Where Have The Real Business Builders Gone?

Yeah Internet marketing is about building a long term income , and have a established revenue source and having long term plans. It is not get rich quick scheme, make money in 4 hours.

Bluntly, if people are here as a last ditch bid to make some money... then they are better off just getting another job.

The mistake I see - and have made myself - is to immediately redraw income to fund your lifestyle. This was a bad move and if I had my time again, I would would have stuck with my job for another year and reinvested on line income to grow the business.

Most people have trouble dealing with delayed reward. It's easy to build a fragile but profitable thing that falls apart if you look at it from the wrong angle, and hard to build something just as or more profitable that lasts.

I made the mistake of looking for the quick solution for a long time before I realized how important it is to build something to last.

I'm still here and I'm still working on a sustainable business model that not only see's success today but will see success tomorrow. I think its about how you run your business. A lot of people do this as a hobby for mad-money--which instantly gets blown or spent as soon as its made.

I reinvested into a list, which had paid off. It's scaling up that I have had trouble with, due to lack of time. But with my SEO/marketing gig now gone, I have more time and have been working on pushing upward and beyond.

Good thread.

I made the same mistakes that most newbies make when I first started. It's very easy to get into Internet marketing thinking only of making fast money. So many of the products that target newbies promise that. You rarely see headlines like,

BUILD A LONG TERM BUSINESS. THIS WILL TAKE SOME TIME BUT WILL BE WORTH IT. BE PREPARED TO WORK YOUR BUTT OFF TO GET THERE.

lol. I guarantee you that would be a lonely WSO.

Once you're done trying all the shiny objects and your sick of chasing short term profits, it's time to focus on building a long term business. Some will give up before they get to that point, but others will "get it" finally and get started on their businesses.

Some think it's too much work. It is work, but when you consider how much work is involved in starting over and over again with short term methods to keep a consistent income, you realize that you're spending a lot of time building nothing. It's really a no brainer at that point. Build a sustainable business or build nothing. Easy choice.

Sal, great post and great additions. I also agree with what Suzanne said.

Having built several successful offline businesses, I had the correct expectation of what kind of time and money that would take and the risk involved (half of all offline businesses fail their first year.)

However, like Suzanne said, with all the flashy headlines of making money fast online, even I was taken in for a while.

Once I wrapped my head around that "Yes, this is another business just like any other I've started". Then that is when I started making real progress.

Now, I am working only with the future in mind.

However, you know what the interesting things was----as soon as I realized this was a business and started building systems for a long term sustainable business, I made more money immediately, too.

I'm not talking about millions, but would be a good extra income for most people already to make a house or car payment.

I hope some other newbies read this thread so that they can skip the learning curve.

sal64...

To confirm your post, I will now proceed to face my humility and greatest fears.

Also, what sbucciarel said above is so freaking true!!!

I initially came here (into IM) with the forethought and desire to build and establish a real business, and am steadily fighting what at times appears an uphill battle to maintain that very mindset, due to the amount of crap one must wade through to get to the real goods.

While by comparison to many of the long-term Warriors whom share valuable insight day in and day out here on the forum with their success, I still feel a touch intimidated by the amount of work it took them and yourself to reach the full-time income level, respectively.

Having had prior offline small business experience, I think that has helped a great deal in the mindset department and within a few different aspects of the IM world while undergoing the process of building an online business.

While the recipes used to create success online, are a bit differing by comparison to my prior offline business in regard to the technical and computing aspects... the hard work, mastering of tools, planning, creating blueprints, and the actual construction process all share the same ingredients.

I often say; "The recipes may change, but the main ingredients for success remain unchanged"

Sh!T I won't lie, my expectations were that I'd be making decent money already, or generating at least a grand per week. :rolleyes:

However, there's several good reasons why I am not.

1.) I am not in this for the short-term, and thus, refuse to rush into anything without the proper knowledge to stand behind the products I promote, create, sell, or even refer.

2.) The learning curve was/is brutal, and within the subtle simplicities of creating a decent website, blog, or niche site there are several factors, trade skills, and businesses just on the forefront of IM, ...let alone learning all that goes on behind the scenes (i.e. ftp, HTML, php, css, graphics, writing links, redirects, security, plugins, etc...)

-Or that go into learning the proper marketing methods; (i.e. article syndication, affiliate marketing, drop-ship, eCommerce, email marketing, product creation, SEO, uploading/downloading and the seamless delivery of digital products, etc...)

