Simple Ecovers makes me a full time living online but it’s time to switch gears a little in my journey as it’s time to do more than just graphics for people on the internet.  I’ve learned so much about mindset, customer service, planning, list building, product creation and more.  Needless to say my upcoming success will be dependent upon the continuing service I’ve always provided.

Now I haven’t been perfect in all I’ve done online and I’ve dropped the ball in many areas as my focus can become sometimes distracted by life and everything else around me.  But who hasn’t?  I haven’t met one person online or in person who didn’t have struggles and who didn’t have the occasional failure.  It’s in the midst of failure that most successes come from and I’m going to be no different.

As I’m building my list of subscribers I’m going to be trying a few different tactics in marketing that a lot of people don’t do.  Now I know this may go against the norm but I’m determined to be successful by helping as many people as I can.  As a matter of fact I actually sent an email to my entire list last week asking people to unsubscribe.  Crazy you may think but it came from really wanting people to be on my list for reasons other than to  just receive affiliate offers from me.

Now making money online by sending affiliate offers via email to a large list will make you cash but whose lives did you change in the process?  There really is no way to know since all you do is forward people to the next online fad just to make some quick cash.  I know I could do it as I have done it before but for some reason I don’t feel great about it.  I want to really give value to the people on my list but yet I have no products of my own to sell.  ( Not yet anyways. )

Easy solution now that I think of it.  I’ve been online for several years and know how to do many things.  I have no doubt that people are looking for many of the same things that took me hours and weeks to learn.  I am going to begin making content on various things that I know will help my subscribers and for the first time will be placing that content for free on my blog here and then simply send my subscribers here to devour the content.

I will engage them with questions and offer surveys to find out what they want and need.  The more I engage my readers and give value, the money will come.  I don’t want some quick sale but I want a customer.  Even if I share a video on how blogging has helped me, I won’t feel bad recommending them to someone who knows more about blogging like Mathew Wolfe.  You see, recommending someone to make a quick sale might work but then your visitor will have no reason to come back to you.

I want people to always want to come back and see what I have to say so by giving value, I will be able to do that.  I can’t please everybody but I can feel good about the type of internet marketer  I want to be.  So I offer you this to ponder.  What do you want to learn online?  What is it that you think you need in order to progress forward?  I know a lot of the gurus will tell you to outsource the work but from experience, I’ve seen the majority of people online want to actually “learn” how to do things on their own.

Most people don’t have the extra money and the resources to continually outsource like the gurus tell you so I want to create free content that will help you to progress online.  Please, I ask again..  What do you need?  Think about it and let me know.  I await your comments as this is genuine from me to you.  You could either continue to open email after email from marketer after marketer or you can begin to settle down and learn something of value.  I offer this because I’ve been caught up for years in the same day after day routine of reading countless emails only to find myself with less money and lost time.

So again, “What can I do for you”?  Can I help you get your first subscriber?  Can I help you get your first Ecover created?  Can I show you how to write an email campaign?  Can I help you come up with a product to sell online?  Can I help you create your first website?  Can I show you how to make graphics?  Can I get on a Skype call with you and answer your questions?  What can I do to help YOU?

This is no gimmick and this is no scam.  I am a real person with a vested interest in you and your progress.  So please leave your questions and comments below.  I will personally answer each and every one as this is my new strategy for online success and I wish to bring you along for the ride.  Any questions?  Until next time…

It’s great because it gets me instant cash any time I finish someone elses work and it’s bad because I’m working one to one. This means i do a project once and get paid for that project once. In order to make it and survive online I need to do some kind of work once and get paid multiple times for it.

Ideas that come to mind since I do graphics is making specific graphics for salespages and then offering them in some sort of graphics pack. I began to build my list by offering free graphics on my site and have over 250 subscribers just to that.

I know list building is crucial to making it online so I’m going to focus more on list building for 2010. I know many of you get into information overload so it seems very difficult to multitask or do work in many areas when your time is limited. If I find myself in this situation being home full time, then I can imagine most of you working full time jobs and then immediately getting frustrated when you get online and see the many things you have to do.

I’ve talked on planning before but I feel it most important because if I don’t know where I’m going, then I don’t know which set of directions to follow. I will plan out a very simple business system and then explain it all here on my blog soon. No more missing months of posts because I have forgotten who got me where I am in the first place. Those people include yourself.

So it’s time to give back and lay my planning out on the table for all of you to see and please feel free to add things that help you or let me know of those things that slow you down. The power of many will outweigh me trying to do all of this on my own. When I have my simple plan, you will all see it along with the results.

