioned to retail and/or wholesale, their selected lines of products and/or services not only to themselves but also to their family, friends, neighbours, working colleagues etc. More details are explained in this article: “Tax Benefits of an SDIEnterprise.”

Just as Sam Walton engineered the idea of distributing name brand goods manufactured by other companies in the United States (much has changed since then and now most of Walmart’s products are manufactured in China) so too are some SDI entrepreneurs copying this ‘genius’ concept.

Awakened and active SDI entrepreneurs are creating an edge that will speed and enhance the growth of the SDI industry because they are showing themselves to be professional networkers who are committed to re-building the spirit of local community by implementing creative marketing strategies.

Our respective local economies could use some exciting news as we head into 2014 and beyond. Indeed, it has been the loss of faith in corporate Canada/America that is fueling the growth of the concepts espoused by the leading SDI entrepreneurs.

As we enter 2014, estimates indicate that the SDI industry is blossoming in North America with multiple millions SDI entrepreneurs now operating part-time and/or full time enterprises from their homes. People are searching for and finding a better way as they graduate from employee/wage-earner to SDI entrepreneur.

It is time for leaders in the SDI industry to set a goal to foster the re-building of community spirit. The best way to do this is to advocate the “shop local” concept and promote the “loyalty” idea as well. What is needed is an open database of “offers” and “requests” of every participating SDI entrepreneur – this database includes all SDI products and/or services as well as other products and/or services beyond those offered by the “home office” of your SDI company.

Those who are aware and sensitive to timing will become the pioneer builders of the largest database that the world has ever known. During the latter years of the 20^th Century various entrepreneurs tried to build a similar, loyal database with limited success.

Now, given the ease of modern technology, we are positioned to build a loyal, online database by inviting (a) our warm market of SDI entrepreneurs to advertise their respective lines of quality products and/or services to the world along with (b) those entrepreneurs who own small to medium-sized businesses in their respective local communities.

SDI entrepreneurs often have a spouse/partner and/or children in their teens or twenties who are still living in the family residence. In addition to the quality products and/or services available from an SDI home office supplier, they can arrange for all members of their family to list their talents, skills, services etc. on this proposed database. Of course, the same is true for owners of small to medium-sized conventional businesses. With a little re-education about why we-the-people must change the way we spend our money, this database is destined to grow very fast as chapters are established in every local community.

Planning for this emerging, global database began with John Turmel way back in the 1990’s. Now the leaders in the SDI industry are connecting locally and globally, so we can aspire to reach out and establish chapters first throughout Ontario, then nationally and eventually internationally.

To build a global, online, loyal database, the timing, the prospective members and the opportunity must be optimal, because chances of ultimate success are proportional to the ‘weakest link.’

Any SDI “home office” company’s leadership is invited to explore new concepts to add to its infrastructure. When new concepts are coupled with the potential, dynamic network of experienced SDI entrepreneurs, - who are likely to become its strongest marketing arm -  this could prove to be the blend of success needed to create new awareness and recognition for both the usuryfree community currency movement and the SDI industry and thereby move both of them into the mainstream.

This proposed database will offer its participants a cutting edge alternative to conventional shopping. Any SDI entrepreneur will have the option of negotiating informally with any other SDI entrepreneur to create and spend ‘usuryfree’ time currency when s/he makes a purchase or a sale.

As more and more SDI entrepreneurs become familiar with the concept of creating and spending their own ‘usuryfree’ time currency within this loyal database, purchasers and sellers will recognize that they have greater flexibility to save and earn than if they continued to shop from giant, trans-national retail corporations.

Additionally, shopping from within this loyal database with ‘usuryfree’ time currency will be mutually beneficial for their respective local communities, although local shopping does not preclude shopping from another database which extend outside of our respective, local communities.

Though this proposed database has not yet been created, some SDI entrepreneurs are informally re-educating other SDI entrepreneurs as they seek to negotiate individual trades using part cash and part ‘usuryfree’ time currency.

Some visionaries within the SDI industry already see the possibility of we-the-people organizing ourselves as active participants (a) to set up a beta project of self-insurance for collision on our automobiles whereby no payments or premiums/fees would be made until after an accident occurs and (b) to establish our own credit union whereby we-the-people can have dual accounts, a cash account and a ‘usuryfree’ time currency account.

  

As the stock market continues to decline and the economy slides into a deeper recession, more and more mutual funds’ investors will choose to invest time, energy and money in the SDI industry. Without a doubt, the SDI industry will lead the way in sales and marketing during this 21^st Century.

Those who are not yet ready to accept responsibility for personal growth, the reality of private money creation and/or the necessity of re-education are encouraged to negotiate contracts with youthful SDI entrepreneurs whereby one assumes the role of an investor in human potential and thereby offers to invest some money to aid a youth in launching or expanding an SDI enterprise. Any investment is negotiated in exchange for a monthly dividend from the profits earned from the youth’s enterprise(s). [An honourable handshake is considered as binding as any lengthy contract and indeed the preferred signature.]

Take the first step to changing the world to become a better place and organize an “SDI/13 Workshop” – where 13 SDI entrepreneurs will gather to “learn what they don’t know they don’t know.”

An SDI/13 Workshop requires that the person organizing the workshop secures the location and invites a minimum of 13 SDI entrepreneurs who are ready and willing to invest their time and money differently in 2014.

As the SDI Consultant, I need ‘gifts’ to cover my cash expenses and additional ‘gifts’ of cash and/or ‘usuryfree’ time currency are gratefully received for lessons learned BUT there is FREE admission to these SDI/13 Workshops. It is my intention that every person to be able to attend and receive the knowledge that will be shared. Our slogan as ‘usuryfree creatives’ is ‘Working for Peace and Plenty by 2020.’

NOTE: This is a sampling of the information that is commonly shared at SDI/13 Workshops:
My Presentation at the 3rd Annual World Conference on Riba at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in November 2012

NOTE: Experienced and novice SDI entrepreneurs are reading and sharing with their networks this article titled: Analysis, Projections, Observations & Proposals For The SDI Industry 

NOTE: Visitors are invited to enrol (join) the UsuryFree SDI University.