getting discouraged

PeakOutput

ok

so iv been working on my 'business' for the last two months


investing money and had a good day were i almost broke even and the cheque for that day should be coming threw soon so maybe that will give me a boost

but im getting discouraged and find i have less motivation. i think this is because i feel like im just sitting to spend money on nothing and i dont have alot of money in the first place.

when i started i was prepared to put 2K into this idea and im about half way threw this but tbh ithought id be seeing some profits by now

i know its only two months and i know people probably make losses for years before seeing return but how do you keep the motivation? i know this can work, i know people it works for but its a steep learning curve and im struggling how do i keep the head in it?

RoadKillTs

What business are you in OP?
This is a tough time of the year for many businesses plus two months is a very short period of time!

PeakOutput

its an internet marketing business and this time of year is meant to be slow for it so it was a bad time to begin in the first place but i have the semester off college so twas now or never

ye its not so much the time frame as me losing motivation and therefore not putting in the work

kenbrady

PeakOutput wrote: »

its an internet marketing business

How many hits/queries are you getting each day ? #
How many are you converting into paying customers ? #

What is your USP ?
How are you marketing to customers ?
Who are your target customers ?

How much market research did you do ?
What is your sales process ?

PeakOutput

kenbrady wrote: »

How many hits/queries are you getting each day ? #
How many are you converting into paying customers ? #

What is your USP ?
How are you marketing to customers ?
Who are your target customers ?

How much market research did you do ?
What is your sales process ?

im trying different methods as i go so its varying greatly

monday

i got around 60 clicks sent 30 threw to seller and 2 converted into sales but not for the product advertised for a way cheaper one which means not as big a commision

two weeks ago i spent about 300euro for advertising and made around 250dollars back in 'sales', there were days were that campaign made me a profit but overall obviously it was a loss but thats my biggest sucess so far. that was using a method that is not really what i want to do but it helps learn the system. iv moved on from that now


i know almost nothing about market research tbh i try and do the basics but im not sure if im looking for the correct things. i came into this from the technology side not from the business side of things which is a pretty steep learning curve

im using google / yahoo / msn but made a big mistake on google last week which cost me dearly so for a little while im stuck with yahoo and can use msn if i like. i think i need to explore the 2nd tier engines but i have heard bad stories about click fraud etc

you obviously sound like you know what your talking abotu any help is greatly greatly appreciated

Atlas_IRL

Have you done some SEO on your site? It will take months before you get to see the benefits of that, adwords is the only quick method but as you have found it can be pricy especially if your only getting affiliate or commision sales. Try read a few of these for research http://www.makemoneyonlinewithseo.com/

PeakOutput

Atlas_IRL wrote: »

Have you done some SEO on your site? It will take months before you get to see the benefits of that, adwords is the only quick method but as you have found it can be pricy especially if your only getting affiliate or commision sales.

have only really done on site seo

i have two ideas for authority sites that i think could really take off and i would put all my seo efforts into those. one in particular i think has alot of potential.

iv mainly been doing affiliate stuff but im using amazon now for commision sales with a view to moving more into this than affiliate. the offers just seem a bit scammy on the affiliate sites but then there is big bucks to be made there too.

i guess im at the stage were i understand the system. i know what im lacking(keyword research and creativity) but i dont know what to do about it really.

do i give up on the ppc and try to make the super sites work and hopefully see profits in a year or do i continue trying to make the fast bucks with the affiliates but possibly blow all my money on it and be left with nothing. iv always known i want to be in business online but its getting overwhelming

edit; and ye the seo and adsense method is very appealing and might be what i end up doing but i didnt like the idea of waiting months for profit or even revenue

Bandara

Hi OP

sorry if this is a little bit of not what you want to hear but you need to get a bit of a grip on yourself.

Your in business for 2 months and your "finding it hard to keep going", your "getting discouraged" and find you "have less motivation and are not putting the work in".

This is after TWO months of trading and a spend of about 1k ? And your consdiering throwing your hat at it because your not making money?

I am not internet venture expert etc but I'd suggest that it takes longer than 2 months to start coining it.

Get your head down, work your balls off and drive the business like a demon for a year. Then decide if you are wasting your time or not.

Apologies if I raise your hackles but I think a touch of reality is needed here.

Best of luck

HT

Bandara

"Meet other Boardsies for mutual help, advice, idea-sharing, partnerships,referrals etc.

Also: Andy_Black of Digital Insight will lead Q&A on how businesses can generate increased sales from new or existing websites. 9.30am

Date.........Thursday 10th December
Location....Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley Centre
Time.........8 - 10am
Cost.........euro10 approx to cover room cost.
Map..........http://www.clariondublinliffeyvalley.com/location.html

Please express your interest and subscribe to this thread."


I'd suggest you might get something out of attending this if you can. If I was you I'd make it my priority to attend no matter what and I'd be cornering Andy and buying him a cup of coffee and picking his brains as much as you can. From the reports I've read from the talk he gave at the last meeting he knows his stuff.

Atlas_IRL

If you can crack it fair play but it takes a lot of research. There is no real way for a quick buck in these, i would love to learn what your doing as well but i think unless you have a real niche site that has been up a while you need a lot of micro sites. Some guys that are pulling in 100+ a day have hundreds of affliate sites. If you can get them up quickly let them gain traffic you wiill see a return but i think it may be a waiting game. Again i havnt gone down that road but from what ive read it takes time.

teddy12345

agre with last poster to some extent. i have ran bissness for 1/2 years that then failed but i learned .
to get back to motivation you need a reason greater than reality
ie. my reality is i need 500 e every week just for bills (home not biss.)
then the cost of bissness till i get paid !!! this can be rouff and that is my reality now reason greater than that
1.often pusshed van in to garrage and then had to pretend i had forget monney 4 pettrol (not fun)
2.often went hungry to pay bills(not fun ether)
3.broke my ankle 1 week after i cancled insurance(realy not fun)
this led me to the belief that i would never go trough this again
i will never give up till i am RICH beoned wath i can comperheond now.
this is my reason greater than realty and i think about it every day
i alsow read every day a chapter out of a good positive book
and only listen to good positive muisc tv ect.
alsow all of the hard lesons make u better when u try again.
hope this helps
good books
1. think and grow rich
2. no money no feer
3. rich dad poor dad
watch a docementry about jony kenedy(the boy whoes skin fell of )(you tube) if this doesent humble you and your prob. then nothing will.
keep on keeping on
never give up
never give up
never give up:D

PeakOutput

Hammertime wrote: »

Hi OP

sorry if this is a little bit of not what you want to hear but you need to get a bit of a grip on yourself.

Your in business for 2 months and your "finding it hard to keep going", your "getting discouraged" and find you "have less motivation and are not putting the work in".

This is after TWO months of trading and a spend of about 1k ? And your consdiering throwing your hat at it because your not making money?

I am not internet venture expert etc but I'd suggest that it takes longer than 2 months to start coining it.

Get your head down, work your balls off and drive the business like a demon for a year. Then decide if you are wasting your time or not.

Apologies if I raise your hackles but I think a touch of reality is needed here.

Best of luck

HT

of course i agree dosnt piss me off to be told that at all

however i dont have the time or the money to run it for a year and evaluate. im in debt and im back to full time education in febuary. if im not making any money by then i have to get a job to pay back my debt and to live. job + college = very little time for anything else, im not saying ill give up im jsut saying come febuary its going to get alot harder which is why i want to do everything i can to make it a success before then. the only saving grace as far as college goes is ill get at least two projects out of this experience and probably my thesis out of the seo part so the long term seo is going to happen anyway. its the short term high cost but potentially high reward pay per click advertising that is killing me right now

my motivation is going i think because it feels like im getting up every morning to spend money i dont have on nothing. im sure you have all been there with people telling you your crazy taking the risks and stuff to start a business but you do it anyway as did i but the realities are coming home to roost and they are come febuary maybe june i am going to have to pay back a debt with no job and in a recession. now i took the risk im not complaining just asking for a little advice

Meet other Boardsies for mutual help, advice, idea-sharing, partnerships,referrals etc.

Also: Andy_Black of Digital Insight will lead Q&A on how businesses can generate increased sales from new or existing websites. 9.30am

Date.........Thursday 10th December
Location....Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley Centre
Time.........8 - 10am
Cost.........euro10 approx to cover room cost.
Map..........http://www.clariondublinliffeyvalley.com/location.html

Please express your interest and subscribe to this thread.

awesome ill be there

Some guys that are pulling in 100+ a day have hundreds of affliate sites. If you can get them up quickly let them gain traffic you wiill see a return but i think it may be a waiting game. Again i havnt gone down that road but from what ive read it takes time.

ye im not gonna lie this isnt the first time iv been told this i think i need to launch launch launch and feck the consequences i think i might be starting and then pussying out as i see my bank balance diminishing then decide too early something isnt working and start something else and repeat thus only losing money

thanks people anything else to say please keep it coming

Think a lack of planning is to blame here.

This lack of planning is what is causing you to lose so much motivation.

money24seven

After 2 months you should not get discouraged. It takes time to become established regardless whether on the street or online. You can get some tips from a free video by Andrew Fox

antoinolachtnai

Remember, no matter what happens, you have learned far more from your two grand investment than if you had spent 40 grand and two years on an MBA. So whatever money you have invested to date is money well spent.

Be proud that you got this far, and that you actually got anybody to buy anything. Like people say, 2 grand isn't a lot of money and 2 months isn't a lot of time.

That said, it might be a good idea to re-plan things now.

teddy12345

hi wasn't giving you grief about motivation was trying to help if you want to give me brief out line of what you sell i might be able to give you sales ideas that don't cost the earth

And be careful who you take advice from, I was talking to an aquaintance who recently became obsessed with self help books and certain authors and now condescendingly speaks down to people like he is an expert. Be careful who you talk to.

Wonky Knees

keep the chin up.

PeakOutput

teddy12345 wrote: »

hi wasn't giving you grief about motivation was trying to help if you want to give me brief out line of what you sell i might be able to give you sales ideas that don't cost the earth

thanks teddy

eh i started doing affiliate marketing with the easy low paying offers they have

i have moved onto trying to send traffic to amazon for a commision and this seems to have promise

i have a talk with a few people and i think i am just pussying out too early for each campaign i get it up and running see the costs ticking up (not so slowly) and chicken out and pull it before it has a chance

i think i need to go for it full on for two weeks and completely forget about how much money im spending and see what happens. this obviously worries me as if it does fail thats going to be pretty much most of my money gone but that was a risk i was prepared to take at the start so gotta go for it

thanks for the book ideas teddy ill have a look at them for sure over the xmas

hope to get to the meet up inthe clarion next week and get some good advice. i know this thing can work just gotta truck on threw

Adrock-aka

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

Remember, no matter what happens, you have learned far more from your two grand investment than if you had spent 40 grand and two years on an MBA. So whatever money you have invested to date is money well spent.

I agree that the money invested by OP will be money well spent. However after 2 months and 1k of investment the learning experience would not come close to what you would learn after completing a decent 2 year MBA.

Focus on marketing research OP! Try and extract meaningful data from any you do and get to know exactly why your customers will definately want/need your product. Planning is important, so is networking. Best of luck.

Mickk

PeakOutput wrote: »

thanks teddy

eh i started doing affiliate marketing with the easy low paying offers they have

i have moved onto trying to send traffic to amazon for a commision and this seems to have promise

i have a talk with a few people and i think i am just pussying out too early for each campaign i get it up and running see the costs ticking up (not so slowly) and chicken out and pull it before it has a chance

i think i need to go for it full on for two weeks and completely forget about how much money im spending and see what happens. this obviously worries me as if it does fail thats going to be pretty much most of my money gone but that was a risk i was prepared to take at the start so gotta go for it

thanks for the book ideas teddy ill have a look at them for sure over the xmas

hope to get to the meet up inthe clarion next week and get some good advice. i know this thing can work just gotta truck on threw

I'm sorry but I think this is a really bad idea, you are in a global massively competitive cut throat business where only the top 5% will make decent money and by your own admissions you don't know what you are doing... You are basically a market trader, you buy traffic and sell it to retailers, unlike a trader on the stock market you don't make a commision on the sale you only make a commision on any profit the retailers makes...

There are no guarantees you will make a penny no matter how hard you work, the thing I like about physical stock is that you know exactly how much it cost you, you know what is the lowest you are prepared to sell it for so you will make money at the end of it. With yours you are going to be regularly selling your traffic for less than you paid for it, you basically have to be better than the experts that developed amazons adwords campaign or a million other people out there bidding on the search terms to make money. It's all about finding a niche that hasn't been discovered yet and exploiting it but they are few and far between as more and more people use adwords. The people making the money probably have massive exposure and are skimming a few % off the top to make a living.

Also because you are competing on a global scale a chinese student doing the exact same thing as you might make 50 euro a week doing it and be happy with that, I don't imagine it would excite you much.