Many people come to IM out of adversity – you may have done so yourself. They lose their job or their health means they can no longer work as they used to or they may simply need more money coming in.
At other times, adversity strikes when you are already some way down the path to working for yourself and believe me, that’s when the skills you have acquired can literally save your situation if not your life.
A few years back I really had to ramp up my own business when our family broke up and I became a single parent literally overnight. This past week what I learned then has really come into its own as my beautiful daughter was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
My work this week has suddenly had to adjust to hospital visits and any tech problems or other issues have paled into insignificance. Those of you who followed my recommendation to Barb Ling’s heartfelt product that came out of her father’s death will understand that the wonderful thing about following this IM path is that you can respond with courage and creativity.
During my daughter’s long fight back to health it’s going to be crucial for her to see her mother as a strong role model supporting her in all ways. It’s almost inevitable that at some point you, too, are going to face challenging times and my advice is to immediately simplify everything.
In that spirit, I have found some resources to help you do just that – these will help even if everything is going swimmingly but you find yourself swamped or overwhelmed. Just take a breath and keep it simple and all will be well.
First up is some sage advice on why keeping your very web presence or hub – your site – simple actually converts better. Here are the scientific reasons why along with some great design tips, including a look at ecommerce sites:
http://conversionxl.com/why-simple-websites-are-scientifically-better/
To help you achieve that simplicity, here are some HTML5 templates which are gorgeous and will cost you nada:
http://idesignpixel.com/2015/best-free-html5-templates-2015/
If you prefer Bootstrap – a wonderfully simple way to build sites – then check these out:
http://graygrids.com/free-bootstrap-templates/
And if it’s WordPress you want, go here (note that 30 of these are free and 20 premium so pick with care):
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/wordpress-minimalistic-themes/
Still stuck with creating a service or product you can sell? Here are 7 great suggestions taken from experts who were asked what they would do if they had to start all over again online:
http://www.incomediary.com/7-products-to-make-money-online
While this is an excellent podcast (and transcript) on the same subject:
https://flippedlifestyle.com/podcast28/
When it comes to selling those products and services, you might immediately think of the major marketplaces but the problem with those is that you have to give up a big chunk of your income in return.
Here are some alternatives which are all simple to set up and run with the added bonus that you get to keep more of your profits!
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/services-sell-digital-products/
When it comes to driving traffic and building engagement, social media is where it’s at right now but it can often become overwhelming due to the many options available.
Here’s a great guide to keeping things simple and therefore more effective:
https://www.getambassador.com/blog/simple-social-media-marketing-tips
Your TED talk this week is a witty, profound lesson in how simplifying your life by getting rid of all that stuff you don’t need can lead to more happiness:
