SOLO NEWSLETTER 38
February 2010
www.successfulsolo.com
Copyright Albert Wright
My review of the Timothy Ferris book, The 4-Hour Work Week, Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and join the New Rich, starts here.
I first read it last summer. It was different, I have yet to try out some of its suggestions but I am edging closer to doing so and I have done some of the basic work already.
Some quotes to give you the flavour:
‘The most important actions are never comfortable. …….To have an uncommon lifestyle, you need to develop the uncommon habit of making decisions, both for yourself and others…..It is vain to do with more what can be done with less…..Find your inefficiencies in order to eliminate them...find your strengths so you can multiply them…lack of time is actually lack of priorities….Being busy is a form of laziness – lazy thinking and indiscriminate action…Limit tasks to the important to shorten work time and shorten work time to limit tasks to the important….’
Ferris is the Primus in Prioritising. If you get this right, you should never need to complete more than 2 things a day.
He encourages us to read less, think more and be selectively ignorant.
Having your two-item ‘To Do’ list should be matched with a much bigger ‘Not To Do’ list.
If you are clear on your objectives, starting something and then not finishing it is fine if it is not leading to the achievement of your objectives.
Be difficult, do the important, ignore the trivial, stop taking information abuse, cut out time wasters and time consumers.
This includes telling people you only check your emails once a day, so if they must contact you then they need to phone and then leaving a voice message to say you only check your voice mail twice a day, say, 8am and 7pm.
This should really ensure you are only ever contacted on things that are both important and urgent.
He encourages clearer thinking, defining issues in writing and only attending meetings to discuss and MAKE decisions.
Having eliminated unnecessary activity, the next step is to automate most of the remainder and then delegate most of what is left.
To keep costs down, Ferris recommends outsourcing to the New World and paying only for each completed task, not paying for time.
He discusses the best way to use services such as Brickwork and Elance and gives details of websites where you can do more research.
For you to be free, you must have a VA – virtual assistant.
To enjoy yourself you also need some money, so you need a business, ideally an automated vehicle for generating cash without consuming time, likely to be the sale of information products.
For more details read the Income Autopilot sections.
Much of the rest of the book has details of where to go and what to do to set up your business and then suggestions about using your free time and how to become a World Traveller the easier way.
This is a book written by a man who walks the walk as well as talking the talk.
The book is a mix of a manifesto for relaxed living, a blueprint for running a profitable business and resource directory of useful information.
It also has an interesting ‘suggested reading’ section.
Overall a 9 out of 10 book for me.
Business and the Economy
Take further steps to strip out waste and focus on the moneymakers in your business.
Have you sacked your worst customers yet?
For FREE help in identifying unprofitable customers and telling them to pay or go, give me a call and we can do some role-play. 07973 192712
Millionaire Coaching Academy
Visit www.millionairecoachingacademy.co.uk
You can still earn £1,000 for referring a client.
Send us the details of someone you know who realistically wants to be a business millionaire with sales of £1 million a year and you think might benefit from being coached by Millionaire Mentors.
Needless to say, conditions apply but this is a genuine offer.
Free Stuff
The link to download FREE books from our website is still being developed – more news next month.
Raw Business - Me in the Flesh – so to speak
To see me perform live this month, you need to be in Chelmsford by 7pm on Wednesday February 17th at the Raw Business Entrepreneur School event.
I have become a writer for their on line and printed magazine and a speaker at their Entrepreneur School events.
Come and hear me explain what Millionaire Coaching Academy is about, learn more about the Magic Matrix to increase sales and attend a workshop on a subject to be decided by the audience.
To read my articles www.rawbusinessmagazine.com
PR Workshop
My friend and PR adviser Louise Third is running a Do Your Own PR Better, workshop at the British Library in St Pancras next month.
‘Have You Got News for Us?’ DIY PR for the smaller business.
Monday 8th March 2010 2pm – 6.30pm British Library Business and & IP Centre, 96 Euston Road, London www.bl.uk/bipc
Join Daily Express business correspondent Maisha Frost and PR expert Louise Third for this highly interactive and practical workshop on gaining media coverage for your business.
Learn how to identify news, structure a press release and convince an editor to run your story.
Gaby Rose, Business Engagement Manager for the Business & IP Centre says: ‘Publicity really is the oxygen for a successful business, so small businesses, entrepreneurs and inventors really should take this opportunity to learn from two of the UK’s leading media experts.’
Special discount delegate rate: £65 +vat (includes a copy of Louise’s eBook ‘PR on a Beermat’)
Book online at http://tinyurl.com/ylajazl T: 0115 912 4350 / 07773 288342 E: louise@integracommunications.co.uk
Louise is very knowledgeable and a good speaker. I encourage you to attend.
Next Month
I want to talk about Wealth, Wisdom, Investing and Marcus di Maria.
PS Don’t forget, as a reader of this newsletter, you are entitled to a 30-minute phone advice session from me to you, at no cost to you.
Book an appointment via Andrea by emailing andrea@cushiontheimpact.co.uk or phone me on 07973 192 712.