Trying to Earn More Money? Stop Wasting Your Time

http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2009/03/trying-to-earn-more-money-stop-wasting-your-time.html

by dangoldin • 17 years ago

60 16 17 years ago

josh_nyc• 17 years ago

Wow... really cuts to the heart. I am guilty of some of these "productive procrastinations" as well (including the beloved HN) and find that when I close all not-super-necessary tabs (even gmail), I can focus way more on the famous 20% stuff.

Yes, this 80/20 advice is nothing new, but the "case study" with his actual protege is a great way to really see it in action.

Cunard22• 17 years ago

I also appreciated the advice, though I got some cold chills reading it. For example: Today I'm making business cards for a networking event tomorrow. Oops. But I need exposure! I do...really!

jodrellblank• 17 years ago

Before you go! What are you going to say at the networking event?

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2009/03/15-second-marketing...

Cunard22• 17 years ago

Sorry, I just got back. Your link is great. I think for me the practice of standing there having to come out with it was invaluable. Amazing how you have it all in there, but sometimes it comes out like shit through a goose and sometimes it just comes out...well. You know. Anyway. I talked and talked, listened and listened, and learned a lot. Incidentally, there was a company pitching called eighty/twenty! Not my company, but very cool just the same.

brc• 17 years ago

I also went down the business cards and letterhead as procrastination route. I probably wasted a month all told, dithering about selecting a logo, printing cards, agonising the details. I now have about a thousand of the things. I've changed logo, what I do, telephone number - everything. Not one of those business cards ever lead to anything meaningful. I think I'll use the cards to light fires in the winter.

Next time I print a business card it will just have my name in a plain black font in the middle of the card, with my email address and phone number. The design will take ten minutes.

The authors point is plain and clear : just concentrate on things that bring in money, or are 1 step removed from bringing in money. This is sound advice. I wouldn't agree about stopping blog posting though. Just make sure your blog posts are directly relevant to your business, and try and pick up some related blogs to cross-post with. Blogging carries a very high ROI if you're good at writing.

JacobAldridge• 17 years ago

To link this thought to ryanwaggoners - it's not about whether to have a business card / whatever - it's just when it becomes important.

At the front end of a start-up, I agree it's procrastination, and in the very early stages of your business (especially if it's driven by your energy) anything more than the ten minute design is probably wasted.

BUT, eventually some of these things will pay dividends (as Ryan found with his blogging). My company had basic business cards for six years; then we decided it was a priority and invested. My business card now has a baby on it, and doesn't tell you what I do (business coaching).

Those people that get your 'plain black font' and put it in their pocket; they stop, examine my card, and start asking questions. It prompts a conversation. They remember who I am, and - now that I'm past start-up and don't need clients frantically - that's worth it.

kiba• 17 years ago

Even though this article is practically common sense advice, we all need some slapping every now and then.

bemmu• 17 years ago

"Reading blogs: Sure, maybe for fun, but how does this directly contribute to getting two paying clients?"

Well, she could have gotten the advice from the blog.

ryanwaggoner• 17 years ago

Cross-posted comment on FMF:

This is really short-sighted advice...Ramit has only explained the first fraction of the story.

This is great advice, but only for the first few months of freelance work, when you're trying to get to the point where you're paying your bills. Beyond that, things like business cards, blogging, and networking events absolutely do matter. Back when I was freelancing, most of my clients said they hired me over some other guy because they read my blog and felt like they knew me. I met many clients and fellow entrepreneurs at those "worthless" networking events that are still bringing me clients, investors, and other valuable contacts today. And I still remember feeling embarrassed when people would ask me for a card and I would explain that I didn't have any on me.

Get out there and start working to make money, but if you actually want to build a business, you're going to have to spend some time doing stuff like this.

chaosmachine• 17 years ago

"In my experience," I told her, "freelancers try to do 50 things, and they end up doing a 5% job on each of them."

That's the kind of math I expect from a site called Free Money Finance.

randallsquared• 17 years ago

Not necessarily concurrently?

melito• 17 years ago

Well maybe if more freelancers used Erlang, this wouldn't be an issue

lsb• 17 years ago

So they get 2.5x as much done?

markessien• 17 years ago

Each of the 50 things could be done to a 100%. They only do 5% of the 100% necessary for each thing. That's what I think he means.

redhex• 17 years ago

The title should be: Trying to Earn More Money? Stop Wasting Your Time. Write a Book.

quizbiz• 17 years ago

The fastest way to make [little amounts of] money is perhaps writing about how to make fast money.

Trying to Earn More Money? Stop Wasting Your Time

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