Inspiration from a Soap Box
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Like most success stories, mine is one of hard work, adaptability, and a lot of trial and error. The problem is, people tend to lose sight of this when I tell them that I turned a $25 investment into a $6.6 million online business that attracts more than 1.8 million unique visitors per month.
The "mom & pop" business opportunists gleefully slide to the edge of their seats, sure that I'm about to reveal (finally!) the secret to overnight success, while the jaded investors of the e-commerce shakedown assume I must be selling more of that hot air that cost them their life savings.
Both groups are, of course, wrong. I offer neither instant wealth nor the Brooklyn Bridge.
But I don't really mind the snap judgments, because my story has become my soap box - it's what allows me to climb up, grab the attention of real people who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, and inspire them to pursue something "bigger." Sharing the secrets behind my proven successes -- and the mistakes behind my most dismal, costly failures - brings the dreamers and the doubters back to reality, but with a new glimmer of excitement in their eyes that still thrills me every time.
It's the same glimmer I'm sure I had when I started my business in my bachelor apartment.
Getting Started
My first venture into online marketing was basically a move of desperation. I had written a book about one of my biggest passions -- race cars. I'd had it self-published, so I had a garage full of copies. And I'd spent big money (more than I could afford) buying advertising space in some pretty popular race car magazines. But all my efforts were going nowhere. I was down to my few last dollars, and no one was buying my book.
Then a friend suggested I try selling my book on the Internet.
So I used my last $25 to cover my first month of Web hosting, and I launched a web site called "Car Secrets Revealed." In that first month, I made $200. That might sound like pocket change, but at that point it was enough to get my attention!
When you experience your first success, even if it's a small one, it's easy to get a little cocky. So after that first $200, I thought I must really know something about marketing. And it's true that I did -- after all, I had spent thousands of dollars educating myself, learning from the great masters of direct marketing, like Jay Abraham and Ted Nicolas. The problem, as I was about to discover, was that I didn't yet know anything about Internet marketing.
But neither did anybody else. The Internet was so new as a marketing medium that there were no experts for me to learn from. Now for someone who has always been a voracious learner, this was a little bit of a challenge. I had to find new ways to educate myself -- so I dove in head first.
Building A Solid Knowledge Base
If I had to pick one thing that was really critical to my success, the one thing that everything else was built on, I'd have to say it was what I learned through trial and error during the 18- and 20-hour days I spent testing theory after theory.
I quickly learned that although some offline marketing techniques translated beautifully to the Internet, some were dismal failures. And what really surprised me was that it was virtually impossible to predict which would work and which would fail. That's why I'm such an avid proponent of testing everything! I did so many tests in those early years that I could hardly see straight!
No matter what kind of dream you have, testing should be a prominent part of your plan. The great thing about building a business on the Internet is that you can see results incredibly fast. Everything moves at light speed online, so you can start to evaluate the success of any promotion after only 24 hours. In the offline world, it can take months to determine the success of a single advertisement, so it takes a lot longer to compile accurate results.
Every time you test a new theory, you learn a little bit more about what will work for your business. This education is an incredibly valuable asset -- and if you do your testing online, it's virtually free.
Turning The Dream Into A Multi-Million Dollar Business
The knowledge base I built in those early years has paid off enormously. That one-man operation in my bachelor apartment has grown into four online businesses that earn $6.6 million a year. I get over 1.8 million visitors to my Web sites every month. But you know what?
I'm still learning. And I'm still testing. I don't kid myself -- I know I'm nothing special (Valeriu's note: Wrong Corey, you were VERY special!)
I don't get millions of visitors to my web sites because I'm some sort of genius. I get those millions of visitors because I consistently test everything! If something stops working, I change it. Even if something seems to be working well, I test new ideas to see if I can make it even better.
I'm just a small-town guy who likes (okay, loves) race cars. When I started out, I wasn't privy to any inside information. My customers didn't just start dropping millions of dollars into my lap. I really worked hard (I'm not kidding about the 20-hour days!). I suffered many failures along the way, but I chalked them up to testing, adjusted everything based on what I learned, and eventually I knew enough to create success way beyond anything I'd ever imagined.