-Once those fundamentals were acquired, and I had some 'basic' knowledge of the process, it lead to creating sales funnels, pre-selling, up-sells, down-sells, cross-selling, marketing strategy, psychology, and investigating the real dynamics of selling, email follow-ups, broadcasts, etc... *where I am right now!

-Finally, after 7 months working the full-time job, and putting in at least 7+ hours a day online (every day) I can finally say I have a detailed mind map, a plan, the structural foundation laid, and feel confident I am almost ready to make a run at this equipped with the tools and knowledge to succeed, and create a real online presence and business.

Oh, and for the record, I will openly admit, of the 7 hours I put in daily online, maybe 25-30% was actually productive! -This is definitely an area I need to work on... time management!

Now for the downside, I just got laid off, lost my residence (with the job) filed unemployment for the first time in my 39 years, and face a HUGE decision...

A.) Can I rough it for 30, 60, maybe 90 days w/unemployment and devote all this knowledge to go hard 80-90+ hours per week and make a solid run at just going for it full-time online?

OR

Do I go take a low paying job... which I know is a dead end, and risk everything I have invested and the burning desire NOT to replace the loss of my job with another negative?

Yes, I said it... the job sucked, interfered with my online focus, and didn't pay sh!t anyway!

Truth is, for all practical points and purposes, I am looking for another job while contemplating the above decision. By now, you'd think I'd be whipping out articles or something, but I am stubborn to believe that is any different than a low paying job!

With 15 years prior self-employment, I cannot rationalize "how" $8-$10 can justify my expertise or the fact I have hands-on experience in a multitude of offline trades, and yet... today's economy has devalued those skills so severely, it's almost not even worth the effort.

When I exploring the cost ratio between my prior offline business experience -vs- the online business... my online operations are at least 1/100th of the investments I made regularly offline.

I am damn near ready to sell everything, and risk it all, rather than spend $20 a day driving to a $10 per hour job! -The problem is convincing the wife and kids, we'll muddle through this.

In truth and absolution, the money I have invested online wouldn't cover the fuel expenses I paid for years offline to drive to the job sites, let alone the tools, heavy equipment, insurances, legalities, etc... I spent at least $500 per week to average $1750-$2,000 week .

On that note, a job unlike my old business can and will carry me, and I have NOT ruled it out, naturally.

However, as I ponder my decision, I have 3 leads for side work offline which remain in limbo awaiting answer (2 of those are with people I don't feel are trustworthy), and of 7-8 online plans, 2 are well-thought out(and ethical) in my pursuit to regain self-employment.

The irony being, as I am writing this, I was just watching the show "Gold Rush" and I can't help but weigh the gravity of these guys constant challenges and unfortunate circumstances, as they share a similar strand of irony... as the events that just unfolded in my current experiences.

*Namely caused by greedy people wanting to cut corners, jobs, and cutting the throats of those who do the most good, and the brunt of the work!

While I seek no pity, no sympathy, nor something for nothing, I will NOT be complete until I have my online business generating a suitable income to support my family and to be able to never look back.

So, though I meant not to take away from your thread, I hope my contribution bridges some reality to those newcomers who are looking to make $1k per week after being here for 30 days and putting in 1-2 hours per day.

I cannot bring myself to sling rehashed WSO's or push reviews on the latest "push-button magic software" so I guess; I'm somewhere between crawling and walking right now.

Recap, 7 months in, minimal cash invested $4k (well spent IMHO), approximately 1,470 hours (*mostly studying and applying the knowledge gained)

-Only 10 sales to date (*under $200 made) and yet, the ability to maintain the confidence to know; hitting 6 figures within the next 12-18 months is absolutely doable within my blueprint...priceless!!!

...Oddly enough, my greatest concern right now is keeping my internet bill paid, a roof overhead, and NOT letting the chaos distract my desire to persevere, and staying focused on why I am doing this...

To reestablish control of my time, my finances, and most of all for my family. Self-employment is the ONLY way I know how to do that BTW, cause hourly jobs just don't cut it!

All the Best,

Art

Hi Art,

I know exactly how you feel. I used to have my own offline business for ten years. Then it crashed and burned - taking me down with it. I eventually found another great job, only to get retrenched three years later. Ever since then I have been eaking out a survival existance on consulting and bookkeeping work. I have a day job now which keeps the roof over my head but I HATE working for a boss.

Once you have been self-employed, you become un-employable.

So now my days consist of: my day job, taxi run to pick the kids from school, cook lunch, clean house, washing and ironing, cook dinner, get kids settled and then spend three hours in the evening working on my internet business.

