“Earn $10,000 Per Month Working just 2 Hours per Week”… “Lose 10 pounds per day by just Sitting on Your Sofa”… “Take this Pill and all Women will Love You”…
Eye catching titles intending to entice one to read your message. Many of us use the Internet to further our knowledge and educate ourselves on our areas of interest.
I am in the business of helping people buy businesses and sell businesses. I also do get involved with business consulting to both startups and small businesses. The above headings are written to get our attention and get us to read.
Is It True Or Just A Marketing Trick?
Does one think that you can get rich just working a couple hours per week? Lose weight by laying on the sofa? I dont think we really believe it to be probable – maybe we think it to be remotely possible, and just that sliver of hope warrants us to spend our valuable time to read.
Optimism is a wonderful trait-when tempered. Kind of like the optimist that falls off a 90 story building and while falling past the 50th floor says to himself – “so far so good.”
Small business is of great interest to me, and I have various sources of information that I tend to follow. I write for a website that reaches many entrepreneurs, aspiring business owners and current business owners searching for both information and opportunities. On my own website, I list 1000 plus businesses for sale from Florida and around the United States. Within these businesses for sale certainly exist tremendous opportunity for those willing to put in the necessary risk and hard work.
And yes one buying one of the many businesses for sale you can earn $10,000 per month only working a couple hours per week…. But that may occur only after 10 years of working 14 hours day, initially struggling to pay the bills, and dealing with daily dealing with setbacks, and disappointment.
Yes, maybe after you have exercised a) a good business plan, in b) a good industry and c) are well funded and d) properly timed your venture you could earn that money – i.e. One could find quality people to help one execute a solid business plan for a well funded Typewriter Company…. But success would be unlikely – the same above scenario, executed 40 years ago may have proved successful. The timing for a typewriter company has come and gone.
There are people that “hit a homerun” and reach significant financial success with apparent little effort in a short period of time and capitalized on a new idea as the typewriter people may have several years ago. But I think for every one of those success stories there are the 10,000 others that reach success through long term hard work.
A person may start a business or buy a business and sell it next year for rich rewards. But, I am convinced that most financially independent success stories are the result of hard work over an extended period of time. And for me much of the good valuable advise I have attained throughout the years came through extended conversations, and trial and error – It does not come through short cryptic eye catching statements.
As a writer of a blog based on my experience as a business owner directly involved with several business acquisition, I contemplate the question of writing what I think readers may want to read or the information that I think small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs should read. Style or substance – I will tend toward substance knowing I will regularly not catch the eye of the readers looking to “get rich today – retire tomorrow.”
If I write an article about “Why is It Important That A Business Owner Understands His/Hers Balance Sheet,” will it be read? I dont know, but I know it would add value.
Real Business Advises
Some of the advise regarding starting a business, running a business, or buying a business can appear fairly boring and non eye-catching –
- Do Your Homework
- Educate Yourself
- Understand that you will be rarely over-funded
- Expect to Work Hard (working at “your job” or for others may be hard- but this will probably be harder-maybe more enjoyable, but harder)
- Expect setbacks and accept it will be up to you to overcome them.
But I do think that readers that are reading small business/entrepreneur blogs, news feeds etc. are taking an important step in educating themselves which is a valuable part of the process of reaching financial independence and or entrepreneurial business success.