Entrepreneurship
TOP 5 VIDEO MARKETING IDEAS THAT CAN HELP YOUR VENTURE GROW
The marketing strategies of most businesses aim at being recognized for the things that set them apart. To achieve this, brands are in constant pursuit to strike a chord with their target group. With an average internet user watching over 100 minutes of video content every day, video is the best window for consumers to see a business. Which is why we pulled together these video marketing ideas.
In today’s world, when a business promotes themselves through video, they effectively convey the reasons why a potential customer must trust them. This gives the customer a clear picture of what to expect from a brand and strengthens the brand. With video contributing to one-third of all digital activity, over 30% of businesses plan to increase their promotional videos.
Thousands of hours of video content are generated every day. For a brand that intends to grow in the digital space, merely create videos will not be enough. Such brands need to strategize their videos and come up with innovative ideas for business growth.
As such, we’ll be discussing five marketing ideas below to help you gain clarity on how to leverage videos in your marketing story, and grow your venture.
BEST VIDEO MARKETING IDEAS TO GROW YOUR VENTURE
Every Second Is Precious
While video consumption on mobile devices sees a 100% increase every year, you need to understand the increased competition. The average internet viewer has a dwindling attention span, and you need to make every second of your video count. The first 10 seconds of the video are the most important in attracting the audience’s attention. Your aim should be at getting the audience to recognize the business. In this pursuit, you cannot afford any room for ambiguity.
Start by being clear about your message from the very beginning. For example, a video that intends to educate the audience will have a different tone as compared to one that is introducing a new product. To make a poignant first impression, you can use an intro maker such as InVideo to get your message across to the viewer.
The purpose of the first few seconds of the video should be to generate curiosity among the audience and have them hooked to your content. If you have brand colors or logos, we suggest that you incorporate that in your intros. Consistent intros for all your branded videos will help establish brand familiarity and win the trust of your viewers.
Establish Your Target Market
The latest video marketing statistics tell us that 64% of internet users admit to purchasing a product after watching promotional videos on social media. While such statistics are encouraging, to make the most of your campaigns you need to identify your target audience. When your video catches the attention of someone who is looking for similar products or services, they will be more receptive to your content.
Avoid generalizing your content and take a focused approach to target your videos. You can create customer personas to have a better picture of your audience’s expectations from your video. The more personal you are in your video-making approach, the higher are the chances of striking a chord with the audience.
Have Your Video Tell A Story
Humans are creative beings and enjoy stories. If you want your promotional videos to get viral, look for ways to tell a story. For example, you can create behind-the-scenes videos that offer the audience a glimpse of the life at your organization. By bringing the people behind your brand to the forefront, you illustrate a human face to the customer. This makes your brand more relatable, and potential customers will be likely to choose you.
If you can create a storyboard for your video, add relevant narration, voiceovers and subtitles in your video, you will effectively tell the story. That way, you will have an edge over the competition while promoting your business.
Related: Success Stories That Inspire
Leverage Video Testimonials
Statistics establish that brands that created more than 51 videos in a year saw a 46% higher growth in 2020. In the coming years, the figures are expected to rise, and brands that create regular and consistent content will have an advantage. In such a situation, testimonial videos are a welcome addition to your video posting schedule.
Testimonial videos are short clips where satisfied customers talk of their experience with your brand. For a potential customer, words of affirmation from someone who has been in their shoes come off as more convincing than a brand promoting itself.
When a satisfied customer creates a testimonial or review video, they associate themselves with your brand. That way, they act as ambassadors of your brand in their respective circles, thus improving your brand reach. A look at the latest social media statistics also establishes that such video content stands higher chances of being shared.
Establish Your Expertise
Modern times are highly competitive, and most consumers do not want to settle for anything less than the best. In such a situation, video is a powerful tool for brands to establish their industry expertise. For example, if you are a brand that sells household cleaning products, you can come up with videos that share cleaning tips.
DIY hacks, how-to videos, and explainer videos are powerful tools to get your potential customers to frequent your brand page. If your videos can give real-life advice and show the results, people will start respecting you. Over time, consumers will relate your brand to industry expertise and respect you for your knowledge. This will boost your brand visibility and contribute to your digital growth story.
If your brand cannot afford to devote a lot of time to video making, you can leverage live videos to share your knowledge. These days most social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and others offer content creators the luxury of interacting with their followers in real-time. Although live videos account for only 12% of Facebook’s video posts, these get twice the engagement as compared to pre-recorded videos. Since these videos are filmed in real-time, they have an air of authenticity and make it easier for you to showcase your knowledge and expertise.
Related: Accelerate Your Business Growth
Final Thoughts
While video marketing presents a sea of opportunities, you need to understand that standing out in the crowd is important. If you want your videos to get you better business, you should be ready to walk the extra mile and plan the video strategy.
Try to include different types of video content in your strategy to maintain diversity. Ideally, you should plan the posting in a way that garners the maximum viewer response. As you look to leverage the power video to build an online presence, here’s hoping that you successfully portray the things that set your brand apart from the competition.
Till next time,
STRIVE
PS – If you enjoyed this article on video marketing ideas, then you’ll also enjoy this post on the top digital marketing tips.
Entrepreneurship
TOP 10 REASONS TO START AN ONLINE BUSINESS
Have you ever asked yourself, ‘Is an online business a good investment?’ Or even better, ‘Should I start an online business?’ If you answered yes to either, and if you’re actually looking for some solid reasons as to why you should consider starting an online business for yourself, then this article on the top 10 reasons to start an online business is for you.
In this post we’re going to make the case, as to why starting an online business is actually one of the best investments you can make for yourself, especially in this day and age. So, if you’re ready to dive into some really good reasons as to why you should start an online business as an investment, then let’s dive right in.
10 REASONS TO START AN ONLINE BUSINESS
1. Unlimited Freedom
An online business is attractive because of the freedom it offers. With technology becoming more and more mobile friendly, online business owners can free themselves up to work from wherever they want.
Walk into any coffee shop these days and you’ll see plenty of people grinding on their start-ups while consuming their cups of joe. It’s a great feeling too, knowing you can virtually work from anywhere in the world, at your leisure, and still make money regardless of your location.
The best part though, is that when it’s your business, you can’t get fired. And when you can’t get fired, that’s when you truly have freedom.
Freedom, it’s all about freedom.
2. You Can Start Part-Time
Building an online business takes time and effort, but the great thing is, you can get started part-time. You don’t have to risk your livelihood to test out those great ideas that have been keeping you up at night.
You can launch your online business on a weekend, and work on it in your free-time. You can build your online empire and start cash flowing while still earning money from your day job.
Then, when your business starts to gain traction, and the big money starts rolling in, you can decide if working your 9-5 is what you really want to do with your life.
But you get to choose. When you build your online business part-time, you can get started on creating your own freedom, giving yourself options.
Options, options, options, it’s all about options!
“I’m Working Full Time On My Job And Part Time On My Fortune.”
– jim rohn –
3. Low Overhead and High Margins
If you have a good chunk of money set aside, you can get started with your own money. The start up costs for online businesses are extremely low, so if you needed to borrow money, it shouldn’t be to difficult to secure.
Just so you are aware, there is always a risk of losing money when you start up a business. So, buyer or creator beware.
Fortunately, these days, it doesn’t cost much at all to get started. Were’ talking a few dollars a month of overhead costs. And a really big perk, is that an online business can be operated without office space, retail space, or even storage space for inventory (drop-shipping).
The main thing you risk with starting an online business is your time and effort. And time and effort are things we all have.
So, with a small investment to get you started, and enough time and effort invested on building your online business, you can eventually reap massive financial gains.
4. Provides Unbelievable Scalability
Online businesses are attractive because they are scalable. Brick and mortar businesses are scalable too, but they are dependent on location, making them much more difficult to scale.
When we say scalable, we mean a businesses ability to quickly change its size or income.
Every brick and mortar business depends on a limited number of customers that live within a certain proximity to that businesses physical location. This means a brick and mortar business is limited by the number of customers living within a given range from it’s physical location.
An online business on the other hand, can sell to anybody anywhere. An online business’s reach is limited only by the extent of their marketing campaign.
This means an online business can scale to incorporate as many people as it wants, all over the world.
5. Income Security
Out of the 10 reasons to start an online business, this one is probably our favorite. When you build your own successful online business, you are in control of your income. You get to decide how much money you want to make, and you can’t get fired.
Obviously, you can’t snap your fingers and demand a 500% pay raise. But, you can change up your business operations to reach your unique goals. On top of that, you keep making money as long as you are in business.
