The Real Ultimate Podcast Directories List and Service – links to over 70 sites
After millennia of using the spoken word to transmit information and understanding from one person to another, millions of enthusiastic talkers have started a podcast to move their message to the next level.
Podcasting has transformed time by creating endless spaces where a listener can hear conversations they never had access to, get training they could not otherwise afford, document advice that can change their lives, extend their entertainment options, and provide revenue opportunities by attracting a niche audience.
But finding podcasts – discovering the shows you want – is a challenge for even the most committed listener. The podcast directories are not robust search engines, and have unique approaches to organizing and delivering podcast information.
To get the most out of podcasting as a podcaster, listener or potential guest, you need to understand how to navigate the podcast directories.
What is a Podcast Directory?
A podcast directory is the list of all podcasts that are available through a podcast platform like a website or an app. Popular directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music are also the platforms where podcast listeners search for shows.
But no two directories are alike in their search capabilities, categories or listings, which means podcast discovery is a challenge. Once a podcast listener learns to navigate a specific directory, and is satisfied with the search results, they tend to stay with their selection.
Types of Podcast Directories
Podcast directories can be desktop-only, app-only or both. Some are designed simply to list all podcasts, others are aimed at specific listener groups or languages.
Podcast search capabilities typically allow searching by keyword that returns all podcasts using the keyword in the show or episode title. Some directories also incorporate tags into their search.
Directories have show pages for each podcast in their listing. Most also have links to listen to episodes. Show pages have the show description, sometimes links to the show website or RSS feed, and episode information.
How to Use a Podcast Directory
Podcasting has a few best practices, but no rules. Podcasters create show titles, episode descriptions and tags based on their own assessment of their content. Podcast directories take these terms verbatim, and return search results based on the podcast definitions. This means podcast discovery is a huge challenge.
Word-of-mouth, advertising, and popular blogs tend to drive podcast attention and listener growth. But to find the podcast in a directory, a listener has to know how the directory search works.
While initial search will be by the podcast name or a keyword, some directories also provide suggested search which displays similar programs or subjects. Suggested search recommendations also connects shows that are about similar topics, but are not using the same keywords in the title.
For Podcasters
Since listeners come from all directions, podcasters should make sure their podcast is in every directory they know. Many podcast hosting services will automatically distribute the podcast to the most popular directories, but no service distributes the program to every directory.
Podcasters should use the lists like the this website’s Real Ultimate Podcast Directory list to check for their podcast in every available directory. If the show is not listed, the podcaster should submit it for consideration.
If the show is listed, bookmark the show page for future reference.
For Guest Podcasting
Potential podcast guests use the podcast directories to find shows that are speaking about their specific subject or issue. Understanding how the directories display information and search results is critical to D-I-Y Guest Podcasting, where guests search for shows on their own, and do not pay an agency or service to find shows for them.
For potential guests, start by listing all the possible keywords that are associated with your subject. For example, if you speak about tulips, you will want to search for flowers, gardening, outdoor activity, fragrances, and other key terms.
As you understand the search results, you will be available to refine your keywords to identify the most relevant programs.
For Listeners
With the rise of podcasting, interested listeners are having to learn how to find shows that are of interest to them.
Listeners must also use keywords to find new podcasts. For example, if you are interested in entrepreneurship, you would search for words like ‘entrepreneur’ or ‘entrepreneurship,’ or phrases like ‘start an online business.’
The directory will return thousands of results, often in no particular order, and you will still have to sift through the results to find the types of shows that you are seeking.
Unfortunately for listeners, the lack of a robust search engine limits their potential to find the full scope of programming that may fit their search needs.
Dead Shows
In the list of nearly three million podcasts are every podcast that has ever been posted. But many, probably the majority are not active or have not done more than a handful of episodes. Because podcasters come and go as they please, directories do not know if a show is finished or on hiatus.
If you are just intending to listen to a podcast, you are simply checking for availability. But if you intend to do guest podcasting, you have to know if the show is active. In directories, look for the last updated episode date or timeframe, this will help you understand if the show still has new episodes.
The Best Directories for Search
The best podcast directories for search provide two levels of relevant information. On initial search by keyword, the directory returns the show name, at least part of the description, and last episode uploaded date (to confirm if still active).
On the specific show pages, you can see the full show description, episode title, episode description, and episode uploaded date, plus links to the show website, RSS feed or even email, and recommendations about similar shows.

Only a handful of directories provide this type of information, and none of them are the big platform names that most people search by default.
To find quality search results take a look at:
Listen Notes – initially free to use but after a number of searches you will be prompted to sign-up and pay
Player.fm – free to use, also has search by tags which returns all podcasts using a specific tag
Podknife – free to use, one of the only directories that flags ‘inactive’ or ‘archived’ shows on initial search
TuneIn – free to use, but accessing information requires an extra click to collapse/uncollapse each section
Know Your Directories
To successfully navigate the podcast directories, you want to first identify your goals – confirming your podcast listing, searching for listening, or guest podcasting – and then understand how the directory is going to return results.
As you use the different options, you will decide which one best suits your purposes and will become your go-to directory in the future.
Podcasters! Confirm Your Show is Available in all Directories…click here to Get the Real Ultimate Podcast Directory List and Service today!
Author’s note: This blog by the same author is also available on https://podcastgueststar.com/
How You Really Make Money Online with Podcasting
by Case Lane
This post is part of the Real Stories Behind Making Money Online Series.
Information is valid as of February 26, 2022
The oral tradition has sustained humanity for millennia. Without the spoken word, and the passing of information through speech, our progress would have been severely slowed.
So when the podcasting format appeared, with its ease of use and access, no human should have been surprised when everyone decided to start a podcast.
But in fact, although podcasting looks like the ready domain of every talker across all subjects and ideas, today there are over 3 million podcasts, a fraction of which have at least ten episodes, and another fraction of which are considered consistently active.
As the least crowded of the major online platforms, podcasting is an extraordinary opportunity for anyone with a message. But creating a podcast does require production equipment, some technical skill, and quiet time to get your show recorded.
And of course, there is the talking part…

Podcasting is for those who can carry on a conversation, teach, entertain, or facilitate discussion for an audience they cannot see. It is not for those who are turned off by the sound of their own voice, afraid to play with digital files, and have no interest in promotion.
With podcasting, the opportunity to create and join the podcaster community remains a reality for those who want to try it. As each new show emerges, a successful gem brightens, and the excitement over podcasting begins again.
And it’s important to understand how you can monetize your podcast, and use the audio program to your advantage.
Podcasting as Your Online Business
While starting an online business is an extraordinary opportunity for you to establish a foundation for your own professional satisfaction, financial security, and lifestyle freedom, to get started you have to select an online platform that fits your interests, skills and budget.
Podcasting allows you to have open discussions about any subject in the world, share the conversations you want, grow an audience that enjoys listening to valuable information, and earn income through sponsorships, advertising and memberships.
But does the platform have all the elements you want and need for an online business venture?
If your online platform of choice is to start a podcast, you need to be aware of the joys and limitations of the effort.
In this article, I explain the real story behind starting a podcast to make money online.
Podcasting is for Talkers
A podcast is a streaming audio program, usually recorded, sometimes live, that can be supported by advertising, sponsors or listeners.
The term podcast comes from merging the idea of an iPod, a portable audio player, with broadcasting to, in the beginning, play radio programs. The pod part remains a mystery for those who may not know the word iPod was made up by a copywriter.
Although many have tried to develop an acronym for it…the word is just iPod. A word now forever tied to the podcast communication medium. While most iPods remain buried in the back of consumers closets, the podcast holds firm as the legacy creation from the device’s existence.
Today, podcast content has gone far beyond existing radio programs. The range of programming you can listen to includes commentaries, historical narratives, interviews, true crime, sports analysts, fictional dramas and much more.
If you want to start a podcast to make money online, you have to consider the subject you will be delivering to your listening audience. Is there an angle or viewpoint missing from the current offering of podcasts (there always is), and how can you deliver for that audience?
Podcasting is for talkers, and podcasts are for listeners. The content you need to create to make podcasting pay must align with that basic fact. You have to create audio programming that people want to hear.
Become a Podcast Host
When you create a podcast, you are the host. Whether you plan to speak solo on a subject for a half-hour, interview an interesting speaker, or direct a debate between two guests, you are in charge of the show.
When you are thinking about creating your podcast, consider who you want to be, and how you want to run the show.
Podcast Format
Podcasts are found through podcast directories, and all list various categories of related content. But all of the categories are subject…not format, specific.
You are going to want to select a format for your show.
Decide on the type of show you want to host. Some shows sound like parties, others are serious. Some have a lot of adult language, some play music, some are always live…you can do any type of performance to attract your audience.
You can even mix your formats, maybe have a commentary episode , then an interview, then a teaching episode, then back to a commentary.
Podcasting has no rules. You decide on the format, length, content, tone, and pace of your show.
The only basic concept is that the audio must be clear. You are asking listeners to give up their time to hear your show. Poor audio quality creates an unsatisfactory user experience, which typically does not lead to repeat customers.
If there is a question between experimental content and audio quality, choose audio quality all the time.
Should You Start a Podcast?
Once you consider the format that might work for you, you will have to decide if podcasting is going to be your online business.
You can go all in with a podcast..if you:
- Like to talk
- Have a good subject area or topic, or a flair for audio creativity
- Are not afraid to promote your program
- Have the ability to edit and produce digital audio, or pay someone to do the work for you
- Are prepared to be consistently and reliably posting shows
How to Start a Podcast
The technical aspects of starting a podcast creates trepidation for potential podcasters.
The basic approach is:
- Name your show
- Record an audio program, edit as necessary
- Create a show graphic for the cover art
- Upload to a podcast hosting service
The process can be 100% free, which is one reason there are so many podcasts that only post an episode or two. Assuming you have a digital device like a smartphone, and access to the Internet. You can record your audio, download your file, and host your podcast on a free service.
But if you definitely want to build a business out of your podcast, in most cases there will be upfront expenses for a quality external microphone and a dedicated podcast hosting service. If you decide to have a website for your show, your costs increase.
