Business-Building Resources
Most of the so-called "tools" that are recommended for entrepreneurs are unnecessary, and can even act as a distraction from the real priorities that we have in front of us.
However, there are a few things that are essential, and some things that just make life more wonderful.
Here's a few of those things:
1. Website
In this day and age, you need a website. It's difficult to have an online presence without one. They leverage your time. They are fun. They can be very inexpensive. This is a service that I recommend for getting set up with a website quickly and inexpensively (and you don't have to know anything technical to do it) - Weebly.com.
2. Autoresponder
If you are generating leads, you will need some way to store them, and follow up with them. If you have one or two leads a day reaching out to you, it's no big deal. If you have 200...or 500...or 5,000 per day to follow up with, the task can become enormous.
This task is made easy with the aid of automated sequential followup. That's just an autoresponder does. You create the followup sequence once, and that follows up with your leads - even if you have 5,000 per day to contact. There are many services available, but there is only one I recommend for beginners - Aweber.com.
3. Phone
The telephone is a powerful tool for building professional relationships. Whether you are developing joint-venture partners, masterminding with like-minded entrepreneurs, speaking with potential clients, or writing deals, the phone is an invaluable resource for business building.
Nowadays, most everybody thinks that the magic is all about getting online. While getting online is powerful, the real magic happens when you combine the phone with an online presence. It can multiply your profit potential nearly beyond belief.
To make it happen, you need a phone and long-distance service. There are plenty of services available - we like ViaTalk.com (very inexpensive). For phones systems, we recommend anything from Plantronics. They are industrial-grade, last forever, and can take the abuse that a start-up entrepreneur will put it through.
4. Skills
Your income has a direct relationship with your skill-set.
It's nice to think of successful people as being "lucky", or having gotten in at the "right time".
Luck is for fools. It just happens to favor those who work day and night.
You push hard enough...long enough...and luck just sorta "happens". You'll encounter setbacks. You'll have disappointments. There will be days when you will be absolutely devastated.
And even if you resolve yourself to tasks of getting the skills, and dealing with the setbacks, you have no guarantee that it will all work out. That's the reality of life as an entrepreneur.
That's the bad news. But here's the good news:
That reality will scare off most of your competition.
That reality will be too much for some people, and they will quit.
If you pursue, overcome, and triumph, you'll reap a bounty that few can imagine. I'm not just talking financially (although that can definitely be a part of it) but having the knowledge that you can really build something, and contribute something to this world that can change lives in ways you cannot imagine, and perpetuate it's existence long after you have stopped pressing forward.
Kinda like water and the ripple effect. You make a splash today, it can ripple out for weeks, years, or even decades thereafter.
Embrace setbacks as opportunities to acquire new skills. View failures as learning opportunities. Jim Rohn rightly said, "don't wish it were easier...wish you were better".
Never stop learning. Always be a student.
Never become cynical. Always be optimistic.
Never be a fool. Always make informed decisions.
Never hold back. Always give it your all.
Never stop dreaming. Always expect to WORK to achieve those dreams.
Never give yourself an "out". Always hold yourself accountable.
Never repeat mistakes. Always give yourself grace to make mistakes (one time).
Never be satisfied. Always be grateful.
Stay hungry,
- JF
However, there are a few things that are essential, and some things that just make life more wonderful.
Here's a few of those things:
1. Website
In this day and age, you need a website. It's difficult to have an online presence without one. They leverage your time. They are fun. They can be very inexpensive. This is a service that I recommend for getting set up with a website quickly and inexpensively (and you don't have to know anything technical to do it) - Weebly.com.
2. Autoresponder
If you are generating leads, you will need some way to store them, and follow up with them. If you have one or two leads a day reaching out to you, it's no big deal. If you have 200...or 500...or 5,000 per day to follow up with, the task can become enormous.
This task is made easy with the aid of automated sequential followup. That's just an autoresponder does. You create the followup sequence once, and that follows up with your leads - even if you have 5,000 per day to contact. There are many services available, but there is only one I recommend for beginners - Aweber.com.
3. Phone
The telephone is a powerful tool for building professional relationships. Whether you are developing joint-venture partners, masterminding with like-minded entrepreneurs, speaking with potential clients, or writing deals, the phone is an invaluable resource for business building.
Nowadays, most everybody thinks that the magic is all about getting online. While getting online is powerful, the real magic happens when you combine the phone with an online presence. It can multiply your profit potential nearly beyond belief.
To make it happen, you need a phone and long-distance service. There are plenty of services available - we like ViaTalk.com (very inexpensive). For phones systems, we recommend anything from Plantronics. They are industrial-grade, last forever, and can take the abuse that a start-up entrepreneur will put it through.
4. Skills
Your income has a direct relationship with your skill-set.
It's nice to think of successful people as being "lucky", or having gotten in at the "right time".
Luck is for fools. It just happens to favor those who work day and night.
You push hard enough...long enough...and luck just sorta "happens". You'll encounter setbacks. You'll have disappointments. There will be days when you will be absolutely devastated.
And even if you resolve yourself to tasks of getting the skills, and dealing with the setbacks, you have no guarantee that it will all work out. That's the reality of life as an entrepreneur.
That's the bad news. But here's the good news:
That reality will scare off most of your competition.
That reality will be too much for some people, and they will quit.
If you pursue, overcome, and triumph, you'll reap a bounty that few can imagine. I'm not just talking financially (although that can definitely be a part of it) but having the knowledge that you can really build something, and contribute something to this world that can change lives in ways you cannot imagine, and perpetuate it's existence long after you have stopped pressing forward.
Kinda like water and the ripple effect. You make a splash today, it can ripple out for weeks, years, or even decades thereafter.
Embrace setbacks as opportunities to acquire new skills. View failures as learning opportunities. Jim Rohn rightly said, "don't wish it were easier...wish you were better".
Never stop learning. Always be a student.
Never become cynical. Always be optimistic.
Never be a fool. Always make informed decisions.
Never hold back. Always give it your all.
Never stop dreaming. Always expect to WORK to achieve those dreams.
Never give yourself an "out". Always hold yourself accountable.
Never repeat mistakes. Always give yourself grace to make mistakes (one time).
Never be satisfied. Always be grateful.
Stay hungry,
- JF