New or Just Struggling? 5 Actions That Changed My Business

32 replies
Hey Warriors,


If you are brand new to internet marketing or have been stuck for awhile then this should help. Here are 5 things that really helped me overcome some of the challenges faced with having an online business.


Action 1: Reality Check - For some reason when we first come on line we have this feeling that we are going to make thousands of dollars immediately while working in our underwear. The truth is that it does require work and effort to see results.


One exercise that I found really helpful and gave me perspective when I first got started was to list out all of my living expenses and put the amounts next to them. You may have seen this being taught in some courses that you have purchase, but never thought it was important.


If you haven't already, take the 5 minutes to do it. What this does is provide small income goals. Instead of worrying about why you are not making $10,000 a month yet, focus on making $100 a month which will cover your cell phone bill. Then work on generating income to knock off that car payment etc ...



Action 2: Money Leaks - Having a successful business (online or offline) requires that you track what you are spending. An Immediate way to improve your bottom line and what you are keeping from your business efforts is to reduce your expenses.


1. - Calculate all of the business expenses that you have ie hosting, software, autoresponders, tools etc ... Are there any that are costing you monthly that you don't use or could do without? Cancel them.


2. - Go back through your Paypal receipts and add up all of the courses, products, memberships, software & tools that you purchased over the past year. Add up what they cost you as well as jot down what you actually did with them. Did you implement them into your business? You will be absolutely shocked!

I remember when I did this exercise for the first time. I was completely blown away by the amount of money that I had spent on courses and training that I never did anything with. I was kind of embarrassed to be honest.


Do this for yourself. Once you see it on paper, you will be more aware before making that next training or software purchase : )


Action 3: Vehicle - Pick a business model and stick with it. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of ways to make money online and a lot of them work if you give them some time. Pick one and commit to working that business over the next 6 months or a year. You will be amazed what you can accomplish when you focus on one thing.


Action 4: Schedule - If you are truly serious about having a business and not just a hobby then it's important that you schedule work time. If you have a full time job, that's OK, but you must schedule specific blocks of time each work that is work time for your business. Just by trying to fit it in when you can is a recipe for failure. Figure out how much time (realistically) that you can devote to your business and mark it on the calendar.



This makes it a priority instead of just an "If I Have Time This Week".

Action 5: Block Out Noise - This is a big one. Unfortunately there are a lot of "Nay Sayers" out there that will always criticize what you are doing. What's frustrating is it's usually the people closest to us like family, friends and co-workers that have most to say. Pay Them No Mind.

Instead focus on surrounding yourself with people that are already successful. Hire a coach or mentor, or simply join a mastermind group of like minded people that share your desire to succeed. There is nothing more powerful that aligning yourself with other successful people that know what it takes to do it.
Please don't take this information lightly. These 5 simple but powerful actions, made a huge difference in my business and I know they can help you.


Shawn
- No Fear No Excuses
#actions #blueprint #business #changed #internet marketing help #newbie #struggling #tips
  • Profile picture of the author masterjani
    Excellent read, Time keeping and following a model that is suitable for ourselves will help us to improve furthur and achieve the targets
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  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    I can't agree with the VEHICLE part more. Stick with your plan. Don't get distracted. Don't seek ESCAPE by wasting your focus on a ton of WSOs. Pick ONE and keep hitting it and learning until you succeed.

    Victory or DEATH!
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    • Profile picture of the author Not So New
      Victory or Death ... that's hilarious.

      Sometimes getting to the victory feels like death

      Shawn

      Originally Posted by writeaway View Post

      I can't agree with the VEHICLE part more. Stick with your plan. Don't get distracted. Don't seek ESCAPE by wasting your focus on a ton of WSOs. Pick ONE and keep hitting it and learning until you succeed.

      Victory or DEATH!
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  • Profile picture of the author CamisOnline
    Many thanks for this post, it rings true with many of the feelings and realities I experienced when I first started out trying to make money online.

    I saw how much money could be made and was being made by so many people and wondered to myself how many £'s I should be aiming for a month.

    It is much more realistic to aim for a small amount and then to double it i.e. £100 in the first month and £200 next month, but this can be difficult to realise when you ambition has you off chasing every financial shooting star in the economic night sky.


    I too also echo the recommendations of trying to find ways too live as cheaply as possible especially the business of owning a car unnecessarily. I ended up trading my car for a bicycle and this massively eased the strain on my limited finances.

    And finally I learnt the hard way about assigning proper hours to work, I mostly work 10-6pm Monday to Friday now.

