Master Your Destiny

Don't Be a Slave to Your JOB. Starting a Small Business Can Give You Back Your Dignity and Freedom

A few months ago a reader contacted me asking for advice. Linda (not her real name) wrote that she wanted to build a home based business, but felt pretty bogged down and completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available to her.

A well-meaning friend who obviously didn't have a clue about starting a small business online told her her all she needed to do was put up a website and she would have lots of business.

NOT a great idea… how will that site attract any traffic?

Linda understands enough to know the importance of niche marketing, but most of the topics that interest her are broad, popular, and millions of sites already exist.

Besides, she has absolutely ZERO knowledge about how to actually get a website up!

Her frustration was evident and I understood it because once upon a time that was me— TOTALLY FRUSTRATED!

Like millions of others, over 10 years ago I developed Internet Fever. The idea of starting a small business through a website online was enormously appealing.

So, I bought every e-book from every so-called 'expert' I could get my hands on, and I spent thousands of dollars and just as many hours trying to figure out this Internet thing.

I gave it everything I had… set goals… educated myself… created a plan… worked everyday with purpose and intense focus. I was a true-blue believer that my online business was going to start raking in the big bucks any minute!

Can you guess what happened instead? Yep. I crashed and burned… more than once. I was one of those hard learners.

With more than a few failures under my hat, disillusionment and despair didn't begin to describe my mood. I had hit rock-bottom.

Funny thing was, even though my efforts hadn't worked out quite the way I planned, the deep burning desire that drove me in the first place was still hot. I didn't want to give up.

That's when I started paying attention to a guy named Ken Evoy.

Back in the late '90s I had come across his website and thought what he had to say made a lot of sense. Problem was… I didn't want to take more time to learn and follow his process, especially because it was (and is) vastly different than all the other methods.

No… no… I thought I already knew enough after studying all of the other so-called experts.

But after making so many mistakes and finally sick and tired of beating my head against the wall, I thought maybe it was time to take another look at what Dr. Evoy had to say.

I won't bore you with all the details. I'll just tell you I bought all of his e-books (they're all free now!), signed up for most of the free master's courses (delivered to my email), and eventually invested in his flagship product called Site Build It (SBI).

Take a Closer Llook at How Site Build It Can Benefit You »

That decision opened the door to success as an Internet entrepreneur. Everything turned around once I decided to do things the SBI way. What a difference it made it my results!

That was seven or eight years ago and in spite of the hundreds and hundreds of pseudo-experts that continue to make outrageous claims about how to achieve success as an home based business entrepreneur, I've stayed with the SBI method of business building ... because it works.

So when Linda approached me with her dilemma, I knew just what to offer her.

"Here's the deal, Linda. First you need to understand that the primary reason people use the Internet is to find information. That means your primary task is to provide the information they're searching for, and do it so that the search engines like your site.

The information you place on your website that attracts visitors also needs to convert your visitors into customers who are willing-to-buy.

By the way, the process of targeting and attracting visitors and converting them into paying customers needs to be done without spending any money on advertising."

Linda was skeptical. She said that sounded unrealistic. I asked her to just stay with me and hear me out …

"As with any small business, only a small percentage — about 2% — succeed. That's just the reality. You can improve your chances greatly, though, by applying sound business principles and following a proven process.

You start by researching a topic you love or have a strong interest in so you can find a niche and decide on your business intention and model. Be creative here… think outside the box. If you're interested in dogs, which are a broad topic, narrow it down to something specific such as a breed or an issue that relates specifically to the dog world.

Site Build It has awesome brainstorming and research tools to help you find your niche. In fact, I think this feature alone is worth 10 times the price of SBI… it's THAT GOOD!

Check Out This Awesome Brainstorm Tool »

Be sure to take your time in this area because no matter how profitable a niche may look on paper, if you don't have a real interest in it, an interest you can sustain over a long period of time, it's unlikely you'll be successful.

Why? Because you're going to be creating content to attract traffic that will convert to warm, willing-to-buy customers. If your niche isn't especially interesting to you, creating content will become drudgery, and eventually you'll stop doing it because it's too hard.

What will happen if you don't keep adding new content?

No fresh content… No traffic. No traffic… No business.

Another thing you want to do is create multiple streams of income rather than depend on a single income source. A single income strategy is risky… it's putting all your eggs in one basket. Business done smartly includes diversification. It's how you become the master of your destiny.

Remember, you want to create a successful small business that gains equity over time through sustainability and diversity. That kind of business will have measurable value and potentially be immensely attractive to larger companies one day."

Today, Linda is confident that she might actually build the home based business she wants so badly.

And I'm confident she can if she employs the right approach and sticks with it.

You may be interested to know she took her first step toward her dream a week ago. I couldn't be happier for her!

Developing and growing a successful home based small business is DO-able if you start with a simple, step-by-step, proven process. After that you need lots of practice… you will make a few mistakes… and you need to experience some successes. There isn't any one thing that will make you successful. It's a collection of things.

Bottom line?

If you want to become a successful entrepreneur or small business owner, just start. Then practice. Do whatever you can each day. Take one step at a time. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. That's how you'll learn.

It's okay to have dreams — just be realistic and don't set your expectations so high that you make it impossible to attain those dreams.

I can tell you from my own experience that building a business takes work, it requires patience, it can be incredibly frustrating…

… And yet it is immensely rewarding at the same time.

Go ahead … give it a try.

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