STARTING A BLOG? 13 TIPS TO SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY (What I learned my first 118 days of Blogging)

13 Tips

Image courtesy of istockphoto/fotosipsak

Since launching this blog in the last few weeks of 2011, everything has been perfect.  No mistakes.  Nothing I would have done differently.  Everything went exactly as planned.

How I wish!

As a first-time blogger, also new to Twitter, I’ve learned a lot from the experience.  If you’re thinking of starting a blog, here are some ideas for you to consider.  I hope these ideas save you some time, money, and aggravation.

1.  Define your purpose.  Like all successful endeavors, you should be clear about your purpose.  You’ve heard the saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will do.”  That’s true.  What are you trying to do?  What will you write about? What’s your goal?

What’s Your Purpose?

Named one of the world’s top leadership experts, John Baldoni is a recognized name for anyone studying the subject of leadership.  He has appeared on numerous programs, been quoted in publications as diverse as the New York Times to Investor’s Business Daily, and he has written articles for Inc. and the Harvard Business Review.  Having now read John’s tenth book, I recently enjoyed discussing leadership theory and practice with him.

If you regularly read his columns, you know that John scours the world for models of success and presents examples for you to follow.  Well before I was a CEO, I followed his practical tips.  If you are in a leadership position, he is someone you want to follow.  If you want to move up in an organization, he has some wise counsel.

Terry Bradshaw’s Business Day Features Ingram

Business Day is a television series hosted by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw.  The program spotlights interesting business stories and shares insights from company leaders in a variety of industries.  Business Day visited Ingram Content Group to learn about how we are reshaping our business and staying relevant as the content landscape shifts around us.

 

Treat Me Like a Customer

One of my local Nashville friends, Louis Upkins, is someone who is filled with energy and ideas.  Whenever we get together, I am energized.  Louis has worked with some of the biggest names in business, sports, and entertainment. He wrote a thought-provoking book called Treat Me Like a Customer, which encourages business people to treat their families at least as well as their customers.  In a world that seems to be accelerating faster and faster, he has timeless advice on balance and lessons of success that really matter.

I spent some time with Louis talking about these principles and what he has learned from a life spent with fascinating people.

Don’t Let Others Determine Your Value

Coins Spilling from a Jar

Image courtesy of istockphoto/bluestocking

On my desk at home, I have a jar of coins.  In it is mostly pennies and nickels.  Today as I was throwing some extra change into the jar, I found an old buffalo nickel.  I didn’t expect to find it just sitting on top.

And that got me thinking.  Inside this jar there are likely other coins more valuable than I think.  Inside companies are employees more valuable than the company leaders think.  And inside of you is more potential than you could possibly think.