My Online Business Adventure

 Making Our Dreams Come True: Self-Education vs. Formal Education

  “Formal education will make you a living but self education will make you a fortune.”

This is a quote from Jim Rohn, one of the top 50 motivational speakers in personal development.  He is also one of the trainers at the top online personal development site, Success University.

When I was at school I wasn’t really that bothered about whether I got an A in Maths or History.  I was too worried about whether people liked me or not, where I could get the latest pop star photos or whether my skirt was the trendiest length.

Formal education seems to happen despite the student.  We come out with our varied grades and reports of “Could do better”, but somehow we get some sort of an education.  Unfortunately, going to school is never the choice of the pupil, it is a requirement.  In most Western countries it is the common consensus that you must go to school so you can get a job and earn a living.

Perhaps this is why most of us achieve only average results.  We are not doing it out of love, but because we have to.  It’s the law.

However, self-education has far more power because we only come to it through personal choice.  It is also our responsibility to take it on and achieve the results we want.  This gives us self-motivation and we are far more likely to succeed.

To read the rest of this article, click here.

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

If you love your job, and are happy with your current income, you really don’t need to read further.  But if you dread Monday mornings, drag yourself out of bed every morning, hate the daily commute and are tired of working every day just to make your boss rich, then why not consider work from home with a homebased business online?

A home based online business will not make you rich overnight, but within a few months or a couple of years, depending on how much time you can give to it, you could be giving up your job and earning a good full time income.

What’s the worse that could happen?

Today, we had a power cut in my village.  I couldn’t work on the computer for over an hour.

But, I wasn’t panicking.  Even while I am not working I am still earning and people are still reading my website, blogs and articles.  When I came back online I found I had a new affiliate.

There is very little to lose with a home based online business.  It takes a very small amount of money to get started (you can work it at less than $50 per month if necessary), a few hours a week (whatever you can spare) and…. well, I can’t think of anything else.

On the other hand, there is much to gain.  Financial freedom, more spare time (once you’ve got rid of the day job) to spend with your family or take up the hobby you’ve always wanted, and, most important of all, a sense of personal achievement and pride.

If you want to work from home with a homebased business online, you can go to my website below and find plenty of legitimate opportunities.  Or if you want to find out more first, you can buy one of the books I have selected for you at the bottom of this post.

Here’s to your success.

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

I don’t watch a lot of sport, but I do love Wimbledon.  For two weeks of the year the television is constantly switched on.  I have seen some amazing matches, but last night I was deeply inspired by the most incredible come-back I have ever seen.  I do think that any of us can take many examples from sporting heroes, so if you want to know how to be a successful entrepreneur even when the odds are against you, watch, if you can, the 4th round match between Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet.

Everything was against Murray right from the start, and at 2 sets down, in the 3rd set, with match point against him, it really looked like it was going to be all over.  Not once had he broken Gasquet’s serve.  It looked like a done deal.

Yet from somewhere in this guy’s psyche, he managed to find a way to finally break the other man’s serve at this crucial moment.  Going on to win the set with the most impossible back-hand return, he went on, sometimes struggling at a see-saw deuce/advantage stalemate, but went on, looking more in control at each moment, to win the 4th and the winning, final set.

So, why am I talking about tennis in my home business blog, you might ask?

Because Andy Murray showed all the qualities that are needed to be a success in business.  Let me just list these:

• Positive thinking.  If you ever seen Murray interviewed, you will find that his focus is on what’s possible, not what’s not possible.  When his interviewer pointed out he would face Nedal in the quarter-final and he’d never beaten him before, Murray’s response was “but I’ve had some good chances against him…and I believe I can beat him…”  Positive thinking allows you to stay focused on what is possible in your business - and this will create your reality.
• Determination.  Some of the balls Murray faced in that match yesterday looked impossible to return - but he managed to return them through sheer determination.  It was almost as if his will to succeed allowed him to achieve the physically impossible.  If you are 100% determined to succeed, nothing can stop you.
• Tenacity.  Time after time, things went against him in the first 2 sets.  It was almost painful to watch.  But this is a guy who does not believe in giving up.  No matter where you are in your business right now, with tenacity and refusal to give up, you can get to where you want to be.
• Focus.  Despite the odds against him, Murray continued to remain focused and keep his eye on the ball.  His mind was set on winning, even with match point against him, and not once did he become distracted or allow mistakes to upset him.  In business, it is essential that you remain focused on what’s important and set your sights on your goals.

