Speaking My Mind

Speaking My Mind - Chris Rugh
Living Well - Speaking - Working Less

Whether it be buying a house or choosing a spouse or your career path, it is imperative to think ahead and to make sure that the path you choose is one that you like, and more importantly, one that you want to stay on. As a writer, I oftentimes have to consider not what I want to write about, but ultimately, what will engage my reader. With all of my work, be it blogging, article writing or public speaking, I have to make sure that I have that special spark that keeps my audience interested, that will make people come to attend my speaking events and that will also encourage them to continue reading my work. Sometimes this might even be my style of delivering the information and not just the choice of topic.

In today's technologically driven society, people want everything right away. The internet allows people to find everything they are looking for with just a few clicks. The difficulty for all internet entrepreneurs is in finding the right niche. What do people want to read? What information can I give that is not pulled straight from a few Wikipedia articles? What product or service can I provide that is better than everything else out there? Will there still be a market for this product or service five years down the line? It's not always as easy as it seems.

On paper, many ideas will work very well and appear to be very effective at raking in the cash. Sometimes, it may seem as if you've made it; but all of a sudden, your idea becomes stale, and you may need to revamp it. Don't underestimate the power of a freshly designed webpage. A website is the first point of contact the outside world has with you. Think of it as wearing a 70's couch-patterned suit to a job interview. This won't work - unless its for a movie casting! People will judge you on what they see first, and if your website is outdated, it suggests that you aren't so technologically up to date, which in turn, will end up costing you money.

If you're new to doing business online, you could join forces with an up and coming web developer or an IT design student. This would help you both out - enabling you to cut the cost for your new site and also allowing the developer to showcase their skills. Teaming up with people is a great way to cut costs and networking is key when you are trying to make it as an entrepreneur. Of course you have to be smart about it - the last thing you need is to have your freshly networked friends screwing you over. Sometimes, people just don't care - at the end of the day, it's just business, right..?

You always have to be sure that what you're doing is something that you have a passion for. There's no sense in attempting to become a gadget reviewer if you don't know a screwdriver from a bottle opener (in times of desperation, the two can be interchangable!). Get into things that really interest you. If you're doing something you hate, people can tell. Have you ever had a server at a restaurant who you can tell hates their life? Or seen a receptionist behind their desk who wants to throw a stapler at someone? Yeah, you know what I mean! No one ever aspires to be that person!