Rework by 37Signals

Authors: Jason Friend and David Heinemeir Hansonne – Founders of 37Signals

Rework takes an unconventional minimalistic approach to the many aspects of business. Some of the chapters include PROGRESS, PRODUCTIVITY, EVOLUTION, HIRING, CULTURE, etc. The focus on simplification is quite refreshing in a world full of unnecessary peripherals. The authors criticize the over-use of the term entrepreneur and prefer to use the word starter.

“Let’s retire the term entrepreneur. It’s outdated and loaded with baggage. It smells like a members-only club.” p. 28 Rework

If you are an aspiring starter, looking for a refreshing simplified perspective on business, I would strongly recommend this book. You will be amazed, enlightened and eager to start your own business upon completion of this thought-provoking short read.

37Signals is most known for their web-based applications; BaseCamp, Highrise, Backpack and Campfire.

For more information on their book or products, visit http://37signals.com/.

Words To Live By….

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something…almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.

- Steve Jobs, Stanford University Commencement, 2005

Start Now!

WELCOME – (If you are new)! The intentions of this blog is to provide tips, share opinions, offer suggestions, etc. to people who are sick of working the 9 to 5 and want to do something you are either passionate about or think will be lucrative (often times these two go hand-in-hand). Over the past few months, I have been exposed to some of the many facets of internet entrepreneurship including adwords, logo creation, encryption, site design, favicons, html validator, google analytics, website optimizer, wordtracker, legal-zoom, etc. The reason that I was exposed to so much is because I had an idea and I decided to go for it. “I made it happen for myself” – John Mayer. If you have an idea, thought, invention, passion, niche, etc - Start Now! The hardest part is starting and you will be amazed by how you can accomplish if you commit. It sounds simple, but set small goals for yourself whether it is purchasing a domain name or emailing your mentor.

One resource that I could not live without is elance. This is a platform where you can either offer work (Provider) or hire individuals or companies to do your work (You). Simply post your job and receive bids! This resource allows you to indirectly be an expert in many fields, at a reasonable price. If you have never heard of elance or want to learn more, check it out at http://www.elance.com/.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN USING ELANCE AND CHOOSING A PROVIDER:

Time Zones: There are providers from all over the world. Please keep this in mind when choosing a provider as it is difficult to communicate because of the time differences.

Language Barrier: The way someone from one country interprets something may be drastically different then the way someone from another country may interpret the same thing.

Background Check: Make sure to thoroughly investigate a providers ratings, earnings, repeat customers, feedback, website, etc. to determine if they can do your job.

Specific Job Description: If you are posting a new job, be as specific as you can in order to generate realistic bids. If you feel that you have a novel idea, provide as much detail within giving away your idea. The last thing you want is to hire someone who is not capable of completing the work you need done.

Do NOT Pay for a Project Up Front: In my opinion, the more milestones that you create, the better off you are. This will allow you to be very specific in regards to setting due dates for smaller ‘sub-tasks’.

Financial Recession = Entrepreneur Recession?

Since mid-March the S&P 500 has gone from 675 to 1,100, nearly doubling. However unemployment is still roughly 10%. Are we still in a recession? I would argue yes, strictly based on unemployment and consumer spending. Contrary to popular belief, a recessionary time (most of this year) provides a great opportunity for fellow entrepreneurs to open the business of their dreams. Although the stock market has increased drastically, there are still many corporations that are struggling. This is sad news for most, but it allows fellow business owners/entrepreneurs the opportunity to negotiate prices on many things. Whether you are in need of a new computer or marketing material, now is the time for you to leverage the downturn in the economy to your benefit. For example many media outlets (TV, radio, etc.) are looking to meet their sales goals for year-end. With the right timing and wording, there is opportunity to save up to 50% on many necessary items whether your business is web-based or a traditional brick and mortar organization. You will never know if a discount is available unless you ask. Always ask for a discount on anything you buy….especially in this market environment! NEGOTIATE!!!!

Tim Ferris Video

 

Welcome Fellow Internet Entrepreneurs

Hello fellow Internet Entrepreneurs -

Thank you for visiting my blog. My goal with this site is to provide information and receive information on how to make money on the internet (hence QuitThe9to5). As you know, there are millions of resources available on the internet on this subject with only a fraction of them providing helpful information. Please treat this site as an open forum to communicate anything related to online businesses/internet entrepreneurs. Here is a brief list of things that I am currently interested in learning more about:

Advertising – What free online outlets do you use most to market your site? Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.

Affiliate – Do you have a specific affiliate program that you have had good experience with? Adsense, Commission Junction

Checkout – What checkout/shopping cart platforms do you use? PayPal, Google Checkout, Authorize.net

Site Security – How do you protect your site from unauthorized users? VeriSign

Website Analytics – What do you use to test new designs on your site? Google Analytics

What are some general resources that you use? Books, podcasts, websites, etc.

What are you thoughts about outsourcing overseas? Have you had good experiences with certain countries? India, China, Philippines?

If you are new to the internet business world and would like to learn more here a few resources that I would suggest:

Books: Rich Dad Poor Dad, Cash Flow Quadrant, The 4-Hour Work Week, The Tipping Point, Think and Grow Rich, The Intelligent Investor

Podcasts: Internet Business Mastery

Websites:

• www.fourhourworkweek.com/
• http://www.internet-based-business-mastery.com/
• http://www.inc.com/
• http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/index.html
• http://www.elance.com/
• https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
• http://www.wordtracker.com/

Please tell us about resources that you find useful.

My goal for this blog is to provide a one-stop shop for fellow novice internet entrepreneurs.

Thanks.