Ideas to Spur Success

I saw the following motivational image on that veritable storehouse of wisdom, Facebook, just as I was thinking about writing a blog. How perfect!

As I'm spending increasing amounts of time working from home, my daily rhythm Is changing. Some days I wake up late, get up late, and dress up even later. Once in a while, my pace is slow enough that I fail to show up, and therefore don't accomplish anything. But I NEVER give up! (Fortunately, those no-show days are decreasing!)

I have full confidence that my website will eventually succeed; I just need to keep showing up and building enough confidence in my skills to put it out there, and then to keep it there. I'd feel less confident if I had to rely on the blogosphere for income, but fortunately that's not the case; I will have a comfortable enough retirement and envision using the website for "mad money."

But what would I do if I wanted to be self-employed and needed to generate enough income to make it happen?

Here are a few ideas that I've adapted from lessons learned during my own adventures with self-employment.

• Follow the courses and lessons in their entirety. They work!
• Don't just read the lessons and then move on. Re-read them, or return to individual lessons as needed. Take notes if you want. Practice them. For all intents and purposes, you're back in school. Do your homework!
• Study the websites of other online businesses. Incorporate the things that appeal to you, and omit the things that don't.
• Don't get too hung up on your theme or niche. If one or both don't work the first time, then replace and repeat until you find ones that do. Every attempt brings new learning.
• Eventually, both your niche and your theme will fall into place. If they don't, then you might want to consider whether creating an online business is the right path for you.
• There's no need to wallow in discouragement; butterflies don't emerge from cocoons overnight, and neither will your website. Be patient with your progress, and be gentle on yourself whenever you make mistakes or when things don't work out right away.
• Welcome your mistakes and correct them. That's how we learn!
• Study. Think. Process the information. Take a short break. Take an occasional day(s) off. Repeat.
• Hone your writing skills by writing blogs for WA. The more you write, the easier it becomes. Use this space for building and reinforcing your skills.
• Search WA's treasure trove for answers to your questions. Or, simply ask, and you'll receive direction or an answer from someone else.
• Use more experienced WA members as mentors. Most people enjoy helping!
• Generate side income by writing online articles for publication. Get in the habit of seeing your writing online; even if there's no byline, you'll recognize your stuff. This will enable you to enhance your skills without risking exposure to others.
• Find paid writing assignments by googling pertinent keywords. I did, just for curiosity, and discovered several leads. Many WA members produce income by writing for others while developing their businesses. Just ask, and you'll receive advice and leads.
• Take the long view. Exercise patience. You're not going to get rich overnight. You might not even get rich at all. But if you keep at it, you will succeed.
• The extent of your success is directly proportional to the amount of effort you put into your business. Plan to spend a lot of time on it.
• Seek feedback on your website from the WA community. First, pay it forward by using the SiteRubrix tools to offer feedback and comments on other members' websites. Then, use your credits to receive feedback in return.
• Evaluate the feedback and make changes as applicable.
• Consider writing training modules for WA. In addition to teaching others, you may be able to gain a bit of money in return. This blog is my first seriously intentional attempt to teach something at WA. Next, I'm going to evaluate it (and other ideas) for possible WA training purposes.
• Enjoy the journey and savor successes when they occur!