How to Focus on Your Internet Business

If you've been in a home based Internet business even a short time, you've probably discovered that it's not time to give up your day job just yet. You haven't come into those millions you've heard others have so quickly amassed in cyber space.

Of course, you'd love nothing other than to be free of that 9 to 5 leg iron so you can work your business as much as you want. Well, knowing that's not going to happen overnight, it's time to learn* how to live in both worlds without going bonkers in the process.

You know you have only a limited amount of time away from your day job to devote to your business. How are you going to get the most from the time available? Here are some pointers I've jotted down from my experience and reading on the subject.

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* Editor's Advice: You may find more about how to promote your site Here
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Once you've decided to make a go of an online business, finding time each day for working it can be daunting. Let's say you have a fulltime job. If you're like me - and I'd guess most people are or else there wouldn't be an ever increasing number of us out here - you need that fulltime income.

On top of that you no doubt have to slice up your time off to do your share of the child rearing and household chores or upkeep. Child rearing doesn't take place just at home but includes little league, Scouts, school functions, and the like. Household chores can be routine activities like cleaning the garage, doing the dishes, or cleaning the garbage disposal. All these are time consuming.

How can you possibly fit anything else into your schedule? Maybe the best thing is to make the most of your time when you wrestle down those precious couple of hours per day on the net.

To begin, you'll want to take a hard look at how much time you're spending on your own leisure activities - softball or bowling league, hobbies, and so forth. Decide what you can limit or scrap altogether and come up with a time per day you can afford to work at your online business.

Now it is time to take a look at cutting out some distractions, at least those over which you have some control. It is time to develop a kind of tunnel vision, lessening some of the noise around the house like television, radio, video games, etc. Decide what you're threshold of distraction is before you can no longer focus on your business. Find a quiet time to work.

With all that accomplished, now develop a daily routine. I start out each day reading my email. I sift through and get the important stuff first and take action if any is needed. Then I look at the junk email, take notes on any good ad writing I see, and file 13 the rest.

Next I read my ezines. Ezines are my primary source of knowledge about online business. Everything I can buy about business is there someplace in the world of ezines, so I don't just skim them to see if my free ads got posted and trash them.

I read and file the articles by category. They become my ezine encyclopedia. I notice the editors' notes and look at their disclaimers, warranty policies, and subscribe/unsubscribe links.

Next on my agenda is to study my affiliate materials. Since my affiliate programs go together with my own endeavors, I learn daily from going to the links in them.

Your daily routine will vary from mine according to your individual needs. However, from your daily routine, you should develop your weekly habits. My weekly objectives are to write an ezine article, publish my ezine, and improve my web site.

If you find yourself drifting away from your objectives, don't panic, but try to work your way back on track. Be flexible about interruptions and allow for problems. This is a complicated life we lead. Why would your business be less so?

Give up computer time to your spouse and children. One of your business goals should be to buy a computer just for the business, but for now, please share.

Review your daily and weekly accomplishments. Evaluate every task and step. Develop a to-do list and check off the items you complete. Start to-do lists for tomorrow and next week. Adjust your routines according to the quality of your accomplishments. If you're spinning you're wheels, admit it and move on.

Last but not least, take time off. Not as a reward, but as part of your routine. Schedule a cool-down time at the end of every online session.

Take one or two entire days off per week. Spend time with your family. Forget about your business until the next day. Obsession can be a crippling force in your business. Don't let it overtake yours.

Please heed the advice you've just read. Your family, whom you must live with, and your boss, whom you can't say goodbye to just yet, will thank you for it.