Wow. This is something I've thought a lot about recently!
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1. I would join forums like this one because it's where people are groomed to give superb value, even beyond what they may possibly be giving via their websites outside this forum.
2. I would find a niche I was passionate about because I simply don't work on things consistently and persistently that I don't want to do.
3. I would stick with that niche and grow that business in it until it was in profit before moving on to another project because diluted focus sucks away your power and energy.
4. In the course of growing that one business, I would systematize as much as possible so I could outsource as much as possible, keeping only the parts I truly enjoyed doing because that is how you leverage yourself - and cut back on work hours and increase your satisfaction with your work. (All that, in turn, leads to helping more and more people!)
5. I would find an accountability partner because you are more likely to push through unpleasantness within the tasks you work when you know someone is expecting you to report your progress.
6. I would also find a coach who teaches in my learning style who has been where I want to go and enlist their help in taking the practical steps needed for building my business because their guidance is your roadmap around the hidden pitfalls. It is important they teach you in the style you learn best so that you maximize the learning and growth.
7. I would find a master mind group that is well-balanced between fun and progress because master mind groups that only "hang out" don't help you grow your business as much even though it is fun to gather.
8. I would fail faster because only in action do you find clarity.
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There may be more, but that seems like enough for now.
Excellent points Crystal. Thank SO much for sharing them with us!
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If I were to start all over again, I would have posted to this thread back in 2006.
WOW, Linda, did you ever imagine that this thread would be this active 3 years later????
Anyway, If I could go back and do it over, I would have outsourced the stuff that I had to learn to do. Like coding a php website.
I am sure that a website developer may have known how the site should function based on my criteria. I, on the other hand, had to evolve the site to get it to were I think it should be. That was a lot of time wasted coding stuff that did not make it into the final cut. But, I did learn how to code php
Second, I would wait to launch site until after I actually had my service flying. That way I could show just how effective my new service is. And not have to rely on web copy to make the sales.
And being able to show how effective this service is, getting JV partners would have been a lot easier. As most of the heavy hitters (even medium hitters) will not even look at your site unless you are at the top of your selected niche.
That's about it.
Thanks for another great post Linda.
I only started back in 2007 so have not been at it long but I had money to blow and little time so I bought everything I could get my hands on to learn about IM.I joined several
affiliate sites and became involved in a traffic company from the Uk promising huge amount of exit traffic not to mention signups to any type of program Guaranteed.I spent thousands of dollars on this thinking it was my answer to quick money only for the company to fold in a few short months leaving me flat and broke Sadly though at the time I had done at least I thought my due diligence, but as the company was so new google only showed exactly what I wanted to hear good things so I bought into it.
I was taken hook line and sinker.It really looked to good to be true and it was just like so much of the web is full of these days.After this fall I took time several months to regroup and decided to start back small and slowly build my way back and I am still at it.
I still have my day job so I can,t put the time I really would like to but have found forum help to be a solution for me.I don,t mind it though because my day job is working with programs that raise funds to help special needs children.
Internet marketing has taken a back seat so to speak as I have worked the past two decades of my life enhancing the lives of kids who just don't have what I have but will be retiring not too far down the road and hoping to have my IM experience to help me though my retirement.Things are moving along now and I hope that I can keep learning.I am not trying to become rich as it is not me .If I can continue enough to help me get by from month to month I will be one happy cat LOL
If starting over, I'd definitely approach things WAY differently on so many fronts.
For instance, at the beginning I didn't believe I *needed* anyone else to help me promote my company because I felt like SEO and article marketing would carry me to the "promised land." The fix: involve more people at the outset vs. having an ignorant scarcity mentality.
I would have searched and joined forums such as this and gotten involved a LONG time ago versus just now reaching out to others (relates to mistake #1 with similar fix).
I would have outsourced the things I'm not great at from the beginning which would have required some research into who, what, when, where and how for such resources. Fix: regular honest assessments of yourself and business as things progress with a keen eye on finding top talent to offset existing weaknesses.
I would have joined a mastermind group or something to hold me more accountable on projects because they tend to drag on if there isn't something or someone to push you past the finish line. Fix: partner with someone for accountability's sake or seek out a like minded group so mistakes are minimized and a sense of optimism can be maintained.
Along with the previous mistake, I'd jump in and start doing things before researching every tiny detail of a process or tactic. Like many have said on here, you learn much more by doing and when you force yourself to learn something because the clock is ticking, you're much more likely to figure it out much quicker than if you keep postponing projects until you learn the "next thing." Fix: don't think every project needs to result in a Picasso--get something out there and fine tune it as necessary versus delaying its release.
Those are my major mistakes that I'd like to do over. Can anyone relate?
If I were to start all over again, I would have posted to this thread back in 2006.
WOW, Linda, did you ever imagine that this thread would be this active 3 years later????
Right Austin. Who wouldn't thunk!!!
All the people sharing their mistakes in this thread and how they would do things differently,
just goes to show you - mistakes can be the best teacher.
Fail soon, fail hard and fail often and you will get further, faster.
Like Roger said, jump in - don't wait until you think you know it all.
__________________ Linda Buquet :: Affiliate Recruiting, Promotion & PR
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Mistakes are great teachers, and even mistakes can be profitable on their own. One mistake site (my first) pulls in enough income to pay for my web hosting.
I messed up the link structure on my second site, which wouldn't be a huge issue if I didn't rely on a landing page on the part of the structure I wanted fixed for income. I will find a fix for this, shouldn't be too hard.
And definitely, don't wait for everything to be perfect. I nearly failed out of English in high school, but my writing has made me $100 in the last couple weeks while "learning" to write.
The biggest tip that I would recommend everyone to do is to listen to what others say. I keep a notepad around ALL of the time. If I get an idea, it is written down. If someone raves about a product, I write it down.
From there it is just a matter of throwing out little niche sites/lenses/hubs/blogs/etc to test the products and refining the results. I have more ideas right now than I can hope to market, and I still write down more.
I would have certainly visited forums instead of waisting money on those dumb ebooks out there that just confuse you...!!.. I also would have not been so scared to ask dumb questions..,.. After a long 6 months I am finally making a little bit of money..,. Although had I gone the route after I waisted 3-4 months I would have been making money many months ago..,.. But you learn from your mistakes.,.
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Sadly though at the time I had done at least I thought my due diligence, but as the company was so new google only showed exactly what I wanted to hear good things so I bought into it.
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