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Protected: Mind-map checklist & video (subscribers only)

by Ed on 26th June 2008

Article by Ed Rivis

I'm the Amazon 5-star rated author of three books about web marketing, and since 2008 have spoken to more than 4,000 business owners at conferences and seminars around the UK. I've also developed software that automatically generates lead pages and home-study programmes that help small business owners like you generate more sales-leads and win new customers and clients, online.

Ed has written 326 awesome articles.

http://www.thekissbusiness.co.uk Karin H.

Hi Ed

Even without the bribe I would have given you feedback But of course, the check list is a treat!

Karin H.
http://www.scarborough-windmill.co.uk Angela

Always happy to give feedback because the work you do is so helpful and can benefit anyone.
http://www.sumatrix.com Ed

@Karin – thank you!

@Angela – thank you too!
http://www.dcpracticetools.com Dr. Michael Beck

Ed,

Very nice mind map and video. Easily worth $20 as a product in itself.

Do you have a coaching program or do any consulting by the hour?
http://www.sumatrix.com Ed

@Dr. Beck – Thanks for the great feedback – I was wondering how that resource had been received. Regards coaching — I do, either monthly email coaching/consultancy, or I occasionally take on private clients (but to say private clientship is ‘extreme’ may be an understatement for some people. Read about it here: http://www.edrivis.com/?page_id=2 ) Again, thanks for your comments and your enquiry.
http://www.aceproperties.co.uk Shuaib

Hi Ed

Been through the mindmap (fantastic overview of the process!!) and the video (which made things even clearer). So brilliant overall, don’t have the words to describe this powerful education.

However (as I mentioned in the survey), my main problem will be extricating myself from working IN our day to day business (running around / taking calls / replying to emails / going out on appointments) and then working ON this powerful web marketing strategy on our website – there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day these days!

But plan to definitely do something in the very near future, and sooner rather than later.

Wish me luck

Shuaib

PS: Are they any other business-owners who find that TIME is one of the main problems when it comes to web marketing strategy?
http://www.thekissbusiness.co.uk Karin H.

Shuaib, what do you think?

Too many ideas, too many projects on the stove next to all normal ‘day-to-day’ tasks. Time, who’s got some spare?

I know very well that the most profitable action would be to work ON the business and not IN, but as small two-man/woman-band it gets rather frustrating and difficult sometimes.

My good friend Richard C just wrote a blog post on this, bringing – again, as he always does – some much needed perspective to the table:
http://bizrichard.com/blog/?p=66

So far I managed to tick only one box on the mind-map: email marketing software in place
My struggle will be also with ‘delegating’ the writing tasks I’m afraid.

Karin H.
http://www.aceproperties.co.uk Shuaib

Thanks Karin

It’s good to know I’m not alone! Also thanks for the link, I read the bit about concentrating on the beginning first (useful advice so I have suscribed to the BizRichard blog!)

Just as an aside, I also read your ebook The Kiss Business after subscribing to your blog earlier, and I remember thinking at the time: WOW, here’s someone who is mega-organised. Not only has she built a successful business from scratch in 4 months flat, but also kept a detailed diary (which became the ebook!) on the whole process, and is now successfully running several blogs (I understand you haven’t got just the one like most normal people!). So must admit I didn’t expect an admission from your end that you also have TIME issues (the fact that u managed to even write an autobiography at the same time would suggest that you had plenty of spare time!!).

So my question is: Forget Ed for a minute (who I can’t afford just yet!), but do YOU have a mentoring programme of your own? (SORRY FOR REPEATING IF SOMEONE HAS ALREADY ASKED THIS IN THE PAST)

(Sorry Ed, I’m digressing a little bit, but I’m sure you don’t me singing someone else’s praises for a little bit on YOUR blog )

Ta all

Shuaib
http://www.sumatrix.com Ed

@Shuaib – hey don’t mind me… digress away! Karin’s awesome, and I’m honoured to have her as a regular reader. (And the link Karin gave to BizRichard? He’s a great too.)
http://www.thekissbusiness.co.uk Karin H.

Guys, you make me blush!

Shuaib, my ‘novel’ is part fiction/par fact: in real time it took around 2 years to come as far as the book ends with. Detailed diary: just a good memory I think, plus a load of ‘meeting-notes’ I could rely on to jog my memory on times.
I just love to write, but structured: hence the 7 blogs all with different ‘subjects’ and all with a different goal. I’m told I am organised, must be my double Capricorn heritage

As for mentoring myself – I count myself very lucky to be able to call Richard C my mentor – although he will protest against the word. I do have time problems, who hasn’t in these hectic times where so many things are screaming for our attention. I frequently re-rig my daily task schedule to eliminate matters that aren’t important at that moment – differs per week, per month. So monthly goal setting is one way to tackle time-problems (doesn’t always work though: the moment a client/prospects asks our attention – shop, email, phone – everything else is dropped).