The last four months I have managed to get the basics under my belt but only the very basics. I have such a long way to go, but I will get there.

Just a note: not having regular income (as small as it may be) is NOT worth the stress and pressure it will put on you and your family. Better to suck it up and take the job. Then build your empire after hours. It will be worth it.

Just my humble opinion after years of terror at every month end

Di

Thanks Di,

I almost stopped myself from posting it, and after thinking about it, I feel no shame in the progress I have made so far.

You are 100% right, after being self-employed an hourly job is a test in humility and quite humbling. We have 3 teenagers, and the wife, and I both worked 2 years for the prior employer.

With little to no notice, the business was sold, and all the honest employees were let go, while the 'criminally minded' ones remained employed. It's almost laughable, when I think about it.

Ultimately, reaching success often boils down to some form of sacrifice, be it money, labor, time, family, or rationalizing the difference between what we need, from that which we want.

Might I will you great success!

All the Best,

-Art

Hey everyone...

I am truly chuffed by the input and comments on this thread. I started it through the frustration I get in this place sometimes.

So rather than hit a multi-quote button, thank you all for your contribution. This issue is close to my heart. And to hear other chime in - especially those who have built a real business liek Suzanne - as well as those who are just starting out but understand the concept... makes me warm and fuzzy.

Hopefully the ones who need to hear this message will read this thread and take some important lessons from it.

Carry on.

Sal

@Big Mike: Once again thank you for the clarity and wisdom.

@Ex-Rat, I can see where you're coming from. As I said, life happens. But from most of the people I have spoken to at seminars, they truly want an alternative lifestyle away from the current mundane. So I guess that's why they are so vulnerable to the con jobs.

I think from memory the only person who did well from building a business was Rich Schefren.

It's not a sexy market at all.

As a poster above shared his Amazon experience... and Mike summed it best... applying aa method for making money based on one income stream - and a 3rd party one - is not a secure way to build a biz.

Look, I was doing great with my real estate products up until the GFC and my biz shut down over night. Luckily we had other streams in place as primary income, but if I was relying on those sales, I'd be on the street by now.

John Reece stated that 1 is the riskiest number in IM... how prophetic.

Anyway, on a lesser level, building a real business can be as simple as creating the systems required to run your enterprise as a well oiled machine. These systems ensure that everything is done when and as often as they should, and also allow you to scale up the business as you grow.

And Mike.. I study the real gurus that you mentioned. I think the worship you mention comes from the guru catering / pandering to the person's needs and wants. They are selling back the dream and affirming what the person wants to hear.

It's very rare that a guru opens thier office to you and shows you how to run a business. Filsaime did it in Long Island a few years ago, and I was lucky to be coached and work with a guy who makes most of his $$ offline and from the stage.

The cool part about the latter is that I toured with him and was able to have a beer with a few of the gurus such as Pierce and Morin etc... which is when they talk more openly.

Sal

I think Bezos is also an excellent study in building a business and not worrying about the short term. Amazon.com was unprofitable for a long time, but kept building and building until it's now a major retail outlet.

The Kindle was a runaway success, further building on their empire. Along comes iPad. Bezos saw iPad as a great threat to Amazon, delivering it's Amazon book products on a device other than it's own.

Along comes Kindle Fire... sold at a $25 loss per unit and it's the first tablet to really give the iPad a run for it's money in sales.

Selling Kindle Fire at a loss cuts 73% from their earnings for this period over last year, but Amazon has never put earnings over market share. They'll make up the earnings selling their premium (and very affordable) service to the Kindle Fire, plus they'll have a huge tablet market share after all is said and done.

Wall Street analysts, who's only focus is on money, money, money, don't think selling Kindle Fire so cheap is such a good idea.

Jeff Bezos disagrees, and basically doesn't give a crap what Wall Street thinks. Interesting read.

Amazon CEO Turns Deaf Ear to Wall Street Analysts - Forbes

I've worked with countless coaching clients and one
of the most commonly recurring themes is the lack of
a long term business plan.

"I want to make money online" may be an admirable
dream, but it doesn't make a great business objective!

I'll try to avoid reiterating what's already been said in
the above posts... But, there seems to be one particular
skill that is sadly lacking in the Internet Marketing world
and that's basic maths and accounting.

It never ceases to amaze me that many people just don't
understand that their business statistics are critically
important. If you don't understand your numbers, you have
virtually no chance of making a profit.

John

Of course, because people come to make money online, not to create a business.

People don't but into the dream of building a business, they buy into the dream of making money easily online.

Rob