Did you know there is actually a “Workaholic Anonymoous?”

While I knew it is a serious problem for many internet entrepreneurs, I didn’t realize just how common it was for the general population as well.   They have their warning signs, but I thought I’d put together a few of my own. 

You might be a workaholic if…

10. Your spouse can’t climb into bed because it is full of papers, notebooks, and your laptop. 

9. Your response to the suggestion of a vacation is the need to look the word up in a dictionary.

8. Working 40 hours a week sounds like a good warm-up.

7. Your children have stopped playing games with you because you constantly say things like “In your face!” and “You’re going down.”

6. You’ve used the excuse, “But I love what I do…” at least a dozen times during recent family interventions.

5. You’ve recently held a business conversation on the phone while going to the restroom.

4. Your “former” friends had cute nicknames for you like workhorse, maniac, or the energizer bunny.

3. You stress out over sleep because it’s time you could be putting to better use such as making more money.

2. Your butt cheeks are beginning to resemble your favorite office chair.

1. Your children ask your spouse who you are at the breakfast table one morning.

Many internet entrepreneurs suffer from workaholism….so don’t underestimate it’s ability to ruin your relationships, your family, your health, and even your business.

That’s right.  Too much work cuts off the flow of good ideas…and stops you from creating the Internet Lifestyle you’re looking for.

The cure is simple.  Click this link now…

A panel of 10 top outsourcing and delegation experts will share with you breakthroughs to build your own six or seven figure business…for FREE…WITHOUT becoming a workaholic in the process.

What about the work withdrawal symptoms you will soon be experiencing once you’ve taken this simple cure? 

Sorry…I can’t help those.  You’ll need to get a hobby or something!  Or maybe a Honey-Do list will help out.

Click this link now…

…overwhelmed, stressed and work longer hours than almost anyone you know.

That’s not why you went into business is it?

I doubt it.

Want to discover the inside secrets to outsource and delegate your way to a six or or even a seven-figure income?

Click here to register for free access to the Outsourcing Telesummit…

My colleague Charlie Cook, persuaded 10 of the top experts on outsourcing and delegation to reveal their best methods to work less and make more.

This information will shift how you look at your business and fundamentally change your profit equation for the better.

As you know, I don’t participate in many conferences anymore.  I simply don’t like to travel.  Telesummits allow us to tap into the minds of top business owners without the expense of traveling.

Listen and learn from the comfort of your easy chair at home.

And in this case…it’s totally Free.

Best of all, it’s not the usual suspects in internet marketing.  You know the ones I’m talking about…the ones who you see at every conference hyping up their next big launch time and time again.

Experience new ideas and techniques from successful business owners, coaches, and marketers outside your normal circle.  Hear the real experts of outsourcing share with you proven techniques they’ve used for years to outsource their business and build lifestyle they love. 

You’ll hear from people like:

- Melanie Benson Strick, known as the Million Dollar Lifestyle Coach

- Michael Angier, founder of SuccessNet

- Ros Null, owner of The Edge Virtual Assistance

- Along with 7 others including yours truly. 

Register for free access here…

Many of the the strategies they share you’re not likely to get anywhere else. 

This TeleSummit will be chock full of great stuff you can use immediately to give your business a major profit boost.  I urge you to register ASAP.

Register NOW…

As you probably expect, after registering you will have the opportunity to receive a special offer even if you’re NOT able to listen in during the Telesummit event.  Whether the dates and times fit your schedule or not, I still recommend registration as it would be worth your while to pick up the special offer.

As always, it’s about discovering new ways to Earn More, Work Less, and Enjoy Life!

My two closest business partners are Champ and Indy…a german shepherd and a golden retriever. 

Not only do they make great business partners (as long as you don’t mind shedding), they also have a lot they can teach you about business.

1. Focus.

I remember the first time I saw Indy staring at a tree.  He just stood there staring.  Not moving.  His eyes weren’t blinking.  He stared….and stared.

This went on for 10 minutes or more without his head even moving.  Why you may ask?  The squirrel appeared to just be sitting there in the tree looking back at him.  And Indy was waiting.  Maybe he was hopeful it didn’t know he was there or it would fall out or something. 

But the staring continued…until I got bored of watching him.  Who knows how long he stood there?

