The amazing thing about opportunity is that it is usually sitting right in front of your face, screaming at you, and you still can’t always see it! I have been fortunate enough in my life to have an entrepreneurial mindset. In other words, I think in terms of “what if?” However, I am not the managerial type, in that dealing with the nuts and bolts of the business is not my forte, so I must have a solid business manager. I can be a great technician, an individual who loves to get in there and do the work, write the articles, make the videos, build the websites, and all the rest.

In essence, I can be two of the three people necessary to run my business, any business, my Internet marketing business or my brick and mortar company. That is, I can be all those people doing all those things, and stretch to be and do a few more, if I never sleep, never spend time with my family, and never spend time doing the things I love, like reading!

Basically, I need one person to do the books and the tedious stuff I hate, the stuff that others love (go figure!), and one person to be there to apply all the ideas that come pouring out of my head. The marriage of the 3 is not a difficult one but it is difficult to find one person competent in all three areas…and that’s the rub! Internet marketing creates some amazing opportunities and there is a great deal of freedom from the traditional clock…but Internet marketing also presents some real challenges.

Enter The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber.

I recently came across The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It and all I can say is, “What an Godsend!” Whether is offline or an online business, this book should be required reading for anyone just starting out and those who have taken the plunge but are beginning to chase their tail; and, it seems most do at some point in their businesses evolution!

I thought I was lazy or that there was a serious flaw in my makeup. After all, why couldn’t I handle all three of these areas? Certainly others did! Interestingly, most don’t, and that’s why many fail. Interestingly, I am not alone. It seems there are quite a few businesspeople, in fact most of them, who fall into exactly the same category…strong in one area, maybe two, but lacking in at least one of the three key personalities necessary to really make things click.

I wholeheartedly recommend The E-Myth Revisited to anyone wishing to make a go of it long term in business, in Internet marketing, some other type of e-commerce, or in a traditional brick and mortar store. Had I read this book, and a couple of others I will review through the next week, things could have been so much easier, so much smoother, and so much less time consuming!

The irony of it all is not lost, as I am seeing myself page after page and stage after stage described by Michael Gerber. The nice part is that it didn’t come too late! I have started and run businesses before and have always done quite well, but I can see the pitfalls and the traps Michael Gerber describes emerging in my newest online venture. And, I can see them in 20/20 hindsight in all my old ventures.

Having gutted through similar experiences before, I was simply committed to gutting it out again! Had I only known what was happening, I could have fixed the problem, adjusted for the conditions, and made the necessary adjustments; and, things would have been so much simpler.

Now?

I have that luxury!

And, compared to the road I was going down once again, one full of sleepless nights and deadlines dancing in my head (no sugar plums, to be sure!), the alternative is delightful and Internet marketing is a pleasure once again! You see, I found out it isn’t a sin to be less than competent in all aspects of a businesses identity, in fact few business people are. I am now focused on building the correct business model and taking me out of the equation…at least as much as is possible. What remains should be a profitable venture that can stand alone and be replicated.

How great is that!?

So, do yourself a favor and read The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber. The E-Myth Revisited will change your perspective and change your business life…Internet marketing or brick and mortar!

I will be reviewing a few other books I have been reading lately as I try to shore up my knowledge of business building and move into the new year in high gear!

Join me as a subscriber and get ready for a monthly newsletter that is already shaping up to be something quite special!

John

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
216-712-6526
216-539-7412 (bus)
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@thequestrevealed.com

PS, As many know I am into video marketing in a big way and I have access to a FREE video that can help transform your Internet marketing business! This video is about a young US Marine, just discharged, homeless, and now making a great income online. In fact, he did it in a matter of a few weeks and, knowing what he does now, it could have been days! Check this video out and if you have any questions about how to apply it to your own Internet business, let me know, I will be happy to answer them for you. Just click here!

How to Succeed in an Online Business

Going from Newbie to Profitability in a few Short Months…Instead of Years!

The journey from what they call a “newbie” to profitability has been an interesting one, one that has taken many hours, days, weeks, and months. Making money with an online business has taken quite a bit more time and effort than most would have you believe while they attempt to rope you into the latest “get rick quick” scheme.

The road to Internet marketing profitability has been full of ups and downs, with quite a few moments when I simply wanted to throw my computer right out the window…and then track down each and every person who had introduced me to the computer age…to “thank” them, of course!

