Building a business from ground zero – now the fundamental is coming along!
As you may know I am on a journey to build a online business, from ground Zero.
One of the most overwhelming part of building a business online is all the set up, you need to work upon.
- You have to set up a blog, but not just a blog, that looks like WordPress standard. It has to be worked upon, to appeal to your readers and makes it look like you mean it…!!!
- You have to understand and manoeuvre your email service provider, and even if my provider Aweber, has all the video and tutorials it still takes time to get acquainted with the whole process.
- Then we have face book, twitter, fan-pages, optin button and what have you!
- Not to forget list building and traffic building
- Or finding out what niche or what kind of service or product you want to provide.
My point is simply this: IT takes much more time, than you expected, there are always some technical issues,and you have to be very creative to come up with a decent style. Plus you don’t make any money in that process…. but I expected that, so no disappointment and no panic and especially no panic buy to make money here and now..!!
I have worked very focused on a lot of these tasks the last couple of weeks:
I have redesigned my blog with a brand new and very smart theme, named Profits Theme…It is very flexible, and have a page generator, where I can create Squeeze pages, Thank you pages, order pages, up-sell , OTO and so on in a few clicks. I can even use my theme to set up a entire membership on my blog – How cool is that ?
I love my new theme. Yes I did pay for the theme, but it is very well spend money in my business.
I also forced my self to write en email to my old customers from sellingscruffys, telling them how I got hacked and left IM, and I really wanted them back on my list. 25 % got back on my list, without offering them them anything ,but a fresh download of my scruffys. One customer even wrote the following to me:
”Who could resist? One of the nicest, best written emails in a long time.”
ME, writing a great email…!!! – I couldn’t believe my own eyes. This is really one of my weakest point in internet marketing, and then maybe NOT – why because I was Me,
I was honest and NOT playing super smart trying to come out as a big dog.
That little short email gave me such a pad on the shoulder, that I finally realized exactly what my future business should be about.
I have now redesigned my entire business plan and know what I need to do for the next couple of years.
What a great feeling that is. Finally the puzzle comes together, I know my plans for a long time and I just have to start completing one task after the other.
If I haven’t bored you to death already with this “I have done this and that”, my point is to make you see with your own eyes, that all business owners are really working HARD to raise a business.
I will even postulate that it is MUCH harder to create an online business, than on offline business, because there are so many distractions each and every time you open your email, your face book. All the time you are being distracted.
Last but not least several readers have emailed me (private because they were ashamed to admit their blues on my blog) and asked me ”what really took away my blues?”
and the answer is MY FELLOW students and their gently and genuine support.
My conclusion is You need to be part of a community – maybe a forum , or a blog, or a group on facebook – Just don’t be alone in Cyberspace!
You are more than welcome to this community, where we are NOT afraid to share the REAL life online 
Cheers
Tina
Stats of the last 2 weeks:
Subscribers: 151
Sales = 0
Amount of ”buying fix” = 0, ZERO, NADA …. ( I am learning this )
18 Responses to “Building a business from ground zero – now the fundamental is coming along!”
Adrienne on May 3, 2011
Hi Tina,
First off I LOVE the new look of your blog. Very appealing and you did a wonderful job.
Second, I’m thrilled about your email and how it’s drawn some of your older followers back to what you are doing now. See, I know you have a knack for building relationships and that just proves it.
Third, I love how you are being honest about your journey here online. This is what helps others realize that we are all just people wanting some of the same things. By reaching out and asking questions, that’s the way to learn, grow and move forward.
Congratulations on your accomplishments.
Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..April Results- Another Month Behind Me
Tina Lindgren on May 3, 2011
Hi Adrienne
Thanks for your sweet words. I hope that you know, how much I appriciate
your support. you are always right behind me, thanks
I’ll rush over to read your new blogpost – looking forward as always!
cheers
Tina
Nigel Yip on May 4, 2011
Hi Tina
Thank you so much for sharing with us your story and what you are doing with your business. It is greatly appreciated and your blog is looking great – I too agree that is money well spent and it’s also a delight to hear about your email success.
Keep up the great work and looking forward to your next post
Nigel
Nigel Yip recently posted..IMLingo – You…the Instant Internet Marketing expert!
Linda on May 10, 2011
I have to agree about not being alone with Internet Marketing – I have tried in the past and didn’t get very far on my own. It’s wonderful having the support of others to lean on to.
Great job on getting part of your old list back and that was nice that you had compliments on your email
Keep up the good work, Tina!
Linda
Linda recently posted..Where Does the Time Go
Wayne Evans on May 11, 2011
Hi Tina
Wow, didn’t realise you could get so much in a WordPress theme…I love it!
