The Graham Cochrane Show

Things ain't what they used to be when it comes to online business.   If you are running or building your business and presence online in 2020 like many of us did in the past 5 years you probably won't hit your income goals this year.   Or worse, you'll have to shut your online business down entirely.   Today I want to kick off the new year by sharing with you 3 huge mistakes I see online business owners making in today's landscape that will hold your business back in 2020.   Let's discuss!

As the New Year rolls in and everyone is excited about making resolutions and becoming a better person, I feel like there is a huge missed opportunity.   Instead of announcing bold new goals to the world for 2020 that have no basis in reality, there is something more strategic you and I can do.   In fact it's a simple question that you should ask yourself (and your spouse if you're married).   It's a question my wife and I ask each year as we wind down and look ahead to the next 12 months.   And it's a question that has so much potential to change your life.

We all are in the business of selling something and a transaction must take place in order to pay our bills - but are you too focused on selling your thing that you get the order of things backwards?   Instead of selling and then giving our customers the thing they bought (and hopefully good service) what if we gave BEFORE we ever sold anything?   Today I want to share with you not only WHY this is so powerful for your business (i.e. it will help you sell more) but 6 practical ways to actually implement this giving strategy in real life.  

Which would you rather have: a $1 Million product or a $1 Million launch?   It's kind of a trick question as million dollar launches are virtually impossible for most people to pull off and can create a TON of stress and pressure if the revenue is necessary for your survival.   Plus, even if you DO someone hit a $1M launch there's no guarantee you can repeat yourself.   Having a product sell $1M over a few years time nice and consistently with virtually no work is much more appealing - and realistic!   I'm a big fan of slow and reliable growth. It’s the tortoise vs the hare approach.   What does this look like practically? Building an evergreen model of online business verses a launch model. Let's break down the differences.

How often do we get tripped up in business (and life) because we are trying to run someone else's race and not our own?   How often does comparison and jealousy lead down the path of wasted time and discontentment?   What would it look like in 2020 if you simply ran your OWN race in business?   How much more joy and freedom would you have? How much more could you get DONE?!   The question becomes then: what does it take to practice "selective ignorance" and run your own race?   Today I have three things for you that will help you do just that!

In a sea of ever growing content and media it’s getting harder and harder to stand out. Safe, predictable, expected content won’t cut it. And I’d argue it never did. One of your power tools to growing your audience and consequently your income is to create polarizing content - content that divides. Sound scary? Welcome to the club. But you know what is scarier? Having nobody listen to what you have to say.

Can I go on a rant for a minute? If you're looking to start a business, you will never have everything lined up or figured out perfectly before you launch. Never. And this is true for one simple reason: things change. Constantly! The secret then to creating a lasting profitable brand is to two fold: start now and evolve later. Both verbs (start and evolve) are crucial. Let me give you some examples that will drive this home.

Want some "low hanging fruit" type easy ways to increase revenue in your business? Then it's time to realize an important truth in business: there is no “one price fits all” scenario. If you have only one tier/option for your product at one price you’re making a mistake. Some people will be glad to spend more with you if you only offered more value.  Your job is simple: give people the option to give you more money! That's what tiered pricing is all about and exactly what we're talking about in today's episode!

There's nothing really special about me or my business that allows me to run it in under 5 hours a week.   I've simply followed a 4 step process over the past 10 years that have allowed me to reduce my work hours little by little, each year.   And the good news is you can follow that same 4 step process.   Maybe your goal isn't 5 hours like me. Maybe it's just 20 hours a week but with a six figure business. That would be sweet.   Let me show you how!

Here's a secret to have a successful business: you don’t need to innovate, just add value. That's right - you don't need some once in a lifetime, original idea to make a good living. And you certainly don't need to be in front of the "wave" in order to make a profit. You simply need to find ways to add value to people day in and day out. Today I'm going to give you 7 different ways you can do just that.