Don’t spend any money on your business!
Do it all yourself.
Use the cheapest tools possible.
And find the cheapest ways to learn the skills you need for your business
The results will follow anyway.
STOP
You are doing it all wrong. And so was I. Until I figured it out and started running my business properly….
I am a Do It Yourself (DIY) kinda guy.
At least online. (Offline, I kinda suck at DIY. But I am still alive, so I am thankful for that!)
I do almost everything in my business. And it is starting to kill me… very, very, slowly.
As someone who loves to learn, and learns very quickly, it is hard not to grasp every opportunity to do more myself.
But it just does not work.
If you want to grow a business, and have time to work on anything else, you need to pay for help.
Whether it is
There are 1001 things you need to be doing for your business online, and you just can’t do them all.
Late last year, as my business started to grow beyond my 18 hrs in a day, I had to start seeking help too.
My first step was in off-loading some of my blog post creation, with the help of my blogging superstar – Taylor Manning.
So now I have some great posts from her each month, and it takes a big load off my week.
Do I have to pay her- you bet! But it is worth it.
Not only is the content great, but I gain time for other things. That part is crucial.
I am continuing down this golden path in the first quarter of the year, looking to get more help for my business.
Is it time you starting paying for help?
Back when I started out, not only did I want to do everything myself, but I wanted the free version of everything too.
Last year I completely changed this mentality, starting with my website.
It is hard, especially as someone who CAN do it all (I am a web developer, programmer and designer), to actually step back and pay someone else to do something.
The same is true for things like:
A lot of the functionality I could figure out and code myself. Or I could change something that is free to achieve the same result.
But this is not the best use of my time.
For a nominal fee, say $50, I can get a great tool, plugin, theme which is amazingly supported and does exactly what I need or more (and better).
That is why I am now using Thrive Themes (with many of their plugins) as well as other plugins like Social Warfare. Sure, there are free plugins that are ok, but they are not the best. And the plugins I am using don’t cost a lot, especially if you are running a business!
So yes, you can stick with FREE, but it kinda sucks in the end. Either it is a time suck, or lacking in functionality (or even a hacker’s goldmine).
I have bought a boatload of Udemy courses, most of which I have never started.
I have downloaded a folder full of ebooks from various experts, most of which I have never read (if I even know where they are on my overflowing-harddrive right now!).
I have also spent quite a lot of money on courses over the last few years (thousands at least), and I have learned some amazing business lessons (as well as the skills inside the courses).
Now let me teach you a little something about learning online.
Cheap sucks. (Unless you are just after a small skill or result)
Sure, some courses may be ok. Sure, you might still learn something. But the best stuff costs money.
Let’s look at some examples of courses I have done (or are on my wishlist):
Brian Dean’s SEO That Works. – this course is chock full of all the best SEO techniques that Brian Dean has used to become one of the best and most well-known SEOs out there. He also packages the course in a very professional way, with weekly meetings to go over any questions all the participants may have. And a ton of bonuses.
The course cost me about $1000.
Troy Dean’s WP Elevation – this course is aimed at making your WordPress business rock. And through a very detailed course, again with tons of related bonuses, Troy manages to motivate and transform WordPress business owners from around the world. He also has weekly online calls to help you through the modules as well as encouraging accountability. Which is key to making some people achieve things.
This one was a bargain at about $500.
Brian Harris’s 10k Subs – Brian has an amazing course to help people not only grow their email list to 10k subscribers but he also plans to help you use this list to build something people will buy. He gets results. Also using accountability and weekly calls (I believe). This aim is not to give you a ton of videos to watch, but to get you results.
This course also costs between $1000-2000 I believe.
What do these courses have in common:
If you are running a business and seriously want to grow it (and not just cruise along where you are, forever dreaming of something better) then you have to spend some money:
So if you are thinking about growing your business this year, stop skimping and start investing.
Ashley is obsessed with SEO and WordPress. He is also the founder of Mad Lemmings. When he is not busy helping clients get higher on Google he can be found doing crazy sports in the Swiss Alps (or eating too much chocolate - a habit he is trying to break).