Prepare to be challenged...Chaos reigns! Well it would certainly appear to be so at times and especially when we are new to Internet Business. It doesn’t matter whether it is MLM, E-commerce, or true Internet Marketing the challenge is huge for an individual unfamiliar to the Online Business world. There are a number of reasons of course, ..... There always is! Just to mention a few before I focus on the topic of this writing are:
Mindsets – we have to change our mindsets when transitioning from traditional to online business. The basics are there but the implementation is quiet different and can be a challenge.
Environment – our work environment is to a large degree laid out for us with traditional work or business locations. There is a new freedom with Online Business that allows us to work anywhere with the right tools. Most of the multimillion dollar earners work with a laptop and mobile phone working from home offices, hotels, beaches, cafe’s and the like. Getting out head around that is a bigger mind shift I think than most realise.
Social Interaction – In a traditional office environment there is a social interaction that brings most of us a sense of belonging, security and connection with our piers. Working from home is something that many of us need to grow into. I have been an Entrepreneur for over twenty years and have worked in both environments and both are fine for me as long as I have my space, I need to have controlled disruptions, but my observation is that for others they want the interaction, someone to talk to and get lonely when isolated. The Internet provides an alternative solution through the social forums and its one more thing that requires adjustment.
Cost of Business – I once heard, in fact I’ve heard it more than once, that the internet is the cheapest place to FAIL. It’s also the cheapest place to do business but BEWARE, most people spend more than they ever earn on the Internet, and why? Because we are constantly bombarded with the BEST THING, Discounted and an opportunity not to missed ....... and we get sucked in, often buying marketing tools, opportunities, and selected specials that we don’t need, don’t use or don’t really know how to use which just costs us money.
These are just a few of the little adjustments we must make, and we truly must make them because there is no doubt that Business is increasing its presence Online, that people are increasing their presence Online and that the opportunities of today and the future are Online.
On contemplation I have concluded that the biggest hurdle is in fact that NOTHING WORKS as it should on the Internet and if we don’t come to terms with this early on we become the BIGGEST LOOSER?
This is not a bad thing really because the chaos is a good indication of the constant speed of growth & change the Internet endures. After all, in its current form its only 10 years old!! There are now well over 1.5 Billion users and I saw a statistic the other day stating that 50,000 new businesses join each day!
This chaos that I refer to is subtle, but persistent and what I’m referring to is the websites that crash at the most strategically uncalled for time, the webinar instructions that show you how to do something with a totally alien screen that has been relegated to the out of date category. The beginner or “Newby” as they are often called, can waste entire days just getting to understand the relatively simple steps to achieve a certain success? Often we receive instructions that just plain do not work! These issues surely test the best of us however, there is much good to be realised in this environment and I name a few below.
Everything has instructions, something that can’t be said of traditional business. Although the instructions may be superseded through upgrades of the particular site when understood a certain pressure is removed from the hungry soul trying to understand what’s going on. Thirdly, we must understand that often when a site doesn’t do what we want it is because WE have not taken the time to fully understand and implement the steps required to achieve a certain task. Generally we are not good at reading instructions or taking the necessary time to learn what the site requires of us, maybe that’s just a man thing but I know I struggle big time with this one.......And I’ve learned it can be costly!!
So, the good news for a beginner or a man struggling with the chaos is that what you are experiencing is not unique to your world. God doesn’t hate you and this is just the way it is when the technology is growing exponentially almost at Warp speed. Knowledge is power!
So now you know, when it appears that the entire Internet World is on another planet (and it may well be ..... literally!) The best advice is this.
1. Make yourself a beverage, (for me it’s got to be coffee) take a seat, a little time and enjoy it!
2. Once you’ve calmed down and feel almost human again, review YOUR steps to see that you haven’t misunderstood part of the process.
3. Make sure you have entered the right data in the right place when it’s required.
4. If the instructions are indeed unfathomable go to the “Help” button, (any half decent site has one just for this kind of situation) and ask for help.
5. If you are ignored (which does happen) it is usually because the site has a forum where they want you to go to first and check that there hasn’t been someone before you with the same issue that you’re experiencing.
6. If you get no satisfaction here, go to your search engine (Google, Yahoo, etc) and type in your specific query there. It might take a little looking but if you don’t find a site that can help you there ...Well? ......
7. Have another drink, watch the sun go down and believe for a better day tomorrow, because it will! ....... and NEVER GIVE UP!
