A Note From Colleen

Hi, friend.

I’ll be the first to tell you starting an online business is probably going to involve more than you’re thinking. 

But, this happens a lot in life, right? We probably wouldn’t do a lot of things if we knew what we were really getting into.

I remember embarking on a 2nd masters degree. My company was paying for it so I jumped at the chance (of course!),  but I had also just started a new role that required a lot of international travel.  Had I known I would be hauling textbooks all over the world and jumping on ‘study calls’ at 3am I might not have done it. But, I did and I’m glad I did.

The same is true here. It’s hard, even impossible, to explain exactly what you’ll be getting into with your business, but I do promise it’s worth it. Even those ‘what the heck have I done moments’, will be worth it.

In this edition I explore some areas of online business that came as a bit of a surprise to me; and, I often see they surprise my students, too. 

Thanks for being here.

Cheers,

Colleen Kochannek, Publisher

*This publication may include affiliate links and links to products I sell. If you click and buy, I may earn revenue and/or commission. 

POll TIME!

BUSINESS BASICS

The Real Reality Of Starting An Online Business: Some Things I Didn’t Anticipate 

1. It came as a total shock how much I did NOT know about online business. I thought 25+ years in the corporate world and two masters degrees would count for something. But, the online business space is a different world that operates with its own set of processes and strategies.  

The good news is that it’s all learnable and prior business experience is not required. It’s an opportunity for everyone.

2. The amount of learning curves. Not only did I not realize how much I didn’t know, I didn’t anticipate that learning curves would simply lead to more learning curves. 

The good news is conquering learning curves is fun (IMO) and it does get easier the further you go.

3. The stuff I thought would be easy, wasn’t. For example, choosing a business idea was far more emotional than I anticipated. Nobody tells you what a vulnerable and personal choice it is. 

The good news is you get to pick a business idea that comes from YOU. You are 100% in charge. You can create a business idea out of just about anything (or combination of anythings :) ).  

4. That I would spend most of my time marketing. Nobody talks about this, but you will spend 85% of your time finding customers, nurturing customers and converting customers to buyers.

The good news is marketing can be a total blast if you’ve chosen a business you can deeply about. Marketing’s no longer the slick-willy icky selling vision of your nightmares.

5. That everything would take way longer that I anticipated. This has been a life-long affliction for me, but I think it was exaggerated with my online business. I didn’t understand there would be so many learning curves, nor how long it would take me to figure some stuff out. 

The good news is you will learn and get better at a lot of things. Eventually, it all takes less time.  

LIFE REIMAGINED

Many of my friend groups are older than me, by a good 15+ years. This has given me perspective on the whole aging thing.

One thing I know to be true is you have to ‘keep using it or you lose it’. This holds true for physical health, mental health and brain health.

Having an online business is my way of ‘keeping doing’ in all of these departments.  

• I love the challenges that come up, that I get to figure out. 

• I love the thrill of having a student accomplish something terrific, that maybe I had a hand in.

• I love meeting new circles of people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.

• I love traveling to conferences and attending online events.

• I love feeling in charge of my financial future. financial future.

And, while my business is not physical in nature, it does give me the money to pay a trainer weekly to help me stay consistent with the gym (because I don’t love going, but I’ll show up because I gave him money).

You? What are you finding surprising about starting an online business?

Hit REPLY and share.

QUICK WINS

The more I use AI, the more I love it. My personal favorite tools are ChatGPT, Perplexity and, recently, I’ve been testing Hoppy Copy.

I’m not a fan of having AI create something for me, but I do love the refinement and further suggestions it can offer. 

It’s a great shortcut.

For example, I created a lesson to teach my Magazine Marketing Method for students in my Pilot to Profit Program. I had taught my methodology before, but knew it could be better. I put the document through ChatGPT and was able to simplify the document, without losing content, by about two pages.

A few months back I did a Facebook Live on  What The Heck Is AI? If you want an overview. 

BTW: If you’re interested in knowing more about my Magazine Marketing Method ( the method that will actually make you look forward to selling), jump on the WAITLIST  for my upcoming Informational Open House. The session is both an overview of my Pilot to Profit Program and a master class in starting an online business (including marketing). No sales pitch, I promise.

COMING NEXT WEEK

Have you set goals in your business? I’ll share the big ones you need to consider (that often get overlooked) 

THE SUGGESTION BOX

Questions and suggestions for admin or the Ask-Me-Anything section. Simple Hit REPLY to this email or email us at: [email protected]