Da-da, duh-da-da-duh…

Even though I haven’t played the original Zelda for at least 5 years, every once in a while a Zelda song pops into my head. Then yesterday, as I was walking out of my apartment, I realized my building layout was very similar to an underground dungeon. It got me thinking about all the lessons I learned in that game that now apply to my small business:

1. Take advantage of technology

Link doesn’t fight with his fists. He uses swords, shields, heck, even magic candles. Do you have a magic candle? You should.

Business takeaway: The web offers a plethora of tools (many free) to grow your business. From openoffice to firefox, there are countless tools available to improve your productivity and increase sales.

2. Explore your world

Link didn’t just sit on his butt while Zelda (aka financial success) was held captive. He got out there, explored dungeons, burned trees, walked across water, pretty much did whatever he could to improve his situation.

Business takeaway: Never be content with where your business is at. Always be exploring new opportunities and customers.

3. Trade up. In other words: save the Lexus for later

Link doesn’t start off with the best sword. He starts with a crappy wooden sword that he gets for free from some crazy Moses like dude flanked by burning bushes. As you gain experience and Rupees in the game you eventually can ditch your wooden sword. You don’t need the best sword to defeat the early dungeons in Legend of Zelda.

Business takeaway: Need business furniture? Go to craigslist. Once you IPO…then you can think about buying new furniture. And if an old crazy dude gives you a sword….always take it.

4. Save up for gadgets

As far as I recall, there were no credit cards in the Legend of Zelda. Everything was paid for in cash (aka Rupees).

Business takaway: There are times when credit is necessary, but if you can earn your Rupees and save up, it’s the best option.

5. Outsource repetitive tasks

In the rocky hills of Hyrule there are bunch of spider guys with loads of blue Rupees inside them. If you were low on the gems you could always hit that spot up for coins. And if you took a tunnel to another part of the map and came back, the Rupee loaded spiders would be there again. Rinse, repeat, get rich. This was a boring task, but it paid off.

Business takeaway: If you can outsource any repetitive or basic tasks (ie, killing the spiders), do it. As you scale your business these small tasks can kill your ability to focus on higher level strategy and more important tasks. Hire freelancers at elance and getafreelancer to kill your spiders, so you can focus on how to get to Ganon.

6. Shop Around

Do you remember where all the cheap stores in Hyrule were? I do. Why would I pay 10 coins for a candle when I could get it for 5 somewhere else? If you don’t know where the cheap shops are, you’ll get ripped off.

Business takeaway: It always pays to shop around. Services and vendors can often be negotiated in the business to business world. It never hurts to ask for a discount.

7. When all else fails…start bombing.

You’ve been stuck in a dungeon for hours. You can’t find the boss. What do you do? Start bombing. Bomb every friggin’ wall you can.

In business: When your stuck on a project, or client, don’t give up. Bring out your best weapons and start going to town. Test every aspect (dungeon wall) of your business with fire. If it’s not working, burn it down and start fresh. You never know what a good burn will reveal.

I'm 300K in debt. Gulp. I'm 24 and day traded away a fortune. Now I'm trying to crawl back to zero. Why not subscribe to my RSS feed and join me on this journey. You can also subscribe via e-mail. I appreciate tips and feedback! ~ DebtKid

My first goal of saving up $1000 has been achevied. Thanks to a bunch of LC referrals and savings, I’ve been able to sock away $900 in long-term investments and $500 in my emigrant direct account in the past few months. I plan on continuing to try and save/invest around $400 a month. (this is all on the personal side of my finances, the biz side is a whole different ballgame)

New Goal: A Mattress Worth Sleeping On

I’ve had my place to live over 6 months now. Wow. I’m so lucky. Seriously, although I spent sometimes all day here (work + live), I’ll never complain.

I do however have gripe with the mattress I’ve been sleeping on the past 6 months. I got it for $30-odd bucks on craigslist, and well, I think I got what I paid for. The biggest issue is that it’s only a twin. (not a twin-extra long). Twin’s are 6 feet in length…and well, I’m just a hair over 6′ tall. So…I haven’t been able to fully stretch out and sleep in a while. I’ve been sleeping a little better lately, but no thanks to my mattress. So mattress, it’s time for you to go.

New Goal: Foam Mattress + Frame

I used to have a wonderful foam mattress from Costco. I had to sell it when I moved into my office. It’s really one of the few items (of many) that I sold that I actually miss. I don’t know how much to budget for this goal, but I’d love a queen (so I get the 80″ length). Anyway, I’ll refine the specifics of this goal later. I’m hoping by Summer I’ll hit this one!

If I ever get out the mess that I’m in I know exactly what I will splurge on.

Newspapers.

Yep, I love real, crisp, newspapers.

I’m a huge news junkie, and while reading online content is great…there is just something about having that physical paper in your hand. Plus, it’s great for starting fire’s as well.

I already know which 10 newspapers I want…

my dream list:

1. Wall Street Journal
2. Washington Post
3. New York Times
4. Seattle Times
5. Seattle PI
6. USA Today (for the pictures)
7. The Oregonian (go blazers!)
8. Investors Business Daily
9. Guardian (UK)
10. Financial Times(UK)

I don’t know how much that would cost each month, but I would be in heaven!

A few years ago I wanted to be rich now. Now as in yesterday now. That led to some really destructive behaviors and the resulting 300K+ of debt I find myself in now.

But I still want to be rich.

Is this a bad thing? I don’t think so. I was talking with my friend who knows about my situation about this earlier in the week and here’s what I had for my reasons of why I want to be wealthy:

1. Freedom - I hate the fact that I just can’t go visit my family on a whim because I don’t have the money. I want to be able to fly and see my family without having to worry about the costs.2.
2. Philanthropy - I’m giving a pittance to charity each month. And it bugs the crap out of me. I have allot of things I am passionate about and would like to be able to help out financially with, but obviously cannot!
3. Mental Health - This isn’t the healthiest association in the world I know…but I feel better when I have a larger amount of money in the bank. I feel more relaxed, more confident, and way less stressed.
4. Family - Besides the fact that I owe my mother a crap load of money, I’d like to be able to take care of her and other members of my extended family more. Yes, I’m just 24….but darn it so is that facebook dude.

So, those are just a few reasons why I still want to be rich. You notice what isn’t there though that probably would have been a few years ago? Well, no fancy car, or big house for one.

Learning to be frugal with my money has taught me the value of so many other things in my life. I used to buy crap I totally didn’t need just because it was cool. Now, I still want some cool gadgets, but I’ll only reward them to myself if I hit certain goals and they would actually be useful in my life.

Anyone else have these reasons as well for wanting to be wealthy? Are there any good reasons I’m missing?

So, I’ve decided I need to motivate myself a little more. While one would think just getting out of debt would be enough motivation, it isn’t. It’s a big chunk of motivation, but lets face it, I need more. So, I’m going to profile some stuff I want, and the goals I have to hit before I can reward myself with it.

One thing I’ve noticed is that spending money has become a very awful experience for me. So much so that I dread shopping and the anxiety it causes me. Even when I know I need to get certain things (shaving blades…groceries…etc). So, I need to get over that a little bit. Not that I’m going to spend like mad (I don’t have the money), but if I ever do and I hit my goals I want to reward myself a bit.

If my plan A business hits $15,000/mo I want to reward myself with a new phone, specifically the new At&t Tilt Phone!

Goal: $15,000/mo in new business

Hopeful Goal Date: Jan 1 2008:

Reward: New At&t Tilt Phone!