“I started my business so that I’d have freedom, but I’ve never felt more trapped….”
I come across a statement like that at least once a day on a forum
post or in email. You start your internet business because of the
freedom of being your own boss and working on your own schedule and then
promptly sit on your hind-end for 12 hours/day EVERY DAY. No wonder you
feel burnt out. And no wonder family and friends are feeling neglected
when all you can think and talk about is your business.
Freedom sounds pretty miserable to me if it means freedom from fun and the ones that I love.
So, how do you break free?
Start by taking a good look at your business and getting your goals
and priorities straight. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as complicated as
it sounds. I’ll walk you through it right now. Ready?
Grab a pen and a piece of paper or open your favorite word processor. Divide your page into four columns.
Now you’re ready to brainstorm. Write everything down as it comes to mind. Don’t overthink this. Just start writing.
First, figure out what is working. Whatever it is. It may be one of
your websites, your ecourses, a joint venture, a certain marketing
method. Where is the bulk of your money coming from, currently? (If none
yet, where do you believe will be the place where the largest profits
will come from?) Write those items in column #1 under: “Do More”.
Second, figure out what is not bringing in money. Is it hanging out
on forums or posting classified ads to freebie sites? Is it endlessly
checking your stats, or email? What are your daily time-suckers? Write
those under column #2: “Do less”.
Third, figure out what could work better. Do you have upsells in
place? Are your websites designed to bring you cash from every visitor?
Make a list of ideas in column #3: “Improvements”. (If you don’t know
yet, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to improve your business as
you learn and grow.)
Fourth, figure out what can be automated. Which tasks are repetitive
and boring, albeit necessary? Many of those types of tasks can be
automated with simple tools. For instance, if you’re submitting articles
to directories by hand, there are tools and services to do that for
you. Add these to column #4: “Automation”.
Now that you’re armed with your list, it’s time to get to work.
Look at your list in Column #1: “Do More”. Those are the tasks that
you should focus your energies on. It’s a good idea to tackle one or two
of the tasks on that list first thing in the morning – every morning.
Believe me, it’s much more productive than checking out your favorite
blogs or logging into twitter. And you’ll be amazed at how much you can
get done quickly when your mind is fresh.
Look at your list in Column #2: “Do Less”. These activities should be
forbidden until after you get your #1 list done, if you do them at all.
For instance, hanging out on Twitter is fun, but do not do it until
everything in column #1 is finished for the day.
Now, go back to Column #1, 3, and 4. Your “Do More”, “Improvements”, and “Automation” lists.
Look at all of the items that are on those three lists. Now, circle each task that you …
• Can’t Do
• Don’t Have Time to Do
• Don’t Want To Do
Those are the tasks that you’ll outsource.
Freedom means a lot of things. It means freedom to do the things that
you want to do. However, it also means freedom to NOT do things that
you really dislike doing.
For me, it’s graphics. I have outsourced all of my graphics since
2001. I don’t have the time, patience or inclination to learn how to
make my own graphics. I have more important things to do, like write
this article and then go on a bike ride with my son. Perhaps when I get
back from my bike ride, my graphics will be waiting for me in my inbox.
Now, that’s freedom to me.
Want to outsource but don’t know where to start? Nicole Dean and Jimmy D. Brown invite you to http://www.OutsourceWeekly.com where you’ll learn how you can get free time (and earn more money) while others run your business for you.
k
