Income Machine: How to Finally Stop Wasting Time, Generate the Income You Want and Live the Lifestyle You Deserve
Henry Ford says, "Whether you THINK you can or you can't, you're right!"
I turn 30 years old in less than 24 hours (be sure to leave me a quick "happy birthday" below) and I'm sure when you yourself turned 30, 40, 50 you probably got a little too nostalgic and made yourself feel bad about all the progress you didn't make while ignoring the progress you DID make...
I don't have all the answers, but I know that when I was 20 years old I was barely scraping by (trading time for dollars), when I was 25 I made some of the easiest money I'd ever made in my entire life (products and membership sites) and after age 25 I saw the cashflow cliff approaching... our niche getting too crowded and "tired" and I adjusted by making our courses high ticket and software low ticket to build the list...
I was introducing Lance Tamashiro (my business partner) on one of our webinars and I literally had no idea what to say to introduce him. Suddenly it hit me...
We all go through four stages in our online business: (1) bright shiny object mode, (2) learning mode, (3) fed-up mode and (4) making money from a "real" business
It's okay to build your test sites and goof around with WordPress or PHP plugins for the first few weeks... or maybe 1 day a week... but if you aren't making money from your online efforts, it's going to get boring FAST...
Most business owners also don't realize that they can BACKSLIDE from Level 4 (a real business that makes money) and fall way back into Level 2 (learning mode) -- for example, deleting old sites that no longer get traffic or spending 6 months moving everything to a new shopping cart system, eek!
I go through growing pains in my business all the time and I want to help you with those CHOICES you'll make (that no one else can make for you):
Decision #1: Fastest Way to Make Money?
The cop-out (but truthful) answer is: solve real problems that are hard for others, in demand by others (meaning lots of people already pay money for it) easy for you, and fun for you!
That means if you can show someone how to improve their golf game, you need to be firing on all cylinders. Setup a worker account on Fiverr.com and offer to critique peoples' golf swing (they send in a video). Record and post a quick 5 minute video every day about something golf related. Publish a quick article every day with something golf related. Buy other golf instructors' $97 courses and find what they're missing, or what unique twist you could bring to your own future "how to" golf membership course...
Decision #2: What Niche Do You Choose?
(a marketable skill like real estate, stock trading, playing guitar, dating, losing weight). This needs to be a "desperate" but not a "poor" niche. For example, coupon collecting and debt reduction seem like poor niches to me (unless you can find someone making good money with it).
A better alternative would be a course on people who want to build $500,000 of wealth into a million dollars or the 1 million dollars they saved for retirement into 5 million, don't you think?
Decision #3: What Price to Charge for Your Course?
Make it $97 with a 90 minute 4-step video plus a bonus report just to reduce the number of decisions you have to make at this point. The cliche is to have 10X the value and I agree with it. So sell a $97 course with $970 of value in your video and report
Decision #4: How Often and What Time of Day to Mail?
Controversy time. There's a Chinese proverb that says, "The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago." The way it applies to you with internet marketing is that you should have made that information product (membership site, course, whatever you want to call it) 3 months ago, you should have started building a list 3 months ago... but!
Today is close enough so get to it now and clear everything out of your schedule THIS WEEK other than making that product so you can start to make money from it. A piece of advice you're not going to like, but you're going to follow if you want money: send an email to these subscribers (even if it's only a list of 100) at LEAST 3 times a week, preferably 5 times per week or every day.
I won't go off on a tangent here, but you will lose 1% of your subscriber list every day, that's just how internet marketing works, and if it's up to you to generate enough traffic to MORE than replace that 1% of your list. People unsubscribe, that's just what happens.
Be CAREFUL of this: when people say... you email too much. Or I'm unsubscribing from you because you're trying to sell me something. In my case, didn't these people join my list because they wanted to be better marketers and site builders? And yet they don't like it when I'm marketing to them? Or showing them how to solve this problem they signed up to my list to solve?
I hear all the time, "I like such-and-such marketer because he didn't have anything for sale and he didn't try to sell me anything." Is that really the person you want as a mentor? Just something for you to think about.
