FOCUS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT

Before I continue with the topic of focus I need to pass along reminder to be cautious. You should expect to receive a phone call from someone saying they are with so-and-so or from such-and-such program that you have seen online. They are usually very personable, very good at what they do. I’m sure there are exceptions, but for the most part my experience is that you will pay a great deal, and get very little of value regardless of guarantees and promises.

The usual products: mentoring and search engine optimization. I politely thank them for the calling while requesting their name and phone number for later, when I will need their service, but I have also been known to simply hang up. Either response works equally well. The secret is don’t even give them the time to make their presentation.

A good business plan is important for a number of reasons, but in our discussion of focus it is the structure that it provides that is most important here. Structure helps a great deal on the road to achieving focus and our ultimate goal FINANCIAL FREEDOM.

Once you have a specific plan, be it the one endorsed by Business Opportunities Advisor (The Wordpress Project or one of your own choosing, focus on it exclusively. Don’t even read the email from other programs because they WILL cause you to lose that all important focus. Nothing but this one, until it is up and successfully generating an income you are pleased with. Then once it is established, you can consider alternatives. I know how “radical” this sounds, but trust me, it comes form one who has learned the hard way.

NEXT: Internet Marketing Blog using the Blog to market products

CONTAINING THE OUTFLOW OF CASH

my story continues…

I have filled out a lot of job applications over the years and my favorite question was always, “What is your greatest fault?” I always responded, “Perfectionism” thinking that was really putting a positive spin on an answer to a question that was in effect asking me to be negative about myself.

It amazes me that it has taken all these years and this venture into the world of internet business opportunities to finally understand that perfectionism and lack of focus are very negative indeed. In my case they meant that I would spend days and weeks developing a concept, a business plan, a website and then scrap it because of what I saw as some unworkable fatal flaw.

It meant I was constantly on the lookout for the next product, program, or system that was going to be THE ONE to do it just right for me. I became a compulsive purchaser of these things. As I write this, I am in the midst of trying to untangle the mass of recurring charges from merchants long forgotten for unused programs and products that fill my hard drive.

My solution? I now have a folder called “Buy This Soon!”. Every offer that looks too good to pass up goes in this folder for at least 24 hours.

That’s helpful for me,
because I want to make an intelligent buying decision; I need that time to consider the offer.

Needless to say this decision not only is helpful with finances, but goes a long way toward helping with focus. But guess that will have to wait until my next post.

NEXT POST: I deal more with focus,

Bob Cahill

BOB CAHILL TELLS HIS STORY

My interest in computers predates the PC. In fact I took my first computer class in 1966. I know that labels me a total “fossil”, but I mention it only to firmly establish the persistence of my interest in the computer and its possibilities. The thought of using the PC to earn a living did occur to me very early on, but it took nearly 30 years for the idea to mature.

As retirement neared I realized that I needed income beyond what my investments and a small teacher’s pension would provide. The PC and the internet were the obvious choice, but the real challenge was about to begin.

When I began what was to become Business Opportunities Advisor, I remember how overwhelmed I was by the sheer volume of information and programs available about business opportunities. It was like trying to get a drink from a fire hose. They all sounded terrific, and the email I was reading at the moment always sounded even more exciting than the one I’d just finished.. It was so difficult to choose among the business opportunities and other offerings, so I bought them all. Well Nearly all, or so it seemed,. During the first two years I spent about $20,000. I was having a great time. Working online used all my skills, even my perfectionism, and that one, in particular, got me in really big trouble.

I bought stuff in the morning that I had forgotten about by afternoon! Not only was that VERY expensive and wasteful, but how was I to know what I really needed? Even more importantly, as I would soon learn, it blurred my FOCUS!

So why is focus so important? As it turns out I have a lot of company in the “lack of focus” camp. Most internet entrepreneurs in fact experience this. Encouraged by all the “hype”, they begin thinking opportunistically, and buying anything that looks like it’ll make money. When positive results don’t follow magically they get discouraged and eventually quit. In fact this is the #1 REASON most would be internet entrepreneurs fail.

NEXT POST I deal more with focus, containing the outflow of cash, and establishing a business plan.

Bob Cahill

www.BusinessOpportunitiesAdvisor.com

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