I’ve had a great Christmas and New Years, have had some great success online, have lost some dear family members and friends, and have learned to love a little bit more. I am reminded of why I’m doing this in the first place which is to live to love my family and provide well for them. Money is not as important as people so begin your online ventures by helping somebody and see what happens. That is after all how I started.

I’ve watched several of my fellow online students create great success for themselves and make it a point to try to break down their business models.  It’s by doing this that I have learned the best software and scripts to use and how to make most things automated to successfully run an business.  It sure helps if you have the skills to implement it quickly like these people but I think what made them the most successful was dedication and persistence.

These people never gave up and didn’t lose track of their goals.  By planning first and setting goals, they were given the correct directions to make it to their destination.  I hope with some dedications and persistance of my own, that I can come out with a product that people want and need plus as an end result make some spending money.  It’s hard to focus on making a living online when you wonder where the next rent payment is coming from.

Plan, plan, and plan some more.  Set goals for yourself and keep track of how well you accomplish them.  If you need to plan more time to complete goals then do so but never stop.  I promise that if you don’t stop then you will succeed.  If anything you will make some great friends online like I have and learn a ton.  Now I have to go and implement what I’ve learned and if all goes well I can share it with you.  Until next time…

Though working from home sounds great to most of you, there must come a realization that if you don’t do the work then you won’t get paid.  Sounds simple right?  With so many ideas in my head and with the tons of emails I get each and every day, it is no doubt difficult to find the time to do everything that I want to do.

So even though my graphics business is going well, the fact remains that I can only do so much work during any given day and I realized that I am not able to please everybody.  This quite simply made me sad since I wanted to be one of those people online who could help everybody who needed it.

Of course I could become a workaholic and neglect my family, church, and other responsibilities but that isn’t why I decided to work online.  I decided to work online to change my lifestyle first and bank account second.  I’ve been told countless times to spend less time on email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites so that I can get my work done.

It makes perfect sense that the fastest way to make money online is by providing a service which my good friend Rob Canyon has interviewed me about and wholeheartedly preaches over at his blog at EscapeToProsperity.com.  Most of you are trying to create a product to sell online but by providing a service first, the money will come much quicker.

The services I provide as a graphic designer put me in contact with so many fabulous Internet marketers and I get a chance to see how they run their businesses and many times I get a chance to get one on one time with great gurus who charge hundreds for their time.  A win win for me to say the least.  As I ask questions and implement what they teach me, I will share this with you.

Although I provide great graphics, I still have a lot to learn about running a business in general.  Proper business skills will help tremendously as you grow your own business forward.  I am lucky enough to have several friends who have helped me as they have started and grown businesses in the past and present.

I have seen and watched many of you struggle and succeed online and as we all learn and grow together, I encourage you to let me know exactly what you are struggling with and also what you have had success with.  Maybe others who come to read this post will have something to contribute or something to gain.  Either way, I want to be committed to not only providing a great service but get into providing online products that will help you to move forward.

I am impressed by those who can see the big picture and appreciate when they reveal their wisdom to help out those who are in need.  Social media is not about the numbers but rather the interaction of one on one.  If I can give you any advice right now, I would say get to know some people online personally.  It’s been by this personal one on one time that I’ve grown the most.

I’ve learned more by individual consultation with others opposed to learning by some mass instruction.  I’ve learned that the gurus online don’t have any real big secrets.  They simply know how to act and how to get others to act.  As I continue to learn the basics and on into the advanced strategies that build successful businesses I will create products that will help you to move forward.

I want to thank all of you who have encouraged me and helped me along my journey.  Although I’m far from making the kind of money that’s possible online, I at least am making money.  I’ve beaten that 95 to 99% who never make anything so if you are discouraged, try offering a service and see if that can’t pay off for you.

Even if you are completely new to your service try offering a discount and as you get more clients, you will improve upon your skill.  Ask for testimonials in exchange for free work and you will begin to leverage the power of marketing online.  Create something for free in exchange for a name and email and be sure to follow up with them.  As you build up your list of subscribers and continue to offer value, you will be able to market products and services to them.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed at times so make sure to pick out two or three important tasks a day and stick to them no matter what.  Begin to plan your day out and make goals for yourself.  I find on days where I have no goals, not much gets done.

So leave me comments on your successes and failures.  I promise to comment on each and every one so I can get back to that interaction that helps produce successful marketers and even joint ventures!  Until next time…

I’m trying to take what Alex Jeffreys has taught me and improve upon it each and every day.  And now that I’ve seen exactly how to get money in my bank account, there’s no turning back.