Decision #5: Best Way to Build a List and Get Traffic?
The toughest question of all, right? Once you create that site, how do you get people to see it? I'm always reluctant to answer this question because 80% of the time, people don't even have something for sale so they're trying to put the cart before the horse: looking at a problem they're going to have in 30 days to avoid doing anything TODAY.
The easy "traffic" answer is to use a site like Fiverr to get 10 articles written, submit them to article sites, setup a free blog where you post these articles with links back to your sites. Setup AdWords ads, Facebook ads, retargeting, find a marketplace like a forum where people can trickle in every day. Setup an affiliate program, recruit your buyers into affiliates and also contact at least 5 people per day for either you to interview them about their product or you to be interviewed about your product (I use TimeTrade for this).
Decision #6: How to Tie it All Together?
I'm probably getting ahead of myself AND revealing too much at the same time, but inside our Income Machine course, we show you how to get it all setup and we basically say...
- Use NameCheap to register a .com domain name (don't register this before joining our course because there are a few things to keep in mind that we don't have time to show here)
- Use HostGator to host your website itself and WordPress to make it point and click easy
- Inside Income Machine, we have a 1-click clone that will setup Paper Template on your "front-end" site (.com) to hold your opt-in page at Example.com/free (build a list) and sales letter at Example.com (sell a product)
- Next, you setup another WordPress blog at Example.com/blog to hold your free articles and videos, and link back to that optin page
- You 1-click clone our "back-end" site at Example.com/members to deliver your products, upsell and manage your members
- You can now do the fun "traffic" stuff like article marketing, joint ventures, an affiliate program, podcasting, paid traffic, and more...
These Are the Pieces of Your Income Machine Once It's Setup
- Niche & hook (domain name)
- Web hosting (online presence)
- Optin page (lead capture: Example.com/free)
- Autoresponder sequence (automatic email followups in case they don't buy)
- Blog (search engine traffic: Example.com/blog)
- Sales letter (something to buy: Example.com)
- Membership site (deliver what they bought: Example.com/members)
- Traffic (articles, joint ventures, affiliate program, podcasting, paid traffic)
Do you see what I mean that you have to crawl before you run? Once again, thinking back to my "not making money" days vs. making money now (I have been full-time since 2009) -- when I wasn't making money, I wasn't "really" trying and my focus was split 1000 different ways. Compared to now, when I do just ONE thing at a time.
Productivity Milestone #1: Four Daily Tasks
It frustrates me when people use productivity software or crazy mindmaps, grids, and schedules to complicate their lives. What ALSO frustrates me is when people say they took 3 weeks off of their business to "rest" or "clear their head." Here's an idea... take that vacation when your business is cranking out money for you!
Just complete three 45-minute tasks and one 15-minute task that moves you closer to you making more money. Multitasking is a MYTH. Checking Facebook and LinkedIn doesn't actually move your business forward, does it?
Productivity Milestone #2: Webinars & Membership Sites
Our Platinum coaching students tell us that these two things are what revolutionized and boosted their income. If you're selling a high ticket course (over $197) then you need to deliver it as one live session per week for 4 or 8 weeks...
If you want to sell several copies of that course, run a free webinar where you teach for 45 minutes and sell for 15 minutes at the end. You're also going to need a membership site to manage all those members. After paying you, they create an account and can login forever.
Productivity Milestone #3: The Right Mindset
Zig Ziglar says, "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Neither does showing, so that's why we recommend it daily." You are going to be your own worst enemy, but if you can nip your problems in the bud you can be one of those "entrepreneur" people with a good attitude who can also think themselves out of a problem even if the deck is stacked against you (i.e. small list).
Make Some Dang Money!
Beware of comparing yourself too much to others (you don't know what goes on with that "happy family" behind closed doors), keeping up with the Joneses (i.e. too big of a house with 3 cars), or living the nomad lifestyle (visiting a new foreign country every week) -- pay off your mortgage instead.
If someone's criticizing you, it's probably because they're deeply insecure about that subject.
