All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

We often judge things from their external appearance. It is a natural human tendency.

First impressions are especially important; they have an outsized influence on our attitude and predispose us toward a particular opinion.

No wonder we pay so much attention to our appearance, and appearance in general; regardless, if one digs deeper, the situation may be much less ideal.

If you’ve ever experienced an inspection of a facility or equipment from some higher authority, then you have a good idea of what I’m referring to. What matters most is that it all looks good or as desired. The fact that, under the surface, there may be a lot of corrosion and faulty, non-functional, or unreliable equipment is secondary.

Similarly, in the days of mobile phones, connectedness, and social media, it is common for people to enact an online persona that doesn’t represent their true self and/or reality. They may be depressed, but their online persona will always seem confident and happy. They may struggle to get by each month financially, but their persona will seem well-to-do and successful.

We are visual creatures who place utmost significance on what we see with our eyes. And we often rush to conclusions without having the prudence to ask questions and look deeper. We commonly say, “I must see it, to believe it”.

Your eyes can deceive you; don’t trust them.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Even many of our preconceived notions and beliefs are deceptive, as they are commonly based on appearances.

It is, then, easy to be deceived by appearances. And not only can it be self-sabotaging, but other people can also take advantage of this weakness. It can be a means to misguide you and control you. It’s not that hard either, not in our days at least.

Effects in Building An Online Business

In the context of building an online business and online entrepreneurship in general, deceiving appearances and erroneous, misleading preconceived ideas are abundant.

People regularly present themselves, or a product they are promoting, in a false light to make a profit.

A common misconception is that you can be making good earnings from one day to the next without too much hustle. It appears to be so, other people seem to achieve this, but the not-so-obvious part we fail to see is the long and hard work behind the success.

Another misconception is that it is so difficult to succeed in building an online business that it is only for the few. On the other side of the spectrum, we may think that it is so easy anyone can do it, just by following a step-by-step guide. The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle.

All this is very unfortunate as it can hold us back from our dream of building an online business or/and hinder our success.

That is why it is crucial for us to develop our analytical thinking and reasoning; to be able to judge people, objects, and situations based not on external appearances or prejudice but their inner qualities and true nature.

Either you repeat the same conventional doctrines everybody is saying, or else you say something true, and it will sound like it’s from Neptune.

Noam Chomsky

Most people can achieve building a successful, profitable online business. And there’s never been a better time; with so much activity and so much opportunity online.
But while it can be largely straightforward, it is not easy; it will take patience and perseverance. It will also take good guidance.

The post Appearances (Are Deceptive) first appeared on Liberation Project Online.

In this post, I’d like to address this matter, which affects many people, me included, especially as most people seem to hate their job.

It’s been a while I’ve known in my heart, and I have already made up my mind, that it’s time to quit my job and move on to trying different things. It’s not an easy decision though, particularly if you have been doing this work for many years.

However miserable you may be, fear can hold you back. “The devil I know is better than the one I don’t“, you likely think, but how sure are you of this? How true is it?

Reading this post, I can assume that you also have this feeling, an intuition, however strong, it’s time to move on from your current job.

But, like any important decision, we want some indication, some kind of rules that let us know this is the right decision. We are emotional beings, and, generally speaking, we don’t make good decisions when we are under emotional stress, and reacting to our emotions.

Thus, when making such a decision, it would be wise for us to be calm, and clear-minded. We would get great insight if we could distance ourselves from the situation and take a look at it from a neutral third person’s perspective.

This is why I did my research, I also utilized my experience working in various environments, with different types of people, and facing a variety of situations, and I created a list of seven basic conditions, or signs, that let you know whether it is time to move on from your current job, and take action towards something better. The presence of any of them may be enough for you to know it’s time to move on.

1. Boring work, lack of excitement, little opportunity for growth. You are not learning anything new, just routine work and no new experiences. We are naturally curious creatures, we seek to try new things, discover and learn. If you repeat the same tasks each day at work, if you repeatedly do the same things, day in and day out, then your work is boring, and boring work leads to depression, so get out now. Quit your boring job and try different things until you find something that gives you genuine joy (you may even have something specific in mind you would like to do); this is how you truly succeed.
2. Work environment. If it’s an environment that makes you feel uncomfortable, undervalued, disrespected, minimized, and/or unheard then you have the power to walk away and find an environment that aligns with your values, makes you feel appreciated, and helps you thrive. If you stay you may become complacent.
3. You see no future for yourself in this work; you have nothing to hope for, to look forward to accomplishing. This is a good sign that your current business does not align with your values and goals, with what motivates and inspires you. Do I have to say it? Just get out! 
4. Your gut feeling. Oftentimes your gut feeling knows best, and it may be all the indication you need, even if you can’t completely understand it or put it into words. Steve Jobs, in his famous Stanford commencement speech, said, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards“. Your gut feeling may somehow know, and telling you, your job does not align with your mission, vision, and purpose.
5. Micromanagement, lack of trust, and transparency. If you are micromanaged there is little room for creativity and growth. It is usually accompanied by a lack of trust. All this indicates a bad organizational culture, and it can’t lead to any good place; so, you’d better get out as fast as you can. 
6. Depressed, anxious, drained, and unhappy. If you regularly feel like this when you think about your job, or about going to your job, more so as the time approaches for you to go to your job, then you should seriously think about finding another job. Just get in terms with the fact this particular job is, most likely, not a good fit for you; there’s no shame in that. Think of it this way, knowing what does not work for you moves you one step closer to finding what does.
7. Unfulfilling, meaningless work. According to Jordan Peterson, “it’s a moral obligation to pursue what you find meaningful“.

