A while ago a friend of mine mentioned that she would rather have subscribers than followers. At the moment, I didn't really take in what she was saying but now it's hit me...is one better than other?
Internet markets and web business owners no longer just have subscribers that they pitch things to. They have followers that they interact with. We don't just want to be subscribed to anymore; we want to be retweeted, reblogged, and Liked. Our lists aren't just a group of people that have decided to "subscribe" they're our "friends." They make up a kind of "follow family" that we can connect with and that we expect will share us with their "friends" so that we can have more "friends."
But is there any psychological difference between followers and subscribers? I mean aren't they both doing the same thing?
We want them to do the same thing. We want our followers to act in much the same way our subscribers do--reading what we offer, buying what we offer, sharing what we offer. But does one type do it better than others?
It's a question very similar to blogs vs websites. And the answer is always--you need both.
Subscribers are followers but they do behave and connect with you differently.
Most likely your subscribers have opted in. The have released an important piece of information (their email address) in order to receive your precious information. Most subscribers don't subscribe willy-nilly. No one wants 100+ newsletters coming into their inbox. Thus subscribers are great for their initial commitment they are willing to make to you.
They also see your information as a single email. In a sense, you're special for that moment that they decide to open you. You have a good portion of their attention and your attention is held longer.Subscribers usually find you through a keyword search, and can generally be targeted
But subscribers don't interact the way followers do. Followers are better known to ask questions, do polls, and even enter contests. They have shorter attention spans. They read a feed of sometimes 1000+ people and companies and can't afford to have their attention be consumed for too long on just one. In most cases you have 140 characters to get your point across.
They're commitment is also decreased. It's easy to "follow" someone. It doesn't take much risk. You don't give anything away. Just a click of a button lets someone into your world. It's also easy to unfollow.
With so many people doing follow for follow, the moment you let one go you can be sure to unfollowed as well. If you're content changes (even for a day) you're at risk of being unfollowed. And there is more expectation to update regularly. Tumblr followers have been known to unfollow after just one week of inactivity. Twitter is around a month but a subscriber can be with you for months or even a year without a receiving word from you.
Followers can be, and in a way are, targeted. They follow you on the basis that they have something in common with you or an interest in you and your company. They find you through general search terms on the media platform or the recommendation of someone they follow. However unlike someone who subscribes to your fit after 40 forty newsletter, a follower may just want fitness information.
One of the main differences between a subscriber and a follower, is your subscribers can be taken with you even if you sell or close your site. Leave a social network platform and you lose your followers instantly.
Both groups of people are beneficial to an online marketer. Subscribers buy more often than followers. Followers, spread the word about you faster than subscribers and see your updates more regularly. In the net business world you need both shoppers and fan builders. One isn't necessarily better than the other. It's about figuring out how each list can work for you and then making it work for you.
Showing posts with label work at home business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work at home business. Show all posts
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Are you playing the work at home numbers game
If you do any kind of online marketing and promotion, you know how important it is to have a list. This list should be a group of targeted readers and/or customers that you can connect with. But sites like facebook, twitter, and tumblr (social media in general) have changed the attitude about numbers and list building.
Old school online marketers love their lists just as much as anybody. They wouldn't trade it for anything, but they value something more than just numbers. Real work at home experts and internet marketers know that it isn't about the qantity of your list but the quality. How many you have to offer stuff to isn't as important as the number of people who actually respond to stuff you offer.
An unresponsive list is simply a dead weighted number. It looks great on paper to say I have a list of 5000 people, but if among those 5000 only half are truly a targeted responsive group of prospectives, your number becomes less value.
The numbers game has always been about quantity, but the advent of social media sites has put so much emphasis on the number that few marketers today are going out of their way to find out if they've simply built a list of sitting ducks.
It's become so easy to "add" and "follow," that list builders today are saying "follow me" without considering who they're asking to be followed by. People have become more concerned with their "friend" or "follow" count that they're not paying attention and doing market analysis on how their numbers are actually benefiting them.
It is crucial, from a marketing stand point, to know and understand how the numbers play to your overall business success. You should have a list of highly targeted and responsive prospects that are willing to eat up what you have to offer. True markets know that a small responsive list is more valuable than large unresponsive one.
Building your work at home and internet marketing list should cater around quality, not just quantity. Don't get sucked into the numbers game.
Old school online marketers love their lists just as much as anybody. They wouldn't trade it for anything, but they value something more than just numbers. Real work at home experts and internet marketers know that it isn't about the qantity of your list but the quality. How many you have to offer stuff to isn't as important as the number of people who actually respond to stuff you offer.
