As a solo entrepreneur, your time is the most valuable thing you have. People who work for themselves often find it hard to reach all of their goals and finish all of the tasks on their list because they feel too busy and disorganized.
Instead of trying to change your whole life at once, it's often better to make a series of small changes that can improve your systems as a whole and move you closer to the success you've always wanted.
You might think that you need to work for hours every day to make real progress. But even if you only work on one thing for 25 minutes, it can make a big difference over the course of several weeks.
By using the following small habits in your business, you will build momentum and see steady improvements over time.
Every day, do something that will make you money for 25 minutes.
Many people who work from home are tempted to start the day by checking Facebook or another social media site.
But you won't make any money by reading news and opinions.
Some people like to start the day by reading and answering emails. Even though this task is better than the last one, it won't make you much money.
You should start every day with a money-making task.
Here are some examples...
Go to Muncheye.com, WarriorPlus, or JVZoo and look for a product or service you feel comfortable promoting.
Send an email to your list with an affiliate link and a recommendation for a product or service you use.
If you don't have a list, post a short video on YouTube reviewing a product or service and include your affiliate link below the video.
Put an ad on Facebook, YouTube, Google, or Bing.
Take a poll or set up a "mystery shop."
Finish a fiverr gig or start a new one.
Even if you only make a few dollars, it's better to do that than waste time on social media.
Once you've done one of these 15-minute money-making tasks, you can take a break or move on to another one...
Spend 15 minutes learning something new.
As a leader in your online niche, it will be your job to give good information to your subscribers and followers. To do that, you need to do research on your niche all the time.
You can become an expert in 25 minutes a day by doing things like reading one page of a book, flipping through a trade or consumer magazine, watching a simple 15-minute YouTube video, etc.
There are also things about your business that you need to know but don't have to tell your target audience. For example, when you buy a tool like a page builder, you may need to spend a certain amount of time learning how to use it.
Instead of making yourself crazy by trying to do it all in one day, just give yourself 25 minutes at a time to work on it. You will make steady progress toward your goal of being able to use your new tool, and it won't take away from the rest of your to-do list.
15 minutes at a time, make content.
Content creation is a big part of how all online businesses are run. You will need to make text, audio, image, and video content if you sell digital information products, are an affiliate marketer, make PLR, or do anything else.
Some people feel too busy to sit down for hours at a time and write content for their website and social media accounts. There's no need to do it all at once.
In fact, many people are more productive when they create content in 25-minute chunks here and there. You don't have to concentrate for 60 minutes at a time. Instead, you have less time to gather your thoughts and say what you want to say.
Depending on how much content you need and how quickly you can make it, you can always repeat your 15-minute content creation micro habit if you need to. But that could also depend on your niche and how you run your business.
With this 25-minute method, you'll have something of your own to sell in a few weeks.
Set aside 25 minutes to talk to other people.
As an online business owner, you will also need to make connections with other people to help your business grow. You will be networking with three main types of people.
The first group is your clients. You want to be able to connect with the people who look to you as an expert in your niche. You can network here in the comments on your blog, in direct emails, or in the comments on social media.
You don't have to talk to other people all day long. The job can be done with just 15 minutes here and there. Colleagues who are also online entrepreneurs are another type of person you should network with.
These are the people who will become your friends and acquaintances. They will be able to answer any questions you have about your business, tools, courses, strategies, etc., whenever you have them. No man is an island, as the saying goes, and this is especially true when you're starting a new type of career and working for yourself.
Affiliates are another type of person you will want to connect with. If you have your own products, you'll want to spend some time recruiting affiliates and meeting their needs so they'll work with you for future launches.
It's easier than you think for me to find one or two JV partners through email or Facebook messenger in fifteen minutes.
It doesn't take long to send someone a private message with a link to your joint venture page, a short paragraph about the product, and a reason why it might be a good fit for their list.
Give yourself 25 minutes to think of ideas on your own.
In business, it's important that not everything you do is planned out. As an online business owner, you're already showing that you're creative in the way you do things. So, you need a certain amount of time to give your mind a break and let it think about what's ahead.
For example, you can set a timer for 15 minutes and give yourself free reign to come up with ideas for info products, business models, niche angles, and other things. During this time, you can use a mind map or just a pad of paper and a pen to scribble down ideas as you think about them.
You can make lists, come up with ideas for titles, think about how a hybrid business model or niche would look, and more. When you do focused, free-form brainstorming, make sure you don't spend that time trying to figure out what your ideas mean. Instead, just write them down.
Set aside 25 minutes a day to plan and set priorities.
A good solopreneur always has a list of things to do. Many people make lists of things to do every day, every week, and every month. Some people even make plans months or even a year ahead of time.
You'll need 25 minutes a day to plan your business, whether it's at the beginning or end of the day. You might be making plans for the tasks for the next day, a new business model, or projects for the whole year.
Once you have a big-picture view of your plans, you should also take the time to rank them. If you need 25 more minutes to finish this, take them. But you might also be able to plan and figure out what's most important at the same time.
Planning and setting priorities can be done by hand or on a computer. You just need a way to keep track of the next steps you need to take to reach your goals so you don't go in a different direction.
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