In Your Shoes

During my impromptu presentation at Early to Rise’s 5 Days in July Conference, I was asked someone in the audience to share my best advice for starting a successful Internet business.

And I knew exactly what to say to them.

You see, it wasn’t long ago that I was in their exact same shoes.

Let me explain…

Before I started my Internet business, I was working in an automotive factory, inspecting parts. I was unhappy with what I was doing and looking for more in life.

I had been reading ETR for a couple of years, and that had gotten me interested in Internet marketing. But something always held me back.

I wasn’t a “computer geek” and I didn’t know the technology. I wasn’t a very creative writer. I was married with 5 children, so I didn’t have a lot of disposable income to invest in training courses.

I believed I could do anything I put my mind to, but I was always coming up with excuses.

Then I read about the 5 Days event and it really resonated with me. I knew I wanted to start an Internet business, but I was still hesitant.

My wife finally said, “Honey, just go for it”… and I pulled out my credit card and signed up for the conference. I guess I just needed that little extra push from someone else. I’m sure glad she did it… and I haven’t looked back since.

As a former 5 Days attendee and Internet “newbie,” my perspective at this year’s conference was somewhat unique from that of the other “expert” speakers that ETR brings in. I knew what the attendees were feeling, and I understood most of the hurdles they were facing.

So I gave them the same 5 “getting started” steps that I wished someone had told me to take when I was in their seats…

Step 1: Take Action

Taking action is the most important step in the process of starting an Internet business — or any new venture, for that matter. The best business idea in the world is worthless unless you act on it.

This point has been drilled into my head over and over by Early to Rise, Michael Masterson, and Bob and Karin Cox from ETR’s Epiphany Alliance Program.

The best part about being on that stage was that everyone in the room had already taken their critical first step by attending the 5 Days Conference. They had already overcome the #1 obstacle to online success!

Step 2: Reflect on What You Learned

This step, too was “borrowed” from Bob and Karin Cox. (“Borrowing” is a recurring theme of mine. I continuously learn from the successes of others, and apply their insights to my personal life and business.)

Conferences like 5 Days or ETR’s November Bootcamp are great resources for beginning Internet entrepreneurs — but they can be overwhelming. The days are long, the sessions are intense, and by the end of the week you feel like your head is going to explode from all the incredible information you’ve been getting.

Someone compared it to trying to drink water from a fire hose.

But when you get home and take time to reflect on what you learned, you realize you just had a life-changing experience.

You forget about the technology issues. You forget about how little you actually slept during the week.

Because now you feel ready to take everything you learned and really start building your Internet business.

Step 3: Make a List

Okay, I’ll admit it… I’m a list fanatic!

But after attending a conference like 5 Days, I find it helpful to make a list of all the concepts and ideas I was introduced to. Then I rank them in order of importance — with those that will have the BIGGEST impact on my business at the top.

Step 4: Turn That List Into Goals

Once you’ve ranked the things you’ve learned, start with #1 on your list and make applying it to your business your first WEEKLY GOAL.

Actually write this goal down in your planner and make a commitment to complete it — or at least make significant progress on it — by the end of the week.

Goal setting is a major part of the business-building process. In fact, I can almost guarantee that not setting goals will lead you back to inactivity. If you are not accomplishing anything, especially the tasks you have deemed critical to your success, you will go back to doing nothing. And your dream of becoming a financially independent Internet entrepreneur will be put on hold yet again.
Trust me… I learned this lesson the hard way!

Step 5: Establish Daily Action Tasks

Break down the tasks required to reach your first weekly goal and write them down.
Schedule those tasks in your planner, and work on them every day — CONSISTENTLY — until they are completed.

I know it isn’t easy to find the time to do this… especially when you still have a full-time offline job that you depend on to pay the bills while you’re building your new online business. But you can do it.

Simply get up 1 or 2 hours earlier than normal (another tip “borrowed” from Michael Masterson) and get to work on your daily action tasks before you head to your offline job.

You’ll reach your first weekly goal before you know it — and will be on your way to being a successful Internet entrepreneur.

Then just cross that first goal off your list and go on to #2. Make that one your next weekly goal.

Rinse and repeat.

These are the steps I followed after attending my first Early to Rise conference to get my Internet business up and running. And I continue to follow them… moving a little closer each month to my ultimate goal of replacing my salary with the income I earn from my website.

One day soon, I’ll be able to say good-bye to my old job forever. Meanwhile, what a feeling it is to get up in the morning and do something I love… because I want to do it, not because I have to!

[Ed. Note: Pete Genot is the founder and editor of The Healthy Minute — a free online newsletter publishing the latest breakthroughs in the health industry. Each issue is designed to be read in about 1 minute, and can help you live a longer, healthier life. Sign up today and Pete will send you a free report that details an abdominal workout routine he’s developed over the last 25 years. You have to see his before and after photos.

As Pete mentioned, he went from being an ETR student to being an instructor (and impromptu expert speaker) at our recent 5 Days in July Conference. Another conference Pete never misses is our annual Info-Marketing Bootcamp. This is where we gather the top dozen Internet business builders working today and put them in a room with 200 or so of our best customers. The result is hundreds of successful new Internet-based ventures. ]