This post was most recently updated on March 26th, 2014
Your business is much like growing a flower. Making a flower to bloom requires rich soil, water, and sunlight. To make your business bloom, you will need patience, knowledge and persistence.
Here is a review of some of the key ingredients involved in making your business bloom.
Patience: Do not expect to jump into a business and start making money right away. If someone told you this could happen they are WRONG! It is like expecting to put a seed in the soil and have it immediately grow. Impossible! But grow it slowly, with the right ingredients… it will be Unstoppable!
Education: Now I’m not talking about “formal education” to make your business bloom. Forget all that! Once you’ve chosen a business to pursue, you must learn every darn thing you can get your hands on about it.
Whatever your business is, you need to know it inside and out. But those things change all the time, too.
A flower doesn’t always grow straight up. It bends and twists in whichever direction it needs to in order to best absorb nutrients from the ground, and gain optimal exposure to sunlight.
Your business is no different.
Expect it to be a tough go at times, and then experience growth spurts at others. Things change all the time on the internet. Your business will have to adapt all the time. That means that your education can never stop.
Just imagine if you went to your doctor and all he or she knew was what they learned in school. Suppose they never updated their skills or learned the newest technology available. Would you put your life in their hands? No. You want your doctor’s education to be as up to date as possible.
This is how you must run your business.
Persistence: You need to be persistent to make your business bloom. This means each and every day you are giving the best information possible to your readers, clients, and customers. It means that whenever you hit a roadblock, you go around it, climb over or kick it to the side… whatever it takes to let your business keep growing.
Adapt to the Social Environment: A flower must adapt to its natural environment. Your online business is essentially social. Without building strong relationships with your readers, customers and clients, you will be operating from a very weak foundation.
You need to adapt to the social environment in which your business thrives. Using social media properly is essential to making your business bloom. If you are not on the social sites every day, you may get lost in the crowd. Now, I’m not saying that you need to spend hours on this one. Just remember your time management and spend consistent, carefully planned time out there.
As a blogger, you need to be social with other bloggers, too. Make it your business to and read their latest blog post, leave a very good comment, and take a step further by connecting with them on all the social sites. Syndicate their blog post and “Like” their pages.
Your business is about sharing with others and supporting the hard work they put into their business, as you want them to do for you. So get out there and tweet, leave a nice comment and a “like” on Facebook and other social sites.
Marketing: This is the most important piece of the puzzle. It is like watering your flower. Without water, your flower will end up drying out and flopping to the ground to eventually die.
There are many marketing strategies. Some are free, and some you must pay for. Whichever way you choose, you need to keep abreast of how to market your business so it can bloom.
Set time each day to devote to your marketing strategies and learn new trends and “what’s working now”. Be persistent and consistent, and you will have your business blooming in no time.
This is only a few ways to make your business bloom. I ask you to add to the conversation in the comments section below, and add any other ideas you may have.
Many blessings,
-Donna
Twitter: Barbara Charles
August 12, 2013 at 10:23 pm #
Persistance. We just talked about this the other day! Slow and steady goes the race. Just what I needed to hear again and again and again.
So many things you mention here are necessary in order to grow our business. Too many times we get discouraged Donna and you just laid it out there real clear.
Thanks for the *right* reminders to help us remember what we’re supposed to do to keep it going.
Thank you,
Barbara
Barbara Charles recently posted..Ardyss LeVive and Green 29? Natural Remedies For Cancer?
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 14, 2013 at 1:36 pm #
Hi Barbara,
Yes that word Persistence goes a long way. It has to be locked in our mindset, especially when we have any doubt in our minds.
It is a slow and steady race. Discouragement is just part of the game here so each time we feel that way, we must think of the word persist!
Glad I could help.
Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Summertime Psychic Fun
Thanks for your comment Donna.
I wish you a lot of success with your training.
Jose Palomino recently posted..Step by Step Duplication system
Twitter: LeslieLDenning
August 11, 2013 at 7:44 pm #
Hi Donna. This is such a good analogy. I’m a gardener, so it really resonated with me. I would add one more garden analogy that came from weeding the LONG rows in my vegetable garden: Don’t look ahead at all that needs to be done. Look back to see how far you have come.
Thanks for this.
All the best,
Leslie
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 14, 2013 at 1:34 pm #
Hi Leslie!
As a gardener, you can really get this analogy!
Thanks so much for adding that other analogy of “Don’t look ahead all that needs to be done. Look back and see how far you have come” Priceless!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Summertime Psychic Fun
Twitter: DavidMerrill101
August 11, 2013 at 1:35 pm #
I think persistence is the single most important ingredient making your online business bloom.
