Archive for the ‘Focus Focus Focus!’ Category

The biggest problem I see from people when it comes to Internet Marketing is that they can’t seem to figure out what to do next. Not only that, but the path they’ve left is swerving all over the place – from trying to learn how to use Adwords to promoting affiliate products to launching a new info product of their own.

It’s called information overload, and clearing out your hard drive doesn’t solve it – it only makes more room for you to buy other stuff you don’t need yet. There is a better way, if you’re willing to look ahead for 2010 and make a plan now instead of planning as you go.

Part of the problem is that you’re like a kid in a candy or toy store. You’re looking at one shiny new object in aw of it and suddenly see another new shiny object out f the corner of your eye, so you run and grab that one. The object in this case might be a new report, personal coaching lessons, or a strategy someone mentioned in a forum.

For 2010, let’s do it better! Sit down with my Planning Sheets and map out your plan of attack month by month. You have 365 days to fill – and make sure you leave some room for time off, because everyone needs that in order to perform at his or her best.

First consider what part of your business you want to build. If it’s info product creation, then you’ll want to brainstorm a list of all tasks you have to do that are associated with that, such as: niche market research, keyword list building, outline and creation of the info product, sales copy creation and tweaking, affiliate recruitment, list building, etc.

Organize the tasks in a certain timeline – what comes first? Don’t worry about PPC ads when you haven’t even completed your eBook yet. Give each task a timeframe. How long does it take to write the eBook? Map it out on your calendar, but be flexible and don’t panic if it takes a little longer. These are just guidelines.

Then pencil in the tasks that have to be repeated over the course of 2010. For example, keyword research doesn’t end in some niche markets. You may find that trends affect the way people are searching and knowing things as soon as possible helps you capitalize on the evolution within the niche.

Don’t let new guides take you away from your mission. Unsubscribe from the lists that continually do nothing but hard sell you on new strategies and pie in the sky promises and focus on those that motivate you to get things completed.

The year 2010 can be YOUR year. It can be the year that you finally get from point A to point Z and celebrate the journey you’ve been on. Promise yourself that you won’t veer off-course until you’ve met your commitments and seen some results.

Each year, I plan for my business in advance. And this year, I’ve put together a package of downloadable planning sheets you can use for your own business. Or feel free to take the ideas and adapt them into your own personal planning style. There is no right or wrong on how to plan…but effective planning is always right.

Here’s what you’ll find in this download:

=> Affiliate planning sheets and 5 checklists

=> Article marketing planning sheets, article writing checklists, article directories list

=> Blog post planning sheets

=> Monthly increase goals planning sheet

=> Yearly calendar

Plus, a copy of my 2010 Business Outlook report to help you give your business butt kickin’.

Click here to download your 2010 Binder Planning Sheets (zip folder – 987 KB)

If you want additional help in your business, be sure to check out the Sweetie Saturday Report Club.

Today marks the very last day of 2009, and I’m super excited about the year to come. I don’t do the whole party thing to ring in the New Year, but if you’re going out, have fun and stay safe!

I recently finished putting together my business plan binder for 2010, so I decided to shoot a quick video to share some of the things inside of it with you. Oh, and I kinda got carried away on the whole working from home thing, so the intro is kinda goofy, LOL! Not to mention my overuse of the word ”so”.

Anyway, I hope you glean a few ideas for your own planning, and I would love to hear your suggestions and thoughts for preparing your business for a New Year.

Product mentioned in Video: I printed out the 8 page checklist from Sales Army Secrets that lists 20 things you can do to help you recruit new affiliates, and placed it in my planning binder for easy reference.

The course is fantasic and is filled with unique and effective strategies that Jimmy D. Brown uses to build and motivate his affiliate force…and how you can use them too. I’ll be putting the information I learned from this course into action this year.

Also, my Affiliate Manager Sweetie course comes with 6 editable email swipe files that you can use to send to potential affiliates to get them on board, and promoting your products. So I plan to refer back to those myself too ;-)

I just sent an email to sweetie customers and subscribers about a handy outsourcing printable, but I really wanted to share it with you too.

So, here’s the email I sent out about it:

Before you head off for the weekend, I wanted to send a copy of this handy outsourcing printable that I put together.

With the New Year fast approaching I’ve been busy planning my business for 2010. And in order to meet my goals and bring more balance to work and family, outsourcing will play an even bigger part in my business next year.

