| Last week I wrote about how tough times can | | | | marketing business and gain some income for your |
| affect an info marketer. I hope you came away | | | | own story of professional tribulation. |
| from that message with a new sense of self-worth, | | | | --- That Bad Economic Period: Did you live through |
| a value of your profession, and a renewed drive to | | | | the recession of the late 80s and early 90s? How |
| succeed. | | | | about the dot-com bust? If so, this is valuable coin to |
| Now comes something better. | | | | people, especially now. These types of economic |
| Hard times can actually be a source of inspiration -- | | | | situations have a terrible habit of repeating |
| not just a spiritual one, but a professional one as well. | | | | themselves throughout history. Yet you can use your |
| You can actually see real, hard-earned cash come to | | | | experiences during those times to advise people on, |
| you by turning your tough times into material for | | | | well, these times. Let people know how you got |
| your information marketing business. | | | | through things, what skills you learned, and what |
| Now, I would hate to imply that you have to go | | | | parts of your business or skill set you had to |
| back and relive a terrible time in your life to make a | | | | abandon or adapt. Again, what you went through is |
| few dollars. A lot of shady book publishers and movie | | | | valuable to people experiencing similar situations now. |
| producers have tried in the past to coax abused | | | | --- Bad partnerships: I saw some family members go |
| people, kidnapped children, and prisoners of war to | | | | through this. They were in a land engineering business |
| reexamine a part of their past in order to turn it into | | | | and their partners began to change in temperament |
| a tasteless flavor-of-the-month television movie or | | | | and professionalism. By the end of the business |
| paperback. | | | | affair, the relationship had gone completely sour and |
| But think of this: have you been through tough | | | | there were fights over money, property, etc. I would |
| financial economic times and come out the other side | | | | hope none of you have ever had to experience |
| intact? Have you had to weather a long-term | | | | anything like this, but in the event you have, why not |
| professional or personal storm? Have you had to | | | | come up with a guide for good business |
| learn about failure on the spot before success came | | | | partnerships? Use your experiences as a reference to |
| your way? If so, your experience is valuable to you | | | | detail how a good business partnership operates and |
| and your info marketing business. | | | | what to do in case things go bad. |
| Why? People will need your story and your | | | | --- Tax and Legal Matters: This is something I harp on |
| experiences. If you've gotten your hands dirty during | | | | a lot, but anyone who has had problems with |
| tough times, your story could serve as either | | | | government or legal issues in the past is ALWAYS |
| inspiration and/or a guide of what to expect and | | | | needed to provide advice. A lot of government |
| what things to avoid. | | | | information for entrepreneurs isn't always common |
| Here are some scenarios: | | | | public knowledge, so if you have seen the dark side |
| --- The failed business: I hate to see this happen to | | | | of bureaucracy, don't be afraid to offer your stories |
| anyone. Your own business is probably second in | | | | to your clients so they won't have similar problems. |
| your heart to your loved ones and whether it's a | | | | That old cheesy saying of, "When the world hands |
| restaurant or a book shop, seeing it fail is | | | | you lemons, make lemonade" is clichéd and silly |
| heartbreaking. But if you've been through this, why | | | | sounding sometimes. But, in info marketing, it can be |
| not create some content about it? Write a history in | | | | very true. Using your experiences in tough times can |
| the form of a serialized newsletter or a good-sized | | | | help others weather whatever problems they are |
| book. Talk about what went wrong, what pitfalls you | | | | experiencing in their business and can be both |
| fell into, and what you'd do differently if you could do | | | | cathartic and professionally challenging for you. |
| it over. You can market this through your info | | | | Profitable, too! |