The investment in an external microphone is typically worth the cost. As stated earlier, audio quality is the hallmark of good podcasting, and having a dedicated microphone gives your show a professional characterization that you will want to continue.
No Frills Podcasting
The no-frills, all free road to podcasting would work like this:
- Record your show on your smartphone or laptop using the built-in microphone
- Edit your show using free software like Audacity, or don’t edit at all
- Create a show graphic using a free tool like Canva
- Create an account on a free hosting service like Anchor, and upload your files
In no time, you will be live and broadcasting to the world. As you grow your audience, you can add the other features that would transform your podcast into a business.
Podcast Hosting
A podcast hosting service stores your recorded file and creates an RSS feed that can be distributed widely to ensure you reach your targeted audience.
Today, podcast hosting providers offer free and paid services.
Free Podcast Hosting
Increased competition has opened up opportunities for podcasters as more free services are offered by hosting providers who cover programming needs. In fact, some of the free services are beginning to offer more features than the paid ones!
But typically, there will be a catch – usually related to using the service’s branding and advertising – which constrain your money making options and intentions.
Paid Podcast Hosting
Paid hosting will include features like reporting where you can track your audience growth, and tools for social media or your own website.
Costs typically depend on factors like podcast length. For example, Buzzsprout’s rates are free for up to two hours a month, paid rate starts at $12 a month for up to three hours.
If you plan to do a daily half-hour podcast, you should look for the most affordable rate.
Recording and Distributing Your Podcast
Recording
Once you know where you will be hosting your content, you can create it. Podcast content is created everywhere – from car commutes to Hollywood studios. But if you’re just starting out, your preference is likely to be a quiet corner of your home where no external noises will be picked up by the microphone.
But even intended silence is not assured, as dogs bark, kids laugh, and the delivery trucks drop packages at your door.
You will have to find the best time to record, maybe after trying several times, before you know what will work best for you.
Ad-libbing versus Reading
Some podcasters swear by the natural, free-flowing conversational style that ad-libbing brings to a recorded show. They keep just a few points in mind, and then say what they want to say off the top of their heads.
Others find ad-libbing too unstructured and risky. They prefer to remember everything they want to say by writing it down first, and reading from a prepared document.
If you are doing a commentary show, you may want to have notes to help you remember your best points, and ad-lib only at naturally sounding spots in your dialogue.
For interviews, you have almost the same split between those who read from prepared questions, and those who allow the conversation to flow. Since either option can make for great audio, you just have to decide how comfortable you are with the outcome.
Editing
Uhhh….Ummm…click…long pause…doorbell…Ahhh…long pause…’oh, can you take that out?…’
Editing the podcast can turn a 30 minute project into three hours, it smothers the joy of the production, and can be one of the reasons many podcasters drop off the platform after only a few episodes.
Some podcasters recommend leaving in all the ‘natural’ sounds, but have you ever heard a successful podcast that is not also a clear and smooth broadcast? If your guest takes long pauses that split the flow of the show, that’s where you start editing. If the sounds are just natural conversational speak, you can leave it in.
Either way, even if you are not personally editing the core show content, you may need to add an intro or outro to your show, or if you want to get paid…advertising, which still takes time and requires some production.
Editing can be outsourced, but you must carefully select your editor and provide clear instructions. You will still need to listen to the show to make sure it sounds the way you intended.
If the first editor you select does not work out, keep trying until you find a good one.
If you have no funds to hire an editor, you will have to do the work yourself using free software like Audacity. The app has a lot of features, but you only to need to learn the basics that will help you create a good show. So go ahead and set aside the extra time to get the editing work done.
But remember, editing is not the fun part of podcasting. Be aware that this may the beginning and end of your efforts if you are not realistic about the time and effort it takes to produce a good-sounding show.
Adding Music and Effects
Music is a wonderful addition to a podcast show, especially a consistent intro that becomes your theme. On the Ready Entrepreneur podcast, you can hear the ‘news room’ sound that signals the show is information and discussion oriented.
To add music to your show, you can search for websites that offer free, cleared music.
Clearances
If you plan to use copyrighted music, and make money off your podcast, you must obtain a clearance from the copyright owner. Unilaterally, using someone else’s content to make money is not legal, and not cool.
Send an email to the copyright owner explaining who you are, why you want to use the music, and how you plan to use the music. You might be surprised by the response. Many copyright owners are happy to share their creation, especially since podcasts are offered for free, and an up and coming podcaster who intends a limited use of the product, is not typically a threat to their ownership.
Video Podcasts
YouTube has become one of the top platforms for ‘listening’ to podcasts. And many podcasters make a video version of their show.
If you are doing interviews, and use Zoom or another video communication platform to record, you automatically have another asset when you create the podcast. You can edit the video and put it on your YouTube channel.
Creating a video podcast enhances your web presence, provides more search engine results, gives you an opening to another audience, and provides your guests with another asset to share with their audience.
The video podcast is extra work, but it is also a great option for extending your podcast brand.
Transcripts
Re-purposing podcast material is one of the reasons the medium is a great asset for podcasters. If you write out your show, you have automatically created the transcript that you can also post when you upload the episode and make it available to listeners.
In general, best practice is to include a transcript of your show for the hearing-impaired. While there is limited enforcement of this practice, if you have the material, you should post it. If you wrote out your show but ad-libbed, you can put a disclaimer at the top of the transcript that says it may not be an exact word-for-work transcription of the show.
The transcript can also be used to create subtitles if you decide to post a video version.
When you are first getting started with your show, focus on delivering great content. But as you are comfortable with production…and certain you will continue, look at the other services offered by your hosting provider and consider adding features to your show.
Admin and Legal Stuff
DISCLAIMER: This section is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For all legal issues related to your podcast, you should seek the advice of a legal professional.
When you create a podcast, accessibility is not the only administrative issue that you may encounter.
If you are doing guest interviews, many guests will assume it is audio only. But if you plan to post the video, make sure you advise your guests, that show will include a video version – and get a signed clearance.
Your podcast episodes are assets and you want to be able to use them across platforms as you see fit. While there has yet to be a major case of someone suing over a podcast interview, it’s better to get clearance ahead of time that the guest knows you own the show, and may use the audio, video and guest likeness (photos) for distribution and promotion.
You can obtain this clearance before the interview by including it as a statement on your guest interview form that the potential guest has to check before submitting their request.
You should also be careful about using copyrighted images, quotes, graphics, videos or other content. You want your podcast to stand-alone as your own material, so make sure all the content you include is owned by you, or has an open creative-use license.
Podcast Directories
Once you have completed recording and editing your show, you will post it to your hosting provider.
Most hosts will automatically distribute your show to a number, but not all, of the podcast directories. The podcast directories are the lists of all the podcasts available to listen to on a specific platform.
While the biggest names like Apple, Amazon and Spotify are exactly where you want to be, you will also want to make sure your podcast is listed on every available source.
Being in every directory increases your search presence, and enhances your ability to be found by random listeners. When you search for your podcast online, you want to ‘own’ the first page of search results.
Check your host provider’s list of automatic feeds against the list of all possible directories to confirm that your podcast can be found ‘wherever you listen to podcasts.’
Promoting Your Show
While you can be discovered through a listener directory search, the only successful way to promote your show is word of mouth.
No podcast directory is perfect in its search and information capabilities. And no service is offered that breaks down all the podcast information to help you find the exact type of show you are looking for.
So if you have a podcast, you have to promote, promote and promote again.
The podcast launch is typically the first move new podcasters make to get their show in front of people. You promote directly to your list, friends, organizations, and anywhere you have an audience to let them know that your show is available.
But after the launch, you have to keep growth going by spreading the word through social media, your work or business, speaking, and guest podcasting.
For every episode, create show posts that highlight the content and can be promoted across social media platforms. If you have guests, distribute the posts to them and encourage them to promote on their own social feeds.
If you are speaking about a particular product or person on your show, give them a shoutout on social media also, by tagging, and letting them know they were featured.
And keep talking about your podcast. Mention your show wherever you have a chance. Re-use the content, across platforms, and re-use the promotion materials to re-feature a good or popular episode once or twice a year.
How Podcasts Make Money
The more you can promote your show, get the word out, drive listeners to you, and raise your ranking and popularity, the more opportunities you will have to make money.
There are multiple ways to make money with a podcast, but the four most direct are to promote your own or affiliate products, get paid advertising, get a sponsor or sell a membership to exclusive content.
Promote Products
Your podcast is your platform, and you can choose to promote your own or affiliate products as part of your show.
When deciding to promote, find products that align with the content of your show and integrate them into the discussion or commentary that you are already doing. The transition can be smooth, as you state that you have an affiliate link in the description of the show, or you can do a hard break, and ‘insert’ your own type of advertising.
If you are promoting your own products, especially books and courses, you should be able to clearly connect your content to the content of your podcast (unless they are completely different topics). This actually enhances your authority, and gives your audience more insight into the value you deliver.
You can create your own ads, add music and effects and make it sound like a professional advertisement. But be careful about being too ‘salesy’ or promoting products out of context. You want to provide valuable information to your audience, this includes information about products or services they can use.
But you do not want your show to be just an advertising vehicle, so choose wisely.
State the links in your ad or comment, and put them in the episode description. If your listener is interested they may just click and buy the product.
Paid Advertising
You can also have third party advertisers place ads in your show. For the most part, you have to have minimum audience numbers to attract national brands. But if you are talking about a specific subject, which may be interesting to specialized or local businesses, you can solicit advertising directly from them.
Advertisers are looking to target unique and niche audiences. If you demonstrate how you can deliver ‘ears’ you may be able to attract advertising even if you have a small podcast.
Start by reaching out directly to advertisers you think may be interested. Tell them about your show theme, topic, audience size and frequency. Remember once you commit to delivering a show for an advertiser, you have to deliver the show. So make sure you are comfortable with podcasting as your platform before actively reaching out for ads.