These are not qualities that someone like Murray just happens to have.  These are qualities that ANYONE can choose to have in any given moment.  We all have the power to succeed; we just have to choose who we are going to be in order to achieve that success.

If you want to know how to be a successful entrepreneur - or be successful at anything - I recommend that you watch your sporting heroes, whoever they are, and take some tips from them.  You too can be a hero.

No doubt I’ll be back with some more inspirational tips during the Olympics!

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

Earn While You Learn Success

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to buy the things you want without having to check your bank balance first?  To feel secure in the knowledge that you have money saved for those occasional emergencies?  To treat your family to a holiday or buy a new car when you want to?  For many people having these things means working extra hours or getting an extra job, but this also means losing time that you could be spending with your family and friends.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could work half the time for more money by creating a residual income opportunity?

See the rest of this article here…

If you are considering starting a home based affiliate marketing business, you could do a lot worse than starting with Plug-in Profit.  Earning money at home is not as easy as it sounds if you are new to the business, but this program gives the newbie a real “leg-up” on the affiliate marketing ladder and there is so much support available that you cannot lose as long as you put in the work.

To help you make the most of what Plug-in Profit (or PIPS) has to offer, I have made my own list of steps you need to take when getting started with PIPS.  This is the advice I give to all my PIPS affiliates:

1.  Set a budget.   PIPS is free, but you do need to pay for the hosting of your website, which is $25 per month plus set-up fee.  It is important that you decide before you start how much more you can afford.  It may be that you can only afford the hosting fee for the moment - and that’s fine.  You just need to be clear how much you will spend per month and then you will not be tempted to spend money you cannot afford.

2.  Read the 30-Day Training.   When you join PIPS, you also join up to six other programs which are promoted under the umbrella of your PIPS website.  This means you will be receiving a lot of helpful emails from each program, which can lead to information overload!  For the moment, all you need to focus on is the excellent step-by-step training you get from Stone Evans.  It’s best to read it through once before taking action.

3.  Choose Your Strategies.  You DO NOT have to do all the things Stone suggests in his 30 day training.  If you did, you would probably go over your budget and spread yourself too thin.  Many people pick just a few ways of marketing and do very well.  In fact, the free ways of marketing that are explained in the training are probably the most effective.

4.  Join the Forum.  One of the best factors of PIPS is your free membership to the PIPS members’ section of the Warrior Forum.  I believe that being part of a forum is one of the most important parts of affiliate marketing.  Here you will get support, advice and encouragement from people who are already successful, as well as the comaraderie of meeting other newbies like yourself who are just getting started.  It is very wise to come to the forum for advice before you spend any money on anything.

5.  Join the PipsPowerGroup.  If you do have any spare money in your budget, I recommend that you use it to join this members’ group.  It is run by six PIPS experts who are all earning a very good income from PIPS, and they will give you honest, personalised advice on how to get your business going.  This program also has its own step-by-step program which starts where Stone’s training finishes.

6.  Stay in touch with your sponsor and help your own affiliates.   The person you sign-up under (that’ll be me if you sign up here today) is there to help you succeed as much as possible.  This business is based on helping others to succeed and this works both ways.  Allow your sponsor to help you, and in turn use what you have learned to teach your own affiliates.  When they succeed, you do too.

If you join Plug-in Profit, and follow these six steps, you will be well on your way to building a successful affiliate marketing business, and within a year you will be earning money at home which will become a full time income and grow each year to provide you with the financial freedom you deserve.

For more information about PIPS and other programs, visit my website below.

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

The media would have us believe that everyone is in the same boat. We’re all facing a “credit crunch”, fuel prices are going through the roof and the cost of living is rising on a daily basis. House prices are plummeting and interest rates rocketing. The “doom and gloom” mongers are having a field day! So how do you build financial freedom in this kind of climate?

Actually, there are plenty of people out there who are not affected by the recession. Or any recession, come to that. I’m not just talking about the Sir Alan Sugars or Sir Richard Bransons of this world.