You may, or may not know that my youngest son has special needs and requires a lot of my attention. And as his medical needs grow, I am so thankful that I have a team of people I can count on to keep things running. Especially when the unexpected happens.

If you plan to start outsourcing, or you want to do more of it, here is a checklist to help you create an action plan, build your outsourcing team, as well as some ideas of tasks and procedures you can outsource.

Grab your copy here:
http://sweetiemarketing.com/outsourcing-checklists.pdf

If you’re ready to start outsourcing, you can pick up 140+ fully-illustrated and customizable training sheets that you can give directly to your helpers. Along with 8 teleconference recordings and transcripts to help you can cut your learning curve for just $5 bucks.

50% discount expires tomorrow!

Go to: http://www.outsourcingsweetie.com

Use coupon code: 5B3EA during checkout.

All the best,
Melissa Ingold
Your Partner in Online Success

Looking back, I can’t believe how quickly this year flew by. Of course it didn’t help that our summer this year wasn’t a real summer, it was more like one long Spring. We got a few really hot days, but for the most part it never really felt like summer.

And now, here it is the second week of December and we have no snow here in southern Ontario…nothing! I remember when I was a kid we used to get so much snow we spent more time at home in the winter than we did in school because of all the snow days.

I grew up in a really old farmhouse (rented house, not our farm) in the country, so we spent all our time playing outdoors. The snow would be as high as the fence bordering the fields, I mean there was moutains of snow. And now we’re lucky if we get any, which is pretty scary if you think about it. Anyway, enough talk about the weather and the not so hidden effects of global warming.

I want to know…

What do you have planned for 2010?

For me, December is a time to assess my business and go through everything with a fine toothed comb. I take a look at everything I’m doing and decide what’s working and what isn’t. What things I want to keep and improve, and what things I need to let go.

Once I have a clear picture of my business, then I make realistic short-term and long-term goals for the new year. Then depending on what I want to accomplish, I come up with a plan and marketing campaign that will help me meet those goals.

For me, 2010 will be a year of focus. I’m determined to trim my business of all time and money suckers, and implement my plans to make everything else less time consuming and more profitable.

Have you thought about your business plans for the new year? What will do?

Please share your thoughts

Hi, this is Scott Tousignant with the final installment of my Home Office Fitness Blog Tour stop here at the Internet Marketing Sweetie blog. I’m going to wrap things up the same way that I started… In true “Sweetie Style”.

If you have missed any of the previous posts in my five part series you’ll definitely want to play catch-up and apply the strategies recommended in each one. Here’s where you can find them…

Sweetie Squats: Work your butt and thighs while building relationships.

Sweetie Shoulder and Abs Combo: Shape your body while showing yourself the love and respect that you deserve.

Sweetie Cardio and Abs: Boost your metabolism while increasing your productivity.

Sweetie Sweets: How to indulge in sweets while leaving the guilt behind.

There’s a reason why I chose the Internet Marketing Sweetie blog as a stop on my Home Office Fitness Blog Tour. Our values, vision, and approach are very much in alignment with each other.

I have totally felt at home here and I thank the Internet Marketing Sweetie team for welcoming me with open arms. During my stay I have noticed 5 key similarities between the Internet Marketing Sweetie philosophies and the philosophies of the Fat Loss Quickie Experience. I call them…

The 5 Sweetie Principles

Anti-Quick Fix:

With all the “Get Rich Quickie” and “Lose Weight Overnight” schemes out there, it’s always nice when you come across genuine people who have your best interests at heart…

…People who enjoy the process of building a business and improving your health. People who are willing to put in the effort because they know that the rewards are worth the price of working hard and they are willing to pay the price.

Kindness:

In a world full of negativity and dog eat dog mentality, it’s wonderful to witness the simple act of kindness to others and to yourself. It’s these acts of kindness that make you stand out from the crowd and allow you to attract the people that you want to work with and develop friendships with.

Giving:

The Internet Marketing Sweetie approach is right on the money… A business that gives, gets back much more in return and in many ways.

The same holds true with your health and the Fat Loss Quickie lifestyle. It all begins with giving to your body. Give your body the proper healthy fuel that it deserves and you will be greatly rewarded. Take the time to move your body, stretch it, and challenge it, and you will be greatly rewarded.

