The Secret Business Success Formula
November 17, 2008
There’s a secret business success formula and you won’t have a cat in hell’s chance of business success, unless you follow it. Maybe you already know what that formula is.
If you don’t, how much would you pay me for that secret formula, if it was guaranteed to make your business a success? Would it be worth $50, $500, $5000, or even $50,000? It might even be worth more. After all, if I can give you a formula that guarantees you business success, the sky’s the limit right?
But I know what you’re thinking. A nice girl like me, will probably give you that business success formula for free. And you’re right.
The Secret Formula For Business Success That Really Works
F + T (-DC + R) = YB +MLH x MP or MC.
So what does that Secret Formula For Business Success mean in English?
Find a product or service that people want or need.
Test and Tweak your product and sales and marketing, until it’s working really well.
Dump the crap that doesn’t work (either the product, marketing or sales method).
Repeat the testing and tweaking until you have something that works well.
Make this the basis for your business.
Market your product or service like hell.
Then find more related products for the customers you already have OR
More customers for the product or service you already have.
Straightforward enough isn’t it? But it’s not easy. You’ve got to put in a heap of hard work. And anyone who tries to sell you a business success formula, claiming it’s easy, is just out to scam you.
Yes, you still need to acquire additional knowledge, both in business and your chosen niche. But none of that knowledge will make your business successful – your success is down to you and your hard work and determination.
Lots of folk will buy an ebook, or course, which promises to teach them to be a business rock star. Then when it doesn’t make them a business success overnight, they’ll buy one business success formula after another.
And instead of working on what they’ve learned until it works, they’ll waste a heap of money on books, or info products they didn’t really need and still be nowhere near achieving business success.
Stop Learning How To Be A Business Success And Start Doing
Now I don’t mean stop learning completely. But don’t keep reading book after book on business, at the expense of getting started. Many people spend years doing just that.
For example, I enjoyed reading the 7 Day Ebook. It’s cheap and simple to follow and it does what it says on the tin – shows you how to write and sell an ebook in 7 days.
But it’s obvious to anyone with an ounce of common sense that to actually write an ebook in 7 days, you’re going to have to work flat out on that book and nothing else until you’re done. And that didn’t bother me. All I wanted to learn was how to write an ebook pretty damn fast, as being organised is not one of my natural skills.
So, I was surprised when I read a few negative reviews on the book. And a couple of the reviewers said they were now trying more expensive products, which would work a lot better for them.
Then it dawned on me, they were “trying” more expensive products. They still hadn’t written an Ebook in 7 Days. And that is where most folk go wrong. They’re looking for some magical success formula and when they don’t get instant results, they move on to the next miracle product, or book.
It’s pretty obvious that to write an ebook in 7 days, you’ll need to have quite a bit of knowledge on your chosen topic, unless you’re willing to spend a lot of extra time doing the required research. And no book or course on the subject is going to teach you to write like Hemmingway, or actually write the book for you.
And I’m betting that if you spend a couple of hundred dollars on an e-course, or thousands of dollars on a residential course (yes, I have seen courses that charge that much), they won’t write the book for you either.
To Achieve Business Success, Learn One Thing At A Time
If you want to achieve business success, you’d be far better off using the success formula, I mentioned above. Also, acquire the knowledge you need but study one thing at a time and don’t overwhelm yourself by learning things before you need them. There’s no point in studying an instructors course on body building, before you’ve even set foot in a gym.
And don’t be tempted to waste money on additional products that teach you the same thing, over and over. While repetitiveness can be useful and you do need to do a bit of learning on your road to business success, you don’t need to learn the same old things, in several different formats.
If it’s online business that you want to learn, one of the most comprehensive packages is the Online Business school. You’ll learn six different ways to make money online and it’s far less costly than buying seperate products that teach you how to do this.
If you know you suck at learning from books, consider enrolling on an online course instead, to get a bit more support.
And if you’re not much good at motivating yourself to get through an online course, then you might consider one on one instruction, or a residential course.
But be honest with yourself regarding your capablities and don’t waste time and money trying all three.
Remember – the only thing that can guarantee you business success, is you, your self-belief and the time and effort you put in.
Related Reading
The Greatest Viral Marketing Idea Of All Time
How To Start A Business Without Getting Scammed
Run Your Small Business Like A Rock Star
How To Get 150,000 Web Page Views A Month
Be A Business Success Story No Matter What Your Age
The Secret To Writing A Successful And Outstanding Blog
10 Interviews With Successful People
Comments
32 Responses to “The Secret Business Success Formula”
Got something to say?
Cath Recommends
Change Your Life
Make Money
Talk To Me
Successful And Outstanding Blogger
you know we are always looking for the quick, easy and magical way to do something. there is none. i am trying to write a book in 30 days and well, i can’t do it. never intended to finish either…..just get started.
you also don’t need to spend a lot of money on something for it to be the thing that you need. the thing that we need is already in us…passion and desire…oh yeah a bit of knowledge about your venture helps too.
i learn a little bit from everybody and then i put it all together for what works for me.
