We often get asked how to best choose a niche for a new business. So today we are going to share our best tip with you.
Let’s start this off with a story about a drink of water:
A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later…. “Da-d….”
“What?”
“I’m thirsty. Can you bring a drink of water?”
“No. You had your chance. Lights out.”
Five minutes later: “Da-aaaad…..”
“WHAT?”
“I’m THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??”
“I told you NO! If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!!”
Five minutes later……”Daaaa-aaaad…..”
“WHAT!”
“When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?”
Now, we share this story because it shows a good understanding of efficiency and knowing the environment and world around you.
Which coincidentally is actually the best way to choose a niche.
Simply go with what you know, and that which is around you already.
This may sound obvious, but you would not believe the amount of people who choose a niche because it sounds good, or they know of someone else who has done well with it.
Listen, there is a lot of money in the real estate investment niche, but would I enter it? Not a chance! For a start I don’t know much about it, secondly, it is not part of my life already, and thirdly, I would bring nothing new to the niche.
So be efficient, do what you know, do what you love, do that which you already do regardless of whether it is profitable.
If you want to stand out in life, business or on the Internet, then you need to be different, in fact, it helps to be a little bit strange.
By being strange, you can inject things like humour, fun and controversy into your business and websites, and this will bring great benefits to your marketing and branding efforts.
So here are my top nine tips to help you become strange (warning, these tips may send you insane):
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and Point A Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
3. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone Has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch To Espresso.
4. Finish All Your Sentences With “In Accordance With The Prophecy.”
5. Ask People What Sex They Are. Laugh Hysterically After They Answer.
6. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play Tropical Sounds All Day.
7. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can’t Attend Their Party because You’re Not In The Mood.
8. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream “I Won! I Won!”
9. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. “Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.”
So the time has arrived for you to start sending CVs to potential employers, for many, this is a difficult and confusing time, but don’t worry, there is one trick that can rocket your chances of landing your dream job.
To fully understand this trick you need to put yourself in the shoes of the guy who has the job of reading all the cvs that are sent to a company. Imagine for a moment the process he may go through: Cvs arrive, quick glance of the covering letter, quick skim of the first page, and maybe, just maybe, he will read a little further.
This is actually quite optimistic, in many cases your CV will not actually get opened, and if it does, at best you may get a quick skim of 5-10 seconds.
So there are clearly two factors at work that we need to be awesome at:
1) Ensure that our CV gets opened
2) Ensure that our CV gets read
How do we do this?
Simple, we make it unlike all the other CVs he has ever read.
I like to call this process “peacocking”, you see, when a Peacock is looking for a mate, it knows that it must stand out and get noticed above all the other Peacocks, so it spreads out it’s feathers and shows off amazing colours.
You will need to learn from nature, and use this same technique with your CV.
So how can you Peacock your CV?
The first thing you can do is use a coloured envelope, or even better, use a coloured, padded envelope. Anything that can make it stand out.
Another insider trick is to create what is known as chunky-mail, this means putting an object into the envelope, thus making the person want to open it.
For instance, you may include a dice that you have stuck to your covering letter.
You then need to use this object to link into your message, so you could start your covering letter with:
“Dear sir/madam,
I am aware that finding the right employee can be a gamble, and so I am writing to let you know that I have stacked the odds in your favour. I have studied hard and am well on the way to mastering xxxxxxxx and I posess the attitude to ensure success.
In fact, if you roll the dice that I attached, you will notice that it rolls a 6 every time, like I said, I like to stack the odds in my favour, and I feel you should do the same by considering me for the position of xxxxxxxxx”
How cool is that?
Do you not think that this would get you noticed above the others?
Of course it would, I bet they would even go around the office showing everyone your CV. You would be famous before they even met you.
Another tip is to ensure that your CV stands out from the crowd as well. Plain old CVs are so boring, so below are some example CV designs that can spice up your CV:
No matter how fast you type, the emails keep piling up. Sometimes your projects will get too overwhelming.
There are times when it seems as if the only option is to quit. But there are lots of ways to fight back without fleeing and get your job under control:
When There’s Too Much Work
Delegate. A lower-level employee might be flattered that you trusted him or her enough to do some of your work. Hire a virtual assistant. If your time is worth more than $10 an hour, then a VA is a viable option. They can do everything from answering emails, doing spreadhsheets and market research.You can get one for anything from $6 ph.
Avoid needless perfectionism. A good friend once told me that good enough is good enough. It is very true.
When the Work Is Too Hard
Ask. Nobody likes to ask for help… we are often too proud and too stubborn, but in reality, what is the worst that can happen?
Trade tasks with a coworker. We all have strengths and weaknesses, so get used to swapping tasks, it could transform your working life.
