Let's Talk - Where Are You With Your Online Business?

**VAnetworking** · March 21st, 2010

Wow! Meatloaf flashback...You took the words right outta my mouth... (but no kissing involved Lynn HA!) Like you, I run a free forum www.VAnetworking.com (plus a paid membership area) and I've been feeling somewhat distant from my members lately too! And you just brought it to light why...business is growing on me and I need to re-evaluate my current outsourcing needs so I have more time to enjoy my business again and do the things I love doing in it. Thanks for that AHA today for me

I used to know everybody that joined my forum but lately I can hardly keep up with just saying hi to the new members. I feel distant/disconnected with the friends who made my network what it is today. I know it stems from my business making more money this year because with business growth comes more backend work for me taking me away to do it. Time once again to restructure my current outsourcing needs and bring on more people to help me which will be one of my goals this month.

I feel like I've lost that FUN reason I started up my forum...to connect, socialize and share information with like-minded business entrepreneurs. I want that back again!

I'm reading a book right now which I recommend along this theme (Trust Agents by Chris Brogan). Basically so far its about gaining trust with your audience through human connection which in turn can become a powerful force for your business.

Another goal this month for me is to spend scheduled time in the morning and late afternoon at my forum, just doing what I love doing again...sharing my knowledge, learning from others and socializing

I always feel like I don't have time but do we ever have enough time? I'm just going to make the time, no ifs, ands or buts this month and get back into my old habit of hanging out with my friends again.

How will you connect with your target market this month?

Angela Wills · March 21st, 2010

WOW! I just spent the time to go through as many posts as I could and there's huge value in just hearing where everyone is at in their business.

For me I put that I'm going through the motions because I don't quite feel like I'm totally rockin it yet.

I have no problem taking action and I keep doing so. My goal is full time affiliate marketing and I definitely feel like I'm progressing but I don't feel like it's happening fast enough. Action I've taken lately:
- four free webinars for march
- added about 80 autoresponders in feb
- blogging mostly daily and now trying to up to 2 times per day
- article marketing and participating in the HAHD - hundred articles in a hundred days at ezine articles
- put up an email coaching program for extra cash
- put up a product - audio replays from the marketers mojo virtual conference featuring 21 expert speakers
- put up a few reports - some internet marketing reports for $17 each
- doing videos - I just recently did a 'dear guru' parody song that's getting attention and uped my traffic a bit

I keep thinking about how i can get larger sources of quality traffic. I feel so shy about asking for people to let me guest blog but I know I need to get over that as I think that is a high quality source of traffic that I need to plug in to. Also, I know there are a number of people who would be completely open to my guest blogs PLUS I started a list here with people saying I could blog for them - I have no excuses there!

In the meantime I'm still struggling to do client work. I have to do it because it makes me cash (which I need to eat and stuff) but what I really want to do is put my entire heart and soul into my main goal.

I like the suggestion Lynn made for someone else to do 2 hours per work on websites (10 hours per week) and then the rest for client work. I think if I made that goal it would help me balance cash with progress.

**Lynn Terry** · March 22nd, 2010

Originally Posted by VAnetworking

...business is growing on me and I need to re-evaluate my current outsourcing needs so I have more time to enjoy my business again and do the things I love doing in it. Thanks for that AHA today for me

I can relate to that Tawyna - and to just making time for things we most want to get back to in our business models (ie the main reason we started doing what we do in the first place!). Great points!

It's going to take a team, which is what I am putting serious energy & planning into right now. I took on some great people last year, and so now I am busily organizing how I want all of that to work (and how I want them to work together). Of course that in itself takes a lot of time - so I am actually handing it off to someone who can better organize it than I can myself.

Bottom line: I've discovered I need a biz/project manager to take things to the next level.

**Lynn Terry** · March 22nd, 2010

Originally Posted by Angela Wills

I keep thinking about how i can get larger sources of quality traffic. I feel so shy about asking for people to let me guest blog but I know I need to get over that as I think that is a high quality source of traffic that I need to plug in to. Also, I know there are a number of people who would be completely open to my guest blogs PLUS I started a list here with people saying I could blog for them - I have no excuses there!

What is it that makes you shy about offering to guest post, especially with the number of positive responses you've already received? It really is a great way to get exposure, traffic & inbound links!

I really like Chris Garrett's guest posting guide & resources, which I mentioned here:

http://www.clicknewz.com/2219/fast-blogging-deals/

It comes with a complete guide & tons of resources. Headlines, places to find guest bloggers & guest blogging opps, templates for contacting them, and tons more. It's well worth the $10 (!) he's asking for it all!

Originally Posted by Angela Wills

I like the suggestion Lynn made for someone else to do 2 hours per work on websites (10 hours per week) and then the rest for client work. I think if I made that goal it would help me balance cash with progress.

This may work out very well for you and help you to stay focused on both goals: earning & reaching your affiliate goals at the same time

**gailjrichardson** · March 22nd, 2010

Lynn, you are a wonderful and brave person to be asking such a question ,and I know just brave enough to address the topics.Lynn I respect you so much for giving of yourself the way that you do. You are #1 in my book.

I have been working really hard but evidently not smart enough. It seems like I just keep having to start over or redo everything. I guess this comes from not understanding the correct way the first time.

(that's my fault)

I guess this is my fault for being embarrassed

to ask the question that it seemed like I should have already known. Some of those mistakes are the ones that keep coming back to bite me in the butt.

I am in the process now of redoing Dime Decorating to help it be a better experience for my market. I am trying once again to figure out exactly who my market is.A smaller market that I can serve better.

This forum is a wonderful place to learn and the people here are the best so I know I will get there. It's just taking me a little longer than most.

My plan is
1.Read more to find answers to the things that make a good blog
2.Keep asking for help when I don't know
3.Focus on start to profit on one thing
4.Keep following my to do list everyday before anything else gets done

**Engage** · March 22nd, 2010

Originally Posted by Lynn Terry

It's going to take a team, which is what I am putting serious energy & planning into right now.

I predict this team building skill will be ever more important. The "lone wolf" webmaster era will begin to slowly fade, imho, because none of us can be talented in all the many different skills that are required.

Let's imagine Lynn builds a team of nine different people, each of whom has focused on becoming an expert at some specific aspect of online publishing. Her enterprise, as a whole, is expert at everything.

How does any single lone wolf webmaster compete with this? Which of us is expert at everything?

My guess is that lone wolves will be increasingly pushed in to the narrower less profitable niches, with the teams dominating the wider more profitable niches.

True team work is going to be quite challenging for the typical lone wolf webmaster, who probably got in to this work specifically because of a passion for independence.

In another thread it was observed that online marketing seems to be dominated by men, young men especially. I predict this group will have the hardest time making the leap.

In other words, buy stock in Lynn's coming company now, get in on the ground floor, while there's still time. :-)

**Leslie** · March 22nd, 2010

Hey Lynn,
Great email. Helping people is what it is all about. I can't wait until I'm in a position to make a bigger splash helping people.

Right now, getting consistent and significant traffic is a struggle. I'm working on building links but never seem to get enough on any of my sites to get any higher than the 2nd page. I've followed peoples advice but it never quite works out as they say it will. I keep pluggin away and I will be successful. I'm looking to make enough to buy your 5,000backlinks product. But I've got to have more traffic first. It's kinda a catch 22.

Keep the great content coming.