Sound a bit harsh? Not if you have been in the Internet marketing world for any length of time, either attempting to make money in an online business or with an Internet presence for a traditional brick and mortar business!

Before we get into the highs and lows, the strategies that work and the schemes to avoid, let’s define a few terms:

Newbie: The word newbie is a slang term for a person new to some form of online activity. For our purposes, the definition we will use applies to an individual engaged in Internet marketing and online business for the first time…with little or no experience. While in some corners it has derogatory connotations, for our purposes and in the manner most people online use the term, it is for descriptive purposes only. Of course that is not to say there aren’t those out there who won’t use it in a derogatory fashion; this is, after all, the real world and there are people like that in every walk of life. But for our purposes, it simply means an individual just starting down the road to an Internet marketing education, usually to build and online business of some kind.

Guru: The word guru, and I am using it with a small “g” on purpose, has entered the online lexicon, conferring the status of “more-than-expert” on an individual. While the original usage of the word had religious connotations and was bestowed on an individual with great authority through wisdom and knowledge, particularly in India with Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. In much of the Western world, the term or designation of guru generally applies to anyone who amasses a number of followers, not always in the religious or philosophical sense…but in business and academia, as well. In it’s latest incarnation, the Internet Marketing and online business usage, the term guru is used to denote authority due to a particular set of skills…in this case building online businesses and marketing on the Internet.

The above terms are used in various ways by the Internet marketing crowd. Suffice it to say, they are not universally recognized or applied, often meaning different things to different people. The term “guru” being particularly problematic, as the designation of one with great authority and wisdom has carried over from the original usage and meaning; and, this use of the word has been encouraged by many Internet marketers today, for obvious reasons!

Significantly, as a beginner or newbie online, and one not completely understanding the nuances of the jargon and the history behind the evolution of the usage of the words above, this often leads people to chose to follow someone who has not earned the designation conferred or bestowed upon them…a designation either bestowed by others or, just as often, by the person himself or herself!

So Newbie Beware!

Things are not always as they appear online…but this is true in the offline world, as well. The problem online is many of the Internet marketing “gurus” are often quite adept at pushing all the right buttons in just the right way, creating a sense of desire and urgency, a powerful combination and an often irresistible force! Some of them are true gurus, at least in the sense that they are excellent marketers, fully capable and willing to part a budding newbie from his or her hard earned, and often limited resources!

So, how do you succeed at Internet marketing? In fact, who do you believe and who do you learn from if you don’t know who is a legitimate Guru and not simply a self-appointed, or self-anointed “guru”?

The best advice I can give you is to talk to other newbies. Most newbies will tell you if they have had a bad experience with a certain Internet marketer (see The Law of 250 below) and will usually be forthcoming about what works, and what doesn’t, as well.

Also, follow the conversations on social media, many of the conversations, and I am not referring to the recent unending linkfest over at Twitter, what a spamfest that has become, I am talking about reading the articles posted on LinkedIn and Mashable, just to name two excellent resources for newbies. Another wonderful resource is the free material provided by some of the more established Internet marketing firms, including TrafficGeyser, StomperNet, and HubSpot. (see the links below)

Opt-in to the email lists of the recommended programs (below), read their free material and follow the advice. When ready, they are some of the best programs on Internet marketing and they will teach you everything you need to know once you join…and they will help with implementation too, a rare combination.

The first steps to take in building your online business:

1) Decide on a niche. There are literally thousands of niches, so pick one you can get excited about. But also make sure it will pay!

2) Do the necessary keyword research and competitive analysis before jumping into an unprofitable niche. (I use Market Samurai, Google, and Wordtracker)

3) Only after the first 2 steps are completed should you purchase your own domain name. (I use GoDaddy)

4) Make sure you have a hosting company, a good one, one with 24/7 support. I use HostGator and SEOHosting (Both owned by the same company and they offer Fantastico…a must)

5) Get an email account set up, for your email marketing and your autoresponder. (I use a branch of AWeber)

6) Set up your profile for your social media image and make sure it is appropriate to and for your business model.

7) Set up an account at EzineArticles and a couple of others and begin to write a few articles. (We will get into this in an upcoming article)

Set up your YouTube, Break, and Viddler Channels for video. When ready, go to TrafficGeyser-link below-don’t try to “go it on the cheap” with the
freebie services, they all have major drawbacks and hooks! You get what you pay for, especially with implementation!