When There’s Too Much Stress
Be in the moment. If you think about all the work ahead of you, you may well start to panic. So stay in the moment and remember, the only way to eat an entire elephant is one small bite at a time.
Maintain perspective. In the larger scheme of things, how important is it really? Is the world going to end? Are people going to die? If not, you will be fine.
Take a walk. A three-minute stroll outside can revitalize you. So go for it!
There we go, your ultimate guide to coping with your job.
Sometimes a business can make such basic mistakes that you really have to go right back to the beginner’s level to address them… today I am going to share with you a story that happened to me just a few hours ago, of how a major phone retailer made a rookie business mistake.
Back To Basics Business Lesson - Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
Biting off more than you can chew is a rookie mistake, but today I saw one of the UK’s leading mobile phone retailers making this error.
Here is what happened…
I was walking through town to get my lunch, and I passed a phone retailer that had a big sign outside with a man stood next to it in a suit… the sign was offering mobile broadband, but what really caught my eye was the fact that it was a non-contract based mobile broadband deal.
So I went inside and there were two members of staff and two customers…
But here is where the trouble started… both staff were dealing with the same customer.
This in itself is a rookie mistake… and despite me waiting more than 5 minutes, nobody even acknowledged me (rookie mistake #3).
So I went for lunch and returned 30 mins later. Again, the guy was stood next to the sign outside the shop (this was a mistake, as the sign was self explanitory, and when I asked him about the deal he pointed me inside towards the staff.
So again, I went in, and again, both staff were dealing with just one of the handful of customers.
I cheekily asked one of the staff if they worked here… to which she replied “yes, I am just a bit busy at the moment with this customer”, to which I replied, “Is your collegue also busy with the same customer?”, she replied “yes”.
I moved the cheekometer up a level by proclaiming that “it must be a very serious issue to need two staff”.
I got nothing more than a blank stare… the sort of empty look that gave me a glimpse of just why it may require two people to do one person’s job.
Anyway, back to the business lesson…
Don’t bite off more than you can chew, and certainly don’t spread your resources too thinly.
This retailer got greedy, and whilst I respect their initiatives, they couldn’t back it up.
Afterall, why was some guy stood outside holding a sign, when they were understaffed inside?
Why were two members of staff dealing with every customer?
And why drive more traffic into the store if the staff are not able to cope with it?
This is like paying for $2,000 of traffic, only to find that your checkout system doesn’t work, so you can’t take any orders.
I am not going to name and shame the retailer, it would afterall be pointless, as no doubt it would require two members of their team to read this blog post
Today they lost a customer, and I could have been a very lucrative customer as well.
Remember, don’t take on more than you can cope with.
I was once sat next to a guy who owned a private jet… I asked him for one piece of advice that I could use in life and business, and he replied: “If you don’t value your time, nobody else will”.
This is so true.
Time is the single biggest asset in our lives, it is far more important that money.
Afterall, would you accept 1 billion dollars if it meant you died 15 minutes later?
It is more important than health, afterall, bad health just leads to less time on this planet.
In fact, seeing as my time is spent pretty much evenly between super-successful people, and every day people, I can see that this is perhaps the biggest reason why rich people get richer, and poor people stay poor.
I once knew a guy who was one of the most talented machanics I have ever seen…. there was nothing he couldn’t do to a car. Yet, despite this amazing talent, he was on a minimum wage job, working for a high-street chain, with terrible hours and terrible working conditions. In fact, despite doing the thing he loved, he hated doing it.
What’s worse, I would wager that he will continue to do so for many, many years to come.
You see, he didn’t value his time, he just expected that the world would see his talent and pay him accordingly, but it doesn’t work like that… YOU have to value your time before anyone else will.
I remember on many occasions family members and friends would call him at weekends and ask him to come and fix their car… for FREE. To which he always went and did it, despite not being happy about it.
He once did a repair on my car, and I tried my hardest to pay him, I even threatened to tear-up the cash if he didn’t accept, but he didn’t accept. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t.
Was I impressed by this gesture? Did I gain a lot of respect for his sacrifice?
No, I felt sorry for him, and lost a lot of respect for him.
I appreciate that this may sound a little cold and harsh, but that is the way life and buisness can be. So be realistic.
I was walking through town the other day and a man with a clipboard stopped me and tried to get me to sign-up to some credit card offer… he said “Can I have ten minutes of your time”, I replied, “Sure, that will be $150 please”.
I have been working from home for almost five years now, and there are many benefits… but there are also many unseen dangers, today I am going to shed some light on a few of them.
Always Being At Work
The main problem with working from home is that you are technically always at work. It becomes very hard for your mind to seperate your leisure time and your work time, and this can result in Internet addiction, checking emails every 10 mins, and using the computer during non-working hours.