If I’ve gotten any wisdom from my experiences, then this wisdom says you should not go after a salary; first and foremost, you should go after work that grows you, gives you meaning, and makes you happy. If it makes you happy, you’ll get good at it; and if you’re good at your work, and you’re happy doing it, the money will follow. 

Remember Your Dreams?

“A salary is the drug they give you to forget your dreams“. This quote is from an interview Kevin O’Leary has given. In the same interview he says, “never pursue entrepreneurship for the greed of money, the whole reason to be an entrepreneur is the pursuit of freedom. That’s why you do it.“

If this strikes a chord, if you feel the truth of it, if you want freedom, then you’ll be happy to know there is a way to do work you love, on your own terms; your way, your time, your place.

If it sounds interesting, follow the link below to sign up for a FREE training that will show you step-by-step how simple it is to do fulfilling work that makes you happy with the power of the internet (please notice I said simple, not easy; it will take effort, but it will be worth it).

The post How You Know It’s Time To Quit Your Job (7 Signs) first appeared on Liberation Project Online.

Why do we believe in it? It simply is cool, it looks and sounds nice; it even exudes an aroma of mystery. We believe in it because, naturally, we prefer to focus on the exciting part, the success, rather than the not-so-exciting part of what it took to get there.

Nothing happens overnight. Luck has nothing to do with it.

I’ve been really lucky because I f@cking bleed out of my eyes every day of my life and work my face off.

Gary Vaynerchuk

If we dig a little deeper, and have a look at the psychological aspect, we want to believe in the “overnight success” because we like shortcuts and we desire things to be easy, we want the good stuff, but we don’t want the struggle and the hustle.

As is often the case, it also has to do with our insecurities. If being successful is all about luck, then it’s not up to us, thus no one (first and foremost ourselves) can blame us if we are not successful, we have an excuse.

While it may feel good to let ourselves be fooled by this concept occasionally, and it may seem innocent, it’s actually very dangerous, and can be harmful. The reason is, it takes our attention, and energy, away from what it really takes to be successful.

Many of the people (that are going to watch this video) are not achieving what they want, and are lacking the patience, and think everything happens overnight, and that is coming at the cost of an unhappy life.

Gary Vaynerchuk

A very good analog to success is that of an iceberg. We can see the tip of the iceberg above the water, but we can’t see the much larger part (about 90%) of it, hidden from view underwater.

In a similar way, we notice a person who achieved success, as they intrinsically stand out and the mass media display and showcase them. It seems like it happened overnight, from one moment to the next, but it is an illusion, because we can’t see the large, 90% part of the “success iceberg”, which is “sweat, blood, and tears”. 

What better way to make my case, and offer some inspiration, than a Gary Vee video.

Remember that whoever you are, and wherever you are in your life at the moment, you can succeed. You can do it, it’s not about luck. It won’t happen overnight though, you have to pay the price. And the price, to be a real “overnight success”, is that you have to put in the hours of work, of struggle and hustle, you have to be dedicated and consistent.

Hustle is putting it all on the line. Period, simple, you don’t like the way it sounds. F@ck it, cause it’s the truth, cause you’re just not working.

Stop crying and just keep hustling. Hustle is the most important word, ever!

Gary Vaynerchuk

Now, more than ever, it doesn’t matter where you are in the world either. As long as you have an internet connection, you can make great things happen, by the use of the immense possibilities and opportunities the online world provides. From learning and getting an education, to communication and entrepreneurship, if you can think it, there’s likely a way to do it online.

And, if entrepreneurship, starting your own successful online business, and, ultimately, making a living online, sounds interesting, then the free training I provide is the best way to get started.

Success may not happen overnight, but it doesn’t have to be complicated either. In fact, the path usually is, surprisingly, very straightforward.

The post Overnight Success : Myth or Reality? (and how to become one) first appeared on Liberation Project Online.

A concept that has been in my mind for a while now re-emerged. Could “skin in the game” be the key to achieving our financial and other goals? Could it be the key to accomplishing your business goals, online or otherwise? Is it what’s holding you back from being successful?

