10 Commandments for Making Your First $1000 Online

Imran Esmail Build Your Business Leave a Comment

Recently, I've had a crisis of confidence.

You see at the beginning of any business, nobody knows about you and you have very little traction in the marketplace.

The journey can seem insurmountable.

So this is my master list of rules to refer to and stay on track towards making your first $1000 online.

1. You're Building Online Assets

In the beginning, there is very little traction.

As of this writing I only have 150 subscribers.

But that's okay because that is where everyone starts.

This means every article I write is an asset of mine. And as an asset it will be producing income for me in the form of readership. It should have a clear call to action and provide a benefit for the you, the reader, that can be traded in for your attention – most notably I want your email address.

Forms of online assets I will build include:

  • Articles
  • YouTube videos
  • SlideShare presentations
  • Udemy courses

Everything will be income producing and I will reap the rewards months, maybe even years from now.

2. Good Things Take Time

My family has been in the hotel business for the last 20 years.

Do you know how hard it is to build a hotel from nothing?

It requires between 3-7 years of finding a plot of land, doing the market research, getting zoning approval, designing the building, and then finally breaking ground.

That's millions and millions of dollars before you see any money come through.

Now that's patience.

In treating your content like assets, you are laying the foundation upon which you can build your empire.

Every piece should have a purpose and take you and the readers closer to everyone's goals.

3. The World Has Enough Content

Want to write a Kindle book? There are a thousand sites that will tell you how to do that.

Want to build a Space Shuttle? You could probably find out how to do that as well.

The internet has everything you could possibly imagine or dream of doing.

It's already out there – we really don't NEED anymore content.

But people are still desperate to lose weight, leave their job that they hate, and find the love of their lives.

In short, what the internet needs is more teachers.

More curators of content, and more people to show others the path.

That means that if someone is dissatisfied with their job and is desperate to get out – there is someone (like me) who can show them the way.

If someone is overweight and wants to lose 100 pounds – someone has been there and can show them what to do first, second, and third.

These teachers, take existing content and simply repurpose it with a clear path and end goal.

Be a guide for others.

4. Be Everywhere

Some people are visual learners, others use their auditory senses. As I'm starting to realize, it's not enough to just post articles.

In particular, humans are capable of consuming, processing and remembering VISUAL information faster than any other sense.

That's why visualizations are so powerful and why being on YouTube or Instagram should be a priority for all internet entrepreneurs.

5. You are Sharing to Help People

On “Escape Your Desk Job”, I'm sharing my journey and experiences.

It may not resonate with everyone.

That's ok.

For the people that it works for, hopefully, they keep coming back, and I can help them through their troubles.

Fixing their challenges and guiding them is the value that I provide.

And I'm happy to help.

6. But Every Reader has a Value

Ryan Deiss says that his email subscribers are worth 50 cents to $2 each.

Quoting that figure is only to let you know there is value in building an email list and having readers who are engaged and will read and use your material.

While I would like to give away all my content for free and just help people – to keep the engine going I have to keep myself going.

Everything I sell and endorse will bring my readership closer to their goal of leaving their jobs and finding a business of their own.

7. You'll Produce a Lot of Garbage

I have already has some tragic bombs of articles I've written.

Just pitiful – I mean like 20 people read them and some took me hours to write.

Whatever. It's the cost of progress.

It has also helped me learn what works and how to communicate with the readers.

Readers want energy and PASSION – they want it  to come through in the writing.

This was evident in two articles I wrote entitled “Why I hate you because of your resume” and “Death by Distraction: How I Plan to Save 41% of my Life” with more than 8000 readers in total.

I'm always learning but will likely produce some garbage to fuel my journey.

8. Be an Example for Your Readers

People want to see results. Period. They are not stupid.

If you want people to change their eating habits and become vegan – you better be vegan yourself.

If you want to help people lose a ton of weight – you're more likely to convince with some personal experience.

People BUY into Results.

Be the results they seek.

9. Be Consistent

Most have a ton of distractions in their lives (which I'm trying to correct)

Miss 2 weeks and your readers will start looking elsewhere.

We need constant motivation to move forward or life becomes stale and people forget about you and the changes they seek.

I myself, plan on posting twice a week at the minimum – Tuesday and Thursday.

Look out for my emails.

10. Have Fun and Enjoy the Journey

Self-explanatory – but try focus less on the outcome and just enjoy the ride.

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