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    • Profile picture of the author Not So New
      Hey CamisOnline,

      I'm not saying that you should try and cut expenses, but more along the lines of focussing on income streams that will cover those expenses.

      If your car expense is $300 per month, then work on building a business that generates $300 per month of passive income to cover that car expense.

      For most people expenses like a car are a must

      Shawn

      Originally Posted by CamisOnline View Post

      Many thanks for this post, it rings true with many of the feelings and realities I experienced when I first started out trying to make money online.

      I saw how much money could be made and was being made by so many people and wondered to myself how many £'s I should be aiming for a month.

      It is much more realistic to aim for a small amount and then to double it i.e. £100 in the first month and £200 next month, but this can be difficult to realise when you ambition has you off chasing every financial shooting star in the economic night sky.


      I too also echo the recommendations of trying to find ways too live as cheaply as possible especially the business of owning a car unnecessarily. I ended up trading my car for a bicycle and this massively eased the strain on my limited finances.

      And finally I learnt the hard way about assigning proper hours to work, I mostly work 10-6pm Monday to Friday now.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7709011].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Chri5123
    Awesome post Shawn,

    "Instead focus on surrounding yourself with people that are already successful."

    ^ This...

    Being "successful" whatever that means for you, i.e money, happiness etc... you have to work at it.

    Same as building muscle - if you stop working on them you lose them.

    Surround yourself with books, courses and immerse yourself in success to be successful - just make sure the people you are paying attention too are indeed successful.
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    • Profile picture of the author Not So New
      Couldn't agree with you more ...

      Shawn

      Originally Posted by Chri5123 View Post

      Awesome post Shawn,

      "Instead focus on surrounding yourself with people that are already successful."

      ^ This...

      Being "successful" whatever that means for you, i.e money, happiness etc... you have to work at it.

      Same as building muscle - if you stop working on them you lose them.

      Surround yourself with books, courses and immerse yourself in success to be successful - just make sure the people you are paying attention too are indeed successful.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7714008].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author LindsaydS
    Great perspective for a newbie. Thank you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Merylo
    So true, every newcomer should read it. To put it simply, newcomer have to stay focus, manage their time well, do a basic accountancy for the expenses, and one last thing: don't be an optimist or pessimist, but be a realist. I want to add the sixth action:

    6. Learn from the best, don't insult your own intelligence by following up some site with exaggerated ad copy. While the best one learning from experience, you can just learn it my reading their book or follow up their seminar.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tiptopcat
    I like the point about working out your finances so that you can look at what a difference earning a small amount can make.

    I have started to do this but need to revise my spending/saving plan so that it is current.

    Excellent points made.
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  • Very inspiring. I really like the advise to check for money leaks, that is very very true!
    Signature
    Sarah
    www.greenpointads.com
    We sell pop-under web traffic, pop-under mobile traffic & layer ads on a geo-targetted CPM basis
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  • Profile picture of the author EmilyAbbott
    Banned
    Good pieces of advice from somebody with experience in this field.
    I always consider people who share are great individuals!
    Did I get my lesson right?
    1. Reality check - is extremely important. You need to look for what you can do in order to get a lot of money.
    2. Money - you need to acknowledge that you need to invest, but do it wisely.
    3. Do not be afraid to try out new things. You will see which suits you most.
    4. Time management is crucial!
    5. Do not let anything stop you from your job.

    I hope it will work for me also :-)
    Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andy Money
    Action #2 all the way, shaved an extra $2-$3,000 off my annual expenses by just LOOKING at what I was spending, realized on my hosting alone I was over paying at least $600/year, wasted cash that could have been invested in things that directly make money.
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    • Profile picture of the author Not So New
      Totally agree Andy ... I was shocked when I did that exercise and now I'm more aware of money going out

      Shawn

      Originally Posted by Andy Money View Post

      Action #2 all the way, shaved an extra $2-$3,000 off my annual expenses by just LOOKING at what I was spending, realized on my hosting alone I was over paying at least $600/year, wasted cash that could have been invested in things that directly make money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Broyde
    Thanks for this post Not New. I especially like the advice you gave in the last paragraph about getting into a mastermind group. Mastermind groups seem to work well.
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    • Profile picture of the author Not So New
      Hey Broyde,

      Masterminds are extremely powerful. Once you get around people that are thinking like you ... Magic can really happen

      Shawn

      Originally Posted by Broyde View Post

      Thanks for this post Not New. I especially like the advice you gave in the last paragraph about getting into a mastermind group. Mastermind groups seem to work well.
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Very true...My first year I realized I had spent over $800 in ink printing off things to read...lesson learned. Naturally many of those things became obsolute pretty fast.
      Signature

