The Solopreneur Life Blog

The 4 best ways on how to create passive income with no money

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 22:36:01 GMT

Learn how to create passive income with no money...

Learning how to create passive income with no money is not easy... It's taken me years and a lot of trial and error to figure it out.

But first, I should probably define passive income so we are all on the same page.

Growing up my father owned his own business along with my grandfather before him. As I watched these men and their friends over the years, I began to notice something.

Those who were truly financially independent, owned their own business. And, not just any business, they all had businesses that made money even if they were not present. If they were sick or on vacation their business still made money.

This is what people call PASSIVE INCOME.

And over the years, I've learned that true financial freedom is usually only achieved by those who figure out how to establish passive income sources. Research shows that most millionaires have 7 or more sources of income.

To restate, passive income is when you can generate revenue even though you are not present ( you stop trading dollars for hours ). That way you’re always making money, you can never be laid off, sick, or injured.

When I first started trying to figure this passive income thing out I made the most common mistake. I tried to create passive income streams from scratch.

I created my own website, tried to grow my followers, create great content, set up a way to buy digital products... etc, etc, etc... And sure I eventually started to make some money.

But remember the old quote, "A penny saved is a penny earned". Well, the problem is it takes a lot of time and money to do it this way and the original question was "How to create passive income with no money?"

Long story short, I eventual figured it out... So it is possible you just need to know a few key principles:

Don't try and reinvent the wheel (2 Parts) - First, you don't have the funds to start from scratch, so use other existing platforms that already have a customer base (piggyback off their work)... Second, model someone who's already done it. Mistakes cost money and time, you can't afford either...
Marketing is expensive - Marketing is always one of the most expensive parts of a business plan... If done right the ROI is awesome, the problem is you don't have the funds to figure it out (and no matter what, it always takes some trial and error to get right)... So you need to find platforms that market for you.
Finally, use what you already have - You already have resources so use those first, then when you're making something (and not before) use your profits to grow.

People always put the cart before the horse when they're starting a new business and get all excited with the preparing phase and spend way to much on tools, etc...

First profits then expansion.

So, what are the 4 best ways on how to create passive income with no money?

Well, not only am I going to tell you, but I went one step further and created a step-by-step (over-the-shoulder)video training showing you how to do it.

So hear you go:

#1- The World’s Biggest eBook Marketplace

With millions of downloads per day, it’s an untapped goldmine for Solopreneurs, like us, to make a lot of money.

What if you can get your ebooks exposed to literally millions of people on a day to day basis? With this platform you can. And you don’t need to be a marketing genius to succeed with it. The platform allows you to set it up to run on autopilot, where they do all the marketing for you and I show you just how to do that in my video tutorials:

CLICK HERE To Discover How To Create Passive Income Through Self-Publishing

#2 - The Holy Grail For Those Who Teach

Start selling what you know online... How about not having to mess with all the technical aspects of building a website and driving traffic… This platform has over 3,000,000 students who are active on the site. That’s right - 3 million!

By teaching on it you can easily tap into that ever-expanding pool of eager students. You do not have to advertise your class, the platform is popular enough for students to find your class and enroll easily. Most classes gain students organically.

CLICK HERE To Discover How To Sell Your Knowledge For Passive Profits

#3 - Coaches and Trainers Are In Huge Demand

20 million students. That’s the recent amount of people enrolled on this platform to take online courses. This number keeps on increasing every year and is set to double by 2020. College students, businessmen and everyday people come to Udemy every single day to learn and improve their skills in various fields.

Buyers are waiting for you to sell them something. That’s why they are there after all! But what can you coach or train them on? Anything… and I mean it. If you can think of it, then there’s a niche for it. The beauty of this platform is that there are already millions of people searching for help everyday. The traffic is already there.

CLICK HERE To Discover How To Scale Your Coaching Business For Passive Profits

#4 - Getting Paid By People Who Really Watch & Enjoy Your Videos

If you’re a creative person who loves making video content, do you know that you can turn your passion into a steady flow of passive income? No, I’m not talking about getting paid for the ads that run before your videos… or in the middle of your videos that annoys everyone like on Youtube.

Just like how a movie producer makes a profit... Imagine turning your movies, short video clips, or even your existing Youtube videos into an ongoing passive income for a lifetime! A new platform that lets you get paid for every piece of video content you upload.

CLICK HERE To Discover How To Sell Your Digital Videos

Well, there you have it... 4 of the best ways on how to create passive income with no money.

You can now go and figure out all the details, but like most people that try to figure things out on their own, they end up wasting a lot of time, get frustrated and end up quiting.

That’s because they spin their wheels, follow bad advice, and just don’t get the right roadmap to success. My video series was designed to prevent that from happening… When you get the training today, you watch over the shoulder… and then you replicate it.

It’s THAT simple.

So there you have it... The 4 best ways on how to create passive income with no money... The balls in your court now, what are you going to do with it?

Niche Marketing Examples

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

10 super successful niche marketing examples.

Here's a list of 10 niche marketing examples that became super successful... This list was complied from past posts.

Niche Marketing Example 1: Martin Bruckner’s Spaghetti Toes

OK, you’re going to love this niche art business.

Martin Bruckner lives in Omaha, Nebraska with his wife and daughter.

Bruckner launched a Tumblr site — Spaghetti Toes — that’s dedicated to the absurd things he hears under his roof on a daily basis. I’ll let him explain:

Some are said by me, some by my wife, but most by my wonderful 2-year-old daughter, Harper Grace.

The name ‘Spaghetti Toes’ comes from my wife saying to my daughter ‘Please don’t put spaghetti between your toes’ at the dinner table. I said to my wife, ‘Did you actually just say those words?’ and Spaghetti Toes was born.”

So how is this a niche business?

Well, Bruckner creates drawings that are based on the stuff he hears. He then collected the drawings and published a book. Now he sells his art on Etsy at a store called Harp & Squirrel .

At the Etsy shop you also can submit one of your kids’ quotes, and Bruckner will create a custom piece of artwork (the angry eyebrows piece was made for a customer). Harp & Squirrel also sells custom-designed burp cloths and pacifiers.

Want to learn how to create passive income as an artist? Click Here

————

Niche Marketing Example 2: A Niche Business That Helps the Planet

If you’re like me, you’d love to create a sustainable business that helps the planet.

Matt and Jill Reed of Portland, Oregon, have done it.

Matt caught “bee fever” in 2008 when he came home and found a struggling bee on a windowsill.

He gave it heated honey on a plate. The bee devoured the honey and flew away. Four hours later, bees began showing up at the Reeds’ apartment.

Matt was inspired, and one month later he had his first beehive. He built more beehives and began blogging about beekeeping. People contacted him about purchasing hives, so he created Bee Thinking, which sells beekeeping supplies, bee swarm-removal services, beekeeping classes, and hive consultations to beekeeping hobbyists.

Bee Thinking sells foundation-less beehives that it builds in its mill in Portland. Bee Thinking uses kiln-dried Western Red Cedar from the Pacific Northwest. In addition to selling products, the business provides how-to information at its website and at the Bee Thinking YouTube page .

Jill is a poet, writing instructor, and co-editor of Winged: New Writing on Bees, a forthcoming anthology of modern literary writing about honeybees.

Sometimes the Niche Finds You

The Reeds’ experience is an example of the niche finding you, not you finding the niche. First, they had an interest in bees. Then, the market asked him to meet a need. More often in solopreneurship, a person wants to start a business. Then she looks for a niche and tries to uncover a need it can meet for the niche.

Saving the Plant

So, how are the Reeds helping to save the planet? They’re trying to reverse the decline of the planet’s bee population.

Bee pollination is critical to plant and animal life. Between 1947 and 2005, the number of bee colonies in the United States declined by more than 50 percent, from 5.9 million to 2.4 million, according to HoneyLove.org, a nonprofit that inspires and educates new, urban beekeepers. Researchers say the disappearance is likely due to a combination of viruses, pesticides, and contaminated water, which makes bees more susceptible to everything from stress to parasitic mites.

Want to create your own niche business that also helps the planet? Click Here

Sources

1. The Christian Science Monitor, “Chelsea and Rob McFarland Lure People Into a Sweet Science: Beekeeping”
2. HoneyLove.org
3. BeeThinking.com

————

Niche Marketing Example 3: Photos of Dead Outlaws

The entrance to the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota is on the left side of this photo

And September 7, 1876, was Sumner’s lucky day. That’s when an eight-man gang of outlaws were foiled in their attempt to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota.

The robbers included legendary criminals Jesse James, Frank James, and the three Younger brothers: Cole, Jim, and Bob. Two members of the gang — Clell Miller and Bill Chadwell — were killed during the raid. The others escaped.

The day after the robbery attempt, the shirtless bodies of Miller and Chadwell were hauled up to Sumner’s second-story studio in downtown Northfield. The 31-year-old Sumner, a native of Coral, Illinois, propped up the dead men in sitting positions and made at least five exposures.[1]

The Miller photo is remarkable. Author Mark Lee Gardner describes it well:[2]

Clell Miller’s eyes were frozen in a look of surprise. A dark ribbon of dried blood flowed down from a jagged hole in Miller upper chest and he had large welts on his forehead where Elias Stacy had peppered him with a shotgun.

Chadwell’s photo isn’t as expressive as Miller’s. Gardner writes:

Chadwell seemed to glare, his narrow eyes fixed in a look of defiance. He had a small hole above his heart…and the dried blood ran in a straight line to his waistband.

(The Sumner photos are easy to find; just do an online search of the gang-member’s name.)

Sumner — knowing that public interest in the Northfield raid was enormous — made postcards from the exposures. But Sumner couldn’t have imagined the demand: he sold more than 50,000 in the two months following the raid. If Sumner sold the postcards at 5 cents apiece, he grossed at least $50,000 in today’s dollars.

Two weeks later a third member of the gang (Charlie Pitts) was killed and the Younger brothers were wounded and captured. Word of Sumner’s success must have traveled quickly because a photographer in Mankato, Minnesota made exposures of:

• Pitts (shirtless with eyes open), who was killed by a bullet to his chest

• Cole Younger, who was wounded by a bullet that lodged behind his right eye

• Bob Younger, who was unscathed; and

• Jim Younger, who took a bullet to the mouth but survived

The Youngers’ sister Henrietta came to Faribault, Minnesota, when her brothers were awaiting trial. Sumner sensed a new opportunity. He believed a portrait of the outlaws’ teenage sister would be another moneymaker. He offered Henrietta $500 if she would sit before his camera (roughly $10,000 in today’s dollars), but she turned him down.

Sumner died in 1918 and is buried in Northfield’s Oaklawn Cemetery.[3] But his work lives on.

In 2007 a Colorado man named Benjamin Nystuen donated 12 of Sumner’s glass-plate negatives to the Northfield Historical Society. The negatives are considered priceless.

Nystuen received the negatives in 1985 from his father, Elmer Nystuen, who operated the Phillips 66 gas station in Northfield between 1928 and 1948. Elmer got them from Stuart Sumner. He was the son of Ira Sumner. Stuart Sumner gave the negatives to Nystuen’s father, a friend, either to repay a debt or for safekeeping.

Want to learn how to create passive income from your own photos? Click Here

Sources

1. Minnesota Historical Society Directory of Photographers
2. “Shot All to Hell,” by Mark Lee Gardner, 2013
3. Find A Grave, Ira Emerrill Sumner
4. “Alumnus donates James-Younger Gang images to Northfield,” by Nancy Ashmore, May 30, 2007

—————

Niche Marketing Example 4: The Goalie Coach Who Found a Niche on the Ice

The Niche: Teaching young hockey players in Finland how to be goaltenders.

The Man: He’s called the High Priest, the Yoda, the Obi-Wan-Kenobi, The Oracle, The Zenmaster of goalie coaches.

Urpo Ylönen (right) works with one of his first standout pupils, Miikka Kiprusoff, who played for Calgary in the NHL.

His name is Urpo Ylönen. People call him Upi. He lives on the southwest coast of Finland in the city of Turku. He’s an unassuming 70-year-old. His office is a sheet of ice.

He uses unconventional methods to teach a unique style of goaltending. (Who knew there was a different way to stop a puck?) And his work over the past 20 years is yielding the finest goaltenders in the world. Consider:

• Before 2002, no Finnish goaltender had ever held a starting role in the National Hockey League. But suddenly a country with a population of 5.4 million people was producing one-sixth of the NHL’s starting goalies.

• In the last five Olympics, Finland has won more medals (4) in mens hockey than any other country.

• In January Finland won the World Junior Championships, an annual tournament for players who are under 20 years old.

Last week one of the Finnish goalies, Tuukka Rask, stoned Team USA in the bronze-medal game at the Olympics, as Finland routed the Americans, 5-0. A few days earlier, Rask and the Finns defeated Russia.

If you connect the dots…one man’s work has changed the balance of power in international hockey. How about that?

Upi’s knowledge came from careful study of the world’s best goaltenders. Beginning in 1963 and continuing for 14 years, he was Finland’s goalie for international competitions. As The Atlantic observes, during the 14 years he spent playing for Finland in international competition, Upi was exposed to every goaltending style of the era.

He melded the styles and in the process developed a philosophy of goaltending that’s uniquely his.

The hockey world now travels to Turku, trying to divine how Upi does it. A few hockey programs, including next-door-neighbor Sweden, are trying to duplicate the organizational training system that Upi has built in Finland. But the man is cagey. He’s not giving away his secrets. He says he teaches fundamentals. He says he teaches a mind-set.

Note that he considers himself a teacher, not a coach. Maybe that’s his secret.

————

Niche Marketing Example 5: A New Niche That Revolutionized Major League Baseball

Niches can meet known or unknown needs.

