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

[retta719]

This has been fun to read all the different places everyone is at with their online journey. The members here are such a diverse group, it's wonderful!

I think I fall somewhere between the second and third option. I'm not quite where I want to be yet, but I feel like I'm getting there. Money is coming in from various efforts and that feels really good.

I recently launched my own product, and that felt amazing. I couldn't have done it without the help of Lynn and the Elite members. The things I've learned here have really helped me cut the excess fluff and find some focus.

[SharonMcMillan]

Hi Lynn:

It's been a busy year for me on multiple fronts (like everyone else) but even so, surprisingly it's been the year that I've done the most on my business. The pluses: I've made a few affiliate sales - first ever. The minuses I'm not generating traffic (or enough of it) for the business I launched at the end of 2009 - www.smallbusiness-academy.com.

I haven't done any article marketing or guest blogging or strategic SEO work or regular blogging (once a week...usually)- so that's my fault and likely explains why I'm not seeing decent traffic.

I got really pumped when those affiliate sales came out of the blue but now I'd like to see some revenue from this new business that just seems to be costing me money right now.

[Shawn]

Lynn,

Just wanted to let you know that you and SSWT are a breath of fresh air to me. To talk and listen to others without somebody always trying to sell me something is a blessing to this newbie in the big old internet marketing world. So while I appreciate your need to touch base again I am so happy I found you!

[Dennis]

Hey Lynn -
Thanks for the effort at reconnecting. I'm new to SSWT, and just beginning to upload my first web pages. I began to get educated a month ago - and have a fairly steep learning curve since affiliate selling, WordPress, and the rest are all totally Greek to me.
Onward - thru the fog
Dennis McNeely

[lisamariemary]

I'm going to respond really quickly before I read all of the responses (I did read a few) ...because, I think I've got my thoughts in order and I don't want to lose my train of thought. This is something that has been on my mind a LOT this last week.

When I first came online, years ago, I was looking for 'work' online. I wanted to work online, at home - working for someone else. I failed to find that. I then learned that starting my own business was a great way to go and so I started My Very Own Mail.

I've been helter skelter scattered, back and forth, through the years since.

I feel like I'm really getting some clarity on things here lately. (GIGANTALOID thanks to Lynn, my sweet, giggly roommate buddy!) I'm really seeing some clear ways to take my business to the next level. And work some passive income into it, as well.

Except - now I'm getting work. I'm so uber grateful that I'm getting work. Goodness knows we need the money. Nov-Feb sucks in the home remodeling biz, not to mention all the expenses - Christmas, property taxes, etc.

I'm loving that I'm getting paid to do things that I love, and I love that people believe in me and pay me what I feel I'm really worth. Great stroke to my ego and pride and self-esteem. Lovely filler to my Paypal acct.

And then comes in that offline consulting thing. It has haunted me, tracked me down - ever since I first read David Preston's thread in the Warrior Forum several years ago. (NAMS did the same thing to me, too - until I just KNEW I had to go. And boy, am I glad I gave in!!) I've finally come to a point that I'm willing and eager to give it a try. I plan to start with hubby's biz - again. I started that a few years ago, but, eventually gave up on it. I read a post on Seth Godin's blog a couple yrs ago with exact instructions on how to get started getting found locally online - so I bought the domain and went for it, all the while with the hubby in the background carrying on about how it will never work. "people around here don't look for contractors online - they online rely on word of mouth referrals, it won't work, it's not gonna do anything" And then he took a job with his uncle - and so, tired of his 'blah blah blah' - I said screw it!

Now that I'm ready to try again, he's the perfect guinea pig. He says, "It won't work, but, if it will help you out with starting your consulting biz, you can do whatever you want in regards to it."

I'd say that's a GREEN LIGHT, wouldn't you, people?

Ok, so here I am with the three-pronged dilemma.

1. Learning exact steps from Lynn about marketing My Very Own Mail and affiliate marketing with that site and others. Really starting to 'get it' I'd say.

2. Getting work online from people.

3. Eager to start offline consulting.

I'm sure I could get organized and make things work - together. But right now I'm kind of drowning in those three and all of my mom/wife/human obligations. Almost sort of wishing I could just do one. Somedays I even wish to be a regular housewife again. I dream about how good I would be at it, because, all of my time would be devoted to it - and wouldn't that be neat and fun and oh-so-Mrs. Cleaver of me (minus the heels/skirt/pearls, of course! duh!)

