Beware of the Weapons of Mass Distractions. Hey, there entrepreneur! Did you just open up your doors? Are you a newbie to the online world? Or are you a veteran who has been beaten up and abused by the industry? It doesn’t matter what stage you are in your business. You are still vulnerable to Weapons of Mass Distractions (WMDs).
What are Weapons of Mass Distractions? They could be anything that takes you away from achieving business success. The main culprits are your family, friends, shiny objects, not having a goal, failure to have a business plan, lack of capital, excuses, fear of competition, and the path of least resistance. They can destroy your business and have you applying for a greeter at Walmart.
Let’s identify 9.5 WMDs and develop a prevention plan. Be prepared when these weapons show up.
1. Lack of a Plan: Sadly most people don’t have a plan. No business plan, no financial plan, and no marketing plan. They just sign up because someone said they can make money. Poor planning equals horrible execution. Worst yet these people don’t have a specific money goal. Understand, that earning some money is not a goal. Be clear and specific on your income goals. Set yearly goals and then figure out how much per month and per day you need to make to hit that goal.
Why do people fail at making a plan? Because it takes work. It takes time. Some people fear that they chose the wrong business so they put blinders on. People do not like to admit that they made a bad choice. So they just muddle along until they quit.
You need a plan. A written plan reveals if you are in the right business. A written plan helps map out the monthly expenses, marketing budget, people, and systems use. Furthermore, a clear written plan determines your “Why” and is a clear path to your goals. Your plan is a deterrent to WMDs.
2. Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS): A written plan will save you from this distraction. This is one of the deadliest. S.O.S. promises you a path of least resistance, instant riches, and minimum work involved. Push button success. This will leave you broke and frustrated. This WMD comes from all directions. Your mentor, affiliates, experts, and marketing. The entry-level into your mind seems endless.
The deterrent here is F.O.C.U.S. Follow One Course Until Successful. This is where the newbie can get trapped. Every product launch seems promising. But perusing these false hopes leads them further away from their goal. Veterans get caught too because they are tired of not making money.
Read Related Article: Follow One Course Until Successful
Vaccinate yourself now from S.O.S. You will not reach your goals chasing every new thing. You can’t finish if you keep starting over. Look at every successful entrepreneur. They master one niche and then expand. Lebron James mastered basketball first. Now he racks in millions from endorsements because he mastered one thing.
What is Your Plan
3. Daily Method of Operation: In your business plan you should write down a schedule. WMDs love to attack a business with no set hours. You will get distracted by your friends, family, TV, and that UPS guy.
Having a full-time job is not an excuse. You became an entrepreneur so act like one. Set a schedule! Look at every business around you. They have business hours. Stores open and close. Run your home business the same way. Make a Daily Method of Operation now.
4. Income Producing Activities: What are IPAs? Income-producing activities are the things that produce income. Cleaning your desk is not an income-producing activity. Filing papers is not an income-producing activity. Generating sales should consume most of your time. Marketing, generating leads, and producing content, are IPA’s. Spend 70% of your time doing this. Distractions will have you work all day without making sales.
5. Family and Friends: This is the most difficult. Especially if you work from home. Your family and friends don’t think you have a “JOB” because you are always at home. Furthermore, the funny thing is if you have a job they will never bother you.
You will get calls to pick stuff up. Someone needs to vent. Why? Well, they are “really” working and you are just hanging out. The lack of respect is appalling. People will repeatedly interrupt you. They think you have all this free time. This is where you set some ground rules. This starts with your plan, setting business hours, and telling people to stop bothering you while you build your empire.
Can You Resist?
6. Your Spouse and Partner: This is the emotional WMD. Your significant other needs to be enrolled in your dream. This is difficult if you have a history of quitting. Partners are fine until the bills aren’t paid, food is low, and the debt is piling up.
Again back to the written plan. If they can feel, touch, and read your dream they are more likely to go along with it. Do they know where you want to go? Do they know your income goals? How long is the sacrifice? Do they have a part to play in the business? If they can read it they can believe it.
7. Lack of Funds: This WMD makes you procrastinate. Money is tight and you have to make that next auto-ship payment, affiliate fee, or invest in marketing. Being broke is a distraction. Lack of funds leads people to stop taking action. You need action to make sales.
Create a business budget. There are plenty of books that can teach you cash flow management. Begin with a 90-day budget. It shocks me when newbies are surprised that it costs money to run a business. Also, no business in the world is free.
read the related post: life Truths
8. Competition: Don’t worry about the competition. Compete with yourself. Unlike sports in the world of business, you can succeed without being #1. Avis had a whole marketing campaign about being #2. They still make millions of dollars.
9. No marketing plan: Distractions from the WMD come from all of the different marketing strategies you can carry out. Marketing is the lifeblood of your business and you need to master a skill. Pick 1-3 marketing techniques that fit your strengths and talents.
9.5 You: Hey get out of your own way. Implement all of these deterrents and prevent WMDs from entering your business. You are the only person that can propel you forward. But it’s You who can also sabotage your business.
I wrote this article to help You avoid Weapons of Mass Distractions.
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