I experienced a hilarious contradiction of ethics. Hilarious at the time, but now that I think about it more, it was actually pretty scary. Each week during the school year I teach entrepreneurship classes to high school seniors as a Junior Achievement volunteer. Junior Achievement supplies the curriculum, solicits interested high school teachers and puts them into contact with volunteers … Continued
What do you regret?
Members often tell me, “I wish I had known about info-marketing before; I would have made a lot more money.” I’m always polite when someone says this; however, this type of thinking is a symptom of a larger problem. When we look back on an unpleasant situation in our lives, thoughts like these often occur: I wish I hadn’t said … Continued
Info-marketing sales factor we don’t discuss enough
Few info-businesses have more longevity than the one I’m about to describe. Launched in 1872, it’s 142 years old, predating the telephone and the electric light bulb. You may be one of its million-plus subscribers or never pay it any mind, but Popular Science magazine is worth studying. The point of your and my info-marketing businesses is to provide value … Continued
Controlling you without you knowing it
Our brains are programmed to fight for survival, similar to other animals. If a squirrel is on the ground searching for nuts, hears a tree branch break, feels a swoosh of wind and then feels a sharp pain in her side, she is going escape by running into the woods, barely thwarting the hungry hawk. What happens the next time … Continued
What to do next
Some people shouldn’t be encouraged. There are many ways to fail in any business launch. The info-marketing business is no exception. You can choose a niche that is too large, under research your niche and launch the wrong product, market poorly, market too little or rely too much on joint ventures—and this is just the beginning of the list. Life … Continued
How the worst can come without warning
I had a job for six years. I started as a bookkeeper and quickly became the company’s controller. Within two years, I had become the director of business affairs. Then I bought the business, just six years after joining the firm as a bookkeeper. I used employment as an opportunity to learn as much as possible. I set up the … Continued
From debt overwhelm to financial freedom
My wife and I were having dinner in our dining room while the news played on the television in the adjacent living room. Although we weren’t paying much attention, one of the teases before a commercial break caught our attention. “Police shoot dog on Eddie Road! Story right after this break.” My wife, Kory, and I looked at each other. … Continued
Are We Witnessing the Death of Free Trial Memberships?
What if you could make twice as much money for every new member you recruited? And, what if you made more money overall from your membership program? That’s what early indications are showing us when you abandon free trial memberships. The idea behind free trial memberships was you’d end up with more long-term members because some people would join for … Continued
Becoming Known for Speaking What They Don’t Want to Hear
Imagine walking into a church just before the service begins, striding up to the front, getting everyone’s attention and proclaiming there is no God. Or—this could get you injured—imagine going to a Veteran’s Day ceremony and telling everyone their service to our country was just another job, like spending four years working at a Chrysler plant. How are you going … Continued
Attracting New Members with a With Delegation Tools
Before I created and sold information products, I delivered consulting services for many years. Most projects required strategic planning; some entailed creating systems and business process; and others involved marketing. While the projects varied in scope, they had one thing in common: The business owner always thought his or her employees were the problem. I was brought in to train … Continued