5.  Avoid being a procrastinator. People usually procrastinate as an avoidance strategy.  Identify the reasons why you procrastinate and take steps to correct them.  If you are putting off writing posts for your blog because you don’t like to write, ask yourself how important is it that you learn to do so?  You may be able to use PLR articles to provide you with the foundation for your posts allowing you to build on the ideas.

6.  Moving Forward in Your Online Business Requires FOCUS. It is hard when you’re just getting started to focus, because you’re quite likely still searching. But herein lies failure.  Without a focus you get easily distracted and like a butterfly flit from one “promise of gold” to the other without accomplishing anything meaningful. I don’t recall where I read this but someone suggested that you should try something for 90 days and if it doesn’t appear to be working, try something else.  There’s nothing dogmatic about that, but the point is that you need to give a particular tool or method time to prove whether it has merit or not; rather than jumping from one thing to the next.  Remember FOCUS = Follow One Course Until Successful!

7.  Have a plan: I’ve written in other posts that a plan is essential to your success.  However, many persons new to internet marketing feel that they cannot really devise a plan because they do not know all of what is involved. This is true, but remember that your plan can be modified or even changed altogether to meet your specific needs.  The key is to have a basic outline or framework of where you are at the outset, and determine where you would like to be as far as knowledge and income in the short-term and long-term are concerned.  As you gain more knowledge you will become more equipped to set the steps in place that you need to effectively to move forward in your online business and reach your desired goal.

Here’s an example:  You are brand new to the internet: 1) In your research you find that one of the quickest way to get started online is to set up a blog rather than have a static website.  Your next step would logically be to research where you can set up your blog by learning about blog platforms.  Once you’ve gathered your information, then you take action.  You can set up a blog on a free platform like blogger.com or you may learn that typepad.com offers a better solution.  Your research may also reveal that a hosted blog on wordpress.org may be even more effective.  Make a decision then set up your account.

2)  After learning what blogs are, including the fact that Google loves blogs, you also learn that blogs allow people to get to know, like and trust you.  Your next step would be, to decide what you will write about?  My advice would be to start with something you know something about, something you will enjoy writing about, and something that there is much to write about.  It wouldn’t make sense to select a topic that after a few posts you run out of things to write about.

3)  Once you develop a pattern and become familiar with the process, you can continue investing time in learning, not necessarily money, until you get to know who you can trust to provide solid information.  I say this without reservation based on my own experience.  When I first came on the internet I wasted lots of money on courses and ebooks that turned out to be ‘fluff’ and did not provide solid “how to’s”.  My hope is that you will avoid that happening to you.

As you get started and continue your research your knowledge will grow so that you are able to continue building your plan for success and learn how to move forward and get beyond the “Newbie” phase.

For more information and assistance with creating your first website, please visit http://createyourfirstwebsiteonline.com/ where you can download a FREE report and learn how you can receive FREE step-by-step instructions on creating your first website.

]]> http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/how-to-move-forward-in-your-online-business-part-two/feed/ 0 http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/how-to-move-forward-in-your-online-business-part-1/ http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/how-to-move-forward-in-your-online-business-part-1/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:38:58 +0000 Yvonne A Jones http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/?p=205 The definition of an Internet Newbie is very subjective.  For some it could mean just getting started; for others they consider themselves a Newbie until they have made their first $1,000 from their marketing efforts.  Still there are others who consider themselves Newbies even though they have had a presence on the Internet for more than a year.

Regardless of where you are in the “Newbie” stage, your desire should be to move forward in your online business.  No one wants to or can follow a parked car…it’s going nowhere, and unless you are on online just for fun or as a hobby, you will want to take steps to move forward.

1. Do you treat your internet marketing as a business? Then you must do something in and for your business everyday.

2. It’s often said, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” Are you a self-starter and are you self-motivated?  You must take action to implement what you re learning.  Sometimes you could over-analyze the pros and cons for so long that it leads to paralysis.  I was guilty of this for a long time, not only in my online business but also in my Direct Sales business several years ago.  A simple statement by a Direct Sales leader helped to get me to see beyond my own limiting beliefs.  She pointed out that all the lights are never going to be green at the same time, but you keep going and will eventually reach your destination if you don’t let the red lights stop you altogether.  Simple illustration that had a big impact on me.