If your only income source is from your day job, then you put yourself at risk financially. But when you have additional income coming in from your online business, you can hedge against the insecurities of the job market.
Build an online business and you build your very own financial fortress.
6. You Can Automate It and Semi-Retire
Everyone dreams of retiring or semi-retiring early. But in reality, most never come close to having enough money to retire and live off of their retirement savings by the time they reach retirement age.
When you build your own online business, if you are smart about it, you can eventually automate it. Once your business is automated, it can become your very own low-maintenance virtual ATM.
Of course, this is a lot more plausible for the majority of people, than putting aside $1,000,000 dollars by the time they retire.
By the way, if you are lucky enough to save up a million bucks, and you follow the 4% rule, (which is a retirement rule to follow so you don’t run out of money before you die), that million will only get you a lifestyle that $40,000 per year can afford.
Of course $40,000 per year is not too shabby, but, traveling the world and trying to “live up” your retirement years on this amount of money is going to be, well…challenging.
Check this out. The median retirement savings of families between 56 and 61 is only $17,000. So, there is a good chance you need to start socking away tons of money a.s.a.p., or start grinding on your new online business.
The choice seems obvious to us. Do both!
7. You Can Do Something Fulfilling
Starting your own online business is something everyone should do because really, everyone has their own secret calling that they wish to be living.
We believe everyone has a purpose, and special gift that can help other people. When you start your own online business, you get to stop putting off those projects that actually use your gifts , and really bring you to life.
On top of this, when your business starts gaining traction, you give yourself the opportunity to dive into a career that truly fulfills you. You can get paid to play.
Imagine that, every single as a play day. Sounds fun!
“Find Something You Love To Do, And You’ll Never Work a Day In Your Life.”
– harvey mackay –
8. You Take Back Control of Your Destiny
When you build your own online business, you get to participate in the creation of your own future. You gain complete control of your destiny.
Sure, your business may face it’s challenges, but obstacles are as permanent as you want them to be. If you fall, you can always get back up. If at first is doesn’t succeed, you change tactics and try again.
But, your business can also succeed, especially if you never give up. Truth is, if you are seeking to create a lifestyle business, your chances of succeeding are much higher.
Online lifestyle businesses are created to cater to the owner’s specific lifestyle. Some owners are happy making just enough money to pay the bills, buy a few tacos, and travel across the world, while others want to build huge online gold mines.
Your success is all up to you. The effort you put in will be rewarded. No, it won’t be instant. Business and instant gratification don’t belong together, unless of course, you are creating a business that offers instant gratification. (Usually a good approach for most businesses).
So long as you put in the time and effort to learn the rules of the game, and then execute around those lessons consistently, mark our words, you will win.
When you invest in your own business, you give yourself a shot at becoming the captain of your own ship. And when your the captain, you get to decide on the destination.
9. You’ll Become More Valuable
When you start your own internet business, you’ll learn all kinds of new skills. You’ll learn about marketing, internet technology, sales, writing, sales copy, graphic design, conversion rates, analytics, etc… You’ll learn loads about the business world.
In fact, the more you want your online venture to succeed, the more you’ll end up learning.
You’ll look at things through a different lens. You’ll gain insights into consumer psychology and business that you didn’t have before. Overtime, you’ll become more and more valuable, both to you and your internet business and to whom ever employs you.
No doubt, your business may take a while to take off, but in the meantime, so long as you don’t quit, you’ll become more and more valuable to the market place.
Like the saying goes, “The more you learn, the more you earn.”
10. Your Online Business Never Sleeps
Most brick and mortar businesses can only stay open for a limited time. They need to close-up-shop at the end of the day because their regional customers eventually have to go home and catch some zzz’s. With no customers around to buy their products or services, most business need to shut it down at the end of each day to avoid wasteful operating costs.
With an online business though, that’s not the case.
Your online business can stay open to sell your products or services 24/7/365.
Why? Because an online business can easily take orders from any customer, anywhere, at any time of the day. While you sleep, people on the other side of the world are awake and hunting online for your solutions to their problems.
This means you can make money while you sleep. Imagine waking up to see 5, 15, or 20 sales your internet business made, all while you were cozied up in your bed counting sheep.
“If You Don’t Find a Way To Make Money While You Sleep, You Will Work Until The Day You Die.”
– warren buffett –
So, Is An Online Business a Good Investment?
So, is an online business a good investment? Yes, it is a great investment. In fact, we believe it is the best investment.
It truly is the best investment because it has the potential to yield back to us way more than we invest in terms of money. But more importantly, it can yield back to us that which is much more important than money; our time.
Learn More: The Virtual Millionaire
To recap, the top 10 reasons to start an online business are:
- Unlimited Freedom
- You Can Start Part Time
- Low Start Up Costs
- Scalability
- Income Security
- Automation Potential
- Do Fulfilling Work
- You’re In Control
- Personal Growth
- Works For You 24/7
So, if you want to increase your chances of making more money, if you want to build something that may eventually lead you to being able to spend your days doing what you love, all while creating something that which will allow you to make your own money on your own terms, then starting your own internet-based business is a good way to go.
Of course you’ll face some challenge as you build your online business up, and it may even take longer then you think it will take. And of course, nothing is guaranteed, just anything in life.
But we believe, without a doubt, that building your own online business has the potential to pay the best dividends.
But, it all starts with laying that first brick!
Till you reach your aims,
STRIVE
PS – If you have the time and the will, building an online business is a great investment. We hope we made a strong enough case with our top 10 reasons to start an online business, however, if you’re looking for more resources related to doing so, try these:
Entrepreneurship
TOP 10 REASONS TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR
Believe it or not, entrepreneurs are the very backbone of most economies. Their efforts, ideas, and execution help create the jobs everyone else gets to enjoy, the products and services we crave, and the conveniences we love. They say money makes the world go round, but we all know, it’s the entrepreneur who sets everything in motion. That said, if you’re here to learn what the top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur are, then stick around.
Before we dive into the list, it’s important to know a few key things about entrepreneurs first. An entrepreneur is a risk-taker, innovator, and investor, entrepreneurs make every effort count towards bringing a transformative change in their respective markets.
In fact, if long-term success is to be found as an entrepreneur, consistently disrupting the market has to be a part of their long-game. So, even though to be an entrepreneur is in a way to be heroic, it is no easy task.
Entrepreneurship is Not For the Faint of Heart
It’s not easy to build, design, and run a business, especially these days. Entrepreneurship comes with the baggage of expectations and responsibilities. Entrepreneurs have to not only come up with the business idea, they also have to leverage their time, money, and resources to get things off the ground.
On top of that, they also have to learn how to manage people and create processes once things take off. To be sure, entrepreneurship is an endeavor to be respected.
Entrepreneurship is an unpredictable journey. And for many, it may even seem risky and scary initially, but if executed the right way, it can help generate income like few employees will ever experience. In addition to this, it can also help you acquire a platform for exploring countless opportunities that employees will never have access to.
Entrepreneurship May Be In Your Future If…
So, why should you be an entrepreneur? Well, if you’re the type of person who hates their job, or finds it boring, or if you’re the type of person who has lots of great ideas for how things could be better when it comes to products and services, then starting a small business or side-hustle may be in your future.
For the right person, entrepreneurship can be a golden ticket to a better lifestyle.
With that being said, if you’ve ever consider the possibility of becoming your own boss and trying your hand at entrepreneurship, but have been hesitant to pull the trigger, give these top 10 reasons why you should be an entrepreneur are read. By the end of the article, you’ll know for sure if entrepreneurship is for you.
TOP 10 REASONS TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR
1. You Want to Explore Unlimited Possibilities of Earning
A job may offer you a fixed salary and employment security (which may also vary depending on various factors). People often refrain from doing business thinking that it is uncertain and loss probabilities may be more.
Moreover, in a business, there is no fixed income, and it varies every month and quarter. But there are many who wants to grow their earning and doesn’t want to remain limited to fixed wages which are decided by the employer. Employees can put their preferences, but the final call is taken by the job provider when it comes to salary.
If you feel that you deserve much more than what you are earning at the moment, then starting up your business is your thing. Not only you get the opportunity to multiply your earnings but also make a more significant impact on your overall financial status.
Entrepreneurs may have to incur losses, but at the same time, unlike company employees, their income is not regulated. If the business runs on profit, entrepreneurs get to earn more.
