Authors urge people to become entrepreneurs

Losing your job in these tough economic times may not necessarily be a bad thing, say the authors of several best-selling finance books.

Such an unfortunate event often can force people to find a solution through their problems and their passions, say Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen, authors of "The One Minute Millionaire" and "Cracking the Millionaire Code."

"We think America needs a new philosophy right now, and the new philosophy is obviously that people have got to be entrepreneurs," Hansen told the Deseret News during a tour promoting their new book "Cash in a Flash: Fast Money in Slow Times."

"Ten million people or more have lost their jobs," Allen said. "This could be the best thing that ever happened to them."

Hansen and Allen can relate. Individually, they've both filed for bankruptcy.

"Both of us have made our fortunes because of misfortune," Allen said. "So, whatever problem you have is your solution.

"Mark became a speaker because he went bankrupt with a business he started and he had to speak his way out of it. And I couldn't get a job when I got my MBA. I couldn't find a job. It was 1974."

"Sort of like kids today," said Hansen, best known for co-authoring the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series with Jack Canfield.

"There are two paths to money," Allen said. "One is problems and the other one is passions. And if you have problems — instead of bemoaning your problems — you should say, 'Hmm, what if I solve this problem? There must be 10 million other people that have the same problem. I'll be the perfect poster child for the person who solved it. I'll have the rights to be able to say, "I fixed it." And I'll sell you the solution.' "

Both authors have ties to the Beehive State. Allen owns a home in Midway, has family in Utah and once attended BYU classes with Stephen R. Covey and was his research assistant. Now, in addition to co-authoring with Hansen, he partners with fellow New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans on their WriteWise venture out of Draper, has seminar operations in Provo, and is also heavily involved in USANA, the nutrition networking marketing company in West Valley City. Hansen is also a senior adviser to a new company called YouPublish, with headquarters in Salt Lake City.