As a reminder:

• “internal marketing” includes: Newsletter, Direct Mail, Teleclasses, Video, Sales Letter, Strategy Sessions, Follow-up, Education, Community Building
• “external marketing” includes: Advertising, Searching Engines, Networking, Social Media, Article Publishing, Speaking, Podcast, Referrals, Joint Ventures, Press Releases, Expert Interviews.

Here’s what I discovered:

Under $30K Earners

• 77% of people have a mailing list under 500 subscribers
• 26% of people said they focus 10% of their time on “internal marketing” and 10% on “external marketing”, although just as many said they focus 50% on “external marketing”.
  
• The overall HAPPINESS level of people who made less than $30K in 2011 is on average 3.5 out of 10. (More money can definitely bring more happiness and reduce stress!)
  

Six-Figure Earners

• 9% of respondents made 6 figures in 2011
• 30.8% of people who made over $100,000 in 2011 have a list of 1000-3000 subscribers – NOT BAD!
• A more shocking fact I discovered: 41.7% of people who made over $250,000 in 2011 have a list of under 500 subscribers.
• According to this survey, 35% of six-figure earners focus approximately 30% of their marketing on “internal marketing” strategies and 65% on “external marketing”
• The overall HAPPINESS level of six-figure earners is on average 7.5 out of 10.

So what I see from the survey (and from reading 100+ comments!) is that it’s important to do BOTH, internal and external marketing! I also confirmed that income level is NOT proportional to list size. Many of the comments from six-figure earners mentioned “more leverage” and “more delegation” on their wish list, but were overall happy with their business.

Something that survey results did NOT show, but I could feel it from reading all the comments, was that people in the “under $30K” income level are very excited and optimistic about their growth opportunities! They’re just starting out and can’t WAIT to grow their ventures!

I’d love to hear from you, so please weigh in on these results by posting your comments below!

By the way, I had a list of 10,000 people back in 2002, and was making less than 30K a year – no wonder! I had no clue about how to build relationships with my subscribers, and how to convert them to buyers! Watch for my brand new training called “Small List Big Money”, where I reveal how I FINALLY converted my small list into 6 figures. If you want a sneak peak into the program, here it is: http://www.SmallListBigMoney.com/program

Sharing this with my subscribers puts me into a slightly vulnerable position, but I hope that exposing my weakness will help YOU create a stronger business!

Download mp3

Andrea defined exactly the HUGE growth opportunity I was ignoring, eased my fears about hiring, and introduced me to tools that I’d never considered to make sure I hire just the right person for my team!

Here’s what we discussed:

• The missing link among my team that has prevented me from doubling my business
• How focusing on what I love would bring a rush of new customers and sales into my business
• The mistakes I made in past hiring that’s prevented me from hiring again – and prevented me from growing my business
• How I could guide an employee’s actions according to my own priorities
• How to motivate a team member to achieve for themselves as well as for me
• How to feel confident with delegation and increasing levels of authority
• A technique that lets me hire with confidence and no risk

Would love to hear any ah-ha moments this conversation created for YOU, so please share in the comments below!

P.S. If you’ve been trying to grow your business, Andrea’s Million Dollar Team Builder program registration is still open! Andrea shows you how to build a team that would allow you to step away from a big part of your business and focus your attention on doing what you love, double sales and also give you more stress-free time to enjoy your personal life. Check it out now, Andrea is offering a 20% discount until August 23rd: ==> http://preview.tinyurl.com/million-dollar-team

After nine years of people telling me that I couldn’t build a million-dollar company working 4-5 hours a day, while raising two small children, I proved them wrong.

(I only wish I would’ve known about this business model sooner and not listened to those who slave over their businesses into the night!)

• Do you feel stuck at your current income level?
• Do you constantly worry about getting things done and keeping your cashflow going?
• Do you feel like the only way to grow your business is to work more hours or to add more clients?

I found an amazing business model that allows you to cut your work time in half and still experience massive growth in your business.

I call it “The BLISS Factor” and this April I’ll be personally coaching a select group of entrepreneurs in creating a high- income business with unlimited growth potential using the same model.