Related: How to Become Rich and Successful
2. You Have The Urge to Try New Ideas
When it comes to innovation, small businesses and startups are always the frontrunners. They are ready to take risks and try new ideas to see what works and what doesn’t, which is an unlikely scenario in big companies. Large organizations typically have a recipe that works, meaning they’re making good money, and so keep to the status quo. As such, they don’t do much experimenting or try new things.
But if you have new ideas that you are eager to give them a try, then start up your own small business and become an entrepreneur. Why? Because entrepreneurship allows you to be innovative and follow your passion, even if it requires taking risks.
Working on your passion and converting your dreams into a reality is something that only entrepreneurs get to witness as they are their own boss and have the privilege to do business the way they want.
Sure, the process may sometime be frustrating, disappointing and you may see failures initially, but if you can stick on to your plan, remain determined and keep trying, then success will inevitably be yours.
3. You Want to Be Your Own Boss
Some people don’t like to be controlled or be answerable to a higher authority, be it personal or in professional spheres of life. Not having your final say in the decision-making of the business operation is also something that many people can’t accept.
Moreover, when an individual’s creativity and professional space gets hounded by the constant interference of an annoying manager, the disappointment and resentment to having an authority increases.
If you are someone who is struggling with the same scenario, then being your own boss is the only solution. Signs of frustration when governed or managed is a clear sign that entrepreneurship may be for you.
By becoming the CEO of your company, you are responsible for every success and achievement. You need to answer anyone for anything, and also nobody will be able to claim a share in your accomplishments.
However, one thing you should never forget that with authority comes new responsibilities. As a business owner, you will be responsible for teaching and training people working for you. So, you must cater to your role as an entrepreneur and business owner demands without fail.
Related: Self-Reliance is The Way
4. You Want to Learn More
If you have the zeal and eagerness to learn more about your professional field and enhancing your skills, then you must try becoming an entrepreneur. Becoming an entrepreneur will give you business perspective and insights that you wouldn’t be able to acquire in any other way.
Truly, being an entrepreneur is a never-ending learning process. The more you can learn, the better you can take advantage of opportunities to grow your business.
Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who never miss their chances to learn and are never satisfied with their existing knowledge. They are keen to know more so that they can stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in the market and the industry they are in.
If you discover that regular working hours in office is not catering to your knowledge quest and keeping you limited when it comes to expanding your information base, then you have all the reasons to become an entrepreneur to satiate your knowledge aspirations.
For a true entrepreneur, learning never stops, and that’s an amazing attribute to have. From SEO to real estate, construction, healthcare, and web development, you should try learning as much as you can.
5. You Don’t Want an Average 9-to-5 Job
For aspiring entrepreneurs, the repetitive and monotonous working routine in a 9-to-5 job fails to feed the hunger and passion for doing something innovative and creative. Bound by company policies and regulations, people of a 9-to-5 job are often dissatisfied and tired of doing the usual every day and ending up with unfulfilled desires when it comes to making a difference with their expertise in the professional space.
Hence for people who want to translate their potential into the real world and break the monotony of a typical 9-to-5 job, entrepreneurship is the way to give wings to your dreams.
Moreover, in a 9-to-5 job, your earning is capped unless you earn incentives or commissions. But if scrapping by on a capped salary doesn’t intresest you, then being an entrepreneur will be your ideal bet.
With hard work and determination, you can shape your dreams, try creative ideas, and unleash opportunities in your own terms once you become an entrepreneur. If growing your own business is what you aspire to, start your planning for the launch of your business right away.
The sooner you make a decision, the sooner you can be the in-charge of every aspect of your life.
6. You Want to Bring a Change
Entrepreneurs not only work towards changing their life but are also keen on bringing a change in the world around them. Most of the startups in the recent past have contributed towards social causes with their innovative business model and discoveries.
Whether developing useful products or donating a part of profits to charity, entrepreneurs make significant impact with their small gestures and efforts. And if you’re in the driver’s seat, you get to choose how you want to make an impact.
From creating job opportunities to adding to GDP, small businesses do a lot for the community. If you would prefer to be a part of such great initiatives, you can start your efforts by starting a business and proving your skills as an entrepreneur.
Your transition into becoming a business owner will help the lives of many and bring overall transformation in the world as Mark Twain says, “Explore. Dream. Discover. So, why be an entrepreneur? To create change and make a lasting impact.
Related: How to Become Free
7. You Want to Get Out of The Rat Race
Out of the top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur, most do it to get out of the rat race. Most people know that working a regular 9-5 job with fixed working hours can get monotonous, and that you may, overtime, start regretting every bit of your life, like most people do.
However, if you become an entrepreneur, chances are you won’t lack for adventure, and you have a shot of escaping the hamster wheel of slaving away for 50 years or more.
Entrepreneurship is for people who are tired of executing someone else’s vision and have no space for innovation. In large companies, working hours, along with what works to do is all set by the employer. Moreover, there is no work-life balance, and people are running in the rat race with no time for recreation and family.
But when you have your own business, you have the privilege to choose what to do and when. You get the freedom and flexibility to work besides managing your family and household life.
So, if a healthy family life is what matters and you no longer want to be part of the rat race working in companies, you should seriously consider becoming an entrepreneur.
8. You Don’t Want To Toe Any Party Lines
Sometimes we end up working for a company whose values or politics don’t align with our own. It’s not something we do unintentionally.
But, when you need to pay your bills just about any job will do. And potentially getting stuck working with people who don’t like you, is not very good for your health.
Certainly, you can just go and work for another company, but there will always be an element of that companies values that don’t 100% align with yours. As such, your best bet for achieving absolute freedom to be, believe, or support who you wish to, is to strive to create your own enterprise.
9. You Want Location Flexibility
Working in a company will not give you the freedom to work from wherever you want. Not every profession has the ease of work from home.
So, if you think that working in different environments can boost your innovative and creative thinking and you can work even while traveling the world, then becoming an entrepreneur will be your smart choice.
Your own business can be operated online and worked from anywhere as you are the boss. You can make money even while traveling, leveraging various online tools and platforms that allow you to explore the online market as well.
Having your business can help you be flexible with changing situations and needs and can assist in building a location-independent business.
Related: I Want To Start a Business But Have No Ideas
10. You Want To Unleash Your Creative Potential
One of the greatest aspects of becoming an entrepreneur is the fact that you get to be as creative as you’d like. When you become an entrepreneur, you can bring any one of your creative ideas to the marketplace and see if it’s worth its salt.
Even better, is that you get to test your unique and creative ideas at will. No more sheepishly seeking the approval of some middle manager above you for permission, just to try out one of your great ideas. As entrepreneur, you get to choose the when, the where, the how, and everything in between when it comes to deploying your ideas.
Being able to unleash your creative potential is one of, if not the, top reason why you should become an entrepreneur.
Bonus Reasons To Become An Entrepreneur
Alright, here’s one last bonus section if you’re still looking for even more reasons to become an entrepreneur. It’s a great video created by American entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David that you’ll certainly get some added value from.
So, if our top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur didn’t quite convince you, well give this bonus video a watch, as PBD does an amazing job covering all the other bases as to why one should consider becoming an entrepreneur. Enjoy:
Video Credit: Valuetainment (Subscribe Here)
Final Thoughts on Becoming an Entrepreneur
There you have it, the top 10 reasons that should solidify why you should become an entrepreneur or not. The very thought of starting your business may sound intimidating for some while energizing for others. But it doesn’t have to be intimidating.
To recap, the top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur are:
- Unlimited Earning Potential
- To Try New Ideas
- To Be Your Own Boss
- To Learn More
- To Have a Flexible Schedule
- To Create Change
- To Get Our of The Rat Race
- To Avoid Politics
- To Become Location Independent
- To Unleash Your Creativity
That said, in today’s economy, getting funds for setting up your business isn’t that difficult if you have the right proposal and strategies in place. And some businesses, require very little start ups costs. Regardless of the route you choose there is no shortage of opportunities, one just has to know how to navigate the territory.
Yes, it will take some dedication, time, and a lot of resources to create a successful and thriving business. But if your research, effort, and execution are on point, you have a good chance of finding the freedom and the heroic status that every successful entrepreneur achieves.
Till next time,
STRIVE
PS – If you enjoyed these Top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur, then you’ll love these 10 solid reasons why you should follow your dreams.
Entrepreneurship
SHOULD YOU START A BLOG? HERE’S WHY I STARTED
If you’ve been wrestling with whether you should start a blog or not lately, then you might want to read this. Chances are you’re on the fence, as to whether you should pull the trigger.
