If you’re new to Rich’s teachings here are a few things to grasp:

- process mapping (from the Manifesto)
- get momentum (the toughest bit of advice* but so important)
- once you’ve got momentum, focus on employees/outsourcing and customer service (followup)

* I should know because I turned a quarter million dollar year in affiliate marketing commissions into a relatively flat year this year!

Mike Corso
Cool Site of the Day
http://www.coolsiteoftheday.com

I really like how you framed this with what the accomplishment was and what you took away from it.

Thanks for posting this!

Michael

A few months ago, I set up an actual office in a recently vacated room of one of my kids. The change in how I feel about my business is amazing! It feels more real.

But I see I eventually need to take the next step of getting my business out of my house entirely, to a place that will accomodate employees so I can focus on what will build the business instead of on playing at it as a one man show.

Love the insights, Rich! keep it up!

I’ve used it to help clients in the financial sector, business networking, yoga training, childhood obesity, online marketing, weight loss, various health and even my own copywriting services with my report 3 Secrets of online copy at…
http://www.freelanceonlinecopywriter.com/3SecretsOfOnlineCopy.pdf

Giving high value free content is great advice and a very pleasant way of doing business.

# 2 Some people may not realize you can also build a dream team by building relationships and doing joint ventures with the best talent you can find.

You can also employ subcontractors and freelancers.

You don’t necessarily have to have employees as your dream team (some of the best talent won’t be willing to be employees.

# 3 “It only gets worse if your workstation is in your bedroom.

Sure it’s been done, but it often creates an unhealthy mix for lots of reasons.”

Couldn’t agree more. Howard Hughes might have been successful running multiple businesses from his one room adobe but he also turned into a crazy loony bin.

#4 – Create and Develop One Core Product… that Makes You a Stand Out!

This is really, really great advice that makes sense from a moral, developmental, marketing and split testing stand point.

Thank you for such a fantastic post Rich. Your insights are superb.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

I met you at the World Internet Summit last September (2006) in Las Vegas.

I\’ve been following and hanging on your every word. The advice you gave to me, personally, at the Summit has utterly transformed my business!

Comparing 2006 – the \”pre-Rich Schefren days\”, to 2007, the \”following-Rich\’s-advice days\”, is like comparing a paper airplane to a Supersonic Jet.

Thanks for the advice; thanks for the emails; thanks for the blogs; thanks for being you!

William Sinclair

thanks.

Good idea about hiring someone else to assist you in screening and hiring processes. Would love to hear more about your and Paul’s experiences and systems.

Interesting note – I recently read a book by Ricardo Semler. He is the only person who I am aware of – who has made a company succeed by using democratic rules.

His employees can chart the success of his business. They can decide what they want to work on and how long they want to work. And they can work from anywhere. They also decide how much they should get paid!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Semler

He has a very contrarian outlook for hiring and managing employees – and yet his company seems to be growing very rapidly… am wondering if his systems can be incorporated to make a co. more flexible…