I feel I have to share it here as I’ve followed the link and had a look at Karen’s blog and was totally inspired by it.  I’ve also sat in many internet marketing ‘free’ seminars – given up my time and avoided being lured into buying (mainly as I’m broke!) but always come away with something of value.

Karen, however, has come away and is taking action – I would say, MASSIVE action.  Read about it in Nicola’s email here:

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01 October 2009

Dear Sarah

Can I tell you Karen’s story?

When talking to people who want to get started in Internet Marketing, there are two fundamental problems that come over:

1.  I don’t know where to start, or the right thing to do first

2.  I’m overwhelmed, too much info, too much to do, too far to go, so can’t even get started

So I’m always on the lookout for tools, tips and even tricks that might help get people moving. Because once moving, they get the most important thing working for them, and that’s momentum.

Once you get some momentum working with you, you can improve things on the move, work out what’s working and what’s not, change things, test things, and keep it all going.

I was lucky enough to be sent this powerful value statement that really resonated with me. It came from the rather wonderful Gratitude Log website that I’m using now as part of my Social Networking activities (connects with your Twitter account).

** Aim for a 1% improvement every single day **

That’s it!  I think all of us could agree that a 1% improvement is something we are capable of.

Well, the power of this is that if you do this every single day, then you will completely transform yourself and your life in less than 1 year.

In fact, if you will be 3,700 times better by the end of this year.  This is also why Einstein used to say that “the power of compounding is one of the most powerful forces in the world.”

Now, please don’t take this example literally.  Why?

Because a 3,700 % improvement is impossible!  If I could do that, perhaps I could fly. 

The key idea that I am trying to communicate is this:

* Aim to be better today than you were yesterday

QUOTE ENDS

But one thing’s for sure.  If you don’t start, you won’t get any momentum going.

I always say to our clients, please just do one thing, one thing each day to move your business forward.

So I want to share with you the story of inspirational story of Karen, someone who was on Mark Anastasi’s Speed Cash Workshop at the weekend.

She’s very, very young.  She knows nothing about the internet.

But she sat in the audience just this last weekend gone and now she’s taking action, just one step, one day at a time.  Three days in, she’s got a blog, a YouTube channel, a Twitter account and she’s only bloomin’ doing it!

(I tell you, I wish I could bottle what Karen’s got and give it to some of our Money Gym members, still procrastinating about domain names and which blog platform to use months later!)

Watch her three short videos and get inspired.  Here s the first one.

http://msinternetmarketing.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/hello-world/

She’s not trying to get it all right first time, or get it perfect before she goes live but every day she s doing one thing   making a video and uploading it to YouTube, and then posting it on her blog too.  She s also signing up as an affiliate to one programme every day, and posting the product link on her blog.

Karen is also not worrying about what her blog looks like, or whether it s configured properly, or what plugins she s got installed or finding the perfect theme.

But she has put herself in danger of making her first $10 online!

And do you know what?

She s just actually made her 1st $10 online, but maybe she doesn t know it yet.

Because I’ve just invested in the EXCELLENT Subliminal Power software again (I used to use it in 2001 but many computers later…)

I did it via her affiliate link.

How cool is that?

Please either subscribe to her RSS feed, or go to YouTube, set up an account and subscribe to her videos so you see them as she does them   I m sure you will find it inspiring.  And let’s encourage her with positive comments, shall we?

If she can just DO IT, so can you.

And if you really, really want to learn how to harness the power of 1 billion people online right NOW….

If you really, really want to learn how to create products that market your business and add to your bottom line….

If you really, really want to create a second income, small or large, to add to what you earn from your day job….

Well, you just HAVE to come to our “Really Useful Internet Day” on Saturday 10th October in Central London

http://www.TheMoneyGym.com/internetday/booking.htm

And we can help you get moving, like Karen.

Cheers

Nicola

p.s. All ticket proceeds to The Big Issue, who help the homeless help themselves

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End of email.

I hope it’s given you pause for thought too.  And remember to check out the The Money Gym internet day which will be raising money for The Big Issue again -  I’m going to be there on the 10 October in London, so come along and say hi

So I sat down today and thought what do I need to trade? A business bank account would be a good start! lol

Now I’m a simple creature and know that the people I already bank with, Abbey, are offering a great free business banking deal as long as I’m in credit. The only downside of this is that I won’t have a business bank manager and I know building a relationship in person is PRICELESS but I need to start somewhere and figure I can move when I’ve got a proven track record.

So I downloaded the application form off the website and started to fill it in… hmmm… my business address.

As a sole trader working from home, I’ve got four choices:

1. Use my home address

2. Use a PO Box

3. Rent office space

4. Use a virtual office

I don’t really want to use my home address as, well, it’s my home and I have heard stories of people just turning up on doorsteps at odd times – not great, especially with kids in the house.

A PO Box doesn’t appeal to me as it just looks plain dodgy and very unprofessional in my opinion.

I don’t have the budget to rent office space and as I won’t be receiving clients as I work online, this would be an unnecessary expense.

So I was thrilled to discover the concept of a virtual office.

For a fee I can use their address, they receive my mail and then either forward it to me at a frequency of my choice, pick it up in person, or they will open, scan and email it to me.

Doing some research I found that prices vary greatly – I would like the flexibility of being able to collect stuff but discovered that my local business centre wanted £120+VAT pcm… OUCH! a huge outgoing for a startup on a shoestring like me.

With a lot more digging I came across www.LondonPresence.com – part of the Made Simple Group which, like the others, also offers telephone services, as well as other office support services and meeting facilities – a great service at an amazing price too!

After all that though, I realised that I just need to DO something and stop fussing over detail – worryingly I’m starting to hear Nicola’s voice in my head now hahahaha.  So I stuck my home address down and used my mobile number as my business phone contact and popped round the corner to my branch (after hunting for my driving license for AN HOUR arrrgh!) and am feeling VERY smug that I completed at least one of my tasks today. YAY!

By the way – for GREAT information on what you need to do when starting up a new business, check out BusinessLink.gov.uk – here’ a shortened url to take you straight to the page I was looking at http://tinyurl.com/4o4p8o - loads of great free SIMPLE advice to get you doing stuff the right way from the word go.