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| What I wish I'd known... | Views: 3515 |
| Sep 27, 2005 6:47 pm | | What I wish I'd known... | # |
Denise O'Berry | | Dear Members --
Whether you've been online six weeks or six years, you can always look back and say, "Gee, I sure wish I'd known [xxxxx] when I started out online."
I know it's been a real adventure for me these past seven years. And there's plenty of things I wish I'd known in 1998 that I know now.
So let's take a walk down memory lane. You might learn something new in the process.
Tell us... What do you wish you had known about the online business world when you first started out?
Best regards,
Denise O'Berry
Network LeaderPrivate Reply to Denise O'Berry |
| Sep 27, 2005 7:08 pm | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Debbie Fortier-Success Leaves Clues | | Hi Denise...
Neat question!!
I wish I had known AmeriPlan USA(r) (since 1992)was in existence.
Had I known that in 1998, we would already be living our dream home we have scheduled for building next Spring.
On the same token, we would not had found the company online back then, Gosh they have come a long way in a short time. We are looking forward to the growth ahead of us now.
Then how about Dell Computers? Didn't they get into their momemntum stage in '98?
From what I read last month, had anyone invested $10k in Dell stock in 1997, they would be worth $14 million this year.
I guess the most important thing I have learned in the online business world is the simple fact "people are still people behind every email address and deserved to be treated with respect always."
((HUGS)))
Debbie
http://savings.cjb.net Private Reply to Debbie Fortier-Success Leaves Clues |
| Sep 28, 2005 1:28 pm | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Eileen @ Business Design Studio | | Oh, there are so many things you realize in hindsight, after 10 years! I remember when Lynda Weinman was getting famous for all her web design and web color palette stuff and thinking "I was an expert in all those things too!" I could have made myself famous if I'd done the right things at the right time. It never occurred to me. I wish I had gotten on to the info product bandwagon and learned to sell digital products way before I got around to it - I love to write, and gave it away for free for years, like an idiot. By the time I got around to it, it was so much more glutted and competitive.
One of my best "woulda coulda shouldas" came at the beginning. The local newspaper heard about me, a woman doing web design for companies around the world, from home (oooooh, ahhhhhhhhh!) back in 1996 and wanted to interview me.they wanted to send a camera and reporter to my "office." I was working a walk in closet at the foot of my bed. I hadn't even realized I HAD a business - I was just up all night doing what I loved without any time to go to my real job, and I was a real "turtle" back then. So I said "Go away! No way are you going to come in here."
Arrghhh... it took me YEARS to get their attention again. Knowing what I know now about publicity and media exposure, I could kick myself in the rear for that move.
I'm sure I'll think of more....
Eileen Parzek
SOHO It GoesPrivate Reply to Eileen @ Business Design Studio |
| Sep 28, 2005 10:29 pm | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
lisa micklin | | I wish I had known how to have more confidence in my skills at that time. I think one of the hardest things for me was trusting myself enought to really put myself out there.
There were a lot of missed opportunities back then that resulted from me believing that I was not good enough.
So, for all newbies and even seasoned internet biz owners:
~ You're only as good as you believe you are
~ Don't pretend to know things that you don't
~ Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. If you ain't out there, they ain't gonna find you. (lovely grammer, eh?)
~ Trust what you know and tell the world about it. (remember, there are a zillion ways to tell the world about it without being pushy.)
Just some thoughts, great topic!
lisa
~~~~~~~~~~
ps- what else I wish I had known? YOU Denise! Think of the fun we could have been having all of this time ;-)Private Reply to lisa micklin |
| Sep 28, 2005 10:34 pm | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Garland Coulson | | I sure wish I'd learned to stop trading time for money a LOT sooner... :)
Garland Coulson, "The E-Business Tutor"
Market while you surf!
FREE Traffic and Research Toolbar for FireFox and Internet Explorer
http://www.freetrafficbar.com
Private Reply to Garland Coulson |
| Sep 29, 2005 1:55 pm | | re: re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Mandy Minor | | Hi Garland, question about your post: Can you elaborate on what you mean by "stop trading time for money"? I know that time is money, yada yada yada, but in services businesses (which mine is) that's basically what you do - spend time helping people with projects for money. I'd love to get your insight!