Sharing your journey with others, encouraging them to adopt a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and supporting them along the way is one of the greatest acts of giving that you could do. It giving the gift of health.

Savvy:

Being savvy in marketing and in health will lead to long term success. It’s a practical approach that suits your lifestyle, meets your needs, and is alignment with your values. It’s based on the inspired application of knowledge that you have gained from study and experience.

Respect:

Respecting your readers, your customers, colleagues who have helped you along the way, your teachers, and most important yourself is one of the greatest keys to success in life.

When the work that you produce is in alignment with your values and positively impacting the people who use it, be proud of yourself and respect what you have created.

When you respect your body through regular exercise and fueling it with natural healthy foods you will experience a zest for life and become fully aware that you are doing the things that are transforming you into the best YOU that you can be.

So there you have it. The 5 Sweetie Principles to live by. I hope that you have enjoyed this post as well as the other four posts that I have contributed in this series.

I would love to get to know you better and build upon the relationship that we have just begun. When you are in the neighborhood stop by the Fat Loss Quickie blog for more home office fitness tips.

I have lots of FREE stuff to share with you including the 30 Day Home Office Fitness Challenge.

When you are ready to take things to the next level, increasing your productivity, quality of work, energy, all while improving your health, stop by the Fat Loss Quickie program page and see how your fellow work-at-home-moms and dads are transforming their fitness, business, and life.

It’s been an absolute pleasure guest blogging here. I hope to connect with you again really soon.

You ROCK! Enjoy the experience,

Scott Tousignant

PS You deserve to live the life of your dreams in the body of your dreams. Dream BIG and don’t let anything get in your way.

Hi there. If this is your first time seeing my shiny mug on the Internet Marketing Sweetie blog, my name is Scott Tousignant and I’ve been guest blogging here for the past few days and sharing some advice on how to incorporate fast, fun home office fitness into your busy work day.

If you missed the any of the previous posts you can get caught up by visiting Sweetie Squat, Sweetie Shoulder and Abs, and Sweetie Cardio.

Today’s post is all about SWEETS and living guilt free. As you can tell from the picture above I was caught with my hand in the cookie jar

…Actually I was reaching for some cookies and chocolate fondu with a beer in hand. Does it look like I’m feeling guilty in that picture?

How about in this video? Does it look like I’m feeling guilty here…

Scott’s Tips For Indulging In Guilt Free Pleasures

Know Your Limits:

How long can you go without indulging in sweets? Can you go a few days without having any chocolate? Or do you need to have a little treat each day?

This is important because if you need to satisfy your sweet tooth each day and you try to go a week without eating a single bite you will be setting yourself up for an all out binge.

Plus if you are going against your natural tendencies it will cause additional stress on you, which can a) cause you to actually store fat, b) distract you all day long causing poor work performance, and c) make you miserable. We don’t want that now do we?

Schedule Your Treats:

If you prefer to have a small treat such as a mini chocolate bar or two cookies each day, schedule it in. If you know that you can go a few days without sweets, schedule the days and meals that you are going to have them.

I know that I can go three days without sweets (If they aren’t in the house or I’m not aware that they are in the house). So what I do is schedule my treat reward for every Wednesday at lunch time. That’s when I indulge in a Kit-Kat Chunky bar

Every Saturday we have pizza as a family and I also have a chocolate bar. If I feel a craving or chocolate urge coming on and it’s only Tuesday, I know that I can last the remainder of the day because I will enjoy the reward the next day.

Because it’s scheduled into my week or day, I don’t feel guilty about eating it. After all, it was planned. It was something that I allowed myself to have.

Control Your Intake:

My wife Angie has great control when it comes to sweets, but she needs to have some every day. As I’ve mentioned in the video above, I don’t have very good control, but I’m aware of that. If a box of cookies is in front of me I’ll polish of the box.

That’s why I prefer not to have any sweets in the house. When it’s time for me to have a candy bar I’ll go to the corner store and just get one. That’s how I control my intake. By only purchasing the amount that I can consume without packing on the pounds.

We do have some junk in the house, but my family is aware of my control issue so they hide it from me I’m all good with that and grateful that they look out for me.

Once again, I’m only eating the amount of sweets that I had planned, so there is no need to feel guilty about it.