Firstly, though, “skin in the game” refers to how much you have invested in the outcome of any undertaking you’re involved with. In other words, what are the consequences on you if plans go south and the enterprise fails, what amount of risk are you taking?

One example Nassim Nicholas Taleb gives is that of an investment banker. He gets to invest with other peoples’ money but when he fails, as happened in the 2008 financial crisis, the government steps in and bails him out. This is an example of a person with little skin in the game, which is the reason you should not trust him with your money.

The author considers all bureaucracy as people with little skin in the game. 

On the opposite side is the entrepreneur, for example. As an entrepreneur, you are very much invested in the success of your business. You have put in effort, time, and money to see your business succeed. You have taken a high risk, in building your own business, and, thus, you have a lot of “skin in the game”.

That is why entrepreneurs tend to be viewed more favorably than bureaucrats in the eye of the public, according to the author. 

“Skin in the game” can make us smarter too, in a sense. 

Imagine you hate studying math and probability at school. As a result, you are not good at it. Now picture that you get a job in the financial sector where your success, and livelihood, depend on understanding and solving probability equations. You now study probability with vigor, and not only do you understand it and even get good at it, but you also find pleasure in it.

Now consider the same idea in the context of your online business and entrepreneurship endeavors. 

If you don’t get the results you want, if you find it difficult and even frustrating at times, if you feel you have already tried hard enough, maybe you are ready to give up, could it be that you have little skin in the game? 

Maybe you don’t have the motivation to get out of your comfort zone and take the action required to succeed because you don’t bear enough risk.

Perhaps you have a plan B that you can always fall back into. You can go back to your day job, return to the relative safety and comfort of being an employee (funnily enough, employees also have skin in the game. In this case, though, it works to keep them obedient to their employers. Nassim Nicholas Taleb likens employees to dogs and entrepreneurs to wolves who choose freedom over being taken care of at a house, but also carry the associated risks). 

This makes it easy to give up on your entrepreneurial aspirations on the first hardship. 

This begs the question, how much risk should you take? How invested should you be in your online business? 

I don’t think there is a clear answer to this. In my opinion, since building a successful, profitable online business is typically a long-term process that can take from months to a few years, depending on your starting point, regarding skills and mindset, it’d be prudent to do it in parallel with a job that can sustain you while you learn and create. At the right time (for you), you can abandon the “employee-boat” and focus on your business.

In some cases though, it may work better to go all out. Do or die, as the saying goes. The “skin in the game” is so high you are far more likely to take decisive action and succeed, and do it faster also. But you are far more likely to lose it all too, the risk being so high.

I think the key question is, how much “skin in the game” do you require to be able to stay focused on your vision, your purpose, and your bigger, truly fulfilling longer-term goals related to building your own online business?

Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a favorite motivational speeches, says that he never had a plan B. He hates having such a plan because it takes away energy from plan A. It means that you start doubting yourself, and it is connected to our fear of failure. 

He goes on to describe how there is nothing wrong with failing. It’s ok to fail as long as you get up and try again, as long as you give it everything you’ve got.

On the other hand, you may want to have a worst-case scenario, temporary backup plan in your mind, even if it’s just to re-frame and dampen your fears.

In case of failure, your temporary “disaster-relief” plan may help you get up and give it another go. 

In time, if you’re committed enough, and invested enough in the outcome, success is the only possible end result.

The post Skin In The Game, What Is Your Risk? first appeared on Liberation Project Online.

 While the year started slow, it ended with over 4.4 million new companies started. This was a considerable increase over 2019. 

 With social distancing and lockdowns rampant during this global pandemic, starting an online business has been a particularly attractive option. 

 There are various types of online businesses, and they definitely have some strong advantages over their traditional brick-and-mortar counterparts. 

These days, anyone with a will and an internet connection can start a business.

Types of Online Businesses

There are four main types of online businesses. There can be hybrids of these types, but it’s a good idea to have an understanding of these basic variations. 

* Digital Products Business
* Online Service Business
* E-Commerce Company
* Affiliate Marketing

Digital Products Business

 This type of business can give you an amazing degree of personal freedom. In this enterprise, your product is simply information. An ebook is one example of this. 

 If you have a website, you might have ads for your ebook on it, and you can also place ads on other websites or paid search ads on search engines. You could even advertise on Facebook or other social platforms.

 A person simply pays and then downloads your ebook, and you didn’t even have to run to the post office to ship anything. In fact, you could have been sitting on a beach in Maui throughout the entire transaction.

  An online course/training is another great digital product. By creating an online video course, posting it, and teaching on websites like Udemy you get access to their expansive existing member/student community, plus you can make use of their tools and support in the course creation process. Alternatively, or parallelly, you can host your online training on your own website.

 Starting and maintaining a blog is another example of making a living through digital products. Most of us have a subject that we’re very passionate about or that we have some expertise in. Share this passion and expertise with others through a blog! 

 As you build a subscriber base, you can build a relationship with them. Once they feel like they know you and trust you they will be happy to receive offers and suggestions from you.