With Champ…it’s his ball.  I always call it my doggy eye test as I move his tennis ball all over as he turns side to side and watches it with intensity you almost can’t believe.

We need the same element in our online marketing.  Choose a method of advertising…and watch it.  Test it.  Build it.  The dogs know what they want and it’s tough to distract them from it.  Do you have this same intensity in your online business and marketing?

2. Smile.

Indy smiles.  It shocked us the first time we saw it.  He doesn’t just grin like you often see a dog do.  He actually moves his lips so far apart it’s a full smile.  It must be difficult because it often results in a sneeze immediately after.

How often do you smile in your business?  What about when problems occur which are almost inevitable.  Can you keep your composure and your good mood even then?

While many people only talk about their successes, it’s our “failed” tests which really teach us (I have failed in quotation marks because I don’t believe in failures anymore – just tests). 

You have to have a good sense of humor to stay comfortable in this business.

3. Follow your instincts.

Dogs are dogs.  That’s what they are.   That’s how they act.

Even when we treat them like children, buy them toys, and love on them…they’ll still dogs. 

They trust in their instincts.  Do you?  I’ve found that anytime I went against my gut feeling, it caused problems.

Thinking about doing that joint venture, but something just “feels wrong,” it probably is wrong. 

Maybe you feel like Han Solo from Star Wars and say, “I have a bad feeling about this…”

Trust that feeling.  Doing so will save you a lot of heartache in the long run.

4. Do it NOW.

My wife and I have learned there are some words that get instant reactions.  Like WALK. 

Telling the dogs we’re going for a walk in a little while isn’t a good idea.  While we have trained them not to bug us, you’re still going to have a dog staring at you until the mentioned walk occurs.

They do it now.  I’ve also found that the difference between my most successful clients and those who just do OK is speed of implementation.

The extremely successful clients get what you talked about done almost instantly…within a few hours or by the next day or two.

When they have an idea…they test it immediately.  It’s ready – fire – aim.  Try it.  Then refine it.

5. Play hard.

Something I’ve noticed about my dogs is they don’t do ANYTHING without intensity…ever. 

If they play ball, they seriously play ball.  If they wrestle with each other, it results in doggy slams all over the place (luckily we have a nice sized fenced in yard). 

How intense are you in your online work…your play? 

Part of the reason people end up working more and more hours in their business is the intensity drops.  They let deadlines extend out further and the accomplish less in the time available.

It’s similar to walking and sprinting.  You can walk for hours…but you can only sprint for a few minutes at best.  We’re talking intensity.  How intense and focused are you in your online activities?

6. Relax harder.

When the day is over…relax with your family.  Spend time with the ones you love. Work hard.  Play harder.  Have Fun.

Earn More.  Work Less.  Enjoy Life!

I think the “dream” business many people have online is to simply sell affiliate products…or eventually they graduate up to selling their own products such as ebooks.

But they want it 100% automated with absolutely no input of their own.  In other words, they just want passive income while they go about the rest of their life.

And you know what…I think that’s a good dream…AS LONG AS it doesn’t cause you to ignore everything else. 

I earn passive income.  There are affiliate checks I get today for services I promoted years ago (continuity).  I have both ebooks and physical products which earn money for me every month. 

In fact I have a couple of ebook projects I haven’t even TOUCHED in 6 months or more  that continue to make a profit from affiliate referrals.  Plus they’re on Clickbank so I’m not even handling the affiliate tracking or the checks.

Definitely can’t argue that this is good money.  Passive income is fun.  Period.

But I find many infopreneurs (information entrepreneurs) make a huge mistake ONLY concentrating on this type of income. 

They want passive income, so they ignore other opportunities in their business such as group coaching, one-on-one coaching, or even physical products.  And it’s EASY to automate physical products.  You simply need a fulfillment house.  You can have orders go directly from your shopping cart to your shipping department without you touching them.

But what about the group coaching and one-on-one coaching?  Obviously those take your time…your most valuable resource.

If you don’t have the right attitude, it could even almost seem like another JOB. 

Why in the world would you want that?  Because it’s not a job.  It can easily become the foundation & open door for the rest of your products and your marketing. 

Here’s why…

1. Coaching gives your clients faster results.

Your clients buy your products because they want results…as fast as possible.  Individual or group based coaching helps you deliver that customized for their problems and situation.

