Do I Want To Continue My Online Business?

Honestly speaking, I have really considered quitting so after much soul searching, my answer is to Quit.

I Quit…. doing things the same ole way with no results.  I Quit…. following the philosophy of buy my products and I Quit hoarding my knowledge.
My knowledge, which actually is one of my greatest assets.

The solution to my problem is to focus on 2 of my greatest assets: To share, with as many people as possible, the knowledge I have  about starting an online business and my ability to persevere through tough times.

You see, I still believe in the power of the Internet.  It is a vehicle for tremendous opportunities and I also believe that knowing how to do business online gives one enormous skills, talents and economic advantages far and above others.  That, I will not quit on.

One other advantage of the internet is that it will force one to grow and change and believe me, it changes almost on a daily basis.

OK, with that being said…..

Today’s  Gold Nugget:  The Temptation To Quit

Definitely, there are many challenges that keep us from reaching the level of success that we are striving for.
Here are some very common ones…

• I feel like all I do is struggle in my business and I am so frustrated I feel like quitting
• I’m overwhelmed and don’t know where to start
• I know what I need to do, but I don’t have enough time
• I’ve started _____ but haven’t gotten any results to speak of yet

Sound familiar?  These are all very common challenges, and in fact, I’ve faced them all myself at one time or another.  You may be surprised to know that most of the top people in this industry have experienced the same challenges, too so at least we are in good company.

If you analyze all the struggles and challenges we allow ourselves to endure (and yes, I do mean Allow)   Lack Of Vision And No Clearly Defined Strategy is the root cause.  Let me explain.

Lack Of Vision = no plan, no written goals.  No Why.
A Clearly Defined Strategy= a specific written plan to follow to achieve your goal. Like a road map.  Specific details on how to get from A > B.

This is what many consider to be a goal:  I want to have a successful online business and make $10K per month.  Problem:  Lack of vision and no strategy for achievement.

Try this instead.  I want to have a successful online business so that in 6 months, I will be making $10K per month.  To do this I will focus on building my business through PPC advertising and taking advantage of social media sites.
Each day I will spend at least ____hrs on social media sites and I will spend $___ per mo. on my PPC advertising.  Each day I will review my vision and strategy so that I stay focused.

Anyway, you get the picture.  The more defined and specific you are the better your results will be.

One more tip to remember……Small action steps taken on a daily basis, over time, will produce big results. Taken from The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
Thanks to one of my favorite mentors, Darren Hardy, for that advice.

By For Now & Happy Trails,

Dana Carmichael

PS:  One more tip…..you can find more on Darren Hardy and Success Magazine here.
You need his info so sign up for his Seeds Of Success Newsletter.

This ECourse is  specifically designed to save you time, energy and frustration by giving you 7 Critical areas of focus.  Powerful information  to help you grow your business and increase your wealth.

In other words, you will know What Really Matters.

Follow these secrets and you will be leaving others in your dust!

Remember, I am here as your guide and I want you to be successful so do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance.

Now It’s Time To Take Off To Success!
Dana Carmichael
214-356-4921
carmichaeldana@gmail.com

http://meetdanacarmichael.net

Where to begin. If you peel off the outer layers of “Retirement” at its core you will find money.
We talk about how to retire and what all we need to do to be able to retire early or retire on time, but without money it will not happen.

To begin our journey to retirement, you must first make the decision to pay yourself first. This habit may be a bit foreign to most of us because it is not the norm. However, this is the ultimate key, and in spite of numerous temptations throughout your life this is a must.

Two things that will help in your goal to pay yourself first is to visualize your goal of retirement, the amount of money needed for your retirement and the steps you will take to facilitate your retirement.

First, lets assume you are young and have plenty of time to plan for retirement. Here are some tips to insure that your plan succeeds.

1. Define Your Dream And Make A Plan To Follow.
Be specific and detailed right down to where you want to live,
what kind of lifestyle you want.

2. Choose A Career That Will Allow You To Make Lots Of Money.
When choosing a career, remember that having a residual income
will allow you more
freedom for retirement. Also, having a career with high income
will allow you to compound
your savings. What a way to accelerate your retirement!

3. Learn To Live On less While You Are Earning.

Worst case scenario, what if you are among the 30% of workers age 55 and older who have not planned for retirement or have very little set aside.
You say, “Why bother at this point, there’s no way I’ll be able to retire”. Not so fast, it is still possible and there is still time for you to put money aside for your retirement.

Here is a plan for you Baby-Boomers who are a little late in getting started.

1. Take Stock Of Your Assets.
Get serious about listing your assets and figuring out exactly what you have to work with. You
may be in better shape that you realize. Assets could include more than 1 income, property
or savings no matter how small.