The latter was the case with Bill James, who in 1977 was working as a night watchman at a Van Camp’s pork-and-beans cannery in Kansas City when he began his assault on Major League Baseball’s conventional wisdom.

Bill James

James, a solopreneur in every sense of the word, created a new niche that eventually:

• Changed the way professional sports in America are managed and played

• Inspired a multi-million-dollar sports-data industry

• Spurred the creation of a political website that uses James’s principles to predict election results

• Helped break an 86-year-old jinx

• Led to the creation of a movie starring Brad Pitt

How did it happen?

Stories Used to Explain Stats

Bill James was born in 1949 in Holton, Kansas. He earned English and economics degrees from the University of Kansas and then enrolled in the U.S. Army in 1971. After leaving the army, James was an aspiring writer and obsessive baseball fan.

So he began writing esoteric essays about baseball. A typical James piece posed a question (“Who was faster: Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays?”), and then presented data and analysis written in an informative, humorous style that offered an answer.

A Triumph of Self-Publishing

Editors at baseball publications in the 1970s considered James’s pieces so unusual that they were unsuitable for their readers. (Ironically, many of those publications now are out of business; they would be data powerhouses today if they’d recognized and capitalized on the potential of James’s work.)

Copies of the first editions of Bill James’s “Baseball Abstract”

Unfazed by the rejections, James placed a bet on himself in 1977: he self-published a book titled “The Baseball Abstract.” The cover said: “Featuring 18 categories of statistical information that you just can’t find anywhere else.”

The book presented 80 pages of in-depth statistics compiled from James’s study of box scores from the preceding season. James offered the book for sale through a small ad in The Sporting News.

Sales were:

1977, 75

1978, 325

1979, 600

1980, 750 (including an order from Norman Mailer. James returned Mailer’s five-dollar check, but Mailer sent it back to James with a note: “If ever an author earned his five dollars, you have.”)[1]

As of 1981, James hadn’t cracked the $10,000 barrier yet for revenue. “It’s been discouraging,” he said “but not as discouraging as having to get out of bed in the morning and go off to work.”[2]

Then two things happened:

• National media found him. Esquire magazine asked James to write a baseball previews. Sports Illustrated published a long, admiring review that said, “James softens the relentless march of statistics with his writing, which is spry and graceful.” (When SI interviewed James, it said he was working out of “the tiniest room in the tiniest house in Lawrence, Kansas.”)

• James’s bold predictions regarding player performance ended up being correct.[3]

By 1982, Ballantine agreed to publish and distribute future editions. James’s reputation took flight soon thereafter.

The Book of James

I first read Baseball Abstract in the early 1980s. I was a baseball fan, a stats freak, and I played APBA Baseball[4] for countless hours. James’s writing blew my mind. His viewpoints went against everything I thought I knew. His writing was heresy, the baseball equivalent of being told the Earth wasn’t flat:

• RBIs are a grossly overrated statistic

• Fielding averages are worthless (James said field average is “an excellent measure of a player’s ability to get out of the way of a potential error”)

• Bases on balls correlate to winning more than home runs do

Essentially, James was saying to the baseball establishment: for 100 years you’ve been using flawed information to draft, play, and pay your baseball players. Time has proven that he was correct.

James’s approach eventually came to be known as sabermetrics. Attempts to imitate James’s work spawned a torrent of books, articles, games, and websites that continues to this day.

The Ultimate Validation

By the late 1990s, people who grew up reading James’s work began reaching decision-making positions with Major League Baseball teams.

One of those teams was the 2004 Boston Red Sox, which employed James as a consultant and hired sabermetrics believer and whiz kid Theo Epstein as its general manager. The 2004 Red Sox won their first World Series title since 1918, thereby breaking the “Curse of the Bambino.”[5]

The Red Sox triumph was the ultimate validation of James’s work.

Sports franchises are copycats, and every MLB team began using James-based principles. Sabermetrics spread to basketball, football, soccer, and then beyond sports.

Applied to Politics

Eventually a baseball sabermetrics pro named Nate Silver applied statistical models to the study of politics, particularly elections, and published the results on his blog FiveThirtyEight.com, which has developed partnerships with The New York Times and ABC News.

The Brad Pitt Connection

Author Michael Lewis wrote “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” which was published in 2003. “Moneyball” told the story of the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. “Moneyball” focused on the team’s sabermetric approach to assembling a competitive baseball team, despite being a “small-market,” low-revenue franchise.

The 2011 film “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, was based on the book.

Why Bill James Succeeded

Bill James wasn’t the first individual to analyze baseball statistics in new ways. Indeed there were other people crunching numbers in their basements in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Why did James’s work catch on when other people’s didn’t?

1. He had an obsessive passion for his subject.

2. He fearlessly challenged conventional wisdom.

3. He didn’t try to appeal to a mass audience. “I was very happy to spend eight pages discussing how many camels could rest in the on-deck circle of a theoretical ballpark. Some people liked it, some people didn’t.”

4. By sprinking analysis onto a commodity (raw data), he created a valuable asset. The dominant baseball publication of the 1970s, “The Baseball Encyclopedia,” traded in commodities. James’s stuff was value-added. In the introduction to one of his books he writes: “This is an effort to put on record a couple of types of information which escape the Encyclopedias…I figure that I sell two things, a novel way of looking at the statistics which brings out insights you can’t get otherwise and the general truths which emerge from that.”

5. He took risks (shopping his first articles to publications).

6. He didn’t let rejection stop him.

7. He was extremely self-reliant (self-publishing was rare in 1977).

8. He possessed unwaivering belief in his work.

9. He used proof and storytelling to sell his ideas.

10. He created a community, the Society for American Baseball Research, for the study of baseball analytics. It’s a rabid community with a membership of more than 7,000. SABR has taken baseball analytics further than James could’ve himself.

Today, James still writes books and provides advice to baseball teams. He publishes a subscription-based website, BillJamesOnline.com.

Want to learn how to speed publish your own books? Click Here

References

[1] Sports Illustrated, “He Does It By the Numbers,” Okrent, Daniel, May 25, 1981

[2] Sports Illustrated, “He Does It By the Numbers,” Okrent, Daniel, May 25, 1981

[3] APBA Baseball was a baseball-simulation table game that used cards to represent each major league player, boards to represent different on-base scenarios, and dice to generate random numbers.

[4] The Curse of the Bambino was baseball lore that evolved from the failure of the Boston Red Sox to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004. The curse supposedly was the result of the Red Sox owner Harry Frazee selling Babe Ruth (the Bambino) to the New York Yankees in order to finance the production of a Broadway musical.

[5] In 1981, James correctly predicted that Fred Lynn’s offensive production would fall dramatically after being traded from hitter-friendly Fenway Park to pitcher-friendly Anaheim Stadium. James was one of the first people to identify that specific ballparks significantly affect players’ statistics; today it’s a given.

———

Niche Marketing Example 6: The Chair Guy at Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas

You could go a long way and not find a cooler niche business than this one: Derek Kipe, the Chair Guy, rents folding chairs to people standing in the legendary line for Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas.

The line starts here for Franklin Barbecue. (Photo: FranklinBarbecue.com )

Kipe charges $5 per rental, with a shade umbrella included at no extra charge. Renters get to use the chairs until they reach the barbecue entrance.

Of course, Kipe wouldn’t be in business if Franklin Barbecue wasn’t special.

In 2011, Bon Appetit named Franklin Barbecue the best barbecue spot in the country and said owner Aaron Franklin is “a BBQ genius.”

Derek Kipe, the Chair Guy, rents chairs from his spot across the street from Franklin Barbecue. (Austin American-Statesman photo)

I first heard of Franklin Barbecue this morning from a friend of mine who was standing in line. He told me the first person in line got there at 6:01 a.m. Franklin opens at 11 a.m. and serves until they run out of food. They’re open Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays.

Kipe got the idea for the chair business while standing in line at Franklin Barbecue. “I said, ‘Why isn’t anyone renting chairs?'”

The Chair Guy uses Facebook, and his page says he launched the Chair Guy business on November 1, 2012. He joined Facebook April 17, 2013.

Here’s a sampling of his posts.

Today
Have a great Saturday. Enjoy the BBQ. As always comfort is key.

January 17, 2014
It’s going to be a great day. I’m here for you. I’m set up and ready to provide comfort. Enjoy your stay and some super BBQ.

Oct. 30, 2013
Have a good stay. No chair rental today. Mrs Chair Guy and I have new home dreams. I need attend. Hope to see you tomorrow.

Sept. 13, 2013
Have a great Friday the 13th. I’m set up, renting and ready. As always I’m here for your comfort. Free shade umbrella with chair rental.

Aug. 27, 2013
Chairs cleaned. I really feel a sense pride and it feels good. See you tomorrow.

Cleans chairs. The Chair Guy cleans the chairs on “Maintenance Monday.”

July 22, 2013
Monday=maintenance. All chairs are in good shape. See you tomorrow.

Aaron Franklin is no slouch at social media. He uses YouTube for a series of high-quality videos titled, “BBQ With Franklin.” Check out the brisket episode.

—————

Niche Marketing Example 7: 5-Hour Energy Went From Zero to $1 Billion in Less Than 10 Years

In my ongoing look at cool niche businesses and products, I take the measure of a product that launched a new niche market: the “energy shot.” It’s not the first product that’s taken the size tack; another is Tic Tac, the tiny breath-freshener product that was introduced in 1969.

The Need/Want: A small-portion energy drink
The Business: 5-Hour Energy
There are many ways to skin a niche. One is by size. That’s what Manoj Bhargava did when he created his now-ubiquitous, 2-ounce “energy-shot” product, 5-Hour Energy.

The idea for 5-Hour Energy came in 2003 when Bhargava attended a natural-products trade show in Anaheim, Calif. He told Forbes.com:

“At one booth, reps peddled a 16-ounce concoction claiming to boost productivity for hours. Bhargava took a swig. “For the next six or seven hours I was in great shape. I thought, Wow, this is amazing. I can sell this.”

Bhargava made three outside-the-box determinations at the start: he didn’t think a 16-ounce size would sell; he didn’t want to compete with Red Bull, leader in the energy-drink category; and he didn’t want to share fridge space with Coke or Pepsi. The answer was an energy drink sold in 2-ounce portions.

Bhargava still owns 5-Hour Energy through his privately held company, Living Essentials of Farmington Hills, Mich.

The company doesn’t report revenue or profits, but reports in the business press have estimated that more than $1 billion worth of 5-Hour Energy is sold annually, and Living Essentials nets roughly $300 million. (How about that? From zero sales to $1 billion in less than 10 years.)

As of 2012, 5-Hour Energy commanded 90 percent of the energy-shot niche market it created.

Bhargava, whose net worth is estimated at more than $1 billion, was born in India and moved to the United States in 1967 with his family when his father pursued a degree at Wharton.

——————

Niche Marketing Example 8: Diaper Genie

Niche businesses can be described in four words: See need. Meet need.

Consider diapers.

The Need? A convenient way to dispose of diapers.
The Business? Diaper Genie

Last week I went in for a haircut. The woman who cuts my hair just returned from maternity leave, and I asked: “How do you like your Diaper Genie?”

“I love it. I can’t live without it.”

If you’ve ever owned a Diaper Genie, you’re nodding your head in agreement.

Sometimes the best way to illustrate niche business is to look at a niche product. The Diaper Genie belongs in the Niche Product Hall of Fame.

According to the internets, the Diaper Genie was invented in the 1990s by entrepeneur John Hall, owner of Mondial Industries. In 1999, Playtex Products purchased Diaper Genie from Mondial Industries for $75 million. (And Amazon paid $575 million for a website that sells diapers.)

See need. Meet need.

———————

Niche Marketing Example 9: Walt Disney and Disneyland

You might be surprised to learn that when Walt Disney conceived of Disneyland in the early 1950s, he was a broken man in a tortured state of mind.

He was bogged down running Disney studios, and he’d become alienated from the artists who worked there. The constant demands on his time — combined with his perfectionist nature — had created a toxic working environment.

Disney retreated, both physically and mentally. He began spending more and more time working and playing with the toy train sets in his backyard.

Incredibly, he reached a point where, for a full year, he spent all of his time with his trains.

But in those backyard days, according to the biography Disney: Triumph of the American Imagination, Disney conceived of Disneyland, a magical place where dreams would come true.

By any measure, Disneyland was an audacious vision, but we know that it was successful beyond anyone’s imagination — except perhaps Disney’s.

Disneyland was Disney’s perfect niche because it was the perfect confluence of his:

● Passion (creating wonderful worlds)

● Capabilities (imagination, creativity, capacity for working long hours, and salesmanship), and

● Marketplace needs (a mobile, affluent, fast-changing America that wanted to find happiness; an emerging television industry that needed content).

—————————

Niche Marketing Example 10: Bob Chandler and Bigfoot

Solopreneurs are frequently encouraged to “find your niche.” I disagree with that advice.

Don’t find your niche. Create your niche.

As an example of what niche creation looks like, consider the story of Bob Chandler, the St. Louis construction worker who became a legendary figure for turning a weekend passion into a multimillion-dollar industry.

As this article in American Profile explains,

In 1974, Chandler purchased a Ford F-250 pickup truck to haul tools and equipment during the week and to take off-road excursions through the Missouri countryside on the weekends. Within a year, his newfound passion for four-wheeling turned into a business and he opened a parts and service shop, the Midwest Four-Wheel Drive Center, in Hazelwood, Missouri.

It turned out that Chandler was his own best customer, as he routinely bent, buckled and broke his truck during his hill-climbing, mudslinging adventures. Each time his truck broke down, he rebuilt it slightly bigger and stronger.