In addition, you’ll find coached clients are much more likely to use the information you share with them.  While infoproducts like books and ebooks have less than a 10% use rate, you’ll see the majority of clients taking action. 

They might not all receive the results they are after (some give up and quit), but they have much better odds.  That little 10% use rate can easily be pushed up to 50% or higher…getting close to 100% in some cases with individual help if they’re willing to stick it out. 

2. It allows you to expand your knowledge.

Everyone is NOT like you.  That shouldn’t be a surprise.  And that also means everyone’s problem, even if similar, is not exactly like yours.

This means you learn the subject better while you’re teaching it and fielding questions from your clients.  They’ll ask you questions you hadn’t thought about.  They’ll stretch your mind in the application of your knowledge.

Because of this, you’ll become better at both applying the information yourself and teaching others, which leads us into point #3.

3. You’ll create better products.

With your improved teaching skill, you’ll create better passive income products: books, ebooks, audios, DVDs, home study courses, etc.

You’ll see the issues people have with implementing the information…and you’ll work out troubleshooting guides and steps to overcome those.

Everybody wins.  You create better products which sell more.  Your customers receive products which better help them solve their problems.

4. You get to know your customers better.

The customers who sign up for your coaching services are your top of the line customers.  They’re the most responsive and most valuable.

They’re the “bullseye” center of who you’re marketing to. 

This means it’s much easier to reach out to the market with better advertising, lead generation pages, and sales offers because you know what they’re looking for in addition to their real problems and frustrations.

5. Coaching is profitable…both for the income it produces and the way it affects the rest of your business.

I’ve done the math before and coaching doesn’t produce as much income hour for hour as creating brand new passive income products (over the life of the product), but I’m still recommending coaching for income.  Something doesn’t fit here.

It’s the above 4 benefits…plus this 5th one.  It doesn’t produce as much income as your products will long-term, but a lot of people need to build in shorter-term income as well.  Doing coaching/consulting or some type of service can help you balance out your income and make money upfront while building out your passive income empire.

And once your passive income is built up, coaching can still be fun while producing all the above benefits…as long as you don’t allow it to become your primary and only focus.

My advice here is to NOT just build an ebook.  Build a business instead.  This means creating the entire product funnel including direct contact with your customers and clients to allow you to get to know them and produce exactly what they both want and need in the future. 

This is the basis of our full Information Training course full of hardcore blueprints for building your online empire over at http://www.thetruthprints.com.

It’s not just about one or two products.  It’s about your entire business.  While many people out there are just creating an ebook, you can create a lifelong income with a real online business.

Lately I’ve been talking a lot about eliminating overwhelm, not ignoring obvious internet profits, and the importance of building your own unique profit plan. 

This has led a few people to ask what kinds of internet business plans should they put together?

What is a common plan for online success…and how does it work out?

Below is a QUICK OVERVIEW of a possible plan which may or may not be right for you.  But it hopefully will give you a few ideas to create your own. 

Step One: Answer the Core Question:
Who is your perfect target customer?

It all starts with the customer.  It’s about building an audience.  Then offering them products and services to improve their life.  As you share value with them (products that improve their life), they’ll share value (money) with you.

That’s always my first thought.  Is there an easy to reach target audience?  What do they read?  What websites do they visit?  What keywords are they typing into the search engines?

You can do a lot of research on a market totally free…in just a few minutes.

Here are some websites to help you get started:

Double Click Ad Planner:
https://www.google.com/adplanner/

You can see related sites to the ones you’re looking at and often even the audience interests show up (for very high traffic sites). 

Quantcast:
http://www.quantcast.com/

This will give you some demographic information for high traffic sites in your market.  It is not fully reliable, but it does give you a starting point for information. 

Mailing List Research:
http://www.nextmark.com

There are many mailing list companies online so the above is simply one of the choices.  A lot of people are so set in “internet marketing” they refuse to look off the internet, BUT there is still a THRIVING direct mail business.  And while a website can continue to function for years with very little sales, that direct mail company is going out of business quickly if they don’t generate sales.

Search here by keywords and look specifically for lists covering your subject.  What demographic information do they give?  Not everyone tells you about their list, but sometimes you hit a big payoff and find everything you could want to know about the audience.  You can dig deeper as well and contact the mailing list brokers for more information about specific lists.

Step Two: Answer the next question:
What do they want to buy?