Fast-Forwarding Your Success With Today's Resources
Today, of course, starting a business online is a whole lot easier. There are lots of tools and resources to help you get the ball rolling. And you certainly don't need to start from scratch like I did, because you can learn from the trial and error testing that's already been done.
Remember that soap box I mentioned back at the beginning? Here's where I get up and shout my most important message:
Take advantage of the lessons that have already been learned!
It's true that I still encourage every business owner to do their own testing, since no one can say exactly what will work best for a specific business marketing to a specific group at a specific time. However, just as there are "rules" for creating successful businesses in the offline world, there are now rules for creating success online. If you don't take advantage of the knowledge base that has already been established, you'll find yourself working your own 20-hour days, and learning some pretty painful lessons along the way.
Final Thoughts
I don't have the magic formula that creates instant wealth. What I do have is an in-depth knowledge of the online world - based not on academic theory, but on my own testing and research.
When I started out in my bachelor apartment, writing about race cars, I never had any plans to become an "Internet marketing expert." I just wanted to sell my book. But as more and more people started coming to me, wanting to avoid the years of testing I had already done, I knew my life was headed in a different direction.
I still love cars. But now, instead of writing about them in a tiny apartment, I get to race them! (I don't have to work 20-hour days anymore.) And I'm pursuing another passion: learning through testing and research, staying one step ahead of my competition, and passing everything I discover down to people who are just starting out - the new Internet entrepreneurs who
simply don't have the traffic or resources to do the same kind of testing I can now do so quickly.
If a small-town guy like me can build a multi-million-dollar company, armed with nothing more than a $25 investment and a passion for race cars, I firmly believe that armed with all the information, resources, and automation technology that exist today, anyone can start a highly profitable Internet business.
Remember: you don't need a lot of money to get started online; you simply need a desire to learn and a commitment to succeed.
Article by Corey Rudl, founder of MarketingTips.com, the man who inspired thousands of Netpreneurs. The guy I will miss a lot. My hero, my model...
The "mom & pop" business opportunists gleefully slide to the edge of their seats, sure that I'm about to reveal (finally!) the secret to overnight success, while the jaded investors of the e-commerce shakedown assume I must be selling more of that hot air that cost them their life savings.
Both groups are, of course, wrong. I offer neither instant wealth nor the Brooklyn Bridge.
But I don't really mind the snap judgments, because my story has become my soap box - it's what allows me to climb up, grab the attention of real people who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, and inspire them to pursue something "bigger." Sharing the secrets behind my proven successes -- and the mistakes behind my most dismal, costly failures - brings the dreamers and the doubters back to reality, but with a new glimmer of excitement in their eyes that still thrills me every time.
It's the same glimmer I'm sure I had when I started my business in my bachelor apartment.
Getting Started
My first venture into online marketing was basically a move of desperation. I had written a book about one of my biggest passions -- race cars. I'd had it self-published, so I had a garage full of copies. And I'd spent big money (more than I could afford) buying advertising space in some pretty popular race car magazines. But all my efforts were going nowhere. I was down to my few last dollars, and no one was buying my book.
Then a friend suggested I try selling my book on the Internet.
So I used my last $25 to cover my first month of Web hosting, and I launched a web site called "Car Secrets Revealed." In that first month, I made $200. That might sound like pocket change, but at that point it was enough to get my attention!
When you experience your first success, even if it's a small one, it's easy to get a little cocky. So after that first $200, I thought I must really know something about marketing. And it's true that I did -- after all, I had spent thousands of dollars educating myself, learning from the great masters of direct marketing, like Jay Abraham and Ted Nicolas. The problem, as I was about to discover, was that I didn't yet know anything about Internet marketing.
But neither did anybody else. The Internet was so new as a marketing medium that there were no experts for me to learn from. Now for someone who has always been a voracious learner, this was a little bit of a challenge. I had to find new ways to educate myself -- so I dove in head first.
