Human Sponges

Who you keep out can be as important as those you let in....sometimes, more so. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want some bum to waltz into my house, make themselves comfortable in my recliner, eat my food, get on my computer, and use my hot water. And, I’m sure as heck not doing to PAY for their gas to get there.

So, why should website traffic be any different? When you are using keywords to attract potential buyers to your website and you are paying for the cost of them to visit, you don’t want or need any “looky-loos” breezing through your site on your dime. This is where “negative” keywords come in handy. They keep people who are not really looking for what you are offering on your site from seeing it and visiting, thus saving you money.

It’s kind of like moving and changing your phone number and not telling your freeloading second cousin. He might be looking for you, but he can’t find you…

Use the Umbrella You Already Bought

In June of 2016, my husband and I went on a cruise to the Mediterranean with my best friend from high school and her husband. A few of our ports of call were in Italy. I had been to that region in June six years prior. No one else had visited there, so they took me at my word when I told them how HOT it was. Consequently, none of us planned for bad weather. 

Well, June of that year was unseasonably cold and rainy in the Mediterranean. We overpaid for cheap umbrellas the moment we stepped off the tour bus in the town of our first tourist attraction, Pisa. We still got drenched from our necks down, and we were cold. It was not very pleasant. 

We took those cheap umbrellas with us into our new few ports of call and didn't need them. When we got to Athens, we decided to leave them on the ship. While sitting on the tour bus outside the port, we saw the weather forecast and realized we had made a mistake. This time, we got totally soaked. Twice.

I had already paid for an umbrella—it was a shame I didn’t use it twice more for the same money. 

In my research this week, I have discovered that I can save a lot of time, money, and perhaps a little bit of discomfort by using “an umbrella” that I have already paid for…my LLC. There is a fabulous little business acronym called a DBA. It stands for “doing business as” and it was created for registered entities who do business under an alias.

I’m going to take advantage of this protection. I hate it when my hair gets wet anyway. 

Copycat

When I was a child, if you mimicked the behavior of someone else, everybody called you a copycat. It was not meant to be a compliment. I guess fourth graders are not mature enough to realize that imitation is one of the best forms of flattery.

In website design, it is wise to mirror what already works. Site visitor attention spans are extremely short. If a guest to a website gets confused because the layout does not match what is coming to be recognized as pretty universal, they won't stay, let alone click an affiliate link.

This week, I identified some very successful affiliate marketers. Since I am building an affiliate site, I want to see what the best affiliates are already doing. I looked at their site layouts, colors, typography, etc., to see what works for them. Now, I intend to do a little impersonating of my own...without stepping over the boundaries of copyright, of course.

Wish me luck!

You Don't Know Until You Know

There is a saying that "it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind," although there is no internet source that names a person to whom this can be attributed. I will agree that because of our biological makeup, sometimes we can be indecisive. Our bodies are constantly changing so why should our minds be any different, right?

Maybe we humans change our minds because we think we have to make snap decisions before we can collect all the information about a particular subject. Or, maybe it happens because we base our decision on old information without realizing there is an update. Yeah, that's it!

I pretty much had my mind set on which site builder/web host service I was going to use because I had used them before. And, it was easy. But, prior to actually making a decision, I had to do some research where I was presented with new information. Based on new evidence, I decided to go a different route than the one I originally planned. 

The bottom line here is that sometimes we head down a specific path because we are not aware there is another option. Every so often, we realize there are multiple choices, but perhaps we aren't familiar enough with them to make an educated decision.  It is always a good idea to edify oneself when presented with a choice. After all, we are each responsible for where we individually end up. 

Besides, I would kind of like to know where I'm headed and what to expect along the way. I think that just might make my journey a little more pleasant and a lot more successful. 

Walk Like a Reptilian

Be careful, Meagan, your 80s are showing. 

Through some of my online discussions and reading this week, I have had the opportunity to reflect on my current business. I am also looking at what I want for my future online business for this class. It has taken almost 15 years for my online retail business to reach its current level of consistency. We have taken it slow and steady.

And, it is okay to do that again.

Aesop illustrated this principle in his fable The Tortoise and the Hare. We know what appears to be the fastest way to success is not always efficacious. While get-rich-quick schemes sound enticing, they seldom work out. In most instances, true wealth, true triumph comes through persistent, hard work. 

In the Spring of 2017, I read a book that illustrates this principle well. The Slight Edge illustrates the long-term benefits of doing the small, productive things on a daily basis, like the tortoise in the story.

I think I can make my new online business venture successful by following that tortoise...and The Slight Edge. 

What a Joke

I don't think that I think big enough. I tend to limit myself and what I think I can do. That needs to change. 


These thoughts are my main takeaways from this week's lessons in Web Business Creation. 

In order to create a successful online business (or multiple online businesses...why stop at only one?), I must think outside the box. I should look for problems that need solutions. Or, I could look at an existing business model that could be tweaked. I need to do some brainstorming exercises. 

In 1899, Punch Magazine, a comedic periodical, ran a story about why patents were no longer necessary because "everything that can be invented has been invented." Can you imagine if everyone thought that way? What would happen to modern medicine, transportation, education, politics, human rights...the list goes on.

And, we could add to that creativity. We will never unleash all the potential possibilities that our collective human minds hold! The trick is training myself to believe it (note to self: see blog post dated January 29, 2018, entitled "Brain Food").
Anything is possible. I'm working on it. 

All You Need is Love

I am not a huge Beatles fan. I mean, they were okay. But, I think by the end of their reign that some of them got a little bit too big for their britches. Although they had a song with a cool title that I borrowed to write my “last lecture” blog post, I think they totally missed the point of the subject of their own song.

Someone may be out there saying, “This is your final blog post, your ‘coup de grâce,’ and you’re talking about LOVE?! Where does that fit in entrepreneurship?”

Allow me to explain.

First, as an entrepreneur, you must love what you do. Most entrepreneurs I know work more for themselves than for any “job” they ever had. You will be spending a lot of time, effort, and probably money on your idea, so you’d better enjoy it. If you don’t, it will become a burden instead of a blessing.

For my second and third points, we need to turn love into an action word.

Although small (and large) business owner-operators do lots of work solo, they can seldom become truly successful without somehow involving other humans--they are your customers. No other species will do (thus, my second point). Sometimes you need help from a real person. Fruitful business ventures typically solve people problems. In learning to love others well, we learn how to treat them well. We develop good relationships. When we need something, we feel we can ask. Sometimes we don’t even have to do that. When we get to know others, we know what difficulties they face. Finding these solutions leads to win-win situations for both parties.

Lastly, we need to love God.

When we learn of our relationship to our Heavenly Father, we realize that we need Him in every aspect of our lives (I think this is where John Lennon messed up, may he rest in peace). We want Him to be involved. We need Him to be. He wants us to be successful. He cares about what we care about.  Through the Spirit, we can receive confirmation regarding our entrepreneurial endeavors. He can help us grow, progress, and learn so much faster than we can on our own. Loving Him encompasses getting to know Him through obedience, scripture study, fasting, and especially prayer. Loving Him involves serving His children. Loving Him means following His Son.   

And the really crazy thing about love? It isn’t just a secret weapon for the self-made individual. Practicing love works in every aspect of life. Go ahead and give it a try.