2. Work To Eliminate Debt And Manage Your Expenses.
One of the fastest ways to save money is to eliminate your mortgage and credit card debt.
and there are programs that help you do that.

3. Start An Online Business.
An online business or a home business can be done on a part time basis, and although
most businesses require a small investment, these businesses can be very lucrative.

4. Avoid Procrastination And Making Excuses. Just Get Started!

Follow these tips, learn to be creative and resourceful and know how to use the assets and talents you already possess so that you can retire early.

Recommended Reading:
1. Your Money Your Life by Joe Dominquez and Vicki Robin
2. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley, PhD and William Dankow, Ph.D

Disclaimer:
This article is solely for informational purposes and is not intended to be relied upon as a source of investment advice.

You know what that means…..MORE LEADS = MORE MONEY

What Is PPC (Pay Per Click) Advertising?

The name pay per click is used because that is basically how it works.  Literally,  you pay a set amount of money every time a person clicks on an advertised add that takes them directly to your site.  With search engines, advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market.  Content sites commonly charge a fixed price per click rather than use a bidding system.

If you don’t already do PPC marketing, I strongly suggest starting with Yahoo & Bing as they have just merged and will have a good percentage of traffic as compared with Google.  Other top sites are of course Google, You Tube and Facebook.  Setting up an account is pretty straight forward and each of these sites will offer abundant opportunities for traffic and leads.

When it comes to PPC Advertising, you must make sure that you are a “Professional” and not an Amateur otherwise you will end up paying dearly for very limited results.  Talk about ruining your ROI!  Here’s what amateurs do….

They choose some keywords (most times way too broad) and some way to target other people and then set what website they want to direct their traffic to.  Then they make the ad live.

The Professionals, on the other hand,  know that one of the BIGGEST secrets to successful PPC marketing is the CTR.
Knowing the importance of your ads CTR, you must BEGIN your campaigns with high performing ads and most importantly, you must watch your ads like a Hawk in the 1st few hours.

What separates the Professionals from the Amateurs is that the Professionals SPLIT TEST their ads “weeding out” under performing ads, and making sure that their CTR and conversions are optimized. It’s Incredibly Important You Do This!

You see, “SPLIT TESTING” is the biggest trick in marketing.   It is the single biggest & most scientific tactic you can implement to improve your results and thereby increase how much money you’re making.

If you are not doing this, I guarantee you are leaving money on the table.

Here are four tips that you can immediately implement to boost your PPC results.

1. Make sure you have a congruent message beginning with keywords, title, text, and display URL.  Most importantly, the website you are directing your traffic to Must convey the same message.
2. Do your keyword research using the Google Adword Keyword Tool.  Narrow your keywords to target a specific niche.
3. Once your ad is live, monitor your keywords and eliminate ones that are not effective.  Remember, only about 10% of your keywords will make you money so pull the plug on those that do not produce.
4. Split Test and monitor your data.  Begin with 2 or 3 ads and only run the best converting ad.Tweak the others using 1 or 2 variables so that your are always displaying the highest converting ad.

Imaging the thrill of placing your ads and seeing results within minutes!  Your ultimate goal is to have campaigns and ad groups that perform like a fine running machine.  If you are new to PPC, the action you take while perfecting your skills will be your biggest marketing education.

Lets go have some fun.

So how does one become a top internet marketer?  This article will give you valuable gold nuggets and practical tips for you to immediately implement in order to get your internet marketing on the fast track.

As you continue reading, you will learn the qualities of a top internet marketer and by combining  these tips you are sure to see grand results.

A top internet marketer knows the importance of using specific keywords to target potential customers, they know the value of each customer and they know how to keep and build good relationships with that customer for repeat business and they know the importance of associating with like minded individuals.

Also, a top internet marketer is forward thinking and is always aware of new trends and more especially, what’s not working and therefore, is able to stay a step ahead of the competition.

And now, 4 hot tips:

1. Education: A must is to continually stay current with new information and trends by learning from other top producers in the industry and reading books and other publications that are relevant to our industry.
2. Be A Person Of Action: Consistent daily action toward your marketing target or goal, even if they are small steps, over time will lead to big results.  Think of pumping water from a well, you’ll never get the water flowing by starting and then stopping and having to start again.
3. Association: Put yourself in a position to have big results by associating yourself with the right company, the right product and the right community of people who can support you.
4. Personal Development And Mindset: Getting your mind set with the proper mindset is key to becoming a top internet marketer.

Now it’s time for you to become a top internet marketer by applying these tips:  constantly learning, having the proper mindset (perseverance and persistence), taking consistent daily action toward your goal, and by associating with a community of like minded individuals who understand and support you.

Remember, there is no such thing as quick, easy money and there are no legitimate businesses that do not require work.   With that said, here are 3 questions to consider.