Be careful of the "good" and "bad" language you use. I'm not saying you need to be in denial about a problem, but minimize complaining and only complain about something if you have a way to solve that problem, because we all have problems and it's up to YOU as a PROBLEM SOLVER to decide either how the problem doesn't matter or how to break that problem down and solve it!
80% of your activities are a waste so do a bunch of different things: coaching program, membership site, low ticket product, service... and figure out which 20% makes you the most money so you can increase that. HINT: you need to actually COMPLETE these projects and websites and get TRAFFIC and BUYERS to find out what makes money and what doesn't.
Separate the forest from the trees. If you've found a way to make $1000 dollars per week, that's great. But if you're working 50 hour weeks and you're scrambling to "launch" the next money making biz-opp that doesn't really help anyone and only makes money because people can't figure out how to cancel or refund... that's not sustainable.
What IS sustainable is solving a real problem someone has, AND you can do that most effectively by figuring out what makes you the most money. What makes the most money for our business... emailing the list and running pitch webinars. Things like podcasting and blogging, or even speaking at events... makes SOME money and it's fun to do on occasion but it's not the MAIN 20 percent, you see?
Model what you see the money makers doing in your niche. That means you need to "rise above being a geek." Instead of teaching some obscure traffic loophole or even a course about how to get better grades in school (who is really going to buy something like that?), how about you sell something that people are going to use every day?
Why do you think I stopped selling "how to learn PHP programming" courses and instead focused on how to add these things to your sales letter, or a popup plugin like Action PopUp? Or plugins like Backup Creator, Paper Template, and Member Genius? (Those three all available inside Income Machine, by the way.)
Because I experimented with services, coaching, products, and software and after seeing how each one sold, I was able to figure out what the BUYERS (and not just what the complainers) wanted, and moved our business into selling items that people use in their business every day...
If you too want to discover how to create a REAL online business that lasts through age 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 for you, so you don't have to "scramble" or "reinvent yourself" every 3 months, you'll want to check out our Income Machine course right away and setup the system and funnel that all successful online businesses have:
Click Here Now to Claim Your Free "Income Machine" Blueprint
Be sure to click over to that Income Machine training and while that's loading, can you leave me a quick "happy birthday" message below?
Filed in: Archive 1: 2012-2016 • Product Creation
Robert, if only I could go back in time to being 30 again… ha ha!
Happy Birthday and thank YOU and Lance for your wonderful ongoing gifts of the excellent training and products you both deliver on. You and Lance are truly a select few of a small group of Internet Marketers online that “practice what they preach” and give ALL of the info without leaving out the critical bits.
All the best and many more happy birthdays to come!
Robert congratulations on reaching another birthday! Get up every day and celebrate life and living. No matter how old you get always remember that your attitude controls your altitude. When that day comes and you wake up with grey hair, don’t be the one that laments that ‘I should have, would have or could have.’
Carpi Diem every single day!
Happy birthday, just don’t get dippress if that number is going up !!!! Thanks so much for such great article as always.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Robert.
Enjoy the day and then new decade. You still are young so go for it.
Best regards
j
Believe it or not, the best of your life is still ahead of you! Happy Birthday, Robert, and many more! Great article, btw!
PS. I have shoes older than you…
Happy irthday Pobert. Turrning 30 is not a bad thing I don’t think. I don’t remember what it was like not sure what type work I was doing. That was almost 43 years ago. Thank you and Lance fow what you send.
I haven’t been blesed with everything I wante but am blessed with what we needed. Am blesed with better health than some younger peopl are. Am blessed with a wonderful wife that works two jobs to help and try to pay the bills. I ha to quit driving trucks in 2001 when I went blind in one ye and it couldn’t be repaired. I didn’t buy all the shinnie objects when I got on here aftter I heard about making money on the Internet. Never had anything left after paying the bills. I opted in for just about everything for to many years. I finnakt got burned out and haven’t been able to get back to spending the time I need to.Probably have the information saved if any of it is still any good or ever was. It has changed lot. Don’t have the smart phone and a lot think that is the way to go. Some are pushing investments. I have no money for that or doing the stock market.
Hope you have a great Birthday,
Happy birthday. Hope you have great birthday.