You probably want to know if it’s even worth it. Or if it’s something you should even be considering in 2023. If this sounds like you, then I am going to try to get you off the fence by telling you why I started blogging.
Maybe you’ll choose to start a blog, and maybe you won’t. My goal is to help you answer the question, “Should I start a blog?’
SHOULD YOU START A BLOG?
Years ago, I wanted to be a hard-core real estate investor. I made a little bit of money in real estate, so thought it could be my golden ticket. But then I realized that I wanted to create a business that would eventually free up my time to do what I love to do most; travel and see the world.
And real estate, while still a terrific wealth-building asset, was a bit constricting. I wanted to have the flexibility to go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted.
Being tied down to a physical location just because that is where my investments were, wasn’t appealing to me. I wanted to be free. I wanted my money to keep flowing into my bank account, regardless of my location.
And I didn’t want to have to worry about whether I’d have tenets to ensure my money keeps coming in. On top of that, being a landlord and dealing with tenants can be stressful.
If You Like Freedom & Flexibility – Yes
So, I chose to be a digital entrepreneur, with freedom and flexibility as my primary grounds to start a blog. I saw a handful of people having success and finding the freedom and flexibility I wanted, so I jumped in.
Now, a few years have passed since I got started. And I now have the option to start jet-setting all across the world. I achieved the freedom and flexibility that I so eagerly desired.
I get to wake up every day at the hour of my choosing, and I get to decide where I want to work, what I want to work on, and for how long. And I will say, had I not started, I wouldn’t have this super cool setup that I now have.
So, you should start a blog if you want more freedom and flexibility in your life.
If You Want to Make an Impact – Yes
With that said, there were a few other reasons I chose to start a blog. One of the biggest reasons was to create something that would allow me to have a greater impact on people’s lives.
I’ve always wanted to both inspire and help people. So, I decided to use my words and to create resources based off of my experience and research, that would do just that.
If you’re a frequent visitor of The STRIVE, then you likely already know that we like to publish lots of uplifting and motivational content. Just about every post that gets published is meant to make a positive impact on our reader’s life.
That said, I feel good about the impact we’re making here. And to this day, by blog turned ‘media platform’, has already impacted over 3.5 million people, and growing. One billion people is our new goal!
So, should you start a blog? Well, if you want to make an impact on lots of people, yes!
If You Want To Spread Your Risk – Yes
My rationale for starting a blog was for practical purposes as well. I decided to start a blog to spread my risk.
Initially, I had a good chunk of my money tied up in real estate, and a decent amount tied up into stocks and retirement accounts, but that’s it. All my “financial eggs” were in one basket.
So, I chose to start my blog to secure another stream of income. In short, it was to spread my risk “financially speaking”.
If I lost a job, or if I lost renters, or if the stock market tanked, I’d at least have a back-up source of income. Without a doubt, if financial security is important to you, building a blog can act as an extra safety-net.
If You Want To Create The Life Of Your Dreams – Yes
Lastly, I started a blog because it was the best vehicle I could find to help me create the life of my dreams. The life of my dreams consisted of being my own boss, making enough money to enjoy life, enough to retire early, and the flexibility to live my life to the fullest.
That said, here’s why I started my blog in a nutshell, and why you should consider starting one too:
- You Can Gain More Freedom
- You Can Create More Flexibility
- You Can Make a Bigger Impact
- You Can Spread Your Risk
- You Can Live The Life Of Your Dreams
So, should you start a blog? If you can say yes to all of the benefits above, then yes. Of course you should. But, if you’re still on the fence, no problem. Here’s some more insights about blogging in general.
HOW BLOGS WORK
This next section is meant to help you gain a better perspective on what blogging is and how it works. Bare with me though, as I like to use an analogy to explain my blogging experience that is slightly different than most.
Maybe it’ll help you see it, for the great opportunity that is.
Blogging Is Like Real Estate (Digital Real Estate)
As I mentioned in the beginning, I was big on real estate a few years ago. So, I am going to lean into the concept of real estate to help you see blogging through a different lens.
So, the way I made my money through real estate is the exact way I planned to make even more money through blogging. In real estate, I bought a piece of property that was low value, ugly, and needed a lot of elbow grease.
I put in the effort and improved the value of that piece of property over the time-span of a few years. Through effort, and persistence, I turned a piece of property that nobody wanted at first, into something that a lot of people wanted. Real Estate folks call this flipping.
That said, the same principle was applied to this blog. It started off as something that was of no value to anyone but me. And trust me, it was a trainwreck in the beginning.
However, as time went on, more people learned about my blog. And the more people learned about it, the more I was able to build it into a value generating machine.
As I improved the space, and published more and more helpful content, more and more people kept coming back. Then Google even started sending people to my site.
Then, like a snowball rolling downhill, it just kept growing. And as the site grew, the more valuable it became, and continues to become.
Just like real estate, I could choose to sell it off, or I can “rent it out”. What do I mean by renting it out?
“Rent”
Renting out in the online world is akin to offering space on my site to advertisers, advertisers who will pay the site owner money to showcase products and services that my audience may want to buy.
So, much like rent on real estate, advertisers pay me monthly. And the larger I grow that monthly cash flow, the more I could ask for the site, if I ever decided to sell.
Again, I didn’t want to be over-invested in real estate or stocks. So, I invested time (and a small amount of money) into transforming my blog (this site) into a digital asset.
The great news is, learning how to make money from a blog is easy. If you can do research on the internet, you can learn how to blog. You do not have to be a gifted writer.
The hard part of course, is taking action, and then sticking with it long enough to see it make money for you.
But if you can do those two things, you can create your own digital asset by starting a blog. And if the idea of creating a digital asset sounds appealing to you, then you should definitely start a blog.
Related: The Virtual Millionaire
How Blogs Make Money
Blogging is like a lot of businesses, it is a numbers game. If you can get good a getting those numbers large enough, then the money starts coming in. Of course, it won’t automatically, there’s some planning and action involved.
This is a simple viewpoint, but when you get the numbers (your audience) right, you can change your focus to get the money right.
For example, Television plays the numbers game. Online Magazines and Newspapers play the numbers game too. People making YouTube videos are also playing a numbers game.
Audience Is Everything
In order to make money in the blogging world, and all these other areas just mentioned, you need to have an audience. There needs to be a certain number of eyeballs looking at your site every single day.
And when that number grows, so do your chances for making money. The more viewers a site, blog, show, newspaper, or whatever… gets, the more money-making potential it has.
“Attention Equals Currency”
For instance, YouTube shows an advertisement right before every video. If you click on that advertisement, the person who loaded the video makes money.
Newspapers get paid by advertisers in advance, for placing a small ad within their pages. If it is an online newspaper or magazine, it uses ads much like google does, and makes money on every click too.
The same is done with blogs. Blogs can include ads on their site and follow the same principle. In fact, you’ve probably seen a handful of ads as you’ve scrolled through this page already.
So, just like the YouTube video or online newspaper, the more people who see your ads, the more potential you have for making money.
The same thing applies for a physical store. The store that get gets 1,000 people inside the store a day, vs. one that only gets 100, will almost always make more money (assuming they sell similar things of course).
Blogging as a Business Is About Exposure
It’s all about exposure. The more an ad or a product is exposed to a person, the higher the likelihood will be that the ad gets clicked on by a visitor. And advertisers actually pay for each click the website or blog helps them get. Heck, some even pay for just getting your eyes on their ads.
Why? Because you are helping them expose their business. You are helping them acquire new business immediately, and in the long run.
In essence, sites, magazines, shows, and internet businesses that help other business owners introduce their products or services to the market, get paid. Bloggers are like middlemen.
The great news is, these days getting the ball rolling with advertising is easy. All you need to do is set up an account, much like you would for an email account. You put in how you want to get paid, tax info, and presto, you are half way there.
If you can read and follow instructions, you can set up a blog. And even better news is, just about everything in this online world comes with instructions or chatbots these days. And if it doesn’t, the answer is usually just a Google search away.
At this point you would just use a simple plugin for your site, add the ad specs you just created, and bam, you are in business.
That said, another great way blogs make money, is when the owner or company creates and sells their own product our courses directly to the audience. If it’s a digital product or a course, you get to keep most of the money.
The Truth About Starting a Blog
Having gone through all those details with you, here is the truth. Anyone can start a blog. And if you have a dream and a passion to unravel that vision in your mind, and put it out into the world, starting a blog is a no-brainer.
But, at the same time, blogging isn’t for everyone. Just like investing in real estate isn’t for everyone. Heck, the same can be said for getting rich or becoming your own boss. It is not for everyone.