Chandler painted the nickname Bigfoot on his truck, which had grown to monstrous proportions. By 1979, Bigfoot was receiving so much attention from off-road enthusiasts that a promoter asked Chandler to bring his truck to an auto show in Denver, Colorado.

When Chandler began smashing cars as part of Bigfoot’s routine, the monster-truck phenomenon was born. In the early 1980s, a fledgling sports television network in search of programming — ESPN — began broadcasting monster-truck events. Monster-truck competitions quickly grew into a multimillion-dollar industry.

Today, 38 years after purchasing his F-250, Chandler no longer competes, but he remains active in the sport and oversees his 17,000-square-foot Bigfoot facility and four-wheel drive shop in Hazelwood. And Chandler’s legend will live on, as he was inducted into the Monster Truck Hall of Fame’s first class of honorees, in 2011.

Create Your Niche

Think about that. Chandler took a weekend pastime and turned it into a niche business. The business grew into an industry, and the industry became so large that a hall of fame was created for it.

That’s niche creation at its finest.

It's Your Turn Now

Click Here if you want to learn how to create an employee free NICHE business that’s portable, scalable, and produces passive income

What Is Niche Marketing

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Learn all about niche marketing along with taking a look at different niche marketing examples...

When it comes to Niche Marketing for Solopreneurs perhaps a good place to start is by explaining... What is niche marketing.

There are a lot of descriptions out there but the simplest is that your niche is your ‘subject matter’.

So if you’re going to be writing about fitness, then fitness is your niche. The reason we use the term niche rather than ‘topic’ is because the topics you cover might sometimes break out of your niche. For instance, you can write a post about going on vacation and your site will still be about ‘fitness ’.

Let's look more specifically at what the word ‘niche’ actually means... Looking at the Dictionary, we get a niche marketing definition of:

A specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service

This description makes sense because it illustrates the fact that this is at least partly a business decision. Ideally, your niche should also unveil a demand in the market... meaning that you’re meeting a demand that is as-yet unfulfilled.

So why niche markets?

Selling things to someone in a niche is easier because they’re already focused on a problem, passion, hobby or interest. Next time you walk by a magazine stand in the grocery store, notice how most of the magazines are geared toward a specific market segment (i.e. niche). Publishers and advertisers for that matter know their success comes from targeting a specific audience.

Don’t try to be everything to everyone! Not everyone is going to want what you have and that's ok. Find out what your niche audience wants/needs and then S olve Their Problems !

The secret is to Focus, Focus, and Focus!

Ask yourself questions like, is my product narrow enough? The book “Chicken Soup for the Teenager” sold far more copies than the original Chicken Soup because it was a more focused niche. Go after a very specific niche.

Just remember... You want to pick a niche that you'll enjoy. Something you can write about often. Something that you might have special knowledge and insights about, or a strong interest in.

Never forget that this is the age of specialized information or what society calls the information age. People are completely willing to spend their money for different forms of information, provided it is useful and relevant.

Your job is to find a need and fill it. To provide real VALUE by helping others find what they seek.

Statistics

Now you might be wondering why the best niche is even a question. Isn’t it just a matter of looking at which niche is the most successful in terms of traffic and then picking that one?

Well, as we’ll see, there are many factors besides just traffic volume that are vital to consider. More to the point though, even if you did just go with the most ‘popular’ topic, you would likely find this isn’t as clear cut as it should be.

Trendy Niches

A lot of affiliate marketers are big on trend marketing. When a trend breaks out, everybody targets keywords related to that trend, hoping to make a quick buck on the highest producing traffic trends.

It's very easy to see why a lot of people find this attractive. After all, when a news item breaks and search terms for that news item skyrocket, you get instant traffic. You're basically piggybacking on ever changing public tastes and trends.

The problem with trends is that they're like a sugar high. In the beginning, you get a nice surge of traffic, and then once it crashes, it's pretty much gone for good.

If you need proof of this, just look at the search trends for the phrase "fidget spinner." This was all the rage a couple of years back, but now it's dead as a door nail.

That's how trends work. It's kind of like surfing. You wait for the initial swell, and then it keeps getting higher and higher, and then it peaks really high, and then all of a sudden it just crashes. It's like going off a cliff. You drop like a rock.

Considering the temporary nature of trendy niche traffic, why do people even bother? Well, it really boils down to the initial surge.

Because if you dominate keywords for a trending topic on social media as well as search engines, you stand to get a tremendous amount of traffic. This can lead to a lot of cash if you know how to convert this properly.

So Does it Make Sense to Chase After Trends?

I wish I could give you a black and white answer to this question. Unfortunately, I can't because everybody's skill level is different.

If you are a seasoned affiliate marketing veteran, targeting trendy niches might be worth it for you. The return on investment might be there.

Why? Well, first of all, you know how to generate this type of traffic. You know how to do keyword research, you know how to search on social media for platforms that are already talking about a particular trend.

You would probably also know how to create content that people interested in this trend would want to seek out. You should also know how to create ads that would convert traffic into potential customers for the affiliate products you are promoting or for your own products.

It requires a tremendous amount of skill as well as luck to make a lot of money on trendy niches.

So What's The Best Niche?... Evergreen

Evergreen niches are niches that last... They will stay evergreen because people will always be interested in them, they meet a continual need... They aren't always the most popular but they've been around for a long time and will continue to be around after some fad or trend.

If you look at the most successful blogs across all niches then you have things like The Huffington Post, or Techcrunch, etc… The biggest blogs aren’t necessarily in the most popular or trendy niches when you look at volume across all of the web. But while the traffic stats may not paint a clear picture of the 'Best Niches’ what I keep repeatedly seeing in regards to this topic is just how important the choice of niche is to your eventual success.

By the end of this article you should have a thorough understanding of what makes a niche evergreen and this will arm you to make the right choice for your business. Most importantly, you’ll see how choosing the right niche can practically guarantee your success as well as ensuring you actually enjoy the day-to-day process of running your business.

Understanding and fully grasping this concept could well be the difference between years of struggle and instant success. Don’t underestimate its importance!

How Have You Chosen Your Niches to Date?

A good place to start might be looking at the position you find yourself in currently. In other words, how are you choosing niches at the moment and what has been your ‘system’ for finding new subjects to cover so far? This is an important question because there’s a good chance you’re currently using the wrong strategy and that this may be sorely limiting your potential to succeed.

Avoid This Common Strategy

The most common strategy that you’ll find people using to find their niches is simple: looking for the biggest niche in terms of audience and then starting to write in it. Unfortunately, this is one of the surest ways to make life as difficult as possible for yourself.

An example of this might be fitness. Fitness is a massive industry, it applies to everyone and we’ve seen countless other businesses be successful in this area. It’s a sure thing right? Well no…

See, the very fact that fitness is such a popular niche is what makes it such a terrible choice. If you’re starting in the fitness industry, you now have to compete with thousands upon thousands of other businesses. Those include the likes of Bodybuilding.com and MarksDailyApple – brands that have been around much longer, that have far more resources to pour into marketing and that have a lot of brand visibility.

Now you’ll write a post on ‘how to get six pack abs’ and you’ll be competing with a hundred million other articles on getting six pack abs. How can you hope to stand out and get noticed? For this reason, people who simply pick ‘popular’ niches are almost always disappointed to find that after several years of just plugging away on the same topic they don’t actually get anywhere. And then they give up…

So if You Can't Just Pick the Biggest Niche, What do You do?

A popular piece of advice is to ‘go with what you know’. Find something that you have experience in and you enjoy or find interesting. In an ideal situation, you shouldn’t view it as ‘work’ at all. Rather it should be something that you actually enjoy and actively look forward to.

What this means is that you should pick a topic or niche that is already a hobby or interest of yours. Right away this will give you a head start as you’ll be bringing lots of knowledge to the table. You’ll know the subject and you’ll know what kind of content and products you like to see in it.

You remember in the movie “Men in Black” when the younger Agent K says his grandad always recommends eating pie to help the thought process for solving problems... Well, when it comes to niches it’s not to far off.

For the best results in finding a niche use the PIE Acronym.

P - Passions

I - Interests

E - Expertise or Experience

To get started, find a quiet place alone and sit down with a pad and paper and ask yourself a few questions:

What have you always wanted to learn about?
What are you passionate about?
What talents do you have?
What makes you unique?
What accomplishments have you achieved?
What expertise or experience do you have from work, life, etc…?
What lessons has life taught you?
What has made you stronger?
What are your hobbies and interests?

Now, write down your thoughts and ideas. Write all your hobbies and interests. Write down any talents you have, along with any skills you may have developed through work or elsewhere. Also write down any major life experiences or learning, along with anything you may have always wanted to learn about. Your uniqueness and life experiences can make you a lot of money. In other words, you want a niche that’s uniquely yours.

If your traffic isn't "focused on a specific niche" all your efforts will be in vein!

Now for Examples of Niches on Personal Interests

So what might a niche on a personal interest look like?

For instance, let’s say that you enjoy a computer game like Mindcraft. That’s not something you’d proudly announce at a party as being your ‘hobby’ but that’s not to say it can’t make a great niche. The same goes if you love the show The Office. Fan websites do brilliantly because they are something that a lot of people know about and that some people are very passionate about. What’s more, fan websites provide obvious routes to market, they don’t face too much competition and they have a steady supply of new stories and options for news.

The same goes for a sports team. Sports teams are fantastic niches because again, there are a lot of very passionate people interested in the subject and there are plenty of opportunities to promote yourself.

If you don’t have something like that, then you can also look to your daily life. You could focus on being a Mom, about looking after an elderly relative… about your dog even!

You can also look at personal experiences. Where have you travelled? What have you studied?

Combining a Niche With a Personal Brand

There’s also a lot to be said for inventing whole new niches which you can do by looking at who you are as someone a little more complex than a person who enjoys just one topic. This might sound confusing but think of some examples.

The website Nerd Fitness for instance is highly popular despite not neatly fitting into one category. Instead it works by combining two separate niches – ‘nerd culture’ and ‘fitness’. This creates something entirely new and focusses on the things that the blogger is interested in. He’s then put himself at the heart of that topic.

Another example is the ‘Art of Manliness’. This is an entirely new niche that you won’t see listed on any guide to ‘top website topics’ and it revolves entirely around what the author finds interesting. This makes the Art of Manliness much more than just a standard niche – it is elevated to the point where it can be thought of as a movement or a way of life.

So take a long look at who you are, what you’re really interested in and what you can offer that no one else can. Or maybe, think about your personality and how you can cover an old topic in a new and interesting take on it.

Tapping Into Your Love of Learning

There’s one more option for those of you who might not have an obvious topic in mind yet… And that’s to learn something new.

So you have no area of expertise and no hobby or skill. That’s fine... But you must have things that you find interesting. Ways you’d like to improve and things you’d like to learn – and this is why you can create a niche around the idea that you’re learning the new subject and sharing what you’re learning at the time.

Wish you were a hacker? Then why not learn hacking and write about your experiences as you learn? Wish you could speak another language? Why not share your progress and provide tips to that end for your audience along the way?

Why Listen to a Learner?

Now you might be wondering why someone would want to follow advice from you if you’re not an ‘expert’ of any kind in your given subject. What could you possibly have to offer?

This is a short sighted view though: actually, writing as a learner has the advantage of ensuring that you don’t scare your audience away with technical jargon. Often learners make the best teachers because they find it much easier to put themselves in the shoes of the people they’re trying to teach. What’s more, this gives your content an interesting narrative as you can discuss your learning journey along the way. This gives your content a bit more of a personal touch and can be fun for your readers.

There’s another advantage to being a learner too – and that’s that you will have an easier time. The problem with teaching as an expert is that a lot of other experts are going to be watching you and waiting for you to fail. If you’re a fitness writer and you suggest a move that might open up the rotator cuff just a little too much, you can bet that the more knowledgeable portion of the fitness community will come down on you like a ton of bricks. If you’re writing about the brain and you get your ‘white matter’ and ‘grey matter’ mixed up, then you can end up the laughing stock of Reddit.

If you write as a learner though, then you are admitting that you’re not an expert on the subject, that you are likely to make mistakes and that you’re still learning on the job. As a result people will be more patient with you and more sympathetic and you will have more license to write freely without fear of criticism.

An example of a highly successful blog in this nature is ‘The Personal MBA’.

This blog was the pet project of Josh Kaufman who started it in order to take notes on his progress learning about business. He wanted to undertake an MBA but didn’t have the time or the money to do so. Thus, he set about to see if he could learn all the principles taught on such a course and kept his blog as a kind of repository for all that information for his own reference.

In doing so, he created a fantastic resource for entrepreneurs and would-be business men and women. The result was a highly popular site and eventually a book deal. Ironically, this became his business! His story might inspire you to approach a topic as a newby and especially if you can give it a unique angle as Josh did.

At the same time, it also shows us another advantage of picking something you want to learn... If you want to learn a topic and if you find the resources to help you aren’t out there… Well then there’s a very good chance that other people will feel the same! This is what some people refer to as ‘scratching your own itch’.

Personal Growth

Of course all this doesn’t only apply to learning an actual topic. You can also take the ‘new to the field’ approach to other types of activity or more general ‘growth’.

Fitness blogs are often popular for example when you start off with the aim of losing ‘X’ amount of weight. Someone who is overweight themselves would likely find it reassuring to read of your exploits, rather than hear advice from someone who has abs on their abs!

Likewise, you can focus on general personal growth. Why not talk about how you’ve set out to become a better person? Or more confident? This is essentially what ‘Art of Manliness’ or ‘Nerd Fitness’ is – with an extra personal bent.

Shrinking Your Audience

If you choose to operate in a large niche like fitness, then you will likely find that you struggle to stand out and compete with the other businesses. We have discussed this already. Fortunately though, there are some ways you can have your cake and eat it.

