Recently I’ve been implementing a system in our business to help document tasks and processes so that anyone can come in and take over doing those tasks.

In fact the idea originally came from one of the audio modules from Lee McIntyre’s Passive Income Uncut I bought over six months ago.

So you have a series of repetitive tasks, it may be admin, setting something up, whatever. By taking screenshots and doing a step by step guide you create a document that can be handed to any virtual assistant, or anyone else in your company or employee coming into your business so that they can immediately start doing it.

It sounds obvious and many larger businesses do have this type of training in place.

I know I’ve recently been bogged down more and more with admin/boring tasks which has really put a dampner on my creativity and big picture mindset (which is one of my biggest strengths I believe) and what really prompted things was the fact that I now have to take leave of my business for a while due to family illness.

There are some tasks in our business that only I know how to do and some of which my business partners have never done before. So in the future what if I get ill? or want to go on an extensive vacation?

Here’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve started to create a series of step by step guides, with screenshots, covering a multitude of tasks within our business such as:

• Creating and testing an email campaign
• Documenting  tasks from our admin system such as adding hours to timesheets, raising invoices and keeping an eye on the workflow.
• Walkthroughs on adminstrating our web hosting business
• Certain SEO Reports and how to pull key data from Google Analytics and so forth.
• Answering Support Tickets
• Adding advertising banners and links to our blog network

So do you have anything like this in your business? What happens if you get ill? Can you just hand a series of guides over to someone to keep at least the vital elements of your business running?

This does of course all tie in with outsourcing in a big way if you are a one man/woman band.

There was a classic nightmare example of this recently when Internet Marketer Michelle MacPhearson got ill and things went badly wrong..you can download an audio interview about it from here.

It’s not something most people want to think about, but if things do go wrong, will you be ready?

Image by: powazn

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What happens to your business if things go wrong? originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on April 8, 2011.

Here is an audio of me going through some of the issues / questions raised from my recent survey introduced in my last post

Areas covered in the podcast are:

• Getting through the technical cr*p
• Getting traffic to a webinar
• Selling as well as giving
• Motivating yourself when working in a j.o.b
• WordPress and Blogging

Download audio file (survey-results.mp3)

Download the MP3 here

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Survey Results Audio originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on January 20, 2011.

Over the Christmas holidays I was in Ireland and on a very pleasant walk in the snow we had a Robin Redbreast bird follow us up a lane, he was real friendly.

As you might see in the video this little bird landed on my hand at one point, very cool.

It was hard not to admire this little creature that was so unafraid of me (me being 6”3). If we could all be ‘unafraid’ of what might happen, go wrong, not work – we might get ahead quicker and be more successful!

Taking the bull by the horns has to be on your new year agenda, it certainly will be on mine!

Here’s a brainstorm of a few things you look at for your business no matter what level you are at.

1. If you’ve not made a cent online yet and are unsure of how to move forward or get out of a rut take a look at your key strengths and see what you can create in that area. To create a product firstly you need to roll up your sleeves and do some research. Yes..boring, but you will save yourself a load of time and money!

Look in trade magazines on your niche, see what other products are on the market. Could you do better?

Use Google to research keyword phrases and Insights for growing trends.

Use the search engines to see what else is online. Are there lots of sponsored ads? This could mean your market is hot and money is being made.

2. If you’ve created a product or service and made a few sales but not enough, then ask what is enough?

Set targets for Sales and focus on some key areas.

Traffic and Conversion is a good place to start! Can you increase the traffic either through blog/website banner ads, ezine ads, PPC, Video marketing, Press Releases or through advertising in offline trade magazines.

Do what you can to increase traffic.

3. Many marketers just focus on their affiliates and Joint Venture Partners. Make sure you have a decent affiliate program with plenty of tools (banners, pre-written emails, ready made PPC Ads etc) and an opt-in to build your list of affiliates.

Start an excel sheet for target JV partners and work out want you can offer them over and beyond the standard approach. Offer a bigger percentage or a bonus product they can use as content.

4. Struggling to create that product? Don’t get overwhelmed by the thought of it. I’ll always remember Jimmy D Brown saying, ‘If you can’t create a product within 30 days, then don’t create that product.”

The point is keep it achieveable. I’m the first for this, constantly improving and adding things!

Video and Audio certainly make product creation a lot less time consuming than a ebook. Audio is probably the easiest way of creating product through interviewing experts in your market or podcasts of you talking, perhaps with a friend interviewing you, if you’re the expert. Use Skype and Pamela software that records your call straight to an MP3 file.

Plan your front-end giveaway, main product, and an upsell. What extra stuff can you offer? You don’t always have to create new content. Transciptions of your podcasts and videos can be used. The content on a physical DVD (shipped for peanuts by Kunaki)

5. Sales Process. How easy is your offer and upsells to buy? Work on this customer journey and if you can afford to invest then do so. Infusionsoft and 1ShoppingCART both do 1-click ordering.