Yeah I’m doing it just like a lot of you want to be doing but I want this to be more of a reality post than a get rich quick post because for me, it was a lot of work to get here and I’m just getting started.

Here are some stats for you just so you know. I made a total of a whopping $154 in April and then $252 in May. Then I made $389 in June and then in July made $1520.  This is how I did it.

Up until April 13th I was going around to blogs and “giving” away free graphics work just to get my name out there and to communicate with other blog owners about making money online.  I then made my first sale to Adam Spiel who needed some work for a Twitter background.

Now the whole time I was giving away graphics, my good friend Gary Simpson, aka GazzMan suggested that I make a website and start charging people for my services.  The rest is history as I got that site up and continued to offer my services to anyone who needed help.

And all I did was add a payment button and a viral storm took off.

So do you notice a little difference in each of the numbers of earnings for each month? Thought so. Now I’m not bragging by any means because you see that the amounts aren’t staggering but guess what?

I made money online! Yes I sure did, and now have beaten that 95-99% who never make a nickel and end up quitting.

Also note that I had a full time job just until last month and now that I quit and am dedicated to working my online business, success just keeps on coming.

Now the whole purpose of this post is products versus services and I’ll be the first to tell you that most all of the money I’ve made is with providing online services.  Making graphics for ecovers and minisites is what I do.

Now most of you won’t be able to sell services like what I have done but rather products that you create or promote as an affiliate. I have started offering graphics services and people have been flooding to me like crazy and guess what?

I love it cause I’m doing it at my pace and my name is spreading all over the internet like crazy. I’m making JV partnerships and friends all over the world and I know when the time comes for me to launch a product of my own, my fellow students and friends in the IM world will be there for me.

Now I know that I’ve been working one on one with people and that’s not a great use of leverage but while I provide a service to people, I sure will leverage my association with them when the time comes.

You can spend the time to make a product and sell it over and over again but until you create that product, there is no cash flow happening so for now my cash flow is service based.  I know chasing money is the wrong way to go about making money online so I’ve let all of my services to others be viral based.

In other words, I don’t pay for advertising and I don’t pimp my business all over the place.  I’ve been offering my help wherever I can and in turn, people come looking for me to do their work.  Pretty neat eh?

In the future, there will be a happy medium. And as I’ve seen my earnings online increase, I have seen how I’ve done it and now know how to do it even faster and be more productive while doing it.

This is why I’ve posted my earnings above. I want you all to see that I’m no huge online guru but every bit of earnings I make is always made by adding just one more dollar and my list grows by just one more person.

So please realize that everything is done one by one. As soon as you learn and implement what you were taught, find ways to make it more productive for you and your business.

I pulled in around $3000 a month at my regular day job and I’ve just made half of that online in a short amount of time.

So whether you provide products or services or both, keep your eye on the ball and try to provide the best of whatever you decide to do because in the end, it’s your reputation.

Remember that the money is not in your product or service but it’s in you. Until next time…

People begging for money and trash in every corner.  I wondered how a city so beautiful can be this trashy at the same time.  It’s proof that whatever you want to find in any place on earth you can find if you just stop to look around and pay attention.  The same is true with people.  You can either think that the so called “Gurus” are non approachable or you can decide that you will make the effort to stop and take the time to see what is inside of these people.

This brings me to Omar Martin.  I went out to Las Vegas to meet up with my mentor Alex Jeffreys and attend Mike Filsaimes Butterfly Marketing Workshop.  Alex gave us 25 to 30 students some great information and some great training.  He has kept giving as his mentoring program has been finished for awhile now.  I met up with him and some of the action takers he has produced (meaning us students.)

Paula Brett, (hi sweetie) introduced me and some others to Omar Martin, one of Mike Filsaime’s business partners.  As a internet selling newbie myself, I felt like I was in the presence of royalty or something  much like when I saw Alex and Mike but it was a lot different because I decided to start talking with Omar Martin.

The guy was personable and polite.  He was funny and outgoing.  I could see the passion in this guys eyes when he talked of his wife and their desire to have a baby, and of his story from nothing to something.  You see, all of this took place in the social scenes of Las Vegas.  We were not at a convention or seminar.  This all took place at the bar.

Now Alex had taught us that business happens at the bar but I was not sure exactly what that meant until it actually happened.  Not only did I receive what I consider a piece of gold by Omar giving me an advanced copy of Internet Selling For Newbies but he gave me a friend.  I spent the entire night with with this guy and several other of us students of Alex’s.

