Successful Business | online marketing

- Jan 15 2009
- The Formula Five Call Was HOT!
- 17 Comments
- Posted In Blog, Effectiveness, Make Money Online, entrepreneur
  
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Wow. All I can say is WOW, get this recording below as our gift to you.

I just got off the call with the Formula Five team and my mind is still reeling…

My special guest was one of the world’s leading business coaches. And man, did he every BLOW ME AWAY with his some of brilliant observations on growing a business in today’s economy.

I had a TON of takeaways from this call, including:

"Recession" is basically the reallocation of resources from the scared to the bold. You just need to decide which one you’re going to be…and not let anyone (especially the media) tell you otherwise.

Even though consumer spending in durables–like furniture, cars, appliances, etc–is down, people are still buying in other areas. Things like services and ecommerce products are still moving along at a fast clip. Which means you have the opportunity RIGHT NOW to take business away from competitors.

One of the biggest reasons why people fail to grow their businesses is because many of them are transactional. They’re like stock brokers and mortgage brokers–they want to get in, get out and be done. There’s no planning for the future, so their entire business plan is doomed from the start.

When I heard all of this, I was nodding my head in agreement.

Because it’s true–everyone who wants to start a successful business seems to run into roadblocks almost right away.

What I’ve found is that it’s either a time issue, a lack of knowledge, or they’re so focused on the "magic pill" that they’re missing out on what’s REALLY important.

My guest goes into much more detail about this, and his insights are brilliant to say the least. But in a nutshell, here’s 5 highly potent business principles to follow from the get-go.

Do yourself a favor…write these down and pin them to your wall:

Concentrate on profits, not revenue

Monetize your customers more efficiently

Generate more consistent business opportunities

Improve your conversion of customers

Utilize your most precious resources better

Stay focused on all of these 5 things, and you’ll be well on your way to success.

Of course, that’s only scratching the surface. There’s LOTS more juicy content on this call.

In fact, we barely covered a few points that we wanted to discuss. So we’ve decided to do something about it:

We’re going to post a replay of the call at the link below. Simply click there and you’ll have an opportunity to listen in on every word.
(Plus, if you tell some friends about it, you’ll receive a downloadable MP3 and transcript as well)

We’re going to post a replay of the call at the link below. Simply click there and you’ll have an opportunity to listen in on every word.
(Plus, if you tell some friends about it, you’ll receive a downloadable MP3 and transcript as well)

Grab Your Copy Of The Call Part 1 Here

IMPORTANT – DON’T MISS call part 2, register here

Since we had so much to cover in this call and we never even touched on 90% of it, we’re going to add an additional call on Monday, January 19th, PART 2 to continue on this train of thought and hopefully wrap it all up.

So make sure you listen to the replay right now, then register for Part Two coming up on Monday.

Grab Your Copy Of The Call Part 1 Here

Powerful stuff here, people…the kind of strategies that can turn the light on and open your eyes to a whole new way of doing business.

I strongly urge you not to miss out.

To Higher Profits,

Rich

P.S. If you were on the call (or you listened to the replay), please post your thoughts below on what we talked about…

I know what my takeaways were, but ‘d love to hear yours as well. So make sure and let me know, okay?

Talk again soon!

Grab Your Copy Of The Call Part 1

IMPORTANT – DON’T MISS call part 2, register here

Tags: business principles, conversion, f5, formula 5, formula five, profits, stomper f5, stompernet, successful business

- Jan 14 2009
- Are Your Rolling The Dice With Your Internet Business?
- 7 Comments
- Posted In Blog, Effectiveness, entrepreneur
  
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A few months ago, I was in Vegas visiting with Eli Goldratt, the creator of the Theory Of Constraints.

And while I was there, I did a little gaming. Not much, but I like to play a few hands of blackjack from time to time.

Of course, to me that’s not where the real fun is when you’re sitting in a Vegas casino.

Nope–the REAL fun is watching the people around you…

Because there’s always that guy who’s not playing for fun. He’s playing for PROFIT.