One option is to take a broad category but to aim at a very specific niche. For instance: fitness for the over fifties. Or maybe ‘parenting for people who work from home’. This is again very similar to the aforementioned ‘Nerd Fitness’.

Honing in on a small target audience is a great way to make your brand stand out in a crowded niche and it creates some great opportunities for marketing and for promotion because you now have a specific crowd you can appeal to and a number of ways you can reach them. This way, you go from being a ‘small fish in a big pond’ to being a ‘big fish in a small pond’.

What demographic based slants are there that you can pick from then?

Here are just a few ideas that might be able to get you started:

Location based slants (LA, London?)
Age
Gender
Illnesses (fitness for diabetics)
Interests (fitness for the fashion conscious)
Careers
Religion (Christian blogs are very popular)
And of course there are many more – so get creative!

Choosing Your Audience

Of course any niche you choose is going to affect the type of audience that you end up creating content for. Some topics will naturally appeal to older or younger followers, some will appeal to one gender more than the other, etc...

This is just one more reason that you need to think carefully when selecting your niche. As stated, no niche has it all – and one that is highly profitable won’t necessarily have the best demographic.

So to provide the best guidance in selecting your niche, let’s consider what makes a great target audience.

Here are some considerations:

Passion and commitment to the subject (here’s where something like a sports team is ideal)
Free time (meaning they have more spare time to spend on your niche)
Disposable income (so that they can spend more money on your products)
Personality (you want them to be friendly participants in your community)
Impulsive (or at least, a willingness to spend money on products)

So ask yourself, what type of audience meets all those criteria?

As mentioned, the ‘silver surfer’ is a particular demographic that’s very popular at the moment, mainly because they have a lot of spare time and a lot of disposable income. This means they are more likely to spend a lot of time on your site and to spend money on the products and services you are offering.

A site that does this well is called ‘Writers’ News’. This is a site about the hobby of writing, that appeals to a lot of older women. These women spend a lot of time on the forum and generate a huge amount of user-generated content, which has a big earning potential.

But then again, silver surfers are also less than ideal in some other ways. For instance, they likely are in a happy relationship, they’re probably retired and they might not have quite the same interest in spending money on new computers, holidays or books on fitness.

So consider every aspect of the target audience you’ll be reaching before you finalize your niche!

Validating Your Niche

So how do you decide whether the niche you’re considering is one you could create products in? Or how do you avoid a situation where you’re putting all your eggs in one basket before you have any guarantee that you’ve bet on a winning horse?

This basically comes down to doing market research just like you would do as any product manufacturer. In turn, that means asking whether there is an audience for what you’re thinking of selling and whether there’s potentially too much competition.

In The Solopreneur Life Membership, I show you how to research and verify a niche, so you know there’s a market for it... If you get this one wrong it can ruin your business.

Its interesting, one of the things I learned when I was teaching is that “I didn't even know what I didn't know“.

Every profession has its tricks of the trade. For example, I used to paddle like crazy all day long on a whitewater river, until one day a master guide showed me how to use the vector currents to maneuver the boat. Now, I barely have to paddle at all if I don’t want to. I would have never known about that trick, if he hadn't shown it to me. Everyone has this kind of specialized or niche information.

So Why Not Sell It!

I cover all this in the Solopreneur 101 videos in my membership... watch the section on “Validating a Niche”. Click Here for INFO!

Final Thoughts

If you used to think ‘niche’ just means fitness, dating or making money, then hopefully you’ll now see that this was a very narrow view of what the term could mean. Hopefully you’ll also see that approaching your business like this would make it much harder to start making money quickly.

Instead, you should be aiming to pick a niche that gives you access to the right demographic, you should be choosing a niche that you find fascinating and you should be creating unique variations on popular topics in order to stand out with your own brand.

When you do this you’ll find it’s much easier to start making money quickly, by introducing good products to an audience that otherwise would not have found them.

Some strategies you can take directly from this article include:

Creating a niche that focusses on a small aspect of a larger topic – such as fitness for the over 50s.
Creating a fan site for a TV show, computer game or anything else, promoting it on social media and selling tangible merchandise as an affiliate.
Creating a niche that’s entirely new by combining things you find interesting – then tying it together with a cool brand.
Learning a new subject and writing about it as you go. Selling an eBook that teaches the specific skill or career you’re learning.
Better yet, you can use the skills you’ve learned in your career to come up with your own unique niche and business.

Most importantly, you should recognize that choosing your niche also means choosing your audience. Don’t blindly stumble into the topic where you think there’s the most money – instead think about how you are going to make money and what you have to offer and then follow a proven business model within that subject area.

If you get this right, it can honestly be a quick and easy process to conquer your market and start making good money. Good luck!

Bottom Line

The bottom line is to recognize that your niche is intricately connected to your business model, the design of your site and even your day-to-day activities. Make sure you research this thoroughly and make sure you have a real plan for how you’re going to profit from the niche before you go ahead. Get this right and you’ll make life MUCH easier for yourself.

One of the best Plans or Business Models to use in any niche is to create passive income models around your niche... and The Solopreneur Life Membership teaches you how to do this with step-by-step, over-the-shoulder videos... It teaches you how to create the Ideal Business that has No Employees, is Portable, Scalable, and produces Passive Income Click Here to Join!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Niche Marketing Examples

In this article, we looked at a few sites that had done very well by selecting creative niches. Here are those blogs for reference.

The Personal MBA http://personalmba.com/

Blogger Josh Kaufman created his blog while learning about business and in doing so, built a resource that other people could use too. The result? A highly successful website that made him a lot of money.

The Art of Manliness http://www.artofmanliness.com/

A completely original idea for a blog niche that nevertheless manages to incorporate many others. This is truly an example of a site that was successful because of its niche!

Nerd Fitness http://www.nerdfitness.com/

An awesome example of taking a broad niche and then honing it in to focus on one specific demographic. NF has been incredibly successful thanks to its unique position within the market.

Featured Solopreneur Nichole Bazemore: “Do You.”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that is published on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Nichole Bazemore, who is based in Atlanta. […]

Featured Solopreneur Natalia Sylvester: “Focus On the Small Steps”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Featured Solopreneur Marianne Cantwell: “It’s Time to Ramp This Up”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Marianne Cantwell. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Marianne Cantwell Name of […]

Featured Solopreneur Burton Kelso: “Putting Yourself First Is the First Secret”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Burton Kelso. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Burton Kelso Name of […]

Featured Solopreneur Rob Place: “Write a Business Plan!”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Rob Place. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Rob Place Name of […]

Featured Solopreneur Shauna Washington: “Stop Settling!”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Shauna Washington. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Shauna Washington – The […]

More Than 50 Percent of U.S. Private Workforce Will Be Independent (or Solopreneurs) by 2020, Report Says...

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

More than 50 percent of the U.S. private workforce will be independent (or solopreneurs) by 2020, according to a report published today by MBO Partners. […]

Featured Solopreneur Nea Joy Justice: “My Fallback Position Is My Resourcefulness and Commitment”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Nea Joy Justice. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Nea Joy Justice Name […]

Featured Solopreneur Barbara Austin: “Don’t Jump Into It Without a Plan”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Barbara Austin. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Barbara Austin Name of business […]

Featured Solopreneur Kathleen Moore: “Get People to Help You”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Kathleen Moore. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Kathleen Moore Name of business […]

Featured Solopreneur Derek Peterson: “Always Work to Fill the Glass”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Derek Peterson. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Derek Peterson, International Child/Youth Advocate […]

Featured Solopreneur Kathryn Vercillo: “I Feel Like I’ve Been True to My Heart”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Kathryn Vercillo. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Kathryn Vercillo Name of business […]

Featured Solopreneur Monique Y. Wells: “I Love the Freedom to Explore”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Soloist,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Monique Y. Wells. If you would like to be the “Featured Soloist,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Monique Y. Wells Name […]

Featured Solopreneur Kent J. McDonald: “Jump In and Do It”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Kent J. McDonald. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Kent J. McDonald Name […]

Featured Solopreneur Avrum Nadigel: “Security Wasn’t Worth Sacrificing My Values”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Avrum Nadigel. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Avrum Nadigel Location: Toronto Web […]

Featured Solopreneur Krista Stryker: “I Nearly Tear Up From Happiness”

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a ongoing feature that gives all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Krista Stryker, who is based in San Francisco. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an email. Name of solopreneur: Krista Stryker Name of business […]

Inbound Marketing: Its Advantages and Disadvantages for Solopreneurs

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Inbound marketing can be an efficient method for building your solopreneur business. It’s a great tool if you have the proper skills, knowledge, and tools to make it work. However, inbound marketing’s myriad of moving parts can make it feel like a Rube Goldberg machine (see below) — a lot of pieces have to be […]

Featured Solopreneur Dr. Shannon Reece: “You Never Stop Learning”

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

How I Made My First $10,000: Sebastian Schweyen

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is “How I Made My First $10,000,” a feature that gives all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs hit the $10k milestone. If you would like to be the “How I Made My First $10,000,” please send me an email. Name of solopreneur: Sebastian Schweyen Name of business and city: Berlin, Germany […]

How I Made My First $10,000: Marie Segares

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is “How I Made My First $10,000,” a new, ongoing feature that gives all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs hit the challenging $10k milestone. Click here to read the other “How I Made My First $10,000” articles. If you would like to be the “How I Made My First $10,000,” please […]

How Can I Earn Extra Income For Less than $100?

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 20:56:00 GMT

What if I told you there’s a way to earn extra income for less than $100… You might be thinking to yourself that this is flat out impossible. You might be thinking that I’m trying to pull a fast one. You might even be under the impression that I’m delusional. Well, I’m telling you, this […]

How I Made My First $10,000: Selena Templeton

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is “How I Made My First $10,000,” a new, ongoing feature that gives all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs hit the challenging $10k milestone. If you would like to be the “How I Made My First $10,000,” please send me an email. Name of solopreneur: Selena Templeton Name of business and […]

What Is Passive Income?

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 01:04:00 GMT

What Is Passive Income and How Do You Do It? Basically, it’s the opposite of trading dollars for hours. Most people have been raised on the concept of trading dollars for hours and so they try to find jobs that just increase the hourly rate. They go to college to get a higher paying job […]

Featured Solopreneur Mel DePaoli: “Always Ask for Honest Feedback”

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Featured Solopreneur Marlene Caroselli: “Think Big But Spend Small”

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a special feature at The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Marlene Caroselli. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of […]

Featured Solopreneur Matt Mansfield: “It’s Very Fulfilling”

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Follow Your Solopreneur Dreams

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 20:03:00 GMT

John Greenleaf Whittier said “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.” It’s interesting that 5 of Inc.com’s 12 regrets deal with not following your dreams. Don’t wish away your life. Follow your Solopreneur dreams. Yes, it can be scary, but consider the alternative. Mistakes are part of […]

Can You Improve Your Solopreneur Mindset?

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 23:59:00 GMT

Some people are naturals at Solopreneurship. They know how to generate business as easily as eating their breakfast. They seem to have a great business mindset. For others, they struggle with business and it could be because they don’t have that same mindset as the superstars. Is it possible for those who struggle to improve […]

Solopreneur Mentors

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 06:31:00 GMT

The Best Solopreneur Mentors Are The Ones You Can Model Modeling is the key to shortening the learning curve. The old saying “it takes 5 years to get a new business off the ground”, is certainly true, but there is a HACK to this timeline. If you can model your Solopreneur business after someone who […]

Do You Have a Good Business Model? Use This Assessment to Find Out

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 14:22:00 GMT

Business model is a term that a lot of people talk about, but few are able to explain thoroughly. For example, how often have you heard people say, “Apple has a great business model.” Super. Why is it great? The authors of “Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want” have created […]

How to Create Lead Magnets That Convert

Sat, 21 Feb 2015 18:21:00 GMT

Every online-marketing pro talks about the importance of growing your list. They’re right, of course. But if you’re a solopreneur who provides client-facing services, how do take your website traffic and turn it into new business? Specifically, how do you create lead magnets that yield high-value leads and ideal clients? In this post I share […]

How to Write the Perfect About Page: Prove You’re Not a Gangster

Mon, 09 Feb 2015 06:31:00 GMT

If your business gets leads and clients online, then the one and only objective of your “About” page is to eliminate any suspicion that your website is a front for organized crime. I’m not kidding about this at all. You know that you’re not a foreign-based gangster who steals people’s personal information. But strangers who […]

How to Bounce Back From Devastating Failure: 7 Lessons You Can Learn From Pete Carroll

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 02:04:00 GMT

Pete Carroll is the head football coach of the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks. Perhaps you heard: his team lost the Super Bowl on Sunday. And perhaps you heard that the loss was the direct result of a last-minute coaching decision that will go down as one of the worst calls in the history of […]

My First Impressions of the New Mailchimp Popup Forms

Sat, 31 Jan 2015 01:06:00 GMT

This afternoon I went to my Mailchimp to make a change to a signup form. At the forms list, I scrolled down and saw “Subscriber popup.” Wait, what? UPDATE February 1: Well, that didn’t last long. After installing the popup, my sign-ups fell off a cliff, as did my page views and average time on […]

“How Mobile-Friendly Is My Website?”