When you have paid ads, you are typically paid upfront, you don’t have to wait for someone to click on the ad. This helps give you some stability and support for your podcast.
Sponsorships
You appeal to sponsors the same way you would reach out to paid advertisers, by telling them how aligning with you would be good for business.
A sponsorship can be for an entire episode, or for the show. Sponsors can request that you read promotional material, or refer to the sponsor in comments, or for a portion of the show.
If you have a video podcasts, sponsors can ask for their product to be displayed behind or beside you, or even on you, if it’s a clothing.
If you have a specialized topic, you may be able to obtain a sponsor to cover your editing, transcribing, hosting and other costs. The only way to find out is to ask.
Memberships
You can also ask your audience.
In recent years, more podcasters are reaching out to their audience to sponsor and financially support the show through paid memberships. The podcasters offer exclusive members only content in exchange for a fixed or open fee.
As a podcaster this will mean providing additional content like the video, snippets, learning guides, exclusive outtakes from interviews, or other material that extends the podcast brand, while building a home for the audience community.
While there can be a lot of extra work in establishing a membership site, it can also be an outstanding opportunity to grow your entire business.
Your podcast community can also become the community that buys your books, courses, products, and services. You can start with membership in a podcast and turn it into membership in your world. And the more you grow your listeners, the more opportunities you have to make money online with a podcast.
What Makes Podcasts Successful?
While the most successful podcasts begin with great content, there are plenty of shows that are able to deliver that initial element. What separates them from the shows that have millions of listeners? A few key factors…
Consistency
When listeners see a show has hundreds, now thousands of episodes, they are more willing to make an investment in the podcaster, because the podcaster has made an investment in them. Consistently posting a show, and building day-to-day or week-to-week gives the listener a sense of security…and FOMO…
If a listener sees the show constantly putting up new episodes, they begin to wonder what they are missing and are more inclined to check and click on the latest information they want.
Specificity
Listeners are searching for people who are speaking about the subjects they care about, and being relevant and interesting in the process. If you can find a topic with a core audience that is currently under-served but available, you will have your successful podcast.
Uniqueness
With three million podcasts, there should be three million unique voices, but far too often podcasters try to copy the work of those that they hear.
The most successful podcasters create a unique voice, one people identify with that person. From the types of questions that are asked, to the shock-value of their commentary, to the revelation style of their facts…these types of speakers have transformed audio programming, and taken the audience along with them.
As you set out to be a podcaster, think about your unique voice, your singular message and your particular style. Be an emergent leader in the space, and promote to those who have been waiting to hear from you.
Podcasting is an extraordinary opportunity for you if you have a message that you want to deliver. There is a spot waiting for you, and you can use podcasting to make money online.
On the Ready Entrepreneur Podcast, I offer information and advice on getting started with an online business, and interviews with outstanding entrepreneurs about their journey, find the show wherever you listen to podcasts:
You can also hear Case Lane interviews on dozens of awesome shows focused on:
Entrepreneurship: https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/podcast-guest-appearances/
Guest Podcasting: https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/podcast-guest-appearances-speaking-about-guest-podcasting/
Awesome Product Offers
If you want to start guest podcasting to promote your product or business, click here to get an extraordinary offer on my Expert’s Guide to Finding Podcasts for An Interview:
If you would like to get the Podcast Directory List of where to post your podcast, click here: https://podcastgueststar.com/podcast-directories-list/
DISCLOSURE: links to Buzzsprout are affiliate links that earn for eligible purchases at no additional cost to you.
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How You Really Make Money Online with Blogging
by Case Lane
This post is part of the Real Stories Behind Making Money Online Series
In the beginning, it was the Internet curious’s first introduction to creating online – starting a blog. Today, it remains the most dominate creative platform – more than 600 million blogs – more than ten times the number of YouTube channels and podcast shows combined.
That fact should make one point obvious…blogs are, arguably, the easiest online platform for launching your online business.
But how many of those 600 million blogs are making money for the blogger?
Blogs operate in a crowded marketplace where you have to be prepared to promote and market your message. So if you’re shy about telling people about your thoughts or creativity, blogging may not be for you.

Blogging as Your Online Business
While starting an online business is an extraordinary opportunity for you to establish a foundation for your own professional satisfaction, financial security, and lifestyle freedom, to get started you have to select an online platform that fits your interests, skills and budget.
Blogging remains an incredible force for delivering a message, creating a community, and earning advertising revenue. But does the platform have all the elements you want and need for an online business venture?
If your online platform of choice is to create a blog, you need to be aware of the joys and limitations of the effort.
In this article, I explain the real story behind blogging to make money online.
Blogging is for Writers
Blogs are websites, almost always supported by advertising, that writers fill with content aimed at their target audience.
At its core, blogging is the written word. For creators, blogging means consistently writing articles online around a specific theme or subject. The word blog comes from ‘web log…weblog’ a phrase used to describe the act of journaling or recording (logging) information online.
To create a blog to start an online business, you must create written content…or have it created for you.
Blogging is for writers, and blogs are for readers. People who want to get their information in written words.
Types of Blogs for Making Money Online
With 600 million options, breaking blogs down into specific categories may be an overreach, but in general there are three popular types of blogs – information, commentary and product-specific.
Information Blogs
The most popular blogs offer information, such as How-Tos and guides. They provide step-by-step processes, and insight into products, services and issues. For many readers, these types of blogs are consistently delivering information they want to learn more about or research.
A blogger who provides information is creating a go-to platform for a topic or idea. Once enough interested readers learn about the blog’s existence, it can jump to the top of search rankings for the topic, and become a popular site.
If you are planning to create an information blog, the key is to be a great resource. You do the research your readers want to avoid, and you put the information together in easily digestible articles.
In this case, you do not have to be a great writer. You just have to make sure you are delivering information that a particular audience is seeking.
Because you already know the information readers are searching for, these types of blogs are the fastest and easiest blogs to create. Spend time researching the topic, then re-organize, re-write, and aggregate the data you find into new articles that address the topic for your target audience.
This approach also allows you to outsource the work. If writing is not your strength, or you have no time to do the research, you can use a freelancer site like Fiverr to find someone who can put together the information based on your ideas.
For example, you may find a subject where most of the existing blogs are aimed at college students, and you decide to do one aimed at the parents of college students. It can be similar information, but re-written for the parents consumption, and interests.
Also, if you can write well (or outsource) in a language other than English, there is extraordinary opportunity available to write about popular blog subjects in other global languages.
As the Internet continues to grow and spread around the world, you may find your ability to deliver information in a language used where online usage is on the rise, provides you with an opening where other bloggers cannot compete.
Commentary Blogs
Another successful blog theme is commentary – the original web log. Some famous bloggers are known only for their comments and observations about society and the world. These blogs can have millions of readers who enjoy the writer’s viewpoint, and learn from their perspective.
If you are writing a commentary blog, then you do have to be a good writer because the blog is directly from you, and your ideas have to resonate with the reader. These types of blog literally hang on the word of the blogger. If the writing is bad, the blog is a non-starter.
That said, the definition of ‘bad’ is relevant to the audience you are targeting. If you want to write a slang-filled, emoji-driven commentary blog aimed at high school students, then you may have a niche. But you still have to make the content valuable to that audience. It has to be ‘good’ to them.
Commentary blogs are the most difficult to launch because everyone has an opinion these days. But if you have a way of looking at the world that is unique, and underserved, you may be able to take a commentary blog to an audience that wants to learn more from you.
Product-Specific Blogs
Another type of blog is a mini-website aimed specifically at marketing a product by providing content-rich articles related to the product’s purpose.
The site will have ten to fifteen articles all leading to the same conclusion – the reader should get the product.
These blogs are advertising and affiliate marketing vehicles designed as information blogs, but the content is legitimate (assuming you are not a scammer).
This is a blog where the idea is to deliver information, but it’s not general information, it’s tailored to the product and all issues related to the product.
For example, if you are marketing a new vacuum cleaner, you could have articles about the perils of dust, carpet maintenance, keeping your family healthy, the exercise benefits of doing household chores, and so on.
These types of blogs are one-and-done. You write the core articles, set-up the webpages, and drive traffic to the site.
Once again, you do not need to be a creative writer, you are aggregating topic-specific information for an audience that is looking for the insight. Your articles must be valuable and useful to them, especially if it is new or misunderstood information.
This is also an opportunity to outsource the writing, but you have to be creative about the topics related to the product. You are looking for products that cross over a variety of different issues, and give you sufficient content to create a legitimate site.
Who Should Start a Blog?
Regardless of your type of blog, you want the content to stay consistent and reliable. So the hard truth about blogging is that you have to keep posting relevant content. You have to find enough content to maintain interest for a growing audience. That is a challenge that many aspiring entrepreneurs do not conquer.
If you:
- Like to write
- Come up with good ideas
- Are not afraid to promote your own writing to strangers
- Have a good subject area or topic
- Have money each month to spend on maintaining your website until you can grow your advertising revenue
- Are prepared to be consistently and reliably posting to your website
…then you are likely ready to move forward with starting a blog.
But blogging can be tedious, especially if you are lukewarm about your subject, and since it’s the most crowded online platform, you have to be creative to stand-out and be counted.
How to Start a Blog
As mentioned earlier, blogs are the easiest online business to start, but one that requires maintenance and has up-front costs to do it right.
The basic approach is:
- Get a domain name
- Set-up a webpage
- Start writing and posting content
Domain Name
Free Domain name
If you decide to use free website hosting, you will also likely receive a free ‘hosting’ domain, which typically includes the name of the website provider in your domain name.
This is a domain name you do not own, and one that may be long and cumbersome to use when speaking or posting about your new blog.
But for some, a free domain may be a necessary option for getting started without any upfront costs, but if you have a few dollars ready, and you are serious about your blog, you should start with a custom domain name.
Custom Domain name
The domain name is the name of your website. For many bloggers, it can be their ownname.com, for others it’s the subject they are discussing. You just have to decide.
Domains can cost as little as $3 a month to start. You can buy the domain from a stand-alone site, or purchase it when you set-up your webpage on a hosting site.
