Using Repackaging To Go Big With Your Online Biz

Writen by Andrea J. Lee

It's actually quite common for online business owners to find themselves stuck. So let's start with a bang and talk about one of the best ways I know to give your online business a real-world boost.

Come to understand the concept of 'Repackaging' or 'Repurposing'

When I go to the grocery store in the month of November, I always shake my head in admiration. The reason is it's pretty obvious what the Big Chocolate companies have done, isn't it? They've taken the same chocolate product and changed the packaging (switched the giant plastic bags for high-end boxes.)  It doesn't matter if it's Cadbury, Hershey or Lindt...you're looking at the very same chocolate only put to a new purpose...helping us celebrate Christmas instead of Halloween.  Brilliant.  And a critically important lesson for online biz owners.

So here's the question to ask yourself:

"What intellectual property do I have that I can (quickly and with relatively little effort) repackage and sell to a new set of customers?"

Answer:

Step 1: Start by listing your current inventory of intellectual property.
Dig deep and don't overlook the obvious. If you've created a one-page website, terrific, put it on your list. Other things to list include lesson plans, graphical banners, audio clips, TeleClass titles you've led, even the list of ideas in your notebook is part of your IP inventory...you don't have to have a website. Other more traditional items are CD sets, workbooks, assessments, your ezine, eBooks, etc.

Step 2: Now brainstorm how to make your material new again.
Make a list of how your current inventory can be repurposed. Can your eZine issues be compiled into an eBooklet? Maybe your eBook can be chunked into 52 issues of a weekly tip eZine...perfect to attract visitors to your website. Do this for as many items in your inventory as you can, and by all means list as many new purposes for each that occur to you. Filled in, this worksheet will become your list of "gold nugget" projects, to return to when time or budget permit.

Step 3: Choose one item and act.
I get asked every day "why do some eBusinesses succeed where others never get off the ground?" The answer is they take full advantage of the leverage they can get out of their intellectual property. By choosing one item on your list to repurpose, and following through on it, you don't just create new products for your online shelves (a great thing in and of itself.)  Simply by applying the concept of repurposing, you increase the value of the time you spent creating your original offering.

Your time and energy are now "worth" more than before you read this lesson. 

Fabulous, isn't it?

For all those who are dabbling in the online world, but want to go big...good for you for starting a few things. You're right on track! Now your job is to repackage what you've got and serve your customers in as many ways as possible.  Not everyone who goes out for breakfast wants their eggs scrambled. As an online business owner, your customers are waiting for you to offer them the choice that suits them best, all the way from sunny side up to eggs benedict and back again.

Repackaging existing intellectual property for long term online success has such a strong track record, I'm hard pressed to think of a truly successful online business that doesn't do it. So once you get the hang of it, try going one step further and make sure new projects are developed with a good "repackageability quotient" from the start.  Every new product you create can and should have three or more uses. When that starts happening naturally, you'll know you've fully integrated this strategy into your online biz.

Andrea J. Lee coaches entrepreneurs and online business owners. As Thomas J. Leonard's General Manager, she helped build and manage the largest network and trainer of personal and business coaches in the world. Now the CEO of Andrea J. Lee Group of Companies, she writes, speaks and consults on Marketing, Internet and Business systems. For more helpful tips, visit http://www.multiplestreamsofcoachingincome.com/join.html.

Business Creativity Quotes

Writen by Dr. Yew Kam Keong

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what you want to achieve and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."

—General George Patton

"If you can dream it, you can do it."

—Walt Disney

"One of the nicest things about problems is that a good many of them do not exist except in our imagination"

—Steve Allen

"Having fun unleashes creativity. It is one of the seeds you plant to get ideas."

—Jack Foster

"The ultimate creative thinking technique is to think like God. If you're atheist, pretend how God would do it."

—Frank Lloyd Wright

"The innovative company understands that innovation starts with an idea and ideas are somewhat like babies – they are born small, immature, and shapeless."

—Peter Drucker

"The hallmark of creative people is their mental flexibility… Sometimes they are open and probing, at others they're playful and off-the-wall. At still other times, they're critical and faultfinding. And finally they're doggedly persistent in striving to reach their goals."