There are just so many pitfalls, distractions and technical glitches to work through, that if you’re not totally determined to succeed, it will be much easier to fold up. That determination is what will inspire your persistence.
I know you’ve certainly shown a tremendous amount of both inspiration to your readers, and the persistence to keep delivering your message. That’s what has made you a top-notch blogger, Donna.
David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | Newsletters
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 11, 2013 at 1:38 pm #
Awww thank you David!
I must agree that persistence is the most single important ingredient to make your business bloom.
When we lack that we are just headed for doom aren’t we?
I’ll see you soon…want some coffee?
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: usmile
August 11, 2013 at 8:53 am #
Hi Donna,
I love the analogy you use… a business certainly needs to be tended to. This is a refreshing post. It’s nice to read about nurturing a business, rather than how-to do this or that in your business. The fundamentals you speak of here are what makes a business work. Much love to you …
Lesly Federici recently posted..It’s Here
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 11, 2013 at 1:36 pm #
Hi Lesly,
Thank you my friend! Yes this analogy is the nitty gritty of business. I don’t like to complicate things. Making it simple is my thing!
Hugs,
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Donna,
great article! They never teach you in school what you need to actually know and use in business!
So I Love how you said that we need to educate ourselves as much as possible. And that is so true with the every changing world of online marketing, Social Media marketing and WordPress which is how I make my living!
Your articles are always right on topic for business owners!
~ Jupiter Jim
Jupiter Jim recently posted..WordPress 3.6 is Here — Features and Installation Video.
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 11, 2013 at 1:27 pm #
Thanks Jim!
Yep, by time one learns something in “school” it is outdated here in the internet world.
Changes happen so much and so quickly that we do need to learn new things each and every day.
I just came off of your new post about updating WP. Great job! See…that’s how I learn things!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: thefoodcurator
August 11, 2013 at 7:47 am #
Donna lovely stuff, a new business is something that needs to be nurtured and find it’s own direction. I love the plant analogy as business does tend to grow organically. May your blooms never stop!
The Food Curator recently posted..BBQ Season Part 3 – How to marinate ribs
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 11, 2013 at 1:20 pm #
Hi Michael,
Thanks for liking the analogy! And a special thank you for saying may your blooms never stop. I just love to play with words lol!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
I love that someone else draws parallels between nature and business. For my simple mind, these are the most effective metaphors. Specifically, the different perception of time. In life, we are often moved towards the belief that all things in this world are nearly instantaneous. Your analogy of the flower’s life cycle is a wonderful way to defer anxious feelings and pressure while keeping the goal foremost in our minds.
Justin Rash recently posted..Cultivating an Ownership Mentality
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 14, 2013 at 2:06 pm #
Well Justin
You win the prize lol….This is the reason I wrote this post that way.
Living in a time of instant gratification, I try to remind people in a round about way to take their time in business. I see too many folks giving up, or worse, wanting that quick fix.
Life just doesn’t work that way!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Summertime Psychic Fun
Twitter: Amis Interactive Communities
August 10, 2013 at 11:21 pm #
Donna, well you have given all of us three strategies to live by when establishing our real business.
That is wonderful to understand that education daily on your business and everything that will help you grow is the key. You have to keep up with the information on the fundimetals and stop worring about all the details. You learn and grow each day. No one knows everything and that is why keeping around people with like interests and a goal in their life is critical.
You are the only one responsible for your business and no area for blame. the only one who can express their passion and ideas in their business is you. Do not stand around waiting for something to happen without allowing others to know what it is you do without pitching to them. You remember how to have a normal conversation with people so do not act be real.
Donna you tell it like it is and that is sometinig I missed and will remember to continue to visit your site always. Great share and one I will remember with keeping it simple and real.
Thank you for years of dedication and enjoying what you do. Most would find that hard yet doable if they would just be willing to learn more.
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 11, 2013 at 1:14 pm #
Hi William,
Your kind words brought a tear to my eye and I appreciate it.
Yes, we are responsible for our business and it is all up to us to do it. We cannot get into the blame game for that will only lead to destruction.
Continuing our education each and every day is a key component if we want to be successful in business and more importantly, helping those around us.
Thanks again William,
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Donna, what a insightful and helpful post! I agree with you that you need to have patience, knowledge and persistence to be successful online and it does not happen overnight. I am learning each and every day the ins and outs and ups and downs of having a online business and using social media to get my message out and you have to constantly adapt to all the changes and challenges that come your way. Thanks so much for the timely and good advice!