Tue, 27 Jan 2015 01:31:00 GMT

Do you ever wonder, “How mobile-friendly is my website?” I know I do. I work on a MacBook Pro and I’m on my iPhone a lot. I don’t use an iPad, so My Inner Boss sometimes says: “You should see how that page looks on an iPad.” Well, I found an easy way to do […]

How to Get a Premium YouTube Channel

Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:51:00 GMT

If you’re looking for potential revenue streams, consider trying to get a premium YouTube channel. YouTube paid channels, which launched in May 2013, give video creators the opportunity to earn revenue from paid subscriptions. Viewers to pay a monthly (or annual) fee, which is set by each video’s creator. Fees are $2.99 to $6.99 per […]

The Inbound Marketing Grader Examines Golf Instructor and YouTube Star Shawn Clement

Sun, 25 Jan 2015 23:35:00 GMT

Shawn Clement is a golf instructor based in Canada. He’s the most popular golf instructor on YouTube, with more than 22 million views since he started making YouTube videos in 2006. The Inbound Marketing Grader looks at successful coaches, consultants, trainers, and other solopreneurs who do inbound marketing well. In this post, I grade Shawn […]

The Best Inbound-Marketing Resources: HubSpot and Impact

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 04:24:00 GMT

A new, totally overhauled version of TheSolopreneurLife.com went live on December 8, 2014. Since then the website has experienced the following results: • Page views are up 119 percent. • Leads are up 850 percent. • Closes are up 636 percent. This post explains how I did it. Victory Has at Least Two Fathers This […]

The 3 Things You Must Do To Be “All In”

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 00:52:00 GMT

Give your all to your life. You can’t be half-in, half-out.” –Urban Meyer You’ve heard the term “all in,” haven’t you? It means being fully committed to something. The term is borrowed from poker, where “all in” means having all of your chips at stake in a particular hand. As you know, I’m a football […]

How Chris Como, a Quiet, Obscure Golf Teacher, Became Tiger Woods’s New Coach

Mon, 12 Jan 2015 18:45:00 GMT

In November, Tiger Woods announced that he’d hired a new golf-swing coach to help him with his game. The coach’s name: Chris Como. Ninety-nine percent of the golf world said, “Who?” I published a golf-swing website for three years and I admit I’d never heard of Chris Como. Today while I was eating my breakfast […]

What Is HTTPS? And Why Your Website Will Need HTTPS Soon

Mon, 12 Jan 2015 02:55:00 GMT

Have you ever noticed how some websites have “http” in their URL while others have “https”? This post explains what HTTPS is and why your website will need it soon. What is HTTPS? HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transport Protocol Secure. HTTPS protects the integrity and confidentiality of website users’ data. For example, when a user […]

Eugene Schwartz’s 5th Rule of Great Marketing (Unabridged)

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 18:20:00 GMT

Eugene Schwartz was a marketer and copywriter. His sales copy and letters generated hundreds of millions in sales, and he made enough money to amass a renowned collection of modern art. Schwartz didn’t leave behind much “how-to” knowledge, but he did explain why most products are doomed WAY before they’re introduced. I’ll get to that […]

How to Change the Text on Mailchimp’s “Subscribe to List” Button

Fri, 19 Dec 2014 22:55:00 GMT

The old retail adage, “a confused mind never buys,” applies to online sign-ups, too. Here’s an example. Mailchimp’s default text on its sign-up buttons says “Subscribe to list.” But “Subscribe to list” is not what you want the visitor to see when she’s registering to receive your e-book, white paper, or other product. “Subscribe to […]

The Best of The Solopreneur Life Blog

Thu, 11 Dec 2014 21:57:00 GMT

In the midst of moving TheSolopreneurLife.com to the Rainmaker platform, I spent time in the The Solopreneur Life’s basement, sifting through the site’s archive of more than 400 posts. I was searching for the best ones. Here they are. The Big Picture How to Choose Work That Will Continue to Motivate You What Is the […]

How I Improved My WordPress Website’s Speed by 60 Percent

Tue, 18 Nov 2014 22:49:00 GMT

One of the best things about the WordPress publishing platform is that it gives you endless customization options. Most of the customization comes via plugins, which are small programs that you install on your site. There are thousands of plugins, serving nearly every purpose you can imagine: drop caps, forms, tables, security, search-engine optimization, blog […]

How to Look Your Best on Skype

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 03:39:00 GMT

Nobody tries to look awful on Skype! It’s a case of not understanding webcam technology and not knowing how to look your best on a webcam. We’re going to solve that problem right now. How to Achieve Video Quality First, let’s deal with video quality. • Be in a well-lit room. If the level of […]

The Enormous Business Opportunity That I Missed

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:36:00 GMT

On a wet, windy Tuesday night in September 1983, eight college students and two professors gathered in a lounge at the student center at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. One of the students, John, had persuaded us to come together and conduct an organizational meeting for something he called “fantasy football.” John had briefly […]

The Best Marketing Tool For Your Solopreneur Business

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 14:23:00 GMT

If there was an inexpensive marketing tool that would increase your business’s customer acquisition, conversion, and retention, would you use it? How about if the tool gave you heightened knowledge customers’ wants and needs while also creating a tangible, valuable asset? If such a thing existed, of course you’d use it. And that thing does […]

The Immortal Claude C. Hopkins and His 13 Don’ts of Advertising

Thu, 21 Aug 2014 05:26:00 GMT

If there was a Mount Rushmore of advertising, Claude C. Hopkins would be its George Washington. Test marketing, coupon sampling, and copy research are standards today in advertising, and Hopkins invented them all. Many ad experts believe present-day advertising research doesn’t come close to reaching the standards that Hopkins (1866-1932) established. (For example, he would […]

Michael Port’s Mission: Kill the Elevator Speech

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 14:40:00 GMT

Michael Port, author of “Book Yourself Solid,” helps professionals learn how to sell their services. Port is on a mission to kill the elevator speech. (If you don’t know what an elevator speech is, here’s an article from 2007, the heyday of the elevator speech.) Port says he’s been polling audiences for years on the […]

How the DISC Behavioral Model Can Help Solopreneurs

Sun, 11 May 2014 05:05:00 GMT

DISC is a behavioral model based on the work of Dr. William Moulton Marston (1893–1947) to examine the behavior of individuals in their environment or within a specific situation. I think it gives us as solopreneurs a framework for understanding ourselves, our clients, and our collaborators.

12 Tips For Commanding a Room

Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:14:00 GMT

As a solopreneur, you’re not always going to be holed up in your home office. Knowing how to captivate an audience is an essential skill — and it’s one that can be learned. Here are tips from More magazine on how you can be the person who’s worth listening to. 1. Shift to an owner’s […]

A Macabre Niche from the 1800s: Photos of Dead Outlaws

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 16:48:00 GMT

In my ongoing quest to find examples of interesting niche markets, I give you Ira Sumner, a Northfield, Minnesota photographer who lived in the 1800s. Sumner possessed a peculiar talent: taking portraits of dead men. And September 7, 1876, was Sumner’s lucky day. That’s when an eight-man gang of outlaws were foiled in their attempt […]

Exaptation: A Valuable Innovation Concept For Solopreneurs

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 02:22:00 GMT

Sometime around the year 1440, a young Rhineland, Germany solopreneur began tinkering with the design of the wine press. Rhinelanders had recently begun using wine presses, and the wine industry was on the verge of huge growth. Our solopreneur was fresh from a disastrous business venture: manufacturing small mirrors with supposedly magical healing powers, which […]

How To Profit From Your Inventions, Yet Retain the Freedom of Solopreneurship

Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:24:00 GMT

When I read about inventors who have a great idea for a product but are working morning, noon, night, and late night to bring it to market, my reaction often is: “Why don’t you just sell the licensing rights?!” That’s just me. If I had an idea for a new product in an industry that’s […]

A Lesson From In-N-Out Burger: Your Customers Might Want Less Choice, Not More

Mon, 31 Mar 2014 14:35:00 GMT

I’ve written in the past about how your customers might want less choice, not more. Last week I was on vacation in Phoenix with my wife and daughters and we saw an example of “less is more.” It was at In-N-Out Burger, the regional burger chain that many Midwesterns absolutely have to visit when they’re […]

How to Get Into an Innovation Mindset

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 00:18:00 GMT

Definition of innovate: 1. to make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products. 2. to introduce something new. Why innovate? Because innovative enterprises generally are more productive, responsive, profitable, and a lot more fun. Yesterday I was in an email conversation with a group of friends, and the discussion turned […]

When Estimating the Profitability of a Niche, Answer These 9 Questions

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 20:23:00 GMT

If you’re considering one or more niches and your passion and skills for them is equal, then the tiebreaker is profitability. To begin to understand the profitability of a niche, answer these questions: • What specific products/services would customers buy from you? • What’s the dollar amount of the average sale? • Would there be […]

Napoleon Hill on The 10 Major Causes of Failure in Leadership

Sun, 09 Mar 2014 19:30:00 GMT

Napoleon Hill was born in 1883 in a cabin on the Pound River in Wise County, Virginia. Hill’s mother died when he was 10 years old, and Napoleon’s father, James Hill, had difficulty taming his son’s wild nature. Napoleon, enamored of the outlaw Jesse James, carried a six-shooter on his hip and went about the […]

5 Pixar Storytelling Secrets That Will Help You Tell the Story of Your Business

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 23:57:00 GMT

What’s the story of your business? As solopreneurs, it’s difficult to step back and tell our stories because we’re so close to the everyday workings of our enterprises. So I’m enlisting the help of Emma Coats, a story artist at Pixar who has written a list of 20 story basics — guidelines you can use […]

David Ogilvy’s “We Sell or Else” Video

Mon, 03 Mar 2014 19:59:00 GMT

Advertising legend David Ogilvy used the video below to explain his “secret weapon.” Even though Ogilvy focuses on direct response in this video, his message applies to you and me today: the function of all sales/marketing/advertising is to sell, and successful advertising is based on knowing the consumer. As you watch, pay close attention to […]

The Business Creed: What It Is and How It Can Help You Attract Your Best Customers

Wed, 26 Feb 2014 23:30:00 GMT

Writing a creed, living by it, and proclaiming it is a sure way to attract and bond with your true believers, your kindred spirits, your best customers, according to acclaimed marketer and copywriter Gary Bencivenga. Creeds state what a person or organization believes — the word “creed” comes from the latin word “credo,” which means […]

The Morning Pages: A Tool for Unlocking Your Creativity

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 04:11:00 GMT

The Artist’s Way is perhaps the definitive book on the subject of creativity. Published in 1992, “The Artist’s Way” grew out of a class that author Julia Cameron taught on how to become “unblocked” and how to recover from a creative injury or setback. The purpose of “The Artist’s Way” is to put people in […] The post The Morning Pages: A Tool for Unlocking Your Creativity appeared first on The Solopreneur Life | Passive Income | Home Business.

The 15 Websites I Visit Most Often

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 21:55:00 GMT

It’s always fun to find a useful, new website. I hope you find a few you love among the 15 websites I visit most often. The list includes websites I visit in order to complete tasks, and websites I visit for ideas and inspiration. Attention Getting Marketing Marketing ideas for small businesses. A Way With […]

How I Made My First $10,000: Treg Stark

Tue, 11 Feb 2014 14:33:00 GMT

To Make Copywriting Easy, Start With a Fact Sheet

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 16:37:00 GMT

The late Gary Halbert was a copywriter who lives on in his books and in the newsletters he wrote for subscribers. Many copywriters believe he’s the greatest copywriter who ever lived. Here’s the number-one thing I’ve learned from Halbert: create a Fact Sheet before you begin writing the ad. A Fact Sheet is like prepping […]

For Mac Users Seeking a TurboTax Alternative: TaxACT Small Business

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 21:50:00 GMT

Mac users who do their own small-business taxes* have been pleading for an alternative to TurboTax. There isn’t a Mac version of TurboTax, so Mac users have been forced to use Parallels while running TurboTax. Anecdotal evidence says Parallels/TurboTax is unstable and unreliable. (For me, the pulldown menus and on-screen buttons aren’t visible, and that’s […]

“Would You Like Fries With That?” Back-End Selling and How It Can Boost Your Profits

Mon, 03 Feb 2014 14:38:00 GMT

As I was walking through Lowe’s last week to buy a replacement water filter for our regrigerator, I walked past the grills. With the outdoor air temperature at 8 degrees below zero, seeing the grills “elevated my mood,” as they say in the world of psychology. Amid the grill section was a display of accessories: […]

Blog Posts That Go Viral: Here’s Your Perpetual Source for Fresh, Tested Ideas

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 02:00:00 GMT

As I ate my lunch at the kitchen table this afternoon, I read the February 2014 issue of Golf Magazine. At least, I thought it was Golf Magazine. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a cache of blog-post ideas with viral potential, all tested by Time, Inc. (which owns Golf Magazine). Let me explain. […]

How to Turn Your Sales Copy From a Frog Into a Prince

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 21:35:00 GMT

One of the most respected copywriters of the past 40 years, Gary Bencivenga, was part-owner of a New York advertising agency in the 1970s. When the firm opened its doors for business it took out an ad, made a bold claim, and put its money where its mouth was: Announcing an ad agency that guarantees […]

Can You Guess the 2 Most Powerful Words in Advertising?

Mon, 13 Jan 2014 19:43:00 GMT

John Caples was a legendary ad executive and copywriter. He worked for 40 years at BBDO, one of the nation’s largest ad agencies, and he was BBDO’s vice president when he retired. He died in 1990. During his first year as a copywriter, Caples wrote one of the best-known direct-mail ads of all time. Writing […]

“Your Pseudo Emotional Newsletters Suck”

Fri, 10 Jan 2014 17:31:00 GMT

Today I’m going to explain why speaking your mind in your blog is good for business. To do that, I first need to tell you about Mr. Horrell. Mr. Horrell was the basketball coach for our eighth- and ninth-grade seasons at Ridge Junior High in Mentor, Ohio. I remember two things Mr. Horrell told us: […]

David Ogilvy’s Second Commandment for Great Copywriting (and How to Use It)

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 18:59:00 GMT

David Ogilvy was widely regarded as the 20th century’s most sought-after advertising executive. Even though we’re 15 years removed from his death in 1999, his reputation and stature continue to grow. The foundation for Ogilvy’s greatness was an unwavering faith in great copywriting, with copywriting defined as “salesmanship in print.” Last week I wrote a […] The post David Ogilvy’s Second Commandment for Great Copywriting (and How to Use It) appeared first on The Solopreneur Life | Passive Income | Home Business.

