Business Stories

What I learned from Chris Guillebeau and 279 days to overnight success

2011-01-14T22:09:00.000-08:00

I'm sure some of you have seen the blog,
The Art of Non-Conformity over at http://chrisguillebeau.com
This blog is written by a relatively young writer and entrepreneur who has managed to turn his passion for travel into a business.

One of his seminal prices is the e-book 279 days to overnight success. It may seem as a misnomer but the truth is really that success takes time. Most people think successful people gain success in a relatively short time. However it has taken Chris about 279 days or three-quarters of a year to build a blog with substantial readers and loyal followers who are willingly to pay himfor the valuable information he has on his online store.

The main takeaways from Chris story as an entrepreneur are
1) Success takes time, sometimes longer than 279 days
2) You have to create a following and this concepts ties in with Seth Godin's concept of building a"tribe" or following so strong that they will support your views and products.
3) You have to take action. Whatever your goals and whatever you want to achieve, yo have got to take action and keep up the momentum. Chris has a disciplined schedule of posting blogs every Tuesday no matter which part of the country he is in and the availability of wireless connections.
4) Good Content always wins. If you have good content that appeals to readers, you will eventually have a following.
5) Networking with fellow bloggers. Chris does write guest post for other Blogs and he belongs to the Life Remix network.

If you want your 2011 to be any difference from last year, this is the best time and quarter to take action towards your goals.

Here a mini-assignment

State your top 3 goals in a specific area. For instance if you want to improve your health, state your top 3 health goals
State what you want to achieve
Write down mini-steps for each goal you want to achieve.

10 Reasons why you are not a successful Entrepreneur

2008-07-25T00:36:00.000-07:00

At age 23, Neil has co-founded several companies. Last year saw his company revenues go into the range of $2million and more. He has written a post on "10 Reasons Why You Are Not A Successful Entrepreneur" on his blog.
Reason Number 1: You do not know how to manage your money & Reason Number Number 7: "You do not network with others" resonates closely with me. There are also many other valid reasons why he cites people are not as successful as an entrepreneur as they would like to be.

Neil spend most of his time working at ACS, Crazy Egg, and KISSmetrics which are all companies he co-founded. So without further ado, please click on this link to read the full article.
http://ww.quicksprout.com/2008/07/13/10-reasons-you-are-not-a-successful-entrepreneur