An unresponsive list is simply a dead weighted number. It looks great on paper to say I have a list of 5000 people, but if among those 5000 only half are truly a targeted responsive group of prospectives, your number becomes less value.
The numbers game has always been about quantity, but the advent of social media sites has put so much emphasis on the number that few marketers today are going out of their way to find out if they've simply built a list of sitting ducks.
It's become so easy to "add" and "follow," that list builders today are saying "follow me" without considering who they're asking to be followed by. People have become more concerned with their "friend" or "follow" count that they're not paying attention and doing market analysis on how their numbers are actually benefiting them.
It is crucial, from a marketing stand point, to know and understand how the numbers play to your overall business success. You should have a list of highly targeted and responsive prospects that are willing to eat up what you have to offer. True markets know that a small responsive list is more valuable than large unresponsive one.
Building your work at home and internet marketing list should cater around quality, not just quantity. Don't get sucked into the numbers game.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The unseen work at home business problem
In a classic work situation people are set up in specific positions that allow them to do tasks based on a skill they possess, thus becoming specialists in the task. Most of the working society is used to having very set tasks to accomplish that don’t leak into other realms of specialization. The front desk personnel at an office most likely does not handle reviewing business plans. Now jump online to a work at home business and you see a work situation where people are required to become task generalists at a specializing level.
By this I mean they are required to be able to be jack of all trade and master of all trade. This is practically impossible since most work at home members fall into one of the following categories.
1. Idea architects: These are people who have the ability to come up with ideas at a quick pace. They can enlighten others by taking bland topics and niches and spinning them in an creative fashion to make them more appealing. Work at home business coaches fall into this group.
2. Idea Constructionists: These are the people that actually build the ideas. They create the websites or blogs. They execute ideas with precision.
3. Idea Pushers: You find a lot of these types online. Think you’re average affiliate marketer. These people know how to connect with others that would have an interest in an already standing idea.
The problem however is most people only fall under one category and if you are truly blessed you can convincingly shift your way into another. But usually idea architects don’t execute ideas as well as actual builders and the builders have trouble selling it to the world.
It is because of this reason that people have come to rely on outsourcing.
They focus on the realm they excel at and depend on the talents of others for everything else. Thus bringing back the office work concept, where each person focuses on a specific skill.
The main issue however, is 90 percent of people are forced to wear multiple hats in their first three years of operating a work at home business, because they just don’t have the financial resources to outsource.
It’s difficult enough to master a new task online but learning 3 makes for a steep learning curve. It’s no wonder people give up easily. How can they build websites that can compete with those that employ the talents of others when they are left working with simply themselves?
Here is where skill swapping comes into effect. Instead of paying someone to write articles for you, ask them to trade skills. You may be good at ad analysis, a skill that could be of use to a writer who most likely has a lot of ads out. Trading skills gives you the opportunity to gain other people’s talents and ease the work load without having to pay the high prices of corporate companies.
Most companies know they cannot build a successful business with just their skills, even if they are multi talented, which is why outsourcing has become so important. Instead of paying for outsourced work try trading skills with someone.
By this I mean they are required to be able to be jack of all trade and master of all trade. This is practically impossible since most work at home members fall into one of the following categories.
1. Idea architects: These are people who have the ability to come up with ideas at a quick pace. They can enlighten others by taking bland topics and niches and spinning them in an creative fashion to make them more appealing. Work at home business coaches fall into this group.
2. Idea Constructionists: These are the people that actually build the ideas. They create the websites or blogs. They execute ideas with precision.
3. Idea Pushers: You find a lot of these types online. Think you’re average affiliate marketer. These people know how to connect with others that would have an interest in an already standing idea.
The problem however is most people only fall under one category and if you are truly blessed you can convincingly shift your way into another. But usually idea architects don’t execute ideas as well as actual builders and the builders have trouble selling it to the world.
It is because of this reason that people have come to rely on outsourcing.
They focus on the realm they excel at and depend on the talents of others for everything else. Thus bringing back the office work concept, where each person focuses on a specific skill. The main issue however, is 90 percent of people are forced to wear multiple hats in their first three years of operating a work at home business, because they just don’t have the financial resources to outsource.
It’s difficult enough to master a new task online but learning 3 makes for a steep learning curve. It’s no wonder people give up easily. How can they build websites that can compete with those that employ the talents of others when they are left working with simply themselves?
Here is where skill swapping comes into effect. Instead of paying someone to write articles for you, ask them to trade skills. You may be good at ad analysis, a skill that could be of use to a writer who most likely has a lot of ads out. Trading skills gives you the opportunity to gain other people’s talents and ease the work load without having to pay the high prices of corporate companies.