3.  F.E.A.R – False Evidence Appearing Real. So many of us struggle with fear of failure.  Oddly enough when you take the plunge, many times you realize that the fear was much worse that the reality.  Do not be afraid to fail forward. It’s unavoidable but you can learn from your mistakes. Each time you fail or fall view it as a training ground, sometimes a hard one, but the experience will make you stronger and less likely to make the same mistake. Think of the gymnast or ice skater who takes home the Olympic gold.  He or she did not get there without some tumbles, but they never gave up; they got up, and kept going. Will you?

4.  Stop being busy with tasks unrelated to your business.  Ask yourself, Is what I’m doing going to take me to the next level or stage in my business?  There’s nothing wrong with taking care of administrative tasks but they must be done after your key tasks for your online business are completed. An area I still struggle with is releasing tasks by outsourcing them.  And this may be something you cannot afford to do initially, but as soon as you can take advantage of Virtual Assistants who can save you lots of time so you can focus on what is going to make you move forward in your online business.  I’m finally working with a Webmaster as I recognize that he can do things much better and faster than I can and that’s helping me to move forward in my own business.

Look for Part 2 in 3 days.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yvonne_A_Jones

Are you new to the Internet? Are you confused by all the information you’re exposed to? On the other hand, are you a ’seasoned’ marketer looking for additional sources of income online to explode your internet empire? There is a tremendous amount of information available on the subject of internet marketing but when you are looking for information it makes sense to find materials that offer options. This will allow you to be selective in finding tools or systems that match your personality and your niche.

A review of the eBook , “20 Ways to Make $100 per Day Online“  will help you to determine if this is right for you.  Below are 5 reasons why I strongly recommend this e-book:

1. Authors:  The eBook was created by Members of the Internet Marketing Inner Circle and coordinated by Founder, Willie Crawford, who also wrote the final chapter. All of these marketers have been successful in their niche for several years and have enthusiastically shared one aspect of their business that has been tried and tested, which can help to make you successful as well.

2. Links:  Each chapter title gives a link, which means it allows you to go directly to an associated resource. I especially appreciate that these active links and valuable resources have been included as they make research easier. The material is expertly written but with terminology that’s clear and easy to understand especially for ‘internet newbies.’

3. Raises Your Awareness of Income Possibilities:  This information helps you to think about your current skills and interests and arouses your awareness of how you can translate these into making part-time or full-time income from your home. Most of these do not need full-time hours, therefore, they can be a ’side’ project that has tremendous possibility for growth into full-time income.

4. Gives You a Place to Start:  If you are a ‘newbie’ this eBook allows you really delve into various forms of internet marketing strategies all in one place so that you can make an informed decision. If you are fairly experienced it allows you to see what other successful marketers have done to be successful and determine which aspect you would like to be involved with next.

5. Introduction to Affiliate Marketing: If you do not have a product of your own, Affiliate Marketing is a great way to build your income online.  You can become an affiliate immediately after obtaining “20 Ways to Make $100 per Day Online.”

I would recommend this eBook to everyone who is interested in starting or building their online business for its meaningful information and creative, but practical, business ideas.

]]> http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/5-reasons-why-i-recommend-20-ways-to-make-100-per-day-online-as-a-research-tool/feed/ 0 http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/starting-and-maintaining-an-online-business-requires-the-correct-mindset/ http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/starting-and-maintaining-an-online-business-requires-the-correct-mindset/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:25:48 +0000 Yvonne A Jones http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/?p=181 Your perception of what it takes to start and  maintain an internet or online business is an integral factor in determining your success.  Many persons incorrectly start out with the mindset that launching and running a successful online business involves getting a website built, usually a static one, promoting a product or service and people will flock to their website.  Unfortunately the likelihood of this happening by chance is astronomical.

It takes self-discipline and work to run a successful internet business.  As you become active online you may sign up for various offers and receive e-mails regarding this product or that software designed to save you hours of work, etc.  Keep in mind that many of the persons sending you these e-mails are affiliates for these products and are perhaps struggling just as you are.  On the other hand there are Internet Marketers who are making thousands of dollars daily and may only work 2 or 3 hours…but it did not happen overnight for them.  They had to work very hard at the outset developing strategies and massaging a few bruises as they fell and needed to pick themselves up again.  They probably had to work at cultivating the correct mindset required by successful business owners.  You too may have recently started an online business or may be just thinking about it.  In the interest of your success, you now need to do the work required on a consistent basis.