And I switch off every day at 5pm sharp: no email, no internet. Don’t even have an internet connection at home! What I do keep handy is a note book: ponder time send little ideas or solutions to problems my way it seems.
Spare-time? Just the best job in the world: running a retail shop which gives me the opportunity to do all those things I like most (our shop sees around 7 – 10 clients a week, the rest is done by phone, email and websites – hence ‘plenty’ of time to get projects rolling).

I don’t feel awesome – I’m not! – I struggle with English most of the time, struggle with time like the best of us – but have one goal in mind: making our business a success, even in these troubled times.

Honoured by your comments and great to hear you’ve subscribed to Richard C’s blog too: he’s awesome

Karin H
http://www.aceproperties.co.uk Shuaib

Thanks Karim for the further tips, appreciate it (boy how I wish I could just “switch off” at 5pm till next morning! I think I’m a long way away just yet)

In fact Ed, I re-read your book cover to cover again late last night, particlularly Tip No. 6 (as you can see, as well a ‘natural’ but maybe not-so-effective copywriter (but I am hoping to change all that, hence religiously following the Copywriting Gangster course (Thanks again Paul & Ed), I am also a copy-reader! (or is Proofreader the right word here) – I read Karin’s Kiss Business book/novel over 3 nights during my recent 2 week leave!! So if anybody needs proof-reading, maybe I should set up an online business!!

Sorry getting convoluted again, but back to the point, Secret No 6 in the book states that not only is there so much to do, but most of it can be delegated / automated and outsourced (which is a bit of a paradox for me in the sense that you as a business owner, not only should / would you want to plan every minute detail of your business, but you got to THEN QUICKLY DELEGATE 99% of it! (and most business owners are self-admittedly lousy delegators, because THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY DO EVERYTHING PERFECTLY BY DOING IT THEMSELVES!!)

However it seems that Ed has perfected this delegating/automating technique for his online business by stacking up automated advisories on email marketing software / doing product launches while being away on holiday (like Stats Faceslap) and in fact if I am not mistaken, even his comments on the blog are done by an intelligent robotic ‘script’ while he is lounging in the sun somewhere in the Bahamas!!

But for the rest of us, especially the normal ‘bricks & mortar’ businesses, we are now faced with 2 paradoxes (instead of the usual one):

1) Plan / direct / manage every minute detail of said ‘bricks & mortar’ business, BUT THEN quickly delegate 90% of it as soon as possible (as I learnt from Paul Gorman books like “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Business”)

2) But now Ed has thrown in this FIRECRACKER: Plan / direct / manage every minute detail of your web marketing strategy of above ‘bricks & mortar’ business, and THEN QUICKLY DELEGATE/ AUTOMATE / OUTSOURCE 99% of it!!

Easier said than done Ed (on both counts), and perhaps you can elaborate further on this in your future products / blogging.

Hope that helps as more feedback

Cheers!

Shuaib
http://www.aceproperties.co.uk Shuaib

sorry quick correction to above comment

Karin I noticed I spelt your name wrong.

My apologies.
http://www.thekissbusiness.co.uk Karin H.

No worries Shuaib (must happen to you often too?), your other comment (FIRE-CRACKER?) made me chuckle and you’re forgiven

So, all we have to plan for is delegating everything and enjoy the sunshine (oh and the rewards pouring in of course from our hard work ON the business).

I find it always very helpful to know or select my/our goals and then plan my tasks (IN or ON) accordingly. My problem is more that I think of too many projects I would love to tackle, hence my monthly goal-setting: one project at the time from start to finish.

Karin H.
http://www.sumatrix.com Ed

Hi Shuaib,

Not sure I said 99% (may be I did… but it’s so hot here in the Bahamas it’s making me forget things.)

The point I was making was that as Tim Ferris explains in his book (Four Hour Work Week) it makes sense to eliminate the stuff that’s not working/having any impact, and automate and delegate where possible.

Yet so many people (me included) have for years been slaving away trying to do too much — and getting only ‘incremental growth’ (that phrase borrowed from Paul Gorman.)

Seriously, one thing I’ve noticed with my own activities — and those of people I’ve worked with over the years — is that without help it just takes too long.

Also, a lot of the less exciting and more tedious tasks end up getting brushed to one side yet some of those can be critical.

(I won’t try and specificy which tasks are boring and tedious… because it’s different for each person. Some people like link building, writing, etc, etc — whereas others find that stuff a chore and don’t bother.)

I’m aware there’s a dangerous line here — and I most definitely do NOT want to be seen as one of the plethora of ‘Internet Marketeers’ who are proclaiming “Buy my $30 ebook, press a few buttons and watch the money roll in and live the high life!” Obviously most of that is total utter B.S..

But I have seen a big increase in results from only a handful of tactics — and realised a lot of that can be automated.

I’ll blog about this tomorrow lest people miss this discussion – because speaking from experience (and many years of frustration getting noweher till the penny dropped) I know this is a major issue a lot of people need to resolve.

Anyway, must dash because the ice in my Tequila’s melting, and my Auto-Reply-Blog-Comment-Script (v3.01) is getting jealous that I’m doing all the typing today.

Ed.
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