6. Make connections. Network more. You don’t know who you’ll meet! And it can actually be fun hanging out in the bar with millionaires

7. Create your roadmap and get started and take Action (yes that old chestnut). Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, adjust as you go, but please, just do it!!

Happy New Year!

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7 Ways to Kickstart 2010 and a Bird in the Hand! originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on December 28, 2009.

When you’re building your business you are going to need the right people working alongside you to fill the different departments. It isn’t always about employing someone or even outsourcing – You may be able to offer some kind of partnership, a percentage of your business.

Assuming they have the right mindset (and don’t waste your time with them if they have an ‘employee’ mindset, that is a follower, rather than a leader mentality) and knowing they are truly part of a company should light a fire somewhere and get them moving to build your business with you.

Sometimes finding the right people can take time but well worth it.

A quick video on the subject below – Please leave your comments.

P.S. Rich Schefren and Jay Abraham have assembled a powerful mastermind who advise Coca Cola, Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft..err you get the picture..Get these powerhouses sharing brilliant, ingenious, masterful and outright amazing ideas, concepts, strategies, recommendations with YOU! >> The League of Extraordinary Minds

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Building Your Killer Team originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on October 20, 2009.

During the last few months I’ve been pretty focused on the relaunch of our integrated design, digital and marketing agency Code 9. We’ve been road-mapping where we want to be going and the vision for our business.

Looking at the big picture sometimes involves getting away from the PC/mac/office/bedroom with a notepad and just writing down your vision, your priority list and what (correct) action is needed to get there. Believe me taking the wrong action will teach you many things but will slow you down bigtime.

A few thoughts on focusing on your vision and business building in the video below

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Business Building and Your Vision originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on October 13, 2009.

2009 is well under way and anyone who is well organized will have their plan all set out by now. If, you’re like me and a bit ‘ahem’.. behind schedule, then the sooner you nail this the better!

Planning your projects, listing your tasks by importance, writng your business plan if you like is all essential to get down on paper as soon as possible.

If you have recently been turned on to the concept of earning an income online – first of all welcome. We have all been there at the start, completely unsure of what direction to go in to start building a business online…and that is how you must view it..not a part time hobby..or something to play around with when you fancy it. To succeed to you have to go in with both guns blazing!

It also isn’t easy..there is work involved – like anything..some get there easier than others, but hopefully you will learn quickly, apply and also learn from your mistakes.

Some food for thought on the audio here – hope you enjoy it.

Download audio file (jerry.holliday_14_Jan_2009.mp3)

Download: Looking Ahead

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Planning for the Year Ahead originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on January 14, 2009.

To build a business online you need to have the ‘success mindset’ -  this is a massive desire to succeed because there will be ups and downs on the journey ahead to be sure. This doesn’t mean a positive mindset alone will propel you to success, but it has to be a large part of your foundation to jump ahead.

Have your main goal and vision broken into mini-goals or accomplishments toward your goal. Sometimes it’s easier to work backwards. Think of your main goal or goals and work back step by step to accomplish these goals. So your goal might be to write a book. Break that down into chapters, how many chapters would you need to write a month to complete the book within one year?

This gives you a starting point to work with and the first initial task might be to list what each chapter is to cover.

The old cliché, where do you see yourself in 5 – 10 years really applies here. Remember this is not about what your boss wants to hear – this is your own vision. Write a list and think BIG!

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the information, strategies and advice to succeeding online which floods in from every direction. The key is to find a strategy that fits in with your business and stick to it.

DO NOT DEAVIATE!

This is a big mistake that many people make – they start on one thing and then get distracted by the latest easiest way to make millions online and just start hopping from opportunity to opportunity – which, unfortunately mostly ends up a waste of time and money. Or they constantly buy the latest courses, ebooks and products, whether it fits into their business plan or not.

Stay focused, stick to the plan and build momentum. I’ve always believed that even if you are struggling to focus on a project, try to do at least one thing a day (a phone call, email or small task) towards that project and you will slowly build momentum. You should, of course, do much more and spend powerful units of time, say three hours, completely focused on just that one project.

But make sure the plan is worthwhile first by doing your research.

So, firstly you need to know your market to succeed. The Internet has a wealth of online research tools and systems to help you here. The Google External Adwords Tool is agood place to start.
You do not need to go into virgin terrortries or re-invent the wheel to succeed, like all those inventors dragging in their crazy new ideas into the Dragons Den..(OK there’s a few good ones) But finding markets where money is already being made is a good sign and should be investigated further. This almost works in reverse in the offline world, where you wouldn’t want to open a store selling the same stuff as several other stores on the same street.

The Internet is such a huge place that there are always going to be opportunities in reach a different group of people in the same niche. However, more and more businesses are coming online every day and they are looking to dominate their niche and crush the competition. So the Internet pie will probably not last forever – it fact it’s safe to say, now is the time to get your online business started!

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Have you got the Success Mindset? originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on October 9, 2008.

