by Cara Lumen
A lot of us are at a crossroad. We look around and see that retirement is no longer an option. We’re older and are not certain how long we can stay in the work force or we may already be out of it. What do you do when you are no longer a viable candidate for working for someone else? You start your own internet business, of course!
Should I start my own business?
That depends. Are you passionate about something that will make a difference in the lives of others? Then yes, absolutely. Are you willing to learn a lot of new stuff? Are you ready to be flexible and adventurous and open to new places where you might fit in? Then come on in, the water’s fine.
How do I begin?
Look deeply at your passion, that desire you’ve held in your heart all your life, and see where it is needed. For instance, my passion is about organizing and teaching and the people I help are older like me, who are spiritually oriented, want to be in service to others and don’t know where to start. I’ve learned where to start and how to continue to build a business so my coaching business is about helping people build a successful internet business from their inside out.
What do you love to do? What knowledge do you have that will benefit others? What population do you want to serve? What is your passion? What excites you so much that you want to rush out and share it with others?
That’s your new line of work.
OK I have my idea, now what?
Probably the fastest way is to team up with a business coach who can help you sort out your ideas, who knows the path before you and can guide you on your journey one step at a time. You can also start reading. Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling is a great foundation. (I’m one of his Certified Book Yourself Solid Coaches) My own How to Create Your Own Magnetic Marketing Plan has a lot of exploratory exercises in it to help you focus your direction. Romanus Walter’s Kick Start Your Business, Four Powerful Steps to Get What You Want Out of Your Life and Busienss opened some insights for me. And Roy Spence’s It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business Is Driven by Purpose, Seth Godin’s Lynchpin, Are you Indispensible, will also get you thinking. Go online and find people in your field and read their blogs and go to their free telecourses and take some classes in what you don’t know. Expect to spend some time because a great part of this journey is about self-discovery – who you want to serve and what you want to offer – and why.
What do I need?
Not much if it’s an internet business. I help my clients develop a web presence with a five things – a web host, a URL a shopping cart, a merchant account and my content and business coaching We can go from ground zero to the moon – given time. Hiring a business development coach is an investment in focused, rapid progress and results. There are many levels of business success you can achieve. It depends on you, your vision, and your commitment.
What do you offer?
The first page of a web presence I work with is the services page. What exactly do you want to offer, to whom do you offer it and what do you charge? Sometimes that’s easy to figure out, sometimes it takes some exploration. We work on your who-and-do-what statement so you can express clearly the benefits you offer others and the target audience you serve. This is a clarity that keeps on coming.
What do you know?
The beautiful thing about the internet is the freedom we now have to teach what we know. Ebooks, telecourses, radio shows, articles, blogs, are all signature information products that will help you build your reputation as an expert and bring you passive income. You can make money from what you already know!
Again, there are how-to-books out there to study. I have home study courses on Article Magnetism, How to Create Articles that attract How to Write a Magnetic How To Book and I’ve set up short, targeted, signature product coaching packages to teach you to create a particular type of information product. Once you have your web presence and your services in place you will want to create some signature products.
How do I attract people?
It’s like any other social situation, you like them and they like you back. Sure, there are people out there selling and pushing people to buy things. That’s not my way. You are out to build a community, a community of people you want to serve, people who need what you have to offer. You want to invite them to come into your community and receive the value you have to offer – that will be in your opt in offer, your emagazine, your blog, any of the free value-laden offerings you make and of course your services and products. And over time they will trust you, like you, come to you and refer you. It’s all about being an inspiriting, passionate, helpful, over-delivering person.
What can I earn?
That depends. Some people are better at that part than others. You might just fill such a strong current need that you are catapulted into success. You might find someone to develop a collaborative partnership with. You might create an information product that is greatly needed by the people you serve. You might be offering a service so needed that you can barely keep up. Or you may simply take it one step at a time and see where it takes you. Finding you niche can take time. You need to look around at what people are asking you to do and see if it’s something you want to provide. I just read about a young man who has a bicycle review site that makes him tons of money. Bicycling is his passion and his business organically grew from that. Where is your passion? Follow it.
The independence of owning your own business is empowering
I’m a service professional. I help people realize their dreams and move out into the world to touch the hearts of others. What a great way to spend my life!
When you decide to start your own business you take your future into you own hands and that is very exciting. You can take it any direction you want. You can use any of the skills and talents you have. You can do the parts you want and farm out the rest. When you find your sweet spot you will love every minute of your day and everything you do will keep you passionately on purpose.
How does this sound to you?
What do you think? Are you up for it? Is it something you want to do? If you decide to start your own internet business, plan to immerse yourself in the process of learning and doing and exploring what lies within you. Don’t quit your day job if you have one until it is time. If you don’t have a job then put in a lot of six and seven hour days. Hire a coach, make some decisions, identify your passion, tone up your talents and get out there and make a difference in your world!
© 2010 Cara Lumen