I picked his brain every chance I could and in every instance he gave the most candid and honest answers I’ve ever heard from someone who has made it online.  Needless to say, by nights end ( or should I say morning ) I had received more information in a social night with Omar than I did with my own mentor  Alex Jeffreys and Mike Filsaime.

In his generosity I found a copy of Internet Selling For Newbies which he gave to a select few of us.  I wasn’t able to immediately go through the material until I came home.  After all, I was in Las Vegas.  I was impressed with the classroom style of teaching during the videos and the easy to follow assignments.  This indeed is a course that even most of us who have been online for a while now could use.

I really wish I could have recorded the conversations about internet marketing that Omar had with us because after speaking with him, I had so many ideas and a clearer focus as to what I need to do to succeed online.  Some of you come to this blog as my peers to discuss business and to have fun with each other but for those of you who feel that you really are a newbie as I do should get a copy of Internet Selling For Newbies as soon as it’s available June 16th.

Omar is proof that you can go from nothing to something in only 18 months.  The number one thing I saw in him that distinguishes him from the others is that he is persistent and pushed forward even when he failed.  He did not blame anyone or anything for his failures but himself.  I think most of us quit at that place where the scale is just about to tip in our favor only to turn around because of frustration and fear.

It would have been easy to be one of those people who say, “Yeah, you only succeeded because you work with Mike Filsaime.”  But the truth is that Omar succeeded because he never gave up and he went to those who knew more than he did to get the answers he needed.  He also took his adversity and make them strengths.  He is one guy I would love to emulate.

Those of you who are willing to do something about your future will see the results without a doubt.  You must be willing to be sociable and step out of your comfort zones.  I did and it paid off big time.  Thanks Omar for the copy of Internet Selling For Newbies and for the fun time we had in Las Vegas.  You truly are one to watch.  Until next time…

His interactive video webinars are perfect and have helped me tremendously but there was something more I needed.  If you haven’t heard of Sara Brown and Tony Shepherd yet then you’ll be in for a treat.  These two have quietly made over six figures for many years by being honest, trustworthy and obviously dedicated to helping others to succeed in their online businesses.

What they have is exactly what I needed.  These two work together as a team and provide a weekly step by step “do this, do that” weekly training provided in PDF form to teach you exactly their methods of starting and building a successful online business.  Their fantastic product is “Internet Marketing Kickstart Course.”

I have been using Sara Brown’s and Tony Shepherds Internet Marketing Kickstart Course for two months now and I find their work awesome!  Amazingly their weekly lessons go hand in hand with the great coaching Alex Jeffreys gives me. 

 
One thing Alex has taught me by example is that you should have more than one mentor.  He used Mike Filsaime and Rich Shefren as just a couple of examples.  I love the fact that the Internet Marketing Kickstart Course comes in weekly lessons giving ample time to implement the lessons.

The price is a measly $27.00 a month for a full year of content.  That’s 52 complete awesome lessons that take you by the hand and guide you through from start to finish how Sara and Tony build and implement their online businesses. 

I can tell you for a fact that $27.00 for this course every month is a drop in the bucket and way under priced!  It is a must have for all those who are Alex’s students along with anyone else interested in no hype straight forward coaching that will help you succeed.

This post is in no way simply an advertisement for Internet Marketing Kickstart Course but a true testimonial from someone using it and having success from it.  Every lesson is jam packed with anywhere from 17 to 30 pages of high quality content that gives it to you straight.  I love that too!  It’s not too long and you don’t get overwhelmed with all of the tasks you need to do.

The lessons go in perfect order so you don’t accidentally do something before you are supposed to and I just want to say again that I highly recommend this product.  So before you go wasting more money on promises and hype, you might want to really go and check out “Internet Marketing Kickstart Course.”  You will not be disappointed.

When I come across true mentors who know what they are doing and are willing to help me succeed, it gives me the motivation and desire to continue to succeed.  If you are still on the fence about making a living online, try giving Sara Brown and Tony Shepherd a chance.  I did and I’ll never forget the value they have provided me and continue to provide.  Until next time…

Please visit Internet Marketing Kickstart Course to learn how to “really succeed online.”

In this case I am providing a need to people who are not quite sure how to get the most out of their computers.  I realize that your computer is a potential workhorse and it’s capabilities far exceeds the ability of mortal man.  When properly used, one person in their bedroom at home can replicate the ability of an entire company.

