If you recently got into learning how to make money online, and if you want to unlock the secrets to discovering how to earn money online in 2011 then I highly recommend taking a leap of faith, putting your current efforts on pause, and taking a totally new approach to growing your own online business. I recommend this because it is exactly what I have done, and is what has helped me launch 2 new online businesses in 2010.
But before I did that, I was literally drowning in information. My head was overloaded with great ideas and concepts, and all of them seemed fantastic. With a bucket load of enthusiasm I went out and tried every darn system I could. I did what many online “gurus” teach and I took some massive action! But it got me no where. I lacked focus, direction and my morale took an absolute battering. I don’t know if it is the same for you?
It wasn’t until I applied these 3 core principles that my life and business actually changed, and that’s what I want to share with you today to help get 2011 off to a great start for you!
2011 Success Principle 1 – Laser-Guided Focus and a Clear Mind
If you are anything like I was, then absolutely everything you have tried just didn’t quite work. You might have seen a little success with things here and there, but nothing ever came off for you, and never worked like you wanted it to. Friends and family might be putting pressure on you, and telling you to stop messing around. In their heads, you are just failing, and they are making their feelings known that they think you are screwing around!
Maybe some of the above is true for you, or has been true for you. It was for me in 2009. And this made it ridiculously difficult to focus or push forward. I was feeling really downbeat about everything and I started to question myself. I spent far too much brooding, thinking and this led me to start buying loads of different “make money online” courses. In desperation I was hoping some one out there had all the answers for me, and I was hoping they were going to deliver those answers in the form of a ClickBank product!
I kept spending money, and NEVER making any, and it got me down.
This all changed though when I changed my focus. My head was full of far too much doubt, questions, ideas and I was over-analyzing everything. I decided to clear my head, and focus on just ONE business model, and keep going until I made it work. Once I had made something work, I would repeat the process again, or I would diversify or try different things.
On a blank sheet of paper I wrote two columns. On one side I wrote down everything that I wasn’t good at online, and on the other side I wrote down what I was good at online. Once I had written everything down, it became clear to me where my strengths are, and it helped me uncover the business model I should be using.
I decided to be laser-focussed and committed until I made one project work. I was focussed.
2011 Success Principle 2 – A Powerful Business Model That Really Works
Once you have cleared your mind, and identified what you are good at, and what you enjoy most about working online, then it is time to go ahead and find a business model/plan that suits you.
People focus too much on cool business models and ideas that they see others writing about on blogs and forums. The reality is, it’s very difficult to just copy some one. You have to do something you are some what good at (you don’t have to be amazing at it) and it has to be something you kind of enjoy.
For example, there are some people making thousands (some times as much as a 0k a month) using Pay Per Click Advertising promoting “CPA” (cost per action) offers. It is a great business model that hundreds of people are making work, but it’s not something I am good at, and it is not something I enjoy. No matter how hard try, I can’t get that stuff to work, so it’s pointless me working on it.
I do enjoy doing SEO (search engine optimization) for local clients, and I do enjoy affiliate management and running my own membership websites etc. I am good at SEO, and I have built a business around it this year with consulting and affiliate marketing. I also really enjoy selling information products and getting affiliates to promote my products, so I have been focussing on that a lot lately too.
I know that people out there are making 0k-0k a month doing these things. I know lots of people using these business models, AND, they work for me too, because I am good at them and enjoy them.
Now, don’t worry if you are not good at anything online yet. You’ll have strengths, and with a bit of practice, you’ll easily be able to identify what you’re good at/enjoy, and with that information you can select a business model that will work for you.
(If you’re interested in what I am focussing on, and if you want to know a great business model I recommend and believe anyone can do, then I would have to say it is running your own membership websites. For some one very new, it can sound really intimidating, but it is actually no where near as difficult as you might think).
2011 Success Principle 3 – Time Management (Stay With Me)
This is the least sexy and least exciting piece of the puzzle, but it is a ridiculously important one.
If you have been following and taking action on the principles and steps I have talked about so far, then you should now have a powerful blueprint that plays to your strengths, that you enjoy and you are going to follow until it works. You are focussed, and have cleared your mind of a lot of “clutter” and you are ready to do what it takes to change your life and create an online business that will help free-up your time to do things you want to do, and also boost your bank account considerably!
The final step is to make sure you work consistently, stay on track and stay focussed. It is critical you manage time. Principle 3 relates very closely to Principle 1. You want to get rid of a lot of the “noise” in your life. Here are some examples and tips on what I am talking about (the following assumes you are trying to start an online business whilst having a full-time job):
1. Commit to doing at least 1-2 hours of work on your business a day. You might have a day/night job, and a family, but put down the book/magazine/TV controller, and do a couple of hours of work 4-5 days a week. (Have a day or two off to do fun-stuff and take a break).
2. When you are working, write down things that you need to get done. Don’t ever start working without knowing what it is you need to do. If you are running a membership site for example, one of the first steps/things you might need to do is to create some content for your future customers!
3. As you get into the swing of things, make sure you are doing tasks that will help you make money in the shortest possible time. So for example researching the best membership site software is not going to help you make money quickly. Writing a piece of content, and getting it listed on ClickBank on the other hand WILL make you money. I hope you get the idea?
4. Looking at blogs and forums does not count as work. If you are sat watching YouTube, and reading blogs and forums for a couple of hours a day, you have done no work. It doesn’t matter if you have been reading about topics to help your business, the fact is, you have done nothing to help yourself make money. You have wasted time. The best way to learn, is by doing stuff. Make sure when you are at the computer, you are actually working!
I know all of the above is A LOT to take in. If you have read this far, then I congratulate you. You are serious about your success and it seems like you are prepared to go the extra mile to make that happen. Remember, it is important not to lose faith, and don’t give up on your dreams! If after all this, you are still a little bit confused about how to earn money online in 2011, then the chances are you need to find a system or blueprint you can use to build your business. Make sure you identify what you enjoy and what you are good at and then go out and find your system and profit!
It really is okay to feel worried, confused or nervous about Internet marketing. It can be very challenging to start your own business online, and that is a lot to do with the fact that there is some incredibly bad information out there. If you want to grow your own Internet Marketing Business, I highly recommend you check out this free video where you are given a free blueprint that helped one newbie go from -30.95 in 29 days from scratch.
