No Product? No Problem

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Peter Woodhead came to talk to the Money Gym gang in London at the end of November and he showed us how you can still start an internet information publishing business even if you don’t have any product of your own, using public domain books and articles for virtually no cost to you!

Check out the lively 1-hour preview webinar call we hosted with Peter here

[podcast]http://www.themoneygym.com/audio/2008peterwoodhead.mp3[/podcast]

And then you can watch the full video set of this workshop at no charge, by registering here >>>

This post was sponsored by the acclaimed Money Gym Gold one-to-one coaching programme -
now enrolling bright energetic people (for January 2009) who want to change their financial lives for ever
http://www.themoneygym.com/gold

Business & Money – You Have Your Say!

Business & Money – inextricably linked according to our latest Money Gym survey. 50% of you who responded want a successful business with over 27% of you wanting to run a successful business that you can work on, and travel with, anywhere in the world.

Trailing in way behind was “a million pound property portfolio” desired by just 13.5% of you, with only another 13.5% of you wanting to be debt free. I’ll tackle those two topics later in the week, but I bet the property portfolio would have been higher this time last year!

What is a successful business?

Everyone has a different definition and I think it depends what kind of a life you want. If you want a nice easy quiet life, with lots of time for leisure activities and hobbies, then a nice home-based or lifestyle business would be good for you.  You might want to look at a network marketing opportunity like Avon, Telecom Plus, Virgin Vie or Success University.

Or even something more down to earth and local like a babysitting business, gardening or something where you buy into an existing successful system, like Judith’s Cleaning Biz opportunity.  My friend Kim – a great hairdresser – has made a great business working from home 3 days a week, in her lovely salon, entirely depending on word of mouth referrals and able to pick her kids up from school and knock off early if she wants to.

If you want a bit more excitement then you might want to build a global business with lots of staff and a high-flying lifestyle.  If you want high-flying but no team, then a consultancy business might be for you.

By any definition, a successful business is one that covers all its overheads, pays its taxes, makes enough profit to create a long term financial cushion to be able to ride out peaks and troughs in the market or economy, and pay you a handsome salary AND dividends on top!

When I was in my 20’s and 30’s, I would have defined a successful business as one that paid me enough to pay my household bills, without having to work away from home.  My expectations have been raised quite dramatically since then!  As have my outgoings.  But also my income luckily.

Not without a lot of pain though, due to having NO CLUE about what a successful business looks like, acts like or needed from me.  About 100 books, and at least FIVE business mentors later, I might be getting there.

I think it also depends on your level of corporate or business experience when you start, where you set your expectations, and whether you have read any of the great wealth creation or business books like “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki or “E-Myth Revisited” by Michael Gerber which are certainly eye-openers.

Working with Judith Morgan, serial successful entrepreneur, and hanging out online with gurus and business coaches like Rich Schefren has changed the way I think about business for ever, too.

There is no right way or wrong way to think about what a successful business means for you, but do try and define it. If you begin with the end in mind, you will find it a lot easier to put the plan in place to achieve that success for you.

Here’s a recording of our weekly live TV show where my guest Sarah (who’s in the startup phase of her business) discuss the challenges and why she’s even bothering!

Businesses seem to go through phases…in the early days it’s all about attracting clients or customers and so many don’t get past that hurdle.

When we then surveyed our mailing list about what was stopping them creating a successful business some interesting answers came up….

Read more..

Yorkshire to the Caribbean

I’m just back from the brilliant Peter Woodhead day with the Money Gym gang in London yesterday, where he showed us not only how to find our future products in the public domain for pennies, but how to create a business from them, even if you dont’ have a website!

The good news is I recorded the whole day and we are going to make it available to you – even if you could not make it.  Watch your email inbox for that info.

Now…while I was there not only were there a few of us talking about our upcoming Money Gym Holiday, but then I got an email from the lovely (and completely nutty looking) Capt’n Lou..who is organising the whole thing.

Are you joining us on the “Marketers Gone Wild” cruise in January?

If so, you need to come and join the community Captain Lou has created for us all (some great pics of previous cruises there!)

http://marketersgonewild.ning.com/

And you then need to join the special Money Gym sub-group (link on the right of screen) so I can keep you up to date with what I’m up to on board.

http://marketersgonewild.ning.com/group/moneygymholidays

Even if you are not coming, but would like to come on holiday with us in the future, join the Ning group and then make me your friend (I have none at the moment, Billy-No-Mates!)

http://marketersgonewild.ning.com/friends/NicolaCairncross

You might also want to join Mike Filsaime’s sub-group so we can keep up to date with what his lot are up to!

http://marketersgonewild.ning.com/group/marketers

I’ve also joined the Social Marketers sub-group too as I’m into Social Marketing in a big way.

EXCURSIONS

We have just had the email about excursions to book – just to let you know we are doing ALL of them!

Well, not the scuba as I’m not that brave yet, but we will be doing the Snuba, and ALL the trips / beach parties!

I’m so excited I could scream!!!!

KEEPING IN TOUCH ON BOARD

I understand that internet access is expensive on board and I’m not sure about mobile phone reception or charges but I’ll figure out a way to keep in touch on board, even if I have to resort to ringing your rooms (v. old school!)

KEEPING YOUR BLOG GOING WHILE YOU ARE AWAY

In the meantime, you might want to follow “wealthcoach” on www.Twitter.com and enable your mobile to send Tweets, and make sure your blog is enabled with either TwitterTools (Wordpress) or look for the Twitter widget on Typepad.  Do the same for Ecademy and Facebook (and MySpace if you have a profile there) and you are all set. That way you can blog from your mobile via text.

I’ll be looking at texting pics into my Flickr account too if it’s not too expensive, and linking that up with Twitter, like Stephen Fry is doing while he travels round Africa recording his next series (you can follow “stephenfry” on Twitter to keep up to date with him).

OK, that’s it for today.  If you really can’t bear it, just visit http://www.themoneygym.com/holidays to see if there are ANY cabins available still.

Don’t think so, but you might be lucky with a cancellation!

Cheers
Nicola

No Product? No Problem

I have just spent the BEST hour or so on the phone with Peter Woodhead, UK internet marketing expert, while he took us through how to find great public domain material, that you can legally take and make your own and create an info publishing empire out of.

Even if you have your own product, or are working on your ebook, you need to know about public domain material and how quick and easy it can be to get hold of and put to use in your business.

It was gripping stuff as the 40 or so people listening live will tell you!

He covered where to look for it, how to check if it’s ok to use, the various ways you can leverage the content and how to market your new product effectively.

Peter is coming to talk to us at one of our “Money Gym Presents….” workshops next Saturday 15th November in Central London and I’d strongly advise you come along if what he covered today was just a tiny taste of what he’ll be sharing next week.

You can download the Powerpoint slides to watch while you listen here >>>

You can listen to the recording here >>>

You can book your place at the workshop next week here >>>