TheStraddlersDiary

POST: Is it possible to be entrepreneural within an existing company?

I have recently come in contact with a company which happens to be the leader in our industry.  This company is currently launching a new range of products which according to them are going to create sales opportunities in the mass channel which currently do not exist.  Furthermore, they are willing (or so they say) for this product to be spun out of or incubated to be spun off from the parent company.

All this sounds really interesting to me.  It is appealing to have the resources ($$$) of a large and healthy organization, while enjoying the autonomy and ability to build a culture and organization that is separate and distinct from the mother ship.

RAVE: Sam Zell to reinvent the Tribune?

The turnaround of the Tribune will be an interesting business reinvention story, I predict!  Sam Zell the well known billionaire purchased the Tribune Company last year and has recently assumed the CEO post.  In the video below, you will see that business is not that difficult if you simply strip away everything that doesn't add value, hire great people, let them do their jobs and then trust them.
Sam Zell's Talk at the Chicago Tribune

POST: What is your vision?

I have been watching a phenomenal video series on business and spiritual vision called "The Vision of the Leader" by Bruce Wilkinson.  The production quality is first rate, and Bruce is an engaging speaker, but these facts alone are not why I write about this video series.

In "The Vision of the Leader", Bruce raises the question, what if God deposits something so deep in you that your efforts combined with God's vision and burden are multiplied exponentially beyond what is humanly possible?

It's in this framing that Bruce takes the audience through the journey of how God births, nurtures, releases and launches a vision.  Whether you have a burden to do something secular or sacred, the information presented applies. 

It's with this thought that I am personally struck.  Is there a difference between sacred and secular? 

I believe that God doesn't see a difference.  As several high profile, very successful businessmen are interviewed in this video series, the stories are remarkable of how God birthed dreams to bring honor and glory to the Lord through doing business in a fully Christlike manner.   So whether your  burden is to do something 100% sacred, or 100% secular, if your heart is in line with the Lord's I believe you will change the world.

So what is your vision?

On-line marketing FAQ: Building your lists

One of the most frequently asked questions for online marketers, is how to build a list?  Since the key to on-line riches is to create your very own media outlet which you can promote to over and over that consists of highly targeted people who will buy your products on the grounds of trust and the quality of your previous offerings.  Building a list becomes one of the single most important things you must do for your on-line business to prosper.

Once your list stretches over the five thousand mark, you should have at least one product for sale, with the majority of contacts on your list coming from the promotion of that initial product.  Avoid any program or plan that asks you for cash to add subscribers to your list because without a track record of success, compared to what you can achieve through joint ventures and other means, the quality of the list will suffer.   

On-line Marketing FAQ - How do I get hits to my site?

"How do I get hits?" must be the number one question asked by online marketers. After all, without getting visits to your site you can't sell anything. The problem is not only do most people go about this the wrong way, but when this question is approached they are given incorrect answers which will consist of buying some sort of service or ad that will solve all of your traffic problems.

Although this may seem like the way to go at first glance it's actually counter productive to your efforts. One thing I want to point out is that your initial aim isn't to get hits to your site at all. Understand that you only need to pull ten or twenty thousand hits in total, ever, to your sites to make them successful.

POST: So you want to write an E-Book?

The first step in writing an E-Book is to establish the working title.  Jot down a few different titles, and eventually, you'll find that one that will grow on you.  Titles are important as they help you to focus your writing and guide you in anticipating and answering your reader's queries.  Many non-fiction books also have subtitles.  But above all else aim for clarity in your titles, cleverness will help to sell books as long as it's relevant to what your readers interests are.  Beware of "cutsie", trite or overly simple titles which may cause the reader to wonder if you think they are children or not sophisticated.

Next, write out a thesis statement.  Your thesis is a sentence or two stating exactly what problem you are addressing and how your book will solve that problem.  All chapters spring forth from your thesis statement. Once you've got your thesis statement fine-tuned, you've built your foundation.  From this foundation, your book will grow, chapter by chapter. 

Your thesis will keep you focused while you write your E-Book.  Remember: all chapters must support your thesis statement.  If they don't, they don't belong in your book.

POST: E-Books for marketing and promotion

There are many ways to use E-Books to promote your business and drive quality traffic to your blog or website. 

1. Once posted on your site, you can turn them into a daily course, driving traffic by bringing your customer back to read the next chapter. 
2. You can use them as a free gift for making a purchase or for filling out a survey (gathering valuable information on your readership).
3. Put your E-Book on a disc, and you will have an innovative brochure.  Blow your competition away by inserting the disc into your sales packages.

But of course the most effective marketing products are those that are unique.  Copyright your E-Book, and immediately, you have a powerful tool that you, and you alone, can offer to the public.  People will then be "forced" to visit your site to acquire your E-Book, which increases the flow of quality traffic and the potential of sales and affiliate contacts.

POST: The magic of E-Books

E-Books are an entirely new medium for sharing marketing information, ideas, techniques, and expert knowledge.  As the vast numbers of internet users show, it's obvious how and why electronic self-publishing has become so popular so quickly.  Lets take a look at what makes E-Books so important and unique, supporting the reference to them being potentially very profitable.

• E-Books      have certain abilities and qualities that other mediums do not possess.      For example, E-Books are fairly easy to produce, and their production cost is nearly free. Just think about it: you don't need a publisher, an agent,      a printing press, offset film, ink, paper, or even a distributor. You just      need a great concept, the ability to write (or if you can't write, simply hire a writer), and the      right software (Microsoft Word is about it).

• E-Books are easily and rapidly distributed online. They may also be easily updated without requiring a reprint and they do not require a second print run.  Because of      this flexibility, E-Books can be written, change or grow as fast as you can type.

POST: 6 Essential start-up questions you must answer

For many years my dream has been to go into business for myself. But like many dreamers there has existed a significant gap between the dream and reality.

The following checklist is a guide which I am currently using to help direct my efforts in the important “formative” stages of turning my dream into reality.

1. Know your reasons for starting up…

It is very important to ask yourself why you wish to assume the financial risk, sleepless nights, extra heavy workload, and uncertainty of owning your own business.

• Is it the freedom from a set work routine?
• You are enamored at the thought of being your own boss?
• Be in control of your own destiny, do what you want when you want to do it?
• Improve your standard of living (make more money)?
• Are you bored with your current job?
• You have a service or product to offer for which there is a demand?

Some reasons are better than others, none are wrong, just be aware that there are always tradeoffs. For example, you may escape the 9-5 daily routine, but replace it with a 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. routine.

POST: What business are you in? (Part 2)

In the post titled "What business are you in?" I posed the following questions:

1. What business are you in?
2. How did you arrive at this business model or idea?
3. Are you certain that this is “it”, your path to riches, or is this merely another step down the path as you pursue that ultimate and winning idea?

As the act of writing this material is really an exercise for me personally to get into the mindset and rigor of focus, I wish to answer the second question.

Timothy Ferriss book, “The 4-Hour Work Week” is largely how I arrived at the business model I am adopting. Boiling it all down, I didn’t want to launch anything which would require ever increasing time and personal commitment as the business grew.