 And as the traffic to your website increases, you can start to monetize your blog by selling advertising on it. 

 You can also put your own affiliate links on your site. This is where someone else handles fulfilling any product orders, and you get a commission on each sale, but we’ll talk more about this in a separate section below.

FREE TRAINING – LEARN HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN ONLINE BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH

Online Service Business

 Do you have a professional skill level in some service that others could benefit from? Perhaps you’re adept at balancing financial accounts, or maybe you’re a skilled graphic artist. Turn your knowledge or skill into a service business. 

 If you are knowledgeable in digital marketing or bookkeeping, you can offer to help other small business owners with your services. Most business owners want to be free to focus on serving their customers and are more than happy to contract out such support services. 

 You might have a service that you can offer directly to the general public. Is there a subject you are particularly proficient/skilled at? Have you been a math wiz since your early days in school, or do you know a foreign language? Offer your services as a tutor in whatever subject you have expertise in.

 This is only a small sample of the services that you can provide online. Your imagination is the only limit to what you can offer.

 Another good example is writing. Most people are not good at writing, more than that, they don’t like it. So they engage others to do this chore for them. It could be a blog post or even a whole book. It’s an open secret that many famous people (and not just them) have had their book, or books, ghostwritten by someone else.

 You can check websites like Fiverr and Upwork to get an idea of what services are being offered online. You can also find out how to start offering your own services on these same sites. 

 With options like WordPress it is easy to create your own website to begin offering your online service or services, and let the world tap into your expertise. 

FREE TRAINING – LEARN HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN ONLINE BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH

E-Commerce Company (Mainly Physical Products)

  E-Commerce is what many people think of when the subject turns to online businesses. Whether you are selling through your own website or an online marketplace, such as Amazon or eBay, it’s basically retailing products. 

 You list your items that you either create yourself or order online from a wholesaler. When someone makes a purchase, you pick, pack and ship their order. 

 In keeping with the theme of service businesses mentioned previously, there are many companies that seek to make life easier for online retailers. These include drop shippers. 

 Basically, drop shippers let you list their products for sale on your website, and whenever you get an order, they get the item sent to your customer for you. Of course, you pay for this benefit either in terms of higher product prices from the wholesaler or a small fee for dropshipping. 

 Amazon also has a super cool program known as Amazon FBA. This stands for fulfillment by Amazon. It’s a program where you send the products you sell to Amazon, and then, each time an order comes in from your Amazon listing, they pick, pack and ship it to your customer for a modest fee. 

 Since you don’t have to be near your product inventory in order to ship it to customers yourself, this gives you access to the huge marketplace offered by Amazon while also giving you time and location freedom.

Not to mention that you can focus on what really matters, making sales, while Amazon takes care of the rest (shipping and handling). And let’s not forget that Amazon has a legendarily good shipping service.

FREE TRAINING – LEARN HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN ONLINE BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH

Affiliate Marketing

 This form of business can involve marketing digital or physical products. Basically, someone else owns the product, and you simply put links for it on your website or in ads elsewhere on the internet. When someone purchases the product, after clicking on your link, you get a commission from your affiliate partner. 

 Amazon has a popular affiliate program, but there are many others available. In fact, most companies online (at least the bigger ones) have affiliate programs. Just type a search for the company’s name you are interested in followed by “affiliate program”, and you should be able to find information about their affiliate program and how to join it.

 Then there are affiliate marketplaces like ClickBank where you can explore many products, mostly digital, from various vendors, and choose to promote the ones most suitable for you.

 The commission you will get as an affiliate, once you make a sale, is usually a percentage of the amount paid for the product. It varies greatly, depending on the product/company. It’s usually bigger for digital products, and smaller for physical ones.

 Affiliate marketing is a great way to get started since there is no need to create your own product. All you have to do is find a quality product that fits your interests and/or the type of business you’d like to create, and promote it. That’s why you can get started almost immediately.

FREE TRAINING – LEARN HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN ONLINE BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH

Benefits of Starting an Online Business

There are numerous benefits of an online business when comparing it to the brick-and-mortar variety.

Lower Starting Cost – Depending on the exact type of online business, you might be able to get it started for as little as the cost of a website (it can be as low as a few dollars per month for hosting). There are online website builders (e.g. WordPress, which is popular, convenient, and free) that make the process of putting together a good site fairly simple and inexpensive.

Access to a National and Global Marketplace – Depending on the type of traditional business you start, you may find yourself confined to selling to people in a constrained geographic area. This is particularly true of local service businesses that involve going out to people’s homes or them having to come to you. There’s only so far you can travel before the costs start to exceed the benefits.

Lower Operating Expenses – A brick-and-mortar store’s physical location will mean you have a recurring monthly lease to pay. You might also have employee salaries to pay and utility expenses for the business location. In contrast, by starting an internet business from your home, you can spare yourself these expenses. A good example is Amazon, instead of having to pay for main-street store locations, they pay for any-street storage facilities and they ship all their products from there. That’s a huge cost difference.