Most companies know they cannot build a successful business with just their skills, even if they are multi talented, which is why outsourcing has become so important. Instead of paying for outsourced work try trading skills with someone.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
4 easy ways to get motivated for your work at home business
Working from home feels great in the beginning. The excitement is there and the hope of finally being able to conquer your financial future makes you feel motivated. However, somewhere down the line things go astray. Your eagerness to get up and work starts fading and those sparks are barley a twinkle. But you can get back to the stage where you wanted a work at home business by considering the following.
1. Get organized. Clutter, whether it is directly in your office or on your computer, i.e. emails, exhausts the mind. You just can’t do your best work in an area that doesn’t promote productivity. Organize your paper files, make use of programs that help you organize your emails and online files and toss out/delete any old documents that are no longer adding to your business.
2. Unsubscribe. Work at home business owners have a tendency to subscribe to every ezine. Some of these offer real value to you business, but others simply clutter your inbox. Take some time to look through you’re your emails to see who’s helping your business and subscribe from those that are simply taking space.
3. Blog. I don’t mean a business blog, but a personal blog or diary that allows you to take down all the good things your work at home business does for you and visa versa. Often times we’re so busy working we forget to acknowledge our success. Having a platform that allows you to write and recall your mile stones will encourage you and remind you of why you put in the many hours.
4. Take a day off. One study showed that home business owners work more hours than their office counter parts. This makes sense, especially when you consider all the things that go into building a successful business. However, all work and no play is a recipe for boredom and resentment. Set aside an actual day off for yourself. Do something simply for yourself. Relax and clear your head. You’ll come back to your business a little more refreshed and in control.
Working from home doesn’t have to be a battle. Your work at home business should give a sense of satisfaction, but if it isn’t try the tips above to get re-motivated and become more productive.
1. Get organized. Clutter, whether it is directly in your office or on your computer, i.e. emails, exhausts the mind. You just can’t do your best work in an area that doesn’t promote productivity. Organize your paper files, make use of programs that help you organize your emails and online files and toss out/delete any old documents that are no longer adding to your business.
2. Unsubscribe. Work at home business owners have a tendency to subscribe to every ezine. Some of these offer real value to you business, but others simply clutter your inbox. Take some time to look through you’re your emails to see who’s helping your business and subscribe from those that are simply taking space.
3. Blog. I don’t mean a business blog, but a personal blog or diary that allows you to take down all the good things your work at home business does for you and visa versa. Often times we’re so busy working we forget to acknowledge our success. Having a platform that allows you to write and recall your mile stones will encourage you and remind you of why you put in the many hours.
4. Take a day off. One study showed that home business owners work more hours than their office counter parts. This makes sense, especially when you consider all the things that go into building a successful business. However, all work and no play is a recipe for boredom and resentment. Set aside an actual day off for yourself. Do something simply for yourself. Relax and clear your head. You’ll come back to your business a little more refreshed and in control.
Working from home doesn’t have to be a battle. Your work at home business should give a sense of satisfaction, but if it isn’t try the tips above to get re-motivated and become more productive.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Does your business give you pleasure
When you wake up in the morning are you excited to start the new day? Do you find a sense of excitement and joy with your work at home business? Or is it the opposite—do you feel tired of it, or even afraid of it?
They always say don’t mix business and pleasure, but in my opinion those dichotomies have to fuse together when you work from home.
Majority of people fall out of love with their work from home opportunity after 7 months. Many break up from the business long before then.
For some, expectations are too high and dedication is too low. But even those that work meticulously at their work at home business are not “in love” with it. It gives them an income, freedom but not a strong sense of pleasure.
When you first start to work from home, there is a thrill that electrifies you to. This is because it’s new, fresh and exciting. You’re hoping this opportunity will be the one. You’re excited about doing something interesting within your own home. You like the idea of the business and perhaps the business itself. But after a couple months you start to notice those brilliant sparks fade. You’re efforts aren’t panning out and you‘re losing your sense of motivation.
A few more months later and you’re browsing for another opportunity, starting a new blog, or looking in your local paper to go back to working outside the home. It’s over.
How do people so quickly go from “This is awesome,” to “You’re annoying and boring me?”
One of the reasons is people don’t take the time to choose a business that will in fact give them pleasure. They go for any niche, get excited about the hype on the sales page, and hope for the best.
They don’t carefully consider is this something I want to do, be known for, gives me satisfaction.
Apparently, only 20 percent of work at homers are satisfied with their business. The rest are still searching for “the one.”
But becoming part of the 20 percent isn’t a difficult task. It involves asking yourself one question.
