New Business

Are Equestrians any different from other people when it comes to working online? Probably not, although we do function under different time constraints. Horse owners and horse riders have all the normal responsibilities of families and full-time jobs. On top of this we have to care for our horses and unless we have them in full-time livery, a very expensive option, caring for our horses does take up a large part of our day. And that is when every thing goes right. Even if you don't own a horse, driving to the riding school, grooming, tacking up, having a lesson, going for a short hack, unsaddling, cooling down and driving back takes a lot of time.

So we have much less time to spend working online. There are a few simple things you can do to make optimum use of your time in front of the computer. On days when you child is ill, your horse has cast a shoe, you had a flat tyre on the way to work and on top of all this the washing machine broke down, use the following suggestion to keep your stress levels as low as possible:

1. Limit the time you spend on answering e-mails. Personally answering them one by one could take hours and although customer care always comes first, there are ways you can automate this and still keep every one happy. Each time a query comes in, formulate a comprehensive answer and then add it to your FAQ list as well as your autoresponder. Next time you get the same question, and you will, answering will only take seconds of your time.

2. When you do online, work according to a well-formulated to-do list. There are certain things that need sorting every day; like traffic building, article submissions, link exchanging, stats checking etc., take care of them first. Be careful not to get stuck on a forum even if it is relevant to your business, get your to-do list out of the way first.

3. Prioritise. Some days, like the one described above, everything is just not going to get done. That's okay, you can do them tomorrow. Do only the most important things today. On a calm day, work out which things cannot wait, so that when the hectic days come, you'll know automatically what needs doing urgently.

4. Sort out your values, define what in your life is the most important to you. Write a personal mission statement as well as a mission statement for your business. A personal mission statement e-course formulated especially for equestrians would be ideal.

5. Set clear goals for your online business, sort, medium and long-term. Were do you want to be in 6 months time? In a year? In five years? Write a business plan. It doesn't have to be twenty pages long, a single page will suffice. Setting goals keep you motivated and focussed and helps you make best use of your time by high-lighting the things you need to prioritize to succeed.

Most important of all: Do not waste hours surfing the net looking for the essential information you need to run your online equestrian business effectively. And don't spend a fortune buying useless and long out-dated e-books and software.

The most precious commodity available on the internet today is information. More and more people, especially business people, now prefer to pay for regular access to quality information. However, a lot of the information you come across is either inadequate or inappropriate. People who are serious about making money online join membership sites where they can be sure of a constant supply of up-to-date quality information, as well as have access to a community that offers support and networking opportunities.

Information Membership Sites are easily accessible all over the net and monthly fees vary from $19 to $200 per month or more. Some membership sites offer life-long membership for large, one-off fees. A monthly fee is probably preferable, so that you can cancel if the information does not meet your requirements. For horse people, a membership site that caters exclusively for equestrians would be ideal. It would save you heaps of time and money and introduce your to a community of horse people with the same values and priorities as you have.

Dr Margarethe de Clermont is the founder of the Millionaire Equestrian Information Membership Site. Find out more at www.equestrian-life-coaching.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Millionaire Equestrian Membership Site