Shelley Alexander recently posted..Anti-Inflammatory Frozen Watermelon Pineapple Smoothie
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 11, 2013 at 12:58 pm #
Hi Shelley!
It does take time. But once that becomes part of our mindset, we can go through that time efficiently.
We can persist by blogging and relationship marketing, but all the while, KNOWING – that things don’t bloom overnight.
When doing this, we can keep calm and focused. There lies one of the secrets of success.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Exelent post Donna,
You have to educat your prospects and showing them you know what you’re talking about.
Trust and credibility are some of the biggest obstacles that held anyone from making a decision.
Jose Palomino recently posted..Step by Step Duplication system
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 11, 2013 at 12:29 pm #
Thank you Jose and Welcome Back!
It is so important that we educate others and true, we need that trust and credibility factor!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Great reminders, Donna. I sometimes loose myself in the process and would get overwhelm. So in addition to your tips, may I add that entrepreneurs should also not forget to take care of themselves in the process. Take a break and come back refreshed.
Cherrie Bautista recently posted..Inspiring Kids to be Happy
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 11, 2013 at 12:23 pm #
Hi Cherrie!
Well thank you for adding that important piece of the puzzle. We must always take care of ourselves because we are the “business” – And… if we don’t take care of ourselves, well it can lead to overwhelm, and worse…giving up!
Thanks for adding to this post. I sure do appreciate it.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Hi Donna,
the analogy of the flower is great because as in any kind of relationship
it takes time, persistence, patience,Knowledge and the right mindset to see it grow.
Marketing is like watering the flower and lately I have discovered the power of off-line relationships which to be act a vitamin to the growth of the flower.
Thanks for sharing and looking forward to read more on your blog!
Patricia Gozlan recently posted..The Price of Being Nice: Chewing vs Swallowing
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 11, 2013 at 12:13 pm #
Hi Patricia!
It is good to know that you have discovered the power of “off-line” relationships also. They are like a vitamin to make your business grow.
I too have realized that lately since I took my nose away from the computer screen and just built relationships with people around me.
Thanks for visiting!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Hi Donna, I think anyone starting out with their online business should read your article here, VERY good advice. I wish I’d read something like this when I first began. There’s so much hype around, about making money online, that people often think it’s NOT a real business. Hope your broken toe is feeling a lot better now Donna! (I broke mine once too, it’s weird)
Julieanne van Zyl recently posted..Embed a YouTube Video into a Blog Post
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 9, 2013 at 11:12 pm #
Hi Julieanne,
I was lucky when I first started because I had a good mentor. I didn’t feel confused, but took one step at a time at it. I guess I learned that from having my own business offline.
I came online knowing that business just doesn’t happen overnight, rather it takes time.
Thanks for asking me about my broken toe…yes it is getting better every day. I just have to do a lot of self talk that I cannot be as productive as usual and take time out to heal.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Donna,
your wonderful example and great advice is super.
Learning to be patient is not easy.. but some how we all learn at a time or another… you showed great leadership with having patience and I am certain you done it because you knew it was truly important… correct Donna?
Mixing patience that flourish growth, learning and keep learning is the key because as we all know and experience, the world is forever changing, and having patience to get through what has been known as life challenges is a must.
I love to thank you very much for this great article… I wish my friend that I talked a few hours a go would be willing to read this… and my life would be much better, but as you guessed, she has no patience for these things and so the song keep on going and going till some day soon (I hope) she learn that patience is the best virtue in life…
Thanks for inspiring me more deeper Donna.
_nickc.
nick catricala recently posted..Closing Life Circles…
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 9, 2013 at 11:08 pm #
Thank you Nick!
Yes Patience is a virtue! It is something we must all learn. The better we get at it the easier our life is and the healthier we become in mind, body and spirit.
As for learning, that is the best thing in life for me. I cannot understand why some people refuse to keep learning different things.
I guess it comes down to having an open mind or a closed one.
Wishing you well,
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: WillenaRose
August 9, 2013 at 6:21 pm #
When I found my mastermind group four years ago, I thought I had all I needed in the way of education and training. But vast as that is, there is still the need for specialized training in some aspects, such as blogging, when that is not the area of expertise within the group. No one group knows everything, no matter how good it is.
This is a great post, Donna, as I have come to expect from you. Thank you.
Willena
Willena Flewelling recently posted..Success and The Man Who Thought His Way into Partnership with Thomas A. Edison
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 9, 2013 at 10:53 pm #
Thank you Willena!
No one knows everything…how true. When we realize that, it is so easy to tell a prospect or client “I don’t know” Very simple to say right? Then go the extra mile to find the answer and get back to them. People just love that.