There is an industry that is growing rapidly, and not only that, but it thrives during a recession.

Yes, of course, I’m talking about the online affiliate marketing industry.

Why does this industry do so well when the rest of the world isn’t?

Partly because the set-up costs are so low and the future rewards so high. It is just the thing that people turn to during a financial crisis, such as global recession. Instead of staying in a job where their future is insecure and the paycheck does not meet growing inflation, they are starting their own businesses where they can build residual income which will carry on no matter what happens.

There is a little more to it than that though. It’s also much to do with attitude.

I heard some business guru (it might have been someone from “Dragon’s Den”) say recently that there are always people who are successful during a recession, and there are always people who are poor when the world is booming. It’s really all about what you believe about yourself.

So forget what the gloom merchants are telling you. You can build financial freedom no matter what the rest of the world is doing. Just believe in yourself and take action. If working at home appeals to you, take a look and see what’s on offer!

For home business opportunities click here.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

I recently read an article that suggested that a “need” for money could be the biggest block to actually getting it.  Sounds depressing, right?  Reading further, I realised there was a lot of sense in this argument, but you don’t have to despair.  The ideas I learned are inspirational and motivational, and could get you back on track.  If you are thinking “I need lots of money now”, then please read my own article on this subject using the link below:

“I Need Lots of Money Now” - Your Need Could be Your Greatest Obstacle

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

Career and Life Success Coaching

Every Monday morning I get a motivational newsletter from a guy called Neil Crofts who owns the website, Authentic Transformation.   He has great tips on living a deeper life and living authentically and passionately.  I loved the one I got this morning, so I thought I would share it with you.

“ Stretch”

It is very tempting to hide behind the mask of prudence, to temper our efforts with caution, to avoid exposure to risk or danger.

And not just tempting, it is positively encouraged in our society to play safe.

The English have a subtle double-speak to indicate when you have gone too far: “you are brave”, (with the emphasis on ‘brave’) translates as - “you are a mad and irresponsible fool”.  [Lol - I know this one - I’ve heard it so many times! Ros]

“The tallest trees catch the most wind”, “keep your head below the parapet”, “play it safe” - are the subtle mantras fed into our consciousness.

But where does it lead? Where do you get to with a life lead below the parapet? Do you get to your full potential? Do you achieve the extraordinary? Do you do amazing things?

So where is the edge? If our cultural conditioning places such an early limit on our potential, how do we know where too far is?

The reality is that we don’t. The “edge” is not a constant thing, it is a constantly moving, morphing thing. It depends on so many variables that, like the weather or financial markets, the only way to have any certainty about even the very short term, is to get very close to it and make subtle adjustments the whole time.

Colin Chapman, the mercurial founder of Lotus Cars and genius motor racing engineer and innovator used to say that “Any car which holds together for more than a race is too heavy”. Meaning that if you want to excel, you have to be prepared to face the edge of failure.

If we want to innovate, change, succeed, be fulfilled or do anything meaningful in life, love or business, we simply have to be prepared to stretch.

Stretch is where the learning and development starts. If we don’t stretch we don’t improve. If we don’t push ourselves beyond our comfort zone, nothing changes, we just loop around, same old, same old.

What is next for you?

More of the same, or more of life?

Neil Crofts is a coach, consultant and facilitator and is passionate about helping people to live more meaningful lives.  You can find his website and services here.

Are you playing safe?  Where do you want to change?  Your job, your relationships, your fianances?  Go on, choose a better life - think big; be extraordinary.  Living a deeper life depends on you and how far you are prepared to stretch.

I’m a career coach as well as a home business owner.  Both of my links below could help you change your life.

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

Career and Life Success Coaching

The world of affiliate marketing can be a bewildering place when you are just getting started.  Without a helping hand or proper guidelines, the novice can easily get trapped into paying for expensive marketing without really knowing what they are doing.  If you are a novice in affiliate marketing, or are interested in getting started, here’s my list of essential first steps:

1.  Set a budget.  Decide, realistically, what you can afford to spend every month.  Do not be tempted to go over this in the hope that you will get your money back quickly.  This is the way to run up an enormous credit card bill and get yourself into debt quickly.   Even if you can only spare a few dollars every month, that’s fine, as long as you know this and are prepared to keep within it.  Making money takes time and you need to look after your finances before you get to this stage.