Thanks,
Mandy Minor
www.JAllanStudios.comPrivate Reply to Mandy Minor |
| Sep 29, 2005 6:42 pm | | What can you add? | # |
Denise O'Berry | | Dear Members --
So what have we found out thus far?
Mark&Debbie Fortier learned that people are still people behind every email address and deserve to be treated with respect always.
Eileen "Turtle" Parzek learned that publicity is a powerful tool and when you get an opportunity you need to seize it.
Lisa Micklin learned that it is vital to trust yourself enough to put yourself "out there" so you don't miss opportunities that come your way.
Garland Coulson learned the value of passive income -- not trading time for money.
So what have you learned? How 'bout it? Add your "What I wish I'd known" tidbit to this thread.
Best regards,
Denise O'Berry
Network Leader
P.S. To Lisa -- thank you for your kind words!Private Reply to Denise O'Berry |
| Sep 30, 2005 12:19 am | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
John Stephen Veitch | | Thank you Denise for a very interesting thread.
I feel like I've been a pioneer forever. Always having good ideas, but often getting the timing completely wrong. I wasted five years on my first Internet business, expecting the market to change in my favour. That's a problem many of us may have. I had the most successful regional dance website in the world, I was getting more visits to my website than Tourism NZ. But I wasn't making any money. I planned to have 4 income streams, but one by one they all fell over.
I'm still pioneering, right now with social networks, trying to get changes made on Ryze. Teaching people here in NZ about the networking process. Sadly they're suspicious, and once again the money is slow coming.
Still if you go to my business website, you'll see that in the school of hard knocks you learn a lot. Most of you will find interest in the section labeled "Internet", but I also recommend "Elephant Mapping".
Regards
John
www.ate.co.nzPrivate Reply to John Stephen Veitch |
| Sep 30, 2005 11:51 am | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Mary Anderson | | Hi Denise and all,
I wish I would have known how easy it is to build a business online, offline
or anywhere else. Building a business takes effort and time of course and
I came into it with the attitude that it would be hard and it was.
Changing my thought pattern has been one of the most important things I have
learned that has made growing my businsess one of ease, grace and fun.
My learning curve is huge but I embrace it instead of resist it. Each morning
I now set my self up for success with my thoughts and intentions and it
is a joy to start each new day.
Sincerely,
Mary
763-389-4064 (anytime)
Send a Card ~ Make and Keep a Customer
...and the cost is on me!
http://DemoItFree.comPrivate Reply to Mary Anderson |
| Oct 01, 2005 12:51 pm | | Question about trading time for money -- see this post... | # |
Denise O'Berry | | Mandy --
You asked Garland "Can you elaborate on what you mean by stop trading time for money?"
I'm sure he'll be back soon to respond, but in the meantime you might find the thread about multiple streams of income / passive income / residual income on Dean Hua's Networkers Network interesting and insightful.
Click here to go to the Multiple Streams Of Income post.
Best regards,
Denise O"Berry
Network Leader
Private Reply to Denise O'Berry |
| Oct 01, 2005 2:46 pm | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Frank Michlick | | I wish I had known...
1) ... more about the value of (generic) domain names. (I would have bought and kept more names starting back in 1995.)
2) ... that a lot of my ideas were/are good and that I should just start small and go ahead and realize some of the idea I have/had. This still applies to me today, but I am working on it.
/FrankPrivate Reply to Frank Michlick |
| Oct 01, 2005 5:26 pm | | re: re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Wendy McClelland | | I wish I'd learned sooner that "unless it's making money dump it!"
I think we all get emotionally attached to ideas we like TOO MUCH, without bottom lining them and seeing how much money they will generate.
I am now trying to be more rational about decisions, and make better decisions quicker.
Wendy McClelland
"I motivate people to think without boundaries!"
http://www.thinkwithoutboundaries.com Private Reply to Wendy McClelland |
| Oct 08, 2005 6:15 am | | re: re: re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
John B | | I wish I had learned (and recognized)...
