Owning an online business can be all consuming and often we can get caught up in the ‘nitty gritty’ of our businesses without actually moving it forwards. We can get stuck in the learning, building or understanding phase of the business and literally spend years here without actually creating the results and reasons for having the business in the first place.
So here are my top tips being more effective in building your own online business:
1. Know what you want. This sounds like it should be simple but often we come up with vague and ambiguous goals like ‘more money’, ‘greater flexibility’, ‘more time’ etc.. When you write down a goal or a desire for something you need to know when you have achieved it. How will you know when you will have achieved ‘more money’, ‘more time’ and so on? It needs to be iron clad. I want to make an extra 20,000 a year by this date is a specific goal and you will know if you have achieved it or not. Wishy washy goals are vague and you don’t know when you have achieved them. You need to work on what you want because if you don’t someone else will! Your life will get drawn into those with greater intentions, desires and ambitions than your own – or at the very least it will be controlled by your habits.
2. Create positive habits. We all have some habits which we would rather not have but successful people have become so because they created habits out of doing those things which unsuccessful people won’t do. Do something every day which will move your business towards your longer term goals, however small.
3. Write down your goals. Your habits on a daily basis should be in line with your longer term goals. If you are working in a 9-5 job for minimum wage, the chances are small that you will make a million or be your own boss in the next 10 years unless you change something radically. Writing down goals gives you something tangible to work with. Even if you don’t know how they will materialize you should still do it. See how-to-get-lots-of-money-for-anything-fast for the ultimate book in goal setting. Continually ask yourself if the activities you are doing on a daily basis are bringing you closer to your long term goals.
4. Write lists  and prioritize them. Many people write lists so that they can tick them off and feel good about themselves. If you only write down tasks which are vital to move your business forwards, you will save a lot of time and energy on the less important items. Prioritizing your list empowers you to do the most important things first. If time runs out or you get distracted by something you will have least completed the most beneficial and important task. We often do the opposite and leave the most important task until the end perhaps because it is the most difficult. Then it doesn’t get done. Ask yourself with each list which task will massively affect your business and which ones can be crossed off or aren’t so important. Don’t get caught up in unimportant busy-ness at the expense of the vital. If something crops up in the middle of your day, add it to your list in order of importance rather than just jumping on it.
5. Surround yourself with people on a similar path. If you are working for yourself you need to be talking to others in the same boat. Working on a online business can be very lonely and difficult especially when your social group doesn’t support your lifestyle choices. It can be damaging to your self image and self esteem to  be around people who don’t support your vision. If you have people around you who are experiencing similar difficulties and challenges then it make it so much more worthwhile to spend time with them. If you haven’t found a community of similar people yet I would highly recommend the SFM community. Click here for your free video series.
6. Know your ‘WHY?’ Check out my why’s here. Having a list of your main reasons why you are running an internet business is a great motivational tool which you can look back over when you are experiencing doubt and uncertainty over your business. Having a why gives you a reason to get up in the morning and work on your internet business.
7. Get support. For years I have worked on my own on my online business and at times it has been completely soul destroying! Despite being your own boss, choosing your own work habits and playing by your own rules there are times when you can look back wistfully at some crappy 9-5 job simply because you had some comradeship there! Working online can be lonely. If you are trying and failing at an online business you need to get some more support. Check out the SFM community with this free boot camp series of videos.Â