“Would I do this if no one was willing to pay me?”
If you are willing to dedicate and commit to something when you’re not getting any rewards, you’re most likely going to do it if there is an incentive. People who do well, love what they do. They take pride in their work and they have a passion for it. This means they already know a little something about it and are always eager to learn more.
They also give themselves time to succeed. If you’re breaking up with your business after a few months you’ll never get to know what it’s capable of. The average business takes 3 years before it is a true success. Give yourself a good amount of time to really make things work out with your business.
So, is your work at home business giving you pleasure or a headache?
They always say don’t mix business and pleasure, but in my opinion those dichotomies have to fuse together when you work from home.
Majority of people fall out of love with their work from home opportunity after 7 months. Many break up from the business long before then.
For some, expectations are too high and dedication is too low. But even those that work meticulously at their work at home business are not “in love” with it. It gives them an income, freedom but not a strong sense of pleasure.
When you first start to work from home, there is a thrill that electrifies you to. This is because it’s new, fresh and exciting. You’re hoping this opportunity will be the one. You’re excited about doing something interesting within your own home. You like the idea of the business and perhaps the business itself. But after a couple months you start to notice those brilliant sparks fade. You’re efforts aren’t panning out and you‘re losing your sense of motivation.
A few more months later and you’re browsing for another opportunity, starting a new blog, or looking in your local paper to go back to working outside the home. It’s over.
How do people so quickly go from “This is awesome,” to “You’re annoying and boring me?”
One of the reasons is people don’t take the time to choose a business that will in fact give them pleasure. They go for any niche, get excited about the hype on the sales page, and hope for the best.
They don’t carefully consider is this something I want to do, be known for, gives me satisfaction.
Apparently, only 20 percent of work at homers are satisfied with their business. The rest are still searching for “the one.”
But becoming part of the 20 percent isn’t a difficult task. It involves asking yourself one question.
“Would I do this if no one was willing to pay me?”
If you are willing to dedicate and commit to something when you’re not getting any rewards, you’re most likely going to do it if there is an incentive. People who do well, love what they do. They take pride in their work and they have a passion for it. This means they already know a little something about it and are always eager to learn more.
They also give themselves time to succeed. If you’re breaking up with your business after a few months you’ll never get to know what it’s capable of. The average business takes 3 years before it is a true success. Give yourself a good amount of time to really make things work out with your business.
So, is your work at home business giving you pleasure or a headache?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Deadly work at home sins
There’s a little devil in all of us. Some of us are full of envy some are lazy, but either way there’s at least one deadly sin that is hindering our success. Unlike the common 7 deadly sins, these ones pertain to working from home. Read on to see which one is challenging your work at home success.
1. Disorganized- Disorganization can wreak havoc on your business. If your office looks like hurricane Jane blew in, it’s time to get organized. A work survey found that someone who is disorganized is 3 months behind. That can translate to three months of sales. Your cluttered desktop could be keeping you from a very luxurious life.
2. Envy – Can’t get over the fact that others are successful and you’re still struggling? Then you’ll probably keep struggling. The problem with envy is it keeps you from embracing other people’s success that can potentially lead you to yours. Another reason is people who do things out of envy do it with a sense of bitterness. There isn’t the fun or healthy competitiveness; it’s a mean have-to-take you-down attitude which often leads to very lonely triumphs.
3. Know-it-all - Unless you’re willing to admit that you don’t know everything, you won’t be able to learn anything new and this will keep you back. Working from home means learning every day. Sometimes the information seems mountainous, but for those who love running their businesses they love seeping in new information. But if you close yourself off, and assume you already know how things are done, you risk being left behind because you’re less likely to be up to date and adaptable.
4. Fear of commitment. If you can’t commit yourself to your work at home business you most likely won’t be able to help the fact your business won’t grow. Too many people run too many home businesses. They treat their businesses like a cheap one night stand where they have a little fun but refuse to actually form a relationship. But like with any relationship you have to put in the effort to build it.
5. Lazy –If you do not work, you cannot expect to reap any rewards. There are a lot of lazy home business owners out there. They are always looking for the easiest way to make money, they don’t put enough hours into sustaining their business and they get bored quickly. Laziness is often a matter of dissatisfaction. If your home business doesn’t excite you then it may time to work with a business coach who can help you get motivated and passionate about your home business.
7. Affected - You are affected if you’ve been pretentious about your work at home job. You may make exaggerated claims on your website about how well you are doing. You’re only in the business to get rich and you have little concern for how you get there. You are all about impressing others and have become negatively influenced by the industry.