2.  Get In Communication with Your Sponsor.  I am often amazed at how many of my affiliates just don’t seem to want to communicate.  Unfortunately, these are the ones that pull out a few months down the line.  This may be a business that you work at alone, but you don’t have to BE alone, and everyone needs support.  If you get a welcome email from your sponsor, reply and tell them what your goals are.  It’s quite possible that your sponsor is an expert and will be able to help you build your business without falling into any of the traps that they will have experienced.

Sadly, there are some sponsors who do not communicate with their downline!  This is madness.  Affiliate marketing is all about helping your downline, because when they succeed, you do.  If you are unfortunate enough to have signed up with an uncommunicative sponsor, then don’t despair!  Step #3 is the next best thing for getting support and encouragement.

3.  Use Forums  Most good affiliate programs will have their own forum.  Join this.  If it doesn’t have a forum, join some general internet marketing forums such as Conquer Your Niche, or the Warrior Forum.  Many people who use these forums are experienced internet marketers and are usually very helpful if you have any questions or need some support.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to communicate with other people in this business.  Doing this on your own is extremely difficult - you need guidance and positive input.  By interacting with other people you can also have fun and make new friends all round the world.  I certainly have.

4.  Learn, learn, learn.  Use any training your program gives you, ask your sponsor, ask in the forum.  Try not to learn too many things at once - you will feel overloaded.  Take it one step at a time.  Learn one thing thoroughly, put it into action and then go onto the next step.

Above all, it is important that you learn that this business is a real business that takes time and effort to build.  However, it has many advantages over other businesses because it’s easy to start and you don’t have to have a huge capital.

Novice affiliate marketing is an exciting time, and if you are still looking for some excellent money making ideas, have a look at my website here.   As your personal sponsor, I won’t let you down.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

I know that “How to Earn Money At Home“  looks a little like my last post, but I’m coming from a rather different angle today.  If you have to stay at home, for whatever reason, there are still plenty of ways to earn a living.

I have lived with chronic fatigue syndrome for about 8 years.  Luckily I am not confined to bed, but most days are a bit of a struggle and occasionally I hit a brick wall and have to give in and rest completely.  This is what happened yesterday - and it made me realise how lucky I am to be working at home.

When I was first diagnosed I was in quite a stressful teaching job and the daily commute, deadlines and facing disruptive teenagers every day left me completely exhausted so I was having to go to bed extremely early in the evening just to be able to function the next day.   It really wasn’t a life.

In a job like that it’s just not acceptable to have a day off every time you feel tired, so working from home was a definite answer for me.  I trained to be a life coach so I could give up my job and work at home.

That was fine - but even without the commuting and dealing with behavioural difficulties, the amount of work necessary to earn a living wage was still quite a hefty load for someone who exhausts easily.

Lying on my bed and writing a novel was much easier - but there’s no money in that unless someone publishes it - and that’s another story!

When I discovered affiliate marketing, I knew I had discovered the answer.

If you have to stay at home - whether it’s because of illness, or because you are a stay at home parent - it really is one of the best ways of earning an income without having to go anywhere or do anything too taxing.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  It’s hard work.  But it’s hard work of the mental kind rather than the physical.  Having chronic fatigue does sometimes slow you down mentally as well as physically - but because you are working for yourself you can set your own pace and decide on goals that are within your own capabilities.

With an online business you don’t have to do anything physical except typing - and even if you are confined to bed, you could use a laptop.

Yes, there are always some days where you are not going to be able to do much.  But you soon learn to set priorities and keep focused on what’s important.

Yesterday I spent the day in bed, but I was still able to listen to a motivational CD and do some re-evaluation and re-prioritising of my business.  In fact, days like that can be extremely useful because we often get caught up in the actions we need to take, and forget that stopping to think once in a while is just as important.

So even if you are completely healthy and own a home business, don’t forget to take some time off to read a book, listen to an inspirational speaker, or make notes!

If you have to stay at home, whether it’s due to chronic fatigue, some other disability or because you are a parent, starting a home business could be a way of earning the money you are missing out on.

For ideas on how to earn money at home,  you can look at my last post, or go to my online business website.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

Career and Life Success Coaching