Happy Birthday, Robert! I purchased Income Machine in August and am blown away by how easy you and Lance make it to actually get the whole “machine” running. Not only the front and back end pieces, but the tools to do it well, templates and swipe files for creating copy (my second biggest challenge), and the almost instant gratification of taking what you teach and creating an entire marketing funnel that works. I’ve literally spent thousands of dollars in the last few years on mentors who say they can show me how to make money online. The biggest downfall is they don’t actually show you how to set up the technical side (my biggest challenge) and have little usable advice on hiring someone to do it for you. I’m on Module 6 today, creating each piece as I view your videos, and am so excited that you and Lance have shown me how to get this done so I can make some dang money!
Happy Birthday! You’re still half my age and teaching me to pack more in than I thought possible, sir 😉
Long may you enjoy the success you deserve!
Happy 30th. Celebrate. Enjoy the next decade. “40” is the one that hurts! =)
Happy Birthday Robert!
Happy birthday Robert
I have and continue to enjoy your progress. Thanks
Happy Birthday Robert. 30 is cool, so is 40, but at 50 you get your first AARP card application. That really hurts. Enjoy your day.
Warren
Happy birthday, Robert. On my next birthday I will have been 30 twice!
Enjoy your special day.
Connie
Hi Robert, Happy Birthday. Have a great day.
Jeff
Happy Birthday to you and thanks for being a great smart teacher !
Happy birthday Robert. Hope you have many more. Enjoy. Bless you.
I’ve noticed that you’ve started spending less time telling us who you are and more time telling us what each product you’re presenting can do for us. Thank you for that. Reaching thirty isn’t an achievement but reaching a decent level of income and taking that into your next decade is. Whatever level of success you have is richly deserved. Happy Birthday! Dan
good anniversary
Happy Birthday Robert on the occasion of you having travelled 30 times around the sun.
I know it’s quite easy to back slide from a level 4 state of business, to go back into level 2 learning. I think IM in general forces that upon you every now and again. Every healthy business needs to learn and adapt so I guess the secret becomes ensuring each back slide is brief, and adaptation is performed quickly, or ensure other people are handling your business in auto-pilot mode while you allow yourself be immersed in new learning. I’ve always wanted to leave my business on auto-pilot and do at least one lap of the sun learning new things around the world.
Happy Birthday Robert (at 30 you are still a youngin since I will be 49 in Dec and Michael will be 51 in Oct :P)
I love your stuff keep on trucking. Not keeping up with the Jonses and being able to focus on making money is part of why we are moving from CA to TN. Lower cost of living means more resources to focus on building our biz. Thanks so much for all the tips and looking forward to using Amazon fulfillment in TN.
Keeping on rockin, dude and once again have a happy birthday.
Rach
Happy birthday Robert, I hope you’re having a fantastic time on your 30th super special day! 😉
Sergio.
Happy 30th Robert. You’re whole life of abandance and happiness is before you. Make the most of it.
Best,
Gord
Happy Birthday Robert and also thanks for another great article.
Happy Birthday Robert! With your mindset I am sure you are going to have another exciting and abundant years ahead of You, no matter what happens! Keep on exploring! 🙂
Congratulations Robert!
Your thirties is a great time in life. Still young and able to do many physical things, but having a bit of tempering from experience so that you can make better (wiser?) choices.
Enjoy your special day, and have a Happy Birthday!
Grow. Embrace the past and the future. Dive more into what is deep and swim away from the shallow. Celebrate not just the successes but the failures. Breathe kindness. Honor difference. Take seismic steps that lead to quantum shifts. Find joy. Change the world. Have a happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Robert!
30 is quite a milestone, especially when you can look back on as much as you have achieved in the years leading up to it.
The next few years are sure to be very exciting as you build on that in your business at a time when you still have the energy and the drive coupled with the experience and the focus you have been developing.
Add in the personal side as you enter the next phase in your partnership with Sarah and I think you can look forward to a very fulfilling next chapter in your life.
I look forward to “reading” it as it unfolds.
Have a great day and many more to follow!
Paul
(“Kiwi” in South West Scotland)
Happy Belated Birthday!!