February 11, 2010

Maximizing Your Productive Hours... Get Personal to Create
Your Success... More Ways to Get Outstanding Referrals...
Taking the Stress Out of Meeting Your Deadlines... and More.

I'm going to reveal something to you that might shock you:

Anyone who says that they work just a couple of hours a day and is successful at it is a bold-faced liar.

Why do I say this? Because anyone who can make thousands and thousands of dollars in just a couple of hours is smart enough to know that, by putting in more hours, they will make more money. And armed with that knowledge, they are actually doing more work than they think they are.

I'll go a step further: Anyone who is making thousands of dollars for two hours of work will prefer to work eight hours to quadruple their success.

These are the people who, while they're convinced they're only working two hours a day, are actually in "work mode" 24 hours a day.

Sure, they might be traveling around the world, staying at luxury five-star resorts. They may be hitting the country club for a round of golf every day, or dining at exclusive restaurants. And while these activities don't seem like work, the "moneymaking gears" in their heads are constantly moving.

You can't just shut these things down!

Everyone is different and unique. No two people are exactly the same. Let's face it; some people are smarter than others, and some people are more fortunate than others.

But the one thing that everyone -- and I mean everyone in the entire world -- has in common is that we all live our lives in 24-hour days.

Donald Trump doesn't have an extra hour in his day to make more money. He has 24 hours, just like you. It's what he does in those 24 hours and how much value he gets from each minute a day that makes him successful.

And it's not just nose-to-the-grindstone work either. Just because he's on the golf course doesn't mean he's not working. He could be closing a deal or negotiating his royalties on his next TV show.

And that's what you should strive for: making every single one of your 24 daily hours as productive as possible. If you're the kind of person that likes to "flake out" for a couple of hours watching television, playing video games or surfing the Internet, think about what you could be doing to make those hours more productive.

I'm not saying eliminate downtime; I'm saying make the best use of your downtime. Reading a book is my favorite way of relaxing, because I can learn something and maybe take that knowledge and turn it into something profitable down the road.

The best way to determine if you're making the best use of your time is to keep a diary of everything you do in a day. Write everything down from when you ate your meals, to when you watched television, to how long you sat in your car or on a bus, to how many hours of sleep you got.

At the end of the day, review everything and see how many productive hours you got out of your day. And, by the way, in my opinion, sleep can be considered productive, as it helps you refresh yourself.

Looking through my idea notebook, I'll often cross out ideas I don't think will work.

But, I don't tear them out and I don't scribble over them. That's because, one day, they may be right for someone and I don't want to lose them for good.

Now, you may be wondering how I determine which ideas could work and which ones I should put on hold for a little longer. Well, there's no magic formula to follow and there's no big secret to figuring out what may work and what may not.

You see, as much as a moneymaking idea may rely on other people for success, this is also a personal process that has to fit into your life. Let me explain. You see, whether people buy your product or service will determine your income. However, it will be your time, energy and ambition that you really need to put your plan into action. If you can't muster up these things, then you're already starting at a big disadvantage.

That's why it is important to figure out if your idea is right for you. To do this, you're going to need some outside help that could give you a push in the right direction.

Where can you get this help? Start by looking around your community for people who have already had some success in the field you're looking to enter.

Your local chamber of commerce and career counseling offices are great places to start. You'll be able to find out if anyone has done what you're looking to do. Your next step is to go out there and see them in action.

People who have found success in their lives often like to talk about it. So, don't be afraid to ask questions.

Once you see how other people are doing it, you can then start to decide whether this option is right for you. Do you have the stamina to work towards your goal? Do you have the resources to put your plan into action? If you don't, find out how these successful people made it...they may just have the piece of advice that could push your dream into reality.

Yesterday, I wrote about how you can create a buzz around your business without spending all kinds of money on advertising. I wrote about the importance of social media and word-of-mouth advertising (referrals). Today, I'm going to break down exactly how you can make sure you get customers to refer your business, while building your reputation in the community.

The first thing you need to do is provide the best quality and experience to your customers. This means that, before any product is shipped or service is about to be preformed, it has been rigorously inspected to ensure the highest quality will be provided. If you're performing any service, from accounting to carpet cleaning, make sure you've done all the proper research for the client and are able to take care of exactly what they need when you show up. If you're not prepared and the work is of subpar quality, customers will take notice for all the wrong reasons.

If any unforeseen problems arise for the customers, you have to be sure to handle it as quickly and as easily (for the customer) as possible. Let them know that you stand by your work and, if there is a problem, you'll fix it without any stress on the customer's part.

