Make Money Online Affiliate Marketing Blog

Nobody plans to fail, they only fail to plan.  You have heard it before, and it is clearly valuable advice.  So why then do so many of us do the latter?  Plain and simple, most of us are lazy.  Even if we do make the plan, we fail to follow through with it.  That is why it is so important that you accomplish the previous step - focus.  You need to where you efforts are going to be focused.  The focus will not be clear yet, but eventually it will become much clearer.  The main thing is you at least have the direction of your focus determined.

Now comes the plan.  Planning involves organization and focus - see how this is coming together?  Now when I say a plan, we are not talking about how you are going to market your product, what avenues you are going to use for advertising, promotion, etc.  These are categorized by strategy and tactics.  The strategy will be the overall view of what you want to do with your business - the big picture so to speak; and the tactics will be the specific steps you take - the details - to achieve that big picture.  What I am talking about here is the structure you will use in your business.  Some call this time management, but I believe it is more involved than just that.  Call it what you want - just make sure you do it.

You thought you were already putting together the details didn’t you?  Well sorry, but this step is critically important for you overall success.  You see I have broken down the first three steps as organization, focus, and planning.  In reality, they are all the same - all interconnected, and they will not work independently of each other.  

Your need to have a specific plan as to how much time you are going to allocate towards your marketing efforts - this is your most important asset.  Sure money is important, but we can talk about this later as there are multiple ways to market - some involving money, and others time - so for now, concentrate on your time.  

You need to approach this as a job.  What?  I don’t want another job!  Yes, you hear people say it is your own business and to treat it like one.  This may work for some people, but the mindset you really need to approach your “business” with is more like that of an employee working a job.  I think you will catch the drift in a moment.  

As an employee, you are hired to accomplish specific tasks as laid out in your job description.  You are expected to produce a certain amount of product or service in a given time.  The time frames in which you are expected to accomplish these tasks are usually regular intervals i.e. Monday through Friday, 9-5.  You see, as an employee, you are regimented.  The regiment is structure, and the structure allows you reasonable accommodation to accomplish your tasks.

This regimented structure, if applied to your own business will help you to accomplish more than if you just go at it saying, oh I have my own business.  Isn’t it nice?  I can work whenever and however much I want - weeee!  Uh, not a good idea.  Approach your business as an employee.  You need to work for your business…then it can eventually work for you.

So sorry if I am starting to make running your own internet marketing business as un-sexy, but that’s the reality - it takes work to get it off the ground.  Once it is up and running though, it can be a very lucrative and enjoyable venture.

So what is the plan?  Your plan needs to entail the following:

1. Organize your business life (see previous posts)

2. Focus on one particular thing in which your internet marketing business will revolve around (see previous posts).  

3. Create a WORK schedule - make it reasonable - make sure you can actually set aside that time.  Oh, and when you work during that time, make sure you FOCUS - this is the only way you will get things done.

4. Create a weekly plan.  What (be specific) will you accomplish in the hours you have set aside in your work schedule?

5. Do it!  Follow your schedule and take action.  With your organization and focus, you will be able to accomplish your tasks.

6. Recap at the end of each week.  Did you accomplish what you said you were going to do?  If not, adjust.  If you had to much time left over take on more tasks, if you didn’t accomplish enough, scale back.

Well, that seems overly simple doesn’t it?  Yeah, it is.  This is just the structure of you efforts.  Your other plan - strategy and tactics will be a much more complicated step.  And as to the above, you can modify it, but it gives you a general idea.  You need structure.  For that, you need to organize, focus, and make a plan.

Okay, well, that is enough for now.  Stop reading and get out a pencil and paper, or use the computer right in front of you.  Plan out your schedule.  Organize if you haven’t already.  Find your focus.  Whatever you do, don’t do nothing.  Take action - your dreams will start to take shape.

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