Acknowledge Your Accomplishments:

When you are indulging in the designated amount of sweets that you planned for take a moment to acknowledge how well you have done in consuming healthy natural foods throughout the day and the week.

If you happen to overindulge on a day when you hadn’t planned on eating any sweets I still want you to think of how well you have done throughout the week. Don’t do it to justify the sweets that you are eating, but it’s important to think of the good that you’ve accomplished rather than beat up on yourself for ‘falling off the wagon’.

Don’t Rely on Will-Power:

Relying on will-power opens up the doors for beating yourself up if you have a tough time ‘willing’ yourself to not eat sweets.

…Instead, discover more powerful reasons to make healthier choices throughout the day.

I have a mantra that I repeat throughout the day… “Brain Fuel“. I want my brain to function at it’s best all day long. That’s why I perform quick home office workouts and that’s why I consistently drink 8-12 glasses of water each day and consume healthy natural foods.

If my brain is not functioning optimally my work will suffer and I will not be the best husband and father that I can be. I want to perform my best even when it’s during my leisure time.

When I repeat “Brain Fuel” to myself throughout the day, thoughts of family trips, cuddle time with my kids, and traveling the world with Angie well into our senior years. All of that is made possible because I am creating an environment for my brain to function optimally, which results in my business flourishing, which leads to freedom to do what I want, when I want.

I know that sweets are not the best brain fuel and I don’t have to ‘will’ myself not to eat them because I have trained myself to go for healthier options when I repeat my mantra “brain fuel”.

Living the life that I deserve in the body that I deserve is much more rewarding than the temporary satisfaction of eating sweets. It doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t eat sweets. It simply means that I am not a slave to sweets.

I can put on weight just as easy as anyone else. I don’t eat sweets guilt free because I have incredible metabolism. Nothing could be further from the truth. I eat sweets guilt free because I understand that health and fitness is a lifelong journey. I understand that one bad day of eating is not going to ruin everything. I understand that my body is capable of greatness and even more so when I allow myself to indulge from time to time.

You are an Internet Marketing Sweetie. Don’t feel guilty about indulging in sweets!

You ROCK! Enjoy the experience,

Scott Tousignant

PS When you perform a fast, fun quickie cardio session as I shared in yesterday’s guest blog post you’ll be able to burn the calories from the sweets you eat in no time flat.

Hello again. I’m Scott Tousignant back with another Home Office Fitness Blog Tour guest post to help you become super-focused, highly productive, and leaner.

If you missed the first two guest posts from me this week you can find them at the Sweetie Squat and the Sweetie Shoulder and Stomach Combo.

Today you are going to boost your metabolism and increase your productivity in just 10-minutes with some fast, fun cardio and abs exercises.

Quick Sweetie Cardio and Abs

You only need to perform this “Sweetie Cardio” session once per day. Your metabolism will be cranked up all day long from this quick cardio workout. You’ll be burning more calories while you are working at your desk and even while you sleep.

Now here’s the “Sweetie” portion of this cardio workout…

As soon as you complete the 10-minute cardio workout I would like you to take a few minutes to write down how your life is going to be 1 year from now as a result of adopting a new healthier lifestyle with home office fitness that fits perfectly into your busy life.

I want you to dream big. A lot can happen in one year. In one years time I went from being flat broke, bankrupt, stressed out, depressed, and working 16 hour days to…

…operating a successful online business, working a lot less, seeing my wife leave her stinking factory job to be home with the kids full time, reclaiming my happy go lucky fun loving self again, and being able to spend loads of quality time with my two adorable kids.

I knew all of that was possible. I wasn’t afraid to dream big. Angie and I wrote out what we wanted from life and then we followed it up with purposeful and passionate action.

This exercise of writing out how you envision your life one year from now is very powerful.

After you write this down I want you to get excited about achieving these goals. Write down a list of people who may be able to help you along the way and think about how many people you will be able to help along the way as you achieve each of these goals.

Are you ready? Great! I knew that you would be. There’s no better time to perform the Sweetie Cardio and Abs workout than right now. Go for it and let us know how you feel after you complete it.

You ROCK! Enjoy the experience,

Scott Tousignant

PS We’re only three days into your home office fitness challenge yet I’m sure that you are beginning to experience the impact that quickie workouts can have on your business and life. Let’s keep the momentum rolling!