Like Marty McFly – Sometimes it’s important to really watch where your time is going and make sure you are surrounded by Awesome Profitable People that respect your clock!
I have been doing some massive hours lately and love it. 11:20PM as I write this blog with PowerPoint Presentations on tomorrow, our massive “90 Days of Profitable Sales & Marketing Workshop” on this Saturday and plenty of online work and running networking groups.
As I have been in business for about three years now, things are getting quite mature for me I have plenty of various projects on with a range of people. Most of them are fantastic, such as working with Martha Arifin on shared workshops, Grant & Karen Dempsey at 4Networking Australia, my lovely Jude with some of our shared Workshops and also many of my awesome clients out there.
The great news is that I mostly work with “Profitable People”. That is, they are awesome, productive, ethical, driven by Abundance and are a pleasure to work with be it they are clients, suppliers, friends or colleagues.
Now I have got the positive out of the way, “Growl” it’s time for me to hit on the negative with some initiatives I have been caught up in over the years. Most of the things I have been doing are great, but every now and then you work with the “Wrong” people or wind up in a business project that you just really don’t want to do, it drives you insane, gives you a headache and even worse – it’s not good for your business.
Going back some years in reflection one of my oldest clients and friends is a fantastic Website Designer. A very kind woman, heart of gold and knows her stuff. I remember at one point this real “Predator” took advantage of her by conning her into doing a WHOLE WEBSITE (yes, a whole $3,000 quality website) in exchange for some very paltry cross-promotion that I would not even estimate being worth $400. When I first met her, she was stressed out, feeling embarrassed and she was burning all her time getting used and not out there selling for new clients or at least working on the “Right Projects” that pay her what she is deserved. After helping her out and supporting her – she eventually kicked this project to the curb, asked for “Money” and then surprise, surprise the people wanted no more changes to the website and let her go on her way.
On a very funny note, I had got caught up in a project some time ago. I was just pouring my heart and soul into helping a group of people that really didn’t appreciate me at all (except for one who is awesome) – only boom to realize “Edward! What are you doing and how did you wind up in this position?”. What I found quite funny in catching my error was that I had my “Business Blinkers” on. That is, I was so much in the motions of working “In the Business” and not “On the Business” I temporarily lost sight of what was going on and was just wasting tons of time without questioning my own personal return from it. The moment I regained my senses, I immediately asserted myself and got out of the corner I was in to make sure things are on me.
This to me comes down to two types of people you can deal with in business, “Suck-Ass Time Wasters” and “Awesome Profitable People”. Generally speaking, “Profitable People” are people who are giving and generous you and me. The “Time Wasters” chances are the people who are just using you for a free ride and care little about you.
My advice and lesson from over the years? Be careful who you work with and go into projects with and keep an objective eye on things. Sure, sometimes the deal will be fairer for one party more than the other, but if you are in an agreement continually where you are getting the sharp end of the stick – it may be time to speak up and even move on. It’s a common part of business I find for many and as long as you are keeping a clear eye on who you spend time with it should work to your favour. Hanging out with Awesome People often leads to Awesome Results!
And of course, speaking of Awesome make sure you check out my Online Sales & Marketing Course “The Awesome Marketing Vault” – made my Profitable people with lots of love!
Thank you for the read and have a great one Awesome Friends! Here is to Profitable Fun Projects.
Bye for now from Edward Zia – Marketing Mentor and Blogger.
2 Responses
Nice post mate. Just to add to your awesome-ness, you tend to find you have to kick the time wasters to the kurb before you can start working with profitable people. There just isn’t room for both.
Scary thoughts if your only source of income is one of these people. You spend so much time working with nothing left in the tank to find better clients.
Time wasters can smell the fear, and have a knack for finding desperate people.
So have faith in yourself, pride in the work you do, courage in the prices you charge and time wasters won’t get a lookin!
James
Great answer James Hill – I am sitting here with Martha Arifin now actually and I love what you are saying. In this project, they aren’t source of income at all so it’s very simple situation.
Including myself once upon a time, a few of us where in the same position. Financially dependent on time-waters and they really do play you. Great insight James Hill and did you want to become a Guest Blogger? Feel free to send me an article anytime big man. Edward Zia.