With so many software applications and programs, it can be fun to set up a real online business that is profitable for you.  So many people skimp on just the basics which result in complete and total failure.  If you are on a limited budget which most of us are, it will be beneficial for you to pick up a copy of my new book free of charge of course!

What’s explained in the book is the result of over 5 years online and the necessary tools that I use to run my online business.  Some of you may be using other great resources that I can include in this book to make it not only better but more valuable to those reading it.  I admit my online business is not fully implemented and as I learn and acquire knowledge, revisions will be made.

Other than the programs that I already use I encourage those of you who are using special tools and software that help in your online business to let me know what those tools are and how beneficial they are to you and your online business.  If worthy I will add your tool or software to my book with reference to you and your website and I’ll include you in my resources section of this blog.

I do not wish to be spammed to death with affiliate links or promotions but simply honest responses to help my first free ebook be worthy of the title, “The Power Of Virtual Leverage, Getting Your Computer To Work For You.”

Providing value is of the most importance as I have already created my first version and have the graphics already completed.  You’ll see it for free on the right of this post as you must sign up to receive it, “Remember, this is business.”  Please let me know what you think and please don’t hesitate to help me make it more complete.  You will be rewarded.  Until next time…

Both sell burgers and fries but what is the money maker?  Other than the slight differences in their taste, they are basically both just burger and fry stores.  The difference is their branding.  They go all out to market themselves as “different” than everybody else.  Their colors, logos, commercials, etc.. differentiate themselves from the rest.

Your online business is the same.  Other than the products you create you must also be able to brand yourself so that people begin to know who you are and can start to build a relationship with you.  I am willing to purchase things from people who I feel I “know” other than a complete stranger.  Do you see what I mean.

Now I’m not the best looking guy in world but I’m sure you’ve noticed that my picture is on my header graphic and on one of my books that I give away.  If you have seen my peel away ad in the top right corner of this website, then you have seen my face again.  I am not stuck on myself but am simply trying to brand myself so people can begin to have a real relationship with me.

I want people to know me and trust me.  That’s what this blog is all about.  Know who I am, see what I do, it’s all out there for everyone to see.  I bet Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds started so many chain stores, not because of his great food, but for the relationships and honesty he created with investors and other individuals.  The same applies to you and your online business.

So the next time you purchase a resale rights or private label rights product, how are you going to make it unique?  I suggest adding your personal branding to it so that it provides more honesty and value.  Create newsletters and be personal.  Share yourself with your prospects and the more they get to know you, the more likely they will eventually purchase from you.

If you don’t get your name and face out there, people won’t know who you are and the less likely they will be willing to share their hard earned money with you.  Yes the value of products is important but remember you are building a business and people want to know who they are working with or paying their money to.  In a virtual world it is still important to build relationships and trust.  Until next time…

For those of you who don’t know I have been trying to make money online for the past five years or so.  I have done a variety of programs and purchased a number of books over the years but have not had success at any of them.

Every single one of them made tons of cash for other people but why not me?  The answer is simple now as I had not been taught correctly that I needed simple business skills in order to succeed.  “Just plug it in and it will make cash”, they said.

What nobody ever tells you is that you need to implement their plug and play system in just the right way in order to pull in sales.  With so many other people selling the same system, it makes perfect sense that these people would not want to share exactly “how” they get their sales in the first place.

That’s why it is so important that you learn about business in general.  I know this scares a lot of you but it is true.  Too many people want to give their money over for the “perfect” money making thing” or the “get rich quick” business but what they don’t realize is the system behind putting that hype out there is the real money maker.

I promise you if you stop purchasing products and start paying attention to how products are made, presented and delivered, you will begin to see the real money making potential that you can soon replicate.  Over the years I have purchased tons of products online and now that my blinders are off, I can see that virtually all of the business systems are the same, each with small variations.

The most powerful tool you have other than yourself is that machine you are staring at right now.  The abilities of your computer are endless and it is so funny that most people just use it to browse and purchase stuff or chat with their online friends.  Tons of people simply just play games on their computers.

You have a virtual workhorse in front of you and it’s your job now to use it for business.  Yes, a “real” business.  Find out the tools, software, and resources to put that computer to it’s potential.  That potential is to replicate yourself and your business system over and over again, building relationships, providing value, and ultimately making sales.

As I learn from my mentor Alex Jeffreys, I will be providing the much needed business skills for all of you to see.  So many people online are just looking for answers and I want to provide those answers as I learn them myself.  So stay tuned and until next time…