Part of this information comes from what they are ALREADY buying.  I don’t like going into any market where I don’t know people who are successfully selling there.

But there is another aspect to this as well.  I don’t just want to “copy” my competition.  I want to do it better.  So what is it that BUYERS say they want more of…and what are they currently disappointed with.

You can start getting this information by visiting Amazon.com.  Check out the top products in your category.  Read through the reviews.  Check the comments on each review. 

What do people like about the currently available products?  What do they mention they’re missing?  What interests are they sharing?

Remember these reviewers are BUYERS.  And just like when you find a direct mail list of buyers, you put much more weight on it than any other research method.

The other common method is to visit forums and popular blogs to read the comments on the subject.  The weakness here of course is that everyone posting is not a potential buyer.  They didn’t spend any money to participate here (unless you’re checking out a forum inside a paid membership site).

Then of course another excellent method is to survey your audience and list.

One of the goals I have with any client business is to build their email list.  That list not only gives us the opportunity to build relationships and make multiple sales, but it also gives us the ability to run regular surveys.  What are the subscribers buying right now and what do they want more of?

Notice how this list won’t be made up of all buyers, but they have taken at least one step of committment…signing up for the list.  Taking the time to fill out a survey is another step of committment. This is why I consider these more valuable responses than the responses you’d find just by searching online.  In addition these are responses directly from your own audience…your future buyers.

Step Three: Test your sales hypothesis.
Now put what you’ve learned into practice. 

I lean toward free methods of marketing such as search engine optimization.

But it’s tough to start there?  It takes time to rank for competitive terms.  And no matter what sales pitch you may hear, I have yet to find a keyword research tool that is 100% accurate about which terms have traffic…and which terms generate buyers.

So my suggestion for most people if they have even a small advertising budget is to start with low cost PPC campaigns.  We used to always do these on Google, but their quality score rules do make it tough at times.  So you could also do them by advertising with Bing. 

By advertising on potential keyword phrases you can track your responses and see which terms generate real traffic and conversions.  Which terms are generating subscribers and sales for you?

EVEN if you didn’t have the conversion numbers you need to make the campaign profitable, here is what you can walk away with after a couple of weeks of testing.

- You can know which terms are actually high enough traffic to focus on. 

- Which terms send converting traffic to your site (subscribers or buyers).

- If you use the Google display network, you can even find potential sites to run direct ads on (contact them the site owners to ask for direct advertising, become a partner, write a guest post for, etc.).

With the information you gain, now you can be much more effective as you move into a content marketing strategy such as optimizing your blog for specific keywords, writing articles, or posting videos to Youtube.  You know which phrases to go after with your time and energy instead of spending 6 months and guessing at the best plan.

You’ll also discover information to help you go into other types of media buying such as buying Facebook ads or going into the big display advertising companies (many of which can generate 10 times the traffic of Google).

This is simply a starting point to launch the rest of the business.

As note, another research technique for your market is to look at the advertisers who continually show up on the top keyword phrases in your market.  Join their lists, buy their entry products, and watch how they follow up on you.  If they can afford to come up in positions you can’t, why is that?  How is their conversion system have a better return on investment than yours?

In other words, pay attention to what’s working.

Test.

Then roll-out with your other methods from there.

Are you tripping over obvious internet profits in your business?

As a coach I see it all the time.  Instead of looking at some basic elements in their business, people often want to go after a complicated system.

This is one place where my laziness definitely has an advantage.  I don’t like looking for challenges.  I’m not looking for the most difficult way to do something.  And I definitely don’t want to overcomplicate anything.  That’s a fast path to a load of unproductive work. 

Instead I’m always looking for ways to make business easier…both for me and my customers.

You may be saying, “Well, duh, of course that’s what I want to do also.”

But the real question is, are you doing it…or are you staring off into the distance while tripping over obvious internet profits?

Here’s an obvious question I often ask clients…

What’s working right now?

It serves several purposes.  It can be used as a way to redirect your mindset.  For example, many people get caught up in everything that’s not working.  The product isn’t selling.  The visitors aren’t subscribing or the traffic is stagnat. 

But what is working?  You may say, “Nothing…”

But I doubt that.  Even if visitors aren’t coming to your site, if you’re creating videos and getting them uploaded to Youtube, then at least that part is working.  You KNOW how to upload videos to Youtube.  You know how to create them.

