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Last week in my MBA class (Management Control Systems) I had a case-study about “Balanced Scorecard” and how it was implemented in a particular company in the banking industry. Obviously the company had a lot of challenges and issues during the BSC implementation.

One of the lessons from the case was, for the BSC to be implemented successfully and fully, you need to keep improving it as the implementation phase moves along. One of the reasons cited for BSC implementation failure was because some companies want a perfect BSC - from the start. But that’s not possible, since BSC is a continuous thing, which has to be improved, changed, and adjusted over time.

Relating it to web-projects

This case-study reminded me of few occasions where I noticed how some people want everything to be perfect. They pay attention to the wrong (or shall we say less important) parts of the project. Every project consists of different parts, if it is a web project for example, then it could be divided into design, development, choosing hosting, choosing domain name, marketing, advertising etc.

However in order for the work to begin, you only need design and development (i.e scope of work) first. So don’t waste your time thinking how you will promote the website after its completion. Similarly, if you just want to test the waters whether the project will work or not, then don’t delve too much on the design of the interface. Just get a functional user interface that will do the job fairly and see if your project will stand the test. Because I noticed that some people will spend so much time perfecting the design of the website that they delay the launch of the project, or even worse the project gets not launched at all.

Because in most cases, it’s not the user interface that determines if the project will work or not. It’s the IDEA that determines the fate of your project. If your idea is good, then even if your website is not that “good looking” - it will still work! But not vice versa. You might have the best designed website, but still fail.

Lessons to be learned

So, in conclusion; first prioritize your tasks, identify the parts that are most important for the project to be completed. Once you have identified, work on those important parts first. Don’t waste your time on the tasks that will follow after the project has been completed.

Secondly, try to learn how to sacrifice on the design. Yes great logo is important for the brand, but don’t search for it 6 months until you delay the project. Same goes with the design of the website, some people spend so much time on the design that the real objective of the project gets forgotten. If your site supposed to be an auction site, once it has all the features developed and can do the job fairly well - just launch it! Don’t kill the web designer with small insignificant adjustments that won’t contribute to the overall objective of the project.

Author info: This is a guest post by Alan Johnson, the author of The Online Business Handbook.

As far as more than a few people are concerned, escaping from that 9-5 job they hate so much and earning a living online is something they’ve been dreaming about for longer than they’d care to remember. Well, guess what? That dream can become reality, but:

Your Current Attitude Has Got To Go!

A person who has been an employee for a long time or, in other words, someone who has gotten used to the concept of selling time, inevitably has some flaws which need to be corrected and that person’s attitude is the first thing which needs to change.

If you want to be your own boss, you have to stop thinking like an employee, you have to drop your current attitude. Are you serious about becoming a successful online entrepreneur? Well, in that case, you first have to understand that:

You’re No Longer Selling Your Time

Most folks who have just started out as online entrepreneurs see everything from the “one man show” perspective: I have to do this, I have to do that, I have to worry about this and I have to worry about that. As strange as the thought may initially sound, you actually don’t.

Assuming that you have some kind of a budget (it doesn’t have to be an extremely impressive one ,since the Web makes starting out far easier compared to offline alternatives), you can actually afford to:

Be Selective and Start Delegating

You may be extremely knowledgeable as far as topic x is concerned and, as a result, interested in starting a website about it. But, in order to establish an online presence, you obviously need a website. Does this mean that you should start spending countless hours in order to learn how to design and code? Of course not!

Delegate, let professionals do their job. They will do it faster, they will do it better and, most importantly, they will make it possible for you to concentrate on other tasks. That, my friend, is what being an online entrepreneur is all about. You’re no longer selling your time, so that, as I’m sure you have understood by now, the “one man show” way of thinking has got to go.

What about You?

How do things stand as far as you are concerned? Have you managed to “take care” of the flaws which came as a natural result of being an employee? It’s nothing to be ashamed of, since, let’s face it, something you do for a long time is bound to influence you in one way or another.

While having the flaws I have referred to is perfectly natural, doing something about them is definitely a must if you are serious about being successful on the long run as an online entrepreneur. It’s about time to stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like an entrepreneur, it’s about time to finally understand that you are no longer selling your time and act accordingly. Are you ready for this important step?

Best wishes,
Alan Johnson

Author info: This post was guest blogged by Alan Johnson, the author of The Online Business Handbook.

