Looks like I'm going to have to put this thing in overdrive...

Hi Tom,

Just a little note on keeping things in perspective here...

One of the largest reasons folks who start their own businesses fail is because they underestimate the need to go out into the marketplace and create relationships with customers.

As an example, years ago I hung out with a guy who franchised his business and at that time he had over 150 franchisees. It never ceased to amaze him that folks would pay him $150K for a franchise and then sit in front of the machines that came with the franchise hoping customers would walk in the door.

So invariably, within 6 months he would get a call from the typical franchisee saying that their business was stagnated to the point of them being financially strapped.

He would then have to remind them that their job was NOT standing in front of a printing press watching copy after copy of a job come off the press, but rather get out into the community and knock on doors and make relationships happen.

To a person it seems, they had underestimated the power and the need of doing that, although if you asked them they would be the first person to tell you they, in fact, did understand the need to do that. But the kicker is they would always put it off in favor of watching the jobs they had already contracted for come off the press.

The bottom line is this...if you indeed want to make a go of having your wife's business become the sole income vehicle in your household you will fully need to understand that without somebody being a full time promoter of the business, that means becoming a MARKETER and aggressively MARKETING, you will fail.

If you haven't already done so, sit down with your wife and create a profile of your target customer so you have a clear understanding of who it is exactly that you need to market to.

If your answer is "Everybody can use my product", you just failed and need to do the exercise again starting from scratch. Only this time with focus. Razor sharp focus.

The notion that somehow the internet is going to take care of the marketing on it's own is the biggest falicy folks buy into. It's not, and it won't without some very specific and targeted strategies on your part.

That's a world apart from worrying about how your logo looks or if you have too many links on the home page that can be consolidated. Those things can wait.

It will take massive traffic coming to your site to make a full time living for the both of you utilizing this business as the money machine to feed you and your children.

I strongly suggest you also find ways to market outside of the internet, that means contacting corporations, companies, trade associations, gift shops and suppliers, wineries, upscale eating establishments, in short, anybody that may fit the profile you have laid out as an archetype of a customer for what you are selling.

None of this is going to be easy at first. But once you get into a rhythm and diligently embrace the process things become easier. In fact, they become downright rewarding. Satisfaction on the highest order, if you will.

We all work toward that goal, and now I'd like to welcome you to the club.

KJ

Hi Tom,

Spend the $37.00 to join the War Room then you can PM like there's no tomorrow.

But the real benefit is that you will then have access to some incredibly powerful tools and information in there that would cost you a fortune otherwise. You'll have to dig around, it's getting a little diluted in there, but you can't find a bigger bang for your buck on the planet.

KJ

Sucks, doesn't it. I just had my car fixed for $800. Went out to get it this morning, and my wife's car needed a water pump. Picked mine up, dropped hers off. Very painful to the bank account. Especially now.