Natural’s last blog post..Oh, Sense Less One
Time and effort – the magic ingredients.
Stumbled!
Dave Navarro’s last blog post..How I Made $1,270 Yesterday (And What You Can Learn From It)
Great breakdown of a simple formula. However, it’s amazing how easy it is for all of us to fall prey to more information and less action.
David Finch’s last blog post..Your Weekend Reader: Sunday Late Edition
Ha, I love this! So very, very true. I’m still waiting for the ebook on how to write an ebook on ONE day. Perhaps I’ll write that one.
It seems that a lot of people make money by selling hope.
Michelle’s last blog post..Do Online Work Offline
Hi Valerie, I was wondering how you were getting on with the novel. I can’t imagine it being an easy task. You’d need to be writing around 2500 words a day, which is a lot.
As you say – the trouble is, too many people want things to be quick and easy and some people take advantage of that.
Hi Dave – they are indeed magic ingredients. And thank you for stumbling my post.
Hi David – that is so true. There’s too much information overload since the Internet arrived. Sometimes you’ve just got to switch off and get on with things.
Hi Michelle – I haven’t seen you around in a while. That is true – a lot of folk do sell hope. And there’s too many people out there who hope it’s going to be easy.
It’s so true… I see these information products and courses all over the blogosphere and even though I wouldn’t mind trying a few of them, there’s really only been one so far that I purchased for business reasons and found useful (SEO School).
Anyway, I’m a doer. But biz book junkies… well, they’re good for business
Melissa Donovan, Copywriter’s last blog post..Russell Simmons Recommends: Personal Success Books
This is solid advice. Looking around me at the Silicon Valley, this is pretty much what successful companies do. I agree with Dave – this needs to be stumbled.
Vered – MomGrind’s last blog post..THIS Is Why I Love California
Hi Melissa – I didn’t check out SEO School but only because I already have SEO Book. And as useful as it is – one book on SEO is enough for anyone.
As you say though – business book junkies are good for writers.
Hi Vered – thank you. It must be exciting to see so many successful businesses launch all round you. I am definitely going to come and visit some time.
Hi Cath. I thought this was very clever! And so true. Analysis paralysis gets me quite easily.
Hey, I’m no math expert, but I’d be inclined to add more to this equation, if I may be so bold…
Add x (T + DI) at the end to represent Time plus Dollars Invested.
It would look like this….
F + T (-DC + R) = YB +MLH x MP or MC x (T + DI)
Davina’s last blog post..Video ? Preparation Inspires Self-Confidence
Hi Davina – thank you. But I’m trying to keep things simple
Mind you – your time and dollars invested are well worth mentioning. So many people seem to think they can invest no money, one or two hours a day and they’ll be a millionaire by next month.
Totally agree with you! The biggest thing I’ve realized is that if I learn learn learn without applying what I’ve learnt it all falls out of my head and is essentially useless.
So much better to just focus on one thing, get that down pact, make some money with it, build a site or two, then move onto the next think and keep on building on top of past success.
Cath, I Stumbled your post immediately – such practical and clear headed advice, as good as any takeaway from any book on entrepreneurship I’ve read. Focus on doing – that’ll teach you more than reading fifty books or going to fifty seminars.
Brad Shorr’s last blog post..The Chicago Manual of Style – A Must for Writers
Yeah – reading lots of books on a subject can be good for inspiration, for a while, but at some point you have to just do it.
Robin’s last blog post..Bloggers’ Recording Project
GOLD!!! ABSOLUTE GOLD!!!! Your formula is inspired!!!
Ideas are a dime a dozen – but the person who will do the work to put those idea into action – that is the rare and treasured gem!!!
Sometimes, you need to try a couple of approaches to find one that fits you perfectly. But when you’re jumping from book to book, seminar to seminar and you aren’t moving forward – well, if you’ve got 15 resources on how to write and you still don’t have as much as an outline – perhaps it’s time to stop buying and start writing.
Said by she who probably bought 150 resources on writing before she actually wrote her first book – and then had to hire a coach to clear the emotional garbage so she could actually FINISH the book!
Robin’s right -at some point you’re just going to have to do it!
Kathy @ Virtual Impax’s last blog post..Steps to Starting a Small Business: #6 Setting Your Rates
Hi Tim – I know what you mean. No matter how good an idea is, it’s so easy to forget about it if you don’t write it down, or do something with it.
Thanks Brad. At some point, it’s best just to dive right in and allow yourself to make mistakes.
Hi Robin – talking of getting on and doing something, I read on Twitter that you’d finished your StumbleUpon course. That was quick and you’ll have it working for you in no time.
