Well, your small shop has come to the end … your current website is not working for you anymore.
Traffic is down (and it was never all that strong to begin with) and your webmaster seems to be getting slower and slower, while their rates are going up.
Or worst yet, you have never had a website before but you have heard all the horror stories but you know you have go to DO something to improve your business… and a website seems like the most affordable way to go.
Guest Post by the late J.F. (Jim) Straw
Have you ever wondered …
“What is the major difference between people making an extra $1,000 per month and those who are making the really big money?”
The answer is simple. — Well, maybe not so simple – but – over the years, I have observed that one of the greatest differences between those who achieve mediocre results … or no results … and those who start a small business and build an empire is that they have developed a …
Tunnel Vision Approach!
Although “tunnel vision” … represented by a closed-in and very narrow view of the objectives of the company; like looking through a tunnel … is one of the curses of big, bureaucratic businesses, it is an absolute necessity for the beginning entrepreneur.
Guest Post by the Late Jim Straw 
When you have learned that 2 + 2 = 4, you have gained a useful piece of “information.” – When you have learned that 2 apples + 2 apples = 4 apples, but, that 2 apples + 2 oranges = 2 apples & 2 oranges, or 2 pairs of fruit, or 4 fruits, you have gained all-important “knowledge.”
Information is nice to know. It lets you answer the questions on tests (or when watching TV game shows). But, until you learn to use that information in a practical application, it isn’t knowledge.
Any child of 2 or 3 years of age can tell you that 2 + 2 = 4.
They have heard it repeated, over & over, until they can repeat it themselves. But, when confronted with 4 apples, they are at a loss to apply that information.
Jim Straw (1945 – 2012)
For those of you of haven’t ever hear of Jim Straw, I want you to know that he was one of the most down-to-earth marketing experts and business people, that I have ever had to privilege doing business with.
In his own words, Jim was “The eldest son of a farmer/aircraft worker, born in Oklahoma and reared on farms in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas, Straw began his long, successful career in business at the age of nine; when he sold his first cans of Cloverleaf Salve and copies of “GRIT” newspaper. Even at that early age, he had the unique talent of recognizing an opportunity, implementing a plan, and making a profit.”
While, I never spoke with Mr. Straw on the phone nor exchanged personal emails, I considered myself to be one of his true fans and faithful readers. Since 2007, I have been looking forward to his monthly email newsletter, The Business Lyceum – The Practical Instruction in the Arts & Sciences of Making Money”
And of course over the years buying several of his business books and courses. His books, based on his 50 years of experience as a millionaire business owner, helped me cut through a lot of the smoke and mirrors that far too many so called internet marketers spread around in order to sell their ‘guru’ products.
The one thing that almost no one ever talks about in business is that the process of making things happen.
In my experience taking action has almost ALWAYS worked out better for me than just messing about “planning” what I should do next. Now don’t get me wrong – I am a championship planner, over-achiever and over-analyzer!
I can spend virtually days, weeks, even years, plotting the perfect course of action – only to sit back and never get anything worthwhile done!
But if I am facing a critical make-it-or-break-it deadline or literally have disaster looming over my shoulder then I will jump right in it – with both feet and my eyes closed!
You would think that these ‘desperate measures’ would be mistakes, right? Yet I started to notice that it was during these moments of “act now – clean up your mistakes later” that I got some of my best work done.