We may have to change what you’re saying in the videos or even what you’re creating them about, but something is working right now. 

The answer to this is often more commonly…well I am getting traffic from ______ (insert search engines, Adwords, Facebook, one affiliate, etc.).   Most of them aren’t buying, but one affiliate did send a good number of buyers.

OK…that becomes a base point.  Next we figure out why these visitors bought when others didn’t.  Was it because of the relationship that affiliate had.  Where did the affiliate generate visitors from? 

What makes this successful affiliate different from any other affiliates?  How can we find more just like them?

This is the second element of this question…
How can we do MORE or ADD value to what’s currently working?

It’s about maximizing whatever’s working.  Once you find an offer that people buy…you then look for related offers.  Once you find an ad that works, you run more of it.

If you have a successful affiliate, what all do you know about them?  Where do you find more people similar to them?

I’m sure you’ve heard me say at some point that I failed my way to success.

That means I tried many different things.  Whenever something worked, I did MORE of it.  I’d go back and improve on it.  I’d expand and leverage the results.

That’s what online business is about.  Again, you might be saying, “This is obvious!”

I told you it was obvious.

But it’s a whole lot easier said than done…or I wouldn’t end up asking the question so often.

I’ll bet you’re tripping over obvious internet profits right now somewhere in your business.  Something you’ve done has worked for you…at least on a minor scale. 

Instead of jumping to the next item, go back and take a look at what you’ve done and anything which has generated results…even if they’re minor.

The secret you’re looking for may simply be expanding on it, making the offer more enticing, and streamlining the process to leverage it for better results next time. 

While I believe in having goals and visions for your business, be careful that looking into the distance doesn’t cause you to trip over profits you could have deposited today.

Are you feeling overwhelmed in your internet business?

Join the crowd.  This is one of the most common feelings everyone has at some point.  Many people make the mistake of STAYING in overwhelm constantly.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed:

1. With the internet business learning curve.

This is a whole new world for many people, especially if you’ve never had any type of business before.  Being an employee and being an entrepreneur are radically different worlds.  So you have to deal with both techniques and changing your mindset at the same time. 

2. With all the different business models.  

You have bloggers, affiliates, information producers, ecommerce sites, CPA networks, and so on.  The number of business variations online is immense.  And with a load of gurus all advising different models, you’re bound to get confused (I’ve seen many people who mix up all the different strategies into one big mess). 

3. With all the ways you can generate traffic.

Social media, PPC, SEO, Youtube, PPV, etc.  Everyone advises different strategies for driving traffic.  It’s enough to drive you crazy…especially if you try to do ALL of it. 

4. With all the NEW information available everyday.

News, ezines, videos, blog posts, and social media conversations…it’s all too much.  You can’t seem to keep up with it all anymore.

What to do about it all?

You’re not alone.  Everyone has felt what you’re feeling at some point or another. 

The solution includes a few steps…all designed to help you get back on track and eliminate those feelings of overwhelm.

Step #1: Quit trying to do it all. 

Today is NOT the day of the generalist.  You can’t do it all.  You can’t keep up with it all.  And you can’t experience it all. 

Become a specialist.  That’s why I continually tell people to become exceptional at one way of generating traffic and one way of converting traffic. 

All valuable markets are competitive.  That means the winners are those who know how to convert their traffic.  And they know how to generate BUYING traffic…not just visitors. 

The argument people will use against this is that you need multiple pillars in a successful business, and they’re right.  But that doesn’t mean YOU need to be the one running all these different ad sources.  Instead you concentrate on an area you understand and can dig deep in.  You become a master at it (whether it’s PPC, seo, affiliate management, etc.). 

Then you hire out the other activities to grow your business with similar traffic. 

Step #2: Go on a low information diet OR break out one day a week to review information. 

Be selective about what information you process in your business.   You have two choices here.  You can either cut yourself off from many of the sources…unsubscribe from the lists, remove the blogs from your rss reader, and turn off the news.

By the way, turning off the news is one of the best ways to grow your business.  You’ll eliminate an avalanche of negativity overnight.  EVERYONE should at least try a “news fast” for at least 30 days where you don’t pay attention to any of the major news.

Your second choice is to have a specific day of the week you concentrate on learning and expanding your knowledge.  Save all the emails to a specific folder.  Don’t open your RSS reader except on this day.  And this is the day you study courses related to the subject you’re working on right now. 