What World-Class Salespeople Do That You Don’t

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 17:59:00 GMT

My 13-year-old daughter, Clare, is a big fan of alternative music. Her knowledge is extensive. Her best friends say she’s “Bohemian” and they like hanging with someone who isn’t into Top 40. Alt is an important part of Clare’s junior-high identity. When I pick up Clare after school, she hops in my Jeep and before […]

David Ogilvy’s First Commandment for Great Copywriting

Fri, 03 Jan 2014 07:11:00 GMT

David Ogilvy was widely regarded as the 20th century’s most sought-after advertising executive. Even though we’re 15 years removed from his death in 1999, his reputation and stature continue to grow. The foundation for Ogilvy’s greatness was an unwavering faith in great copywriting. For Ogilvy — and for any copywriter worth his or her invoices […] The post David Ogilvy’s First Commandment for Great Copywriting appeared first on The Solopreneur Life | Passive Income | Home Business.

6 Copywriting Practices From Trader Joe’s “Fearless Flyer” That Will Boost Your Sales

Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:25:00 GMT

One of my favorite periodicals is published by a grocery store: it’s Fearless Flyer, a monthly, 4-page publication from Trader Joe’s. Fearless Flyer is a delight, I read every word, and it makes me want to buy what Trader Joe’s is selling. The two-color Fearless Flyer uses off-white, sepia-tinged paper, with soy-based inks and old-time […]

How to Find Your Perfect Niche

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:39:00 GMT

When writers begin writing, they ask, “Who’s my audience?” When a new solopreneur starts a business, the question they should ask is, “Who’s my customer?” In this article, you will meet your ideal customers and find the perfect niche for your business. You will identify — or better yet, create — a handful of market […]

How To Create a Successful Niche Business

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 23:41:00 GMT

Unless you have unlimited startup funding, a niche business is a “must” for a solopreneur. Serving a well-defined niche requires fewer resources, reduces competition, and increases your odds of success. Take marketing, for example. Niches make marketing infinitely easier. When you have a niche, you know who your ideal customer is. You understand their wants, […]

Niche Business: Start By Identifying a Need

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 21:45:00 GMT

The most successful solopreneurs I know are the ones who serve a well-defined niche. And step one in building niche businesses is identifying a need. Here’s an example of how it works. The Need: Fast replacement of a broken iPhone screen The Business: On-site iPhone repair and replacement. Last week my oldest daughter, a sophomore […]

How To Be a Better Writer — Immediately

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 16:53:00 GMT

It was 1988 and I was working in my first journalism job; I was a staff writer at a small newspaper in Sheldon, Iowa. The newspaper had a renowned sports section, and an Omaha native named Ken was the sports editor. Every Friday night Ken would count the number of column inches he had written […]

Merlin Olsen’s Personal Mission Statement

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 02:57:00 GMT

As you know, I’m a huge football fan. Tonight is the eve of the 2013 National Football League season, and I marked the occasion by watching an NFL Films production, “A Football Life: The Fearsome Foursome.” The film tells the story of the greatest defensive line in football history — The Fearsome Foursome of Deacon […]

Solopreneur Definition

Fri, 16 Aug 2013 20:13:00 GMT

The first time I heard the term “solopreneur,” (it was February 2010) I instantly knew the meaning, because it captured the essence of what I’d been doing for the previous 17 years. In 2010, solopreneur was just emerging in the language, and I thought it was the perfect word to use in the name for […]

7 Lessons That Solopreneurs Can Learn From Comedians

Fri, 16 Aug 2013 05:35:00 GMT

Most stand-up comics are solopreneurs, at least in their careers’ formative years. Gil Greengross, Ph.D, writes in Psychology Today: “No other art, besides stand-up comedy, requires that the artist will both create and perform his own act.” Sound familiar? Last Friday night I watched several episodes of Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.” It’s […]

Here’s a Fun Exercise That Should Speed Your Branding Process

Wed, 17 Jul 2013 01:18:00 GMT

If you’re an aspiring or new solopreneur, here’s an fun exercise that should speed your branding process. It was first suggested to me by Naomi Niles, who designed TheSolopreneurLife.com. 1. Go to your favorite online bookseller and look at book covers, lots of them, from all categories. 2. Note which designs resonate with you, which […]

If You Had the Boulder Book Store In Your Town, You’d Never Need Amazon

Tue, 16 Jul 2013 17:30:00 GMT

On Sunday, July 7, while on a family vacation in Estes Park, Colorado, we drove down the mountain (3,000 feet of elevation change in 20 miles) and into Boulder for the day. Our destination was downtown, Pearl Street, and there we found the Boulder Book Store. You know how every suburban Barnes & Noble is […]

How To Get Energized In a Home Office

Mon, 15 Jul 2013 18:08:00 GMT

Working as a solopreneur has its ups and downs. The benefits of working alone are great. You have fewer distractions, you can plan your day however you so choose, and working out of a home office affords you the right to wear what you’d like. Still, this type of work can get a bit lonely […]

You’re a Modern-Day Kit Carson

Wed, 10 Jul 2013 04:18:00 GMT

Kit Carson was a 19th-century trapper, scout, and soldier whose adventures in the American West made him a legend. Today throughout the West, cities (including the capitol of Nevada), schools, counties, parks, roads, an Army post, a valley, a mountain, and a forest all bear Carson’s name. Carson was a solopreneur — 160 years before […]

Q&A With Lisa Duncan, Co-Founder of Flipside Workspace

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:11:00 GMT

This is my interview with Lisa Duncan, co-founder of Duncan+Coleverria, Inc., which created of Flipside Workspace. What is Flipside Workspace? Flipside Workspace is a virtual work environment that mimics the experience of working in a physical office space. When did it launch? We moved our office (Duncan+Coleverria, Inc.) into Flipside in 2011 and began using […]

Go Your Own Way? Musings on Fleetwood Mac, Collaboration, and Solopreneurship

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:32:00 GMT

As solo-business owners, we embrace the “solopreneur” lifestyle — we treasure the independence and flexibility that it gives us. But being a solopreneur doesn’t mean you shouldn’t collaborate with others. Look at the music industry, for example. I’ve always thought of musicians as solopreneurs. They learn their crafts individually and often in isolation, but they […]

Email List Fatigue: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention, and Cures

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:21:00 GMT

List fatigue is the gradual decline of responsiveness by your email subscribers. Over time, your list doesn’t open as many emails, click through to your website, or forward to friends as often as they once did. Some email list fatigue can’t be avoided. People retire, move, get married or divorced, have kids, change jobs, get […]

Motivation For Solopreneurs From Football Coaches: “You’re Going to Get Up and Fight Some More”

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:23:00 GMT

Football coaches are some of the world’s best motivators. They have to be motivators, because football is a violent, painful sport that requires extreme sacrifice and dedication. You have to be a little nuts to be a football player, just like you have to be crazy to be a solopreneur. So as part of Solopreneur […]

Solopreneur Motivation Month: How to Choose Work That Will Continue to Motivate You

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:38:00 GMT

The video below, “The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” featuring author Daniel Pink, is a fascinating explanation of motivation. The major takeway for me is: humans are motivated at work when we have autonomy, mastery (working to become competent at something), and purpose. If Pink’s conclusion is correct, it can be used to help […]

Motivation For Solopreneurs From Football Coaches: “What Are You Waiting For?”

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 20:22:00 GMT

How Solopreneurs Can Avoid Becoming Commodities

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:29:00 GMT

Commodity: a class of goods and services for which there is demand, but which is supplied without qualitative differentiation across a market. The market treats commodities as equivalent, with no regard to who produced them. What’s the biggest threat to solo businesses? In my opinion, it’s letting your products and services become commodities. Traditionally, we […] The post How Solopreneurs Can Avoid Becoming Commodities appeared first on The Solopreneur Life | Passive Income | Home Business.

What Should My Solo-Business Blog Be About?

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:35:00 GMT

This is a guest post written by Dana Sitar, who is a freelance journalist and indie author. She shares resources, tips, and tools for dreamers in search of a path at DIY Writing. She recently completed the first draft of the DIY Writing Business Plan, which will launch her into full-time solopreneurship! You’ve started a […]

A Lesson From Trader Joe’s: Your Customers Might Want Less Choice, Not More

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:52:00 GMT

I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s. The most convenient one to my house is about 50 miles away. I don’t get to Trader Joe’s often, but if I’m within 15 miles, you bet I’m going out of my way, because a trip to Trader Joe’s is a treat. But I’m not a foodie. So […] The post A Lesson From Trader Joe’s: Your Customers Might Want Less Choice, Not More appeared first on The Solopreneur Life | Passive Income | Home Business.

David Ogilvy on How to Write

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:51:00 GMT

One of my favorite Web sites, Lists of Note, published a memo written by advertising legend David Ogilvy. Ogilvy’s internal memo was sent on September 7, 1982, to all employees of his advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather. The memo was entitled “How to Write” and consisted of the following list of advice. The better you […]

Why Do People Buy?

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:03:00 GMT

As solopreneurs, we often focus on customer characteristics but in the process we fail to figure out what’s inside our customers’ heads. In his book, The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource, Jeffrey Gitomer lists reasons why people buy products and services: • To solve a problem • They need it • They think they […]

5 Tips for Solopreneurs for Successful Project Management

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 01:00:00 GMT

When you enter the self-employed, solopreneur life, one of the hardest obstacles you’ll need to overcome is project management. In the corporate world, there is often a chain of command and a list of policies and procedures to manage tasks. Structure often varies depending on the business — is it time, effort, cost, or quality […]

Even an Ear Infection Can Spark a Business Idea

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:43:00 GMT

Good business ideas can come from nearly anywhere. I was reminded of that this week, when I learned about a business that arose from an ear infection. Here’s the story. My 11-year-old daughter had been suffering from a cold, and suddenly on Sunday evening, she began experiencing pain in her left ear. From the way […]

Why Solopreneuers Should Balance Creativity with Analytics

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 18:08:00 GMT

This is a guest post written by Erin Palmer of Bisk Education. Erin writes about business education, including business intelligence certification. Her work helps students learn about business analyst training options. Solopreneuers are typically innovative and idea-driven. They are creative problem-solvers, multi-taskers, and wearers of many hats because they simply have to be. When it […]

Words That B.S. Artists and Scammers Use

Sun, 27 May 2012 01:18:00 GMT

John T. Reed is a real-estate professional who publishes a Web site in which he evaluates the credibility of real-estate “gurus.” His site includes a “B.S. Checklist” that includes 55 ways to spot someone who operates unethically; Reed is writing about the real-estate business, but a lot of what he says applies to other industries. […]

The Imagination: How Important Is It? How Do You Make It a Force for Good?

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:38:00 GMT

“All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” — Brian Tracy “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” — Michelangelo “Imagination and fiction […]

What Will You Do When Your Passion Disappears?

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:56:00 GMT

When evaluating a business idea, I measure three areas: • The market’s wants and needs • The ability to meet the market’s wants and needs • The level of passion for the work But I’ve learned that I shouldn’t be measuring passion at all. Passion Does Not Last Passion is like “falling in love” or […]

WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: Which Should Solopreneurs Use?

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:18:00 GMT

Back when I was creating TheSolopreneurLife.com, I was new to WordPress and didn’t understand the distinction between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. It was very confusing. I came to learn that WordPress.com is like renting a building for your business, while WordPress.org is like owning the building. WordPress.com is a hosting platform that utilizes the same WordPress […]

Sometimes You Choose Your Niche. Sometimes Your Niche Chooses You.

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:34:00 GMT

I’ve never claimed to be a fast learner. Here’s the latest example: it took me 18 years to identify my best niche. For quite some time, I’ve been mystified by my clients. In our initial conversation, they invariably say they want to build a business that goes beyond a profit motive. Some clients have an […]

6 Cool Examples of Successful Niche Businesses

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:30:00 GMT

The secret to a successful niche business is realizing that it isn’t about you. It’s about the customer.” —Glenda Ervin, vice president of marketing for Lehman’s Ervin is absolutely correct. Niche businesses meet needs. Niche businesses solve problems. Niche businesses ease the pain. Here are six examples of how enterprising solopreneurs identified needs, created fabulous […]

How Narrow (or Broad) Should a Solopreneur’s Niche Be?

