I’ve been quite busy with a few things lately. Being a dad (trying to be a good one!) is certainly one thing that tops my list and no matter what will remain my number 1 priority!

There’s also a couple of projects that have taken so so much of my time in January, February, March and April. But I have made quite a bit of progress developing an idea that I’ve always had for an online business that would mostly cater to a local market.

Time is always one of my biggest challenges!

Something that’s been eating at me alot is the  fact that I’d been sitting on this idea for this particular online business for a long time. For a few years actually. There was a couple of times that I just dove into putting it together, but I always seemed to get bogged down in certain aspects of it.

At one point, I remember getting bogged down in the technical aspect. What would I use? There was functionality that I wanted to included and figured that maybe building it all myself would be the way to go because I could then make everything work exactly as I wanted. But then the “time factor” would come into play and I’d realize that I just don’t have time to code it myself.

I’d ponder what CMS I should use? Wordpress? Drupal?

Then I’d get all bogged down in thinking about learning how the code is structured…. using PHP alot more (which I was not quite proficient with at the time) and figured it would lead to the same equation…

There was another time I’d jumped in to this project and got bogged down in just how to organize the information. How to properly categorize. How to market and promote…

Again, listening to my own thoughts, the door was shut and the possibility that this business could bring was shut out by discouragement.

A different approach!

In an effort to not repeat past mistakes and/or past mistakes I made some realizations and also some changes to my approach.

I’d been meeting with a local business person whom I had done some work for. Through some brain storming sessions we had come up with an online business idea. This particular idea we had at first was not for a local market but something we could possibly develop as a world wide resource. The idea was good but there were many challenges. One aspect that seemed a bit challenging was making sure we could come up with enough good content to make it work and give people value on the site.

But it was an area that I was not quite knowledgeable in and one problem or challenge that I  saw was that we may struggle finding enough content. We had thought about getting local experts in the field to write some material, but then the immediate problem was how to properly compensate them starting up.

After a couple of discussions, I thought maybe I would invite this person in on my idea. As a partnership. I’d known him for a while and he had been in business for many years.

Thinking about it more…. we also had a varied skill set. I was and am much more “techy” and he seemed much better at steering the ship with getting the word out, marketing…etc.

When we chatted about it, he accepted and understood the concept. We both started getting pumped about getting this thing going.

So I’ve been making time for this project over the last few weeks. Wordpress was chosen as the platform to develop on and it the timing seemed right as so far in 2010 I’ve been in PHP full time.

The idea to go into this project with 2 heads instead of 1 was definitely the way to go and when we’ve met the few times we have to get ideas it’s moved along quite well. We’ve chosen tasks, we’ve both had ideas when it comes to marketing

Creating a website that generates an income source…. well, you can read a whole lot of stuff online about buying content generators and all that crap. But really, if you can make any money, it’s a fly by night affair. Building something, building something useful, that people will come to over and over again requires alot of work. Alot of planning.

It’s not any different than building a business of any other type. You’ve got to plan. You’ve got to spend hours thinking about your idea, evaluating your idea and refining it. And how your going to promote your idea…. and how exactly it will function! What’s your business model????

There are really very few instances where you can cut corners and create an income stream. If it were the case anyone could half heartedly do something and create wealth.

I’m working hard. Hope you are too!

If you’ve got an idea for an online business eating at you, take the chance to work towards realizing it. Otherwise, something you’ll sitting somewhere thinking about that idea.. and all the “what ifs”. Time waits for no one.

Peace.

Seems like there’s always lots going on for me both in my personal life, work life and blogging life.

Been learning alot about the “ins and outs” of blogging, internet marketing, writing and also time management which is another challenge at times.

There are 3 areas I’ve been putting alot of effort into recently.

1. Writing on “my favorite blog”

I’ve started a couple of different blogs with various subjects that both interest me and that I know something about. One blog in particular has been much “easier” to write.