Red-Alert-Change Your Plans for July 11-13, 2008

2008-06-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend,
Mark the following dates, and make sure yourcalendar is clear for July 11, 12 and 13,and here's why.
In case you are unaware, Chris Howard is holding his first ever Ultimate Business Seminar in the United States, and it's goingto be an absolute mind-blowing event! He's got more brilliant business minds speaking in three days than you've probably been exposed to in the last decade; more importantly, the business building, profit boosting and the cash-flow generating strategies they will be teaching promises to double, maybe re-double,even re-double again... the success, income and prosperity your business or new idea makes you.I want you to be there for at least one of these enriching days...so if you do not have a seat booked yet, this will be the most irresistible proposition you've ever received,and here it is:
Review the line-up of speakers and topics below, and decide which one of these three days you'd most like to experience...July 11, 12 or 13 at no charge whatsoever,as my SPECIAL guest.Chris has agreed to let me invite 20 of my guests to attend one day of his upcoming 3-Day Ultimate Business Seminar Event at no charge. He's doingthis as a daring experiment to see how those ofyou who get to sample a day of his high-end seminar will want to sign up for one or moreof them in the future, once you see what a mammoth experience this Ultimate Business Seminar program provides.
Here's my deal in a nutshell...by clicking on the link below you will be able to choose which day you would like to attend. Pick your FIRST day of choice, either Friday July 11,Saturday July 12 or Sunday July 13 and register your attendance during the NEXT THREE BUSINESS DAYS ONLY to reserve your 1-Day Pass at no charge. First to register will, obviously, get their day of choice.So, I urge you to respond immediately.Who are these amazing business minds? Findout right now, and get your day of choice here:
http://www.chrishoward.com/Public/Events/UBS/index.cfm?af=418971
So we are clear, this event is a $5,075 3-Dayexperience. And those who received a 3-DayPass as part of a Breakthrough to Success(BTS) discounted Fast Track package paid$1,997. As part of an experiment, he is offering you a FREE 1-Day Pass. You can use this pass to attend one day at no charge OR you can upgrade to a 3-Day Pass at the discounted price of $1,997, Chris' only hope is that by him investing first in YOU, you'll be so blown away by the dynamic speakers and the content that you'll crave attending a lot more of these events in the future. Only current enrollees that invested in a Fast Track atthe BTS Weekend have 3-Day Passes.With that stated, there are two stipulations I must request of you. If you wish to accept this invitation:1. Everyone else in the room paid thousandsof dollars. I need you to agree to attend respectfully for the entire day, from beginning to end, and participate fully.It's important for you to add value to the program for all in attendance.2. You must confirm your attendance right now.Chris only has 300 seats available for this one day test-drive and once we fill up our daily allocation you will not be able to get a seat - at any price! I need you to know that this marketing is being sent to Chris' database and the databases of the speakers presenting at the Ultimate Business Seminar.With just room for a total of 800 people at the venue, and a majority of tickets already sold, it's a matter of "you snooze – you lose!" So,take action right now and confirm your seat.Chris has arranged preferential access anddiscounts for many of the speakers' services and products. He will allow you to avail yourself of these same privileges, but only during the day you attend.To find out WHO is in the Ultimate BusinessSeminar Line-Up, and to pick your day of choice click here:http://www.chrishoward.com/Public/Events/UBS/index.cfm?af=418971Other than those reasonable requests, you are warmly invited to be my guest for one day of your choice, provided you register right away before all spaces are taken. One more point,and it's important; thousands of people are being offered this proposition, only a fewhundred can be accommodated on each day.So... if you reserve a day, I expect you to use it for all it's worth. Stated differently,don't sign up unless you plan on showing up.Please respect the importance and value of this gesture.Of all the new programs Chris and his team are putting together, the Ultimate Business Seminar promises to hold more immediate financial pay-off to those who attend than perhaps any other specialty program. I hope you are able to take the fullest advantage of this important and bold proposition.So, go ahead and review the speaker line-upand topics through the link below to receive a 1-Day Pass at no charge whatsoever, as my SPECIAL guest. If you wish to take full advantage of the entire three days, you will be able to upgrade your pass at the preferential rate of $1997. Decide which of these three days you'd most like toexperience, July 11, 12 or 13...Discover which outstanding Wealth Experts make up the Ultimate Business Seminar Line-Up and remember to pick your first day of choice here:http://www.chrishoward.com/Public/Events/UBS/index.cfm?af=418971
This offer is only available TODAY, TOMORROW or THE DAY AFTER. Take action right NOW beforeall seats are gone!So, I urge you to respond immediately. Take action today and I will see you at THE ULTIMATE BUSINESS SEMINAR!

To Your Success!
Small Biz Wizard

Adversarial Friends

2008-06-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

The term 'Adversarial Friends' seems like an oxymoron.The reason I have termed it that way is because I have sometimes encountered clients who have started on an almost adversarial mood but eventually ended up as friends. What I have learnt from my experience of handling these type 'A' clients are

They do not have a clear idea about your products and services but they have a need that they feel your product and service can fulfill.
They have had a 'bad bite' from previous service providers and are more cautious.
They need more information, more education and more hand holding at the beginning stages of your client relationship.
They are the ones who call you in the middle of the night and spend more of your time having to answer their queries.
However, they can also be your best clients because they are coachable. They listen to your opinions and recommendations.
They seldom doubt your recommendations once you have earned their trust.
They can eventually be your best and loyal clients whom you can turn into raving fans for your business.

So treat all your 'A' type clients with patience and respect and in time, they will become your raving fans.

I welcome your feedback and comments on this post. Have you encounter similar situations before?

Tech 40 Crunch 2007

2007-09-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

The finalist list is finally out!

40 of the top start-ups have been selected for the final round and they will get a chance to present at the conference, pitching their ideas to VC for funding.

My personal favourites, not in any order are

Viewdle, allows you to search, index and monetise video content.
Tripit, an online portal that allows you to consolidate all your travel information in one place and automatically generates the map of the place you are visiting. Help you to organise info fast and systematically
PubMatic: Can't decide which ad network to sign up with for your blog or small business website? Save yourself this hassle by signing with PubMatic and they can provide you with most of the ads from 5 major ad networks. Comes with stats of how individual ads from differnt networks are performing to help you decide which one is bring in most of the revenue for your site.
Teachthepeople: Is a movement to provide quality educational content at affordable prices. Creates a social network that allows users who are experts in one are to share knowledge with others who are interested in this field. Sort of like a 'public space' for education.
Mint.com: Aggregator for all your financial information. Allows you to consolidate all the banking information, credit card details so you can see at a glance how you are doing financially.
Cake: No, it not an online cake ordering website> This sites allows you to consolidate all your portfolio information in one place.