There is so much learning to do and we have to realize our strengths and weaknesses. Now for me, when it comes to anything techie, I just farm that out and let someone else do it. This way I can keep focused on perfecting what I am good at.
Thanks so much,
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Hi Donna,
Ever since I started bringing a portion of my offline business online, I have felt as though I am so busy IN my business that I never have time to work ON my business? Specifically, I have not had time to analyze what is working now, what is not and zeroing in on specific strategies and tactics to improve my financial results.
What I need most at this time is to create the right messaging that drives in new leads and prospects who are qualified and ready to buy. I also need to become laser-focused on my highest IPA–define the things I am best at and those that need to stop involving myself in at all.
Thanks for another of your informative articles!
rachel lavern recently posted..Get Clear on Your Blog’s Features and Benefits
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 9, 2013 at 10:49 pm #
Oh I know how you feel Rachel!
Analyzing strategies and tactics was something I too was not giving enough time to. Until….it became fun!
Now I track my progress the first thing in the morning. Now I never considered myself as a left brain gal, but once you learn it and track it, it can become addictive. I just had to take that first step and now I’m hooked!
At least you have a list of things to address to grow your business. I would suggest putting them all in a list, and give yourself a time line to do each one. Then “Just do it!” You will be surprised how efficient and more productive you will become.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
But I really am a left-brain person Donna…so what is my excuse LOL? As you mentioned, I do need to just take the first step and be done with it. An entrepreneur needs to have at least a good idea of where they stand with the profitability of their business. I am spoiled because my ex-accountant was very sharp–he regularly probed into my business and offered suggestions (he passed away). Thanks for the kick in the butt.
Rachel Lavern recently posted..New Discovery Reveals How To End Procrastination
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 14, 2013 at 1:45 pm #
You are quite welcome for the kick in the butt Rachel lol.
No matter what our strengths or weaknesses are, the most important thing is to take that first step. The rest will follow.
Oh I pray for my CPA every day. If he ever passed away, I would be in work up to my neck!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Summertime Psychic Fun
Twitter: GarSpecialties
August 7, 2013 at 8:24 pm #
First Donna from your last article you are first on my list to comment on blogs.
Your analogy of the flower is perfect. Patience is hard as I like instant gratification. Just like the song that Kenny Rogers sang years ago “The Gambler”, You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away and know when to run.You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table. There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.
The internet is a scary place if you do not do your homework. I think there is a place for everyone if they stick to it. You need to constantly promote your business. The internet is forever changes and you have to continue to reinvent yourself to make it work. Never give up, there is a dream out there for us all.
Arleen recently posted..A Branding Opportunity Right Under Your Eyes. Dare To Be Different.
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 9, 2013 at 10:38 pm #
Hi Arleen!
OMG….I was just singing that song out of nowhere yesterday! It was one of those days when just about everything went wrong, and I haven’t heard that song in years…I sang it and felt better.
Now here I am reading your comment and just blurted out “SYNCHRONICITY!”
Anyway, it is so true! And yes, if you are not constantly learning, the internet can be a scary place. It is so fast moving it can make your head spin.
But we all must carry on and never give up!
Thanks so much .. I’m singing that song again!
Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: DrErica
August 7, 2013 at 7:59 pm #
Donna,
I have done many of the pieces you talk about. I have had patience, commented and shared blogs and liked Facebook pages and endorsed people on LinkedIn and followed people on Pinterest and re-pinned their pins.
The area that I still need to learn more about is how to best market my own and affiliate products and services. For me, the online world is a continual educational experience – and I make so many wonderful connections and friendships with people like you.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
Dr. Erica Goodstone recently posted..Relationship Healing Question – Ask … What Matters to You?
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 9, 2013 at 10:25 pm #
Hi Erica!
I love the relationship part of the business and meeting awesome people like you! As far as marketing, I took me over a year to learn the ropes, and I am still continuing my education on it.
Now it has become so much fun to watch numbers grow, to help others and see them grow also. I’m not a “numbers” person, but I started having so much fun with statistics.
I know I’ll grow till I leave this planet!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: FollowNateLeung
August 7, 2013 at 7:36 pm #
Loving this post, I just re-read it twice! I love how you used the flower as an analogy. It’s very true and not just in business that whatever you do, there’s a process, and there are components that make up the process.
Business is no different like you said. Business is like a roller coaster. You’re going to have your good days, you’re going to have your bad days. As long as we’re alive and as long as we are working the business, the learning will never stop. If we’re not growing, we’re dying.