Carefully check the renewal terms for your domain name. Sometimes you can get the domain for a low introductory price, but it renews at ten times that rate, a year later.
Although a great domain name is valuable, like all actions in starting an online business, it is better to move forward than to worry about picking the perfect domain.
If you’re not sure, go with your own name or a made-up-name and move on. You have no online business until your site is live, so getting launched should be your focus.
Website
Free or Paid
Before you create your website, you must decide if you want to use free or paid blog hosting services.
Your blog is hosted on a website, which is hosted on a server managed by a website hosting provider.
‘Free’ means you sign-up and begin writing and posting content without paying any upfront fees. The ‘catch’ with free is there may be limitations on whether or not you can advertise on the platform. Since you are starting the blog to make money, this would be a limitation, but not an obstruction to making money.
But, If you are not sure if blogging is right for you, start with free services, and switch to paid when you are certain you want to move forward with the platform.
If you know you want to be a blogger and start with paid hosting, you have more flexibility to do what you want with the blog.
Your Own Website
Once you select your paid provider, they typically provide basic services aimed at getting you set-up. There are many blogging apps, but the most popular is WordPress, and you can quickly set-up a basic WordPress site through your provider.
Since WordPress provides flexible functionality for a website, for example, you can host an eCommerce store with your blogs, some bloggers find WordPress too complex for their plans, and are comfortable with a ‘blogging’ only app.
If you think you might want to do more with your blog – for example on my website for Ready Entrepreneur, along with the blog, I have my podcast embedded, links to online courses, and a store – and I am able to use plugins to extend the capabilities of the site from inserting landing pages from another app under the same domain, to capturing contact information.
As always, if you are unsure, start with the most basic option and be prepared to build from there.
Third Party Website
Blogging platforms, like Medium.com are websites where bloggers can establish their reputation and build an audience. These sites allow anyone to open an account and posts blogs, for free. Although these sites lead to a variety of subjects, they also attract a variety of readers who want to discover new voices, and learn more.
If you want to access the reader audience on these platforms, you can repurpose the blogs you create on your website. This allows you to gain both the traffic on the platform that is casually browsing, and the followers on your site who could one day become your dream customers.
Writing, Posting and Distributing Your Content
Once you have set-up your domain and webpage or site account, it’s time to write and post content.
Refer back to the Types of Blogs section to pick the direction you want to take your content.
If you are looking for topic ideas, listen to your friends, colleagues and neighbors, check social media, Google trends, and news headlines, and remember how you became interested in the subject in the first place. You probably have stories, ideas and anecdotes from your own experiences that could make the content for a blog.
Take a look at the work other bloggers are doing. Do not copy. Instead use other content as inspiration, and as a springboard for developing your own ideas.
You can post blogs on your own schedule as little or as often as you wish. But the more consistently you post, the more reliable you will appear to your readers. If readers enjoy one article, and they see another one the following week, and the week after, they are more likely to remember you, and maybe even recommend your work to others.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process, both technical and creative, that you use to help search engines find your blog. When you distribute your blog online, you should always make sure that you are search optimized, to drive organic traffic doing searches.
You will find many SEO apps and plugins online, and implementing SEO practices is not difficult. But being noticed is a challenge, you will have to do your own work to ensure people click on your blog.
Do Your Own Promotion
While search engines can organically find your blog, you will have to do your own distribution and promotion to drive traffic to your site.
Social Media
You can use social media to drive traffic to your blog by posting about the topic you wrote about and including the direct link to your blog in your posts. Add images or videos to attract attention, and ignite curiosity about your content.
For bloggers, all of the big social media sites are helpful, except Instagram, which does not have links in regular content. So if your content is visual, and insta-perfect, this limitation will be a concern, but you have the work-around of using the other platforms.
If your social media followers are mostly friends and family, include a Call-to-Action for them to share the post with their networks.
Track Your Traffic
If you have your own website, you can set-up analytics to track your visitors and the pages they frequent. This data will help you understand your most popular content, and perhaps give you additional content ideas, or more promotions you can do for specific content.
Track consistently to look for trends and opportunities to grow your blog’s popularity. For example, if you notice more traffic is coming from mobile, you can do a more mobile-friendly layout for those users.
How Blogs Make Money Online
The final part of your blog set-up is monetization…making money from the blog.
For the most part, your revenue opportunity comes from placing advertising on your blog pages. You can have Google ads automatically on your pages, affiliate ads that you place yourself, or links to your own digital or physical products that you sell in your own store or on a third party platform.
Essentially, having a blog works like a broadcast television network that creates lots of content, and drives ‘eyeballs’ to the shows that advertisers are paying to be featured on.
Your opportunity in earning for your blog comes from driving as much traffic as possible to your site, and having a percentage of that traffic click on the ads, and in the case of affiliates, making a purchase.
Google Ad Sense
The fastest way to begin making money with a blog is to set up a free account with Google Ad Sense, and let the search engine automatically post ads on your blog pages. Google’s advertising program pays you for clicks through to the sponsored ad pages.
You can control where the ads are placed, and to which pages, and you can ban content you don’t want associated with your work.
Google is set to match your blog content to related ads, but if subject matter is beyond the translation of Google’s A.I., you might find the ads do not match at all.
Once you set-up with Ad Sense, continuing monitoring the placement of ads to make sure they are where you expect to see them.
Affiliate Ads
Affiliate advertising is when you align with a third party to promote their product or service, and earn a flat rate or percentage for purchases made by other people through your links.
With many affiliate programs, you can sign-up for free on sites like Swagbucks, and place their advertising images with your affiliate link directly on your page. As more people sign-up, you earn a ‘bounty’ for bringing in new affiliates.
If you join the Amazon Affiliates program, you can also earn a ‘bounty’ for sign-ups to continuity programs like Amazon Prime.
Or you can promote products, including almost everything on Amazon.com, and earn whenever someone purchases a product through your link. As mentioned in the content section, you can even have an entire blog that is linked to affiliate products.
Because there are affiliate programs for almost every product you can think of, you should be able to find products that align with your blog content.
To keep your blog orderly, you want to have ads that support your product, and do not make your site look just like an advertising vehicle for sponsored products, or worse, a scam.
Links to Your Own Products
If you sell your own physical or digital products, you can use a blog to drive people to your products.
Write blogs that align with your product, then promote your product links directly in the blog or in the sidebars of your website.
This is often done with reviews (which you do not write for your own product, but you can post what others write), the review is linked back to the product.
But the real success in using this process is to write the definitive article about the value of your product, and then drive people through the links to your purchase pages.
Extension Products
Advertising is the direct way that blogs make money, but if you have a successful blog you can repurpose it to make money on other online platforms like podcasts and YouTube.
If your blogging positions you as an authority on a subject, you can also create courses, sell coaching, write books, or do speeches or other activities that are related to your blogging content, but are not directly revenue created from the blog.
All of these opportunities come with time, once you make your blog successful.
But when you are starting out, and you have no traffic to your blog, you will have no money from your blog, that’s the reality.
That’s why you must think carefully about how much you are willing to spend up-front, and how much time you will place in promoting your blog.
If your SEO is working, or your topic is unique and sought after, it’s possible for organic traffic to discover your blog, click on your ads, and you make money. But in general, if you are too shy promote your own work, you will not have a chance to earn from your blog.
What Makes Blogs Successful
A successful blog has great content. But that’s only the beginning.
The most popular blogs are delivering a form of comfort to readers. Whether it’s in the form of information or provocative statements or how-tos, a reader is satisfied after reading a great blog. And they’ll keep coming back for more if they feel the content is consistent and always appealing.
To get your blog into a success position, which means it starts paying you, build on the positive comments and reviews you receive.
Try to discover what appealed most to those readers, and why. You don’t have to start trying to tailor every blog to a raving fan, but it helps if you have an understanding as to why a specific blog post resonated with people.
From the beginning, blogging has been about the writing. While many blogs contain great visuals or videos, it’s the writing that brings people back time and again. If you want your blog to stand out and be noticed, that’s where to start.
But all the other activities must be completed also to make your blog a professional and reliable site for return readers. And you must promote the blog to as many people as possible to get the traffic on your site that will make your business profitable.
Choose blogging as your online business platform if you’ve come this far and believe you have the ingredients to make it work. But, ignore blogging if you plan to only do a superficial job of writing and promoting your site.
The real story behind starting a blog to make money is to make an effort marketing and promoting your blog to drive traffic to your site. Because without the upfront effort in creating your own publicity, you are unlikely to make any money. But with it, you give yourself a chance to stand-out among the 600 million and take your place in the online entrepreneur community.
Check out Case Lane’s blogs:
For aspiring entrepreneurs: https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/blog-posts/
For guest podcasting: https://podcastgueststar.com/
For fast, healthy eating: https://food.readyentrepreneur.com/blog/
For travel: https://travel.readyentrepreneur.com/
For Case Lane books: https://caselane.com/blog/
DISCLOSURE: links to Amazon.com, Bluehost and Case Lane’s books on Amazon.com are affiliate links that earn for eligible purchases at no additional cost to you.
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The Purpose of Entrepreneurship
Throughout economic history, entrepreneurs have been the dedicated risk-takers who transformed whole societies. But as an aspiring entrepreneur, you may wonder what your role could be. Maybe it’s to change at least one life, with the value you have to offer. Or maybe it really is to change the world also.
Below is The Purpose of Entrepreneurship YouTube video, and the video transcript.
Video Transcript
When you think about what makes a great life – what comes to mind?
Is it having a bunch of these…?
Or is it what you can do with this?
People want – health, wealth and happiness (usually meaning relationships or love) –
And if you have an idea that can get them closer to one or all three – you have an opportunity.
You see, if people knew what to do to get what they want, they would just do it, right?
But most people do not know what to do…they want to know, but they do not.
So what do you know that you can tell them?
You may not realize it, but you probably have some kind of expertise or an interest that other people share.
And when you do, if you are willing to put in a little effort, you can go online and build a business around your interest and get it out there to the people who want it most.