Time and Location Freedom – When you run a business that’s in a fixed retail location, you’re locked into being near that location. If your manager doesn’t show up for work, you may have to go in. This is where an online business really shines compared to a traditional one. 

If you are making money from a monetized blog, affiliate marketing, or through an e-commerce dropshipping program, you can be anywhere while the money’s rolling in. This is why certain online businesses are considered to be “lifestyle businesses.”

Do you need to pick up the kids from school at a certain time? Want to get away from it all for a week or two in Hawaii? Many online businesses can enable you to do just that. And did I mention you don’t need to ask for permission by anyone? That’s pretty nice too.

FREE TRAINING – LEARN HOW TO LAUNCH
RECESSION PROOF INCOME STREAMS FROM SCRATCH

Easy to Get Started

Get started, but do it with a plan. A plan will allow you to overcome the inevitable obstacles/disappointments and grow your business steadily and gracefully.

 Perhaps the best part about starting an online business is the amount of knowledge and training that’s available to help you on your journey to success. 

 If you’re tired of having to put up with a boss, you don’t have to anymore. Leave the rat race behind. Be your own boss.

 Through online training like the one we provide at Liberation Project Online, you can learn to build an online business around your interests. One where you are in charge of your destiny and building a future for yourself and your family.

START TODAY WITH OUR FREE WORKSHOP SERIES – LEARN THE EXACT STEPS TO
TURN YOUR INTERESTS INTO INCOME, + A SPECIAL BONUS TRAINING JUST FOR YOU,
HOW TO MAKE YOUR FIRST 10K ONLINE

The post How To Start Your Own Successful Online Business (from Scratch) first appeared on Liberation Project Online.

As Jeff Bezos is stepping down as Amazon CEO, after founding the company in 1994 and staying on its helm throughout all this time until today, it’s a great opportunity to explore what made Amazon such a humongous success.

It is a case study that we, undoubtedly, can learn a lot from, not only about building a successful online business of our own but about what makes a company successful for the long term in general. If a newly founded company has these or similar attributes, you can safely guess it will become a success (tip: this is, also, great info if you’re interested in investing).

To make my point I will share with you a couple of videos from YouTube.

The first one is an interview that Bezos gave to CNBC in 1999 (7 minutes 42 seconds long).

Notice, from the questions and the tone, how the reporter seems to doubt Amazon‘s choices at the moment, and how Bezos is obsessively focused on one thing, the customer (customer service, customer experience, customer interests). He also has great awareness and confidence in his, and the company’s, actions. Furthermore, he has an ambitious but clear, long-term vision.

The second video is an assortment of parts of talks and interviews Bezos has given over the years (9 minutes 44 seconds long).

This is an inspiration/motivation type video but it contains many “golden nuggets” that hint at what made Amazon so successful.

He talks about: 

• being bold, experimenting, taking risks, and embracing failure (a few big successes compensate for dozens and dozens of things that didn’t work),
• the need to be nimble and robust/innovative and resilient, and to always lean into the future (if not, the future always wins),
• finding your passion, doing meaningful work, being proud of your hard work and your choices (and grateful for your gifts),
• the need to have an inventor’s mentality (maintaining a beginner’s mindset while being a domain expert),
• you can’t skip steps, things take time (you want to do those steps with passion),
• as an entrepreneur, you need to be stubborn and flexible (stubborn with your vision, flexible with the details),
• you need to be very clear with yourself and not chase the hot passion of the day, taking the long-term point of view (instead of living for the now).

It may not have been so obvious that Amazon would come to be such a hugely successful company, at the time of its founding and during the first few years when important actions and events were taking place for the growth of the company.

Looking back though, after-the-fact, just by watching these two videos, on this post, it is easy to see why Amazon succeeded. It is in fact, I dare say, quite obvious.

But isn’t it like that always?

Here are the keys to Amazon‘s success:

• focus on the customer (end-to-end customer experience, customer service, etc),
• inspired, ambitious and committed founder who has stayed on its helm to enact his vision, see it grow and get established,
• a culture encouraging experimentation, innovation, and growth that endured; it didn’t die off after the first few years from its founding as it often happens with start-ups leading to their decline,
• clear long-term vision (and planning),
• reinvestments of the profits back to the company,
• hiring the right people (that align with the company’s culture and its purpose),
• taking responsibility for failures and, even, embracing them (as a stepping-stone for achieving something bigger),
• possessing, and exhibiting as necessary, robustness and flexibility.

If you’re interested in building your own company, if you have a deep desire to be an entrepreneur, this is the best time ever.

Creating an online business is straightforward and fast, and easier than ever. Furthermore, you can create it from the comfort of your own home, from your favorite café, or anywhere else as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection; and you can work at your own best time and pace.