Yes, anyone can do it, but not everyone will.
Proper Expectations Is Key
Truth is, many people start blogs, but they don’t have the right expectations when starting, and so they quit long before it ever works for them. However, with the right expectations, and a little bit of stick-to-itiveness, creating a successful blog is more than possible.
So, should you start a blog? Only if you decide from the very beginning, that you’ll do whatever it takes to never give up.
Not doing so, is akin to someone buying a piece of real estate, and then trying to sell it in one or two years and expecting it set them up for life financially.
But this rarely happens. Why? Because money can’t be made without first creating something of value. And real value can’t be created in the snap of a finger.
“Effort Over Time Equals Value”
Anyone who understands this is going to have a much better shot at eventually creating a blog that fattens their pockets and bank account with money. A blog can be a phenomenal digital asset.
My decision to create this very blog has worked for me. It wasn’t an overnight type of thing, but I’ve stuck with it. And the more time and effort I’ve put into it, the more it gives back to me.
At first, the money just trickles in. But then that trickle starts trickling a bit faster and turns into a stream. And before you know it, that stream becomes a gushing river of money.
So, should you start a blog? Only you know the answer.
Till you reach your aims,
STRIVE
PS – If you think blogging is in your future, then you’ll find value in reviewing this resource on the best web hosting for new entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship
10 REASONS TO START A BLOG THIS YEAR
If you’re searching for some of the best reasons to start a blog then this post is for you. Before I get into that, there’s a few important things you should know about blogging. It has been around for over 30 years now. Since 1993, blogs and bloggers have helped create much of the digital landscape that we all experience and enjoy even to this day.
And while new technologies and platforms have shown up over the years, like YouTube, web 2.0, and AI, there are still many good reasons to start a blog, even to this day.
Just to make sure we’re on the same page, a blog is like a digital journal or informational website the showcases different forms of content in reverse chronological order. What’s published on a blog can range from personal opinions to business expertise.
That said, despite what some people say, blogging is here to stay, and even with AI now coming onto the scene, it’ll be around for a long time. So, if you’re looking for some of the best reasons to start a blog, here 10 of the best:
10 BEST REASONS TO START A BLOG TODAY
1. A Blog Is An Investment In Your Future
My personal favorite reason for starting a blog is because it’s an investment. When you start a blog, it is an investment in your future and it’s an investment in itself, because blogs can earn you money.
A blog, like a piece of real estate, is something that you can buy or build, put money and effort into, and then sell at a later date. And when you sell it, it can be for much more than you bought it for.
No doubt, the blog will need to be monetized. But, as soon as it’s making money, it’s worth something. And when you build a blog, if you do it right, you can build equity, and equity is worth something.
The amount of effort and focus you put into your investment, will determine the amount of money it will provide you with in return.
When you own a blog and work on it, you create options for yourself now and in the future.
2. A Blog Is A Self-improvement Tool
When you start a blog, you will be learning a ton of new things. You will learn more about technology then you ever knew before.
You’ll also learn about the ins and outs of marketing, and how to become a better writer. But most importantly, you will be habitually doing things that will make you better.
Why? Because, if you want your blog or site to succeed, you will need to be adapting and changing things as you go.
As such, as times passes, you will be improving both your blog and yourself overtime. Indeed, a blog can be the ultimate self-improvement tool.
3. A Blog Teaches You About Business
Another great reason to start a blog is because it will teach you about business. Launching your own blog is like a crash course in economics 101 and business course.
Let’s say you wanted to start a blog today, but you don’t really have that much business sense. That’s okay, because you could still get started just for the fun of it.
In fact, many use a blog as a public journal. Or as a pro-bono resource to help others. But, if you really want to add value to people and make money from your blog, you should start it as a business.
Meaning, you should be creating it with the intent of making money. But isn’t that selfish?
No and here’s why. If you focus your energy on turning your blog into a money-making machine, then you will eventually learn how to add real value to people’s lives.
Why do I say this? Because, when you discover a way to get people to exchange their hard-earned money with you for something that you are offering (i.e. information, expert review, etc..), then you’ve found a way to be of service to others.
And if you’ve found a way to do this, you have learned the fundamentals of business and economics. If you want to make money with your blog, it will teach you about business.
Especially if you want to stay in business, because you will soon learn that business is the exchange of value, and if you’re aren’t providing value, you won’t be in business for very long.
So, when you get started on a blog and use it as your own personal development laboratory, you’ll be learning everything you need to know about success and business.
Related: 10 Reasons To Start An Online Business
4. Starting A Blog Strengthens Self-Reliance
One of the best reasons for starting a blog, in my opinion, is because of the independence it can give you. By starting a blog, you give yourself a chance at walking away from jobs or situations that you don’t want to be in.
When you have a blog, you begin moving in the direction of independence. Because if you do it right, that is exactly what a blog will help you do.
The more money your blog makes you, the less reliant you’ll be on a paycheck. And as soon as your blog income surpasses your job’s income, you’re 100% independent.
Most people think they have to become a self-made millionaire to achieve this type of independence, but a blog can create it as well.
5. A Blog Will Help You Leave A Legacy
In 20 to 30 years, your time may be up. Like most people, you will have worked most of your days for someone else. You will have raised a family (or not), and you will have done your time here on this earth.
The question is, will you have left a legacy? What will you have created that outlasts you?
Well, when you create a blog, you give yourself a chance at creating something that can last throughout the ages. If you put ideas and words together in such a way that it touches people, helps them live better, or changes their lives, your legacy will persist.
So by having a blog, (much like writing a book) you can create something that can outlast you. Leaving a legacy for tomorrow is a noble reason for starting a blog.
6. A Blog Can Provide You With Freedom
One of the best reasons to start a blog is freedom. If you start a blog today and stick with it long enough, it can transform into something that will give you freedom.
Freedom from the daily grind. Freedom from having to be stuck in one city or country for the rest of your life.
A blog can provide you with the freedom you desire. If you believe it can happen, it will.
You can turn a blog into your job. You can transform it into something that will eventually pay your bills. With a blog you can become your own boss.
If you want it bad enough, a blog can set you free.
7. A Blog Can Lead To Financial Freedom
Not everyone who starts a blog will become financially free. However, it does have the potential to provide you with financial freedom. How? There are two ways.
The first way, is to create a blog that makes you a ridiculous amount of money. There are blogs out there that pull in $100,000 to $300,000 a month. If you make this amount of money, you can count yourself as financially free if you invest your money wisely.
The second way is this. If you create your blog correctly, it can be designed to be automated. Meaning, in time, much like a business. It can be built to leverage other people’s time, money, and efforts to keep the wheels turning.
Once you get your blog to a point where it generates enough money to pay for all of your living expenses, you can slowly develop mechanisms that will automate everything.
If you do it right, you can set up a business system that runs without you, and similarly, pays you without you needing to do much of anything. At this point, you will be financially free.
Related: The Virtual Millionaire
8. A Blog Will Help You Create A Platform
Some people don’t care much for money. Some people just want to get their message out to the world, make an impact, and become influential.
When you have a platform, you can influence public perception. Unfortunately, without tons of money, getting your message out to millions of people can be difficult.
For the most part, if you don’t have tons of money to spend, if you are not a celebrity status, or don’t have an established platform (like a column for a major media outlet i.e. NYT, Wall Street Journal, etc..), then getting your voice heard by many will be difficult.
But, if you start a blog today, you have a good starting point to create a platform for yourself. A platform that can eventually command the attention of millions.
9. A Blog Will Help You Become A Better Thinker
There is more to blogging than meets the eye. If you aim to run it as a business, a lot of thought will go into it.
You’ll consider design elements, posting frequency, distribution channels, strategic relationships, and how to better communicate your message with your words, all of which, will require a good amount of thinking.
The most important thing is this; as you write and communicate through the medium of a blog, you’ll find that your thinking becomes clearer. So long as you do it consistently.
Why? Because when you put your thoughts down for other people to read, the more aware you’ll become about how other people perceive what you are trying to say.
The more you write, and the more you seek to get people to react to your blog, the more critical your thinking will become.
It doesn’t happen automatically. However, it will start to happen when you begin looking for ways to improve your results.
10. You Can Build Your Authority And Expertise
A great reason to start a blog is because of the authority and expertise that you create for yourself. When you start a blog and begin writing about topics that your audience finds valuable, especially if you do it long enough, you’ll become an authority on that subject.
And as you become an authority over a certain subject, you will at the same time, be improving your professional image, and as a result, your business opportunities.