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:17:00 GMT

There’s a lot of discussion about how narrow a solopreneur’s niche business should be. Seth Godin maintains that the secret to being the best in the world is to make the “world” smaller, i.e. to narrow your niche. He tells the story of Alan Scott, who was the best artisan pizza-oven builder in the world. […]

Mobile Marketing For Solopreneurs

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:50:00 GMT

This is a guest post by Shea Glenny, a solopreneur and founder of IM for Solos: Internet Marketing Plans & Tutoring for Solopreneurs, a full-service strategic marketing agency. She believes a bright future will come through the success of solopreneurs, and she’s doing her part to make it happen. It’s an important question: What is […]

In the NFL and In Solopreneurship: Winning and Losing Turns on the Strength of the Gameplan

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:13:00 GMT

In his book, Take Your Eye Off the Ball: How Watch Football By Knowing Where to Look, (Amazon Affiliate link) Pat Kirwan explains how a National Football League team constructs its gameplan each week. Every NFL team has a playbook that’s about as thick the Manhattan phone book (Manhattan, New York, not Manhattan, Kansas). The […]

Women-Owned Small Business Opportunities in Federal Contracting

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:29:00 GMT

By: WinBiz Proposals, LLC Author: Jennifer Adeli, Owner and Senior Proposal Manager @WinBizProps and @SoloBizAdventur Even in today’s environment of reduced and slower federal government spending, there are still plenty of opportunities for small businesses to grow, while serving the taxpayer and improving constituent services at the same time. One of the recent initiatives is […]

To Stay Productive Beyond January, Use Signs

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:27:00 GMT

In last week’s Blog Talk Radio interview with productivity expert Claudine Motto — How To Stay Productive Beyond January — she said that productivity for solopreneurs often falters after the first month of the year because we lose sight of the new goals we have set. I told Claudine that recently I printed and placed […]

What Solopreneurs Can Learn from ING’s Failed Trademark Efforts

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:08:00 GMT

As I discussed in this article for TheSolopreneurLife.com last year, “generic” terms cannot be protected as trademarks. Trademarks serve the function of distinguishing product and service providers in the marketplace, and generic terms fail to serve this purpose because they simply identify products/services themselves — and not their source of origin. This is a critical […]

A Solopreneur’s Story: Ed Sabol of NFL Films

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:05:00 GMT

Ed Sabol was a hero of mine — on many levels. He was a solopreneur, an artist, a football fan. He helped make the NFL what it is today. Sabol passed away Monday, February 9, at age 98. Below is a post I wrote about Sabol in 2011. At the end of the post is […]

Is Your Business Like The Krusty Krab, Or the Chum Bucket?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:48:00 GMT

In “SpongeBob SquarePants,” the immensely popular cartoon for adults kids, an ongoing storyline involves Eugene H. Krabs (Mr. Krabs) and Sheldon J. Plankton, Jr. Mr. Krabs owns The Krusty Krab, a dining establishment in Bikini Bottom. Plankton owns a rival business across the street — the Chum Bucket. The Krusty Krab is very successful. The […]

Dyin’ Ain’t Much of a Livin’: Hidden Messages To Solopreneurs That Are Buried In Clint Eastwood Movies

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:05:00 GMT

The solopreneurial streak is wide, deep, and stubborn in many of Clint Eastwood’s movie characters. Josey Wales, The Man With No Name, Joe Kidd, Monco, William Munny are characters who possess strong solopreneurial traits. Clint’s 20th-century characters (like Harry Callahan, Walt Kowalski, and Robert Kincaid), don’t ride horses, but they have a difficult time existing […]

17 Signs You Are Falling In Love With Your Business Idea

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:58:00 GMT

What are the signs you are you falling in love with your idea for a small business? I actually think it’s an important question to ask and to answer, because every solo-business owner I’ve known says you have to love what you’re doing in order to make it as a solopreneur. And in my opinion, […]

10 Lessons That Solopreneurs Can Learn From AC/DC

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:33:00 GMT

AC/DC is one of the most successful rock bands in history, selling more than 200 million albums worldwide and still going strong today. What lessons about building a sustainable business can we learn from Angus Young, Malcolm Young, the late Bon Scott, Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd? 1. Give the People What They […]

The Horrible Things Your Business Email Says Behind Your Back and How to Stop It

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:22:00 GMT

This the Art of Professionalism, a periodic series of articles that deal with basic — yet important — business skills that we might not have learned. Being a solopreneur does not excuse us from needing to master these fundamental lessons! Whether you’re dashing off a quick reply to a colleague or contacting a prospective customer, […]

9 People Who Are On My Twitter ‘Social Media’ List

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:42:00 GMT

I operate a company called Golf Social Media Services. To help me stay on top of what’s happening in the social-media world, there are hundreds of great people I could follow on Twitter. But I don’t have time to follow hundreds. So, here are nine of the individuals who are on my “social media” list […]

No Solopreneur Ever Went Wrong…

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:38:00 GMT

No solopreneur ever went wrong doing these things.

Evernote For iPhone: How To Clip a Web Page

Mon, 02 May 2011 01:48:00 GMT

Inspired by Claudine Motto’s “10 Tips On How To Use Evernote To Its Fullest” post, I was exploring Evernote for iPhone. Using my iPhone and Safari, I wanted to learn how to “clip” Web pages to Evernote. I couldn’t find a method for clipping the entire page, but I did find an easy method for […]

I Nearly Fell For This Small-Business Scam

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:26:00 GMT

You know about the Nigerian-royalty bank-scam letters, right? Here’s a new one that I nearly fell for tonight. The scam involves an entity that poses as the “department of registration service in China.” The email I received tonight, signed “Howie Gao, Senior Consultant” tried to convince me that my trademark for “The Solopreneur Life” was […]

Quick Advice For Solopreneurs on Applying For a Trademark

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 19:23:00 GMT

I found out yesterday that my trademark application for The Solopreneur Life has been approved! The approval wraps up an application process with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that took nearly one year. I was able to navigate the process by myself, but I wouldn’t recommend the DIY approach. Your trademark application is […]

6 Marketing Lessons Solopreneurs Can Learn From a Plumber

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:48:00 GMT

I met a savvy marketer two weeks ago who reminded me of six important marketing lessons for solopreneurs. I want to share those lessons with you now. I was visiting with our plumber, Steve, while he was doing the installation of our new dishwasher. We got on the subject of marketing—what works for us and […]

The Golden Questions: Answer These Questions. Rule Your Market.

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Too often in marketing, we as solopreneurs and small-business owners ask the obvious questions and we take the answers at face value. The truth is that most of the time, we don’t really know why we do the things we do. So imagine what would happen if we tuned in to the deeper issues and […]

5 Branding Lessons That Solopreneurs Can Learn From Jeep

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 06:14:00 GMT

“America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare, as faithful as a dog, as strong as a mule, and as agile as a goat.” —War correspondent Ernie Pyle, describing Jeeps I bought a slightly used 2010 Jeep Liberty in December, because I needed a vehicle that I KNEW could navigate ice-covered, snow-packed roads, day after day. I […]

The X’s and O’s of a Solopreneur Marketing Strategy

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:54:00 GMT

We are so close to our businesses and its everyday details that we have difficulty answering the bigger-picture questions. We can break through that blockage by analyzing an entity that we are fond of, an entity that we observe from a distance.

Solopreneurs, Who’s Your Mentor? Who’s Your Coach?

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 05:06:00 GMT

This was written by Jen Waak, who pens a monthly health column for The Solopreneur Life. As a solopreneur, you have a wide range of resources to help you succeed in your business. You might be a charter member of the Larry’s The Solopreneur Life, you likely read various blogs and books, and you probably […]

The Solopreneur Life Heroes for 2011

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:33:00 GMT

I am happy to present The Solopreneur Life Heroes for 2011. The purpose of Heroes is threefold: • To recognize the efforts that these people have made in helping solopreneurs flourish • To expose you, the solopreneur, to people and ideas you haven’t heard about before • To inspire all of us to adopt the […]

Featured Solopreneur Cari Redondo: “Invest Yourself in Your Customers”

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:15:00 GMT

When the Money Isn’t in the List: The Case Against Freebies

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:29:00 GMT

This is a guest post written by Susan Daffron. Susan owns a book publishing and consulting company called Logical Expressions, Inc. and spends most of her time writing, laying out books in InDesign, or taking her five dogs out for romps in the forest. Susan also teaches people how to write and publish profitable, client-attracting […]

The Valuable Lesson Ernest Hemingway Taught Solopreneurs

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:36:00 GMT

In his novels and short stories, Ernest Hemingway often wrote about time management, although he didn’t call it time management. Hemingway’s routine was to wake at dawn every day and write for the entire morning. In the afternoon he left his desk, filling his hours with adventure: fishing, swimming, big-game hunting, fighting in wars, womanizing, […]

Would Your Customers Elect You? How to Use Political Campaign Tactics to Connect With Your Customers

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:38:00 GMT

This article was written by Laura Petrolino, managing director of Flying Pig Communications, a communications and business consulting firm that focuses on the needs of startups, small businesses, and nonprofits. She also serves as Chief Communications Officer at Ignite Venture Partners, which brings together consulting, capital, and concept incubation to build value in businesses of […] The post Would Your Customers Elect You? How to Use Political Campaign Tactics to Connect With Your Customers appeared first on The Solopreneur Life | Passive Income | Home Business.

Featured Solopreneur Melissa Dinwiddie: “Start. Just Start.”

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 04:27:00 GMT

The Best Blogger on Solopreneurship Is…

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:03:00 GMT

Someone asked me the other day: “If you could read only blogger who writes on the subject of solopreneurship, who would it be?” I didn’t even have to think about it. The answer is Rob Place, publisher of Solventurer.com. Rob works on the front lines every day with solopreneurs, so maybe that’s why his stuff […]

Featured Solopreneur Andy Hayes: “I Find Innovation When I’m Away From My World”

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 03:55:00 GMT

Use the “4-Day Win” to Achieve Your Goals

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:32:00 GMT

This was written by Jen Waak, who pens a monthly health column for The Solopreneur Life. We are two weeks into January. How are those New Year’s resolutions going? If you are like most of my clients, you may be realizing that you were a bit overzealous and be in need of a course correction. […]

What Keeps Solopreneurs Awake At Night?

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:42:00 GMT

In 1926 Ernest Hemingway wrote a short story titled, “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.” In it he described a late-night diner, its employees and patrons; implied in the story is the need for human beings to keep the darkness of their fears at bay. The Solopreneur Life 2010 End-of-Year Survey asked “What keeps you awake at […]

The Kettlebell: Your All-in-One Home Gym

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 04:46:00 GMT

This was written by Jen Waak, who pens a monthly health column for The Solopreneur Life. Stopping by the gym on the way home from work is a bit of a fantasy for most solopreneurs. We work from home, so there is no “stopping by.” Plus, who has two hours to drive there, work out, […]

Featured Solopreneur Kelly Newsome: “Lessons Annihilate Regrets”

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:45:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Kelly Newsome, who owns a yoga business in Washington, D.C. If you would like to be […]

A Marketing Dinosaur That’s Not Yet Extinct

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 05:08:00 GMT

Recently several solopreneurs have asked me to write about a marketing creature that still roams the Earth, but not in the numbers it once did: print newsletters. The interest in newsletters surprised me, but perhaps it shouldn't, because in the right situations print newsletters can be a valuable marketing tool for solo business owners.

Featured Solopreneur Tzaddi Gordon: “Become Great at Networking”

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 04:57:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Tzaddi Gordon, a Web designer based in British Columbia. If you would like to be the […]

Featured Solopreneur Helen Robinett: “Build a Network”

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 02:14:00 GMT

Solopreneur Business Conception: Mix and Match to Spark Ideas

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 04:24:00 GMT

This is a guest post written by Rob Place, a small-business coach, trainer, and speaker. Thinking of starting your solo business? Don’t know where to get started? Most people just conceive of the business by thinking of the most tried and tested idea. So someone with web design skills will envision a web design freelance […]

Featured Solopreneur Angelique Rewers: “It Doesn’t Get Easier If You Wait”

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 05:32:00 GMT

Solopreneurs vs. Holiday Eating: Here’s An Approach That Works Year-Around

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 04:57:00 GMT

This was written by Jen Waak, who pens a monthly health column for The Solopreneur Life. Yes, it’s that time of year again. The clocks just turned back and Thanksgiving is two weeks away. That means that the official start of the holiday overeating season is almost here. There are some interesting statistics around holiday […]

Featured Solopreneur Amy Pryor: “Embrace Social Media”

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 04:24:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears every Tuesday at The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet artist Amy Pryor. […]

Featured Solopreneur Jim Sheard: “I Try To Be the Best ‘Me’ Possible”

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 04:01:00 GMT

You Know You’re a Solopreneur When…

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:30:00 GMT

You’re thinking about changing your Elevator Speech. You’ve heard of e-junkie, Mailchimp, Ning, OneRiot, StumbleUpon, Evernote, Tumblr, Mixx, BizSugar, TweetDeck, Twaitter, and Hootsuite—and you know what they mean. You know the elements of a good landing page. You are certain no one else has ever thought of the idea you just came up with. You […]

An Introduction to Trademarks for the Uninitiated Solopreneur

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:01:00 GMT

This article was written by Jeffrey Fabian, the owner of Fabian, LLC, a Baltimore, Maryland-based law firm that assists business owners with clearing and registering trademarks, and with developing and protecting comprehensive intellectual property portfolios. For any solopreneur contemplating a new business venture, one thing that inevitably comes to mind early in the development process […]

Featured Solopreneur Revka Stearns: “Don’t Wait For Perfection”

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 03:10:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a solopreneur success story series that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Revka Stearns, who builds Web sites for solopreneurs. If you would like to […]

Featured Solopreneur Patrick Curtis: “My Goal Is to Hit 5 Million Page Views In a Month”

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:09:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Patrick Curtis, who has built an online community for finance professionals. If you would like to […]

Are You Sabotaging Your Creative Energy?

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:28:00 GMT

This was written by Jen Waak, who pens a monthly health column for The Solopreneur Life. I’ve never been much of a 9-to-5’er. My perfect workday would be 10-3 with a two-hour lunch. You think I’m joking–I’m not. But, as a solopreneur, a three-hour workday is a total joke. Even Tim Ferris knows that isn’t […]

Featured Solopreneur Diana Guerrero: “Find What Sets You Apart”

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 04:23:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Diana Guerrero, who works with animals and is a writer, too. If you would like to […]

The #1 Cause of Unhealthy Business Relationships

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:44:00 GMT

Here is the #1 cause of unhealthy business relationships for solopreneurs, plus a method you can use to avoid them.