There is a huge difference between blogging and simply running a static website, not realizing that would be one of the biggest mistakes you could ever make. Blogging takes the visitor-webmaster relationship to a whole new level, not taking advantage of that would simply be a shame.

How Do You Treat Your Readers?

As a blogger, seeing each and every reader as a close friend and acting accordingly is definitely a must. It’s important that you see beyond conversion rates, it’s important that you build a solid relationship with the person behind each internet connection.

Treat them with respect and the results can and will be more than worth it. Don’t, and it’s only a matter of time until an inevitable reality check will make you wish that you had been wiser. In the end, a reader who doesn’t feel respected will simply leave or, in other words, if you don’t respect your readers, you can rest assured that there are more than a few competitors who will gladly take over.

Being Self-Absorbed is Not the Way to Go!

If you think that it’s all about “you”, then I am afraid that your approach is 100% wrong. No, being a blogger is not about how you can make money, it’s all about how you can provide value to your readers. Money and everything else comes afterwards.

Visitors don’t drop by because they want you to make money, they drop by because they are interested in quality information. Take yourself as an example, how many websites do you visit because you want the webmaster to make money? I am convinced that the answer is more than clear. Yes, the websites you follow on a regular basis are most likely making money, but that’s because they provide value to each reader.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that, as a blogger, you always have to come first, because that is definitely not the way to go. Sure, you may think that writing quality articles is hard and that publishing them on a regular basis is even harder but, no matter what perspective you were to see things from, you have to understand that:

Readers Come First

If you publish quality content on a regular basis, visitors will gladly drop by on a regular basis. If you don’t then they will simply stop, that’s the way things stand. Yes, you can make a lot of money as a blogger but you have to understand that, if you want that to happen, catering to the needs of your readers first is the only way to go.

Sure, it won’t exactly be a piece of cake, but the results can and will definitely prove to be more than worth it if you do your job right. If you are interested in reaping the rewards, having the right attitude is always a must and, in the end, searching for the easy way out will get you nowhere. What about you, what’s your attitude as a blogger? Who comes first?

Best wishes,

Alan Johnson

Author info: This guest post was written by Alan Johnson, the author of The Online Business Handbook.

After I’ve covered the top 5 reasons why you may currently not be earning a living online, it’s only natural that I refer to a few changes which can help you turn things around. And here they are, 5 of the most important changes which can and will help you earn a living online:

1) Be Optimistic

If you start out by seeing everything in a negative manner then that’s exactly how things will stand. Be optimistic, be confident in your ability to approach the market with a quality product, in your ability to make a certain resource worth following on a regular basis, in your ability to take things to the next level and earn a living online.

2) Always Be Ready to Learn

Drop the “I’m perfect, I don’t need your advice” attitude. No, you are not perfect and yes, you always have something to learn. If you have an open mind and are always willing to accept new ideas, even if they may be different to yours then you might just be on the right track and this attitude might just help you get one step closer to your goal of earning a living online.

3) Give It 110%

Always give it your best and always try to improve. That is an attitude which will definitely prove to be more than worth it in the long run. Just how committed to reaching your goal of earning a living online are you?

Sure, you may talk about your intentions, but are you able to also practice what you preach? If you are genuinely interested in earning a living online, you have to understand that it will not be a piece of cake. Just as with anything else, you have to be willing to work in order to obtain the results you know you deserve, that’s simply the way things stand.

4) Provide Value on a Regular Basis

Everyone is excited about a certain project initially, but how will you handle things once you inevitably start to lose momentum? If you are interested in being successful in the long run, providing value is not enough, you have to do it on a regular basis.

A few great articles, for example, will not be enough, not by a long shot. If you want visitors to drop by each day, you have to give them a valid reason to do that. Would you visit daily if a certain website only publishes an article once a month? Of course not, since you would only have a valid reason to only visit once a month. And guess what: that’s the same way your visitors see things.

5) Become More Flexible

If you currently think that blindly sticking with certain ideas is the way to go then I’m afraid that an inevitable reality check will change that. If something is not working out for you, don’t be afraid to implement changes, don’t be afraid to act, as you would be the only one losing out as a result of such an attitude. Become more flexible and you will definitely not regret it.

Best wishes,
Alan Johnson

Author info: This guest post was written by Alan Johnson, the author of The Online Business Handbook.