Building A Solid Knowledge Base
If I had to pick one thing that was really critical to my success, the one thing that everything else was built on, I'd have to say it was what I learned through trial and error during the 18- and 20-hour days I spent testing theory after theory.
I quickly learned that although some offline marketing techniques translated beautifully to the Internet, some were dismal failures. And what really surprised me was that it was virtually impossible to predict which would work and which would fail. That's why I'm such an avid proponent of testing everything! I did so many tests in those early years that I could hardly see straight!
No matter what kind of dream you have, testing should be a prominent part of your plan. The great thing about building a business on the Internet is that you can see results incredibly fast. Everything moves at light speed online, so you can start to evaluate the success of any promotion after only 24 hours. In the offline world, it can take months to determine the success of a single advertisement, so it takes a lot longer to compile accurate results.
Every time you test a new theory, you learn a little bit more about what will work for your business. This education is an incredibly valuable asset -- and if you do your testing online, it's virtually free.
Turning The Dream Into A Multi-Million Dollar Business
The knowledge base I built in those early years has paid off enormously. That one-man operation in my bachelor apartment has grown into four online businesses that earn $6.6 million a year. I get over 1.8 million visitors to my Web sites every month. But you know what?
I'm still learning. And I'm still testing. I don't kid myself -- I know I'm nothing special (Valeriu's note: Wrong Corey, you were VERY special!)
I don't get millions of visitors to my web sites because I'm some sort of genius. I get those millions of visitors because I consistently test everything! If something stops working, I change it. Even if something seems to be working well, I test new ideas to see if I can make it even better.
I'm just a small-town guy who likes (okay, loves) race cars. When I started out, I wasn't privy to any inside information. My customers didn't just start dropping millions of dollars into my lap. I really worked hard (I'm not kidding about the 20-hour days!). I suffered many failures along the way, but I chalked them up to testing, adjusted everything based on what I learned, and eventually I knew enough to create success way beyond anything I'd ever imagined.
Fast-Forwarding Your Success With Today's Resources
Today, of course, starting a business online is a whole lot easier. There are lots of tools and resources to help you get the ball rolling. And you certainly don't need to start from scratch like I did, because you can learn from the trial and error testing that's already been done.
Remember that soap box I mentioned back at the beginning? Here's where I get up and shout my most important message:
Take advantage of the lessons that have already been learned!
It's true that I still encourage every business owner to do their own testing, since no one can say exactly what will work best for a specific business marketing to a specific group at a specific time. However, just as there are "rules" for creating successful businesses in the offline world, there are now rules for creating success online. If you don't take advantage of the knowledge base that has already been established, you'll find yourself working your own 20-hour days, and learning some pretty painful lessons along the way.
Final Thoughts
I don't have the magic formula that creates instant wealth. What I do have is an in-depth knowledge of the online world - based not on academic theory, but on my own testing and research.
When I started out in my bachelor apartment, writing about race cars, I never had any plans to become an "Internet marketing expert." I just wanted to sell my book. But as more and more people started coming to me, wanting to avoid the years of testing I had already done, I knew my life was headed in a different direction.
I still love cars. But now, instead of writing about them in a tiny apartment, I get to race them! (I don't have to work 20-hour days anymore.) And I'm pursuing another passion: learning through testing and research, staying one step ahead of my competition, and passing everything I discover down to people who are just starting out - the new Internet entrepreneurs who
simply don't have the traffic or resources to do the same kind of testing I can now do so quickly.
If a small-town guy like me can build a multi-million-dollar company, armed with nothing more than a $25 investment and a passion for race cars, I firmly believe that armed with all the information, resources, and automation technology that exist today, anyone can start a highly profitable Internet business.
Remember: you don't need a lot of money to get started online; you simply need a desire to learn and a commitment to succeed.
Article by Corey Rudl, founder of MarketingTips.com, the man who inspired thousands of Netpreneurs. The guy I will miss a lot. My hero, my model...
Posted by Valeriu Popescu at 9:10 PM
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