This day becomes a day to work “on your business” instead of in your business.  You use the information you pick up looking for key points to add into whatever checklists or steps you follow each week.  It becomes a day dedicated to business improvement.  You create plans for the next week along with goals for the next month…while keeping your information diet managed successfully.

Step #3: Create detailed plans for upcoming weeks and months.

Many times you feel overwhelmed because you keep seeing the weight of everything which needs to be finished, but you’re not taking it one step at a time. 

There’s that old saying, “How do you eat an elephant.”  Answer:  One bite at a time. 

Running an internet business can feel like eating an elephant.  Too often we stress ourselves out by trying to get too much done all at once…and nothing gets done.  Or we sit there worrying about everything that needs to be done instead of taking that single bite.

Your goal is simply to make progress in your business every single week.  My pick is to try to make progress in the major elements of your business every week: traffic, conversion, and content.  What is your most important step for this week?  When is it on your schedule to be completed?

If you want to dig deeper into seeing how I run my business…and have helped clients eliminate overwhelm and take weekly steps to success…check out the Monthly Mentor Club.

July’s issue which is being sent out Friday the 9th is all about creating your Internet Lifestyle Plan…including a guide, online video training, and worksheets to build your own plan. 

Make sure you grab it out before Friday to get your issue…
http://www.MonthlyMentorClub.com

I wish there was one system that always worked to successfully create a business in any market…for anybody…with no thinking or adjustment required.

But it doesn’t exist.

I really wish it did.

It would make life so much easier.  We wouldn’t have to track.  We wouldn’t have to test anything.  We’d just follow the system automatically and watch it work.

But it isn’t quite that easy…no matter what we’ve been told.

If it was that easy, there would only need to be one internet training course period.  Just get that one…and you’re done.  Follow it and everything else will be automatic.

We wouldn’t need coaches or mastermind groups or surveys or any of that jazz.

This is one of the subjects which came up during our mastermind call last week.  Each of us have different skills and abilities.  And we all have to go through the learning curve online.  We sometimes even have to mix and match the best techniques to reach our unique target market.

That means study, practice, and testing.  But the tests online aren’t like the ones we used to take in school.  Instead they’re tests to see which approach works online for OUR offer.

Maybe the term should change from testing to experimenting. 

If you’re like me, testing actually has a bad connotation from your school days.  Teaches would test you to see your knowledge and then grade you from an A down to an F. 

Yet in online business I’ve never failed.  I’ve simply had experiments which didn’t work…and led me toward new breakthroughs.

The problem with online business for many people is they’re constantly in a search for the elusive system which will solve all their problems.

And it simply doesn’t exist.

That would be like walking into your local mall for all the sales this weekend.  You go into your favorite clothing store…and they’ve removed all the sizes.  Now they simply have a one size fits all policy.  That’s all they sell….one size.  That’s it. 

You stuggle.  You strain.  You cry.  Does it fit?  Maybe if you’re just the perfect size…whatever size they decided this was.  Otherwise it looks massive on you or you couldn’t even get it over your head. 

The majority of their customers will walk away upset, because the new sizing plan doesn’t work for them.

So everyone decides to learn to sew.  They’ll sew their own clothes.  Down they go to the fabric store to pick up the supplies and the pattern they need.

But what do they quickly discover with the patterns?  They discover that the ready-to-wear sizes aren’t always correct for patterns.  Instead they should multiple measurements of their body depending on what they’re creating. 

This will create a much better fit than the stock sizes which used to be available off the shelf.

Wow – it’s getting to be a lot of work…just like it is creating an internet business.

I love how low cost it is to start a business online.  That opens up the door to people who don’t have the assets to start a brick and mortar business. 

But that easy opportunity also has a major disadvantage.  If you were starting a brick and mortar business, you’d likely need financing and investors.  They’d require a full business plan of the market, the competition, how you plan to profit, and what you’re going to do with the money.

How many online business owners do you know who have a detailed plan of where they’re at, where they’re going, and the actions they’re taking daily to get there?

Of course there are adjustments along the way…just like in any good experimental science project…but they know what they’re doing and what they’re tracking.

If one size fits all internet business opportunities really worked for everyone, there wouldn’t be the thousands of them there are today.