It has actually really helped me to write this all out - sorry I've written a BOOK here.

I'm really so grateful for ALL THREE things - I'm just having trouble doing all three of them.

[Engage]

This 'disconnect' has made me feel like I'm talking to the wind sometimes -lol .

Well, you connected here when you said that, sounds familiar.

The way to connect with lots of folks is to stay safely within the group consensus and say nice things that everybody already pretty much knows and is comfortable with.

This feels good socially, and is probably smart salesmanship, but perhaps isn't really that much of a contribution.

The way to make a contribution is to try to say those things we don't really want to hear. Those are the things that are usually holding us back from our next level.

After all, if the things we want to hear would get us where we want to go, we'd already be there, eh?

Connecting this way is called poor social skills, and really lousy salesmanship. :-)

Playing it safe, and being a revolutionary, both can feel like talking to the wind. In one case, we're saying nothing. In the other case, we're saying nothing anybody really wants to hear.

I'm a graybearded old veteran, and a clueless newbie, all rolled up in to one. A full service operation. If I voted in the poll, I'd probably break it. :-)

Good to hear from you Lynn, you run a nice little hotel here.

[Lynn Terry]

First of all, Lynn, you are never "talking into the wind." Whether on a forum or blog post or Twitter or podcast, it's always like being one-to-one on the phone with a good friend. I've been following you for close to 2 years now and you still have plenty of new stuff for me.

Thank you for that, Wade I'm glad you enjoyed the recent post. I picked up a lot of great tips at the Underground Seminar in DC. It was enlightening for me as well.

I look forward to hearing more about the site & partnership. Both sound like great projects!

[Lynn Terry]

The way to make a contribution is to try to say those things we don't really want to hear. Those are the things that are usually holding us back from our next level.

All good points, and great to hear on this end - as I have lots to share in the coming months and it is in line with just that! Thank you for the reply, appreciate it!

[Clintano]

Hello Lynn,

Nice to see you again, I am still struggling to make dollar one online. I have tried a couple things like article marketing and putting in affiliate link to root level domain redirected to the affiliate offer. I actually made one sale there, but cant collect on that until i get like 4 different IP's to buy products from me. Its a clickbank product. I am trying to build out and monetize a blog related to the muscle building niche. I have a number two listing in google for the keyword I am using which I think is ok. Other than that, I am just struggling to put all the pieces together from A to B and make something profitable for me. I wasn't thinking this could be so hard, but apparently it is harder than most think!

Thanks for your help,
Clint

[Andrew]

Hi Lynn
Thanks for the great email - you certainly don't stink at it, I suspect that you have simply become way too popular for it to be a manageable communication tool for you - a product of your own success

Personally I find it very difficult to write in an open forum, even though I know everyone here is very involved and incredibly helpful - maybe its because I'm a reserved Brit, or possibly more likely because I am a man

I did find though that your email touched at a personal level, you were talking to me (and as I listen to the IMTW podcast, I had you voice in my head too which was kinda weird!). It would be great to get more of these communications as it feels more like you are a personal mentor. If you could find a way to get back that personal connection you said you used to have that would be fantastic, although compared to the vast majority of big names in the IM market the connection you already have with your followers is a lot closer and genuine

A bit about me: I put I am going through the motions..... I have a full time job, which to be fair I really enjoy so the 9-5 isn't a huge issue for me. Having said that I would love to have the freedom of working for myself, but the financial responsibility I have to my wife & 3 young kids would make an early move away not something I would consider.

My idea would is (like many people) to make a business grow slowly in the spare time I do have and get it to a stage where I was comfortable with the fact that spending extra time on it would support us financially - this is a long way off at the moment Although on the plus side, I have made enough to pay for a holiday to Rome next week which I am really pleased about!!

I love learning and at the same time I know I need to focus on taking action, though I can be easily distracted . The format of your learning tools are great because they are actionable. Another thing I love about your advice is that your recommendations are genuine, and not there to make a quick buck out of your followers......

Anyway, enough waffle, must focus and press post before I review it too much and take out any touchy feely bits

Andrew