Thank you Kathy. We all get stuck on something don’t we? And it’s easy to build up a ridiculous imaginary fear about completing something.
I sometimes wonder if it’s because we fear not having the outcome we want. I am stuck on my novel now and I worry that if I touch it, I’ll make it worse.
Just do it! Right, Cath.
Try and keep trying. Invest only a little money in it as you go. Then, when you find something people are buying (or your website is designed right so people buy), dump money into it. Later, retire and move to Hawaii LOL.
Well said, Cath and I hope new entrepreneurs write your formula down. It’s what the rich do to get richer.
John Hoff – eVentureBiz’s last blog post..Do You Have A SEO Question?
Hi John – thanks. I forgot the moving to Hawaii part – that should definitely go in there.
I wonder what it is psychologically that makes people want an easy answer when most anything that is worthwhile can be hard or require a lot of effort. Hmm … if reading books could make me rich …
Kim Woodbridge’s last blog post..5 New(ish) WordPress Themes
I stumbled this article too – now that I know how!
Great article and write up here – very clear…
Even Oprah keeps saying this out loud…I lost the weight because I did the work! If there was a magic pill she would take it and let everyone know – but the true secret is that one must do the work.
I love to learn new things…this was an old one, but a good kick in the pants – wake up call…
I have been asking myself about product – do I write what people want to pay for….or just to inform or both? I have not reached an answer
Patricia’s last blog post..Book Review: Hats Off to Two Wonderful, World Changing Men and the Books About Them
[...] just read a very insightful post over at Cath Lawson’s blog. She talks about how people will buy ebook after ebook (about how to write ebooks), take [...]
Hi Cath: First, that formula makes a lot of sense. Second, did you get the e-book done in seven days and would you recommend the 7 Day Ebook to others? Third, it’s so true that when you’re just starting out you need to concentrate on one thing at a time. If not, you’ll never get started, you’ll just stand there overwhelmed by all of the information.
Marelisa’s last blog post..Outliers – 10,000 Hours for Success
Hi Catherine – You’re right. Too many people think they can make money quick without working for it. Aren’t they in for a surprise?
Barbara Swafford – Blogging Without A Blog’s last blog post..A.S.K. Darren Rowse – Problogger – What Is The Future Of Blogging
Hi Kim – I don’t understand why folk want things so easy. Anything easy is very rarely satisfying. I guess it’s because they focus on the end result – making money, instead of the journey.
Hi Patricia – Thank you. I’m guessing you mean in your posts. My suggestion would be – obviously, write what folks want to read, so long as it is what you want to write.
If you’re selling products in your post – especially affiliate products, it’s important not to make it too salesy. You can still write an informative post and refer to a great product. The site you’re sending folk to should do the actual selling.
Hi Mare – I didn’t start the book yet. I’d already written around 30,000 words of an ebook before I read 7 day ebook but I didn’t like it. I am at the brainstorming stage now and I’m just reading through 7 day ebook again. First time I read it was just to review it.
I would definitely recommend the book to others. But I would add that while it does help you to come up with ideas – I think the brainstorming process takes a good while longer than they suggest. Mind you, maybe that’s just me.
The actual writing could be done in 7 days but if you’re not working on it flat out, it’s going to take longer.
It’s funny you’re asking this, because I was just thinking earlier in the day that it would be nice to have your blog posts in a book format. You have so much great info that I want to refer back to and it would be easier if it was in a book.
Hi Barbara – it’s scary isn’t it? And it’s easy to see why so many of them get scammed. If only they’d realise that the actual working part is the fun bit.
[...] the Secret Business Success Formula, I mentioned finding new customers for a product you already have. And I guess that’s what [...]
[...] Have you always wanted to know what the secret formula to a successful business is? Your search has ended: Cath Lawson’s just made it public knowledge. [...]
Why would you even try to express this mathematically? I apologise for my negative attitude, but this formula makes no sense whatsoever. Try just expressing it in words next time…
F + T (-DC + R) = YB +MLH x MP
[...] The Secret Business Success Formula What To Do If You Can’t Find Customers Are You Working Hard But Making No Sales? Why You’re Not Making Lots of Money Free Gift Ideas That Help You Sell More The Everlasting Gift That Costs Nothing [?] Share This [...]
[...] Ways To Get Noticed Online 47 Brilliant Blog Marketing Resources Why Your Business Is Not A Success The Secret Business Success Formula [?] Share [...]
[...] How To Become A Rockstar Freelancer Achieve Success With Your Own Affiliate Marketing Business The Secret Business Success Formula How To Start A Business Without Getting Scammed Entrepreneur Interview With Davina Haisell of [...]
[...] The Secret Business Success Formula [...]
[...] On This Site 7 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Launch A Business Is Your Business Your Life? The Secret Business Success Formula Be A Business Success Story No Matter What Your [...]