Yes, a business. An online business.
You can become an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurship is about solving problems. Finding gaps that need to be filled…and filling them.
It’s about delivering value to those who want or need what you have to offer.
It’s about being a contributor.
It’s about being a producer.
It’s about making a difference.
You might have thought about an idea…that could bring value to others…
You might have thought about becoming an entrepreneur…
And if you have, you might realize that…
The purpose of entrepreneurship is to deliver value through your product or service.
This…?
This has its role, but you don’t get to this without having value to offer in the first place.
Value that other people can use.
Yes, people care about themselves…what’s in it for them…
If you will put in the time that they won’t…
If you will do the research that they won’t…
If you will take the risks that they won’t…
They…become your customers…getting from you the value you can deliver.
That’s what entrepreneurship is all about… and that’s your opportunity.
The next step is yours…
I’m Case Lane, the author of Recast, a book about the first ten actions to take when getting started with an online business.
You recast to play a new role in your own life…this time as an online entrepreneur.
You take practical action to overcome your own doubts and distractions, and do what you have been thinking about doing.
Becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business is about giving yourself a chance to live the life you have always wanted to live…
Do work that creates value and gives you meaning and purpose in your life…
Make yourself busy, involved and committed to doing something…anything that’s about going forward not backward…
Set yourself up for a future you want to live in…not one that will be handed to you
Entrepreneurship is about being free…
It’s not just about this…although you can do a lot with lots of these…
Most importantly, you can do what you want…
For those you most want to do it for.
If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, and it’s time to take the aspiring out…
Take a look at the description for this video to get access to resources you can use right now to get your online business started.
Video Description
Recast Inspiration to Start Your Own Business. This video is called The Only Fair Trade…the value you add for the Benjamins.
FREE // Learn the first 5 Actions to take when getting started with an online business. It’s not what you may be thinking think…but it may be the answer to getting past your procrastination and distractions. Download here: https://www.caselane.net/recast-actions
Maybe like you, I did all the ‘right’ things to end up in all the ‘right’ places only to discover that what I really wanted to do was contribute and add value on my terms. I started out in the online business game chasing all the shiny apples, only to discover that none of them laid out a clear plan for actually getting started with an online business, and working through the details to launch a business.
So I’ve learned the lessons, and now I pass them on to you…
Recast is the path you need to follow FIRST before you take any more confusing steps towards becoming an online entrepreneur.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT If you have business ideas in your head, but you’re still thinking maybe entrepreneurship is not for you, you must FIND THE CONFIDENCE TO START YOUR BUSINESS, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xstvw…
GET THE RECAST BOOK
Recast is my Practical Guide to Getting Started with Your Online Business. You will learn the foundational actions to take to set yourself up for success, followed by the creative actions that take you towards launching your online business. These are the practical actions no one talks about, but everyone should do BEFORE you start chasing a specific online business ‘magic’ plan. Click here for the book: https://caselane.com/books/recast/
TAKE THE DOMINATE ONLINE BUSINESS COURSE
Already set to get your online business started? Get all the training and information you need to launch your business in the Dominate the Year Start Your Online Business course. This comprehensive program is like no other – it’s total and complete details for you to understand the online business landscape, pick your idea, pick your platform, create your content, find your niche market, launch with confidence…and much, much more. Learn more about the course here: https://www.caselane.net/dominate-course
Get more information…much more about how to move from ‘aspiring’ entrepreneur to online entrepreneur at the Ready Entrepreneur website https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/
CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook @readyentrepreneurHQ https://www.facebook.com/readyentrepr…
Facebook @recastmovement https://www.facebook.com/groups/recas…
Instagram @readyentrepreneur https://www.instagram.com/readyentrep…
Pinterest @caselane https://www.pinterest.com/caselaneworld/
YouTube Case Lane channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCovz…
Twitter @caselaneworld https://twitter.com/CaseLaneWorld
Podcast: The Ready Entrepreneur podcast available wherever you listen to podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…
WHO IS CASE LANE?
Hello, I’m Case Lane. I’m a global entrepreneur, writer, traveler and observer to the future.
But to start out, I followed all the traditional paths and ended up as a lawyer, economist, corporate executive, management consultant and diplomat.
Along the way I lived, worked and studied in ten different countries, learned to speak three languages, and became focused on economic development through business enterprise.
In my travels and living in different countries, I observed how entrepreneurs in all economic circumstances take the resources at hand, and build not only thriving businesses, but rising wealth. In the humblest rural small towns, or in the midst of a chaotic unregulated urban centers, action-takers who want to start a business implement their ideas, change their lives, and the community around them.
I decided to bring those similar tactics to a broader audience by creating Ready Entrepreneur as a comprehensive guide for taking your business from IDEA to OPEN.
And I wrote Recast, specifically to help you get started, when you have no idea how to begin your entrepreneurial journey.
I want to make sure you have practical, doable action you can take right now, to get past the obstacles that have been holding you back from pursuing your dreams.
If you think this sounds right to you, subscribe to my channel, and make sure you get your free copy of the Recast First 5 Actions so that you don’t miss more great information that you can use to get started as an online entrepreneur.
#caselane #readyentrepreneur #recastbook #recastmovement #aspiringentrepreneur #onlinebusiness #startanonlinebusiness #onlinebusinesstips #entrepreneurinspiration #inspirationtostartabusiness #onlineentrepreneur
Your Only Hope…is You
In a world where many believe money is the answer to all your problems, you may soon find out that really…you are the answer.
If you are a thinker who considers opportunity to grow and evolve as a challenge, then you have the chance to transform your life and lives of those around you.
Without people like you, we would not know how to move forward. But you have to learn to believe in yourself and what you can do.
Below is the Your Only Hope YouTube video and the video transcript
Video Transcript
Is this your only hope? If you only had more of these everything would be great…
You could pay all your bills, the mortgage, credit cards…
Set up the kids college funds…
Know that retirement will be relaxed and easy…
If you only had more of these…
When did it all get so difficult, so hard…
Why didn’t anyone tell you…teach you how to be wealthy and successful…
You know some people are just born with money, some people have great teachers and get great information, some people are lucky, some people have wonderful parents, and some people…
Earn it.
Oh yeah…there’s that too…
The fact that you can actually just earn these by delivering some kind of value to others that they will exchange for these.
But what value?
You’ve probably already thought about it. You’ve probably said…
I can do this better? Or
I wish this was better? Or
I’d like to do this? Or
I’d like to have something that does that?
You might have already recognized the gap that exists between the products and services that are available, and the wants and needs that people have.
And if you have seen that gap AND you’ve thought about how you could fill it. You’re probably an aspiring entrepreneur.
And if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur…it’s probably time to remove the ‘aspiring’ from your lexicon…
Because if you are the type of person who recognizes gaps, and sees problems AND you have solutions, you have ideas, you actually think about making a difference…
Then you need to act on what you see.
Entrepreneurship is for those who want to contribute, to do more with life than just complain…
And if that’s you, it’s time to start moving forward.
It’s starts with an idea…and it has to continue with action…then you can be that person who sees the other side.
Your only hope is not just more of these.
Your only hope is yourself…
You…how you think and what you do.
No one is going to rescue you…
No one is going to make it easy…
No one else will pay the bills…
No one else will give the people you love the best life possible…
No one else will give you the life you have always dreamed of.
Only you.
You have to put your trust in you and your ability, and make your move.
I’m Case Lane, the author of Recast, a book about the first ten actions to take when getting started with an online business.
You recast to play a new role in your own life…this time as an online entrepreneur.
You take practical action to overcome your own doubts and distractions, and do what you have been thinking about doing, which is to start your own business.
Becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business is about giving yourself a chance to live the life you have always wanted to live…
Do work that creates value and gives you meaning and purpose in your life…not anger and complaint.
Make yourself busy, involved and committed to doing something…anything…that’s about moving forward not backward…
Set yourself up for a future you want to live in…not one that will be handed to you
Entrepreneurship is about being free…
It’s not just about this…although you can do a lot with this…
You can do what you want…
For those you most want to do it for.
If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, it’s time to take away the aspiring…
Take a look at the description for this video to get access to resources you can use right now to get your online business started.
Video Description
Recast Inspiration to Start Your Own Business. This video is called Your Only Hope…is You.
FREE // Learn the first 5 Actions to take when getting started with an online business. It’s not what you may be thinking think…but it may be the answer to getting past your procrastination and distractions. Download here: https://www.caselane.net/recast-actions
Maybe like you, I did all the ‘right’ things to end up in all the ‘right’ places only to discover that what I really wanted to do was contribute and add value on my terms. I started out in the online business game chasing all the shiny apples, only to discover that none of them laid out a clear plan for actually getting started with an online business, and working through the details to launch a business.
So I’ve learned the lessons, and now I pass them on to you…
Recast is the path you need to follow FIRST before you take any more confusing steps towards becoming an online entrepreneur.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you have business ideas in your head, but you’re still thinking maybe entrepreneurship is not for you, you must FIND THE CONFIDENCE TO START YOUR BUSINESS, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xstvw…
GET THE RECAST BOOK
Recast is my Practical Guide to Getting Started with Your Online Business. You will learn the foundational actions to take to set yourself up for success, followed by the creative actions that take you towards launching your online business. These are the practical actions no one talks about, but everyone should do BEFORE you start chasing a specific online business ‘magic’ plan. Click here for the book: https://caselane.com/books/recast/
TAKE THE DOMINATE ONLINE BUSINESS COURSE
Already set to get your online business started? Get all the training and information you need to launch your business in the Dominate the Year Start Your Online Business course. This comprehensive program is like no other – it’s total and complete details for you to understand the online business landscape, pick your idea, pick your platform, create your content, find your niche market, launch with confidence…and much, much more. Learn more about the course here: https://www.caselane.net/dominate-course
Get more information…much more about how to move from ‘aspiring’ entrepreneur to online entrepreneur at the Ready Entrepreneur website https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/
CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook @readyentrepreneurHQ https://www.facebook.com/readyentrepr…
Facebook @recastmovement https://www.facebook.com/groups/recas…
Instagram @readyentrepreneur https://www.instagram.com/readyentrep…
Pinterest @caselane https://www.pinterest.com/caselaneworld/
YouTube Case Lane channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCovz…
Twitter @caselaneworld https://twitter.com/CaseLaneWorld
Podcast: The Ready Entrepreneur podcast available wherever you listen to podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…
WHO IS CASE LANE?