8. Timid- Almost everyone is a little shy sometimes, but if you’re shy to the point where you are not actively promoting your work at home business you are sadly causing its failure. Obviously you shouldn’t be too obnoxious, but sharing your opinion, content and putting yourself out there will let others know you and your business exist. You need a confidence boost and this in turn will help your business.
1. Disorganized- Disorganization can wreak havoc on your business. If your office looks like hurricane Jane blew in, it’s time to get organized. A work survey found that someone who is disorganized is 3 months behind. That can translate to three months of sales. Your cluttered desktop could be keeping you from a very luxurious life. 2. Envy – Can’t get over the fact that others are successful and you’re still struggling? Then you’ll probably keep struggling. The problem with envy is it keeps you from embracing other people’s success that can potentially lead you to yours. Another reason is people who do things out of envy do it with a sense of bitterness. There isn’t the fun or healthy competitiveness; it’s a mean have-to-take you-down attitude which often leads to very lonely triumphs.
3. Know-it-all - Unless you’re willing to admit that you don’t know everything, you won’t be able to learn anything new and this will keep you back. Working from home means learning every day. Sometimes the information seems mountainous, but for those who love running their businesses they love seeping in new information. But if you close yourself off, and assume you already know how things are done, you risk being left behind because you’re less likely to be up to date and adaptable.
4. Fear of commitment. If you can’t commit yourself to your work at home business you most likely won’t be able to help the fact your business won’t grow. Too many people run too many home businesses. They treat their businesses like a cheap one night stand where they have a little fun but refuse to actually form a relationship. But like with any relationship you have to put in the effort to build it.
5. Lazy –If you do not work, you cannot expect to reap any rewards. There are a lot of lazy home business owners out there. They are always looking for the easiest way to make money, they don’t put enough hours into sustaining their business and they get bored quickly. Laziness is often a matter of dissatisfaction. If your home business doesn’t excite you then it may time to work with a business coach who can help you get motivated and passionate about your home business.
7. Affected - You are affected if you’ve been pretentious about your work at home job. You may make exaggerated claims on your website about how well you are doing. You’re only in the business to get rich and you have little concern for how you get there. You are all about impressing others and have become negatively influenced by the industry.
8. Timid- Almost everyone is a little shy sometimes, but if you’re shy to the point where you are not actively promoting your work at home business you are sadly causing its failure. Obviously you shouldn’t be too obnoxious, but sharing your opinion, content and putting yourself out there will let others know you and your business exist. You need a confidence boost and this in turn will help your business.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Great work at home website no visitors
Is there a worse feeling than working hard for nothing? I can’t think of one when it comes to working from home. Perhaps you can relate.
You build your website. You’ve spent hours coming up with a great web design; you created a great sales letter, and your content deserves a gold star, but months later you’re not making any more than before your web launch. Why?
If your website is so good shouldn’t it just be eaten up? This would most likely happen if people knew about it.
I was so naive in the beginning. I thought people would be leaping to my website. As if by some form of magic people would just figure out that a new website is up. There’s no such radar. You have to promote your site. And this is where people fail.
It’s one thing to create a website, it is another to try and convince people they should visit it opposed to your competition.
Believe it or not, most people don’t know what makes them stand apart from the crowd. Creating a unique selling point is one of the difficult things to do for work at home business owners.
You like your business, you think it could be helpful but you aren’t quite sure what makes it special.
Why do people struggle with this? Because 9 times out of 10 people define themselves with their business. Asking them what is special about their business is equivalent to asking them is special about themselves personally. Most people can’t or don’t want to answer this question because most people don’t stop to consider it.
If you can’t think of yourself as something to brag about, it makes it hard to brag about something you’ve done. That includes the blood and sweat that went into putting up your work at home website.
It goes back to that insensible modesty I was discussing earlier. Sure you want people to visit your website but you don’t want to spend hours attracting people.
They figure people will realize how “awesome” it is once they visit. But you have to get them to visit first.
So how do you get over that “I’m not special feeling?”
1. Realize that even if you are operating a business within a competitive niche, no two businesses are alike. You have something unique to offer. You write your articles with your unique voice and your customers are getting a different experience when they visit your site. So just by being you, your business is already individual.
2. Just because you may have personal self esteem issues doesn’t mean your business should suffer. Look at your business objectively. From a customer’s perspective what does your work at home business have to offer? What’s in it for the customer? Try not to bring yourself into it. Just consider your business on its own. Imagine you didn’t own it, would you use the service or buy the product. Having visited other similar websites what makes it stand out from others.