You’ll have to be a little strategic about it, but it’s doable.
The great news is, you’re in control of what you want to become an authority on. It will take some time and effort on your part to get established.
But with enough focus and intent, you can leverage your blog to enhance your authority and expertise.
Final Thoughts
Blogs are great, because you can to enrich the lives of others, while at the same time enriching yourself. And if you believe in the value of effort and hard work, starting one can change your life.
If you give a blog everything you’ve got, in time it can give back to you everything you want.
On the flip-side, if you approach it like a hobby, it will give the same results a hobby gives you. You will be entertained, and it’ll keep you busy, but it won’t deliver any miracles.
But the opportunity to create something meaningful and valuable is definitely possible. And while some people are born with more talent, better looks, better this and better that, a blog as a business can help level the playing field.
To recap, the ten reasons are:
- It’s an Investment
- It’s a Self-Improvement Tool
- It can Teach You About Business
- A Blog Strengthens Independence
- It’ll Help You Leave a Legacy
- It Can Create a Life of Freedom
- It Can Lead To Financial Freedom
- It Can Give You Platform To Test Ideas
- It Can Help You Become a Better Thinker
- A Blog Can Build Your Authority
If you put in the work, a blog can be leveraged to improve many areas of your life.
So what are you waiting for?
You now have 10 good reasons to start a blog. But the choice to get off the side-lines and actually create something is up to you.
Until you reach your aims,
STRIVE
Entrepreneurship
100+ MARY KAY ASH QUOTES FROM AMERICA’S GREATEST WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR
Mary Kay Ash was one of the most inspiring entrepreneurial leaders in modern history. She founded Mary Kay Cosmetics, a multi-billion dollar enterprise that still serves millions of customers all over the world, and continues to empower women to dream big and ignite their success.
Mary Kay Ash also wrote three best-selling books that also continues to inspire people worldwide to take control of their own future and to dream big. She truly was one of America’s greatest woman entrepreneurs. As such we aim to ensure her legacy persists by echoing her wisdom on success, life, and business with these powerful Mary Kay Ash quotes.
So, if you’re ready to be inspired, let’s dive into these timeless Mary Kay Ash quotes.
100+ Timeless Mary Kay Ash Quotes
This first set of Mary Kay ash quotes are some of her best and most-well known quotes:
1. Never give up, because you never know if the next try is going to be the one that works.” – Mary Kay Ash
2. “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” – Mary Kay Ash
3. “I believe that most successful people are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.” – Mary Kay Ash
4. “Be a giver, not a getter. See for the good in everyone, and everything. Do at least one good deed every day, one that you don’t have to do.” – Mary Kay Ash
5. “I’ve often said that we are doing something far more important than just selling cosmetics; we are changing lives.” – Mary Kay Ash
6. “God didn’t have time to make a nobody, only a somebody.” – Mary Kay Ash
7. “Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile.” – Mary Kay Ash
8. “We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don’t know where you’re aiming, you don’t have a goal. My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say, she cared.” – Mary Kay Ash
9. “Some people drift through their entire life. They do it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time. It happens so gradually they are unaware of how their lives are slipping away until it’s too late.” – Mary Kay Ash
10. “Expect great things, and great things will happen.” – Mary Kay Ash
Mary Kay Ash Quotes on Success
Mary Kay Ash paid her dues in her pursuit of success. She worked for a handful of different companies and experienced plenty of rejection, frustration, and failure before she would go on to launch her own company. Even after launching her company, she had to learn various success lessons before she would build it to become the international enterprise it is today.
With that said, here are a handful of Mary Kay Ash quotes that highlight her insights on success.
Related: Inspiring Quotes on Success
11. “Opportunities have always and will always be around. You simply have to take advantage of them.” – Mary Kay Ash
12. “Even the smallest achievements pave a way to great success.” – Mary Kay Ash
13. “It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.” – Mary Kay Ash
14. “Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist.” – Mary Kay Ash
15. “You cannot keep determined people from success. If you place stumbling blocks in their way, they will use them for stepping-stones and climb to new heights.” – Mary Kay Ash
16. “I failed forward to success. I truly believe that life is a series of many attempts and many failures before we realize success. The important thing is to keep on trying.” – Mary Kay Ash
17. “Do what you should do when you need to do them so someday, you can do what you want to do, when you want to do them.” – Mary Kay Ash
18. “Throw out the words ‘If I can’, ‘I hope’, and ‘maybe’, and replace them with ‘I can, I will, I must.” – Mary Kay Ash
19. “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” – Mary Kay Ash
20. “Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.” – Mary Kay Ash
21. “In my view, the people who are the most successful are those who have helped the most people grow.” – Mary Kay Ash
22. “The real success of our personal lives and careers can best be measured by the relationships we have with the people most dear to us — our family, friends, and coworkers. If we fail in this aspect of our lives, no matter how vast our worldly possessions or how high on the corporate ladder we climb, we will have achieved very little.” – Mary Kay Ash
23. “For every failure, there’s an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.” – Mary Kay Ash
24. “The successful person is really just an efficient person with determination, who works less but gets more done through effective time management.” – Mary Kay Ash
25. “Every failure, obstacle or hardship is an opportunity in disguise.” – Mary Kay Ash
26. “People who succeed have a goal, a dream, and make their plans and follow them.” – Mary Kay Ash
27. “Success, in many cases, is failure turned inside out.” – Mary Kay Ash
28. “Think in terms of what’s good for the other person and success will seek you out.” – Mary Kay Ash
29. “One of the secrets of success is to refuse to let temporary setbacks defeat us.” – Mary Kay Ash
30. “You cannot keep determined people from success.” – Mary Kay Ash
Most Inspirational Mary Kay Ash Quotes
This next batch consists of some of the most inspirational Mary Kay Ash quotes of all time. They are both encouraging and motivating, and by the end of this section, you’ll surely feel ready to take on the world.
So, without further ado, let’s get into these highly inspiring Mary Kay quotes.
31. “You can do anything in this world that you want to do…if you want to do it badly enough and you are willing to pay the price.” – Mary Kay Ash
32. “Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.” – Mary Kay Ash
33. “An average person with average talents and average ambition can outstrip the most brilliant genius in our society; if that person has clear focused goals.” – Mary Kay Ash
34. “Believe that for every problem God gives you, He will also provide you with a solution.” – Mary Kay Ash
35. “The annals of American business are filled with “impossible dreams” that have come true. I believe in those dreams, and most importantly, I believe in my dream.” – Mary Kay Ash
36. “Be a dreamer. Have a sense of greatness. It has been said that if you can dream it, you can do it. And I believe that.” – Mary Kay Ash
37. “It’s popular in some circles to dwell upon what’s wrong with America. Certainly we are not a nation without faults, but I believe there is a need today for us all to counter negativism by emphasizing what’s right with America.” – Mary Kay Ash
38. “You must develop the ability to know the difference between a real problem and an imaginary one.” – Mary Kay Ash
39. “If you are an entrepreneur planning to start your own company, I can’t think of a better place to begin than by operating your business by the Golden Rule. Make this a high priority; never make a decision that contradicts the Gold Rule.” – Mary Kay Ash
40. “Every achievement, big or small, begins in your mind.” – Mary Kay Ash
41. “Dare to grow into your dreams and claim this as your motto: Let it be me.” – Mary Kay Ash
42. “Begin to build in your mind a dream. The write it down and make your goal realistic.” – Mary Kay Ash
43. “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Mary Kay Ash
44. “Each person whose hand I shake is the most important person in the world to me at that moment.” – Mary Kay Ash
45. “Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who implement them are priceless.” – Mary Kay Ash
46. “Be a go-getter. Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.” – Mary Kay Ash
47. “The first step is the hardest — making the commitment to yourself, for yourself.” – Mary Kay Ash
48. “I believe every person has the ability to achieve something important, and with that in mind, I regard everyone as special.” – Mary Kay Ash
49. “I believe everyone in America has countless opportunities. But you cannot sit and wait for those opportunities to come knocking at your door. You have to make things happen.” – Mary Kay Ash
50. “Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.” – Mary Kay Ash
51. “Watching women achieve their dreams is the thing that keeps me inspired.” – Mary Kay Ash
52. “A good goal is like a strenuous exercise—it makes you stretch.” – Mary Kay Ash
53. “Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass.” – Mary Kay Ash
54. “Work like it all depends on you and pray like it all depends on Him!” – Mary Kay Ash
55. “God does not ask your ability or your inability. He asks only your availability.” – Mary Kay Ash
56. “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Mary Kay Ash
57. “Aim high enough that you will have to stretch your ability and your potential to reach it.” – Mary Kay Ash
58. “I know what it’s like to spend an entire day in the field and come home without a single order.” – Mary Kay Ash
59. “Those who are blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else. It’s the people with follow-through who excel.” – Mary Kay Ash
60. “The only true failure is the person who gives up.” – Mary Kay Ash
61. “There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wondered what happened.” – Mary Kay Ash
62. “You can eat an elephant one bite at a time.” – Mary Kay Ash
63. “Everyone has obstacles to overcome, but those with great faith can conquer whatever stands in the way.” – Mary Kay Ash
64. “We are meant to use and increase whatever God has given us. And when we do, we shall be given more.” – Mary Kay Ash
65. “People are happiest when they have goals, small and large, because they can look forward to attaining them.” – Mary Kay Ash
66. “It’s interesting to not that the word enthusiasm comes from a Greek origin meaning “God within.” Similarly, enthusiasm must begin within you; when you are consumed with enthusiasm, those around you cannot help but respond in kind.” – Mary Kay Ash
67. “Hope is wishing for something to come true. Faith is belief that it will come true. Believe that for every problem God gives you, He will also provide you with a solution.” – Mary Kay Ash
68. “We all have the same 24 hours a day. You ever stop to think about that? But how we use that 24 hours makes the difference between success and failure.” – Mary Kay Ash
69. “Every silver lining has a cloud.” – Mary Kay Ash
70. “There is a way; Up, Around, Over or Through.” – Mary Kay Ash
Related: Inspiring Millionaire Quotes
Wise Mary Kay Quotes on Life and Business
Mary Kay Ash was a masterful business leader. Her vision and courage assisted her in getting her enterprise started, but her business acumen is what launched her company to such staggering levels of success.