—Roger von Oech

"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange, then you and I still each have an apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each one of us will have two ideas.

—George Bernard Shaw

"The Empires of the future are the Empires of the mind."

—Winston Churchill

Excerpted from Business Creativity: Dr. YKK Quotes by Dr. YKK, Ph.D. (Penmarin Books).

Bad Attitudes Mean Lost Business

Writen by Marlene Chism

Once upon a time, when I was a front line employee at a food manufacturing plant, I had a supervisor, I'll call him "Fred" who intimidated most of his employees. When anyone called in sick, Fred would slam down the phone before the conversation ended. To most of us line workers, it seemed that this was his way of punishing anyone who tried to get by with calling in sick or playing hookey.

Fred also used other intimidation tactics to control his workforce. When someone approached him with a complaint, he made no bones about expressing his irritation: In a raised voice he would say, "That's just the way it is." In most cases his tactics worked. His employees learned not to express grievances because it was a no-win situation.

Fred also had two other sayings in his back pocket. Any time a brave employee would try to question the status quo, Fred would say, "I didn't ask you to work here." If that didn't work his final retort was, "If you don't like it find yourself another place to work."

These statements accomplished Fred's goal of closing the subject, but it did little for teamwork and productivity.

Fred never connected the dots that the reason the line went down for two hours was often because of a complaint that went unanswered or an employee with a bad attitude wanted revenge.

I'll never forget one time getting the courage to confront my bosses' attitude. I explained to him that when he hangs up on others it is intimidating. His response was to tell me that I was the only one who felt this way since I was the only one to bring it up. His second response was to tell me that he never raised his voice it was only my perception. (Had he never heard of the theory that my perception is my reality?) He then justified his behavior by paraphrasing Eleanor Roosevelt, "No one can make you feel anything without your approval."

Looking back on this situation I realize that there are two philosophies when it comes to attitude: The idealistic philosophy and the realistic philosophy. The idealistic approach is that each person is responsible to choose his attitude no matter how someone else treats you. The idealistic approach goes along with Eleanor Roosevelt's saying" No one can make you feel anything without your approval." A minor flaw in this way of thinking is that there is a difference between knowing and doing. Most of us know that we are totally responsible for how we feel, but we are more used to reacting than we are to choosing consciously.

The realistic approach is more of a William Penn philosophy: "No man is fit to command another who cannot command himself." The realistic philosophy embraces the concept of personal choice but acknowledges the truth that we are often influenced by each other. Some people just make it easier to choose a good attitude.

For example, it's easier to choose a good attitude when the boss has a great attitude. It's easier to choose a good attitude when others welcome you with open arms. It's easier to choose a good attitude when you feel like a valued customer.

Recently I tried a brand new restaurant in town. Several minor mistakes were made. Just when I was thinking that I might never return, the manager approached my table and told me the meal was on the house. The manager realized a profound business truth: If the customer leaves with a good attitude she will return again and again.

Think about the times you have been to the grocery store and you walked away frustrated. Chances are someone was rude to you, you didn't get help out with the groceries, the place was a mess or they were out of the advertised specials. Perhaps you kept your attitude in check, but I'll bet that you stopped shopping there nonetheless.

If you attend a new networking group and you are not greeted or made to feel welcome, it influenced your attitude. You might have silently quoted Eleanor Roosevelt, while you researched other networking groups to join.

If you are a leader in any sense of the word, you must never forget the influence you have over others. According to Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in their book Power of Full Engagement, "Leaders have a disproportionate impact on the productivity of others."

None of us work in a vacuum. Attitudes cause a chain reaction. As a boss, your attitude affects your employees. Your employee's attitudes affect your customers, and your customers are the lifeblood of your business. The result of bad attitudes whether it be yours of your customers, is lost business.

Marlene Chism is the president of ICARE Presentations, a consulting and training company that helps people reach their potential, solve their communication problems and build rewarding relationships. Previous clients include small businesses, private practice physicians, corporations, and national government agencies. Marlene can be reached by calling 1. 888.434.9085 pr go to the web at http://www.icarepresentations.com and sign up for free communication tips.