3. Understand that this is DO OR DIE! You don’t really have a choice, you have to get visitors to your website, and thus you need to invest the time into creating marketing campaigns that highlight the benefits of your website.
For shy, modest people coming up with a unique selling point can be difficult. It can be hard to distinguish yourself in a crowd, especially when you personally feel lack luster. But in order to get people to visit that great site you built you have to understand that your business is worthy of the attention.
Get Quality Visitors TODAY!!
http://couchchange.blogspot.com/2008/10/are-you-dangerously-modest-about-your.html
Adelaide Kwaning
You build your website. You’ve spent hours coming up with a great web design; you created a great sales letter, and your content deserves a gold star, but months later you’re not making any more than before your web launch. Why?
If your website is so good shouldn’t it just be eaten up? This would most likely happen if people knew about it.
I was so naive in the beginning. I thought people would be leaping to my website. As if by some form of magic people would just figure out that a new website is up. There’s no such radar. You have to promote your site. And this is where people fail.
It’s one thing to create a website, it is another to try and convince people they should visit it opposed to your competition.
Believe it or not, most people don’t know what makes them stand apart from the crowd. Creating a unique selling point is one of the difficult things to do for work at home business owners.
You like your business, you think it could be helpful but you aren’t quite sure what makes it special.
Why do people struggle with this? Because 9 times out of 10 people define themselves with their business. Asking them what is special about their business is equivalent to asking them is special about themselves personally. Most people can’t or don’t want to answer this question because most people don’t stop to consider it.
If you can’t think of yourself as something to brag about, it makes it hard to brag about something you’ve done. That includes the blood and sweat that went into putting up your work at home website.
It goes back to that insensible modesty I was discussing earlier. Sure you want people to visit your website but you don’t want to spend hours attracting people.
They figure people will realize how “awesome” it is once they visit. But you have to get them to visit first.
So how do you get over that “I’m not special feeling?”
1. Realize that even if you are operating a business within a competitive niche, no two businesses are alike. You have something unique to offer. You write your articles with your unique voice and your customers are getting a different experience when they visit your site. So just by being you, your business is already individual.
2. Just because you may have personal self esteem issues doesn’t mean your business should suffer. Look at your business objectively. From a customer’s perspective what does your work at home business have to offer? What’s in it for the customer? Try not to bring yourself into it. Just consider your business on its own. Imagine you didn’t own it, would you use the service or buy the product. Having visited other similar websites what makes it stand out from others.
3. Understand that this is DO OR DIE! You don’t really have a choice, you have to get visitors to your website, and thus you need to invest the time into creating marketing campaigns that highlight the benefits of your website.
For shy, modest people coming up with a unique selling point can be difficult. It can be hard to distinguish yourself in a crowd, especially when you personally feel lack luster. But in order to get people to visit that great site you built you have to understand that your business is worthy of the attention.
Get Quality Visitors TODAY!!
http://couchchange.blogspot.com/2008/10/are-you-dangerously-modest-about-your.html
Adelaide Kwaning
Friday, October 17, 2008
Best work at home day
My ideal day is—everyday. Everyday I wake up knowing I’m going to have an awesome day. I’m a cheery person as is, so it doesn’t take a lot to make me smile. It does take a bit to impress me though, but that’s another story.
But I’ll admit even chipper me can have moments in my ideal day that aren’t ideal. Days when my work at home business just isn’t going the way I want it to, days when I can’t seem to communicate effectively, moments when it seems like I’m fighting with my business rather than just working. I don’t mean days when the printer is jammed, or all my emails can’t be received, but days when emotionally I feel like asking myself, “why am I working so hard?”
When you work from home you learn really quickly to put others first-- your customers, your clients-- sometimes I’m left asking myself what’s in it for me. What am I getting out of it?
It doesn’t take long to remember, I put up with the jammed printer, the ridiculous deadlines, even the minor butt kissing for my long term happiness. I need to do this. It’s not really a choice for me. I have very few other options. But it’s also a personal challenge.
Each day something less than perfect happens, I have to collect my patience, dive into the problem solver within me and see if I can turn things around. I also learn that sometimes you have to let go, that even in a work at home business you can’t control everything. Sometimes you have to throw in the towel.
Working from home teaches you things about yourself that you would otherwise not have a chance to learn. Sure you’re working, you’re busting your butt for a so called better life but you are also developing yourself personally. You’re cultivating your imagination. It takes of lot of that to get through a day sometimes. You are learning to reach out to people in a genuine manner. Fake doesn’t sell well online. And at the end of the day, even if you haven’t reached your sales goal, you can still pat yourself on the back.
Every day is a good day, or at least I know if I can just get through this one the best day is coming right up.
