Excuse #3: I'm Not Technical, Don't Know HTML and So On

Here's the next in our "common excuse list".  This one's kind of funny because I'm just the opposite and I think it hurts more than helps.  Anyway, here it is…

Excuse #3: I'm not technical, don't know HTML and so on

This is another sorta' legitimate excuse, but not really. 

You'll hear a lot of the gurus say that you don't need to know squat about HTML and so on, and even brag about how they know next to nothing about that stuff.  And it's true that in the end, there's not much money in that. 

But when you're just starting out, it certainly helps if you know (or can learn) a little bit about HTML and some of the other techie things.  Not so much that you "geek out" on this stuff, but enough so that if you need to change a headline on your sales page, you can do that in the 2 minutes it takes rather than waiting 2 days for some webmaster to do it for you (for a fee).  Or if you need to install a new script, you can get that up and running in a few minutes rather than putting it off till….well…whenever.

But as someone who's fairly technical, I'd say that it's sometimes a hindrance rather than a help.  Knowing how to do something doesn't mean you should, and when you know how to mess around with this stuff, you often times end up "messing around with stuff" which takes you away from the things that really do matter.  Or maybe that's just me.

That said, I still suggest learning at least little bit of the basics.  There are a couple of resources I used to get myself up to speed that you may find useful also.

• W3 Schools (a free resource with tutorials on all sorts of web-geekery)
• How You Can Master CSS (THE COURSE I used to learn the basics of CSS…more than made up for the cost in time, aggravation and money saved)
• If you have any other recommendations, let 'er rip in the comments below

 

Popularity: 9% [?]

If You've Never Failed, You've Never Lived

Not to get all touchy feely and all, but here's a little inspiration for you. 

I found this posted on another site I visit quite a bit. 

I think this is something that will strike a chord with just about every entrepreneur or budding business owner.  Whenever you get the crazy idea in your head that you're going to quite, just think what would have happened if one of these people had decided that!  Amazing!

Kenton

P.S. - If you know of any other similar "failed on the way to success" type stories, please take a second to tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Excuse #4: I'm Not a Good Writer

Alright…back with another in our list of common excuses.  We've worked our way up to number 4 and it seems like a lot of people have this one.  Hopefully this helps.

Excuse #4: I'm not a good writer

Okay, if this is your excuse, do the following:

Go to EzineArticles.com (or whatever article directory you want to use for this test).  Look at the articles that cover your market.  If you don't have a market yet (or your market isn't listed there for some reason), just pick a category that even slightly interests you…it really doesn't matter for this exercise.  Now, read through the last 5 or 10 articles that were posted. 

Be sure to pay special attention to the general lack of calls-to-action in the resource boxes for most of these articles, the crappy titles for most of them, and other easily-fixed, yet all-too-common mistakes.  You'll know better than this and will already be a step ahead, but that's not the point. 

The point is that as you read these articles, notice that there's not much award-winning writing going on here.  These are just regular folks like you and me for the most part, writing about topics and hopefully driving people to their sites.  Nothing fantastic, just good enough to get the job done, and sometimes even some pretty useful info.

Next…go to your favorite blogs or check out the RSS feeds you're subscribed to.  Nothing all that magical going on there either, right (yes, including my own).  Just regular people writing about their topic, providing valuable info (hopefully).  After all, that's the whole point of a blog, isn't it?

So if this is your excuse, why?  Where are you seeing this award-winning writing online?

It doesn't really take all that much to create some "good enough" articles and blog posts as long as you know a little bit about your topic.  But it can certainly help if you have some tools or resources that make the process of writing easier.

If you'd find it useful to have a tool that takes some of the pain out of the writing process, by showing you how to plan, organize and polish your writing for any topic, I highly suggest this resource which makes article writing a piece of cake. 

I'm fairly comfortable with writing and it still helped me quite a bit.  I'm pretty sure it'll help you too, no matter how good or bad a writer you think you are. 

Oh, and you can use the same strategies for blog posts or just about any other type of content too.

P.S. - Yes, that's an affiliate link.  But since it's a resource I personally use, I feel totally fine recommending it to you.  However, if you're not at the point where writing articles and blog posts is a major part of your strategy (like if you haven't even chosen a market yet), then DO NOT invest in that resource right now.  Just a suggestion.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Excuse #5: I Don't Have Money for Learning, Basic Setup, Etc.

This common excuse for not starting your online business is hopefully one that's easy to overcome.  However, for some, it might be a legitimate excuse, so I offer some suggestions for how to do things "on the cheap" in the short blurb below.  Take a look…

Excuse #5: I don't have money for learning, basic setup, etc.

For some people, this may be a legitimate challenge.  After all, ANY business has certain costs involved and an online business is no different.  But for most people, it's a PERCEIVED challenge.  When you figure out what's actually needed in order to get your online business up and running, and you really run the numbers, the costs aren't that much.  You'll probably want to have the following:

• a domain name ($10)
• a free webpage editor like NVU ($0)
• a low cost web hosting account ($15/month)
• an autoresponder account through AWeber ($20/month)

In fact, you could skip those first three, get a free blog account at Wordpress.com, and add your autoresponder there instead.  But you have to be building a list (a topic preached ad nauseum, to be covered here another day).  You could technically get rid of the need for AWeber too, and just use one of the freebie email list managers.  But it's so critical for your business that it's one of the last things I'd consider skimping on.

As for the rest of the costs? 

Time.  Rolling up your sleeves and getting to work.

Creating content…adding value. 

Creating a place online where people can go where, when they leave, they're BETTER OFF than when they showed up. 

They know a little more, have answers to some burning question, or otherwise "got something out of it". 

What can you teach someone today or show someone today that will leave them better off than when they started their day? 

Doesn't take much money to do that.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Excuse #6: I'm Not a Good Copywriter

Here's another item from our list of common excuses for not getting your online business up and running.  Pretty easy fix here, but will take some time over the long haul.

Excuse #6: I'm not a good copywriter

This is a skill you'll probably want to learn.  But…

Don't buy any infoproducts on the subject yet…the price will be pretty high for most of them. 

Instead, head over to Amazon.com and pick up a handful of the best copywriting books.  Here are a few I recommend:

• Words That Sell (and others in the series, including the spin off - Phrases that Sell)
• Web Copy That Sells by Maria Veloso
• The Online Copywriter's Handbook by Robert Bly
• The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy
• Note: If you have any other suggestions, just leave a comment below

I have a few copywriting infoproducts and some books too.  Other than the case studies, swipe files and a few little extras here and there, the major portion of what's in the infoproducts can also be found many books…certainly the basics. 

Bottom line is the books will get you 80% there. 

One thing to keep in mind about learning copywriting is that by doing so, it can make you better at selling your product or service in other types of media…like helping you figure out what to say in an audio or video, what to put in your resource box for your articles, writing pay-per-click ads, and so on. 

All of those things can be based on skills you pick up as you learn to write effective copy. 

But it shouldn't be something that causes inaction in the beginning.

P.S. (Bonus Tip) - Start keeping an eye out for headlines, blog post titles, article titles, bullet points (which should also be headlines) and other copy that appeals to you.  Then, create a swipe file and start adding examples to it.  Turn them into fill-in-the-blank templates and use them for your own headlines, content titles, etc.

Popularity: 7% [?]

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