Since the minute I decided to start my first business, Motivational Steps, 17 years ago I have always used the valuable resources and opportunities on offer. Back then I had no money at all to call a budget so I could not pay for anything, such as training, coaching, as two examples, but I was always able to find free information which was very useful.
With the ever-popular social media platforms now sharing every topic, tip, videos, and information that can be found for free and to purchase, there is no excuse not to be knowledgeable and stand out from the crowd.
Success does not knock on our door, announce itself and the revenue starts pouring in. Success depends on many things but research, a strong brand presence, trusted contacts and hard work are some of the elements that ensure we have firm foundations upon which to build our continued success.
There is no excuse not to use the many resources offered online and via free mentoring face to face.
I see time and time again people wasting their time, and money, by not using the resources offered to them. Why is this? Some of the excuses are: lack of time, help, family challenges, exhaustion... a few things on the long list of excuses.
In this article I want to share a couple of great examples of how people use free resources and benefits offered to them which they have had to pay for.
The graphic shows a successful businessman, Steve Bentley, who has paid for SBCN Membership. One of the many benefits offered to members is to showcase their expertise by posting their own articles on the SBCN Home Page. Steve is a consistent contributor, thereby ensuring his face becomes recognized, his brand is memorable and clients know his expertise and how to contact him easily.
Not all valuable resources cost money. A great example is LinkedIn, which I have taken the time to understand, learn how to use and it has paid off for me.
The above shows that I shared an image (with some text) on LinkedIn on September 25th, and so far 1,877 LinkedIn users have viewed my post. There are statistics, which I am not sharing in this post, that share with me the demographics of who checked out my post. This is very useful information for me.
I do not pay for a Premium LinkedIn account so my efforts are paying off and it’s all a free resource for me to enjoy.
Another great example is the SBCN Podcast which many of our awesome SBCN Members take advantage of, because this is one of the many benefits their paid memberships offers to them.
Tim Campbell can be seen in the graphic from the SBCN Podcast page. Tim is one of our newer members and has embraced the benefits immediately. The SBCN Podcast can be enjoyed via iTunes and the SBCN website.
Last, but not least, another example of a wonderful benefit offered to the SBCN members is the opportunity to post their content, here, in our monthly Newsletter Magazine, The Hub.
The above graphic showcases one of our members, Clint Sinding, Elite Training Facility, who shared his article in The Hub. Once again this is a benefit he has paid for, so why not use it to his advantage? He gains the extra exposure, credibility and of course referrals.
The thing to remember is, you don’t have to pay for many opportunities that can offer you exposure, credibility, and a strong brand image. There are plenty of opportunities that are offered for free.
It’s about choosing which opportunities work for you, fit into your time frame, and what you want to gain from using the resources.
Ultimately it will take time, sometimes money, and effort to create your success, but it is well worth it.
- Log in to post comments