Although I love and am passionate about the topics of each of my blogs this one in particular I started about a year ago and just got serious about writing on it through the summer when I decided to learn more about blogging and how to develop them (blogs).

Some interesting doors have opened with this blog resulting in some very neat exposure. That may be another reason why motivation is quite high to keep writing on this one….

2. Still spending time reading

Some of my spare time (which I really haven’t had alot of) has been spent on research. I’m still following many blogs of various topics relating to blogging. From affiliate marketing to writing skills, the blog topics I’ve been following have been very beneficial.

I had also signed up for ShoeMoney’s 12 week Extreme Internet Marketing Program. It’s packed with tons of great information for anyone who has interest in internet marketing.

3. Building relationships with people who share these interests

I’ve been spending some time with people who share my interests both online and in person.

Building relationships with people, I’ve been learning alot. And there may be some great partnerships ahead.

Had a couple of brainstorming sessions with 2 different people about creating a few different sites of topics that we share interest and knowledge in. In some cases 2 or 3 heads can be better then 1!

Yesterday I read this great article by Yaro Starak’s blog “Entrepreneurs-Journey”.

I’ve been following Yaro’s blog for a couple of months now… really since I decided I wanted to learn about generating income online and how to develop websites/blogs.

There’s always a wealth of information on his website.

In this article “How Can You Make Passive Income Online?” he shares insight on a few important subjects.

One thing that I always get out of reading some of his articles is the importance on defining what it is that you want to develop. Like a business plan really. I had never thought of blogging that way before. On my personal blog I would often write about anything at all but since trying to do some of the things suggested by Yaro and others… I’ve created a more focused blog.

A big point in this article too is that I believe it to be of the soundest advice!

There’s no “make quick money”, “money for nothing”, “it’s so simple and easy”….

It’s important to be realistic about the internet.

Your audience can be HUGE online
- That doesn’t mean it’s a sure bet
- That doesn’t mean you’re not gonna have to learn
- That doesn’t mean you’re not not gonna have to spend hours working on your project
- That doesn’t mean that you’ll make millions

But at the same time, you very well succeed and make millions. Many do.

It’s important to be realistic

I’ve been self-employed and a small business owner for 3 years out of the last 5 and have had some success, at times it loooked VERY promising, at times it looked totally like it was gonna flop. I’ve had highs and lows both in business and my personal life in this time.

An online venture is no different.

My favorite quote from the article may sound bleak to some, but I take it as realist. And there’s a positive.

“Failure As A Path To Success”

To generate income online is much like creating a business and there’s a pretty high chance that it will require lot’s of time, thought, patience, effort, love, persistence…. and accepting failure or challenges as a learning experience.

Head up. So far in a couple of short months while I haven’t seen any real financial rewards for my efforts some very encouraging doors have opened for me… with the possibility of being a guest writer for a few other reputable blogs in certain “niches” and one of my blogs was recently mentioned on a radio show.

So following the simple steps I’ve learned from Yaro and others, doors have opened for me. This is still a hobby for me but I see that with work, time and effort…. anything is possible.

You can read Yaro Starak’s article “How Can You Make Passive Income Online?” here.
(Well worth the read!)

There’s a ton of web hosts out there. Some have huge data centers and some are the mom and pop type. I personally lease a server for various projects but when I was thinking about webhosting for the blogs I wanted to start in my trek to learn how to develop blogs and income online… I decided to go with another hosting solution. And found a great deal.

A few days ago I started looking at hosting packages suggested on various sites and from the Wordpress site. Since I was going to use Wordpress as my blogging platform I thought looking over there made sense.

I happened to stumble upon another hosting company that wasn’t mentioned on the Wordpress site (at least I don’t recall that they were) and saw a deal I couldn’t pass up.

1&1 have quite a package. It’s called the 1&1 Home package, 2 domains and 1 year free hosting for $4.99 per month. You pay for the first month and have the year free. This package comes with a 2 year term, so the second year you’re paying the monthly fees. But with the storage, the domains and the extras that are included in the package… it’s well worth it!

