Everything of any great consequence is built on a strong foundation. The world’s most enduring icons of power, prestige, determination and success – the great pyramids at Giza – depend as much on the bedrock beneath them as on the skill of the stonemasons to survive. So it is with all of us.
Our bedrocks may not be made of granite but they have to be every bit as solid.
“No man [or woman] is an island.” Certainly, this truism applies to every successful businessperson. And no businessperson needs a solid bedrock, an efficient network of support, more than one involved in Internet marketing.
Anyone can set up shop online. That’s the problem. Books, magazines, tapes and videos, ‘courses’, e-zines and web sites all tell you how easy it is. How you just ‘follow these simple steps’ and watch the dollars flow.
They don’t tell you how discouraged you will get when the dollars are only flowing in the wrong direction. Or how lonely it can get staring at a computer screen in your spare bedroom for fourteen hours a day. Or how to deal with the anxiety of knowing you have to spend money to promote your business, but not being able to afford a mistake.
Every business has downsides and problems, but offline there are often people to turn to for help. Online traders may not be so lucky. Who do they turn to when the ‘failsafe’ strategy they read about fails? Who can they ask ‘why?’ when nobody buys from their site? Who will hold their hand when they feel as lonely as that long distance runner?
The answer is staring us in the face. The Internet is the greatest storehouse of human knowledge and experience the world has ever seen. It is also peopled by warm-hearted generous souls from every corner of the globe who are more than happy to share what they know.
Some will know less than you but think they know more.
Some will know more but will modestly hold back.
Some will wear their knowledge and experience like a badge.
Take counsel from all of them and then use your own common-sense to filter the wheat from the chaff.
But where do you find these people? Where do you go to build your bedrock?
Three examples of place I have personally found particularly useful to gain knowledge:
Newsletter publishing: http://www.ezineuniversity.com/
This amazing site will teach you everything you need to know about setting up and running an e-zine, absolutely free.
General help and advice: http://www.ablake.net/forum/
By far the best all-round forum for Internet marketing I have come across. Very active and extremely helpful. I belong to several subscription sites, but Anthony Blake’s free discussion group beats them all.
Subscribe to e-zines: If you are reading this, chances are you already do, but search out more. There are thousands around and many of them are excellent.
The key to all of this, however, is not to just join the examples above and take what you need. True success, and vital support comes from interacting fully. Share what knowledge you have. Offer suggestions. Email e-zine publishers with feedback or questions. Make yourself as busy helping other people (in whatever way you can) as possible. I this way, folk will respond to you. Friendships will grow. Other people in the same situation as you will be drawn into your circle. Opportunities that may never have seemed possible will begin to come your way.
I have proved this to be true time and again, and have developed some wonderful online friendships that I cherish highly. But if I hadn’t been open to the idea of approaching and offering support to others, I couldn’t have expected others to be there for me.
Martin Avis is the author of the best-selling ‘Unlock the Secrets of Private Label eBooks’ – a complete blueprint to private label rights success. Visit http://www.plrsecrets.com to see how you can tap into this goldmine for yourself.