You can spot them a mile away. Stern, furrowed brow…sweat on the upper lip…smoking like a chimney…and cursing like a sailor when the dealer tosses him a bust card.

Never ceases to amaze me how many people use gaming as a source of income. I mean, c’mon–how many new millionaires do you ever see leaving the Vegas airport?

None. It’s always bleary eyed tourists, fishing in their pockets and purses for just one more dollar to put into the slot machine…

And why? Because they’re dreaming of the big score. The one that’s going to put the over the top for good. The one that never comes.

Same goes with the online business world…

Like I mentioned years ago in my Internet Business Manifesto, I am struck by how almost everybody is approaching their business or starting their business in a manner that seals its fate from the very start.

They’re doomed to fail before they ever get off the ground. And it’s not because of a lack of desire. Or lack of effort. Or even lack of funds for that matter.

No–the REAL reason why most businesses fail is because of lack of fundamental business building knowledge.

It’s true–the overwhelming majority of people new to the online business world will fail in achieving their dreams even if they buy lots of products, study them religiously and work extremely hard.

So how do you get past that? Well, it’s not an easy fix.

But first, you need to follow these 4 simple steps:

Establish your vision and create a strategy
to achieve that vision. By doing this you transform yourself from an opportunity seeker (bad) to an
entrepreneur (good).

Stop being so tactic-minded and start looking for products and services that will support your strategy in achieving your vision-instead of spending thousands of dollars on products that collect dust on your shelf.

Do everything in your power to manage your time better. Time is your most valuable asset, and implementing systems and processes that add more time to your day will only make your business grow that much faster.

Finally, always remember that, in order to build a successful business you need these critical things: scalability and leverage.

If this all sounds familiar, it should,. It’s the basis of the boat-rocking Internet Business Manifesto I released years ago. And it still holds true today.

But we’re only really scratching the surface here. There’s so much more to tell you, and I don’t want to turn this into manifesto in itself.

So what I’m going to do is hold a very special free call on business building this Thursday, January 15th, at 12 noon eastern.

You can register for that here.

Register For The Special Free Call
Thursday, January 15 at Noon EST

My “secret” guest will be a renowned author and business coach who has transformed many businesses, big and small, into healthy profit centers.

We’ll be talking about the challenges entrepreneurs will be facing in 2009, and how to overcome these challenges by utilizing solid business principles.

Plus, my “secret” special guest will also be revealing a time-tested proven model that practically guarantees business success.

A handful of online marketers have been running this method through the paces over the past several months, and the results have been MIND-BOGGLING. And now, they’re almost ready to reveal it to the world.

And you’ll get the first peek inside…but only if you join us on the call.

Reserve Your Spot
Thursday, January 15 at Noon EST

I’ll see you there!

To Higher Profits,

Rich

P.S. Some of the numbers these test marketers have been doing are simply astounding…

In fact, this proven process of accelerating your business and reaping major profits is boasting a solid 93% success rate.

That’s right–93% of the entrepreneurs who put it into action have made money. And the best part is, it didn’t take a lot of time or investment to make it happen.

But I will warn you–there’s VERY limited space on the call..

And I can assure you that you do NOT want to miss out on what I and my “secret” guest will be revealing.

So Grab Your Slot Right Now
Thursday, January 15 at Noon EST

Tags: business building, internet marketing, making lots of money, manifesto, marketing strategies, personal development, rolling the dice, successful business

- Jan 12 2007
- Part 2 of Your Business Makeover Formula
- 7 Comments
- Posted In Effectiveness
  
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Hey Guys,

I hope you’re having a profitable day.

So did you finish your ‘Victory’ list – you know the one that we talked about in my last post? Where you get to relive your glory days from last year so we can carry what worked forward into 2007?

If not, please scroll down to yesterday’s post and complete that exercise before you move on to Your Next Big Question for "Making 2007 Your Best Year Ever".

When you’re ready to continue, here’s…

Your Next Big Question!
What Were Your Biggest Disappointments Of 2006?