      Pen Name + 8 eBooks + social media sites 4 SALE - PM me (evergreen beauty niche)

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      • Profile picture of the author Not So New
        I've definitely been there before. Everything sounds amazing, but if it's not going to help your business right now, then it's probably best to wait

        Shawn

        Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

        Very true...My first year I realized I had spent over $800 in ink printing off things to read...lesson learned. Naturally many of those things became obsolute pretty fast.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rewbert
    Banned
    Great tips I'm sure alot of members will have good use of this thread.
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    • Profile picture of the author Not So New
      Thanks for the feedback Rewbert

      Originally Posted by Rewbert View Post

      Great tips I'm sure alot of members will have good use of this thread.
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  • Profile picture of the author fizyusuf
    VEHICLE is the vital part... most of us always jump from one system to another system, searching next shiny things... it is like searching end of the rainbow..
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  • Profile picture of the author kaytav
    Originally Posted by Not So New View Post

    Action 1: Reality Check - For some reason when we first come on line we have this feeling that we are going to make thousands of dollars immediately while working in our underwear. The truth is that it does require work and effort to see results.
    Most people have that kind of attitude. They just think that they can earn $$$.

    Action 2: Money Leaks - Having a successful business (online or offline) requires that you track what you are spending. An Immediate way to improve your bottom line and what you are keeping from your business efforts is to reduce your expenses.

    It is important to keep a track of every penny that you invest. Also it will help you to reduce the costs that you are spending unnecessarily.

    Action 3: Vehicle - Pick a business model and stick with it. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of ways to make money online and a lot of them work if you give them some time. Pick one and commit to working that business over the next 6 months or a year. You will be amazed what you can accomplish when you focus on one thing.

    Doing a proper research about the business you wanna start is very important. You should be completely aware of what you want to do and then only start investing your money and time in it.

    Action 4: Schedule - If you are truly serious about having a business and not just a hobby then it's important that you schedule work time. If you have a full time job, that's OK, but you must schedule specific blocks of time each work that is work time for your business. Just by trying to fit it in when you can is a recipe for failure. Figure out how much time (realistically) that you can devote to your business and mark it on the calendar.



    This makes it a priority instead of just an "If I Have Time This Week".

    This attitude should not come if you really want to have a successful business.

    Action 5: Block Out Noise - This is a big one. Unfortunately there are a lot of "Nay Sayers" out there that will always criticize what you are doing. What's frustrating is it's usually the people closest to us like family, friends and co-workers that have most to say. Pay Them No Mind.

    Instead focus on surrounding yourself with people that are already successful. Hire a coach or mentor, or simply join a mastermind group of like minded people that share your desire to succeed. There is nothing more powerful that aligning yourself with other successful people that know what it takes to do it.
    Please don't take this information lightly. These 5 simple but powerful actions, made a huge difference in my business and I know they can help you.


    Shawn
    - No Fear No Excuses
    These actions are very interesting and will help people do their business seriously. I have added my thoughts in bold up there.
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    • Profile picture of the author Not So New
      Thanks for the feedback Kaytav ... I told agree

      Originally Posted by kaytav View Post

      These actions are very interesting and will help people do their business seriously. I have added my thoughts in bold up there.
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  • Profile picture of the author IMStrategus
    I also find since I started making a daily plan of action the evening before for each next day I perform much better.
    When it's written on paper, it's much easier to focus on your daily tasks and plan your daily, weekly and monthly goals.
    Thanks for the tips by the way.
    Signature

    I lie on marketing forums. Social media is for fun, pics & hook ups.

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    • Profile picture of the author Not So New
      Yep Great Point ...

      Being ready for what you are going to do the next day is super important. This way you don't waste time trying to figure it out.

      You basically get up and go

      Shawn

      Originally Posted by IMStrategus View Post

      I also find since I started making a daily plan of action the evening before for each next day I perform much better.
      When it's written on paper, it's much easier to focus on your daily tasks and plan your daily, weekly and monthly goals.
      Thanks for the tips by the way.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7829527].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author troy23
    I think it's good not to get overwhelmed with information also.
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  • Profile picture of the author khooster1
    Great post.
    Easy to say than done. It all boil down to how much you want success.

    I always thought everyone wants success/financial freedom, until I started Internet Marketing. I have seen so many cases of people failing to pull it through.
    Not because of their abilities, but the steer determination to achieve success.

    Somehow, I feel Success is rather exclusive. You need to feel for it.
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  • Profile picture of the author sirtiman
    Sometime all just "want to become" without "how to become".
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  • Profile picture of the author cimsols
    Thanks for sharing this info
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