Your online or internet business is just that…a business; and so you’ll need to develop the mindset of a business owner.  Previous business experience is not required, however, you do need to have an idea of what it takes to run a business, or at the bare minimum, seek the advice or guidance of a professional.  One very important  reason  is that while your start-up costs can be quite low, especially compared to setting up an offline business, you will need some money to invest in your new business.  In addition, while there are rare cases, your online business is probably not going to make enough profit initially to replace your income or sufficiently supplement your income.  Therefore, you will need capital to fill the gap for a period of time.

These are basic thoughts that you can assist you in  developing the correct mindset towards starting and running an online business successfully.  As in any business, there are people who fail, but you can succeed with the right mindset, doing research, being disciplined, and being willing to work hard to meet your desired goal.

Based on the above I can hear someone saying, “I don’t need a business plan.  After all an online business is not like a brick and mortar business…”  And that’s true.  However, by setting up a business plan, you are laying out a roadmap to success. It will help you to develop your business goals and strategies, as well as provide you with a better understanding of the marketplace. It will also highlight any business strengths or weaknesses that you may have, as well as providing you with an opportunity to take a close look at your competitors. While this is optional at the outset, it would do no harm to include financial projections, historical data and growth expectations into your business plan.  If your goal is to make money, you will need to document what your resources are at the outset, and what it’s going to take to reach your goal.

One vital concept of your plan for success in an online business endeavor is to identify your target audience.  This way you will know how your service, your product, or your knowledge can specifically meet or exceed the expectations of your audience.

Your business plan may be broken down into the following seven sections:

1. Business summary – The product or service you want to provide.

2. Market analysis – Research on the product or service and how the competitors are doing.

3. Product positioning – How to make it more prominent compared to your competitors.  Or, what need is not being filled in your area that you can fill.

4. Market strategy – How are you actually going to market it? Every business must have a marketing plan otherwise you are setting-up yourself for failure.

5. Customer analysis – Look at what the customer wants or needs.  How will you find out?  Feedback, surveys, etc.

6. Financial analysis – What you need to invest in order to set up the business and to keep it going while it is just getting started. You’ll need at the minimum a domain name, a hosting service, and an autoresponder.  I use and recommend GoDaddy.com for domain name registration, and AWeber.com for e-mail autoresponder service. Click on the links to take you directly to both sites.

7. Overall business goals – What you hope to achieve in, say, a year’s time or even 5 years’ time.  Short-term and long-term goals.

Although you may be thinking  you need pages and pages of information, which could cause you to hesitate, keep in mind that the sections listed above can be condensed into just about two pages.  This is for your reference, and should serve as a guide which you can refer to from time to time in order to determine your progress.  And, above all, make it your determination that once you have created a business plan for your online business you will stick with it.  As your business evolves, you can amend as you see fit.

Need help in creating your first website online?  Click here to learn more about creating your first website online and receive a free report.

]]> http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/how-to-set-up-a-business-plan-for-your-online-business/feed/ 0 http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/making-connections-at-networking-events/ http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/making-connections-at-networking-events/#comments Sun, 10 Jan 2010 04:08:50 +0000 Yvonne A Jones http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/?p=171 Do you remember the proverb, “Birds of a feather, flock together?”  It is a natural tendency in humans to want to stay in groups with others with whom we feel comfortable – either people we already know or those we share similar interests with.

When it comes to business events like large training groups, business functions and networking events staying within your groups or your clumps may not be a good idea.  What’s usually your main reason for attending these events? Would it be for exposure? To get away from your home office, to learn from others, or to interact with peers?  Even if your goal is ‘only’ to learn, these are opportunities to get to know other coaches, marketers, direct sellers, etc.

There is always a certain level of comfort when you attend events, especially large ones, with someone with whom you are already familiar.  However, if you congregate with just your known circle, you are not allowing yourself to make meaningful connections and possibly reach new people and companies that you’d like to do business with. YOU may also have the personality or type of business someone else needs. Would it be fair to deprive others of getting to know you?