You are right, the challenges with IT is huge. Not only are you dealing with new stuff but the target continually moves! I am beginning to outsource the stuff I hate doing and the stuff I am crap at! But, there is a cost attached to that!
Being part of a community is huge…it’s just knowing there is someone who is listening to you chattering …so make the most of it! Don’t forget the jv opportunities there too.
Success!
Joe
Wayne Evans recently posted..How to start in Internet Marketing
Victor Young on May 11, 2011
Tina,
I enjoyed this post very much. You have a very honest and direct way of expressing yourself that makes your whole blog personal and appealing.
Looking forward to checking back now and again to see how you’re doing.
You’re right … this IM stuff often isn’t as easy as it looks, but with a little patience and determination we can make it work.
Cheers!
Victor
Victor Young on May 11, 2011
Hey Tina, can I mention my latest blog post?
http://victoryoungonline.com/so-you-want-to-start-an-internet-business
Victor Young recently posted..So you want to start an internet business…
Tina Lindgren on May 12, 2011
hi Nigel
Thanks for your support. Yes the theme is really worth the investment. I can’t wait to show you a membersite I am building at the moment on a blog with this theme. It’s really powerfull.
Cheers
Tina
Tina Lindgren on May 12, 2011
hi Linda
thanks for the nice support. I’ll rush over at see what you have been up to
cheers
Tina
Tina Lindgren on May 12, 2011
Hi Wayne
Yes this theme is really bigger than I first realized. I am about to build a complete membersite on a
blog, just with this theme, this is going to save me lots of hard coding hours. I can’t wait till the days where I can afford outsourcing
most of all technical tasks
sucess right back at you
Cheers
Tina
Tina Lindgren on May 12, 2011
Hi victor
thanks for your comment. It is so nice for me to know that being 100 % “Me” works much better, than before where I tried to fake success.
and you are spot on right – We can and we will make it work.
Look forward to follow your success
cheers
Tina
Sid on May 19, 2011
Tina,
Great post. It is heartening to find people out there who are starting out (like me!) and document their journey. I am newer than you in the field, though I do have a good blogspot blog that I have experience with (400UV/day)
One of my main challenges too was IT. It still is, actually. I am a blogger/writer myself and I am good at writing. I can be quite bad at web designing and everything else. Your blog does look neat and pretty
I would have included more posts in the homepage though, without the use of navigation. I am still trying to figure out how to include Aweber into the blog to capture leads.
I personally wish you great success!
Sid
p.s. niece should be niche in the first bullet point
Sid recently posted..7 oDesk Tips for Freelancers
Tina Lindgren on May 21, 2011
Hi Sid
Thanks for your great advise – I have taken your advise and now included 4 posts instead of two and corrected my typo error in the bullet point – Thanks!
IT is not logical, simple or easy in any way and I perfectly understand if you feel uneasy with that. I can help you with aweber integration, just email me:-)
I also wish you great success, Sid
Cheers
Tina
Sid on May 21, 2011
Tina,
Great to see your comment. I was initially a bit scared of having my own hosting, domain, WordPress and what not but now it doesn’t look that hard. I am running a theme called SwiftThemes which seems to be doing ok for now. I might change it in the future – I don’t know how professional it looks. My reason for choosing that was it is simple to install and customize, there was a little help found online, and the theme was created by a friend from college, so I can bother him if I don’t get things right!
Thanks so much for your offer to help with Aweber. I’ll certainly mail you when I am ready. For now, I was looking at building some content first and hopefully next week I should start with Aweber. I’d also have to write an eBook first because I don’t have anything else to give away – perhaps I’ll document my own story or something in that eBook. I was also going through all the great blogs out there like problogger, shoemoney, johnchow, etc. I’d love to be a part of this community – it is scary to be alone!
Sid recently posted..Blogging Ideas- Untapped Niches
Tina Lindgren on May 23, 2011
Hi Sid,
You just let me now, when you are ready to collect subscribers with aweber
and sid, you are more than welcome to this community- it is scary to be alone and it is much more fun with a little help from good friends and partners.
so Welcome to my “tribe” Sid,
cheers
Tina
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Tina Lindgren on May 27, 2011
Thanks for the link – I’ll definitely check it out
Cheers
Tina
Jurgen on February 18, 2012
Hope your business is still thriving and going forward Tina. Noticed you don’t have any recent posts since the middle of 2011 from what I’m seeing here.
I’m using some similar and some different strategies Online.The main goal I have is not to be married to my business. I like the idea of building something and having it work for you instead of you having to work it all the time.
Feeding the fire of passion sometimes is one of my struggles.
For WP themes Profits looks fine, PageLines Pro is a favorite of mine lately.
Jurgen recently posted..Making Money Online