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Thinking Big – The Art of Internet Success                   by Alex Boyd of Earn Money with a Website Thinking big means different things to different people. In my circle, thinking big means focusing on progression, on growth, on the achievement of goals that appear, initially, beyond ourselves. To others it refers to a sandwich. You know the one – special sauce, sesame seed bun. But shall we stay focused here? There are many guiding principles when targeting success in both our daily lives, and in our businesses. One that I tend to dwell on from time to time goes something like this: ‘Times change. Adapt or fade away. You choose.’ It’s a rule with application to virtually every aspect of our lives, from familial relations, and friendships, to the planning of a successful community, the management of metropolitan governance, and in political relations across the globe. It can certainly apply to the world of business, and clearly, to you and I. An unwillingness to accept change as an integral part of our lives, relationships, and business orientations, is one way to ensure their abrupt end. On a personal front, this can translate into an entirely unexpected visit to the divorce lawyer. On the business front, say hello to an ongoing array of not so friendly calls from your creditors, and yet another form of legal representation, the bankruptcy folks. Thinking big is not just planning large things for ourselves, and our companies. Thinking big requires maintenance, a willingness to change, and an ability to see the value in the adaptation of a plan, or relationship, to the ever-changing circumstances that surround us. Each of these focal points should be viewed as living, breathing creatures, always growing, shifting in perspective, and with needs that adjust from time to time. Thinking big takes guts, a willingness to make mistakes, and a passion for forward movement. Are you ready? Thinking Big On the Internet As is true of every relationship, each of our business ventures, as well as our ultimate goals within them, differ. Each is an original work of art, or at their worst, an original, and innovative bad idea. The challenge inherent in defining a means of implementing ‘big thinking’ into your organization is clear – your company is far different from my own, with different products, different clients, and certainly, different organizational and relationship issues. You may sell ebooks, vitamins, advertising, design functions, or god help us all, the ‘incredible product that adds up to 3 inches to your member’, in which case my only advice to you is that you stop sending me emails – you’re hurting my confidence. To the remainder of our internet based business readership, with your varied focuses, perspectives, and goal sets, let me say a few things that may help twig some new ideas, and shifts in direction. Here’s a first step to ‘thinking big’ that you may like: ‘Never give up’ I realize I’m likely not the inventor of the phrase, and that each of you have probably heard it said at one time or another before I chose to dredge it up – but it holds a truth that applies to all long term investments. ‘Never give up’ means retaining focus, fighting fear, adapting as need be, while consistently keeping your eye on the end goals – goals that may themselves shift from time to time. No one ever said it would be easy folks – and for the most part, it ain’t. Don’t expect miracles, only long hours, little initial reward, and the potential financial and personal satisfaction that comes from an approach built on consistency of purpose, relative to a high quality product or service, over an extensive period of time. ‘Believe in your product’ In any relationship of length, one of the most often reported factors in its success is the strength of its core. Without a base that is solid, there is little room to build, nor the will to survive inevitable moments of turmoil. The same holds true of any business. At its core are many things, but most importantly, is its product. This one element is relative to everything the business is, and if you don’t want to find yourself perpetually justifying its existence, you must ensure that you are working with something that is ultimately of value to its users. The key is that this is something YOU must believe in first. Without that belief comes a business without passion, and from that lacking grows indecision, indistinct direction, and ultimately an experience of as little long term value as a quick cup of coffee. All jolt, then evacuated within hours. ‘Believe in your Customer’ The start of any new business requires investment. That investment can take many forms. Time, money, and ultimately, faith. One area worthy of a hearty amount of all of the above is your customer. Thinking big requires that you step outside the box, review your products and processes through the eyes of your client, and that you blow them away at every stage of the game. Don’t ever take your customers for granted, or rest assured, they’ll reciprocate, and drift away. ‘Show ’em you Believe’ One of the most common mistakes made by the new internet entrepreneur is to take a product or service with appreciable value, and detract from its salability by marketing it from a website that looks like the personal home page of a twelve year old from the mid 1990’s. Poor layouts, lagging download times, animated graphics galore of folks dressed for the disco era bouncing about beneath flickering rainbows dropping into glittering pots ‘o gold, all brought to life via the dated technology known as the animated gif. Dump it. Clean it up. Organize, and revitalize with informative, easy to use, quick to download, blow their buns off web site design and functionality. If you can’t do it yourself, find someone to help you, because as we all know, first impressions take the cake. Thinking big means not accepting substandard presentation as sufficient ‘because we’re on the internet’. It means taking every step possible to ensure your organization’s future, and in doing so, ignoring the value of nothing. Thinking towards the Future There was a time when organizing next week’s sale event was considered aggressive future planning. Not so today, my friends. With large organizations across the globe preparing business plans well into the next decade, the ability of the small business to compete, and to perhaps overtake the goliath, may well lie in their foresight. Plan big, and plan long. Consider a single target, and how it can be achieved via multiple paths. Don’t let change surprise you – instead, welcome it’s arrival with open arms, and prepare your road to adaptation in detail, and well ahead of time. The Final Thought At the end of the day, thinking big involves risk – there’s really no way around it. But risk that is well planned, and then exceptionally well implemented, is rarely a risk at all – consider it merely an investment, one that is focused on the development of an endless variety of relationships. Relationships that are certain to challenge, frustrate, weaken, then strengthen again, and if you’re strong enough, to reward you beyond your wildest dreams. Good luck folks. Now go eat that sandwich. Related Subjects: Visit one of Alex Boyd’s Internet Business Projects Launch your online store – learn more about ecommerce     back to top