Breaking out of your clumps or clusters and making connections may be challenging, but it can be done. Develop the mindset of a host who has to circulate among everyone in the room just to be sure they are comfortable. This could mean asking yourself, Who can I help to establish new contacts? Which two people can I introduce to each other whose businesses could support each others? Which speaker impacted me that I can give a sincere compliment.

A point to keep in mind is that while you may be nervous, force yourself not to talk too much. Make brief comments then ask questions that will elicit positive responses.  I once heard a speaker say that you should not talk for longer than 60 seconds without asking a question. Applying this method you could take the pressure off yourself, and the person to whom you’re speaking will be thrilled at your level of interest in what he or she has to say.

I invite you to post your comments and share your experience on this topic.

Visit Article Directories and Get Free Reprint Articles

Quality articles can be found on article directories like EzineArticles.com, ArticleBase.com, and LadyPens.com, which you can copy and place on your website. You may not, however, edit these articles in any way and you must include the author’s resource box at the end, including any links to the author’s website. Doing this you receive the quality content that you need, and the author or authors receive free publicity. There are, however, drawbacks to this method of obtaining articles:
1. Because you share the same article with everyone else that uses that directory, there is the issue of duplicate content, which could affect your search engine rankings.  This would not be a concern if you’d be using the article in your newsletter or ezine.  If you are adding the article to your website, I would suggest that you write an introduction to the article and a conclusion at the end with a wrap-up statement or recommendation.

2. It’s difficult to find good quality articles with  content for your business.

3. By using the article with the resource box in place, as is required, you’re basically advertising for someone else and diverting attention from your website.

Write the Articles Yourself

You can choose to write some of your web content yourself. I would highly recommend that you do write much of your own content, at least on the sites where you’re trying to establish yourself as an authority.  But as I noted earlier this can be a challenge.

However, the third of my 3 favorite ways will enable you to post good quality articles to your website without having to write all of it yourself. Many you can just edit and use. The difference in the option below is that YOU become the expert, rather than endorsing someone else as the expert.

Use PLR Articles

PLR stands for Private Label Rights. PLR articles are usually written by a ghostwriter and sold to several website owners. This means that you (and a limited number of other bloggers) can edit the articles and publish them without being required to link back to anyone or give anyone credit for writing them. You become the expert when using PLR articles.

I had received numerous e-mails about PLR articles and had no idea how they could benefit me until I attended a Teleseminar on the topic and was amazed at the benefits of using PLR products. Many people choose to use these articles as they are, but I do and strongly recommend that you customize the articles, tweak them for your market, insert examples or photos or case studies then publish them on your website.

The main challenge I found for some time was finding a good PLR service that provides professionally written content sold in limited quantities.  That issue was resolved when I found EasyPLR.com.  EasyPLR.com has been offering the best niche plr article packs on the web since 2006.  Here are some reasons why I highly recommend their content:

-  Great reputation. Thousands of happy, repeat customers over the years.

-    Great quality. The content is written by Professional Writers on staff and edited by a separate staff member.-   Limited availability. You’re not sharing your articles with thousands of other people.

-    Run by a Respected Internet Marketer. Nicole Dean owns EasyPLR.com and is oftentimes called the marketer with integrity, and runs her business by her gut and her ethics, not strictly by her pocketbook.

-    Excellent customer support. Need any help? They’re there for you.
I’m a customer at EasyPLR.com and I have been extremely happy with the good quality articles and content. Check it out here.

Studies indicate that while many women enjoy working from home and made a deliberate choice to do so, some women did so out of necessity.  Regardless of the reason many find that they miss the interaction of colleagues at work, the challenges of the workplace as well as opportunities to be dressed professionally in whatever type of clothing was considered the norm for her profession.  One of the results of this can be the loss of self-esteem and self-confidence.  In fact, I’ve spoken with women at home parties who said that while they love their children, they are just glad to have intelligent adult conversation with other women.

In order to regain your self-confidence and rebuild your self-esteem, the following are points to keep in mind as you strive for small successes on a daily basis:

• Negative thoughts will pull you down and have a negative effect on those around you, including children, if any.  Endeavor to look on the bright side of things and re-train your mind to think positive thoughts.  It’s more than theory that positive thinking can change not just you, but also those around you.