Get started with this FREE 4-part video training series that teaches you the business models you can launch online (focusing on two simple business models you can start with immediately), gives you advice and tips on what it will realistically take for you to succeed in building a business and making a full-time income online, and more.

Take this business training and, at the least, learn more about building an online business (and the mindset and commitment necessary to succeed) and discover if it aligns with your long-term vision for your life.

The post Timeless Lessons From Amazon’s Success [Customers and Innovation] first appeared on Liberation Project Online.

While all of these factors can play a role in an organization’s longevity, there’s another key aspect of true success. And it’s one that business people sometimes overlook: offering help to others.

Focusing on helping others, making it a priority to serve other people and make their lives better is what makes businesses successful in the first place. Once they achieve success, however, somewhere along the way many businesses forget that and instead choose to turn their focus on making more profit. I believe this is the main reason many once successful businesses fail.

If you influence other people’s lives in a positive way and contribute value to society, your business is much more likely to last and thrive.

Simply put, if you’re consistently of service, material rewards are likely to follow. The more you help, the more you will get in return. And plenty of real-world examples back up this heartwarming thesis.

The Tony Robbins Approach

When you consider the concept of gaining success by offering help, Tony Robbins might come to mind right away. This author, philanthropist, and motivational speaker, a person who never attended college, has built a global brand out of aiding others.

“Unlimited Power“, Tony’s breakthrough book, debuted in 1987. It was a publishing sensation, and it explained how to get in the right frame of mind for success — how to focus on your true goals and get rid of any fears holding you back.

Indeed, Tony knows all about overcoming fears through mental preparation. During the 1980s, he learned to firewalk, a practice that involves walking barefoot across burning hot stones or embers. And, to this day, he firewalks at his seminars.

I discovered a long time ago that if I helped enough people get what they wanted, I would always get what I wanted, and I would never have to worry.

Tony Robbins

Since his first book came out, Tony’s videos, podcasts, and other projects have been a great help to millions of people. They’ve given readers, listeners, and viewers concrete steps to take as far as reaching their full potential and attaining happiness.

Over the years, CEOs, global celebrities, and even world leaders have sought Tony’s counsel. And his profound advice is always delivered with enthusiasm, humor, and affability.

As Tony once put it : “I discovered a long time ago that if I helped enough people get what they wanted, I would always get what I wanted, and I would never have to worry.“

Other Leaders Who Focus on Service

Many other stars of business, politics, sports, and entertainment have likewise realized the power of giving back. Here are just a few of them.

1. Jeff Bezos

Let’s start with one of the wealthiest individuals of all time : Jeff Bezos.

A Princeton graduate who briefly worked on Wall Street, Jeff founded the pioneering e-commerce company Amazon in 1994. What’s made Amazon a powerhouse isn’t merely its technological innovation, however. Rather, Jeff describes its winning philosophy this way: “We are always customer based and obsessed.”

To that end, Amazon labors to satisfy its customers’ needs completely. For instance, it strives to deliver every single package on time, especially around the holidays, and its Kindle reading device was designed to please users above all other considerations. In short, in everything it does, Amazon tries to be really helpful, putting its customers, and potential customers, front and center.

We’ve had three big ideas at Amazon that we’ve stuck with for 18 years, and they’re the reason we’re successful: Put the customer first. Invent. And be patient.

Jeff Bezos

Having maintained Jeff at its helm since the beginning, Amazon has not lost its laser-focused approach toward customer service and satisfaction. That’s why Amazon not only has endured, but it has thrived and, despite already being one of the biggest and most successful companies of our time, it continues to improve and to grow.

2. Ava DuVernay

The great movie director Ava DuVernay has long prioritized mentoring and assisting budding filmmakers.

In 1999, Ava founded a public relations firm, and it was a big success. Even so, she decided to switch careers and start making movies. She began with a 12-minute short and moved on to documentaries. In 2011, Ava self-financed her first narrative feature. Called “I Will Follow,” it was inspired by her aunt’s life story. These days, she helms acclaimed studio productions with large budgets.

On top of that, Ava produces a television series on the Oprah Winfrey Network called “Queen Sugar.” It’s a compelling drama about three adult siblings in Louisiana whose father has died and left a large sugarcane farm. To direct episodes of this show, Ava often chooses women who’ve never directed TV episodes before, thus giving them broader industry experience.

Ava also inspires her fans with her wisdom and advice. As she’s put it, referring to her decision to attempt filmmaking : “If you’re doing something, and you have a desire to do something different, give it a try.“

3. Bob Wright

From 1986 to 2007, Bob Wright was the CEO of NBC, later NBCUniversal, and his programs were known for their success in the ratings. Moreover, in the early 1980s, Bob was the president of Cox Cable Communications. He served in leadership positions at General Electric as well.

Nevertheless, it’s a nonprofit that Bob may be best known for these days. He and Suzanne Wright, his late wife, founded Autism Speaks in 2005. This foundation funds research and advocates for people with autism. Furthermore, it provides expert help in passing legislation that benefits those with autism.

