December 6, 2008
What Are You Building?
I'd like you to seriously consider the question "What Are You Building?"
Let me explain..
- Are you building a source of online income that means you can give up working in a full time, or part time, job?
- Are you building an online business selling your own digital products?
- Are you building a portfolio of websites that generate Adsense, Affiliate or CPA income?
- Are you building a list of subscribers allowing you to promote your own and other people's products?
Have you thought about this at length?
Do you have a clearly defined business plan?
I'm not expecting you to answer me right now. I'm not the one who needs to know the answer.. You Are!
So, take the time to think about it, be totally honest with yourself. If it helps, take some time to make a few notes on a sheet of paper, in your notebook or even on your private blog.
In my ever so humble opinion.. the not knowing what kind of business you are in is one of the most significant factors that limit your success.
There's an often used phrase.. "If you don't know where you're going you'll end up somewhere else" and, while that paints part of the picture, I offer you yet another phrase: "If you don't know why you're going, you're unlikely to arrive".
So, when you really think about the business that you want to build, consider this..
The most successful businesses (online or offline) have one very important factor in common.. They build relationships.
Yes, they build relationships with their customers.
They also have strong relationships with their suppliers and their sales agents.
The stronger the relationships you have with all the people who have an interest in your business, the less likely it is that other factors will influence your success.
Unfortunately, very few people really understand the importance of building strong relationships. I read a book the other day written buy someone who really does "get it". It's called "The Rapid List Building Formula" which, in my opinion, doesn't do it justice. Chris Rempel, the author, explains why you should focus on building strong realtionships with a targeted group of people rather than follow the so called "experts" who seem to think that the size of your list is everything.
This is a great time of year to plan for the New Year and I strongly recommend that you read "The Rapid List Building Formula" as it will help you to plan for success during next year and the years to come.
Comments on What Are You Building? »
First time commenter, been following you on twitter.
I'm a big fan of knowing exactly what we do, and how we do it – we create process maps, share ideas, and pretty much *work the process*.
I listened to a call where another marketer in a different industry (rapid tax filing / anticipation loans) commented, "I'm not in the tax filing business, I'm in the keep the IRS off your back business, the get your money now and not later business." I like that kind of thinking, as it narrows down what you actually do.
My business isn't just niches or marketing or even copywriting, its the fast payday. My "following" is generally fed up with waiting 2 weeks to get paid – that sounds strangely joblike to me, yet I see people cheer when they finally get a check from Clickbank or Commission Junction.
It's important to know what you're really about because smart people stay educated continously. New ebooks and courses come out every day, but without a clear knowledge of what you want to do, it's very hard to keep from buying everything that claims it'll make you money.
For my team and myself, our "vehicle" of building wealth, influence, leverage, and alliances in marketing has simply been creating great products, free and premium. It's supporting everything, from our blogs to our live show, to our paid products with 100% integrity.
I'm building processes that once released into the wild will bring me back money on autopilot. All I will do afterward is continue to feed the funnel, pet it a couple of times, and show it off to friends and family.
Work hard, play hard, love easily!
Isabella "Niche Lady" Murphy
John
You make an excellent point. I think the temptation with internet marketing particularly is to look for small gains here and there rather than concentrating upon a proper business. There is a world of difference between internet marketing and an internet business.
Andrew