Hello, I’m Case Lane. I’m a global entrepreneur, writer, traveler and observer to the future.
But to start out, I followed all the traditional paths and ended up as a lawyer, economist, corporate executive, management consultant and diplomat.
Along the way I lived, worked and studied in ten different countries, learned to speak three languages, and became focused on economic development through business enterprise.
In my travels and living in different countries, I observed how entrepreneurs in all economic circumstances take the resources at hand, and build not only thriving businesses, but rising wealth. In the humblest rural small towns, or in the midst of a chaotic unregulated urban centers, action-takers who want to start a business implement their ideas, change their lives, and the community around them.
I decided to bring those similar tactics to a broader audience by creating Ready Entrepreneur as a comprehensive guide for taking your business from IDEA to OPEN.
And I wrote Recast, specifically to help you get started, when you have no idea how to begin your entrepreneurial journey.
I want to make sure you have practical, doable action you can take right now, to get past the obstacles that have been holding you back from pursuing your dreams.
If you think this sounds right to you, subscribe to my channel, and make sure you get your free copy of the Recast First 5 Actions so that you don’t miss more great information that you can use to get started as an online entrepreneur.
#caselane #readyentrepreneur #recastbook #recastmovement #aspiringentrepreneur #onlinebusiness #startanonlinebusiness #onlinebusinesstips #entrepreneurinspiration #inspirationtostartabusiness #onlineentrepreneur
The Only Fair Trade is from the Value You Add
Inspiration for Starting Your Online Business
The only fair trade in life is to offer your best for the best that others have to offer. As an aspiring entrepreneur, you are constantly on the lookout for where you can add value and be productive. You are participating as a contributor and producer in the world.
That’s the best way to function.
Below is The Only Fair Trade YouTube video, and the video transcript.
Video Transcript
This is the only entity in the world…actually in the universe…that is not sexist, racist, agist, homophobic or discriminatory in any way…
This goes to whoever wants it…
And it knows who wants it…because those who want it demonstrate their desire every day by…adding value
By being contributors…
Producers…
Those who are moving forward…not obstructing the way
And this knows to go to them to because value is what is most appreciated in our world today.
In fact, we are desperate for it.
For those who recognize a need, see a problem, and don’t just talk about it…but actually deliver a solution for it.
We are desperate for those people…
We demonstrate our desperation every day through our searches, our questions, our asks in every way…help…
If you have an idea, a way to solve a problem, to lighten the load, to change the world…you need to get your idea out in front of the people who want it…and you can do that by starting your own online business that is focused on delivering a solution.
Starting a business is not what it used to be. You don’t have to be tinkering in a garage or pitching to stuffy investors or giving up your life savings for a location on a shopping street…
…because you start online, where many resources are free or inexpensive.
You can test your idea, discover your niche market, cultivate your customer avatar…all without spending a lot of these.
And you can find out what works, so that you can build and grow your business idea from that foundation.
This…will come to you if your idea has value
You don’t have to be making millions, or billions…
You just have to find enough people – as you determine by your own definition of success – who want your product…because it’s valuable to them – it’s a solution they have been looking for.
This is the best time in history to start your own business – you have the convergence of two important facts…
The Internet which gives you the resources you need…
And access to the Global Marketplace – through the Internet – which allows you to reach the world with your idea.
It’s all before you…
And this…is all around you…
The next step is yours…
I’m Case Lane, the author of Recast, a book about the first ten actions to take when getting started with an online business.
You recast to play a new role in your own life…this time as an online entrepreneur.
You take practical action to overcome your own doubts and distractions, and do what you have been thinking about doing.
Becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business is about giving yourself a chance to live the life you have always wanted to live…
Do work that creates value and gives you meaning and purpose in your life…
Make yourself busy, involved and committed to doing something…anything that’s about going forward not backward…
Set yourself up for a future you want to live in…not one that will be handed to you
Entrepreneurship is about being free…
It’s not just about this…although lots of these are a party…
Be active…
Be involved…
Doing what you really want to do…for those you really want to do it for…
That’s the difference when you set out to become an entrepreneur.
And the fastest and best way to do it these days is to become an online entrepreneur.
Take a look at the description for this video to get access to resources you can use right now to get your online business started.
Video Description
Recast Inspiration to Start Your Own Business. This video is called The Only Fair Trade…the value you add for the Benjamins.
FREE // Learn the first 5 Actions to take when getting started with an online business. It’s not what you may be thinking think…but it may be the answer to getting past your procrastination and distractions. Download here: https://www.caselane.net/recast-actions
Maybe like you, I did all the ‘right’ things to end up in all the ‘right’ places only to discover that what I really wanted to do was contribute and add value on my terms. I started out in the online business game chasing all the shiny apples, only to discover that none of them laid out a clear plan for actually getting started with an online business, and working through the details to launch a business.
So I’ve learned the lessons, and now I pass them on to you…
Recast is the path you need to follow FIRST before you take any more confusing steps towards becoming an online entrepreneur.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT If you have business ideas in your head, but you’re still thinking maybe entrepreneurship is not for you, you must FIND THE CONFIDENCE TO START YOUR BUSINESS, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xstvw…
GET THE RECAST BOOK
Recast is my Practical Guide to Getting Started with Your Online Business. You will learn the foundational actions to take to set yourself up for success, followed by the creative actions that take you towards launching your online business. These are the practical actions no one talks about, but everyone should do BEFORE you start chasing a specific online business ‘magic’ plan. Click here for the book: https://caselane.com/books/recast/
TAKE THE DOMINATE ONLINE BUSINESS COURSE
Already set to get your online business started? Get all the training and information you need to launch your business in the Dominate the Year Start Your Online Business course. This comprehensive program is like no other – it’s total and complete details for you to understand the online business landscape, pick your idea, pick your platform, create your content, find your niche market, launch with confidence…and much, much more. Learn more about the course here: https://www.caselane.net/dominate-course
Get more information…much more about how to move from ‘aspiring’ entrepreneur to online entrepreneur at the Ready Entrepreneur website https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/
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Podcast: The Ready Entrepreneur podcast available wherever you listen to podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…
WHO IS CASE LANE?
Hello, I’m Case Lane. I’m a global entrepreneur, writer, traveler and observer to the future.
But to start out, I followed all the traditional paths and ended up as a lawyer, economist, corporate executive, management consultant and diplomat.
Along the way I lived, worked and studied in ten different countries, learned to speak three languages, and became focused on economic development through business enterprise.
In my travels and living in different countries, I observed how entrepreneurs in all economic circumstances take the resources at hand, and build not only thriving businesses, but rising wealth. In the humblest rural small towns, or in the midst of a chaotic unregulated urban centers, action-takers who want to start a business implement their ideas, change their lives, and the community around them.
I decided to bring those similar tactics to a broader audience by creating Ready Entrepreneur as a comprehensive guide for taking your business from IDEA to OPEN.
And I wrote Recast, specifically to help you get started, when you have no idea how to begin your entrepreneurial journey.
I want to make sure you have practical, doable action you can take right now, to get past the obstacles that have been holding you back from pursuing your dreams.
If you think this sounds right to you, subscribe to my channel, and make sure you get your free copy of the Recast First 5 Actions so that you don’t miss more great information that you can use to get started as an online entrepreneur.
#caselane #readyentrepreneur #recastbook #recastmovement #aspiringentrepreneur #onlinebusiness #startanonlinebusiness #onlinebusinesstips #entrepreneurinspiration #inspirationtostartabusiness #onlineentrepreneur
The Art of Recasting as an Aspiring Entrepreneur
by Case Lane
For every person who is thinking about getting started with an online business, there is someone who understands why they have waited so long to do it.
The story usually begins with indoctrination into the status quo. The average person – you, me and the neighbors – have been told as long as we can remember that the ‘right’ thing to do with your life is something like finish high school – go to college – get a professional job – get married – get a house with a mortgage – have a family – retire. If you do that you are said to have ‘made it,’ your time on earth considered well spent.
But if you are reading this article, you may be one of those who wondered if the familiar road really is all ‘they’ say it should be. For some reason, you’re restless. You want more, or something different. Maybe you want to be more or feel that your life has a deeper value or meaning.
Whatever the reason, your thoughts have led you to entrepreneurship, and the promise inherent in building your own enterprise.
The Gold
Entrepreneurship carries the promise of being able to earn enough money to do your own thing, be your own boss, and live as you choose. You can build a community you own by delivering value to enough people who want what you have to offer.
Even though you may have heard all the stories about entrepreneurs working day and night to bring their idea to the public, and then having to fight to get people to believe them, or make a purchase, you still see entrepreneurship as the opportunity you have missed so far.
What’s not to like about living your dream life? Doing work you really enjoy? And having a world you control?
In the back of your mind, you know that if it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and succeeding. But you know, you’re not ‘everyone.’ You question the status quo, you strive for more, and you are willing to work to get it.
So what should you do next?
Recast Yourself as an Entrepreneur
Since you have followed the familiar road, the first thing you have to do is recast yourself to think and act like an entrepreneur.
If you are in Hollywood or on Broadway, recasting is when the person who got the original part is replaced. Depending on which side you’re on, this is a fantastic or devastating moment. Someone’s big break can be your heartbreak.
The same is true when you recast to entrepreneurship. You are going to play a new role in your own life. That means changing some of the things you do now.
When you recast and start focusing on your business, you are probably going to stop focusing on friends, maybe family, or maybe even the 9-to-5 job you’re doing now. That’s someone else’s loss, so those someones are going to try and stop you from making the move.
So the first thing you have to do to recast is work on your mindset. There is an enormous body of work dedicated to this subject, but the bottom line is you have to know that your mind is controlling your emotions, and therefore your actions.