Building your online business must have solid foundations just like a house. Would you build on a swamp? No, but 95% people fail to make money online because they fail to build solid foundations.

Firstly you need to value your time. How much is every hour of your time worth to you? Time is the only resource you will never get back! Secondly you only have 24 hours in a day in which you need to sleep, eat and have a life! If you are working mammoth hours doing all the things you need to do to build and run your business without time with your family / loved ones / friends then you’ll either end up with ill health, stress or worse!

Scaling up your business so that you get automation and recurring income ensures you are building a business that can grow. The great thing about a smaller online world is that you can outsource at a very low cost.

To see why you may need to outsource and scale up your business just take a look at the following elements that make up the cogs in your Internet Business machine:

Site Development * Merchant Accounts * Content Creation * Blog * Articles * Video * List Building * Bonuses * Sales Letters * Affiliate Program * SEO * Joint Venture Recruitment * RSS Feed * Customer Service * Surveys * Keyword Research * Legal Uses * Insurance * Advertising

..the list goes on

Before you choke on your coffee most online entrepreneurs have started somewhere and not had the learning resources or knowledge available at hand to be aware of all these elements and had to make mistakes, waste time and money.

Outsource resources:

http://www.1webpromotion.com
http://www.outsourcesuccess.com/
http://www.agentsofvalue.com/
Recommended reading:
The 4 Hour Work week
Also check out the blog:
4 hour work week blog

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Outsourcing Building Blocks originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on August 20, 2008.

There are literally thousands of ways to make money online, which is why most people fail to do so, jumping from one model to the next. Taking the methodical approach and sticking to one strategy can reap massive rewards.

Take the subscription based membership model, for example, a solid business model as you can get, where members pay you a monthly fee for access to a private area where they can access you information. This could be in the form of articles, reports, audios, videos, teleseminars, downloads, software and more.

Even a low cost membership at $9.97 a month only needs 300 members to generate $3k a month. At a more average $19.95 a month you’re looking at a monthly income of nearly $6k.

Setting up a membership website has got a lot easier and I touched on recurring income earlier post on affiliate strategies, but once the initial work of setting up your membership site is done it’s just a case of adding and updating the content. Even this, in my book, can be a time resource hog, but more on that in a second.

Let’s look at the steps to put together a successful membership website.

Step 1
Choose a market. This is critical. You should look for a market you’re going to enjoy working in as well as a market people spend money in. People spend money where they are passionate. Markets like sports, pets, business, and hobbies all make hot markets to launch a membership website

Step 2
Test the market. Visit forums and chat rooms and ask people if they know of any good websites that offer up-to-date information.

Step 3
Use your research from Step 2 to develop a rough outline of what your website will offer your members

Step 4
Write a sales letter and have the graphics professionally designed. If you can’t do this yourself, hire a freelancer from elance.com or guru.com

Step 5
Set up the membership software to run the site.

Step 6
Populate the site with your content

Step 7
Market your site and let the cash flow begin.

7 simple steps and you’ve got a membership website that will generate a solid monthly cash flow for you. Each step takes some effort and energy, but you can have your first membership website completely set up and running in less than a month. Then you can repeat the process as many times as you like to increase your membership portfolio and your monthly income.

Back to what I was saying before – what about all that monthly updating? If you have a portfolio of membership sites that could be a lot of work.

Well the solution to that is to have a membership site that is updated for you, every month, so all you have to worry about is promotion and marketing to keep the numbers (and your income) up and growing.

For 7 days, you can bypass the whole membership website creation process. You can get your complete membership website, ready to upload to your server right now. Terry Telford and Edwin Ryan are having a 7 day only sale and you can read all the details over there. Highly recommended!

Visit the 7 day only Membership website sale

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Recurring Membership Site Sale originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on August 4, 2008.

The work never stops it seems. You work all day, you grab your dinner and hit the PC and work on your tasks, before you know it it’s getting late, your spouse peers around the door and grumbles that they’re off to bed – ‘I’ll be up in a minute’ you say. The weekends? They’re just an opportunity to catch up on the workload.

Oh it’s so hard! and it all sounds terribly depressing but this is you working for yourself, to build your own business – your own ivory tower. Remember you’re already ahead of 95% of the whining job trolls who do nothing to help themselves – I can’t tell you how sick I was of hearing colleagues whine about their job! I would offer ideas and solutions, suggest things they could try – did they? did they get off their ass and even attempt to do something?..NO..well scr*w ‘em..the looks on their faces when I quit HA!

Listen I’m ranting I know – but I have an amazing amount of passion about this, I live, breathe, eat this Internet thing and you need to as well if you want to sack the boss. Don’t forget your health, you’ll burn out (I nearly did) so take the occassional break, but don’t take your eye off the ball, don’t let it fade away and find you’re 5 years older.

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The Grindstone of Business Building originally appeared on Online Marketing Intelligence on May 8, 2008.