Being persistence is very important. This is the bread and better where you make things happen and you keep at it every single day. You can’t expect to grow a business in a day. This is a process that takes time. Time that needs to be invested into the business every single day. As long as the persistence is there, there is no chance for failure. The only downside is that it may not happen as fast as we want it, but it will get there.
Marketing is another important component. Marketing in my opinion is the fun part where you get to expose the business, and at the same time share it. I see so many entrepreneurs get worked up in this dept. Just pick a strategy that resonates with you and focus on it. When I hear marketers bash other strategies because this one is better, I think it’s a bunch of baloney. Because they all have been proven to work. There is no perfect strategy. All comes with pros and cons. It comes with the territory.
As always, thank you so much for the article.
Nate Leung recently posted..3 Simple Ways To Create More Value To Make More Money
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 9, 2013 at 10:22 pm #
Hi Nate,
Thanks for this awesome comment that adds to this post!
I totally agree with your comment about Marketing! It is the real fun part for me too. I too see so many entrepreneurs bashing one another about what strategy is better. And when it comes down to it all, each one can work, it just depends on your personality.
There are some strategies out there that I know do well, but not with my personality. Some people tease me about my strategies, but hey, it works for me and thats all that matters.
Thanks again,
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Hi Donna, I like the way you compared doing business as to a growing flower. I know everything that we want to achieve in life we must have patience , knowledge and persistence. Things don’t happen over night for your business as a lot of the online gurus we would have us to believe. The thing about building a business whether it be brick and mortar or online is we must watch out for all the shiny objects that promise over night success. Lord knows they are enough of them. Anyways, Donna, thanks for a wonderful article. It kind of goes hand-in-hand with my last post on my blog.
Thanks again,
Jimmie D Barber
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 9, 2013 at 11:40 pm #
Hi Jimmie,
As for those “gurus” out there; many of them will tell you their story. It is full of challenges, defeat, etc.
When they do, we must not get all caught up in their “new systems” – yes it can work, but we must be mindful that they went through a hell of a lot of challenges as we have to.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: sarupashah
August 7, 2013 at 5:53 pm #
I love persistence and add commitment and willingness to do what it takes, whether that is move or on occasion stand still and pause…too! Great post Donna…!
Sarupa Shah recently posted..3 powerful affirmations for positive thinking!
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 7, 2013 at 7:50 pm #
Hi Sarupa!
Without persistence and commitment we can flounder! It really does come down to our willingness to change and grow as the business does.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: ArtaGene
August 7, 2013 at 7:57 am #
Hi Donna,
A very good reminder of what we all should be doing.
I think my problem lately has been lack of focus because of some
distractions (problems with my server) and working on two sites to
bring them inline so I won’t overuse my CPU and get locked down
again.
Plus some “real life” problems had to be solved! Had to hire a farmer
with a bush hog to mow part of my yard…so much rain I got behind and created a Tall problem!
Had planned on studying one of those Twitter programs to learn more about using twitter….think that has to stay in the planned list!
Guess this is all a part of knowing your business and growing with it, in my case right now optimizing my sites (WordPress) and learning more than I want to know about minify and sprites and even css.
Thanks for the reminder…we are not alone!
C.
Cararta recently posted..Security Isn’t Just For Computers
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 7, 2013 at 4:38 pm #
Hi Cararta,
Well life problems do get in the way. Many people never take that into consideration. And it is a MUST! Stuff happens to us all the time!
Now consider if we were 9 to 5ers, we would get sick days, vacation time and personal time.
When we are into blogging and marketing, it just never stops. The learning part is always going to be there because things change quickly. We wear many hats running our own business.
Time management is the key!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Hey Donna,
These are very powerful tips to make your business bloom. I really like the analogy of how marketing is like watering your flowers everyday. This is so so so true! How do you expect your business to bloom if there is no marketing? You have to get it in front of people or it’ll just be considered a hobby. Quite frankly this is one reason why so many of us home business entrepreneurs fail.
I also like the point about adapting to your social environment. This is also very vital to your business growth. For the longest I didn’t see the importance of building relationships. I thought you can post an ad and would get inundated with traffic and leads. That really doesn’t work on this sense. You have to brand you and use that law of reciprocation to get the responses you want.
Hey Donna, I really like these reminders, and I’m sure everyone else can agree. It shows that we are on the right track to success and what we need to do to stay on it. Thanks for sharing!
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 7, 2013 at 4:33 pm #
Hi Sherman,
Thanks for liking my analogy. I was pondering how people need to be patient when growing their business. Too many newbies are being mislead by people telling them “You will make x amount of dollars in x amount of days”
Talk about variables. Maybe that would be true if one had marketing experience, writing experience, a sales funnel and a heavy duty email list.