Physical Fitness
Sitting on your ass for 8+ hours per day is never a good recipe for physical fitness… if you do work from home, then aim to take up a sport as a hobby. Golf, tennis, running, swimming or football are all ideal options.
Also, aim to do a 20 min walk in the morning, and 20 mins in the evening, this will not only help keep you fit, but it will reset and help your mind.
Motivation and Procrastination
This is an area I used to struggle with quite a lot… when you are on your own, working from home, it can be easy to slip into procrastination mode.
I beat this by setting attainable weekly goals, and breaking them down into small chunks.
Also, aim to just get started, as starting is often the hardest part.
Distractions
This is especially a worry if you have children. I know many entrepreneurs who could no longer work from home once they had a child…. afterall, little Timmy won’t understand that you can’t play with him because you are trying to lower your Google Quality Score.
If you do work from home and have a baby or young child, I strongly suggest you look at getting an office instead.
Other distractions come in the form of phone calls, the front door, the mail man etc…
Not Real Work
Despite working from home being more popular than ever before, a lot of people still don’t see it as “real work”, afterall, if you don’t have blisters on your feet and an aching back, then surely it can’t be work?!?
The problem with this is that people will call you, and ask favours, as though you are not working…
For example, I was once asked to drop someone off at the airport, despite the fact that I was working that afternoon… we suggested another family member to do it instead, and got the reply “he can’t do it, he is at work”.
To other people, working from home means you have a license to do what you want, when you want… so be very careful.
Rise and Shine
Nobody likes getting up at 7am, but most of us have to do it, or we get sacked… but working from home will often give you some degree of flexibility… be careful that you don’t take advantage of this too much, as waking up at 10:am+ can easily be done.
I recently fixed this by being accountable to someone else at 8am each morning… so arrange a chat or meeting with someone, and you will have to get up on time.
Alternatively, you can work late into the night like I normally do, thus giving you license to start a little later.
Getting To Sleep
Again, the fact that you are always at work means it becomes hard to shut down… and often I will go to bd just 2 mins after reading emails… this means that I am in bed thinking of work, and this prevents me from getting to sleep on time.
To avoid this, make sure you don’t use your PC within an hour of getting ready for bed. the Internet will still be here in the morning.
Summary
I love working from home, but it is not the paradise that many people presume it is. Avoid these dangers, and you too can enjoy working from home for many years to come.
Many people ask us the secret to ranking high in the search engines… when we give them the answer: “Content”, they run off and start checking keyword density and creating nonsensical content designed to game the search engines.
Bloody Fools!!!
Here is the secret to SEO and ranking well in the search engines:
Good Content = Good SEO
In a nutshell, if you create good quality, interesting content, you will get links from bloggers, sites, social media sites etc… and over time, Google will realise that you are well worth checking out… and in return, it will encourage people to head to your website.
So put down your fancy tools, but away your calculators and your magic balls… the secret to SEO is simple, it has been staring us in the face for years… Good quality content.
**sarcasm** Who would have thought **end sarcasm**
If you own a website then pay attention, as I come bearing some remarkable news…
Google has recently announced that it is showing the search volume data in it’s Google Keyword Tool
That’s right, the tool is getting naked and revealing all of it’s previously hidden info.
What should you know about the Keyword Tool’s search volume statistics?
You can find search volume statistics in the Keyword Tool’s Approx Search Volume [Previous Month] and Approx Avg Search Volume columns. These statistics show the approximate number of search queries matching your keywords that were performed on Google and the search network.
Search volume data can be helpful in several ways:
Account structure: You may want to create an ad group around a single high-traffic keyword that you find particularly relevant. This would allow you to closely target ad text and a landing page to that term.
Budget planning: See how much traffic is available to your keywords so you can appropriately plan your budget.
Keyword choice: Pick the keywords most likely to return quality leads within your budget.
Here are a few more details to keep in mind:
Search volume fluctuation: Web traffic is influenced by seasonality, current events, and a number of other factors. The level of search volume on your keywords, therefore, is constantly fluctuating.
Location and language targeting: If you access the Keyword Tool from within an ad group, the search traffic statistics will factor in your campaign’s country and language targeting (if you target a region or city, only the country will be reflected). If you use the standalone or external Keyword Tools, your country and language selections will influence these statistics. Learn about the different versions of the Keyword Tool.
Match type: The Keyword Tool’s statistics vary depending on your selection from the Match Type drop-down menu. If you select Broad or Phrase, the tool will factor in certain variations of your keywords that could potentially trigger your ads. Learn about keyword match types.
Date range: The Approx Search Volume [Previous Month] column shows search volume statistics for the last calendar month. The Approx Avg Search Volume column shows average monthly search volume over a recent 12-month period.
In a nutshell, this is huge for any website owner, and I am sure there will be a whole heap of tools being created to take advantage of this data.
It sure is a great time to be a website owner right now.