Adelaide Kwaning
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Do you have work at home success envy?
I’m sure you, at some point, have received an email containing the bragging rights of an internet marketer. They usually go on to talk about how some 19 year old cracked the code to making millions online, or how some homeless man went from zero to millions by using a certain program. Now most of these are written in a way for you sit up, pay attention and eventually invest in the product being promoted. However, a number of days when seeing such an email I didn’t want to learn the techniques. I wanted to crawl back in bed. After working so hard, it only makes you feel worse to read someone else’s success story. Especially when you use the program, you work your butt off, and you’re still not able to brag.
I then realized, product aside, these emails actually serve a useful purpose. They inject a mild sense of hope into those who are struggling. It’s nice to know that someone else is successful. And once you actually start being happy for other people’s work at home success, yours becomes more attainable.
It’s no use wasting energy being envious of others; it’s better to use their success story to pump you up. Hey that could be you! Instead of deleting the email because you are too jealous to read it, see if there are any valid tips in it. Maybe the program or service can be of use to you, or find out more about the person who’s giving away their success secret. Do they post tips anywhere else that you can learn from?
Having work at home success envy will only slow down the success of your business. You’re too busy trying to beat others to find out how to do it. And you’re turning your back from important resources and tools that can carry your business forward.
The next time you come across a genuine success story don’t stick your nose up at it. Take a moment to be happy for the person. Then say thank you. I mean it, being thankful for someone else’s success increases your own chance. You suddenly become more open to learning how to make your work at home business a success.
Write YOUR Own SUCCESS Story
Adelaide Kwaning
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Are you dangerously modest about your work at home business?
Yesterday, I discussed my concerns about not facing the facts and refusing to admit you need help when you work from home. After all no one wants a failing business. We all want one that is successful. However, how do we respond to our success?
It’s one thing to get things wrong, but what about when you get things right? Your work at home business is fraught with challenges, so when you are able to meet these challenges it’s worth cheering about. However, many people don’t.
It’s one thing to bury your head in the sand to hide from your failure, but it’s another to do it due to success. But even I will admit that an almost embarrassing sense of modesty has compelled me to, at times, hide from my success.
Well, maybe not hide, but you do become dangerously modest and unwilling to toot your own horn. In fact you may be doing the following
1. Reluctant to accept you actually did something well.
2. Afraid you will lose your friends if you become too successful
3. Addicted to dissatisfaction, where you believe even when you do something successful, it could have been better
4. Unaware of your strengths, even when you are applying them
5. Nervous about reaching the top or becoming one of the top players because you fear having a target on your back
6. Too busy striving to celebrate your own victories
7. Overwhelmed with the prospect of expanding your work at home business
8. Worried about becoming arrogant
9. Forgetting to be grateful for your skills and determination
10. Bashful to express your enthusiasm of your found and applied talents
11. Guilty when others you know are struggling
12. Constantly playing up your weakness instead of your strengths
13. Oblivious to the fact that you are successful.
The list could go on, but all of the above are things that some work at home business owners experience. And if you can relate to at least five of the above you may have a fear of success.
It’s a very real fear, and it’s something that affects people’s work at home business each and every day.
It may not seem like a big deal but it is. I suffer with a modest case of this fear. Am I happy when things are going well? Yes, but on the other hand I sometimes can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’m doing it, and in worse cases I don’t know what I did to achieve that success. And this is where the real problem lies.
If we don’t take time to consider our successes, then we are less able to retrieve the skills needed the next time we are faced with a similar challenge. What’s worse is people who are afraid to acknowledge their success, subconsciously do things to sabotage it.
For a lot of folks it’s hard to understand why anyway would be afraid of success, but studies show that it is a greater risk to your work at home business than the fear of failure.
We all have our own personal reasons for being overly modest. Often it stems from our past-- being told we’re not good enough, putting the happiness of others before our own, stifling your confidence to help an insecure friend or family member. There are several reasons. But it’s time we started valuing our strengths.
It’s time we cheered ourselves on.
It’s time we realized we are more than capable.
Otherwise all our success will simply wither away.
Adelaide Kwaning
It’s one thing to get things wrong, but what about when you get things right? Your work at home business is fraught with challenges, so when you are able to meet these challenges it’s worth cheering about. However, many people don’t.
It’s one thing to bury your head in the sand to hide from your failure, but it’s another to do it due to success. But even I will admit that an almost embarrassing sense of modesty has compelled me to, at times, hide from my success.