The same thing applies to other subjects like weight loss.  How many diet plans or exercise plans are there?  Is that because we’re all so confused or the variation in people, their skills, their body type, etc. means that results may vary (sounds a government disclaimer there). 

How many different colleges or professions are there?  Ditto.

It applies to the internet also.  Does this mean you shouldn’t buy ready made systems?  NO.  But it does mean you need to look at them accurately. 

The customers I see who get the best results are those who keep learning.  They experiment with the techniques in their market.  They expand on what they learn with additional information.

And everything is put to use based on their business, their goals, and their direction.

Keep the right attitude.  Be willing to experiment to find out what works for you.  Set aside the rest.

Can you be ethical and profitable?

A lot of people wonder about this when they’re first starting out.  Because it seems the news is always finding some new cover-up from major corporations.  The government is hunting down some new fraud.  And many sales consultants constantly advise ethical shortcuts to selling.

So it only makes sense to wonder if it’s even possible to be both ethical and profitable in business today…

The good news is that it is.  And with the new power social media gives to customers…it’s finally becoming the MOST profitable way to do business.

A company can only survive so long with their deception…before the news breaks out.

Today we the consumers have more power than ever before.  While many companies are trying to figure out how to manipulate social media, one of the best uses of it is providing good products and services to your customers and letting them SHARE the experience they’ve had with you with all those they’re connected to.

The reason we constantly hear about big companies screwing up is because most traditional media lives by the motto, “If it bleeds, it leads.” 

They’re constantly on the look-out for bad stories to tell.  They’re constantly portraying an image of those “greedy capitalists.” 

What they don’t show you are all the companies who are doing good around them, cleaning up the messes of others, and being wildly profitable while they’re at it.  That news isn’t sensational…and it doesn’t grab the viewers.  But it is exactly what we need as entprereneurs looking for ethical and profitable businesses.

They also rarely feature the small business solopreneur carving out their own little lifestyle business and how they can use it to really bring change to the lives of those around them. 

The people I do business with who are happiest, most fulfilled, and yes, most profitable long-term are those who not just run a business.  They’re on a MISSION to change lives.  Whatever their MESSAGE is, they use it to help others. 

For example, perhaps your message is about training dogs.  In your mind you’ll see that by helping your customers train their dogs they’ll be less of them given back to shelters (one of reasons dogs end up in shelters is they were never trained correctly).  In addition, you can team up with charities they help dogs find homes…both bringing publicity to your business while supplying a share of the profits back to good works.

Maybe your business helps people lose weight.  That’s a common theme.  So how can you CHANGE their lives while helping them change their weight?  It could be as simple as helping them raise their self-esteem.  At the same time you can team up with charities who combat anorexia and bulimia.   

In my own business I focus heavily on helping others achieve an Internet Lifestyle.  I feel finding your purpose of helping others and the fulfillment which comes from this is a vital element often left out of the approach.  What good is making all the money and having a dream lifestyle if you constantly feel you’re missing something (the enjoyment of really changing lives for others)?

Remember the internet lifestyle is about more than just money…although the money can be very good also. 

Shel Horowitz has recently teamed up with  Jay Conrad Levinson, the “father of Guerrilla Marketing,” to package everything they know about  green and ethical business practices.  It’s called, “Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet.”

This 236-page book, published this year by John Wiley & Sons, demonstrates that Green values, strong ethics, and a cooperative philosophy are cornerstones of success, and provides a roadmap on how to not only run your business in alignment with these values, but how to creatively harness the marketing advantages of that stance–often in ways that cost little or nothing to implement.

Visit Guerilla Marketing Goes Green to purchase this book from your choice of retailer, with prices starting at $14.93 (list price is $21.95).

No matter where you buy the book (local bookstore, your favorite online retailer, or directly from Shel–which gives you the option of an autographed copy), you’ll want to register your purchase on the bonus page.

Registering on that site qualifies you for a substantial bonus package (currently worth more than $2600 and climbing).   And the majority of these aren’t the normal bonuses you see along with every book and launch all over the web.  They’re specifically designed to help you create your own ethical online business…with free consultations, copywriting info, internet marketing advice, and more. 

Check out Guerilla Marketing Goes Green today.

It’s a great way to tap into and read about all those stories about ethical businesses (both large and small) that the news media constantly fails to talk about.