Time management is one of the most important areas of skill an entrepreneur can develop. While I am capable of some pretty incredible time-management feats, I’ve also proven to myself that I can be a serious slacker/drifter.

In other words I’m not as consistent as I need to be. Hence my recent decision to really work at fine-tuning my time management strategy.

I’ll call this entry “Volume 1″ because I’m sure there will be more to come. Here are a few of my best practices that have helped me become far more effective in my daily work.

A Task List Is A MUST!

This one is fairly obvious, but then I went for a long time without doing it. A daily task list is absolutely necessary for any entrepreneur or businessperson.

We need a short, simple outline of the day’s mission critical objectives as well as any sidenotes of value. This helps us make measurable progress on a daily basis without floundering aimlessly.

I’ve found it best to have only two critical mission items per day, and up to four minor notes. Always try to list your items in order of importance, and always start with the highest priority each day.

And you should always create your daily task list the night before. Setting your list up in advance helps you avoid wasting work time in the morning. You can just hit the first item in your list and go from there.

Question Everything You Do!

Another really helpful tactic is to ask yourself this question when you are considering an item for your task list, or when anything unexpected comes up: “Is this activity productive in terms of moving me towards one of my key goals?”

If an activity will NOT move you toward an important goal it should get the boot. Only spend time doing what matters!

Of course this may require you to go back and set up your core goals. Having clearly defined goals is a must for effective time management because this gives you the foundation for your entire management strategy.

Say NO Often!

It’s not easy at first, but once you get the hang of it you’re going to love it. When you don’t want to do something or don’t see the benefit of an activity you are offered, just say NO!

I’m not telling you to refrain from helping others. I’m just encouraging you to stand up for yourself and your right to use your time for the highest good.

Avoid getting trapped into an obligatory hell of too many commitments.

Increase Your Reading Speed!

Seriously. The ability to read more quickly and effectively will allow you to spend less time on all the content you as a professional must absorb each week.

And you’ll actually find the ability to read faster will enhance brain activity, thus creating the feeling of more energy and sharper focus.

Check out this cool resource to learn more about speed reading.

These quick and easy tips are a good jump on time management. Take action on them and come up with a few of your own winners. I’ll post more on this topic in the near future and certainly I appreciate any tips that are added via comment here.

I’ve recently been blowing off some real steam about the somewhat ludicrous “work from home” community of late. Things have jsut reached critical mass after three years of working hard in this sector of the Web.

I’ve made a good living working with amateur Internet marketers but honestly I think some tough love is badly needed in this part of cyberspace. On that note here’s another rant…

There are literally millions of people online who say they want their own “Internet business”. But the truth is most of these individuals are lazy daydreamers who want to win the lottery.

Business and the lottery are two very different things. The Web seems full of people who don’t realize this.

Many people seem hung up on the idea that if they just keep going through the motions, they’ll eventually get the break they’re waiting for. In fact sentiments of “it’s going to happen if I keep trying” are common among wannabe Internet entrepreneurs.

Here’s the thing: Nothing happens for us unless we actively create it.

Another really bizarre phenomenon in the pretend Internet business sector is the huge number of people who have been “working online” for years without ever making their first sale. It’s incredible that such circumstances are accepted as normal.

Consider this:

Have you ever come across a plumber, accountant, dog trainer, landscaper, florist, or restaurant owner who says things like…

“Yeah I’ve been at this for five years and still haven’t made my first sale.”

or…

“I really need this to work out soon before I run out of money.”

Or have you ever heard someone who is about to start a new venture as a commercial cleaner, dentist, real estate investor, or hair stylist say things like…

“There isn’t a lot of work involved is there?”
or…

“Can I do this for two hours a week and still make six figures each year?”

or…

“Will I get my investment back in less than two weeks?”

Statements and questions like these would be considered absurd by any traditional businessperson. And yet such ridiculous sentiments are totally common when talking to people who want their own “Internet business”.

I submit that this kind of mentality (term used loosely) is ludicrous, and closer to the attitude of a lotto card gambling junkie than a real entrepreneur. Anyone who says such things and means them should seriously reconsider this whole “online business” thing.