So, let’s take a dive into these insightful Mary Kay quotes on life and business as they’ll certainly help you become a better manager of yours.
71. “Never forget, your family should always have priority over your work.” – Mary Kay Ash
72. “God first, then family, then career.” – Mary Kay Ash
73. “In a career you either go forward or backward, but you don’t stand still. Everyone must continually improve his or her skills in a lifetime self-improvement program.” – Mary Kay Ash
74. “Left unattended, problems only intensify.” – Mary Kay Ash
75. “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.'” – Mary Kay Ash
76. “Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don’t keep it a secret.” – Mary Kay Ash
77. “Sandwich every bit of criticism between two layers of praise.” – Mary Kay Ash
78. “Good leaders should never have dollar signs in their eyes, regarding people in terms of profit.” – Mary Kay Ash
79. “A leader has two important characteristics; first she is going somewhere; second, she is able to persuade others to go with her.” – Mary Kay Ash
80. “When everybody is motivated to serve others, everybody benefits.” – Mary Kay Ash
81. “No matter how busy you are, you must take the time to make the other person feel important.” – Mary Kay Ash
82. “It must be remembered that not only the company’s good health but also its very survival is dependent on its profitability. And while many companies are indeed very philanthropic, the support given to civic and charitable causes is directly contingent upon the ability to operate efficiently as a business.” – Mary Kay Ash
83. “A company is only as good as its people.” – Mary Kay Ash
84. “When you look at any great business enterprise, you’ll find that it’s people who make it excel. Outstanding businesses are composed of outstanding people.” – Mary Kay Ash
85. “When it comes to hiring people, a company gets what it pays for.” – Mary Kay Ash
86. “People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.” – Mary Kay Ash
87. “It’s not only self-defeating to criticize someone in front of others, it’s also downright cruel.” – Mary Kay Ash
88. “Making people feel important is precisely what a leader is paid for — because making people feel important motivates them to do better work.” – Mary Kay Ash
89. “High morale is a significant factor in increasing productivity, which means that a good leader should continually strive to boos the self-esteem of every individual in his or her organization.” – Mary Kay Ash
90. “The most important justification for being in business is service to others.” – Mary Kay Ash
91. “Praise is an incredibly effective motivator; unfortunately, many managers are reluctant to employ it.” – Mary Kay Ash
92. “I truly believe that a mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one.” – Mary Kay Ash
93. “It’s easy to be enthusiastic when everything is going smoothly. But the real test of one’s mettle is to maintain enthusiasm under adverse conditions.” – Mary Kay Ash
94. “Being adaptable to change is an admirable quality in anyone — male or female — who hopes to succeed in business. Nevertheless, I believe that change is not necessarily progress. Change for the sake of change may improve nothing but your chance of being disappointed.” – Mary Kay Ash
95. “I truly believe that decent people are far more likely to succeed in business than scoundrels and bullies. A leader who mistreats people will end up managing a workforce of unmotivated, unhappy, negative people. And as their leader, he just isn’t going to make it!” – Mary Kay Ash
96. “A good leader knows that it’s his job to help others within the organization. He also knows that the best way to help others is by making them strong — so they can help themselves. In fact, if you help people to the point where they become dependent on you, you’re likely to end up hurting them — and they’ll resent you for it!” – Mary Kay Ash
97. “There’s a big difference between a decisive manager and a tyrant.” – Mary Kay Ash
98. “Good people managers are likely to listen more than they speak. Perhaps that’s why we were given two ears and only one mouth.” – Mary Kay Ash
99. “While clothes may not make the woman, they certainly have a strong effect on her self-confidence, which I believe, does make the woman.” – Mary Kay Ash
100. “Productive people are usually so involved in their jobs they don’t have time to complain.” – Mary Kay Ash
Bonus Quotes By Mary Kay Ash
Bonus: We here at TheSTRIVE.co believe these last set of quotes by Mary Kay Ash are wise words that every aspiring entrepreneur should pay close attention to. As such, were are listing them here in a bonus section to call out the special attention they deserve. Enjoy.
101. “There are two things people want more than sex and money: recognition and praise.” – Mary Kay Ash
102. “If you honor and serve the people who work for you, they will honor and serve you.” – Mary Kay Ash
103. “In my experience, the more people enjoy their work, the more energy they have to put into it!” – Mary Kay Ash
“In The Heart of Every Successful Person is, ‘I Can.”
– Mary kay ash –
Final Thoughts
There you have it, some of the most inspiring and insightful Mary Kay Ash quotes around. We hope her encouraging words inspire you to trust in your potential and go for your dreams.
With being said, we’ll borrow some wisdom from Mary Kay Ash with these last departing words….’You Can Do It’.
Till next time,
STRIVE
Entrepreneurship
BEST WEB HOSTING FOR BEGINNERS AND NEW INTERNET ENTREPRENEURS
Starting a website for the first time can seem a bit scary, maybe even a little daunting. Especially when considering all the different options, as well as all the new elements and aspects of using a new hosting service. That’s why I’ve pulled together this extremely simple guide on the best web hosting for beginners.
BLUEHOST
For Beginners + Affordable.
WPX
Fast + Easy.
ROCKET.NET
Lightning Fast + Easy.
We’re reader supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
I’ve used every single one of these web hosting providers over the past couple of years since starting this site. So I have first hand experience with each of them. Of course, my decision for using each was guided by the different stages of my site’s development over time.
That said, if you want to reduce your learning curve, and the time spent researching, testing, and kicking the tires of the growing number of web hosting services out there (there’s like 330K of them), this is a great place to start. So, let’s dive right in and I’ll reveal the best web hosting for beginners and new internet entrepreneurs.
BEST WEB HOSTING FOR BEGINNERS
1. BlueHost – Best Web Hosting For Beginners
BlueHost is my number one recommendation for new website owners. It’s powerful enough to get the job done, especially during your first year or two of running your site.
It’s also extremely easy to use and very affordable. There’s no doubt, if I were starting all over again, I’d still start with Bluehost for the cost savings alone, and because of how simple it was to get everything set up.
Here are a few of Bluehost’s features and benefits that you may want to consider before pulling the trigger :
PROS | CONS |
Fully guided onboarding process | Data centers located in US only |
Free domain and SSL | No month-to-month plans |
Simplified cPanel | |
Real-time setup support | |
User-friendly interface | |
Extremely Affordable |
2. WPX – Simple and Fast Web Hosting
When my site’s traffic really took off, and when Google’s Core Web vitals hit the scene, I needed something that was a bit more robust than BlueHost. After digging around, and conducting tons of research I settled on WPX.
WPX is a great choice if you need to improve your site’s performance, but you still are on a tight budget. That said, one thing to keep in mind, is WPX is still shared hosting (meaning your site is not on a stand alone server), but they have managed to somehow provide one of the fastest shared hosting services out there.