Click here to find out more about these companies
http://www.techcrunch20.com/2007/index.php

Gary Halbert has passed away

2007-04-10T03:53:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

We have lost one of the most important figures in the world of Copy writing. Gary Halbert has passed away.

I just found this on an online forum,
http://www.copywritersboard.com/copywriting-discussion/5129-gary-halbert-has-passed-away.html

The Whole Truth about Internet Marketing

2006-09-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

Do you want to know the whole truth about Internet marketing and how to make money online?
Do people visit your website simply because you have a catchy domain name or you have set up a beautifully constructed eye catching website?

Well, the truth is millions of people everyday are losing because they do not know effective ways to market themselves and their products to a growing audience on the Internet.

I'm sure most of you out there are tired of buying Internet Courses or informational products after producsts without getting the desired results. I have personally invested in Internet marketing courses, some of which worked but most don't until I discovered ...
The Whole Truth About Internet Marketing by Stephen Pierce

The 39- page ebook that reveals the whole truth on how to effectively market online and open the gates to unlocking the vault of cash just waiting for you. In this books, Stephen talks about strategies that he personally uses to generate cash online , consistently making him $30,000 and more online. Click here

Guerilla Marketing Association

2006-04-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

Jay Conrad Levinson has started the Guerilla Marketing Association online.
This is a fabulous site where business owners can bounce ideas on marketing that works off one another. Check out this site by clicking on the logo on the sidebar!

Secrets of 7 figure selling

2006-03-02T00:56:00.000-08:00

Secrets of 7figure selling
As a small business owner, you have many hats to wear so it's important to find the right clients.
Clients with big budgets that can more than easily afford your products and services.
Imagine what it is like to serve only 2 or 3 key clients a year instead of haggling with more than hundresd of smaller clients who are constantly waiting with bated breadth for you to offer discounts and promotions before they buy.

The best way to get into 7-figure selling is to join a mastermind group of like minded people who would like to help one another succeed. To join the 7-figure sales mastermind group for free, click here to register now!

Click to join 7figure

Free report for making profits online

2005-12-09T20:44:00.000-08:00

"How to Finally Make Money and Achieve True Success "
I am offering this report worth US$27.00 for free.
Just email your name, email address and geographic location to me at
smallbusinessresource@yahoo.com.sg for your free report now.

Alternatively, you may like to subscribe to my mailing list by entering your email address. Hurry before the promotion ends!

6 figure blogging

2005-11-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

The soon to be release book by Andy Wibbels on "Six Figure Blogging" shows you how to make a six figure income from blogging.
Check out the info & details at
Six Figure Blogging

GM slashing 30,000 jobs

2005-11-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

Hear over the news today that GM, General Motors is going to slash 30,000 jobs in North America & close down a dozen manufacturing plants.

Now, there is an even greater impetus to start your own business. For those still employed, you may want to start a small business on the side, something you can do on the weekends or an online business. That's how I started my business also. You never know how rapidly things will develop until you are into it.

It's better to start something than nothing at all.

I recently read a book titled "Stop working" . It was written by an industry vetran with more than 20 year of experince in business. I find his concepts very refreshing. He is able to leverage on partners yet at the same time retain the core of what he does best without overtaxing himself. For those who want to start their own business but don't want to put in the 60 or 70 hours a week, this book offers refreshing insights on how to do it.

If you want to start your own trading business, my offer of a free DVD with contacts of suppliers from China is still valid, just drop me an email with your name , email address and I will mail the copy out to you.I'm afraid this offer is only valid to people residing in Singapore at the moment unless someone can enlighten me on how i can lower my shipping charges for overseas orders.

Once again, the offer for a free DVD for china sourcing is available from
iwannabe@gmail.com.

All Things Start Small

2004-12-30T19:09:00.000-08:00

In my first post, I have named it small biz wizard to provide details and to track the progress of my small biz.
Sample templates and books which I have come across and found useful will be available to all readers for downloads.