9) Find a great SEO course and apply yourself immediately. Get the SEO right from the beginning because it is huge and once everything is set up correctly, it will be your biggest asset! Get it wrong and you will pay for it in a myriad of ways and over the life of your business.

10) Find a mentor! I cannot overstate this point!!! Even Michael Jordan, Kareem, Tiger Woods, Babe Ruth, and Hank Aaron had/have their coaches and mentors. The major Internet marketing Gurus have coaches and mentors. They may not always talk about them but they all have them! Once you have a mentor? Follow their advice! If you play for Don Shula or Pat Riley or Joe Paterno and you don’t follow their advice…you are off the team! The same holds true for following a mentor! If you don’t think enough of the mentor or coach you have to follow their advice…find another one, because you obviously don’t need the one you have, or you would apply what they teach you. Lombardi, Hayes, Jackson, Paterno, Riley, Rupp, whomever…if you don’t play by their rules, you don’t play on their team. So, once you are fortunate to find a quality coach or mentor, one willing to spend their precious time on you, apply what they teach you because good coaches are hard to come by! Every Tom, Dick, and Mary is calling themselves a coach, mentor or “life coach” nowadays…make sure you have a good one, and then hold on for dear life!

11) Keep learning! Internet marketing and online business building is as fluid as any marketing and business endeavor I have ever been involved in. If you do not continue your education, and I am talking about daily, you will be left in the dust. Internet marketing is active, vibrant, and engaging. If you do not stay current, you will not prosper.

OK!

That’s a lot to cover and we have quite a way to go, yet! However, if you lay the proper foundation, if you get the bare bones stuff right, you will be on your way to profitability! Get it wrong and you will be struggling a year from now…if you last that long.

This is not rocket science! All you have to do is listen to some of the people who have made it, and made it big, to know that you can do it. It simply takes a concerted effort, application on a daily basis, constant education, and what Tony Robbins calls CANI!

Constant and neverending improvement!

If you build each day upon the one before, you will prosper. It will take time but if you apply yourself and understand that there is a learning curve and that The Law of 250 is a make or break proposition, you will do well. In fact, there may come a day when someone refers to you as an Internet marketing Guru…capital G!

One last thing…and this is the biggest of all!

Stop listening to the siren’s song and the promises of “Instant Wealth” every Tom, Dick, and “guru” that comes along is making! Get with a mentor or a quality program, learn it, stick with it, and build it! The tools are available, you simply have to educate yourself and then apply the knowledge to your Internet marketing endeavor. If you do? Your online business will be amazing, and so will your profitability!

REMEMBER: DO NOT LISTEN TO THE SIREN’S CALL!

John

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
216-712-6526
866-835-2913 (toll free)
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@thequestrevealed.com

PS, Here are the resources I promised. Quality Internet marketing and online business programs:

1) Video Marketing: There is only one for video marketing, the rest all feed off of this one in one way or another! Or they just don’t measure up!

2) Article Marketing: There is only one number one!

3) SEO or search engine optimization: Again, there are a lot of wannabes…but only one quality program and it addresses it all and offers an amazing Internet marketing and SEO education! I didn’t realize how much I had yet to learn until I joined this program!

4) Domain Manager: GoDaddy (see icon on side panel and type in “diggnation” at checkout for the best deal) If you are purchasing more than one domain name? Check only the .com and .info boxes (how can you not buy .info for less than a buck?). Then at checkout you will be offered the remainder of the .org .net and .us or whatever at 50% to 75% savings! Do NOT check them ahead of time…only as part of the upsell process after you proceed to checkout. Then, add “diggnation” into the promo code box for additional savings.

5) Hosting: If you are building one website and/or blog, stay with HostGator (on the sidepanel again). Purchase the “Business” account, not the cheapy ones! You will get a dedicated IP address and an 800 number free. These two add-ons are well worth the extra 4-5 bucks! The psychological impact of being able to offer an 800 number, even if you rarely use it, is huge! The little cues make or break a business early! Take advantage of this cue and apply it!

6) Social Media Marketing: HubSpot is super for social media education…they have it down to a science! Do you need their service? No, at least not at first. But you do need their education. They also have a couple of cool tools for grading your efficacy online…so use them!

PPS, There are a lot more tips and I will pass them along in the weeks to come. January 2010 watch for a new online business building tool for any niche in Internet marketing….it will be comprehensive and it will be all you need!