Aiming to Help Others: Always a Wise Plan

In sum, when you’re serving others, you’re employing a keen business strategy. Those you help, whether they’re employees you mentor or customers you spend extra time assisting, are much more likely to talk about your company in positive ways.

More than that, when you focus on providing a product or service that is truly helpful, the rewards will come, sooner or later. It may take a bit more time and effort on your part, but this is something you can’t shortcut if you desire lasting success.

Through word of mouth, glowing online reviews, and other communications, the people you’ve helped will persuade others to check out your company. Plus, you’ll probably have more success attracting repeat customers.

In addition, it will be easier to recruit idealistic, caring, and hardworking employees. Such job candidates will want to work at your company due to your reputation for helping.

Not least, you and your team members should gain more happiness and personal fulfillment from your work if it helps others. That could make you and your staff more productive and less likely to experience burnout and debilitating career regrets.

With Tony Robbins, Jeff Bezos, Ava DuVernay, Bob Wright, and other service-oriented leaders as your models, your business can thrive and make a positive impact on the world.

To quote the eloquent Tony Robbins one more time : “The secret to wealth is simple: Find a way to do more for others than anyone else does. Become more valuable. Do more. Give more. Be more. Serve more. And you will have the opportunity to earn more.“

The secret to wealth is simple: Find a way to do more for others than anyone else does. Become more valuable. Do more. Give more. Be more. Serve more. And you will have the opportunity to earn more.

Tony Robbins

Being of service to others is the one timeless rule of business success. This holds true for any business, and it is no different for an online business.

If you are considering starting a business, an online business may be your best option. You can see why here: Why you should be working for yourself online, building your own digital business.

And if you’d be interested in a FREE introduction on the different ways you can make an income online, and the types of businesses you can create online (including 2 simple business models you can start with immediately and 1 special BONUS training, How To Make Your First 10k Online) you can get started right away here.

The post The One, Often Disregarded, Sacred Rule Of Business Success: Focus On Helping Others first appeared on Liberation Project Online.

If you were let go, this can be your greatest opportunity and the best thing that ever happened to you; and If you are unhappy with your current job, you have the power to quit and become your own boss.

By starting your own business, you can escape from the rat race and pursue not just your dreams, but your deepest desires; you can follow your heart, your instinct, what you somehow, deep down, already know is the right path for you, even if it’s against others’ expectations, and find your purpose. Building a business allows you to work on your own terms.

Thanks to the digital revolution, online business and entrepreneurship opportunities are widely available. Even if you do not already have the ability/knowledge to start an online business today, you can easily hone your digital skills through training options like the Six Figure Mentors (SFM) program (and this FREE 4-part video training series is our recommended way for you to get started).

Why Do People Want to Leave Their Jobs?

People leave their jobs for a variety of different reasons.

• They do not feel like their work contributes to the company’s overall mission.
• Workers feel unappreciated by their managers.
• They feel bored and uninterested in their work.
• There are problems with the employee’s boss.
• Employees want opportunities to use all of their skills.
• They lack close relationships with their co-workers.
• Workers want more independence and autonomy.
• Employees feel like they do not fit in with the company’s culture.

While many people quit their jobs because of a bad boss, there is another major reason why workers decide to move on. People leave when they stop enjoying themselves at work. When they can no longer grow in their careers, employees will move on.

If you feel like your strengths are not being used, you are not alone. Whether you are looking for a more rewarding career or a better salary, there are options available that can help you achieve your goals. An online business allows you to work from home on your own terms, doing work you love.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Steve Jobs

The Benefits of Starting an Online Business

Starting an online business offers personal and professional benefits. As an online entrepreneur, you can set your own schedule and work in your pajamas. If you want to work from a sandy beach in the Bahamas, you can. When you need a day off for a soccer game or a doctor’s appointment, you do not have to get approval from a boss.

There are also a lot of emotional rewards in running your own company. After you leave your old job, you get to be independent. Your time is yours again. More importantly, you can choose projects that are personally rewarding. Instead of just working to earn a paycheck, you can work toward your dreams. On the way you add more value not only in your own life, but in the life of other people around you, and, further on, in your sphere of influence.

The benefits of an online business extend far beyond personal advantages. While a brick-and-mortar shop entails significant overhead costs, an online business does not carry the same expenses. This means it is far easier for an entrepreneur to start a business online than it is for them to start a traditional company.

Enjoy Having Low Overhead

With an online business, you can enjoy having low overhead costs. You do not have to pay for retail space or sign an office lease. In addition, you generally do not have to spend money storing your inventory and materials. If you work with a manufacturer to create a manufacture-to-order arrangement, you can reduce your overhead costs significantly. Depending on the business model of your choice, you may, actually, not have much of an inventory or materials to speak of, in the first place.

