Most new internet marketers and some seasoned ones too won’t read this article, because they think it is too long. I suggest they read it as it may save them a lot of heart ache. Many of you know that I ran a successful training and consulting firm where one of our services included helping individuals start their business. These individuals cut across the demographic and economic spectrum and included men and women ranging in ages from mid-twenties to mid-fifties. They included both those who had money to put towards their company and those who did not. After our training and coaching we found that 80% of them succeeded in their business after 5 years. This turned around the prevailing statistic where more than 70% of those starting out closed within 5 years and proved with training and coaching people could succeed. Perhaps what you don’t know is the screening process we went through to choose them for the program. Here are some of the factors we looked for:
We took about 10% of the people who applied to the program. Getting into business and running a business is tough work at the beginning and it takes tenacity, determination and sacrifice. We wanted those in the program to succeed and we discussed options and career strategies with those who didn't make it into the program. Now why am I saying all this? Simply because I see too many people not making it as a solopreneur internet marketer. The percentage of people who make it in the internet marketing business is less than 10%, far below the lowest percentage of those who start a bricks and mortar business. What this tells me is that people are jumping into the IM business ill-prepared and not ready for what it takes to establish and run a business. And believe me, unless you are just dabbling, it is a business and must be treated as a business if you want to succeed. Everyone I know who has started a business has worked endless hours, sacrificed much and has taken a business-like approach to their business. This is what is needed for anyone who wants to succeed in the internet marketing world. And what does this mean? It means taking a hard look at their own: Experiential background, technical and knowledge skills, behaviors, attitudinal approach, life-style, openness to learning and business planning and financial readiness. Guess what? They are the same things important to establishing a bricks and mortar business. I often think of Alice in Wonderland, when she came across the fork in the road and asked the Cheshire cat, ‘Which road should I take?” to which the cat replied, “Where are you going?” “I’m not sure,” replied Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which road you take,” responded the cat. Often those entering the internet marketing field and even those who have been in the business for awhile, don’t know where they are going. They grab anything and everything that comes along thinking that those “shiny objects” will help them. Often they take the wrong road and get trapped into thinking that this program or that program will get them out of the wilderness. But they rarely do. The moral of the story is to sort out where you are going first and then launch your business. Take the time necessary to sort out a direction, clarify your values, set specific goals, and develop action plans and strategies to get to your destination. Don’t just grab the first thing that you see thinking that it will be the road to success. Over 90% of the time it will not because you have yet to decide where you are going and haven’t sorted out what it takes to travel that road. This also means that very few internet marketers can go it alone. They need the support of each other and the guidance of ethical coaches and mentors who have their interest at heart and who are willing to spend the time necessary to help them succeed. And this my friends is an investment in themselves and in their business. Yes you can take the ‘road less travelled” to paraphrase Robert Frost, but make sure it is the right road for you and it leads you to where you want to go. If you want more information on my approach to business building please press the button below and we can set up a free virtual face-to-face conference call. Thank you for reading, and as always become the best version of yourself. Talk with you soon, Richard Fontanie
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