But for the beginner? Yikes! No wonder why so many people cannot stick it out.
As for social adaptation. Well that goes a long way and it does take time. Building relationships is imperative when marketing.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Thanks Donna for this post! I just started taking my blogging as a business ! Reading this post has been helpful. There is so much to learn and do. I am learning to be more strategic and intentional in my learning. I really want to build my online business to last so I intend on being up to date in my knowledge.
Dems recently posted..Words of wisdom about Goals
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 7, 2013 at 5:03 pm #
Good for you Dems!
It takes a while to get things going and don’t let anyone tell you different! As long as you follow your passion, keep writing your blog, and engage with others, you will be okay!
There are so many things to learn in order to market your business. Just be patient and keep at it!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Hi Donna,
I love the title of your post (it’s almost the same as my tag line)! There are some really great reminders in here for me. I really appreciate what you said about education and adapting; I’m going through that process right now. When you start a business you have a vision of what it will be and how things will work out but that doesn’t always happen as planned so you have to adapt. A business will not “bloom” without making changes.
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 7, 2013 at 4:52 pm #
Hi Shannon and welcome to my Blog.
Yes, I went to your blog and seen your tagline – it IS almost the same as the name of this post he he.
Education is constant because changes happen so quickly on line. We need to keep up to date on the latest trends, have a good IT person to connect with if you can’t handle all that techie stuff by yourself, and join groups because people out here are mostly go givers.
We do have our “vision” but it takes a lot of different factors to make that vision come true. Plus….as you grow, the vision does become larger!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: MayuraDeSilva
August 6, 2013 at 3:16 pm #
Hey Donna,
First, I have 2 serious questions for you. What is that flower in your image? 😉 Love the colors! AND did you take it via your smartphone? 😉
What an analogy comparing a business and flower 🙂 I really liked the fact that how you wrote an inspiring post on a topic that can be boring sometimes. Well, I admit that you have been showing your colors here 🙂
I feel like the patience started rewarding me lately Donna 🙂 I didn’t expected results so quickly, but I’m impressed how opportunities start to flow once they get started. You are absolutely right there!
Well, I know how some of my friends trapped in “formal education” myth 🙂 Actually they believe it’s enough once they find a job opportunity and no need to learn after all. It works sometimes as they just need to do what they do everyday.
I love the example of doctors. We always expect them to be up-to-minute 😉 I think if we always love what we do, education won’t be an irritation after all. Isn’t it? 🙂 I can recall how you hired a professional lately and she didn’t knew stuff you did 😀
Social Media proven the theory for all of us bloggers. In my opinion, it’s more powerful than search engines when it comes to conversions Donna. People love getting products or services from whom they know, instead of what Google claims popular. Isn’t it why businesses invest more on Social Media?
I definitely agree with the point you made on marketing. Plus, we need to find what works best for us. Actually, I’m looking into more in this category as I’m not that knowledgeable on this aspect. But I already know it’s important as some of my clients were living in a ghost town until they execute a marketing campaign. However, for me, word of mouth marketing did the best so far Donna 🙂
You have a lovely week there dear 😉
Cheers…
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August 6, 2013 at 4:10 pm #
Hi Mayura,
First and second question: I don’t know the name of that flower, but I used my camera to take pictures. As you may have noticed, I don’t use any pictures but my own because of all the trouble people get into with lawsuits of pictures they use on their blogs. I even went and purchased pictures, gave them credit and they told me to do some more stuff. Ahgrrr….too many changes in the use of pictures. So that’s why I take my own.
I love your comment and know that word of mouth is the best way to to go. My off line business has been word of mouth for years. I never ever advertized once. It was shocking to me that it blew up overnight and I had so many clients and still do.
Of course, when it comes to you my friend, there is not a shadow of a doubt that word of mouth got you business. You are one of the go to people many know about. You didn’t know you were a superstar? he he
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
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August 6, 2013 at 3:02 pm #
I love each analogy Donna! Great stuff! Grow your biz by creating and connecting. If I stray, I think C and C 😉 Create, connect, create, connect, create, connect. This moves my focus from me, to other people, helping them by creating good content, promoting their work and commenting on their posts, adding value to their content.
Thanks for sharing!
Ryan
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August 6, 2013 at 3:58 pm #
Hi Ryan!
I think you are the King of creating content! You blog so often I just cannot keep up with you lol.
I don’t know how you do it all but I sure admire your blogging skills.