Simplify Your Transactions

When you operate a traditional business, you have to send out invoices each month. Then, you have to wait for the client to receive the invoice, write a check and send the payment back to you. All of these steps take time. When you operate an online company, you can get immediate payments for your products and services. You can accept online payments through credit cards, PayPal and debit cards.

Discover Better Scalability

Scalability is important if you plan on growing your income. Online businesses are easy to scale because they have a low physical footprint. When you run an online business, you generally do not have to invest in a second warehouse or manufacturing plant when you decide to expand. Instead, you can easily outsource your additional workers through sites like Upwork and/or Fiverr. As your client base expands, you can easily increase the size of your company.

Reduce Your Marketing Costs

Retailers often advertise their products in weekly newspapers and television advertisements. When you run an online business, people generally expect you to advertise online. Fortunately, advertising with Google, Facebook and other online companies is relatively inexpensive (not to mention that you can be laser-focused regarding the audience/people you are targeting with your ads). Basically, with Google Ads, you simply target people who are searching for certain keywords. You can also directly buy advertising space on websites.

Reach a Global Market

When you run a traditional shop, you can only sell products to people who live in the surrounding area. With an online business, you can bring in revenue from around the world. Thanks to the internet, these sales can come in at any hour of the day. Even when you are sleeping, your company can continue to earn money. While you can always target specific regions if you want to, you can also enjoy the advantages of having a global consumer base.

Discover Unlimited Freedom

Working online means that you do not have to be tied down to an office. You can work from home or travel the world. Thanks to business apps and VoIP communication systems, you can run your company from any location that has an internet connection. Many entrepreneurs find this independence and freedom extremely empowering. If you need a flexible schedule, becoming an online entrepreneur is a good choice.

Gain Job Security

Initially, your online career may be less secure than your previous job. Over time, your online business will actually offer better security. When you work online, you can diversify your client base and revenue streams. With a normal career, you lose all of your money if you lose your job. When you work online, you can lose a single client and still have a strong revenue stream coming in each month.

Work on Projects You Are Passionate About

One of the reasons why people leave their normal jobs is because they are not doing something they care about. If you are going to work 40 hours a week, you need to like what you are doing. By working online, you can pick projects you are passionate about. You can also pursue your interests and hobbies as a part of your career.

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

Teddy Roosevelt

Take Control of Your Earnings

When you work for a boss, your boss controls your paycheck. Even if you are the best employee in the world, your boss may choose not to give you a raise or promotion. As an entrepreneur, you are in control of how much money you make. If you want to earn six figures, you can start new marketing plans or product lines. Your financial future is in your control.

How to Start Running an Online Business

Before you can run a successful business online, you have to figure out what you want to do. Are you interested in selling customized products? Do you want to offer services like copywriting or website design? You can sell a range of online services or products, so you should take some time to consider your unique abilities. If you already have skills you can market online, you can immediately get started on your business. There are also training programs that can help you learn skills like programming, editing, website development and app design. While some people like to use affiliate marketing to grow their revenue, other entrepreneurs build online agencies and offer consulting services. Because your skills and goals are highly unique, your business model should be just as unique.

Being unique does not mean that you have to invent the wheel. There are certain business models that you can choose to go after (at the beginning you should choose to focus on one of them), and there are people who have already been successful and can act as your mentors, either directly or indirectly by you modeling what they have done.

If you are unclear as to what your options are and what you want to do, let me assure you, this is, in fact, quite normal. If it is the case, then our FREE 4-part video training series (3 Workshops plus 1 Webinar “How To Make Your First 10k Online”) is exactly what you need. Not only will you get clarity on what is possible online (including 2 business models you can start with immediately) but, should you choose to continue your training, you will have access to some of the topmost, most comprehensive training resources to develop your digital skills, and, maybe even more importantly, you will have the mentors you need on your side to guide you every step of the way.

How Does the SFM Program Work?

The SFM program is designed for anyone wishing to get away from the rat race. This comprehensive, empowering training program walks you through the process of setting up your online business. You can pick different membership levels based on the level of support and training you need. Through SFM’s digital system you can learn digital marketing, starting from the basics to the most advanced. This system provides you with the support you need to sell world-class products or services, and includes hands-on learning step-by-step. Your education path is clearly set out for you, and each education module is concise, so you can quickly build on your previous knowledge as you learn how to run an online business. But, most importantly, this training program and the support from the SFM community empower you to do work you love, on your own terms.

“Success is doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want.”

Tony Robbins

Get started today with our brand new, FREE, powerful 4-part online training video-series, including a special BONUS training, how to make your first 10k online and learn:

• The exact steps to turn your interests into income.
• Discover two simple business models you can start with immediately.
• Develop the skills to create a life and business that you can sustain in any economic landscape.

The post Why You Should Be Working For Yourself Online, Building Your Own Digital Business, Instead Of For Someone Else (and The Best Way To Do It) first appeared on Liberation Project Online.