Well, maybe not hide, but you do become dangerously modest and unwilling to toot your own horn. In fact you may be doing the following
1. Reluctant to accept you actually did something well.
2. Afraid you will lose your friends if you become too successful
3. Addicted to dissatisfaction, where you believe even when you do something successful, it could have been better
4. Unaware of your strengths, even when you are applying them
5. Nervous about reaching the top or becoming one of the top players because you fear having a target on your back
6. Too busy striving to celebrate your own victories
7. Overwhelmed with the prospect of expanding your work at home business
8. Worried about becoming arrogant
9. Forgetting to be grateful for your skills and determination
10. Bashful to express your enthusiasm of your found and applied talents
11. Guilty when others you know are struggling
12. Constantly playing up your weakness instead of your strengths
13. Oblivious to the fact that you are successful.
The list could go on, but all of the above are things that some work at home business owners experience. And if you can relate to at least five of the above you may have a fear of success.
It’s a very real fear, and it’s something that affects people’s work at home business each and every day.
It may not seem like a big deal but it is. I suffer with a modest case of this fear. Am I happy when things are going well? Yes, but on the other hand I sometimes can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’m doing it, and in worse cases I don’t know what I did to achieve that success. And this is where the real problem lies.
If we don’t take time to consider our successes, then we are less able to retrieve the skills needed the next time we are faced with a similar challenge. What’s worse is people who are afraid to acknowledge their success, subconsciously do things to sabotage it.
For a lot of folks it’s hard to understand why anyway would be afraid of success, but studies show that it is a greater risk to your work at home business than the fear of failure.
We all have our own personal reasons for being overly modest. Often it stems from our past-- being told we’re not good enough, putting the happiness of others before our own, stifling your confidence to help an insecure friend or family member. There are several reasons. But it’s time we started valuing our strengths.
It’s time we cheered ourselves on.
It’s time we realized we are more than capable.
Otherwise all our success will simply wither away.
Adelaide Kwaning
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Working from home means getting out of the sandbox
Sometimes as a work at home business owner, I can become surprised of my success. But what’s odder is when people, myself included, can be surprised when they fail. It’s not inevitable. At some point you will create a marketing campaign that might just bomb, or write something that will have critics (your reader) thinking, “I’d wipe my ass with this, but it’s full of enough crap.” Sometimes were just off the mark. We’re human, so why do we get so personally defensive when something just doesn’t turn out the way we expected.
Ego, of course plays a huge role. As work at home business owners we just don’t want to admit that we’re not perfect. We don’t feel like we can afford to. Online if you miss the target you’ve basically lost revenue from potentially thousands of customers. Yes, it’s a little bit of blow to our ego to say “wow, I mucked that one up.”
But after I stopped thinking that I have the best at everything, and started realizing that failure is great teacher, I got over myself and started earning more.
But you can’t do that if you’re too afraid to take your head out of the sand and face the facts. That’s what many struggling home-business owners do. They don’t check their stats, they don’t seek help, and they are reluctant to admit that things aren’t going well. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to working from home.
I’m talking about being honest with your customers (that’s common sense) but being honest with yourself. You’re not where you want to be and it’s time you stopped pretending you are.
Next, admit it to your family. If you’re pretending and hiding the fact that your business isn’t profitable yet to your family it will only affect your work habit, which will help to speed up the process of your fading business.
Notice how I said yet in the sentence above. The truth is anyone can become successful once they admit that they aren’t, that they have more to learn, and they put in the right work to turn things around.
But refusing to admit the fact will worsen the state of your business, and eventually, your personal happiness.
Get Started on the Path to Success Here
Adelaide Kwaning
Friday, October 3, 2008
Capturing ideas for your work at home business
If I had a dollar for every time I neglected to write down an idea I’d have a lot of couch change. When you work from home you constantly need to be coming up with new ideas. This comes easy to folks like me; our minds are a factory of ideas and suggestions, for others it may take you a little longer. These types of people are usually better at executing the idea. But however you are, when you come up with a new idea write it done right away. Sure you may not have everything thought out in that moment but you do have something that you can work with. Or at least something you can investigate further.
Who knows your research may lead you to decide to chuck the idea out the window. But as long as you have it, you can come back to it.
Don’t think “I can remember lots of things.” When you work at home you can easily forget even important tasks, if they are not written somewhere because you have so many things to do, so something like an unpolished idea is very vulnerable to getting axed out of your memory.
Don’t sit and ponder whether or not it’s a good idea, simply find some place to store it where it will be in your vision. Then decide how you plan to employ your new found idea.
Not writing down ideas is the fastest way to throw money out. So get yourself a notebook, create a computer file, or at least get some sticky notes and keep all your brilliance close at hand.
Adelaide Kwaning
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)