Online Business, SuccessLet’s talk about how much fun it is to be an online business owner.

You get to work when you want.  You wear whatever you want.  You decide what has to be done each day.  You take breaks when you want.

You’re the boss.  There are no “rules.”  Seriously, it’s just you.  What possible rules could you need?

Well . . . I hate to burst your bubble.

I know your boss’s references to the “policy manual,” and the squelching of your entrepreneurial spirit that comes with being made to follow the company’s “rules,” are exactly what you’re running away from when you start an online business.

But if you dive into your online business without having any rules, you are going to fail.  Really.  I see it every day.

Take comfort, however.  At least you get to make the rules.

And while this gives you a great deal of flexibility, I’m completely serious in insisting that your online business have a policy manual.  That is – a written document that details how you handle certain aspects of your business.

I don’t care what you call it.  If you need some creative, anti-corporate title for it, I give you license to put any name on it you want.

Having the document, and actually using it, are the crucial points for today.  Because if you’ll do this, you’ll be able to build a more successful online business in less time and with less effort.  Who can argue with that?

Your policy manual will be a living document, which means you will always be adding to it.  And changing it as your business grows.

Your manual will undoubtedly be different than mine.  But, there are many policies that need to be part of every online business owner’s manual.  I’ll give you 2 to get you started.

1.  The Hours You Will Work in Your Online Business

It’s not enough to say, “I’ll work 10 – 15 hours a week, depending on how much time I have.”  Is that something you could ever say to your boss at your job?  No.  It’s not anything that you can let yourself get away with either.
Your online business is not something you do in your spare time.  That’s called a hobby.  It generally costs you money, rather than making you any money.
Don’t schedule your online business around your life.  Schedule your life around your business.  You’re in the process of building a fortune here.  Act like it.
Write down a schedule of when you will work in your policy manual.  And then do it.  Schedule times when you’ll take and return phone calls.  Outside of that, the phone goes to voice mail unless you have scheduled a call with someone.

2.  Problem-Solving in Your Online Business

Ever schedule a productive day and have it go completely south within the first hour because of a problem you encounter?
A lot of this will be eliminated by not taking phone calls.  But in every online business, technical problems will arise.  And they can eat up your day if you don’t have a policy in place for dealing with them.

I put this policy in place one day after spending 2 hours trying to get my scanner to work.  That was a ridiculous amount of time.  But, when I have a problem, I don’t like to be defeated.  So my “stubborn will” had overtaken my common sense.

Now, if I come upon a problem, the policy is to immediately determine how much time – from 15 to 60 minutes – I can justify devoting to solving the problem.  If it isn’t solved when the timer rings, it’s passed on to someone else.  And my policy manual includes the names of appropriate problem-solving experts.

The Magic of Discipline

Don’t be tempted to say you can do it without a policy manual.  Writing down how you are going to run your online business will go far towards seeing that you actually do run it that way.

One of the biggest reasons online businesses fail is because their owners simply lack the discipline to get it done.  Your policy manual will provide the structure you need to increase productivity, make quicker decisions, and consistently spend your time on the “money-making” activities.

Get started today and see the difference today.

 

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids, ages 3, 5 and 7. She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years. Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

Jennifer credits the turn-around in her online business to Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan, the perfect tool for planning a successful life. Here’s your chance to be inspired and guided daily by the world’s greatest business philosopher. Create your future with Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan and start improving your life and your business today!

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King Day became a federal holiday in 2000.

I have always loved this holiday.  I can’t really articulate a specific reason for it.

Dr. King has long been one of my greatest inspirations.  His picture and quotes grace the walls of many of my rooms.

His message likely became even more special to me as children with African heritage became part of my family.

All very nice, you’re probably thinking, but what does Martin Luther King have to do with my online business?

Two things.

First, Dr. King Exemplifies What it Takes to be Successful

He had a passion, he had an unwavering belief in his mission, his success would solve a huge problem for many, and he worked tirelessly to get his message out to as many people as he could.

Sound a little like you?  If you are passionate about your business, believe without a doubt in what you are doing, are solving a huge problem for your market, and work tirelessly to do so ~ you will come out a personal and business success.

Excuse me if I sound a little melodramatic, comparing your business to the civil rights movement.  But, don’t underestimate the importance of what you are doing.

Many of you have businesses that provide life-changing services to people.  All of you have businesses that are solving problems for people.  You are important.  If you don’t get that, you should either start taking your business more seriously, or get a job.

Your online business is also of huge significance to your life.  Your success may enable you (or your partner) to stay home with your kids.  Or to relieve the constant stress of debt.  Or the life-sucking responsibility of two jobs.  Or a hundred other things.

The reason many people fail in their online business is because they treat it like a hobby.  And hope that it will someday become their business.

Start thinking of yourself as the Dr. King of your market.  Go forward with the conviction and passion he had, and see what it does for you.

And, do it now.  I love Dr. King’s thoughts on urgency in his “I Have a Dream” speech.

“We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now.  This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquillizing drug of gradualism.”

Whatever you’ve been waiting for, in honor of Martin Luther King Day, take that first step now.

2. Dr. King’s Efforts Make Your Success Possible

Yes, there are still civil rights issues today.  People are discriminated against based on their race, color, gender, and religion. 

But we’ve come a long way.  Because of the work carried out by Dr. King and those he inspired, there is no excuse for not being successful in your online business. 

Dr. King said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.”

And so it is.  Black, brown, white, red or yellow.  Old or young.  Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist . . . Your online business will be judged by the content of your character.  Go out and serve people well, and you will be well served.

Your only limitations are your own.  I can’t wait to hear how you are changing the world!

 

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids, ages 3, 4 and 7. She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years. Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

Jennifer credits the turn-around in her online business to Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan, the perfect tool for planning a successful life. Here’s your chance to be inspired and guided daily by the world’s greatest business philosopher. Create your future with Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan and start improving your life and your business today!

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