-That the internet is a new game and that old rules no longer apply. As a kid/teen (I'm 27 now), I learned about trading time for money and seeing everything in a linear fashion. To advance you go from A to B. You apply for one job, then you apply to the next. Go to a networking group (in real life), then drive to the next.
On the net it's all different. There are brand new industries that I never would have dreamed of (making a living from Google Ads words for example). You can change variables in your business much faster and see instant results (changing a headline). You can gain valuable feedback for free.
Even in '99 or '00 I didn't recognize the paradigm shift. Instead of a linear mindset, I would have adopted a more opportunistic approach.
-JohnPrivate Reply to John B |
| Oct 21, 2005 9:20 pm | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Cornell Green | | What I wish I'd known...???
Sometimes I feel it's "what I wish I knew"...
I wish I'd known when to buy tech stocks in the late '90s... and when to sell them!!!...
I wish I'd known then that I should have established a domain name and maintained a web presence, even if I wasn't trying to sell anything. I wish I'd known that the Internet can do more than provide a revenue stream: it can help establish your brand....
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cornell Green
Like dreams, no Business is too Small
21st Century CommunIT Solutions Private Reply to Cornell Green |
| Jan 12, 2008 7:42 pm | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Denise O'Berry | | Dear Members --
Learn anything new to add to the "what I wish I'd known" bin? Add your thoughts here.
Best regards,
Denise O'Berry
MYOB Network LeaderPrivate Reply to Denise O'Berry |
| Jan 30, 2008 7:09 am | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Connie Whiting | | I wish I had known it was OK to charge what I was worth sooner.I undersold myself way too much and all that did was make a LOT of work for very little return.
I also wish I had known it was OK to say no to a client if it wasn't a good fit or there were too many red flags.
Connie Whiting-Professional Writer
conniewhiting.com
Private Reply to Connie Whiting |
| Apr 08, 2008 2:27 pm | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Wendy Krick | | I wish I knew 5 years ago that mlm was a relationship business not a sales business. When I stopped marketing my business and products and started focusing on people and helping others without a hidden agenda, people started coming to me. I have learned that people join people, not companies.
Wendy
MLM is about YOU - It's not about
products or companies.
http://onlinebusinesscoach.info/
Private Reply to Wendy Krick |
| Apr 08, 2008 6:05 pm | | re: re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Heidi Richards | | I wish I had known how easy it was to meet people and how difficult it could be to build the right relationships.
I would spend hours chatting with a handful of people who were not really my customers and although we may have become friends, it was not an effective use of my "business time."
Having said that, I also wish I had known the right places to "get known" such as forums and social networking sites - it has been a big experiment participating here and there to see which ones work best for my buiness.
In addition, had I known what I know now I would definitely have been an early adopter of blogging instead of taking a "wait and see" stance. Now I have 5 blogs (and 2 on the way!) and love, love, love posting to them and reading what others say and making friends in a whole new genre.
Thanks for asking,
Heidi
Heidi Richards, Leader "HER Mastermind Network"
http://HERmastermind-network.ryze.com/
Check out The WECAI Network - http://www.wecai.org TODAY!
Have you sent in your Who's Who listing yet? – http://www.WHOSWHOINECOMMERCE.COMPrivate Reply to Heidi Richards |
| May 29, 2008 3:06 am | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Dan Banta | | I wish I had known that when I bought a new computer a couple of years ago, that I should have replaced the old surge protector too. Lighting hit the house and the protector failed and fried the system. But the good news is that the company I work for sent in a technology report that showed the problem was the surge protector did not do it's job, so they replaced the entire computer system. Note to self though: keep your peripheral items up to date as well as your system. Private Reply to Dan Banta |
| Sep 17, 2008 2:37 am | | re: What I wish I'd known... | # |
Doug McIsaac | | This isn't strictly online, but I wish I had known that the business that I had sold was going to go out of business and stop paying me for my shares.
I've learned that you always get cash :-)
Online, I wish I had known that domains were going to become worth so much.
I wish I had started blogging when I first got online.
I wish I had started a network like Ryze. It's a great idea.
Doug
Free Marketing Tips http://www.online4offline.com
Free Small Business Online Marketing Expert Series
http://www.online4offline.com/experts/
Private Reply to Doug McIsaac |
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