When someone tells you, you are bad at business, you start to feel bad. You question yourself as you wonder why they came to that conclusion. And you probably ignore your business idea, while you try to come to terms with this feeling.
So make sure you are aware that you are doing this. You will not be able to change your feelings overnight. But each time you hear something negative about your plans, remind yourself why you have decided to become an entrepreneur.
Focus on the work you have to do for getting started like finding somewhere to work and removing distractions. Set aside the time, at least 15 minutes a day to research your business idea. The more you start thinking as a business owner, the more you will become one. If you make your business plans a core part of your everyday, your recasting will evolve into your version of a new normal.
Set Boundaries With Others
For many aspiring entrepreneurs, losing connection to the people closest to them creates the fear and reluctance associated with starting an online business. It is one thing to recast yourself, but it’s quite another to disentangle from the world you have created.
What do you do when people are used to, or even dependent on, having you around?
You set boundaries. Not overnight, but over time.
First, decide on your own how you would like the situation to unfold. You can control your plans if you have an idea about where you are going.
So if you want to start a business as a short-term endeavor, or without the pressure of replacing your current income, you can tell your family and friends that you have this plan and will be taking time to work on it, but can be flexible.
If you are looking to replace your income, then you have to say you will take all the time you need, for as long as you need to get it done.
In all cases, remember now you are wearing your entrepreneur hat. You want to walk and talk your business. If appropriate, try incorporating your family and friends into the story. Draw on their strengths to support you. If someone is a good proof-reader have them look at your copy, if your kids like creative design apps have them find your logo.
It may be a little extra work or extra step to draw in those who are trying to hold you back, but it will be worth it.
Create Your Action Plan
Recasting is set-up around two groups of actions – the foundational actions like setting up your workspace that will help you get organized, – and the creative actions like deciding on your business idea.
Once you’ve found your idea and done your research, create an Action Plan that you will work through to establish the business. Your Action Plan is a fluid document that will constantly be updated and changed. But it’s also a blueprint for moving forward. Use it to decide the actual activities you need to do to get started.
For example, for people in the information products business who want to start by determining the interest in their product, start with a one-page landing page offering a free lead magnet to capture email addresses. Your Action Plan could be:
- Create lead magnet
- Set up landing page
- Set up email management
- Write email sequence for leads
- Post landing page URL on all social media
You can also have sub-activities, a more detailed action plan might be:
- Create lead magnet
- Research potential free products
- Write 2-page PDF document
- Outsource PDF design to freelancer
- Set up landing page
- Write landing page copy – headline, text copy
- Find images for landing page
- Buy domain
- Set-up custom domain in landing page app
- Set up email management
- Write email sequence for leads
- Include coaching offer in 10th email
- Set up sign-up page for coaching consultations
- Include coaching offer in 10th email
- Post landing page URL on all social media
- Create Facebook post about new landing page
- Find images for Instagram post
- Post one-line for Twitter
As you complete each action, do a quick review to make sure you are still on the right track and aimed at hitting your business goals.
Your Action Plan can also have many sections or different paths. And you can constantly change it, even to the point of starting all over again.
But the key is you have to start.
The Only Way to Finish Strong is to Start
You have to start your online business somewhere. Every major billion-dollar corporation you know started with a simple plan. They made one sale, and they grew from there.
But if you don’t start, you will not get that first sale.
To give yourself the opportunity to make your business dream a reality, you have to make the time to get to work. Every daily effort is progress towards your goals. Constantly ‘hoping’ to start or ‘planning’ to start will not create an online business for you.
Only starting will.
And starting your business does not have to be an elaborate show. It’s not about filling out a stack of legal forms, or agonizing over a logo, or making sure every line of copy is perfect…it’s about finding out if someone…anyone is interested in the product or service you have to offer.
Business is make a product, sell a product.
If you come up with an idea, the next thing you should do is try and sell it to one person. If you can prove that there is demand for your product, then you can move forward with all the other necessary actions to make your business a viable commercial enterprise.
But spending money on non-revenue generating activities before you know if the product is of interest will only send you down the road to disappointment and abandonment before you have even really started.
As you research before starting your business, think about your first ‘quick win.’ Consider a lead magnet with an email sequence that leads to an inexpensive offer that your dream customers can use to understand the value you deliver.
Focus your attention on this one sequence – changing and updating it as necessary – until you have revenue. If you cannot get enough people interested, move on to another idea, or adapt and change your plan again.
Your online business is the opportunity you can use to change your life…for the better, and open up all the promises that entrepreneurship offers to those who are willing to do the work.
Give yourself the best chance possible by recasting – changing your mind and actions – to be, become and think as an entrepreneur.
Make Recasting your first action, and then keep going until you have the business you want, the life you seek, and the smile on your face to prove it.
You can get your copy of Recast: The Aspiring Entrepreneur’s Practical Guide to Getting Started With An Online Business by Case Lane at in print, audio or ebook at Amazon.com, or in all digital formats wherever you buy your ebooks.
Disclosure: Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links that earn for eligible purchases at no additional cost to you.
The Unavoidable Two-Income Individual You Will Have to Become
by Case Lane
In a world where labor has disappeared, the stock market is swelling portfolios for the invested, and post-pandemic contemplation has led to a reckoning with one’s life choices, it’s hard to imagine that the average person will have any difficulty living comfortably for the rest of their lives.
But they will…
Underneath the seemingly empowered labor market movements, there is no booming economy, no sense of unrelenting optimism or hopeful joy. But there is a level of fear.
Fear of not having enough money for a successful middle class life, let alone colleges, retirement homes, and the occasional vacation.
As every price for every good and service creeps up, and spending money precipitously falls down, the average person begins to look around and sense that they had best do something soon…meaning, right now.
And that something is…get a second income stream…preferably something online.

The Lure of Entrepreneurship
Even without any looming threat of economic collapse, the average person looks with envy at the Internet millionaires who are living the Instagram lifestyle without seemingly lifting a finger.
There is no shortage of gurus telling you: how to make a million dollars in ten minutes doing nothing, and an equally jaded community of those who have tried, and not succeeded, in following their instructions. But undaunted, they complain and move on to the next one.
There is also another group of side hustlers, as they have come to be known – teachers, nurses, mechanics, technicians, everyone and anyone – who spend their evenings and weekends, teaching art, coding, or reviewing products, for strangers who are waiting to hear from them.
Each hustler is caught up in their own dream…the opportunity at lifestyle freedom. Even though every successful entrepreneur will tell you there is no freedom in being responsible for a business enterprise, and all that could go wrong – the dreamers cling to the idea that on the other side of being your own boss is having your own bounty, and with it, all the choices that will lead to your happiness.
Entrepreneurship is considered the road to that freedom. And with the advent of the Internet, the road has become an increasingly more crowded, no guardrail freeway.
The Support of Technology
Technology and connectivity have given almost everyone the opportunity to start a business from their smartphone, earn income from their thoughts and photos, and build private communities of thousands of followers who are willing buyers of products and services aimed at crushing their own most pressing problems.
Every day thousands of people all over the world pour online to deliver value to the millions who are asking questions, and looking for answers in social media, search and stores.
Many aspiring entrepreneurs will give up on their quest, but those who don’t will eventually succeed at something – likely not the idea they started with – but something will start making them money online.
Then they will have their own story to tell about ‘making a million dollars in ten minutes doing nothing,’ and the cycle will begin again.
The Unhappy Economy
For those who walked away from entrepreneurship, there will remain a brutally intense pull that forces them to reconcile with their decision every day.
You can’t win, if you don’t play. And you’ll never get out of a job you don’t like, if you don’t make a move to leave.
But to leave…you’re going to need financial support.
The opportunity to have a successful comfortable life comes at a cost. And you won’t be able to pay it, if you don’t have the money. And maybe you’ll get part of the money from your 9-to-5 job, but where will you get the bump you need to really start enjoying yourself?
At the moment, you live in an unhappy economy. People have jobs and money, but it’s not enough to get over the hurdles to true contentment.
The Other Side-Effect of the Pandemic
During the pandemic, this gap was made glaringly real. Some people actually enjoyed lockdown. They live in beautiful homes full of all the amenities, every household member had a comfortable private place to work or study, delivery trucks pulled up all day with their orders, and when they wanted a break, they even went off on vacations and extended stays to Caribbean islands that stayed open.
For many, seeing those people (yes, you can view it all on Instagram) opened up a realization that they did not have the kind of money that would have made for a cozy lockdown. In fact, they had to be afraid for their job, their industry, and the future of their community.
When things began to bounce back, with employment and choices for all, they realized just how unhappy they were in their current situation. And how quickly it could be worse.
The Bounceback Will Not Be Cheap
The fact is, most people are holding on to a precarious wedge of comfort that could crack at any time. You can see this in their general unhappiness with their lot in life.
They simply do not have enough money, to do everything they want to do, for themselves and their family.
And as prices rise, especially for housing, their window to make a change gets narrower and narrower.
Coming soon to a neighborhood near you are house prices that start at a million dollars for what we used to call a bungalow; food prices that demand a premium to be considered healthy; travel prices starting with gasoline that reflect the need to keep moving; clothing, entertainment and dining out – the malls – building their comeback on healthy price jumps; and healthcare, education and retirement living, directly tying quality and safety to upper echelon prices.
The average person is going to realize that to have a full life with all the amenities, they will have to have more money…a lot more.
Getting an extra job is an option, there are plenty around, but that’s time spent commuting and networking that they won’t get back.
The other option, one that screams out from the Internet is to start something online.
The Online Options
How do people make money online:
- Sell a product
- Sell a service
- Sell ads on a website
- Sell ads on a podcast
- Sell ads on videos
- Get paid by sponsors
- Sell someone else’s product or service
The mechanics are straightforward: Get your product or service in front of the right audience, and convince them you have what they need.
But the results vary widely.
Success has but one common attribute…the entrepreneur is delivering value to those who want or need it. The value can be anything from cat videos to coding instructions, but the key is it’s valuable to someone.
