The funny thing about ‘internet marketing’ is that so many people assume it stops there….and forget you need something to market or sell, whether that’s you, your products, a service etc
Believe it or not (and I know many of you do), there is a whole online world out there beyond the fishbowl of IM. And this week I’ve decided to expand your horizons by looking at those often more lucrative possibilities beyond…
Let’s start with taking a fresh look at another often misunderstood term: digital nomad.
Thoughts of you sitting on a beach, laptop on your knees and a cool drink to hand might immediately spring to mind but the reality is more like the case studies in this excellent round-up of how people from wildly different backgrounds make a living on the hoof:
If you fancy joining them, here are 10 great tips to help you on your way:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2014/03/19/top-10-lifehacker-tips-for-digital-nomads/
One of my fave sites dedicated to location independent working is Tropical MBA, as regular readers will know. This podcast they produced is especially invaluable because in it you can listen in on a new service business being set up from scratch on the show:
http://www.tropicalmba.com/productized/
All entrepreneurs, location-independent or not, need a firm grasp of business essentials if they are to succeed. If you think you need something a little more robust than the average IM course, here are 7 world-class universities and other sites offering no cost courses that could be just what you need (note that the SBA links no longer work):
Someone who epitomizes an individual approach to online entrepreneurship is Cody McKibben. This case study from his blog will inspire all of you who have ecommerce aspirations and want to build a business that suits your lifestyle:
http://www.thrillingheroics.com/lifestyle-business-versus-internet-startup
His How to Make Friends Around the World and Serve Clients in 5 Continents is also a must-read:
http://www.thrillingheroics.com/friends-around-world-clients-on-5-continents
For even more inspiration and real-life expertise, here’s an excellent case study on how an ordinary guy created an online business outside of IM:
http://hackthesystem.com/blog/how-i-created-my-first-online-business/
Still stuck for ideas/inspiration when it comes to setting up that new enterprise? Or just need to learn how to turn your ideas and wishes into reality?
Try this:
http://www.marieforleo.com/2014/02/brainstorming/
In this week’s TED talk you will learn not only one of the secrets to happiness but to many an entrepreneur’s success:
