With The Right Support You Can Reach The Stars

Everything of any great consequence is built on a strong foundation. The world's most enduring icons of power, prestige, determination and success - the great pyramids at Giza - depend as much on the bedrock beneath them as on the skill of the stonemasons to survive. So it is with all of us. Our bedrocks may not be made of granite but they have to be every bit as solid. "No man [or woman] is an island." Certainly, this truism applies to every successful businessperson. And no businessperso...

Everything of any great consequence is built on a
strong foundation. The world's most enduring icons of
power, prestige, determination and success - the great
pyramids at Giza - depend as much on the bedrock
beneath them as on the skill of the stonemasons to
survive. So it is with all of us.

Our bedrocks may not be made of granite but they have
to be every bit as solid.

"No man [or woman] is an island." Certainly, this
truism applies to every successful businessperson. And
no businessperson needs a solid bedrock, an efficient
network of support, more than one involved in Internet
marketing.

Anyone can set up shop online. That's the problem.
Books, magazines, tapes and videos, 'courses', e-zines
and web sites all tell you how easy it is. How you just
'follow these simple steps' and watch the dollars flow.

They don't tell you how discouraged you will get when
the dollars are only flowing in the wrong direction. Or
how lonely it can get staring at a computer screen in
your spare bedroom for fourteen hours a day. Or how to
deal with the anxiety of knowing you have to spend
money to promote your business, but not being able to
afford a mistake.

Every business has downsides and problems, but offline
there are often people to turn to for help. Online
traders may not be so lucky. Who do they turn to when
the 'failsafe' strategy they read about fails? Who can
they ask 'why?' when nobody buys from their site? Who
will hold their hand when they feel as lonely as that
long distance runner?

The answer is staring us in the face. The Internet is
the greatest storehouse of human knowledge and
experience the world has ever seen. It is also peopled
by warm-hearted generous souls from every corner of the
globe who are more than happy to share what they know.

Some will know less than you but think they know more.

Some will know more but will modestly hold back.

Some will wear their knowledge and experience like a
badge.

Take counsel from all of them and then use your own
common-sense to filter the wheat from the chaff.

But where do you find these people? Where do you go to
build your bedrock?

Three examples of place I have personally found
particularly useful to gain knowledge:

Newsletter publishing: http://www.ezineuniversity.com/

This amazing site will teach you everything you need to
know about setting up and running an e-zine, absolutely
free.

General help and advice: http://www.ablake.net/forum/

By far the best all-round forum for Internet marketing
I have come across. Very active and extremely helpful.
I belong to several subscription sites, but Anthony
Blake's free discussion group beats them all.

Subscribe to e-zines: If you are reading this, chances
are you already do, but search out more. There are
thousands around and many of them are excellent.

The key to all of this, however, is not to just join
the examples above and take what you need. True
success, and vital support comes from interacting
fully. Share what knowledge you have. Offer
suggestions. Email e-zine publishers with feedback or
questions. Make yourself as busy helping other people
(in whatever way you can) as possible. I this way, folk
will respond to you. Friendships will grow. Other
people in the same situation as you will be drawn into
your circle. Opportunities that may never have seemed
possible will begin to come your way.

I have proved this to be true time and again, and have
developed some wonderful online friendships that I
cherish highly. But if I hadn't been open to the idea
of approaching and offering support to others, I
couldn't have expected others to be there for me.

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