Ï It's important to understand all of these ideas before diving headfirst into creating your own business. If we're going to be successful at anything we need some background information first, and to understand how it works.
Ï Online Marketing is no exception. I've seen many things, lots of ups and downs. Amazing successes, massive bankrupting failures, I've seen, read and indeed own masses of guides, how to's, and online marketing information.
Ï One of the main problems is, people were going about their business totally blind to the fundamental flaws of what they were creating for themselves. This was easy to see by examining the people that had failed and comparing them with the people that succeeded on my journey here. This is when I decided when I reach my goals, I'm going to write a course based around the title: Things I wish I knew before I got started. This is that course.
Ï Nowadays anyone can start their own business online. All they need is an idea, and a very small amount of cash. There’s no longer any need for large amounts of investment. Looking around, it's obvious to me that for this reason people forget that they're running a business, and just look at it as a quick way to make some extra cash. Let me tell you now, you are a businessman, or businesswoman. Never forget that.
Ï No matter how much people don't like the whole positive thinking and goal setting frame of mind, you have to do it. Goal setting at least, because this is going to be your driving motion that’s going to push you towards success. No goals means no motivation, no motivation means waking up in five years time and wondering why you're in the same place. Similarly, no set goals means chasing something that you want that’s always getting bigger and better, and further away, which means you'll never reach it. You need a set goal.
Ï Setting yourself some goals doesn't involve positive thinking, it's not a lot of work either. It just requires you to answer a few questions. Think about these right now. Why are you here, and why are you doing what you're doing right now? What do you want to get out what you're doing right now? This is all goal setting requires. Nothing boring, nothing elaborate, but it's the difference between you moving forward, and staying where you are right now.
Ï Coming across tough times or a problem that you don't know how to solve? Not a problem, refer back to your goal for some motivation. Why are you here? What are you doing right now? And what do you want to get out of what you're doing right now? That's all it takes, nothing more.
Ï It has to sink in that you're starting or building your own business. This is not a game; this is not a toy, or something for you to show your friends. It's entirely your creation, and it's there for one reason and one reason only, and that is to achieve your goals and improve your life. Ï It sometimes makes me wonder if people realise what they're getting in to. Professionalism is a must at all times. I'm sure you've seen the sites packed with affiliate links, pink fluffy floral borders with bright flashing lights that talk to you about making millions overnight. It makes me wonder, do these people even know that they're running a business? Would you buy from these sites even if the product sounded like the best thing ever to land on the Internet?
Ï It's not about site design either. It’s about professionalism. You have to have this with you in everything you do. It has to be the best work you've ever done. When I say everything I'm talking your marketing, your joint ventures, your sales letters, your ad copy, your follow-up, your product, your affiliate system, any contact that you make with your list or any other resources you may have, in fact anything and everything that you're going to do that’s related to your business.
Ï A good marketer knows that as well as having a good product, to make any sales at all; they have to eliminate any worry from the customers mind when they land on your sales letters. These need to be squashed as quickly as possible. Without this level of professionalism it just won't happen for you. Always think business, always think business owner, and always think one hundred and ten percent professionalism if you're seriously looking to get anywhere.
Ï For example, take this product. It's gone through six drafts and several planning stages over a period of time, simply because it wasn't good enough when it started out. It wasn't professional enough, and it didn't hit home the points strongly enough.
Ï Don't go overboard with this, otherwise you will never get anything done, but keep it with you, keep it at the front of your mind at all times and you'll do just fine.
Ï Inject your personality. This may sound like a contradiction in terms from the above advice that I gave you about being professional, however, being professional on it's own just doesn't cut it. If you want to stand out, if you want to be noticed and remembered, I don't want you to be afraid to put a little of yourself in there. After all, if you're remembered, you're trusted. If you're trusted, you'll make a bundle more sales.
Ï Being professional doesn't mean being boring. For example this report, I'm talking to you as if I were talking to a friend. You're getting a whole bundle of information and a little bit of me at the same time, something it's unlikely you'll be forgetting in a hurry. Keep this alongside your professionalism.
Ï Think about your resources. How much time do you have? Do you need more? The answer is you can put in as much time as you have to spare, even if it's just seven hours a week to start with. You can spread the work over a longer period of time. Don't throw a good idea out the window just because you can't finish it in a few days. You're not gated from creating a cracking product just because you don't have masses of time to spare or have budgetary concerns.
Ï Try not to get frustrated because you're not rich. There is more to this than being rich and broke, and in monetary terms there are plenty of comfortable in the middle stages, where you may not have reached your goals yet, but you sure are moving towards them and in a much better position compared to when you started.
Ï Don't get too hung up on setting yourself deadlines. Deadlines equal anxiety, frustration, and will slow you down. Set a goal and work towards it, and you will get there.
Ï We are all special. Jack-of-all-trades, we don't have a massive staffing base to do stuff for us. We write our own sales material, we advertise our own products, we maintain our own lists, follow-up, backend sales, business admin, and customer service. You name it. We do it.
Ï You will pick up many skills along the way, but again, don't throw away an idea just because you don't know how to do something. It's highly likely there’s going to be someone out there that you can hire for parts of the project that you can't do. For example, I 'm terrible at designing website graphics but that doesn't mean I stopped putting sites up. I learned at the start, and nowadays have someone to do this for me.
Ï Congratulations, because if you can now answer the three questions: What am I doing here? Why am I doing it? What do I hope to achieve? Then you’re in the prime mindset to continue. We're both on the same page for maximum efficiency, and more importantly, probably without even noticing it, just by doing this, in the past thirty minutes of the course, you've started to move forwards already. Let’s keep it going.