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7 Keys That Helped Me Leave the Rat Race for Cyberspace Written by Marty Foley
On Friday, Aug. 28th, 1998, I finally achieved what I had dreamed about and worked toward for some time.
No, cashing that weeks paycheck wasnt what I had been keenly anticipating... Leaving a job I hated in order to work for myself full-time in cyberspace was the dream goal I had finally achieved!
The goal of leaving the rat race and calling the shots in ones own profitable business - online or off - is common to many people. At times it even reaches the point of desperation. Some waste thousands of dollars in an elusive attempt to reach it.
If running your own successful business is a goal youd like to reach, I empathize with your situation. Ill share some tips in this article that helped me leave the rat race for my own online business, which may also help you.
Even if youve already achieved self employment, maybe some tips I share can help increase the profitability of your existing business, online or off.
Keys To Leaving The Rat Race
1) Being a doer, not just a dreamer.
One of my favorite sayings is: When all is said than done, more is said than done. Its easy to dream and talk about our goals, but we wont get anywhere until we take decisive action.
Before I built a successful online business, I did more dreaming and telling others about my goal than I took action toward reaching it. Finally combining my dreams with action, however, was the only thing that worked.
Caution: Dont confuse taking decisive action with making rash decisions. Temper your willingness to act with sound reasoning and knowledgeable decisions, based on sufficient research.
2) Effective time management.
Time certainly means money in the business world. The ability to manage your time effectively is an asset that can repay you many times over, in both your business and personal life.
Getting maximum productivity from your time is even more crucial if youre working a full-time job at the same time youre building your own business.
Back when I worked for an employer, time usually dragged by. Now I find that working for myself, time just breezes by and I often wonder where the time went!
At one point, I was making money in my own business while holding down my full-time regular job, but not enough to live on. Moreover, I needed more time than I had available in my spare hours to pursue things I felt would increase profits.
I then decided to cut back on the hours at my regular job, which my employer agreed to because he didnt want me to quit. This allowed time to expand my business faster and made the transition to running my own full-time business easier. If you cant or dont want to quit your job cold turkey, consider a similar strategy.
3) Knowledge of your field.
You dont have to be an expert in your business field when first starting out. You can grow as you go, but plan on keeping abreast of developments in your field. Do so long enough and youll become an expert. You can also team up with others who have needed expertise you may be lacking.
4) Persistence.
Despite the hype sometimes used to try to sell instant, lazy-mans way to riches types of products, success in business rarely comes easily or overnight. Fact is, it takes persistent effort and plain old fashioned work. Be wary of promises to the contrary.
I empathize with those that must commute 5 or more days a week to a job they dont like. However, that can be a plus. It was a strong motivation for me to persist at my own business until I went full-time. Whatever your own motivations to persist may be, they will prove useful.
Tip: It will be much easier to persist if you select a field of business that you like, as opposed to pursuing something just for the money. Then your work can be fun, not drudgery.
5) Focus on presenting solutions, not just on selling products and services.
Im a believer in the business philosophy of succeeding by helping others succeed. Focusing on helping clients solve their problems and achieve their goals through your products and services contributes more toward long-term success than just focusing on selling them products and services.
6) Self-discipline.
Now that my office is just a few steps away when I awake in the morning, its easy to sleep in. With no boss to crack a whip over you as a self-employed entrepreneur, self-discipline is definitely needed. Since likely no one will see that things get done but yourself, you need to be a self-starter.
7) Marketing skills.
Regardless of what business youre in, marketing is the tool used to present the solutions that your products or services offer to the rest of the world. As the saying goes, in business Everything is marketing.
Marketing is a skill. And like any other skill, it can be developed through knowledge and practice. Entrepreneurs can never learn too much about successful marketing.
You, Too, Can Leave The Rat Race!
As more and more employees of large corporations have been discovering to their dismay, neither seniority - nor years of company loyalty - guarantee any real job security. In view of this, staking ones claim in the digital Wild Wild Web seems even more attractive.
Of course, theres much more involved in leaving the rat race than can be covered in this article, but Ive shared seven of the most important keys to success.
No, leaving the rat race may not come easily, nor overnight, but its certainly possible and can be well worth the effort. If followed, these keys can help you leave the rat race, too.
Marty Foley is a successful home business owner and the founder of . His Internet marketing techniques and resources have helped set the standard in e-commerce, and have often been imitated by other famous Internet marketers. They can truly help you succeed online: http://ProfitInfo.com/
MFoley@ProfitInfo.com
Additional Articles by Marty Foley
In Email Marketers How to Deal With a Growth Pain of Internet Success the Email Glut
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