I’ve transfered a blogger.com site over to my new 1&1 account and I have to say that Wordpress runs very well on that account. I have no complaint at all.

If anyone is currently looking for a hosting package for a Wordpress blog check it out. There’s only 6 days left on this deal.

Ever want to build a new business? Ever have ideas on how you would do things a bit differently and get excited about it? Ever day dream about what “the results” would be? I have!

Only problem is that wanting to do something, ideas about something, excitement about something and foreseeing what the possible results would be are only a starting point. At least that’s what I’ve found out.

If your dream is to build a new business or create that great blog or website that’s going to generate passive income then all those elements mentioned above are great assets. Good ideas, excitement, the dream…. they’re all important ingredients.

But along the way some things will surely happen as you’re “trudging the road of happy destiny”….

Personal challenges

You may come across situations where someone in your life is not supportive of your idea or your dream and may try to shoot it down. Ridicule you and you’re idea… It becomes very hard to focus and to believe! And believing is certainly vital to any successful venture.

I’ve come across MANY personal challenges in my small business. Currently going through personal challenges!

But speaking with other entrepreneurs and reading about others experiences has always inspired me and show me that others have gone through some of the same trials.

Remember the “Pet rock”?? Some of you might, some might not…. I personally wouldn’t have thought of it as a great idea at all… but someone did and believed… and sold a great many!

Financial challenges

Quitting a job and trying self-employment can be scary. It seems like jumping into the unknown at times. And many options like getting financial credit for cards or a house may not be easy for a while.

Being challenged with the finances is something that I’ve been faced with quite a few times. I’ve been fully self-employed on and off since early 2004. At times it seems as though everything is coming together… coming together quickly… and then boom… everything slows… money is tight.. etc.

Through those times it’s very hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. This I know from experience.

One of the most encouraging things that I’ve ever done is speak with others (again!) who have small businesses or have been there.

I remember speaking with a man who runs an insurance company and I started asking him questions while I was there on business. Eventually we got on the topic of starting up a small business and the financial ups and downs. He went on to tell me some stories about himself, about some of the very things I had gone through and yet here he was running this stable company employing several people.

I’ve always found encouragement speaking to others who’ve walked the path before me. Even if their business was different then mine there can be many similarities.

Reading blogs is very inspiring for me… in learning to create different types of websites.

Starting up any new venture takes persistence… takes time.. and you gotta believe! Gotta want it. Gotta do it. Then you can make it happen.

At least that’s what I think.

While trying to learn new things and taking steps towards developing a new business or writing for that new blog… it’s important to stay inspired and rekindle the love for the ideas.

Found a gem of an article I found VERY inspiring…

Over on zenhabits there’s a great article about becoming self-employed.

Back in 2004 I became self-employed for the first time and I was very green to it. In fact I think I still am today!

The article outlines many great topics such as overcoming FEAR, which may be a major blocker in someone’s wanting to start up a small business or quit their day job.

There are a great many valuable tips that I believe are key given in the article’s text.. about financial security, the state of the economy, learning…

I know I’ve found some inspiration in reading it and I would invite anyone to read it if self-employment is something you’re interested in or are currently self-employed.

The article is called “The Get-Started-Now Guide to Becoming Self-Employed“… Enjoy!

Today I decided to listen to a couple of podcasts rather then listen to music while working and I discovered that I was already subscribed to a podcast that caught my eye. I found them very helpful to once again state what I’ve been learning that building a passive income online takes some time and effort.

The podcast series I listened to today is “Internet Marketing Secrets Podcast” and the 2 podcasts I listened to were about Traffic Generation.  There is a 3rd in the series and I’ll be listening to that tomorrow.

The 2 first parts of the podcast were quite interesting and I heard over and over again some of the very points I’ve been finding on reputable blogs on building a passive cash flow from websites.

You need good content.