“The BLISS Factor” is designed specifically for coaches, consultants, authors, speakers, trainers, and other expertise- based business owners who are tired of being chained to their business and ready to break free from it, while creating a highly profitable company.

REGISTRATION for this unique and highly experiential 3-day live event will open next Wednesday, February 18 at 1:00 pm EST and will accept people on a “first-come-first-serve basis” (watch for more details soon).

In the mean time, get a copy of “The BLISS Factor” business model outlined in my “Unlock Your Business Growth” toolkit:

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F R E E   T O O L K I T   D O W N L O A D
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“UNLOCK YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH: Do Less, Make More,

and Turn Your Natural Ability Into a Million-Dollar Company”

http://www.TheBlissFactor.com

***Available in PDF and MP3 format***

If you’ve been frustrated with your business lately, feeling tired and discouraged, what I reveal inside this toolkit may transform your business and change your life.

Don’t let any “gurus” out there tell you that you need to put more hours in, do more public speaking, attend networking events, work harder etc. You can create an amazing company on YOUR terms, and I show you exactly how to do this inside.

Be sure to watch the video on the page above! I share two specific mindshifts I had to make before I could implement “The BLISS Factor” business model and create a business full of complete personal freedom of time and money: http://www.TheBlissFactor.com

When you are creating a concept or a brand, design plays a major role in how you’re perceived and the energy and emotion you want to communicate to your market. Here’s the logo I chose for The BLISS Factor concept, which I will be talking more about in the next few weeks, designed by Laura Wallace:

The BLISS Factor Logo Designed by Laura Wallace

- Do you feel like you’re stuck at your current revenue, but couldn’t possibly fit any more clients or projects?

- Do you wish you could create more free time to work on new and exciting projects, or just to cut your work week in half?

Dan Finley, a successful entrepreneur with a six-figure coaching and consulting business in the financial advisor industry, has found himself chained to his phone 5-6 hours a day working with 10 groups and 20 private clients, doing all of his own marketing, administrative, and even web work.

Dan maxed out at 100 clients. He wants to go to the next level of in-come, but there’s no room for more! Dan needed a strategic overhaul of his business model.

I’ve just recorded a strategy session with Dan, where we found at least half a dozen ways to give him back control of his time, leverage his expertise, re-shuffle his programs, and make room for creative work he truly loves.

After you listen to this, be sure to post any questions or comments here – I WILL BE ANSWERING THESE PERSONALLY.

Dan allowed me to record and share our conversation for the benefit of other entrepreneurs who might be in a similar situation. You can download it here:

Create More Free Time and Increase Your Income – mp3 Download (right-click and choose “Save Target As”)

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Well, what if I don’t want to put my mind to it? What if someone else can put their mind to it much faster, easier, better, and they’ll actually enjoy every minute of it?  Why do it yourself when someone else can do it for you? Most importantly, are you really going to do it, or just whine about not having enough time to do it?

I identified seven types of activities your team must be able to handle. I am not saying you should have seven people on your team. Nor am I telling you to hire your entire team at once. I am simply suggesting that all of these activities must be taken care of at some point in every business. Either you are doing these yourself, or they’re not being done at all, which most likely has a limiting impact on your cashflow and revenue.

Here they are:

1. Administrative (customer service, web site maintenance etc.)
2. Creative (design, writing, editing etc.)
3. Marketing (PR, internet marketing, social media etc.)
4. Sales (in-house, affiliate, strategic alliances, etc.)
5. Service delivery (coaching, consulting, training etc.)
6. Technical (computers, network, web hosting, programming, e-commerce etc.)
7. Professional contractors (accounting, legal, event planning etc.)

There are two more types of activities I thought I’d mention – these may not seem essential to your business success and profitability, but I can tell you they’ve made a huge difference in my life:

8. Mentoring (business coach or mentor)

9. Personal (house cleaning, chef, consierge, shopper, image consultant etc.)

No, this is not about being lazy or outsourcing your whole life…It’s about creating a business where work becomes optional.