Another thing to keep in mind about WPX, is that they are managed hosting. This means they do most of the set up for you. Here are some key pros and cons to consider:
PROS | CONS |
Managed WordPress hosting | Live chat and ticket support only |
Fast and Free SSL | No free domain |
Free email hosting | |
Free site speed optimization | |
Generous storage and bandwith | |
Excellent customer service |
3. Hostinger – Easy To Use and Affordable
Hostinger is another web hosting service that is really easy to use, and is pretty affordable as well. Much like Bluehost, they provide premium shared hosting and they have decent customer service.
They also provide you with a free email account, which is great to have if you’re planning on running your website like a business. So, if you’re looking for an easy to use and affordable web hosting option, Hostinger is certainly worthy of your consideration.
Here are a few of their other features and benefits to consider, as well as some cons:
PROS | CONS |
User-friendly hPanel | No phone support |
Fast and reliable performance | No dedicated hosting |
Free domain | Support can be slow |
Very Affordable | |
Knowledgeable support |
4. Kinsta – Powerful Web Hosting
Kinsta is a decent choice if you’re looking for a managed hosting experience and powerful site performance. They provide a white-glove hosting experience too.
They are very professional, and the hosting is high performing. However, one thing to keep in mind about them, is that they charge by users/traffic (and unfortunately, they count bots as traffic). So costs may end up being more than you had planned for with your known traffic.
Needless to say, they are a good web hosting service provider, but they are not cheap. Here are some of their key aspects to consider:
PROS | CONS |
Managed WordPress hosting | No phone support |
User-friendly interface | No email hosting |
Security: Malware hack removal | Counts bots as traffic |
Site served on Google Cloud Platform | Expensive |
Fast |
5. Rocket.net – Lighting Fast and Super Easy Web Hosting
Rocket.net is pretty much the crème of the crop. They are world-class in my opinion. If you want to ensure lightning fast hosting (which is key for keeping Google and other Search Engines happy), and you also want to keep my hosting expenses down, they are a solid choice.
They also have a strong site security features and utilize a powerful Content Delivery Network (CDN). Now their price point is a bit higher than all the others, but once your budget permits, (or if you just want to hop on a rocket from the get go) these guys should be a no-brainer to switch to.
Here are a handful of Rocket.net’s pros and cons:
PROS | CONS |
Lightning Fast Speed | No email hosting |
User-friendly interface | No free domain |
Cloudfare Enterprise CDN | Not cheap |
Great customer support | |
Free SSL | |
Integrated firewall and security | |
Reliable |
Final Thoughts
There you have it, some of the best web hosting for beginners. I did the ground work and research on all of these web hosting services. Then I chose each of them after conducting hours of research and weighing the pros and cons of each.
That said, hopefully putting together this list for you will at the very least, save you a few hours when you’ve decided to go all-in on starting your own online venture. If that’s not today, that’s okay.
But, when you decide to launch your vision, best of luck.
And as always….Until your reach your aims,
STRIVE
Entrepreneurship
HOW TO BECOME A VIRTUAL MILLIONAIRE
Becoming a millionaire is a pretty straightforward concept. If you become a person with a net worth of at least $1 million, you are a millionaire. But, there’s also another way to become a “millionaire”, and you don’t even need a net worth of a million either. We call it the virtual millionaire.
So, if you want to learn what a virtual millionaire is, how you can become one without stashing away a million dollars, and why should give it a shot, then you’ll enjoy this post.
THE WAY OF THE MILLIONAIRE
Millionaires around the globe account for just 1.1% of the population.[1] If you’re counting the millionaires in the U.S.A. alone, they make up only 2.2% of the adult population.[2]
So, either way you look at it, around 98% of the world, and the U.S. (if you round up) are not millionaires. That’s a lot of people who’s net worth isn’t making the million dollar cut.
Interestingly, most people who dream of achieving the coveted million dollar status, aim to acquire a million, and then leverage it to live of off the returns for the rest of their lives.
Most aim to follow the 4% rule (drawing only 4% of their million each year), so as to not deplete their hard earned million before they die. So, most people grind for decades, to then ride off into the sunset just to make around $3,333 per month for the rest of their lives.
$1,000,000 x .04 = $40K Per Year
And while that may sound like a lot to some, it’s an okay amount to strive for. But, when you consider how long and hard most people had to work for their entire careers just to live off of $40K per year, it gives one some perspective.
Of course, we think everyone should strive to become a millionaire, but there’s also an alternative way to becoming a millionaire. Or at least living like one. And we call it the way of the virtual millionaire.
THE WAY OF THE VIRTUAL MILLIONAIRE
The way of the virtual millionaire still requires a bit of work and effort, but, you don’t have to save or invest a million dollars to become one. It also doesn’t take nearly as long.
The virtual millionaire simply creates a digital asset (or a handful of them), that pays out a combined $3,333 monthly in reoccurring profit. In other words, put in the time, effort, and consistency to create value for others online passively, and do it until you hit approximately $111.10 per day.
Do this, and you’re essentially a millionaire; a virtual millionaire.
Certainly real estate or passive vending machine-like businesses can be used as well, but, these are more hands on approaches, and they require larger upfront investments.
As such, we’ll stick to the online business concept as the most fitting for the virtual millionaire. That said, becoming an internet entrepreneur, is the best way to become a virtual millionaire.
The great news is, anyone can do it. So should you become one? Heck yeah you should! why not?
WHY YOU SHOULD STRIVE TO BECOME A VIRTUAL MILLIONAIRE
Here’s why you should strive to become a virtual millionaire. You can do it while you strive to become an actual millionaire.
If you hit your goal of $3,333K in monthly income, and then you eventually reach the million dollar mark as well, you’ll have hit the jack pot. You’ll be able to have the monthly cashflow of a multimillionaire.
On top of that of that, you’ll be able to go virtually anywhere in the world, and still rake in your cash. You may have to do a bit of maintenance every now and then to keep your online business fresh, but once it’s established, you can literally keep things humming along with as little as a few hours a week.
In addition to this, you should strive to become a virtual millionaire because the start up costs are ridiculously low. You can quite literally get started with less than $5 per month.
Now, you’ll have to invest some time into creating your digital business. At least for the first couple of years. But, it doesn’t have to cost much up front.
In fact, over time, as you start earning money with your digital asset, you can then start reinvesting back into your business to build it out and automate it.
The bottom line is this, you don’t need much money to get things kicked off. You just need the commitment to create something of value online overtime.
This could be online written content, published books, e-books, videos, courses, digital products, automated dropped-shipped products, etc… The key is that the digital asset leverages the internet.
TIME IS KING
One of the main reasons people want to become a millionaire in the first place, is because of time. People want to have their bills paid and their needs met, without having to put in the time in the office or at work to keep things going.
Time is King, and it is ultimately what everyone is after. Everyone wants to have the time to live and do as they please. We all want the time to live life to the fullest.
And this is why the virtual millionaire model is the best model. Because it collapses time.
According to The National Study of Millionaires, the average millionaire is roughly 49 years old when they reach their million dollar milestone.[3] This means the average millionaire had to grind for approximately 28 years before hitting their goal.
And not just grind and work hard, but they had to diligently siphon large chunks of their hard earned money away each month into investment accounts for essentially three long decades.
Becoming a virtual millionaire can take anywhere from 5 to 10 years. And in some instances, it’s been done in shorter timeframes, like 2 to 3 years.
Even if it takes you five years you’ll have saved 82.2% of your time. And even if it took you ten years (it most likely won’t take you this long), you’d still save yourself 64.3% of the average time it takes most people to become millionaires.
So, if you believe time is king, and you want to start living like a millionaire sooner rather than later, perhaps the virtual route is the way to go.
Final Thoughts
If you’re ambitious and shooting to become a millionaire in the future, why not strive to become a virtual millionaire as well? There’s no reason you can’t do both.
“The Very Best Thing You Can Do For The Whole World Is To Make The Most Of Yourself.”
– wallace d. wattles –
Here are a few resources to inspire you to go for the million as well as the million dollar lifestyle that becoming a virtual millionaire will afford you:
- Best Web Hosting For Internet Entrepreneurs
- How To Make Money While You Sleep
- The Science of Getting Rich
- Millionaire Fastlane Quotes
- How To Become a Self-Made Millionaire
That said, if saving time, money, and decades of effort makes sense to you, get started on becoming a virtual millionaire, and launch your digital asset today.
Till you reach your aims,
STRIVE
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