Featured Solopreneur Cindy Tonkin: “Be Clear on What You Want”

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 05:09:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Cindy Tonkin, who has been a solopreneur since 1992 and is based in Sydney, Australia. If […]

Featured Solopreneur Tricia Lawrence: “I Want To Stay Bootstrapped”

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:23:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Tricia Lawrence, who has been a solopreneur since 1995. If you would like to be the […]

Coaching vs. Consulting vs. Training vs. Freelancing: Which One Is Best For You?

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 04:37:00 GMT

This is a guest post written by small-business consultant Rob Place. Client-focused (clifo) solopreneurs have to come to terms with one fundamental question when they start their business: how will I deliver my service to the client? Will I coach, consult, train, or freelance? This post looks at the revenue model for each, how to […]

Featured Solopreneur Jill Chivers: “Be Extra Patient”

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 05:18:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Jill Chivers, who lives in Australia and operates an online business. If you would like to […]

Featured Solopreneur Laura Brandenburg: “You Need To Be Self-Aware”

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 05:04:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Laura Brandenburg, who has a consultancy based in Denver, Colorado. If you would like to be […]

7 Small-Business Lessons You Can Learn From “Wicked”

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 06:04:00 GMT

Last Saturday my wife, daughters, and I saw the musical “Wicked” at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis. It’s the second time we have seen the show, and I’m sure it ranks in my Top 3 favorite musicals. Part of my affection for “Wicked” comes from knowledge of the show. On family vacations, we’ve listened to […]

This 1-Minute Drill Keeps You Cool Under Pressure

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:13:00 GMT

This was written by Jen Waak, who pens a monthly health column for The Solopreneur Life. How often do you have a project due or client presentation coming up, and the closer you get to the deadline, the more stupid you become? You might start feeling lethargic, have trouble concentrating, and possibly even get an […]

The Marketing Secret That Will Keep You In Business

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:19:00 GMT

Laddering is a market-research technique used in consumer marketing that seeks to explain why people buy and use products and services. Small-business owners, you too can utilize laddering to create successful new products, services, and marketing campaigns that tap into your customers’ emotional desires. Laddering connects the emotional desires of your potential customers or clients […]

Featured Solopreneur Ted Prodromou: “Recurring Revenue Is a Must!”

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:45:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Ted Prodromou, who does Web design, SEO, search marketing, and pay-per-click from his base in San […]

Featured Solopreneur Bob Andelman: Be Willing To Do Whatever It Takes

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:07:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet a colleague and good friend of mine, Bob Andelman, who is a writer and online radio […]

10 Things Your Client Doesn’t Want to Hear At Your First Meeting

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:55:00 GMT

Guys, if you are striking out in your attempts to take fine prospective clients from the first meeting to the signed contract, then this article if for you. It is free advice, but it is extremely valuable, so pay attention!

Featured Solopreneur Deb Howard Greenleaf: “Glad? You Bet!”

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:44:00 GMT

The Solopreneur Life Has Made It To Alltop!

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:10:00 GMT

Alltop selects The Solopreneur Life for the Business Intelligence category.

Solopreneurs, Avoid the No. 1 Small-Business Marketing Mistake

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:31:00 GMT

In the enthusiasm to begin their new ventures, many solopreneurs jump into the marketing of their businesses and miss the all-critical first step.

Solopreneur Health: Make the Most of Your Sleep

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:01:00 GMT

This was written by Jen Waak, who pens a monthly health column for The Solopreneur Life. Last month I talked about taking time for yourself, but oftentimes it’s easier said than done. I get that. But sleep, now THAT is something we do every night, and it’s yet another opportunity to recharge. The saying, “I’ll […]

Featured Solopreneur David Billings: “It’s All My Roller-Coaster Ride”

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 05:12:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet David Billings, an illustrator from Portland, Oregon.[…]

Featured Solopreneur Koldo Barroso: “I Only Compete With Myself”

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:15:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Koldo Barroso, an author and illustrator based in Bellingham, Washington. If you would like to be […]

Featured Solopreneur Caroline Colóm Vásquez: “I Always Had the Entrepreneurial Spirit In Me”

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:03:00 GMT

How To Fit Social-Media Marketing Into Your Schedule

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:27:00 GMT

This is a guest post written by online marketing strategist Tommy Walker. We solopreneurs understand the value of social media for our businesses, but we’ve discovered that it can be incredibly time-consuming to do social media well. Tommy has some suggestions and solutions. Do you ever look at other soloprenuers on social networks and wonder […]

Featured Solopreneur Dawn Svenson Holland: “I Am Blessed Beyond Measure”

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:02:00 GMT

The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Dawn Svenson Holland, who does fundraising for nonprofit organizations.

7 Lessons Solopreneurs Can Learn From “Mad Men”

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:34:00 GMT

"Mad Men" is many things, including a morality play that speaks to relationships and business. As I finish Season Two, this is what have I learned from "Mad Men" that can be applied to the solopreneur life.

Featured Solopreneur Sherice Jacob: “I Wouldn’t Trade It For Anything”

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Accounting For Solopreneurs: What To Do, and When

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:32:00 GMT

This is a guest column written by Deb Howard Greenleaf, a solopreneur who provides virtual accounting and bookkeeping services to small businesses and other solo professionals nationwide. Visit www.greenleafaccounting.com/blog for more bookkeeping and tax tips from Deb, or follow her on Twitter: @dhgreenleaf. You may be a solopreneur whose business is up and running. You’ve […]

Solopreneur Health: Why and How To Recharge

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 05:04:00 GMT

This was written by Jen Waak, who pens a monthly health column for The Solopreneur Life. Do you remember back when summer used to be long, lazy days lying by the pool with your biggest worry being whether you were going to get sunburned and peel? Me neither. Well, I actually do remember those days, […]

Featured Solopreneur Kelly Kingman: “I Will Never Go Back To Asking For Time Off”

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:55:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Kelly Kingman. If you would like to be the “Featured Soloist,” please send me an e-mail, […]

Featured Solopreneur Amy Harrison: “Don’t Wait Too Long To Jump In”

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:03:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Amy Harrison, a gifted copywriter who is based in Brighton, on the south coast of England. […]

9 Lessons Solopreneurs Can Learn From Sturgis Bikers

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:23:00 GMT

My family and I drive from Minnesota to Colorado each summer for our vacation. Our trip typically occurs in early August, which means that on the trek home, we share the highways and Interstates with thousands of bikers who are driving to or returning from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. Few groups […]

Featured Solopreneur Jade Craven: “I’m In A Position To Help People”

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:02:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Jade Craven, who owns Social Media Solutions, based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. If you would like […]

Featured Solopreneur Jill Salzman: “I Refuse to Make Fear-Based Choices”

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 05:14:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Jill Salzman, who owns Paperwork Media, based in Oak Park, Illinois. If you would like to […]

Solopreneurs, Do You Want to Conquer Stress? Walk Away!

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:25:00 GMT

While completely counterintuitive, standing up and walking away from your work relaxes the body and calms you down. In just minutes you’ll be able to return to your desk in a more relax and productive frame of mind and be ready to finish up.

Solopreneur’s Checklist: How To Write Ineffective Advertising Copy

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 01:45:00 GMT

If you use this checklist, you will scare away potential customers and eventually drive your small business off a cliff. Guaranteed! • Create a headline that does not include a customer benefit and does not differentiate you from your competition. • In the text, focus on your company, your philosophy, your mission and your success. […]

9 Lessons Solopreneurs Can Learn From a Labrador Retriever Named Jazz

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:02:00 GMT

Last week I spent several days at a golf club in Colorado. There I met Jazz, a nine-month-old, yellow Labrador Retriever who has been trained to be a caddy, of sorts. Jazz charmed me, and here is what can be learned from this four-legged solopreneur.

Featured Solopreneur Heather Claus: “I’m a Rebel and a Capitalist”

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:37:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Heather Claus, who owns a company called 365 Days of Everything. If you would like to […]

Solopreneurs, Use This Method to Make Every Decision a Great Decision

Fri, 28 May 2010 05:02:00 GMT

As a solopreneur, you have to make decisions mostly on your own. This makes it critical for you to have a decision-making process in place. Here's one that uses eight perspectives to help you make great decisions.

Featured Solopreneur Laura Petrolino: Proving Every Day That Pigs Can Fly

Tue, 25 May 2010 04:18:00 GMT

Solopreneur Laura Petrolino shares what she has learned from founding and operating Flying Pig Communications, her Tampa, Fla.-based public relations and communications company.

Solopreneurs, What’s Your Superpower?

Thu, 20 May 2010 01:54:00 GMT

So what's your superpower? How will your superpower benefit other people? How will other people's lives be changed because of your superpower? Find out how answering those questions will help your small business and enrich your solopreneur life.

Featured Solopreneur Shayna Walker: “Banish Your Fear of Failure”

Tue, 18 May 2010 03:27:00 GMT

Solopreneur Shayna Walker explains how she has overcome physical and financial challenges to build a successful small business in the weddings industry.

Marketing for Solopreneurs: Here’s a Powerful Tactic That Takes 4 Hours, Costs $2.20

Mon, 17 May 2010 20:56:00 GMT

Here's a marketing tactic that works extremely well for my small business. I love it and it's perfect for the solopreneur because: it's targeted, inexpensive, and easy to execute. The tactic is The Prospect Letter—a personalized, signed letter that is delivered by the Postal Service to your best prospects.

How to Be a Healthy Solopreneur

Thu, 13 May 2010 11:34:00 GMT

Efficiency is the Holy Grail to most solopreneurs. What if you found out you were allowing efficiency to literally slip through your fingers? The great news is that plugging those efficiency holes isn't costly or time-consuming. It's about making small changes.

Marketing Your Small Business: Go Beyond Features and Benefits

Wed, 12 May 2010 03:55:00 GMT

Improve your marketing by moving beyond product features and customer benefits, and on to a consideration of customer results.

Featured Solopreneur Bill Dwight: His Small Business Helps to “Prepare Kids For the Wild”

Tue, 11 May 2010 05:06:00 GMT

"Featured Solopreneur" Bill Dwight is the owner of a small business that helps kids learn about money management. Bill gives us a glimpse at how he operates his small business.

11 Collections Tips From a Solopreneur Who Gets Paid 99.92 Percent of the Time

Thu, 06 May 2010 01:56:00 GMT

I have been a solopreneur for 17 years. So far I have sent 1,236 invoices. I have collected on every invoice, except one. This is what has worked for me.

Featured Solopreneur Laurie Gay: Building A Solo Business That Reflects Her Priorities

Tue, 04 May 2010 05:14:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at another solopreneur’s life. […]

Live Your Solopreneur Life in “Quadrant II”

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:11:00 GMT

Stephen Covey's book "First Things First" is as relevant today as it was in 1994, and your life as a solopreneur would be extremely well served by reading at least chapter two! If you've never read "First Things First," or if it's been a while, I strongly encourage you to dive into it as soon as you can.

Featured Solopreneur Linda Lopeke:Being a Solopreneur Was “Completely Unplanned”

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 05:02:00 GMT

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” a feature that appears on The Solopreneur Life. The purpose of “Featured Solopreneur” is to give all of us a glimpse at another solopreneur’s life, in order to gain new insights and encouragement. I hope you enjoy it! […]

Using Two Computer Displays: Does It Make You a More Productive Solopreneur?

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:48:00 GMT

Many people who use two computer displays for their work believe that it increases their productivity significantly. But is their belief true?

Ancient Parable Reveals a Secret for Solo-Business Success

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:02:00 GMT

Below is a parable that appears in an excellent book titled “The Chemistry of Joy,” by Henry Emmons, M.D. This tale, found in the writings of philosopher Idries Shah, is a favorite of mine and I am ever mindful of its unexpected final sentence. The power of the story’s lesson continues to help me build my business, […]

Featured Solopreneur Barbara Milgram: She Defied Conventional Business Wisdom and Flourished

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:02:00 GMT

Solopreneur Barbara Milgram tells us what she has done to succeed with her solo business, Pomegranate Planning, which she founded in 1996.

I Fired a Client Last Week

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:41:00 GMT

It wasn't easy to do—I was a good fit for the work, the gig was ongoing and it paid pretty well. But the person who oversees this project was sucking the energy out of me. The job wasn't worth the anguish.

“What’s the Best Thing You Did When Starting Your Solo Business?”

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:45:00 GMT

I was asked recently, “What’s the best thing you did when starting your solo business?” The answer that came to mind is the same one I would give today: The best thing I did was jump into it full time. It’s a decision that fit my circumstances and personality, and it got me off to […]

14 Things I Like About Being a Solopreneur

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:00:00 GMT

I decide what music is played. I can have a TV in my office. Macs only. No dress code. No office gossip. No office politics. No slackers. No holiday office party. Face time is not important. The challenge of solving problems in areas where I have very little expertise. Firing the Client From Hell. No […]

How Do You Organize Your Week?

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:36:00 GMT

Are there certain things that you always do on the same day of the week? A friend of mine, Stan, is a solopreneur who strives to follow this routine, because it has served him well: Sunday night. This is when his work week begins. He likes the idea of getting a jump on the rest […]

The Connection Between Morphine and Solopreneurial Success

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:58:00 GMT

I’m high on morphine right now. Let me explain. I just spent 3 hours playing golf. This followed four months when I rarely ventured outside except to walk the dog, shovel the snow and walk to the mailbox. This morning I walked the hilly golf course (about 5 miles) and carried my golf bag (about […]

Tools That Work For The Solopreneur Life: The Moleskine Notebook

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:35:00 GMT

What is your favorite device for capturing spur-of-the-moment ideas, the ones that pop into your head when you’re not at your desk? If you don’t have a device that’s always with you, then you’re losing inspirations that could be valuable to your solopreneur life. I attended a convention in January where of the sponsors gave […] The post Tools That Work For The Solopreneur Life: The Moleskine Notebook appeared first on The Solopreneur Life | Passive Income | Home Business.