You also want to show your customers that you're not too busy to address their needs, and that you care about them. A great place to start is through opening the lines of communication. Make yourself accessible -- don't use computers to answer the phones, use people! By treating people well, they will take notice. It creates a better experience for them and forms a strong relationship and an identity based on trust.

Integrity is important, as well. Stand by what you're selling and don't make excuses. If a problem arises, admit and tackle it head-on. If you start lying and making excuses as you look for an answer, your problems will escalate and will likely make you look foolish. Admit there is something you need to look into, and handle it. This will show you have integrity and people will respect that. Lying and cover-ups hurt your integrity and make you look shallow and untrustworthy. As you try to grow your business, there is no room for these things.

At the end of the day, you want the respect of your customers. As you know, for the most part, respect is earned over time. Therefore, it's important you do the right things so customers come to respect what you do and, in turn, recommend your business to friends and colleagues. As the reputation of your company grows and improves, so should your sales!

** Taking the Stress Out of Meeting Your Deadlines
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert

Paying bills, getting your jobs done, picking up the kids, picking up the dry cleaning, booking holidays...there are so many commitments in life. If you are an entrepreneur, well, these deadlines can be amplified 10 times.

Let's admit it: it can all be so overwhelming sometimes, can't it?

If you are an info marketer or any other self-employed professional, your life will get nutty. No two ways about it, it can be tough. But you can stay on top of it.

Deadlines are part of life, both professionally and personally. It's how work gets done and how people keep an eye on their own future. It's also how you grow and build your business; if you meet the challenge of any deadline, you become a stronger and more competent professional that people can rely on. While you can't always control the personal deadlines of life, the professional deadlines can be managed. With some organization and some regard for the future, deadlines can be handled with ease.

Unlike a big company CEO in a high-rise with multiple investments, you may not have a whole stack of deadlines that you have to trouble yourself with as an info marketer. However, there are some you should be very aware of.

Here they are:

--- Client deadlines: There is nothing so appealing to a client as the party they're receiving some form of service from delivering on time with a quality product. You really can't beat that and, for you, as the providing party, the feeling of personal satisfaction goes unmatched. But with that in mind, nothing causes more dismay in people as someone who is the complete opposite -- late, unprepared, poorly organized, and delivering a bad product. That's how a lot of entrepreneurs fail; they never learn that their business is serious work. But if you stay on top of your commitments to your clients again and again, they will always come back for more.

--- Tax and government deadlines: As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, taxes aren't much fun, but they are necessary to attend to. I recommended getting a tax pro such as a good accountant or attorney to help you with the filing process. I still stand by this. But, beyond that advice, I would also be leery of the tax deadlines that come up for making your annual filing. Where I live, the deadline is in April, but it could very well be different where you live. If you are uncertain about these regulations, you can check the web site of your local revenue agency online or call your local government offices to find out. This sort of preparation will keep you on the straight and narrow with "the man" without incident.

--- Repair and upgrading deadlines: Back in my publishing days, the local in-house tech guys made regularly scheduled computer upgrades to our desktops as well as informing us of new program upgrades through our "Outlook" e-mail inboxes. It was helpful and we were lucky to have the best software around all of the time. But unless you have that in your home office, it's really your job to stay on top of getting new upgrades for any office equipment. For this, I can recommend getting on the e-mail list for any of the products you use. I am a user of Adobe and Hewlett-Packard gear all of the time and get e-mails from their tech office after signing up with them some years back. You can do the same. Keep in touch with the suppliers you use the most and you can find out what upgrades you need regularly. Also note regular times of the year when to upgrade some of your computer hardware. Don't be left using equipment that is old and insufficient to helping your business.

--- The vacation deadline: It would be great if you could run at a full tank all of the time. You'd always do good work and have money coming in all of the time. But you are human and have to take a break sometimes. A lot of entrepreneurs, no matter how much is going on, schedule themselves a break. They know that they have to relax, take a holiday, and spend some quality time with their family. It's just necessary. Do this for yourself as well. Create a good deadline during the year to take a real break from everything. Prepare for it by completing all of your tasks before that date. You will relax better if you do!

It's tough being your own boss, but it's rewarding as well. If you stay on top of things and observe all the deadlines relevant to your info marketing business, you will see your business thrive all of the time. That kind of observation puts info marketers a cut above in the realm of professional, independent entrepreneurs.