Too many people seem to be looking for a cookie-cutter system that instantly puts them on track to be wildly successful. Even when offered legitimate coaching services, it’s quite common for people who claim to be Internet marketers to ask things like:

“How fast will I start making money after the coaching is complete?”

and…

“Will I get a refund if I don’t make any money?”

It’s an embarrassment to the whole industry of online commerce that people who claim to be Internet entrepreneurs have this kind of childish attitude about their so-called business. No other business niche breeds so many clueless, lazy, something-for-nothing crackpots.

It may be true that infomercials and manipulative copywriters help perpetuate this kind of get-rich-quick mentality. But the truth is the individual must take responsibility for his or her own expectations and actions.

Any form of business requires creativity, effort, risk, commitment, and time to become profitable. Online ventures are no exception.

Choosing to ignore these words and pursue an Internet marketing business with the something-for-nothing mentality is the fast track to frustration and failure. If you don’t love this business, it will crush you. The world of Internet marketing is no place for the wishy-washy, weak-kneed, or undecided entrepreneur.

Success as an entrepreneur is about being passionate, giving wholly of yourself, busting your ass, falling flat on your face and getting right back up, having a good crying jag from time to time, and reveling in the thrill of complete and total victory at the end of it all. Making real money online doesn’t come with the “I’ll scratch off the blocks and maybe match the icons for the prize” approach.

The Web is a big place, and while it can technically never get “full”, the playing field now feels smaller than it did a few years ago. There are literally millions of businesses and individuals selling products and services online, and competition can be extremely fierce in some markets.

For this reason, spending a little time on niche research is crucial when starting an online business.

While a true abundance mindset rejects the idea of competition and realizes there is more than enough for everyone, it still makes sense to avoid jumping into the fray with thousands of sites that are selling almost identical products to the ones you are offering. You can make a lot more money with much less effort by narrowing your focus to a niche market.

The term “niche marketing” gets used a lot online, but most of the time it’s not used correctly. A niche, in terms of marketing, is a relatively small group of customers who have very specific interests and/or needs.

Targeting a niche makes it easier for you to create profits for a couple of reasons:

1. You are marketing to a group of people with very specific needs. In many cases these folks actively want the solution you are offering.

2. There is almost always less (even minimal) competition when you are targeting a niche because few online businesses will take the time to research these smaller market segments. Most marketers go for the broad markets, leaving many lucrative niches pretty much untapped.

It should be pretty clear how your business could benefit from focusing on niche marketing. But what is less obvious for many entrepreneurs is how to do this; i.e. many people confuse the concept of a niche with that of a specific market.

Here’s what I mean:

When asked to list a few niches, many people would come up with answers such as horse training, weight loss, and home improvement. These are sincere responses, but they are not niche markets by any stretch of the imagination.

Each of the above markets is very broadly defined. To find a niche, one must more narrowly refine his or her search into a broad market.

On this premise, horse-training equipment for left-handed children might be a niche worth exploring.

As would safe weight loss strategies for men over 40 who are recovering from alcoholism.

By the same token, another possible niche market would be adding bay windows to second story rooms to enhance both interior lighting and equity value.

Are you beginning to see the difference in a broad market and a tightly focused niche? The examples above are totally made up off the cuff, and may or may not be profitable; but hopefully you see the point I’ve used them to illustrate.

While a broad market may have millions of consumers, it also probably has at least tens of thousands of qualified businesses working hard to sell to these prospects. On the other hand, a good niche with only a few thousand customers may have just one or two merchants currently catering to their needs.

As an online marketer you could earn a substantial living with a few hundred core customers. And if you are among the first to discover the potential of a certain niche, you can position yourself very strongly in the eyes of your target prospects and generate sales without a lot of hard work.

It only takes a little research to find a good niche. By spending a few hours of your time looking for a very focused group of consumers you could literally set yourself up for massive success on a long-term basis.

To begin earning real money as quickly as possible with niche marketing I highly recommend Niche Marketing On Crack. I realize that sounds crazy and I assure you I’m not supporting hard drug use, but this e-course is the best I’ve found in the category.

If you want a load of solid, take it to the bank knowledge without a ton of stuff that just confuses the heck out of you this niche marketing course is for you. Not only is this product a crystal clear blueprint for success, it’s super-affordable!