Why I Can Take December Off
This is not a boast but just a fact.
I’m taking all of December off this year, as I’ve done for a few years in fact. I also got to take all of March off in 2008 when I got married but when I got home I was richer than when I’d left.
Here’s how in a nutshell.
- Step 1 – list all your hobbies, exams passed, achievements and problems overcome. Also list your skills
- Step 2 – with all the lists come up with about five of your favourites (stuff you LOVE to do)
- Step 3 – work out how you can apply these to make life easier for others in the same situation
- Step 4 – develop a clear message of how this helps others, write why you are an authority on it
- Step 5 – write an e-book or film some videos (Camtasia) showing others how they can do it
- Step 6 – get a free Paypal account so you can charge for your book or videos
- Step 7 – use Weebly or WordPress to create a website (no technical knowledge required)
- Step 8 – shout about your site on Facebook, forums, Twitter and consider Google Adwords
- Step 9 – get testimonials from people who have used your product and loved it
Of course there are lots of other steps and stuff you need to know but if you start taking action and develop some ideas and products you will be well ahead of the game. If you set up five but only two start paying you could be covering your mortgage in no time at all.
Oh, I almost forgot. Watching TV will cripple your ability to achieve the above because you will be robbed of your free time. Watch X-Factor on DVD whilst sipping hot chocolate when you are rich and everyone else is?trudging?to work in the snow.
See you in Starbucks.
Paul Browning
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31 Comments
I’ll be heading for my local Starbucks soon! Oh, and thanks for the advice 🙂
I?ve been re-reading a favorite author recently, and she has a saying ? if you want to be a writer, apply seat of pants to chair and write! For your list, the comparable advice might be ? start at the top of the list and don?t stop until you get to the end.
Step 10 ? take December off!
And – enjoy your holiday.
Steps one and two are not only a great way to begin identifying skills and expertise you have that could be useful to other people, and thus possibly skills and expertise that can be used to go into business for yourself. It is also a great way to organise your thoughts when preparing for a job search
In the *midst* of a job search also, Mary. There are times when we need to remind ourselves how good we are and what we have to offer. Especially when the job offers are slow to arrive!
Step 3 is key also. ?work out how you can apply your skills and expertise to make life easier for others in the same situation?. So, in that case, it could be identifying problems you?ve been able to successfully deal with, and thinking about how that knowledge could be useful to others. And *then* how you might be able to market that
what a truly good salesman does, don?t you agree? They?re trying to understand what problem the potential customer is experiencing and then how what they have to offer will help.
I?m game. Let?s work through the list, because they are all helpful steps. For step 4 the important thing is to be able to explain your value clearly. Writing it down helps to develop a very clear message, and may lead to step 5 ? being able to develop a marketable product.
Interesting discussion. Paul mentioned camtasia. I don?t know anything about that. What is it?
So in step 6 Paul is talking about creating a document like an e-book, or a video, or other product that helps people solve the problem they have. It could be learning how to use YouTube like a pro ? if you?ve got the knowledge and it?s something more than others could learn for checking the FAQs on the vendor site :-). Of course it?s not quite that easy. Many people know all kinds of stuff, but that doesn?t mean they can turn their knowledge into a product others will pay for. That?s why those who learn how to do that can build a business and just maybe take December off one day!
Too true Susan. As Paul said there are lots of other steps, but if you get started you?ll already be ahead of the game and the many people who have an idea but never do anything with it.
Step 6 – oh yes! A way to get paid ? that?s good to remember :- ) Paypal makes it easy and secure for people and for those who don?t have or want a Paypal account, provide an address so payment can be mailed.
Lawrence, I haven’t used it either, but Camtasia is a software that can record anything you can view on your computer screen and create a video, with audio.
I suspect Paul is able to tske Decmber off if he chooses to because he has worked hard to work for himself and to build his businesses, and puts in the effort and the planning so that he can work eleven months of the year and still pay the bills on the twelfth month. Which also takes discipline. Effort, planning and discipline can take you far.
Follow-on — I might be able to do the same if only I could spell 🙂 Or learn to type. Or both.
I agree with Joe. Effort, planning, and discipline are key to building a business and working for oneself.
Step 7 ? create a website. It?s easy to set one up using WordPress or Weebly or similar programs, but not as easy to keep up with. If a website gets stale, people stop visiting. What do you do to keep your website active?
At first it is exciting to update the website, but then it becomes a job and takes discipline to keep updated with new information.
Add a blog to the site, and put something new in the blog at least once a week. Even that takes discipline, but can be quicker than adding new information to a static page.
Can you get a Twitter feed to show up on the website? Tweets are quick, can be done daily or multiple times a day, keeping new content showing up frequently.
10 I?m not yet able to take all of December off, but I am looking forward to being able to take a week off 🙂 Between December 25th and January 1st. A relaxing end to the year.
With regard to earlier comments – it all takes time and discipline.
Alright, how about step 8. It?s all well and good to have a nice website, and trying to sell your e-book or other product or service, but you must tell people you exist. It?s not so likely they?ll find you totally by accident, especially at first.
Yes, let all your Twitter and Facebook fans, and your friends and acquaintances, know about your website. I have not used Google adwords.
If you keep your website updated with new content regularly, you?ll also have a reason to get back in touch with your network, if only to send a note that you?ve added new content!
Good point. In fact, I do have a website, and have let it get stagnant. I need to add some useful information and then announce it 🙂
Step 9 – get testimonials. That’s harder than it sounds for some of us, because you typically must ask for them. For some reason it’s it’s difficult to ask!
Same thing on LinkedIn where it?s an option that you?ll ask for recommendations. I just can?t seem to get myself to ask people for a recommendation. I?ll have to work on that!
To add to Mary?s earlier comment about explaining your value clearly. I was at a meeting yesterday that talked about developing an ?elevator speech” (be prepared to describe what yod quickly enough to finish in an elevator ride). With an ?elevator speech? ? you?re able to explain your value quickly in writing and in person.
Well, we?ve made it through all nine steps so now we can take the rest of December off 🙂