Looking at your disappointments from last year may not be easy for you. Don’t worry – you’re not alone. It’s not easy for many people and so they white it out of their minds. They’d rather pretend it never happened and hope for the best.

But it’s hard to build a booming growing successful business if you live like an ostrich with your head in the sand. It’s with your eyes open looking around that you’ll make this year better than 2006.

Last year happened and you have experience from it, both positive and negative…

Today you’re going to learn the next step (#2 out of the 5) that will enable you to really profit from that experience.

First, you must start with this in mind:

As You Launch Into 2007 (it’s only January!!!) – Identify What You Did Wrong Last Year. No Pain, No Gain

It’s time for you to take out that treasured notebook or pad and begin a new list. This one steers clear of your accomplishments and focuses on what didn’t work in 2006…mistakes, missteps, failures, wrong roads, bad choices. Call it what you will, you know what it is I’m talking about.

And by the way SAVE YOUR LISTS!!!! They are the building blocks for your success. The more you put in to them, the more that comes back at you. Save them all! A treasured book of lists is really an excellent idea. You’ll see why.

Be Totally Honest with Yourself

When you begin to write up your list of disappointments, you may be inclined to just rush through them.

DON’T

The easy route here has no pay off. You know what went wrong and taking a good hard look at what happened is where the juice is. No one else has to see this list but you.

And, by the way, take a hard look not only at last year’s business activities, but your personal life, too. Lots of things go hand in hand.

Last time, we talked about taking an honest look at your situation… This is absolutely essential when building your list of disappointments and failures from last year.

You should not just be mildly honest with yourself – Mild Honesty is like lukewarm water.

Instead, go at your disappointments with gusto. If you’re ruthless in tearing your business and life apart, you’ll get a chance to find and face the core problems. You need more than a surface look. If things don’t jump out at you, look again and look harder. This really is a treasure hunt.

The harder you are on yourself at this point, the more ammunition you will have to make the radical changes that are crucial to making your life and your business better.

While you are working on your brutally honest list of disappointments and failures, it might help you to take a look at what I came up with when I did the same exercise you are doing.

What I Must Change In My Life and My Business to Make 2007 the Best Year Ever!

All of us have something we can improve upon from the last year, and that includes me.

Yeah, there were some things that I think could have gone better in 2006…

A big concern was all of the time I personally put into my coaching programs. This really turned out to be a problem for me.

I found it difficult to manage my time when working with over 750 coaching clients, working on my business expansion, entering into new partnerships and speaking all around the world.

All of this while spending as much time as possible with my two daughters Ava and Elle, and my wife Debi.

And I really don’t know how I did it… I sacrificed a lot of hobbies I enjoy – I slept less and read less. And I spent less time with friends. All in all, not too good.

But the pay-off was huge.

I am honored to have been able to help so many clients achieve and exceed their business goals in 2006.

And Strategic Profits is now set up to produce and deliver what I believe will be unrivaled in the business growth field of today and tomorrow.

So now that I have gotten Strategic Profits where it needs to be, I’m readjusting my schedule. This is bringing my life more into balance so I can dedicate more time to having fun.

Now I’m Not Claiming to be Perfect…

The facts are I certainly made some other missteps along the way last year. In hindsight, I did not do everything right.

Most people would have been happy with the numbers we did with our launch of Internet Wealth Alliance with Agora (a program we did together.)

But I thought the results were disappointing, considering the over the top track records of Agora and Strategic Profits.

And as I said before about my family life, I missed out on more than I care to admit. I wanted to spend more time with my wife and kids than I did.

I can’t undo what happened, but as you can imagine, these points are all very important to me.

How Important is All of This to You?

Taking a good look at your 2006 and building a list of all your disappointments and failures will be one of the most important exercises you do all year!

I’m serious here!

Take the time to do it right. Don’t get sidetracked – this is too important. If you face it now, you’ll be amazed at what you will find out about yourself and your business practices last year just from this one list .

Plus you will need this list, and your list of last year’s accomplishments, to be able to complete my business makeover formula so you can make 2007 your best year yet.

Your Next Big Question?

This is something that will make or break your business success and growth this year.

