Archive for August 2011
The Future Of Business – Everyone Will Be An Affiliate Of Something
I was having this conversation and the topic became very clear, one revenue stream will not be enough in the future to make a living. Everyone will become an affiliate of something. I found this to be true here on owengreaves.com, I do workshops, public speaking and I have links to affiliate products and services. I also own a webhosting company called Billyhost.com, as you can see I don’t rely on just one for cashflow or a primary source of income.
The younger generations get this, they have multiple passions and want to experience them all. They do something different for each one to pay for those said passions. They find a product or service that is in-line with that niche or passion idea. We all must adopt this theology if we are going to insist on doing business on the Internet. Yes there will be a few exceptions but for the most part, most of us will need to leverage multiple revenue streams to be able to do the things we dream about. But survival will require us to think outside the box and align our passions with those niches that will help us make the most money.
In my workshops I help you find those alignments, show you examples of those who have gone before you. I’m trying to plug the workshop, I’m sharing that there many of us out here that are doing it, and doing it well. We want you to learn and grow, that’s why we share here on the Internet.
If you have read many of my blog posts, you will have found an affiliate link or two along the way. You will also notice that I have a page for Headway Themes, I am an affiliate of that product, it’s the best WordPress Theme on the market in my opinion, and based on the sales, many seem to agree. I sell Headway because I run a WordPress Blog, and I run a Webhosting Business, which means I build a site or two. It’s in-line with my interests and it helps me make money.
Simple right? Not really, but you get the idea. So if you were going to align yourself with an affiliate product, what might that be, how does it relate to the passion you are wanting to experience, how will it make you money to experience it?
When the other 3 Billion People get online, you will have a whole new market to leverage, and with 5.1 Billion here on the Internet, everyone will need to be an affiliate of something. What do you think?
Businesses Need To Grow Up!
I don’t get all in a flap very often but, while driving into Vancouver one morning I was listening to CBC Radio, I’m not sure who the host was but it was during Rick Cluff’s time slot. The interview was with the Executive Director of the Coquitlam Chamber of Commerce, the discussion was about all the construction parallel to United Blvd. How the new Port Mann Bridge and the freeway construction was hurting business on the boulevard. Now I’m not sure what prompted the host of the show to suggest this but it got me, he asked the Executive Director of the Chamber if the government was going to bail these businesses out or help them out in some way. Say WHAT!
Why is it that everyone believes the government should give people money when most of the businesses could have done something to at least minimize the damage. Hell, I’m certain these businesses in question knew for months if not years this construction was coming, that it was going to happen. The perception now is that they did nothing to prepare, they figured we’ll wait and see how it goes, and if it doesn’t go well, we will put pressure on the government to give us money. I can with all certainty tell you that the future of business will not tolerate this model, in fact, this entitlement thinking will keep our country broke and even bankrupt if allowed to continue.
I would love to know what crazy ideas came to the table behind the closed doors of these businesses, to help get through the next 12 weeks, how many ideas were shutdown and squashed due to fear. There is a huge Casino on this boulevard, the Red Robinson Theatre too. There is much that could be done to partner all these businesses with their hands out, they could work together, now there’s a concept. I’m willing to bet my lunch money The Red Robinson Theatre & The Casino will do just fine, why, people will do anything, go anywhere to feed the need of entertainment and gambling. If that’s the case, then these businesses on United Boulevard should work together to strategize how to work through the next 12 weeks, the big anchors could lead the way.
As you can see, my perception of this dilemma, this was a marketing agencies wet dream, the opportunity is/was huge, but did anyone approach this group of businesses. I suspect not, to my knowledge there has been absolutely no marketing to my neighbourhood, I haven’t seen, heard a Radio or TV ad, not a Tweet about anything to entice me to shop United Boulevard. With all that is availabe to these businesses to market themselves during this construction, I have yet to find any ads in traditional media let alone digital, no crazy awesome deals to make me venture into the construction soup. Maybe I’m not looking in the right place, maybe I don’t care, or maybe they haven’t reached out to make me care.
I shared this story with a group of marketers, the look on their faces was enough for me. So is construction an excuse, is it really the root problem. Or is being prepared the real issue at hand, if you have read this blog regularly, you would know that the future of business has the upper hand. The problem isn’t construction, it isn’t the business, it is however, the owners of those businesses, how they think, and it possibly reveals a lack of foresight. I would like to give the business owners the benefit of the doubt, but, in times like this, businesses need to grow up!
I know, I’m ranting a bit, but this is a great case study don’t you think? So how could these business help themselves, what would you do if you had the opportunity to help these businesses? What crazy marketing ideas would you bring to the table? Would you let road construction be the reason the doors closed your business?
The Future Of Business Is Not Playing It Safe
The title may mess you up a little, but just keep reading and you’ll find the nuggets, if you get what I’m talking about.
A little over a month ago I spoke at a large conference, I was pretty bold, I told people that I hated FaceBook, and that I will offend someone before I’m finished. I did. I also shared that we are hypocritical, for example, I told business owners to give something away for free to those who repeatedly came back to your business, blog, website, anything that you would come into contact with a customer. People actually gasped, I can’t do that one person said. So I asked them, If you won’t give something away, someone else will, but why is it that you won’t give anything away, but yet you are the first one in line when someone else does? Is that you?
Why is it that we build a business, we do everything and anything to get it to a profitable state, we suddenly go into management mode. We actually stop doing what got us profitable, or maybe even successful. We took risk after risk, we didn’t care what anyone said, we didn’t care what anyone thought, we just stepped out and made things happen. We weren’t playing it safe, we were putting ourselves out there, willing to take the hits, the no’s and even the snickers. So what happened?
Giving something away is not a high risk act, in fact, it should be a well thought out strategy. And why wouldn’t you reward those who got you to where you are, they bought you product or service, they even invested time in reading your blog, they probably attended a talk you gave, but yet you still remain closed to the idea.
I’ll bet most of risk something higher in value while building you business, why is it then, once you enter management mode you are reluctant to risk anything? Again I ask you, is this you? If so, maybe it’s time to take a breather and spend some time doing something you may not have done in a very long time.
THANK YOUR COMMUNITY!
Thank them by giving them credit, write about them, brag about them, and maybe even give them something for free. That smacks of the Open & Free Business Model doesn’t it? Without your community you have nothing. In fact, if you fail to do this, you are playing it safe. Don’t do business in a safe manner, always challenge yourself to step close to the edge, learn to trust your community, afterall, they came to trust you first.
The Future Of Business Is Not Playing It Safe, keeping doing the things that made you profitable, and most of all, thank your community.
Headway 3.0 Will Soon Be Released – It’s Amazing
I have been using Headway Themes here since January 2010, I have yet to find anything better when it comes to design and ease of use for a WordPress Site. I am providing the sneak preview video of 3.0 for you here, if you think Headway is for you, do two things:
1.) Watch the video first, then go to number 2.
2. Go to my Headway Page and see over 400 sites using Headway Themes, there are thousands but I don’t have the time to list them all. Click on the Headway Menu item above, or just click here.
Enjoy!