Relationship Marketing | Build Your Online Business

Guest post by Melanie Kissell Founder, Solo Mompreneur

Do you S-T-R-E-T-C-H yourself a little more each day to grow your business?

Good!  You’re successful.

Have you found a purpose, a passion, and the drive that stimulates you to get up every day and get back to it again?

Wonderful!  You’re successful.

Are you taking at least one tiny action step every day to add value to the lives of others?

Bravo!  You’re successful.

Success is Not defined by the number of dollars you add to your bank account every month.  It’s defined by your motivation, your creative energy, and your “keep going” spirit.

It’s no secret.  We’re all in business to make money.  But it’s the accumulation of all the small, yet significant successes you experience on your journey that will lead you to financial success.

Here are the jukebox buttons to push so you can start hearing the Sweet Sounds of Success:

1) Avoid Rubber Band Stretching

When you pull a rubber band too hard, it’s going to break.  And so will you if you stretch your business-building commitments too thin.  Joining too many online communities and trying to implement too many marketing platforms at once will lead to chaos and confusion.  Stick with one or two social media venues and three marketing platforms until you have mastered them.

2) Hang On To Some Coat Tails

My suggestion is to find someone you look up to have as a confidante, sounding board, and guide.  If you are unable to hire a coach right now, that’s okay.  Choose someone you have developed a relationship with that you can count on to brainstorm ideas, give you some direction, boost your confidence, and support you when you are feeling overwhelmed.  You may be a solo professional, but you cannot build a viable business alone.

3) Cookie Cutter Doesn’t Cut It

Be yourself.  You hear that all the time, right?  But what does it really mean?  It means that being unconventional as an online marketer and small business owner is acceptable and welcomed.  It’s A-Okay to do things differently than others in your niche.  You don’t have to follow conformity.  You want to strive to brand YOU.  Tell your story and find your voice.  Maybe you will realize success through writing.  Maybe it will be public speaking.  Or maybe your own internet radio show will be the ticket.  You decide!

Embrace and enjoy your journey.  And may you forever hear the sweet sounds of success!

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Melanie Kissell is a single mom, big dog lover, avid blogger and affiliate marketer, and founder of Solo Mompreneur.  She works with single women business owners who show great tenacity and passion for their business, but who are short on time, exhausted, and tapped out financially.  Melanie focuses on sharing low-cost and no-cost marketing strategies with her target audience.

This is a Guest Post by Kathryn Griffiths:

“Push The Rock!”  What?  “Push The Rock!”  These words are just some of the advice I received from my first mentor when I started my online business.

What did she have in mind?

She likened starting an online business to “Pushing A Rock” up a hill to the top.  It takes action, time, commitment, dedication and perseverance.  (Whew… did I get them all covered?)   Bottom line… a lot of work.

Creating an online business is not easy… at least… not as easy as some fast talking Gurus may try and lead you to believe.

The winning formula is:  Follow a proven system, stick in there for the long haul… on a straight an narrow course… and you eventually get to the top.

So… you get to the top… then what?

Something amazing happens.  It’s called a “Tipping Point.”

A “Tipping Point” is a certain point at which the process proceeds increase dramatically.

“Tipping Points” are the levels at which the momentum becomes unstoppable.

In other words, there comes a time when the “rock” reaches the top and tips over the peak and rolls down the other side.  It picks up speed and enlarges.  It’s momentum becomes unstoppable without much extended effort on your part.

Those who have reached the “Tipping Point” in their online business say that their business got easier to manage and the rewards reached ten fold.

Here are a few elements that make up the “rock.”

Education: The first step is learning “what” to do.  The second step is learning “how” to do it.  Find mentors or programs that teach both.  Don’t settle for programs that just tell you what you need to be doing without providing information or the means for getting the job done.

Products: You need products to promote.  Whether is affiliate products or your own product, you need to find a products worthy of your time and attention.  Many successful online marketers start with affiliate products and little by little, add their own.

List Building: Building a list of potential customers is a vital key for reaching success.  Not just any list, but a hungry list in your particular niche.  You will need an auto-responder so you can offer your customers solid content and promote products that will solve their problems.

Marketing and Promotion: This can include a blog, article marketing, social media, and forums.

Everyone’s “tipping point” varies according to the niche, and the effort that is put into getting to the top…. but it’s there.

When you feel bogged down and discouraged… lift your head and view the top of the mountain…. and then keep “pushing the rock.”  There is a vista on top.

Til Later,

Kathryn Griffiths

P.S.  There is no reason why we call can’t reach the top… there’s room for everyone.  Let’s make our journey a pleasant one by supporting each other and “push our rocks” together.

Kathryn Griffiths has been online since 2007, building businesses in several niches.  She provides information and instruction to those who are new entrepreneurs striving to build their online businesses from home.

She has worked from her home for many years, successfully managing various businesses ventures.  She can be found at http://kathryngriffiths.com

I often quote the statement that a goal is just a dream if you fail to write it down because it's so true.  In general, most people accept that they need to write their goals as it's only too easy to get side-tracked, or to lose sight of what you're working towards.  For others, they may have to change their mindset in order to accept the need to implement setting goals.

A challenge that many people I work with and speak with have is that while they recognize the importance of written goals, they do not know how to write them effectively.

The first step is decide in your mind what the goal is, what the details involved will be, which would include timeframe, current status, where you'd like to be in the short term, as well as in the long term.  You also have to take into consideration any external factors that may affect the outcome.  Once these have been determined, you are ready to transfer you thoughts to paper or your computer.

1.   Always write your goals in positive language. For example, instead of: My goal is to lose 10 pounds in one month; you may consider: My goal is to be 10 pounds lighter at the end of one month. Or, instead of: My goal is to stop being late for appointments; you may write: (more…)