• Be enthusiastic.  This reminds me on a very strong and successful woman who has been working from home for some years.  She recalls that when she worked in a stressful job in corporate America every morning some of the women would walk in and say, “Oh! I’m so tired…” and she found herself saying that she was tired too.  Then one day she was about to respond in kind and she suddenly realized that she did not feel tired at all, but she had got into the habit of responding to the negative comments of others and she herself had  become a Negative Nelly.  Work at greeting each day with enthusiasm seeing every day as a new beginning and another day to take steps toward achieving whatever your success goal may be.

• If you’re not feeling confident in any given situation, pause for a moment and think of what is the worst that could happen.  You may find that even the worst would not be so bad after all and you can instead focus your energy on given the situation at hand your best.

• Are you dissatisfied with your physical appearance?  Then do something about it starting today..not tomorrow or next week…TODAY! Start your exercise program, or just start walking.  If you’re going to start a diet,  start today.

• Do something for someone else and make someone else feel good.  The Biblical statement is true, “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”  Giving to others allows you to focus on others and being selfless will make you feel better about yourself knowing that you have contributed to the happiness of someone else.

Results, Not Resolutions in 2010

Every year millions of us diligently work on our New Year’s Goals or Resolutions, determined that this year will be *THE* year, somehow different from all the rest which preceded it.   We labor over writing the goals, create Vision Boards, and start the year bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (like children on Christmas morning when they see a tree loaded with presents).   And yet within a week, maybe two or three, reality sets in. We’re the same people we were before midnight on January 1st and, likely have the same habits. . .good and bad. So how do we create results and not simply resolutions? The answer is simple. . .treat the New Year as you would any large project and break it down into manageable pieces.   Let’s see what that looks like:

1. Choose one of your annual goals and break it down into 4 quarterly (90 day) goals.
2. Take the first quarter (January – March) and break that down into monthly goals — what do you need to achieve each MONTH to reach your first quarterly (March 31st) goal?
3. Take the first month (January) and break that down into weekly goals — what do you need to achieve each WEEK to reach your monthly (January 31st) goal?
4. Take the first week (January 3 – 9) and break that down into daily ACTIONS — what should you do each day which will allow you to reach your weekly (January 9th) goal?
5. And what needs to happen for you to get your daily actions DONE? Do you limit your email/Twitter/IM time? Do you tell your best friend you have work to do? Do you get up an hour earlier or work an hour later? Do you invest in a mentor who can save you hours of learning time? Figure out what you need to do. . .and then do it!

Simple, right?   It is until you take a look at ALL your New Year’s Goals and realize you’d have to work 15 hours a day and be on a treadmill eating carrot sticks while chatting with your friends and family the remaining 9 hours in order to reach every goal you set.   The above exercise does two things for you: 1. It gives you the power to create real results. . .in a way which keep you focused and allows you to see progress throughout the year and
2. It forces you to “get real” about how much you can achieve and where you may want to pull in outside resources to speed up your learning curve, outsource work, etc.   So, what’s next?   You have a choice.   You can take this ezine and move it to your “I’ll get to it later” folder, you can delete it, or you can use it to change your 2010 forever.

Make It Real, My Request to You:  My request to you is that you pick one of your goals for 2010 and use the exercise above to ensure it’s doable, a stretch for you, but still attainable. And go through this process until all your goals are mapped out.    Once you’ve mapped out your goals and the actions needed to get there (this method also forces you to look at your goals at least monthly), you can “ask” any opportunity or offer which comes your way whether it will support you in reaching your goals or serve as a distraction and make your decision based on your immediate, intuitive answer.    Just imagine, no more laboring over decisions. . .they either do or do not support your goals. How freeing is that?!?    And if you want some help determining just how to reach your goals or even which ones to focus on, you’ll want to check out my private “Shot of Sandy” program — there’s 3 spots open for January!   Sandra Martini is a strategic marketing and productivity consultant who helps entrepreneurs create and implement the systems to achieve their visions, with services such as coaching, client systems development, consulting and Team Sandy Done 4 You Online Business Marketing & Management as well as a variety of information products.

For more business building strategies and to get your free audio series “5 Simple & Easy Ways to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot, please visit www.SandraMartini.com today.