Do you think that earning a living online is nothing more than a foolish dream? If that is the case, then you can rest assured that things stand quite a bit differently and that your attitude is an important part of the problem. That being stated, here are 5 of the most important reasons why you are currently not earning a living online:

1) You Lack Self-Confidence

Do you think that successful online entrepreneurs are somehow special compared to you? Think again: we are all humans, all of us have qualities and, naturally, all of us have flaws as well. But why let the fact that you are not perfect keep you from believing in yourself? Yes, you can be able to provide value and yes, you can earn a living online but your attitude has to change.

2) You Are Not Knowledgeable Enough

Sure, you want to earn a living online, but are you knowledgeable enough? Are you able to share in experience in a way which provides value to your visitors? If not, then you have to understand that you need to first establish a solid foundation as far as knowledge is concerned and, of course, gradually build upon it afterwards.

3) You Are Afraid of Hard Work

If you think that earning a living online is extremely easy then, my friend, I am afraid that you may just be facing quite an unpleasant reality check. Yes, earning a living online can be a pleasure and so it should be, but that most definitely doesn’t mean that you can succeed if you are afraid of hard work.

The fact that you can earn a living by doing something you are passionate about should motivate you to work harder and harder, being afraid of work is simply not an option.

4) You Give Up Too Quickly

Do you expect things to happen overnight? If so, then I’m sorry to burst your bubble there but that is unfortunately not the way things stand. Giving up simply because you may not be seeing worthwhile results right away is an attitude which will get you nowhere, it’s about time you understand that.

Be determined, be persistent and be willing to give it 110%, even if it may seem that giving up is your only option. In the end, that’s one of the most important things which separates winners from losers, that’s the way things always were and that’s the way things will stand in the future as well.

5) You Don’t Listen

As an online entrepreneur, you always have to listen to what your visitors have to say (never make the mistake of not taking feedback into consideration) and, of course, listening to what numbers have to say as well (traffic stats, income stats and so on) is also recommended.

These are just a few of the indicators which should tell you that you are not on the right track. Taking them into consideration and acting accordingly is simply a must if you are serious about long-term success.

Best wishes,
Alan Johnson

Author info: This is a guest post by Alan Johnson, who teaches you how to Become More Productive Through 7-Day Challenges over at TheRatingBlog.com.

You may have come across quite a few of my guest posts here on AdesBlog or on one of the over 10 great resources where I contribute and may be wondering how on Earth I manage to get so much work done. Ades was actually wondering the same thing, has suggested that I share my experience through this week’s guest post and I was glad to accept the invitation.

Let me get straight to the point: most people aren’t productive and, if you don’t want that to be the case with you as well, you need to do be willing to do the things which seem “impossible” to most folks.

It’s actually a coincidence that Ades has suggested this topic right when I am in the middle of an article series which helps my readers become more productive through 7-day challenges over at my blog. I have listed 9 changes which, if implemented, can and will do wonders as far as your personal productivity level is concerned.

You basically need to get rid of habits which make you waste time and replace them with new ones which are actually worth it. There’s nothing more dangerous than routine: you get used to a certain useless task and let it turn into a habit. But guess what: every minute adds up and the results can be shocking.

Most people only say that they want to become more productive, but when it comes to taking things to the next level, they quickly drop the idea. I’ve recently had an offline contact complain about the fact that he never seems to have enough time for anything. I asked him what he wanted to do about it.

He mentioned all sorts of complicated time management methods he has heard about and I interrupted him. “How much time do you spend watching TV?”, I asked, and received “about 2 hours each day” as a response, after which he was silent for a moment, having realized what he had just said. Isn’t it interesting how the person in question complains about lack of time, yet always seems to find 2 hours to waste in front of the tube?

That, my friend, is a clear example of something you need to do differently if you are serious about being productive. Are you facing a similar issue? Does it seem that you cannot find time for anything these days? If so, then are you willing to stop watching TV or drop a similar habit? If the answer to my last question is “no”, then I am afraid that, in your case, there is a huge misunderstanding: you only want to be productive, you’re not actually willing to become productive.

Only a few people actually are and, as a result, only a few people become truly successful. Don’t search for all sorts of complicated approaches when the answer is right in front of you. Dropping habits such as the one I’ve mentioned may seem impossible if you have let routine get the best of you, but down the road, you will definitely look back and congratulate yourself. Are you willing to take things to the next level?

Best wishes,
Alan Johnson