All the websites and scams that preach the good news about making money for nothing. Don’t believe it. At least, I don’t believe it.

When I just think about it a bit… if I go to a website:

What keeps me there and what brings me back?

It’s not the Google AdSense on their page! It’s the content that they’ve published on their site. It really is. If I find a website that has information on it that I find useful in anyway then there is a higher chance that I will return on that website.

The Internet entrepreneur’s interviewed in these podcasts also seemed to write for the viewer first and search engines second. Basically writing their content on their blog in a clear fashion for the viewer while keeping in mind to use certain keywords in their texts and titles.

The subject of link building came up and their general consensus was to stay away from all forms of auto-pilot systems that generate links and instead (once again) focus on the content being presented while trying to build relationships by commenting on other blogs and websites to join and or create conversation. It was mentioned a couple of times that if other bloggers or websites find your content interesting and well written they may eventually link to you creating “organic” linking.

I found it very interesting and did learn a great deal.

The point I see once again by these successful internet marketers and entrepreneurs is that it takes time, effort and persistance just like building any other business.

There are many other business and blogging related podcasts to be found in iTunes.

Although I haven’t been writing like mad on this blog I have been on one of my others. Mentioned this blog before and while I’ve been making an effort to develop it I’ve been learning about blogging, about myself and about others.

First and most important thing I’ve learnt and am still learning is Love. If it’s blogging or developing a new business (they can be one in the same) you need to love what you do.

I’ve read many blogs which I enjoy very much on the subject of developing blogs and websites and a common theme is choosing “your niche”. Choosing a subject which you enjoy.

The last few days I’ve been participating in 2 different web forums and in the discussions that I’m reading along with the comments I’m prompted to write it’s just a joy. I love it. In fact, it’s motivating me so much to write that a part of me wishes that I could spend a few hours per day just writing and researching this subject.

I love it.

Honestly, if anyone has been thinking about blogging either as a hobby or to try and monetizing find a topic that you enjoy.

For me, the monetizing part is not important. At least not with this blog. Because I love it. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind making a dollar. But it does mean that even if it never happened the blog in question will always be in operation.

Do it with love.

Ever feel like you “can’t” or whatever your gonna try it just might not be good enough? Well, I touched on how a lack of self confidence can block us from opportunities in my other article “Finding what to write about when you don’t know what to write about” and thought I would follow with another blogger’s article who gave me some inspiration.

In John Chow’s article “Top Five Killer Reasons Why Online Businesses Fail” he mentions some reasons why one might find failure. I found that in these reasons for failure I found encouragement.

After reading this article I took away some key points.

As mentioned before on this blog as well as countless other very successful blogs you need to love what you do. Reason being is if you don’t love what you do you’ll stop doing it. It’s pretty much an axiom in and of itself really.

I’ll mention again about one blog I’ve been writing for a bit. I started for fun last winter, back in December. When I started it was just an experiement. I tried to write a little bit but that was it.

In the last month I had decided to write at least 1 article every day if possible. If it was current events in this blog’s topic or if it required me to try and find something through a little research. Just try and try to write something…. a little text.

After the wheels got rolling I gotta say that I just love it. I love reading fellow bloggers who are writing about this same subject and it’s awesome.

Now a couple of years back, I had started a similar blog that was not quite as specific in subject and I gave no real effort to continue writing. Guess what happened? I stopped writing for it.

Something else that I really got out of the article is that you have to stick to your guns.

Whether you’re starting a small business, trying to develop some websites to monetize or even looking for a job there are many ups and downs.

In 2004 I started a small business and was employed full time in it for 2 years. I was very inexperienced in trying to develop a business. I eventually took a “full time job” and continued my small business part time until last year where I decided to try to become independant once again.

I still consider myself somewhat inexperienced but the only way to do it is just to do it.

Perseverance is key to success in any business whether online or not.

If anything I’ve written rings a bell, visit John Chow’s article on why online businesses fail.