Always think big. Most of us overestimate our short-term potential and underestimate our long-term capability.
Pitch you website to a friend and convince them in three selling points about why people must buy from you. Go back to your website and check if these hold true. What you are trying to accomplish may be quite different from what appear on your web pages.
Collaborate and partner with noncompeting sites that belong to your vertical. They have access to the market that you are trying to target and you can easily reach your customers, either upstream or downstream.
Technology should free you, not restrict you. Eliminate bottlenecks, automate processes, and delegate the work. Your business should be able to function without you.
Strive for elegant simplicity rather than perfection. You don’t have to be a subject matter expert or an authority on all that you know. Most of us tend to undervalue our skills and knowledge. You need to target people who know less than what you know.
Learn from people, place, and events and keep thinking about your business. Be ready to pitch your business to anyone within 30 seconds through practice and refinement.
Don’t look at every opportunity as a chance of a lifetime. Something or the other will always come up, at least on a monthly basis. Learn to say ‘no’ if the opportunity does not suit your business strategy or personality.
Add value to your thank you page by having an upsell there. This is often wasted online real estate and people miss out on an opportunity to get some real revenue.
Put yourself first whether it is writing a sales copy or contacting a partner. Understand how you and your business will benefit in terms of money, skills, and exposure.
Use the word ‘you’ a lot to address the person who is reading your email or newsletters. Do not use readers, subscribers, and other generic plurals. Always remember that you are addressing just one person in each communication that you send out.
Be aware of each and every business expense, so you can always cut costs and also increase your revenue exponentially.
Always make a note of the projects that you need to work on before you go for a holiday, so you can dive back into work immediately.
Outsource, but don’t micromanage your team. It causes distrust both ways and leads to unnecessary problems. Clearly explain your goals and the results you expect, celebrate success, reward behavior and attitude. Focus on the top performers and don’t waste time on the worst ones.
Opt for a joint venture only if you feel you can’t handle the business on your own. A 50% partnership is not the best bet. Agree to it only of your partner has the skills, the experience, and the prowess that are beyond what you can afford to pay for. Draw up a contract with clearly stated terms and conditions, which can cover even the worst case scenario.