You are always there to leave good comments on posts and you do add value no matter where I see you!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
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August 6, 2013 at 12:14 pm #
What a perfect analogy Donna! You’re exactly right, adapting to your surroundings, staying persistent and committing daily to your marketing strategy are so important.
The challenge many entrepreneurs have is losing site of what’s important and allowing things to slide. As you said, staying committed to the daily to-do’s like building relationships creates sustainability.
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August 6, 2013 at 12:48 pm #
Hi Rebekah!
Yes, it can be difficult when going solo in your business and we do have to keep up with those challenges.
But if we are persistent and committed to our daily marketing, this helps us focus.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Hi Donna,
I love how you likened building a successful business to growing flowers as you’ve described it so well and covered all the important points.
Yes, education is a must in this game and keeping on top of the changes that take place on a regular basis. We just get used to one format and it can change so quickly so we simply have to stay in touch or get left behind.
I’ve just published a post on the importance of connecting with our audiences on their own blogs as well as on the social media sites, so we can build good relationships with them.
It doesn’t have to take all day, as you say pop in and be social but stick to the time schedule as well.
It does take time, dedication and perseverance to make a business bloom, so if people follow your advice and stick to it they’ll start to see the benefits 🙂
Thanks Donna,
Barry
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August 6, 2013 at 12:40 pm #
Hi Barry!
You have put it in a nutshell. We need to constantly educate ourselves because things move so quickly in the internet business world.
And being social does not have to take all day. Just popping in and out of the social sites during the day is fine. There lies our time management skills which is another important factor to learn and apply.
As long as we have the mindset that business takes time to blossom, we can rise to that small percentage of successful people.
If we “expect” things to happen overnight, it is just unrealistic.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Hi Donna,
Yes, it is true. A business takes time. However, when I started online this was not what they told me. Most internet marketers said: “It will take time but not so much time. Usually you will start to see results in 5-6 months.” This 6 months period was just about everywhere.
At that time I believed the 6 months axiom and started to learn. Now I am more cautious. I wonder what was the reason for that 6 months period? The answer I can provide now is the following:
The truth is that it can take years and years until you make your first dollar on the net. But they say it cannot take more than 6 months, if you do everything correctly (I mean everything the respective marketer teaches you).
Why? Because nobody would follow a marketer who tells you that you will get results in years of work. “Hey! Follow me, pay me, do what I say and in 2-3 years you will make 100 dollars.” They would lose all their customers.
People want results and want fast. They don’t have years to wait until they get their first dollar online. So most marketers must lie in order to stay in business. This is the cold truth.
You are telling the truth but for me it is too late. A few years before, an article like this would have saved me from a lot of work. Now, the only thing I can do is to continue this line.
Have a nice day
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August 6, 2013 at 12:36 pm #
Hi Silviu,
Thank you for your input. Yes, those marketers that give a short timeline and promise the world is the reason I write posts like this.
When I coach a new client, I tell them the analogy of being a shop keeper. You need money to rent a space, purchase goods to fill the shelves, then have money to advertise. Little by little people will come, but then it is up to the shopkeeper to give a little extra here and there to make people want to come back. There lies the word of mouth because they will tell their friends and family. Eventually the store keeper will have to re-load the shelves and be there every day with persistence.
This applies the same on line. Business is business and it does take time to grow. Yes, some grow faster than others, but we are not in a race, but rather need to focus and learn as much as we can.
I understand the concept of those marketers that tell you that it will only take a short time to make money. But what kind of money?
I just believe that honesty is the best policy. When people are starting their business on line, I just tell them the truth of the matter.
Just continue Silviu and have no expectations. You are a master blogger and I know that soon your business will bloom!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: suejprice
August 6, 2013 at 3:36 am #
Hi Donna
I like the others have said love your analogy for the flower and the business. It is a good one as of course no one expects to plant a seed and pick a flower the next day but some people expect instant results in their business.
A business takes all of the things you have said. I like the comparison of water to marketing. In both cases the flower and the business will die.
It does not matter if you have an online or offline business these factors are all necessary.
Great post Donna.
Sue
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August 6, 2013 at 12:28 pm #
Thank you Sue!
We do need many components to build a good strong lasting business. It can be on line or off line.
These days I see too many newbies coming into the marketplace expecting the “get rich quick” routine that some people lead them to believe.
You know my passion lies with those newbies coming into the fold. I just want to get the word out that nothing happens overnight!
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: harleenas
August 6, 2013 at 2:35 am #
Hi Donna,
I loved the post, more so the analogy of a flower and a business, which are so similar indeed 🙂
Yes, just like a flower that blooms, so does our work, provided we nurture and care for it wholeheartedly. Patience is the key I’d say and just like flowers don’t bloom in a day, nor will your business or blog. Good things come to those who wait!
