The Bus Cafe

The old bus stands in a field beside the Westbound carriageway of the A12 just before the Foxall roundabout. I’ve driven past it a thousand times. I’ve never stopped.
How differently life might have turned out if I had.
The circumstances which led me there today are too mundane to think about – a door handle, taking something back to the gym: This stuff doesn’t matter – but it did all put me on the A12 going west at lunchtime.
And at that moment the Bus Cafe hove into view.
It’s an unusual experience: You park in a lay-by and go down some steps into the field and then step up into the bus as if you were on a pensioners’ outing. There is a doormat at the top by the driver’s cubicle – and then a concertina door… and a different world.
With tables for two down one side and tables for four down the other, a kitchen at the end and a Calor heater to make the whole place cosy, it was a revelation.
Also, contrary to the impression that might be gained from a name as unprepossessing as “The Bus Cafe” it was all scrupulously clean.
This led to a conversation with the young man plying the spatula – which progressed to me into asking if he wanted to win a Mini or £10,000 and filling in the form.
Next, he looked at the piggy card and picked his “number one priority”.
By the time my lunch was ready, we were half way through a Martini presentation.
When I had finished the half-day breakfast, we carried on where we’d left off and I collected the number for his first distributor.
I’ve just called this guy. He turns out to be a gardener (aka entrepreneur) who liked the sound of what I had to offer. He’s now checking out the website while I ring his three friends. It will be interesting to see how far this string stretches.
And all because of a change of plan…

One Response to “The Bus Cafe”

  • John, I always enjoy reading your blog and given your recent promotion and ongoing success, it’s easy to relate these understated pearls of wisdom with true-life success in network marketing. People so often ask what the secret is, yet often don’t get the answer…that there is often no rocket science and that it’s just consistently applying the basics and looking for these daily opportunities to find the ‘aces’. It’s a fine line, that this story demonstrates so very well. Keep writing these gems John and here’s to your continued massive success!

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What’s it all about?

This is the diary of a successful Multi-Level Marketer making money from home and fitting a part-time business into a busy life.
Over the years it has developed but the objective remains the same: To demonstrate how anyone can build a successful network marketing business in "the nooks and crannies of the day".
Eventually this spawned a training programme which I call The Cold Market Academy. This began as a seminar available only to MLM-ers working with my company. However this is now available as an e-book worldwide and priced at only $10 with a money-back guarantee! To order your copy click Here
But at the heart of the Network Marketing Blog is the answer to the two most common questions people ask when they look at this business - and the two biggest challenges they face when the start:
1. I m not a salesperson.
2. I don't have the time.
These are genuine concerns and all too often they get brushed aside: "Don't worry about that. We'll show you how..."
This blog is designed to show how it works in reality and in real time - how anyone, no matter how busy, can work their business consistently in small fragments of time. Because that's all you need; just a few seconds to find out if someone's interested.
And please bear in mind the entries here are only a tiny snapshot of the daily activity. Most of what goes on would make very dull reading indeed: Making calls from the list ... adding names to the list...making calls from the list...
As for being a salesperson: Have a look and decide for yourself.
Is it sales?
Let's say you call on a friend unexpectedly and find them up to their ankles in water and battling with a burst pipe.
Imagine it: There they are, soaked to the skin, trying to wrap a towel round the leak while they shout: "I rang the plumber but all I get is the answerphone..."
Honestly now, would you ignore their plight or would you volunteer the number of your own plumber.
Would you do what you could to help them or would you consider that going into "sales" on behalf of the plumber would be beneath you?
And what would your friend say when they realised you had deliberately chosen to leave them struggling to stem the flow and all because you felt embarrassed about "selling" something.
Network marketing is all about spreading good news and it's all about helping people.

If you're thinking of getting into Network Marketing - or already in it but not making enough money - contact me at info@johnpassmore.co.uk

About Me

John Passmore
Woodbridge, Suffolk,
United Kingdom

For 25 years I was a newspaper reporter - ending up as Chief Correspondent for the London Evening Standard. Then I gave it all up and, with my wife, set out to live the simple life on a small boat while writing a column for the Daily Telegraph. Five years and two children later we moved ashore - and five years and another two children after that I ran out of money. Nobody wanted to give me a job and I couldn't afford to start a conventional business. Then at a craft fair in our local community hall, somebody showed me network marketing. It was described as a home-based business that would provide a second income for anyone who wanted to work from home. I was sceptical. There were claims of high earnings and something called a "residual income". But what if it did work? And besides what alternative did I have? So I threw myself into it wholeheartedly (which is the only way to succeed at anything). I'm not saying it's easy or that there were never moments of doubt but if you're prepared to learn and determined never to give up, then there is a statistical certainty that you will make money. I started in April 2005. I was broke and embarrassed. Today I have no money worries whatsoever.

(In particular we have no worries since converting our garage into what we now grandly call "The Studio" - a luxurious apartment which we offer as bed and breakfast or a holiday let. See www.debenhouse.co.uk)