And the more people who receive it, the more money the entrepreneur makes.
To become an online entrepreneur, you must understand the problems people want solved, and solve them.
Identify Problems to Solve
For an aspiring entrepreneur, the best outcome for a business idea happens when the target customer’s problem aligns with one the entrepreneur has already solved, usually for themselves, and are ready to help instruct others on how to do it.
But you can also earn online income by having an interest in an area where others need the information, and have no time to get it. If you are willing to put in the time, and do the work, you are one step ahead of the members of your eventual paying community.
You can also be a middle-person between someone who has already solved the problem, and people you know want to find out about it. For example, there are plenty of travel sites offering guidance to destinations all over the world, and they have ads on their pages, probably making some money just for giving their opinions.
More robust offerings may go deep into a subject like dieting or healthcare, and amass a following by providing practical advice that cannot be found elsewhere.
And others still simply test and promote products, but do it with a commitment to content – posting text, images and videos every day, sometimes multiple times a day, to a growing audience that comes to rely on their advice.
You don’t have to invent the product yourself, there are plenty of sellers looking for affiliates. But you do have to be in the position where the ‘eyeballs’ fall, and either be selling the product directly from that point, or benefiting from advertisers who want to get to the audience you build by providing great content.
If you are looking at online business, you can be any one of these people. Start where you have an ‘in’ and can get some money flowing immediately and build from there. In Napoleon Hill’s great classic, Think and Grow Rich, he counseled readers to find personal services people need, that’s one thing people will always pay for.
Start somewhere…
Look at Google and Amazon search trends. People are literally making requests all day long, looking for information, products and services to fulfill a need.
Ask around. Look around. The possibilities are endless.
The idea that ‘everything has been done’ is over-ridden every day by the fact that new businesses are always succeeding, and new ideas emerge every minute.
Why You Need Two-Incomes
The impact of the pandemic has already started. With millions of women staying out of the workforce to care for children, or elderly, there is a need for every person to earn more.
And an online business provides the perfect opportunity.
Plus, once you know what to do in the online arena where you choose to play, you can do it over and over again.
Your other consideration is simply the cost-of-living. After the housing crash in 2008, the prediction was people would not risk their income on sprawling homes in the suburbs again, but instead would revitalize the less expensive inner city. And for a minute that was true.
The 21st Century List of Costs
But now after the pandemic, it’s back to the suburbs…and even further. If you no longer have to commute, you want to be in the most comfortable space, and apparently that means, far away from everyone else.
Demand will drive rising home prices, and the amount someone has to pay will increase, or they will not find a place. That will be the reality.
You’ll want to upgrade your car to electric, upsource your food to local and home-grown, change your child’s schooling to private tutors, and have personalized medical care.
And after seeing the suffering of retirees in group homes during the pandemic, another wave of concern swept those who will not have enough to live safely on their own as they age. Up goes the price of elder care, and the demand of those who want it to be safe, comfortable and healthy.
When you go to travel, you’ll be competing with the new wealthy and rising middle class of countries from Estonia to Chile to Tanzania and back again. Everyone wants to see the Mona Lisa, and you will have to get in line. And let’s not forget the places that are threatening to close to idle travelers, you’ll need more money to see Venice, Machu Pichu or the islands of Belize.
Every aspect of the American Dream has already begun to fade away.
Rethink How to Get Your American Dream
The picket fence house in the suburbs…unaffordable…
College…unaffordable without debt…
Solid wage job with benefits…maybe independent contractor on your own…
Retirement…a stressful strain without a cushion.
Yet, the last clinging hope remains to the ideal of a middle class, where tens of millions live a comfortable life.
But the definition of ‘comfortable’ will be changed to mean ‘managed’ as a certain taxpayer-assisted core of the workforce gets by on subsidies and credits designed to keep them afloat.
Another core will accelerate forward to adventures unknown, properties unseen, and generational wealth everlasting.
The ‘middle’ will only remain independent, self-sufficient and comfortable, if each individual generates two incomes – typically one from the public workspace and the other from an online venture – and continues to do so throughout their working lives.
Decide On Your Next Action
Turn now to develop your second income stream from an online platform, or hope against hope that the swarming tide does not catch you going the wrong way.
The window to benefit from the available technology tools and open global marketplace is right now. And the need to begin the process is acute.
The two-income individual will be a fact of life, not a burden, but an opportunity to ensure that you are on the wealth side of the income gap, and benefiting not only from the revenue you are earning, but the value you are delivering to those who were just waiting for you to put your talent to work to help them.
Disclosure: Links to books and products are affiliate links that earn for eligible purchases at no additional cost to you.
Wantrepreneurs Top 5 Excuses and How to Defeat Them
Wantrepreneurs are always wanting because by definition, they are thinking and dreaming about becoming an entrepreneur, but not taking the necessary actions to move forward.
That’s where the ‘want’ comes from, and where it stays.
The challenge for an aspiring entrepreneur is to recognize this conflict, and defeat it!

The Excuses
The top 5 excuses Wantrepreneurs make for not starting an online business are a mixture of internal and external environmental conflicts.
1. Time
Wantrepreneurs say: I don’t have enough time to work on my business…
Lack of time is one of the top excuses wantrepreneurs make for not getting started. But in a world where everyone has access to multiple time saving devices, the excuse falls flat. There are many ways to gain more time in today’s world. From learning how to use schedulers, to outsourcing simple tasks, productive people have expanded the amount of time they use, not shortened it.
This excuse only needs 15 minutes a day to conquer. You can get up earlier, go to bed later, turn off streaming videos, put away the games, and start working on your business. You will quickly find that the more time you put in to work, the more time you will be motivated to find.
2. Money
Wantrepreneurs say: I don’t have enough money to start a business…
When a wantrepreneur says they have never started a business because of a lack of money, my first question is…how much money do you need?
No one is able to answer this question.
Not having enough money to get started is a myth, built over years by people who do not know the stories of entrepreneurs, and just assume…after they see them with money that they must have had money to start. But that’s rarely true.
Entrepreneurs are resourceful. If they don’t have money, they identify where they money will come from, or create the circumstances that generate money. For example, instead of assuming they are building a grand enterprise from day one, they start small and deliver a product that does not cost a lot to start. And then they build their enterprise later.
Decide on how much money you want, then you will find what you need to get started.
3. Connections
Wantrepreneurs say: I don’t have the connections all those other people must have…
Just like with the issue of money, wantrepreneurs see a successful entrepreneur with an impressive network and assume it always had to be that way.
But in fact, many entrepreneurs are isolated and alone. Their quest to start a business shuts them off from their network, because typically friends and family are content to go along with the status quo, and do not understand the entrepreneurial process. Many think it’s too risky, and not worth the stress and responsibility
If you don’t think you have the ‘right’ network, you’re going to have to create it. Find out who might be an entrepreneur you can connect with, and ask them for a sit-down. Prepare your questions, think of genuine questions you want answered about the entrepreneurial journey.
If you don’t know anyone, read books about entrepreneurs and how they got started, watch videos, listen to their podcast interviews, and see what they say on social media. You can spend all your time with the network of your choice by choosing to be with them, and not with those who are not the pursuing the future you want to have.
4. Business Idea
Wantrepreneurs say: I’m not sure about my idea, everyone with laugh at me…
Everyone laughed at pretty much every world changing entrepreneur you can think of. It has been the challenge for entrepreneurs to stay committed to their plans in the face of a backlash. And usually that commitment comes from knowing that they’re right.
An entrepreneur sees an opportunity in the global marketplace…that’s the beginning. But unlike most people who may talk about an idea, the entrepreneur actually allocates their own resources – time and money – to trying to make the idea work.
People may laugh but they do not see what you see. So the best way to conquer this excuse is to actually bring your idea forward into the light, and let the opportunity speak for itself
5. Getting Started
Wantrepreneurs say: I don’t know how to get started…
The best way to get started is just to start. Yes, that might sound trite, but it’s true. Take 15 minutes today and research your business idea. Look up: How to start a [add your business here] online business, and take notes on the information you find.
Congratulations! You have started your business. If you keep spending time every day, 10 to 15 minutes, you will soon find that the momentum of having that daily routine makes you want to spend more time. As you learn more about how you could implement your business idea, you will become more confident.
If you want an action-by-action guide to getting started, check out my book Recast: The Aspiring Entrepreneur’s Practical Guide to Getting Started With An Online Business. You can learn exactly how to set the foundation for moving forward. The information may surprise you.
Understand Your Fear
For the most, your wantrepreneur excuses for not getting started with your online business are just saying you fear the unknown, and lack the confidence to try something new. Perhaps you don’t know how to be successful, because you don’t know what to do.
But the fact is, if you want any chance at all of having your business, you must do something. you know the outcome of doing nothing…is nothing, so by doing something you at least give yourself a 50/50 chance to have everything you want.
But if you don’t get started, you will never know if you could get there.
Learn How to Move Forward
If your online business idea has a strong why – you are more likely to remain committed and interested in making sure it’s a successful enterprise. Decide which factors are driving your interest in your business, and focus on those ideas whenever you think about moving on.
Getting your online business idea to work is a long game. You need persistence and the willingness to absorb the unsuccessful starts as learning experiences so that you can build on them and keep going.
Remember you are creating your business to deliver value, to fill a gap you see, or to make sure people have what they need. Set a plan and execute on the plan.…that’s how anything gets done.
Give yourself a chance
Summary
The Top 5 Excuses Wantrepreneurs Make to Stay Forever Wanting to Become entrepreneurs are:
- I don’t have enough time to work on my business…
- I don’t have enough money to start a business…
- I don’t have the connections all those other people must have…
- I’m not sure about my idea, everyone with laugh at me…
- I don’t know how to get started…
And How to Defeat Them
- Read Recast for the first ten actions to take, and personal development books for your mindset
- Focus on your Why…what is driving you to create a business
- Consider the value you will be delivering
- Set a plan for your life…execute on the plan…that’s how anything gets done
- Give yourself a chance
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