You surely need to be consistent and persistent in your work to get results, and I couldn’t agree more about being social because you like in a society where people are social too, so you need to adapt yourself to such an environment. Building relationships by connecting with each other, commenting, sharing, liking, and simply being for each other is what I’d say is really being social, which every blogger must be. I wish more people would realize this fact.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
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August 6, 2013 at 12:05 pm #
Thank you Harleena for your great input!
I like to use analogies so people may get more of a grip on how things work in their business.
In this particular one, I do believe that we need to have the mindset that things just do not happen overnight. I know there are folks out there preaching that to some newbies, and that is why I like to blog about the truth of the matter.
Yes, good things do come to those who wait.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: Lisapatb
August 5, 2013 at 7:59 pm #
Donna, love this post – learning and persistance are so important! I can’t even list how many things I’ve learned since starting at website over 3 years ago. Every day I learn something new and things are changing quicker than ever. There are many ups and downs and one has to persistant to stick with it. I’ve seen many websites and blogs come and go in my 3 years online. Hoping lots of blooms for ours Donna!
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August 6, 2013 at 11:40 am #
Hi Lisa!
I’m here three years also and the changes come faster online than offline. It is like time speeds up in this business!
If we learn to be persistent and roll with the punches, success will follow.
Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but as we persist one step at a time, we can keep up to date.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: marquitaherald
August 5, 2013 at 7:23 pm #
What a lovely example and of course great advice Donna. I believe patience is especially important … patience to see growth, to learn and keep learning because the marketplace will forever be changing, and patience to get through the inevitable challenges. Thanks as always for the inspiration.
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August 6, 2013 at 11:38 am #
Thanks Marty!
Patience is one of the key ingredients when growing a business. I see too many people trying to jump the gun and make things happen fast. It is just a fact that in any business, this does not happen.
I think it is all the hype out there that some people teach that makes others feel this way.
Yes, things are constantly changing in the internet business and it is just like life itself. The one thing we can count on is change. This is why it is important to keep up to date in our business and also keep patient.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: sylvianenuccio
August 5, 2013 at 6:20 pm #
Hi Donna,
This is a great analogy, a flower and a business, hum yes, lot’s of similarities.
If you stop watering a flower it will die, if you stop being behind your business, even something as simple as a blog it will die too.
promoting your business is really important, and one may think that’s easy, but it’s not. There are so many ingredients that we may or may not put into the promotion of your business that will make a world of a difference.
An there’s also the fact that when it comes to promoting an online business, some people are giving the wrong information to newbies and then you have a sea of people doing it wrong and failing because of it.
Things online change all the time and we must be adaptable if we want to succeed.
Thanks for this great analogy, Donna 🙂
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August 5, 2013 at 7:55 pm #
Thank you Sylviane!
Yes we must be adaptable in order to succeed. Oh those newbies! I just hate watching people taking advantage of them!
I try my best to help them out steering them to the proper information of the do’s and dont’s because when I came on line at first I spent thousands of dollars to learn.
That is not necessary anymore and that is one of my pet peeves!
Promoting our business takes many ingredients to make it work. That is what most newbies do not understand and they find themselves either overwhelmed and/or the quit. I wouldn’t want to see that done to anyone.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom
Twitter: AdrienneSmith40
August 5, 2013 at 5:55 pm #
I remember when I first came online Donna and started learning all the things involved in order to even start my own business, education has always been at the forefront. To me it was like starting a job when you don’t have any skills or knowledge and expecting to know everything the day you began. Who does that!
The perfect example is with the doctor. I’ve used that in the past when I was trying to explain to people that as technology evolves and new machinery comes into the picture would you honestly trust a doctor with your life who doesn’t care to continue his education so that he can improve his skills and save more lives! So he can learn new procedures that before didn’t exist? Gosh, I sure would hope not.
Things change no matter what it is so either learn to change and grow with it or stay stagnant and continue to maybe get the same results. I believe that over time they will come to a halt.
Great post Donna and I want mine to continue to bloom.
~Adrienne
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August 5, 2013 at 7:51 pm #
Hi Adrienne,
I often compare business with healthcare in my mind. If I needed a specialist I would do my homework the best I can. If I needed education for my online business, I would do the same kind of search.
When it comes down to it we must continue our education to offer the best service we can to people. The internet may be large, but it becomes very small with word of mouth and especially our social shares.
-Donna
Donna.Merrill recently posted..Making Your Business Bloom