1. How much does it cost?

   Keep in mind that you are looking for a business.  Although it is home based, it is still a business!  If you were buying a recognized franchise your cost could be $25,000 to $50oK.   The initial cost is one thing that makes home businesses so attractive, you can start a business for a lot less than $25K.
   Consider your initial cost as an investment in yourself.

2. How hard is it?

   This is a good question because I am 99% sure that most people who start a home business haven’t a clue as to the commitment required to be successful.  If you have had marketing or sales experience that will help but you will have a learning curve so you must be patient with yourself.

   Compare your learning curve to someone going to med school or law school.  Be sure you give yourself the time necessary to learn a new skill.

3. What products will you sell?

   Very important to consider because after all, you want to make money!

   I believe one of the most important things you can do is to get the proper foundation when learning internet marketing.  Do not be satisfied to rely on others when it comes to your business.  You need to learn internet marketing.  When you do that, you can sell anything.

   When choosing a company consider this….Are you going to be working and spending your time to earn $100.00 commissions or would you rather earn $1000.00 plus commissions?  Think about it.

If you want big paychecks, you need a company that has several different levels of compensation.

How and where you position yourself will make all the difference in your income potential so give careful consideration to the compensation plan.

Hopefully this shed some light on what’s involved in having a successful home business.  Stay committed to your dreams and choose your company carefully.

Here is a tip to help overcome the frustration and stress and put you on the track to completing your tasks quickly.

In Zig Ziggler’s training he tells this story.  Pretend your best friend calls you and says she has 2 free tickets to Hawaii (He used Mexico but I prefer Hawaii), all expenses paid and you leave tomorrow. “Can you be ready to go?”.  Immediately, you think of all the things you have to do and you may say to yourself, “there’s no way I can be ready” but you really, really want to go.

Knowing that you really want to go to Hawaii and that you leave tomorrow, gives you that motivation and focus necessary to get your work done.    You prioritize you list so that you do the most important things first and then you turn on the after burners to get the necessary work done and you do it quickly and efficiently.

Another way of explaining this tip is Parkinson’s Law, which says, work will expand so as to fill the available time for completion. So in other words, unless you have a deadline the things on your “to do” list will just linger.  By identifying the most important tasks and giving yourself a deadline for completion you will find that you are able to get lots of work done quickly.

So let’s go to Hawaii “tomorrow” every day!

Not to worry… there are so many people out there looking for online opportunities, and many of them don’t know a thing when it comes to internet marketing. If you have any knowledge on the subject whatsoever, you’re ahead of the game. Ideally, whichever online opportunity you’ve joined has provided you with the necessary training to market your business. So what’s one great way to start? Write a tutorial on how others can market their business with the same methods you’ve just learned about.

Before you started your online business what questions did you have about the industry? Many others looking to start their own home-based businesses likely have the same questions and may find an article on the topic quite useful. I’ve personally found that these types of articles produce the most amount of leads because you’re targeting individuals who aren’t already involved in an online business. There are endless questions you can answer for individuals looking to start their own businesses… how much does an online business cost, what is MLM, what is direct marketing, do legitimate online businesses truly exist… and so on.

If you find yourself running out of ideas to write about, there are a few methods I use to generate more topics. I find the most useful to be expanding upon previous topics. Maybe you’ve written an article about free internet marketing methods encompassing all methods you know about. Expand upon this and write about each individual marketing technique… then expand upon this and focus on a particular aspect of each technique. This method can be extremely useful in producing a large number of article topics.

You may find yourself struggling a little bit at first, but the more you write, the easier it will become and the easier you’ll find yourself coming up with topics to write about. The longer you’re in the industry, the more information you’ll have to provide to others as well… so stick with it and don’t give up… everyone starts somewhere.

So how much exactly would I recommend investing in an online opportunity? I would recommend investing at least $1000 to $2000 USD. This might shock many of you, and I likely would have felt the same way reading this a year ago. However, in actuality, this is an incredibly small amount of money to invest into a business in which you could make $200 000 USD (or more, depending on your work ethic and marketing strategies) from home in your first year. These types of numbers are genuinely possible with the right attitude, work ethic, training, and a legitimate online company. It’s unfortunate that so many people tend to look for a way out in the form of a free and/or no-effort opportunity. I will tell you now… such opportunities simply do not exist online, so don’t fall for the hype.

How much do people spend on average opening their own franchise such as McDonald’s or Subway? The number is in the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars, yet this is generally seen as ok since it’s a traditional “brick and mortar” business. The truth is, you can make more money online for a fraction of the traditional “brick and mortar” investment, with no overhead and much less hassle.

Don’t let the online investment numbers get you down. Search out a legitimate online opportunity and put down some well-invested income. Is six figures a year and the freedom of working from home worth a $2000 investment? I think most of you would agree that YES IT IS.