In fact, it is so important that without it, you are putting yourself in the position of reliving your mistakes over and over again, just like Bill Murray did in Groundhog Day.

And you’ll get to benefit from this next big question soon.

So make sure you check in with me tomorrow and make room in your notebook for another important list.

Soon you will see how these lists work together to help you transform your business and your life into that of your dreams.

To Higher Profits,

Rich Schefren
Strategic Profits

P.S. – I’m really looking forward to being able to help even more people in a different way coming up soon.

Since people are always asking me "So Rich, what exactly do you do every day?"… I’m going to let a few lucky people look ‘Over My Shoulder’ this year.

They will get to hear first-hand what I do each and every day and how I’ve used my actions to build my business into what it is today.

Tags: building blocks, notebook, successful business

- Mar 10 2006
- Power Of Planning
- 2 Comments
- Posted In Effectiveness
  
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As any successful business person knows, you can kill yourself trying to grow your company. You invest and immerse yourself wholly without direction until you’ve stretched yourself so thin that you’re no longer productive in any aspect of your work.

If only you had planned your day better…

By forecasting an orderly work schedule, you’ll preserve both your valuable time and your sanity. Unfortunately, most people start each day off in a fury of tasks and deadlines – without a plan on how to get things done efficiently.

It’s a known fact that stress is a killer. You can wear yourself out mentally and physically by tending to the daily tasks your company demands. Or, you can learn how to plan for tomorrow and realize an even greater success – one that you can enjoy as it happens.

When people don’t plan, they react to their environment… usually in a negative way. How many times have you gone into the office and felt irritated about something someone else has done… or not done?

Productivity requires a positive attitude. If you’re constantly reacting to deadlines, tasks you hadn’t planned on popping up, or other people’s interference with your day, then you’ll be too caught up in the stress of it all to make formidable decisions that will help propel your profits upward.

There has to be a fine balance between planning your day and being flexible enough to handle the unexpected. It would be even worse to have every minute of your day scheduled and then find that something has thrown it off kilter.

You don’t want to paralyze yourself with your planning, but instead use it as a guide – a path to help you get from point A to point B.

Planning doesn’t require a lot of time. You simply have to map it out the night before. It might be okay to set long-term goals, too – but you’ll be better able to schedule your day if you do it the previous night, when you’re more aware of your company’s immediate needs.

Make a comprehensive to-do list. That doesn’t mean every single thing will get done the next day, but you want to have it on paper so that you’ll be able to give it attention at some point.

Every item on your to-do list should have a plan of action. When you know how to get something done, you won’t have to sit there thinking about your next step, which would be a waste of time.

Make a quick estimate of how much time each task in a plan of action will take – to give yourself an idea of how long it will take you to complete that single item on your to-do list.

If any of the tasks require a resource you don’t have at your fingertips, then add the time it will take for you to acquire and set up that tool into your final estimate. You don’t want to underestimate the time it will take you to cross something off of your to-do list.

The reason for this is when you fail to meet your self-imposed deadlines, it can create even more stress than if you had simply worked without a plan in place. While you might want to be Superman for a day, it won’t always happen… things are bound to present themselves as obstacles to your success.

If there are more people connected to the company – from employees to contracted labor – define their roles within the company structure so that some of the tasks can be designated for them to handle.

As you create each tasks, determine what it would cost for you to complete it. For instance, if your time is worth $100/hour, and you’re wasting an hour filling out forms that someone else could do for $8/hour, then you’re losing $92 an hour in profit.

Your time need to be planned out so that you are maximizing your talents but also doing tasks that will have the highest return for your investment of each and every hour. Adding to the above example, your hour could have been used to develop an ad campaign that results in a high conversion rate of traffic to your website.

Don’t forget to add personal goals and time to your schedule. You want it to be flexible enough so that if there’s a family emergency, or if you simply need a break from it all, you won’t throw the entire business into a tailspin just because you’re not physically or mentally involved with the business 24-hours a day.

Tags: business person, company demands, positive attitude, profits, stress, successful business